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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10.20.08 Council Minutes )~ COUNCIL MINUTES PRE-MEETING OCTOBER 20, 2008 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Acting Mayor Pritzlaff at 6:30 p.m. Members Present: Members Absent: Also Present: Pritzlaff, Fogarty, McKnight, Wilson Soderberg Joel Jamnik, City Attorney; Peter Herlofsky, City Administrator; Robin Roland, Finance Director; Kevin Schorzman, City Engineer; Todd Reiten, Municipal Services Director; Lisa Shadick, Administrative Services Director; Tony Wippler, Assistant City Planner; Cynthia Muller, Executive Assistant 2. APPROVE A GENDA MOTION by Fogarty, second by McKnight to approve the Agenda. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 3. CITIZEN COMMENTS 4. COUNCIL REVIEW OF AGENDA Councilmembers McKnight and Wilson had questions on the snow plow policy such as the amount of snow required in the cul-de-sacs before it is removed. This depends on the size ofthe cul-de-sacs and how much it is melting. The downtown is plowed at 3 a.m. which is the same as in the past. If it stops snowing by noon they will go back out. They try to avoid overtime. Sand is placed on gravel roads only. Salt is used on City streets. Acting Mayor Pritzlaff noticed last year the trail along Akin Road was plowed three times and he does not want to see trucks plowing trails that often. He would prefer they wait to plow trails until it stops snowing even if it is a connection to a school. Councilmember Fogarty did not want to lose focus on trails to schools. They are a high priority. Acting Mayor Pritzlaff received a call regarding concrete being placed around the park sign at the Kuchera entrance. He did not recall this being brought to Council and asked if this is being done with other signs. Staff will respond. Council Minutes (Pre-Meeting) October 20, 2008 Page 2 5. STAFF COMMENTS City Administrator Herlofsky gave an update on some community events coming up. Buds and Bytes will have a ribbon cutting this week. The Flagstaff ribbon cutting will be October 30, at 5:30 p.m. The YMCA will have an event in Eagan on October 25. The City needs eight people to attend to reserve a table. Council has been provided with fobs for access to City Hall. Staff is working with a resident regarding a broken window on Elm Street. 6. ADJOURN MOTION by Fogarty, second by McKnight to adjourn at 6:47 p.m. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. Respectfully submitted, ,/ /1.'1 6~~:7L?~ )J-J'-J-2~v v~ Cynthia Muller Executive Assistant COUNCIL MINUTES REGULAR OCTOBER 20, 2008 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Acting Mayor Pritzlaff at 7:00 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Acting Mayor Pritzlaff led the audience and Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL Members Present: Members Absent: Also Present: Audience: Pritzlaff, Fogarty, McKnight, Wilson Soderberg Joel Jamnik, City Attorney; Peter Herlofsky, City Administrator; Robin Roland, Finance Director; Kevin Schorzman, City Engineer; Lisa Shadick, Administrative Services Director; Cynthia Muller, Executive Assistant Ed Samuelson, Abel Miranda, Julie May 4. APPROVE AGENDA MOTION by McKnight, second by Wilson to approve the Agenda. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 5. ANNOUNCEMENTS 6. CITIZEN COMMENTS 7. CONSENT AGENDA MOTION by Fogarty, second by Wilson to approve the Consent Agenda as follows: a) Approved Council Minutes (10/6/08 Pre-Meeting & Regular) (10/13/08 Workshop) b) Adopted RESOLUTION R68-08 Approving Submittal of Application for Landfill Abatement Funds from Dakota County - Municipal Services c) Set November 5, 2008 Special Council Meeting - Administration d) Approved Temporary On-Sale Liquor License - Administration e) Approved Temporary On-Sale Liquor License - Administration f) Approved Currency Exchange Business Renewal - Administration g) Received Information Third Quarter Building Permit Report - Building Inspections h) Approved Change Order #1 195th Street Project - Engineering i) Adopted Identity Theft Prevention Program - Finance j) Received Information Snow Removal Policy - Municipal Services k) Authorized Community Conservation Assistance Grant Program Application- Planning Council Minutes (Regular) October 20, 2008 Page 2 I) Adopted RESOLUTION R69-08 Dakota County Emergency Response Mitigation Plan - Police m) Adopted ORDINANCES 008-588 Removal of Elm Trees from a Property from 10 days to 60 days, 008-589 Removal of Ash Trees from the Overhead Utility Line Planting Requirements List, 008-590 Revision of Street Trees to Boulevard Trees - Planning n) Adopted ORDINANCE 008-591 Repeal Code Concerning Reforestation Advisory Commission - Planning 0) Approved Bills APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 8. PUBLIC HEARINGS 9. AWARD OF CONTRACT 10. PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS a) City's Financial Situation - Finance Finance Director Roland gave an update on the City's financial situation as of September 30, 2008. The City is on track for the year after the June budget adjustment. We are at or above the revenue levels for this time of year. The City has not received the second halftax payment yet. We should be at 75% of expenditures and all divisions are well within that at a total of73%. Expenditures include overtime for the Police for working the Republican National Convention and will be reimbursed in October or November. Expenditures should come in under budget. Vehicles for the Fire Department and the Parks Department arrived later this year and were paid for at that time. Councilmember Wilson noted snow removal was higher than projected due to late spring snows. If we have a normal