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01 21 20 Work Session MinutesCity Council Work Session January 21, 2020 Page 1 City of New Hope 4401 Xylon Avenue North New Hope, Minnesota 55428 City Council Minutes Work Session Meeting January 21, 2020 Northwood Conference Room CALL TO ORDER The New Hope City Council met in work session pursuant to due call and notice thereof; Mayor Hemken called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. ROLL CALL Council present: Kathi Hemken, Mayor John Elder, Council Member Cedrick Frazier, Council Member Andy Hoffe, Council Member Jonathan London, Council Member Staff present: Kirk McDonald, City Manager Jeff Alger, Community Development Specialist Dan Boyum, City Engineer Tim Fournier, Director of Police Rich Johnson, Director of HR/Admin. Services Sarah Larson, WMFRD Fire Chief Valerie Leone, City Clerk Walker MacBeath, HR Coordinator Tom Mahan, Animal Control Officer Susan Rader, Director of Parks & Recreation Stacy Woods, Assistant City Attorney PERSONNEL BOARD Item 11.1 Mayor Hemken introduced for discussion item 11.1, Dialogue with Personnel Board. Mr. Rich Johnson, staff liaison to the Personnel Board, was recognized. He distributed information regarding position recruitments the Board has assisted with since November of 2018 along with recruitment schedules. Council asked the Personnel Board if they believe there are any barriers to employee retention, whether changes are needed in regard to recruitment, and how New Hope’s recruitment compares to other cities. Mr. Eric Galstad, chair of the Personnel Board, indicated New Hope is able to retain employees due to the city’s competitive pay and benefits. He noted on average it has taken 50 days from the date of job posting until an offer for employment which is a favorable statistic. He also noted the city has a good blend of long-term employees and new employees who offer fresh ideas. Mr. Kirk McDonald, city manager, commended the Personnel Board’s efforts on only certifying high caliber candidates. Mr. Tony Brown, member of the Personnel Board, stated he has 15 years of experience on the Board and it is unusual to not certify candidates but they encountered such a City Council Work Session January 21, 2020 Page 2 situation last fall. He noted the position was re-advertised and brought forth very good candidates. Mr. Johnson noted the Board is recruiting for the vacancy created by Mary Arnold’s resignation. He commented that Chair Galstad is relocating to Plymouth but is interested in continuing to serve and Council is supportive as there is no residency requirement. Council thanked the Personnel Board for the update and their service to the city. WMFRD UPDATE Item 11.2 Mayor Hemken introduced for discussion item 11.2, Update from West Metro Fire- Rescue District. Ms. Sarah Larson, Chief of West Metro Fire-Rescue District, stated the district responded to 1,097 calls for service in New Hope during 2019. She reported on the eight significant fires in the city and the numerous public events the district supported throughout the year. She stated staff is developing a report outlining options for the replacement of major apparatus. She stated the 2019 general operating budget is within budget and part-time wage overages are covered by grants and state reimbursements. Ms. Larson reported on projects/purchases planned for 2020. Mr. Kirk McDonald, city manager, noted the district has a capital plan and funding is in place prior to the equipment expenditures. Council Member Elder commended the district for spending less on vehicles than prior fire department administration. Council Member London called attention to the significant public outreach undertaken by the district and questioned whether the effectiveness can be measured. He noted the importance of ensuring the amount of outreach does not exceed the budget. Chief Larson commented that quantifying the benefit of public outreach would be difficult but in addition to fire prevention education, the district’s involvement in the community attributed to successful fire fighter recruitment. She noted there were 41 home safety surveys conducted in 2019 and when fires occur the district will be reviewing whether the property had a home safety survey completed or not. Mr. McDonald advised Council that West Metro personnel also conducts two emergency management training sessions per year for New Hope and Crystal staff. He stated the training is oftentimes scenario-based and helps staff stay abreast of emergency preparedness responsibilities. Council thanked Chief Larson for the department update. POLICE STATION/ CITY HALL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT (IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NO. 994) Item 11.3 Mayor Hemken introduced for discussion item 11.3, Discuss final change order on Police Station/City Hall Construction Project with Wold Architects (Improvement Project No. 994). Mr. Joel Dunning, Wold Architects, was recognized. He stated change order no. 6 with Terra General Contractors is for $20,110 and contains