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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-19-10-WS E 'HILL S S Approved: February 8, 2010 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS,MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MEETING JANUARY 19, 2010 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 5:06 p.m. Present: Mayor Stan Harpstead; Council Members David Grant (arrived at 5:10 p.m.), Brenda Holden, Fran Holmes, and David McClung (arrived at 5:25 P.M.). Absent: None. Also present: Acting City Administrator/Finance Director, Susan Iverson; Community Development Director, James Lehnhoff; Deputy Clerk, Rebecca Brazys; Director of Public Works, Greg Hoag; and Civil Engineer, Kristine Giga. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Mayor Harpstead indicated that Councilmember Grant requested two items be added to the agenda; Item F to become Council Pay Schedule and Item G to become Follow Up Discussion regarding the Letter Received from Sandy Martin, Mayor of Shoreview. Councilmember Holden indicated she would like to discuss the Candidate Schedule and hiring of the New City Administrator. This would become Item H. Councilmember Holmes stated she had several questions on the Candidate Schedule as well. MOTION: Mayor Harpstead moved and Councilmember Holmes seconded a motion to approve the meeting agenda as amended. The motion carried unanimously 3-0 . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—JANUARY 19, 2010 2 1. AGENDA ITEMS A. Representative Kate Knuth Representative Kate Knuth thanked the City for setting aside time for her to present the Council with information on the upcoming legislative session. She noted the State would be doing a bonding bill this year,just under $700 million. The National Guard site in Arden Hills would be receiving$2.85 million for an Emergency Operation Center. Discussion ensued regarding the state bonding process. Representative Knuth explained the biggest issue for the legislative session would be the budget as there was a $1.2 billion deficit for the biennium, largely due to revenue declines. Job creation will be crucial over the coming years. She further discussed the unallotment and how this would affect the budget. Representative Knuth noted she would be holding two town hall meetings, the first being Saturday, January 23, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. at the New Brighton Family Service Center to discuss noise issues. The other meeting would be held on February 6, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. at the New Brighton Family Service Center. Mayor Harpstead asked that traffic speeds be reviewed through the City as roadway speeds varied between Mounds View, Roseville and Arden Hills. Councilmember Holden questioned if there was a list compiled of all State gyants available to municipalities. Representative Knuth stated she would look into this and report back to the City. y Councilmember Grant indicated expansion of the Rice Street bridge was a concern for the City because it is needed to add additional lanes in I-694. Mayor Harpstead indicated the overall impact of these improvements should be discussed with the City so as not to directly impact other areas of the City. Councilmember Holden stated the TCAAP property was a superfund site and if the State was willing to help the City of St. Paul on their superfund site, the City of Arden Hills could use assistance from the state as well. She suggested that the County Road H row bridge be brought before g the State. Councilmember Holmes questioned if Representative Knuth had an influence on Legacy Funds. y g y Representative Knuth stated she was on the Environment and Natural Resource Finance Committee and that she could propose bills for the Legacy Funds to the over-arching committees. Councilmember Grant asked how the budget shortfall would be addressed by g raisin taxes or reducing spending. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—JANUARY 19, 2010 3 LA Representative Kate Knuth (continued) Representative Knuth indicated it was not useful to use one method over the other. There would need to be a combination of tools to resolve the state of the economy at this time. Councilmember Holden asked if ethanol subsidies were being explored at this time. Representative Knuth explained these subsidies get voted on each year. The ethanol subsidies were set to run out within the next few years. She stated this was a difficult issue. Councilmember Holden questioned who the Met Council reported to and how I&I issues could be handled better in the future to reduce the fines implemented on cities. Representative Knuth stated the Met Council was appointed by the governor. Bills have been introduced suggesting an elected Met Council. Councilmember McClung asked if there were stimulus funds available for the reconstruction of I694 from I3 5 W to I3 5E. He encouraged the State to look into servicing this roadway as it was the last portion of I-694 in substandard condition. Mayor Harpstead indicated local access would have to be preserved if upgrades were made to I- 694. Mayor Harpstead thanked Representative Knuth for her presentation