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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP March 29, 2005 CJ 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD N.W. . ANDOVER. MINNESOTA 55304. (763) 755-5100 FAX (763) 755.8923 . WWW.CI.ANDOVER.MN.US Special City Council Meeting Tuesday, March 29, 2005 6:15 p.m. Conference Rooms A & B 1. Call to Order ~) 2. AndoverNMCA Community Center Advisory Board Interviews - Administration 6:15 - Meg Dudgeon 6:30 - Devon Walton 3. Discuss Wireless Internet 4. Imaging Demonstration 5. Community Center Update 6. Facility Management Issues - City Hall HV AC System 7. Other Business 8. Adjournment " -, '-~ CJ ( "- o C) ANDOVER SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP - MARCH 29, 2005 MINUTES A Special Workshop of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Mike Gamache, March 29,2005,6:17 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Councilmembers present: Councilmember absent: Also present: Don Jacobson, Mike Knight, Ken Orttel, Julie Trude None City Administrator, Jim Dickinson Others AGENDA APPROVAL Councilmember Jacobson noted the two additional items that need to be added to the agenda Item 6a (Consider Resolution of Authorization for DNR Remediation Fund Grant Program and Item 6b. (Consider Bunker Lake Village Encroachment Issue). Motion by Jacobson, seconded by Knight, to approve the additional items to the agenda. Motion carried unanimously. ANDOVER/YMCA COMMUNITY CENTER ADVISORY BOARD INTERVIEWS The City Council interviewed the following individuals for the Advisory Board. 6: 15 Meg Dud>:eon Councilmember Trude asked Ms. Dudgeon what she would see as her role on the advisory board. Ms. Dudgeon stated she did not know much about the advisory board but believed in the Community CenterlYMCA and that was why she got involved in the Park Commission. Councilmember Trude stated the board is in charge of dealing with issues and concerns related to the Community Center. She wondered if Ms. Dudgeon has been involved in policy making. Ms. Dudgeon stated she has been involved in her jobs in making decisions and policies. Councilmember Orttel stated the Board will meet frequently to begin with and he wondered if she would have any issues with meeting flexibility. Ms. Dudgeon stated she would be able to meet when needed because she is self employed. Mayor Gamache asked for Ms. Dudgeon's thoughts on how the Community Center should go. Ms. Dudgeon stated as they are setting up the center, they can make this a positive thing for the () Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - March 29, 2005 Page 2 City. She noted they still need to have advocates out there but she thought this was good for the community because it would provide employment for the youth and activities for the seniors and youth. Councilmember Jacobson stated one of the things he is concerned about is the Community Center may end up to be a financial black hole for the City. He wondered what ideas would she have to earn money to pay for itself. Ms. Dudgeon thought the associations have a big role to play in the City and they need to partner with the associations more and see if there are opportunities there. She was not sure what they are. She thought there would be a way to rent out the community rooms to different organizations and they could sponsor community events within and outside of the City. She wondered if there would be a way to get the community behind it. o Councilmember Knight stated the entire concept is new and he wondered if she had any sense of direction for the board. Ms. Dudgeon stated they need to tap into other communities' boards to see what has worked. Other than that, she did not know where the board would go. They would have to go to the Community for some of that direction and would also need to stand on their own. She stated as they get settled in, they will need to look to other places for direction. Councilmember Orttel wondered who on the board should be responsible. Ms. Dudgeon stated they need to keep it profitable so they have to answer to the Community and City Council. She hoped they could turn the animosity about the Community Center around. She thought the Community Center should be a place to take on community concerns and issues. Councilrnember Trude stated the advisory board will need to run the shared area along with the hockey arena and schedules will need to be worked out between all of the groups. Ms. Dudgeon stated she has a lot of expertise in conflict management and being able to set policy forward. Mayor Gamache explained who the board members elected so far will be on the advisory board. Ms. Dudgeon asked what other visions the Council had regarding the board. Mayor Gamache stated they want to set some policies that will work within the City and another vision involves the money. Councilmember Trude stated the concessions will be jointly managed and there may be some issues related to that. o Ms. Dudgeon stated they cannot only focus on the athletic associations; they also need to focus on the elderly and youth. 