HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-27-2023 MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
November 27,2023-6:30 PM
Lakeville Water Treatment Facility
1. Call to order,moment of silence and itag pledge
Mayor Hellier called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
Members Present: Mayor Hellier, Council Members Bermel, Lee, Volk, Wolter
Staff Present: Justin Miller, City Administrator; Julie Stahl, Finance Director;Allyn
Kuennen,Assistant City Administrator;Ann Orlofsky, City Clerk; Courtney Miller,
Assistant to the City Administrator; Tina Goodroad, Community Development Director
2. Citizen Comments
None.
3. Discussion Items
a. 2023 Envision Lakeville Update Draft Report
Craig Rapp,of the Rapp Consulting Group,provided an overview of the Envision
Lakeville update process that began in January 2023. Shortly afer,the City Council
appointed a taskforce to conduct the review and make recommendations for changes to
the plan. Community and stakeholder feedback was gathered to inform the process. The
City commissioned a community survey to measure opinions on a range of issues,
taskforce members conducted interviews throughout the community, and a joint meeting
of the City Council and its Boards and Commissions was convened to elicit input. The
taskforce met four times to conduct the review. The taskforce examined a wide variety
of reports and background data, reviewed community feedback, and considered changes
' to the plan. `��
Mr. Rapp stated that at the final meeting,the taskforce discussed changes to the
community plan since 2013, debated the need for alterations, and developed a set of
recommendations to the City Council for plan modifications. In addition,the taskforce
brainstormed ideas for new initiatives in each priority area to address challenges
identified in the stakeholder feedback.
The Council thanked Mr. Rapp and the taskforce for their time and thoughtful work on
the report. The Council suggested adding language under Support Quality Education on
page 19 that is inclusive of both public and private education institutions. The Council
directed staff to bring the report to the next City Council meeting for final acceptance.
b. 2023 Year-End Preview& Fina12024 Budget/Tax Levy Discussion
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November 27, 2023
Page 2
Finance Director Stahl provided an overview of the 2023 year-end preview and final
2024 budget/tax levy. Ms. Stahl stated that the proposed changes achieve the following
goals:
• Reduce the property tax increase from 10.84%to 9.62%
• Utilizes General Fund reserves to fund:
o One-time General Fund operating costs
o Capital expenditures in General and Technology Funds
o Ongoing General Fund operating costs to moderate tax increases
Council directed staff to move forward with the final 2024 property tax level and
budgets and to prepare resolutions for the December 4, 2023, City Council meeting.
c. Downtown Parking Needs Assessment
Community Development Director Goodroad provided an overview of the Downtown
Parking Needs Assessment. The purpose of the study was to determine the current and
future parking demands in downtown Lakeville. She stated that the final report includes
strategies to meet the needs of a variety of parking users and the downtown businesses.
A major outcome of the study is a concept plan for improving the accessibility and
aesthetics of the "west" city-owned parking lot at the southwest corner of 209th Street
and Howland Avenue.
The Council discussed parking concerns during large events, parking enforcement, and
wayfinding. The Council directed staff to move forward with next steps.
d. National Business Survey Results
Community Development Director Goodroad provided an overview of the National
Business Survey results. She stated that the City worked with POLCO to conduct the
study. There was a response rate of 13%. Overall, Lakeville businesses are pleased with
local government performance and City services. Ms. Goodroad stated that 75%of
respondents applauded the overall direction Lakeville is taking and 75%of respondents
expressed confidence and trust with city government. Further, Lakeville scored higher
than the national benchmarks as an excellent or good place to do business.
The City Council thanked staff for its work and were pleased with the results.
4. Items for Future Discussion
The Council is interested in receiving an update on the newsletter the city sent out and
discussing the financial implications of it versus other marketing methods.
5. Committee/City Administrator Updates
Bermel: Attended the Dakota 911 Board of Directors meeting where the board approved
implementing a part-time dispatcher program that will aim to fill any staffing gaps. It is the
first program of its kind in Minnesota.
Lee: Attended the Personnel Committee meeting. He reminded everyone to complete the
City Administrator review. He also added that the hiring process for the Human Resources
City Council Work Session Minutes
November 27, 2023
Page 3
Manager position is still in progress. He attended the Fire Relief Association meeting where
there were conversations around targeted pension rates, vesting schedules, and the impact of
a hybrid department.
Volk: Attended the Lakeville Arenas Board of Directors meeting. There is an agreement
with the rink contractors to extend the warranty to an additional five years.
Wolter: Stated that the House Bonding Committee heard a presentation from Dakota
County on the County Road 50 and Interstate 35 Bridge plans.
City Administrator Miller: Reminded the Council that the December work session is on
December 11,2023. He also added that City Hall will be undergoing renovations in the
� coming months and that several departments will be relocated temporarily. The project is
scheduled to be completed by the end of March, at which time work session meetings will
be moved back to City Hall in the new Marion Conference Room.
6. Adjourn
Motion was made by Bermel, seconded by Lee,to adjourn. Voice vote was taken on the
motion. Ayes -Bermel, Lee, Wolter, Volk, Hellier
The meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
1� .
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Courtney M' e ,Assistant to the City Administrator Luke M. Heller, Mayor