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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02.08.03 Special Council Minutes COUNCIL MINUTES SPECIAL February 8, 2003 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Mayor Ristow at 8:00 a.m. 2. ROLL CALL Members Present: Members Absent: Also Present: Audience: Ristow, Cordes, Fogarty, Soderberg None Joel Jamnik, City Attorney; Lisa Shadick, Administrative Services Director; Cynthia Muller, Executive Assistant Kim Soderberg, Nathan Hansen, Aaron Tinklenberg 3. CITY COUNCIL INTERVIEWS There were nine candidates interviewed for the Council seat vacated by Councilmember Strachan. 8:00 a.m. Randy Oswald Councilmember Fogarty: As the city grows, the demands on current recreation facilities also grows. What are your plans for recreation facilities? Oswald: He is currently a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission. He stated we are currently using all the facilities and the facilities do not get a rest between seasons, which makes it hard to maintain them. The facilities definitely need to grow. The city has a new Park and Recreation Director and things are being reviewed. Councilmember Cordes: What are your thoughts on using Ad Valorum taxes for road projects in Farmington? Oswald: Pilot Knob was assessed 1/2 mile on each side and felt it was his duty to be part of that. He felt the city should continue with special assessments. Mayor Ristow: What are your thoughts on commercial and industrial growth and what mechanisms of funding would you suggest if there is no infrastructure in place? Oswald: A city needs to grow in thee fashions in order to make a well-developed city - residential, commercial and industrial. Each plays unique, important role in the community. It doesn't put so much burden on the residents when all three are in place. He would need to be educated on how to accomplish this. Councilmember Soderberg: an independent thinker? Regarding growth, policy issues, etc. can you be Council Minutes (Regular) February 8, 2003 Page 2 Oswald: If you are on the City Council, and you are not an independent thinker, you do not need to be on the Council. There are two circles of knowledge. The first is that which is open to the public, the second is the information Council knows that cannot be released to the public due to data privacy laws. Councilmembers need to be open minded and do what is best for the city. Councilmember Soderberg: There has been a lot of discussion regarding the City Administrator. Describe a process you would use to determine that any staff member should be dismissed. Oswald: Staff goes through a review process. There are ranges for excelling, average and need improvements. If an employee is performing the job adequately or above, there is not reason for dismissal. If the review is non-satisfactory, need to review if issues are correctable. If they are, meet with employee. You need to look at what is best for the city. Mayor Ristow: There are always issues regarding transportation routes and safety issues. What would you suggest to make them better and what ideas would you propose to finance them? Oswald: A lot of the transportation routes are controlled by the state and the county, such as speed and where the road is going through. The city needs to work with them to convey their thoughts. There is a current issue with an arterial road. Need to look at if it is worth making traffic adjust or a safety issue. The city is not an independent body that can do what it wants. You have to work within the agencies. Councilmember Cordes: How would you go about trying to re-establish the "team concept" between city staff and more so with the City Council? Oswald: The best way would be through communication. He has been taking a writing class and he wrote a paper on how we view ourselves and how we view people who look or are different from ourselves. Although the issue may be uncomfortable, the more it is discussed, the more comfortable we become. You have to talk out your feelings and why you feel this way. Weare not here for ourselves, or for sole issues, we are here for the good of the entire community. Mayor Ristow: When Council has workshops and yearly group retreats, it is very important that everyone attends so there are not distances between one another. Oswald: Agreed it is very important to attend. Barring special circumstances, if it is scheduled and everyone has agreed to be there, you have to be there. It is all part of the process. Council Minutes (Regular) February 8, 2003 Page 3 Councilmember Fogarty: Currently there is a moratorium on property south of Hwy 50 and west of Denmark. Would you have agreed with that decision, and if not, why? Oswald: There are things that need to be simultaneously with the moratorium. The city needs to decide who to tie it in commercially and not be choppy. He agrees with the moratorium. It allows the city time to do what it needs to do in order to accept the developers. Councilmember Cordes: Do you support the city's additional tax levy of approximately $270,000 in the 2003 budget to make up for the anticipated loss of state aid due to the state budget shortfall? If so why? If not, what else would you have proposed to deal with this situation? Oswald: The federal and state governments are in deficit. There was a time the city was in financial trouble. There is no guarantee of income, so you want to be prepared for the worst case. Farmington has since maintained a healthy balance. Part of the money the city receives comes from the state. As a city we need to be prepared, because the costs will still be there. If this is what needs to be done in order to maintain our fiscal responsibility, then that is what we need to do. Mayor Ristow: Please tell me how you feel about the city of Farmington's comp plan and how it is used. Oswald: Being a member of the Park and Recreation Commission and on both task forces, he feels it is important for the comp plan to be used. It is important for it to be used to look forward into the future to use as a guideline. He understands things also change, and you need to be flexible. He would also need more education on it. Mayor Ristow thanked Mr. Oswald for coming and asked ifhe had any additional comments. Additional Comments: Mr. Oswald stated he has prayed for the Council to give them wisdom and level headedness. The precedence was set in 1988. We just had an election with nine candidates. There is no city ordinance for this process. He applauded Council for sticking with what they did in 1988, as it shows consistency. The second thing he would recommend is that once this procedure is done, the full Council should adopt a policy saying ifthis happens again, this is how we will proceed. He is seeing the city being tom apart. It is important we all get together and work as a team. The city is growing and we need to be prepared. It is his biggest desire the Council makes their decision unanimously. The Council is a representative of the majority of the people who voted at the time you were elected. Whether we voted for you or not, is not important. What's important is that we need to have trust in you. 8:20 a.m. Jeff Krueger Council Minutes (Regular) February 8, 2003 Page 4 Councilmember Soderberg: With the controversy in the city and all the projects that come before the Council, can you be an independent thinker and open- minded? Krueger: Yes, he considers every issue, and makes and independent decision. There would be no coercion, influence, or persuasion. My vote would be my vote. Mayor Ristow: What are your thoughts on commercial and industrial growth and what mechanisms of funding would you suggest if there is no infrastructure in place? Krueger: The industrial park needs to be developed. Some businesses will not be coming into play until we get to a certain population level. There are some businesses that could come in in the meantime. Assessments would be involved with the businesses that come in. Transportation is a big issue. Mayor Ristow: Do you feel those ways of funding should be held for the businesses 100%, or use taxes from the taxpayers? Krueger: We should use taxes because we are a community as a whole and we are all in this together. Just as the other roads, it has always been a shared effort. He would disagree with putting 100% of the cost on the businesses. Councilmember Cordes: What are your thoughts on using Ad Valorum taxes for road projects in Farmington? Krueger: He believes in special assessments. The streets should not be paid for by the city as a whole. It has not been done in the past. He paid the assessment on Pilot Knob Road, he was against it in the beginning, but is glad it did go through. As far as the infrastructure, there is a big degrading that is going on with the city streets. They do need to be reconstructed. The citizens living on the street have the most use of the streets. He would advocate the current policy of 65/35. Councilmember Fogarty: In the past you had harsh words to members of the City Council. How