Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout09 21 2020 City Council Minutes 1 4646 Dakota Street SE Prior Lake, MN 55372 CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES September 21, 2020 CALL TO ORDER Mayor Briggs called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Present were Councilors Thompson, Burkart, Braid. Absent: None. Also, in attendance were City Manager Wedel, Assistant City Manager Olson, Finance Director Erickson, City Attorney Schwarzhoff, Public Works Director/Engineer Brotzler, Police Chief Frazer, Communications Director Elbon, and City Clerk Orlofsky. PUBLIC FORUM No one from the public spoke. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION BY THOMPSON, SECOND BY BRAID, TO REMOVE ITEM 9B FROM THE AGENDA AND APPROVE THE AGENDA AS AMENDED. VOTE Briggs Thompson Burkart Braid Aye ☒ ☒ ☒ ☒ Nay ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Abstain ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Absent ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ The motion carried. APPROVAL OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES 4A. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES MOTION BY BRAID, SECOND BY THOMPSON, TO APPROVE THE SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES. VOTE Briggs Thompson Burkart Braid Aye ☒ ☒ ☒ ☒ Nay ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Abstain ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Absent ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ The motion carried. 2 09 21 2020 City Council Meeting Minutes CONSENT AGENDA Wedel: Reviewed the items on the consent agenda. A. Approval of Claims Listings B. Approval of the Building Permit Summary Report C. Animal Control Services Report D. Fire Department Report E. Adopt Resolution 20-099 to Receive Plans and Specs/Ratify Ad for Bid – Pickleball Court Project F. Adopt Resolution 20-100 to Accept Feasibility Report/Order Public Hearing – Fish Point Phase I Project G. Adopt Resolution 20-101 to Approve AT&T Antenna Amendment 3, Cedarwood St Tower H. Adopt Resolution 20-102 to Receive Quotes/Award Contract – Glascow Trail Drainage Im- provements I. Adopt Resolution 20-110 Amending the City Manager Employment Agreement J. Adopt Resolution 20-103 Declaring Costs to be Assessed and Ordering Prep of an As- sessment Roll for 2020 Unpaid Charges, Establish Date of Public Hearing K. Approval of August 2020 Treasurer’s Report MOTION BY BRAID, SECOND BY THOMPSON, TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. VOTE Briggs Thompson Burkart Braid Aye ☒ ☒ ☒ ☒ Nay ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Abstain ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Absent ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ The motion carried. PRESENTATIONS 6A. No Presentations Scheduled. PUBLIC HEARINGS 7A. No Public Hearings Scheduled. OLD BUSINESS 8A. No Old Business Scheduled. NEW BUSINESS 9A. Adopt Preliminary Tax Levy and Announce Public Budget Hearing Date Erickson provided the background information. Braid: Asked the City Manager to clarify the new IT position being added. Wedel: Explained that the IT position has been identified as a position that has been lacking for a number of years. The IT demands have grown each year for all departments. This year in par- ticular with COVID and the need to have redundancy in the IT department it became a critical position to fill. 3 09 21 2020 City Council Meeting Minutes Burkart: Asked Erickson to talk about the growth and the tax base and the benefit the City sees. Erickson: When staff calculates the tax rate, we look at tax levy over tax capacity. So, if the tax levy we are requesting to increase at 5.7% but the tax capacity is growing at 10%. It is growing at a faster rate than the levy so the City will see a reduction in the tax rate. Braid: What does it cost the residents every year for people to enjoy all the amenities here in Prior Lake. Erickson: Explained that staff looked an average valued home in Prior Lake and compared the taxes from 2017 to 2021 based on the proposed levy and said if there was no change what would happen to that property’s taxes. Staff found the taxes went down $330.00. Burkart: Asked Erickson to explain the 9.82% increase in the Police Department Budget. Erickson: Replied that one reason is that the department is at full capacity, another reason for the increase was a sergeant’s retirement and replaced with a new staff member, it also includes a COLA adjustment and four officers that move from step one to step two. Burkart: Added that three members on this Council have done an impressive job at investing in Public Safety, Infrastructure and Parks. He feels that this Council has done a reasonable job in- vesting in those areas. He commended staff and the Council for the good work. Braid: Added that the Council managed to get all of that accomplished and still put the debt tra- jectory on a downward spiral. Briggs: Mentioned that there are still three union contracts that have yet to go into negotiations. Staff has put some numbers into the budget for what they are hopefully to see. 75% of the City staff are under union contracts. He knows that in six to eight weeks there will be new data to add after those negotiations have taken place. Thompson: Thanked staff for doing a great job preparing this year’s budget. It is important to fund the EDA and the return on investment benefits everyone. This is the first year that she can remember having no debt levy increase. The City has to budget for a union contract that hasn’t been negotiated and that is not easy. If you look at the cost of services for Prior Lake the City is not as low as they are with the Tax levy. One thing she is concerned with this year is that this is an economic environment with high unemployment, and many business owners are running at 25 or 50% capacity. If there is a year to give the taxpayers a break the year is now. Braid: Agrees with Thompson. MOTION BY BURKART, SECOND BY BRAID, TO APPROVE THE EDA LEVY AT 0.55%. VOTE Briggs Thompson Burkart Braid Aye ☒ ☒ ☒ ☒ Nay ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Abstain ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Absent ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ The motion carried. Briggs: Added that this has been a rough year. The city is doing great work at getting the City on a sustainable path with moderate numbers and with reducing debt . He would also like to wait to approve the levy with all five members on the dais not just four. Thompson: Clarified that this is to set the maximum for the preliminary tax levy. 4 09 21 2020 City Council Meeting Minutes MOTION BY THOMPSON, SECOND BY BURKART, TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 20-104 SETTING THE PRELIMINARY TAX LEVY AT 4.7%. VOTE Briggs Thompson Burkart Braid Aye ☐ ☒ ☒ ☒ Nay ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ Abstain ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Absent ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ The motion carried. 9B. APPROVE TRILLIUM COVE PRIVATE UTILITY AGREEMENT THIS ITEM WAS REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA. 10A. REMOVED CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS 11A. OTHER BUSINESS / COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS Braid: 9/12 Chalkfest, 9/14 EDA Meeting, 9/15 PC meeting, 9/18 Agenda Review Burkart: 9/12 Chalkfest, 9/10 Suburban Transit Meeting, 9/11 Legislative Work, 9/11 Ribbon Cut- ting Ceremony, 9/14 Suburban Transit, 9/17 Suburban Transit Meeting, 9/18 Agenda Review. 9/21 Transportation Alliance Annual Fly-in Thompson: 9/9 Chamber Meeting, 9/12 Chalkfest, 9 /18 Agenda Review Briggs: 9/11 Met with Lobbyist, 9/11 Chalkfest, 9/14 Regional Council of Mayors Meeting, 9/14 EDA, 9/15 Metro City Policy Task Force, 9/17 Live Learn Earn, 9/18 Lobbyist Check-in, 9/18 Agenda Review OTHER BUSINESS 12A. No Other Business 13A. ADJOURNMENT MOTION BY BRAID, SECOND BY BURKART, TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 8:04 P.M. VOTE Briggs Thompson Burkart Braid Aye ☒ ☒ ☒ ☒ Nay ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Abstain ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Absent ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ The motion carried. Respectfully Submitted, _____________________________ Jason Wedel, City Manager