Loading...
11/01/1990 - City Council SpecialMINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE EAGAN CITY COUNCIL Eagan, Minnesota November 1, 1990 A special meeting of the Eagan City Council was held on Thursday, November 1, 1990 at 5:30 p.m. in the Conference Rooms of the Municipal Center building. Present were Mayor Egan, City Councilmembers Gustafson, McCrea, Pawlenty and Wachter. Also present were City Administrator Hedges and Director of Finance VanOverbeke. LABOR NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE City Administrator Hedges along with Assistant to the City Administrator Duffy and Chief of Police Geagan provided an update to the City Council regarding the status of labor negotiations with LELS on behalf of the Police Association. He stated that a mediator was appointed from the State Bureau of Mediation Services and a meeting was held with representatives of the City and Police Association present to further discuss wage and insurance proposals that reached an impasse in the collective bargaining process. After a presentation by the City Administrator and further review of the contract proposal, there was a unanimous roll call consensus that the City not revise its proposal stating that the offer was a fair proposal. CIGARETTE VENDING MACHINE LEGISLATION City Administrator Hedges recommended that discussion considering the restriction for cigarette accessibility to children by the possible removal of vending machine sales be continued to allow the City Council to proceed with a joint meeting of the Advisory Parks Recreation Commission. Mayor Egan received a unanimous consensus from the City Council that the cigarette vending machine legislation be considered at a future work session. JOINT PARKS RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING Mayor Egan convened the joint meeting of the Advisory Parks Recreation Commission and welcomed Commissionmembers George Kubik, Michele Swanson, Shawn Hunter, Jack Johnson, Dick Carroll and John Griggs. It was noted that Commissionmember Ted Billy was absent. Also present were Parks Recreation staff including Steven Sullivan, Landscape Architect/Parks Planner; Dorothy Peterson, Recreation Supervisor II; John VonDeLinde, Parks Superintendent; and Ken Vraa, Director of Parks Recreation. City Administrator Hedges stated that the City Council met in a Special City Council meeting on August 9 to review the proposed 1991 budget and, as a part of their review, questions were raised regarding a number of expenditures including certain expenditure proposals for the Parks Recreation budget. Director of Parks Recreation Vraa provided an indepth presentation, with periodic questions and discussion by members of the Advisory Parks Recreation Commission and City Council, that addressed how recreation programs should be financed, whether certain recreational services should be provided by the private sector and a general cost breakdown explaining the types of services and the expenses incurred by the Parks Maintenance Division. Following the presentation, City Councilmember McCrea requested a further expenditure breakdown on the cost difference in maintaining passive and active parklands. She also requested that staff provide a further cost breakdown for each operation and service which allows the City Council to better evaluate the present and future costs for certain services that are provided by the Parks Recreation Department. Since the City budget, in its present format, is not a program budget, it was agreed that averages would be used to obtain the information. City 4 7,1 0.••• f �.(w Page 2 /Special City Council Meeting November 1, 1990 Councilmember Gustafson stated that the proposed 1991 budget has severe constraints and is concerned that the 7.9 percent increase as projected by Parks Recreation is not consistent with the average increase of 3 to 4 percent for other departments, such as Police and Fire. The Director of Parks Recreation stated that a $16,000 error was discovered in recalculating the budget which will lower the total for proposed expenditures and further that much of the increase is caused by expanded or new programs that are offset by the compliment of a revenue source, therefore do not represent a true increase in the budget. City Councilmember Gustafson further stated that certain programs, such as funding maintenance and operations for park shelter buildings that are used by adults, may lower funding opportunities for youth programs. He further stated that he was in agreement with City Councilmember McCrea that additional analysis is necessary to project and determine the cost for maintenance of active parklands which helps the City Council assess its overall priorities of where our budget dollars should be distributed. City Councilmember Gustafson further stated that emergency services are essential, therefore Police and Fire could receive additional budgetary allocations in the future that could impair certain programs or maintenance that is provided by their departments. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully analyze whether certain services or programs can be reduced or eliminated to continue with balanced budgets. Commissionmember Kubik spoke highly of the programs that have been implemented in recent years by the Parks Recreation Department given the small amount of staff. Commissionmember Griggs suggested that the City explore low investment/high gain opportunities that will generate more revenues for the City's general fund by planning certain market opportunities for the Parks Recreation Department. He further stated that the Advisory Parks Recreation Commission should be given an opportunity to address these opportunities and provide some recommendations to the City Council. Commissionmember Kubick stated that the City must be careful to not move too quickly with a business philosophy versus service concept without readdressing the overall Mission Statement of the City's Park Recreation objectives and existing staff limitations. City Councilmember Pawlenty stated that he would like to see all programs expenditure neutral and asked that staff quantify all expenditures that are offset by revenues which allows the City Council to readdress an actual proposed increase for the Parks Recreation Department. Mayor Egan thanked the Advisory Parks Recreation Commission for meeting with the City Council and further stated that it is the objective of the City Council to have more meetings with its advisory commissions for the purpose of evaluating existing and proposed policy. CAPONI ART GARDEN CONCEPT City Administrator Hedges stated that Mayor Egan and City Councilmembers Pawlenty and Wachter along with the City Administrator and Director of Parks Recreation met with Mr. Anthony Caponi on Saturday, October 20, to discuss the Caponi Art Garden concept. Mayor Egan summarized the meeting and stated that those in attendance at the meeting with Mr. Caponi are suggesting that the City Council and Advisory Parks Recreation Commission further discuss the proposal and reach a consensus on the level of commitment the City should make to the project, specifically as it relates to any implementation of City resources. Members of the Parks Recreation Commission and City Council both agreed that institutional support from the City of Eagan is necessary in order to pursue foundation dollars for funding the project. City Councilmember Wachter stated that the proposed Art Park concept is a unique opportunity for the community and would be enjoyed by residents of the City and region for many years into the future. After further discussion, there was a consensus by both members of the Advisory Recreation Commission and City Council that a resolution be drafted to show support and request community assistance and that said resolution be considered by the City Council at the November 8 meeting. There was also a clarification that if City resources are to be used, there would be a written agreement with Mr. Caponi that the allocation of City personnel be repaid by a foundation once financial resources are received to fund the project. Page 3/ Special City Council Meeting November 1, 1990 BLACKHAWK PARK SHELTER DISCUSSION City Administrator Hedges stated that the Council had raised questions in regard to the cost for the operation of park shelter buildings. Blackhawk Park will be proposed to have a building, which the Lions Club have indicated they would help fund. Commissionmember Hunter said he was a Lions Club member and the Club had over $100,000 to put toward a building; and that the July 4th celebration at the park was not a condition for giving the money. In response to concerns of the neighborhood, City Councilmember Pawlenty stated that a compromise with the neighborhood for the use of the park and the building should be an objective given the community park designation. PROPOSED 1991 GENERAL FUND BUDGET CONSIDERATION City Administrator Hedges reviewed additional information as requested by the City Council at the August 9 special City Council meeting regarding certain funding considerations for the 1991 General Fund Budget. He briefly remarked on contractual services/use of consultants the City is relying on for general govemment operations, a comparative analysis of attorney's fees, the increase for Fire Department officers and other proposed expenditures. EQUIPMENT REVOLVING FUND COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND PROPOSED 1991 PUBLIC ENTERPRISE FUND City Administrator Hedges presented the proposed Public Enterprise Fund for 1991 which includes the sanitary sewer, water and streetlight utilities in the amount of $6,065,125. The City Administrator stated that with the exception of an adjustment in the streetlighting rates to allow for the administrative cost transferred to the general fund, there were essentially no changes in the proposed Public Enterprise Fund. The City Administrator further explained that there are no new personnel or operational changes in any of the three utilities. He stated that certain capital equipment items have been requested for small equipment items. The City Administrator stated that the garage expansion debt is itemized as a part of the capital expenditure under the water and sewer utilities as proposed. Director of Finance VanOverbeke reviewed the Public Enterprise Fund net income worksheets, explaining the grand total revenue, revenue available for operations and expenditures including/excluding depreciation. City Councilmembers expressed their satisfaction in the Public Enterprise Budget as presented. The City Administrator further stated that the storm water utility fund is complete and will be presented at the final budget session for consideration. City Administrator Hedges continued a review of the proposed 1991 budget by outlining the Equipment Revolving Fund expenditure as proposed in the amount of $988,560. After a discussion by the City Council, direction was given to prioritize each of the proposed capital needs and reduce the amount of the Equipment Revolving Fund as proposed by $300,000-$400,000. Director of Finance VanOverbeke presented the concept of a Community Investment Fund that would allow for appropriate financial management of the accumulated balances in special assessment funds. He further stated that all surplus monies and each improvement fund which remains after all the costs of each improvement have been fully funded which are not transferred to another spare improvement fund would be transferred to the Community Investment Fund. City Councilmembers discussed the Community Investment concept and asked that the Director of Finance and City Administrator revise the draft policy to consider 1) the investment fund as a ratio to the general fund, 2) modify the restrictive limits on the principal, 3) provide historical analysis on how the funds were accumulated and 4) consider using a portion of the principal prior to the establishment of the Community Investment Fund. Page 4/ Special City Council Meeting November 1, 1990 NnvPmhPr 1, 1ggn Dated ESCROW COLLECTION ORDINANCE IMPLEMENTATION Director of Finance VanOverbeke presented information on how the Escrow Collection Ordinance was being implemented and asked what, if any, changes the City Council desired to make to that implementation. The City Council expressed satisfaction in the process as it is being used and directed staff to continue the implementation without modification. ADJOURNMENT There being no further items, the meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:30 p.m. TLH City Clerk