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06/12/2001 - City Council Special Minutes of a Special Meeting of the Eagan City Council June 12,2001 Page 1 of5 MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE EAGAN CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY, JUNE 12,2001 5:00 P.M. EAGAN MUNICIPAL CENTER COMMUNITY ROOM Present: Mayor Awada, Councilmembers Bakken, Carlson, Fields and Tilley, City Administrator Hedges, Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa, Director of Public Works Colbert, Civic Arena Manager Vaughn, Assistant City Administrator Duffy, Cable Coordinator Reardon, Assistant City Administrator Verbrugge, Administrative Specialist Hertel, Administrative Intern Lord. ROLL CALL & AGENDA ADOPTION Councilmember Carlson moved, Councilmember Fields seconded a motion to adopt the agenda including Goals Update, 4th of July, Tree Debris Pickup, History Committee and Joint APC-City Council Meeting as additional topics. Aye: 5 Nay: 0 VISITORS TO BE HEARD No members ofthe audience addressed the Council on non-agenda matters. TELECOMMUNICATIONS UPDATE Cable Commission Vice-Chair Maggie Jensen addressed the Council and gave a presentation about the Burnsville - Eagan Telecommunications Commission. Councilmembers Carlson and A wada provided information about the Council subcommittee's interest in expanding cable programming and encouraged the expansion and improvement of the quality of programming. Vice-Chair Jensen thanked the Council for the opportunity to meet. CIVIC ARENA BUDGET City Administrator Hedges gave an overview of the item, noting that the operations of the budget run from September to September because of the nature of the enterprise. He further noted the increased revenues that will result from the equipment washing machine and the exceptional increases in energy costs that have impacted the fund balance. He stated that the Council could employ any of several options to balance the budget, including reducing the funds available for a security system, reducing the R & R fund, and/or raising the ice time rates to a level competitive with neighboring facilities. Councilmember Bakken stated that the equipment washing machine would ultimately pay for itself, but inquired for more details on maintenance costs over time. Mayor A wada inquired about the upfront costs of $15,000 and how those would be covered. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa stated that the funds could be borrowed from the Renewal and Minutes of a Special Meeting of the Eagan City Council June 12, 2001 Page 2 of5 Replacement Fund and paid back to the fund over three years, as had been done with the previous bleacher purchase. Councilmember Bakken expressed support for the purchase of an ice machine and inquired about the details of maintenance costs. Councilmember Bakken inquired about the ice time rate increase. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa reported that Eagan remains one of the least expensive locations, compared to Apple Valley ($150), Burnsville ($145) and Inver Grove Heights (average of surrounding facilities). The Council reached the consensus opinion that a $5 per hour increase in ice time fees was acceptable. The Council considered the costs and benefits of a security system. Civic Arena Manager Vaughn reported the theft ofa vending machine and the inability of workers in one arena to adequately supervise the other arena without a camera system. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa emphasized the importance of a visual connection to the entire building. After discussion, the Council reached the consensus opinion that in order to balance the budget for 2002, the security system purchase would be postponed to a future year. Mayor A wada summarized the Council's recommendation, stating that the equipment washing machine would be purchased with a 3-year payback, the ice machine would be purchased, no security system would be purchased in the 2002 budget, a $5 per hour increase to the ice time rate would be approved and the Renewal & Replacement Fund and a transfer from previous years' profits to balance the 2002 budget. City Administrator Hedges clarified that the transfer would occur at the end of the operating year. Councilmember Carlson asked that the Hockey Association and the School Districts be notified of the rate change and that there has been no increase for two years. Councilmember Tilley asked that the security system be brought back for consideration in the future. 1940 SILVER BELL ROAD City Administrator Hedges gave a brief overview and stated that if the item required discussion, that discussion must occur in the context of an Executive Session. Councilmember Bakken moved, Councilmember Tilley seconded a motion to approve the Purchase Agreement for 1940 Silver Bell Road. Aye: 5 Nay: 0 COMMUNICATIONS TRACKING City Administrator Hedges gave an overview. He reviewed the action taken at the November 21,2000 regular City Council meeting. He stated that the objective of creating a communications tracking system ought to be to improve and account for responding to citizens. He further noted that a second purpose of such a system, if created, would be to alert the City Council to issues brewing within the community. Minutes of a Special Meeting of the Eagan City Council June 12,2001 Page 3 of5 Councilmember Bakken stated that he had always been satisfied with the manner in which staff brings issues to the attention of the City Council. He further noted that the staff is always able