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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWK - March 22, 2016ANL6 Y 1 O F6 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULFVARU N.W. • ANDUVER, MINNE30IA 55304 FAX (763) 755-8923 • WWW.ANDOVERMN.GOV City Council Workshop Tuesday, March 22, 2016 Conference Rooms A & B 1. Call to Order -6:00 p.m. 2. Discuss Unmanned Aerial Systems — Fire • (763) 755-5100 3. Discuss Title 4 & 9 Public Health and Safety & Building Regulations - Code Amendments - Building 4. Discuss Title 2, Boards and Commissions —Code Amendments —Planning Q5. Discuss Comprehensive Plan Update Process - Planning 6. 2017-2021 CII' Discussion & 2016 CIP Progress Report —Administration 7. Discuss 2017 Budget Development Guidelines —Administration 8. February 2016 Budget Progress Reports—Administration 9. February 2016 City Investments Review -Administration 10. Other Business 11. Adjournment H '46 L 11N DOVE. ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING — MARCH 22, 2016 MINUTES The Workshop Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Julie Trude, March 22, 2016, 6:00 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Councilmembers present: Mike Knight, Sheri Bukkila, Valerie Holthus and James Goodrich Councilmember absent: None Also present: City Administrator, Jim Dickinson Community Development Director, Dave Carlberg Director of Public Works/City Engineer, Dave Berkowitz City Attorney, Scott Baumgartner City Building Official, Fred Patch Fire Chief, Jerry Streich Others Ill_bYI�I/1CXY/1��/���7/1/l�Y�t'YYDIir�(Y Fire Chief, Jerry Streich gave background information about Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAV). UAVs now cost around $600-$800 and can fly 35 m.p.h. and about 1,000 feet in height (Federal law limits are set at 400 feet) and can take high definition photos and video. The operator has a controller with their own Wi-Fi signal. He expressed a desire to get in front of the issue as he expects that in the immediate future there could be a situation where an individual might be flying an UAV over an event or parade in the City. Mr. Streich stated that one of the "hot" issues is privacy and noted that the FAA governs airspace. The UAV he personally brought for a demonstration was designed for recreational use and is easy to fly because it is technologically advanced. There is also a commercial version. The specifications of the controller essentially limit how far the signal can go, and therefore how far the UAV can go. Federal law does not give the City the power to regulate or ground a UAV. Mr. Streich stated after discussion with City Administration and the City Attorney a draft ordinance was prepared. Drones are the term used for UAVs utilized by the military. An ordinance could address safety concerns along with defining what power deputies would have to ground a UAV. Specific safety concerns mentioned were a UAV getting close to powerlines or trains. Mr. Streich confirmed that there are currently no state regulations regarding UAVs. Mr. Dickinson stated this evening is intended to see if the Council would like staff to pursue this any further at this time after a good discussion. Mayor Trude stated that she would hate to be the first city to regulate on this matter as it is someone's hobby and mentioned remote control airplanes being flown in parks. She continued by indicating that she would have a hard time banning people from having fun and cited Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — March 22, 2016 Page 2 previously banning dogs from Andover city parks, as an example. She believes that people are likely to use parks for this type of activity and would like to focus on issues related to just public safety. She would like to work together with other cities and considering that there have been no complaints, this may be premature. Councilmember Goodrich referred to 4-7-6, letter C noting that the ordinance did not apply to "toy aircraft." Mr. Streich replied that a UAV of this nature would not be considered a toy. Councilmember Knight asked what the State is doing to regulate UAVs. Mr. Streich said that there have been several bills and that he sees a gap. Councilmember Bukkila said that she does not have any concerns about the City being "out front" on this issue. She stated that right now someone can fly an UAV into her yard and she can not do anything about it. City Attorney Scott Baumgartner stated he had done research and he found that no one really has a "good grasp" on this issue yet. He noted that some cities have "drone -free" zones and other states have a 2 year moratorium in place waiting to see what the Federal Aviation Administration © (FAA) will do. He continued by stating that the FAA was supposed to have regulations addressing this in September of 2015 and then the deadline was moved to early 2016 and now estimates are that it will not be until 2017 when they will have regulations on UAVs. Mr. Baumgartner believes that those regulations will focus more on commercial uses. He agreed that there are safety concerns. Cities are taking a wait-and-see approach but it may not be soon enough. Mayor Trude noted that for commercial applications, a pilot's license is required. Our Sherriff s