City council to vote on its rules of order

What will happen to the preagenda workshops?

By Sarah Stultz | Albert Lea Tribune

Published Saturday, January 24, 2009

The Albert Lea City Council will vote Monday on establishing its rules and procedures for 2009.

The rules and procedures deal with how complaints, questions and input will be handled from the public, as well as with rules of order for both council members and the public during meetings.

Also included in the rules is the controversial Thursday preagenda workshops that are currently held the week before each council meeting.

City Manager Victoria Simonsen said during the Thursday preagenda workshop, when the councilors usually talk about the upcoming council meeting, there was limited discussion about what rules to adopt this year.

What little discussion there was focused mainly on moving the public forum portion of the meeting closer to the start, she said.

In a previous workshop, 3rd Ward Councilor Ellen Kehr said she thought doing so would be more respectful to the public.

Albert Lea Mayor Mike Murtaugh said he thinks there is support for moving the public forum up to third on the agenda, right after the consent agenda.

“As a presiding officer, I’ll be open to moving an agenda item ahead of the public forum if it involves, for instance, an out-of-town person who we may not want to unduly delay,” Murtaugh said.

Aside from that change, Murtaugh indicated he does not expect support for any other changes at this time, which includes eliminating the preagenda workshop. This was one of his major campaign points.

Depending on what motion is made on Monday, he said, he wants to offer an amendment stating that the pre-agenda workshop “may be held as needed,” instead of “will be held.”

Murtaugh said he recognizes there are cases where information may need to be presented outside of a regular meeting, but “I fully expect that this amendment will not pass at this time.”

“But I hope the council will understand that I made a promise to the voters to push this issue, and I will keep that promise, but respect their decision,” he said.

He also would like to have the council give notice of workshop meetings, including what items will be discussed, just as the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners does.

The preagenda workshop, along with how to conduct the public forum portion of council meetings, have been a point of discussion for the past few years.

Members of the public have stated the preagenda workshops make them question the transparency of the city government and whether city officials make decisions ahead of time.

During the Monday meeting, the council will also:

• Voice their support for a Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Albert Lea.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced it plans to open two new community-based outpatient clinics in Minnesota, one of which is planned for the south central portion of the state.

Simonsen said the three potential locations for that clinic are in Albert Lea, Austin and Owatonna.

Albert Lea would give easy access for both southern Minnesota and northern Iowa residents because of its location along Interstates 35 and 90, she said.

Freeborn County commissioners also voiced their support for the project coming to Albert Lea during their most recent meeting.

• Vote on whether to authorize budget appropriations and transfers needed to balance the city’s 2008 budget.

Appropriations include $270,000 to the police department budget and $60,000 to the fire department to account for expenditures of police and fire interest earnings.

Transfers include $24,000 from the pool budget to the parks department budget to allow for the purchase of playground equipment and $50,000 from the street maintenance budget to the City Arena budget to allow for arena locker renovations for the Albert Lea Thunder.

Simonsen indicated that preliminary numbers show a shortfall of $230,000 to the city’s general fund at the end of 2008, despite an unallotment of local government aid of more than $400,000 during the last weeks of the fiscal year.

If local government aid had not been allotted, the city would have been $150,000 in the black, she said.

That, combined with other special projects in 2008, are leaving the city’s reserve balance at slightly less than what is recommended by the state auditor’s office, she said. The special projects included $625,000 for the Wedgewood Cove project, $700,000 for the purchase of land for the Sunset Street extension and $65,000 for the airport project.

The state recommends having 50 percent of one year’s total budget in reserves, but currently the city has 44 percent, Simonsen said.

She said councilors have indicated they would like to brainstorm how to bring the reserves back up at their upcoming retreat.

• Have a public hearing to hear input about the increase of fees for several licenses.

The proposed increases include changing a cigarette license from $100 to $150, an amusement device license from $45 to $50, an arcade license for more than 7 machines from $90 to $100, a distributor license from $130 to $200, and a temporary off premises on-sale liquor license from $15 to $50.

• Discuss whether to hire a consultant to conduct a sewer rate analysis and wastewater treatment plant operation study.

On Sept. 11, the council directed staff to research and hire a consultant to look at the wastewater treatment plant operations and the sewer rates for the community.

Staff received proposals from TKDA out of St. Paul and Fox Engineering out of Ames, Iowa, for both the analysis and study.

After discussion with the consultants, staff are not recommending to do a new wastewater treatment plant operation study because one was conducted in 2001. It is not believed there will be any new significant issues found that were not already noted in that study.

Staff, are however, recommending the TKDA firm for the sewer rate analysis. The cost for this analysis would be $15,500. The city’s sewer rate structure was developed in 1983.

Simonsen said Councilor Al Brooks indicated he did not like the city using consultants.

• Vote on whether to authorize a joint powers agreement with the Shell Rock River Watershed District for the South Industrial Park Flood Mitigation Project. The agreement specifically would be for the design, construction and maintenance of a storm water pond, between South Shore Drive and Highway 65, designed for a 100-year flood event.

The project also includes a new culvert under Highway 65 to eliminate water flowing over the roadway.

The agreement identifies the responsibilities of each party.

• