League of Women Voters of Northfield

Jane McWilliams, LWV Observer

All members were present.

The Special Meeting was called so that the council could consider and take action on a resolution authorizing the staff to initiate a transportation study of the area where Highways 3 and 19 intersect. This is in preparation to submit an application for federal stimulus funds to correct problems identified in the study which will be funded through funds ($50,000) from the Master Development District. It will address issues and concerns from the various studies and recommendations already in place, and recommend an integrated solution. Because the application deadline is September 15, 2009, City Engineer Katy Gehler-Hess pointed out that the study and application process will be on a fast track. Several councilors expressed concern about how the recommended projects will be prioritized. City Administrator suggested that the study will provide cost estimates for various components and once these are known, the city can decide how it wants to spend the grant. The resolution was approved, with Councilor Jim Pokorney casting a negative vote. To see a map of the study area: http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/assets/2/20090622-TH19TH3-study-ATT2.pdf

Members of the Safety Center Task Force sat with the council at the work session table to discuss the findings and recommendations they have agreed to by consensus. After meeting bi-weekly, and working with consultant John McNamara (of Wold Architects, the firm which reported an analysis of the Safety Center in January) the Task Force made three recommendations:

1.  The city construct a combined (police and fire departments) center of 47,500 square feet.

2.  That the council select either property owned by Valley Co-op located on Highway 3 or Cowles, located on Riverview Drive. In addition, they encouraged the council to do a detailed review of flood protection criteria to determine what can be done with the current Safety Center facility and site.

3.  Several funding options: Sale of $10.4 million in General Obligation Bonds approved through voter referendum; or council approved sale of Capital Improvement Bonds, subject to a reverse referendum.

Task Force member Ray Cox  said the city doesn’t have enough information yet to know what it can do with the current building and site. He distributed what he called a minority report, recommending remodeling of the existing center for a police facility and construction of a fire department facility on a different site.  If engineering and financial data don’t support the previous suggestion, he recommended that separate facilities be built on a single site.

Mayor Mary Rossing asked whether the council could put the question of a combined facility to rest and whether the council had questions about how that decision was reached.

Fire Department Chief Gary Franek said the idea of reuse had been explored, but decided that the cost of remodeling it, the delay in determining whether the flood situation could be mitigated, and the fact that construction costs are now very low, led to the conclusion that a new facility should be built. David Hvisendahl said it is good to combine the two, that there could be shared facilities, and that the two departments have a great relation. Councilor Betsey Buckheit remarked that now that the council has recommendation from the Task force, a minority report has no standing.

Several council members seemed to want more concrete information. Councilor Buckheit asked what assumptions were made about growth. Police Mark Taylor said they relied on the data in the Comprehensive Plan. Councilor Jim Pokorney said he didn’t see “numbers in the report – no definite numbers  – the public will need for definite information.” Councilor Rhonda Pownell asked if the colleges would support construction.  Representing Carleton College on the Task Force, Fred Rogers said when it becomes a specific project, the college will discuss this. Jerry Anderson, representing the Rural Fire Department, said that they have a conservative approach on buildings, and that the proportion of the cost to be contributed is going to need to be discussed. Councilor Pokorney said it would be important for the city to get together with the other jurisdictions, including Dundas,  and talk about this.

Councilor Erica Zweifel who represents the Third Ward, suggested that if we anticipate needing a satellite northern station, the city should discuss this now. Hvistendahl agreed.

In response to comments by councilors, Mayor Rossing acknowledged that the council’s job is to see everything in a larger context, and that tonight wasn’t the time to answer Councilor Buckheit’s question about how this project fits into the list of city needs, for example, the library expansion, development of the business park. Walinski said that the council will need to consider how the various capital needs will affect city debt and expenditures, and that it will take a hard look at these issues in August.  The Task Force Report is available at:   http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/assets/f/Final-Taskforce-Recommendation.pdf

Several members of the Economic Development Authority reported that they had received and were reading the proposals from 24 firms for Master Planning Services for the proposed business park west of the city. City Economic Development Director Jody Gunderson said they hope to have a firm under contract by the end of July, and, depending on who is selected,  it could take between 6 and 18 months to do the study. Most proposals call for a steering committee. The study will be funded by the EDA.

Director Gunderson asked what things are important to the council in the plan. Councilor Pokorney said that economic development should be within the goals of the Comprehensive Plan. Councilor Zweifel read a resolution from the Environmental Quality Commission stressing sustainability as outlined in that plan. For Zweifel economic, social and environmental sustainability are important. Councilor Buckheit said that transportation should be answered before everything else and she wanted to know what the projected costs are and what our return on the investment will be. Administrator Walinski said that the master plan is just the next step in the annexation process. Director Gunderson said it is really our desire to have a plan that is adopted by the council.

Administrator Walinski distributed a simplified budget chart, a “sort of score card” which will be used for considering options for balancing the 2010 General Fund Budget. He asked the council for guidance in three areas:

*  New initiatives for 2010
*  Potential property tax increases for General Fund Expenditures
*  Shifts in service levels or services delivered. A possible source of new revenue is a Street Light Utility, which would assess fees to property owners.

The packet contained a chart outlining how other cities had handled this assessment. The council had questions about fairness, how the colleges would contribute, how the rates would be set, and whether to recoup the entire cost of providing streetlights.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 p.m.