City Council Workshop

WORKSHOP MINUTES OAKDALE CITY COUNCIL NOVEMBER 28, 2023 The City Council held a workshop on Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at Oakdale City Hall, 1584 Hadley Avenue North, Oakdale, Minnesota. The meeting began at 5:00 PM. Present: Mayor Kevin Zabel Council Members: Noah Her Jake Ingebrigtson Andy Morcomb Susan Willenbring City Staff Members: Christina Volkers, City Administrator Sara Ludwig, City Clerk Jesse Farrell, City Engineer Andy Gitzlaff, Community Development Director Melanie Lee, Human Resources Director Luke McClanahan, City Planner Nick Newton, Police Chief Lori Pulkrabek, Communications Manager Jim Romanik, Public Works Manager John Stark, Special Projects Manager Kyle Stasica, Accounting Manager Julie Williams, Recreation Superintendent Kevin Wold, Fire Chief Kevin Zittel, Facilities Manager Others Present: Brit Harmon, Animal Control Officer, Companion Animal Control 2024 EMPLOYEE BENEFITS Human Resources Director Melanie Lee explained that there are significant changes to the construction of the City’s 2024 employee benefits which is why this item is before the Council for review and information. In response to Council Member Morcomb’s question about early negotiations yielding a better monetary result, Ms. Lee noted that significant savings were a result of consolidating ancillary offerings to one provider, and a willingness to look at different plan options. City Administrator Volkers added that Ms. Lee likely received greater savings by starting the bidding process earlier than in past years. In response to Council Member Willenbring’s question about the City providing dental insurance, Ms. Lee stated that the City had a confusing arrangement with previous dental coverage, but has since been able to offer all levels of dental coverage at no cost to the employees. WORKSHOP MINUTES NOVEMBER 28, 2023 PAGE TWO Council Member Her thanked Ms. Lee for her work on this item. He asked if the level of coverage provided by the City is comparable to other cities. Ms. Lee said that in early 2023, City staff benchmarked against peer communities, and the City is fairly comparable. One area that will need evaluation is the City-offered life insurance. Mayor Zabel asked if the City looked at other sectors when benchmarking. Ms. Lee clarified that staff only looked at other municipalities. Council Member Ingebrigtson expressed his satisfaction with the City’s offerings given Ms. Lee’s report on comparability to other cities. Council Member Willenbring encouraged the City to continue to evaluate the life insurance offerings. Ms. Lee indicated that the City has numerous areas to explore for future benefits options. In response to Mayor Zabel’s question regarding the type of life insurance provided by the City, Ms. Lee stated it is term life insurance. ESTABLISHING 2024 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES Special Projects Manager John Stark explained that City staff took a look at last year’s legislative priorities (removing any that have been fulfilled), those of other organizations that represent municipalities, and professional organizations that department heads are affiliated with when developing the compiled list of potential 2024 legislative priorities. He noted that some organizations have not made their lists available as of this meeting. Mr. Stark highlighted two new recommendations that were not part of the 2023 legislative priorities – School Resource Officer (SRO) and Law Enforcement Recruiting and Retention. One item that should have been added to the 2024 list is Supporting Washington County in Their Efforts to Redesign and Reconstruct the Geneva Ave N & Highway 36 Intersection. Lastly, Mr. Stark offered that over the course of working on past legislative priorities, legislators have said ‘less is more’ when it comes to a legislative priorities list. Ms. Volkers added that it is up to the Council’s discretion regarding the number of priorities. Mayor Zabel mentioned keeping Priority K – Noisewall from the 2023 legislative priorities list to show residents that the City is advocating for them, but that neither an east side or a west side should be indicated. Council Member Morcomb stated that anything that is important to the City should be on the list, even if the priority may not move through the legislative process. He suggested the addition of Permanent and Sustainable Funding for Mental Health Services. Mayor Zabel requested that language be added to define the proper provider of the funding, i.e., Washington County Department of Health. Mayor Zabel suggested that the list be broken out into city, regional, and state-wide municipal priorities. In response to Council Member Morcomb’s question about the reasoning for having Minnesota Cities Initiatives on the list, Mayor Zabel explained that if there are topics that the Council might not agree with, this priority gives Ms. Volkers the option to bring it to Council for their opinion and direction. WORKSHOP MINUTES NOVEMBER 28, 2023 PAGE THREE Council Member Willenbring suggested adding Locally-Controlled Zoning Regulations to the list based on the possibility of groups pushing to make zoning regulations a State-level decision. Mayor Zabel was unsure if there has been enough momentum behind this effort to warrant inclusion on the list. Ms. Volkers added that local control is important in this regard. Mayor Zabel suggested that City staff organize the list based on the Council’s feedback and bring it back to a future workshop