do you think you could put these differences aside and work with the City Council? Krueger: He has no problem looking past that. Business is business, politics is politics. It is nothing personal. He wholly disagrees with what they are trying to do as far as the City Administrator and what they are trying to do with this City Council appointment. Once we get to a new issue, it is a new issue and the slate would be clean. I don't hold grudges. Councilmember Fogarty: In calling some of your references, I did get a feeling that with your business you travel a lot. Do you see that as a conflict with sitting on the Council? Council Minutes (Regular) February 8, 2003 Page 5 Krueger: He does not travel that much anymore. Currently overnight stays are approximately four nights a month. He sets his own schedule. Councilmember Cordes: Do you support the city's additional tax levy of approximately $270,000 in the 2003 budget to make up for the anticipated loss of state aid due to the state budget shortfall? If so, why? If not, what else would you have proposed to deal with this situation? Krueger: He would try to see where we can cut spending. He would see where we have fluff and cut it from there. If the budget is cut to the bone and not hanning services or taking things away from the citizens, he would then propose some type of a tax increase. You have to balance the budget somehow. First you have to cut spending. Mayor Ristow: There are always issues regarding transportation routes and safety issues. What would you suggest to make them better and what ideas would you propose to finance them? Krueger: Regarding the speed issue on Akin Road, the study showed the speed should be 45 mph. He would defer to the engineer's wisdom that would be in the citizen's best interest. As far as transportation corridors, we are building some east-west corridors which are very important for the residents and the commercial end. As far as funding, we would need to look at the different mechanisms that are available. Such as assessments or paid for city wide. Mayor Ristow: would use it? Please explain what Tax Increment Financing is and how you Krueger: The taxes are deferred or eliminated from what the businesses have to pay. There would be more money in their pocket to help with their expansion. Mayor Ristow: Would you suggest using it only for business or use it for housing or blighted areas? Krueger: He would not use TIF for residential, it is more a strictly business mechanism. As far as housing, the residents' hands are tied. It would depend on the road. If it is an east-west corridor, perhaps more of it would have to come from city funds and not have special assessments. Ifthere are only a few properties on the road, you cannot expect those few properties to fund the entire road, so it would have to come out of the city coffers. Councilmember Soderberg: Describe a process you would use to determine whether any city staff should be dismissed? Krueger: He would like to propose another 6-month trial where the citizens themselves are more involved with what is going on. He doesn't believe the citizens Council Minutes (Regular) February 8,2003 Page 6 wholly understand the role of the city administrator and some ofthe staffwe currently have. They definitely do not understand what the expectations are of the City Council. He would like to propose the expectations be put out there for the citizens to see. It would help the public relations factor and the citizens could then assess for themselves whether the city administrator is meeting those expectations, and whether a dismissal would be warranted. He does not feel currently any dismissal is warranted until more communications is brought forward by the Council. That is a huge lacking at this time. Mayor Ristow: Could you please tell me how you feel about the city of Farmington's comp plan and how it is used? Krueger: The comp plan is very effective. He likes the streetscape and feels it will be beneficial in filling up the buildings that now lay empty. There are some interested parties in bringing in business to downtown Farmington. He believes the focus of commerce should stay in the downtown. He would hate for us to turn into another Rosemount or Lakeville where no one goes downtown. Our downtown is the strength of this city. It should be cultivated and not compromised. Mayor Ristow: So you understand when we put the comp plan together that the Council, staff and Planning Commission took the stance we get the residents involved. We had meetings for several months and everyone had an equal opportunity to put forth what their thoughts were and where they wanted to see their community grow. Krueger: He understands it was a community effort. Councilmember Cordes: How would you go about trying to re-establish the "team concept" between city staff and more so with the City Council? Krueger: He believes individual meetings would be appropriate. There should be weekly meetings with the city administrator. As far as with the Finance Director, City Engineer those could be bi-weekly or monthly. The Councilmembers individually need to get together with these people and get to know them more on a personal level. That would enhance the working relationship between Council and staff and better establish what your expectations are and provide constant feedback. Mayor Ristow: We have been doing that type of a concept through workshops, and sometimes you feel like you are a rubber-stamped Council. Do you agree with that if you have the issues worked out and have the knowledge and if you still disagree at the vote? What would you look to get out of these meetings? Krueger: The Council does not need to come to the table agreeing with everything. You do give the perception of being a rubber-stamped Council and that is not a good perception. Any differences helps with communication to the citizens. If there is a 3-2 vote that is fine. We can at least hear the dissention and what that dissention is. The country was not built on a group acting as one, but as individual thinkers. He can Council Minutes (Regular) February 8,2003 Page 7 guarantee he will not be voting with all of them all of the time. He will go against them. Compromises do need to be hashed out. Some objections should come out in a public forum. Councilmember Soderberg: At the Council table where the disagreements should be after a 3-2 vote what should be the actions and attitudes after the vote? Krueger: If the proposal passes and he is of the minority, he has not choice but to accept what the majority has warranted. Ifthere is a way to go back and redo some of it, if it would be damaging to the city, come back with proposals to try to minimize the damages, or accept it as is. He doesn't hold grudges. He tries to take care of business and further what he believes should be happening. He would not say to another Councilmember I won't vote for that because you didn't vote for mine. Mayor Ristow thanked Mr. Krueger for interviewing and asked ifhe had any additional comments. Krueger: He wanted to mention all the candidates were brought in at 8:00 a.m. and are in a private room. That was the Mayor's suggestion and was an excellent suggestion so the candidates would be privy to the questions ahead of time. As of his interview, Bill Fitch had not yet arrived and felt that should be taken into consideration. Most likely he has already head some ofthe questions and would have an unfair advantage. 8:40 a.m. Todd Larson Councilmember Soderberg: With the different policy decisions council has to make and all the projects, can you be an independent mind? Larson: He would have no problem. He has been on the Planning Commission for seven years. He votes his own mind. Mayor Ristow: What are your thoughts on commercial and industrial growth and what mechanisms of funding would you suggest if there is no infrastructure in place? Larson: The city is lacking in commercial growth. It is just as important for redevelopment in the downtown as it is for commercial development in the business park. As far as funding, it is hard to say how to fund the area on Hwy 50 and Denmark. The developer with pay for the acreage left out of the moratorium so he will pay for that himself. As far as the industrial park, the city has mechanisms used to pay for the infrastructure. He assumes the business park would be funded the same way. Mayor Ristow: Please tell me how you feel about the city of Farmington's comp plan and how it is used. Council Minutes (Regular) February 8,2003 Page 8 Larson: He likes the way the comp plan turned out. It is a work in progress and a guide. There should be room for changes. There was a lot of work and planning that went into it. We should be able to work with and not stick to every word and boundary. Mayor Ristow: So you understand it was put together by business people, residents, etc. and there were meetings to see how the city wanted grow. So you understand when a certain area comes and the infrastructures are met, there are certain areas set aside