6:30 Devon Walton o o Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - March 29, 2005 Page 3 Mr. Walton thought the statements made on the application letter sum up what he is looking for. He thought the YMCA was one of the biggest things that have come into Andover. This is a family oriented opportunity. This will give people a place to go in the winter. Councilmember Trude asked what kind of response he was hearing from people in the real estate business. Mr. Walton stated there has been a lot more positive response from people now that the building is up and Target is in. It is helping people decide to stay in Andover. It is a good selling point for people looking to buy in Andover. Councilmember Orttel asked what Mr. Walton saw as a role in the board. Mr. Walton stated they need to get a good general guideline and answer questions from the public and if they cannot answer them, they may come to the Council for guidance. They will need to be soliciting to get positive input. Councilmember Orttel asked if the board should be political or profitable. Mr. Walton stated it will need to be a balance between the two. Mayor Gamache stated at first the board will need to meet quite frequently and he wondered if Mr. Walton will be available. Mr. Walton thought the meetings would work out for him. Councilmember Jacobson stated one of the things they would like to do is generate a profit or break even on the Community Center. He asked if Mr. Walton have any ideas on other things that the complex could be used for besides athletics. Mr. Walton thought the advisory board would need to do some brainstorming to figure out what the complex could be used for. He made a few suggestions. Councilmember Knight asked what his view of the role of the board is. Mr. Walton stated initially he thought they would need to set policies and later deal with ongoing issues. Mr. Walton thought this was one of the things he has been looking for. Councilmember Trude stated one of the aspects of this group is to watch the bottom line and to watch for areas for savings and issues that may develop because they do not know what to expect. She wondered ifhe saw his background and skills in this area helpful. Mr. Walton stated he has two fronts, a corporate fraud loss and a budgetary responsibility, in his job. He thought he could be helpful. Councilmember Trude asked where he would see losses in a business like this. Mr. Walton stated the one loss would be in the tills. They need to do background checks and set up a system U to check the tills. The second one will be the exit and building security. Mr. Walton left the room. Mr. Dickinson stated the Park Commission would have the best link to the associations. He o Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - March 29, 2005 Page 4 noted what is going to make or break the complex is the associations. Councilmember Orttel wondered which ones they should be looking at. Should they think about who has more experience with the associations. Councilmember Trude stated she wants to choose the strongest person for the job. Councilmember Jacobson stated by involving the Park Commission, they are providing a link. Mayor Gamache thought Mr. Walton has the skills he is looking for. He thought he fit well with the others. Councilmember Jacobson stated in looking at the list, he would like to see representatives that are equal. He would like to see another woman on the board. He thought this would help the women's sports and would make a better mix. Councilmember Knight stated he liked the fact that both of them brought a business background m. o Councilmember Orttel thought they were looking for the best person and he did not know much about Ms. Dudgeon and he did not think she was on the Park Commission long enough to appoint her. Councilmember Jacobson stated he would not suggest Ms. Dudgeon ifhe did not think she could do the job but he thought she would bring balance to the group. Mayor Gamache thought they should have someone who has more experience on the Park Commission. Motion by Knight, Seconded by Gamache, to ap'point Mr. Devon Walton to the Advisory Board. Motion carried 3 ayes, 2 nays (Jacobson, Orttel). Councilmember Jacobson asked if the intent was to have the Council appoint the Chairperson or should they have the board appoint their own chair. Mayor Gamache thought the board should appoint the chair. The rest of the Council agreed. Mr. Dickinson stated to begin with, Erik and he will be at the meeting but will not be voting members and then eventually Erik will be the only one there. :) Councilmember Orttel asked if there will be minutes. Mr. Dickinson stated there will be but they will be more internal based. Mayor