before formal approval at a subsequent regular City Council meeting. In the meantime, Council Members should send any additional items to Ms. Volkers for inclusion. Council Member Willenbring asked for clarification on the Local Option Sales Tax Adjustment (L.O.S.T.) stating that the item is requesting flexibility for an increased collection amount due to inflation and cost increases. Ms. Volkers confirmed. COMPANION ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL - CONCEPT PLAN City Planner Luke McClanahan presented on the Companion Animal Care and Control Concept Plan reviewing the adjacent businesses and Site Plan, necessary Planned Unit Development (PUD) amendments, and the need for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). In reference to the suggested PUD amendments, Mr. McClanahan noted that the Development Review Committee (DRC) determined that the proposed exterior building materials consisting primarily of “Designer Premium Pro-Snap Standing Seam” roofing and siding, and do not satisfy the Zoning Ordinance standards, which states that “pre-engineered metal buildings of any kind are prohibited.” Mayor Zabel asked how the City defines pre-engineered metal buildings given the information about the structure found in the memo. Mr. McClanahan clarified that it is not the structure itself, but the exterior that is considered pre-engineered. He added, because the property is located in a PUD zoning district, some flexibility to the design standards could be offered through a PUD amendment, at the Council’s discretion. If the Council is amenable to this option, staff is recommending that unique architecture elements be integrated into the overall building design so it does not appear to be overwhelmingly metal. Community Development Director Andy Gitzlaff noted that the adjacent Marlys Early Education Center development received some flexibility related to the requirement of at least 70% Class I materials, specifically on the non-street facing sides. In response to Mayor Zabel’s question about staff’s interpretation of the percentage of Class I material based on this proposal’s concept designs, Mr. McClanahan estimated 25-30% currently. WORKSHOP MINUTES NOVEMBER 28, 2023 PAGE FOUR Britt Harmon, Animal Control Officer with Companion Animal Control, explained that the building will be custom designed and built, and there is no pre-engineered aspect. She added that Chief Building Official Greg Brady was supportive of standing seam which is included in the proposed design. There will be an abundance of windows to provide natural light for the dogs and cats. Ms. Harmon stated that this facility will have a direct impact on the animals in the community. In response to Mayor Zabel’s question about why staff is proposing a deviation from Industrial/Office (I/O) to Commercial, Mr. McClanahan noted that the nature of the use is more “transactional” versus I/O which encompasses the creation or storage of property. Additionally, it offers a service to the community. Mayor Zabel further asked how this business is different than an auto towing business which is allowed under I/O as a special use. Mr. McClanahan stated that the kennel aspect of the business is allowed under Commercial as a special use. In response to Mayor Zabel’s question about staff’s decision to classify this use as Commercial versus I/O which is a deviation from the City’s past actions regarding these types of businesses, Mr. McClanahan did not have the historical knowledge to speak to past decisions. Mr. Gitzlaff added that when the PUD was initially reviewed in relation to this proposal, staff classified this as a Commercial use, however, because the application has not been formally submitted, the classification can be changed. In response to Mayor Zabel’s question about the definition of similar superior metals as found in the Zoning Ordinance, Mr. McClanahan stated that it is metal with no unique features. To follow up, Council Member Willenbring asked how this type of metal differs from steel siding for a home. Mr. McClanahan could not speak to this question due to lack of expertise in building materials. Council Member Morcomb was supportive of the proposal design as presented, including the current siding choice. Council Member Ingebrigtson was supportive of the concept plan, but was unsure if the metal siding design fits in with the other buildings in the current proposed location. Ms. Harmon stated that there is a lot of pride that will go into this building. She is not hard set on the colors of the building, and is willing to accept input if it would make the building design more cohesive with the adjacent business. Ms. Volkers suggested that staff work with the applicant to ensure the same flexibility is given to this development as was given to the adjacent business in terms of the required type of building materials. In response to Council Member Willenbring’s question about interior noise deterrents, Ms. Harmon explained that there are sound proofing mechanisms within the building materials. In response to Council Member Morcomb’s question about the animal capacity, Ms. Harmon noted that there will be 24 dog kennels and 20-30 cat kennels. WORKSHOP MINUTES NOVEMBER 28, 2023 PAGE FIVE In response to Council Member Morcomb’s question about any potential disruption to the childcare center next door due to the dog’s being outside, Ms. Harmon explained that the dogs will not be outside together as this is not a play yard concept. She added that there will be solid