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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWK May 25, 2004 C I T Y o F NDOVE 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD N.W. . ANDOVER, MINNESOTA 55304 . (763) 755-5100 FAX (763) 755-8923 . WWW.CI.ANDOVER.MN.US Special City Council Workshop Miscellaneous Items Tuesday, May 25, 2004 Conference Room A & B 1. Call to Order - Following EDA Meeting Held at 6:00 p.m. 2. Review Draft Sewer Study - Engineering & Planning 3. Discuss Tax Abatement - Engineering/Finance 4. Approve Consultant to Evaluate 2004 Water System Improvements/04-II - Engineering 5. Review Coon Creek Watershed District Comprehensive Plan Revisions - Engineering 6. City Administrator Options - Administration 7, Other Business 8. Adjournment C I T Y o F ~ o..c....-- NDOVE wvl:ttn b-15.ò--t SPECIAL ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP - MAY 25,2004 MINUTES The Special Workshop of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Mike Gamache, May 25,2004,7:50 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota, Councilmembers present: Don Jacobson, Mike Knight, Ken Ortte1, Julie Trude CounciImember absent: None Also present: City Engineer, Dave Berkowitz City Finance Director, Jim Dickinson Community Development Director, Will Neumeister Others REVIEW DRAFT SEWER STUDY Mr. Berkowitz advised that in March the Council reviewed a draft copy of the 2004 Sewer Study. He indicated that since then they have revised the draft sewer report to address the concerns raised at that meeting. He stated there are eight alternatives, with five of those alternatives having sufficient sewer capacity to accommodate the anticipated future flows. He indicated of those five, the three most economical are the Prairie Road, Prairie Road #2 and Yellow Pine Lift Station alternatives. He stated the recommended alternative is the Yellow Pine Lift Station because it utilizes the existing trunk sewers and provides the City with the most flexibility to accommodate the timing of the developing areas. He indicated also, the City has the ability to install segments of the trunk lines to serve the areas adjacent to Crosstown Boulevard as they develop, without having to construct the entire trunk extension, as would be required for both the Prairie Road Alternative and the Prairie Road #2 Alternative. Paul Hornby, TKDA, indicated they have made modifications to the plan since the last workshop. He stated the original scope of the study was east of Hanson Boulevard, but as a result of the last workshop the scope has been expanded to include west of Hanson, with the direction being to determine where the City would have capacity to re-route the sewer line. Chris Bryan, TKDA, stated they have added three alternatives, and under the direction of staff have looked at re-routing lift station three to lift station four. He indicated the Yellow Pine Lift Station is the recommended alternative. CounciImember Jacobson asked them to review the recommended alternative in detail. He asked if it included a new pipe that would be going under Crosstown, coming into the City Hall site. He asked if there was something north of the creek. Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes - May 25, 2004 Page 2 Mr. Berkowitz stated the situation is that the bottleneck occurs at 140'" Lane. He indicated the bypass would be to route off of Hanson to alleviate what would ultimately get to 140'" Lane. He stated they could tie into the Jay street station, so it alleviates some of the south sewer going down that would eventually reach Bunker Lake. He explained a portion is forced line and would be to divert sewer from Crosstown. He stated that with this option they would not have to disturb the street. He indicated they would have a drilling pit every 500 to 1000 feet. Councilmember Knight asked if this would serve the rural reserve. Mr. Berkowitz advised that there is a different line designated for that area. Councilmember Trude asked about the crosshatched area to the north. Mr. Berkowitz stated the on1y thing to consider is there are 10-acre lots, and once sewer is available these could be split. Councilmember Orttel clarified this is a lift station, not just piping. Mr. Berkowitz stated that is correct. Councilmember Orttel stated he did not know the capacity of the pumps, but noted Rottlund Homes bought the property north of White Tail Ridge. He asked what it would take to put another lift station in so that area could be developed also. Mr. Berkowitz stated to improve lift station #4 they looked at what would be necessary, and there would have to be another wet well to handle that area. Councilmember Trude asked if that was the area where they had soil issues and street breaks also. Mr. Berkowitz showed where that area is, and indicated they are reaching the point where all the pipes will be at capacity, as they are reaching 70% now. Councilmember Orttel asked which alternative has a deeper pipe, and what that deeper pipe would do, Mr. Berkowitz stated it would allow more pressure. The recommended alternative would divert on1y at peak times. Councilmember Orttel asked what the benefit was for limiting it on1y to peak times. Mr. Bryan indicated the recommended re-route is on1y diverting half, and cannot handle the whole flow. Councilmember Trude asked if it would be cheaper to have some go through gravity lines and some diverted, and if that was