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06-17-2020 Special CCMSpecial Meeting of the Elk River City Council Held at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Wednesday, June 17, 2020 Members Present: Mayor John Dietz, Councilmembers Garrett Christianson, Nate Ovall, Matt Westgaard, and Jennifer Wagner Members Absent: None Staff Present: City Administrator Calvin Portner, Fire Chief Mark Dickinson, City Clerk Tina Allard, Community Development Director Suzanne Fischer, Chief of Police Ron Nierenhausen, Planning Manager Zack Carlton, Finance Director Lori Ziemer, Economic Development Director Amanda Othoudt, Parks and Recreation Director Michael Hecker, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer Justin Femrite, and Records Specialist Katie Porath 1. Call Meeting to Order Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the meeting of the Elk River City Council was called to order at 2:07 p.m. by Mayor Dietz. 2. Council/Staff Annual Retreat Mr. Portner reviewed the results of the "telephone" exercise staff and Council members went through, demonstrating messages can get modified through multiple senders. Mr. Portner reviewed information on healthy conflict and good communications. Visioning "2035" Mr. Portner asked Council to envision Elk River in 2035 and answer a few questions. `The year is 2033 and the City of Elk Diver has been named the greatest place to live in Minnesota. News outlets are asking what the city did to achieve this. Wlhat does this look like?" Council responded: ■ Residents don't have to leave Elk River to find what they're looking for ■ Elk River remains rural, yet suburban ■ More industrial, commercial, and retail businesses that would increase jobs and the tax capacity ■ Rid of the "bedroom community" stigma ■ Retail and development along Highway 169 ■ Emphasis on Public Safety and Parks and Recreation City Council Minutes Page 2 June 17, 2020 ■ Spirit of entrepreneurialism and innovation ■ Improved transportation and accessibility "f Ylhat physical amenities changed between 2020-2035? How are we dierent physically?" Council responded: • Transportation • Increased population • Outdoor swimming pool • Additional athletic fields ■ Expansion of ERX Motor Park ■ More hotels/motels • Retail opportunities along Highways 169 and 10 and in gravel mining area ■ Improved connections between Elk River and west Elk River 'What did we do over these 1 Syears for us to be recognitied? Wlhat action steps and tasks were accomplished?" Council and staff responded: • The city developed a road map and plan to avoid a patchwork quilt of disparate areas • Correct zoning • Improved internet access • Mobile, bike, and walking transportation improvements ■ A range of housing types ■ Improved reverse commute on the Northstar Commuter train to bring employees from the Twin Cities ■ Increased park amenities including restrooms and running water in more parks • A bike trail from Lion John Weicht Park to downtown Elk River over the railroad tracks • Update plans such as the Parks Master Plan, Trails Plan, Capital Improvement Plan, and the Comprehensive Plan • Consider redevelopment of existing businesses and housing Mr. Portner asked Council about their interest in a solar farm. He also asked if they would be interested in exploring the possibility of annexing Big Lake Township to bring utilities into the area. Mayor Dietz felt annexation, in today's world, may be difficult. There would need to be two willing parties. Solar farms are becoming more prevalent and the Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (MMPA) would likely agree to help with a project. Councilmember Ovall suggested locating a solar farm on the landfill. The Council agreed change is good, but they want Elk River to balance urban with rural. P 0 M E R E 1 1 1 NXi: E City Council Minutes June 17, 2020 Page 3 Mr. Portner asked about their perception of property taxes. What is high? What is fair? Council and staff responded: ■ It is challenging to compare houses in one community to another ■ Some cities have taxes for services such as transportation, wastewater, planning, or mosquito control built in but, in Elk River, those things are provided by the city ■ Taxes are divided among city, county, and school district ■ Residents need more education on what their property tax includes ■ Higher industrial and commercial base can help cover part of taxes ■ The city needs to be a good steward of the money they collect ■ If people want streets plowed, cracks fixed, and a good response in emergencies that is 2/3 of the budget Customer service vs compliance Mr. Portner began a discussion on customer service. Council agreed customers include anyone who owns a business in the city, lives in the city, someone who purchases goods or services, or an outside developer looking to be in