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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-3-18 FOC Meeting Minutes HERO TRAINING CENTER 3/18/2025 FACILITY OPERATIONS COMMITTEE 10125 85TH STREET SOUTH COTTAGE GROVE, MINNESOTA 55016 Regular MEETING – 2:00 P.M. (HERO Center Conference Room A) 1. CALL TO ORDER Meeting called to order by FOC board chair Jennifer Levitt at 1357 P.M. The meeting was held in the conference room A at the HERO Center which is accessible to the public with all doors unlocked. 2. ROLL CALL HERO Admin Training Coordinator Bri Zeterlu took roll call. Committee members present: Pete Koerner (Cottage Grove), Jason Posel (Woodbury), Jennifer Levitt (Cottage Grove), Angela Gorall (Woodbury) and Brenda Malinowski (Cottage Grove). Others present: Dan Anselment (HERO Manager), Bri Zeterlu (HERO Admin Training Coordinator), Joe Fischbach (Cottage Grove HR Manager). 3. CLOSED MEETING A. HERO Center Damage Claim Discussion. Meeting will be closed pursuant to Minn. Stat. 13D.03 subd. 3(b) for attorney-client privileged communication. Motion to approve closing the meeting pursuant to Minn. Stat. 13D.03 subd. 3(b) for attorney-client privileged communication made by Malinowski and seconded by Koerner. Motion carried 5 to 0. Meeting closed at 1358 hours. Motion to approve opening the meeting made by Koerner and seconded by Gorall. Motion carried 5 to 0. Meeting opened at 1407 hours. 4. CONSENT AGENDA A. 2024 HERO Center Annual Report Recommendation: Accept and Approve the HERO Center 2024 Annual Report Anselment advised that there are currently 59 agencies utilizing the HERO Training Center, this is the same number as the previous year, but some are agencies that did not previously train at HERO. Anselment informed the committee that facility usage has increased from the previous year and that usage by the owner agencies significantly increased. The owner agencies combined used $338K worth of training rental space. This is due to both agencies hosting several new hire academies. The owner agencies have done well in informing HERO staff of training cancellations with enough notice to allow HERO to try to rent the space to other users. The classrooms continue to be the most underused space in the facility. HERO is working with the MN BCA to host courses that only utilize classroom spaces for both 2025 and 2026. Anselment stated that is has been approximately one year since HERO requested a change to the grant language that would allow HERO to be used for activities outside of first responder training yet, we have not received an official response. Anselment also spoke with the state and inquired if there were any state agencies that may have a need for classroom spaces for a joint agreement to fill the classroom space. The public range had a decrease in use by 15% in reservations during 2024. This may be due to the economy and people not having discretionary spending money as available. HERO staff reached out to another metro shooting range to see if they had any issues with reservations numbers in 2024 and they advised that they were down approximately 15% from the previous year too. The entire range was rented out all day Saturday and half of Sunday by a private group. HERO will try to pursue other groups that may want to rent out the entire range for events on the weekends. The U.S. Homeland Security solicitation award was renewed from 2025-2029. The U.S. Enforcement and Removal group has had significant staff changes and was advised that their contract was only good until this Summer 7/31/2025. They have sent the renewal contract to their agency for review for 2025-2029. B. HERO Center Tort Liability Limits. Recommendation: It is recommended that HERO Center not waive the tort cap liability limits. C. HERO Financial Statements – 2025 Budget to Actuals Recommendation: Receive information D. HERO FOC Special Meeting Minutes – January 21, 2025 Recommendation: Approve the special meeting minutes from January 21, 2025. E. HERO FOC Meeting Minutes – December 17, 2024 Recommendation: Approve the meeting minutes from December 17, 2024. F. HERO Budget to Actuals End of year 2024 Total Recommendation: Receive information Malinowski informed the committee that an additional $33K that was not anticipated was needed for the budget. This money was needed due to premiums and workers compensation being increased from previous years. Malinowski advised that overall HERO saw a 7% increase in revenue from 2023 to 2024. Even with the unexpected cost of the roof repair at $51K we were still under budget in our expenses for 2024. Malinowski stated that the expenditure cost to the owner agencies for HERO for 2024 was estimated at $230K and came in at $231K. Gorall inquired if there were any funds remain in the fund balance? Malinowski advised that there are no funds in the fund balance. Motion to approve the consent agenda items made by Gorall and seconded by Posel. Motion carried 5 to 0. 5. APPROVE DISBURSEMENTS A. Approve payments from 12/12/2024 to 3/11/2025 in the amount of $71,846.33. Motion to approve disbursements made by Koerner and seconded by Gorall. Motion carried 5 to 0. 6. REGULAR AGENDA A. HERO Center Property/Casualty Insurance Recommendation: Review the coverage estimates for the LMCIT Property and Casualty and approve the 2025-2026 property and casualty insurance annual premium for $40,230 with a $2,500 deductible. Fischbach informed that committee that is the past three years the property and casualty have been presented jointly however, they will be separate this time due to a large increase in renewal cost for workers compensation. Gorall asked if HERO allows drone operations at the facility? Anselment stated that agencies who haver certified personnel do operate drones for training purposes yet, HERO staff do not. Posel asked how the HERO center responds to damage of property by other groups using the facility? Anselment stated that this is dependent upon how the damage occurred. Was the group training and damage occurred or was the group engaged in an activity outside of the scope of appropriate training and the damage occurred? If the damage is due to regular training activities, then HERO staff does their best to fix the damage. If the damage is due to negligence, then the group is charged a fee to repair it. Each group must also sign a liability waiver prior to renting facility space in which they agree to be liable for damage occurring due to negligence. Levitt then called for a motion to approve HERO Center Property/ Casualty Insurance, and a motion was made by Malinowski and seconded by Posel. Motion carried 5 to 0. B. HERO Center LMCIT Workers Comp. Insurance Recommendation: Discuss the workers compensation rates and discuss what the FOC would like to do regarding the classification of administrative staff with the increased rates presented. Fischbach advised that the workers compensation insurance used to be split amongst HERO employees in two categories, municipal and range employees. The LMCIT has now recategorized all HERO employees to range employees. This change will cost a significant increase to the HERO insurance of ~$24,000. Fischbach stated that he contacted the LMCIT to reduce the rate of the new categorization and that they advised they would reduce the cost to $18K for the 2025 calendar year. Fischbach asked the committee if they would like to challenge the classification of HERO employees? Anselment clarified that the HERO administrative staff is not on the range when it is being utilized by the agencies and that the primary role of these employees are administrative tasks. Administrative employees are not on the range during LIVE fire range training. Gorall inquired as to when the renewal is due for the policy. Fischbach advised that it is due April 2, 2025. Levitt stated that the committee should appeal the new category that the administrative HERO staff have been placed under to reduce the unnecessary spending for an improper role classification. Fischbach reiterated that this new classification appeared to be arbitrary and that for the previous 3.5 years staff was considered municipal which is a far more fitting category. Motion to approve classification amendment made by Koerner and seconded by Malinowski. Motion carried 5 to 0. 7. ADJOURNMENT Motion to adjourn the meeting made by Malinowski and seconded by Posel at 1433 hours. Motion carried 5 to 0.