City Council

December 16, 2019 Regular City Council Meeting MINOT CITY COUNCIL – SCHEDULED MEETING – DECEMBER 16, 2019 AT 5:30 P.M. ROLL CALL Members Present: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky Members Absent: None PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Sipma presiding and led the City Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES – APPROVED Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council approve the minutes of the December 2, 2019 regular City Council meeting. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. 2019 INTEREST DISTRIBUTION – APPROVED Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council approve the 2019 Interest Distribution sheet. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. ORDINANCE NO. 5431 - ADOPTION OF 2018 IBC, IRC, IMC, IECC, IFGC CODES AND IEBC – SECOND READING – APPROVED Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council place ordinance no. 5431 on second reading to adopt the 2018 ICC (International Code Council) code cycle and the 2018 IEBC (International Existing Building Code). Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried unanimously. Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council pass ordinance no. 5431 on second reading. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. ORDINANCE NO. 5432 - ADOPTION OF IFC CODE – SECOND READING – APPROVED Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council place ordinance no. 5432 on second reading to adopt the 2018 IFC (International Fire Code). Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried unanimously. Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council pass ordinance no 5432 on second reading. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. ORDINANCE NO. 5433 - COMPENSATION OF CITY ALDERMEN AND MAYOR – SECOND READING – APPROVED Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council place ordinance no. 5433 on second reading to repeal and reenact Chapter 2-20, Compensation of Aldermen, to increase from five hundred ninety-five dollars ($595.00) per month to one thousand one hundred ninety dollars ($1,190.00) per month; and Chapter 2-118, Mayor Compensation from seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00) per month to one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500.00) per month. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried unanimously. Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council pass ordinance no. 5433 on second reading. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none.  December 16, 2019 Regular City Council Meeting ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVALS – APPROVED Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council ratify the following administratively approved requests. 1. The Starving Rooster for a special event permit November 23, 2019 at the Regency at 1st and 1st (105 1st Ave SE) 2. 5 LRS COED to conduct a raffle December 14, 2019 at Clarion Hotel (2200 E Burdick Expy) 3. Gymagic Gymnastics to conduct raffles through June 30, 2020 at Gymagic Gymnastics and Minot Auditorium (5645 18th Ave SE & 420 3rd Ave SW) 4. Power of 1 to conduct a raffle April 2, 2020 at Buffalo Wild Wings (3820 S. Broadway) 5. The Starving Rooster for a special event permit December 8, 2019 at the Regency at 1st and 1st (105 1st Ave SE) 6. Dakota Cruisers to conduct a raffle September 19, 2020 at the Clarion Hotel (2200 E Burdick Expy) 7. North Dakota Professional Aviation Mechanics Association to conduct a raffle March 2, 2020 at the Grand Hotel (1505 N Broadway) 8. Elevation for a special event permit December 12, 2019 through December 26, 2019 at The Depot (15 N Main Street) 9. ND Chapters of Delta Waterfowl, Inc. to conduct a raffle February 21, 2020 at the Grand Hotel (1505 N Broadway) 10. Souris Valley Animal Shelter to conduct a raffle December 14, 2019 at Elevation (1912 Valley Bluffs Drive) 11. Minot AFB Ducks Unlimited to conduct a raffle December 12, 2019 at Buffalo Wild Wings (3820 S. Broadway) 12. Disabled American Veterans Chapter 4 to conduct a raffle May 6, 2020 at the Veterans Room (225 3rd Street SE) 13. Boy Scout Troop 425 to conduct a raffle February 20, 2020 at Congregational United Church of Christ (430 North Broadway) 14. Arny’s 2.0 for a special event permit December 13, 2019 at the Carnegie Center (105 2nd Ave SE) 15. The Grand Hotel for a special event permit December 12, 2019 at Minot State University (500 University Ave W) Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. 2019 PAVEMENT MARKINGS - CHANGE ORDER PAYMENT (4442) – APPROVED Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council approve a payment of $15,568.66 to West River Striping Company for a change order to the 2019 Pavement Markings project. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. AWARD OF BID FOR 1 SKIDSTEER LOADER (FD0102) – APPROVED Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council accept the bid from Swanston Equipment in the amount of $33,392.00 with trade in allowance for the skidsteer and include the snow blower attachment option for $4,533.00 for a total award of $37,925.00. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. ORDINANCE NO. 5434 – BUDGET AMENDMENT- SKIDSTEER LOADER (FD0102) – FIRST READING – APPROVED Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council place ordinance no. 5434 on first reading to amend the 2020 annual budget to increase the Fire capital equipment expenditures and revenues and decrease the Fire maintenance buildings and grounds expenditures and revenues for the purchase of a skid steer loader. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried unanimously. Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council pass ordinance no. 5434 on first reading. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. AWARD OF BID- FIREFIGHTING BOOTS – APPROVED Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council award the bid to Grand Forks Fire Equipment in the amount of $26,334.00 for the purchase of 66 pairs of lightweight, well fitting, slip resistant leather Firefighter Boots at the recommendation of an ergonomics study completed by MSU for WSI grant funding.  December 16, 2019 Regular City Council Meeting Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. RESOLUTION NO. 3648 - 2020 ELECTION POLLING SITE – APPROVED Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council adopt resolution no. 3648 naming the inspector, fixing the polling place and setting the hours for the June 9, 2020 Primary Election and the November 3, 2020 General Election. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. SPECIALTY RESTAURANT BEER & WINE LICENSE – PIZZA PROPERTY, LLC DBA MARCO’S OF MINOT – APPROVED Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council approve the request from Pizza Property, LLC dba Marco’s of Minot for a Specialty Restaurant Beer and Wine license operating at 1250 4th Ave NW. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. SECURITY SYSTEM SUPPORT AGREEMENT – APPROVED Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council approve the annual support agreement with MEI/Parsons Technologies for the Airport’s security system and authorize the Airport Director to sign the agreement. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. EMERGENCY SERVICES COMMUNICATIONS CENTER JPA – APPROVED Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council approve the Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Minot and Ward County formalizing the operations and funding of Minot Central Dispatch and 911 Communications. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. APPROVAL OF PLANS AND SPECS FOR SWIF "E" P 3135.2E – APPROVED Alderman Olson moved the City Council approve the plans and specifications for the final bank stabilization areas identified in the levee inspections on the SWIF, as well as removal of sediment from the river channel and authorize advertising for bid. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner. Alderman Wolsky asked if this work has anything to do with the active river channel and the dead loops or the culverts. Mr. Jonasson replied by saying, not at this time. This is mainly a bank stabilization project. He said, they previously pulled a portion of the SWIF D project, which was work to an outfall just north of 4th Avenue on the west side of Broadway, so there will be culvert work done there. At a future time, they plan to bring back a project to do some cleaning of some of the outfall and inlet culverts into the dead loops to remove the heavy silt buildup. Alderman Wolsky explained that he brought it up because the Council has approved the idea of seeing the dead loops revitalized. The work going on to the north of Oak Park, where they dramatically rebuilt the culvert could have been redesigned to improve river flow in that channel. He does not want to invest in old infrastructure and old engineering practices that we could move on from. Whereupon a vote was taken on the above motion by Alderman Olson, seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. APPOINTMENT OF CONTRACT PROSECUTOR – APPROVED  December 16, 2019 Regular City Council Meeting Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council appoint Attorney Morgan Glines to represent the City of Minot in the prosecution of municipal ordinance violations and authorize the Mayor to sign the contract relating to these services on behalf of the City of Minot. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. STATION 5 AE2S ENGINEERING CONTRACT (FD0024) – APPROVED Alderman Pitner moved the City Council approve the contract agreement with AE2S for the civil engineering services for Fire Station 5 and authorize the Mayor to sign the agreement Motion seconded by Alderman Olson and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. ORDINANCE NO. 5435 – AMEND THE 2019 ANNUAL BUDGET- FIRE STATION 5 AE2S CONTRACT (FD0024) – FIRST READING – APPROVED Alderman Pitner moved the City Council place ordinance no. 5435 on first reading amending the 2019 annual budget to increase Capital Purchases and decrease fire operation supplies for the survey engineering for Fire Station #5 and transfer the revenue accordingly. Motion seconded by Alderman Olson and carried unanimously. Mr. Lakefield said, a budget amendment was added because funding for this work was included in the 2020 budget but needed to be done before the snowfall. It is using 2019 funding to pay for this contract. Alderman Pitner moved the City Council pass ordinance no. 5435 on first reading. Motion seconded by Alderman Olson and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. CITY HALL TECHNICAL TEAM RECOMMENDATION (4466) – TABLED Alderman Jantzer moved the City Council discontinue the site selection process for the former Midwest Federal Savings and Loan Building (M Building) and enter into due diligence and purchase negotiations for the former Wells Fargo Building for the City Hall Relocation project. Motion seconded by Alderman Olson. City Manager Barry explained the recommendation and said the Technical Team came to the conclusion after a lengthy period of assessment. They conducted a robust space analysis, identified areas that could be consolidated and potentially moved, and calculated projections of the amount of space needed going forward to utilize for the next 50 years. Options were presented during the City Council retreat including potentially expanding the current location, constructing a new building, or rehabilitating existing buildings. The $3.75 million allocated through the NDR program would only be accessible if rehabilitating an existing building downtown, so the Council directed staff to proceed in that direction. They analyzed the only two buildings that met the space needs, the former M Building and the former Wells Fargo building. After ten to twelve weeks of study, reports were compiled and the technical team unanimously decided to recommend the former Wells Fargo building. He reminded that time is of the essence if using the NDR funds since the deadline for those funds is September 2022. Alderman Straight asked about the square footage of the current City Hall, to which Mr. Meyer responded by saying, it is 13,000 square feet of office space, not including the Police Department. At the request of Alderman Jantzer, Mr. Meyer summarized they conclusions from their report. He said, they started by calculating the amount of space needed today and what would be needed into the future. They then had to find all of the information available on the buildings and summarize that. They were able to conduct a thorough walkthrough to get an idea of the systems in place in both locations. They looked at available parking and the cost for acquisition and remodel. He said, the M Building would cost more to bring up to code because of age and remediation items. After summarizing, they analyzed the feasibility of using the spaces and made a recommendation to the technical committee. Alderman Pitner asked how the local share of funds affects the timeline in which the project needs to be completed.  December 16, 2019 Regular City Council Meeting Mr. Barry responded by saying, the NDR funds need to be spent before September, 2022 but they don’t anticipate that would be a problem even if the project continues afterwards. Local funds could be used after that date. Alderman Jantzer asked which operations would be transferred to the new facility. Mr. Meyer stated, the new building would include space for the Mayor and City Council, City Manager, City Attorney’s Office, Finance, HR, NDR Program, IT, and Central Dispatch. Currently, NDR is housed at Public Works, IT is at the Auditorium and Central Dispatch is in the Police Department. They also included a small amount of space for a potential congressional office lease that may or may not come into fruition. There’s general office supply storage and hallways included as well. Alderman Podrygula said he requested a copy of the reports last week and had a chance to review them. It is important that people know why the technical team is making the recommendation. He continued by saying, this is a major project that will stand for generations and cost a lot of money. He said, he was leaning toward the Big M Building prior to reading the report but now has concerns about safety issues there. He asked the City Engineer if it is accurate to say it seems more economical to rehab the former Wells Fargo building. Mr. Meyer said, the reports are based on the information they have but they are going on a lot of assumptions as well. They don’t have architects on staff so are using numbers that are based on previous projects. All of the estimates are to try and get a ballpark figure for the project. Both buildings are in great shape but when looking at which one would best suit the City’s needs, the Wells Fargo building stands out. There are more options available because the column spacing allows for flexibility in creating public assembly space. The Midwest Federal Building works well for office space but is not ideal for more open space. He said, for our needs, it would