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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996 07-15 CCM Special Work Session MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPIN AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA SPECIAL WORK SESSION JULY 15, 1996 CONFERENCE ROOM B CALL TO ORDER The Brooklyn Center City Council met in special work session and was called to order by Mayor Myrna Kragness at 7 p.m. ROLL CALL Mayor Myrna Kragness, Councilmembers Kathleen Carmody, Debra Hilstrom, Kristen Mann, and Charles F. Nichols, Sr. Also present were City Manager Michael J. McCauley and Council Secretary Connie Beckman. INQUIRY FROM LOGIS REGARDING ISSUANCE OF BONDS BY ANOTHER MUNICIPALITY The City Manager has been contacted by LOGIS (Local Government Information Systems) inquiring whether Council would approve issuance of bonds by another municipality for use in constructing a new LOGIS office building in Brooklyn Center. Pros and cons of LOGIS being located in the city were discussed. Council unanimously agreed it was not in the best interest of Brooklyn Center to approve sale of any bonds by another municipality. GENERAL DISCUSSION OF COUNCIL MEETINGS Currently, Roberts' Rules of Order are used in conducting Council business. However, Roberts' Rules are designed for large -group meetings. Currently, the City of Robbinsdale is using Sturgis in conducting Council business. The City Manager suggested Council consider developing a simplified set of rules and abandon intricate rules. Councilmember Nichols indicated a desire to further investigate implementation of an alternate method in order to conduct i C business in a more expeditious manner. It was unanimously a tY P Y greed to have someone experienced in approaches of meeting conduct provide Council with further information so that an educated decision could be made about which format(s) to use. The City Manager will make arrangements for a verbal presentation. Concerns /feedback have been communicated to Council regarding content of the July 8, 1996, Council meeting invocation. It was the consensus of Council that concrete expectations of invocation content -- should it continue to be part of Council meetings - -need to be established. And until these can be determined, a moment of silence should be observed in place of the invocation. Mayor Kragness will personally contact Dean Nyquist regarding this decision. As well, the City 07/15/96 -1- Manager will send a letter to the Brooklyn Center Prayer Breakfast Committee reiterating Council's decision at this time, pending further clarification of invocation content expectations. MEETINGS WITH COMMISSIONS DEVELOP SCHEDULE The City Manager discussed meetings already scheduled with commissions. He reminded Council of tight scheduling given upcoming budget - related meetings and suggested scheduling of additional meetings with any commissions wait until after the first of the year (1997). Councilmember Hilstrom stated it is the Council's duty to specify policy direction for commissions and indicated concern about some commissions preparing to establish individual commission goals /objectives. Councilmember Nichols concurred and stated it is each commission's task to advise on consent and/or how to obtain a respective policy. ANNUAL MEETING The City Manager suggested Council consider expanding the annual joint meeting of the Council and its advisory commissions to include a volunteer appreciation format which would include current, outgoing, and past commission members. This event could be held one time each year. Written correspondence would be also sent to outgoing members expressing appreciation for past service to the City. Councilmember Nichols cited the importance of recognition adding it might encourage others to volunteer participation on a commission. Mayor Kragness suggested holding the annual meeting in the same month each year. FINANCIAL COMMISSION INVOLVEMENT Councilmember Carmody indicated the Financial Commission may not need to meet every month since its work load varies dramatically over the year. Given this, discussion ensued about whether specific issues should be referred to a task force as needed rather than as a standing commission. 'It was Council consensus to look at changing the Commission to a task force. FUTURE WORK SESSIONS Council set the following dates for work sessions: Thursday, August 8, 1996, at 7 p.m. Monday, August 19, 1996, at 7 p.m. -- budget and general Monday, September 16, 1996, at 7 p.m.-Joint meeting with Brooklyn Park Monday, October 7, 1996, at 7 p.m. Monday, October 21, 1996, at 7 p.m. 07/15/96 -2- DEDICATION OF BOB CAHLANDER PARK The dedication of Bob Cahlander Park has been scheduled for Tuesday, July 30, 1996. The City Manager will see if it could be scheduled at 8:30 or 9 a.m. COUNCIL CANDIDATE FILINGS The City Manager distributed an updated list of Council candidate filings. REQUEST FROM LEAGUE OF MINNESOTA CITIES FOR CONTRIBUTION TO RIGHT -OF- WAY EFFORT The City Manager informed Council of a request from the League of Minnesota Cities for participation in funding a task force which would help design a uniform set of design standards to accommodate coaxial cable. The task force would be in effect for one to three years. There was Council consensus to have this item put on the July 22, 1996, agenda for official approval. UPDATE ON FIRE/POLICE /CITY HALL BUILDING ISSUES The City Manager advised the Council he was exploring and comparing options for fire station remodeling or building. The fire station located on 63rd and Brooklyn Boulevard is a possibility for remodeling and expansion. A retro fit on Dupont where a bay could be added and space expanded might be another option. The City Manager suggested expanding at 63rd and making it a main station and eliminating duplication of some facilities at Dupont should be a more cost - effective approach than adding space at both stations. A decision to fund the remodeling project via a bond issue would need to be decided by September 1996. An alternative is to hold a special election which would cost money. Currently, there are significant police department space issues which include office space for female employees, booking area, and holding cell. The City Manager presented Council with a rough sketch for possible consideration of an addition to the current police station/city hall building. Councilmember Hilstrom would like to see police department issues be given higher priority versus the fire