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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-09-23 WK ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING – SEPTEMBER 23, 2025 MINUTES The Workshop Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Barthel, September 23, 2025, 6:25 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Councilmembers present: Rick Engelhardt, Karen Godfrey, Scott Schue, and Jonathan Shafto Councilmember absent: None Also present: City Administrator, Sarah Cotton Director of Public Works/City Engineer, David Berkowitz Natural Resources Technician, Kameron Kytonen Fire Chief, Dennis Jones Finance Manager, Lee Brezinka Others CITY CONTRIBUTION - PRESENTATION FROM STEPPING STONE EMERGENCY HOUSING & ANDOVER SENIOR CLUB Paul DeGeest, Director of Development and Communication at Stepping Stone Emergency Housing, gave the Council a presentation on Stepping Stone, including its mission and background. Councilmember Schue asked how Stepping Stone currently interacts with the faith community. Mr. DeGeest shared they still work heavily with churches and other faith-based organizations. He stated they get a lot of volunteers from these organizations, or they cook meals for their residents to bring to the shelter. He added these organizations also hold drives for different items, like hygiene products, for the residents. Councilmember Godfrey asked what percentage of the funds that are received are applied directly to benefit the residents. Mr. DeGeest said it is roughly 96%. Valerie Knight, President of the Andover Senior Club, and Theresa Johnson, Treasurer for the Andover Senior Club, gave the Council a presentation on the Andover Senior Club. Councilmember Schue asked if they had considered associating themselves with the other Andover senior group. Ms. Knight shared it is her understanding that this other group is a part of the YMCA. She noted some of the residents in that group have joined their group for different events. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – September 23, 2025 Page 2 Councilmember Schue asked if there is an educational component to the Andover Senior Club. Ms. Knight said yes and explained that four times over the past year, they have had speakers come and make an educational presentation to their group on different things, like health and scam risks. Councilmember Godfrey asked how many members the Andover Senior Club has and how many are Andover residents. Ms. Knight said they have 28 families, 13 of which are Andover residents. Mayor Barthel asked how the City's donations have been used in the past. Ms. Johnson said they use it for meals out at Pizza Ranch, coffee for other meetings, and other game supplies. Mayor Barthel noted a number of the members of this group are from other cities, like Coon Rapids. He asked if these cities are also donating to this group. Ms. Knight said no and explained that most of the members of the group used to live in Andover but moved and continue to be a part of the group. CONTINUE NATURE PRESERVE DISCUSSION Natural Resources Technician Kytonen reviewed the Staff report in regard to the Nature Preserves and the ideas of the Commission. Councilmember Engelhardt shared his appreciation for the work that the Nature Preserve Commission has put into the tours of the preserves that they have been hosting to let the residents know more about these preserves. Councilmember Shafto agreed and shared he attended one of the tours, and the Commissioners did a great job sharing their knowledge of the preserves. Mayor Barthel noted he has said before that the Nature Preserve Commission either needs to change or be dismantled. He shared after these tours, he has received a number of emails about the passion of residents for open space and the environment. He said he wants to look into having an Environmental Commission like the city of Lino Lakes, which would not only oversee the nature preserves, but also some other environmental areas throughout the City. He added he wants to give this Commission a little bit more power and decision-making authority. He noted they could look into combining this Commission with the Park and Recreation Commission. Councilmember Shafto shared he also thinks the Commission needs to change and go in a different direction to accomplish the goals of the Commission. He said he would like to see this Commission manage, maintain, and educate on the nature preserves. He added they could look into partnering with schools to increase their community engagement and raise awareness of the nature preserves. He stated he would not want the Nature Preserve Commission and the Park and Recreation Commission to be combined, as they have two different goals and purposes. Councilmember Engelhardt shared he sees the goal of both Commissions as similar, as they both aim to manage, maintain, and educate the public on their benefits to the City. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – September 23, 2025 Page 3 Councilmember Godfrey said she sees the approaches of these Commissions as being different; however, she thinks they could get a lot more benefit and appreciation for the nature preserves with partnerships. Councilmember Schue shared he believes these Commissions need to stay separate. He said there are people on the Nature Preserve Commission who are experts on nature and are passionate about what they are doing. He added he likes the idea of the Nature Preserve Commission taking on some other environmental responsibilities. He said he would like to hear from this Commission on the Fields of Andover project. Mayor Barthel noted Nature Preserve Commissioner Gwinn had worked with the rest of the Commission and the Council to put together a tree preservation plan for new developments. He said this was a phenomenal plan that allowed the Nature Preserve Commission to think outside the box. City Administrator Cotton explained the Council will want to identify the goals and objectives of this Commission for 2026 and into the future. Mayor Barthel asked if Staff can do some research into the goals and objectives of the Environmental Commission in Lino Lakes and see if there are other cities in the area that have a similar group. Council consensus was reached to direct Staff to do research on similar environmental groups in other cities in the surrounding areas and present these findings to the Council. DISCUSS SECONDARY DRIVEWAY APPLICATION/15493 YELLOW PINE STREET NW Director of Public Works/City Engineer Berkowitz reviewed the Staff report concerning the secondary driveway application at 15943 Yellow Pine Street NW in the urban area. Councilmember Godfrey asked how far this secondary driveway would be from the nearest driveway. Mr. Berkowitz shared they have a minimum requirement of 60 feet from any intersection. He said this application would meet this requirement as there would be a 79-foot separation from the nearest intersection and another 60 feet from the neighbor's driveway. Councilmember Godfrey asked how this intersection is controlled. Mr. Berkowitz said it is a stop sign intersection. Councilmember Godfrey said they need to set parameters for safety reasons; however, she is okay with this request and thinks it is time for them to make adjustments to rules around secondary driveways in the urban area. She noted there are secondary driveways in the area where she lives, and she does not have an issue with them, as they help make the use of the property owner's property more practical for them. She said she would have an issue with this if the two driveways went around the property and made a circular driveway, as they would lose a lot of visibility and Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – September 23, 2025 Page 4 would promote excess parking. Councilmember Schue thanked Staff for bringing this forward for Council consideration. He noted at recent Council meetings, they have had a discussion around setting precedents, and this situation falls into the same category. He stated that he is in favor of this request. Councilmember Shafto asked if they have had other requests for a secondary driveway on corner lots in the past. Mr. Berkowitz said he has been in his role as City Engineer for 22 years, and this is the first request he has received for a secondary driveway on a corner lot. Councilmember Shafto asked if it would make sense to have a distance requirement for two driveways on one property. Mr. Berkowitz said they would decide this during the approval process. Councilmember Shafto asked if they would want to make it a requirement that these driveways cannot be as wide as the primary driveway to prevent the parking of excess vehicles. Councilmember Godfrey noted the driveway would need to be at least wide enough for a firetruck. Mr. Berkowitz added that a firetruck would not likely use a side yard driveway, so he does not see this as a concern. Mayor Barthel said he is not a big fan of allowing a side yard driveway at this location. He stated when they allow paved surfaces, they are essentially allowing as many vehicles to be parked there as will fit. Councilmember Godfrey suggested making another requirement for a secondary driveway that it has to lead to a designated entrance, like a garage or an in-law suite. Councilmember Shafto said he is concerned about approving this request before a code or policy change. He added he would also like to see a reduction in the size requirement for the secondary driveway. Council consensus was reached to direct Staff to work on updating the policy in regard to secondary driveways, with a requirement that it leads to a secondary entrance or garage and has a 14-foot maximum driveway width, and approve the application for 15943 Yellow Pine Street NW. CONTINUE DISCUSSION ON THE ROADWAY RECONSTRUCTION ASSESSMENT PROCESS Mr. Berkowitz reviewed the Staff report in regard to the roadway reconstruction assessment process. He reviewed the new proposed process. Mayor Barthel said he would like them to review this process every year for the next few years for direct comparisons. Ben Riechers, 15844 Martin Street NW, asked if the assessment amount was wildly wrong would Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – September 23, 2025 Page 5 you go back to the property owner to adjust. Councilmember Shafto stated there would need to be a policy for that in place up front. Council consensus was reached to direct Staff to modify the assessment