City
Council Meeting Minutes
January 5, 2015
1. Roll Call
Mayor Roe called
the meeting to order at approximately 6:17 p.m., following a brief swearing-in
ceremony for re-elected Councilmembers Willmus and McGehee, and Mayor Roe. Voting
and Seating Order: Willmus, Etten, McGehee, Laliberte, and Roe. City Manager
Patrick Trudgeon and City Attorney Mark Gaughan were also present.
Recess
Mayor Roe recessed the meeting at
approximately 6:18 p.m., and reconvened at approximately 6:24 p.m.
2. Approve Agenda
Etten moved, McGehee
seconded approval of the agenda as presented.
Roll Call
Ayes: Willmus,
Etten, McGehee, Laliberte, and Roe.
Nays: None.
3. Public Comment
Mayor Roe called
for public comment by members of the audience on any non-agenda items.
a. Lisa
McCormack, Wheeler Street (spokesperson for 4 residents joining her at the
table)
Ms. McCormack
referenced the City's mission statement, expressing her appreciation of the
emphasis on community engagement. However, Ms. McCormack questioned if that
emphasis was being addressed looking toward the new year, and the City
Council's acknowledgement of its residents and their tremendous individual and
corporate value to the community, especially the perspective of long-term
Roseville residents who have served to make the community safe and welcoming
for all.
While having
found the current City Council to be responsive and improving their atmosphere
of welcome to residents coming forward to speak to various issues, Ms.
McCormack questioned if this didn't need to be more open to avoid ongoing hesitation
of some residents to voice their concerns.
As an example,
Ms. McCormack referenced the upcoming Twin lakes Planning Process information
sessions scheduled for January 14, 2015, and the timing of the notices
immediately before Christmas with a set agenda and without any input or participation
from residents in planning for the event or the intended discussion. Ms.
McCormack cited another example, with the proposed staff and Councilmember Retreat,
first discussed at the December 8, 2014 City Council meeting and intended primarily
for Councilmembers, but now appearing to have morphed into a Strategic Planning
session, again without representation of residents, with decisions made and
actions taken before receiving public comment. Ms. McCormack opined that, at
that point, it may be too late to have any impact beyond a City Council
perspective, and further opined that the public should have been asked for
their input and perspective prior to planning the retreat.
Ms. McCormack
referenced previous discussions held in August and September of 2014, when the
City Council had indicated a three-legged stool approach to planning for the
Twin Lakes area. Ms. McCormack noted that, since that time, some individual
Councilmembers had questioned how that broader planning and participation could
be accomplished since the City didn't own the land. However, Ms. McCormack advised
that, in good faith and in the spirit of collaboration, the residents in their
Association had continued to meet with Community Development Director Paul
Bilotta on various areas of concern. Ms. McCormack expressed her pride in the
neighbors in their Association and their commitment to continue that
involvement, and asked that their commitment be recognized by the City and
remain actively pursued.
Given the
neighborhood's ongoing desire to remain part of the process, Ms. McCormack
advised that they had come to a consensus and were presenting that consensus
via two formal petitions for those properties abutting North Terrace Drive, as
well as expanded another 500' beyond that. Ms. McCormack noted that there were
seventeen parcels adjoining or abutting the area proposed to be rezoned, and
the petitions involving signatures of 100% of those adjoining properties, and
85% of those parcels within the extended 500' notice area.
Ms. McCormack
advised that one petition addressed rezoning to Medium Density Mixed Use versus
the current High Density Residential which no one wanted, or the proposed
Community Mixes Use that was also not desirable. Ms. McCormack noted that the
proposed zoning would include height restrictions, allow for smaller development
and thus greater protection for lakes and natural resources, as well as providing
a transitional use between residential and commercial properties, given that
this is a gateway into an area of 500 homes.
Ms. McCormack
opined that it was time to put the past in the past, and move forward as a
community and this immediate residential area in cooperation with the City
Council.
Cathleen
Erickson, Centennial Drive
Ms. Erickson
concurred with the statements made by Ms. McCormack for the group, but further
noted that even though individual property owners, they were all members of
their neighborhood's Twin Lakes Steering Committee, with Lisa being their
spokesperson, thanking her for her expertise and leadership. Ms. Erickson
thanked the City Council for receiving their petition and hearing their concerns.
4. Council
Communications, Reports, and Announcements
Mayor Roe
announced the upcoming Twin Lakes Community Meeting as referenced previously by
Ms. McCormack, scheduled for January 14, 2015 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., with two
staff presentations: one at 5:00 and one at 6:30 p.m. For additional
information or questions, Mayor Roe referred interested parties to the City's
website or Community Director Bilotta at 651/792-7001 or e-mail at: paul.bilotta@cityofroseville.com.
Mayor Roe
announced a community volunteer opportunity on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,
January 19, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to noon, removing Buckthorn at Acorn Park.
