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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1985/09/09 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study SessionMINUTES STUDY SESSION ST. LOUIS PARK CITY COUNCIL September 9, 1985 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. Roll Call The following members were present at roll call: Ron Backes, Tom Duffy, Keith Meland, Larry Mitchell, Lyle Hanks. Also present were the City Manager, the Finance Director and the Assistant Finance Director. 3. City/Reilly agreement The most recent draft of the City/Reilly agreement was discussed. The City Manager informed the Council that a letter is being drafted in response to a letter from the MPCA advising the City of the agency's Position with respect to the proposed City/Reilly agreement. Councilman Mitchell requested a written opinion or interpretation of the City/Reilly agreement that can be reviewed by the City Council before approval of the agreement in its final form. The City Manager also reported that the MPCA has sent a letter of approval concerning the GAC plant to the EPA. Now, the EPA must send a letter to Calgon before construction of the plant can begin. The timeframe for completion of the plant will likely be extended into December because of the extra time required for state and federal review of the construction plans. 4. Sale of Property at Wooddale/Highway 7 The City Manager brought Council up to date on discussions concerning the sale of property at Wooddale and Highway 7. 5. Community Relations Commission Council reviewed the proposed amendments to the resolution establishin g the Community Relations Commission. The proposed resolution was changed to delete specific references to projects undertaken by the Community Relations Commission. Instead, the duties of the Community Relations Commission will be determined by the matters referred to the Community Relations Commission by Council and staff. 6. Proposed 1986 Budget The City Manager commented that the 1986 proposed budget is a continu- 14 ad ation of the level of services provided this year. He noted that the City is at 65 percent of its levy limits. Levies for general obligation bonds and the police and fire relief associations are lower this year. This is a trend that is expected to continue. He asked the City Council to give consideration to methods of funding the Park Improvement Fund. Mayor Hanks said that he was interested in dedicating .25 mill to the Park Improvement Fund. Council questioned if any increases in license and permit fees would be recommended for the proposed budget. The City Manager replied that a report on license and permit fees is being completed. .ft After comparing the salaries paid to mayors and councilmembers in other similar metropolitan communities, it was moved by Council- man Backes, seconded by Councilman Meland, to increase the annual salary of the mayor to $7,200 and the salary for councilmembers to $4,800. The motion passed 4-1 (Mayor Hanks opposed). During discussion of the legal budget, Council acknowledged receipt of a letter from John Miller requesting that his firm serve as the City's prosecutor. The Council stated its satisfaction with the level and quality of services provided by the current prosecutor. A decision was made to continue with the current prosecutor during 1986. Because of concerns about the level of service provided by the counselor, staff was directed to prepare a study of how legal services are provided in other metropolitan cities. During the review of the unallocated general expense budget, Council asked for additional information on funding of the proposed domestic abuse project. Specifically, Council questioned why the cities of Minnetonka and Hopkins are participants in this project but do not contribute to the funding of the shelter. It was moved by Councilman Meland, seconded by Councilman Duffy, to dedicate .25 mill to the Park Improvement Fund and to reduce the transfer from the general fund to the Park Improvement Fund by the amount that could be raised by .25 mills. The motion passed 4-0 (Councilman Backes was out of the room). During the discussion of the Park and Recreation Fund budget, the City Manager noted that the contribution from the School District that had been projected in the proposed budget has been reduced from $84,150 to $78,108. It was moved by Councilman Mitchell, seconded by Councilman Meland to increase the general fund transfer to the Park and Recreation Fund by $6,042 and re -estimate the revenue contribution from the School District at $78,108. The motion passed 5-0. The City Manager noted that $5,000 had been included in the Cable TV budget to cover expenses related to the Centennial celebration. Council members discussed the need to hire a public relations or promotional specialist to assist with the Centennial and/or the development of public relations materials on the groundwater program. Discussion also focused on the feasibility of combining the public relations task with those of lobbying and legislative monitoring. 0 City Council study session minutes September 9, 1985 Council indicated that the $5,000 appropriation in the Cable TV budget would not be sufficient for covering Centennial expenses. Staff was directed to pull together a proposal that would guide hiring of a public relations specialist. The City Manager and the Mayor will meet with members of the Centennial commission to discuss what steps should be taken to hire such an individual. Following a complete review of the proposed 1986 budget, it was moved by Councilman Meland, seconded by Councilman Backes, to increase the 1986 general fund mill levy by an additional .25 mill.and increase the contingency appropriation in the unallocated general account. 1. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Sharon Klump