that can accommodate those businesses. Larson: Yes, he was at every meeting. Councilmember Cordes: What are your thoughts on using general property taxes for road projects in Farmington? Larson: The minor roads should be an assessment process. The major roads like Pilot Knob should be equally shared by everyone through property taxes. Mayor Ristow: The plan has been an assessment 1/2 mile on either side. There is also the possibility of Ash Street and Elm Street. Would it be consistently wise to use that same formula? Larson: No, things like Ash Street and Pilot Knob, everyone should be assessed. Councilmember Fogarty: In calling your references, a common theme came up, that you are very much a person who strives to make people happy and you are very good at it. Do you see this as a potential conflict as it is quite difficult to make everyone happy as a Councilmember? Larson: He has a knack for getting the job done and keeping everyone not mad. He deals with 20-45 people as far as directing them and keeping everyone happy is a tough thing to do. He has a knack for getting his point across as far as what needs to be done and keeping them happy. His belief is that you get more done with happy people than with angry people. Councilmember Fogarty: What is your vision for business or retail growth in the growing residential population of Farmington and what would your plans be for attracting business to Farmington? Larson: His vision is he would like to see as much redevelopment right now in the downtown as new development in the business park. We need to be very selective and careful about the kinds of businesses that come into town. Not to take away from the downtown. He doesn't want to see something come to the business park and have three stores downtown close. There should be a way to attract businesses that will mesh with the downtown. It would be nice to have people come from the north side oftown to the business park and have the Spruce Street corridor coming into town something nice and pleasant that people would want to drive. If we would have had the streets and sewer Council Minutes (Regular) February 8,2003 Page 9 system in the business park we would have a hotel here already. The commercial is coming and we need to have a spot for it. Mayor Ristow: If there are areas set aside in the north area and it is duplicating what we have downtown, do you feel it is ok for businesses such as barbers, a restaurant? Larson: Sure. Councilmember Cordes: How would you go about trying to re-establish the "team concept" between city staff and more so with the City Council? Larson: Everyone needs to have an open mind for the team concept to work. He has attended seminars on developing the team concept. There are some good people that could come in to give you ideas. Mayor Ristow: You have been involved in the Council workshops where staff, Council, and Planing Commission try to stick together to discuss the issues. Do you think that should change? Larson: No, we need more of it. He would like to involve the school board more. As far as the workshops themselves, they are excellent. A lot of work gets done. They have been a huge success. The Planning Commission works wonderful as a team. The main problem has been with the Council not getting along as far as the team concept. Councilmember Cordes: Do you support the city's decision to increase the tax levy of approximately $270,000 in 2003 budget to make up for the anticipated loss of state aid? If so why? If not, what else could have been done? Larson: He does support it because the city will lose state aid. It is important for the Council to set the city up so there will not be a shortfall. Mayor Ristow: Governor Pawlenty has said he will put a cap on what cities can raise. What would you do then if there was not enough? Larson: He doesn't know where the city is spending its money. He would have to look into it. He can't take a cold question like that without doing some research. That is very important and a lot of thought has to go into it. Mayor Ristow: Could you explain what tax increment financing is and how you would use it? Larson: He knows a little about it. It has been used in the industrial park. For seven years the business is limited on its taxes. It is to help them get established. After the seven years it gets paid back. The concept is to allow the business to come in without that extra debt of taxes. To allow them to grow and get employees. Council Minutes (Regular) February 8, 2003 Page 10 Mayor Ristow: It has been a concept the Council and HRA have been agreeable to use for industrial and commercial type growth. It has been used for some residential growth and blighted areas. Are you more in favor of sticking to the concept to bring commercial and industrial growth to the city versus spending it on blighted or residential areas? Larson: He doesn't think we need to use TIF money on residential areas at all. Developers have enough money to finance themselves. He would be very careful where he used it. There should be a minimum amount of employees brought to the city before they could use TIF money. He would hate to give someone TIF money and have three employees come to town. It should be used for bigger manufacturing businesses that bring 35-50 employees to town. Councilmember Soderberg: Would you describe a process you would use to determine if any city staff should be dismissed? Larson: There would have to be a good case against them to be dismissed. He believes in giving people every opportunity to change before they are dismissed. One of the hardest things he has to do at work is let people go. He would rather reform them to get them to change their ways. If they need to be let go, it should be a unanimous vote. That is someone's livelihood. Mayor Ristow thanked Mr. Larson for coming and asked ifhe had any additional comments. Larson: No. It would have been nice to have a couple of the questions in advance to do a little research. Mayor Ristow stated the questions are not designed to trick anyone. They are just to give a general idea of what people think. 9:00 Terry Verch Councilmember Cordes: What are your thoughts on using general property taxes for street projects in Farmington? Verch: We are already paying taxes. If there are leftovers that would be ok. Councilmember Fogarty: The 2020 comp plan envisioned a wide variety of housing options. How do you propose we achieve this goal? Verch: To go forward with the plans we have. Work with the developers and be tough at the Council. Mayor Ristow: What are your thoughts on commercial and industrial growth and what mechanisms of funding would you suggest if there is no infrastructure in place? Council Minutes (Regular) February 8,2003 Page 11 Verch: We definitely need commercial and industrial growth. Once it starts growing, maybe people will see land is cheaper down here. Within 10 years he would see great growth. As far as funding, he doesn't know what excess there would be in the city. The developer has the land, he should put in most ofthe stuff. Mayor Ristow: So in the commercial and industrial areas, the developer needs to put his buildings in order? Verch: If you want the business to get here, you also have to help them out. Mayor Ristow: Would you use ad valorum or TIF? Verch: He wouldn't know. Councilmember Soderberg: With different policies the Council has to make and different projects, can you be an independent thinker? Verch: Yes. When he was on the Council he took everything in. Ifhe had an issue he brought it up. He would go with what he thought was the best way to do it. Councilmember Soderberg: Would you describe a process you would use to determine if any city staff should be dismissed? Verch: Why am I getting rid of them? He would have to know were they stealing, cheating the city out of money, not doing their job? There would be a different process. There would be guidelines to follow in the city policy. Councilmember Soderberg: Would you choose to evaluate and identify specific areas where they need improvement and allow an opportunity for improvement? Verch: If any employee isn't performing to specifications, then you have to pay the consequences. In every job you get 2-3 warnings. Councilmember Fogarty: You lost your Council seat in the last general election. Why should we appoint you? Verch: I had different thoughts and things in my life. Back then I didn't give it 100%. Now he thought about and maybe he wasn't fair to the public. He knows he can do the job. He feels he can offer something and can give it 100%. Councilmember Cordes: How would you go about re-establishing the "team concept" between city staff and more so with the City Council? Verch: It is hard to get together to talk because everyone works and then there are laws where you cannot talk about things. Everyone is professional enough that if you Council Minutes (Regular) February 8, 2003 Page 12 have a problem you call Cindy or talk to Joel, or the Mayor. We are all old enough where we should be able to talk and work things