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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008/10/27 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session J/1 St. Louis Park OFFICIAL MINUTES MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION October 27, 2008 The meeting convened at 6:30 p.m. Councilmembers present: Mayor Jeff Jacobs, John Basill, C. Paul Carver, Phil Finkelstein, Paul Omodt, Loran Paprocki and Sue Sanger. Council members absent: None. Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmening), Organizational Development (Ms. Gothberg), Management Assistant (Ms. Honold), Director of Parks & Rec (Ms. Walsh), Finance Director (Mr. DeJong),Assistant Finance Director (Mr. Swanson) and Recording Secretary (Ms. Larrea). Guest: Roger Hokanson (Profiles International), Bill Morris (Decision Resources), and Peter Leatherman (Decision Resources). 1. Future Study Session Agenda Planning— November 3 and November 10, 2008 Mr. Harmening presented the staff report. On November 3 an additional item will be added to the agenda regarding the settlement proposal in the ARINC matter. 2. City Manager Annual Performance Evaluation Process Mr. Hokanson presented to the Council regarding the "Checkpoint 360" program to be used for the City Manager Annual Performance Evaluation Process. He distributed an evaluation form for the Council to identify the six most critical skills to the performance of the City Manager position. Councilmember Finkelstein questioned who would be included in completing this evaluation; if "Joe the Policeman" would fill out an evaluation form. Mr. Hokanson responded that it would only be employees working directly with Mr. Harmening. Mr. Harmening noted that a climate survey was undertaken with all city staff over the summer and these responses will be available at an upcoming study session. Councilmember Carver asked what other staff will be completing the questionnaires. Mr. Hokanson responded that all department heads will be completing the survey. Councilmember Paprocki questioned if a PDF form would be available. Mr. Hokanson responded that they will be able to provide a paper and PDF copy. Council consensus was to continue to move forward. Study Session Minutes -2- October 27, 2008 3. Residential Survey Update- Vision Mr. Harmening introduced the survey to Council by stating that the purpose of the survey is to continue a check with our residents to see how we are doing on vision and being good stewards of the public trust. It also gives us baseline data and a continual look on improvement of the city. Following the introduction, Mr. Morris and Mr. Leatherman presented to the Council regarding the proposed residential survey and process. Councilmember Sanger inquired as to the questions that are being asked of the residents. Her concern was that people may answer based on the current economic situation rather than the services they would be interested in. Mr. Morris responded that they address this by scaling the response of the answers like "strongly agree" and "agree". Councilmember Basill asked is a question should be included to get feedback from the entire community on the excess land sale proceeds. Councilmember Carver did not think this question was necessary on the survey because it will not bring them to a better decision on the issue. They would not get any beneficial feedback because there is so much background information in regard to this issue. Councilmember Sanger agreed with Councilmember Carver, stating residents will not have a full background of information to give a fully educated response. Mayor Jacobs would like to add questions to the survey regarding how the City is doing in encouraging business and jobs. Ms. Honold indicated that we would be doing a business survey later on. He would also like to see questions to the residents on whether the City should be doing something to keep up the property value of their homes. Councilmember Sanger responded that there was a similar question on the survey five years ago. She was hoping that they could add something on vacant houses and rental houses. Mr. Harmening asked if questions number 67 and 68 adequately addressed vacant and rental homes. The Council concurred that they did. Councilmember Basill questioned the Council if they wanted to send out the survey at all. He does think that the survey is important because you get feedback from the whole community rather than a small group that could have a certain opinion on something. Councilmember Sanger wanted to include a question regarding the Community Center. Mr. Harmening responded that they have not discussed the idea enough to include it on the survey. He suggested that when they have things further along a special survey could be sent out regarding a Community Center idea. Study Session Minutes -3- October 27, 2008 Ms. Gothberg noted that there is room to add more questions to the survey if Council would like to do so. Councilmember Sanger would like to know when they will see the responses to the survey. Ms. Gothberg responded that it would likely be in early January 2009. Consensus of the Council was to move forward with the survey. 4. Excess Land Sale Proceeds Mr. Harmening presented the report to the Council regarding the alternative proposals for how to use the land sale proceeds. He questioned the Council if they would like to convene a task force. Councilmember Carver was not in agreement to have a task force. Councilmember Sanger also noted that she would not like to convene a task force and would like staff to itemize options of how the proceeds could be used for Council consideration. Mayor Jacobs questioned when they would like to have a decision on this. Councilmember Paprocki noted that he would like to see the money used for public art at each of the light rail stops. Councilmember Finkelstein felt that if the staff came back with four or five ideas of how the proceeds could be used that the Council could then review the options and add to it. He wanted to know if they could hold off on sending out the survey until they hear back from the staff. Councilmember Basill noted that he would like to see public process used to resolve the issue of how the proceeds will be used. Councilmember Sanger noted that she would like to see the Council have some type of discussion, put together options, and then open it up to a public discussion. Mayor Jacobs noted that a task force is a select group of people and he didn't know if a task force was necessary, but there had to be public