possible. Mr. Bryan stated that would provide minimal benefit, and you would still need to split the flow. He indicated the only thing that would be cheaper is you would need smaller pumps, which would not be a considerable saving. Councilmember Knight verified that the Metropolitan Council has set the capacity, and if Rottlund Homes wants more lots they cannot just necessarily have them. Mr. Berkowitz stated that was correct. Councilmember Orttel asked why Rottlund Homes would buy the property if they cannot develop it. Mr. Neumeister indicated he spoke with Bruce Pankonin from Rottlund Homes Land Acquisition. He told Mr. Pankonin that this property is outside the MUSA, and he did not seem to be aware it was. He told Mr. Pankonin the on1y way to build here was to work with Select Companies. Councilmember Knight indicated he received a call that Rottlund was going to put in a communal sewer system. Mr, Neumeister stated Staffhas not heard that, and noted Rottlund Homes on1y has a Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes - May 25. 2004 Page 3 purchase agreement; they have not closed. Councilmember Jacobson noted that on the breakdowns it shows 150'" A venue for $831,000 with a total cost for the project of $2.6 million. He indicated since 150'" Avenue will not be built for several years they are really on1y talking about $1. 7 million for the project. Mr. Berkowitz indicated when they put together the rate analysis they have to take all units as a whole. Councilmember Jacobson argued that they are not building 150'" A venue, so that cost should not be considered at this point. Mr. Berkowitz advised that when that area does develop they have to have the sewer lines available. Councilmember Jacobson asked when building would start. Mr. Berkowitz indicated that area would be built at the time it is needed. Councilmember Jacobson stated it is already overloaded, and asked why they would not build it now. Mr. Berkowitz indicated it is not overloaded now; the study was based on full build out. Councilmember Jacobson stated that was not his understanding, Councilmember Trude thought that with the lots they had already approved it was overloaded. Mr. Berkowitz verified that at this time it is not overloaded, but would be at full build-out. Mr. Dickinson stated when you talk about the bottleneck it is the proposed bottleneck, or what will happen when they are at the full MUSA build-out. Mr. Bryan stated if you look at Table 9, the Council would have to approve 770 lots before they would be at capacity. Councilmember Orttel stated he did not think they had that many left. Mr. Berkowitz explained the areas, and where lots were still available. He indicated staffwould watch development and build out the sewer as needed, Councilmember Jacobson stated that could be three to four years before 150'" Avenue is needed. Mr. Berkowitz agreed. Councilmember Orttel stated they will need to know on Sophie's property soon, Councilmember Jacobson indicated that property was not in this study, Mr. Bryan indicated that is addressed in the alternative. He reviewed the options on the site map. Councilmember Trude asked who would pay for the new lines; if the cost would be built into the trunk line fee. Mr. Berkowitz stated it would. Councilmember Trude verified the money would be there and available when the City got to the homes on the gravel road. Mr. Berkowitz indicated it would. Councilmember Orttel commented that he assumes the flows they used in the study are not theoretical, but based on flow meter readings. Mr. Berkowitz stated it is theoretical using 225 per unit, whereas the Metropolitan Council uses 270 per unit. He indicated the City is averaging 21 0 per unit, so they dropped the number to 225 and thinks they will be closer to actual while still being conservative. He stated Andover is lucky because their systems are new. Councilmember Orttel agreed, adding their home size is fairly small which is another reason they blow the average. Paul Hornby stated the biggest thing is sump pumps, and the City will want to make sure they keep that out of the sewer system. Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes - May 25, 2004 Page 4 Councilmember Orttel asked if there was any way to use a flow meter so that they will know exactly what the need is in the northeast comer. Mr,Berkowitz stated he would like to do that. Councilmember Orttel thinks it would be wise. He stated the Council is confused because they thought staff had said they were over capacity now, at least at the critical points in the trunk system, but they are now being told they are not. Councilmember Knight asked where the figures came from. Winslow Holasek indicated they came ITom the TKDA study; a theoretical analysis using full build-out. Mr. Berkowitz added the bypass came into play because there are other pipes in the area that are not near capacity. Councilmember Jacobson asked staff to go through each of the alternatives and say why it will not work. Councilmember Orttel thinks all of them work, but some are less money and this one is staged. Councilmember Trude indicated some of these alternatives are asterisked because of density. Andover has not always been at the right density because of wetlands and other factors. Councilmember Knight stated the bypass goes right through Coon Rapids. Mr. Berkowitz indicated it would bypass to the trunk on Bunker, which is sized to meet that