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04/24/1984 - City Council Special 011111-117 MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE EAGAN CITY COUNCIL EAGAN, MINNESOTA APRIL 24, 1984 A special meeting of the Eagan City Council was held on April 24, 1984, at 7:00 p.m. in the lunchroom of the Eagan Municipal Center Building. Those present were Mayor Blomquist, City Councilmembers Egan, Smith, Thomas and Wachter. Also present was City Administrator Hedges. HISTORY COMMITTEE/PROPOSED HISTORY OF THE CITY OF EAGAN The City Council held a joint meeting with the History Committee in an effort to agree on the publication of a manuscript that provides the history of the City of Eagan. Those members of the History Committee that were present were as follows: its Chairman, Frank Dembroski and members Jim Diffley, Elizabeth Kennealy, Art Rahn, Arnold Carlson. Mr. Dembroski provided a chronology of meetings stating that the history manuscript, as prepared by the Committee, has been ready for publication for several months; it is time to publish that document. He further criticized the City for holding up publication of the document, suggesting that their committee will proceed with the publication of the document regardless as to whether the City Council agrees or sanctions the publication of the History Committee's manuscript. City Councilmember Smith stated that the City Council has not agreed with the style of the History Committee's manuscript and continues to support the professional revision that was compiled by Lisa Fleming, a journalist hired to edit the manuscript. He stated that if the History Committee desires to publish their manuscript, it should be finalized by the Committee without any City Council input or acknowledgment. City Councilmember Smith further stated that if the History Committee will turn over pictures and other information pertinent to the revised manuscript, as accepted by the City of Eagan, the City will then assume full responsibility for publication of that document. Mr. Dembroski stated that the City Council does not have control over the final edification or publication of the history document. He stated that the original intent by the City Council was to allow the History Committee to prepare and publish a history book without any approval by the City Council. City Councilmember Egan corrected Mr. Dembroski's interpretation by stating that official City Council minutes define the intent of the History Committee as 1) collecting local historical data, 2) directing the research of the historical document, and 3) identifying and preserving information, articles and sites of local historical value with the further interpretation that the City Council will, through its staff, coordinate the information and write the final history document. It was further clarified by the City Council that all commission and committees of the City are advisory and the City Council does represent the final position of the City which is applicable to a book published for the history of Eagan. A discussion followed that presented the difference in the documents between the one prepared by the historical journalist hired by the City and the History Committee. The Mayor expressed disappointment in the impasse that was reached by the two groups and suggested that a workable solution be discussed so that the main objective of publishing the history of Eagan could be pursued. Arnold Carlson suggested that a third party be hired to review both documents and produce a workable manuscript agreeable to both the City of Eagan and History Committee. City Councilmember Council Minutes April 24, 1984 Smith and Mayor Blomquist both expressed agreement that a journalist could be hired for the summer with the understanding that the revised manuscript as prepared would then be published as the history of Eagan. After further discussion and in a motion by City Councilmember Smith, seconded by City Councilmember Egan, with all members voting in favor, the City will agree to hire a journalist who will revise and edit the history manuscripts, working with the History Committee and City Councilmember Wachter, as a City Council liaison, to submit to the City Council for final approval, the history of the City of Eagan manuscript conditional upon the History Committee turning over to the City of Eagan all manuscripts and pictures by May 8, 1984, or the Eagan History Committee is abolished. PERSONNEL EVALUATION AND COMPENSATION STUDY City Administrator Hedges presented the final draft RFP for considering a consultant service that will perform an independent personnel evaluation and compensation study for the City of Eagan. The RFP was reviewed in detail and after discussion by the City Council, a motion was made by City Councilmember Smith, seconded by Councilmember Wachter, with all members voting in favor that the request for proposal to provide consulting services for the development and performance of a job evaluation study and salary compensation plan for the City of Eagan was approved. In a motion by City Councilmember Egan, seconded by City Councilmember Thomas, with all members voting in favor, it was determined that the whole City Council will interview those consultants who are considered finalists for developing the job evaluation study and salary compensation plan as recommended by the City Administrator. PARK DEPARTMENT MANPOWER City Administrator Hedges presented a request to change the approved 1984 budgetary request for a park maintenance employee classification to an assistant park director classification. He stated that the needs for the Department are