several items. He stated the change order with Video Services, Inc. for $6,433.82 is for modifications to audio-visual equipment throughout the building. City Council Work Session January 21, 2020 Page 3 Mr. Kirk McDonald, city manager, stated the major items included in change order no. 6 are asphalt for the temporary walk, additional light fixture for the fire station parking lot by police station, duct heater to control humidity for cable room, and the elevator inspector’s requirement that the power for elevator to be backed up by the generator instead of a battery. Mr. Dunning stated Wold Architects will continue to resolve the few outstanding items. Mayor Hemken noted the final project cost is $114,000 under budget. Mr. Dunning noted the total cost of all change orders was 2.6% of construction costs which is under the industry standard. Council Member London asked whether the city received a credit for the elevator’s battery backup. Mr. Dunning stated he will confirm but believes the change order likely incorporated a credit. Discussion ensued regarding the building size and energy costs. Mr. McDonald noted the new building is larger but contains some energy efficiencies. Mr. Jeff Alger, community development specialist, stated after a baseline is achieved for the new building, an energy cost comparison to the former city hall can be undertaken. Council directed staff to present the change orders for approval at the January 27 Council meeting. POOL/CIVIC CENTER PARK/CITY HALL LANDSCAPING PROJECTS UPDATE (IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NOS. 995/941/994) Item 11.4 Mayor Hemken introduced for discussion item 11.4, Update on Pool/Civic Center Park/City Hall Landscaping projects by Stantec Engineering (Improvement Project Nos. 995/941/994). Mr. Dan Boyum, city engineer, reported on the progress made by the contractor in the bathhouse and pool mechanical building. He noted the warmer weather has allowed pool piping and pool plumbing to occur. He stated in the mechanical building work has begun for the face brick as well as interior electrical and mechanical work The interior fire suppression system has been installed. Mr. Boyum stated concrete placement and additional exterior site improvements will resume this spring. He reported on electrical and gas work underway by Xcel and CenterPoint. Ms. Susan Rader, director of parks and recreation, stated a project update was mailed to the neighborhood last week. She noted updates will continue to be provided in the city manager’s Friday updates. Ms. Rader reported on the project schedule. She also reported that Tony Portesan, recreation facilities supervisor, has been hired to manage the pool, and he has a strong aquatics background. Mr. Boyum explained there may be a change order for soil correction. He stated the pricing was fair but the quantity was greater than anticipated. He noted there may be City Council Work Session January 21, 2020 Page 4 a change order for additional drain tile as well. He stated more detail will be shared with Council at a future meeting. Mr. Kirk McDonald, city manager, emphasized the importance of soil correction work to ensure a sound foundation for the pool. CITY CODE 7-6, NUMBER OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS ALLOWED Item 11.5 Mayor Hemken introduced for discussion item 11.5, Discuss city code 7-6, Number of domestic animals allowed. Mr. Kirk McDonald, city manager, stated in November of 2019 Council was asked to consider issuing a permit to allow a resident to keep more than three dogs at a residential property, and the request was approved subject to a limit of five dogs. He stated at that time Council suggested a review of city code relating to animal limitations and licensing. Mr. McDonald stated the animal control officer is in attendance to answer any questions by council. Council reviewed the reports prepared by staff that included comparisons of neighboring cities’ animal ordinances. Discussion ensued regarding dogs running at loose and instances of non-compliance of the animal ordinances. Mr. Mahan stated the animal control calls are compliant-based. He noted he performs annual checks of properties where permits to exceed limitations have been issued. Mr. McDonald noted New Hope’s ordinance requires a public hearing for residents who desire to exceed the limitations set by city code. Council commended Tom Mahan, animal control officer, for being a leader in his profession. Council did not wish to make any changes to the animal control code. MINNESOTA GREENSTEP CITIES PROGRAM Item 11.6 Mayor Hemken introduced for discussion item 11.6, Update on city’s participation in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Program. Mr. Jeff Alger, community development specialist, stated the city has been involved with the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Program since 2015 and New Hope has attained step 3 of the program. Mr. Alger reviewed the actions submitted in 2018 and 2019. He indicated steps 4 and 5 challenge cities to measure and report the