policy and bring it back for Council approval. DISCUSS FIRE DEPARTMENT STAFFING MODEL Fire Chief Jones reviewed the Staff report in regard to the Fire Department staffing model. Mayor Barthel asked how many firefighters they need to go on a call. Mr. Jones said it is three for fire calls, and some EMS calls only require two firefighters. Ms. Cotton noted the duty crew shifts do not always get filled currently. She said that adding new full-time firefighters will help fill these shifts during the most vulnerable times of the day. Councilmember Schue said he appreciates Staff trying to figure this out. He asked if the wage for one of the new full-time firefighters would be covered by the current pay from on-call firefighters, since they would not be needed as much with additional full-time firefighters. Mr. Jones said yes. Councilmember Godfrey asked if these adjustments to hours would increase morale and help them get a better on-call response. Mr. Jones said he would like to think so; however, he will not be sure until the new model is implemented. Ms. Cotton noted the Fitch and Associates study reviewed firefighter morale and burnout. Mr. Jones explained part of the reason they originally expanded their duty crew was due to on-call firefighters being unavailable during certain hours. Mayor Barthel shared he knows there will be a budget impact to adding more full-time firefighters; however, he thinks this is a huge step in the right direction to ensure they will have three firefighters available for calls during certain hours. He asked when they would like to hire the additional full-time firefighters and when they would need to budget to do this. Mr. Jones said he would like to get the two new firefighters hired as soon as possible; however, he does not think that is realistic. Ms. Cotton asked how much the wages and benefits will cost for a mid-range full-time firefighter. Finance Manager Brezinka said it will cost around $100,000. Ms. Cotton shared the 2026 preliminary budget includes the cost for one new full-time firefighter. She said that she, Mr. Brezinka, and Mr. Jones can get together to discuss the timing of onboarding and hiring for these firefighters and report back on the budget impact. Councilmember Godfrey asked about the applicants who have been applying for the Fire Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – September 23, 2025 Page 6 Department and if they have been more interested in paid on-call roles or full-time roles. Mr. Jones shared they have had a variety of applicants applying. He noted around 10% to 20% are interested in being career firefighters. Mr. Jones said he has had a lot of help from Staff to work on updating this staffing model and thanked Staff for their assistance with this. Council consensus was reached to direct Staff to move forward with the proposed Fire Department staffing model to hire two new full-time firefighters. 2026 SPECIAL REVENUE, DEBT SERVICE, CAPITAL PROJECTS, ENTERPRISE & INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS BUDGET DISTRIBUTION & DISCUSSION Mr. Brezinka reviewed the Staff report concerning the 2026 special revenue, debt service, capital projects, and enterprise and internal services funds budget distribution. Mayor Barthel said there is such a high demand for ice rink space that he has been unable to reserve any time. He said that Andover has one of the nicest rinks in the area, and they may need to look at raising their prices. Councilmember Godfrey asked if the crack seal contributions are matched to each development. Mr. Brezinka shared they keep a log of what each development paid per square foot. Mr. Berkowitz added they will refund the development if they over collect. Mr. Berkowitz shared he attended the American Water Works Association conference last week, where they had a presentation on water rates. He noted Andover has the second-lowest water rates in the area. Mayor Barthel asked about the radios that they were putting on waterlines into houses. Mr. Berkowitz said they finished this last year. He noted they are currently working on meter replacements, and they only have about 800 left to replace. Councilmember Godfrey asked what percentage of households are on City water. Mr. Berkowitz said they have around 6,500 connections throughout the City. Councilmember Godfrey asked if everyone pays into the stormwater fund. Mr. Brezinka said yes. Councilmember Godfrey asked at what point they transfer between funds. Is it when they know the cost or do you use an estimated cost. Mr. Brezinka said he uses a rolling five-year average to allocate to each department. We know what their operating costs are and that is spread to the departments. Council consensus was reached to direct Staff to continue to move forward with the 2026 special revenue, debt service, capital projects, and enterprise and internal services funds budget Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – September 23, 2025 Page 7 distribution. DISCUSS GENERAL FUND OPERATING FUNDS TRANSFER(S) Mr. Brezinka reviewed the Staff report in regard to general fund budget transfers. He shared they have a projected excess fund balance of $2,800,000. Mayor Barthel asked if they were to move $1,000,000 out of the