fencing around the outdoor areas. In response to Council Member Her’s question about the waste mitigation plan, Ms. Harmon stated that there is no turf or asphalt to create runoff, but general waste disposal is through simple trash. In order to provide consistency between these adjacent developments – Companion Animal Care & Control and Marlys Early Education Center – Council Member Willenbring suggested that the same building material requirements that were imposed on Marlys also be imposed on Companion. The Council was supportive of this suggestion. Ms. Volkers reiterated that the applicant is open to making changes to meet the Zoning Ordinance requirements. The Council had no concerns with the PUD amendment related to the number of parking spaces. PROPOSED 2024 FEE SCHEDULE CHANGES Ms. Volkers explained that the fee schedule likely will not be brought to workshop every year moving forward, but over the past few years City staff has been reviewing and compiling all City fees for inclusion in this singular document which is why it is before Council now. She added that the police security contract fees for 2024 have not been determined yet and will be based on real costs to the City. The discussion shifted to a review of the current “contractual police services” model versus that of off-duty employment. Ms. Volkers noted that under the current model, the police officers are “on-duty” licensed officers representing the City, thus their pay for these contractual services comes through the City’s payroll. Mayor Zabel expressed his desire to have a policy conversation prior to any discussions between the City and the police unions on this matter. Police Chief Nick Newton noted that the City’s current model is consistent with other agencies, and that he would prefer to research the off-duty employment model in greater detail before any discussions take place about switching models at a policy or other level. In response to Council Member Morcomb’s question about the increase for the background check fee, Ms. Volkers clarified that the background check fee was previously in the City Code and has now been moved to the fee schedule. Council Member Willenbring stated that she could not support the fee schedule due to the inclusion of the increased fees related to utilities. Staff was directed to add the fee schedule to the December 12, 2023 regular City Council meeting for final approval. WORKSHOP MINUTES NOVEMBER 28, 2023 PAGE SIX CITY COUNCIL ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS – ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Mayor Zabel explained that this item is a follow up from a prior workshop discussion about how the Council can provide direction to the advisory bodies at their appreciation dinners for 2024. He asked the Council to think about any additional areas that the advisory boards and commissions should focus on outside of what is already outlined in their respective City Code. Additionally, Mayor Zabel asked each Council Liaison to kick off their respective appreciation dinner with a brief introduction, but stated staff would handle the agenda, if applicable. In response to Council Member Willenbring’s question about the expectation for Council Members to attend each appreciation dinner, Mayor Zabel said that due to scheduling conflicts, it is unlikely every Council Member will be at every appreciation dinner; however, they should strive to have at least three Council Members at each one. In response to Council Member Morcomb’s question about the Council Liaison assignments, Mayor Zabel stated that there is no rule about whether they change or stay the same from year-to-year as it is up to the current Council’s discretion. The assignments for 2024 were unofficially determined and will be formally approved at the January 9, 2024 regular City Council meeting. Mayor Zabel asked each Council Member to look at their advisory bodies’ respective City Code functions and duties section and get feedback on any changes as these responsibilities, along with the work plans, which will drive the work for 2024 and could have 2025 budget implications depending on what the advisory bodies bring to the Council. He further added that these conversations will help ensure that the advisory bodies are working on what the City Council would like them to work on. In response to Council Member Willenbring’s question about a future training regarding Robert’s Rules of Order, meeting etiquette, etc., Ms. Volkers confirmed that staff is working on this and it will be done with the advisory boards/council liaisons/staff liaisons. Council Member Morcomb suggested that each Council Member think about and offer ideas to bring to each advisory body for further discussion and/or direction. He asked about the process for dissemination once these ideas are brought forth, particularly if he should bring them to staff or the commission first. As an example, Council Member Morcomb mentioned that there are possibly parks in the City that are seldom used so he would like feedback from the Parks and Recreation Commission regarding the number of parks in the City. Mr. Gitzlaff noted that the Parks System Master Plan will do an inventory of City parks and engage with the community, and then provide recommendations to the City based on the information gathered. Council Member Willenbring asked if the City can sell unused parks and develop the land. It was confirmed that this is a possibility but there are many laws/rules pertaining. Mayor Zabel offered various ideas