Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br /> <br />Mayor Weidt called the meeting to order at 5:10.m. <br /> <br />COUNCIL PRESENT: Klein (arrived at 5:12), Miron, Petryk, Strub, Weidt <br />COUNCIL ABSENT: None <br />OTHERS PRESENT: City Administrator Bryan Bear, Finance Director Anna Wobse, City <br />Engineer Mark Erichson, Fire Chief Jim Compton Jr, City Clerk Michele Lindau <br /> <br /> <br />City Administrator Bryan Bear provided a recap of the goals developed by staff for 2022, saying <br />many of the goals had been started last year and will be finished this year. He highlighted the <br />White Bear Lake lawsuit regarding the lake level as being the biggest issue facing the City due to <br />further restrictions that are likely to be imposed on the City on water appropriations permits. <br /> <br />Bear reviewed the 2022 goals from the EDA, Planning Commission, Parks Commission, and <br />City staff. Some areas of focus were development of the City owned property on Egg Lake, the <br />165th Street Corridor, Oneka Parkway reconstruction and the City’s drainage system. There <br />would be discussions with the State of Minnesota and Washington County on the TH61vision <br />study that may include the Hardwood Creek Corridor and future light rail. Goals specific to the <br />Parks Commission included the completion of Lions Park, and discussions on the Bernin <br />property, Sunset Lake Property and trails to North Star Elementary. Administrative goals <br />included determining the fate of the Hopkins schoolhouse, reorganizing the Public Works <br />Department, and improving communications which may require additional staff. There would <br />also be discussions on COVID cash, and room and security camera policies. <br /> <br />Council talked briefly about high speed internet. Bear explained staff was not really hearing a <br />lot of complaints about it, so it may not be as bad as originally thought since there are many <br />technology options. Money in the federal infrastructure fund could be applied for and staff will <br />continue to pay attention to areas that residents alert staff about. <br /> <br />Bear began discussion on the hiring of a full time fire chief by providing statistics on call <br />volume. This included automatic mutual aid calls to other cities and medical assists to help the <br />ambulance provider, which the City does not charge for. He divided cost of running the <br />department by the number of calls, and it showed each call cost around $1,735. The actual cost <br />to respond was less than $300, which shows a vast majority of the cost goes into running the <br />department. Call volume does not have a high impact on the chief, whose main duty is to <br />manage the department, which involves taking care of staff, equipment, training, fleet, along <br />with other duties that take time and effort. <br /> <br />Bear provided options for running a fire department ranging from doing less than the department <br />is doing now (by sharing services or combining with other departments) to having a full time <br />department. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Minutes <br /> <br />HUGO CITY COUNCIL <br />GOAL SETTING SESSION <br />HUGO CITY HALL <br /> <br />JANUARY 24, 2022 – 5 P.M.