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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 01-04-1999 . MINUTES CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 4, 1999 7:30 P.M. - ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDERlROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Dennis Probst called to order the regular City Council meeting at 7:32 p.m. Present: Mayor Dennis Probst, Councilmembers Gregg Larson, Beverly Aplikowski, Paul Malone and Lois Rem. Absent: None. Also present were City Administrator, Brian Fritsinger; Assistant to the City Administrator, Kevin Ringwald; City Accountant, Terrance Post; and Recording Secretary, Lori Rolfson. ADOPT AGENDA . Mr. Fritsinger noted the Oath of Office is to be administered to Mayor Probst as well, due to his reelection in 1998, and suggested that this action be added to the agenda. MOTION: Councilmember Malone moved and Councilmember Aplikowski seconded a motion to adopt the agenda for the January 4, 1999, regular City Council meeting, as corrected. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). OATH OF OFFICE Mayor Probst administered the Oath of Office to the following individuals: A. B. C. D. . E. F. · Dennis Probst, Mayor . Gregg Larson and Lois Rem, Councilmembers · Brian Fritsinger, City Clerk! Administrator · Terrance Post, City Treasurer CONSENT CALENDAR Claims and Payroll 1999 Business and Rubbish License Renewals Resolution #99-01, Designating Depositories and Corporate Authorization Resolution #99-02, Designating Additional Money Market Depositories for Investment Purposes Resolution #99-03, Designating Brokerage Firms for Investment in Financial Instruments Authorized by State Statute Consistent with City Investment Policy Resolution #99-04, Transfer of Funds by Telephonic Instructions . . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - JANUARY 4, 1999 2 G. H. I. Regular Employee Status, Sandra Berres Probationary Appointment, Parks Maintenance Worker, Scott Freyberger Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Mileage Reimbursement Rate Councilmember Malone referred to Staffs suggestion for the Council to make the change to the IRS mileage reimbursement rate and automatic adjustment on an annual basis. He noted the Council typically makes a formal motion each year for this adjustment and suggested the process continue in this manner. Mr. Fritsinger concurred. MOTION: Councilmember Malone moved and Councilmember Larson seconded a motion to approve the Consent Calendar, with the elimination of the suggestion that the City Council automatically adjust the IRS mileage reimbursement rate on an annual basis, and authorize execution of all necessary documents contained therein. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). PUBLIC COMMENTS Mayor Probst invited those present to come forward and address the Council on any items not already on the agenda. There were no public comments. UNFINISHED AND NEW BUSINESS A. Appointment of Acting Mayor, Council Liaisons, Professional Consultants and others for 1999 Appointment of Planning Commission Members B. Mayor Probst noted that, under the list of Planning Commission members, Mr. Gregg Larson's name should be replaced with Mr. Stephen Baker. Mayor Probst confirmed that the only change from last year is the appointment of Councilmember Aplikowski as Acting Mayor. Mr. Fritsinger concurred. MOTION: Councilmember Malone moved and Councilmember Aplikowski seconded a motion to ratify the City appointments for 1999, as corrected. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). Mayor Probst suggested that the Council discuss the issue of Council Liaison appointments. Mayor Probst stated that he had spoken with two Councilmembers and Mr. Fritsinger regarding these changes and, if the changes are in line with the Councilmembers interest, the Council may consider taking a formal action with regard to these appointments. Mayor Probst noted for the record that Councilmember Rem had been serving on the RAB Committee and is anticipating continuing to serve in this capacity which represents another assignment for her. . . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - JANUARY 4,1999 3 MOTION: Councilmember Malone moved and Councilmember Aplikowski seconded a motion to ratity the Mayor's recommendations for Committee Liaisons appointments for 1999. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). Mayor Probst suggested that a letter be sent to existing Committee members to remind them of the change in appointment period to run from March to March each year to coincide with the annual retreats. The exception to this change is the Planning Commission whose appointments will continue to run from the beginning to the end of the calendar year. Mayor Probst also suggested that, at the City Council Worksession on January II, 1999, the Council discuss the appointments of the individuals who have expressed an interest, through the survey circulated in the December utility billing, in joining the various Committees. C. Resolution #99-05, 1999 Pay Plan (Employee Insurance - Maximum Contribution) Mr. Fritsinger explained the City Council historically has amended its Pay Plan at the last Council meeting of the previous year, or at the first meeting of the new year. Mr. Fritsinger stated that the Pay Plan presented in the agenda packet represented the figures which were utilized as part of the budgeting process for 1999. Mr. Fritsinger stated that the Pay Plan includes a 3% increase in base pay which resulted in a shift in the six-step plan. This increase corresponds to the approved contract with the Local 49, which the Council adopted in 1998. The contract approved a 3% increase in base pay for the years 1999 and 2000. The contract also included an additional $10 per month to be contributed to the health and dental insurance premiums. As part of this resolution, Staff is