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06-25-2001 CC MINMEETING OF THE ELK RIVER CITY COUNCIL HELD AT THE ELK RIVER CITY HALL MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2001 Members Present: Mayor Iadinzing, Councilmembers Dietz, Kuester, Motin (6:05 p.m.), and Tveite Members Absent: None Staff Present: City Administrator Pat Klaers, Assistant Police Chief Jeff Beahen, Community Recreation Director Michele Bergh Also Present: Park and Recreation Commission Chairman John Kuester 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 6:00 p.m. by Mayor Iadinzing. 2. Consider 6/25/2001 Agenda Item 5.4. (Nuisance Complaint Update) was continued until the July 9, 2001 City Council meeting and Item 5.31/2. (the Hiring of a New Police Officer) was added to the agenda. COUNCILMEMBER TVEITE MOVED TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS AMENDED. COUNCILMEMBER DIETZ SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 4-0. 3. Consider Consent Agenda COUNCILMEMBER TVEITE MOVED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS FOLLOWS: 3.1o CHECK REGISTER - APPROVED - FINAL PAY ESTIMATE FOR HIGHWAY 169/MAIN STREET IMPROVEMENTS TO RIDGEDALE ELECTRIC INC. IN THE AMOUNT OF $13,874.94- APPROVED - PAY ESTIMATE NUMBER SIX FOR EASTERN AREA PHASE III IMPROVEMENTS TO HARDRIVES, INC. IN THE AMOUNT OF $3,912.77 - APPROVED - PAY ESTIMATE NUMBER SIX FOR WESTERN AREA PHASE IV IMPROVEMENTS TO RICHARD KNUTSON, INC. IN THE AMOUNT OF $69,463.34 - APPROVED COUNCILMEMBER KUESTER SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 4-0. City Council Minutes June 25, 2001 4. Open M/ke Page 2 No one appeared for open mike. Councilmember Motin arrived at 6:05 p.m. 5.1. Consider Library. Board Candidates Joanne Jacobs interviewed with the City Council for the vacant position on the Elk River Library Board. COUNCILMEMBER DIETZ MOVED TO APPOINT JOANNE JACOBS TO A THREE-YEAR TERM ON THE ELK RIVER LIBRARY BOARD WITH THE TERM EXPIRING ON DECEMBER 31, 2003. COUNCILMEMBER TVEITE SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 5.2. Computer Upgrades by Police Department Assistant Police Chief Jeff Beahen reviewed with the City Council some of the computer needs in the police department. The request included updating the memory in existing computers, new monitors, and new computers. The police department has been working with IS Coordinator Scott Allen in evaluating the needs of the department. The total for the request is $13,187.36 with the computer equipment being purchased from the state contract. The funding source for this purchase would be Equipment Reserves. COUNCILMEMBER MOTIN MOVED TO APPROVE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT COMPUTER REQUEST. COUNCILMEMBER DIETZ SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 5.3. Parking Enforcement Changes Assistant Poi/ce Chief Jeff Beahen reviewed with the City Council a couple of changes to our parking enforcement procedures. The frrst change is to increase the fee by $5.00 to a total of $20.00 to conform to the Uniform Fine Schedule The second is to change the language on the tickets to provide better information about the violation. COUNCILMEMBER MOTIN MOVED TO APPROVE THE INCREASE IN THE FINE AND THE LANGUAGE CHANGE ON THE TICKETS AS PRESENTED. COUNCILMEMBER DIETZ SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 5.3 ½. Consider Hiring of a New Poi/ce Officer Assistant Police Chief Jeff Beahen advised the City Council that officer Steve Sarazin has resigned to join the Minnesota State Patrol effective July 3, 2001. It was requested that a conditional offer of employment be made to the top candidate on the roster list. This candidate is Branden Ostlie of Prior Lake. COUNCILMEMBER MOTIN MOVED TO APPROVE THE CONDITIONAL OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT TO BRANDEN OSTLIE AT THE ENTRY LEVEL WAGE. COUNCILMEMBER DIETZ SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0. City Council Minutes June 25, 2001 5.4. Nuisance Complaint Update Page 3 This item was continued until the July 9 meeting. 5.5. Discussion on Community Recreation City Administrator Pat Kdaers provided some background information on the status of the community recreation organization. It was noted that the City of Otsego and Hassan Township have recently with&awn from the Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) and the only remaining participants are the City of Rogers, Elk River, and the School District. If a new budget was put together then Elk River would be then be responsible for 84% of the expenditures. It was recommended that the city with&aw from the JPA, pursue the hiring of the community recreation staff as city recreation employees, and that the city establish its own city recreation program. Councilmember Motin offered some observations of the community recreation organization over the past 30 months that he has been on the board. Issues the board has had difficulty dealing with included language for a revised JPA and continuing to try to keep costs low in order to retain membership. Councilrnember Motin indicated that he believed there was little benefit for the city to remain a member of the JPA. Non-resident fees for participating in Elk River programs and the possibility of contracting with neighboring communities to provide recreation programs were discussed. Councilmember Dietz strongly encouraged a significant increase in non-resident fees to cover our expenses and so that it would not be cost effective for the communities that withdrew to simply participate in Elk River programs. The Council concurred with this comment. The Council also indicated its support to provide recreation programs to the City of Rogers on a contract basis but to not offer contracted services to the communities that have with&awn from the JPA. The city's relationship with youth associations was discussed as was the scheduling of fields for these various youth groups. There was discussion on the need for a cooperative agreement between the school district and the city for the use of facilities. Concern was expressed over the increased cost to the city for providing recreation services. Analysis of the finances has not taken place, but the city administrator noted that some of the increased cost would be offset by additional non-resident fees and by the potential contracting for services with the City of Rogers. The concept of a city park and recreation department was briefly discussed. The city administrator noted that when city hall expansion is completed in 2004 it is likely to include space for a park and recreation department (director and support staff) and that recreation programming would be a division within the park and recreation department. Councilmember Kuester briefly reviewed efforts of the tree preservation task force and stated that, regardless of the recommendation from the task force, it is expected that additional staffing would be needed to adequately ad&ess tree preservation and that this could fall within the park and recreation department. COUNCILMEMBER DIETZ MOVED TO WITHDRAW FROM THE COMMUNITY RECREATION JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT AND THAT THE SIX-MONTH NOTICE SHOULD BE SENT IMMEDIATELY. COUNCILMEMBER TVEITE SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 4-0-1. COUNCILMEMBER MOTIN ABSTAINED. City Council Minutes June 25, 2001 6. Other Business There were no other business items presented. 7. Staff Updates There were no staff updates. 8. Adjournment There being no further business, Mayor Iadinzing adjourned the meeting of the Elk River City Council at 7:05 p.m. Patrick Kdaers //~fT~'~-//'("~//~ City Administrator Page 4