2024.01.22 CC Minutes-Goal Setting Workshop

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MINUTES City Council Goal Setting Workshop City Hall Council Chambers Monday, January 22, 2024 5:00 p.m. Mayor Weidt called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. COUNCIL PRESENT: Klein, Miron, Strub, Weidt COUNCIL ABSENT: Petryk STAFF PRESENT: City Administrator Bryan Bear, Finance Director Anna Wobse, Community Development Director Rachel Juba, Fire Chief Jim Compton, City Clerk Michele Lindau, 2023 Goals Summary City Administrator Bryan Bear reviewed some of the 2023 Goals saying there were three big topics: Public Works reorganization and hiring of new staff, hiring of new Fire Chief, and White Bear Lake water issues. An administrative law judge will likely rule at the end of April, and pending the outcome, there could be appeals and the need for the City to make some decisions depending on the action. Presentation of 2024 Draft Goals Bear provided a draft of 2024 goals prepared by staff with the input of all commissions. Some attention will be focused on infrastructure and rating City streets in the spring, which may result in changes in the City’s Capital Improvement Plan. There also had been a lot of talk in the past year about 165th Street. The Parks Commission’s main focus would be on trails and addressing the community’s desire for more trail connections. A rating system for trails will also be done. Another focus of staff will be better engagement with parks programing. A local affordable housing aid state program will provide direct funding, and the City will need to create a program to spend the money. The new Cannabis law will require new zoning rules, and there will likely be a workshop on that. Cannabis will legally be sold by January 2025. A workshop will need to be held on urban and rural tax rates, and there was also a need to talk about updating the City’s fiscal policies. City facilities also need to be evaluated. Bear said there were no substantial improvements on the radar right now, but there was a need to plan ahead and identify funding. There were questions on the Bernin property and where the City was in the planning process. Bear replied that construction plans were being created, and the City will be applying for an outdoor recreation grant from the DNR. Improvements may be made in 2025. A lot of the work could be done by the Public Works staff, and some funding may come from the Park CIP. The was a discussion on whether any technology and building upgrades were anticipated. Bear talked about touch pads that were added for door access and security cameras that were now in place. Utilities are managed with SCADA software, and the City gets those updates. The Public Works Mechanic was working on a parts inventory and management system. Scanning of Planning and Building Department documents still needed to be done. Community Development Director Rachel Juba added that most documents were now coming in electronically. The upgraded website would be ready by the end of March. Mayor Weidt said he wanted the music