06/20/1988 - City Council SpecialMINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
EAGAN CITY COUNCIL
June 20, 1988
Subject to Approval
A special meeting of the Eagan City Council was held on Tuesday, June 20,
1988 at 6:30 p.m. at the Eagan Municipal Center Building. Present were Mayor
Ellison and City Councilmembers Egan, Gustafson, McCrea and Wachter. Also
present were Director of Finance VanOverbeke, Chief of Police Berthe,
Administrative Police Captain Pat Geagan and City Administrator Hedges.
TOUR OF JIM HORNE PROPERTY
Members of the City Council, with the exception of Mayor Ellison, and the
City Administrator physically toured the Jim Horne property to review a specific
parcel that is under consideration for a rezoning to a commercial status. The
purpose of the on -site inspection was to view topographic conditions, road
access and generally how a commercial building would relate to the proposed
Kings Wood 2nd Addition residential development. There was no action taken and
members of the City Council returned to the City Hall for the remainder of the
special City Council meeting.
The meeting was reconvened at the Municipal Center Building with Mayor
Ellison and all City Council members present.
POLICE DEPARTMENT COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC PLANNING REPORT
City Administrator Hedges introduced a comprehensive strategic planning
report that was recently completed by police personnel. He stated that the
report contains goals and objectives for the department that relate specifically
to public service responsibilities. Chief Berthe asked Captain Geagan to review
the strategic planning report with members of the City Council. Captain Geagan
reviewed, in detail, staffing projections for the next three years stating that
currently the department is one and one -half patrol persons short of completing
24 hour coverage 365 days per year in all four districts within the City.
There were a number of questions raised regarding the strategic planning
report, specifically on the number of personnel that will be required in the
Police Department during the next three years. Chief Berthe stated that one
additional investigator and one additional patrol officer are recommended during
1988 in order to maintain the law enforcement public service objectives
characteristic of his department. Mayor Ellison stated that he is supportive of
adding the additional personnel as recommended by Chief Berthe during 1988 and
suggested that this item be placed on the next regular City Council agenda.
City Administrator Hedges, when asked by members of the City Council about the
funding of the additional personnel, stated that the additional expenditures
would be offset by revenues generated from building permits and interest in
other revenue sources that should exceed the 1988 revenue projections. Police
Chief Berthe and Captain Geagan were commended for their fine effort in
preparing the report.
City Administrator Hedges reviewed the schedule for the 1989 operating
budget. He stated that department heads were given budget worksheets in late
Kay and are expected to complete their departmental requests for review by the
City Administrator during the first week of July. He further stated that the
Director of Finance was asked to review revenue projections for calendar year
1989 for the purpose of setting parameters for the proposed departmental
expenditures. Director of Finance VanOverbeke presented a revenue figure of
approximately $10,500,000 stating that ad valorem taxes would generate
approximately $1,000,000 of additional revenues and local government aid will
increase by approximately $660,000 in 1989. He stated that other revenue
,sources are expected to increase, however these are the two sources that will
provide the most increase in 1989. Mayor and City Councilmembers indicated a
desire to review a budget that did not exceed revenue projections for 1989. The
City Administrator was asked to proceed with the final draft of the proposed
1989 budget with the expectation that budget review sessions will be scheduled
in late August and during the month of September.
City Administrator Hedges stated that the City is experiencing a greater
volume of pending and new development proposals which is continuing to increase
the ongoing work load of departmental staff. He stated that additional
personnel is required either as full -time or contractual if development is to
continue at its current pace. The City Administrator stated that the City of
Eagan is experiencing the largest volume of development applications ever
encountered which has caused employees in a number of departments to work on
evenings and weekends in order to keep up with the processing of applications,
agreements and to respond to the ongoing public service calls that are generated
by residents.
City Councilmembers responded to the request for additional personnel
needs stating that the 1989 budget process is the time and place to discuss long
term employment objectives. There was also a suggestion that if additional
contractual personnel are required they should be hired and billed back to the
development community according to the City's escrow policy. The City
Councilmembers expressed their sympathy toward the increasing work load and time
that employees are spending and suggested that positions authorized for hiring
in 1989 proceed expeditiously during the fall of 1988 so that full -time
employees begin work with the City in January, 1989 to help offset the
increasing work load.
There was no Other Business.
1989 BUDGET
ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL
OTHER BUSINESS
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 10:00 p.m.
Date City Clerk