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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Packets - 2005/11/07 CITY OF MOUNDS VIEW CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION AGENDA NEW BRIGHTON CITY HALL Monday, November 7, 2005 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL: Marty, Stigney, Gunn, Flaherty, Thomas PUBLIC COMMENT Citizens may speak to issues not on tonight’s agenda. Before speaking, please give your full name and address for the minutes. Also, please limit your comments to three minutes. Agenda Items Discussed by Consensus _______ 1. Review Payment for School Resource Officer Assigned to Irondale High School in New Brighton _______ 2. Review 2006 Budget Items _______ 3. Citizen Communication _______ 4. Consideration of Resolution Closing City Council Meetings by 11pm ________ 5. Review Personnel Policy Items A. Educational Reimbursement Amount B. Use of PW Garage by City Employees C. Holidays for Non-union D. Salary Compensation _______ 6. Due to a scheduling conflict, the Mounds View December Work Session will be rescheduled for Tuesday, December 6 at 7pm. Next Council Work Session: Tuesday, December 6, 2005 (New Brighton City Hall) Next City Council Meeting: Monday, November 14, 2005 (New Brighton City Hall) Citizen Communications: a discussion document November 7, 2005 Introduction Communication may not be a specific core job of the City. However, it is a vital part of achieving every job that we perform. From picking-up after a severe storm to providing water service to every home and business, communications plays an important part. Communications is about providing information, identifying concerns, and responding to Citizen needs. It can be valuable tool to highlight the assets of the community and to build consensus toward common goals. Most importantly it’s about service to the customer, the residents and taxpayers of Mounds View. In the coming years, the City will be pursuing a vision of the City that will include reconstructed streets and utilities, new commercial development, trail ways, and implementation of the Highway 10 corridor plan. Based on the discussion of City goals and the recent issues that have come up regarding communication, staff prepared a review of some key communication area to generate discussion on this topic. Areas of Opportunity Cable Television Strengths: • Cable 15 consortium provides abundant resources • I-Net connects all area government buildings • Cable Franchise Fee provides funding mechanism Issues: • Operation plagued by poor audio and video quality • Scheduling has been inconsistent and unreliable • Programming has not been fully utilized Opportunities: • Current Cable Coordinator position vacancy • Under-utilized support from CTV15 can be increased (e.g., programming, web-streaming of meetings) • Inventory and Upgrade Equipment with City Hall remodel Barriers: • Funding is limited • Staffing is minimal Action Strategies: • Hire well-qualified Cable Coordinator; look at expanding duties to include other communications jobs. Perhaps share with another City. • Schedule additional support from CTV15 for programming, operations and/or maintenance. Look in to Web-streaming service for meetings. • Inventory and Upgrade Equipment in conjunction with City Hall remodeling Web Page/Internet Strengths: • City has an active Web page that many people access for information • City has significant active e-mail lists for Community Policing and Community Development • Internet usage is growing (71% have access either from home or work) • Provides one of the best ways to broadly distribute information quickly Issues: • Timeliness of posting of information is a problem • Content of information is lacking • Web page organization is not always easy to follow Opportunities: • Expand and segment e-mail lists to serve and access different segments of the population (e.g., a community leaders list, schools list, local park list) • Make information on Web page timely, relevant, and valuable so it becomes a key source of information • Web page can be made easier to use by public and staff (i.e., for updates) • Expand funding of Web page beyond General Fund (e.g., EDA, Cable Fund, Enterprise Fund) • The City could combine Web page duties with the new hire of a Cable Coordinator • Employee intranet site could be established for internal employee information • Web-streaming could provide convenient access to public and residents • Funds to make the receptionist position a “communications coordinator” for the City are included in the proposed 2006 budget Barriers: • Funding is limited • Staffing is limited • Reach/access to residents is not 100% Action Strategies: • Develop expanded and segmented e-mail lists to serve and access different segments of the population (e.g., a community leaders list, schools list, local park list) • Allocate staff person and time to keep Web page current and relevant to citizens • Invest in Web service (about $3,000 per year) in order to make Web page easier to use by public, and easier for staff to update • Consider utilize funding from EDA, Cable Fund, and Enterprise Funds based upon proportion breakdown. • Consider combining Web page duties with the new hire of a Cable Coordinator. Or proceed with making