requesting that the additional $10 per month also be provided to the remainder of the City Staff. Mr. Fritsinger stated one change, resulting from the reorganizations throughout the last year, was that the Parks and Recreation Director position had been reinserted into the Pay Plan for 1999. In doing so, Staff evaluated the Pay Plan against the State of Minnesota Pay Equity requirements. It appears that the proposed Pay Plan is in compliance with these requirements. An additional change in the Pay Plan is duty changes for the Assistant to the City Administrator position related to some supervisory requirements. Additionally, there would be management changes in the City Administrator position. The points for this position have been adjusted up with an allocation related to the pay. Mr. Fritsinger noted that, with the $10 per month increase, the City would contribute $330 per month towards health and dental insurance in 1999. Mr. Fritsinger advised that StafTrecommends the City Council adopt Resolution #99-05, identifying the 1999 Pay Plan. Mayor Probst asked if the cost of the shift in the Pay Plan was anticipated. Mr. Fritsinger stated that it had been. . . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - JANUARY 4,1999 4 Councilmember Larson asked Mr. Fritsinger to explain the City's pay equity system. Mr. Fritsinger explained that the State of Minnesota requires each of the jurisdictions which it oversees to have a pay plan which ensures that all Staff, regardless of their gender, be paid on an equal basis. In the late 1980's the City of Arden Hills evaluated each position and attributed a certain number of points based upon the responsibilities of each position within the City Staff. This point system resulted in the step-plan as presented in the agenda packet. Mr. Fritsinger explained that, approximately five years ago, the City, along with Personnel Decisions, Inc., reevaluated the point structure. This involved creating a time-spent profile which evaluated how much time an employee spends performing certain tasks. Under this system is a scoring method for the types of work performed by the employees which equates back to a number of points. Typically under this program, the more supervisory and management responsibilities a position has, the higher the point total would be. Mayor Probst asked if the City is required by law to be in compliance with State's requirements. Mr. F ritsinger indicated that this is correct. He noted that the City last submitted compliance to the State of Minnesota in 1997 and the next report will be due in the year 2000. Councilmember Larson requested confirmation that the points are proportional to the salaries. Mr. Fritsinger stated that to some extent this is the case. He indicated that there is a regression analysis for the Pay Plan which shows how the pay relates to the points. If comparing the City Receptionist position versus the City Manager position, it would not be a dollar-for-dollar comparison based on points. Councilmember Larson asked if the intent is for there to be a direct relationship between the pay equity points and the salary. Mr. Fritsinger stated that it is not a direct, dollar-tor-dollar point system. Councilmember Larson asked if this is what the City is to be striving for. Mr. Fritsinger stated that what the City is striving for is to ensure the gender issue is balanced in relation to the pay, based on a level of responsibility for each position. Councilmember Malone commented that the original plan was for the points to be independent functions of the job. There had been a situation where the outside Public Works employees were being paid more than the equivalent inside jobs which were female dominated. Councilmember Malone stated a great deal of work had been put into obtaining a perfect correlation between the job responsibilities and points. However, when the State of Minnesota's pay equity program was added, the City's Pay Plan was not in compliance. The State has a system which does more than relate pay to the position, it also considers gender in the position. Therefore, if there is an area which tends to be male dominated, it will not be in compliance, even if the pay is exactly in line. Mr. Fritsinger noted that the last time the City was out of compliance was when there had been a Community Services Officer (CSO) position, the lowest paying job in the City, filled by a male. When this position was eliminated, it caused the City to be out of compliance. Because the City of Arden Hills Pay Plan is so compressed, any change within the organization causes a shift in compliance. When the Parks and Recreation Director position was added back into the program model, at first it caused the program to be out of compliance because the salary had not been adjusted. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - JANUARY 4,1999 5 . Councilmember Larson confirmed that the points are based on a State of Minnesota formula which takes gender into consideration. Mr. Fritsinger agreed. Councilmember Malone noted for clarification that although the Pay Plan is set up as a six -step process, this does not mean an employee is eligible for a pay raise every year. The pay raises are based on job performance, not length of service. MOTION: Councilmember Malone moved and Councilmember Aplikowski seconded a motion to adopt Resolution #99-05, Identifying the 1999 Pay Plan, including an increase of $1 0 per month toward monthly insurance premiums. The Council found the revised job ratings to be appropriate. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). D. Resolution #99-06, Approving Bingo Hall License Renewal Application, Pot 0' Gold Bingo Mr. Post explained that the action before the City Council is an application for a bingo hall license renewal from the Pot 0' Gold bingo hall for the period from June I, 1999 to May 31, 2000. Upon reviewing the application packet and the incident log from the Ramsey County Sheriff s Department, Staff had found no reason not to endorse the application. . Mr. Post stated that the reason the application is being presented to the Council so early is due to the fact that the applicant, Ms. Goldie Siedow, will be out of the country during the time the renewal application would normally have been submitted. Mr. Post advised that Staff recommends the Council consider adopting Resolution #99-06, Approving Bingo Hall License Renewal Application, Pot 0' Gold Bingo. Councilmember Larson asked Ms. Siedow if she had given any consideration to changes or improvements to the exterior of the bingo hall. Ms. Siedow stated that she had been modernizing the bingo hall ever since taking over its operation. These improvements have included new windows and paint. Councilmember Larson asked Ms. Siedow how long she had been managing the bingo hall. Ms. Siedow stated that she took over operations approximately five years ago. Councilmember Larson asked if there are any other plans for improvements to the exterior ofthe bingo hall at this time, such as maintenance. Ms. Siedow stated that she has maintenance people who take care of the outside of the building. . Councilmember Aplikowski asked if the traffic issue at the bingo hall had been resolved. Mr. Post explained that at the time of the previous license renewal application, the issue of traffic was brought up by neighboring businesses. The primary problem had been that when the bingo sessions ended, the traffic would cause a back up at the McDonald's Restaurant next door. The action which took place to resolve this issue was that an announcement would be made at the end of each bingo session requesting the people to be courteous when leaving the parking lot. Mr. Post stated that he is not aware of any current complaints from the neighboring businesses with regard to the bingo hall traffic. . . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - JANUARY 4, 1999 6 MOTION: Councilmember Malone moved and Councilmember Aplikowski seconded a motion to adopt Resolution #99-06, Approving Bingo Hall License Renewal Application, Pot 0' Gold Bingo. Councilmember Larson stated that considering the efforts the City has put in to improving the quality of the industrial park and commercial area, he would hope that the bingo hall owner would consider bringing the exterior of the building up to that of the others in the area. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). ADMINISTRATOR COMMENTS Mr. Fritsinger stated that for Councilmembers Larson and Rem, information had been provided regarding the Newly Elected Official Workshop in January 1999. He noted that Councilmember Rem had pointed out that the Workshop is scheduled for the same weekend as the Town Hall meeting. Mr. Fritsinger stated that he had spoken with the architect for the new City Hall and there is a request for the Council's City Hall Subcommittee to meet again within the next two weeks. Mr. Fritsinger stated that on Thursday, January 7, 1999 at 7:00 p.m., the Parks and Recreation Commission will be having their second discussion of the proposed park with Bethel College. Mr. Fritsinger indicated that he expects the meeting to have a large attendance and that it should be quite interesting. Mr. Fritsinger stated, for clarification, that the City Council meeting scheduled for Monday, January II, 1999 will be a Council Worksession which will begin at 4:45 p.m. COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilmember Larson referred to the Consent Calendar Resolution #99-02, and asked Mr. Post if this Resolution is intended to limit the City's investments to those three investment funds listed in the Resolution. Mr. Post stated that this is correct, in terms of money market depositories. Councilmember Larson asked if the City is able to invest in other types of instruments besides the three listed funds. Mr. Post indicated that the City has an investment policy which allows the City to invest in certain short-term funds in anticipation of maj or capital projects and calls for a maximum investment duration of five years. Councilmember Larson requested an explanation as to why Resolution #99-02 singles out three particular funds while Resolution #99-03 authorizes the City to designate brokerage firms for investments. He stated that if there are other investments the City is allowed to make through the brokerage firms, it was not clear to him why there is a separate Resolution which singles out money market investments. Mr. Post explained that the money market funds act as cash equivalents. The funds have the attributes of a checking account in terms of the ability to liquidate the funds. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - JANUARY 4, 1999 7 . Councilmember Larson referred to the Administrator Comments in the Staff report and asked for further explanation ofthe issue of response time from the Ramsey County Sheriffs Department Mr. Fritsinger explained that over the last few months there had been a number of complaints from a variety of residents regarding the response time that the Sheriffs Department had been given to certain complaints. The responses have varied from no response at all for parking complaints, to three to four phone calls having to be made regarding a barking dog complaint. Councilmember Larson asked if any of the complaints were regarding emergency situations. Mr. Fritsinger stated that they were not, they strictly have been minor issues. Councilmember Malone stated that the Fire Department Fire Department Benefit Association will hold its arumal meeting on Saturday, January 9, 1999 and noted that the Benefit Association has had a very good investment year. Councilmember Aplikowski extended her congratulations to Mayor Probst for having been elected President of the I35W Corridor Coalition. Mayor Probst noted that there are a number of