to the Council. B. Library Committee Presentation Meg Robertson, branch manager of the Arden Hills Library, presented the Council with information on the current library branch situation. Barb Crassweller provided additional background and stated that in 2003 the Arden Hills branch was set to be shut down. Several citizens joined together to create a task force to save the library. She currently serves on the Friends of the Library Board and stated the library was a great asset to the community. Ms. Crassweller encouraged the Council to speak in favor of the library to the Board in order to keep the site open. The community was looking to the City for assistance at this time to keep the doors open. She indicated two informational meetings were held in November with over 70 residents in attendance. Leslie Goldsmith noted she has been a resident of Arden Hills for over 25 years and was an avid reader. She felt the branch library was a remarkable space and added an intellectual capacity to the community. Ms. Goldsmith asked that the Council work together to assure that the City - continues to be served by a library within the City limits. ARD►EN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—JANUARY 19, 2010 4 LB Library Committee Presentation (continued) Susan Nemitz, Ramsey County Library Director provided the Council with further information on the branch library concerns. She explained that all areas of the state are struggling financial - and public libraries achieve economies of scale in large facilities. As the County faces a tighter budget, the smaller, low volume library branches are being reviewed. Ms. Nemitz indicated the Arden Hills facility has aged beyond its useful life and requires an investment. It was noted that Arden Hills has lobbied to keep this branch open. She further _ explained how the North St. Paul library has reduced their operating expenses by reducing their staff and the size of their building. The new library was an addition to a multi-use building to draw additional people to the site and created a great partnership with the community center. Ms. Nemitz suggested the community work to reinvent the library while finding a cost effective solution for services to the City through a partnership. There are limitations at the current facility and the library should be explored and planned for the future. Councilmember Holmes stated the community was very adamant about keeping the library. She questioned how the multi-use function should proceed and asked if the task force has made any progress. Ms. Nemitz stated a task force was formed after the November meeting. The task force was charged with finding financial and politically feasible solutions to provide library services in the Arden Hills/New Brighton area. At this time, specific ideas that have been explored include partnering with Bethel, Presbyterian Homes, a coffee shop, local theater groups as well as opportunities for grants or donations. Meg Robertson stated that Presbyterian Homes was a viable option as it would provide advantages to both parties. The immediate concern was the development plans in Arden Hills and how that relates to the library's timeline. The New Brighton Community Center has 10,000 square feet of vacant space. The library was not able to pay the current rent but was willing to consider the option. Another option could be a co-location with a public school. She asked the Council to share any other options that may be available for a potential partnership. Ms. Nemitz stated the community has emphasized the importance of speaking to the City. Mayor Harpstead questioned who made up the task force at this time. Ms. Nemis stated there were 20 residents on the task force from Arden Hills and New Brighton. The majority of the residents were from Arden Hills. Councilmember Holden expressed concern about the difficulties larger libraries present for seniors. She stated the smaller branch locations were easier to access and, as the community ages, this will become considerably more important. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—JANUARY 19, 2010 5 LB Library Committee Presentation (continued) Ms. Nemitz commented that she did not want to pit two communities against each other. She indicated she would fight for the library but would be surprised if it stayed open. The community _ p y would need to find a good solution in order to save the branch location. Ms. Nemitz noted $500,000 of program aid was at risk at this time, which made for an even tighter budget. g g Mayor Harpstead indicated the demographics of the existing Arden Hills library patrons are the residents located west of Snelling Avenue. He understood the current library facility did need upgrades and improvements. Co-location was a captivating option and he encouraged the task force to continue to seek alternatives and share ideas with Presbyterian Homes or a public institution. Councilmember Holmes suggested Presbyterian Homes be approached further as a viable option. Ms. Crassweller stated libraries are community facilities and an enhancement to the City. She noted the library model may change and the transition could be a positive direction