aggregate and quantitative results of multiple actions taken in an attempt to present the “state of sustainability” achieved by a city. The purpose is to make cities accustomed to gathering data annually and comparing the data over time. It gives cities the opportunity to find out where they stand and compare to others. In order to receive “Step 4” recognition, cities must record eight required core metrics selected by the program and five metrics of choice selected by the city. Each metric contains multiple metric elements, all of which must be completed. In order to receive “Step 5” recognition, over the course of one year, cities must improve upon any three of the eligible metric elements. Staff does not believe all of the required core metric data is tracked and/or easily attainable. If the City Council would like to pursue “Step 4” of the program, additional research can be conducted on how best to track each of the required metrics. It is City Council Work Session January 21, 2020 Page 5 estimated that it would take between 70-100 hours of staff time to gather and submit the required data. If the City Council does not wish to explore pursuing “Step 4” at this time, staff will continue to utilize the program to help the city achieve its sustainability goals through the implementation of the 29 best practices. Mr. Alger reported that New Hope ranks second of the 129 participating cities in total number of best practice actions. Mr. Kirk McDonald, city manager, indicated the city will continue to track initiatives and participate as time permits. Council Member London complimented staff for the city’s ranking of second out of 129 cities. He suggested staying at step 3 unless the city’s ranking decreases substantially. Council Member London inquired of the reason the new city hall was not designed as LEED certified building. Mr. McDonald stated he will consult the architect for a response. 2020 CENSUS MULTIFAMILY ACCESS ORDINANCE/ RESOLUTION Item 11.7 Mayor Hemken introduced for discussion item 11.7, Discuss 2020 Census multifamily access ordinance/resolution. Mr. Jeff Alger, community development specialist, stated last fall staff was asked to research the possibility of adopting an ordinance requiring apartment building owners and managers to grant Census Bureau enumerators access to their buildings. He reported the city has a significant number of housing units that are categorized as “historically undercounted,” including multi-family properties, renter occupied properties, and senior living facilities. Participation in the census is mandatory; however, the Census Bureau does not prosecute for noncompliance. Similarly, building owners and managers are asked to grant census takers access to buildings but are not prosecuted for noncompliance. He stated the state encourages cities to adopt resolutions or ordinances to allow census workers access to multifamily buildings similar to the state law that grants political candidates access to multifamily buildings. It was noted that the city of Edina recently approved an ordinance and Ramsey County has drafted a resolution for consideration. Discussion ensued regarding the proposed ordinance. It was noted that the ordinance would give building owners/managers an additional reason to comply with allowing census takers into their buildings. It would also give building owners/managers an opportunity to let residents know about the importance of participating in the census and the ability to provide information about who lives in any given unit. Council Member London expressed concerns that tenants could be harassed by census workers. Council discussed current practices by census workers. City Council Work Session January 21, 2020 Page 6 Council Member Frazier indicated the Census Bureau can coordinate with apartment managers to notify them of the dates they will be in the area. Council Member Frazier emphasized the importance of accurate counts as the community could lose a congressional seat and federal funding. Mr. McDonald stated residents are encouraged to complete the census on-line. Mayor Hemken indicated a mailed notice will be sent in March and a paper questionnaire will follow only if a household does not complete the online questionnaire. She stated the Census Bureau staff will attempt to reach persons who do not respond by going door-to-door in the month of August. Mr. Alger reported on various measures that will be undertaken to increase community awareness of the census. Council Member Frazier noted the school district will also be sharing information with students to educate families of the importance of participating in the census. The majority of the Council supported the draft ordinance and directed staff to finalize the ordinance for consideration at a future meeting. It was agreed to include enforcement language based on the administrative citation program. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:02 p.m. as there was no further business to come before the Council at its work session. Respectfully submitted, Valerie Leone, City Clerk