Department will have to be able to deal with these concerns. Mr. Baumgartner stated that media outlets likely have additional requirements because that would be considered a commercial application, if they are there to operate as a business. Mr. Streich stated that Anoka County has 2 UAVs and that the Sherriff s Office has 2 UAVs. Mr. Baumgartner said that someone photographing someone on their property would be an invasion of privacy. Councilmember Bukkila stated that she would rather have the ordinance written on paper. Councilmember Goodrich asked if the City or an ordinance would grant an exception for drone usage at athletic facilities/events. Mr. Baumgartner recalled an incidence that occurred at a high school event in Anoka. Councilmember Holthus expressed her concern related to privacy and school children, in that case, and how the video would be used and gave the example of social media. © Councilmember Bukkila stated that she felt an athletic event is more of a safety issue and less of a privacy issue because you are in a public place. © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — March 22, 2016 Page 3 Possibility of utilizing a registration form to grant permission for taking photos/video at public events was discussed. Mr. Streich offered that he would put on safe operation classes related to the use of UAVs. Councilmember Bukkila stated that she felt strongly that there needed to be an ordinance in place to provide basic protection in terms of public safety and it could be "reigned in" later. Mayor Trude stated that Andover would be the pilot city having this type of ordinance and that she did not think it would pass constitutional scrutiny. She would like to "reign it in" sooner rather than later. Councilmember Holthus expressed that having drones overhead at a public event can be intimidating (citing the Twin Cities marathon, as an example). Mayor Trude gave examples of possible public areas where someone might want to use a UAV, that might be considered a public event, such as a wedding at Sunshine Park. She expressed overall concerns about being overly broad with the language in the ordinance and that could be addressed by Mr. Baumgartner. Whenever active duty personnel are at an incident, UAVs would 10 be prohibited. Councilmember Bukkila asked, if we prohibit all of these locations, then where can UAVs be used? Mr. Baumgartner responded that it is important to remember that it is not prohibited, but rather these are situations where permission is needed, such as a wedding at Sunshine Park. This lets the City know who is operating the UAV, if there is an issue. Mayor Trude referred to a recent article she read and the importance of looking at what is the government purpose for regulating these and that Councilmember Bukkila had brought up personal privacy and safety, fire safety and public emergencies. Councilmember Bukkila stated when something interferes with a neighbor's rights or privacy, she believes that there needs to be something to protect the rights of the common person. She continued by asking if the FAA is only going to address commercial applications of UAVs or are they going to leave the local governments to address recreational uses. Mr. Baumgartner replied that the FAA has said that they would like local help with enforcement. He continued by saying that the FAA is more concerned with the airspace and interference with air traffic, as opposed to local issues. Mayor Trude asked Mr. Baumgartner if the ordinance was too broad or if it was "stomping on constitutional rights." © Councilmember Bukkila stated that she believes that critical infrastructure is serious business. Mayor Trude stated that the City has 1,000 people with large lots in the area that could fly UAVs © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — March 22, 2016 Page 4 and there are kids building UAVs as part of their homeschooling. Many homes have railroad tracks adjacent to their property. Mr. Baumgartner stated all ordinances have to address health, safety and welfare. Safety and privacy issues have been identified and the fact is that anyone can sue anyone at any time for anything. Mr. Baumgartner indicated that "buzzing" a train is different than flying over a railroad track. Mayor Trude commented that UAVs are largely a recreational activity. Mr. Baumgartner gave an example of someone taking photos or videos of a loved one who died in a horrific accident. Mayor Trude stated that she heard strong sentiments from Councilmembers around privacy rights. It is important to think about how we are going to defend it. Councilmember Goodrich stated he likes the exception for sporting events and that residents should be able to fly UAVs in their own yard without permission. Councilmember Bukkila asked about adding letter G to address areas of critical infrastructure. Discussion followed about the use of the words "knowingly or intent" and defining "critical Oareas." Mr. Baumgartner brought up addressing explosives and adding the word "hovering." Councilmember Bukkila referred to Section 4-7-4. Mr. Baumgartner suggested adding language that gave a qualifier prior to listing all of the items. Mayor Trude referred to the limit on UAVs from sunset to sunrise. She recommended a reference to