to serve the residents. Councilmember McClung felt it was important to keep a library in the City of Arden Hills. He stated he was open to the type of facility and that he believed the current location was ideal. The taxes paid by Arden Hills' residents to the County could be put to use this way to serve this community. Councilmember Holden indicated a partnership with affordable housing could be another option. Councilmember McClung stated there was talk about adding a library facility to TCAAP. He questioned if there would be an environmental focus to allow the library to co-locate on this site. Ms. Nemitz stated in 2003 the plan or hope was to partner with County Parks and Recreation for a nature center, along with the Children's Museum. The partners have since pulled out because of a lack of resources. She indicated she did not want to throw out the current site, but there were drawbacks. Ms. Nemitz further explained that the Ramsey County Library model has never been to utilized for a library in each community, but rather to serve multiple communities from each branch. The residents of Arden Hills are no more than four miles from a public library, even if the City's branch was to be closed. Councilmember Grant questioned who partnered with the City of Roseville to upgrade their library. Ms. Nemitz stated there was no partner and that their site was upgraded due to demand. Councilmember Grant explained that the Arden Hills library serves a pocket of people within the community. He stated that the seniors in the community would not visit the Roseville librar y if the Arden Hills branch were closed. Mayor Harpstead stated the real issue is the City needs a new facility and it needs to be funded. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—JANUARY 19, 2010 6 LB Library Committee Presentation (continued) Councilmember Holmes stated she would like to see the site remain even if it would only be a portal. Ms. Nemitz indicated the portal would need to be a 21 St century library libra and the Arden Hills site needed many upgrades. Councilmember Grant suggested the committee draft a list of criteria that our library needs and wants with a timeline. He stated this would assist staff in determining a future location for the library. The Mounds View High School could be a potential site for a library partnership. Ms. Nemitz and Mayor Harpstead agreed this would be a great starting point. Councilmember Holden explained the City was assisting with the maintenance of the library and that she would like to see it remain within the area even if that meant moving to New Brighton. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated a list of specific criteria would be a great start for the task force as this would allow for future partnerships to begin discussions. He explained he would be available to address any questions the task force may have. Ms. Crassweller noted the next task force meeting would be held on February 22, 2010 at the North St. Paul Library. She thanked the Council for their time. C. CIP 2010-2014 Capital Improvement Plan(CT) Acting City Administrator/Finance Director Iverson presented the City Council with the 2010- 2014 Capital Improvement Plan. The Council had previously discussed years 2010 and 2011 at the November 2009 work session. She suggested the projects be discussed first for years 2012 to 2014 prior to the equipment. - Acting City Administrator/Finance Director Iverson explained the five-year document was ambitious but would allow staff to put numbers together to provide the Council with placeholders to provide further analysis on larger upcoming projects. Councilmember Holden suggested the Council begin the discussion with the 2011 County Road E project as this may be delayed due to a partnership with MnDOT. Mayor Harpstead indicated the County Road E improvements in 2011 were for planning money and not the bridge replacement. Civil Engineer Giga stated the 2011 funds were for improvements between TH51 and Lexington. The bridge improvement funds were slated in 2013, which could include STP funds. Councilmember McClung suggested the City push the planning money for County Road E to 2012 to reduce the timeline for the project. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—JANUARY 19, 2010 7 LC CIP 2010-2014 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) (continued) Mayor Harpstead stated he was uncertain the Council had to manage the flow of funds from year to year on projects. Instead the Council should focus on the projects themselves and if they are _ right for the City. Discussion ensued regarding the pertinence of the CIP document and if the projects should be placed within the document by year. Councilmember McClung stated he felt there was not enough information within the CIP document for him to make a decision on the projects and whether or not they are workable. Councilmember Grant felt the importance of the projects to the Arden Hills residents was the more crucial issue. Mayor Harpstead agreed. Councilmember Grant suggested the CIP projects be reviewed by the Council and comments be provided for each project. Councilmember Holden questioned if staff has heard