Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.13.13 Work Session Minutes Council Workshop Minutes May 13,2013 Mayor Larson called the workshop to order at 6:30 p.m. Present: Larson,Bartholomay, Bonar, Donnelly(arrived 6:35 p.m.), Fogarty Also Present: David McKnight, City Administrator;Robin Hanson, Finance Director;Brian Lindquist, Police Chief;Randy Distad, Parks and Recreation Director;Kevin Schorzman, City Engineer;Todd Reiten, Municipal Services Director;Brenda Wendlandt, Human Resources Director; Cynthia Muller, Executive Assistant MOTION by Fogarty, second by Bartholomay to approve the agenda. APIF,MOTION CARRIED. The purpose of the workshop was to discuss 2013/2014 goals. Councilmember Bonar stated Council's attempt when setting the goals was to find something that is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. He felt the Council was missing direct feedback from staff. He noticed some gaps and that there was no mention of police and fire in the goals which represent nearly 50%of the budget. The greatest challenge any Council or administration has is communication to the people we serve. The basic goal of fire and police is to protect and serve. He asked Fire Chief Pietsch about public outreach to the community. Fire Chief Pietsch stated they hold 20—30 community outreach programs through community events and schools. He has implemented a program called PIER(public information, education and resources). Firefighters have to earn seven points each year and are based on time frames, events and how much time they put in. Recruitment of firefighters is becoming a huge issue as 50%of the membership has served five years or less, and 5%has served 20 years or greater. He is concerned that they are young and inexperienced and also there are several people that could retire at any time and to fill those positions with someone who has experience is a concern. Police Chief Lindquist stated they operate 24/7 and public contact is part of the daily routine. They do not set aside specific time for public outreach as opportunities always exist. Councilmember Bonar asked Parks and Recreation Director Distad if he has considered doing virtual tours on the website to show our park amenities. Parks and Recreation Director Distad stated they do not have virtual tours since that is a technology question about cost. We do include photos of parks and a list of amenities on the website. There are 21 developed parks. Councilmember Bartholomay wanted to know what each department foresees for innovative ideas or large, upcoming costs. He asked if it would be helpful for Council to give a top percentage for the budget. Staff agreed a percentage would be very helpful. He liked the idea for the virtual park tours. City Administrator McKnight stated all department heads have seen the goals and a third of them are already completed. Their goals are the goals set by Council. 14 Council Workshop Minutes May 13,2013 Page 2 Mayor Larson asked department heads if there are any questions. Council doesn't know where the levy will be yet. Are we missing anything? Are there things we have talked about that we can put off a couple years? Parks and Recreation Director Distad felt the park and rec items are too vague. He doesn't know what options Council is looking for as far as the pool. Does it mean a new pool? Replace the existing pool? Do something with the existing pool? Get rid of the pool? Relocate the pool? The Parks and Rec Commission has started looking at options, but more direction for them would be helpful. The other item is the Rambling River Center and increasing usage. Does that mean 5%, 10%, 100%? Staff needs more direction. Mayor Larson stated since the seniors have moved to the new location we have talked about having a teen center along with the senior center and it hasn't gone anywhere. He has heard staffing for teens is the biggest reason. When we talk about economic development,we talk about doing it realistically. Are we being realistic and can seniors and teens get along over there? Parks and Recreation Director Distad stated they are doing teen programs at the senior center and have partnered with the Library. There have been one to three kids show up and it has been marketed through the Library and the City News and Recreation Guide. It is a tough group to program for. Mayor Larson asked what would be needed to make it a teen center. Staff stated it would be nice to have a dedicated facility just for teens. That doesn't mean we cannot do teen programs there. We will be having a dance with a DJ at the senior center this summer. Mayor Larson asked if it is realistic to have a senior/teen center and if so, what will it cost? Parks and Recreation Director Distad stated it does work out as far as scheduling because seniors leave at 3:30 p.m. and that is when kids are getting out of school. The kids actively involved in things, don't have a need for a teen center. Kids that are not actively involved, don't want to be there and want to go somewhere else where they are not around other adults or have structure. We don't have things that are enticing for them to come. The computer lab is not large enough to accommodate them and now they have their own Ipads. Mayor Larson asked when Council says to increase membership,we will not be able to do it through teens? Parks and Recreation Director Distad stated they are increasing rentals. We are booked through June for weekend rentals. This puts a crimp in allowing time for teen programs. Do you want revenue from rentals or do you want programs for teens? Mayor Larson asked if when