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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes i� ��tJV� �ri°t � y � ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ���� �ri e ar�d PC�� t MINUTES COTTAGE GROVE CITY COUNCIL November 1, 2017 COUNCIL CHAMBER 12800 RAVINE PARKWAY SOUTH SPECIAL MEETING - 6:00 P.M. - ST. CROIX CONFERENCE ROOM 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Bailey called the Special Meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL The following were present: Mayor Myron Bailey, Council Member Steve Dennis, Council Member Wayne Johnson, Council Member La Rae Mills, and Council Member Dave Thiede. Also present were: Charlene Stevens, City Administrator; Korine Land, City Attorney- LeVander, Gillen & Miller, PA; Jennifer Levitt, Community Development Director/City Engineer; Robin Roland, Finance Director; Craig Woolery, Director of Public Safety. Deputy Director of Public Safety/Captain Greg Rinzel asked the guests to identify themselves. Present were: Todd LaVold, with Leo A. Daly; Project Manager, Edwin Barnard, with Leo A. Daly; Lynn, an architect with Leo A. Daly; and Brad Barickman, with RJM Construction. 3. AGENDA ITEM A. Workshop - Open to the Public: HERO Center Update Staff Recommendation: Receive an update on HERO Center from Architect Leo A. Daly. No specific action required. City Administrator Charlene Stevens stated they'd had a bonding visit and bonding tour, and they'd met with the Governor's staff so it's anticipated that we'd be seeking bonding dollars for this project, 50% ask from the State, or about $9 million; other costs would be paid by the City of Woodbury and the City of Cottage Grove. Council Member Thiede asked if the people making decisions about State funds or grants understood that the new training center in St. Paul isn't a replacement for the HERO Center. Public Safety Director Craig Woolery stated St. Paul didn't ask for State funding on that facility. Administrator Stevens stated there's a lobbyist working with Cottage Grove and Woodbury, and her role is education of the decision makers as they move through the legislative process. 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 City Council Meeting Minutes November 1, 2017 Page 2 Lynn, the architect, showed an aerial overview of the proposed site; the orientation of the building will be changed due to the proposed multifamily housing in that area. There are two outdoor training areas. There will be no public visibility of the police training area; additional trees, berms, and a perimeter fence will be installed. Lynn reviewed the interior design layout of the building. Captain Rinzel explained that a card system would be used to access the HERO Center, which would electronically track usage. Next, Lynn reviewed the proposed exterior features of the building. The HERO Center will have identifying imagery, although the materials and color selection will stay true to the campus. EMS and Fire training will also take place here; there will be outdoor stair towers to train for rescue of inhabitants of multilevel buildings. The pond and three fire hydrants will allow the Fire Department the ability to use water for their engine trucks. Budget: Construction costs are at approximately $17.2 million; there's a 2% escalation factor, assuming the project will bid next summer. Ground will be broken in the fall of 2018. There's a design contingency of 5%, as there are still many unknowns with schematic design. There's a 7% construction contingency. As the design evolves, they'll start to reel contingencies back in; typically, on a project of this size, they'll be anywhere from 3% to 5%. If we're over budget, there's an opportunity to remove a few items: Eliminating one of the two 50-person classrooms; Remove the training simulator, as it could be purchased at a later date; Four-lane range shell would be built, but it would not include the firing range mechanical systems. Regarding the 12-lane shooting range, costs per hour charged to those people renting it will help defray and hopefully reimburse the initial costs. The State will pay Cottage Grove $750,000 for the land cost ($1.25 million); Woodbury will reimburse half of that to Cottage Grove. Construction cost is $17.2 million; half of that is $8.6 million coming from the State, and a 50/50 split for Cottage Grove and Woodbury on the construction costs. Soft costs are about $855,000. Those include furniture, fixtures, equipment, etc.; that's a 50/50 split between Cottage Grove and Woodbury. Total project cost is $19.5 million, which does not include the $1.4 million that was already granted from the State. When you split that up, it's $9.7 million from the State and a 50/50 split, $4.8 million each, for Cottage Grove and Woodbury. With reimbursement to Cottage Grove for the land of$1.25 million, the total costs become $3.7 million for Cottage Grove and $4.86 million for Woodbury. Finance Director Robin Roland had spoken to Woodbury's Finance Director about their ability to bond for the amount due; however, State Statute says Woodbury is not able to bond for a project that's not in their community. One consideration is Cottage Grove would bond for the entire contribution and we would have an agreement with Woodbury on how those bonds would be repaid. Director Roland stated previously there was a discussion by Woodbury's City Administrator and internal staff that they would just pay cash; that is somewhat in flux at this point. A Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) would exist between the two Cities, and as part of the JPA, there could be a payback schedule City Council Meeting Minutes November 1, 2017 Page 3 with regard to Woodbury's portion of the bonds if the City of Cottage Grove would entertain the possibility of issuing the entire debt. That entire bond debt would pretty much eat up Cottage Grove's entire bonding availability. Council Member Dennis asked if we extended that debt, what that would potentially due to the City's credit rating. Director Roland stated as long as we levied to pay the debt, we're fine. However, that precludes bonding debt for other things, road projects or other building projects. Administrator Stevens stated Woodbury was exploring the possibility of Cottage Grove bonding the entire cost; however, there are other alternatives Woodbury could use. A JPA could answer the question for Woodbury. Mayor Bailey stated we could also ask a legislative group for assistance with this issue. Mayor Bailey stated he'd have a little bit of heartburn knowing that future project opportunities in Cottage Grove would have to stop because we'd be carrying debt for Woodbury. Schedule: They're looking to finish up the design in January, 2018, and will give an update at the Council Meeting in February, 2018. Construction documents will be finished in April or May, 2018. The Governor's budget will come out in mid- to late- December, 2017, and then we'll know a bit more about this project's priority. The legislative session begins in February, 2018, and will conclude in May, 2018. Hopefully, we'll know that we've got the money in May, so we're looking at construction bids sometime in June through August, 2018. Once we have the money, we can begin construction in September, 2018. Brad stated that's a great time to begin construction; it will take approximately ten months to build; the HERO Center should be completed in late summer, 2019. Captain Rinzel stated with any new building, once you move in, you find little things that need to be fixed; especially if we're going to market the HERO Center, we need to ensure we're offering the best product available to the public. Repeat customers will be what pays for the operation and maintenance. It would be good for Police Department personnel to use it and have a great base of knowledge before it's open to the public. They'll give tours for other agencies; that way, the other agencies can add in HERO Center rental fees to their budgets, before 2020. Mayor Bailey asked about the fence and berms around the perimeter; they stated it would not just be a chain-link fence; they're planning for a six-foot tall decorative aluminum fence with spikes on top and very strategically-placed plantings, trees, and berms around it so it's not an eyesore. Captain Rinzel stated shrubs and plantings would be inside the fence; should anyone get over the fence, it would not be conducive to walking. It was explained that there would be layers of acoustic and visual protection with the berms, trees, and dense foliage to mitigate any sounds. The HERO Center will be higher than the nearby amphitheatre so that will help with sound issues. 4. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 6:52 p.m. City Council Meeting Minutes November 1, 2017 Page 4 Minutes prepared by Judy Graf and reviewed by Joe Fischbach, HR Manager/City Clerk.