Additional information is available from Volunteer Coordinator Kelly O'Brien at
651/792-7028 for this event as part of the Parks Renewal Natural Resources Program.
Councilmember McGehee
personally clarified that the Twin Lakes planning session was broken into two
segments to accommodate those wishing to attend and noted that it was open to
everyone in the community, whether business owners or residents, since it affected
everyone.
Mayor Roe read a
letter of commendation received from Ms. Jill Cordes by the City recognizing
City of Roseville Police and Fire regarding a recent medical emergency in the
lobby of the AMC Theater at Rosedale Mall, and their efforts in assisting a gentleman
in cardiac arrest, as well as their efficient and informative care of onlookers
in the area.
5. Recognitions,
Donations and Communications
6. Approve Minutes
Comments
and corrections to draft minutes had been submitted by the City Council prior
to tonight's meeting and those revisions were incorporated into the draft
presented in the Council packet.
a.
Approve Minutes of December 8, 2014 Meeting
McGehee moved, Etten
seconded, approval of the Meeting Minutes of December 8, 2014 as amended,
including the clarification provided via e-mail dated January 5, 2014 from
Finance Director Chris Miller specific to the levy increase percentage as noted,
Corrections:
·
Page 23, Lines 22 - 24, Roll Call Vote
Mayor Roe
noted that the Roll Call had inadvertently been deleted during staff revisions
to his proposed changes to this area, and should be reinserted indicating a
unanimous "Aye" vote.
Roll Call
Ayes:
Willmus, Etten, McGehee, Laliberte, and Roe.
Nays:
None.
7. Approve Consent Agenda
At the request
of Mayor Roe, City Manager Patrick Trudgeon briefly reviewed those items being
considered under the Consent Agenda.
a.
Approve Resolution Designating Official Bank Depositories
In light of his
recent conversations with a potentially interested participant in the
community, Councilmember Etten requested information on how the City's official
bank depositories were identified.
City Manager
Trudgeon suggested a follow-up discussion in the near future to address this
annual designation.
Councilmember
Willmus noted that, in the past the City had worked with locally-owned banks,
including the one expressing interest to Councilmember Etten.
Willmus moved, Etten
seconded, Resolution No. 11200 (Attachment A) entitled, "Resolution on
Designation of Depositories."
Roll Call
Ayes:
Willmus, Etten, McGehee, Laliberte, and Roe.
Nays:
None.
b.
Approve Resolution designating Official Bank Signatories
Willmus moved,
Etten seconded, Resolution No. 11201 (Attachment A) entitled, 'Resolution on
Designation of Bank Signatories.'
Roll Call
Ayes:
Willmus, Etten, McGehee, Laliberte, and Roe.
Nays:
None.
c.
Designate 2015 Legal Newspaper
Willmus moved,
Etten seconded, approval of the Roseville Review as the legal newspaper
for the City of Roseville for 2015.
Roll Call
Ayes:
Willmus, Etten, McGehee, Laliberte, and Roe.
Nays:
None.
d.
Approve 2015 City Sign Permits
Willmus moved,
Etten seconded, approval of the 2015 sign permit for City uses and promotions
as listed in the sign summary dated January 5, 2015.
Roll Call
Ayes:
Willmus, Etten, McGehee, Laliberte, and Roe.
Nays:
None.
e.
Approve Electrical Inspector Contract
Willmus moved,
Etten seconded, approval of the 2015 Service Agreement with Tokle Inspections,
Inc. (Attachment A), including the 2015 Electrical Permit Fee Schedule and with
annual review of the agreement.
Roll Call
Ayes:
Willmus, Etten, McGehee, Laliberte, and Roe.
Nays:
None.
f.
Designate Weed Inspector
Willmus moved,
Etten seconded, appointment of the City of Roseville Community Development
Department Codes Coordinator as the duly authorized and designated Assistant
Weed Inspector for the calendar year 2015, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes
18.80.
Roll Call
Ayes:
Willmus, Etten, McGehee, Laliberte, and Roe.
Nays:
None.
g.
Appoint Fire Relief Association Members
Willmus moved,
Etten seconded, adoption of Resolution No. 11202 (Attachment A) entitled,
"Resolution Designating the Mayor and City Manager as Municipal Representatives
to the Firefighter Relief Association."
Roll Call
Ayes:
Willmus, Etten, McGehee, Laliberte, and Roe.
Nays:
None.
h.
Authorizing Seeking Donations for Various City Functions and
Events
Willmus moved,
Etten seconded, authorizing the City Manager or his designee to send letters
soliciting donations for those items and departments as listed in the Request
for Council Action (RCA) dated January 5, 2015.
While seeking
donations for these various events, Councilmember Laliberte suggested an
investigation of potential donations for needed Golf Course and/or Club House
repairs and/or replacement using the "crowd-sourcing"approach.