out and not have to fight. He never had a problem with any of the staff or Council. Mayor Ristow thanked Mr. Verch for coming and asked ifhe had any additional comments. Verch: The candidates were all supposed to be here at 8:00 a.m. One person showed up at 8:50 a.m. He has an advantage because this is on TV. Ifthat person did watch is that fair to the rest? Mayor Ristow stated it was his intention to have everyone here so everyone would be fair. All we could do is ask the candidates to come. Mr. Verch stated it was not fair. The rest of us took the time to get up early on a Saturday to be here. 9:15 Joanne Payne Mayor Ristow: What are your thoughts on commercial and industrial growth and what mechanisms of funding would you suggest if there is no infrastructure in place? Payne: Farmington has been lack in commercial and industrial business. It is a good tax base that doesn't adversely affect the community. There are a few different options for funding that can be arranged, such as tax breaks, land deals. If the community was more open to having people develop here there would be more interest. Some people have had a very difficult time coming to the city. Whether it be with staff or the Council, they have gone elsewhere. Mayor Ristow: Maybe tax increment financing could be used and if you are agreeable to that could you explain what it is and why you would use it to help businesses? Payne: It is a program where if businesses want to come to Farmington, they put a proposal together with what business they want to bring to Farmington. The Council could discuss possible financing options, either a reduction in their taxes, or a reduction in their land buying situation, or some other deal where they would do something for the community. Councilmember Fogarty: In the past you have had many harsh words for some Councilmembers. How do you think you could put aside those differences and work with the Council? Fogarty: She and her husband campaigned at the Mayor's house before the election and they had a very long and interesting conversation. She told the Mayor that if she was elected, she didn't want to be in an argument all the time about issues. We need to look beyond what happened in the past and look toward the future. She feels a lot of people do not feel comfortable with the representation they were getting before the election. Council Minutes (Regular) February 8,2003 Page 13 That is what prompted nine candidates to run. She does not come with any agendas. She put her message out there and that is what got the votes. She has been harsh and critical. Part of that process was people were supporting her because she was willing to state that the residents weren't getting a voice, their opinions were being disregarded at neighborhood meetings and Council meetings. The message she ran on was that she would be an ear and a voice for them. She does not have any personal issues against anyone on the Council. Councilmember Cordes: How would you go about trying to re-establish the "team concept" between city staff and more so with the City Council? Payne: There has been a lot of rhetoric, hard feelings and grudges that need to be set aside. The situation with the city administrator needs to be dealt with and laid to rest. There has been way too much public comment about it. You can't constructively run the City Council and staff the way it should be with all the conflict going on right now. It is up to Council to decide what they want. That needs to be passed down to the city administrator and that should be passed down to the staff. With communication such a problem and issues between the Council and city administrator, that is not going to happen. With the staff trying to support him, it is causing a lot of friction that shouldn't be there. It needs to be put aside. Once that is done and the Council starts working together as a team for the best interest of the residents and listens to them, she thinks it would function just fine. With the city growing the way it is, that needs to happen now. Once a new Councilmember is appointed, a meeting needs to happen with all of you to discuss what the situation is with the city administrator, how to handle it, and get some control on it, and put something out to the voters that explains what the situation is. Council has not been allowed to say anything due to legal counsel advice, but that leaves a perception to the public that there are secrets or things being hidden. Until you can all agree as a united front, it is not going to stop. There are personal dislikes with people. I'm sure some of you don't like me very much, and that is fine. You have to set that aside and act as a team and put the personal dislikes away and try to remember who you are representing it. She discovered some of the Council's campaign issues were very much like her own. They have gotten away from what they originally wanted to do. Councilmember Soderberg: Would you describe a process that you would use to determine if the City Administrator should be dismissed or any city staff. Payne: When you have a problem with an employee, it is unfair and unjust to them without explaining your wants and needs and giving them an opportunity to correct any problems. Reviews are meant to review how an employee is doing. To offer them suggestions, to get them on the same page with what you want them to do and give them an opportunity to correct problems. That is the most key components to making an employee understand where their weaknesses are and what to improve on. By not sharing with them what your expectations are, or everyone's expectations on the Council being different leaves them confused. She understands there are privacy issues that cannot be made public. If an employee is comfortable with the fact of knowing what is put into their review, they could come forward and say what it is. Not everyone is perfect Council Minutes (Regular) February 8, 2003 Page 14 and not everyone can do the job to everyone's expectations. Put the expectations down with a timeframe to accomplish them and if they cannot accomplish that, she sees no reason not to let someone go. As long as you are performing your functions within the parameters set for you, then you are doing your job. If you're not and you're failing then it goes back to the Council or their supervisors to say you are not performing to the standards we need. That would be the time to discuss letting someone go. Councilmember Soderberg: I would like you to clarify on expectations. Would that be expectations from the Council as a body or expectations of Councilmembers individually? Payne: It is a good thing for everyone to have individual expectations for an employee. That way you are getting more of a broad base. When it comes down to a decision on what you are going to go to that employee with, you can all have your opinions but it should be as a united front. You all need to agree to the same things and everyone's voice is heard and that their problem is not being addressed. Mayor Ristow: There are always issues regarding transportation routes and safety issues. What would you suggest to make them better and what ideas would you propose to finance them? Payne: It will be a constant problem as we grow. When planning developments, roadways need to be a major part of that. There are signs at dead ends telling people it will be a future roadway. But what kind of roadway? Most people don't know what a minor collector is. They build their house and the road becomes a minor collector and they are not happy with the amount of traffic. That brings them to Council meetings to complain. When planning roadways, it needs to be looked at as far as how much traffic will be coming out of the development, what the roadways are going to be, where it needs to go. Safety issues need to be planned at the same time. As far as financing, any money that the city spends for safety for the residents is money well spent. As far as stop signs, the cost of those compared to the cost of a life is minimal. Some of the accesses that have been put in haven't been very well thought out as far as what it will do to the area. Mayor Ristow: Could you tell me how you feel about the city of Farmington's comp plan and how it is used? Payne: The comp plan is good. It gives us a view of what we want Farmington to become. When we deviate from that it disrupts the plan that was set forth in the beginning. When you get off track of where we should be, it affects the city negatively. As far as multi-housing units, they have gone up in extreme numbers that weren't in the comp plan as far as how many we were going to have, it causes problems with other services. Sometimes changes need to be made when looking 20 years down the road. The majority of the plan should be kept with, without exceeding too much with development. Council Minutes (Regular) February 8,2003 Page 15 Councilmember Fogarty: At a recent Council meeting, Kevin Carroll told us that some of the new townhomes have been on demand. We have a high