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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-06-14 Council MinutesA J y CITY OF CORCORAN City Council Meeting Minutes June 14, 2018 -7:00 pm The Corcoran City Council met on June 14, 2018 at City Hall in Corcoran, Minnesota. Present were Mayor Thomas, Councilor Dejewski, and Councilor LaFave. Councilor Keefe and Councilor Bottema were excused. Also present were City Clerk/Administrative Services Coordinator Beise, Director of Public Safety Gottschalk, Director of Public Works Mattson, and City Engineer Torve. 1. Call to Order /Roll Call Mayor Thomas called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. 2. Pledge of Allegiance Mayor Thomas invited all in attendance to rise and join in the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. Agenda Approval MOTION: made by LaFave, seconded by Dejewski to approve the agenda as amended. Voting Aye: Thomas, Dejewski, and LaFave (Motion carried 3:0) 4. Open Forum No persons were present for open forum. 5. Presentations No presentations were heard. 6. Consent Agenda a. Draft Minutes of May 24, 2018 Council Meeting b. Resolution 2018 -40 Accepting Donation from the Northwest Area Jaycees c. Off -site Charitable Gambling- Northwest Area Jaycees d. Resolution Sponsoring the Northwest Trails Association to Acquire State of Minnesota DNR Funding (2018 -2019 Season) e. Master Partnership Contract- State of Minnesota f. Annual Liquor License and Tobacco Renewal g. Floor Scrubber Replacement MOTION: made by Dejewski, seconded by LaFave to approve the consent agenda including items 6a, 6c, 6e, 6f, and 6g; excluding items 6b and 6d. Voting Aye: Thomas, Dejewski, and LaFave (Motion carried 3:0) MOTION: made by LaFave, seconded by Dejewski to approve Resolution 2018 -40 Accepting Donation from the Northwest Area Jaycees. Voting Aye: Thomas, Dejewski, and LaFave (Motion carried 3:0) MOTION: made by Dejewski, seconded by LaFave to approve Resolution 2018 -42 Sponsoring the Northwest Trails Association to Acquire the State of Minnesota DNR Funding (2018 -2019 Season). Voting Aye: Thomas, Dejewski, and LaFave (Motion carried 3:0) 7. Claims as Presented a. Escrow Claims (Fund #500) MOTION: made by LaFave, seconded by Dejewski to approve escrow claims as presented. Voting Aye: Thomas, Dejewski, and LaFave (Motion carried 3:0) b. All Other Financial Claims MOTION: made by LaFave, seconded by Dejewski to approve all other claims as presented. Voting Aye: Thomas, Dejewski, and LaFave (Motion carried 3:0) 8. Staff Reports I Memos/Commissions a. Commissioner Representatives Mayor Thomas noted Planning Commissioner Jennifer Brewington was in attendance and invited her to speak on items related to her Commission. 9. Planning Business No planning business was presented. 10. Unfinished Business No unfinished business was presented. 11. New Business a. Fire Service Comprehensive Growth Plan Director of Public Safety Gottschalk introduced the presentation for the Fire Service Comprehensive Growth Plan. Lane Wintermute, Consulting Division Director for ESCI, presented the findings of the study. He outlined the purpose of the study as assessing current service delivery and infrastructure conditions, providing comparisons to industry standards and best practices, projecting future growth and its effects on service, and evaluating future delivery system needs-- including current and future fire station locations. Wintermute also noted the increase in service demand from Corcoran to the three current consulted fire agencies (Hanover, Loretto, and Rogers) from 176 incidents in 2015 to 323 incidents in 2016- an increase of 54%. He showed a map of the current resource distribution with travel time and noted that travel time is an important measurement for considering the potential of a newly constructed fire station. He then went over response performance standards. In the report, standards from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) were used. The current NFPA standards recommend 80% of the calls be responded to within 14 minutes or less for rural areas and 10 minutes or less for suburban areas. It was recommended to use the suburban standard for areas within the Metropolitan Utilities Service Area (MUSA) and rural standard for areas outside the MUSA. When the study assessed population projections for the City of Corcoran, it estimated 8,900 people by 2030 and 11,300 people by 2040. The ESCI recommended short and mid-term strategies that the City of Corcoran could employ including: establishing response times and standards, enhancing automatic aid systems, standardizing the Standard Operating Guidelines, regionalizing incident command practices, joint apparatus purchasing and planning, shared recruitment and retention efforts, collaborative training, and shared/cross-trained personnel. Potential mid-term improvements the City of Corcoran could employ include: administrative consolidation, operational consolidation, and potential additional regionalized considerations. The study looked at the impact of adding a potential third fire station in Rogers near County Road 116 and Valley Drive. The study found that it would improve coverage to the Northeast corner of Corcoran to some extent, but does not improve 4, 6) 8, and 10 minute coverage in the area of forecasted growth. The study then looked at the impact of adding a potential fire station in Corcoran near County Road 116 and County Road 10 and found that it improved coverage to the central and eastern portion of Corcoran considerably and expands 4, 6, 8, and 10 minute coverage to most of the city. The study then looked at reviewing potential coverage from Maple Grove Fire Stations and found that it improved 4, 6, 8, and 10 minute coverage to some of the city, but much of it was in the 8 and 10 minute range. The study also noted that Maple Grove would not be inclined to enter into a contractual agreement. The study then reviewed potential coverage from Hamel Fire Station and noted that it did not improve 4, 6, 8, or 10 minute coverage except for in a