Roll Call
Ayes:
Willmus, Etten, McGehee, Laliberte, and Roe.
Nays:
None.
8. Consider Items
Removed from Consent
9. General Ordinances
for Adoption
10. Presentations
11. Public Hearings
12.
Budget Items
13.
Business Items (Action Items)
a.
Designate 2015 Acting Mayor
Willmus moved, Laliberte
seconded, appointment of Councilmember Etten as Acting Mayor for 2015, in
accordance with Minnesota State Statute 411.121.
Roll Call
Ayes:
Willmus, Etten, McGehee, Laliberte, and Roe.
Nays:
None.
b.
Consider Citizen Advisory Commission Reappointments
McGehee moved
to separate individual appointments, allowing for some to be included in a
future interview process.
Mayor
Roe ruled the motion failed for lack of a second.
Willmus moved,
Laliberte seconded, all reappointments as eligible and as listed on the RCA
dated January 5, 2015.
Roll Call
Ayes:
Willmus, Etten, Laliberte, and Roe.
Nays:
McGehee.
Motion
carried.
c.
Consider Council/Staff Retreat: Consultant & Agenda
City Manager
Trudgeon briefly summarized research to-date as noted in the RCA dated January
5, 2015 and in follow-up to the December 8, 2015 discussion regarding a
strategic planning retreat early in 2015.
City Manager
Trudgeon recommended a facilitator to allow staff and Councilmembers to
participate in the process. In consideration of his recommendation, Mr.
Trudgeon advised that following his review of potential facilitators and their
credentials, he was recommending Craig Rapp to serve as facilitator, and provided
a brief synopsis of Mr. Rapp's credentials as detailed in the RCA and Attachment
A. Mr. Trudgeon advised that he and Mayor Roe had an opportunity to meet with
Mr. Rapp to further research his fit with the City as a facilitator.
City Manager
Trudgeon opined that it was critical as the City continued to move forward that
the City Council "hit the ground running" in 2015 to more clearly define their
individual and corporate budget priorities within the limited confines of
available tax dollars, and in determining their focus on those priorities for
2016 and beyond. Mr. Trudgeon further opined that having that framework in
place would be beneficial to staff, Councilmembers and Roseville residents as
it continued to pursue its transparency efforts.
In his
discussions at length with Department Heads, City Manager Trudgeon stated that
the retreat process under the guidance of a facilitator would prove beneficial.
Mr. Trudgeon noted that the proposed process and session formats suggested by
Mr. Rapp could be tailored differently at the City Council's discretion, and
pricing adjusted accordingly. Mr. Trudgeon noted that Mr. Rapp was proposing
an additional half-day follow-up session with staff leadership immediately
following the 2-day session with City Council and Department Heads to implement
strategic plan priorities in a broader work plan beyond independent and department-specific
work plans, and emphasized that this was an option at an additional cost of
$2,500 and not part of the $4,950 cost quoted by Mr. Rapp for his services. If
that follow-up is approved, Mr. Trudgeon advised that he anticipated involving
not only Department Heads, but also the entire leadership team that would
include Assistant Department Heads.
City Manager
Trudgeon sought City Council action to hire Craig Rapp to facilitate the City
Strategic Planning process at an amount not to exceed $7,450 that included a
two-day session with the City Council and Department Heads and a half- day session
with the Roseville Staff Leadership Team.
In addition to
the comments of City Manager Trudgeon, Mayor Roe sought to clarify the retreat
and strategic planning process, in light of public comments heard earlier this
evening. During his comments after being sworn in for a second term as mayor,
Mayor Roe noted his reference to the various community visioning processes
driven almost entirely by residents in the community and addressing their
priorities. Mayor Roe noted that this remained an integral part of the City
Council and staff thought process, but would need refreshing as some point in
the near future.
In addition to
those guiding documents, and following the recent election process and a
variety of connections to the community available to individual Councilmembers,
as well as at public meetings, Mayor Roe clarified the purpose of this
strategic planning session to focus City Council and staff on those community
priorities yet to be accomplished or ongoing efforts. Mayor Roe noted that any
and all meetings of the City Council , no matter in what format other than in
Closed Executive Session for limited purpose in accordance with State Statute, were
open to the public and accessible to the public.
Mayor Roe
further clarified that this strategic planning retreat would not be generating
new community vision, but simply responding to things and refocusing thoughts
as an organization, and sought to provide that clarity for the benefit of
residents in their understanding of the process.
