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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-15-08-WS ~ ~HlLLS Approved: October 13, 2008 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MEETING SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 5:00 P.M. - ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Stan Harpstead called to order the City Council Work Session meeting at 5:04 p.m. Present: Mayor Stan Harpstead; Council Members David Grant, Brenda Holden, Fran Holmes (arrived at 5:09 p.m.), and Dave McClung. Absent: None. Also present: City Administrator Ron Moorse; Assistant City Administrator Noah Simon; Public Works Director Gregory Hoag; Finance Director Susan Iverson; Civil Engineer Kristine Giga; Community Development Director James Lehnhoff; City Planner Meagan Beekman; Parks and Recreation Manager Michelle Olson; Bill Weber, MFRA; and Chuck Janski, Bonestroo. 1. AGENDA ITEMS A. B2 Small Area Plan Community Development Director Lehnhoff presented the City Council with the Small Area Plan. He reviewed where the project was today and indicated that Bill Weber from MFRA was present to guide discussion as well to offer market analysis, land use suggestions, design guidelines and an implementation schedule. Community Development Director Lehnhoff indicated this item originated last November from several redevelopment projects recognizing a corridor with a lack of vision for the long term. He stated the City needed to reevaluate the design ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 2 standards for this area. Community Development Director Lehnhoff explained the Council appointed a 17 person steering committee to provide continuous feedback, thoughts and reactions as this process moves forward. He indicated six steering committee. meetings have been held to date and that several members were present at tonight's meeting. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated a draft plan was included in the packet for the Council to review. He indicated the goal for tonight was to provide questions or comments for the steering committee in order to keep moving this item forward. Community Development Director Lehnhoff explained that the redevelopment of this area would be market driven as desired by the community. Bill Weber, MFRA stated this all came about with the proposed development of Walgreens. He indicated a design standard needed to be set along with a sound long term plan or vision for this corridor that takes it beyond where it is now. Mr. Weber stated the plan included a land use plan, traffic plan, urban design guidelines, cost estimates for County Road E improvements and some other recommendations as to the next steps. Mr. Weber stated the plan envisions a corridor or district that has a stronger sense of place, more urban than it currently stands. He explained the plan allows for a mix of land uses to allow for retail service businesses, high density housing, offices and even some light industry with conditions. Mr. Weber further reviewed his summary and asked for comments from Council. Councilmember Holmes questioned if the County approved the proposed signalized intersection at County Road E between Pine Tree and Lexington. Mr. Weber stated they were not in favor of an intersection at the present north driveway of Arden Plaza, but that he is proposing to move the entrance to a location that is acceptable to the County. Community Development Director Lehnhoff indicated this intersection was unofficial at the moment, but the County was receptive to the idea. He added that the County has no funds set aside for this intersection. Mr. Weber stated the $2 million in public improvements could be funded several different ways, either through the City, County, assessments, or grants. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 3 Councilmember Holmes explained this proposal would be more helpful if written in terms of short term goals versus long term goals. She indicated the Council has to address issues with Holiday Inn, Arden Plaza and the Arden Pharmacy. Mr. Weber stated he felt the proposal did address both short and long term goals for this property. He stated the owner of the Arden Pharmacy was on the committee and understands that changes are proposed for his building. Mr. Weber informed the Council that the owners of Arden Plaza and the TCF Bank building are in active negotiations as we speak for Arden Plaza to acquire the neighboring property. He indicated this would allow the driveway to be moved to the west. Mr. Weber explained there may be some traffic confusion until this matter gets resolved, but that it would be short term. Councilmember McClung questioned if the street improvements to County Road E were wise considering the fact there was no further development to the north or south side. Mr . Weber stated development will occur and that he felt the road improvements should occur regardless. He added that County Road E was a highway that currently does not support land development. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated if Walgreens were to approach the City again, the information gathered for this summary could be used and would assist in a design plan for the building and layout. Councilmember Holden asked ifWalgreens would be a draw at this property. Mre Weber stated he feels Walgreens would bring in a lot more traffic than the current uses and that the property owner agrees. Discussion ensued regarding the traffic flow in and out of this property without the improvements to County Road E. Councilmember Holden questioned the impact of the proposed landscaped median at the western edge of the property, particularly for accessing Brausen's Service Station. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 4 Mr. Ted Brausen, owner of Brausen's Service Station, indicated that he had concerns with the median but that he would be supportive of the overall plan if the redevelopment and road improvements were to move forward. Councilmember Grant suggested the City of Shoreview be contacted to work in conjunction with Arden Hills for the street improvements to take place along County Road E. He stated the redevelopment of this area will breathe new life into the area for retail, which is needed. Councilmember Grant questioned if a six story structure would be placed on this siteo He indicated the residents he spoke with would not be in favor of such a high building. Councilmember Grant asked when the McDonald's was being renovated or tom downo Community Development Director Lehnhoff indicated the McDonald's redevelopment was to be done next year and that the City would have new development guidelines in place for the redevelopment of this property before the moratorium expires. He indicated that McDonald's is aware of the new design guidelines that are being created. Councilmember McClung asked how the design plans and future implementation would draw others to the community. Mr. Weber stated attractive buildings and attractive sites would be created consistent with the design standards. He reviewed several of the proposed site design ideas with the Council to create a sense of place as being new lighting, improved landscaping, entry monuments, and artwork. Mr. Weber stated the site would be urban with development up to the sidewalk with businesses facing the street and parking in the rear. He indicated there would be ample pedestrian friendly walking space with landscaping and a bike lane. Councilmember McClung stated one of the issues was that the current residents may not want an urban lifestyle and have migrated out to Arden Hills for that reason. He indicated overall he liked the plan but cautioned the planners from becoming to urban. Councilmember McClung explained the next big step will be the implementation of this plan. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 5 Mayor Harpstead suggested Bethel University be contacted to assist the City with funding the bridge improvements as many of their students would benefit from these improvements. Councilmember Grant indicated the redevelopment of Holiday Inn would allow for the access to be realigned. Mr. Weber stated he would like the access to be moved and the County would require medians on both sides to restrict left turn movements. Councilmember McClung stated he would like to see a center focal point for this area not to be covered by two to four story buildings. Mr. Weber agreed stating the people are looking for a town center. Councilmember Holden questioned the traffic in 25 years with the high density and how much more traffic was anticipated along County Road E. Mr. Weber stated he doesn't have any rough numbers at this time, but that he could take a look at that more closely. He stated the proposal at this time was modeled for redevelopment for the short term. Mr. Weber indicated redevelopment of the Corporate Express area would be so far out that it was not included, but would change the density. Mayor Harpstead questioned if all redevelopment in this area would go through a PUD process before the City where traffic issues would be discussed. Community Development Director Lehnhoff noted this was correct and that the County staff indicated they were open to the idea of reducing the speed limit along County Road E for this corridor. Mayor Harpstead indicated this information would go to a community meeting on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. He thanked the members of the committee for their work on this issue. Gregg Larson, steering committee member, indicated he feels Walgreens was never a fore-gone conclusion. He stated the plans laid out by the committee did not evolve around their developing in this area. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 6 David Monson, steering committee member, explained that Walgreens has been in discussions with the City and may occupy the northeast comer of the development. He stated they were told that if they were too strict with their design plans Walgreens may look elsewhere. Christine Pistotnik, steering committee member, stated the committee felt very strongly about the boulevard idea and making it friendly for pedestrians/bikes with additional landscaping. Elizabeth Modesette, steering committee member, hoped that the City could embrace the idea of a higher density development to create a destination and heart to the City. She indicated development continues to sprawl out from Minneapolis and St. Paul, which was a good reason for Arden Hills to have a plan to accommodate this development. Councilmember McClung asked if design standards are to be in place through this document, he questioned how much time would be needed to get it into an Ordinance. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated it would be to the Planning Commission for their November meeting. c. 1&1 Public Works Director Hoag stated back on August 25th Councilmember Grant requested time to discuss 1&1. He noted Chuck Janski was present to provide an overview of the Met Council MCES program. Public Works Director Hoag indicated this would clear up how the surcharge program functions. He noted a work plan for 2008 was submitted along with a proposed plan for 2009. Chuck Janski, Bonestroo reviewed a spreadsheet of information with the Council describing how Met Council derives their 1&1 surcharges. He indicated Met Council has always charged for waste water treatment and in 2008 that charge was $1,696.81 per million gallons. Mr. Janski explained that peak flow rate charges were developed in 2007 as an attempt to recover some costs related to increasing pipe sizes. He stated the rate was based on an estimate of 300,000 GPM of excess flow. Mr. Janski noted the mitigation cost was estimated at $500 per GPM. He indicated there were 113 communities connected to the metro system and that Arden Hills has four meters. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 7 Mre Janski stated an average flow for the 2007 1/1 surcharge calculation was determined from June 1, 2003, to July I, 2006. He noted a peaking factor is a multiplier that is applied to the average flow to determine the allowable peak flow ratee Anything greater than the calculated allowable rate is considered excess and subject to the 1&1 surcharge. The peaking factor for Arden Hills was 3.4 in meter areas 51 and 52; 3.8 in area 54 and 3.9 in area 59. Mr. Janski further explained how the flow rates were measured and how excess was determined through peak hours or during storms. He indicated that the current MCES surcharge program was a five year program and that after that time the process will be reviewed and fees may change. However, if the City reduces 1&1 to a level at or below the allowable peak, the City would not be subject to additional surcharges. Mr. Janski reviewed the current MCES flow data with the Council stating the rate was 1.12 MGD in 2007 and in 2008 it was .99 MGD. He noted the rate has been reduced by .13 MGD, which affects the flow and treatment costs substantially. City Administrator Moorse questioned how the average flow has been reduced. Mr. Janski indicated this has been system wide because it has been dry. Discussion ensued regarding peak volumes and how fees were calculated for the City by Met Council. Mr. Janski noted based on flow information; in area 51 had a higher short term peak rate suggesting sources in addition to possible sump pumps. Area 51 could benefit from manhole rehab and sump pump inspection, but smoke testing was recommended first to try and identify other inflow sources and eliminate them from further investigation. Mayor Harpstead questioned if Area 59 was a concern. Mr. Janski stated that both area 59 and 51 were areas with excess flow but area 59 does not show the same high peak as area 51. He encouraged the City to continually work at decreasing the excess 1&1 based on the information provided to meet the City's flow goal. Councilmember Grant referred to the May 7, 2008 meeting minutes noting a manhole rehab project would begin in June. In the June minutes, it stated the ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 8 project would be advertised in July or August. He further read from the Met Council paperwork that this would now be advertised in October and stated this was a delay that was costing the City. Mayor Harpstead agreed asking what the holdup was for the manhole rehab project. Mr. Janski stated a database of manhole inspection work was needed. Councilmember Grant questioned if the manholes in Area 59 were a concern because the manholes in that area were inspected in 2006. He asked if the data collected should have been used to correct the problem in this area. Mr. Janski stated if this was not completed, it was because the data was not in a useable analyzed form. Councilmember Grant encouraged the data entry to be processed in a more timely fashion to assist the City with this issue. He stated that the sump pump inspection program was to start at the end of June 2008 (as stated in the minutes) and wondered why this has not started. City Administrator Moorse explained the City was understaffed but that televising and data entry was being done. He added that the start dates given were merely an estimate. Mayor Harpstead indicated it was key to have a schedule in place for tackling this issue and to assure that staff was acting on Council requests. He noted if there were restraints on time, staff can report this to Council as well. Councilmember Grant reviewed the manhole inspection information and questioned if the manhole rehab project was going to be advertised to October. City Administrator Moorse stated he anticipates that everything would be pulled together for advertisement with completion of the project sometime before Thanksgiving, weather permitting. Mayor Harpstead questioned how broad the scope of this project was going to be. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 9 City Administrator Moorse stated this would be a $40,000-45,000 project addressing the worst offenders. He noted additional information would come before the Council before this was sent out for advertisement. Councilmember Holden asked if a smoke test would be completed. Mr. Janski indicated a smoke test would be completed in area 51 and that residents would have to be notified in the area tested. He stated this test procedure covers a fairly large area. Communication is critical to a successful project. Mayor Harpstead questioned how the expense of the smoke testing would be covered and if neighboring communities could assist in the expense. Mr. Janski stated smoke testing is an eligible cost in the MCES 1&1 surcharge program. Some communities offer incentives or rebates for sump pump removal to assist in the expense but