Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-07-29 MINUTES MINUTES COTTAGE GROVE CITY COUNCIL COUNCIL CHAMBER 12800 RAVINE PARKWAY SOUTH JULY 29, 2015 SPECIAL MEETING – 6:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER The City Council of the City of Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota, held a special meeting on July 29, 2015, at Cottage Grove City Hall, 12800 Ravine Parkway South. Mayor Bailey called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m. ROLL CALL The following were present: Mayor Myron Bailey, Council Member Steve Dennis, Council Member Justin Olsen, Council Member Jen Peterson, Council Member Dave Thiede (Arrived 6:15 p.m.). Also present were: Craig Woolery, Interim City Administrator; Brian Bluhm, IT Coordinator; Aly Brinkman, Management Analyst; Joe Fischbach, HR Manager/City Clerk; Pete Koerner, Deputy Public Safety Director/Police Captain; Jennifer Levitt, Community Development Director/City Engineer; Brenda Malinowski, Assistant Finance Director; Greg Rinzel, Deputy Public Safety Director/Police Captain; Rick Redenius, Deputy Public Safety Director/Fire Chief; Robin Roland, Finance Director. Mayor Bailey presided over the meeting. WORKSHOP SESSION – OPEN TO PUBLIC Administrator Woolery began with an outline of strategic and operational opportunities from the Council’s Strategic Planning workshop in January and priorities arising from the administrative staffing changes which have occurred since then. He highlighted opportunities for organizational and cultural changes, maintenance of long term financial policies and planning, top Council priorities of commercial redevelopment, pavement management and Highway 61 maintenance, and municipal facilities (HERO center and Fire Station 2). CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE 12800 Ravine Parkway Cottage Grove, Minnesota 55016  www.cottage-grove.org 651-458-2800 Fax 651-458-2897 Equal Opportunity Employer  Director Roland then gave an overview of the proposed 2016 levy and its components. At $14,699,500 the proposed levy is a 9.68% increase over the 2015 adopted levy; debt levy is proposed at $890,000, PSCH Interfund loan at $500,000, EDA levy at $111,500 and the balance of $13,198,000 to the General Fund. With tax capacity growth of 3.3%, the ‘average’ household value = $227,000 and city tax with the proposed levy would increase by $85 for the year. Director Roland reviewed the General Fund revenues and expenditures proposed and outlined the assumptions included. Public Safety budget discussion began with Police and Animal Control. Deputy Director Koerner led with the Humane Society contract and savings we have seen in Animal st Control because of it. He went on to discuss the budget addition of a 41 officer starting in mid-2016 or the ability to back fill a current open position due to a legislative leave of absence. Council Member Dennis expressed a desire to discuss Community Oriented Policing and other service level issues. Council Member Olsen asked if we had seen the results we desired from the switch away from primary medics in the police department and to firefighter/medics. Deputy Director Rinzel identified that this year was the first “true bid” of shift schedules and that we were now able to better accommodate a move from 12-hour shifts to 10-hour shifts and different ‘power’ shifts. There was discussion on the request to phase in a new K-9 using funds currently earmarked for that purpose in the Fund Balance. Mayor Bailey requested data on call outs of the K-9. Facilities discussion included an update on the HERO center, with Woodbury taking a th holistic look at what we need, and an RFQ to be sent out and returned by October 20. There was discussion on consolidation of Fire Stations. Next, the City Council discussed the Fire Department budget and EMS operations. The th addition of the 8 full-time paramedic/firefighter would go forward as planned. Discussion went on to longer term (2017) capital outlay in a 95-foot aerial platform truck for $1.3 million which Council members had seen in a demonstration recently. Council member Olsen described his concern for life-safety issues and noted that during the demo, a firefighter had identified “several occasions” where the current 75-foot ladder truck had been insufficient to meet their needs. Council Member Thiede asked for utilization information for a potential aerial or platform fire truck and opportunities for collaboration with surrounding communities. Discussion of the forfeiture fund included the identification of the squad camera replacement project which would be partially funded from forfeitures in 2016 and 2017. This lead into a discussion of the IT fund budget. Coordinator Bluhm discussed the upcoming investments in capital outlay for police including replacement of dedicated public safety servers, warehouse data server, and abilities for redundant data. He further discussed his vision for IT in consolidation, network security, having a mobile workforce, a customer-centric environment and increased training for IT staff. There was a short break. 2016 Budget discussion resumed with identification of $25,000 for a community survey in 2016 provided for in the Mayor/Council budget, a change in the communications plan to more online newsletters and switch to quarterly mailed newsletters, a shift of the organizational initiative to more City-wide training provided for in the Community programs division. Director Levitt discussed the Community Development Department, Engineering and Recycling Fund budgets. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Council Member Olsen, second by Council Member Dennis, to adjourn the meeting at 10:05 p.m. Motion carried 5-0. Minutes prepared by Finance Director Robin Roland.