the FAA regulations. Mr. Baumgartner said that the FAA has a guideline that recommends certain safety practices around UAVs. These are safety guidelines, but are not regulations. Mayor Trude asked if Andover was going to regulate airspace where the FAA does not want to do so (under 400 feet). Mr. Baumgartner replied that the FAA has "bigger fish to fry." Mayor Trude asked Councilmember Holthus about her thoughts. She replied that her main concern is privacy. Councilmember Goodrich said that his main concern is safety. Mr. Dickinson stated that he is hearing that there is more clarification needed around public events and letter "G" in the draft ordinance. Councilmember Bukkila asked for more information about how to gain permission be added to the ordinance and that she does not want it to be too hard to do so. Councilmember Knight asked about what would happen if there were picnics going on in the park. Mr. Baumgartner suggested adding a sentence before 4-7-4 related to "harassing" or © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — March 22, 2016 Page 5 "endangering." Mayor Trude referred to letter E and the need to refer to a distance and her thought that letter F overlaps with letter E. She brought up an officer's discretion if they are the officer in charge as well as objective measures or subjective measures. Councilmember Bukkila suggested a checklist that could be put on line when permission would potentially be granted. An educational video could also be done with QCTV. Major Trude asked if the issue could be moved forward in concert with other local cities. Mr. Baumgartner said that other police and fire chiefs were "on board," and are very interested in what Andover is reviewing. Councilmember Holthus brought up social media issues related to media that could be gathered by a UAV. Councilmember Holthus and Bukkila said they did not mind if Andover led with this ordinance. Councilmember Goodrich liked the changes that were being discussed. OMr. Baumgartner said that regulating what people do with social media is outside of the City's control. Mr. Dickinson confirmed that this item would not require a public hearing, but the Council may want to do so. Mayor Trude asked that the issue come back to another workshop meeting because she is concerned about potential constitutional issues. Mr. Dickinson indicated he would place an update on this topic on the next month's workshop meeting. Mr. Baumgartner believes that the cities of Anoka and Ramsey will likely follow next in line and Elk River may as well. DISCUSS TITLE 4 & 9 PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY & BUILDING REGULATIONS Mr. Patch reviewed the work that has been done related to the overall updating of building codes. All ordinance sections were identified with changes. Councilmember Bukkila asked if there were any substantial changes. Mr. Patch responded by stating that the work focused on the clean-up and correcting of the language in the ordinances. Councilmember Goodrich asked if this changes any of the processes or enforcement. Mr. Patch ® replied that it does not. The next step is that Mr. Carlberg will bring it forward as a planning item and then it will go to the Planning and Zoning Commission, and then to the Council, and then a public hearing on the items related to the zoning code. In the meantime there will be some © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — March 22, 2016 Page 6 redundant provisions. Mr. Dickinson commented that these changes will make it a lot easier for a casual observer to review the code. If there are no major concerns by the Council, he would like it to move forward towards approval and then start the planning and zoning process on the items related to the zoning code. Councilmember Bukkila stated that she is comfortable moving forward knowing the work is primarily an organizational effort. Councilmember Knight brought up the issue of granny flats. Mr. Dickinson said that accessory dwelling units have been addressed in the recent months by the Planning & Zoning Commission. Mr. Carlberg said this issue may be going to a public hearing in April. Councilmember Holthus thanked Mr. Patch for good work on this project. Mayor Trude expressed her desire for an enhanced online search function for the building code. RECESSAND RECONVENE ® The City Council recessed at 7:22 p.m. The City Council reconvened at 7:30 p.m. DISCUSS TITLE 2, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS Mr. Carlberg indicated that the issue of inconsistencies between the different policies governing the Planning & Zoning Commission and the Park & Recreation Commission came up during the most recent interview process for commissioners. The Council asked that there be consistency in the matter of absences and officer selection in the respective ordinances. The Planning & Zoning Commission currently elects their chair and vice chair and the Council ratifies the selection. Councilmember Bukkila brought up the question of 1 or 2 year terms for the position of chair as it relates to 3 year terms for commissioners. She recommended a change to 1 year terms for the chair. Mayor Trude asked if the Council wanted to allow any other reasons for absences other than personal illness or if they wanted