From his
personal perspective, Mayor Roe opined that this process could be done in any
number of ways through any number of facilitators; however, he expressed his
comfort level in the approach proposed by Mr. Rapp, while also recognizing the
validity of the approaches of other facilitators as well. Mayor Roe further
opined that the approach of Mr. Rapp to gather and organize preliminary information
from staff and individual Councilmembers made sense to allow a response at the
corporate meeting, with brainstorming already done in advance and organized to
provide for more effective discussions. Once that part of the process is
completed, Mayor Roe opined that the ultimate product, planned by the City
Council and staff would be the Roseville plan and not something dreamed up by
Mr. Rapp or any other facilitator. If his colleagues were not willing to work
with Mr. Rapp or did not appreciate his approach, Mayor Roe sought their
suggestions for another approach. However, Mayor Roe stated that he would not
volunteer to be the meeting's facilitator to allow him the ability to fully
participate in discussions.
Councilmember
McGehee stated that she would not comment on Mr. Rapp as she had not been privy
to meeting with him personally to review his qualifications beyond the written
materials provided in the RCA.
However,
Councilmember McGehee stated that her personal view was similar to that
expressed by Mayor Roe, with major community visioning documents to-date having
delivered the same message to the City Council: the values of residents and
what they wanted to see from their local government. Councilmember McGehee
opined that the City Council's failure was in not taking those goals and aspirations
and putting them into an overarching evaluation of all policies or ideas
brought forward within that theoretical framework.
Councilmember
McGehee stated that she wanted to see a strategic plan and policies for
implementation of these community goals and if it remained important for
residents to maintain existing amenities, that the Council made sure either
everyone was willing to pay more taxes or provide a guaranteed plan and work
diligently to expand the City's tax base. Once developed, Councilmember
McGehee stated that she then wanted an annual review and update of that
strategic plan. If this process achieved these concerns, Councilmember McGehee
stated that she could then be on board with this proposal.
Councilmember Willmus
opined that if the intent was to look at strategic planning, a broader dialogue
was needed with the community. Councilmember Willmus stated that his concern
was that when first talking about this retreat, it was intended as a discussion
of City Council goals; however, he opined that since those initial discussions
at the end of 2014, the retreat seemed to have morphed into a broader scope of
strategic planning. Councilmember Willmus referenced the process used by the
HRA in developing and then updating their strategic plan, expecting a similar
process, and noting the lower price for that process than proposed for this
retreat. If pursuing the proposed process, Councilmember Willmus suggested a
Request for Proposals (RFP) process that would provide more options and get better
bank for the buck. In general, Councilmember Willmus stated that he was
personally hung up with a process as proposed that appeared to provide a
strategic planning side without allowing a window for the community to be a direct
part of the process.
Councilmember Laliberte
noted her ongoing interest expressed frequently over the last year to get
short-term goals on the docket to determine common interests. However,
Councilmember Laliberte agreed that this has morphed into more than those
original intentions she had voiced, opining that perhaps the term "strategic
planning" was problematic compared to "goal planning." Councilmember Laliberte
clarified that her hope had been that the City Council could step outside their
weekly meeting format of reacting to RCA's and those issues coming before the
body, to review individual Councilmember goals to see where they connected.
Councilmember Laliberte opined that this should be a simple thing to
accomplish, especially with reinstatement of the community survey on an annual
basis to provide consistent community feedback in addition to existing guiding
documents. Councilmember Laliberte questioned if the City Council didn't
already have what it needed, and with everyone being on the same team, she
didn't see a need for the proposal as outlined in the RCA compared to what
everyone on the team wanted to proactively work toward in 2015 beyond weekly formal
actions of the City Council.
Councilmember Etten
stated that he was a proponent of a retreat, especially with his experience in
attending the annual League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) meeting last summer.
During that meeting, Councilmember Etten noted his conversations with
representatives of the Village of St. Anthony, and their extensive retreat
process involving senior staff and Councilmembers. While not being on that level,
Councilmember Etten expressed his personal interest in having staff involved at
some level in the retreat as the City Council developed short- and medium-term
goals based on their perspective and information they could provide from a
day-to-day operational standpoint. With available guiding documents, Councilmember
Etten opined that staff could provide realities as the City Council worked
through community visioning and priorities. Councilmember Etten stated that he
was open to this process or a lesser one; but opined that a retreat was
important, allowing the City Council to simply be reactive.
Councilmember
McGehee suggested that each individual Councilmember could list their goals and
priorities as part of this process; with staff collating those lists and
returning with their recommendations for potential implementation, providing
information on any problem areas, or asking questions of any items on the
list(s). Under that scenario, Councilmember McGehee suggested it would show
how the group could work together on those collective goals and priorities,
providing a framework for the community to respond to and give input.
Councilmember
McGehee spoke in support of the current community survey process and continuing
that to remain on track. Councilmember McGehee opined that the main thing
seemed to be identifying how the five individual Councilmembers established
priorities and how to move forward with consensus among the group with an understanding
from staff of those goals and priorities.
