Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 02-21-2006 - . . ~ ~~ILLS Approved: March 13,2006 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2006, 5:00 P.M. CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 1245 WEST HIGHWAY 96 Call To Order Mayor Aplikowski called the meeting to order at 5:00 PM, Present: Mayor Aplikowski, Councilmembers: Gregg Larson, David Grant, Brenda Holden, and Vince Pellegrin Absent: None Staff present: City Administrator, Michelle Wolfe; Finance Director, Murtuza Siddiqui; Assistant to the City Administrator, Schawn Jolmson; Operations and Maintenance Director, Tom Moore; Community Development Director, Karen Barton; Civil Engineer, Kris Giga; City Planner, James Lehnhoff; City Engineer, Deb Bloom; and URS Engineer, Greg Brown 2005 Performance Review of URS City Administrator Michelle Wolfe provided the City Council with an overview of the information that was compiled by City Council and City staff members pertaining to URS performance review for 2005, City Administrator Wolfe noted that each year, City Council and City staff completes an annual review of the services received by the City from URS for engineering, In order to evaluate URS performance, City Council and City staff members were asked to answer the following questions, 1, What are some of the things that you felt went well during the calcndar year 2005? 2, What are some of the concerns that you had with the perfornlance of the City engineer (URS) during the calendar year 2005? 3. Are there certain strengths and weaknesses that you observed about the performance of URS in 2005? 4, What suggestions do you have for any changes during calendar year 2005? 5, Are there any other comments you would like to make about the performance of URS during calendar year 2005? City Administrator Wolfe compiled the survey responses and presented a list of the comments to URS at a January 31 st meeting. In the work session packet, URS Engineer Greg Brown provided City Council and City staff with a memo responding to the comments received in the annual reVIew, Mr. Brown stated that hc has enjoyed working with the City of Arden Hills for the past eight years. He stated that a number of the comments in the performance review were fair and areas . . . City Council Work Session Meeting February 21,2006 2 that URS will strive to improve upon in the future. He noted that the timeliness of receiving written information will probably improve now that the City has an engineer on staff. Mr. Brown also noted that his team will strive to improve its projected cost estimates in the future. Mr. Greg Brown mentioned that his team is very comfortable working with the City's new engineer and thc City of Roseville. URS typically works with communities that have an engineer on staff. He believes that this arrangement will be very good for the City in the future, Councilmember Holden thanked URS for being responsive to the City's engineering needs over the years. She was wondering if the final project costs included in the written report submitted by URS included the cost for right-of-way acquisition, Mr. Brown stated that the project totals do not include the cost for Right-of-Way acquisition and only included the actual construction costs, Councilmember Pellegrin noted in the annual report that there were concerns regarding timeliness of work on the part ofURS. Mr. Greg Brown noted that timeliness of work was a staff concern and that URS will work on addressing this issue in the future. Mr. Brown also stated that URS needs to do a better job of estimating project costs in the future. The construction market has changed and it is important that URS uses a more conservative approach when estimating project costs in the future. Councilmember Pellegrin asked ifURS is holding the contractor responsible for meeting project deadlines. Mr. Brown stated that URS has been working as the City's contract administrator in the past and tries to keep the contractor on schedule by withholding money for liquidated damages if the project is not completed on time, COlmcilmember Grant said that he was concerned about street reconstruction projects not being completed in the same calendar year. He would prefer that the project be completed during the same calendar year in which the project began. Councilmember Larson thanked URS for their quality engineering work for the City over the years. PTRC Vision Plan Members of the PTRC Committee presented to the City Council a vision plan for the City's park and trail system, The purpose of this meeting was to articulate a vision based on the 2002 Parks, Trails, and Open Space Plan to improve the City's existing park and trail system. The presentation discussed different ways of potentially improving the parks and trails system and the community's involvement in these programs. City Council Work Session Meeting February 21, 2006 o ~ . The following is a list of the goals and objectives for the PTRC vision plan: . Engender meaningful discussion with the City Council; . Identify a vision for parks and trails that enhance the health and wellbeing of people in Arden Hills; . Develop strategies for bringing that vision into reality, Members of the PTRC noted that there is a strong interest in the City's parks and trails. The City offers its residents access to a broad array of natural resources, but these areas are difficult to acccss for our residents, The proposed vision plan will potentially enhance the well-being of citizens, improve property values, and increase the desirability of the City as a place to live and work. The following concerns were made by members of the PTRC concerning the City's existing trail system: . Existing trail system is disjointed; . Existing trail system is not conducive