HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-01-2010 Council Minutes (2) CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION March 1,2010
APPROVED
1 CITY OF LINO LAKES
2 MINUTES
3
4 DATE : March 1, 2010
5 TIME STARTED : 5:58 p.m.
6 TIME ENDED : 10:40 p.m.
7 MEMBERS PRESENT : Councilmember Gallup, O'Donnell,
8 Rafferty,Roeser and Mayor Reinert
9 MEMBERS ABSENT : None
10
11 Staff members present: Director of Administration Dan Tesch; Community Development
12 Director Michael Grochala; Director of Public Safety Dave Pecchia, Environmental
13 Coordinator Marty Asleson; Economic Development Coordinator Mary Alice Divine;
14 Director of Finance Al Rolek; City Engineer Jim Studenski; City Planner Jeff Smyser;
15 City Clerk, Julie Bartell.
16
17 1. Blue Heron Update—Environmental Coordinator Asleson explained that he has
18 provided the council with a summary of some of the Masters Degree thesis work of Mr.
19 Andy Van Duyke on the subject of the Great Blue Heron Rookery on Peltier Island. He
20 reviewed the information noting that historically there have been various possibilities
21 studied for the disappearance of the herons. Raccoons predators were identified as the
22 main problem; a"slow zone"was established on the adjacent lake way as well. The idea
23 of trapping the raccoons came with some concerns so rather the practice of adding metal
24 flashing to trees so that coons cannot climb them was implemented in 2006. The
25 numbers have been going up since that time.
26
27 Wayne LeBlanc provided the council with additional written information on Heron
28 Actions and Needs on Peltier Lake. He suggested that the message with this situation is
29 to remain diligent in keeping the area quiet and secure with the flashings.
30
31 The Mayor confirmed that the flashing effort will continue and most likely grow. He
32 believes the herons are important to the city and the situation must continue to be
33 monitored so it never becomes too late to preserve the presence of the herons.
34
35 2. Council Support of Broadband Connectivity—Finance Director Rolek
36 explained that the City's information technology(IT) supporter,the City of Roseville's
37 Metro-INET, is seeking the city's support for a technology stimulus grant sought by
38 American Fiber Systems (AFS). The grant funds would be used to install a fiber optic
39 network that would be available to Metro-INET for only the cost of annual maintenance.
40 He introduced Mr. Terre Heiser,Network Manager and Executive Director of Metro-
41 INET.
42
43 Mr. Heiser explained that Metro-INET is composed of nineteen metropolitan
44 communities (67 facilities including police and fire) utilizing a network under the
45 governance of joint powers agreements. The institutional network is currently provided
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION March 1, 2010
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46 by Comcast at no cost,valid through the course of existing franchise agreements (those
L 47 vary in terms). There is a threat that the same arrangement may become unavailable in
48 the future so the concept of leasing circuits at a cost is on the table as well as cities
49 putting in their own fiber connections. The AFS network proposal fits well into the
50 concept of cities moving away from the franchise connection. He noted that the grant
51 process will be very competitive with many proposals expected.
52
53 The council discussed the annual maintenance obligation. Mr. Heiser explained that
54 although it would be new cost to the city, it is divided among the nineteen Metro-INET
55 user groups according to the number of units and should remain fairly stable. The costs
56 may be reduced further by the inclusion of more groups in the future as well as identified
57 savings.
58
59 The council agreed to consider a resolution of support at the council meeting.
60
61 3. Budget
62
63 Response to council questions—Finance Director Rolek noted that the management
64 team has collectively prepared answers to budget ideas brought forward by the council.
65 Many of the suggestions came from Council Member Roeser. The list was reviewed with
66 the following comments. Acting Administrator Tesch noted that Council Member
67 O'Donnell had submitted some budgetary ideas but they are not included in the current
68 report; responses on those items will be sent out to council members.
69
70 Snow Plowing—the interest is in providing/sharing services with other jurisdictions in
71 areas where that makes sense.
72
73 Emergency Services Dispatch—a merger to provide services to Centerville has been
74 discussed in the past and did not result in a change but is there a way to look again and
75 make it a successful and cost saving venture for all. A council member recalled past
76 discussions on the subject and the related concerns and expressed uncertainty that an
77 agreement is possible; it needs to be a fair situation for all.
78
79 Utility Billing—there remains interest in sharing or providing services to other
80 jurisdictions. The council plans to look at all city resources and look for those
81 opportunities as a larger project. Such a process is vital and must be undertaken as part of
82 budget discussion.
83
84 Fees for Services—Although staff reported that fees are reviewed annually,the council
85 remains committed to charging fees in direct correlation to the cost of services provided.