to find the research information requested and creating a system of centralized bureaucracy would be irrelevant. He stated that such a system would be a move toward more micromanaging. Mayor Awada commented that tracking the considerable volume of calls received each day would be cumbersome and expensive. Councilmember Tilley stated that it would be useful to know how many people called on a given issue to guage its importance. Councilmember Fields stated that the volume of calls would make the information impossible to manage. Councilmember Tilley moved, Councilmember Carlson seconded a motion to negate the monthly communications reports motion of the previous Council made at the November 21, 2000 meeting and to defer action on this matter pending a report from staff on a newly formed LMC group of city representatives meeting to address this matter. Aye: 5 Nay: 0 OTHER N.O.I.S.E. CONFERENCE Councilmembers Bakken and Carlson reported they will be attending the N.O.I.S.E. Conference. Mayor Awada stated that she will be unable to attend the Conference, and suggested that Ted Gladhill, Chair of the Airport Relations Committee, go in her place if he so desires. Councilmember Bakken stated he was hesitant to use travel money allocated for the mayor to send Mr. Gladhill to the Conference. Mayor Awada emphasized that sending Mr. Gladhill to the conference would be a one-time occurrence, and in no way would set a precedent for the future. Councilmember Bakken requested Mr. Gladhill give a report to the community upon his return from the conference. All councilmembers agreed that if Mr. Gladhill declines the invitation to the conference, nobody would go in the place of the Mayor. Council member Bakken moved, Councilmember Carlson seconded a motion to allocate funding to send Ted Gladhill, Chair of the Airport Relations Committee, to the N.O.I.S.E. Conference. Additionally, Mr. Gladhill's offer to attend the Conference is contingent on him providing a report to the community upon his return. Aye: 5 Nay: 0 GOALS UPDATE Mayor Awada suggested the Council provide the community with a midterm report of the Council's accomplishments in 2001. The Council agreed that the report would be done in a social atmosphere, similar to the format of the State of the City event. The Council agreed that the midterm report social event will be held on Tuesday, July 10, at 4:30 P.M. in the Council Chambers. Mayor Awada suggested that the Council present a Power Minutes of a Special Meeting of the Eagan City Council June 12,2001 Page 4 of5 Point presentation of the Council's accomplishments in 2001. Mayor Awada stated it is her hope that at least 80 people will be in attendance at the event. Mayor Awada also suggested that punch and cookies be served. City Administrator Hedges suggested that the midterm social event take place for approximately one hour, and the regular City Council Special meeting could follow immediately after the event. CENTRAL PARK GROUNDBREAKING Mayor A wada stated that she would like to hold a groundbreaking ceremony for Central Park prior to the firework display on July 4th. Mayor Awada suggested that an area be roped off in Central Park and a public address system be installed so that she could speak to the crowd just before the firework display about the importance of Central Park. Mayor Awada also suggested that all persons who worked on the Central Park Task Force be invited to the groundbreaking event on July 4th. Councilmember Bakken suggested that both the groundbreaking and the firework display be broadcast on public access cable television. TREE DEBRIS City Administrator Hedges stated that as a result of the strong wind and rainstorm on June 11, the City received 50-75 calls from Eagan residents on June 12 regarding the pick-up of tree limbs and debris. Mayor Awada also noted that she received numerous calls about storm debris. City Administrator Hedges explained that the current policy of the City is to pick up tree limbs and debris only when a community wide disaster has been declared. Since a disaster was not declared for the June 11 storm, City staff did not pick up tree limbs and debris from residential sites. City Administrator Hedges stated that the City has a list of private contractors that pick up tree limbs, as well as sites where residents can drop off the debris on their own. Mayor Awada suggested that the list be posted on the Reader Board at City Hall, the City's web site, and on the public access cable channel. Mayor Awada suggested that the City continue with its current policy of only picking up tree limbs and other storm debris when a community-wide disaster has been declared. The Council reached consensus to leave the policy as it is currently stated. HISTORY COMMITTEE City Administrator Hedges stated that the History Committee has requested to meet with two or three Council Members to discuss community issues as well as the possibility of becoming an endorsed City Commission. Council Member Carlson and Mayor A wada volunteered to meet with the History Committee, and report back to the Council with the outcome of the meeting. APC ZONING UPDATE The next APC Zoning meeting will be held on July 17 at 4:30 p.m., one hour prior to the Council's listening session. Minutes of a Special Meeting of the Eagan City Council June 12,2001 Page 5 of5 ADJOURNMENT The Special Council Meeting adjourned at 7:25 P.M. Date City Clerk If you need these minutes in an alternative form such as large print, BraiIIe, 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.