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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmergency Services Committee Minutes 01.03.2011 MINUTES EMERGENCY SERVICES COMMITTEE JANUARY 3, 2011 5:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS Members Present: Emelie Eaton Doug Poehls (late) Tom Nelson Others Present: Jan Faught Rick Musson Terry Ruff Emelie Eaton opened the meeting. Chairman Poehls called saying he would be arriving late for the meeting. Animal Ordinances This topic wasn't on the agenda. Denise Du Pont, 212 Woodland, attended the meeting to speak on changing the city ordinance to allow chickens within the city limits. She handed out a proposed ordinance that is based on 25 cities that have successfully allowed urban chickens. She has spoken with the animal control officer and knows that chickens are considered livestock, but they are birds and there already is precedence set within the city that pigeons are allowed, which isn't that dissimilar in caging and upkeep. Chickens would eat grasshoppers and bugs. Usually cities do charge a renewal fee such as a dog license. The ordinance would prohibit roosters and the number of chickens allowed would be up to six. Chickens provide meat and eggs for a tight family budget. She has talked to the manager of Tractor Supply and he is completely for this and will promote proper housing and care for chickens. They will provide information to people about city ordinances. She spoke with the animal control officer, who was concerned about raccoons and dogs, but then dogs aren't allowed to roam and there are fines for that. If the chickens are properly housed, there should be limited problems. Denise believes this can be done successfully as it has been done in other cities. She will come back to the meeting on January 24 for discussion about getting the ordinance changed. FAP Building Expansion Mayor Olson introduced the subject of the addition onto the east side of the FAP building for the ambulance department. The city has been in contract with High Plains Architects. Randy Hafer displayed and explained a drawing of the plans. The addition will be extended to within five feet of the property line of the current park. This will allow width for three indoor ambulance bays. The ambulance department is now housed in a very small inadequate space. The addition will better accommodate the city. It will have a couple offices, one for ambulance supervisor and one for ambulance attendants, restrooms with showers, break room, and a training room which can be used by any city entity that needs a larger space. There are two storage closets to house secure items. Two storage rooms on the north side of the building will replace the sheds that are currently outside. One will be accessed from the outside for the fire department and the other from the inside for the ambulance. There will be natural light with windows all the way around and it is a much larger space than they currently have. The addition is 3,920 sq feet. Police Chief Musson stated the police and fire department will share the space currently occupied by the ambulance bay. The new training room is greatly needed because the current area isn't always available. He expressed it will definitely be an asset and stated this addition will be a long range approach and can be a thirty to forty year useful plan. Mayor Olson handed out a spreadsheet with the amounts that would need to be borrowed. The cost of the addition would be $360,000.00. The department heads have looked at their budgets to see where they can contribute towards the purchase of the project. Together they came up with $83,000.00, also with addition of $50,000.00 from the CAO position that possibly will not be filled till next fiscal year and $20,000.00 from CIP land. This will be a total of $1 53,000.00. The Public Works Director, Kurt said that solid waste is currently looking at a building for the container site, with an excess of $200,000.00 on the books. They would be willing to put that off for three or four years. The city would be able to borrow approximately $208,000.00 for ten years. Ambulance Director Jan looked at her schedule of fees and charges to reflect the amount of revenue to pay towards the note on a yearly basis. The monies would be borrowed from the solid waste with an interest rate of 3.75 %. The spreadsheet shows the loan over ten years and it has been anticipated by the City Clerk, Shirley Ewan, that the revenue of $30,000.00 can be