HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-23-2018 Council Work Session MinutesCITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
April 23, 2018
APPROVED
1 CITY "r LINO LAKES
2 MINUTES
3
4 DATE April 23, 2018
5 TIME STARTED 5:30 p.m.
6 TIME ENDED 6:10 p.m.
7 MEMBERS PRESENT Council Member Maher, Manthey, Stoesz,
8 Rafferty (arr. 6:47 pm) and Mayor Reinert
9 MEMBERS ABSENT None
10
11 Staff members present: City Administrator Jeff Karlson; Public Safety Director John
12 Swenson; Community Development Director Michael Grochala; Finance Director Sarah
13 Cotton; City Engineer Diane Hankee; City Clerk Julie Bartell
14
15 1. Update -Accounting Clerk/iJtility Billing Position -Finance Director Cotton
16 explained that her staff report provides additional information on this position and
17 proposed duties, as requested by the council at the previous work session. She noted
18 information included on the suggestion of outsourcing certain elements of the functions.
19 She has found that some cities are outsourcing certain functions such as mailing. She
20 noted the minimal time spent by this person for those duties and that new equipment for
21 the work was purchased in 2016. Ms. Cotton also explained the part of the utility billing
22 process that is performed by the Finance Department Office Specialist. She has spoken
23 with Springbrook (the city's finance system) seeking additional information on system
24 service elements that could be applied. She also met with representatives of US Bank to
25 get a better understanding of options that may be out there to further automate the city's
26 payment process. Staff also reviewed a system used in the City of Shoreview which
27 supports water conservation by providing information through a portal; the system does
28 have information updated on a monthly rather than quarterly basis and that is possible
29 through a different meter reading technique.
30
31 Mayor Reinert recalled the installation of reading equipment in city homes a few years
32 ago. He suggested that generally technology calls for its replacement about every twenty
33 years; if the city has just replaced technology in the area of meter reading it probably
34 doesn't make a lot of sense to change that right away.
35
36 Council Member Stoesz asked if there are any security concerns using older equipment.
37 Ms. Cotton said she hasn't investigated that element.
38
39 Director Cotton said she is still recommending that the Utility Billing/Accounting Clerk
40 position be filled and she feels the information presented in her report supports that.
41
42 Council Member Stoesz suggested that he sees this as an opportunity to look at
43 automation. He thinks it's worth going for an RFP for automation but doesn't want to
44 slow staff because of that. Is temporary help available in the meantime?
45
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CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
Apri123, 2018
46 Director Cotton explained that elements of the process that would be impacted by further
47 automation wouldn't be attached to this utility billing position.
48
49 Mayor Reinert asked staff if the concept of outsourcing some elements is desirable and
50 Ms. Cotton said it could be. The mayor also asked if the duties could be handled in the
51 time it takes to get more information, perhaps with the help of existing staff. Ms. Cotton
52 said the job does include the need for some accounting skills and the training necessary
53 would be extensive in comparison to a temporary assignment.
54
55 Council Member Maher remarked that the customer service element shouldn't be
56 considered for outsourcing.
57
58 The council suggested that staff ask the employee who just retired from this position if
59 she'd be willing to return temporarily.
60
61 Mayor Reinert said it looks like the city should go ahead and hire and go through the RFP
62 process. He thanked Ms. Cotton for putting in the. extra time to investigate the situation
63 and he sees that she is willing to embrace improvements when it makes sense.
64
65 Council Member Manthey said getting information is good and even if the position is
66 filled, the council will have the opportunity to look at the situation going ahead.
67
68 The next time the council would see this matter is to approve a hire.
69
70 2. Review Regular Council Agenda of Apri123, 2018 —Due to time limitations,
71 the agenda was not reviewed.
72
73 The meeting was adjourned at 6:10 p.m.
74
75 These minutes were considered, corrected and approved at the regular Council meeting held on
76 May 14, 2018.
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79 !l
80 � y�
81 e Bartell, City Clerk
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