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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-01-18 CC Packet Special Meetingiliwater Administration MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and City Council CC: Department Heads FROM: City Administrator Hansen DATE: January 14, 2013 SUBJECT: Council Retreat, Friday, January 18, 2013, 8 am 12 noon Please be reminded that the City Council has scheduled a council retreat for this coming Friday, 8 am. The meeting will be in the Margaret Rivers Room and you can enter the building at the north service door by the coffee shop entrance. Enclosed is a copy of the minutes for the May 11, 2012 retreat. I would ask that you pay special attention to the section on street project funding as this will be a topic for discussion. In addition, the Mayor has asked that each of you (including Department Heads) come with your top 3 priorities or concerns. The Agenda is as follows: Agenda L Recap of Last Retreat II. Discussion on Limited Resources III. Staff Priorities /Concerns IV. Council Priorities /Concerns V. Adjourn /nm i0E OIITNELACE OF IIIMOEIOU CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES May 11, 2012 SPECIAL MEETING 8:00 A.M. Mayor Harycki called the meeting to order at 8 a.m. Present: Councilmembers Cook, Menikheim, Polehna, Roush and Mayor Harycki Staff present: City Administrator Hansen City Attorney Magnuson Community Development Director Turnblad Finance Director Harrison Fire Chief Glaser Police Chief Gannaway Public Works Director Sanders City Clerk Ward PREVIOUS RETREATS AND PROGRESS City Administrator Hansen reviewed priorities /issues from previous retreats and the progress made as a result, which included: from the 2009 retreat, the Public Works Department is more professional and efficient; cooperation with Washington County and School District 834 has been increased; improved efforts on staff reports, energy audit, disposal of the Cayuga, and consideration of a dog park; from 2010, flood control options; Lowell Park improvements; boat launch; armory; contracts rebidded; problem properties addressed; increased communication with the watershed districts; energy audit; economic development; shared services study; gazebo; Dairy Queen take over the concessions at the Rec Center; from 2011, benchmarking; personnel policy changes; promotion of volunteerism; purchasing policy revision; transfer of TIF funds to parking ramp debt service; rental agreement for the Cayuga property. It was requested that City Administrator Hansen circulate a list of contracts that will be bid to determine if neighboring communities — Stillwater Township, Grant, Oak Park Heights, etc. — would be interested in piggybacking on those contracts. FIRE STATION /ARMORY /GYMNASIUM Gymnasium City Administrator Hansen reported that a tax impact study had been done for all the pending projects. He reviewed estimated tax impact on homes of various values for the gymnasium project and fire station. City Council Special Meeting May 11, 2012 Councilmember Roush indicated that it was his understanding the gymnasium project would be privately funded, and it was noted that is the hope, but there are no guarantees regarding the amount of support. Like the Rec Center, the gymnasium would be the City's liability through general obligation bonds. Councilmember Polehna stated he has been talking with communities throughout the area to solicit support for the effort, specifically requests for a commitment to pay a portion of the debt service for a number of years. Councilmember Polehna also spoke of the revenue stream that will be generated in court fees /rentals to offset the debt service. City Administrator Hansen pointed out that decisions regarding whether to proceed with the gymnasium project will need to be made soon. Community Development Director Turnblad noted that a joint use agreement still has to be put together with the National Guard, and he that while revenue from the second/expanded gymnasium could be obligation for debt service, some of the money from the facility paid for by the National Guard will go directly to the Guard. There was discussion about the impact of the Guard's use of the facility two weekends a month and whether the Guard would be utilizing the entire gymnasium space on those weekends. Councilmember Cook voiced that this is information that needs to be known before any decisions are made as to whether to proceed with the second gymnasium. On a question by Councilmember Cook, there was discussion of other armory facilities where there are cooperative ventures with host cities. It was noted that in Inver Grove Heights, the only program in the red is the water park area, with all others running in the black. It was also noted that Inver Grove does not have an expanded gymnasium facility. There was discussion of the proposed size of 19,000 square feet