Mayor Roe
stated that he didn't disagree with any of the comments made by his colleagues,
reiterating that this retreat and process was intended for the City Council and
staff, and was not intended to change the community's vision, but to better and
systematically reflect the vision of the community. Mayor Roe noted that
everything done by the City Council was within the public's purview, and what
the City Council, as Roseville's Board of Directors, did over the next few
years was open to comment.
Mayor Roe noted
that the proposed process from Mr. Rapp provided the impetus for tonight's
discussion with something to react to, and suggested that if further
conversation was needed or a different process than proposed, those discussions
continue. Mayor Roe noted that Mr. Rapp's proposal provided for development of
5-6 priorities or goals everyone could agree on, and involved the participation
in both parts of the process by the City Council and City staff, with key
outcomes and targets identified, followed by an implementation discussion
providing key outcomes and targets. Mayor Roe noted that, whether or not the
agreed-upon process for this strategic planning was similar to that proposed by
Mr. Rapp or not, something needed to be decided, and this was simply one
attempt to accomplish that.
Mayor Roe
advised that he had spoken to a City of New Brighton Councilmember, since that
city had used the services of Mr. Rapp for the last two years, and advised that
their comment had been that Mr. Rapp did a good job of gathering information
and guiding discussion. However, Mayor Roe noted that the comments were
prefaced on the fact that Mr. Rapp came from the perspective of staff and from
a long-time City Manager background, and therefore did not provide the same
bias as an elected official, even though overall they seemed to be happy with
his services in the role of facilitator. Mayor Roe opined the elected official
the City Council brought that perspective and bias to the table.
Councilmember
Willmus noted that the process described by Mayor Roe, and as presented in
these materials, was not unlike the process used by the HRA, and offered his
support of the retreat going forward. However, in recognizing that others were
available who did similar work, Councilmember Willmus spoke in support of
pursuing an RFP process to look at other parties and determine other facilitators
who may be available, especially with this proposal coming approaching $8,000.
At the request
of Mayor Roe, City Manager Trudgeon estimated that the services of Barbara Raye
for the HRA strategic planning process was approximately $5,000, and resulting
in a five-year plan updated from initial planning done in 2007 by S.E.H.
Councilmember Willmus
reiterated his interest in seeking additional proposals if this was the route
being embarked upon.
In response to
the HRA's use of Ms. Raye, Councilmember Laliberte noted the advantages in
using a facilitator already familiar with the City of Roseville versus having
to educate someone from the ground up. Councilmember Laliberte noted that this
was her rationale in wanting to continue with one community survey company to
create a viable baseline.
Councilmember
McGehee opined that this process was entirely different from the HRA as a
separate taxing body without the various components of the City. While not
being familiar with Mr. Rapp, Councilmember McGehee opined that the facilitator
should be someone familiar with overall city functions and their different
aspects. As a vital part of the retreat, Councilmember McGehee opined that it
was important to have a conversation among themselves to discuss individual
goals and how each Councilmember approached problem solving and gathered information
to determine how best to work together.
Mayor Roe
suggested adding that as part of the process; and asked City Manager Trudgeon
to speak to his research of other facilitators in consideration of the suggestion
to pursue RFP's and involvement of the entire City Council in that initial
research.
City Manager
Trudgeon advised that he had researched approximately six entities familiar
with municipal government, noting that the expertise is out there, but it came
down to who could provide the best fit and best process. If the City Council
ultimately chose to pursue RFP's, Mr. Trudgeon noted that it would require additional
time, and would require development of a very clear scope of work, which would
take staff time and effort. Further, if pursuing an RFP, Mr. Trudgeon asked
that the City Council appoint a subcommittee of two to sit in on that process
with staff and interviewing candidates to avoid any perception that staff was
attempting to bring in an insider and to determine if the candidate was the
right fit.
Ideally, City
Manager Trudgeon advised that staff had hoped to use the information from the
retreat as part of the 2016 budget process and lay that groundwork, with a
target date before May of 2015 as that process was initiated. If the City
Council wishes to pursue RFP's, Mr. Trudgeon advised that staff would work out
the details, even though he was under the impression that individual
Councilmembers were on board to pursue strategic planning. Mr. Trudgeon opined
that he believed strategic planning efforts were critical to ensure accountability
of staff and transparency for taxpayers. While he anticipated some healthy and
lively discussions in determining clearly defined priorities for the City, in accordance
with the guidance from existing community visioning documents, Mr. Trudgeon opined
that it was important to determine them with clarity for future decision-making
for all involved. Mr. Trudgeon noted that the community visioning documents
were the product of previous strategic planning, but opined that a clear focus
had been lacking over the last few years, indicated by a past list of 27
individual goals with none yet accomplished.
While hearing a
number of differing points of view on this effort and desired outcome, Mayor
Roe opined that he was also hearing a lot of the same thing, indicating that
many of the views were similarly held.
Councilmember
McGehee concurred that the goals were close; and if this is the first effort,
she was happy to go in the direction recommended by City Manager Trudgeon and
Mayor Roe as detailed in the RCA, given her sense of urgency in getting this
done as part of the budget process. Councilmember McGehee stated that her
personal focus is more about how to carry forward overarching goals as defined
by the community for all decision-making efforts versus a piece-meal way of
making decisions.
Councilmember
Laliberte admitted that she was stuck on the term "strategic planning," but
stated that she also didn't like the term "retreat." From her perspective,
Councilmember Laliberte stated that he interest was in priority and goal
setting rather than attempting to do planning or visioning all over again.
Councilmember Laliberte stated that she was not trying to eliminate community
feedback, and from her perspective, "strategic planning" seemed to indicate an
entirely new process.
Mayor Roe
clarified that the retreat was intended as an opportunity to develop the
strategy of this group of elected officials and their staff.
Councilmember
Willmus noted that while the City had two existing guiding documents, when
pursuing strategic planning and strategy, there still remained the flexibility
on the part of elected officials to adjust the budget and its priorities until
final adoption in December. In his ongoing review of budget priorities, Councilmember
Willmus stated that he would remain flexible until that final December meeting
when the ultimate levy and budget are adopted. If this proposed process is
intended to be more focused on those things, Councilmember Willmus stated that
he then had even more concerns.
Mayor Roe
suggested that the budget element be removed from discussions at this point.
In seeking a
consensus on whether or not to pursue an RFP, Mayor Roe gleaned no response
from the body. Mayor Roe suggested trying this as proposed at a cost of less
than $5,000. Specific to the staff follow-up portion of $2,500, Mayor Roe suggested
that it be left up to City Manager Trudgeon as to that expenditure as part of
his decision-making in how he manages his staff and money.
Public
Comment
Gary Grefenberg,
91 Mid Oaks Lane
Mr. Grefenberg
stated that he was appearing as a resident, but admitted his comments were
informed in his role as Chair of the Community Engagement Commission. Mr.
Grefenberg read his written comments, and provided a copy to City Manager Trudgeon
as a bench handout, attached hereto and made a part hereof.
In general, Mr.
Grefenberg expressed concerns that the Rapp proposal seemed more staff-involved
while ignoring community collaborative efforts, particularly in providing an
opportunity for public comment as part of the retreat. Mr. Grefenberg opined
that his initial understanding of the retreat was to determine common ground
rather than the current proposal for a workshop to develop a City Council
strategic plan. Mr. Grefenberg further opined that part of the problem with
his concerns may be Mr. Rapp's role as a City Manager for thirty years, especially
with the City Council and staff's recent efforts to engage new forms of public
participation and communication with its residents.
If the City
Council chooses to proceed as proposed, Mr. Grefenberg asked at a minimum that
time be allowed for public response and comment between Session 1 and 2 after
the public has an opportunity to review meeting discussions and provide their
input. While pleased to hear the ongoing interest in accountability and
transparency, Mr. Grefenberg cautioned that the Rapp proposal seemed a step
backward since there were still perceptions of how receptive City Hall was to
public comment, and that opportunity needed to be available prior to a final summary
report being issued, allowing for others to contribute their ideas. Mr. Grefenberg
suggested an extended schedule for the process, as well as selection of a staff
person available for residents to monitor the process and receive public
comment.
Lisa
McCormack, Wheeler Street
Ms. McCormack
agreed with the comments of Mr. Grefenberg, and reviewed her research of Mr.
Rapp's service to the communities of Vadnais Heights and New Brighton. Ms.
McCormack expressed her concern especially in light of the different core cultures
represented based on collaboration to cultivation. Ms. McCormack expressed
interest in the City allowing neighborhood associations to be part of the
process, opining that the more minds and eyes the better solution available;
and suggested the process and proposal be adapted to fit Roseville.
Motion
McGehee moved,
Etten seconded, to proceed with hiring Craig Rapp to facilitate the City's
Strategic Planning process in an amount not to exceed $4,950.
In speaking in
support of the motion, Councilmember McGehee suggested taking time at the next
Councilmember to determine the best direction for the retreat and shape the
process.
In speaking in
support of the motion, Councilmember Etten suggested completing discussions at
this meeting rather than deferring them. Councilmember Etten suggested
adjusting Mr. Rapp's proposal, based on input from tonight's City Council
discussion and public comment, to refocus to include the Imagine Roseville
2025 community visioning document and the most recent community survey as
part of his questionnaire and highlighting future work, using that information
to lead discussions and provide a framework for focus points for staff to work
within in the coming year. Councilmember Etten noted that those documents included
a broad engagement of the community, with the survey based on a snapshot of how
residents felt the City was doing based on those visioning documents.
Mayor Roe spoke
in support of Councilmember Etten's suggestion.
