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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6 City of Lakeville Administration Memorandum To: Mayor and City Council From: Justin Miller, City Administrator Date: January 12, 2019 Subject: Potential 2019 Items of Focus As the City Council discusses issues to address in 2019, staff has compiled a list of potential ideas. It is not staff’s intent to fully discuss each of these items at the city council goal setting retreat, but council may wish to indicate which issues are most important in your opinion. 1) Garbage Haulers/Creating zones in city by day of the week  The City Council has discussed this concept several times over the past year and directed staff to work with current waste haulers on developing a draft map which causes minimal disruption to existing operations. Staff is close to presenting the draft map to the city council if the desire is still there to proceed. 2) Future of DLBA  The DLBA recently approved a 2019 budget that included a $0 assessment to property owners and, if completely spent, will reduce their balance to zero. The board and DLBA members continue to discuss if (or how) to continue the association. The council may want to discuss your role in this conversation. 3) Body Cameras  Body cameras for the police department were included in the 2019 budget. Before being deployed, a public process is required to be held to gather input on the department’s use of these new devices. Time and effort of the council and public safety committee will need to be set aside for these discussions. 4) Fire Department Staffing Model  While the duty crew program has been successful in responding to calls during daytime hours, there continues to be concerns and strains on staffing to ensure a reliable and predictable response to incidents. The council may wish to consider reviewing a long-term staffing model for the fire department. 5) Gateway to the City/Entry Monuments  There have been some discussions regarding the appearance of the city as visitors enter from both directions along Interstate 35. Many cities have installed entry monuments welcoming visitors, and these signs take all shapes, sizes and are funded through various sources. The council may want to direct staff to bring this forward for further discussion. 6) Building Requirements  With increased discussion about the cost of new housing products, staff continues to receive questions about fees and building requirements that are in place to fund infrastructure and comply with building codes. One such example is our requirement that any slab on grade dwelling include a storm shelter internal to the dwelling unit. The storm shelter (i.e. safe room) is required to be in a bathroom or laundry room to ensure that it is accessible during a storm, and not blocked by storage. Planning Department staff could bring this and other items to the council for further discussion. 7) Setting a Broader Range of Comparable Cities  As the council is aware, the city recently completed a compensation study which established a set of local suburban cities as our peer group. However, in the recent Money Magazine list of the 50 Best Places to Live, only one other Minnesota city was listed. The council may wish to identify other similarly situated cities nationwide to set as our benchmarks in the future. 8) Lakeville Arenas Financials  The Lakeville Arenas have successfully operated and managed both Ames and Hasse Arenas, but their financial stability will be challenged in the coming years. The Council may wish to review these in more detail, especially as it pertains to the relationship with the Lakeville Hockey Association. 9) Franchise Fees for Streets  As the council knows, a considerable amount of effort has been made over the past several years to increase the number of streets repaired or reconstructed. Of course, this comes with a price, and we continue to issue debt to pay for these improvements. Some other cities have developed systems using franchise fees on gas and/or electric services and dedicated those funds towards a specific use, such as street repair. If the council desires, staff can provide more information. 10) Blue Zones/Wellness Initiatives  In 2018 the City and ISD 194 sponsored a community forum on health and wellness, bringing in a nationally known speaker to talk about The Blue Zones Project. There did seem to be some interest in the community to keep this conversation going. If the council wishes to continue this discussion, staff would schedule it for a future work session item. 11) Park Bond Referendum  The council has received Antlers, Avonlea, and East Community Park Master Plans along with plans to construct a dome facility at Hasse Arena and cost estimates to complete the construction of these projects. Staff would like to have continued discussions with the City Council on funding these projects through a Park Bond Referendum. 12) Coordination of Lakeville Area Arts Center and Downtown Master Plans  Staff and the Lakeville Area Arts Center Advisory Board are in the process of working with a consultant funded by the State Arts Board Operating Support Grant to complete a new strategic plan for the Lakeville Area Arts Center which would incorporate elements of the 2018 Downtown Development Guide and help to guide the growth of the Arts Center over the next five years. A new City Council approved strategic plan is required for additional state grant funding. The last strategic plan was developed in 2004. 13) Dog Licenses  Like many cities, Lakeville requires that dogs be licensed. As the usage of microchipping has increased, the city has seen fewer and fewer licenses be issued. Likewise, the need for licenses as a remedy to locate dog’s owners has become increasingly rare. Some cities have abandoned dog licensing, and the council may wish to receive more information (revenues, expenses, etc.) about this topic. 14) City Hall Master Plan  Wold, an architectural and engineering firm, completed a space utilization study for City Hall in 2014. Recommendations included a phased reorganization of City Hall to facilitate effective delivery of customer service, improve safety for staff and the public, and foster collaboration among staff. Council may wish to review the study and consider options presented. 15) Sustainability/Green Initiatives/Resilient Infrastructure/Green Fleet  The City has taken the first steps toward sustainability in City operations and community programs through participation in the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s GreenStep Cities program. Many internal City initiatives such as LED lighting retrofits and organics recycling contribute to a reduction in the City’s impact on the environment. Moving forward, options exist to address quality of life issues and the City’s ongoing growth and infrastructure requirements in a sustainable and resilient manner. Council direction in this area is important to future planning. 16) Next Steps for Tech Taskforce  At the August 27, 2018 Council Work Session, IS Staff presented a summary report from the Lakeville Technology Work Group with recommendations on ways the City can improve its use of technology. In 2019 staff will begin to implement many of their no or low-cost recommendations. If the council wishes the taskforce to explore other areas, staff will bring back an action plan. 17) Liquor Store #4  Included in the 2019 budget are funds to update a market study to see how a fourth liquor store may fare in the marketplace. Staff would like to continue this discussion with the city council, including whether the land we purchased on Keokuk Avenue is still the best location for a fourth store. 18) Finance/HR Systems  The City has been a member of the LOGIS (Local Government Information Systems) consortium since 1976. LOGIS provides software solutions for many areas including finance, payroll/human resources, utility billing, permits/inspections, property data systems, public safety, etc. The current finance/HR/payroll systems have been in place since 2001. As the city continues to grow at a rapid pace, the need for current technology which incorporates increased automation and functionality grows, as well. Staff would like to start exploring options for possibly replacing the current systems. The process to evaluate/select/implement a new system is estimated to take 18-24 months. Outside resources would be needed to conduct a needs analysis, prepare a comprehensive RFP, evaluate and select a vendor, negotiate a contract, and implement a new system. 19) Committee Appointment Process/Commission Development  For the past several years, the council has elected to interview all candidates for city committees, including incumbents. This does require a significant time commitment for the council (usually two or three separate evenings). If council wishes to review this, staff can prepare alternative interview processes. Additionally, staff is interested to know if council would like to consider how to better develop committee members for more in-depth participation in city affairs. 20) Residential Fencing/Aesthetic Requirements  The Zoning Ordinance includes requirements for residential fencing for corner and double frontage lots, the most visible of which abut higher traffic volume major collector and arterial streets. In single family developments that have multiple homebuilders and no association, the fencing that typically gets installed along these high visibility street corridors can be a mishmash of differing fencing materials, colors and heights, which can project a negative community appearance for residents and visitors traveling along those roadways. While the Zoning Ordinance encourages installation of uniform buffer yard fencing along major collector and arterial roadways in residential subdivisions with a homeowners association (HOA), which typically have only one homebuilder, it does not require it. Staff is seeking input from the City Council to strengthen the language in the Zoning Ordinance to require uniform buffer yard fencing in residential subdivisions. This list is not intended to be all encompassing, and if council wishes to add items, staff will be add them to the 2019 work plan.