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12/10/2002 - City Council Special MINUTES OF A SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF THE EAGAN CITY COUNCIL DECEMBER 10, 2002 CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS A special meeting of the Eagan City Council was held on Tuesday, December 10, 2002 at 4:30 p.m. at the Eagan Municipal Center. Councilmembers Bakken, Carlson, and Fields were present, along with City Administrator Hedges, Assistant to the City Administrator Lord, Parks and Recreation Director Vraa, Community Center Manager Breuer, and Director of Administrative Services VanOverbeke. ROLL CALL AND AGENDA ADOPTION Mayor Awada called the meeting to order, noting that Councilmember Bakken would be arriving shortly. Awada requested that the agenda item, ?Review Proposed 2003 Community Center/Central Park Budget? be changed to ?Review Public Policies on Community Center?. Councilmember Tilley moved, Councilmember Fields seconded a motion to adopt the agenda with the proposed revision. Aye: 3 Nay: 0 (Councilmembers Bakken and Carlson were absent) VISITORS TO BE HEARD There were no visitors to be heard. CONSTRUCTION UPDATE ON COMMUNITY CENTER PROJECT Councilmember Carlson returned at 4:45 PM. Parks and Recreation Director Vraa provided an update to the Council on the construction of the Community Center. Vraa reported that construction has been proceeding very well in the past few weeks, with the exception of an issue with moisture under the gym floor. In response to Council inquiry, Vraa noted that the gym floor is under warranty should there be any additional problems. Vraa reported that progress is being made on installing the pond liner. The Council was also informed that the primary construction manager with Stahl Construction would be leaving the project due to personal reasons, and two managers will be taking his place. Vraa noted that the bandshell is nearing completion; however bids for the drop down gates at the bandshell and building will need to be resolicited due to a contractor pulling out of the project. Vraa and Community Center Manager Breuer presented a timeline for competition and opening. The Council discussed the timeline and Vraa noted that the timeline is a working document, and open to modifications. The Council discussed when the Grand Opening for the Community Center should take place. Vraa suggested June to ensure that the facility has been operational for a few weeks. Special City Council Minutes December 10, 2002 Page 2 REVIEW PUBLIC POLICIES ON COMMUNITY CENTER Councilmember Bakken arrived at 5:05 P.M. Mayor Awada noted that the senior survey is being rewritten and will be distributed in early January in order not to be surveying over the holiday season. The City Council discussed the need for further Council direction regarding public policy decisions that need to be made in the next few months prior to the Community Center opening. The Council expressed concern over the budget as presented, which showed a gap of $723,581 between revenues and expenditures for 2003 and a gap of $473,775 for 2004. Parks and Recreation Director Vraa noted that the budget being presented was staffs? best effort to provide a working document that the City Council could use as a basis for discussion and then provide direction to staff. There was Council consensus that the budget gap must be reduced. The Council discussed numerous policy issues, and identified the following priorities to be brought to the Council?s Operations Committee (Mayor Awada and Councilmember Carlson) for further review: fitness fees/membership dues, fitness programming, hours of operation, staffing proposals (organizational chart), Teen Center operations, and Senior Center operations. Per the request of Mayor Awada, the Operations Committee will now include Mayor-elect Geagan in the committee meetings, as he will be taking Mayor Awada?s position on the committee in 2003. Mayor Awada and Councilmember Carlson requested that the Operations Committee meet prior to the December 17 City Council meeting to go over the issues of priority that the Council identified. The City Council discussed the proposed staffing for the Community Center and requested that staff break down the personnel budget by staff functions. Mayor Awada requested that no additional Community Center staff hiring be on the City Council agendas unless the Operations Committee recommends the position(s) to the Council as a whole. The Council further discussed the ability of the Community Center to operate as an enterprise fund. Mayor Awada recognized Mayor-elect Geagan, who noted that he would like to see the Operations Committee discuss key public policy issues related to the Community Center, and then have City staff present various budget scenarios for the Committee to consider. There was Council consensus for staff to bring budget scenarios to the Committee once the public policy issues have been addressed. Councilmember Carlson requested that aggressive communications and marketing for the Community Center get underway. Carlson requested that the Communications Committee discuss the marketing plans. Parks and Recreation Director Vraa noted that January 10 is the date that marketing for the fitness component will begin. Mayor Awada recommended that the Partnerships Committee meet again to look at possible partnering opportunities. Councilmember Fields requested that the City Council receive pages 9-22 of the Council packet (proposed Community Center budget) via e-mail so that they can e-mail comments and suggestions to the Operations Committee members. Special City Council Minutes December 10, 2002 Page 3 OTHER BUSINESS Mayor Awada noted that a Special City Council retreat for the 2003-2004 City Council was taking place immediately following the meeting in Fire Administration. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 6:05 P.M. Date ____________________ City Clerk ______________________ If you need these minutes in an alternative form such as large print, Braille, audio tapes, etc., please contact the City of Eagan, 3830 Pilot Knob Road, Eagan, MN 55122, 651-681-4600, (TDD phone: 651-454-8535). The City of Eagan is committed to the policy that all persons have equal access to its programs, services, activities, facilities and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status or status with regard to public assistance.