Councilmember
Willmus offered his support if the Council pursues this direction; however he
noted the value of having public comment included as part of that format.
Friendly
Amendment
Willmus moved a
friendly amendment to include an opportunity for public comment at the end of
Session 1 and at the end of Session 2, and prior to the Summary Report.
As the seconder
of the motion, Councilmember Etten stated that he could agree to receiving
public comment, but questioned the timing and frequency of that public comment.
Recognizing
that it would lengthen the overall process, Councilmember Willmus clarified
that his intent was to provide an opportunity for public comment as strategic
planning efforts became available for dissemination, allowing the public to
weigh in on that information available to-date, with a similar process prior to
production of the summary report.
Under that
proposed scenario, Councilmember Etten noted that public comment would be
coming back to back.
As the maker of
the motion, Councilmember McGehee noted that the documents brought forward by
Councilmember Etten as the seconder of the motion had been public documents for
years, and seemed to her not necessary for receiving public comment as part of
this process. However, Councilmember McGehee expressed her support for
receiving public comment once the City Council and staff process was complete,
but not between pulling together documents, but providing the public's
evaluation of what the City Council and staff had done in advance of the
summary being drawn up but after public feedback to allow altering things if so
indicated.
Mayor Roe
questioned if this was not in the same spirit of what Councilmember Willmus was
proposing.
Councilmember
Willmus opined that the interpretation by Councilmember McGehee stilled missed
allowing public comment during the process.
Councilmember
McGehee suggested returning to Councilmember Etten's definition of a leadership
retreat, opining that it was up to the City Council to figure out how to work
together and establish priorities on issues the community had already vetted in
writing. Councilmember McGehee opined that she therefore didn't see the need
for the leadership retreat requiring more public input along the way, but was
supportive of receiving it after the fact and before final adoption of the summary.
Councilmember McGehee noted that the public could always communicate with
individual Councilmembers throughout the process by phone, in writing or via
e-mail as usual.
Mayor Roe ruled
that the proposed friendly amendment was not considered friendly by the maker
and seconder of the original motion.
Councilmember Laliberte
expressed her disagreement with Councilmember McGehee's comments, opining that
the Imagine Roseville 2025 and Comprehensive Plan had been out there
awhile, and that was her problem, that they had been out there for awhile.
Therefore, Councilmember Laliberte noted the value of a fresh annual survey.
While not necessarily in favor of a separate and second or third meeting for
hearing public comment, Councilmember Laliberte suggested making it part of Session
1 to allow the public to weigh in if they felt the issues of the day are not
addressed in existing documents. Councilmember Laliberte opined that she
thought the feedback received in the community survey was very good, with some
carrying over and some new input.
In her personal
research on Mr. Rapp, Councilmember Laliberte advised that she had reached out
to four different council members from three different communities having used
his services for their input. While their process and goals may be different,
Councilmember Laliberte stated that some were pleased, and all had done ongoing
work with Mr. Rapp on a regular basis, providing some negative feedback from
the perspective of Mr. Rapp appearing to get elected officials on board with
what staff wanted to accomplish.
Motion to
Amend
Willmus moved,
Etten seconded, a motion to amend the original motion to include an opportunity
for public comment at the end of the first session, and again before the
summary report is adopted.
With
Councilmember Willmus concurring, Mayor Roe clarified that on the second
opportunity could be provided at the same time the draft summary report was
brought before the City Council for action.
Roll Call
Ayes:
Willmus, Etten, McGehee, Laliberte, and Roe.
Nays:
None.
Original
Motion as Amended
Councilmember
McGehee questioned the documents intended for reference by Councilmember Etten
and if they were part of the motion.
Councilmember
Etten responded that he intended those documents to serve as examples, but
didn't anticipate that Mr. Rapp's work would come only from those finished
documents, but from a variety the resources.
Mayor Roe
clarified that the motion was not specific to the documents, with concurrence
by Councilmember Etten.
For
clarification purposes, City Manager Trudgeon identified the Imagine Roseville
2025 and Comprehensive Plan documents as a baseline, along with the most
recent community survey, as confirmed by the City Council.
City Manager
Trudgeon further sought clarification on creation of a task force to assist in
developing the process going forward and to plan the event.
Councilmembers
McGehee and Laliberte volunteered to serve as the Council Subcommittee to work
with City Manager Trudgeon on the process for this event.
Roll Call
(Original Motion as Amended)
Ayes:
Willmus, Etten, McGehee, Laliberte, and Roe.
Nays:
None.
At the request
of City Manager Trudgeon, Mayor Roe and Councilmembers clarified that the
motion specifically approved Sessions 1 and 2, with the City Manager open to
determine how he wants to follow-up with his staff and within his budge
allotment.
City Manager
Trudgeon advised that he would have staff work with individual Councilmembers
to survey dates in cooperation with the Council Subcommittee.
