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Home My WebLink About1980/01/14 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - RegularCall to Order Roll Call -_._____ MINUTES SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA January 14, 1980 A special meeting of was called to order at 6:34 p.m. the City Council by Mayor McQuaid The following Councilmen were present at roll call: Ronald Backes Martha Elstrom Lyle Hanks Phyllis Jerrold Mar.tin Keith Meland John Ralles McQuaid Police and Fire Pension Issues The City Manager presented information relative to pension plans including whether or not the City should consider the eventual conversion to PERA for newly hired police and fire employees. During the presentation, he explained that special legislation is required for each city desiring to change from its individual pension plan to the Statewide PERA program. This special legislation has required that ciiies making this conversion amortize the unfunded liability. Of thirty-three cities having individual pension plans, eleven have already assumed a combined pension system. Currently the League of Minnesota Cities is drafting a position paper and obtaining information to support general legislation requiring the State to bear the increased cost of converting to PERA until such time that the costs of converting to PERA equal those of phasing out the individual pension plan. The City Manager pointed out that public safety officers do not receive social security benefits and must be employed with the City for twenty years in order to draw upon their pensions. Robert Bolmgren President of the Firefighters' Relief Association presented his concerns pertinent to these pension matters. In his opinion, equalization would not occur until 2010 instead of 1996 as projected by the City Manager. Mr, go;�grenfelt that career mobility would increase some City costs. He also comnented that retirement would be extended for five additional years under PERA and that survivors' benefits under PERA are not as good as those presently received. He said some officers would be receiving different pensions than others. Because an actuarial study is currently underway, he requested that a moratorium be placed on this issue and that a comnittee be formed to study these pension matters. Percy Morris, President of the Police Officer's Relief Association, stated that police officers have foregone salary increases to obtain good pension benefits. He requested that this matter be deferred until after State-wide -17- r-�.�.+ police meetings have been held on this matter. He suggested that a�study comnittee report back to Council by November 1980. Councilman Martin supported the formation of a study corrmittee. He did not feel that a fully funded pension was necessary. Nor did he think comnand officers should receive better pension benefits by virtue of their positions. Councilman Hanks supported the need for a study comnittee and asked if there was a need for comnunity membership on the comnittee. It was moved by Councilman Martin, seconded by Councilman Ralles that (lj the staff coordinate between Council and the relief associations to begin the process of establishing a study committee which will submit a final report by..November, 1980, (2) a proposal addressing corrmittee composition be presented at the second meeting in February, and (3) the League be notified that Council has deferred this item for studye The motion was approved unanimously. Louisiana Avenue The Planning Director discussed the status of development plans for Louisiana Avenue. He said Council appeared to have three options:�(a) reaffirmation of the present policy, (b) review of a cost- benefit analysis for an earlier proposal not adopted by Council, or (c} reconsideration of the street desi�n. f Councilman r4eland explained that Council's adoption of Alternate 2 was � not a change in strategy but was an indication to property owners of the kind of intersection that would result at Minnetonka and Louisiana. Ne asked why this issue was being brought back to Council. The City Manager replied tF�at staff wished for further direction on how to proceed with property acquisition. Ne said that most homes in the 3100 block of Louisiana have already been acquired. Mr. Joe Daut of 3032 Louisiana told Council that the City did not seem to want to purchase this property. The City Manager said that staff inembers would be available to meet with Mr. Daut later that week regarding acquisition of 3032 Louisiana. It was moved by Councilman Hanks and seconded by Councilman Martin to direct staff to {1) review the alternatives and their costs and report back to Council in March and (2) to continue the acquisition program. The motion was approved unanimously. Second Floor Remodeling The City Manager reported that following a study for the second floor remodeling, he is considering establishment of the Recreation office in the Recreation Center. Staff will be checking with the seniors on this matter. There was a consensus among Council for the City Manager to continue looking irtto this alternative. Mobile City Hall The City Manager related some of the �rcblems which have been exper•ienced ir maintaining the regular shopping center visits of the Mobile City Hall. Because he was unable to continue -1�- �� staffing the Mobile City Hall with administrative assistants, he requested