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upcoming meetings electronically pursuant to MN Stat. §13D.021.
Work Session Agenda
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
5:30 p.m.
1.Elections Contract. Nicole Miller, Administrative Services Coordinator presenting
2.Tennis Courts Financing. Shelly Rueckert, Finance Director presenting
3.Planning Commission Vacancy. Charlie Yunker, City Manager presenting
4.Future Work Session Dates, Times & Agenda Items. Charlie Yunker, Interim City Manager presenting
-Policy on use of City parking lots
-Wildlife Management Plan
-Electronic packets
-Community Survey
5.Adjournment
City of St. Anthony
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
Minutes
December 2, 2020
Present:
Mayor & Council
Randy Stille, Mayor; Bernard Walker, Councilmember; Thomas Randle, Councilmember; Wendy
Webster, Councilmember and Jan Jenson, Councilmember.
Absent:
None
Staff:
Charlie Yunker, Interim City Manager
Consultants:
None
Call to Order:
Mayor Stille called the Work Session to order at 5:30 p.m.
City Council Vacancy Interviews:
The Mayor and Council individually interviewed the following applicants:
Cody Holliday, Chelsey Hendrickson, Thomas Kuykendall, Meridith Socha, John Hageman.
Each applicant was asked the same five questions. The candidates were ranked, and Meredith Socha and
Thomas Kuykendall were the top two candidates. These will be presented to the City Council at the
December 8, 2020 regular meeting for appointment.
City Manager Search:
Mayor Still reported on the search process.
Future Work Session Dates:
None scheduled at this time. Council discussed community surveys and agreed to discuss further at Goal
Setting in January 2021.
Adjournment:
The meeting adjourned at 7:04 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Charlie Yunker, City Manager.
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MEMORANDUM
To: St. Anthony Village City Council
From: Nicole Miller, Administrative Services Coordinator
Date: February 9, 2021 City Council Work Session
Request: Elections Contract
BACKGROUND
In 2015, the City of St. Anthony began contracting with Ramsey County for elections, shifting the time saved to focus on
communications. Ramsey County offers elections services to cities, while Hennepin County does not. The contract with
Ramsey County expired on December 31, 2020.
The County duties are:
• Recruitment, training, appointment and assignment of all election judges;
• Operation, maintenance, testing, demonstration, storage, and technical support for electronic voting systems
and storage of all precinct supplies;
• Conducting preliminary tests and public accuracy tests of electronic voting systems;
• Programming, layout and printing of ballots for city and school district elections;
• Compilation and reporting of election results and election statistics for dissemination to the appropriate
canvassing boards and the public;
• Conducting recounts for city and school district offices and ballot questions;
• Preparing, posting, and publishing election notices;
• Providing information and assistance on election laws and procedures to city and school district officials,
candidates, the news media, and the general public;
• Administering absentee voting;
• Administering campaign financial reporting and economic disclosure activities;
• Analyzing proposed state and federal laws on election-related matters to determine impact on the city and
school district;
• Maintaining a database and preparing maps of election district and precinct boundaries;
• Providing technical assistance to the city council in redrawing precinct boundaries as required;
• Retaining election records for at least 22 months following each election; and
• Retaining permanent archive of election results.
The Cities duties are:
• Conduct official canvass of election results following each city and school district election;
• Provide absentee voting services on behalf of the county for voters who choose to cast an absentee ballot in
person at the city offices during a time period designated by the county in consultation with the city;
• Provide the title and text of city and school district questions to be placed on the ballot;
• Accept affidavits of candidacy and filing fees from candidates for city and school district offices;
• Provide final approval for polling place locations; and
• Designate a person who will be the principal contact for the city and school district.
CURRENT IN PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING
Since before 2015, St. Anthony has provided in person absentee voting (ab voting) at City Hall. In person absentee voting
begins 46 days prior to every election. The City Clerk and front office staff have previously staffed the front counter
administering in person ab voting, which starts out slow and then gradually gets busier towards election day putting
staff behind in their other duties.
For the General Election in 2020, we moved ab voting out of City Hall and into the Council Chambers to allow for social
distancing due to COVID. We also hired six election judges to staff the in person ab voting. In addition to the election
judges the Administrative Services Coordinator and Accounting Specialist supervised the in person ab election judges,
fielded questions, comments and concerns, and completed daily reporting tasks to both counties. The last couple of
weeks prior to election day, the Administrative Services Coordinator and Accounting Specialist spent approximately 20
hours each, per week on election administration.
CONTRACTED IN PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING
Ramsey County has designed their contracts going forward, amongst all their contracted cities, to have consistent terms
with the requirement that in person AB voters from contracted cities vote at a County locations and that no in person AB
voting will occur at City Halls.
Hennepin County has agreed to allow us to contract with Ramsey County for elections administration going forward, and
will allow Ramsey County to administer AB voting on behalf of St. Anthony, at one of their voting locations for the voters
living in the two Hennepin precincts. This location will not always be the same place, but most likely would be the New
Brighton Community Center.
