HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Workshop Minutes 02.28.2006 MINUTES
COUNCIL WORKSHOP
FEBRUARY 28, 2006 6:30 P.M.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
A Council Workshop was held in the Council Chambers and called to order by President Gay
Easton at 6:30 p.m. on February 28, 2006. Mayor Oison was absent from the meeting.
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT:
Dick Fritzler
x Kate Hart
x Gay Easton
x Jennifer Johnson
_x_ Doug Poehls
x Mark Mace
x Chuck Diekerson
_x_ Norm Stamper
OTHERS PRESENT:
Perry Asher
Mary Embleton
Larry McCenn
Rick Musson
Steve Klotz
Tera King, Northwest Management
Gary Colley
Jan Faught
Terry Ruff
Peg Arnold
Public Inout (three-minute limit):
Citizens may address the Council regarding any item of City business not on the agenda. The duration for an
individual speaking under Public Input is limited to three minutes. While all comments are welcome, the Council
will not take action on any item not on the agenda.
· None
Community Wildfire Protection Plan
· Presentation: Tern Ki~o, Northwest Management, Inc.
o Tera King works with Northwest Management,
the consultants hired by
Yellowstone County to produce the Yellowstone County Community Wildfire
Protection Plan.
A 75-member multi-jurisdictional committee developed the plan.
Copies of the Executive Summary were distributed prior to the meeting, and Tera
brought a full copy of the plan for the city.
The Plan is a guidance document that was funded through the National Fire Plan
and routed through the Bureau of Land Management.
The Plan was written to be FEMA, National Fire Plan, and Healthy Forest
Initiative eompat~le, which means that the funding and granting sources
available for the recommended projects are open with this document.
· When a grant application is submitted, hnving it laid out in the
Community Wildfire Plan will help the funding to be granted.
This is just one updated chapter to the existing 2004 Yellowstone County Pre-
Disaster Mitigation Plan.
Council Workshop Minutes of February 28, 2006
o Tern referred to the recommendations section, which states specific goals, who is
responsible, and a planning horizon for the goals.
· The recommendation section is fairly general to allow flexibility when
applying for the funding.
o Some of the recommendations that impact Laurel include:
· Recommend doing defensible space projects in Clapper Flats and Buffalo
Trails Subdivisions.
· Purchase of a 4x4 pumper truck and a 1,500 to 2,000 gallon water tender
for the Laurel Fire Department.
o Tera explained the request for the council's support of this document by
approving a resolution of approval.
· The document has been signed by all the fire chiefs in Yellowstone
County.
o The entire Community Wildfire Protection Plan is available on Yellowstone
County's web site.
· The Appendices contain all of the maps created and the GIS data will be
provided to Yellowstone County.
o Tera explained that the process included five public meetings throughout the
county and the document has been out for public review for a month and a hal£
· About $100,000 is left of the grant monies used to create the plan, and the
money will be used for implementation of the projects.
o The county requested a prioritization scheme to prioritize the projects.
· Northwest Management produced an unbiased numerical system that lists
benefit costs, vulnerability, and different factors, and rotes the projects as
high, medium, or low.
Resolution to approve the Community Wildfire Protection Plan
o The resolution will be on the council agenda on March 7t~.
Mid-Year Reports
Administrative Assistant
· Perry explained that this is the first of the Scrai-Annual Reports that will be presented to
the council at the end of Janunry and the end of July every year.
o Since this is the first report, there is some variation in the presentation of the
reports. Perry asked the council for feedback on what it would like to see in the
reports in the future.
· As administrative assistant, the big issues include the budget process, city facilities,
human resourcos/personnel management, and public relations.
o Perry is in the process of building a cost allocation system for the budget.
· This would allocate the costs of the overhead departments (i.e., council,
mayor, clerk, administrative assistant) that support the functions of the line
departments (streets, water, sewer, police, fire, etc.) to those departments.
o Regarding city facilities, he is working on a plan for the ambulance and
developing a long-term plan for dealing with all of the facility problems.
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Council Workshop Minutes of February 28, 2006
o Regarding Human Resources and Personnel Management, he is working on team-
building. Review of the job descriptions and the Personnel Policy
Implementation Guide is being done.
o The Mission Statement and web site development will help with public relations.
Ambulance Service
· Jan distributed a copy of statistics and a list of the ambulance attendants.
o 2005 was a record year for the ambulance department, with a total of 825
responses.