flow. Councilmember Orttel asked how long it would be before it needs to be updated. Mr. Berkowitz stated a few sections would need to be replaced and resized, but they are under capacity for the ultimate discharge. Councilmember Trude asked if the density looks at net buildable, with 2.07 still being low. Mr. Neumeister indicated it does, which is why the study shows 2.45. It was noted all the townhouses were removed, and if they blend the last several years with the townhouses they would be at 3.05. Councilmember Trude asked if2.07 was rejected as lacking. Mr. Neumeister indicated they did. He noted the last study had the lower density, and the gallons per house were too low. They told the engineers to use more realistic numbers, so staff feels this is a much better study. Mr. Dickinson noted this study has been validated with actual data. Paul Hornby indicated if the City does choose to reduce density, they will have to kick up the trunk charges because it is based on the cost divided by these density numbers. Mr. Bryan reviewed the non-recommended alternatives, indicating they were rejected either because of cost or because the solution left some sections over capacity. He advised Prairie Road works, and at $2.5 million is one of the finalists. Mr. Berkowitz indicated it is not the recommended alternative because it limits flexibility on development, and would all need to be built right away. Councilmember Orttel asked if the lateral lift station is included in the cost. Mr. Bryan stated it is not; on1y the trunk lift stations. Councilmember Orttel stated someone wants to meet with the City concerning the end of Andover Road right now. Mr. Bryan showed why that would not work. Mr. Berkowitz stated what Mr. Bryan is saying is if we want to extend sewer that far there would be a lot of extra cost. He indicated it could possibly be handled with a lateral lift station. He stated they would have to look at Lift Station #2 and see what the capacity is, but if someone wanted to develop sooner the developer could possibly build that lift station. Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes - May 25, 2004 Page 5 Mr. Bryan continued the review of the various alternatives. Councilmember Jacobson asked what the next step would be. Mr. Berkowitz indicated they would fmalize the report with the alternative recommended and would then work on staging and meeting with residents in the area and on the rate study. Councilmember Jacobson understood staff to say sections of this at least would not be needed for three to five years. He asked why they would meet with residents now. Mr. Dickinson explained when dealing with trunk fees they want to change all the trunk fees to the appropriate amount now so the last people are not paying for the last services; the money has already been collected to pay for the services needed. Mr. Neumeister indicated the next step is the staging plan. If they determine the red area is the next development area they need to do a comprehensive plan amendment, and run that through public hearings. Councilmember Orttel asked if they could extend the pipe in very small increments by petition. Paul Hornby indicated they could. Councilmember Orttel stated his point is it does not affect any property owners un1ess they want to develop. Mr. Neumeister stated the Council should adopt as part of this a motion that if a property owoer is contiguous to the pipe they could continue to develop because they are not impacting anyone except their property. He indicated properties contiguous to the trunk should be able to move forward at the pace they wish. Mayor Gamache verified they are all in agreement that they should go with the Yellow Pine Lift Station plan. Mr. Bryan noted they did not save money with this plan versus the original recommendation. Mayor Gamache opened the meeting for public input. A female audience member stated she was here with Tom Finis, who has property on Crosstown, and is interested in developing the land as soon as possible. She indicated they are in favor of the proposal and having the City move forward. Dave asked what the timeftame is for the areas with maroon crosshatched areas. Mr. Neumeister indicated it is currently scheduled for approximately ten years, but realistically would be about five years, He feels that is why they need a policy set that if a property owner is contiguous to the sewer pipe they can develop now. He stated in that way they are not forcing any development in, and the person owning the parcel can dictate when they want to develop. Councilmember Orttel asked what the difference is between this method and not having a plan at all. Mr. Dickinson indicated on the rate schedule they will do the analysis in-house and have an outside expert review it to cut costs, Dave agreed if the pipe is there and the timing is not right for one landowner but is for another they should be able to jump over. Mr. Berkowitz stated that if a developer came in and wanted to pay for the lift station, they could do that. Dave indicated the land in that area is Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes - May 25, 2004 Page 6 all low land, and would need a lift station anyway. He questioned the logic ofleaping over Andover Boulevard. Councilmember Jacobson indicated he thought the little parcel was commercial in the long-term land use plan at Andover and Prairie. Winslow Holasek expressed concern about the