HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-16-24-SWS
Request for Special City Council Work Session
A special meeting may be called by the Mayor or by any two Councilmembers.
Reason for meeting: 1. Public Inquiries/Informational
2. Response to Public Inquiries
3. Agenda Items
A. Legislative Priorities
4. Council/Staff Comments
Adjourn
Requested Date: 12/16/2024
Requested time: 5:30 p.m.
Open meeting X Closed meeting
Signature of person(s) making request:
________________________ 12/12/2024
Mayor or Council Member Date
/ /
Council Member Date
-This section to be completed by City staff-
Date received: 12/12/2024
Date meeting to be held: 12/16/2024
Time of meeting: 5:30 p.m.
Location: City Hall
All necessary posting and notices have been completed.
12/12//2024
Signature of City Clerk Date
City of Arden Hills ▪1245 West Highway 96 ▪ Arden Hills Minnesota 55112
Phone 651.792.7800 ▪ Fax 651.634.5137 ▪ www.cityofardenhills.org
'It
-SIQEN_ HILLS
Approved: January 13, 2025
CITY OF ARDEN HILLS,MINNESOTA
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
DECEMBER 16, 2024
5:30 P.M. -ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Grant called to order the City Council
Work Session at 5:30 p.m.
Present: Mayor David Grant; Councilmembers Tom Fabel, Brenda Holden, Tena
Monson and Emily Rousseau
Absent: None
Also present: Interim City Administrator Jessica Jagoe, Public Works Director/City
Engineer David Swearingen, and Assistant to the City Administrator/City Clerk Julie
Hanson
1. PUBLIC INQUIRIES/INFORMATIONAL
Lynn Diaz, 1143 Ingerson Road, suggested the Council consider new language regarding fencing
within City Code. She requested front yard fences be allowed to be higher than three feet. In
addition, she recommended three feet of grass or ground cover be required adjacent to the street
given the fact the City did not have sidewalks.
2. RESPONSE TO PUBLIC INQUIRIES
None.
3. AGENDA ITEMS
A. Legislative Priorities Discussion
Interim City Administrator Jagoe stated at the August 12th work session, the City Council
discussed legislative priorities. In the past, the Council has selected projects from the CIP that it
felt were good candidates for State funding. This year due to the lack of a bonding bill, neither of
our requests for funding for the sewer forcemain work and Old Highway 10 Trail project were
successful. Council considered the option of rolling forward our previous requests that did not get
ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—DECEMBER 16, 2024 2
approved. Discussion concluded with a general consensus to table this item until after the State
Representative presentations which occurred in November.
Interim City Administrator Jagoe reported should the Council select projects it wants to pursue
for future State funding, it should discuss how it wants to move forward. Below is what was
previously agreed upon should the Council want to mirror a similar process. It should be noted
that it is unclear if there will be a bonding bill in 2025. It is not a typical bonding year,but the last
number of years have been atypical for State bonding projects. The 2025 Capital Budget Project
Information for Local Government Capital Requests form notes that "the 2025 capital budget is
an "off year" in the state's capital budget process, meaning that political subdivision capital
budget requests are not published for the 2025 legislative session. MMB will open the Capital
Budget System (CBS) in May 2025 to collect and publish requests for the 2026 capital budget
process."
• January/February 2025: Council discusses legislative priorities and designates the Mayor
and a Councilmember to work with Staff on preparing items for funding requests and to be
the Council point people for the requests. The Council may want to have preliminary
discussions with its legislators in early 2025, too.
• March 2025: Staff works with designated Councilmembers on preparing draft requests.
• April 2025: MMB issues requests for funding.
• April/May 2025: Designated Councilmembers work with Staff on finalizing requests
(Council should work through the designated Councilmember on suggestions, edits, etc.).
• May 2025: Council reviews draft requests, sets priorities if applicable, and passes
resolutions of support.
• June 2025: Requests submitted to MMB.
• July 2025 to December 2025: Designated Councilmembers and Staff make any necessary
adjustments to funding requests, seek additional letters of support if applicable, and
engage with appropriate legislators.