to walking or biking; . Existing trail system is beset with a number of safety issues, pertaining to busy streets that connect to the parks and trail system. e The following recommendations were made by members of the PTRC concerning the City's park system: . Disk golf course at Ingerson Park-Estimated Cost=$7500; . Dog Park at Parkshore-Estimated Cost=$15,000; . Portable Warming Houses at Freeway and Valentine Parks-Estimated Cost=$9,000 installation and $1800 Per Year for Utilities. In order to improve the City's park and trail system, members of the PTRC recommended to the City Council that general fund dollars, park and trail dedication funds, federal grant dollars, and Minnesota DNR Outdoor Recreation grant funds be utilized for improving the City's overall park system. Members of the PTRC are requesting the City Councils assistance by adopting a vision for the City's parks and trails, identify and pursue strategies for improving the parks and trail system, and implement long range financing plans for achieving these goals. Councilmember Holden recommended that the City explore the possibility of starting a charitable funding organization for these types of projects. . Councilmember Grant asked if the PTRC will be pursuing grant dollars for the proposed projects, . . . City Council Work Session Meeting February 21,2006 4 PTRC Committee Member Bill Henry suggested that pursuing funding for parks- and trail- related proj ects would a joint effort between City staff and PTRC members. PTRC Committee Member Cindy Wheeler presented members of the City Council with grant information through the State ofMilU1esota for park- and trail-related improvements. Councilmember Grant suggested that the City Council should discuss the role of the PTRC Committee in regards to pursuing funding sources for the parks system, Mayor Aplikowski said that it is important for the City Council to adopt a vision for the PTRC to pursue in the future. Councilmember Larson commended the PTRC for their presentation, He concurs with Couneilmember Grant that the project list is well thought out, but the City's park dedication fees are drying up. The City may have to explore the possibility of using general fund dollars or possibly bond for future park improvement projects, Councilmember Holden said that the community needs to buy-in to the proposed improvement projects and community events, It is difficult to have community buy-in when city staff is asked to organize these events on an annual basis. She asked why the PTRC is recommending the leasing of portable warming houses. PTRC Committee Member Bill Henry noted that portable warming houses are less expensive and would not have to be constructed on-site, Councilmember Holden stated the City needs to manage the buildings more effectively and utilize them for summer programs, Mayor Aplikowski said that the public may be more receptive to the vision plan if the City Council accepts it. Councilmember Grant recommended that City staff and PTRC members work together on applying for park improvement grants, Mayor Aplikowski suggested that City Councilmember's review the PTRC vision plan at the upcoming retreat. City Couneilmember's accepted the PTRC vision plan and agreed to discuss the proposal the retreat and at future meetings. Old Citv HaIIlPublie Works Site Appraisal Community Development Director Karen Barton provided the City Council with an overview of the appraisal process for the old City Hall/Public Works site. The appraisal was prepared by BRKW Appraisal, rnc, on the following scenarios: . 6,82 acres (297,079) as vacant; . . . City Council Work Session Meeting February 21, 2006 5 . "Limited Business" re-use of the property (allowing for offices, clinic, day care with over 10 children, financial institutions, research, clubs, and lodges); . Soils are stable and free of contamination; . All public utilities are available; . Highest and best use (deemed to be commercial, primarily office and/or medical); . Access to Hamline Avenue. The appraisal was prepared utilizing a direct sales comparison approach, using five comparable properties that sold within the past three years, The comparable sale price ranges form $6,89 per square foot to $8.45 per square foot. Based upon the information received by BRKW, the estimated land value for the old City ha11lpublie works site is $2,375,000 (or $8.00 per square foot), City staff recently met with Royal Oaks to discuss the proposed development of this location. Royal Oaks expressed to City staff that they are still interested in developing the old City hall site in the future. City Administrator Wolfe stated that Royal Oaks just received a copy of the appraisal today. Councilmember Grant stated that the first appraisal left out information pertaining to the access at Hamline Avenue, Community Development Director Karen Barton said that if there IS not an access off of Hamline Avenue, the value of this property may decrease. Councilmember Larson asked what is the projected cost for removing the old public works buildings and the existing compost site. Community Development Director Barton estimated that the clean-up cost for this site would be approximately $90,000. Councilmember Larson said that the increased property value may result 111 a more dense construction project. Councilmember Pellegrin noted that the appraisal is a good start, but it does not mean that the City will sell the land for that price, Mayor Aplikowski asked City staff members if they were seeking direction from the City Council to continue negotiations with Royal Oaks. City Administrator Wolfe said that Royal Oaks has asked if the City Council is still interested in pursuing the office condo development. Couneilmember Holden said that she docs not