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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 02-23-2004 (2) . ~ "^~HILLS Approved: March 8, 2004 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING FEBRUARY 23, 2004, 7:00 P.M. CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 1245 WEST HIGHWAY 96 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Beverly Aplikowski called to order the regular City Council meeting at 7:00 p.m. Present: Mayor Beverly Aplikowski, Councilmembers David Grant, Brenda Holden, Gregg Larson and Lois Rem. Absent: None. . Also present were City Administrator, Michelle Wolfe; Assistant City Administrator, Aaron Parrish; City Attorney, Jerry Filla; Director of Operations & Maintenance, Thomas Moore; Finance Director/Treasurer, Murtuza Siddiqui; City Planner, Peter Hellegers; and Recording Secretary, Kathleen Altman. 1. APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Holden seconded a motion to approve the meeting agenda as presented. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. February 9, 2004 Council Meeting Councilmember Holden requested the following changes: None. Councilmember Grant requested the following changes: None. Councilmember Rem requested the following changes: Page 1, under Councilmember Holden's corrections to the Minutes, third line, change 2004 to 2003. Page 3, under A.ii., delete "Lake". Page 6, fifth paragraph, change McCouley to McAulev. . Councilmember Larson requested the following changes: Page I, indicate he had given advance notice to his late arrival. 02-23-04\ \Earth IAdmin\Connci1\Minntes IRegnlar\2004 \02-23 -04.doc . . . ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 23, 2004 2 Mayor Aplikowski requested the following changes: None. Ms. Wolfe requested the following changes: None MOTION: Councilmember Holden moved and Councilmember Larson seconded a motion to approve the February 9, 2004 City Council Meeting Minutes as amended. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). 3. CONSENT CALENDAR a. Claims and Payroll b. Appointing Craig Wilson as the City Representative on the North Suburban Communications Commission c. Amend the Official City Calendar to Reflect the Correct March Work Session Date MOTION: Councilmember Holden moved and Councilmember Grant seconded a motion to approve the Consent Calendar and to authorize execution of all necessary documents contained therein. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). 4. PUBLIC INQUIRIES/INFORMATIONAL Charles Bright, 1515 Colleen Avenue, asked the Council to restart the Human Rights Commission at Mounds View High School because there was a racial problem there. He asked the City to be proactive and not reactive to this situation. He stated the residents and students needed to be educated with respect to diversity and treating others with respect. Council member Grant asked for an explanation as to the problem Mr. Bright was referring to. Mr. Bright replied the high school had a racial situation that stemmed from the kids' lack of respect for other people's differences and the different races. He noted the diversity in the school was changing and it was important for the City to be proactive in this and to be a leader in the community. Mayor Aplikowski asked why he just wanted the Human Rights Commission. Mr. Bright replied other cities in the area had similar programs, and in order for Mounds View Schools to solve the problem, they needed everyone working together. He asked why the City started the Human Rights Commission in the first place. Mayor Aplikowski stated that when the Human Rights Commission was started, its members consisted of social services people. And at that time, there was no need for this type of a Commission, therefore it was disbanded. She agreed they needed 10 work together, but she did not know if they needed to expand to a formal process to do this. She suggested the possibility of having a Human Rights Task Force. . . . ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 23, 2004 3 Councilmember Holden asked how the City of Roseville funded and ran their Human Rights Commission. Mr. Bright replied he did not have his information at this time, but he believed they educated their residents regarding diversity. Conncilmember Holden asked what the difference was between a Human Rights Commission and a Human Rights Task Force. Mr. Bright stated he did not know the difference, but he requested the City be proactive. He also stated he was willing to be on a commission or task force. He indicated the City needed to "think outside of the box". Mayor Aplikowski stated she understood there were two racial incidents at the high school. Mr. Bright replied that was correct. Councilmember Larson indicated that what happened at the high school was deplorable and he understood Mr. Bright wanted a response from the City. He noted there were other ways to respond to this other than having a formal Commission. He stated the City did need to respond in some way and the question was what way should they respond, as a City, that was most effective. He stated the Council needed to give more thought as to what was the most effective way. He indicated he was on the Council when the Human Right Commission was active and he did not think that Commission was very effective. Mayor Aplikowski stated the Council had options and the City would look at all of their options. Councilmember Rem stated she did not understand what the problem was for the City to be willing to stand up and say what they felt regarding