winter snowfall he felt we would be over in this budget category and asked ifthe City is planning for that now. Finance Director Roland replied staff is planning for a normal snow season in November and December. Between snow plowing, streets, street lights there will be adequate funding to pick up any overage in expenditures. Councilmember McKnight noted the legislative budget had a big September. This was due to League dues being paid in September. Councilmember McKnight asked about the liquor operations fund and if this is a typical year where we are just coming into the black. Staff noted the biggest quarter is October/November/December. In September things naturally decline. Councilmember Fogarty noted the recreation programs are at 75% and asked if we were done with programs. Finance Director Roland stated the brochure for 2009 will be coming out shortly. There are revenues the City has not received yet as there is a 1-1 ~ month lag with the computer program. Revenues have been Council Minutes (Regular) October 20, 2008 Page 3 received through July. Councilmember Fogarty noted the Police Chief is doing a great job with keeping his budget in line. Acting Mayor Pritzlaff noted we are using 2008 funds for snow removal for November and December. He asked where we are normally at this time of year. Finance Director Roland noted a majority of costs in all divisions is personnel cost. If snow falls at the right time and we do not have to pay over time, we will be fine. If there is over time, then the streets would not have as big a hit on expenses and the snow plowing budget would take that expense. Everyone who plows snow comes out of the streets budget. Finance Director Roland was asked how foreclosures affect property tax receipts. Even though we have foreclosures, the City is still collecting 95 - 96% of property tax revenues. Over the last five years we have had a delinquency rate for property taxes of less than 2%. The City does not anticipate that changing in 2008 even with the economic difficulties. This will help balance the budget. The City's investment policy identifies those investments the City can invest in. There has been a shift in where the best interest rates are available. Cities are not allowed to invest in the stock market. Weare in bonds, treasuries, some commercial paper, CD's and money market funds. Through September the City's average investment balance for the first nine months was over $18.8 million. We have gone as high as $22 million in a month in investment and gone as low as $15 million. Over the first nine months we have seen an annual return of 4.26%. This compares to a money market rate of 1.45%, and a ten year treasury bond at 3.88%. The City owns 60 CD's, compared to last year when the City owned 15. The oldest is six years out. At the end of2007 CD's were 6.7% of the portfolio, at the end of September it is 28.5% of the portfolio. The liquor stores are in the black. There has been a significant increase in all items sold at the downtown store. There has been a 9-13% increase at the downtown store compared to last year which was during the Elm Street project. The Pilot Knob store is relatively flat compared to last year. Expenses in the water fund are significantly higher than budgeted. This has to do with the water meter replacement project. Meters have been replaced in 2200 households in the City so far. The pool is consistent with 2007. The subsidy necessary for operation of the pool is $69,000 compared to $63,000 in 2007. There is a transfer that comes out of the general fund to cover expenditures in both the Rambling River Center and the pool. Councilmember Wilson noted there is $2 million in liquid investments to allow for bond payments in February. He asked if all bond payments are made in February. Finance Director Roland noted there are also other months where we Council Minutes (Regular) October 20, 2008 Page 4 have bond obligation payments. Interest only payments are made August 1, and there are two bond payments due on June 1 and December 1. The December 1 payment is $240,000. Acting Mayor Pritzlaff asked what other cities do regarding snow removal on foreclosed properties. Finance Director Roland stated it has not been a problem in Farmington. Staff has encouraged people to help out their neighbors. If a property owner is cited and the City has to clear the sidewalk, the owner is billed and if not paid it is assessed to the property taxes. Acting Mayor Pritzlaff noted with the weed ordinance, by the time the notices are sent, the weeds are taller. He asked what we do with snow removal and when it is enforced. Finance Director Roland stated we want to enforce consistently, but it is a matter of priorities. Staff does not look for places where the sidewalk is not shoveled. There is not enough budget dollars to proactively look for every spot in the City where the snow has not been shoveled. Acting Mayor Pritzlaff asked when the new liquor store opens on Pilot Knob, what will happen with Farmington's north liquor store. Staff stated we will do everything in our power to retain our current customer base. We will encourage return visits by our residents, have in-store specials, etc. There is a significant impact when other cities' open new liquor stores. b) Adopt Resolution - Dakota County CIP - Engineering Staff has received Dakota County's 2009-2013 draft CIP. Staff asked for funding to be included for 190/195th Street over the next three years which is consistent with the agreement with the County. Staff also asked them to include the extension of Pilot Knob to Ash Street and to extend Ash Street to Pilot Knob, traffic control at Flagstaff and CSAH 50, and traffic signals along Pilot Knob Road. Staff also discussed with the County funding for 208th Street as this would be a City project that would relieve traffic from a County road. Of these projects, the County's draft CIP includes funding for the 195th Street project. The County's policy is that they pay 55% and the City pays 45%. Staff is asking the County to include traffic control at Flagstaff and CSAH 50 in their CIP. This will also be discussed with the County at the November workshop. MOTION by Fogarty, second by Wilson to adopt RESOLUTION R70-08 requesting inclusion of construction projects in the Dakota County 2009-2013 CIP. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 11. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a) City Hall Change Orders - Administration Change orders 20, and 22-36 reduce the amount of the contingency by $9,781. Total change orders for the City Hall project amount to $39,844. The total of the contingency budget for construction was $320,000. We have used a small percent for that. Councilmember Fogarty noted for change order 20 regarding surveying Council Minutes (Regular) October 20, 2008 Page 5 work City Administrator Herlofsky fought hard for the contractor to pay a portion of that change order. MOTION by Fogary, second by McKnight to approve change orders 20 and 22-36. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 12. NEW BUSINESS a) Meeting Room Guidelines - Administration Staff was asking for comments from Council regarding guidelines to regulate the use of the new City Hall by other organizations. Evening use is not included. The rates are based on what is charged at the Rambling River Center. Councilmember McKnight proposed for youth groups, and local civic and resident groups for 2009 not charging Farmington residents. Non-resident or profit making groups should be charged. Councilmember Fogarty asked about the expansion space and felt it is an option to rent that space. She also suggested including parking space in the back. Acting Mayor Pritzlaff agreed with not charging residents for now. As far as parking, he suggested we look at parking City vehicles at the Maintenance Facility and employees pick them up there in the morning. City Administrator Herlofsky noted with the parking in the front and along Spruce Street that has not been an issue, but staff will keep an eye on it. There will be block heaters for City vehicles in the parking lot. Some vehicles are parked at the old City Hall. Councilmember Fogarty noted we do charge fees at the Rambling River Center and residents are subsidizing that facility. With no fees there may be a small number of groups using the City Hall at high volume and Council may face a lot of opposition when we do decide to charge fees. 13. COUNCIL ROUNDTABLE Councilmember Fogarty: At the last workshop, Acting Mayor Pritzlaffbrought forward a letter he had staff send to Wal-Mart. She asked that a copy be placed in the EDA packet for a discussion item. It was not sitting well with her that that letter went out. A resident called her asking what is the City's marketing plan, how are we approaching businesses and what policies are we following that this letter went out. She felt Council should not be in a position to pick and choose which businesses we would like to solicit into the community versus having an overall marketing plan that draws in multiple types of businesses. Sending a specific letter to a specific business to a specific person is going beyond the policies that Council has set. She was not sure she wanted to see those types ofletters going out signed by one member of the EDA or the Council. Council or the EDA did not discuss it or authorize it. We do not want five Councilmembers or EDA members sending letters to businesses we would specifically like without an overall policy or marketing plan. We do not have any of that in place right now. Acting Mayor Pritzlaff stated he brought it to City Administrator Herlofsky as a request. Staff wrote it, he signed it and staff sent out the information. Councilmember Council Minutes (Regular) October 20, 2008 Page 6 Fogarty stated it was not something that was sent out as the Councilor the EDA. Acting Mayor Pritlzaffs name was on it as the Chair of the EDA. We do not want each member sending out letters. She would like to discuss it and rein it in. It was inappropriate that that letter went out with no over riding policy. The Farmington girls U12 C2 soccer team played in the Fall Harvest Fest and won the championship. Councilmember Wilson: He wished the football team well in the playoffs. He thanked Acting Mayor Pritzlafffor taking the initiative with Wal-Mart. He received a number of comments from residents regarding campaign sign placement. These are regulated by the City code and all candidates received sign information in the candidate packets. Signs should not be placed on the right-of-way or public property. He looked forward to working with the new Council and new School Board. Acting Mayor Pritzlaff: Regarding the water meter replacements he has asked staff to inform the company to tell residents they can snip off the loose wire from the water meter and the meter is no longer needed on the outside of the house. Finance Director Roland noted they received correspondence from the company today and residents will have an opportunity to respond to a survey. Staff is receiving excellent comments from residents. The company has been informed of his comments and they will be informing residents regarding the wire. She noted the reader is the item that can be removed from the outside of the house. 14. ADJOURN MOTION by Fogarty, second by McKnight to adjourn at 8:02 p.m. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. Respectfully submitted, ~~~7v?~~ v/ Cynthia Muller Executive Assistant