we talk about bringing teens over there are we wasting our breath? Staff stated as far as trying to make the building a teen center, it will not work. Doing teen programs there might be successful. Councilmember Bonar noted we do an exceptional job providing programs for our seniors in that building. The school district has a mission providing for the students. The most under represented group are the people between the teens and the seniors. How do we expand the use of the Rambling River Center for those that are beyond their teens, but not 55? He asked if we should add an outdoor element to the building. Is it constrained by its size? Council wants to use the building to its fullest extent. Parks and Recreation Director Distad stated we would be getting into Community Ed's area. Mayor Larson suggested that facility may work for some of their programs. Mayor Larson noted the pool will close itself eventually. He recalled the survey where residents did not want a referendum. Parks and Recreation Director Distad noted the 2010 survey showed 15 Council Workshop Minutes May 13,2013 Page 3 addressing parks and trails as two important items. Mayor Larson felt staff and the Park and Rec Commission should do the work on options for the pool. Councilmember Fogarty stated the community wants the pool so we need solutions. We can't build a waterpark there, so do we want to replace it as is, or do we turn it into a splash pad area. She wanted options brought to Council and the community before the pool is no longer workable. Our community is not ready for something larger. Maybe we do want to upgrade it and keep it as is, but we need to know costs. Finance Director Hanson noted if we replace the pool, we would need a referendum. To do it in an even year, we could hold the referendum next year, and put it in the 2015 budget so you would have the money to build it in 2016. It is not a big window, even if it lasts four or five years. Parks and Recreation Director Distad mentioned the rental rates. They have reviewed several places and rates are all over the board as capacities are different and facilities are different. By competitive, do you want us at the bottom, middle, or close to the top? Councilmember Fogarty stated her concern is that she wants the facility used, but wants it to cover its cost. Some of those facilities are more than covering their costs and therefore discouraging use. It sits empty most nights and weekends. If it is booked through June,they must not be entered because she is not seeing it booked. If the community knows its there and it is affordable they will continue to use it. It sounds like programming for teens will be difficult, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't lean more towards a community center. She has been getting the feeling for a long time that there are some territorial problems over there,where no one wants anyone in it except for the seniors during the day and that is a frustration. She wants the whole community to have access to those meeting rooms. She wants it to cover its costs. If we are going to open it at night so people can get in we need to cover janitorial costs and electricity. Sometimes she feels we are pricing ourselves out deliberately so it's not used. We should not make a huge profit, but that should be helping cover the cost of the center. If it is rented all the time,we shouldn't have to have line item budgets for it every year to make sure it breaks even. Councilmember Bonar stated our competition is emptiness. Councilmember Fogarty agreed and as long as it is covering costs to have people in there, use it. They are already paying for it through taxes. It is just like any other facility we have. She wants it used and wants the community to feel like it is property they can use. It is the seniors' territory during the day because of their programming. She is talking about nights when it sits empty. She realized we use meeting rooms some nights,but wants people in there all the time. Councilmember Bonar asked regarding the pool, has staff and the Park and Rec Commission considered whatever changes are made, is there a way to make it a 12-month facility. Staff noted maybe, but it has not been discussed. Councilmember Bonar asked if there would be an opportunity to foster a pool that would be a public/private venture. One of the great interests recently in economic development is to bring a hotel in. Is there something that the City could do with a developer that would meet both our needs and theirs? Staff would be open to that idea. 16 Council Workshop Minutes May 13,2013 Page 4 Councilmember Bartholomay asked about big ticket items for each department. City Administrator McKnight noted the CIP will have a big impact and the Fire Department has some big requests. Fire Chief Pietsch stated they have discussed rehabilitating station one as they have outgrown the meeting area. This is not needed today or even next year. When station one was built the thought was that the community would grow around it, but that has not happened. The current location may not be the best, because call times to the east side of town are lagging. Does it make sense to rehab a building when it doesn't make sense to be there? The Fire Department could do some research and suggested the other side of Chippendale. City Administrator McKnight noted the police and fire have equipment requests. Councilmember Bartholomay asked if we need servers in IT. Human Resources Director Wendlandt stated the next replacement is in 2015 or 2016. We have an internal service fund for them. Councilmember Bonar