be cheaper to remodel the Wells Fargo building. Upon further questioning by Alderman Podrygula, Mr. Meyer confirmed that based on preliminary cost estimates, building new would be cheaper than remodeling an existing building. Mayor Sipma reiterated that they did not want to disparage one building over the other and emphasized that the City’s needs differ from those of an office or other professional building. Alderman Pitner asked about the square footage of the buildings. The Midwest Federal Building is 82,000 square feet compared to Wells Fargo of 45,000 square feet. Mr. Meyer said, those measurements are based on the gross square footage. If you compare net rentable space, the M Building has 50,000 square feet whereas the Wells Fargo Building has 42,000 square feet. Upon further questioning by Alderman Pitner, Mr. Meyer said at this time, the remodel would involve a top to bottom renovation. Mayor Sipma mentioned, if this project moved forward, there would be discussions with current tenants. Final completion of the project would not be needed by the end of the NDR program so occupied space could be renovated last. Alderman Straight asked about the CTE project that at one time had potential to be included with the relocation of City Hall. Mr. Meyer said it is not included in this report and that there are other options on the table at this point. Alderman Straight then asked about space for Council Chambers, to which Mr. Meyer responded by saying, space is allocated at the new City Hall building and the current Council Chambers could be used for Municipal Court. Mayor Sipma said, the intention is to remove all of the City functions from the Auditorium so that building could be used for events that have since left the Magic City for lack of event space. Alderman Pitner stated, it seems like neither building has adequate space for a 50-year projection. Mr. Meyer said, one thing to keep in mind is that they looked at a layout of what could be. A conversation taking place at the department level is the possibility of digitizing records. The space analysis right now has 6,000 square feet allocated to records storage. If you digitize a vast majority of those records, that space could be used for other expansion. There are other options for expansion at either site to get where we need to be.  December 16, 2019 Regular City Council Meeting Alderman Straight moved the City Council table the item until the next Council meeting. Motion seconded by Alderman Podrygula and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Pitner, Podrygula, Straight, Wolsky; nays: Jantzer, Olson, Sipma UPDATED PURCHASING POLICY / BUY LOCAL TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION – APPROVED Alderman Olson moved the City Council approve the proposed Purchasing Policy which includes the Buy Local Task Force's recommendation to include the definition of "Local Vendor" and the section relating to "Local Vendor" in the proposed Purchasing Policy. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner. Mr. Lakefield clarified, they need approval to move forward with the updated Purchasing Policy which they will bring back to Council at the next meeting in the form of a resolution. The current Purchasing policy is contained within City Ordinance so the attached ordinance will repeal that section and reenact section 2-133 to reference the new policy. Alderman Jantzer asked if the purchases in the $0-$5,000 category have a requirement for a local quote in the new policy. Mr. Lakefield said, local vendors would be covered under the guidelines but until the purchase reaches over $5,000 in the proposed policy, they would not be required to get additional oral or written quotes. Nothing would prohibit them from doing that however, if the purchasing agent wanted to shop around. Alderman Wolsky said the buy local component is an approach he hadn’t considered but he likes it. It allows more freedom for employees to move business expeditiously and get the government processes out of the way. He said he trusts the judgement of the individuals making purchases in the City. He then raised concerns about the thresholds described in the policy and said the public may not be comfortable with waiting until a purchase is $50,000 before conducting a sealed bid process. He said, he cannot support the policy with the proposed thresholds. Alderman Podrygula asked if these thresholds are commonly accepted around the state in other municipalities. The City Attorney stated, it varies among cities throughout North Dakota, some are higher, some are lower. Wahpeton has a threshold for sealed bids of $100,000. The state requires bids when a purchase exceeds $100,000, Bismarck is $25,000, Grand Forks is $30,000 so it really varies. She also mentioned, while sealed bids are not required until a purchase reaches $50,000, all purchases that haven’t been included as a line item in the approved budget or which need a budget amendment, would also come to Council for approval. Mayor Sipma asked about the process to determine the thresholds