generally there is a cap. The City of New Brighton assisted the homeowners up to half of their sump pump disconnection expense. Councilmember Grant asked if the City provided Bonestroo with previous information on which sewer mains had been lined or sealed. Ms. Giga stated this work was completed on the City sewer lines but noted the manholes may still need repair. Mayor Harpstead asked for a summary from staff on how to proceed with the 1&1 initiative. City Administrator Moorse indicated on September 29th the Council will need to approve the smoke testing at a cost of $30,000. Then on October 13th Council will review a project for the manhole rehab at an expense of $40,000-45,000. Councilmember Holden questioned if the current manholes with holes in the covers could be plugged to reduce the expense of replacing them city-wide. Public Works Director Hoag stated the plugs only hold for so long and that by plugging them you make the manholes very difficult to open. He indicated the best way to fix the manhole covers is to replace them with covers that have no holes. Councilmember Holden asked if the manhole covers on turf could be plugged just to reduce the 1&1 from these areas. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 10 Mayor Harpstead suggested the manholes be swapped around the City to reduce this concern. Mayor Harpstead stated he would like a report from all of the testing that staff has completed along with what has been fixed to date. Public Works Director Hoag noted staff would present the Council with an end of the year summary report as things stand. He stated it would be nice to know if there was a reduction in the peak from 2007 to 2008, but that documentation was not available. However, he indicated he would present the flow data, where the meters were, what staff found, etc. Mayor Harpstead asked that this summary include the smoke testing results along with the manhole rehab project information. City Administrator Moorse stated this would be included and that a summary would be available sometime in December. Public Works Director Hoag indicated staffs goal for cleaning and televising in 2008 was 30,000 feet. He stated to date staff has cleaned over 50,000 feet and televised 18,500 feet. Public Works Director Hoag explained he anticipates around three weeks of televising to complete the 30,000 feet. Mayor Harpstead questioned when the televising data would be reviewed with data brought back to the Council. Public Works Director Hoag indicated staff is watching while they are televising and anything suspect is brought to his attention. He stated there was only three or four small line segments that staff feels were concerns. City Administrator Moorse stated sump pump ordinances and inspection ordinances would be coming before the Council in the near future as well to allow the Council to see what options are available. He noted this information can then be forwarded to the residents. Mayor Harpstead questioned when this would be before the Council. City Administrator Moorse indicated he would have Ordinance options brought to an upcoming work session in November. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 11 B. Discussion Regarding Volunteer Committees City Administrator Moorse presented the City Council with information regarding volunteer committees. He suggested a discussion be held to decide what the Council sees as the general purpose of these committees in relation to the Council and the community. City Administrator Moorse indicated the relationship between the committees and the Council needs to be discussed so that clear direction can be given. Mayor Harpstead stated several individuals have thoughts and ideas in this area and asked for comments from the Council. Councilmember McClung explained there was a difference between a statutory Commission and a volunteer committee. He stated the type of information and interaction with the Council differs. Mayor Harpstead indicated in 2007 the City Ordinance was reviewed to authorize and enable the standing committees and Commissions the City has. At that time, term limits were established along with guidelines for the individuals that would serve. Councilmember Holden stated she struggles with where the committees get their direction. She noted the Council gives little direction to the committees. City Administrator Moorse handed out some information regarding his thoughts on this area. He noted the Council does have to be clear about the purpose. Mayor Harpstead read through several statements defining what he thought was the general purpose of these committees. He felt the overall purpose for committees, Commissions and task forces was to improve the value of Arden Hills, its citizens, and community. Also, to increase the desirability of Arden Hills as a place to live or work, and, to enhance and protect the health and well-being of the citizens. Mayor Harpstead noted the City Council and City staff has the sole responsibility for all activities within the City of Arden Hills. He indicated it was desirable, advantageous and necessary to bring together residents of Arden Hills in order to broaden and enrich the discussion around possible decisions. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 12 Mayor Harpstead explained that citizen participation in generating ideas, potential solutions and recommendations, and the importance of diverse perspectives are critical in advancing the mission of the City. He felt that the City Council's ability to debate and consider far ranging alternatives can be stifled by the risk that the mere discussion of alternatives will engender them with undeserved merit. Mayor Harpstead indicated Arden Hills will always seek to hire the most qualified and capable employees. In doing so, staff will not always be intimately connected to Arden Hills neighborhoods. He stated it was critical for the City to create a mechanism where the City staff can get unfettered and unbiased reaction to their thoughts and ideas. Mayor Harpstead summarized his thoughts by saying committees allow the Council to broaden their debate, to provide staff with access to discussion and to create a vehicle by which City Council can engage in discussions that probably would not fit at a work session or City Council meeting. Councilmember McClung agreed stating this is where the Council could provide more direction to increase the effectiveness of the discussions that are held. Councilmember Holden asked how a diverse opinion or conversation can be provided when people are appointed to the committees with the same perspectives as the appointer. Mayor Harpstead indicated this is a danger and that he respects her comment. He stated he has tried to be aware of the gender, geographical area, economic status and racial diversity across the City's committees. Councilmember Holden stated she has concern with the members on the Parks, Trails, and Recreation Committee along with the Finance Committee. She indicated the Council should also discuss how these committees interact among themselves. Discussion ensued regarding the Finance Committee and review of the Economic Subsidy Policy. Assistant City Administrator Simon stated the EDC approved the Economic Subsidy Policy and this was forwarded to the Finance Committee. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 13 Mayor Harpstead indicated the Finance Committee was presented with a document that was not finished, poorly formatted. He admitted there was poor communication across committees. Councilmember McClung indicated he was unaware of the complications between these committees because he was not a liaison. He stated major items being discussed by these committees should be brought to the attention of the City Council. Councilmember Holden encouraged the other Councilmember's to read the committee meeting minutes. Assistant City Administrator Simon indicated he could place the committee agendas and minutes in the Admin Update. Mayor Harpstead this would be a fairly simple way to address this concern. Mayor Harpstead explained a good way to increase communication between the Council and the committees would be to work with the committees at the first of the year to discuss upcoming issues and annual objectives. He noted this may be more beneficial than providing direction at every meeting. Councilmember Grant stated if the Council provides direction for the committees they should not be going off on tangents without further addressing the Council for input. Councilmember Holden indicated she did not want a committee or citizens group spending all their time and effort on something that does not align with the Council's direction. She felt this is where feelings are hurt and members end up quitting. Councilmember Holden explained that some guidance was needed to provide the committees with a good strong starting point. Mayor Harpstead indicated the committee members are volunteers and residents that have a voice and should be allowed to come forward and be a part of City governmental affairs with their own opinions. Councilmember Holden explained the only problem with all these opinions is that they devise plans that the Council will never approve which then makes their time on the committee a waste of time. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 14 Councilmember McClung stated he sees both sides of this issue, but felt the residents needed the ability to put a case together and be able to present it to the Council advocating for what they believe is needed for the City. Mayor Harpstead indicated another frustration amongst committee members is that they feel they don't know what can get approved by Council, or they don't feel they have an opportunity to influence Council. He explained they would like to feel more like partners to the Council with some level of influence, as opposed to subordinates. Councilmember Holden stated she felt this goes back to the goal setting with each committee and how they were directed by Council. Mayor Harpstead explained it would be great for the Council to arrive at a level of over-arching high level goals at the beginning of the year that the Council can own with the committees but are not too detailed that they pre-decide the end point. City Administrator Moorse asked how the volunteer committees were to assist in this process. Mayor Harpstead indicated the liaisons could bring input from the committee that they are a liaison for. He stated these would not be action items, but over-arching directionso Councilmember McClung stated when staff presents information from the committees there is never a representative from the committee present. He indicated this has bothered him in the past and that by doing this, it could greatly increase communication between the Council and all committees. Mayor Harpstead noted in the past the Council tried to hold quarterly meetings with one committee. He stated last year Council met with the EDC and PTRC. Councilmember Holden indicated "Celebrate Arden Hills" was a big thing. She stated if goals were set for this celebration how do we get the committee to value the Council's goals along with their own. Mayor Harpstead explained he would be willing to help in this area as a liaison to express the value and importance of our community. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 15 Councilmember McClung indicated the Mayor could also write an article for the newsletter regarding citizen involvement. Mayor Harpstead stated if the "Celebrate Arden Hills" event were to become a more regular celebration a framework could be developed for a committee to set a desired outcome. Parks and Recreation Manager Olson indicated if you look at how other events are planned for neighboring communities, they are run by volunteer committees but not entirely. She felt the PTRC could contribute to the planning of the event but would need further direction from Council and staff. Mayor Harpstead indicated if the City's name is on the event, and there is risk of it not being planned well, the Councilor staff will have to be involved along with the volunteer committee. Parks and Recreation Manager Olson explained staff would have to prioritize the planning of City-wide events. She indicated staff needs assistance with the prioritization from Council as to which events are in and which are not feasible. Mayor Harpstead stated this would be a good point for the liaison to step in and provide a viewpoint [rom the Council to support staff. Councilmember Holden then questioned what the role of the Councilmember liaison should be in working with the committees. Mayor Harpstead stated at this time a liaison does not have voting rights, but should participate fully and advocate in the committee. Councilmember Holden indicated she still struggles with the fact that her involvement as a liaison feels like she is "swaying" the committee to her point of view and that then the committee members do not work on their own ideas. Mayor Harpstead stated he feels this discussion has not derived any solutions at this point. City Administrator Moorse explained input could be gathered from the volunteer committees as to what they would like their goals to be for the next year, which should be passed along to Council to ensure they fit in with Council's plans. He ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 16 indicated feedback could then be passed along to the committees as to whether the goals match or do not match the Council's priorities. City Administrator Moorse suggested the committees begin thinking through their goals so that feedback could be provided to the Council by year end. Mayor Harpstead indicated that was the whole purpose of this discussion and that the Council does want to find a middle ground and set goals with the committee members so that all parties are working together for the greater good of the community. Parks and Recreation Manager Olson asked if it would be workable to have one PTRC meeting jointly with the Council on a regular PTRC night. She stated this would not add an additional work session but would allow the Council to take part in the PTRC meeting and provide comments and feedback. The Council agreed to this suggestion. Councilmember Holden asked if the committee member's behavior could be addressed. She stated Councilmember Holmes was treated very unfairly by her committee which was completely inappropriate. Mayor Harpstead indicated he had created a committee member expectation summary. He reviewed the points with Council. Parks and Recreation Manager Olson suggested this form be read and signed by the committee members before volunteering. Further discussion ensued regarding the appropriate staff and Council behavior at . committee meetings. Councilmember Holden indicated she would still like further comment on the role of the Council liaison. Mayor Harpstead explained he felt it was appropriate to be fully involved in the committee. He stated he was elected as a leader and that as a liaison he could provide that leadership. Councilmember Holmes stated it would be an important factor to have the liaison working towards achieving the established goals. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 17 City Administrator Moorse suggested full participation could be fine by the Council liaison but that the liaison would need to remind the committee to provide their diverse input and ideas. Councilmember McClung indicated he feels his role as a liaison is somewhat middle of the road. He does not feel constrained to contribute an opinion but he also tries to be careful not to lead the direction of the group. Councilmember Holmes indicated the dynamics of each committee varies, which allows each liaison to interject differently. She stated she has been on numerous committees over the years and that she feels the role of the liaison should be minimal. Councilmember Holden indicated concern for the strong leadership style presented by the Mayor on committees and that he may be swaying the group. Mayor Harpstead asked if he should remove himself from committee liaison work. Councilmember Holmes suggested instead that the Mayor take a less active role in the committee. Mayor Harpstead stated this was just not who he was and not how he was able to lead. Councilmember Holmes asked when the liaisons were going to be appointed for 2009. Mayor Harpstead suggested this be discussed at the December goal setting work session meeting. D. Organizational Structure City Administrator Moorse presented the City Council with an overview of the organizational structure for Arden Hills. He provided some background information along with a conceptual chart that goes along with the memo. City Administrator Moorse explained what department directors were responsible for and their key priorities. He stated there were three directors at this time one for finance, public works and community development. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 18 City Administrator Moorse indicated he did not have significant changes in mind for the current organizational structure but reviewed his thoughts and ideas for the City. He has broken out administrative support after discussions among staff. Councilmember Holden asked for clarification on the levels and if the three directors were on the same pay scale. City Administrator Moorse stated this was the case. Discussion ensued regarding the different organizational structure proposals and how the work would break down into the various departments. City Administrator Moorse indicated he would like to have an organizational structure better defined and in place before the TCAAP development begins. He stated this would allow for smooth movement of these projects through staff and Council. He indicated all departments will be evaluated to see what can be automated for efficiency. Mayor Harpstead asked how many full time employees were required for the proposed organizational structure. City Administrator Moorse stated it would be the 24 employees, which was the same number currently on staff. Councilmember Holden questioned where emergency preparedness fell into this diagram. City Administrator Moorse stated this IS currently under the Public Works Director. Councilmember Holden asked who would be handling the elections. City Administrator Moorse indicated he would like a deputy city clerk on staff to be the expert in this area. He stated the deputy clerk was put into the budget for 2009. Councilmember Holmes stated she felt there may be objection to the deputy city clerk because the City was so fiscally conservative. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 19 Mayor Harpstead indicated the issue may be one of capacity within the organization. He stated he would have liked to have seen more progress in police and fire services with a joint powers push back and more responsibility assumed by the City. Mayor Harpstead noted a position like the deputy clerk could afford the other individuals the capacity to work on bigger projects. He stated he was in favor of this position moving forward. Councilmember Grant questioned the need for an assistant city administrator and deputy city clerk. Mayor Harpstead noted they did each have their own focus and that with both on staff, the assistant city administrator would be able to focus on larger issues for the City that have fallen by the wayside. Mayor Harpstead questioned if the TCAAP project management should be brought back in house. Further discussion ensued regarding the role staff could take with TCAAP but at this time, the City would continue contracting services with Ehlers & Associates. Councilmember Holden asked if the current city staff was at capacity. City Administrator Moorse stated this was the case. Councilmember McClung agreed that the City staff was at capacity and that the personnel added would assist the City moving forward. He indicated nothing was being constricted or taken away from the residents. Mayor Harpstead questioned what the implementation strategy would be for the proposed organizational structure. City Administrator Moorse stated he would like to more clarify what the responsibilities of each director and set goals based on those responsibilities. It was the consensus of the City Council to direct staff to greater define the position descriptions/responsibilities and that this information be brought back to Council. Further discussion ensued regarding the supervisory piece of the public works department organization. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 20 City Administrator Moorse provided some information with options for this structure. He recommended a superintendent be used based on the current size of the City and its needs going forward. Councilmember Grant expressed concern with the work crew for the public works department and for its leadership. He asked why there were two supervisors for seven staff members. Councilmember Grant suggested the Council proceed with a working foreman or a lead in the public works department. The Council further discussed the differences between a foreman, lead and , superintendent. Councilmember McClung stated in looking at the organizational structure he does see it as a bit management top heavy. He indicated he was in support of Councilmember Grant's comments. Mayor Harpstead explained there are career supervisor management positions and then there are management titles that have significant content responsibility in a strategic direction. Councilmember McClung understood but stated for the size of the City we don't have the luxury of having one designated management staff person for each department. Public Works Director Hoag indicated his staff feels a supervisor would be the desired position. He stated they feel it would be difficult to take direction from a union brother, or to clearly define the role between labor and management. City Administrator Moorse noted the public works operation would function best if the person providing scheduling and project coordination focused completely on this role versus the role of maintenance worker. He stated the parks, water, sewer, streets and storm sewer functions are all under the control of either a working foreman or a superintendent. Councilmember Grant asked that information be brought back to the Council showing how