HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-27-2010 Council Minutes (2) CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION September 27, 2010
APPROVED
1 CITY OF LINO LAKES
2 MINUTES
3
4 DATE : September 27,2010
5 TIME STARTED : 5:30 p.m.
6 TIME ENDED : 6:25 p.m.
7 MEMBERS PRESENT : Councilmember Gallup,O'Donnell,
8 Rafferty,and Mayor Reinert
9 MEMBERS ABSENT : Roeser
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12 Staff members present: City Administrator Jeff Karlson; Community Development
13 Director Michael Grochala; Director of Administration Dan Tesch; City Engineer Jim
14 Studenski; City Planner Jeff Smyser; Police Chief Kent Strege; Police Community
15 Resources Coordinator Karen Anderson; City Clerk Julie Bartell.
16
17 Chief of Police Replacement Process—Administrator Karlson noted the three issues
18 included in his report: the request to promote two Community Service Officers (CSO)to
19 patrol officer position; the process for replacing the Chief of Police; and a grant award
20 that includes funding to increase the hours of the Community Resources Coordinator
21 position.
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23 The Mayor suggested it would be beneficial to consider all the decisions within the scope
L 24 of the whole budget picture for 2011, including open positions in the police department
25 and labor negotiations.
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27 Administration Director Tesch reviewed the status of labor contract discussions, noting
28 that the city will be meeting with labor negotiators in the next week or two; he has tried to
29 keep them up to date with a mid-year meeting on the city's financial picture.
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31 Interim Police Chief Strege reported that the department is running four short in patrol
32 positions (three vacant positions and one impending military deployment). They are
33 covering the shortage by temporarily moving some personnel around and also through use
34 of overtime. It is causing some shortage in the availability of officers for necessary
35 training. For the coming year, he feels they need to fill at least two of the officer
36 positions to allow them to get up to speed. He added that it takes at least four months of
37 training to bring a new officer to patrol status. The deployment position needs to remain
38 open for the individual's return from service. The fourth open officer position could be
39 filled by bringing back the officer currently assigned to the Violent Offender Task Force
40 to work patrol.
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42 The Mayor noted that special assignment of officers is a positive practice and good for
43 the city but it may not be possible during difficult economic times. He discussed also the
44 number of officers assigned as school resource officers and he heard from the chief that
45 the city provides one officer to the middle school (paid for by the school district during
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CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION September 27, 2010
APPROVED
46 the school year) and one officer divided between the three elementary schools; the high
47 school officers are from other departments (in the city where they are located). The chief
48 doesn't feel the city is heavy in the school officer area since they provide important
49 services such as drug search, assisting students on probation, crimes that occur on the
50 school grounds and specifically dealing with the juvenile aspect of the school situation.
51
52 The council discussed the request to accept the Citizen Corps grant award; there was
53 concern about the temporary nature of a grant and the responsibility falling to the city to
54 continue the services that the grant initially provides. The Administrator explained how
55 accepting the grant would increase the Community Resources Coordinator position hours
56 by five hours per week. Chief Strege added that when the grant funding is gone,the
57 position would return to a 30 hour per week position.
58
59 The council intends to specify with an action on the grant item that the funded activities
60 are a one-time increase and for 2011 only without further consideration. The matter of
61 filling positions in the department won't be made by the council now but will be
62 discussed within the scope of the 2011 budget discussion and decisions.
63
64 Regarding the replacement process for the chief of police position, a council member
65 suggested that he is interested in an effective process but one that doesn't stretch to an
66 unreasonable length of time. One council member suggested that it would be appropriate
67 to allow enough time to let the acting chief get a run at the job. The council concurred
68 that they would like to move forward by discussing options (including of an internal or
69 external process) at the next work session;the process should be kept open and include
70 the opportunity for officers to listen and participate to some extent.
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72 2. Organizational Review—Administrator Karlson noted that the council continues
73 to discuss options for a review. He has received some input from a council member on
74 what could be included in the assessment and also some methodology for an assessment.
75 The administrator noted his ability to lead an organizational assessment without an
76 outside consultant; he has experience in the area.
77
78 The Mayor noted that it will be especially important for the council to identify the scope
79 of a review process. He is growing in confidence that the administrator will be a key
80 player in the process. A council member suggested that the administrator could perhaps
81 begin a process and help could be brought in as needed.
82
83 Administrator Karlson remarked that he has been meeting with the directors regarding
84 their departments as they move through serious budget considerations. That process
85 includes the concept of reorganizing personnel and work.
86
87 The Mayor supports funding efficiencies and that's a direction that the review should
88 follow and that perhaps an outside consultant could assist with.
89
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CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION September 27,2010
APPROVED
90 The council concurred that they would like to see information on scope at the next work
91 session.
92
93 Review of Regular Meeting Agenda
94
95 Item 6A, First Reading of Ordinance No. 11-10 amending the Zoning Ordinance
96 regulations regarding Swimming Pools and Fences - Planner Smyser explained that the
97 ordinance contains amendments to the zoning code to concur with current state building
98 code requirements and are not substantive.
99
100 Item 6C, Pine Street Paving Improvements—City Engineer Studenski was pleased to
101 announce that the project costs came in under estimates and so staff is bringing forward
102 some reduction actions. It is an approximate $1,400 decrease per property.
103
104 The meeting was adjourned at 6:25 p.m.
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106 These minutes were considered, corrected and approved at the regular Council meeting held on
107 October 11, 2010.
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109
110 �( l
11� � ' 41-4,4,_1 l c
112 Julianne Bartell, City Clerk Jeff 'einert, Mayor
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