department training center. The City Manager indicated a desire to complete remodeling of the police station/city hall building with cash and remodeling of the fire department via bond sales. Optimal time lines of starting on such projects would be as follows: police in first part of 1997 using the City fund balance; fire before the first of 1997 using bond issue monies. The City Manager indicated is was more important to use monies from the fund balance rather than increase taxes, and if a bond issue was posed but did not pass it would be a higher priority to address the police station/city hall building needs. Councilmembers Hilstrom and Carmody desire to have both projects bonded at the same time if funding is going to be an issue. REVIEW OF POLICIES ON BUDGET AND DATES The City Manager distributed budget information. He informed Council of the following: the preliminary tax levy will need to be set at the first regular session `in September 1996; the preliminary levy cannot exceed a certain level; bonded indebtedness can allow the levy to be raised. 07/15/96 -3- COUNCIL OVERVIEW OF OBJECTIVES /CONCERNS FOR BUDGET PROCESS A target levy of three to four percent was suggested. Discussion included increase ratios of property taxes and how they relate to school district levies: decide if what's being spent makes sense; identify available resources; make decisions of base spending (i.e. personnel, etc.). Councilmember Hilstrom strongly emphasized requiring submitted goals to be "measurable" which reflect what's happening and/or not happening. RECREATION PROGRAM SUBSIDY TARGETS YOUTH SENIOR ADULT) Discussion of youth programs, who they are provided (resident/non - resident) and financial implications were discussed. Councilmember Hilstrom suggested consideration of establishing a certain percentage of subsidies for each program (children, youth, adult, etc.). She emphasized a need to distinguish between residents and non - residents with respect to program/activity fees and suggested consideration of having some "grants" available for residents. GENERAL VERSES SPECIALIZED (I.E. COMMUNITY CENTER V. POTTERY CLASSES) The City Manager added it would be financially beneficial to establish/identify a criteria for programs. In other words a required number of participants for each program/activity would be established. If there were not enough participants to meet that required number, the program/activity would be canceled. The City Manager stated that a philosophy should be held of not doing a program/activity if it is not financially beneficial for the City. As well, there needs to be criteria distinction between what activities the City would subsidize and would not (i.e. field trip outing versus a class). PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ( COUNCIL DIRECTION ON SOLICITATION OF PROPOSALS /SCHEDULE,) The City Manager will investigate when contracts expire with the attorneys and engineers. Council will address budgeting issues as respective contracts come up for renewal. WADING POOL There was discussion of how much the wading pool is utilized and its cost effectiveness. There were also safety concerns relating to parents not properly monitoring small children who are using the wading pool. The City Manager indicated the wading pool could be converted into an area providing additional locker room space. The City Manager indicated potential closing of the pool by the Health Department and wondered whether Council desired to wait on any decision making until that happens. Councilmember Hilstrom indicated a desire for the City to be proactive versus reactive. PAY OFF OF LIQUOR STORE LOAN (APPROXIMATE BALANCE: $137,000) Councilmember Carmody suggested paying off the loan if the general fund comes in at a certain ; amount under budget and selling the Humboldt site. Councilmember Hilstrom expressed concern 07/15/96 -4- about the Northbrook site in that property taxes have not been paid. Issues surrounding a potential location of the municipal liquor store being located at the new Rainbow Foods site were discussed. LANDSCAPING TARGET LEVEL The City Manager requested clarification about the extent of landscaping and associated upkeep maintenance (i.e. mowing) Council desired for City properties. He indicated a desire to see nice and appealing landscaping, but only that which does not require high maintenance, resulting in increased personnel budget expense; Council concurred. SPEED LIMIT ON 69TH AVENUE Council unanimously agreed to the leave the speed limit as is at this time. TAX INCREMENT FINANCING The City Manager informed Council a response from Springsted is overdue and has delayed a presentation to the Council. DISCUSSION OF MATERIALS FROM CARL NEU Goals were reviewed and discussed by Council. Mayor Kragness indicated a desire to see development of an updated job description for code enforcement officers. CITY MANAGER EVALUATION The City Manager offered verbal suggestions and accompanying explanations of evaluation formats stating that they should provide for more objectivity. The "goals" section needs to be measurable /articuable. The "general duties" section should allow for a general verbal overview (in written form) which would contain specific comments. After further discussion, the City Manager will redesign the evaluation into a shorter format containing the four goals (Code Enforcement, Familiar with Staff and City, Fire and Police, New Budget Format) previously established for the City Manager and the general duties format used by Minnetonka. The redesigned format will be presented for Council approval at the July 22, 1996, regular Council meeting. PLANNING COMMISSION VACANCY The Council discussed a recommendation by the Planning Commission regarding one of its members who has been absent from a majority of this year's meetings. Councilmember Carmody inquired whether any contact had been made with the Commission member in question. The City Manager responded written correspondence had been sent to the member, however, no contact on the part of the member had been reciprocated. It was the consensus of Council to have the City Manager send a final letter to the member in question as a last resort prior to declaring the Commission position vacant. ADJOURNMENT A motion by Councilmember Hilstrom and seconded by Councilmember Mann to adjourn the meeting at 10:50 p.m. passed unanimously. 07/15/96 -5- City Clerk Mayor Recorded and transcribed by: Connie Beckman TimeSaver Off Site Site Secretarial 07/15/96 -6-