rate study shown going to the east. He stated it was noted the lateral lift stations were not included in the $831,000 cost. He indicated the trunk fees are a certain amount every year, but now the City wants to include this amount in the rate schedule. He stated there is no increased cost to the city for what is being done to the east because there are no lateral lift stations, so it should not be included in the rate study. He indicated every year this goes up, and the fees will pay not on1y for lateral lift stations but trunk extensions. He does not think it is fair the property owners in that area should have to pay for it again. Councilmember Orttel indicated all lift stations except Yellow Pine are lateral that are paid by developers. He stated what staff is saying is there is more density now, so more service is needed. Mr. Dickinson explained the rate study is a function of costs, number of units, and timing. Mr. Berkowitz advised when they look at the sewer system they look at the whole city. He stated they have to review the rate schedule and adjust rates sometimes. He noted any new development will pay trunk fees, and going forward will pay the adjusted rate, which is distributed over the entire city. Councilmember Knight indicated he thought Mr. Holasek was saying they dead-ended the line at his property, and he already paid for that. Mr. Berkowitz stated all development paid for it. Councilmember Ortte1 indicated Mr. Holasek is saying he anticipated it at the old rate, and he should not have to pay the new rate because he did not cause the need for the new services. Mr. Dickinson indicated that is why they do a rate analysis, and have to look at units, timing and costs. Mr, Berkowitz noted in the last sewer report it was recommended they review the rate every three years. Mr. Holasek asked if when they bring sewer up to the rural reserve staff will look at it again and everyone in the city will have to pay for that too. Mr. Berkowitz indicated the rural reserve area is being handled separately because extra costs will be involved in getting sewer to that area. Mr. Bryan advised when his flnn recently did North Branch their costs went from $1000 to approximately $4500. He stated some thought it would kill development in the city, but that did not happen. Councilmember Orttel asked if when all this is done the Council can get a report on what capacity they have that is not in the MUSA area. He indicated it is getting to the point where they will have more situations where they buy up two and a half-acre homes and redevelop the lot. He wants to know what the capacity will be. Mr. Berkowitz stated staff could provide that. He indicated they had mentioned before that the Metropolitan Council had approached Andover about giving up some of their capacity because Ramsey is looking for more. Mayor Gamache stated they would not be interested in doing that. Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes - May 25, 2004 Page 7 DISCUSS TAXABATEMENT Mr. Dickinson stated tax abatement has been an ongoing topic since the beginning of the year. He indicated the information in the packet includes the last update, also an update provided by Winslow Holasek and now from Clocktower Commons in support of tax abatement. Staff is trying to get further support as well. He noted also since the last meeting they have been working with the Planning Intern and have had discussions with the County on valuation analysis, which seems very low. He advised that the Finance department has asked EWers & Associates to update the debt service schedules and upon receipt, the Finance department will update the cash flow projections. Mr. Dickinson further advised discussions have taken place with developers in the affected area to determine their upfront financial contributions to the overall improvement projects. He stated the developers have indicated they are budgeting for some contributions, but those budgets are not prepared to set a specific contribution amount. He indicated they would be based on what improvements are approved by the County. Mr. Dickinson indicated Engineering has contacted Anoka County to get on a Public Works Committee agenda, which will be June 14,2004 at 9:00 a.m. Mr. Berkowitz stated they have been given 20 minutes for a presentation and 10 minutes for questions. He indicated Mr. Dickinson will open the presentation, then he will talk about the proposed improvements, which are 1 54th Avenue and Hanson Boulevard, Crosstown Boulevard and Bluebird Street, and Bluebird Street and Hanson Boulevard. Mr. Dickinson advised that part of the presentation will focus on the thought process on fimding these projects, and to assure them that if the County requires tax abatement, 100% of their money will be spent on the County roadway. Councilmember Knight asked if it would be beneficial to have the City Council attend. Mr. Dickinson stated if Andover is going to have more than two people present they need to let the County know so it can be posted. Councilmember Trude indicated there have been a lot of parents talking about the school parking lot, and asked if it would be helpful to have a representative from that group at the meeting. She stated their position is that they cannot afford to lose the ballfield, and the parents are saying if the road is built the kids could not get to the trail safely. Mr. Dickinson stated he will confmn their position with Tom