Residents will still be able to vote AB by mail, at a Ramsey County AB location, and in person on Election Day at their St.
Anthony precinct.
The cost for contracting with Ramsey County for elections in 2021 & 2022 is $28,980.00 each year.
TAKE ELECTION SERVICES BACK IN HOUSE
With our most current model of contracting with Ramsey County for election services city staff have still administered in
person ab voting. During the last few weeks prior to the election, administering in person ab requires about 40 hours
per week of staff time. In 2020, we had three elections, even years we have two, and odd years we have one.
Taking back election services in house will require staff to take on all the duties that Ramsey County has covered and
that are listed above.
We would anticipate this requiring an additional permanent .50 to .75 FTE in addition to the time of the Administrative
Services Coordinator.
We would then continue to offer in person AB voting at City Hall.
DISCUSSION ITEMS FOR COUNCIL FEEDBACK
Below are the specific items for discussion and feedback for the City Council:
•Does the Council wish to contract with Ramsey County for Election Services, thus eliminating in person absentee
voting at City Hall?
•Does the Council wish to take elections back in house and make necessary adjustments to staffing?
1)Early voting trends in St. Anthony
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Total Registered Voters 6075 5992 6031 6035 6225
Voted Before Election Day 1877 335 2734 528 4396
0
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2000
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7000
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MEMORANDUM
To: St. Anthony Village City Council
From: Shelly Rueckert, Finance Director and Charlie Yunker, City Manager
Date: February 9, 2021 City Council Work Session
Request: Proposal for Tennis Court Resurfacing Project Funding
BACKGROUND
The Tennis courts located south of City Hall were built in 1998 and have been repaired on four different
occasions since 2012 and are in need of replacement. The courts are well-utilized by the general community as
well as the school district for physical education classes and the tennis team.
The 2021 Capital Improvement plan has scheduled the resurfacing of the tennis courts located next to City Hall
as a 2022 project. Given the current conditions of the court City Staff has explored moving up the project date to
2021. This topic of project timing was discussed at the October 26, 2020 City Council Work Session and staff was
directed to seek input from the Parks & Environmental Commission. The Commission discussed the topic at their
December 7, 2020 meeting and supported moving the project to 2021 if a funding source could be identified.
The project’s cost is estimated at $180,000, which comprises the contractors quote, engineering costs and a 5%
contingency allowance.
The project costs exceed the current Park Improvement Funds’ resources. Therefore, Staff is recommending the
use of an Interfund Loan to finance the 2021 project costs. Given this size of an expenditure an Interfund Loan is
a more cost effective and expedient tool than debt financing. Staff is also recommending phasing in a Parks
Improvement levy over a 10-year horizon. The potential levy and Interfund loan terms have been structured to
provide:
• The repayment of the Interfund loan in 15 years
• An additional source of funds for future Park Improvement expenditures
• Interest earnings to internal lending source that exceeds the present investing rates
DISCUSSION ITEMS FOR COUNCIL FEEDBACK
Below are the specific items for discussion and feedback for the City Council:
• Does the Council support the use of an Interfund Loan?
• Does the Council support phasing in a Parks Improvement levy over a 10-year horizon?
• Any other aspects of the replacement Staff should consider?
ATTACHMENTS:
1) Modeling of levy and debt.
Tennis Court Project
February 2021
Payment
Year Principal
Annual
Principal Interest
Annual
Payment Levy Year
Cumulative
Funds
Generated for
Parks
2022 180,000 - 4,500 4,500 5,000 5,000
2023 184,500 - 4,613 4,613 10,000 15,000
2024 189,113 - 4,728 4,728 15,000 30,000
2025 193,840 10,000 4,846 14,846 20,000 35,154
2026 183,840 12,500 4,596 17,096 25,000 43,058
2027 171,340 15,000 4,284 19,284 30,000 53,774
2028 156,340 16,000 3,909 19,909 35,000 68,866
2029 140,340 17,000 3,509 20,509 40,000 88,357
2030 123,340 17,000 3,084 20,084 45,000 113,274
2031 106,340 17,000 2,659 19,659 50,000 143,615
2032 89,340 17,000 2,234 19,234 50,000 174,382
2033 72,340 18,000 1,809 19,809 50,000 204,573
2034 54,340 18,000 1,359 19,359 50,000 235,215
2035 36,340 18,000 909 18,909 50,000 266,306
2036 18,340 18,340 459 18,799 50,000 297,508
Total 193,840 47,492 241,333 525,000 297,508
Notes:
Interfund Loan repayment schedule Levy Phase - In
1. No note payments in 2022-2024, levy proceeds retained by Parks Improvement Fun
2. Interest rate for Interfund loan 2.5%
3. Phased in Park Improvement levy reaches 50,000 annauly in year 10
4. Interest earned by lending fund $47,492