small portion of the city and does not address forecasted future development. Next, the study reviewed potential coverage from Plymouth Fire Station and found that it did not improve 4, 67 8, or 10 minute coverage and did not address forecasted future development. Wintermute discussed the study's analysis of available options which included: keeping status quo and continuing the current model, construction of an additional station and continuing to contract with surrounding agencies, and construction of an additional station and implementing a City Fire Department. Some advantages of continuing with the current model is that the cost would remain low for fire protection and medical first response and no additional capital investment would be required. Some disadvantages of continuing with the current model is that response times could continue to increase with increased development and service demand, surrounding departments could require additional funding to accommodate increased service demand, and changing demographics may desire a higher level of service. Advantages of constructing an additional station and contracting with surrounding agencies would be improved coverage in the areas with the highest projected service demand, improved ISO coverage, reduced response times, lower insurance rates, and sustained existing partnerships with Fire Departments. Some disadvantages of constructing an additional station and contracting with surrounding agencies is the cost of construction, the necessity of determining how to staff the station, and the possible renegotiation of contracts with service providers. Wintermute noted that ESCI considers this option to be the preferred option. The Council inquired what this option would look like if implemented and if there were any examples of cities employing this option that could be used to help clarify. Wintermute responded that he could not provide any examples of other cities who use this type of service but explained two different ways it could be implemented. One option is to contract agencies to put a station within the City of Corcoran that would incur the cost, construction, staffing, and operation. Another option is for the City of Corcoran to build the station, enter an agreement with a service provider to staff it, and have the City of Corcoran choose the level of equipment it is willing to provide. The last potential option is to construct a new fire station and implement a City Fire Department. Some advantages would be local control, direct management of the City's responders, improved ISO coverage, reduced response times, and lower insurance rates. Some disadvantages of this option would be the cost of construction, cost of career personnel, and competing pay with surrounding agencies for Paid On Call staff. The study then noted some other future considerations and challenges including: future staffing and exploration of regional cooperation opportunities. With the ESCI study finding construction of an additional station and continuing to contract with surrounding agencies as the preferred long-term approach, some key considerations are: ensuring the timing of construction to be based on identification of response targets and analysis of current response performance and shortcomings, carefully analyzed plans for staffing, and an estimated two year time frame to sustain 80th percentile in response time. The Council recognized the current contracted agencies and expressed satisfaction with their service. The Council inquired how willing the contracted agencies would be to doing the short-term recommendations. Wintermute acknowledged that the current contracted agencies are interested in providing a high level of service and have shown willingness to implement improvements. The Council noted that most of the calls are in the areas with the longest response time. The Council also noted that most of the calls were EMS medical in nature and inquired if there was a way to address that. Wintermute stated that the City of Corcoran could potentially do an EMS only station or alternative staffing with peak activity in mind, but noted that most smaller communities do not separate their personnel in that way. The Council inquired about level of involvement by communities in construction of a new fire station. Wintermute noted that community expectations can be different depending on where they are from or what they are used to. Staff is looking for guidance and recommendations for next action steps from the Council. Director of Public Safety Gottschalk recommended a subcommittee to review the study, assess the vision for Corcoran, and provide recommendations to staff. The Council discussed creating a subcommittee and identifying short to long-term goals and assessing what can be achieved. Mayor Thomas called recess at 8:09 pm. The Council reconvened at 8:11 pm. a. 2018 Clean-Up Day Report- 2019 Priorities Director of Public Works Mattson gave a presentation on 2018 Clean-Up Day that occurred on May 5th. He noted that staff and volunteers received 110 vehicle drop-offs over a 4-hour period. Director of Public Works Mattson noted that the goal of the program is to provide residents an opportunity to economically dispose of what they do not want anymore instead of abandoning it on roadsides and harming natural resources. Historically, expenses were covered by charging a nominal fee that covers disposal and recycling expenses, but excludes the cost of staff. The 2018 average cost per vehicle drop-off was $28. As staff looks ahead to 2019, it is anticipated that market pressure will result in increased disposal costs. Staff is looking for Council input for the level of support for the event including potentially increasing drop-off fees to match projected costs or subsidizing projected overage of expenses. Revenue and expenses for 2018 were approximately $3,000. It is anticipated that costs could increase by 25% or $750. The Council inquired what the benefit is for residents to bring their items to the City instead of disposing it themselves. Director of Public