this issue. She did not agree that they should wait for the school district to take the lead. She stated she would be willing to serve on a task force or commission if necessary. She indicated there was a variety of things the City could do and she did not believe they should wait to address this issue. Ms. Wolfe stated there would be a Resolution prepared in the near future on this issue. Mayor Aplikowski stated she had not been apprised of any other incidents in the City with respect to racism. She stated the City would do something, but she was not sure when it would be done. Councilmember Larson indicated they had not had a discussion as a Council yet regarding this issue, but he did think they needed to respond in a meaningful way. Conncilmember Grant stated the City did want to respond but they needed time to respond appropriately to address the issue and not make it worse. He noted the school should have some involvement as well. Mr. Bright indicated it was difficult for students of color to learn when they felt intimidated. He stated if something escalated worse than it already was, it would be a travesty. He asked the City . . . ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 23, 2004 4 be a partner to help solve this problem. He noted he was not asking for a solution tonight, but he wanted the City to be aware of the issue and to be looking at possible solutions. He stated he did not want to live in a City where he felt uncomfortable. Mayor Aplikowski directed staff to put this on the next City Council Work Session for discussion. She assured Mr. Bright that the City would do something to address this issue and he would be informed as to what the City was going to do. Ms. Wolfe replied this would be on the March 15,2004 Work Session agenda. Councilmember Larson stated he believed it would be better to do this at a Regular Council Meeting. He suggested they put this on their next Council Meeting agenda. Other member of the Council agreed with this suggestion. 5. PUBLIC HEARINGS None. 6. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT A. Planninl!: Case 04-04: Guidant Corporation: 4100 Hamline Avenue; Site Plan Review for Temporary Walkway Mr. Hellegers stated the applicant was requesting approval of a Site Plan for a temporary walkway structure, which was recently constructed. He indicated the Planning Commission had approved this request with conditions as noted in staffs February 23,2004 report. Councilmember Larson asked why this was coming to them after the walkway has already been in place. Mr. Hellegers replied the applicant did not know they needed approval for this. He noted this was intended to be in place for five years and then it would be replaced by a skyway. MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Larson seconded a motion to approve Planning Case 04-04: Guidant Corporation; 4100 Hamline Avenue; Site Plan Review for temporary walkway with the conditions as noted in staffs February 23, 2004 report. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). B. Planning Case 04-04: Guidant Corporation: 4100 Hamline Avenue: Master Plan PUD Amendment and Final PUD for "Addition J" Mr. Hellegers stated the applicant was requesting approval of a third amendment to their previously approved Master Plan PUD and Final PUD for Addition "J". He noted the Planning Commission had approved this request with conditions as noted in staffs February 23, 2004 report. ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 23, 2004 5 . Councilmember Grant inquired about Condition 14 and asked if the City intended to do a traffic study. Mr. Hellegers replied the Planning Commission had added this and it was the City's option to do a traffic study at that time, but they wanted the City to have some flexibility to have a traffic study if necessa!)'. Councilmember Larson noted a parking ramp should be considered a structure and ifnecessa!)'. the Ordinance should be amended to reflect this. John Larson, RSP Architects, stated they were in agreement to the conditions as noted in staffs Februa!)' 23,2004 report. MOTION: Councilmember Larson moved and Councilmember Grant seconded a motion to approve Planning Case 04-04: Guidant Corporation; 4100 Hamline Avenue; Master Plan PUD Amendment and Final POD for "Addition J" with the 15 conditions as noted in staffs Februa!)' 23,2004 report. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). C. Planninl! Case 04-03: MSI/Conntrv Insurance; 2 Pine Tree Drive; Sil!n Standard Adiustment . Mr. Hellegers stated the applicant was requesting approval of a Sign Standard Adjustment. He indicated the Planning Commission had approved this request with conditions as noted in staff's Februa!)' 23,2004 report. MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Holden seconded a motion to approve Planning Case 04-03: MSI/Count!)' Insurance; 2 Pine Tree Drive; Sign Standard Adjustment with the conditions as noted in staff's Februa!)' 23,2004 report. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). Mayor Aplikowski requested items 9.A. and 9.B. be heard at this time. 9. ADMINISTRATION A. 2005 Law Enforcement Contract - Public Input . Ms. Wolfe stated the public has been invited to provide input to the City Council regarding law enforcement proposals. She indicated the City had been presented a proposal from the City of New Brighton for law enforcement services. An overview of the proposal was presented at a joint meeting of the Arden Hills and New Brighton City Councils in late 2003. The current provider oflaw enforcement services was the Ramsey County Sheriffs Department. The County provides these services on a contract basis to seven Ramsey County communities. Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher provided a presentation to the City Council at the Janua!)' work session. The proposal from the City of New Brighton proposes a start date of January 1, 2005. The current agreement with Ramsey County requires that a nine-month notice be given if a City intends to tenninate the agreement at the end of the calendar year. . . . ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 23, 2004 6 Bob Jacobson, Director of Pnblic Safety for New Brighton, stated they were offering 24 hour a day, 7 days per week coverage. He indicated seven additional police officers would be hired if they received his contract. He stated back-up cars would be available also. He noted part of the culture for the City of New Brighton was neighborhood policing. He indicated officers were assigned to certain neighborhoods and that officer would be the contact for those neighborhoods for any concerns. He stated they prided themselves on their National Night Out and the same programs they offered their citizens would also be offcred to the residents of Arden Hills. He indicated they offered a wide range of training to the residents of New Brighton, which would also be available to Arden Hills. He stated they also trained people as first responders in the event of a disaster. He noted they also notified citizens bye-mail regarding crimes and issues in both the City and their neighborhood. He indicated they prided themselves on their Safe and Sober Campaign. He stated they had a Police Reserve Program, Volunteers in Public Safety Program, and an Exp]orer Program for the youth. He thanked the Council for their time. Bob Fletcher, Ramsey County Sheriff, stated during the 25 years of service to the City of Arden Hills, they have had a great partnership. He noted during this 25 years, crime was way down and they were proud of their part in that strategy. He stated their proposal was similar to the New Brighton proposal, but their proposal was $50,000 less than the New Brighton proposal. He stated most of the programs offered by New Brighton were also offered by the Ramsey County Sheriffs Department. He indicated their emergency response would be second to none once they built their facility in the City of Arden Hills. He indicated they had crime scene teclmicians on duty. He noted they also used volunteers. He stated they wanted to reach out to the citizens and have them help the Sheriffs office through volunteer services. He stated they had a diverse workforce. He noted their training unit was second to none and they were leaders in Homeland Security. He stated the SWAT team was available at all times to assist in times of crisis. He stated New Brighton had an outstanding police department and he commended them, but he believed if there were no problems with the Sheriffs Department, and he had not heard of any problems, the City should continue the services with the Sheriffs Department. He noted there would be more deputies in Arden Hills more often because of their main facility being located within Arden Hills. He indicated there would be a reduction in response time for Arden Hills and they would need to have a substation on the eastern portion oftheir area. Councilmember Grant asked if they added a substation, would that increase their cost and would that cost be passed onto the contract Cities. Mr. Fetcher replied that the cost would not be passed onto the contract Cities. Councilmember Holden asked how the neighborhood police program works in New Brighton. Public Safety Director Jacobson replied the officer assigned to a particular neighborhood was responsible for monitoring reports, keeping an eye on problem houses or streets, going to the neighborhood meetings, but the neighborhood officer would not necessarily be responding to calls. He indicated those calls would be responded to by whatever officer was assigned that patrol area on that particular day. He stated the neighborhood officers were assigned to a neighborhood on a long-term basis and therefore, they got to know their neighborhood residents. ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 23, 2004 7 . Ted Brausen, owner of Brausen Service Solutions, stated both police departments were fine departments. He stated he was very happy with the County and the County did an excellent job. He indicated a concern was that the New Brighton Police Department contract was higher and the last thing he wanted to see was more expense. He stated he felt comfortable with his business being in the City and felt secure that the Sheriffs Department did a good job. He stated the biggest issue was how many officers the departments get on the street and how fast their response time was. He stated the Sheriffs Department did a good job with both. Clark Adair, 3332 New Brighton Road, asked how much it would cost New Brighton to train in the seven new officers and he asked who would pay for that training. He stated the citizens of New Brighton paid considerably more per capita for police protection and asked how long it would be before they increased their cost for the City of Arden Hills. He asked for a reason or an advantage to change the police services. Public Safety Director Jacobson replied the training of the new officers would be absorbed within their 2004 budget. He noted the new officers would not only be assigned to Arden Hills. He stated the officers would be