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09/28/1992 - City Council Special MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE Obi. „y,IE3 EAGAN CITY COUNCIL Monday, September 28, 1992 A special meeting of the Eagan City Council was held on Monday, September 28, 1992, at the Eagan Municipal Center. Present were Mayor Egan and Councilmembers Wachter, Awada, McCrea and Pawlenty. Also present were City Administrator Hedges, Finance Director VanOverbeke, Public Works Director Colbert, Community Development Director Runkle, Parks and Recreation Director Vraa, Police Chief Geagan, Fire Chief Southorn, Assistant to the City Administrator Duffy and Assistant to the City Administrator Hohenstein. Mayor Egan opened the meeting and City Administrator Hedges explained that the meeting was being held at 7:00 a.m., in order to comply with certain deadlines of the Dakota County Auditors Office relative to the first business item. He stated that all interested parties had been informed of the time of the meeting and that the press and members of the public were present. STATUTORY PLAN B FORM OF GOVERNMENT City Administrator Hedges introduced the item and reviewed the Council discussion and process relative to this item over a period of several years. In particular, he stated that the issue had been discussed at the Council's staff retreat and at City Council meetings and workshops since the spring of 1992. He indicated that action was taken on the item at the September 17, 1992 City Council meeting, to permit the City to give the statutory 45 day notice to the County Auditor's Office for inclusion on the November ballot. The Council then discussed issues pertinent to the authority of the Council and the authority of a manager under Statutory Plan B. Councilmember McCrea discussed the continuing necessity for requests for proposal for the City Attorney and consulting services even though the manager would be free to hire that position. Councilmember Pawlenty stated that he felt greater accountability exists with the City Manager form of government because both the authority and the responsibility for decisions are vested in the position. He stated that for a city of Eagan's size, it is increasingly impractical for elected officials to be involved in the day to day management of the organization. He stated that it also helps to keep politics out of actions associated with day to day decisions. He stated that the Plan B form of government raised the accountability for the manager, particularly in personnel matters. Councilmember Awada asked whether additional benefits could be achieved by forming a city charter as opposed to one of the statutory forms of government. It was indicated that most powers and authorities typically associated with councils and managers under the Plan B form of government were present in the statute. It is only where unique and special circumstances require unique and special authorities that charter cities exist. A question was raised as to whether the public could be adequately informed concerning the referendum question in the time remaining before the general election. It was also asked what other cities had changed from the administrator to manager forms of government. That information was not available at the time of the meeting. Councilmember McCrea expressed her position that the public could be adequately informed regarding the referendum question concerning Statutory Plan B because it largely ratifies the administrator's authorities as they are practiced in the City of Eagan at this time. She stated that the only real difference between the administrator's position as it currently exists and a city manager would be the power to hire and fire. Councilmember Wachter stated that it would be necessary to explain the small changes associated with Statutory Plan B. He suggested that the City develop an information program in this regard SCC MINUTES SEPTEMBER 28, 1992 PAGE 2 which would include a special newsletter, newspaper articles, information to commission members and council candidates, meetings with City employees and Information at the reception desk. Legislative candidate Linda Rother expressed concern about the short time frame available to inform the public prior to the election. She stated that there are a significant number of changes being absorbed by the voters in this year's general election including new legislative districts, new county commission districts and a large number of city council candidates. She stated that the addition of a technical question on a long ballot could cause confusion among the voters. She suggested that it was necessary to have more discussion concerning the Plan B form of government before placing it on a ballot and suggested that the City wait until the next general election in two years and continue with the current administrator position with most of the manager authorities. Council candidate Ray Bohn stated that the time frame to Inform the public regarding this issue was too short. He stated that public debate should occur prior to placing the issue on the ballot. Councilmember Pawlenty stated that this question is largely a ratification of the way the City does business at the present time and that it should not be a contentious issue. He stated, however, that he did not want a simple, good government change to become a political football in the election campaigns. For that reason, he stated that the Council may need to reconsider its original action and withdraw the item from the November election to avoid the issue being politicized. He stated that the issue is a positive step for the community and that it should be removed from any association with election politics. Councilmember McCrea agreed and stated that this should not be a political issue and that it is largely a ratification of the existing form of government as it Is currently practiced. She stated that because concerns had been raised and there was a potential for misunderstanding and misinformation, the question should be removed from the ballot. Mayor Egan agreed that the item should be removed from the ballot and stated that it appeared to be the consensus of the Council to direct the City Administrator to inform the County Auditor's Office of this decision. He stated that the action to remove the Plan B form of government question from the ballot should be ratified at the October 8, 1992 regular City Council meeting. Councilmember McCrea stated that she was disappointed in the direction this matter had taken since it would clearly benefit the community and streamline the Council's work. She stated that she strongly supports Tom Hedges as the current City Administrator and feels that he has demonstrated that the position of City Manager would be an asset to the community. She Indicated that the parties opposed to placing the item on the ballot had gotten their way because the Council was unwilling to make the Plan B question a referendum on current staff and expose staff to unfounded criticism in the election arena. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM City Administrator Hedges provided background to the Council on the process leading up to the CIP's approval in 1991. He stated that the CIP would be reviewed on an annual basis and updated as a part of the ordinary budget process. Councilmember Awada suggested that the funds earmarked for the ice arena and pool project be moved from 1993 to 1996 or 1997, as a consequence of the referendum defeat. Councilmember McCrea stated that it may be appropriate to maintain the allocation in 1993, in the event that alternative means of raising the difference could be identified by ice arena and pool advocates. John Freeman appeared and spoke in favor of pursuing ice arena alternatives. He stated that the City of Eagan is among the few cities of its size that does not have an ice arena. He expressed SCC MINUTES SEPTEMBER 28, 1992 PAGE 3 concern that the City would consider building an expansion of the Maintenance Facility, a cold storage building and other facilities expenditures before constructing an Ice arena. He stated that It was his belief that kids are not important to the City and that vehicles, vehicle storage, water treatment and other facilities seemed more important to the City Council than the City's children. City Councilmembers stated that the City Council had supported a bond referendum concerning an Ice arena and recreational facility on behalf of the residents and children of the community on two occasions and that it had been defeated by the voters both times. Councilmember Awada stated that it is important to place improvements of the scale of the ice arena and swimming pool before the voters for their approval and that the City needs to respect the position of the community as expressed in the referendum. Freeman stated that he did not feel that the referendum defeat was in opposition to an Ice arena but rather to an increase in taxes. He proposed that bonds be sold to construct an ice arena secured by facility revenues, contributions and a $100 impact fee charged against future building permits. He stated that this would not raise taxes on existing residents and instead would tax people who did not live in the City yet. The Council reiterated that it has been extremely supportive of the ice arena/swimming pool concept and supportive in the long run. Freeman stated that it was necessary to keep the project moving along at the present time. Councilmember McCrea then suggested that the ice arena/pool be moved to a 1994 time frame, and that the Municipal Center site preparation be Included In 1993 with the law enforcement/ municipal center expansion. The Council then considered other aspects of the CIP. Councilmembers Wachter and McCrea asked questions concerning equipment in the 1993 portion of the CIP. Councilmember McCrea asked if it was possible to subcontract or lease certain types of equipment and asked what the costs and benefits to the City were for subcontracting. Councilmember Awada asked what types of things could be privatized in terms of service delivery and what impact they would cause on the City services. She stated a concern regarding the regular upgrade of City equipment and asked whether all purchases, especially In the area of MIS, were justified on the basis of their cost and benefit. City Administrator Hedges stated that the department heads had been asked to meet the challenge of analyzing capital spending to Insure the lowest possible cost for the equipment and services requested. Councilmember McCrea stated that it was necessary to provide support with respect to the analysis of the costs and benefits of operations and capital items. City Administrator Hedges stated that departments would provide cost-benefit information relative to these items at a future Council workshop. Questions were raised with respect to the municipal office space alternatives. Councilmember McCrea asked whether the City had considered the purchase of vacant buildings as an alternative to leasing or construction. Assistant to the City Administrator Hohenstein stated that purchase options were considered for all facilities large enough to meet the City's needs. Councilmember McCrea asked for additional information in that regard. Councilmember Awada requested a copy of the BRW space needs study since that was the basis for the staff analysis for space options. City Administrator Hedges stated that the fundamental issue In the analysis of space needs alternatives was the need for City services to be centralized in the same location to provide efficiency among departments and one stop shopping for residents and constituents. SCC MINUTES SEPTEMBER 28, 1992 PAGE 4 CITY ADMINISTRATOR PERFORMANCE REVIEW Council member McCrea speaking on behalf of the Personnel Committee of the City Council stated that she had developed a performance review process for the City Administrator. She explained that a comprehensive job analysis had been performed and the aspects of the City Administrator's performance would be analyzed by the Council and key staff persons and that all responses would be kept confidential. She stated that it was also Important to compare the City Administrator's responsibilities with those of other administrators and managers In the metropolitan area to be certain that the compensation for the position was appropriate. She stated that she would be attending a department head meeting in the near future to distribute and discuss this information. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned by acclamation at 9:45 a.m. TLH I 1', ? September 28, 1992 ~qwt Date City,, erk