buy into the argument that the developer should be allowed to maximize the projects density due to the increased appraisal cost of the property, e e . City Council Work Session Meeting February 21,2006 6 Mayor Aplikowski said that the developer deserves a second chance to purchase and develop the property. City Administrator Wolfe asked the City Council if they were still comfortable with the office condominium concept. City Council agreed to considcr proposals for an office condo project at 1450 West Highway 96. Mayor Aplikowski requested that future comments and concerns be addressed by the Royal Oaks Company at a future meeting. elF Discussion City Administrator Michelle Wolfe provided the City Council with an overview of the 2006- 2010 CIP discussion. She noted that this is a very complex issue for City staff to address. The memo included in the work session packet outlined a number of different scenarios for the City Council to consider, Members of the City Council were asked to address the status of the sanitary sewer fund, possibility of purchasing a SCADA system, and concerns about the Inflow and Infiltration (III) problems in the City, The CIP items for 2006 were approved as part of the budgeting process. City staff is seeking guidance from the City Council regarding fund balances and prioritizing future improvement projects, City Administrator Wolfe also noted that state aid funding is available, but the City did utilize MSA dollars for the Lexington Avenue and Red FoxlGrey Fox PMP project. If the City utilizes MSA dollars for the proposed Snelling Avenue PMP project the City may have to borrow ahead from the State of Minnesota to pay for futurc construction costs, depending on other project decisions, Or, the Snelling Avenue project may need to be delayed. Sanitary Sewer Fund- If the proposed lift station project was eliminated from the 2006 CIP budget, the fund balance would be about $900,000 at the end of 2009. If the City Council decides to construct the lift stations, the fund balance would drop to $500,000. While it is difficult to acquire parts for the older lift stations, the Operations and Maintenance Department feels that the current lift stations can be maintained and operational for the next few years, With the newly identified inflow and infiltration issues for the sanitary sewer system, staffrecommends that Council reject the bids for the 2006 lift station project. SCADA Svstem- The City of Roseville is currently in the process of meeting with vendors to explore the options of upgrading their sanitary sewer system with a SCADA system. As has been discussed in the past, Roseville and Arden Hills may be able to jointly purchase the SCADA system, The joint purchase could result in some cost savings and benefits for both communities, City staff is currently reviewing the liability concerns to the City in regards to lift station failure. City Council Work Session Meeting February 21,2006 7 . Inflow and Infiltration (1&1)- City staff recently met with the Met COllllCil to discuss the City's current 1&1 problems, Based upon the current data and conditions, the City could face a $500,000 surcharge from the Met Council ifI&I within the City is not reduced. This charge could be paid over five years, starting in 2007, but would be retrievable if the City spent money to reduce 1&1. However, the City could "opt out" of the surcharge by committing an equal or greater level of local funding, to implement 1&1 reduction mechanisms. Staff is currently researching the situation and exploring different ways to minimize the III problems in Arden Hills and the $500,000 surcharge. Storm Sewer Fund- The 2006 PMP project includes a proposal estimate of $410,000 to be used from the Storm Sewer Fund. This amount will cause the fund balance to dip significantly below the informal balance of $500,000. However, the project fund balance by 2009 is estimated to be $600,000. Watermain Fund- e The projected fund balance for the watermain fund in 2009 is estimated to be $650,000. PCI Ratings/Software- City Engineer Kris Giga stated that the City could purchase a PCI rating software program from Good Point Technologies to estimate road maintenance and construction costs in the future. The City of Roseville currently utilizes the software to create cost estimates for future construction projects. The ICON software would costs roughly $500.00 per year. Councilmember Grant asked if the software could be utilized to estimate construction costs using a neighborhood approach, Roseville City Engineer, Deb Bloom stated that Good Point Technologies has the capability to run the PCI ratings in the City's current neighborhood PMP format. City Administrator reminded the City Council that they must take action on the lift station bids that the City received earlier this year. It is recommended by City staff that the lift station bids be rej ected, Members of the City Council agreed that the lift station bids should be rejected at the next City Council meeting. . Councilmember Larson said the City's primary concern should be to reduce the amount of inflow /infiltration (III) in Arden Hills, e e . City Council Work Session Meeting February 21, 2006 8 City Administrator Wolfe concurred that it would be in the City's best interest to reduce the amount of III in Arden Hills. Councilmember Larson asked how the Met Council computed the III totals for Arden Hills, City Engineer Deb Bloom said that the City of Arden Hills has a metered system that is operated by the Met Council for III flow, The City is allowed a certain amount of III during a given year. If the City exceeds this amount, the Met Council passes on these extra expenses to the different cities, Inflow and Infiltration can also be caused by low storm