rotated between the two cities. With respect to per capita cost, he agreed the citizens of New Brighton did pay a higher per capita cost because the New Brighton Police Department offered more services than the Ramsey County Sheriffs Department did. . Sheriff Fletcher stated the Sheriffs Department had more resources to serve the needs of the residents. They would be there faster and would do it for less than the City of New Brighton. Puhlic Safety Director Jacobson replied their response times would also be quick. He stated they also prided themselves on their neighborhood services. Mayor Aplikowski noted the City was not looking for reasons to change the provider of services. This was an opportunity that came to the City and they believed it was good to look at contracts and services once in awhile. Sheriff Fletcher stated the first and foremost responsibility was to be able to respond to emergency situations on a timely basis and that was why they put this as a top priority. Nancy Kneeland, 1716 Chatham Avenue, stated prior to moving to Arden Hills, she had lived in New Brighton for ten years. She stated she did not see anything that New Brighton offered that the Sheriffs Department did not offer. She indicated public safety was one of the most important things the City could offer. She asked what type of liability the City would have by hiring one department over another. She expressed concern about the contract itself. She expressed concern about the political structure of the two facilities. Sbe stated she did not think the City's issues would be solved by changing the police departments. She thanked Ramsey County for the excellent service. She asked if New Brighton had any officers of color on staff. . Public Safety Director Jacobson replied they did not have any officers of color at this time. . . . ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 23, 2004 8 Jerry Stratinger stated he was a retired deputy. He indicated the issue was response time. He stated the Sheri ff s Department patrolled the entire County and had arrest powers for the entire County, while the New Brighton Police Department would stay in the City because they did not have arrest powers outside of the City, except in certain situations. He stated he did not have an opinion one way or another as to which was a better department. He noted if people were going to make an opinion, they needed all of the facts and he believed some of the opinions expressed here tonight were biased. He stated both departments were equal, but the scale tipped one way. One received national awards and one did not. David McClung, 4370 North Snelling Avenue, stated they were very well served by Ramsey County Sheriffs Department and had heen for years, but he also believed they would be served well with the New Brighton Police Department. He stated the main issue was response time. He questioned the two minute difference in response time between "fight" and "medical" calls in the materials. He stated if there was a major incident, jurisdictional boundaries would cease to exist and all resources would be called in to assist. He stated they needed to see how much of the time the Sheriffs Department deputies were out of the City of Arden Hills. He noted Arden Hills did not have a lot of serious crimes, but they did have some crime and they need to feel comfortable with whatever Department they went with. He requested the Sheriffs Department become more proactive, however, if they were awarded the contract. He asked the Council to look at going with the City of New Brighton because of their neighborhood approach. James Welsh, Owner of Big 10 Supper Club, stated he was happy with the Sheriffs Department and their response time had been good. Ms. Wolfe stated the City had prepared press releases as well as an e-mail list that invited residents to come to this meeting. She indicated she had received various letters and e-mails, which she had placed into the Council's packet. She indicated she had also received a phone call from a resident off of Lake Valentine Road who felt they had received excellent service from the Sheriffs Department. Sheriff Fletcher stated the majority of their medical runs were to the nursing home and in most cases they did not respond to those medical calls with red lights and sirens because that facility had medical personnel on site, and the Sheriffs Department was not able to provide any different type of medical services than their medical personnel did. He indicated their response time to that type of a facility was approximately five minutes. He noted some medical emergencies required red lights and sirens, and some did not. Public Safety Officer Jacobson stated their response time was 3.5 to 3.75 minutes for a medical emergency, including nursing home facilities. Mayor Steve Larson, New Brighton, stated he was very proud of the New Brighton Police Department and they prided themselves on getting involved in the community. He stated once you lose control oftbe neighborhoods, you lose control of the community. Mayor Aplikowski thanked everyone for their time and input. . . . ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 23, 2004 9 B. Ordinance 348: Amendin!! the Trade Area Spendin!! Requirement for Charitable Gambliu!! Mr. Parrish stated based on past review of trade area expenditures, it appears that most of the organizations spent at least 90% of their net proceeds within the trade area. In past discussions with Minnesota Wrestling, they have indicated they were willing to comply with whatever the local requirement is. Since St. Mary's Romanian Orthodox Church is located in St. Paul and most of their proceeds go to fund Church operations, they are not in favor of the proposed change. St. Katherine's Ukrainian uses the charitable gambling proceeds in a similar manner, but is located in Arden Hills trade area. Mayor Aplikowski asked if all six charitable gambling organizations had been notified about this proposed change. Mr. Parrish replied all of the Charitable Gamhling Organizations had been notified. Councilmember Holden stated one of the Council's concerns was if they increased the percentage for the trade area, what effect would that have on the organizations that presently received the money. She asked who was receiving the money and how much they were receiving from the different organizations. Mr. Parrish replied the Charitable Gambling Organizations determined who they gave funds to. However, there would he an impact to the organizations that St. Mary's Romanian Orthodox church supported. He noted a lot of organizations changed their focus from year to year. He stated the primary impact if St. Mary's were no longer able to operate would he to the Northwest Youth and Family Services. Councilmember Grant asked how much St. Mary's give to the Northwest Youth and Family Services on an annual basis. Mr. Parrish stated he believed there was a $12,000 minimum paid to that organization. Frank Belgea, St. Mary's Romanian Orthodox, stated approximately $75,000 went to the trade area annually. Councilmember Holden asked what the net gain was by changing the trade area amount. Mr. Parrish replied by changing this, it would capture 40 percent additional across the board. He noted St. Mary's did contribute more broadly than most of the other Charitable Gambling Organizations. He noted this changed year-to-year depending upon what the organizations funded year to year. Ms. Wolfe noted the City now had another Charitable Gambling Organization that was not located within the City and this was to ensure that more of tile funds stayed within the trade area. Frank Belgea, stated they had been doing business in the City for 14 years and had shared 50 percent of their profits with organizations within the City. He stated they tried to spread the profits out among many organizations in the City. He summarized for Council the requirements from other surrounding Cities regarding their trade area-spending requirements. He believed a . . . ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 23, 2004 10 90 percent requirement would chase out other potential Charitable Gambling Organizations in the City. He requested the City not change their trade area spending requirements. Councilmember Rem thanked St. Mary's Romanian Orthodox for their contributions to the Northwest Youth and Family Services. She stated she had mixed feelings about this. Mayor Aplikowski stated she believed they should move more slowly on this and suggested they increase the amount incrementally. She stated if it were up to her, she would leave this as it was. Councilmember Larson stated he was in favor of increasing the trade area-spending requirement because the community was best served by having the 90 percent requirement, but he agreed there was a slower way to integrate the change. He suggested increasing it by 10 percent on July 1, with subsequent increases of 10 percent every six months after. He stated the City's role was not to guarantee who the recipients were. Councilmember Grant stated he was also in favor of raising the percentage. He stated this was a policy decision and they would be better off having a higher trade area-spending requirement. He acknowledged that there would be organizations that would be affected by this, but this was what was good for the City. He agreed phasing it in was a good idea. Councilmember Rem stated she was not in favor of raising this, especially not this year. She suggested the phasing in be over a couple of years. She noted some of the Charitable Gambling Organizations had a very narrow focus of organizations they gave to, while St. Mary's had a wider focus of organizations. Mr. Parrish noted any phasing should be done on an annual calendar basis for ease m monitoring. Councilmember Holden agreed with Councilmember Rem. She stated this was a good policy choice, but they needed to look at what was best for the entire community. She expressed concern about too narrow of a focus on some of the organizations. She stated she was in favor of phasing, but noted she wanted this reviewed annually. Councilmember Grant asked if the City had any disbursement authority over the funds. Mr. Filla replied they did not. Councilmember Holden asked if they could treat St. Mary's differently than the other organizations. Mr. Filla replied they could not. MOTION: Mayor Aplikowski moved and Councilmember Rem seconded a motion to amend Ordinance No. 348 increasing the amount of Charitable Gambling Trade Area Spending Requirements to sixty percent (60%) effective January 1, 2005. . . . ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 23, 2004 11 MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Larson seconded a motion to amend the previous motion to seventy percent (70%). The amended motion failed (2-3) (Councilmember Grant and Larson _ Aye. Mayor Aplikowski and Councilmembers Rem and Holden - Nay). Councilmember Holden asked if St. Mary's was in agreement with the 60 percent increase. Mr. Belgea stated they would agree to the 60 percent increase. The original motion carried (4-1) (Mayor Aplikowski and Councilmembers Holden, Grant, and Rem - Aye. Councilmember Larson -Nay). 7. OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE A. Authorize Bids for Street Sil!n Replacement Mr. Moore stated at a recent Council Work Session, the City Council was presented with some options relating to street signs. He noted funds had been included in the 2004 budget for replacement of all City street signs. He stated the most recent total project cost estimates have indicated that the total cost for purchase of materials, removal of exiting posts and signs, and installation of new ones, could range from $55,000 to $70,000. This would necessitate a formal bidding process. Therefore, staff was requesting authorization to prepare specifications and advertise for bids. Councilmember Rem asked if they were still going to do block numbers on the signs. Ms. Wolfe stated if there were a couple of key locations the City wanted them put, that could be done, but it would not be done on a City wide basis. Councilmember Holden asked what the rush was on this. She asked if the bid would go up if they didn't make a decision on this tonight. She stated she still had a lot of unanswered questions that she wanted infoffilation on. Ms. Wolfe stated it was her understanding at the Work Session that the Councilmembers wanted to go out and look at various signs. She stated they were not concerned about prices going up and a decision did not have to be made tonight. She stated she had misunderstood what Council wanted after their Work Session. She noted Council could take their time on this. Councilmember Grant stated he also did not see any pressing need to do anything on this at this time. Mayor Aplikowski stated she did not believe they needed to put a lot of effort into this and she believed they needed to trust staffs judgment. She noted staff would bring back three bids and asked what other information the Council needed in order to make a decision. . . . ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 23, 2004 12 Councilmember Holden stated she wanted to know what the available length of pole choices were and what their durability rating is. Mr. Moore stated staff could plant the street poles at City Hall so they could see what the poles and signage looked like. He noted URS was willing to help facilitate this. He indicated staff could spec this out in anyway Council wanted. Councilmember Holden asked how many street signs had been replaced in recent years due to vehicles hitting them. Mr. Moore replied three signs had to be replaced over the past ten years due to damage. Councilmember Larson stated there were so many alternatives for signs that the Council needed to give narrower definitions as to what they wanted. Councilmember Grant stated he preferred the square posts with white outlining on the signs. Councilmember Larsou agreed. Mayor Aplikowski requested both the round and square poles be brought in for Council to look at. Councilmember Holdeu stated she preferred the square posts. Councilmember Rem stated she had no preference with respect to square or rounds posts. Ms. Wolfe stated it was her understanding Council wanted specs on tall, square, sturdy posts with signing being outlined in white with rounded comers. Adding block numbers would be limited and staff would obtain costs on that option. Mayor Aplikowski asked if Council wanted to see the specs before authorizing staff to obtain bids. Mr. Moore stated he would feel more comfortable bringing back specs to the Council before obtaining bids. MOTION: Councilmember Larson moved and Councilmember Grant seconded a motion to authorize staff to prepare specifications to prepare street signs as described by the City Administrator. The motion earned unanimously (5- 0). 8. FINANCE A. Assessment Policv Task Force Scope of Work Mr. Siddiqui stated at the Febmary 9, 2004 Council meeting, the Council appointed members to the Assessment Policy Task Force. He indicated the Task Force would meet four to six times over the next two months to accomplish their tasks. He recommended the City Council approve the Assessment Policy Task Force Scope of Work. ARDEN HILLS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FEBRUARY 23,2004 13 . Councilmember Grant stated the primary focus of the Task Force would be on the methodology and the overall percentage of costs assessed. MOTION: Councilmember Rem moved and Councilmember Larson seconded a motion to approve the 2004 Assessment Policy Task Force Scope of Work. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). CITY COUNCIL REPORTS Ms. Wolfe - Stated she would obtain a cost estimate from Timesavers for a recording secretary to be at their Work Session meetings. Councilmember Holden - Stated the PTRC meets tomorrow night. Councilmember Grant - Stated the Assessment Policy Task Force is meeting on March 4. Councilmember Rem - Stated Environmental Symposium is being tentatively scheduled for March 22 from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. . Councilmember Larson - Stated the Lake Johanna Fire Department Relief Association was meeting next week. Mayor Aplikowski - Stated Ramsey County Leaglle of Local Governments was meeting Thursday night, February 25 in Shoreview. Mayor Aplikowski adjourned the regular City Council meeting at 10:23 p.m. ~~~~ Beverly pliko skI Mayor ~~~\01o~ City Administrator NOTICE OF MEETINGS The next Council Meeting will be held Monday, March 8, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. in the Arden Hills Council Chambers. .