Gamache stated he did not have a problem with this being televised but it would need to be scheduled. Councilmember Orttel commented that he did not know when they voted that the candidate was Mr. Walton and he thinks he is a terrific candidate and requested a note indicating he would have o Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - March 29, 2005 Page 5 voted for the appointment ifhe knew this was the person that the motion was for. DISCUSS WIRELESS INTERNET The City's Information Services Department has been looking into the ability to provide WI-PI (wireless fidelity) high speed internet access to city residents and staff. Mr. Dickinson introduced Scott Allen, IT Coordinator for the City, who explained the wireless internet with the City. Councilmember Trude wondered if a wireless connection would be slower than a wired connection. Mr. Allen explained how the wireless connection would work. Mr. Allen indicated line of site is not the best because of interference. () Councilmember Jacobson stated he is concerned as City Government is a provider of utilities and there are so many providers out there that the profit margin is not where it should be. He did not think City Government should be involved in something like this unless it is an essential service and a private business cannot or will not provide the service. He thought they need to check on what part of the community cannot get high speed service and if the private businesses would provide it. Councilmember Knight stated with more cities providing the internet, it is more of a utility being provided. He thought in the near future everyone will have high speed access. Councilmember Orttel thought this could be a service to the public if the rates were reduced. Councilmember Trude stated she would like more information on this. She noted Andover is a young community and thought this would be useful to the residents. Councilmember Orttel thought this was worth looking into further. Mr. Allen stated he would like to do a City survey before going to the public because he did not want to offer this to the public without knowing if the entire City could be serviced. Mr. Dickinson stated their goal is to provide this as a service to the Community and if the Council feels uncomfortable with this they could turn it over to a utility company. !~ Consensus of the Council was to do the survey and bring the information back for discussion. '-/ CONSIDER RESOLUTION OF AUTHORIZATION FOR DNR REMEDIATION FUND GRANT PROGRAM o ,~ I,~ o Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - March 29, 2005 Page 6 City Administrator Dickinson stated the City of Andover is applying for a Remediation Fund grant available through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) - Division of Ecological Services with the intent to improve the ecological, social and aesthetic value of parts of Kelsey Round Lake Park. Motion by Trude, seconded by Orttel, to approve the Resolution. Motion carried 4 ayes, I nay (Jacobson). (Res. R056-05) CONSIDER BUNKER LAKE VILLAGE ENCROACHMENT ISSUE City Administrator Dickinson stated a home was constructed on Lot 8, Block 2 of Bunker Lake Village at a slight angle to the side property lines. The front of the attached garage encroaches four inches into the drainage and utility easement and side yard setback. Motion by Jacobson, seconded by Trude, to authorize an encroachment agreement as indicated and acceptable to the City Attorney. Motion carried unanimously. IMAGING DEMONSTRATION Mr. Scott Allen stated at the July 27,2004 Andover City Council meeting, the Council authorized City staff to purchase equipment and pursue a system that would allow the City the ability to start digital imaging (scanning) documents currently occupying significant space at City Hall. Mr. Allen made a presentation to the Council. Councilmember Jacobson asked if the courts would approve of scanning as permissible material in court. Mr. Allen stated they would. Councilmember Orttel asked ifthey will ever have a system to be able to look at the property with the actual house on it. Mr. Dickinson stated they could connect the utilities with the Building Department eventually. Councilmember Knight complimented the staff on this project. Mr. Dickinson stated his original intention was to utilize the space within the building better along with saving time in research. COMMUNITY CENTER UPDATE City Administrator Dickinson updated the Council on the Community Center. / , Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - March 29, 2005 Page 7 \ -../ Mr. Dickinson stated the project schedule is being met and they will meet the target date in August. He stated the hot water supply may be the mostly costly change order. Mr. Dickinson stated they will be using the roof damage claims to offset the $68,000 change order. He noted this will be a wash. Mr. Dickinson stated they have had some