and the reason for that size. It was noted the facility could also be rented for craft, antique, gun shows and similar activities. Councilmember Cook asked the question of who would get the rental money. Mr. Turnblad responded that the Guard would be responsible for scheduling the rentals. Councilmember Polehna pointed out that if need be, some of the scheduling could be taken over by the Rec Center. Mayor Harycki indicated that according to the figures provided by finance, debt service would amount to $15,700 a month, and suggested it would also be good to get some information about operating costs for such facilities, as well as typical rental fees. Councilmember Roush inquired about the likelihood of other communities participation, and Councilmember Polehna replied those that he has talked with have indicated support. Mayor Harycki estimated it might require that the courts be rented 224 hours a month in order to break even, and requested contacting Doug Brady from the Rec Center regarding rental hours of the two ice sheets. Mayor Harycki requested that Mr. Turnblad talk with Col. Jensen in an effort to answer some of the questions about what a joint use agreement might look like, as well as contact Doug Page 2 of 10 City Council Special Meeting May 11, 2012 Brady regarding rental times. Mr. Turnblad responded that staff could probably put together an estimate of operational costs and revenue. Mayor Harycki continued that the Council will have to determine a "comfort level" for subsidizing such a facility if all debt and operating costs can't be covered by rental fees. City Administrator Hansen pointed out that these types of amenities do not pay for themselves — if they did, the private sector would build them. There was discussion about the new municipal recreation center in Vadnais Heights. It was noted that much of that facility is underused and therefore does not generate the rental fees that the City had hoped for. Mr. Turnblad stated that after office hours National Guard personnel would not be able to staff the facility. Consequently, the rental fees would have to cover the costs of renting the gymnasium and paying wages for someone to staff the facility after office hours. There was discussion about a facility at Vadnais Heights where the dome collapsed, and it was noted that there will have to be somebody on site when the facility is used after hours. Mr. Turnblad added that the City of Vadnais Heights cannot cover the cost of construction of their facility because there is too much unrented space. Councilmember Polehna stated that he could get some more definitive numbers regarding rental costs and inventory of facilities. Community Development Director Turnblad noted that due to the National Guard's timetable, a decision on whether to proceed with 35% of the design for the expanded gymnasium will have to be made within 3 -4 weeks. Councilmember Cook expressed that she didn't have a sense of whether this is what the greater community wants, or whether it is something that is wanted by a finite group. She noted that taxpayers weren't even willing to pass the school tax referendum. Councilmember Menikheim thought this was more than an amenity, it meets a need for such facilities, and Councilmember Polehna referred to a survey done by the Chamber that indicates people want a community center. In discussion, it was noted that debt service costs will be going down in 2012 and 2014 that could offset future debt service costs. There was discussion of the City's status regarding debt service/bonding. City Administrator Hansen cautioned the Council that the City is in danger of having a very high tax rate, and noted the City has little debt expiring. He stated the point of having a 5- year capital improvement plan is to time projects to occur when other debt is expiring. Mr. Hansen noted that the gymnasium and fire station would increase the tax rate by 3.6 %. Mayor Harycki pointed out that there would be some debts retired before ground would be broken for these projects. Mr. Hansen indicated that the strategy of not selling bonds to get through the state budget crisis is not sustainable, and the City will need to bond for capital equipment at least every other year in the future. He also noted that the City isn't experiencing the growth it did in the past that helped offset the tax rate. Page 3 of 10 City Council Special Meeting May 11, 2012 Councilmember Polehna talked about the expected growth/development in the City in the next several years. Mayor Harycki indicated that he preferred to consider total spending versus tax rate, and noted that it is difficult to compare tax rates due to factors such as libraries and TIF districts. Councilmember Menikheim asserted that the bottom line is whether people are willing to have taxes raised in order to do these projects. Councilmember Cook expressed that she