population of seniors that don't want the yard work and also young professionals. It sounds like you may disagree with that. Payne: It is good to have a diverse housing community so you are catering to the needs of a large majority but in moderation. It needs to be weighed evenly. There are very few apartment buildings in Fannington and very few rental units. Young people have to leave the community because there isn't enough rental property. There is going to be a demand for every type of housing unit. You have to keep in mind how much are we going to attract, how is it going to come in, and what kind of options and make it a broad base. The large parcels are also lacking. When talking about developing areas and traffic, that would be a nice location for people to not have so much of the traffic. It would also keep a lot of the green space. Councilmember Fogarty: As the city of Farmington continues to grow, the demands on our recreational facilities also grows. What are your plans for city recreational facilities? Payne: We need to invest money into an athletic center. Hosting events at athletic centers does bring in more traffic, which people don't like, but it does bring in additional money for businesses. The money would be well spent in increasing what we have to offer. There isn't a lot ofthings in the city for the middle school kids. For us to decide what they need, isn't always the best way. We need to get input from the kids as to what they would like to see and then try to make it a reality. Money is always an issue. Spending money on kids youth programs, you will not have objections from parents who have a place for their kids to go and feel safe and have activities for them to do. Present a referendum and let the voters decide what they want for their youth or send out some surveys. The ice arena has always been a pet peeve, when they stopped having ice year round. In the summer, why not do teen dances? There needs to be more youth oriented programs and we need to expand our park system. Councilmember Cordes: We increased the tax levy by approximately $270,000 to make up for the anticipated loss of state aid. Do you agree with that? If not, what else could we have done to make up for that loss? Payne: The state is in such disarray right now, it is better for the city to protect itself first. Ifwe do get the money, it needs to be discussed where we want that money to go. Should it be kept for the future? This state is in financial trouble and they will be for quite some time. The city needs to make sure we stay financially solvent. The way to do that is to address the problem before it happens instead of in hindsight. The city is right in taking a proactive approach to the fact we might be losing money and need to cover what we are doing, instead of after the fact and trying to sell it to people. Mayor Ristow thanked Mrs. Payne for coming and asked if she had any additional comments. Council Minutes (Regular) February 8, 2003 Page 16 Payne: She is not planning on going away if she is not appointed to the Council. She has two years and she will be back. She does feel strongly about this community and plans on staying for the long haul. She has children in the community and wants to see decisions made in their best interest. There might be times if she is not selected to be on the Council that she will be back. That just shows she is still interested and will continue to be interested. The Council recessed for a few minutes. 9:50 James Payne Councilmember Cordes: What are you thoughts on using general property taxes for street projects in Farmington? Payne: It would depend on the circumstances and whether special assessments could pay for it. Councilmember Fogarty: If you had an interest on sitting on the City Council, why did you not run in the last election? Payne: Because of the developments that have happened with the person that received the third highest votes and this process. He feels he is qualified as much as anyone else. He has some very good ideas and common sense and that is needed. Councilmember Soderberg: With the different policies and projects that come before the city can you be an open, independent thinking mind? Payne: Definitely. He doesn't have any agenda and has his own opinion. You would have to really convince him to change his mind. Mayor Ristow: how it is used. How do you feel about the city of Farmington's comp plan and Payne: The 2020 comp plan isn't being implemented the way it was supposed to be. The way the development is happening and the number oftownhomes is way over. We need to look at our road structure before we keep adding developments. We need to get our tax base with commercial businesses instead of residential taxes. It is hurting our schools with referendums. We need to stick to our 2020 comp plan. Mayor Ristow: There are always issues regarding transportation routes and safety issues. What would you suggest to make them better and what would you propose to finance them? Payne: The development should pay for the roads. There should be more input into developing north-south roads, instead of using the existing roads. Pilot Knob, Akin Council Minutes (Regular) February 8, 2003 Page 17 Road and Hwy 3 are our only north-south routes. He doesn't think any thought has been put into putting new routes in. Mayor Ristow: He looks at 195th as a collector road to move traffic east-west. How would you suggest the city pay for them, citywide, or just for the benefiting properties? Payne: He was under the impression it was going to be a county road. Would the county pay for it? Mayor Ristow stated the split is 65/35. The city still has a certain amount to cover. Do you believe the city should pick up that share as a whole or actual benefiting properties? Payne: There should be assessments to the developments it will affect. Councilmember Fogarty: As the city continues to grow, the demand on our current recreational facilities will also grow. What are your plans for recreation facilities? Payne: It is very important that we get a park complex into place before all the land is gone for development. The land has to be acquired now. It will be more expensive down the road. Councilmember Cordes: How would you go about re-establishing the "team concept" between city staff and more so with the City Council? Payne: It all starts with the City Council. If the Council cannot act as a team, it reflects on city staff. If city staff cannot do their jobs because of controversy on the City Council it affects the running of the city. Councilmember Cordes: The city increased the tax levy by approximately $270,000 in anticipation of state aid cuts. Do you agree with this and if not, what other mechanisms would you have used to make up for it? Payne: It agrees to a point. We will need that. He didn't agree with the fact that if it wasn't needed, it would be put into the city's general fund. He is not sure if the general fund is being spent wisely. Councilmember Fogarty: If you didn't think it should go into the city's general fund, what would you have done with those monies? Payne: He didn't know. Mayor Ristow stated it is the taxpayer's money. Would you propose giving it back to them? Mr. Payne replied that would have to be a discussion with the City Council. Council Minutes (Regular) February 8, 2003 Page 18 Councilmember Soderberg: With the discussion in the media about the city administrator, would you describe a process you would use to determine if the city administrator or any staff person should be dismissed. Payne: He doesn't think the public has been educated as to what the problems might be with city staff. With the Council not working as a whole and the council controversy, it causes the city staff not to work as they should. He would need to be educated as to why things weren't working or why people on the Council didn't think things are working before he made a decision. Councilmember Soderberg: dismiss somebody? How would you get to the determination to Payne: It would have to be educated. No one seems to know what the problem seems to be. In his profession they are written up. If you are written up 3 times you are dismissed. You receive a warning to straighten your act up. Mayor Ristow thanked Mr. Payne for coming and asked ifhe had any additional comments. Mr. Payne did not have any further comments. 