• January 2026 to April 2026: Designated Councilmembers and Staff work on any
adjustments needed for inclusion in the Governor's recommendation or working with
Legislators on drafting their respective bills. Designated Councilmembers would also
testify on behalf of the City and be the point people for Council-related communication.
• April/May 2026: Legislature votes on funding requests.
Further discussion ensued regarding the forcemain work proposed for Old Highway 10.
Councilmember Holden supported the City pursuing funding for only one project in 2025 and
another project in 2026.
Councilmember Monson stated she could support the City moving forward in this direction and
recommended the Old Highway 10 project be pursued in 2025.
Mayor Grant reported this project was a safety need for the community.
Councilmember Rousseau explained she supported the Old Highway 10 project moving forward
in 2025 as well.
ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—DECEMBER 16, 2024 3
Councilmember Holden expressed concern with the fact the City's funding from the State may
be impacted if funding for both City and TCAAP projects were requested in the same year.
Councilmember Rousseau suggested the City request at least $1.2 million for the project given
how inflation was impact costs.
Mayor Grant reported the City was $2.8 million short on this project.
Councilmember Holden recommended the City ask the State for at least $1.4 million.
Interim City Administrator Jagoe reported the City asked for$1.55 million in 2024.
Discussion ensued regarding a breakdown of the dollar figures, various options, and what amount
the City should ultimately ask for.
Mayor Grant said to Councilmember Holden that it sounded like she was okay with asking for
$1.4 million, and Councilmember Holden concurred.
Interim City Administrator Jagoe asked for confirmation from the Council that everything is
dialed in regarding next steps and if there would be one or two Councilmembers available to
assist with working on formalizing the request.
Mayor Grant stated he would be willing to work on this.
Councilmember Holden stated that she really thinks the City should push the school thing.
Councilmember Monson indicated she would support the City asking for the amount the City
was most likely to receive, whether this was $995,000 or$1.4 million.
Mayor Grant requested staff move forward with a request for $1.4 million for the Old Highway
10 project.
4. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND STAFF UPDATES
Councilmember Fabel commented there was legislative interest in curtailing City's zoning
authority in various respects and noted some mayors have come out speaking against this. He
questioned if the Mayor's association has taken a position on this.
Mayor Grant indicated he has not seen any mayors coming out in favor of this.
Councilmember Holden stated the League of Minnesota Cities has not been in support of this
either.
Councilmember Holden asked if there was a schedule for the getting the ice rinks up and
running.
Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen reported staff has been flooding the rinks
overnight, which was why the lights have been on at the parks.
ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—DECEMBER 16, 2024 4
Mayor Grant asked that the lights remain off at the parks until the rinks were ready for use,
noting staff can turn the lights on when on-site.
Councilmember Rousseau requested direction from the Council regarding the adopt-a-park
program. She noted the Rotary Club was interested in piloting a program with the City.
Councilmember Monson recommended this matter be handed off to staff in order to move the
program forward.
Mayor Grant suggested notice be placed in the Arden Hills Notes, that certain parks were being
adopted by such and such an organization going forward, in order to get the word out on the
adopt-a-park program.
Councilmember Holden agreed stating this would assist with promoting the City's businesses
and local organizations involvement in the City's parks.
Council consensus was to bring this item back to a future Council meeting for further discussion.
Councilmember Rousseau thanked Councilmember Holden for passing along to Council the
article regarding the Vancouver all electric community.
Councilmember Monson commented on how the Vancouver power grid differed from the power
grid in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. She noted the Rice Creek Commons project
was much smaller than the Vancouver development.
Mayor Grant noted he received an email from an individual who requested the City take a look
at a stop sign at Lake Valentine Road and Old Highway 10. He discussed how the geometry of the
road changed when the trail was installed. He expressed concern regarding the new trend for
accidents at this intersection and recommended the accidents be documented by the Sheriffs
Department in order to better understand how to improve safety at this intersection.
A discussion ensued regarding the Lake Valentine road and Old Highway 10 intersection.
ADJOURN
Mayor Grant adjourned the City Council Work Session at 6:20 p.m.
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Juli anson David Grant
Citi,tlerk Mayor