would feel comfortable telling people taxes will be raised for a central service, such as a fire station, but would not feel comfortable raising taxes for an amenity, such as a gymnasium. City Administrator Hansen described that under existing law, it is possible to build anything the Council wants - the question becomes where to find the money to operate the facilities. Councilmember Polehna stated that is the impetus for being creative in the operation of the facilities. Fire Station On a question by Mayor Harycki, Community Development Director Turnblad answered that nothing more will be known regarding potential costs until design work is initiated. He explained that the National Guard has selected its design team, but the fire station is not included in that contract. Mr. Turnblad suggested that if the decision is made to build sometime in the near future, it makes sense to go with the design team in place due to cost savings. He also indicated that if the decision is made to proceed with the design and then decide not to actually construct the facility, that is a waste of money because the next design team won't be able to use the previous work. City Administrator Hansen agreed with that analysis and indicated it would be his recommendation that if the Council decides to proceed with the 35% design phase, it makes the decision to build the facility. In discussion, Mayor Harycki suggested there are two departments involved here: fire and police departments, and spoke to the current cramped working conditions in the police department, as well as the fire station. Councilmember Menikheim echoed those comments and also spoke of the need to construct a new facility large enough to accommodate future expansion needs. Mayor Harycki noted there would be costs associated with remodeling the current fire /police quarters, which need to be considered. Chief Gannaway talked about some of the changes that he would like to see made to the existing facility. Mr. Tumblad noted there is more leeway in the timetable for making a decision on whether to proceed with the design for the fire station — the design decision for the gymnasium must be made in 3 -4 weeks, but the decision for the fire station is not as critical as the design for that facility could be done independent of the National Guard. Mr. Tumblad pointed out the cost for participating in the design with the Guard will be 13% or about $800,000 and that he Page 4 of 10 City Council Special Meeting May 11, 2012 believes the City could realize some cost savings by doing the design independent of the Guard. He did note that the Guard's fee does include some actual construction costs. Councilmember Cook asked whether the City would have to build to the Guard's silver standards, and Mr. Turnblad answered in the negative. Councilmember Cook inquired about the proposal to have a substation at the existing fire station, and referred to comments made during the public open house. Chief Glaser responded that was a policy decision for the Council. Mayor Harycki stated that he did not want to go down the path of having a dual station. He noted there already is a truck stationed at the old public works facility behind City Hall which could be utilized. Councilmember Cook expressed that she thought it critical to have a fire presence remain in the historic downtown area and in proximity to the river for water rescue. There was discussion as to what might need to be done to the old public works building to make that usable. Mayor Harycki referred to the financial information, and noted that debt service would amount to $416,000 a year, $45 on a home valued at $200,000. He indicated that the Council has two decisions: whether to proceed with the design and, if so, whether to utilize the Guard's design team. Councilmember Menikheim spoke in favor of proceeding, and referred to the potential for growth of the City, the professional opinion regarding the need and the cost effectiveness of the project. Mayor Harycki mentioned that for both the gymnasium and fire station the tax increase on a home valued at $200,000 would be $65 a year. He inquired if that represented the total cost, such as road work, and Mr. Turnblad provided estimates for the required intersection reconstructions. City Attorney Magnuson pointed out that those costs could be included in the overall bonding for the project. Mayor Harycki noted the City would be responsible for the intersection work regardless of whether it proceeds with the fire station/gymnasium projects. Mayor Harycki then spoke of the opportunity presented and stated he would be willing to proceed with a worst -case scenario of about $65 on a $200,000 house. Councilmember Menikheim reiterated the added value to the community of having these facilities. Councilmember Roush noted costs will only increase in the future. Mayor Harycki also spoke in favor