86 Where outsourcing makes sense it should be considered(example given where the City of
87 Ramsey contracts with a private service for electrical services previously provided by the
88 state and receives a portion of the fees).
89
`...„ 90 Seek Funding for Shovel Ready Projects— Staff has noted that qualified projects are
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CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION March 1,2010
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91 being submitted for grant consideration; a council member suggests that projects should
92 be accelerated if possible to take advantage of funding opportunities that are occurring
93 only now.
94
95 Faxes—It is recognized that people should be able to fax to city hall, the idea presented is
96 about being aware that the technology has changed and that faxes can be received and
97 sent in a different way that may or may not require special equipment—don't replace
98 equipment that isn't needed.
99
100 Attrition—It is recommended that any open positions be reviewed thoroughly and that
101 restructuring occur if that is appropriate.
102
103 Polling places - It was clarified that the idea of moving a polling place (for convenience)
104 to a facility outside of the county is not possible.
105
106 Director Rolek noted that reviewing the council's suggestions has been a good exercise
107 and the process of reviewing budgetary items will continue.
108
109 Storm Water Utility—Community Development Director Grochala noted that the
110 written staff report contains both the executive summary from the 2006 storm water
111 management financing feasibility study as well as a 2007 report prepared by the
112 Metropolitan Council on the same subject. The basic premise of instituting a storm
113 water utility is that it provides funds for storm water costs based on use rather than
114 through the property tax system. Charges are based on volume and land use. The report
115 done in 2006 included a budget for street reconstruction. Staff has developed an
116 alternative budget that excludes those street construction capital costs. He reviewed a
117 possible schedule for implementing a storm water utility and noted that staff is
118 recommending that the city retain the services of SEH, Inc. to update the study.
119
120 The council would like to explore the idea further but wants to ensure that going forward
121 includes plans for good communication. A council member noted also that there must be
122 a clear understanding that this is not a new tax and its use should be limited by a clear city
123 policy.
124
125 Grant Update—Director Rolek provided the council with a listing of grants that the city
126 has received over the last ten years in a total amount over $12 million.
127
128 The Mayor suggests keeping the grant scene on the radar, so that the council gets regular
129 updates on what's available and what is being sought.
130
131 Budget Session Outline—Finance Director Rolek provided an update on where the city
132 is at preliminarily in the 2009 budget(written recap provided). The city is under revenue
133 projections mainly based on property tax receipts and reduced building revenues.
134 Expenditures are under projection also but not to the level to meet the lesser revenues.
135 He also reviewed offsets to the budget that were unapproved expenditures, all of which
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CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION March 1, 2010
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136 were unusual and would normally be covered by a budget contingency. The bottom line
137 is that the city remains in a good financial position and Mr. Rolek wants the council to
138 have that understanding as they enter budget discussions. The council was appreciative
139 of the early budget snapshot. Mr. Rolek indicated that he will be providing a snapshot
140 of the 2010 budget at the April work session.
141
142 Mr. Rolek then reviewed the city's method of operation for budgeting which is fund
143 based and that taxes are levied based on those fund based needs. He reviewed graphed
144 information relating to tax base, levy and impacts on taxpayers; the information indicates
145 that tax levy rate is not the only way to base taxation. The focus should be on identifying
146 priorities and costs and budgeting based on those findings. He reviewed the 2011
147 budget preparation calendar highlighting that much of the information that impacts the
148 budget(such as valuations) doesn't become available until September. Mr. Rolek
149 suggested that the council may want to focus on strategic planning and possibly through
150 the use of a facilitated planning session(s). A council member suggested that any
151 facilitator must be knowledgeable on city finances as well as somewhat familiar with
152 Lino Lakes in particular. Mr. Rolek also reviewed economic factors affecting the city's
153 budget and financing including state funding, property valuations, investment income and
154 building activity. He also reviewed prior financing decisions made by the council that
155 are and will continue to impact city finances and tax levies. Mr. Rolek also pointed out a
156 couple of successful cost saving measures through joint ventures that the city has already
157 undertaken.
158
L 159 Employee Health Insurance—Director Rolek provided some written information that
160 outlines the city's current health plan provisions for employees and measures that have
161 been taken to hold costs down in past years. The council was reminded that changes to
162 benefits such as health care coverage must be negotiated with employee unions when
163 appropriate. A council member commented that the information provided should serve
164 well to inform the council as they look at the subject of health care costs and impacts on
165 the city's budget.