from Met Council and if an additional $100,000 should be placed in the I&I fund for the 2012 and 2013. Mayor Harpstead indicated this was a risk and that he was comfortable with the suggested placeholder. Councilmember Holmes asked how the City could continue to fund PMP with the scheduled capital improvements. Acting City Administrator/Finance Director Iverson explained it would benefit the City to have a designed plan to assist staff in creating forecasting and to see if additional funding sources were available. Mayor Harpstead questioned if the Council would like to see a $100,100 placeholder for I&I in 2012 to 2014. After taking comments, the entire Council was in favor with this suggestion. Councilmember McClung asked when the City would reach the $500,500 expense. Public Works Director Hoag indicated the City would be close to the $500,500 at the end of 2010, which would allow the City to petition the Met Council to remove the surcharge to the City. The Council discussed the County Road E improvements. Councilmember Holmes suggested the Council consider placing street lights on County Road E between TH51 and Lindy's. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—JANUARY 19, 2010 8 LC CIP 2010-2014 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) (continued) Mayor Harpstead questioned if the Council would be in favor of staff drafting a plan to place street lights along County Road E between TH51 and Lindy's. Councilmember Holmes was in favor. Mayor Harpstead, Councilmember Holden, Councilmember Grant and Councilmember McClung were not in favor of the lighting. Mayor Harpstead suggested the lighting be written into the future park trail plan and that a rough estimate could be brought back to the Council in a future admin update. Councilmember Holden questioned if the City had a forestry fund to assist with reforestation. Mayor Harpstead indicated this was a wonderful suggestion as the City may have to deal with major tree losses from Emerald Ash Borer. Mayor Harpstead then reviewed the mill and overlay project for the Chatham Neighborhood and asked if the neighborhood was in need of an overlay. He questioned if the PCI's were reasonable. Civil Engineer Giga indicated the PCI's were from 2008. She noted the City would have a better idea of the ratings after 2011 ratings were complete. Councilmember Grant stated the Chatham neighborhood was showing wear and that the project was still three years out. Councilmember McClung felt it would benefit the City to have a break on the PMP plan for a year or two to allow the funds to replenish. Further discussion was held regarding surface water management and how Arden Hills' rates rank with neighboring cities. Acting City Administrator/Finance Director Iverson stated she could present the Council with information on rates from neighboring communities. Councilmember Holden asked if the Valentine Park play structure would be replaced with the upcoming improvements. She indicated the park would need to have a play structure. Councilmember Grant suggested a picnic shelter be added to Valentine Park as well. Mayor Harpstead asked for further clarification as to what is included in the funds set aside for Valentine Park. Civil Engineer Giga noted she would speak with Ms. Olson about this issue and report back to the Council on these funds. Mayor Harpstead questioned if the SCADA system could be leased or if a joint powers agreement could be used with a neighboring community. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—JANUARY 19, 2010 9 LC CIP 2010-2014 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) (continued) Civil Engineer Giga explained that Roseville did have an updated SCADA system. She did not know how the details would work between a shared system. The question could be asked of Roseville IT staff and findings reported back to Council. Councilmember Holmes inquired if the trail signs were included in the 2012 budget. Mayor Harpstead suggested a line item be added called "Park Amenities" that would allow for signs or benches. Acting City Administrator/Finance Director Iverson indicated she could create a line item in the 2012-14 budget called Miscellaneous Park Amenities with $5,000 for signs and benches. Public Works Director Hoag explained a line item for Park Amenities would be beneficial to assist with park bench installation, garbage can replacement, etc. Councilmember Holden felt that $5,000 each year from 2011-2014 was too much money. Councilmember Holmes was in favor of the $5,000 line item. Councilmember Holden questioned how many more sewer pipes within the City should be lined and suggested that this line item be increased. Civil Engineer Giga stated that as more televising is completed the City continues to find more sewers that need to be lined. Many segments around the lakes could use lining. Councilmember Holden inquired if all the manhole covers had been rehabilitated. Public Works Director Hoag stated all manholes have been rehabilitated that were an I&I concern, but more would be repaired or replaced as the City completes overlay and road construction projects. Mayor Harpstead asked if the Council could now turn their focus to the equipment purchases. Councilmember Grant suggested the plow truck be pushed back several years. Public Works Director Hoag indicated the issue with the dump/plow trucks is that they rust from the bottom up due to the hostile environment they are exposed to. Councilmember Holmes questioned if the new transmission on the snow plow would change the equipment purchases within the CIP. Public Works Director Hoag explained this is the same truck that will be replaced in 2012. The life expectancy on these trucks is 10-12 years. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—JANUARY 19, 2010 10 LC CIP 2010-2014 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) (continued) Councilmember Grant stated the equipment replacement plan was developed by Tom Moore and didn't feel equipment should be replaced just because it was fully depreciated. The City _ should evaluate each piece of equipment has a useful life and if so, how long. He wanted to assure that the City was spending money on the right things. Councilmember McClung understood the need for a future estimate but would like to go a step further to explain the need for the replacement. Public Works Director Hoag indicated at the current time, he would be reluctant to pull it off of the replacement schedule. He explained that he reviewed the equipment each year and monitored the service required before submitting his plan. Each piece of equipment was taken into consideration and nothing was being replaced unless necessary. Councilmember McClung questioned how the purchase of the new large mower was affecting the other equipment and if this would affect purchases in the future. Public Works Director Hoag stated he only had one summer of use at this time, but did feel the wear and tear on the smaller units would benefit the City in the long run. He felt in the long run, one grounds master could be scaled back. To have a more concise answer for the Council, it would take more time to see how the equipment was holding up under its current uses. Councilmember Holden asked that the true repair costs be separated out from the routine maintenance expenses to give the Council a more clear idea of what the equipment was costing the City. Mayor Harpstead stated it might be helpful to have a minimum equipment list drafted for a City this size for the Council to review. He questioned if the asphalt roller was a necessity, or just nice to have. He encouraged staff to explore shared uses. Public Works Director Hoag stated the roller was used almost every day during the summer. The Council discussed further the maintenance and expense of City ball fields. Councilmember Grant suggested the dump truck purchase be pushed back several years as this was a large purchase. He felt that 26,000 miles on this vehicle did not warrant a replacement even if the vehicle was 15 years old. He requested the purchase be pushed back to 2014. Councilmember Holmes had no comment and deferred this to the Public Works Director. Councilmember Holden and Councilmember McClung were in favor of moving the plow truck purchase to 2014. Mayor Harpstead stated staff was not comfortable pushing this beyond 2012 and he saw no reason to move it. The Council would need to consider how to handle this issue if it were delayed several years. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—JANUARY 19, 2010 11 LC CIP 2010-2014 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) (continued) Councilmember Holden questioned what equipment was used to clear sidewalks and if this could be scaled back in any way. She also asked if sidewalks had to remain at six feet. - Public Works Director Hoag explained that the broom and blower on the Groundsmasters were used for rinks and sidewalks, along with a skid steer. Mayor Harpstead asked if there were any pieces of equipment that were new to the City or if they were all replacement pieces. Public Works Director Hoag indicated the only one would be the conversion from the 1-ton pickup with a hoist to a utility truck in 2010. He stated the one piece of equipment that has become less useful is the John Deere tractor. The Council directed staff to make the changes to the CIP based on the above comments. D. Discussion of Support and Endorsing_Proposed Legislation 1. Additional financing of Parks, Trails and Recreation Facilities for Local Units of Government— Special Assessments 2. Complete Streets Acting City Administrator/Finance Director Iverson presented the City Council with proposed legislation. She noted historically the Council has not endorsed or supported special legislation but the Council would need to give staff direction on how to handle the two items. Councilmember Holden stated if the Council were to support one of the issues, it would be difficult to not offer support for all future items. Mayor Harpstead was in agreement. Councilmember Grant felt that if the Council has not endorsed issues in the past, there was no need to do so in the future or to create a separate subcommittee. Councilmember McClung was comfortable with acting on issues that directly impact the City of Arden Hills. He did not want to act on other cities resolutions and legislative proposals. Councilmember Holden stated the proposed legislation did impact Arden Hills and questioned how the Council would endorse the public library. She felt the parks and recreation issue would affect the City. Councilmember Holmes did not want the City to be involved with financial endorsements. Further discussion ensued regarding the Council's stance on endorsements and Council support. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—JANUARY 19, 2010 12 LD Discussion of Support and Endorsing Proposed Legislation (continued) MOTION: Councilmember Holden moved and Councilmember Holmes seconded a motion to extend the meeting to 8:30 P.M. The motion carried unanimously - 5-0 . Mayor Harpstead noted that he signed a letter of support that was sent to Land O'Lakes. Councilmember Holden questioned if this was the same as an endorsement and wondered if the City should be doing this in the future. Councilmember Holmes indicated there may be actions that could be reviewed by the Council when legislation directly affected the City. Mayor Harpstead agreed with Councilmember McClung that some issues directly impact the residents of Arden Hills and the Council should take a stand. In other instances, the power of cities joining together could assist in powerful relationships to gain favor with MnDOT. He indicated he was not interested in putting this on the schedule to have the Council vote on this issue. Councilmember McClung stated a very informal policy could be written that if something strongly grabs the attention of a Council member, it could be brought to staff s attention for discussion at a worksession. Mayor Harpstead added that staff could bring items before the Council as well, if directly affecting the residents. Further discussion ensued regarding how the Council would review future requests. E. Recreation Budget Discussion - Councilmember Holmes suggested this item be tabled to the next meeting since Recreation Manager Olson was not present. Mayor Harpstead felt that was a fair request. MOTION: Councilmember Holmes moved and Mayor Harpstead seconded a motion to table the Recreation Budget Discussion to the next meeting. The motion carried unanimously(5-0). F. Council Pay Schedule Councilmember Grant requested the Council be paid annually in a lump sum instead of a quarterly basis, if so desired. Councilmember Holmes had no objection, if left up to the Councilmember. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—JANUARY 19, 2010 13 LF Council Pay Schedule (continued) Acting City Administrator/Finance Director Iverson indicated this would require an approved Resolution. Mayor Harpstead was in favor of the flexibility but that all unearned funds would need to be refunded to the City. The Council directed staff to draft a Resolution for approval at a future meeting. G. Discussion of Letter Received from Sandy Martin, Mayor of Shoreview Mayor Harpstead reviewed the letter from Mayor Sandy Martin in which she proposed a meeting to discuss potential detachment/annexation. He asked if the Council could find the time to meet with Mayor Martin to discuss the topic. Councilmember Holden indicated Shoreview was not interested in working with the City in the past on County Road I. She questioned why there were concerns at this time. The TCAAP site was Arden Hills' property and any input Shoreview could provide would be taken into consideration by the Council. The idea of annexation was "a bit much." Councilmember Holmes and Councilmember Grant were in agreement. Mayor Harpstead disagreed stating that the property did have regional significance with many stakeholders involved. He suggested that the City work with neighboring cities to form partnerships, similar to the one forged with Ramsey County Parks, because they will be impacted by the development that takes place on the TCAAP site. Councilmember Holmes indicated at past stakeholder meetings, there was very little input. She felt there was no purpose for further interactions with Shoreview, New Brighton or Mounds View at this time. Mayor Harpstead indicated County Road H didn't work until County Road I was addressed and further discussions with Shoreview could resolve this situation. Councilmember Holden felt that Shoreview was not part of the trail connection to CR96. In fact, Mayor Martin spoke against park land or land that would go to the City. Councilmember McClung stated he was willing to meet with anyone at any time. He would be open to scheduling such a meeting with New Brighton, Mounds View or Roseville. Shoreview created some concern with Item 1 B on their agenda, which would make for a short meeting. Councilmember Grant questioned why Shoreview would be any different than Mounds View or New Brighton. He encouraged them to come and speak about trails at some point in the future. Mayor Harpstead questioned how the Council would like to proceed with this issue. He asked if the Council would like to meet with Shoreview in the near term future. Secondly, would the Council like to discuss Item 1 B, regarding detachment and annexation. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION--JANUARY 19, 2010 14 1 G. Discussion of Letter Received from Sandy Martin, Mayor of Shoreview (continued) Councilmember Hopes, Councilmember Holden, and Councilmember Grant were not in - favor of meeting with the City of Shoreview. Councilmember McClung and Mayor Harpstead were in favor of meeting with the City of Shoreview. Mayor Harpstead questioned if the Council would like to discuss Item 1 B, detachment or annexation of the TCAAP property further at a worksession meeting. Councilmember Holmes stated she did not want to meet with the City of Shoreview to discuss anything. Councilmember McClung, Councilmember Holden was in favor of discussing Item 1B further in worksession. Mayor Harpstead questioned if the Council was willing to annex or detach TCAAP. Councilmember Holmes, Councilmember Holden, Councilmember McClung and Councilmember Grant were not in favor of detaching the TCAAP property. Mayor Harpstead noted he would be willing to discuss annexation. Councilmember McClung questioned how the Council should respond to the Shoreview letter. Mayor Harpstead stated he would send a letter indicating the Council was not interested in meeting with the City of Shoreview. H. Candidate Schedule Councilmember Holden asked if the Council would be holding the suggested dinner to meet with candidates. She noted she would like more information about the event. Acting City Administrator/Finance Director Iverson indicated that she sent an email to Mr. Fursman and was waiting for specifications on the event along with a candidate timeline for the Council. She explained she would send another email. Councilmember McClung agreed the Council needed more information on the dinner before the Council could make a decision on the event. He needed a date in March as he may have a work commitment. Further discussion ensued regarding the dinner event and how it would assist the Council in finding a City Administrator. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—JANUARY 19, 2010 15 LH Candidate Schedule (continued) Councilmember Holmes suggested a cocktail hour be held to allow for conversation outside of the work environment. MOTION: Councilmember Holden moved and Councilmember Grant seconded a motion to extend the meetinLy to 8:45 p.m. The motion carried (4-1) (McClung opposed), Councilmember Grant stated he was in favor of the dinner as it has worked in the past model for Mr. Fursman. Mayor Harpstead indicated the City was seeking a City Administrator that would be comfortable in uncomfortable situations; a person who could communicate well in a strange environment. He explained a reception may be more appropriate than a meal. Councilmember McClung explained he had been a part of a dinner event before and that it was enjoyable. He suggested the Council wait to make a final decision until hearing more from Mr. Fursman. 2. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REQUESTS Councilmember Holden stated she has spoken with a few communities about assessing non- profits. The City of Falcon Heights assesses street light utilities to non-profits. Acting City Administrator/Finance Director Iverson indicated she would look into that. Councilmember Grant noted he would be out of town for the February 8th meeting. He suggested a worksession be held at the maintenance facility to allow the Council to view the City's equipment. Councilmember Grant questioned if the manholes on Grey Fox were raised after the last lift of asphalt. He asked if the MSA road information was available. He stated the City may have made a mistake on the 26 foot versus 24 foot. Acting City Administrator/Finance Director Iverson explained staff was still working on the bid information on Thursday and that it may be possible to bid out at both dimensions. Councilmember McClung noted the Fire Board would be meetin g on Janua ry 20th. He would have an update for the Council at the next meeting. The Metro Cities would be doing an event on Thursday night at the New Brighton Service Center discussing taxes. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated on January 25th the Council was scheduled to hold a TCAAP work session and asked if it was necessary. He noted he drafted a letter for the GSA and did need comments from the Council, which could be done via email if the Council wished. He noted Mike Comadeca would review the letter and provide comments as well. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—JANUARY 19, 2010 16 2. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REQUESTS(continued) Councilmember Grant suggested the meeting not be held for one item. The Council agreed. Acting City Administrator/Finance Director Iverson explained there would not be a TCAAP work session on February8th. Instead the Council would be discussing the engineering workload g g g for 2010 and review 2009. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated he would anticipate a TCAAP work session meeting on February 22"d Councilmember Holmes stated she attended the County Commissioner meeting today with Councilmember Holden and Community Development Director Lehnhoff. ADJOURN Mayor Harpstead adjourned the City Council Work Session meeting at 8:47 p. . .a 1 d 4 a E S san K. Iverson tifn Harpstead Acting City Administrator Mayor