of proceeding with the National Guard' s design team. He asked Mr. Turnblad how much input the City would have in the design process, and Mr. Turnblad responded that the City would have input both in the Guard's design process and in the City's own special use permit process. Councilmember Cook inquired if there would still be opportunities for reducing costs if it decides to proceed with the design, Chief Glaser answered that would absolutely be the case and noted that he is very sensitive to the cost concerns. Page 5 of 10 City Council Special Meeting May 11, 2012 Councilmember Polehna expressed concern about one of the design team firms selected by the Guard. Mr. Hansen spoke of the importance of having a construction manager for the proj ect. Councilmember Cook spoke of the initial discussions of cost savings by having the fire station co- located with the Armory, and that she didn't think that has turned out to be the case. Fire Chief Glaser stated it would be difficult to quantify the savings at this point, until the overall scope of the project is known. Councilmember Roush remarked that it would be more expensive to build a station independent of the armory. He agreed there are some add -on costs that offset the savings, but the savings are still there. Mayor Harycki reiterated that the project will benefit both the fire and police departments, and suggested the opportunities, including available sites, won't be available in 10 years. Councilmember Cook spoke of the additional cost to improve the former public works building to accommodate a downtown fire presence, and Chief Glaser pointed out if the decision is made to keep a downtown presence, that may result in some savings at the new station, information that is not known at this time. In discussion, it was also mentioned that some of the work at the public works building would have to be done in any event. A 10- minute recess was taken, with Mayor Harycki reconvening the session at 10:34 a.m. It was decided to take an official vote on whether to proceed at the next regular Council meeting. There was discussion as to what construction standards to follow. Councilmember Roush suggested this is an issue of pay now or pay later; he noted a project can be constructed to the LEED standard, but there is an additional cost to have it LEED certified, which wouldn't have to be done. Councilmember Roush indicated he thought there was an advantage to building to that standard because of future savings in operational and maintenance costs Motion by Councilmember Roush, seconded by Mayor Harycki, pending an official vote on proceeding with the design, to build to the LEED silver standard, but not have it certified. Councilmember Polehna mentioned that he was not aware of all the silver standards entailed, and Mayor Harycki responded that he thought the standard should be followed to the extent possible, where energy savings can be incorporated and there is a payback. Councilmember Cook voiced that she would like a vote on this issue in a more public forum as well, explaining the decision on record with an explanation of what the LEED standard entails and what might or might not be included. Councilmember Roush and Mayor Harycki rescinded the motion and second. In additional discussion, Mayor Harycki wanted a decision on the gymnasium, but felt there was information missing for a decision to be made at the next Council meeting. Page 6 of 10 City Council Special Meeting May 11, 2012 Councilmember Polehna remarked that he would try to get some additional information put together. Mayor Harycki requested that a resolution be prepared approving the design fees for the fire station for a vote at the next Council meeting, and suggested that pending the vote on proceeding with design for the fire station, there should be some action to begin the process for moving forward with improvements /reconfiguration of the police department space. In discussion, it was suggested that action should be a motion directing staff to begin an RFP or similar process. Councilmember Menikheim inquired if improvements to the old public works facility for possible use as a fire substation should be included, and Councilmember Cook indicated that would be critical to how she votes on proceeding with a new station. Mr. Turnblad answered that he thought those two items could be included in one RFP. STREETS City Administrator Hansen asserted that the City's current practice of funding street improvements is not sustainable. He reported that the 2012 project will pretty much exhaust the current method of funding. He noted that several years ago, he had prepared a possible change in the City's assessment policy, going from a 50% share of costs to a 75% cost to citizens, a change that wasn't liked by anyone. He pointed out that if the Council wants to continue the current assessment policy, through