other communities of this size organize their public works department for comparison. Mayor Harpstead stated the discussion at this point is between a supervisor and a working foreman. He questioned if a union foreman could be hired for the next 6-8 ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 21 months at which time a reevaluation could be done. Mayor Harpstead indicated the budget could be preserved for a supervisor, but would get the public works department through the winter season. He asked if this would work for the next 8 months. Councilmember Holmes questioned why another superintendent was not hired when Jim Peron retired. She felt it was unfair to change the position at this time. Public Works Director Hoag stated they are doing everything possible to keep up with the work load because they are functioning as a crew of eight. Councilmember Holden stated that she was unaware that Jim Peron was management because he was always in the field working. She indicated the Council may need to revisit the information before hiring occurs. Councilmember Holden expressed concern that the crew was down a member and how this would affect the City. Councilmember Holmes explained if there was not enough work for the crew to do during the winter this may need to be reevaluated. Mayor Harpstead questioned if staff should proceed with nine union positions. Public Works Director Hoag stated the union has been contacted and is willing to allow for an interim superintendent or seasonal hire but would need a sunset date. Mayor Harpstead expressed concern about setting precedence with a three year contract with the union. Councilmember Grant asked for further information on how cities of similar size in the metro area operate their public. works department. City Administrator Moorse stated he would gather this information. The Council directed staff to gather additional organizational structure public works department information and to forward this on to Council for discussion at a future meeting. MOTION: There was a motion by Councilmember Grant and second by Councilmember McClung to continue. the meeting past 10:00 p.m. by ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 22 fifteen minutes. The motion carried (3-2 - Holden and Holmes opposed). 2. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REQUESTS Councilmember Grant questioned if the Lexington Trail north of the railroad track on the west side would be completed in 2009-2010. Councilmember Holden indicated she thought Cub would be paying for this trail. Mayor Harpstead suggested the Community Development department and EDC solicit funds for this trail to have it completed in this timeframe. The Council discussed with staff where the trail should be located and where it should stop. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated this could be a late fall 2009 or early spring 2010 project. Councilmember Grant questioned if the Council has received the "Letters in the Village" publication regarding the shed. Mayor Harpstead noted this letter was handwritten to him and was passed along to staff and forwarded to Council. He stated the issue at this time was being handled by the City Attorney and that a civil action was proceeding. Councilmember Grant stated he has noticed a trend of additional signs being posted in lawns, beyond just political signs. Community Development Director Lehnhoff noted the regulations allow non- commercial signs but should not be posted in the right-of-way. Councilmember Grant asked when the Town Hall meeting was scheduled. City Administrator Moorse indicated a date had not yet been set. Mayor Harpstead indicated he had heard comments from residents to hold Council community meetings throughout the City. The Council agreed to hold off until next spring and that it be further discussed at a future work session meeting. Councilmember Grant questioned how the primaries went. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 23 Assistant City Administrator Simon stated the primary went very well and that in the future additional signage will be posted. He indicated the feedback he heard was that the new location worked well and that parking was adequate. Councilmember Grant asked if Council was still on track with TCAAP to achieve the necessary tasks laid out by staff. City Administrator Moorse stated the Master Development Plan was on track at this time. Councilmember Grant questioned where the emergency response manual was at this time. Staff noted they were half way through updates at this time. Councilmember Grant asked when they would receive the updated wallet cards. Staff indicated they would have it for Council at the next meeting. Councilmember McClung stated on Wednesday morning he would attend the Fire Department Board of Directors meeting. He noted they would be discussing the budget. Councilmember McClung suggested the Council hold off on the hiring of a full time paid deputy chief. He indicated a plan would need to be reviewed before this item should be approved. Councilmember Holden questioned if the parking lot was still gOIng to be expanded even though the polling site has changed. Mayor Harpstead explained this had been discussed but was put on hold after the Ordinance was reviewed. Councilmember Holden indicated the EDC would be meeting on Wednesday morning. She noted the Taste of Northwest was taking place on September 25th from 5:00-9:00 p.m. Councilmember McClung stated he would be out of town October 2-13,2008. med the City Council Work Session m ting at 10:26 p.m. '~";'Ronald . Moorse City Administrator