Durand before the meeting. Mayor Gamache asked if this is the same committee that will make a decision on the improvements. Mr. Dickinson stated they will make a recommendation on the improvement, but not the abatement. Mr. Berkowitz indicated a sticky point is going to be Hanson Boulevard and Bluebird Street, He advised they will state their position that the City wants Bluebird Street and Hanson Boulevard to Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes - May 25, 2004 Page 8 be a full movement intersection. Councilmember Trude stated another point is keeping the City Hall parking lot open. She indicated the County did not want them to be connected to the Community Center parking lot. APPROVE CONSULTANT TO EVALUATE 2004 WATER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS/04-II Motion by Councilmember Jacobson, Seconded by Councilmember Trude, to approve Short Elliott Hendrickson, Inc. to evaluate the 2004 Water System Improvements, update the City's Wellhead Protection Plan and update the City's Water Model, Project 04-11 at a cost not to exceed $30,600. CounciImember Jacobson stated this is going to cost $30,000, but three years ago the City did a rather extensive study also. He indicated that for $30,000 we can almost pay a junior engineer's salary for a year. Mr. Berkowitz stated the update done three years ago was a vague update of some of the options they could use. Since then other options have come up, and the biggest thing they need to evaluate for future development is the water model. Councilmember Jacobson indicated the Wellhead Protection Plan is required, whereas the water model, which is a want, is driving up the cost. Mr. Berkowitz indicated the cost is distributed between all three parts. Councilmember Jacobson noted the Wellhead Protection Plan is needed by the end of the year, where the other is not. He asked if they should do it all now or wait for the other pieces. Mr. Berkowitz indicated they also have a requirement from the EP A to get the arsenic levels down. Councilmember Trude clarified they would be doing well upgrades or safety enhancements. Mr. Berkowitz stated that was correct, and is why they want to explore possibilities and have the experts tell them what needs to be done. He indicated there is something brand new called aquifer storage that is very exciting. Mr. Dickinson added that since the water plan was done three years ago, some of the recommendations have changed. Councilmember Trude noted that one point Councilmember Jacobson was making about all the engineering studies the City contracts is a good point. She asked if they should have another engineer on staff. Mr. Berkowitz indicated communities like Maple Grove who have a large staff have a water specialist engineer, but for Andover to have all the various specialists would not be beneficial. Motion carried unanimously. REVIEW COON CREEK WATERSHED DISTRICTCOMPREHENSlVE PLAN REVISIONS Mr. Berkowitz indicated the two items significantly changed in the Coon Creek Watershed District Comprehensive Plan are storm water management and infiltration. He explained the changes, noting the city's past practice was not to allow infiltration, a decision supported by the fact that we had 9.2 inches of rain in hours and not one house was flooded. Councilmember Trude noted that the 100-year flood events have been occurring more frequently than 100 years. Mr. Berkowitz stated on the other side of that, the natural water level is three feet Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes - May 25, 2004 Page 9 lower than it should be. Councilmember Trude indicated she was reading that basements can be lower than they have been, and that staff is concerned about that. Councilmember Jacobson asked if they could not change the city ordinance to compensate for the basement requirements if staff is really concerned. Mayor Gamache asked what the cost would be to developers for these changes. Mr. Berkowitz stated infiltration will save them land. Councilmember Orttel indicated weather patterns are obviously changing, and asked how often they change the I DO-year flood level requirements. Mr. Berkowitz stated they are still 5.8 inches in a 24- hour period. Councilmember Jacobson stated the two sections staff has concerns about are more technical than anything else. His suggestion would be to have staff tell them why they are concerned, and if the Coon Creek Watershed District changes their Comprehensive Plan requirements anyway, the Council can determine if the City's ordinances should be adjusted to compensate. He stated if the Watershed District does not make revisions, than Andover does not have to make any changes either. Mr. Berkowitz stated the reason staff wanted to bring it forward was to show the Council the major changes. He indicated the second item is that now there will be a l6-foot buffer, and once people move in they can pretty much do what they want; there is little enforcement that takes place. He stated with the change there may be a I6-foot to 50-foot buffer required, and the property owner would not be allowed to build into that. Councilmember Orttel asked what would determine ifit was 16 feet or 50 feet. Mr. Berkowitz stated the quality of the wetland would be the determining factor. He indicated this affects the Country Oaks development, where some lots may be unbuildable. Councilmember Trude stated she saw this at her last city; the homeowner