changing and the Parks and Recreation Director has recognized through a proposed reorganization that a full-time assistant park director and the reclassification of the City Forester and Park Foreman to absorb more maintenance instead of administrative responsibilities is needed for the Deparmtment. Mayor Blomquist stated that with the amount of park development and expansion, it was clearly stated in the 1984 budget presentation that additional maintenance was required. She further indicated that a change in the organizational plan should be considered when the 1985 budget is developed this year. The City Administrator was asked to further explain the job responsibilities of the assistant park director and whether the maintenance division will have adequate help if the full-time maintenance employee is not hired during 1984 as budgeted. It was suggested that the Parks and Recreation Director be authorized to hire a part-time maintenance employee to meet the short-term needs of the Department and that the position of a full-time, assistant park director be further examined after the park referendum or at Council Minutes April 24, 1984 the time of the 1985 budget review. In a motion by Mayor Blomquist, seconded by Councilmember Wachter, with all members voting in favor, the City Administrator was directed to keep the Park Department manpower and organization in the current status and that the proposed reorganizational needs be further examined after the park referendum and as a part of the 1985 budgetary review. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT/PARK PLANNER The City Administrator presented the recommendation of the Park and Recreation Director to hire a landscape architect/park planner if the Park Referendum is successful on May 22. He further stated that it is the staff opinion that the City will benefit by having an in-house landscape architect/park planner with the option to hire outside consultants for certain aspects of the park development if the referendum is a success. The City Administrator stated that this position is to be funded from proceeds of the Park Referendum and further, it is anticipated that a considerable savings will be realized if an outside consultant is not retained for the entire bond referendum project. There were a number of questions asked and additional explanation of the position provided for as the City Council gave consideration to the hiring of a landscape architect/park planner with the understanding that a sunset provision would be required once the Park Referendum proceeds were used. The City Administrator was directed to provide additional cost breakdown and represent a financial plan for the hiring of a landscape architect/park planner if the Park Referendum is a success on May 22. PART-TIME CLERK-TYPIST FOR BUILDING INSPECTION AND PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENTS The City Administrator presented the need for a temporary, part-time clerk-typist to assist the Building Inspection and Park and Recreation Depart- ments due to the number of building permits that are being generated on a daily basis. He stated that the shared secretary for those two departments is not able to provide the public service required to handle all building permits and other departmental needs and during this time of numerous building permits an additional clerk-typist to work 20 hours per week is suggested. After a brief review and a motion by City Councilmember Smith, seconded by Councilmember Egan, with all members voting in favor, the City Administrator was authorized to hire a part-time clerk-typist to work as a temporary, part- time employee at a maximum of 20 hours per week in the Parks and Recreation/Building Inspection Departments. ELECTION JUDGES FOR MAY 22 REFERENDUM The City Administrator presented a list of election judges for the May 22, 1984, special Park Referendum. In a motion by City Councilmember Thomas and seconded by City Councilmember Wachter, with all members voting in favor, the election judges, as recommended by the City Clerk/Director of Finance and presented by the City Administrator, was approved. 3 a * IL Council Minutes April 24, 1984 MAY 22 PARK REFERENDUM City Administrator Hedges stated that the resolution that was adopted by the City Council on March 22, 1984, requires a technical amendment that has been suggested by the City's Bond Counsel, Faegre and Benson. In a motion by City Councilmember Smith, and seconded by Councilmember Thomas, all members voting in favor, the resolution was approved correcting the March 22 resolution by amending language contained in the two questions identified within the resolution. VACATION BALANCE/CITY ADMINISTRATOR City Administrator Hedges stated that due to an unusual workload the past few years, his vacation balance accrued 174.14 hours extra and due to City policy, those extra hours were reduced in 1982. The balance is again increasing above the limit of 180 hours by 47.3 hours. Members of the City Council stated that the demand on the City Administrator's time, due to the development and construction of the new Municipal Center and horse-racing track application, in addition to the rapid growth of the City, have presented circumstances that made it difficult to use vacation time. Therefore, in a motion by City Councilmember Smith, seconded by City Councilmember Wachter, with all members voting in favor, the City Administrator is to be given a cash payment for those hours accumulated to date in excess of the 180-hour vacation limit. ADJOURNMENT Upon motion duly made and seconded, the meeting was adjourned. Dated: May 2, 1984 TLH T City Clerk