· Jan explained the three basic priorities of the Laurel Ambulance Service:
o New, safer ambulances for patients and crew members
o Adequate work space that is useable for the department's needs
o Retaining the volunteers
· Jan explained a list of crew members on the roster and the average hours served each
week f~om July to December.
o Several qualified Billings EMT's are interested in serving on the ambulance, but
there is no place for them to stay while they are in Laurel.
· Jan explained that the ambulance has the opportunity to provide more medical skills for
citizens without changing the level of service.
o The State has issued the opportunity, and Jan has been working with paramedics
f~om AMR to get the policies and procedures in place that would be needed to
provide the extra skills.
· Jan stated that fuel costs are high and impacting the ambulance budget, which is at 69
percant of the fuel allocation.
Clerk/Treasurer
· The Clerk/Treasurer's Report was included in the written report, but the verbal report was
presented at the council workshop on January 31, 2006.
Laurel Volunteer Fire Department
· Terry Ruffstated that the budget is at 58 percent for the year.
· The department received the following grants:
o DNRC - $3,500;
o LEPC - $7,700; National Automobile Dealers - $1,500;
o FEMA - $229,900, including the city's match of$11,495.
· The department's main goals include:
o Purchase of a pumper truck
o Purchase ofa water tender
o Construction of a satellite station
o Construction ora new fire hall or upgrade current structure
o Sprinkler system at the present fire station
o Fire prevention education
o Review of new subdivisions
· All fire district contracts will be negotiated and renewed this spring.
Laurel Public Library,
Council Workshop Minutes of February 28, 2006
· Peg stated that the report was submitted to the State Library.
· Peg explained that it is a challenge to find the time to train the staff.
· Money is always a barrier, and 78 percent of the book budget has already been spent.
· Friends of the Library started and were active this year.
o They have a Board, are planning a major fund drive in May, and have made
improvements to the library.
· Intemet use is increasing and is becoming essential to people.
· The library's computers are getting older, and it is a challenge to keep new operating
systems.
· Peg stated that the library is fortunate to have volunteers like the Friends and the L~rary
Board.
o A planning process called "Planning for Results" is being used to identify goals
for the community.
o The Library Board and staff review the suggestions to determine strategies to
meet some of those goals.
· Employees have been busy in the library to get ready for the new circulation system,
which should be up and running in another month.
Planning Department
· The City Planner did not attend or make a presentation.
Police Department
· Rick spoke highly of the department's personnel,
including the police officers,
communication officers, and the animal control officer, and he stated that the longevity of
the employees is commendable.
The police reserves are also very important to the department.
Calls for service, which include police, fire, ambulance and agency assist calls, have risen
steadily over the past three years.
There were brief discnssions regarding parking issues on the south side of Laurel, animal
control service, and issues regarding a dog shelter.
Public Works Department
· Steve updated the council on some current projects.
· The Public Works Department is working with the Montana Department of
Transportation Maintenance Division on a joint project on West Main from Third Avenue
to Eighth Avenue to replace the water line, repair the storm water system, repair and
construct sidewalks, and resurface the street.
o Steve requested that the project be delayed until the next fiscal year because the
city had no time to budget and did not have the money for our potential portion of
the project.
o The city's potential portion includes the sidewalks and some drainage issues that
need to be fixed.
o The MDOT plans to bid the project this year and do the construction in the next
fiscal year, pmhably in August.
o Laurel's cost share for the project will be large, but exact figures are not yet
available.
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Council Workshop Minutes of February 28, 2006
An opportunity for the project to be done in the following fiscal year would allow
the city to plan for it and put it in without being in a rush.
o New waterline must be installed in coordination with that project.
o Delay of the project would allow the city the opportunity to look at an SID to
assess the sidewalk to the property owners, as is being done with other projects.
· Public Works recently applied for some Federal/State monies for preventive maintenance
on the urban routes.
<~ Similar funds were used for the seal and cover project on First Avenue last
sunullero
o Funding is needed to repair and preserve East and West Maryland, Twelfth Street,
and Eighth Avenue between Ninth and Twelfth Streets.