the “communications coordination part of the receptionist position as proposed 2006 budget • Establish employee intranet site for internal employee information • Work with CTV15 to provide Web-streaming for all public meetings Newsletter Strengths: • Funding for publication six times per year is built into general fund budget • Recycling fund and YMCA also support publication • Funds to make the receptionist position a “communications coordinator” for the City are included in the proposed 2006 budget • The newsletter reaches nearly 100% of households • The newsletter is currently available online Issues: • Publication every other month and long lead-time make timeliness an issue • Writing style of content is inconsistent, and articles lack “freshness” • No policy exists for editing material or for effectively addressing controversial issues • Charter requires that newsletter be published and mailed at least six times per year; the YMCA contract requires at least four times per year Opportunities: • Advertising could be increased via a marketing company in order to improve paper and color quality of publication • Software investment could allow staff to simplify the development of the newsletter and improve content • Consultants are readily available for editing and layout services • Opportunity to work with printing company(ies) to shorten lead-time Barriers: • Staffing is limited • Funding for outside assistance is limited • Additional advertising is not always viewed favorably by the public Action Strategies: • Solicit companies to provide advertising and marketing in order to improve paper quality and color quality of publication • Purchase new software to allow staff to simplify the development of the newsletter and improve content • Seek and consider proposals for outside editing and layout services • Work with current printing company to see if lead-time could be shortened • Develop editing policy and a process to address important issues within the City Public Relations Strengths: • If done well public relations and marketing efforts can improve image of the community • The City has a full-time Economic Development Coordinator with many valuable local contacts • Funding can be provided through EDA and TIF funding sources Issues: • If efforts are not consistent or sustained it is a waste of money • Effective marketing efforts can be expensive • Expenditures related to image building, public relations and/or marketing are often criticized as being a waste of tax dollars (i.e., not part of the core mission of a City) Opportunities: • City can implement public relations efforts along with improvements to Highway 10 corridor (e.g., entry signs, new logo, lamp post design, banners, rename roadway) • New street signs can be placed with street reconstruction projects • EDA funding could support many of these efforts • The City has potential partners in the business community through the Chamber of Commerce and the Convention and Visitors Bureau • The City could benefit by more active participation in local civic groups (e.g., Rotary Club) and regional policy groups (e.g., the Association of Metropolitan Municipalities) • Continue and expand upon a successful 2005 town meeting and community survey Barriers: • Public support of such efforts needs to be garnered • Clear strategic direction needs to be established for City • Long-term implementation and funding strategy needs to be developed Action Strategies: • Proceed with Highway 10 corridor implementation with an eye toward design improvements (e.g., entry signs, new logo, lamp post design, banners, rename roadway) • Install new street signs along with street reconstruction projects and develop a plan for replacing signs in areas that will not be replaced in the next 5 years • Explore option of using EDA funding to support these efforts • Work with Chamber of Commerce and the Convention and Visitors Bureau to consider local (i.e., on the City level) promotion investments • Provide budget allocations to have staff join the local Rotary Club and the Association of Metropolitan Municipalities • Continue and expand the town meeting in 2006 and budget for a community survey every several years Summary Clearly, the City has numerous opportunities and areas that the Council can consider for action in regard to communication. The information above can be the basis for a communication plan as we move forward, but first, is there anything missing? What items are of high priority? Low priority? How do you feel about funding options? Other thoughts? Item No. 05A Meeting Date: November 7, 2005 Type of Business: Work Session City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Kurt Ulrich, City Administrator Item Title/Subject: Educational Reimbursement Amounts Educational costs have been rising year after year, and Staff started to look into the City’s Educational Reimbursement policy. According to Section 1.53 of the Personnel Manual in regard to Educational Reimbursement it states: The City encourages its em ployees to improve job performance in their present position and to prepare for advancement with the City through self-development. The City may share the cost of education which directly relates to the performance of the employee in the employee’s present