Councilmember
Laliberte stated that her only concern was that discussion time not be reduced
or Mr. Rapp's cost a facilitator increased to accommodate public comment during
Session 1.
Mayor Roe
assured Councilmember Laliberte that this would not the case. Mayor Roe
further noted that, once the date and time was determined, it would need to be
noticed as a Special Meeting of the City Council as defined by State Statute.
14.
Business Items - Presentations/Discussions
a.
Discuss City Council Rules of Procedure
While not an
organizational requirement, Mayor Roe noted that each year the City Council
took this opportunity to review their standing Rules and Procedures.
Agenda
Format (Rule 3)
Councilmember
Laliberte reiterated her interest in having the Pledge of Allegiance prior to
each meeting.
Laliberte
moved, Willmus seconded to add saying the "Pledge of Allegiance" to the Agenda
Order, immediately following Roll Call.
Roll Call
Ayes:
Willmus, Etten, Laliberte, and Roe.
Nays:
McGehee.
Motion
carried.
Public
Comment Process (Rule 5)
Councilmember McGehee
noted her concerns and comments brought to her attention from residents related
to the public comment process and lack of City Council and/or staff response to
their questions immediately rather than having to wait until the end of public
comment. Councilmember McGehee stated that some found that a disconnect and
felt the current process did not provide an opportunity for them to seek
additional follow-up questions or comments and unsatisfactory in getting their
particular point across. Councilmember McGehee sought interest from her
colleagues in whether the process could be changed.
Councilmember
Etten stated that he wasn't sure he was interested in changing the current
process, noting that it allowed sufficient time to hear public comment while
also allowing the mayor to manage the meeting time and other agenda items in a
timely manner, Councilmember Etten opined that the current process allowed
sufficient flexibility for public comment as well as keeping the meeting moving
forward.
Councilmember
Laliberte stated that at times an answer may not be immediately available and
require additional research by staff before responding. While recognizing the
points of view of both Councilmembers McGehee and Etten, Councilmember
Laliberte opined that the current process seemed to work sufficiently well as
long as it remained flexible as in the past.
Mayor Roe noted
that the current process addressed how representative government worked, with
the City Council hearing public comment, but then taking action on the broad
information gathered in their decision-making.
Councilmember
McGehee expressed her understanding of the representative form of government,
and while agreeing with the comments of her colleagues, opined that people
still sometimes needed a second opportunity to emphasize their points.
Timing of
Council Packet Formation and Delivery (Rule 2) AND
Agenda
Format (Rule 3)
Due to meetings
frequently running late and not providing an opportunity for review at the
meeting, Councilmember Willmus suggested that City Manager Trudgeon provide an
electronic copy of his Preliminary Agenda Items electronically in advance of the
meeting to allow Councilmember review and possible comment if no opportunity
was provided for discussion at the meeting.
City Manager
Trudgeon noted that each Friday, Councilmembers should be receiving a copy of
that preliminary agenda summary from Administration staff, as things looked
immediately following the weekly Tuesday Department Head meeting.
Mayor Roe
suggested that the most current copy of the document may prove helpful as a
living document accessible by the City Council by password, and available at
any time.
b.
Discuss City Council Liaisons
Discussion
ensued regarding current Council liaisons to various commissions, community
groups, task forces and other groups, as listed in the RCA dated January 5,
2015.
By
consensus, it was noted that the "ISD 623 Owasso School Site Task Force" and
the "Snelling Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Citizen Advisory Committee" were no
longer active and therefore eliminated from the 2015 list.
As
current liaison and Roseville Board Member to the Northeast Youth & Family
Services Board, Mayor Roe noted that this was a 3 year term, but offered to accept
a replacement to serve in his place. However, no one expressed interest in
replacing Mayor Roe on this Board.
With
creation of the Finance Commission Advisory Board, by consensus, it was agreed
that the former standing Finance & Budget subcommittee was no longer
needed.
A
reminder was suggested to change the subcommittee members after the next City
Manager Performance Review.
In
discussing the current Council Ad-Hoc Subcommittee for review of all commissions,
Councilmembers Laliberte and McGehee both expressed interest in pursuing some
final work before dissolving the subcommittee.
15.
City Manager Future Agenda Review
City Manager
Trudgeon briefly reviewed upcoming preliminary meeting agendas
16.
Councilmember-Initiated Items for Future Meetings
At the request
of Councilmember Laliberte, City Manager Trudgeon advised that he would review
the upcoming joint meeting schedule with the City Council of the Housing &
Redevelopment Authority and the Parks & Recreation Commission, scheduled
quarterly.
17.
Adjourn
Willmus moved, Etten
seconded, adjournment of the meeting at approximately 8:14 p.m.
Roll Call
Ayes: Willmus, Etten, McGehee,
Laliberte, and Roe.
Nays: None.