creative use of TIF and state -aid funds, the City might be able to do 2 or 3 more additional street projects, and then those sources would be gone. The financial data provided, he explained, shows the impact of doing a $1 million project every year for 10 years. The example provided that the owner of a $250,000 home would pay an additional $176.40 in taxes. Councilmember Cook thought, if asked, street improvement projects would be something that citizens would favor, and later noted that the infrastructure impacts economic development. City Attorney Magnuson pointed out that years ago, the City assessed 100% of improvement costs to residents, and added one option is to have residents assessed more. Mayor Harycki offered that the City should incorporate the County's plans into its improvement schedule and perhaps scale back its project in years when the County will be doing work in the City. Public Works Director Sanders enumerated upcoming County projects. Mr. Sanders also noted that residents can be assessed when state -aid projects are done, which reduces overall cost to the City for those projects. Mr. Hansen concluded that the City can continue the current process for 2 or 3 more years, after which time, he will be back to the Council to implement the bonding method, of financing street projects. Mr. Sanders also talked about the potential for using TIF funds for improvements projects in TIF districts, and Mr. Magnuson continued about the possibility of amending soon to expire TIF district boundaries to be citywide so the surplus funds could be used for street projects. Page 7 of 10 City Council Special Meeting May 11, 2012 Mr. Turnblad pointed out that the intent of TIF is for economic development/redevelopment, and if used for streets it is like spending capital funds in operations. Councilmember Cook requested that perhaps a portion of the TIF funding could be used for streets in the downtown. Mr. Hansen added, philosophically, he agreed with Mr. Turnblad's position, but perhaps using TIF is something the City will have to do. Regarding the proposal to bond for street projects versus using TIF, Councilmember Cook remarked that she didn't think people would mind half as much having $17 added to their tax bill for 10 years, as they will about a gymnasium and possibly a fire station at double that amount for 20 or 25 years. Mayor Harycki spoke in favor of utilizing the surplus TIF funds to continue the street improvement schedule. On a question by Councilmember Cook, Mr. Hansen replied that the original intent of TIF was for economic development and use for street improvements deviates from that, but if it is legal and it's the only way a street project can be done, he would support that use. Councilmember Cook stated that she would want to be sure the use for streets is legal and also that the City isn't using these [TIF] funds that could be used for certain other projects the City might not be able to fund from any other source. Mr. Magnuson talked about the original intent of TIF and some of the uses that are allowed. Councilmember Cook talked about the possibility of using the funds in some way on the Brown's Creek trail. Councilmember Menikheim suggested that road projects are more of a maintenance issue, while economic development is the future, and he mentioned the possibility of acquiring the depot. Later in the discussion, Mr. Magnuson explained that would be a legal use if the building was used as a visitor center, for example. Mayor Harycki asserted that he wants to continue working on the street improvement schedule and suggested getting an opinion from the auditor about the legal issues. Councilmember Menikheim noted that he would be OK with using a portion of the TIF for street projects, but not all of it, preferring that it be spent on economic development. Mayor Harycki added that if a portion of the TIF funds are used for street projects and we continued with our pavement management plan, it would extend the street repairs 5 -6 years, and beyond that the City could capture the savings from retired debt service that may eliminate the need for bonding. There was additional discussion about the use of TIF for the Brown's Creek trail and use /acquisition of the depot building. SPECIAL EVENTS Mayor Harycki reported that someone would be at the next Council meeting with an event proposal. Councilmember Polehna talked about the increasing number of requests for race - related events and that he had tried to get a copy of the Minneapolis policy that, supposedly, is an impetus for moving a lot of the events from that locale. Page 8 of 11 City Council Special Meeting May 11, 2012 Mr. Turnblad explained that the City of Minneapolis' policy is certain routes can only be used a certain number of times a year, so that one neighborhood doesn't bear the burden for all the events. Mayor Harycki questioned