drains, sump pumps, or root intrusion, City Administrator Wolfe said that the City must make a presentation to the Met Council in October describing the City's recent and proposed corrective actions to minimize the III problem in Arden Hills. City staff is very hesitant about recommending the construction of new lift stations when the City has III issues that need to be addressed immediately. Councilmember Larson agreed with City staffs recommendations that improvements are necessary to the City's sanitary sewer system. City Administrator Wolfe recommends that the lift stations bids be rejected by the City Council at the next regular meeting. Members of the City Council werc in agreement with staffs recommendation to reject the bids for reconstructing lift stations, Councilmember Holden asked City staff if there were different options for the City to consider regarding seal coat and mill-overlay schedules. City Administrator Wolfe recently requcsted that the City of Roseville Engineering Department review the City's existing seal coating and mill-overlay schedule to determine what would be tlle best maintenance schedule for Arden Hills, It may be in the best interest of the City to postpone the proposed 2006 PMP project and review our existing road maintenance schedule. Councilmember Larson said that he is hesitant to postpone the 2006 PMP project. Councilmember Holden asked about Shoreview's plan for landscaping Lexington Avenue. Civil Engineer Kris Giga said that Shoreview is planning to install pavers along the Lexington A venue median. City Administrator Wolfe noted that the Ramsey County Sheriffs Department installation of emergency vehicle protection (EVP) systems in several locations, County policy is that individual cities pay for such equipment. For 2006, staff is recommending that we install the EVP systems at the following locations: . Lexington A venue and 694-South Ramp e e - City Council Work Session Meeting February 21,2006 9 . Lexington Avenue and 694-North Ramp . Lexington Avenue and Red Fox Road . Lexington Avenue and Grey Fox Road Costs for this work will be shared with thc City of Shoreview, since the above intersections border the two communities, Staff will propose that remaining intersections be installed in 2007. City Administrator Wolfe reported that staff was informed by Ramsey County that the Minnesota Department of Transportation will be making improvements to the traffic signals at Highway 10 and Highway 96, wbich will include an EVP system. The City may want to install tbe system at Highway 96 and Round Lake at tbe same time. Council asked about he proposed generator shown in tbe 2006 bndget. Operations and Maintenance Director Tom Moore stated that the City currently has three generators. The City has a 250 KW generator at Lift Station #8 and a 500 KW generator for City Hall. The City also has a smaller portable generator that is on the back of a truck. Councilmember Pellegrin stated that he thought the 500 KW generator for City Hall was oversized and that City may want to consider selling or trading this generator in the future. City Administrator Wolfe requested that the City Council review the list of projects that are currently not assigned an estimated construction date. Councilmember Larson noted that most of the unassigned projects are sidewalk and trail improvements, These items were part of the proposed PTRC vision plan, Mayor Aplikowski requested that members of the City Council review the unassigned project list and identify the projects by their perceived value, City Administrator Michelle Wolfe requested that the following issues be addressed by the City Council: . What is the appropriate fund balances; . Which projects should utilize MSA funding; and . Place a priory value on unassigned projects, Mayor Aplikowski recommends that the 2006 Ridgewood Ncighborhood PMP project should proceed as planncd. It is not a good idea to push back the proj ect at this time. Councilmember Larson also agreed that the project should proceed as planned. City Administrator Wolfe noted that the City will have to carefully watch its spending in the future, It is possible that the City may not have enough MSA funding available for future PMP projects if current projects proceed as planned, e e . City Council Work Session Meeting February 21,2006 10 Members of the City Council agreed to continue the CIF discussion at a future work session meeting, Survev ReQuirements for Variance ReQuests Community Development Director Karen Barton provided the City Council with an overview of the City's current survey requirements, At this time, the City currently requircs all Land Use applications to submit a professionally prepared survey as part of the application process. The survey is used by City staff and the Planning Commission for analysis and to formulate a recommendation. This is particularly important when the legal description of the property is being affected or changed. While surveys are important and even vital in many land use and variance requests, staff does recognize that there are instances when a survey may not be necessary. The existing Arden Hills application does not grant staff the authority to waive thc survey requirement for residents. In some cases this may be an unnecessary expense for the applicant. Therefore, in order to better serve the residents of Arden Hills, staff is requesting that the City Council consider authorizing City staff the ability to determine administratively if a survey is necessary on a case-by-case basis. Councilmember Larson asked for an example where the survey requirement could be waived. Community Development Director Barton noted that when a property's foot print is not expanding, it would not rcquire a survey. Councilmember Grant