to add a provision for the illness of a close family member. Mr. Carlberg responded that the Council is free to remove any member of the Commission for any reason at any time. The Park & Recreation Commission policy documentation will be updated to match the Planning & Zoning Commission. There was discussion around the importance of committing to attendance by commissioners due to 4 members needing to be © present to meet the quorum requirements at a meeting. At work sessions Mr. Carlberg expresses the importance of attendance at meetings. A concern was expressed about poor attendance during the winter months. Notice of non-attendance is generally being given ahead of time. Mr. © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — March 22, 2016 Page 7 Carlberg pointed out that the Planning & Zoning Commission documents are proposed that they shall hold at least one meeting per month, but can have more, and they should not be required to have 2 meetings. The quorum of the number of Commissioners appointed was discussed. Park & Recreation policies will be drafted to match the section on absences in the Planning & Zoning Commission policies and medical references for absences will be added as well. A change in the chair's term will be made to 1 year as discussed earlier. Mayor Trude stated that she would like to retain the ability to ratify the chair in the case of the Park & Recreation Commission. Councilmember Bukkila indicated she would like all of the Commissions to be the same. Councilmember Knight stated sometimes commissioners do not properly deal with issues. Mr. Carlberg commented if there are issues on the Planning & Zoning Commission, he feels that it is his job to address them and that is how it should be. Councilmember Knight stated he felt the chair position should be by approval of the Council. ® Councilmember Bukkila asked about composition of appointments for Planning & Zoning and would that apply to the Park & Recreation Commission and who is the staff person assigned to attend. Mr. Carlberg responded that the Planning & Zoning Commission has a legal role and that the Park & Recreation Commission is advisory. He suggested that the policy document could indicate that additional staff may attend the Park and Recreation Commission. Councilmember Knight asked if there are instructions for new commissioners as to how to function. Mr. Carlberg indicated that there are training aids and packets. Roles and responsibilities are described and new commissioners get a copy of Roberts Rules of Order. He personally conducts training with new Planning & Zoning commissioners. Mr. Carlberg will make the discussed changes to the documentation and bring them back to the Council for approval. DISCUSS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE PROCESS Mr. Carlberg gave background on statutes and laws and the history of the 10 year requirement for the Comprehensive Plan. Ten years ago there were task forces, work sessions, resident forums, and work stations with maps. Mr. Carlberg asked the Councilmembers if they saw a need for a task force and commented that the Planning & Zoning Commission could be utilized, along with the Park & Recreation Commission. The public can be engaged and the process will include working chapter by chapter of the Comp Plan. Mr. Carlberg stated there is a 13 page © document to guide the City through the process. The submittal deadline for the Comp Plan is September 2018. Mr. Carlberg noted that the Comp Plan has to be submitted to neighboring cities, County and the school district prior to the deadline, along with the Metropolitan Council. © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — March 22, 2016 Page 8 Mr. Carlberg has started to put together a timeline. The City has to hire for water studies and other consulting work before the real work starts on the plan. By July I" the City will need to start commissioning the studies. Councilmember Knight stated the Metropolitan Council has a "big thing going on with water." This discussion was tabled until the end of the meeting. Mayor Trude confirmed there was consensus, amongst the Councilmembers, that the Commissions should be utilized to do this work, as opposed to a separate task force. She asked staff to identify any big picture items that the Council should address in a workshop meeting, prior to getting to far into the Comp Plan work, such as accommodating housing requirements into the plan. Mr. Dickinson stated high-density housing requirement is essentially a math problem. He confirmed that there is no real penalty for the City not meeting the requirement, as we do not seek livable community funds. Mr. Carlberg stated you need to show on the map how you will accommodate it. QMayor Trude indicated if a developer is not willing to build the high-density housing, the City is not required to do so. She asked that a future Council workshop deal with this portion of the Comp Plan requirement. Mr. Dickinson stated the Comp Plan references areas that the City may want to target for funding based on identified needs. Mayor Trude stated she would like to hear early in the process regarding issues about where we are at capacity with sewers. Mr. Berkowitz confirmed there was a transportation task force the last time the Comp Plan was put together, with 15 members and 5 meetings. That part of the Comp Plan can be revisited and updated with new requirements. He continued by saying that a comprehensive trail plan will be part of the Comp Plan process. Mr. Carlberg stated the Open Space program will need to become a part of the Comp Plan this time. Mr. Dickinson confirmed the number for the City is 483 affordable housing units. Mr. Carlberg confirmed the goal for housing is for the years 2021 - 2030. © Mr. Dickinson stated the water supply plan does not have to comply with the Metropolitan Council water plan. The Metropolitan Council has been studying the water resources, they can provide guidance but it is not under their purview. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — March 22, 2016 Page 9 Mr. Berkowitz made a distinction between water quality related to storm water and water supply. He explained where the City's wells are located, what kind of wells the City has and some of the concerns around starting out this year with less water due to having a dry winter. 2017-2021 CIP DISCUSSION & 2016 CIP PROGRESS REPORT Mr. Dickinson stated this is the time of the year when the City begins the CIP process. The City will use the same process as in the years prior and Commissions will do their work. He asked Councilmembers if there are particular items or themes that should be focused on in the CIP. Councilmember Holthus indicated she would like to see a focus on trails. Mayor Trude stated she has heard a lot of comments about ice time and girls hockey. Mr. Dickinson said that a discussion on this is already planned. Councilmember Goodrich stated he would like to get ahead of the Public Works facility needs. Councilmember Bukkila asked if the roof repair is still relevant based on the plans to replace the Public Works facility. Mr. Berkowitz said it is not. He further stated that whatever the City purchases for current needs, work will be done to make sure that it can be used in a new facility. Councilmember Goodrich said it is important to make sure that what is in the CIP is good for the whole community, consider if it is a need or want and is it the government's responsibility. Mr. Dickinson recalled that Master Plans were important work last year and that work will be brought forward into this year's CIP process. Timing will be looked at and then that will move forward to the long-term performa analysis and tax impacts. Mayor Trude noted the City does not own all the land yet for the City Campus Master Plan. Mr. Dickinson stated the property owner still farms and the property is still in a good location for his operation. The final delivery is out until December 2018 and then he might retire, otherwise he needs to find other property for the operation. Councilmember Bukkila asked if there were plans to continue the City's informal tree nursery, as it saves the City a significant amount of money. Mr. Berkowitz confirmed that this will be continuing. Mr. Dickinson stated the priority coming out of the Master Plan process is Public Works. What is keeping that from moving forward is the property acquisition. Councilmember Bukkila brought up the Community Center Expansion in the CIP for 2017. Mr. © Dickinson stated it would likely be delayed and confirmed that the YMCA wants to raise their portion by fundraising rather than borrowing. © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —March 22, 2016 Page 10 Mayor Trude reiterated that right now we are waiting on them. Councilmember Bukkila wondered if it would be wise to have Public Works and the YMCA having construction projects going on at the same time. Mr. Dickinson stated that in meetings coming up it will need to be discussed further what are the right times for these projects and what are the priorities. There will be a public hearing on the CIP. The City could consider starting some of the work relative to the City Campus Master Plan on the property it owns. Councilmember Knight asked if growth could be predicted. Mr. Dickinson stated predictions could be done, but they are always subject to things like significant economic issues. Mr. Berkowitz addressed the issues they are seeing with sealcoating. In the last couple of years, the sealcoating that the City has been using is prematurely breaking down on the City's roadways. MnDOT believes that it is related to the density of the pavement and having too many voids that caused the pavement to break down. City engineers do not agree and believe that the industry needs to figure out why this is happening. Mr. Berkowitz believes the industry will get the message loud and clear when cities are not sealcoating roads and volumes drop significantly. Councilmember Goodrich asked if the change in the oil is the cause. Mr. Berkowitz stated there is no clear answer. Mr. Berkowitz stated there will be a more aggressive overlay program in the meantime and that some roads that have had a sealcoat in the past, the City will keep sealcoating. Mr. Berkowitz stated there will be more dollars in the CIP for overlays. He stated there is a big misconception regarding overlays. It does prolong the life of roadways, but it is not a 30 year replacement. If there are currently cracks, the cracks are going to come through