about improvements to passive parks. WORKSHOP MINUTES NOVEMBER 28, 2023 PAGE SEVEN In response to Council Member Willenbring’s comment about clarification of the Council Liaison role, Ms. Volkers stated this conversation will help provide that clarification, but she can also provide direction as needed. MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION – CITY ENGINEER City Engineer Jesse Farrell provided a high-level update on the 2024 Street Reconstruction and Overlay Project, stating that the draft feasibility report is complete. He also noted that the neighborhood meeting took place earlier in the month. In response to Mayor Zabel’s question about the factors that affect the breakeven point of maintenance costs versus replacement costs, Mr. Farrell explained that there have been advancements in the measurement of pavement quality over the last few years, but typically streets have a useful life of 25-30 years, with pavement condition being a good metric for choosing replacement projects. Mr. Farrell noted that the Finance and Engineering Departments are currently working on the funding information for the 2024 Street Reconstruction and Overlay Project because the typical assessment rate increase year-over-year has not kept up with inflation. In response to Mayor Zabel’s question about this causing a change to the 2024 special assessments, Ms. Volkers stated there is not enough data at this time, but if a change is needed then it will come before Council for direction. Mayor Zabel requested that, when possible and time appropriate, City staff look at revising the current special assessment policy, specifically regarding the assessment of corner lots. Mr. Farrell reported that Washington County is redoing 50th Street North which will affect the abutting neighborhoods. This project may interfere with the City’s planned reconstruction of the street, but City staff is working with Washington County to accommodate both projects. Next, Mr. Farrell noted that the City is working with Bolton & Menk to study alternatives for proper accommodation of pedestrians using 40th Street North to cross I-694. Regarding the 2024/2025 Water Tower Project, Mr. Farrell said that project development has begun. City staff met with the design team, and schedule adjustments are being considered to reduce overall project costs, reduce operational risk, and accommodate telecommunication relocation. Lastly, Mr. Farrell spoke to the 2025 (and beyond) Street Reconstruction Projects, stating that possible increased utility replacement expenses may necessitate reduced project scopes in future years. Ms. Volkers added that staff are looking for additional funding sources for these projects. WORKSHOP MINUTES NOVEMBER 28, 2023 PAGE EIGHT Mayor Zabel suggested that the Council have a future discussion about adjusting the typical street replacement schedule. Ms. Volkers stated that Mr. Farrell is doing this type of analysis and will bring the results to Council for future consideration. RECESS FOR REGULAR MEETING AT 6:50 PM WORKSHOP RECONVENED AT 7:50 PM after Regular City Council Meeting ADMINISTRATOR UPDATE Ms. Volkers reported that she and Chief Newton met with Canvas Health to discuss a partnership regarding a State application for grant funding for a Canvas Health mental health employee to work alongside the Oakdale Police Department. Additionally, Ms. Volkers discussed this with Washington County and they indicated they will discuss to partner with the City to fill in any gaps related to mental health services. Selections for the state grant funding will take place in fall 2024. In response to Council Member Willenbring’s question about the monetary value of the grant, Chief Newton said it can vary. In response to Council Member Willenbring’s question about the effectiveness of this program in other communities, Chief Newton noted there is no template for the best practice of this partnership, but it is important for cities to have an avenue in which to follow up on mental health related calls. COUNCIL TOPICS As a follow up from the October 24, 2023 workshop meeting, Council Member Morcomb supported the suggestion that the City provide laptops to elected officials. Mayor Zabel was supportive if there was a policy in place in which the taxpayers are not negatively affected if the laptop is damaged and needs to be replaced. Ms. Volkers added that anyone who receives a laptop from the City is required to sign Metro-Inet’s acceptable use policy and city equipment can only be used for city work. She summarized that there was support for any elected official who requests a laptop could be provided with one if they sign the acceptable use policy and pay the wholesale replacement cost if it were damaged. Council Member Her clarified that the laptop would be lent out during the elected official’s term and returned to the City when their term is over so it can be provided to another elected official who may need it. Council Member Ingebrigtson reported that he went on a ride-along with Police Sergeant Sean Coffey and Police Officer Tim Wessels. Council Member Her requested a future police officer ride-along. Ms. Volkers asked that he send her an email with possible dates so that can be arranged. Mayor Zabel encouraged the Council to attend a few upcoming community events – Winter Wonderland, Firetruck Santa Visit, and Holiday Helping Hands. WORKSHOP MINUTES NOVEMBER 28, 2023 PAGE NINE ADJOURNMENT The workshop was adjourned at 8:03 PM. Respectfully submitted, Sara Ludwig, City Clerk