for purchases and if they decided on some middle ground. John MacMartin, of the Chamber of Commerce said, the committee’s conversation revolved around budgeted items and how to speed the process along for items specifically outlined in the budget. Alderman Podrygula asked if there was a rough estimate of expenditures within the $25,000-$50,000 range. Mr. Lakefield said, the current ordinance states that anything over $15,000 requires a formal bid process and City Council approval. They come before the Council fairly regularly. The current policy is a lot more broad. With the new policy, as long as the product is identified by line item it would not require additional Council approval. Mr. Barry explained, the thresholds in the policy depend on the comfort level of the Council. They were modernized by the committee to provide greater flexibility while improving the level of scrutiny through the new process. The statistics regarding purchases are not available yet because we don’t have the ERP system in place. He said, the thresholds were a balancing act, some cities have higher thresholds so there was debate in both directions. He reminded, they are talking about informal oral and informal written quotes as well so there is still price checking involved with all purchases. The sealed bid process is onerous for the vendors and for staff. They believe if they already have an approved line item in the budget, this is simply describing the manner in which to purchase the item. The thresholds allow for more flexibility to go after more local quotes. In the sealed bid process, anyone can bid and the City’s hands are tied as far as how to award the bid. Mr. MacMartin agreed and said the policy increases the potential for business in the local community. Alderman Jantzer said, if Council approves the items in the budget, he is comfortable with the thresholds. He believes staff is professional enough to know when to reach out to Council for consideration. The policy improves efficiency which is a good idea.  December 16, 2019 Regular City Council Meeting Mr. MacMartin pointed out that changing from an ordinance to a resolution makes it easier to make revisions in the future. Mr. Lakefield said, the existing process is antiquated and inefficient. The new ERP system will improve the entire requisition process but until then, this is a better practice that builds in the appropriate approvals before going live with the new system. Alderman Olson said she anticipated hearing more about the buy local aspect of the policy. She commented that reaching out 65 miles to the surrounding communities proves that we appreciate those residents who also spend money in Minot. Alderman Podrygula said he is reassured by putting accountability up front. He reiterated his concerns with conflicts of interest and said the language in the policy must be beyond suspicion. The current conflict of interest policy is inadequate and he was pleased to hear it will be reviewed in the coming year as well as the overall employee policy. Whereupon a vote was taken on the above motion by Alderman Olson, seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight; nays: Wolsky. ORDINANCE NO. 5436- AMEND THE CMCO SECTION 2-133 PURCHASING – FIRST READING – APPROVED Alderman Olson moved the City Council place ordinance no. 5436 on first reading to amend the City of Minot Code of Ordinances, Section 2-133 (Purchasing Procedures) to reflect the existence and authority of the Purchasing Policy. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried. Alderman Olson moved the City Council pass ordinance no. 5436 on first reading. Motion seconded by Alderman Pitner and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight; nays: Wolsky. RESOLUTION NO. 3649 – ADOPT THE 2020 U.S. CENSUS MARKETING BUDGET AND OUTREACH PLAN – APPROVED Alderman Pitner moved the City Council adopt resolution no. 3649 approving the 2020 U.S. Census Marketing Budget and Outreach Plan. Motion seconded by Alderman Olson. Community Development Director, Brian Billingsley, presented information on the Complete Count Committee’s marketing budget and outreach plan. He outlined their goals as well as listed all of the members in the 16-person committee. He explained that there are multiple ways to participate in the 2020 census including mail, online, and by phone. He shared statistics regarding the rates of participation for the last census in 2010 and said the goal is to improve participation above 80%. Mr. Billingsley then mentioned a couple grants that have been awarded to print door hanger advertisements and grocery bag inserts, as well as advertisements on City buses. He presented the full $25,000 budget which was allocated from the 2020 Planning Department budget. He also listed the locations for mobile kiosks that will move throughout the city. Mayor Sipma mentioned the importance to reach 50,000 residents and become an entitlement city, not just for the CDBG grants, but also to be put in a category with greater potential to attract business. Alderman Straight asked