assignment or which prepares the employee for advancement with the City in the foreseeable future. The City may reimburse eligible regular full-time employees upon presentation of their final grades. In order for a class to qualify for reimbursement, the following conditions must be met: A. The class must be job related. An employee may be reimbursed for 50% of the costs, for courses which are directly relevant, 25% if somewhat relevant and 0% if not relevant. The determination of relevancy shall be made by the Department Head and City Administrator. B. The class must be taken from accredited institutions of higher learning or vocational-technical schools. C. The employee must receive a passing grade of C or equivalent in order to qualify for reimbursement. D. The employee must complete a Tuition Reimbursement Form prior to class registration. The maximum amount the City of Mounds View will reimburse is 50% of the total cost of tuition for the course or courses being requested with a maximum amount of $750 annually, if sufficient funds are available. The City Administrator may grant an exception on the $750 limit on a case-by-case basis. E. The Department Head is responsible for reviewing the request and making a recommendation to the City Administrator with an explanation of approval or denial. The City Administrator has the final authority in approving or denying the request. An explanation of approval or denial shall be provided. F. After the class has been competed, the employee must provide a photocopy of the grade sheet and the original receipt for tuition. G. Participation in the program shall be on a voluntary basis, i.e outside normal working hours. However, in certain circumstances, a Department Head may allow an employee to attend class during normal working hours. In order to do so, the employee is to use personal or vacation leave or flex or compensatory time. H. If the employee wishes to not use personal or vacation time or flex or compensatory time, unpaid leaves may be granted to attend class. The tuition reimbursement program may not reimburse the employee for those hours of the normal working day during which he/she is in class. However, all Department Heads are encouraged to schedule work time to assist employees with a flexible work schedule. An employee may not receive assistance from other sources and receive tuition aid reimbursement from the City for the same courses taken. The City may reimburse individuals for selected job-related non-accredited courses at its sole option. This program does not apply to seminars, mini-courses or other training authorized through the normal training budget. Discussion Staff researched many educational institutions in the twin cities area to include, Hamline University, Metropolitan State University, University of Minnesota, and the University of St. Thomas. Below are some pricing for undergraduate and graduate programs: COLLEGE UNDERGRADUATE GRADUATE (Masters) Hamline University, St. Paul, MN Approx. $723 per credit hour if a part time student. If a full lime student, you pay a flat rate per year which may cost upwards of $20,000 per year depending on degree program $300 - $500 per credit hour depending on degree program. Metropolitan State University – St. Paul, MN Approx. $164.43 per credit hour Depending on degree program b/t $250-$380 per credit hour University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota Approx. $274.62 per credit hour Depending on degree program b/t $780 and $890 per credit hour University of St. Thomas – St. Paul, MN area $715 per credit hour if going during the day and $570 per credit hour if you are going at night Depending on degree program b/t $625 to $760 per hour Due to these tuition cost increases, Staff wanted to discuss the option of increasing the annual maximum amount the City pays per year from $750 annually to $1200 annually. It is recommended that the Council discuss the above information and provide direction to Staff on how to proceed. Item No. 5B Meeting Date: November 7, 2005 Type of Business: WK WK: Work Session; PH: Public Hearing; CA: Consent Agenda; CB: Council Business City Administrator Review _______ City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Greg Lee, Director of Public Works Item Title/Subject: Use of the Public Works Garage Facility Policy Background: On April 4, 1988, the City adopted a policy regulating the use of the Public Works Garage Facility. This policy is currently included in to the City’s Personnel Manual. See attached policy. Discussion: The Public Works Department has review this policy and has determined that such a policy undermines the goal of the Public Works Department to develop and foster an environment of dedication and trust in the community. It has also been determined that this policy represents a liability to the City in regards to workers compensation in the event that an employee was to be injured while taking advantage of this policy. For these reasons the Public Works Department recommends that this policy be terminated and removed from the City’s Personnel Manual. Recommendation: It is recommended the City Council adopt a resolution to terminate the Public Works Garage Facility Policy and strike it from the Personnel Manual. Respectfully