· Public Works is providing input to the planned federal aid project to overlay and
reconstruct 1~t Avenue South and East Main Street.
o This is a two-part project that the State is doing on the primary mute.
o The safety portion of the project will put a tum lane in East Main going east.
o The other portion is doing a mill and fill and a seal and cover from the offramp
on South 1~t to Moss Main.
o The city has requested a few extra things including a widening of East Main out
to Village Sub to provide a pedestrian buffer and installation of concrete in the off
ramp under the underpass in front of Taco John's where East Railroad intersects
and through this intersection to address the flow issues.
· The East First Street project has been shut down for the winter.
o JTL is considering a startup date of March 15t~ to April 15th, depending on the
weather.
o The entire project, including curb, gutter, sidewalk, approaches, pavement, and
marking, should be completed in July.
· Contracts for improvements in city hall will be presented at the council workshop on
March 14th.
o The building department is being remodeled to create some office space, and
funding is coming from building department revenues.
o Contracts for the lighting and flooring in the lobby in city hall will be presented
on March 14~.
o Proposed improvements to the council chambers include a drop ceiling,
electrical/lighting, and audio equipment.
· The audio equipment would include additional speakers and a hearing
assist system.
· Final cost estimates will be presented at the next council workshop.
Public Utilities Department
· Lan'y stated that application for a $750,000 TSEP Grant for the wastewater plant will be
submitted in May.
o The grant application will be to rebuild the sewer plant, which will be a $6 to $8
million project.
· The State has not set TIvlDL's, which is the amount of contaminants that can be put in the
Yellowstone River.
o When the TMDL's are set, the numbers will be stricter than current requirements.
Council Workshop Minutes of February 28, 2006
o With the current system, the plant cannot remove phosphorus or ammonia.
o On March 28t~, Scott Murphy, of Morrison-Maierle, will explain the process.
o A lot oftoclmologies have been reviewed, and it looks like we will have to settle
for activated sludge.
· The trunk main project was delayed and will be re-bid this summer with the work to be
done next fall.
· Installation of the water line on First Avenue will be done while the state does its work.
· The crews are busy trying to meet water quality requirements from the State.
o Every line in the city has been flushed this year and every fire hydrant and valve
has been opened and closed.
· The Federal government has now set its second level of clean water rules.
o The rules allow the city to apply for a variance, but application requires a
hydraulic study of the system.
o In the City of Laurel, the process has to begin in 2008 end the changes need to be
completed by 2010.
· The Public Utilities Department is budgeting for a video camera to provide detailed
system inspections that would reduce the city's insurance claims.
· Larry mentioned that five violations were received at the wastewater plant this year.
o With delay of the trunk main project, he expects more violations this summer.
o The DEQ realizes that the city is moving forward and he does not think the DEQ
will issue the city an order to pay for the violations.
· There was a brief discussion regarding the impact of new subdivisions on the plants and
system development fees.
Perry thanked the department heads for their hard work in preparing the Semi-Annual Report.
President Easton stated that the document could be used as a reference when citizens contact
council members with questions and concerns, and he thanked Perry for the presentation.
Administrative Assistant:
· Resolution- City of Laurel Mission Statement
o The purpose of the Mission Statement is to provide something to which the city
can commit and use as a guide for how to serve the community.
o Several suggestions from staff and employees were incorporated into the final
draft, which will be on the council agenda on March 7th.
· Resolution - Development Agreement with the School District
o The Development Agreement should have been included with the annexation
resolution.
o The school district has agreed to waive the right of protest for SID's for upgrades
to the streets around the school.
o The resolution to approve the Development Agreement will be on the council
agenda on March 7th.
· Resolution - City Planner - job description
o Perry and Cai Cumin have worked together to develop the City Planner II job
description.
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Council Workshop Minutes of February 28, 2006
o The job description can be approved even though a decision to hire a full-time
city planner has not been made.
o Discussion regarding employee's accountability to the mayor versus the
administrative assistant.
· According to Montana law, the chief of police is directly accountable to
the mayor.
· However, the mayor can delegate specific supervisory authority to the
administrative assistant for other employee positions.
o The resolution to approve the City Planner II job description will be on the
council agenda on March 7th.
· Resolution - Web site development contract
o Perry tried to get two additional bids; however, one company did not respond and
the other company sent a price list that included a bare bones development cost of
$3,000.
o Zee Creative submitted an extensive estimate of creation costs as well as hosting
and promotion costs.
o Perry recommends Zee Creative for the web site development contract.
o The resolution to ,a~pprove the contract with Zee Creative will be on the council
agenda on March 7 .