stated that he believed in the past, the Planning Commission did not always require projects to have a survey completed, Councilmember Grant agreed with the recommendation that the City staff should have the authority to waive the requirement for a survey as part of the application process, Members of the City Council concurred. This item will be placed on a future regular meeting agenda for formal action by the CounciL Sign Moratorium Community Development Director Karen Barton provided the City Council with an overview of the proposed sign moratorium, Several months ago, the Cities of Eden Prairie and Hopkins were charged in a lawsuit that alleged their sign ordinance violated an individual's freedom of speech rights, These cases are still being litigated, but if the Cities of Eden Prairie and Hopkins would lose their cases, sign owners would be allowed to install signs without size, lighting, or height restrictions. Due to the on-going litigation, City staff is proposing that the current sign ordinance be amended to reflect recent changes to the Minnesota State Statutes, The new ordinance may take six to twelve months to complete. Given that the City is potentially open legal litigation pertaining to City COlillcil Work Session Meeting February 21,2006 11 e our existing sign ordinance, staff is requesting the City Council to consider implementing a sign moratorium for a period not to exceed twelve months. Members of the City Council were in agreement that a twelve month sign moratorium should be discussed at the next regular City Council meeting. Auditor RFP Process Finance Director Murtuza Siddiqui provided the City Council with an overview of the pros and cons for requesting a request for proposal (RFP) for auditing services this year. If the City Council chooses to place an RFP for auditing services, City staff advises that the process should start in June and conclude by August. An auditor selection is tentatively scheduled for this fall. The following is a list of the pros and cons for retaining the same audit firm for an extended period of time: Pros- 0 0 e 0 0 Cons- 0 0 0 Auditor is familiar with the organization and accounting practices; Staff does not have to spend time explaining the organizations policies and procedures; Auditor is able to answer detailed questions about the City's current system; Auditor can be very helpful when a City has a small staff or staff turn-over. Unless an organization bids, it never knows if they are receiving competitive pricing; A long-term finance employee can learn the auditor's techniques and use them to his/her benefit; An organization may not receive a fresh perspective if the receive services form the same auditing firm on a year-to-year basis. Members of the City Council were in agreement that City staff should complete an RFP process for auditing services. TCAAP Update City Administrator Michelle Wolfe announced that the GSA would like to schedule TCAAP negotiation meetings for sometime in March. The meetings would take place in Boston, MA. The GSA would like to schedule a meeting to discuss the FaST, FOSET, and term sheet (i.e. base value), Mike Comodeca, City's Legal Advisor, and a member of City staff have been asked to attend the negotiation meetings in Boston. Councilmember Holden suggested that the GSA meetings should be held in Minnesota, . Mayor Aplikowski said that other GSA officials may be able to attend the meeting if it is held in Boston, It may be advantageous for the City to attend these meetings. e e e City Council Work Session Meeting February 21,2006 12 Councilmember Larson said it is important that the City continues to have open dialogue with the GSA. Councilmember Pellegrin agreed that it is important to send representation to Boston. It is a good faith effort on the part of the City, Mayor Aplikowski stated that it may also be an opportunity for the City to schedule a meeting with our congressional representative in Boston, Councilmember Larson requested that City staff consult with our attorney to see if the Mayor should also attend these meetings. Members of the City Council were in agreement that a City staff member should attend the GSA meetings in Boston. The travel expenses will be covered by the City. Council Reports Councilmember Pellegrin . No report, Councilmember Grant . Councilmember Grant reported that the new 800 MHZ radio tower has been installed next to Mounds View High SchooL . The tree dehris from last fall's storm has been removed from the Dahlke site in New Brighton, Councilmember Holden . Councilmember Holden noted concerns that the Ramsey County Sheriffs Department has not had a visible patrol presence in neighborhoods. City Administrator Wolfe said that she will contact the Sheriffs Department to express these concerns, . Northwest Youth and Family Services is hosting its annual leadership luncheon on May 3,d Councilmember Larson . Councilmember Larson reported that the City of Forest Lake is considering the construction of round-abouts on its local streets, . Councilmember Larson requested that City staff research the assessment practices that were used with the Island Lake Beach Club for non-developable property. The City Council needs to review its past practices before making any decisions regarding property assessments for the 2006 Ridgewood PMP project. Mayor Aplikowski . Mayor Aplikowski reported that Odd Fellows is requesting a waiver on the proposed park dedication fees being charged by the City. e e . City Council Work Session Meeting February 21,2006 13 . Mayor Aplikowski is scheduled to testify at the State Capitol regarding eminent domain on behalf ofthe AMM, The meeting adjourned at 9:30 PM Respectfully submitted by Schawn P. Johnson J~~ Michelle A, Wolfe, CITY ADMINISTRATOR