issues with discoloration of the wall panels. The manufacturer did a poor job of mixing the panels and they installed them. The walls looked terrible and they proceeded forward with telling the manufacturer they wanted the panels in the field house and aquatic center painted and to also remove the footprints. There is a concrete floor everywhere in the facility. Mr. Dickinson stated they had some serious questions with a few contractors, which are being handled. Mr. Dickinson reviewed the project contingency with the Council. r,-.J Mayor Gamache asked if they eliminated the skate sharpening room. Mr. Dickinson stated they took a wall out to accommodate everything. Mr. Dickinson stated within the project budget they issued the bonds. The interest earnings are coming in ok. Councilmember Knight asked if there will be money available for small miscellaneous items. Mr. Dickinson stated they do have a budget for that but not enough. They are looking at using some of the contingency fund for these. Mr. Dickinson explained the issues with the hot water. Councilmember Trude asked what happened with the temperature in the pool. Mr. Dickinson explained how this was handled. Councilmember Jacobson asked if the City was responsible for the issue of the hot water ifit is in the YMCA area of the center. Mr. Dickinson explained how the contingency fund was split and used so the City would need to pay for some of the costs. Councilmember Trude asked if there will be enough water fountains in the hallway for the atWetes. Mr. Dickinson stated he would check on this. (J Mr. Dickinson reviewed the CDBG funds with the Council. The Council discussed debt service plans. f', Special Andover City Council Meeting \ " ---. Minutes - March 29, 2005 Page 8 Councilmember Knight asked where he was with the concessions and the YMCA. Mr. Dickinson stated the layout of the concessions is done. They went with the original plan and as far as a menu they are going to look at the advisory board for that. Mr. Dickinson discussed the landscaping with the Council. He stated they have in the project budget some money for landscaping but not enough for irrigating and landscaping. He stated the City will take this on as a Parks Department project and they will buy the product and hire two part time park workers to do the landscaping and care for it in the summer. Councilmember Orttel asked what would happen to the part time workers after this is done. Mr. Dickinson stated they will be part time summer help. The Council was fine with using City park stafIto work on the landscaping. Mr. Dickinson discussed the grand opening with the Council. Councilmember Jacobson thought this should be a big community event. ...--, I I '-../ FACILITY MANAGEMENT ISSUES - CITY HALL HVAC SYSTEM City Administrator Dickinson noted since the loop system has been installed, a boring company had bored holes in the field and all eight loops were either circulating muddy water or nothing at all (1997) and rougWy two feet of topsoil had been removed from the area to provide additional storm water storage. Over the past three years, the City has expended over $31,000 in maintenance repairing the HV AC system and that doesn't include a vendor who hasn't submitted a bill for work performed over the last three years. Current problems include: reduced pressure in loops, the need to add water regularly; M.A.U. down in Council Chambers, continual trouble shooting the system to analyze problems; and the heat pump in Council Chambers just buzzes and does not run. If another loop is closed, there won't be enough circulation to properly cool City Hall this summer. Mr. Dickinson discussed the proposals and budget impact with the City Council. CounciImember Jacobson asked how many rooftop units they will need if they switch to gas because gas is only for heat. Mr. Dickinson stated there are currently air units on the roof so they would not need any new air units. () Mr. Holasek asked if there was any guarantee on the new units because the units went bad. '----/' Councilmember Orttel stated the problem was that someone did soil borings and punctured the tubes. Mr. Dickinson asked if they should put specs together for two different types of systems and bring it back to the Council. Council consensus was to proceed with getting bids on two different systems. ( -~ J , , "- .-J () Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - March 29, 2005 Page 9 OTHER BUSINESS . Prairie Knoll Park Lighting .:. Ordinance: .4 foot candles at property line .:. West field will not comply .:. Question: · Pursue a variance The Council liked this idea and Mr. Dickinson suggested putting a curfew on the hours the field can be lighted. . Light one less field The Council did not think this would be a good option. Motion by Jacobson, Seconded by Knight, to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Susan Osbeck, Recording Secretary