Submitted, Greg Lee, Director of Public Works Public Works Garage Facility The City of Mounds View's Public Works Garage may be used by regular, full-time employees of the City. Procedure For Using Public Works Facility • Employees receive approval for use of the Public Works Garage facility from the Public Woks Foreman or Public Works Director. • Approval must be obtained prior to using the facility and shall be granted on an availability and first come, first serve basis. • Employees are responsible for cleaning up the garage area after they have completed their work. No alcoholic beverages are permitted, nor persons, other than City employees, are allowed in the Public Works Garage. When Facility May Be Used • Anytime between the hours of 4:00 p.m. to Midnight weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to Midnight on weekdays and holidays, for periods not to exceed four hours per day. • All work shall be completed within the time allowed, no vehicles shall be left on the City premised beyond the time allotted. • Approval to use the facility shall be canceled during emergencies as declared by the City. Permitted Uses • The facility shall only be used for cleaning vehicles and light maintenance (service station maintenance) work and used only for shall for cleaning and maintenance of personal vehicles registered to the employee. • No work shall be done for individuals other then City employees. Materials and Equipment • Employees must furnish all necessary hand tools and materials, i.e. oil, filter, soap, rags, parts, etc. • Employees will not use City equipment other than the wash rack, hoses, and waste oil dump. Enforcement and Discipline • The first violation of any of the above procedures by any City employee shall result in the loss of this privilege to all City employees. • Employees obtaining approval and receiving a key for the facility shall be responsible for the cost of replacement of keys and locks should the key they are assigned be lost or misplaced. • The procedures shall be enforced by the Public Works Director and Public Works Foreman, however, all employees are responsible to report violations which they may witness. Effective: 4/19/1988 Item No. 05C Meeting Date: November 7, 2005 Type of Business: Work Session City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Kurt Ulrich, City Administrator Item Title/Subject: 2005 Holidays for Non-Union According to Section 3.10 of the Mounds View Personnel Policy it states: If Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Independence Day or Veteran's Day falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday will be considered a Holiday. If Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Independence Day, or Veteran’s Day fall on a Sunday, the following Monday will be considered a holiday. Similar language was added to the 2004-2005 to all union labor contracts. However, Christmas Eve and New Years Eve was added to the list above. This means that all union employees have holidays on Friday, December 23rd and Friday December 30, 2005. Non-union employees are required to work on these days. Out of the 52 employees staffed at City Hall, only about 14 would be required to work on December 23rd and December 30th. Of those 14 employees, many have already scheduled this time off. There are potential staffing issues due to the union’s contract language. In addition to December 23rd and December 30th, City Offices will also be closed on December 26, 2005 and January 2, 2006 because both holidays fall on a weekend. Christmas and New Years Day fall on a Sunday, which means that Monday, December 26th and January 2nd is a holiday for all City staff. Due to these staffing issues, Staff feels that it would be difficult to maintain services at City Hall. Staff is recommending that City Hall offices be closed on December 23rd and December 30th. The City Council should take into considerations that Monday, December 26th and January 2nd are also holidays for all City Staff. If the City Council agrees with Staff’s recommendation, then Staff would present this to the City Council on November 14th for approval by Resolution. Item No. 05D Meeting Date: November 7, 2005 Type of Business: Work Session City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Kurt Ulrich, City Administrator Item Title/Subject: Salary Compensation Background The Human Resources Committee will be meeting soon to discuss salary compensation. The basis for the review is to determine if another group of comparison cities other than the Stanton Group 6 cities provide a better means of comparison. Market rate adjustments, as required by the existing Stanton Group 6 policy, were deferred for all non-union employees until other methods could be reviewed. The non-union group includes the City Administrator, all department heads, and confidential employees. Market rate adjustments for union employees were included as part of the 2004-05 contracts. Discussion The Human Resources Committee is currently looking into revising Section 3.01 of the Mounds View Personnel Manual to use other parameters, other than Stanton, to determine market compensation. The Human Resources Committee requested staff to develop a pay plan that would take into account the market value and taxable