generated from the increase of the rate charges of the ambulance. Shirley also recommended the length of loan to be on a ten year rate schedule versus the 15 year rate shown on the spreadsheet. Mayor Olson stated there is support from each city department. This addition will support the needs for each department and the citizens of Laurel in providing for the growth of the city. Emelie mentioned that last year at this time, the fire department was looking into a new building and asked how this would impact their plans. The fire department still has limited spacing and continues to look towards the future. The current space would provide an opportunity for expansion of other departments that are also strapped for space. Chairman Poehls, arrived at the meeting. Terry Ruff, Assistant Fire Chief, stated that the fire department is still looking at a new fire station in two years. They have equipment sitting outside which is not good when it comes to caring for the trucks. They also have bays at the city shop for storing trucks. The timing was not in their best interest when they approached the voters for a new fire department, since it was the same time the school proposed a new athletic field to the voters. They hope to put the idea of a new fire station out to the voters again in two years. Police Chief Musson stated that the current FAP building was built in 1976. When he started six years later, it proved to be small in size and provided inadequate space for the future. The departments have continued to be cramped and without being able to build in any direction, he feels this addition is adequate and says he is a proponent for moving forward. Mayor Olson said it is beneficial having each department contribute to the financing and to repay with ambulance fees and charges. The city does not have to go to the public. This will leave the option for the fire department to approach the voters with a mill levy for a fire department. It is a project the city can support financially for the ambulance service. Randy and each department head have put a lot of hard work into this project. They recognized this as a priority. Doug questioned if the addition is ADA compliant. Randy said the addition will be in full compliance. Doug asked if the current structure had to be brought up to compliance. He thought it had been a concern if we attached the two buildings the first one had to be brought up to compliance. Randy said the addition will be required to be in compliance but the only thing that is being done on the west side of the existing wall is a door being put in so both departments can use the laundry facilities. Otherwise nothing else will be touched on the west side at the present time so the code should not trigger any changes in that part of it. Emelie asked being the loan is financed within the city and being repaid with the increase of ambulance fees and charges, is the increase already into effect. The schedule of fees and charges is on the agenda for this week's council meeting. She also asked besides the increase of schedule of fees and charges, is it likely that the usage of the service will need to increase. In answer to this, there will likely be a more active ambulance service with personnel using the newly spacious facility, this will lead to highly efficient and promptness to servicing the community. More services will bring in more revenue. Chairman Poehls asked the committee if they wanted to make a recommendation to the council. A motion was made by Emelie Eaton and seconded by Tom Nelson to recommend to the council to proceed with the addition to the FAP building. Motion passed. Medical Director Ambulance Director Jan announced that Tom Bennett has signed on with the ambulance department as medical director. He was a medical director for the City of Laurel in the past before Dr. Vanice took over. A representative from the state EMS commission came to Laurel. He spoke with Tom Bennett and then gave his approval. Tom Bennett is a M.D. He is not an ER doctor so the ambulance service cannot be licensed as ALS (Advanced Life Support). The city can use the ALS endorsements from the state. Meeting adjourned, Respectfully Submitted, Neva Hall, Secretary Keeping of chickens within the Laurel City Limits Proposed ordinance *: • Allows chicken kept as a permitted use in single - family zoning districts. • Allows up to six domestic fowl allowed per household in a single - family district. • Prohibits roosters. • Prohibits slaughtering