Elk River. l ) Council addressed the following points: ■ Empathy is important ■ Explain why something needs to be done a certain way ■ Everyone's input is valid and heard ■ Make customers part of the process and solution ■ Customer service is essential for anyone working in government ■ The main job of staff and Council is to answer questions and facilitate resident requests ■ When possible, offer flexible and creative solutions ■ Social media or email communication could be misconstrued, face to face conversations may be more effective ■ A warm handoff or reference to the best resource is helpful Mr. Carlton talked about working with developers and balancing the desires of the developer, community, and council. Mayor Dietz asked if there was some sort of guide for first time developers. Ms. Fischer stated the city offers pre -application meetings upon request. Communication with newer developers can help them realize if the council would approve their project. 0 P 0 w E R E 0 O r FNATURE City Council N inutes June 17, 2020 Council and Staff Roles Page 4 Mr. Portner reviewed that the council makes decisions as a body. Anything decided by previous councils is part of a legacy chain. Unanitnous votes are not necessary. Councilmember Ovall struggles with what is necessary to come before a commission or council and how much autonomy could be granted to staff. Mr. Portner stated some things could be delegated to staff. He mentioned it is difficult for the HRA and EDA to get their meeting accomplished during the one - hour timeframe. Would Council be interested in moving meetings to a different night? Council and staff suggested some of the following solutions: ■ HRA and EDA meetings start on Monday at 5:00 p.m. and go until 6:30 p.m. ■ Council meetings start at 7:00 p.m. ■ Public Hearings reduced to one public hearing held before the Planning Commission ■ Packets available on Thursday, instead of Friday, so there is more than one business day to contact staff with questions • Reduce or eliminate verbal presentations of Staff Report material at a council meeting ■ Move pertinent packet material to the front of the Council item so it doesn't get buried ■ Provide PowerPoint presentations in advance of the meeting ■ Council appreciates having bookmarks in the file ■ Could there be a differentiation between Council Packet and Planning Packet to avoid confusion ■ Avoid meetings over four hours ■ Have a separate budget focused meeting instead of integrating budget discussions into regular meetings ■ Reduce the number of work session items if the agenda looks like it may be time consuming. ■ Consider one meeting dedicated only to work session items Councilmember Westgaard mentioned it was a challenge for members with a full- time job to have earlier meetings or special meetings. Mr. Carlton stated reducing the size of packets would be challenging as they contain long term legacy information and documentation of process. Mr. Portner commented public hearing testimony from residents is not meant to be a dialog. A better model may be to collect testimony, notate questions and answer them after the public hearing is closed. Mayor Dietz added speakers should be limited to coming up only one time to comment. p U w E A E 1 11 NATURE City Council Minutes June 17, 2020 Page 5 Councilmember Wagner doesn't want to take away opportunity for dialogue. There are those who appreciate an opportunity to have public engagement. Council will continue to discuss options for meeting efficiency. Council Liaison to Commissions Mr. Portner reviewed the role of council liaison to support and listen to the commission and provide context. While they can have personal opinions, they cannot speak on behalf on council and avoid debates. Mr. Portner introduced an idea for council work sessions using the new round table in the Upper Town Conference Room. Council could invite speaker representatives to join at the table. Since names and addresses are important for the record, attendees would need to sit at the table to address the council. Council decided on June 22, 2020, at 4:00 p.m. for a continuation of the Council retreat discussion. Ms. Ziemer asked Council to consider July 27, 2020, and August 10, 2020, as special budget meetings. Councilmember Wagner asked if there was anything staff wished Council would do better. Ms. Fischer asked that, if council heard about a problem from a resident, they would also talk to staff to hear both sides of the story. This will help staff improve their process. Mr. Portner added Council could contact any of the directors for more information and clarification. 3. Adjournment There being no further business, Mayor Dietz adjourned the meeting of the Elk River City Council at 6:58 p.m. Minutes prepared by Katie Porath. J _ n J . pietz, i�l ayor Tina Allard, City Clerk P0■EREB BV NATURE