how the City can pick and choose between promoters. Councilmember Cook suggested that the City should determine what it wants, decide, for example, how many races a year it wants and then submit RFPs. She added that part of the special events task force was the promise to have a discussion with the community about the vision for special events. Mayor Harycki suggested starting with community focus group. Councilmember Menikheim suggested there needs to be an overall policy that protects the interests of the community as well as City staff. He also spoke of the public's desire for a community celebration to replace Lumberjack Days and suggested that is where a community focus group should play a part. Chief Gannaway offered that the City should have a set policy where some requests will be denied, or reach the point where it will need to have an event planner /coordinator. Chief Gannaway pointed out that with a focus group everyone will have a different idea of what is wanted and the process could take a long time, he suggested putting a sunset time on any group. Councilmember Polehna recommended doing a survey to determine public interest. Councilmember Menikheim proposed that the Council could find a balanced group of individuals to meet as a focus group. There was discussion of possible composition of a focus group. Mayor Harycki offered having a special Council meeting as an open forum to get feedback. Councilmember Polehna suggested inserting a survey form in utility bills, and Mr. Hansen raised a concern about staff having to prepare the survey questions, and Clerk Ward noted she will be utilizing utility bill mailings for election information. After discussion, it was decided to get a cost estimate from Readex to do a survey, and Councilmember Menikheim suggested having a special Council meeting along with the survey. It also was decided to keep the survey focused on the issue of special events and to schedule a Council workshop to discuss survey results /input and make policy decisions. There was a question as to whether the survey could be funded through TIF, and Mr. Magnuson is to look into that issue. OTHER ISSUES Councilmember Menikheim submitted scheduling a workshop session prior to every Council meeting. It was decided to schedule a workshop session at the second meeting in June to discuss items remaining on the retreat agenda. Page 9 of 10 City Council Special Meeting ADJOURNMENT May 11, 2012 Motion by Councilmember Roush, seconded by Councilmember Menikheim, to adjourn the meeting at 11:50 a.m. All in favor. ATTEST: zeahd_. Diane F. Ward, City Clerk Page l0 of 10 2013 Top 3 Priorities /Concerns - 01/18/2013 Retreat Police Chief 1 - New Facility 2- PD Staffing 3 - Technology Fire Chief ** See attached.** City Clerk 1 - Technology 2 - Additional Staff in Summer Community Dev. Dir. Public Works Dir. — Finance Dir. — City Attorney — City Administrator Ken Harycki Mike Polehna 1 - Planning for Brown's Creek Trail and Downtown Trail 2 - Event survey analysis and recommendations — committee? 3 - Zoning Code update pursuant to Comp Plan 4 - Preplanning for update of Downtown Plan 1. Completion of Downtown Improvements.( Levy Project, Lowell Park Bathrooms, Parking Lots, Ped Plaza, amphitheatre) 2. Working with other gov't Agencies ( Boat Launch, Browns Creek Trail , County Road Projects, and River Crossing Project) 3. Available funding to keep up on the replacement infrastructure (streets, utility and parks) and equipment . 1 — Clean Audit 2 — Accounting Software Conversion 3 — Update CIP How do I help everyone achieve their goals 1 - safely 2 — in one piece 3 — without stepping in it 1 - Operational budget- sustainability 2 - Setting priorities 3 - Union contracts 1 - Lobby for Manning Crossing Completion ASAP of Gateway Trail 2 - Revise sign standards for Industrial Park to allow consideration of new technology such as LED signs 3 - Revise demolition rules for houses as we have nothing enforceable at this point 4 - Extending the Annexation Agreement with Stillwater Township 1 - Amory /Fire Station Project 2 - Lowell Park/Flood Protection /Browns Creek Trail /Barge Terminal Project 3 - Making doing more with less an opportunity and not an excuse Fire Department Priorities: 1. Staffing, Succession Planning, Hiring and Developing Fire Personnel a. Fire Department Staffing is at a critical stage. Without changes to the staffing model, ! believe SFD and the City are in a personnel crisis in terms of available and qualified firefighters needed to provide quality service. i. Currently 6 POC Vacancies. Have not been able to keep fully staffed on the POC side for over 8 years. Hiring is a very time intensive and costly process. Becoming increasingly difficult to find good quality candidates to hire as POC. ii. Currently 7 personnel are available to retire immediately (214 years of service). iii. 70% of the POC staff would average 1.5 years of experience (23 personnel). iv. At least 2 additional personnel may need to resign due to FT employment changes. v. In the last 7 years SFD has had 31 positions turnover. 