that Council consider establishing the position of corrmunity relations officer. Councilman Martin said that if response was low, he did not feel the Mobil� City Nall should be funded. Councilman Backes commented that in the past, the Mobile City Hall had also been used for capital improvement meetings in the neighborhood. Councilman Elstrom questioned how much it had been used by City groups and the amount of its maintenance costs, It was moved by Councilman Backes, and seconded by Councilman Elstrom, to discontinue the regular visits of the Mobile City Nall to the shopping centers. The motion was approved by a vote of 6-1 with Councilman Meland opposing. It was moved by Councilman Martin and seconded by Councilman Elstrom to direct staff to report on the costs of the Mobile City Hall as well as the advantages and disadvantages of its retention. The motion was approved by a vote of 4-3 with Councilmen Backes and Hanks and Mayor McQuaid opposing. It was moved by Councilman dispose of the school bus. Ralles withdrew the motion. Watermain Break Policy Ralle� and seconded by Councilman Meland, to Following a brief discussion, Councilman Councilman Meland expressed an interest in discussing procedures for handling watermain breaks. He specifically requested that Council address the proper responsibilities of the City and the property owner. The City Manager briefly reviewed the City's current policy and procedures. Councilman Meland was interested in learning the actual source of a problem. He felt that this should be considered when deciding who pays for the repairs. He was most concerned with the cost of street repairs because this tends to be the largest part of a bill. The City Manager stated that if the City assumed responsibility into the street, property owners would not be responsible for street repair costs. Councilman Hanks questioned if the City policy should not differentiate between new construction and existing structures. He also asked how many times this problem had occurred. It was moved by Councilman Meland, and seconded by Councilman Backes, to direct staff to prepare a report encompassing the following areas: 1) the number of watermain breaks classified by the type of street, 2j the number of watermain breaks occurring between the service box and the watermain, -19- • � . . . M�..ic� '.i ff/. _ .. . .. Fii ! 3) the causes of watermaim�breaks which have been determined when the line is opened, 4) if more problems will be encountered as the sy,stem grrnvs older, and ' 5) tf�e costs of any policy changes. The motion was approved by a 6-1 vote with Councilman Hanks opposing. Tabled and Deferred Items It was moved by Councilinan Hanks and seconded by Councilman Martin, to remove from the table all items ' that were tabled during the period from October 23, 1978, to March 15, 1919. The motion was approved unanimously. It was moved by Councilman Hanks, and seconded by Councilman Meland, to drop these items from further consideration. The motion was approved unanimously. It was moved by Councilman Meland, and seconded by Councilman Elstrom, to remove Improvement Project 78-28 from the table. The motion was approved by a vote of 5-2 with Councilman Backes and Hanks opposing. It was moved by Councilman Meland,and seconded by Councilman Elstrom, to reject Improvement Project 78-28. The motion was approved unanimously. It was moved by Councilman Backes, and seconded by Councilman Elstrom, to direct staff to prepare a complete listing of tabled and deferred items within the next few months and to update this listing every six months. The motion was approved by a 6-1 vote with Councilman Hanks opposing. MTC Request It was moved by Councilman Martin, and seconded by Councilman Backes, to allow MTC buses to operate on portions of Hampshire and Georgia Avenues between hlinnetonka Boulevard and West 31st Street in order to provide drop-off service to the Lenox Community Center. The motion was approved unanimously. Councilman Meland requested that all property owners in this irtxnediate vicinity be notified of this action. Snow plowing and Clearance of Sidewalks Mayor McQuaid asked Council to consider taking a stronger stand on removal of snow from sidewalks. Councilman Hanks asked staff to direct a letter to the City Attorney relative to the liability issues if a school child was injured while walking on the streets if the sidewalks had not been cleared, -20- 0 City Council minutes, January 14, 1980 Mayor McQuaid asked if a letter could be sent to violators of the City's snow removal ordinance. It was moved by Councilman Elstrom and seconded by Councilman Martin to draft a letter for snow complaints. The motion was approved by a 5-2 vote with Councilman Hanks and Meland opposing. Leaf Pick-Up It was moved by Councilman Elstror� and seconded by Councilman Martin, to discontinue the practice of raking leaves into the street for pick-up. The motion was withdrawn. Discussion followed regardin� the establishment of a cormiittee to study alternatives to the leaf pick-up program including its retention. It was moved by Councilman Backes, and seconded by Councilman Elstrom, to refer the leaf pick-up program to the Comnunity Relations Corrmission. The motion was approved unanimously. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 10:35 p.m. Attest: �� 1�. aron G."Klump Recording Secretary . �e yll s McQuaid, Mayor -21-