again after an overlay. An overlay provides enough additional structure to prolong a roadway's life 10-15 years. There will still be crack filling after an overlay. The public will be educated and explanations will be given regarding the cracking. Sealcoating costs are much less than an overlay, so the City will not get as many roads done. It will be a cost shift. Mayor Trude pointed out that the City charges developers for the first sealcoat. Mr. Berkowitz confirmed that the charge is for crack sealing and sealcoat and that the City has always done that. In newer areas, the City "crack fills" in a few years and refunds the developer any remainder of their money. The fee will be recalculated going forward. Mr. Berkowitz stated bids opened for Timber Trails Park. The plan is for 2 playing fields. Costs were originally estimated at $200,000 for the project. Costs were underestimated and there was Qa scope change. There is a final plan set now that includes 8 acres to irrigate, and does not include plans to pave the entire parking. The new total cost estimate is $300,000 and includes the paving of a trail. Mr. Berkowitz confirmed the parking lot is a substandard parking lot and © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — March 22, 2016 Page 11 will need new gravel. His recommendation is paving the parking lot, but the Park & Recreation Commission wants to build parks, not parking lots. The Commission voted 4 to 2 to go ahead with the project at the higher costs and there are dollars available in the Parks Improvement Fund. The increase cost impacts proceeding with plans for Fox Meadows Park next year. Mayor Trude stated irrigation would allow for more extensive use. Councilmember Bukkila commented playing fields are being ruined because they are not being rested. Mr. Berkowitz stated the soccer fields are used not only for soccer (referring to Fox Meadows Park), but lacrosse too, as well as football practice. The Council is asked to consider to approve amending the budget and approve the well bid. Councilmember Holthus asked if the well bid was part of the $300,000 cost and commented that this project had been "kicked forward" for many years. Mr. Berkowitz confirmed the well is included in the new total cost. Councilmember Bukkila expressed her concern that there would be nothing in the budget for the Park & Recreation Commission plans for next year. Mayor Trude stated she wanted to see the budget. Mr. Dickinson reviewing the Parks Improvement Fund cash flow analysis, stated if funding comes in as planned, they could do Fox Meadows Park next year. The consensus of the Councilmembers was to support the recommendation of the Park & Recreation Commission and that a budget amendment should come forward at a regular Council meeting for Council approval. Mr. Berkowitz inquired if the Council wanted to pave the parking lot and there was not support for that item. In the future, to provide better communication with the Park & Recreation Commission, staff will attend more meetings. During workshops more information will be exchanged to help facilitate more accurate budget estimates. Mr. Dickinson stated there will also be more connection with maintenance by staff attending Commission meetings once per month so there is more direct contact with staff. Mr. Berkowitz stated another workshop item will be to break up the city map in 4 sections and the Park & Recreation Commission will look at the trail gaps and extensions and make a recommendation to the Council. That process will start soon. This discussion will help with the Comprehensive Plan development as well because the City needs to update the outdated trail plan. Councilmember Knight expressed support for a city-wide trails plan, with many connections Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — March 22, 2016 Page 12 from one section to another. Mr. Berkowitz commented the trails are good in the core area and when it gets out further it is not as good. Mr. Dickinson stated in the future he would like to propose that the City take over the scheduling of the athletic fields and that it would be a future item for discussion. Mayor Trude stated it is hard for the athletic associations to schedule fairly. Mr. Dickinson responded most cities do coordinate scheduling. Mayor Trude replied she had a good response when she asked community members about the possibility. Mr. Berkowitz said it would become an administrative function. DISCUSS 2017 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES Mr. Dickinson stated the guidelines would be the same as last year with the fund balance cash flow requirement going down from 50% to 45%. In May and June discussions will move to the fund balance availability. Councilmember Bukkila stated she had received her tax statement and her house was back to the same value as it was 13 years ago when she purchased it. She stated that it is important to keep this in mind. Mr. Dickinson talked about the two state shifts that have happened over time that ® artificially inflate the city property tax number. There have also been a lot of improvements in the City over the last 10 years. FEBRUARY 2016 BUDGET PROGRESS REPORTS Mr. Dickinson stated everything is in line with last year. FEBRUARY2016 CITY IN VESTMENTS