City Council

REGULAR ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL MEETING – SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 MINUTES The Regular Bi-Monthly Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Julie Trude, September 1, 2015, 7:00 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Councilmembers present: Sheri Bukkila, Valerie Holthus and James Goodrich Councilmember absent: Mike Knight Also present: City Administrator, Jim Dickinson City Attorney, Scott Baumgartner Others PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE RESIDENT FORUM Mr. Ross Sheldon, 1041 159th Lane NW, thanked the Council for their accessibility. He lives next to the railroad and he has noticed within the last few months the trains going through the City are going very fast and he is concerned with all of the possible chemicals traveling through. Mr. Dickinson stated this rail line is considered high speed but he is not sure of what the standard speed is on the rail. He indicated he would have Mr. Berkowitz check into this, and get a reply to Mr. Sheldon. Ms. Mary Kirby, 830 Andover Boulevard NW, stated originally the trains would go really slow but since they have redone the crossings she has noticed the trains going very fast along the route. This is good for the cars waiting on the roads but a concern for the residents living in the area. PROCLAMATION – DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH – OCTOBER 2015 Mayor Trude read the Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October 2015 Proclamation. Mayor Trude noted that all the members of the Council will be signing the proclamation. PROCLAMATION – CONSTITUTION WEEK – SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2015 Mayor Trude read the Constitution Week proclamation. Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – September 1, 2015 Page 2 AGENDA APPROVAL Staff added Item 9a (Review/Adopt 2016 Debt Service Levy Changes) to discussion items and Item 10a (Set Hearing Date(s) for 2016 Budget & Levy Discussions & Public Comment) to staff items. Motion by Bukkila, Seconded by Holthus, to approve the Agenda as amended above. Motion carried unanimously. APPROVAL OF MINUTES August 18, 2015, Regular Meeting: Correct as amended. Mayor Trude requested line 2 on page three be deleted because even though she did make the misstatement she corrected it later in the meeting, which was not stated in the minutes. Councilmember Goodrich stated on page one, line 40 change Councilmember Trude to Mayor Trude and on page three, change the name to Nereson. Motion by Goodrich, Seconded by Bukkila, to approve the minutes as indicated above. Motion carried 3 ayes, 1 present (Holthus). CONSENT ITEMS Item 2 Approve Payment of Claims Item 3 Approve Naming of Open Space Property – Dalske Woodlands Item 4 Approve Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Coon Rapids – Crooked Lake Slow No Wake Regulations and Enforcement Item 5 Receive Assessment Roll/Order Public Hearing/15-14/The Meadows of Round Lake Overlay (See Resolution R075-15) Item 6 Approve Contract for School Liaison/Anoka-Hennepin School District #11 Item 7 Accept Resignation/Retirement – Streets Maintenance Worker Motion by Bukkila, Seconded by Goodrich, approval of the Consent Agenda as read. Motion carried unanimously. PRESENTATION – STEPPING STONE EMERGENCY HOUSING Ms. Julie Jeppson, Development Director, for Stepping Stone Emergency Housing made a presentation to the City Council on Stepping Stone’s mission and benefit to the Andover community. Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – September 1, 2015 Page 3 Mayor Trude thanked Ms. Jeppson for her presentation and informing them about their programs and shelter. She noted she was able to visit with Councilmember Knight as part of the North Metro Mayor’s Organization and she appreciated knowing that they work on teaching people how to fill out job applications and there are computer terminals that people are able to use. Councilmember Holthus asked if they ever get visits from the Minnesota Workforce Center. Ms. Jeppson stated they are working on a collaboration and the final information and press release will be sent out next week. There is a collaboration between Anoka County Libraries, the Workforce Center and the Metro North Adult Basic Education Department at Anoka Tech and they are having a satellite workforce center at Stepping Stone starting September 10th. They are creating a four part curriculum focused on job aspects. She stated Adult Basic Education will come in and assess the educational level of their guests twice a month starting on September 3rd. Based on that they will give their guests direction on GED placement, assessments or if their guests have a high school diploma or equivalency, they can also work with the guests on the local community colleges and other courses that the Workforce offers. She stated the Anoka County Library will come in with their unbelievable resources and support they offer and work with their guests on a weekly basis. The Council thanked Ms. Jeppson for her presentation. REVIEW/ADOPT 2016 PRELIMINARY TAX LEVY Mr. Dickinson explained each year the City Council is required by state law to approve a preliminary budget and submit a preliminary levy certification to the Anoka County Property Records and Taxation Division by September 30th. Mr. Dickinson reviewed the staff report and budget guidelines with the Council. Councilmember Goodrich appreciated Mr. Dickinson’s work and thought it was worth repeating that the tax rate is staying the same. They are capturing a lot of growth that is sustainable and he thought it was good fiscal management policies they are taking advantage of. He stated he supported the preliminary levy and budget. He thought the budget was very well done and a good job was done by staff. Councilmember Holthus asked how close the City is at the end of the year to what the budget is. Mr. Dickinson stated they are usually within a couple percentage points. He stated he challenges staff to stick to their budgets. He pushes to be at least two percent of the budget or better by the end of the year. Mayor Trude knew staff has been working really hard on following the guidelines and she thought it was important that they do continue to add revenue for the new growth areas of their community because they have added numerous roads and thought the road fund is one of the highest priorities. The City Council has been supportive of maintaining the roads so they do not get into a situation many other cities near them have been in where they have not planned for Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – September 1, 2015 Page 4 needed roadway renovations. Staff does look at the facilities and infrastructure and evaluate them continually and she felt that was a very valuable part of budgeting. She stated everything is looked at cautiously and carefully over time and they have developed a level of confidence with staff. Things are very well thought through and planned before coming to the City Council. Councilmember Bukkila stated over the past seven years she