166 4. Economic Development Update - Economic Development Director Divine
167 noted that the council requested this recap of economic development marketing efforts
168 over the past years and the potential for a mass marketing(something that hasn't been
169 done by the city). The city's current marketing efforts include provision of marketing
170 materials when requested, development of relationships with potential developers,
171 participation in a local tourism bureau, business retention and expansion efforts using
172 information obtained through business surveys, and use of the city's website to advertise
173 property availability. Ms. Divine reviewed past efforts in the area of developing
174 materials on identified sites. The council has established goals that include identifying
175 development areas and market analysis through the comprehensive plan update. The
176 city's Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) works regularly on idea to
177 improve the city's development processes and also has a long range strategic plan and
178 action plan that they continually update.
179
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180 The mayor indicated that he has professional expertise in the area of marketing and will
181 meet individually with staff to assist in developing marketing efforts. Council Member
182 Roeser also has expertise and will participate in that work. Overall the city should
183 identify what type of businesses should be where and work to attract them.
184 5. Lino Lakes Post Office—Economic Development Coordinator Divine noted that
185 the Mayor requested that staff research the possibility of having a post office for the city
186 of Lino Lakes. Ms. Divine reviewed the written response from the United States Postal
187 Service that is basically negative to the idea of a new post office or a separate zip code.
188 The postal service operates on the basis of service areas and they don't generally change
189 those areas because it is very cost prohibitive and confusing; there are many cities in the
190 same postal position as Lino Lakes.
191 6. CSAH 34 (Birch Street) Corridor Study Discussion—Community
192 Development Director Grochala noted the previous discussion with Anoka County about
193 Birch Street and a planning process. The County heard concerns expressed by the
194 council. The overall goal remains to increase safety, mobility and try to coordinate with
195 future land use decisions. Traffic volumes will increase and that will have to be
196 addressed but concerns along the way must be considered. Mr. Grochala distributed a
197 map showing probable future signal intersections; at some left turn locations,there will
198 probably be a need for more roadway width. The city should move forward to recognize
199 needs and get some agreement going with the county on the corridor study and on moving
200 forward.
201
202 The council will continue discussion at the next work session.
203 7. Sergeant Promotion-Public Safety Director Pecchia reported that the 2010
204 budget includes this promotion effective April 1. The department is utilizing the services
205 of PDI for the promotional process. He will bring forward the name of the
206 recommended individual for the next council meeting. When asked if the intent was to
207 not fill the sergeant position vacated by the retirement incentive, Chief Pecchia explained
208 that was not the intent with this position because there is a requirement to maintain a
209 certain number of supervisory positions in the department. There will still be savings
210 associated with filling the position at a lower level of pay and is not being filled until
211 April.
212 8. Joint Powers Agreement—Anoka/Hennepin Gang, Drug and Violent
213 Offender Program—Public Safety Director Pecchia reported that although the Metro
214 Gang Strike Force is no longer in existence,the problem it addressed did not go away.
215 The state is making additional funds available for efforts in this area. The police
216 department will provide an officer for the program and the program will cover overtime.
217 He is recommending that the city participate in this program and proposes to bring
218 forward a joint powers agreement for consideration when that is ready.
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219 9. Update on Diversion Program—Public Safety Director Pecchia reported that the
L 220 Police Department has been researching the establishment of a diversion program. They
221 have looked at other models, specifically one used in the City of Coon Rapids. This
222 would provide that in lieu of the city's portion of traffic type fines,ticketed individuals
223 could choose this program that allows them to participate in the city's diversion program.
224 There are specific options related to juvenile offenses that may involve parents. This is
225 an attempt to educate and discourage reoffending. The department will attempt to follow
226 the results of the program to measure its effectiveness.
227
228 The mayor applauded the program—he sees it is educational, spares insurance
229 involvement and gets money to the city.
230
231 10. Future Meeting Dates—Acting Administrator Tesch noted the following
232 meetings that the council has indicated they wish to plan: Administrator selection;
233 Comprehensive Plan review; Joint meeting with advisory boards; Joint meeting with
234 Charter Commission. The Mayor indicated that he would attend the Charter Commission
235 meeting on his own and will invite them to attend a future council work session. The
236 council agreed to meet with the Planning and Zoning Board in the community room after
237 their regular meeting on April 14 (approximately 7:30 p.m.). A special work session on
238 the Comprehensive Plan will be scheduled for April 19. Staff will schedule interviews
239 for the city administrator position as soon as possible.
240 11. Regular Agenda Items—The agenda items were briefly reviewed and there were
241 no changes to the agenda.
242 The meeting was adjourned at 10:40 p.m.
243
244 These minutes were considered, corrected and approved at the regular Council meeting held on
245 March 22, 2010.
246
247
248 .
249
250 Julianne B 111, City Cler ' i ert ayor
251
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