HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Workshop Minutes 04.29.2003 MINUTES
COUNCIL WORKSHOP
APRIL 29, 2003 6:30 P.M.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
A Council Workshop was held in the Council Chambers and called to order by Mayor Bud Johnson at
6:30 p.m. on April 29, 2003.
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT:
_x_ Lauren Van Roekel
x Ken Olson
_x_ Gay Easton
_x_ Dan Mears
Doug Poehls
_x_ Mark Mace
_x_ Daniel Dart
x John Oakes
OTHERS PRESENT:
Matt Erekson
Larry McCann
Laurel Carpet Cleanin~ contract - Matt
· Resolution No. R03-06 authorized Mayor to sign an extension to the contract with Laurel Carpet
Cleaning & Upholstery.
· Matt informed the council of the changes in the contract.
· Contract includes city hall, city court, the library, the FAP building, and the city shop break room.
· New resolution on May 6~h council agenda to approve changes in contract
o Increase in compensation
o HIPAA confidentiality statement added in contract
· Compensation change would begin at contract date after approval of new resolution.
Associated Employers of Montana - Agreement for Human Resources services · Resolution on May 6t~ council agenda
· Contract information was previously distributed to council and department heads.
· Timeline and associated costs to provide Human Resource Management Services included in
information
AEM replaces services of Richard Larsen & Associates (had a $300/month retainer).
· Will complete on-site visits to implement review of employee records
· Team-building/personality analysis seminar was held last Saturday.
o Department heads, city hall staff, library staff, two councilmen attended
o Positive feedback has been received.
· Wanted to implement AEM agreement before end of this budget season
· Employee records, personnel manual, job descriptions, and similar items are the first priorities for
AEM's review.
Utili .W water bill
· Mayor gave background explanation.
o Issue began about a year ago
o Differences in what Cenex anticipated their bill should have been and what we
anticipated
Council Workshop Minutes of April 29, 2003
o Mayor asked Matt at that time if the mayor had the ability to make some negotiations
with Cenex, and Matt's response was that he did.
o City could not deliver Cenex's raw water requirement when the water intake project
began and the temporary water system had to be put in place.
o Mayor negotiated a rate between the raw water rate and the treated water rate for Cenex.
· Mayor brought the item to this workshop to answer questions.
· Mayor recommends waiting until the temporary water system is turned off and the permanent
water supply is turned on and then to make the adjustments in arrears.
· Matt's opinion is that a new contract would be created if we do it going forward, and that should
not be done.
· Good chance that Cenex would precipitate the purchase of an emergency generator
· Discussion regarding executive jurisdiction versus council decision to negotiate rates
· Matt's explanation regarding the issue:
o A year ago the mayor asked regarding some billing irregularities with Cenex.
o Matt instructed the mayor that he, as the principal person dealing with billing, had
authority to correct billing errors.
o Explanation regarding verbage in letter sent to Cenex
o Matt wrote a legal opinion that contracts have to go through the council.
· Question whether the grants would be jeopardized
o Matt's legal opinion would indicate concern if the city enters into a separate contract with
Cenex outside of the proposed rate increase that was told to the bond counsel.
· Lengthy discussion regarding the situation was held.
CIP
CIP Committee met today.
Next meeting scheduled on Tuesday, May 6th, at 1:00 p.m. before the department head meeting.
Three things were determined today:
o Need some expanded items on the list
o Need to revise the form
o Need to develop a vehicle replacement schedule as a subset of the general CIP
Effort to keep it simple and not get very complex
Budget schedule
· General Fund Preliminary Budget distributed to council
· Review of General Fund Appropriations sheet
o Attempt to educate and involve the council earlier than normal
o A balanced budget is normally presented to the council at this time.
· Currently, the budget is $167,077 off from being balanced.