operating fund, what percentage would they be at for fund balance. Mr. Brezinka said they would still be at 50%. Councilmember Godfrey asked if they were to maintain the fund balance around 50% if that would allow them to maintain their rating. Mr. Brezinka said yes and explained that rating agencies want to see a minimum of 50% fund balance. Councilmember Godfrey shared she is in favor of everything that has been presented. The rest of the Council agreed. Council consensus was reached to direct Staff to move forward with the general fund operating fund transfers. OTHER TOPICS Mr. Berkowitz discussed the Sonsteby property and shared they will need a quit claim deed for this property. He noted there will be a cost associated with hiring a surveyor to write up a legal description of this property and prepare the quick claim deed. He said this could cost up to $5,000. Mayor Barthel asked where this funding would come from. Mr. Brezinka said it could be taken from the capital equipment reserves. Councilmember Godfrey asked if they anticipate there being any other hidden expenses associated with accepting this donated land. Ms. Cotton shared before they move forward with any additional expenses, she would recommend they have the Council formally accept the donation and authorize Staff to spend the dollars needed to acquire the land. Councilmember Schue said he would like to better understand what they pay City Attorney Baumgartner for. Ms. Cotton explained they pay him for all civil and criminal prosecution matters. Councilmember Godfrey asked if there would be any amount that they would need to pay Mr. Baumgartner for the preparation of this, outside of his retainer fee. Ms. Cotton shared the only things that have fallen outside of the retainer in recent months are development-specific items, which are charged back to the developers. Council consensus was reached to direct Staff to hire a surveyor to write up a legal description of this property and prepare the quick claim deed. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – September 23, 2025 Page 8 Mayor Barthel asked the Council if they are supportive of continuing contributions to Stepping Stone Emergency Housing. The Council was in agreement to continue with this contribution. Mayor Barthel asked the Council if they are supportive of continuing contributions to the Andover Senior Club. Councilmember Schue said he is sympathetic to this group since they have been receiving this contribution in the past. He stated if he were to support the contribution for 2026, then he would like it to be the final time the City would provide these contributions. He added he does not understand why they do not just combine with the other senior group that meets at the YMCA. Councilmember Shafto noted he does not like that the main draw of the group is attending Pizza Ranch lunches. Councilmember Engelhardt shared he sees both sides of this argument. He stated he understands that this group helps get some of the seniors in the community out of their houses and participate in activities. He said if they do move forward with the contributions, then he would like to see the group have more structure and purpose. Mayor Barthel stated if they take away their funding for this group, the only thing that the group would be losing is their Pizza Ranch outings, as they would still be able to get together for their regular meetings and game nights. Ms. Cotton shared this contribution has historically come from the general fund. She explained there needs to be a public purpose for all general fund expenditures. She noted if the City is to continue this contribution from the general fund, then the Andover Senior Club would need to have some more robust programming outside of their monthly outing to Pizza Ranch. She added the activities of the group does not currently qualify for charitable gambling funds. Councilmember Shafto suggested they make it a requirement that the group meet the criteria to receive charitable gambling funds if they would like to continue to receive contributions from the City. Ms. Cotton added all of the seniors in the Andover Senior Club have been invited to join the other senior group that meets at the YMCA. Councilmember Godfrey said she has some concerns if this group were to liquidate. She asked if they have a clean line on ownership of the building this group utilizes and its fixtures and supplies. Mr. Brezinka said the City owns and maintains the building. Councilmember Schue noted if they were to continue this contribution for 2026, he would like to see the amount they give reduced. Council consensus was reached to continue the contribution to Stepping Stone Emergency Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – September 23, 2025 Page 9 Housing at the full requested amount, and continue the contribution to the Andover Senior Club for 2026 only in the amount of $1,000, with restrictions on the use of these funds for programming purposes. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Shafto, Seconded by Schue, to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously. The workshop meeting adjourned at 8:42 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Ava Major, Recording Secretary