abatement issues which are unresolved and asked if Staff is comfortable with the status of these abatements. Mr. Ringwald stated that, regarding the issue at 3171/3183 Lexington Avenue, he had been informed that the remnant structure will be torn down on Tuesday, January 5,1999. . Mr. Ringwald indicated the Lake Lane property continues to be an issue. He stated that he feels comfortable that the potential owner would do the required upgrades. However, they are experiencing some difficulties closing the sale. Mr. Ringwald indicated that, at the January 25, 1999 City Council meeting, he anticipates there will be a resolution requesting authorization for abatement of this property to ensure the issue does not continue to drag on any longer. Mr. Post stated that, with regard to the Lake Lane property, he spoke with the property owner and was assured that the closing occurred on Thursday, December 31, 1998. Mayor Probst stated that the January meeting for the I35W Corridor Coalition will be Tuesday, January 12, 1999 at 5 :30 p.m. at the Roseville City Hall. He indicated the presentation ofthe GIS system is scheduled to be the first item on the agenda and should last approximately one hour. Mayor Probst requested the Council's consent to have Staff to do some legal research regarding towers to ensure the Council has a good understanding of their situation before the Fox 29 tower issue comes to a head. Mr. Ringwald stated that if the Council is considering any changes in the ordinance, this would be the time to place a moratorium. . Mayor Probst asked if Staff is anticipating action being taken on this issue soon. Mr. Fritsinger explained that the tower representatives had expressed an interest in submitting an application as soon as possible. Mr. Fritsinger stated that Staff is meeting with the Fox 29 tower representatives on Friday, January 8, 1999 and indicated that he is not sure whether or not an application will be presented at the meeting. . . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - JANUARY 4,1999 8 Councilmember Malone stated that the tower issue will be difficult for the City to handle. The City cannot simply say no, as the tower is permissible under a special use permit whieh will make the construction of the proposed tower difficult to fight. He indicated that the burden is on the City to demonstrate why the tower is not acceptable and the FCC has limited what the City can use as an argument. Councilmember Aplikowski asked if the plan is still to build the tower on the Vaughan property. Mr. Fritsinger stated that this is still a consideration. Councilmember Aplikowski indicated that in speaking with the Fox 29 individuals, they plan to expend a great deal of money in order to construct a tower which will not fall over which eliminates this as an argument for the City. Councilmember Malone noted that the property under consideration for the tower is one of the highest regions in the metro area. He indicated that the original proposal was to construct the tower at the Arsenal site. He suggested that the City may want to reconsider this option as it would preserve the land under the tower. Mayor Probst stated that it is his understanding, with regard to cell phone towers, the "hands" of the local cities are tied in terms of what can be done to prevent new towers. He stated that he is not sure if the situation is the same for broadcast towers or not. For these reasons, he felt that it would be important for the Council to research what they can and cannot do. Councilmember Larson stated that he would be interested in finding out more about the suggestion of a moratorium. He asked if this would give the Council time to consider the issue further and if the City is limited in the amount of time it can take to consider the application. Mr. Ringwald stated that there would have to be an issue with the current ordinance that the City would want to change which is why he suggested a moratorium. The time limit is generally a one-year period which can be extended under certain circumstances. The City would be required to have a good, sound reason as to why it would want to change the ordinance at this time, such as something not being addressed in the current ordinance which the City would want addressed. Councilmember Larson asked if Staff sees any short comings in the current ordinance which could be changed or strengthened. Mr. Ringwald stated that under the current special use permit, the City is limited in its review authority with regard to public health, safety and welfare. Under a special use permit the City does have the ability to provide statistics on items such a ice damage and how it could effect adjacent properties. Councilmember Larson asked what district the special use permit is for. Mr. Ringwald stated that it is the Gateway Business District. Councilmember Larson requested confirmation that this is the only district within Arden fElls with this special use. Mr. Ringwald stated that he was not certain and would have to research this question. . . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - JANUARY 4, 1999 9 Mayor Probst stated that rather than taking a preemptive action to do a moratorium he would feel more comfortable with this issue ifhe knew the actual status in order for the Council to attempt to take a more informed decision on what would be the appropriate action. He stated that although there is the possibility of the application coming in prior to the Council taking a formal action he would hope that, by having this conversation on record, the Council has demonstrated its concerned interest. If the Council would choose to take the path of a moratorium, perhaps as early as January 25, 1999, and an application came in before that time, he would not feel comfortable with the Council's position had action been taken subsequent to this discussion. Mr. Fritsinger suggested that Staff could speak with the City Attorney and gather some information for the W orksession next week. He stated that prior to the W orksession Staff will have met with the tower representatives one more time and there may be additional information available at that time. Staff would also provide information trom the zoning ordnance at the Worksession. Mayor Probst asked if it would be possible to gather information from Shoreview regarding the height of their tower, how much space is actually required, and any problems they may have encountered. Mr. Fritsinger stated he will try to have City Attorney Filla attend the Worksession next week. He indicated that Mr. Filla has been working with Shoreview as the City Attorney for quite a while and he is familiar with the agreements and problems they have experienced. Councilmember Larson indicated that, in reading through the information provided in past meeting packets, there seems to be a great deal of difficulty in denying the construction of new towers, even if there is a warranted reason to oppose it. He noted, however, that in a recent meeting packet there had been legal material which indicated that some cities have successfully fought towers. Councilmember Larson stated that his primary concern is recognizing that Arden Hills is an area which is attractive because it is high and because of flight patterns. He wondered when the City can say enough is enough. He noted that there are already six towers within the cities of Arden Hills and Shoreview. Mr. Ringwald stated that one thing to consider is what the opportunities would be to put other antennas on the new tower to reduce the number of towers. Mr. Fritsinger noted that, in this situation, the proposal would be to take some antennas used by MnDOT, the National Guard and the City and put them all onto one tower. He indicated that, at this point, there is no indication of how this may work. Councilmember Larson stated that one concern he had would be failure to take action in advance of the application being submitted. If, at some point, the Council decides that moratorium would be appropriate action, and the application had already been filed, it would be difficult to prevail. He wondered if there is something more that could be done at this meeting, such as a formal action to have Staff research what may be the implications of considering a moratorium. Therefore, if the Council chose to take this route in future, the Council will have taken some sort of action which leaves the option open, without saying what the Council will or wants to do. . . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - JANUARY 4, 1999 10 Mayor Probst agreed that the Council could formally make a motion which would direct Staff to research information regarding the establishment of a moratorium. Mayor Probst indicated that he had been clear in the past that, not only would he not want more towers, but he would prefer if some existing towers where removed. He also indicated, if the situation results in the new tower being constructed, he would be want to have information regarding the different types of towers available and if the City would have the ability to direct the type of tower to be built. Mayor Probst noted that there had been a proposal several years ago from Channel 41 to build a tower. At that time, Channel 41 had been proposing a self-supporting system. If the City had the option to chose the type of tower to be built, the applicant would then have to decide whether or not to construct it. Mayor Probst stated that it would be appropriate to explore these options and perhaps make it a part of the formal action. Additionally, the expiration of a moratorium should be researched. Councilmember Malone concurred with the Mayor's suggestions and noted that he does not know of many people who are familiar with broadcasting rules. Mr. Craig Wilson, 1677 West County Road F, stated that he too is concerned about the proposed tower. He indicated that he already suffers from radio interference now, and he has had to put filters on his telephone lines to block out talk radio interference. He stated that he believes these filters are preventing him from getting DSL access and he expressed his concern for more interference from the proposed tower. Mr. Wilson suggested that, if the tower is built, the City may want to consider getting space on it, even if there is not a need at this time. MOTION: Councilmember Larson moved and Councilmember Aplikowski seconded a motion to direct Staff to look at technological and site alternatives to the location of radio towers within the City of Arden Hills and to direct Staff to research the implications of the City declaring a moratorium while it takes time to study the issue further. Coullcilmember Aplikowski expressed her concern for the direction toward a moratorium. She stated that she would not want this option heavily weighed and would want the opportunity to assess the good and the bad of this option. Councilmember Rem stated she feels it is appropriate to have moratorium information part of what is being requested. She indicated, however, that she would prefer a more open-ended informational request for other alternatives and how New Brighton and Shoreview are dealing with these issues. She added for clarification that moratorium is being considered as an option but is not the goal of the motion. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). . . . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL - JANUARY 4,1999 11 ADJOURN MOTION: Councilmember Malone moved and Councilmember Larson seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:35 p.m. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). ~ Brian Fritsinger City Administrator NOTICE OF MEETINGS The next regular City Council meeting will be beld Monday, January 25, 1999 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arden Hills Council Chambers.