10:00 a.m. Nicholas Roberts Councilmember Fogarty: In talking with your references, you have just recently started running a company. Running a company can be very time consuming as can sitting on the City Council. Do you find these two things will be in conOict? Roberts: No, because currently he is a member ofthe HRA. When he made the decision to apply for Council, you have to draw the line. He made the decision he wanted to devote all his time to this. He does travel, but it has not been a conflict. Councilmember Cordes: How would you go about re-establishing the "team concept" between city staff and more so with the City Council? Roberts: The team concept is very big. He has worked with it in his job. There has to be lines of communication and an open door policy where people can get along. There has to be trust between Council and city members and the boards and commissions. Mayor Ristow: What are your thoughts on commercial and industrial growth and what mechanisms of funding would you suggest if there is no infrastructure in place? Roberts: With commercial, he has gone through that with relocation of his business. Being on the HRA he has had a great deal of exposure dealing with the industrial park. As far as funding, it can be a gray area. It is beneficial to help companies that want to come in. There should be mechanisms in place to help a start-up business. You need to Council Minutes (Regular) February 8,2003 Page .19 work with the city to come up with a plan. There should be something in place, but he couldn't answer as to what that should be. Mayor Ristow: you would use it. Could you explain what tax increment financing is and how Roberts: Being on the HRA for three years, he is not familiar with all the terms. The HRA is going through his first TIF with a proposed sale within the industrial park. He knows there are certain things with having a certain number of employees. Mayor Ristow: You are on the HRA and you will be making a decision what kind of mechanisms you will be using. With all due respect, I would think you would be looking at what kind of building, number of employees, and what kind of income it will generate back. Roberts: At that time I would ask for all the information once we do know what type of funding the company does want. He would talk to the other board members to find out what their experience has been and meet with the appropriate people. Mayor Ristow: Since you have been on the HRA, do you think the concept of how the industrial park has been established to take some of the tax burden off the residents has been a good idea? Roberts: Taking the tax burden off any resident is a good idea. But then you get into that gray area of do you not want to allow a good business to come into the city. You are not going to make everyone happy and you have to walk a fine line. You have to have some aid to businesses to help them get established. Councilmember Soderberg: With the policies and projects that come before the city, can you be an independent mind? Roberts: Yes. Going back to the team concept and his experience on the HRA, each member of a Councilor committee has a specialty and experience that everyone can draw upon. Councilmember Soderberg: With the discussions at citizen comments, and in the paper, can you describe a process you would use to determine whether or not any city staff should be dismissed? Roberts: There has to be a unanimous decision for any employee to be dismissed. If one person does have a strong opinion either way, you need to talk to each other to see if they can be addressed. You may not like an individual, you have to get through it and accept someone for who they are and respect their abilities. Are they doing their job? Councilmember Fogarty: If you are interested in sitting on the City Council, why did you not run in the last general election? Council Minutes (Regular) February 8,2003 Page 20 Roberts: He felt he could not devote his time to an effective campaign. Councilmember Fogarty: As the city continues to grow the demands on current recreational facilities will also grow. What are your plans for city recreational facilities? Roberts: Recreational facilities are very important. It is great for the residents to come together. There is a big demand for that and he would be in favor of working for that. Councilmember Cordes: Do you support the city's additional tax levy of approximately $270,000 in the 2003 budget to make up for the anticipated loss of state aid? Are there any other things we could have done differently? Roberts: He does support it. We have very prosperous years before two years ago. Unfortunately, you cannot expect one organization to foot the bill for budget shortfalls. Councilmember Cordes: What are your thoughts on using general property taxes rather than special assessments for street projects in Farmington? Roberts: At the last Council meeting, some people brought up some good points. It was an intriguing idea to split the burden between everyone. Some people have bigger portions of land that might get assessed more. Mayor Ristow: We have some rural areas such as Flagstaff that are gravel roads. Do you feel it would be fair for people who live on a gravel road to pay for someone who lives on a blacktop road to pay for their seal coating? Roberts: If anyone is traveling through Farmington, you are going to drive on roads that will be seal coated. If you are looking to blacktop where someone has 10 acres of property, you are in that gray area. Seal coat projects are not huge sums of money compared to someone who has 10 acres that has to pay for blacktop. Mayor Ristow: You do know without an assessment anyone with a tax-exempt property would not be charged. Roberts: You are not going to make everyone happy. A decision has to be made that will upset some people. Mayor Ristow: Could you tell me how you feel about the city of Farmington's comp plan and how it is used? Roberts: It's good, however there was an area where there was some land sold and the comp plan changed and he was stuck having to deal with the ramifications. We have to have something to work to. We have so much potential right now so it is good to have a plan to work to. Council Minutes (Regular) February 8, 2003 Page 21 Mayor Ristow: There are always issues regarding transportation routes and safety issues. What would you suggest to make them better and what would you propose to finance them? Roberts: You have to look at the overall plan to figure out where we are going to be. As far as paying for it, he doesn't know. The burden is split between different bodies. You have to look at what the transportation route will do and who it will affect. Mayor Ristow thank Mr. Roberts for coming and asked ifhe had any additional comments. Roberts: Thanked Council for the opportunity to be interviewed and wished the Council luck. 10:20 Ben Barker Councilmember Cordes: How would you go about trying to re-establish the "team concept" between city staff and more so with the City Council? Barker: Being on the Planning Commission they work with staff on a regular basis. As a Councilmember you also need to have better communication and addressing some of the issues. There will be some disagreements, and sometimes you have to agree to disagree. Staff has to be comfortable to come to Council and say here is what is going on. You have to figure out where the breakdown in communication is. You have to be open-minded to the issue and move forward for the betterment of the city. Councilmember Soderberg: With the policies and projects we face on the Council, can you be an independent mind? Barker: Most definitely. When issues come forward you evaluate it and base everything off the facts. He is employed as a state investigator and the purpose is to gather the facts and make an assessment off the facts. He has been an official for youth hockey for 17 years. You have a rule book and adjusting the situation as it goes. You should always be open-minded, objective, and fair. Councilmember Fogarty: Last fall the city placed a moratorium on some property south of Hwy 50 and west of Denmark. Did you agree with that decision and would you have done the same thing? If not, why? Barker: He did agree with the moratorium. The purpose is to make sure that property is developed correctly and is planned wisely. The city received a grant for $40,000. We only have one opportunity and we need to do it correctly. We need to establish a plan and present it to the landowners and work with them in terms of what they are looking at and find out what the residents want. When businesses come in, they can look at it and say this will meet our needs. Council Minutes (Regular) February 8,2003 Page 22 Mayor Ristow: how it is used? Can you tell me how you feel about the city's comp plan and Barker: A lot of work was put into the plan. The Planning Commission uses it on a regular basis as a tool. Over time, things need to be addressed and changed. The Council and Planning Commission have been doing that. Mayor Ristow: What are your thoughts on commercial and industrial growth and what mechanisms of funding would you suggest if there is no infrastructure in place? Barker: The city needs to look at growth. There is the business park, and an industrial park. Residents want businesses to come in so they do not have to go out of town. To attract different companies, you have the HRA, city staff, the Chamber of Commerce. There are different aspects such as TIP for funding. Councilmember Cordes: In 2003 the city increased the tax levy by $270,000 in anticipation of state aid cuts. Do you agree with this? If not, what other mechanisms would you have sought to deal with this? Barker: He did agree with the levy. Council