has been on the City Council this is one of the easiest budgets they have had to negotiate through. She stated even though the public is getting an overview of the budget, staff and the Council have spent many hours discussing and working through it. Motion by Holthus, Seconded by Goodrich, to approve sesolution R076-15, adopting the 2016 Preliminary Tax Levy. Motion carried unanimously. REVIEW/ADOPT 2016 DEBT SERVICE LEVY CHANGES Mr. Dickinson stated the Anoka County Property Records and Taxation Division requires a City Council resolution changing bonded indebtedness levies for 2016 that would have been certified to Anoka County as part of prior years’ bond sales. Mr. Dickinson reviewed the information with the Council. Motion by Bukkila, Seconded by Holthus, to approve resolution R077-15 that would update certified bonded indebtedness levies for 2016. Motion carried unanimously. RESCHEDULE NOVEMBER 3, 2015 COUNCIL MEETING Mr. Dickinson stated the first Council meeting in November falls on Election Day. He asked the City Council to reschedule the meeting to another date or time. Mr. Dickinson reviewed the staff report with the Council. Motion by Holthus, Seconded by Bukkila, to move the November 3, 2015 City Council meeting to Monday, November 2, 2015. Motion carried unanimously. SET HEARING DATE(S) FOR 2016 BUDGET & LEVY DISCUSSIONS & PUBLIC COMMENT Mr. Dickinson stated the Truth in Taxation law, M.S. 275.065, requires cities to schedule a meeting at which the budget and levy will be discussed and public input will be allowed prior to the final budget and levy determination. This year, that meeting must be scheduled between November 25th and December 28th and be held after 6:00 p.m. Motion by Bukkila, Seconded by Goodrich, to set a 2016 Budget and Levy hearing schedule for Tuesday, December 1, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. and a second meeting date for Tuesday, December 15, Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – September 1, 2015 Page 5 2015 at 7:00 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT City Staff updated the Council on the administration and city department activities, legislative updates, updates on development/CIP projects, and meeting reminders/community events. MAYOR/COUNCIL INPUT (League of Minnesota Cities) Mayor Trude stated she received correspondence from the League of Minnesota Cities about a retirement and placement of David Unmacht as the new executive director of the organization. Mr. Dickinson stated Mr. Unmacht is very familiar with League of Minnesota Cities and has worked closely with him in the past. (Newsletter Inquiries) Mayor Trude stated she has had a few calls about information from the newsletter and a lot of interest in seeing the gas station on 7th Avenue turning into something else along with interest in some of the other developments in the City. (Workshop Bus Tour) Mayor Trude noted they will be doing their annual bus tour of the City during their September Workshop meeting to see projects in the community and have an opportunity to discuss them as they look at them together. RECESS Mayor Trude recessed the regular City Council meeting at 8:22 p.m. to a closed session of the City Council to discuss Union Negotiations Update. RECONVENE The City Council reconvened at 8:46 p.m. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Bukkila, Seconded by Holthus, to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:47 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Sue Osbeck, Recording Secretary Regular Andover City Council Meeting Minutes – September 1, 2015 Page 6 REGULAR ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES – SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE..........................................................................................................1 RESIDENT FORUM.......................................................................................................................1 PROCLAMATION – DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH – OCTOBER 2015... 1 PROCLAMATION – CONSTITUTION WEEK – SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2015............................ 1 AGENDA APPROVAL.................................................................................................................. 2 APPROVAL OF MINUTES........................................................................................................... 2 CONSENT ITEMS..........................................................................................................................2 Approve Payment of Claims........................................................................................................2 Approve Naming of Open Space Property – Dalske Woodlands................................................2 Approve Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Coon Rapids – Crooked Lake Slow No Wake Regulations and Enforcement................................................................................... 2 Receive Assessment Roll/Order Public Hearing/15-14/The Meadows of Round Lake Overlay (R075-15).............................................................................................................................2 Approve Contract for School Liaison/Anoka-Hennepin School District #11............................. 2 Accept Resignation/Retirement – Streets Maintenance Worker................................................. 2 PRESENTATION – STEPPING STONE EMERGENCY HOUSING.......................................... 2 REVIEW/ADOPT 2016 PRELIMINARY TAX LEVY (R076-15)............................................... 3 REVIEW/ADOPT 2016 DEBT SERVICE LEVY CHANGES (R077-15).................................... 4 RESCHEDULE NOVEMBER 3, 2015 COUNCIL MEETING..................................................... 4 SET HEARING DATE(S) FOR 2016 BUDGET & LEVY DISCUSSIONS & PUBLIC COMMENT................................................................................................................................ 4 ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT.................................................................................................... 5 MAYOR/COUNCIL INPUT...........................................................................................................5 League of Minnesota Cities............................................................................................................. 5 Newsletter Inquiries.........................................................................................................................5 Workshop Bus Tour.........................................................................................................................5 RECESS to Closed Session - Union Negotiations Update..............................................................5 RECONVENE................................................................................................................................. 5 ADJOURNMENT........................................................................................................................... 5