could ask pennission and pretty much do what they wanted in the buffer area. She indicated the problem is it is never enforced after the property owner moves in. Mr. Berkowitz stated the Watershed District always goes out when the city asks them to. Councilmember Jacobson indicated the homes would be built further away if the buffer area were increased, Councilmember Orttel stated this could affect the City's sewer plan and density in the northwest corner. Mr. Berkowitz indicated each site would be looked at to detennine what the setback would be. Councilmember Orttel indicated he understands they are getting around the wetland in Blaine by saying the land was farmed. Mr. Neumeister agreed soil and vegetation are looked at when detennining wetlands. Councilmember Trude commented that on infiltration, because of the sandy soils she wonders if they have not overbuilt the ponding in the city. She indicated when there is sandy soil you can almost drain right into the soil, and the Watershed District is obviously agreeing with that and asking them to look at natural infiltration. She asked how concerned staffis about this. Mr. Berkowitz indicated staff is a little concerned and want to review those concerns with the consultant doing the water Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes - May 25, 2004 Page 10 management plans to see what their thoughts are on it. He stated the bottom line is they want to protect their residents from flooded basements, Councilmember Orttel noted that before they put in the requirement that no water can leave the site, in approximately 1990, they did not require any plans. He stated the problem is it eventually aggregates and they have problems somewhere, CITY ADMINISTRATOR OPTIONS Ms. Peitso indicated at the last City Council meeting Councilmember Jacobson asked for options for recruiting a new City Administrator. She has provided the Council with a very fast time line as a rough draft for discussion. She noted the job description they have for this position is from 1999, which is when they were recruiting John Erar. She stated the city code, which also has a job description for this position, was last revised in 1998, so both need to be updated, She advised she has also included a job posting announcement and a position profile, which includes information about the City of Andover for candidates. She also has a candidate profile, which she would like the Council to mark to help her in reviewing candidates to hone in on what additional skills over and above the set requirements the Council would like the person to have, Councilmember Knight congratulated Ms. Peitso on doing a nice job pulling all this information together. Mayor Gamache agreed. He asked if on the ideal candidate profile she wants them to number the items by importance or check off the most important qualifications. Ms. Peitso stated checking them off would be good. She indicated the part of the process where she would need that will take place in June, so the Council can take their time going through it. CouncilmemberJacobson asked if Ms. Peitso would be able to take the existing description and meld it into a new description to have ready to give an interested candidate.' Ms. Peitso stated she could do that. She reiterated the City Administrator position is a city ordinance, and has to be updated, so the Council will see that revision coming through at a Council meeting shortly. She would also like the City Council to look at the want ad and see if there are any changes they would suggest. Councilmember Jacobson asked if the ad would go out June 1 st. Ms. Peitso stated it could if that is what the Council wanted. She indicated she does have the timeline as a pretty quick turnaround. Councilmember Trude asked if this is similar to how other League of Minnesota cities do it. Ms. Peitso indicated it is, Councilmember Jacobson asked how she came up with the salary range. Ms. Peitso stated when negotiating terms of employment it would be up to the City Council. Councilmember Knight asked if the range was determined by Stanton. Ms. Peitso stated it was, and adjusted for the 3% cost ofliving. Councilmember Jacobson asked how they bump up against the governor's salary limits. Ms. Peitso stated they are not there yet. Councilmember Knight indicated the figure is $114,988. Ms. Peitso noted that figure has to include benefits. Mayor Gamache noted that on the job posting they have the minimum qualification as a bachelor's degree. He questioned if they should specifY what the degree is in. Ms. Peitso stated this is how it Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes - May 25, 2004 Page 11 has been done in other cities, rather than specifying a degree in business or city administration or something else. She noted on the community and position priorities, the community has changed quite a bit since these were written. She thought the Council may wantto look at them and direct her on changes they would like made. Councilmember Jacobson asked when she wanted the information back. Ms. Peitso asked for them to be returned by Friday. She indicated she would compile the suggested changes and send out a fmal packet for review. Mayor Gamache asked where they would be advertising. Ms. Peitso listed the publications they would advertise in, noting if the Council felt it appropriate she could also list it in the Star Tribune or Pioneer Press as well. Councilmember