outdoors on the residential premises. • Prohibits the selling of eggs. • Requires that poultry shall be kept within a secure and clean hen house or enclosure at all times and not allowed to run free. • Requires that the hen houses and enclosures shall be located no closer than 10' from any structure and this includes (20') from the nearest neighbor's residence. • Requires that all animals must be cared for properly with access to clean water, adequate food and medical care and proper shelter from the existing elements. • Fines for violating above ordinance shall be set and administered by the city. • A $5 permit is required (per household), to be renewed annually. Positive points • Increased City revenue with fees. • Chickens provide valuable meat and eggs products for a tight family budget. • Eat grasshoppers and bugs. • Keeping pigeons is already legal. • Not a nuisance or vicious animal. Start With Proper Information Tractor Supply, Inc. in Laurel has agreed to host several seminars and special events on the proper care of chickens and how to abide by the city ordinances. The Manager of Tractor Supply, Bill stated he will advertise these seminars and events to encourage proper animal care etc. Put information into local paper about the care and proper housing of chickens. Tips to lower the attraction of raccoons and other animals will be part of these seminars. These events will take place in March when their chicks arrive. Allowing chickens also helps local business, Tractor Supply, Ace and WalMart etc. * This proposed ordinance is based on 25 cities that have urban chicken populations, i.e. Seattle, WA and Madison, WI. Denise M. Du Pont — 530 -1100 dupont44 @gmail.com January 3, 2011 To: Mayor Olson From: Shirley Please find attached the spreadsheets for the different amounts that would need to be borrowed, with the largest payment of the loan highlighted. If the City were to borrow $208,000for 10 years from the Solid Waste Fund, the total yearly payment would be covered by the increase in revenues realized from the increase in ambulance rates. The first year's payment would be $28,600 which is well within the $30,000 anticipated revenue increase by the rate change. The calculation of the rate change was the calls multiplied by the increase amount divided by 1/3, as the increase does not necessarily mean all the revenues will be received. The additional revenue that comes in from the ambulance would need to be allocated to the debt service of the FAP building. It probably should be done through resolution so the additional funds will not be used for something else in the General Fund. In my opinion the ambulance could manage the $208,000 for 10 years. By the way I called Intercap and they are willing to accept an application from us for the addition onto the FAP building. The current rate is 1.95% and will change again in February. Intercap is a variable rate lender. I • Interest Rate - r` `3. 5 Amount 0, n 208 000 OO Length of loan: TOryear�s Years Principle Interst Total Pymt Balance 1 2011 $ 20,800.00 $ 7,800.00 f*$i-28600 o0 $ 187,200.00 2 2012 $ 20,800.00 $ 7,020.00 $ 27,820.00 $ 166,400.00 3 2013 $ 20,800.00 $ 6,240.00 $ 27,040.00 $ 145,600.00 4 2014 $ 20,800.00 $ 5,460.00 $ 26,260.00 $ 124,800.00 5 2015 $ 20,800.00 $ 4,680.00 $ 25,480.00 $ 104,000.00 6 2016 $ 20,800.00 $ 3,900.00 $ 24,700.00 $ 83,200.00 7 2017 $ 20,800.00 $ 3,120.00 $ 23,920.00 $ 62,400.00 8 2018 $ 20,800.00 $ 2,340.00 $ 23,140.00 $ 41,600.00 9 2019 $ 20,800.00 $ 1,560.00 $ 22,360.00 $ 20,800.00 10 2020 $ 20,800.00 $ 780.00 $ 21,580.00 $ - $ 42,900.00 Interest Rate - 375 Amount WWEINTgobTi Lenth of Loan15years Years Principle Interst Total Pymt Balance 1 2011 $ 13,866.67 $ 7,800.00 $ 2 1 6 6: 6' $ 194,133.33 2 2012 $ 13,866.67 $ 7,280.00 $ 21,146.67 $ 180,266.66 3 2013 $ 13,866.67 $ 6,760.00 $ 20,626.67 $ 166,399.99 4 2014 $ 13,866.67 $ 6,240.00 $ 20,106.67 $ 152,533.32 5 2015 $ 13,866.67 $ 5,720.00 $ 19,586.67 $ 138,666.65 6 2016 $ 13,866.67 $ 5,200.00 $ 19,066.67 $ 124,799.98 7 2017 $ 13,866.67 $ 4,680.00 $ 18,546.67 $ 110,933.31 8 2018 $ 13,866.67 $ 4,160.00 $ 18,026.67 $ 97,066.64 9 2019 $ 13,866.67 $ 3,640.00 $ 17,506.67 $ 83,199.97 10 2020 $ 13,866.67 $ 3,120.00 $ 16,986.67 $ 69,333.30 11 2021 $ 13,866.67 $ 2,600.00 $ 16,466.67 $ 55,466.63 12 2022 $ 13,866.67 $ 2,080.00 $ 15,946.67 $ 41,599.96 13 2023 $ 13,866.67 $ 1,560.00 $ 15,426.67 $ 27,733.29 14 2024 $ 13,866.67 $ 1,040.00 $ 14,906.67 $ 13,866.62 15 2025 $ 13,866.62 $ 520.00 $ 14,386.62 $ - $ 62,399.99