· Projected cash balance of $765,000 at the end of this fiscal year
· Appropriations of $2,270,000 for this year
· Shortage of $167,000 would leave $597,000 in cash reserves
· General Fund Appropriations sheet - indicates the current and proposed budgets
· Process has not been done this way before - learning will take place
o Difficult year to balance budget - council will participate in process
· Two options indicated by clerk/treasurer as extremely appropriate in this budget session
o Procedure for the creation of a Park Maintenance District (timeline included)
o Consider adopting cable TV franchise fees
Projected June 17th as date for public hearing on completed budget
o Need to identify a schedule for council to hear input from department heads
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Council Workshop Minutes of ApriI 29, 2003
· Council has ability to set appropriations
o Appropriations need to be set by July 1st.
o Adopt final budget on July 15th
· Discussion regarding structure of meetings to understand and receive input
o Mayor and Ken (chairman of B/F Committee) met with department heads.
o Wanted to present a balanced budget to council tonight, but that was not possible
o Budget meetings with council and department heads will be scheduled on Monday and
Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m., beginning on May 5th.
o Attempt to complete meetings in May and first couple weeks of June (if needed)
· Explanation of general and enterprise funds
o General fund revenues are supported by tax revenues and changed through growth or by
the legislature.
o Enterprise fund revenues are set through user fees in solid waste, water, and wastewater.
· Mayor asked council to write down questions regarding the budget information that could be
answered at the first meeting as information for the whole council.
Agenda discussion
Beartooth RC&D - Resolution regarding an agreement for assistance for economic development. · Beartooth RC&D was awarded Rural Business Opportunity Grant funds by the USDA, Rural
Development.
· City requested use of the funds for an appraisal of Lots 5A and 6A, Block 2, Laurel Industrial
Park Subdivision for condemnation to allow South 4th Street to extend eastward.
· $7,000 available for the appraisal
· Limited access to Railroad Avenue makes it not a feasible option for a commercial/industrial
access road.
· Would open up the Entertainment Park Subdivision directly to the east for commercial/industrial
development
· Montana Highway Department is installing a signal light on South 1st Avenue at the highway off-
ramp to control and coordinate traffic along 1 ~t Avenue South.
· Discussion regarding current and future businesses in this area
Engineering, Inc. - Resolution regarding amendment to contract for streetscape on Main Street · Council previously approved the contract with Engineering, Inc.
Amendment includes adjustments to the scope of the contract
· Project will be design of curb, gutter, and sidewalk improvements for Main Street - 1st Avenue to
3~d Avenue (original contract was for I st Avenue to 8th Avenue)
· Dollar amount of contract will not change.
· Engineering is almost completed; project could be done this summer.
· Urban Pilot Highway Grant monies ($189,000) wilt pay for construction of project.
· Costs of water line replacement would be paid by City of Laurel.
· Cai will present an update of the streetscape at the council workshop on May 13z.
· None
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Council Workshop Minutes of April 29, 2003
Other items
Committee function
· Mayor reviewed previously discussed changes in functions of the Emergency Services and Public
Works Committees.
o Changes do not seem to meet needs.
· Mayor's suggestion to develop a process regarding the committees
o Councilmen need to develop interests of committees and the public.
o Determine what different options can be taken with those committees
· Committee function will be discussed at the council workshop on May 13th.
Executive review
· Opportunity for council to ask any questions of the mayor.
o Will be included in future agendas
· Lauren recently told a neighbor to write down his concerns and send them to the mayor.
· Dan Dart asked if mayor has given direction to department heads regarding presentation of
budgets to the council and the necessity for budget cuts.
o Department heads know that they will make presentations to council.
o Ken explained his trust in department heads to run their departments without having to
review and justify every line item mount.
o Department heads will have to decide how and where to best manage their budgets to
stay within the bottom line amount.
o Mark suggested that CIP needs to be in place and used every year in order to do any
noticeable improvements in the city.
o Mayor said priorities needed to be considered.
· Matt asked if the mayor or council had come to any direction regarding the attorney position.
o Mayor said it is time to make a decision.
o Question regarding Equal Employment Opportunity
· Mayor has received legal advice that we could perfect a contract with Mark Anderson to serve as
city attorney for the remainder of Matt's term to the end of this year.
· Would allow time to review future needs and the budget situation
· No proposal has been made that would allow an appointment now.
· No definite timeline.
The council workshop adjourned at 8:10 p.m.
Cindy Alleqq, Council Secretary
NOTE: This meeting is open to the public. This meeting is for information and discussion by the
Council.
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