asked if there is a CIP for technology and do we have a good grasp on what our resources are and where they are on a timeline? Staff stated all servers are on a four year replacement schedule. Our computers had a replacement schedule, but due to budget issues we went to a replace as needed for desk computers. Everything else is on a schedule. We have a lot of money in maintenance agreements to provide for software upgrades. Video cameras are upgraded constantly. Most of the software has a maintenance agreement. Recently we switched how we buy Microsoft licensing. Previously we bought the license with the computer. Now we buy it in bulk so if a computer dies, we don't have to buy new software. As part of the licensing agreement we receive upgrades. Councilmember Bonar asked about communications and if we are at the point where we should consider developing an app? We do a lot of outreach through Facebook,Twitter, and Nixle and hard copies,but is that where communication is going where people have apps on phones. Human Resources Director Wendlandt felt we will see more of that happening,but was not sure if the City wanted to get into the business of developing an app. She felt there will be opportunities where we can have an app someone else has developed. Our challenge with communications and technology is right now we are doing a lot of things and maintaining them. We don't have the staff to do all of it really well. Where the need will be is we will have to split and have a traditional communications person and have a communications person dedicated to the web and social media. Right now we don't have that. If it is a staff person or a consulting person,that is where the cost will be. Councilmember Bartholomay noted the Police Chief had requested three squad cars and received two. Police Chief Lindquist stated they have re-arranged the higher mileage officers and split them up with lower mileage officers and found ways to make the cars last longer. Next year it will not be less than two vehicles, and he is not sure yet about three vehicles. This year we received the cars early. Next year it could be July or August before they are received and if that happens, cars will have 120,000 miles on them. Police Chief Lindquist stated over the last three years the police have tried to keep the budget as flat as possible, if not a reduction. Things done on an annual basis were set aside such as evidence recording equipment which is in the budget this year;also, general maintenance of the building. Our DCC communication needs with radios have a life expectancy of eight to ten years. We are seeing a problem with batteries. The handheld radios are $2,500 - $5,000. It is prudent now to set money aside for them. There is change in technology with computers in the cars. 17 Council Workshop Minutes May 13,2013 Page 5 City Engineer Schorzman shared some observations. Everything discussed is money. The levy as been the same for the last three years. We go through this process time and time again exactly like now. He challenged Council to try a different process this year. He suggested Council give feedback to City Administrator McKnight on what they can live with at the beginning of the process, stick to it, and let staff develop the budget after we know what Council can live with. Councilmember Donnelly asked what do we think the taxpayers will tolerate? Councilmember Fogarty stated the vast majority have seen a tax decrease in the last couple years. Mayor Larson stated we still have a City to protect and maintain and it takes a lot of money to do that. These are real needs we have to consider. Finance Director Hanson stated if you wait, it is more expensive. City Engineer Schorzman stated looking at the operation piece of the levy, taking debt out,what do we operate in the general fund? The average cost per person is$266/year;this is what they pay for all the services in the general fund. That is$22/month. That is less than a cell phone plan or a cable bill. They get police and fire protection,roads,parks,trails, etc. for less than a cell phone. When we talk about huge numbers everyone gets excited, but $5/month equates to $35,000, as there are 7,000 homes. For the year that would be$420,000. The things we support from the general fund are a necessity. Councilmember Bonar stated above operational costs we have debt. There are facilities and infrastructure in place because of that. He asked if we should consider structuring a debt or investment policy to help guide us and future Councils. Finance Director Hanson stated the Council has an investment policy and we can look at a debt policy. The basic principal would be what we talked about last fall which is to levy for it in one year, collect the next year, and pay it the third year. If we do that over the next five to ten years we will right the ship. Right now we are paying debt service and we won't get the money until after the fact. We need to systematically make decisions that will move the general fund into a positive without having to borrow from other funds and we need all the debt service funds to stand on their own. Council has taken great steps with seal coating,trail and building maintenance, and now we need to do that with the CIP. We need to systematically accumulate funds over time to address the needs as they arise. Councilmember Bonar noted Minneapolis did a survey and the greatest impact had to do with snow plowing. It is one of those basic everyday services. What Municipal Services staff does is very apparent,but people drive by it everyday and pay no attention. He asked