process. Councilmember Paprocki stated his concern that if a public forum is held the decision would be made based on those resident's opinions alone. He liked the idea of using a task force. Councilmember Finkelstein does not like the idea of using a task force but would like to see a public process. He would also like to have a special Council meeting or include questions on the survey. He noted that the Council had agreed not to put the money in the general fund but to use it in the community some way. Councilmember Basill noted that he would only like to see this resolved with some form of public process. He felt that the task force, a public meeting, and the survey would all be adequate public processes. He felt that the survey could be a good option. Councilmember Sanger questioned if there could be something on the City website where people could give their suggestions and ideas. Study Session Minutes -4- October 27, 2008 Mayor Jacobs noted that they already have a task force, the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission. He noted that staff could work with the Council and hold small public forums to get suggestions. Councilmember Sanger didn't think that they would get a good turn out for public forums. She suggested that Councilmembers bring it up when they speak at neighborhood meetings. Mr. Harmening noted that they have good feedback from the visioning process and questioned Council why residents felt that a task force was so important. Mr. Basill assumed that it was because public land was sold and residents felt they should have a say on how the money is used. Councilmember Paprocki noted there are a lot of issues that they could address in a public forum. If they had five ideas they could present them at an ice cream social and get the opinion of the everyday citizen. Mr. Harmening noted that they would develop broad categories of ideas. Councilmember Carver would like staff to bring areas of consideration for how to use the proceeds. He felt that a task force would bring expectations and is interested in using a public process that gives Council the right to make the final decision. He felt that citizens need to stand up and take charge if they would like to be heard on the issue. He would like the Council to use the information they have to indentify the areas where the money could be used, and would like to see the proceeds used for a long-term reinvestment in the City. Councilmember Finkelstein would like staff to come back with five areas where they think the proceeds could be used. He would then like Council to review the areas, narrow it down, and then post the questions in the survey and on-line to get feedback from the residents. He would like a public process to be used in the decision. Councilmember Paprocki would like staff to come up with 20 or so ideas. The Council could then narrow it down to five and those five would be presented to the residents to decide which ones they would like to move forward. Councilmember Basill noted that if they put the questionnaire on-line there is no limit to the number of times that people can complete the survey. He would like to see questions included on the mail survey. and felt that it would be a fair public process. Councilmember Carver would like to call all people who are interested and let them know that they must be present to be heard. Mayor Jacobs noted that he hears "no" on using a task force at this time. Councilmember Sanger noted that there will not be enough background information to include this question on the survey. Study Session Minutes -5- October 27, 2008 Councilmember Basill felt that the survey would be a nice alternative to get Citywide feedback. Councilmember Paprocki noted that there has to be boundaries or they are going to be all over the place. Councilmember Basill agreed that the Council needed to create boundaries. Councilmember Paprocki questioned if this could fit into the winter retreat agenda. Mr. Harmening answered in the affirmative. Mr. Harmening noted that the survey would have to be delayed until the first of the year if they were going to include these questions on the survey. Councilmember Basill questioned if they delay the survey, would it delay anything else. Mr. Harmening responded no other items would be delayed, but staff had hoped to use the results of the survey at the Council's winter workshop. Councilmember Carver felt there needed to be direction from the Council as to how the money could be used and it had to be something that benefited the entire City. Councilmember Sanger would like to send out the survey as it is and would not like to include questions on excess land sale proceeds. Councilmember Omodt thought he heard from the neighborhoods that they were expecting the money would go directly into their neighborhoods and not to the entire City. He noted that the school used an open on-line survey and this would be an option for the City to get feedback. Mayor Jacobs noted that they would have to control how many times a person is allowed to vote on an on-line survey. Mr. Harmening noted that it appeared a majority of the Council felt that this item should not be included on the survey. He further indicated the consensus of the Council was for staff to come back with ideas on how to use the land sale proceeds and a public process could be developed from there. 5. Financial Policies Mr. DeJong presented to the Council regarding the new and updated financial policies in preparation for the upcoming bond sale and bond rating review. Staff is proposing that the updated policies be formally adopted at the November 3`d City Council meeting. Councilmember Sanger questioned if this would affect the bonds the City would be considering in a couple of weeks. Mr. DeJong confirmed that it would. Mr. DeJong presented to the Council how the City currently fares in each of the following seven areas: revenue and expenditure assumptions, budget amendments and updates, long-term financial planning, long-term capital planning, debt management policies, and reserve and liquidity policies. It was the consensus of the Council to move forward with the recommendations of the staff. Study Session Minutes -6- October 27, 2008 6. Communications (Verbal) The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m. Written Reports provided and documented for recording purposes only: 7. September 2008 Monthly Financial Report 8. Quarterly Investment Report (3`d Quarter June- September 2008) 9. Foreclosed Properties Update I iZ► Nancy Stroth, City Clerk Jeff Jaco.s, ' ay.r