if the City received any grants for the 2010 census and commended Mr. Billingsley for obtaining them this year. Mr. Billingsley responded by saying, he did not believe they were available during the last census but there was $5,000 budgeted and $5,000 awarded from a local grant. The Mayor suggested also reaching out to retirement communities to which Mr. Billingsley stated, the Census Bureau goes to nursing homes to collect data. Alderman Olson presented an open invitation to the public to provide additional ideas and suggestions. Whereupon a vote was taken on the above motion by Alderman Pitner, seconded by Alderman Olson and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Jantzer, Olson, Pitner, Podrygula, Sipma, Straight, Wolsky; nays: none. PERSONAL APPEARANCES Tim Knutson stated, he is the realtor for the “Big M” Building and invited Council members to view the property. He also requested a copy of the analysis reports that were compiled by staff.  December 16, 2019 Regular City Council Meeting CITY OF MINOT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY The Public Information Officer, Derek Hackett, presented a summary of the Community Engagement Strategy titled, “Listen, Speak, Act.” He described the goals of the document and went into detail about the strategy. The Community Engagement Team, made up of staff members, also enlisted a focus group of community members to help formalize the strategy document. He explained that it provides a framework for departments to follow in order to build confidence in the community and the Council when projects or initiatives take place regarding City business. The strategy should provide avenues for feedback and establish a culture of internal and external communication. The strategy defines different levels of engagement and the actions that should take place within each of those levels. It also acknowledges the correlation between the level of impact and the level of public participation. The strategy includes a toolkit for staff to use as a step by step guide to efficiently and consistently engage the public. Alderman Jantzer asked if there would be a training program if the strategy were implemented, to which Mr. Hackett replied by saying, yes, he intends to hold a workshop with Department Heads. He added, the last thing they want to do is adopt a strategy that is never used. Alderman Wolsky said, he appreciates the targeted approach but wondered what aspects were considered and ultimately not included in the strategy that lead to the focus being on staff. He mentioned the need for youth engagement and said, we are still looking for a solution in that area. Mr. Hackett said the strategy includes a matrix that defines the best levels of engagement but the group is open to further suggestions. The Mayor stated, no action is required at this time. The Council should review the City of Minot Community Engagement Strategy and supply staff with feedback. DEPARTMENT REPORT: CITY ATTORNEY City Attorney, Kelly Hendershot, gave a presentation describing her department. She introduced her team and described a brief history of the evolution of the City Attorney’s Office. She elaborated on the role of the City Attorney’s office and identified the tasks they handle on a daily basis. She also provided the Council with handouts from the North Dakota Court System explaining Rule 1.13 Organization as a Client as well as an article titled, “You and Your Municipal Attorney- 11 Tips to get the Most out of the Partnership.” LIAISON REPORTS Alderman Straight mentioned the new Executive Director for Visit Minot, Stephanie Schoenrock. Alderman Olson said, the committees she’s involved in presented earlier, the Census Complete Count Committee and the Buy Local Task Force. Alderman Podrygula had nothing to report. Alderman Wolsky said, the Zoning Ordinance Steering Committee is nearing the end of its work and will be presenting a draft to the Planning Commission and City Council in late winter or early spring. Alderman Jantzer had nothing to report. Alderman Pitner had met with the Library Board. He also spoke about the Gathering Space Technical team which has moved forward with negotiations for Site #3 and is on pace to meet the February deadline. The All-Seasons Arena will have ice through spring to help the Park District who had issues with a rink this year. Mayor Sipma said he attended a County Weed Board meeting that morning. He had also met with the City Hall Relocation Technical Team which made a recommendation to Council this evening. The MADC Board is continuing to look for an Executive Director and he acknowledged John MacMartin for temporarily filling the role. ADJOURNMENT  December 16, 2019 Regular City Council Meeting There being no further business, Alderman Pitner moved the City Council meeting be adjourned. Motion seconded by Alderman Jantzer and carried unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 7:21 pm. ATTEST: ______________________________ APPROVED: _______________________________ Kelly Matalka, City Clerk Shaun Sipma, Mayor