if a street sweeper is still on the radar. Municipal Services Director Reiten stated the street sweepers are a 1999 and a 2001;the 1999 would be replaced. We will put it in the CIP. In the CIP for vehicles he sees it six years out before starting. As far as a plow truck,that would be a general fund item, but how much do other departments use the truck? Perhaps it shouldn't all hit the general fund. He is also concerned about the situation if the county runs out of salt. The preliminary budget number is at a 5% levy increase. Mayor Larson asked Councilmembers to provide a number they would be comfortable with. He suggested 3—5%. City Administrator McKnight stated the 5%does not include a change in the fiscal disparities number from 2013, and LGA is not included. LGA would be tied to one time purchases. The 5% increase funds the CIP. Councilmember Fogarty wanted the lowest number to fund the CIP. She did not like 5%, but wants the CIP funded. Councilmember Bartholomay stated his top number would be 5%to fund the CIP and meet our needs. Councilmember Bonar stated official budget deliberations begin in June. He did not have a number yet as he wants to do some homework. Once he picks a number there will be only a little sway to the left or right. Mayor Larson stated once we decide 18 Council Workshop Minutes May 13,2013 Page 6 on a number, it needs to be the same number in December. Councilmember Donnelly stated his top number is 5%. We held taxes the same for four years. City Administrator Update—City Administrator McKnight and Police Chief Lindquist will be meeting this week with the new owner of Carbone's regarding an outdoor concert this summer. This is the last summer there will be an outdoor concert. Council agreed with staff putting restrictions in place for this event rather than writing an ordinance. The projector in the Council chambers has been discussed in the past. City Administrator McKnight asked Council if they would prefer a large TV on the wall or individual small screens at the Dias. After some discussion, Council reached a consensus for City Administrator McKnight to obtain costs for a large TV on the wall. Cable funds will be used for the purchase. Police Ride-a-longs—These are no longer done due to liability mitigation. Police Chief Lindquist stated the police have three responsibilities—citizens, cops, City. Liability mitigation in ride-a-longs hits all three of these. If someone is killed, you never stop paying for it. All of the DVS information is available in the cars. If there is a domestic, you cannot take the rider in the house with you. The computer remains on, and anyone can access information. It is not a spectator sport, but it has been treated as such. If you were aware a potential problem existed and you did nothing to address it,the courts frown upon that. Councilmember Fogarty felt there are a lot of college age students looking at law enforcement and this would be a great opportunity for them. However this is set up, she does not want that opportunity lost for them. Police Chief Lindquist stated the liability concerns are the same across the board. It is a great public relations tool, but he can give them the same experience by watching the video camera footage from the squad cars. He has to mitigate liability wherever he can. We used to do a lot of things that we probably should not do now. When he told his officers there would be no more ride-a-longs,there was no resistance. If he tells an officer to take a citizen along, and the officer says no, it is not safe, what does he do? Councilmember Fogarty felt he had a lot of influence with his officers. Police Chief Lindquist stated his responsibility is to get them home safe every night. If someone needs help,they will go. They cannot say I have a rider with me. Councilmember Bartholomay stated Apple Valley and Northfield allows riders and he felt we should too. Have them sign a strong liability waiver and set parameters. A lot of cities do background checks before people ride. Police Chief Lindquist stated we all do background checks and that will not stop them from having access to the computer. Councilmember Donnelly was fine with no ride-a-longs and understood the liability. Police Chief Lindquist stated a lot of people have focused on data and the wrongful sharing of data. If someone sees or hears something they shouldn't,we have put that data out there. There are not a lot of requests for ride-a-longs. Once in awhile we get a request from someone doing an internship and if we can accommodate them we will. Councilmember Donnelly felt the less opportunity we provide for accidents, the better. Councilmember Bonar stated his greatest interest is a broad and consistent outreach to the public. Being seen as individuals as well as officers goes a long way in serving the public. Police Chief Lindquist stated officers are tied to school events, or when officers stop at a gas station they have a lot of interaction with residents. There are a lot of opportunities with contact. Public interaction is taking place, Council was just not aware of it. Mayor Larson suggested a compromise with law enforcement students and cops. Police Chief Lindquist stated it is an all or nothing deal. It doesn't matter why they are there. This is not a 19 Council Workshop Minutes May 13,2013 Page 7 good choice for us and is not the right vehicle for public relations. Police Chief Lindquist will prepare a video to show Council. MOTION by Fogarty, second by Bartholomay to adjourn at 8:20 p.m. APIF,MOTION CARRIED. Respectfully submitted, Cynthia Muller Executive Assistant 20