had several options, to leave it alone, increase it to cover a portion, or increase it to cover all of the loss. By the Council making the decision, they protected the city. Councilmember Cordes: What are your thoughts on using general property taxes for street projects in Farmington rather than special assessments? Barker: It depends on the project. Currently the cost is split. If you live on the road you will be assessed for a portion of the cost. The rest comes out of the road and bridge fund. That is a good approach. Councilmember Soderberg: There has been a lot of controversy at citizen comments and in the newspaper. Describe a process you would use to determine if a staff member should be dismissed. Barker: He would look at the facts and address them. If something has been happening several times, has any action been taken to remedy it? If it hasn't been remedied why not? What needs to be done? You need to address the issue and attack it head on. With the issue of the city administrator, what are the facts? Does it rise to the occasion of termination, or are there other avenues? He would go in with an open mind. As a Councilmember he would say let's spell out all the facts, address the issue, and make a determination as a Council and move forward. Council Minutes (Regular) February 8, 2003 Page 23 Councilmember Soderberg: When you say remedy the issue, would there be an opportunity for the staff member to make corrections or just look at what has occurred in the past in making a determination? Barker: He is open-minded. He will look at all the facts and see what is appropriate. If it is a case where there is an opportunity to remedy things, he will give that opportunity. His background is to be fair and objective and open-minded and open to all options. Councilmember Soderberg: Given your position in the last election and your placement there why should we appoint you to the Council? Barker: He ran because he wanted to represent the citizens. He ran the hardest campaign he could. They were adopting a little girl, so he was not around for half the campaign, he was out of state. That was his choice. He wound up in fifth, but he did the best he could. He feels he could still represent the residents by being open-minded, a good listener and addressing the issues that need to be addressed. He ran in 2000 and thought he did fairly well against two strong incumbents. He had the support of the residents. This year he did the best he could with limited constraints. If appointed, he is looking at running off the same platform as when he ran in 2000 and this year. Representing the residents, listening to them and doing what is best for Farmington. He does it on the Planning Commission and when he was on the City Hall Task Force. Mayor Ristow stated that was two years ago when you ran and you were the third highest vote-getter. Councilmember Fogarty: As the city continues to grow, the demands on current recreational facilities will also grow. What are your plans for city recreational facilities? Barker: First we need to look at the ones we do have. Make sure they are budgeted and kept up to date. Farmington needs to expand them, whether it is a community facility in the middle of Farmington or updating what we currently have. Mayor Ristow: There are always issues regarding transportation routes and safety issues. What would you suggest to make them better and what would you propose to finance them? Barker: Transportation is a tricky subject because you are dealing not only with the city but also with the state. If it is a county or state road you need to negotiate. Part of the comp plan is a 2030 thoroughfare. We need to address the issue and work with the county and Empire Township on 19Sth Street. We need to meet with surrounding communities and present the plans and try to mesh together. Residents don't want more traffic on their streets. There are different things to help control it. One of the best things Council did was place a 4-way stop on 18ih and Embers Avenue. The residents came forward, and Council addressed it. Council Minutes (Regular) February 8, 2003 Page 24 Mayor Ristow: As you are aware we have other agencies of government to deal with as far as remedies. If they come back not in agreement with us we have to adjust to that. Barker: He realized the traffic engineer also has guidelines. At times you need to be more vocal when explaining the process to residents. Mayor Ristow: Could you explain what tax increment financing is and how you would use it? Barker: It is a tool used to bring in businesses. For a certain amount oftime the taxes are offset. You need to look at ifthe development is the best thing for Farmington. Developers are coming in wanting so much financing. If you wait, the demand is still there, but the funding is not so high. It has to be careful planning. Mayor Ristow thanked Mr. Barker for coming and asked ifhe had any additional comments. Mr. Barker did not have any further comments. 10:40 a.m. Bill Fitch Councilmember Soderberg: On your application you indicated you had experience in dealing with the same or similar issues that Council is dealing with at the current time. Could you identify specifically what those issues are? Fitch: Growth is the number one issue. Some think we are growing too fast, some think not fast enough. Some want commercial, some what residential, some just want development. This year the city has a budget surplus. In 2004 he guesses the city's finances are going to look a lot different than today, because there will not be a surplus. One ofthe issues in 1995 there was a $2 million shortfall that was identified at the end of the year. Council had a 4 or 5 year plan to make that up. These are some of the issues that were quite similar. Councilmember Fogarty: Back in 1998, you withdrew from the City Council race and you were quoted in the paper with no retraction the following week. You were quoted as saying "It is all I can stands, I can't stands no more. You went on to say maybe I was naive. I like politics, but I hate playing politics. I am sick of being the bad guy and nobody knows what it is like until they're sitting in that seat." What has changed? Fitch: In 1995 he had a lot ofthings happening personally and was making a huge career change that would take a lot more of his time. We had gone through issues with the Catholic Church and the school board and at that point after four years he had his fill. Today, a lot of different things have settled down in his life. As far as being the bad guy, Council Minutes (Regular) February 8,2003 Page 25 it is not always the popular place to be. You have to be strong enough to make the decisions that need to be made for the right reasons. Councilmember Cordes: What are your thoughts on using ad valorum or general property taxes for street projects in Farmington versus special assessments? Fitch: In 1997 or 1998 we made a decision on Pilot Knob to do an assessment. At that time, we also talked about policy for major roads and arterial roads that we should continue to use a half mile either side for special assessments. It saved the city $1.2 million to do it that way. In the Pilot Knob situation it was geared toward development along Pilot Knob. Right now, his vote would be for Ash Street and Elm Street to do a special assessment. Ad valorum taxes also affect the city's bond rating and the borrowing capacity of the city. Mayor Ristow: There are always issues regarding transportation routes and safety issues. What would you suggest to make them better and what ideas would you propose to finance them? Fitch: The transportation corridors, depending upon the type of corridor, depends on the type of funding source. We would have to use the road and bridge fund and MSA funds, and special assessments. The special assessment policy has been started on Pilot Knob and in all fairness to the residents, that policy should continue. Safety is always a concern. There were some safety issues on Akin Road. One of the things are speed limits. When he goes through other communities and sees they can take a 4-lane road and bring the speed limit down from 55 to 45, and nothing has changed except for the location of residences, he doesn't understand why Farmington cannot. He doesn't know if we don't have the same pull when we go to MnDOT, to say why can't we make our roads safer for our citizens based upon this information. Some speed limits are set by state statutes. Some of the safety issues are people and enforcement. There isn't always as much time for enforcement because they are busy with accident or other calls. It all comes to personal responsibility. You are responsible for yourself as a citizen to make the road safe for yourself and other people. Government can do only so much to force people to act like they should. People have to want to or do it out of respect for others. Most of the roads improvements have made the roads safer. Councilmember Soderberg: With the different policies and projects that come before Council, can