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MINUTES
COTTAGE GROVE CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 24, 2016
COUNCIL CHAMBER
12800 RAVINE PARKWAY SOUTH
SPECIAL MEETING - 6:00 P.M., ST. CROIX CONFERENCE ROOM
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. 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.
Also present were: Charlene Stevens, City Administrator; Becky Ahlvin, Management
Assistant; Christine Costello, Economic Development Director; Joe Fischbach, HR
Manager/City Clerk; Pete Koerner, Deputy Director of Public Safety/Police Captain;
Sharon Madsen, Communications Coordinator; Cathy Mohr, Assistant Finance Director;
Rick Redenius, Deputy Director of Public Safety/Fire Chief; Greg Rinzel, Deputy
Director of Public Safety/Police Captain; Robin Roland, Finance Director; Craig
Woolery, Director of Public Safety; John McNamara, Wold Architects and Engineers.
3. AGENDA ITEM
A. Central Fire Station Schematic
John McNamara from Wold Architects and Engineers presented information on the
Central Fire Station, including objectives, proposed square footage, site layout, and
timeline.
Motion by Council Member Olsen, second by Council Member Thiede to approve the
schematic design and preliminary budget for the Central Fire Station.
B. 2017 — 2018 Budget Workshop
Director Roland presented two different tax levy scenarios for 2017 and their respective
impacts on the tax rate and the median value home taxes. The scenarios also reflected
the continuing impact to the 2018 proposed budget.
The scenarios also reflected the assumptions for the 2017 budget requests and staffing
additions. Discussion followed regarding the proposals to include:
CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE • 12800 Ravine Parkway • Cottage Grove, Minnesota 55016
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City Council Meeting Minutes
August 24, 2016
Page 2
• Operational expenses include all contractual increases and steps with
corresponding FICA and PERA.
• Estimated health insurance increase at 5% over 2016 levels fully funded.
• Proposed contribution change to employee H.S.A. accounts and funding for HRA
are included.
• Funding for Strategic Plan items — Community Engagement year 2 and
Compensation study. Newsletter expense change is also included.
• Budget adds for prescribed burns, post driver replacement, tommy gate and plow
units for pickup trucks and storage racking in Public Works are assumed to be
funded from existing budget funds between 2016 and 2017.
• Budget add for the lightning prediction system is not funded. Staff will pursue
grant funding for this expense.
• Increase to the EAB/Oak Wilt program is not funded.
• Public Works Replacement Radio system will be funded out of the Equipment
Replacement Fund and one of the small loader replacements will be postponed
to make room for the expense.
• Staffing requests for an Intern in both Administration and Planning, Seasonal
Building inspector, Assistant City Engineer, 42nd Police Officer, and three (3) full
time Firefighter/Paramedics are funded.
• The transfer from the General Fund to the Equipment Replacement Fund is set
at $300,000 in 2017. Equipment replacement fund requests would be adjusted to
meet the level of the transfer.
Council reached consensus that the 2017 Tax Levy should be set at an increase of
4.99% over the 2016 tax levy. Further, that although the combination of the levy and the
budget proposals reflects a preliminary budget deficit of$270,000 for 2017 (due to
conservative budgeting practices) that deficit would more likely not exist from actual
2017 operations.
4. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m.
Minutes prepared by Robin Roland, Finance Director and reviewed by Neil Belscamper,
Deputy City Clerk.