18 of these positions were on the Department fess than 2.5 years. ($200K + invested into these individuals.) vi. This situation is causing the inability to groom new line officers and chief officers due to the fact that the current staff does not meet minimum qualifications, e.g., years of experience, firefighter /engineer certification, etc. vii. This condition is putting current staff and citizens at risk in various ways. viii. Loss of highly trained and experienced personnel with years of institutional knowledge and expertise. ix. Numerous new personnel being hired with very little experience and knowledge. x. The need to train, equip and prepare personnel for leadership positions requires time, commitment and budget dollars to accomplish. b. Operational issues due to inexperienced personnel I. New recruits are not ready to drive and operate the multitude of apparatus and equipment used. This creates delays in response and limits the number of FF capable of responding to a scene. ii. Loss of command staff and leadership. This also increases the demand and stress on the current leadership by needing to always be ready to respond with little time off. Increases staff burnout. c. Additional training dollars will be needed to ensure staff are meeting minimum required training and have the ability to advance to supervision/command level personnel meeting OSHA and NFPA requirements. d. Staffing operations may need to be modified to meet acceptable staffing standards to ensure responder safety and be able to provide the appropriate level of service to the community. 2. Capital Equipment Replacement a. Budget dollars need to continue to be allocated for apparatus and other large capital equipment purchases and replacement. i. 5FD still has several trucks in need of replacement based on NFPA standards. These trucks also become extremely expensive to repair due to the lack of parts and inability to locate parts. This creates lengthy out of service times taking vital equipment offline for the citizens. b. Bunker Gear (PPE) needs to be replaced per OSHA standards, this include the entire Firefighting ensemble: boots, pants, coat, gloves, hood, and helmet. c. Rescue Tools and other lifesaving tools need ongoing replacement as well. 3. Technology a. This is an area that is relatively new to the F.D. but is rapidly becoming a large part of our operations. Numerous items are becoming highly software driven and computer dependent making it extremely important to budget for these items. Examples include: i. 800 Mhz Radio system — user fees from the County continue to increase and hardware is costly ii. Mobile Data Computers— Required for new Computer Aided Dispatching (CAD) from the County. This will go online soon. User fees will be required from the County and additional hardware is required to make all the pieces work. iii. Ongoing software Upgrades for current applications and normal day -to -day administrative work. iv. Wireless connections and data plans are required to make all of this information available and costs money. #1. What is city's vision? Where are we headed, what are our intentions, how do we propose getting from where we are to where we need to be? I think there may be a version of that in everyone's head, but they all differ enough to be confusing. Is there value in trying to nail something down so council, city staff and citizens are aware of what page we are all on so there is continuity in what we say and do? I think so! #2. City staff is underfunded and under staffed. What actions will council and staff take in 2013 and beyond to address this issue? Based on my observations, city staff has been reduced to a point where all the fat is gone and muscle and bone are being consumed. One has only to consider the reduction in services over the past few years (public works management plan), the things we need to do to increase city's visibility (PR, face -to -face contact and enhanced webpage) and input from department heads (unable to deliver more than minimally required services as per their input at 2013 budget sessions) to come to this conclusion. #3. What can be done to save 114 Chestnut St.? As we meet, the oldest building in Stillwater is being demolished by neglect. Action is required immediately to reverse this reality. Historic designation is part of the process, but takes an inordinate amount of time. A non - profit organization has proposed a possible solution to the problem, but first ownership of the property must be acquired. Long shot though this might be, can the city whose historical past is a critical part of our being, idly sit by and do nothing? Is this something TIF funds could be applied to?