Works Mattson responded that it is mostly to save them time and add convenience as many people clean out their belongings in the spring. The Council requested a line-itemed budget before making a decision. b. Municipal State Aid Feasibility Study Director of Public Works Mattson presented on the Municipal State Aid (MSA) Feasibility Study that was directed by Council on March 8th. The goal of the study was to identify bridge eligibility and timing for replacement, review and adjust MSA routes to maximize funding allocations, and develop a 5-year Capital Improvement Plan for MSA funding. The study found a sufficiency rating of 83.8 for the Trail Haven Bridge, 80.8 for the Cain Bridge, 36.9 for the Schutte Bridge, and the Bechtold Bridge was not assessed. The bridge that is currently MSA eligible is Schutte Bridge because bridges are eligible for funding when the sufficiency rating is less than 80. In order to get funding cities must have a construction-ready plan. To be an MSA route, a road has to connected to an existing MSA road or a higher jurisdictional road. Director of Public Works Mattson noted that the City is refocusing their strategy to use MSA funds from paving gravel collector roads located outside the MUSA to identifying street improvement projects located within the developing MUSA boundary. MSA funding is based 50% on population and 50% on construction needs. The Council discussed wanting to see the difference in maintenance costs for gravel versus paved roads before making a decision. Director of Public Works Mattson explained that MSA has a process of penalizing cities that have unused funds. Corcoran received a negative needs adjustment of $19,454.16 in 2017. Cities receive a negative adjustment if their construction fund balance is more than three times their allotment from the beginning of the year and their balance is over $1.5 million. This results in the City of Corcoran attempting to identify State Aid eligible projects valuing $361,491.18 to utilize those funds in 2018 to avoid additional future negative adjustments. Recommendations to use MSA funds are to begin the Schutte Road bridge replacement process in 2019, analyze the Bechtold Road culvert condition by 2019, anticipate a second bridge replacement project within the 5-year CIP, recommend Option 5 modification to MSA map to increase allotment of an estimated $20,000, recommend 2018 Pavement Overlay Program on Larkin Road and Rolling Hills Road, and support general policy of proposed MSA Capital Improvement Plan. c. 2018 Pavement Overlay Program Director of Public Works Mattson gave a presentation on the 2018 Pavement Overlay Program to help spend down some money to avoid being penalized by MSA funding. He shared that staff recommends a Pavement Overlay Project for Larkin Road and Rolling Hills Road. The City received 8 bids for the project and the lowest bidder was GMH Asphalt Corp. at $573,823.75 with engineering and construction testing services an approximate 5% or $30,000 additionally. Staff is requesting a motion to authorize a Notice of Award for the 2018 Pavement Overlay project for Larkin Road and Rolling Hills Road and required testing contract to GMH Asphalt Corp. MOTION: made by Dejewski, seconded by LaFave to authorize a Notice of Award for the 2018 Pavement Overlay Project for Larkin Road and Rolling Hill Road and the required testing contract. Voting Aye: Thomas, Dejewski, and LaFave (Motion carried 3:0) d. City Park Irrigation Plan Director of Public Works Mattson gave a presentation on the City Park Irrigation Plan. The City received a notice from the Northwest Jaycees for intent to donate funding for an irrigation system for the Meister Field Improvements project. The irrigation system will provide an improved surface condition of the athletic field and reduce the seeding establishment period required before resuming activities. The irrigation work is scheduled to begin in late June with the final ballfield restoration to follow. A drinking fountain serviced by the city's new downtown water system is also planned for installation as part of the improvement project. The Parks and Trails Commission has recommended acceptance of the donation and approval of the irrigation improvements. Staff is requesting the Council approve the irrigation improvements for Meister Field. The Council inquired if the black dirt will be removed from the field. Director of Public Works Mattson responded that it will be. The Council discussed waiting until the City determines exactly what they want to do with the park. Director of Public Works Mattson acknowledged the concern and suggested that despite changes in the park, the fields will likely stay due to the resources put into them. MOTION: made by LaFave, seconded by Dejewski to approve the irrigation improvements for Meister Field. Voting Aye: Thomas, Dejewski, and LaFave (Motion carried 3:0) e. Joint Powers Agreement- Brockton Lane Director of Public Works Mattson gave a presentation on the Joint Powers Agreement with Maple Grove for Brockton Lane. With planned developments in this area, both Maple Grove and Corcoran are evaluating maintenance needs. South Brockton Lane will be maintained by Maple Grove and North Brockton Lane will be maintained by Corcoran. Staff has negotiated the agreement and finds the terms favorable. MOTION: made by Dejewski, seconded by LaFave to approve the Joint Powers Agreement. Voting Aye: Thomas, Dejewski, and LaFave (Motion carried 3 :0) 12. 2017 Council Schedule City Clerk /Administrative Services Coordinator Beise reviewed the Council schedule. She noted discussions on the 2019 budget, commercial dog kennel amendment, cell tower ordinance, and Encore preliminary plat for the next Council meeting. 13. Council Liaison Calendar The Council liaison calendar was not reviewed, but was available in the Council Packet. 14. Adjournment MOTION: made by LaFave, seconded by Dejewski to adjourn. Voting Aye: Thomas, Dejewski, and LaFave (Motion carried 3:0) Meeting adjourned at 9 :06 pm. J sica Beise —City Clerk/Administrative Services Coordinator