you be an independent mind? Fitch: Certainly, he always has been. He look at it based on the value of what is presented. He votes with his mind and not with his heart. To vote with your mind is to take all the facts objectively and different options and look at it independently. If you are making the decision on your own accord in your own reasoning, people can always say there is a block here or there. That becomes immaterial. People always accuse you of blocking together with people even though you have thought about the process for years. Council Minutes (Regular) February 8, 2003 Page 26 Councilmember Soderberg: There has been a lot of controversy about the city administrator. Would you describe a process you would use to determine whether any city staff should be dismissed? Fitch: It is not Council's place to dismiss anyone but the City Administrator. His determination has been ifthere is a problem with an employee try to rectify it through different means such as talking or formal reprimand. If you don't get the response and you aren't getting what you need from that person after a couple of chances, then you need to make a decision. Does this person fit in to the organization as a whole. If they cannot carry out their duties, then you have to make the hard decision. It is an unfortunate one to have to make, but it does need to be made at times. Councilmember Fogarty: In the past you have been able to run an effective campaign and gain a seat on the Council. If you were interested in sitting on the Council again, why did you not run in the last general election? Fitch: The only thing he ever expressed was if the Council was going to an appointment or interview process, he would throw his hat in the ring. He would be glad to do it for a couple of years. As he said in 1995, he wasn't here to be a career politician and he doesn't believe in it today. Councilmember Fogarty: So you are only interested in filling in for the next two years? Fitch: Yes, that would strictly be my interest. Councilmember Cordes: For 2003 the city increased the tax levy by approximately $270,000 in anticipation of state aid cuts. Do you agree with this and if not, what else could we have done to deal with the situation? Fitch: You can do that in anticipation. Overall, that was not a lot of money. That fund should not be touched unless there is some dire emergency in this city that requires the use of those funds. Those are taxpayer funds. When he was on the Council, everyone always said spend the money like it's yours. I said no, you want me to spend it like it's yours, because I can spend my money any way I want, and that is still the way I feel. Even though the city made a conscious decision to increase the levy $270,000, it is up to the Council to make sure the money doesn't get spent until the need is actually determined for that money. There was roughly a $400,000 surplus carrying over into this year. That gives you $670,000. If the cutbacks are only $300,000 there should be $370,000 left in the fund at the end of the year. He is not worried about 2003. 2004 when the surpluses are gone is the year you will have to worry about. That is his personal opinion. Councilmember Cordes: How would you go about trying to re-establish the "team concept" between city staff and more so with the City Council? Council Minutes (Regular) February 8, 2003 Page 27 Fitch: We always had a good working relationship with Council and city staff In business or government the number one thing is communication. The second is trust. We have to trust that when staff does something, they did it in the best interest of the citizens. And that they looked at alternatives, or at least bring to the Council, alternatives. The Council has the final decision. If you feel stairs decision is not correct, you have the power to overrule them. It then comes down to trust that the person telling you what the three options were and why they came to that conclusion is right in your heart. And that the best interest of the city is there, and not personal interest. Mayor Ristow: Could you tell me how you feel about the city of Farmington's comp plan and how it is used? Fitch: He thinks the comp plan has been put into place and we are a little ahead of the comp plan. Over the last couple years we have not had commercial growth in our city like we should. If we try to live on residential growth alone, we will be in trouble. We have to continually look at what type of growth are we fostering? Up to now, a lot of it has been residential, and we have not concentrated enough on the commercial aspect. Without that, the city will be a bedroom community and eventually we will have much more serious ramifications budget wise living off of permit money. Mayor Ristow: you would use it. Could you explain what tax increment financing is and how Fitch: Tax increment financing was started by the legislature. TIF should be used primarily for commercial growth. He doesn't believe in using it for residential growth. TIF was a vehicle where you could put in the infrastructure and the land as a city and it would allow you to recover the cost of your infrastructure that you put in. TIF is only part of the tool. You have to go out and sell the city and sell what the benefits of moving to Farmington are. We have the ability and population to attract the commercial end. There is a moratorium on some areas for development, but studies should not go on for two or three years. We need a much stronger commercial growth. Mayor Ristow: What are your thoughts on commercial and industrial growth and what mechanisms of funding would you suggest if there is no infrastructure in place? Fitch: That is the spirit of what TIF was for. It wasn't to give them a free ride. Mayor Ristow thanked Mr. Fitch for coming and asked ifhe had any additional comments? Fitch: The questions were very fair and clear. He wished the Council good luck. 4. SELECTION PROCESS Mayor Ristow asked Council what the process should be. Councilmember Cordes stated she would like to take the weekend to sort out her thoughts. If it is agreeable to everyone, Council Minutes (Regular) February 8, 2003 Page 28 discuss the appointment on Monday night. Councilmember Soderberg stated that is what we discussed last Monday, that today was set aside for interviews and Monday we would get into the discussion and appointment. Given the limited amount of time on Monday, we need to pare down the field significantly. He suggested each Councilmember come Monday without any discussion and put forth 4 or 5 candidates. Of the 4 or 5, ifthere is an individual put forward more than others, talk about the top 2 or 3. It could identify someone that we could agree on. Councilmember Fogarty asked if they should come with an order of who they would like. Councilmember Soderberg stated not a preference order, that could jade our own thinking. Just 4 or 5 candidates. We should agree today to determine how we are going to do that. That goes back to the question at the beginning. How do we intend to proceed after the interviews? Mayor Ristow stated he was looking at what was done in the past after other interviews. We went through the names and determined if they had any interest. Councilmember Soderberg stated it would be sort of a ballot. I could give Joel 4 or 5 candidates that I would like to put forward in this process. Each of us does that independently. Not a ranked order. Councilmember Fogarty stated Joel could state here are 3 candidates you all agree on. Councilmember Soderberg stated that narrows the field down so we keep it on a positive note. We could talk about the positive attributes of the candidates. He would like to keep things upbeat and positive and moving forward. If there is one we can agree on, that is all the better for the city. That moves toward your question, Lacelle, of re-establishing teamwork. Attorney J amnik stated Council should agree on how many names they are going to bring forward. Councilmember Soderberg suggested each Councilmember bring back 5 names. Of the 5 we will take the top 3 that are identified. Attorney Jamnik wanted to make sure Council had an agreement as to how many you will be thinking of over the weekend of putting into that higher level versus the lower level. It makes no difference as to how many, just so there is an agreement. Councilmember Soderberg stated if we bring 5, it has the potential of identifying a standout. Mayor Ristow stated we will bring those with us Monday night at 5:00 p.m. and we will be televised. Attorney Jamnik stated the first 5 minutes will be us tabulating. When I collect the sheets of paper from you, make sure your names are on them, as that will be public data and we will release that. Mayor Ristow asked if 5 :00 works for everyone. All Council agreed. 5. ADJOURN MOTION by Cordes, second by Soderberg to adjourn at 11: 10 a.m. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. Respectfully submitted, //7 __.::./:<" . / /~;7 .. 5i7---vCA--cd~ n7u....€:k:i2 ~ v Cynthia Muller Executive Assistant