2011-10-12 CC WS Meeting Minutes - Approved

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City Council 2011-10-12 at 7:50 p.m. Minutes of Work Session Present were Mayor Tom Wilharber, Council members Jeff Paar, Steve King, and Ben Fehrenbacher. Also present were Mark Statz of Bonestroo & Assoc., City Attorney Kurt Glaser, Paul Palzer, Public Works Director and Finance Director Mike Jeziorski. Utility Rates . Staff presented utility fund financial statements, noting that the Sanitary Sewer Fund and the Storm Water Fund are not covering their cost of operations and depreciation. Staff was given guidance on rate changes that would be acceptable for 2012. Credit Card Policy. Staff reviewed a proposed credit card program where key staff would be issued a credit card for purchasing on behalf of the city. The objectives would be to reduce the number of checks that are issued each month while at the same time make purchasing from a variety of vendors easier. Protections would be built into the system by limiting the card use for certain activities as well as setting charge limits for individual staff based upon need. Consensus was that the program would be worthwhile and should be placed on the agenda for consideration. 2012 Overlay Project. Council reviewed the proposed 2012 street mill and overlay project and discussed whether the hearing process should include the first two yearly phases. The Council felt that the first phase is distinct from additional phases, in that the first group of streets were deleted from the 2009 Street Improvement Project. The consensus was to do only the first yearly phase in the procedures. The schedule drafted by staff would have initial council action on October 26, 2011, with bids received in early January and public hearings later in January. The resolution to initiate the program will be placed on the next agenda. Grant Application Block 8. Staff reported that Anoka County has approximately $150,000 in grant funds that could be used to purchase property in Block 8 of the downtown redevelopment area. Two properties are currently for sale in the area and it appears that most of the cost for those parcels could be covered by the grant. Eligible costs would include acquisition, demolition and administrative expenses. It was pointed out that the acquisition would meet the Federal objective of clearing slum and blight, but if the property should later be put to use in a redevelopment, that future use must also meet a Federal objective. If the future use does not meet a federal object, some or all of the grant funds may need to be repaid. If the buildings were removed, the repayment would be for the land value only. Consensus was that the matter should be placed on the agenda for consideration of making a grant application.