tax capacity of cities. For example, taking into account market values of the cities that are five above and five below yields cities with populations of between 8,050 and 17,200. However, based upon tax capacity, Mounds View ranks at the bottom of this group, but has the third highest population. Utilizing tax capacity and market value, not just population provides a measure of “ability to pay” that is lacking from the current use of population-based comparisons. The current Stanton Group 6 category includes all metropolitan cities between 10,000 and 25,000 population. Below are the comparable valued (market value) cities to Mounds View. COMPARABLE ASSESSED VALUE CITIES Stanton Market Taxable Tax City Group Value Capacity Population Arden Hills 7 875,171,453 10,529,572 9,457 East Bethel 6 676,847,767 7,876,196 11.500 Forest Lake 6 1,283,199,081 15,284,150 16,000 Ham Lake 6 1,092,526,993 13,089,908 13,500 Hopkins 6 1,175,598,947 14,654,515 17,200 Lake Elmo 7 791,984,078 9,434,544 7,666 Little Canada 7 670,884,453 7,874,613 9,890 Mahtomedi 7 681,227,615 7,769,995 8,050 Mendota Hts 6 1,386,998,010 14,956,293 11,434 Mound 7 812,429,373 9,209,945 9,630 Mounds View 6 698,255,387 6,679,188 12,865 North St. Paul 6 669,769,547 7,744,042 11,929 Since the above list contains many smaller cities, it is less likely that the cities do not have the same job classifications as Mounds View. This results in a small sample average that can be misleading. For example, consider the Police Chief Position below: Position: Police Chief Mounds View Current 2005 Pay (Step 5): $38.99/hr COMPARABLE CITY COMPARABLE POSITION 2004 STANTON MEAN PAY Arden Hills No Position Listed in Stanton No Position Listed in Stanton East Bethel No Position Listed in Stanton No Position Listed in Stanton Forest Lake No Position Listed in Stanton No Position Listed in Stanton Ham Lake No Position Listed in Stanton No Position Listed in Stanton Hopkins Police Chief $45.52/hr Lake Elmo No Position Listed in Stanton No Position Listed in Stanton Little Canada No Position Listed in Stanton No Position Listed in Stanton Mahtomedi No Position Listed in Stanton No Position Listed in Stanton Mendota Heights Police Chief $39.67/hr Mound Police Chief $36.99/hr North St. Paul No Position Listed in Stanton No Position Listed in Stanton Robbinsdale Police Chief $43.48/hr St. Anthony Police Chief $34.24/hr Stillwater No Position Listed in Stanton No Position Listed in Stanton Vadnais Heights No Position Listed in Stanton No Position Listed in Stanton Total Average Hourly Salary $39.98/hr Using the average for 2005 Stanton of Stanton 6 cities, the Police Chief pay would be $41.18/hr. This pay would be consistent with the current Mounds View Personnel Policy. Currently, the Police Chief position is at the low end of the Stanton 6. Notably, the 2005 Stanton Survey uses 2004 salary and benefit numbers, and therefore, is one year behind. Other Issues - Deputy Police Chief If non-union salaries are not adjusted to “market” and union positions are provided market adjustment, salary compression or misalignment will occur. This is already happening in the police department. For example, Police Sergeants are currently being paid more than the current Deputy Police Chief. The current Deputy Police Chief is at Step 4 ($33.15/hr), and one of the Police Sergeants is at Step 5 ($33.61/hr). The Police Sergeants are also authorized overtime, or upwards of $50.41/hr for overtime hours worked. Step 5 for the Deputy Chief is $34.89/hour and only 3.67% above the sergeants pay. As an Exempt position, the Deputy Chief is not authorized overtime pay. Currently, the Stanton 6 Average (weighted mean) for the Deputy Police Chief is $37.48/hr. One solution would be for the City Council to establish a formula where the regular pay of the Police Chief, the Deputy Police Chief, and the Sergeants are established in order to have a minimum separation (e.g., 5%) between the positions. This is an issue that needs to be considered in addition to the straight market analysis. Issues and Recommendations Current policy (Personnel Manual, Section 3.01) requires that each position be adjusted in order to remain consistent with each position’s professional compensation comparisons, utilizing Stanton Group 6. Staff recommends that the City either follow the current City compensation policy or formally (i.e., by resolution) suspend the current policy. If the City Council chooses to suspend the current policy, staff recommends that the City Council expedite the development of a compensation plan that addresses the Council’s desire to consider comparisons other than Stanton Group 6. According to City records, the last time a comprehensive salary compensation study was done was in 1998, meaning that the policy has not been followed for about seven (7) years. Many of the current employees were hired under the current policy referencing Stanton 6 as the benchmark for compensation. While the Council may certainly change the policy, it is not advisable to have a policy on the books that isn’t followed. Employees may feel that they are being unfairly treated and the integrity of all City policies is compromised. It is recommended that the Council discuss the above information and provide direction on to proceed.