Knight asked if there were any requirements concerning minorities or gender. Ms. Peitso stated they on1y have to show they are hitting all areas, which is where the Star Tribune may be helpful. She indicated it would cost approximately $2500 to advertise in the Star Tribune, which would run two Sundays, with a full week on the web. She would recommend that they do this, noting the web does go nationwide. Councilmember Jacobson indicated if Ms. Peitso does not receive any changes to the job posting by Friday she should just go with it and get the ad out. Councilmember Orttel stated they would want someone who has some experience in a large city. Ms. Peitso indicated she would want updates to the city profile in that case. Mayor Gamache asked if the timeline was reasonable. Ms. Peitso stated it is very ambitious. Councilmember Orttel suggested they leave the timeline as it is, with the Council understanding it is ambitious. OTHER BUSINESS Councilmember Knight indicated he wanted to bring up the train issue. Hethinks they should assign someone to look into it. Councilmember Jacobson stated the Federal Transportation Board is looking at some changes. Councilmember Orttel thought that was on1y for those that applied. Councilmember Jacobson stated he thought it was nationwide. Councilmember Knight stated his concern is they passed the resolution a while ago, and when nothing is done people read that and think the Council is not taking care of things. Councilmember Jacobson suggested they ask staff to see what the government study says, and see what Coon Rapids is doing and give the Council a recommendation in 30 days, Mayor Gamache asked if there is anything on Round Lake Boulevard. Mr. Berkowitz stated there is nothing new. He looked up the MnlDot specifications the gentleman brought up, but it appears it is up to the developer's discretion. Councilmember Trude stated the problem was that the Council all thought it was there. She indicated she was surprised there is not a way for people living there to get through. Councilmember Orttel stated those people are violating the law, and then telling us they are outraged the law is there. Councilmember Jacobson agreed, noting it is not that far to go around. Mayor Gamache indicated he thinks those having the main problem are on South Coon Creek, who have to go to Crosstown Boulevard because they cannot get on Round Lake Boulevard, Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes - May 25, 2004 Page 12 Councilmember Orttel noted he has been involved in communication about a proposal to eliminate smoking in the City Parks during kids' games. Councilmember Jacobson stated he is against doing that. He indicated it is a legal substance, and if people cannot smoke outside, where are they supposed to go. Councilmember Orttel indicated the argument is not the health issue, it is that these people are supposed to be role models for the kids. Councilmember Jacobson argued that the kids could very well go home and see their parents smoke. Mayor Gamache agreed, stating they cannot even enforce the dog regulations; he would not want to try to enforce this. Councilmember Orttel indicated it is not about enforcing it, but making a point by making the rule. Mayor Gamache asked if it was on the Park Board agenda. Mr. Dickinson stated he believes so, and noted this issue has been getting a lot of press in the papers. Mayor Gamache indicated the question on Park closing time has also come up. He stated there has been vandalism late at night, and the Sheriff does not have the ability to kick people out because the closing time is not posted. He suggested they have them posted, and maybe even tell the ball clubs they cannot start an inning after 10:00 p.m. Councilmember Trude stated Blaine has a community service officer to make sure everyone gets out of the park on time after a game. Councilmember Orttel stated they are a city of over 30,000 now, and have issues coming up that they did not have before. He thinks they need to look at the number of calls and keep an eye on what is happening. Councilmember Trude stated the numbers do not tell you everything. Mr. Dickinson agreed, noting that with a strong implementation of neighborhood watch programs, the number of calls move up. Mr. Berkowitz advised the school is installing dugouts at the City's softball field. He indicated the engineering department will review plans but the Council will probably not see them. He also noted they have been getting increased calls on Andover and Hanson. They will have an officer directing traffic between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. Councilmember Knight thinks those times need to be extended because tonight it was backed up past SuperAmerica. Mayor Gamache indicated it on1y took him five minutes to get through the stop sign. Mr. Neumeister indicated they met with the County two or three weeks ago, where it was suggested the roadbed could be re-stripped to four lanes and it would not be that expensive. Mr. Berkowitz indicated the County threw out a figure of half a million dollars. Mr. Neumeister stated they need to start considering that because it is a cheap fix. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Councilmember Jacobson, Seconded by Councilmember Trude to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 10:03 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Karen Budden, Recording Secretary