· Resolution- Lobby
o The contracts for the updates in the city hall lobby will be presented and the
council workshop on March 14th.
· E~hanced 911
o Resolution - Award bid for E-911 equipment
· Rick explained that the options were discussed at the previous council
workshop, and the options of a Transportable E911 Operator Position and
a Dispatch Furniture Center Litl were added.
· Since the lift is not made for a second console, it will not be
received and it will be a slide-out drawer instead.
· Mary contacted Intercap regarding the $85,000 loan, which will be paid
back over five years out oftbe 911 Fund.
· A contract with Qwest, which will be a one-time fee of approximately
$13,000, is needed and will be presented to the council within the next
month.
· The attorney will review the contract with Industrial Communications and
Electronics.
· The resolution will be on the council agenda on March 7th.
o Resolution- Budget amendments - 911 and E-911
o Resolution- Intercap loan
o Intercap sent an e-mail that the loan is approved so the city can award the bid and
approve the budget amendment resolution; however, it takes time to put the
necessary documents together to close the loan.
o The resolution to enter into the loan agreement with Intercap will be put off*until
the council workshop on March 14th and the council agenda on March 21~t.
· Resolution - Amend Resolution No. R05-78
Council Workshop Minutes of February 28, 2006
o Mary explained that Resolution No. R05-78 accepted the JTL contract for the
East First Street improvements.
o When reviewing the document for the bond counsel for the sidewalk portion of
East First Street, Mary noticed the Urban Highway Pilot Proglam wording
contained in the resolution.
o Resolution No. R05-27, the Main Street water line contract award, was used to
prepare Resolution No. R05-78, but the wording should have been changed.
o The attorney drafted the resolution to substitute the first three WHEREAS clauses
with the new clauses.
o Discussion regarding cross-referencing resolutions.
o The resolution to amend Resolution No. R05-78 will be on the council agenda on
March 7th.
Information regarding the old asphalt plant
Gary Colley has contacted the owner of the plant, which is the corporate bank that took
over the note.
The city is trying to get this resolved but has encountered problems regarding who is
actually respons~le for it at this point.
The railroad was contacted, and it is on a railroad lease.
o With a railroad lease, the land is leased and the buildings on the land are owned
by the lessee, not the railroad.
o In the railroad leases, there is a clause requiring that the properties and the
buildings be maintained to meet city specifications.
o In the past, the city has had the railroad abate some buildings that were not up to
code and were not going to be brought up to code by the lessee.
o The issue is being addressed as there are some serious hazards at the plant.
o More information should be available within a month.
o There was a brief discussion regarding the possibility of chemicals in the tanks
and alarms set inside the building.
Information regarding Riverside Park
o The Park Leases Task Force met on February 16t~.
o The city can move forward with annexation of Riverside Park even if the shooting
range is included.
o The ordinance that does not allow shooting in the city can be emended to state the
exception of Riverside Park for a definite length of time.
o Resolutions for annexation of the Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Water Plant,
and Riverside Park will be presented at the council workshop on March 14th.
o Annexation of the cemetery, the container site, and the water reservoir will be
presented at a later date.
o A sample lease is being drafted by the city attorney for the committee's review.
Attorney:
· Information regarding flag pole annexations
o Information regarding annexations will be distn~outed by the end of this week.
Executive review: · None
Council Workshop Minutes of February 28, 2006
Review of draft council agenda for March 7~ 2006: · None
Announcements:
· Norm stated that the county commissioners held a meeting about the Veterans' Cemetery
recently.
o Commissioner Kennedy will travel to Washington D.C. and will talk to the
Veterans' Administration about the cemetery and the Federal funding for it.
· Mark Mace mentioned some web site information regarding statistics that major
companies use to determine where they will locate new stores, and the information will
be distributed in the council boxes.
Attendance at the March 7~ council meeting · No discussion
Other items:
· Perry explained that the resolution authorizing the mayor to execute a one-year contract
for the procurement and administration of the city's CTEP Pmgrarn expired today.
o The agreements need to be approved in order to continue the CTEP Program, and
the item will be on the council agenda on March 7~'.
The council workshop adjourned at 8:28 p.n~
Respeet fully submitted,
Cindy Allen
Council Secretary
NOTE: This meeting is open to the public. This meeting is for information and discussion
of the Council for the listed workshop agenda items.
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