03-28-2016 Council Work Session Minutes

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CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION March 28, 2016 APPROVED 1 CITY OF LINO LAKES 2 MINUTES 3 4 DATE :March 28, 2016 5 TIME STARTED 6:00 p.m. 6 TIME ENDED 6:25 p.m. 7 MEMBERS PRESENT Councilmember Rafferty, Kusterman, 8 Maher, Manthey and Mayor Reinert 9 MEMBERS ABSENT :None l0 11 12 Staff members present: City Administrator Jeff Karlson; Deputy Public Safety Director 13 Police —Kelly McCarthy; City Clerk Julie Bartell 14 15 1. ACE Program Update —Jeff Karlson noted the high level of activity for the 16 city's ACE Program. The council had received a report at the last meeting on the activity 17 level along with three options to meet the increasing demands —limit participation in the 18 program, add an additional part time Community Service Office (CSO) position or add an 19 Office Tech in Administration to handle the work. Mr. Karlson said he has eliminated 20 the Office Tech possibility because a CSO is much costly. He reviewed the cost of the 21 CSO position and noted that, without a change, the Police Department will have to begin 22 limiting participation in the program now (they are already not allowing the option for 23 speeding tickets). 24 25 Council Member Maher noted the department's grant funded traffic safety officer 26 position and asked how long it is in place. Deputy Director McCarthy explained that it is 27 in place for an additional two to three years. Administrator Karlson noted that the 28 position is also tied to production but that has not been a problem. 29 3o The council discussed the usual term of an individual in a CSO position, with staff 31 explaining it is commonly about two years; most often individuals in that position move 32 into police officer positions, either here or within other departments. 33 34 The idea of automation was brought up at the last meeting and staff explained the option 35 was reviewed but was not found to be feasible; Deputy Director McCarthy explained the 36 department's evaluation of automating the process. Additionally the volunteers that 37 were working with the program have pretty much stepped away but that's the nature of 38 using volunteers —they aren't always going to be there. 39 4o Mayor Reinert reiterated his concern that any new position would have to be tied to a 41 certain activity level so it could be lowered if that activity goes down. Deputy Director 42 McCarthy said she'd have to get more data together to tie a position to activity numbers. 43 Council Member Manthey said he' d like to know if the program was originally budgeted 44 based on an accurate number. Administrator Karlson noted that the budget has increased 1