REVIEW Mr. Dickinson reported the investments are doing well. There were no disclosure items and all investments meet the City rating minimums. OTHER BUSINESS Mr. Dickinson gave a brief summary and update on the efforts around County and City groups proposing changes to the Metropolitan Council. There is not agreement between the resolutions and the proposed bills. Councilmember Bukkila stated she has been on the phone trying to "sort things out." with the County Commissioners. She has been asked if the City can provide something showing what the City would support, focusing on something different than the current model proposed by the County. Councilmember Goodrich indicated he wanted to support the County that the City works with every day. He proposed the City create a resolution of its own, addressing key issues such as Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — March 22, 2016 Page 13 staggered terms in support of the County Commissioners push for Met Council reform. Councilmember Knight expressed concern over traditional political appointees by the Governor. Mayor Trude stated her concern about north metro representation being diluted. She has heard this concern expressed by other mayors. Councilmember Goodrich stated he would like to get a feeling from the Council whether this is something that our staff should take time to draft. Mr. Dickinson expressed his willingness to craft something in general terms and not backing the Council into a corner. Councilmembers expressed agreement around having Mr. Dickinson draft a "vanilla" document for review including local official representation and will bring it forward to a Council meeting for review. Mr. Dickinson reminded the Council about the Kelsey Round Lake Park walk through. The Council mutually agreed to schedule a walk through for April 14th at 6:00 p.m., this will be formally set at the next Council meeting. The residents will be notified. Councilmember Bukkila expressed concern about the Mayor posting a response to a posting on the City's Facebook page. She requested to discuss whether it was appropriate to take a position, stating that "likes" and "ata boys" are okay. Mayor Trude stated she felt it was a matter of free speech to make a comment and that no vote could take place on something that had already been done. She stated it was a County project. Councilmember Holthus stated her belief that when she makes comments on a City site she is representing the City. Mayor Trude stated she was very unhappy about the tree removal and offered to delete the post. She disclosed that she had been getting calls and emails at church and from kids in the community, on her personal Facebook page, and on nextdoor.com. The comments have been overwhelming and people who live in Anoka have been approaching her too. She apologized for posting the comment. Councilmember Holthus stated she has learned to communicate back to others in the same way they communicate to her. Councilmember Bukkila indicated her issue is the danger of engaging with the comments on the City's Facebook page. She expressed that it opens the door to violation of the open meeting law because if other members of Council want to post, not all can. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — March 22, 2016 Page 14 Mayor Trude said the tree removal was a County decision and not an item before the Council. The open meeting law relates to items of discussion before the Council. Councilmember Bukkila stated she felt it was not appropriate for Councilmembers, as individuals, to use the City's Facebook page for their personal newsletter. Mayor Trude stated it was an emotional issue for residents and her as well. She confirmed that she had removed the Facebook post in question. Mr. Dickinson reported that he has had calls to the City about the trees that is why the City provided an informational post on the Facebook page. Councilmember Holthus asked about a policy for posting on the City's Facebook page. Mr. Dickinson said that the City had no formal social media policy, but we do have a user policy for the Facebook page. Mayor Trude asked if making a comment on Facebook would be considered political use when expressing she was sad about the removal of the trees. Councilmember Goodrich questioned whether it was a good idea for Councilmembers to engage on the City's Facebook page. He questioned if what was posted was good for the City's relationship with the County. Mayor Trude recounted a conversation she had with a particular resident related to the tree removal. Councilmember Bukkila asked if going forward the Council could find some agreement regarding weighing in on social media by Councilmembers. Mr. Dickinson stated he would do some research and see what type of social media policies were out there. Mayor Trude said she would not share her opinion going forward on the City's Facebook page. Councilmember Bukkila and Councilmember Holthus expressed their overall concern about the City being portrayed negatively. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Councilmember Knight, Seconded by Councilmember Bukkila, to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 9:48 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Marlene White, Recording Secretary