01 21 20 Work Session MinutesCity Council Work Session January 21, 2020
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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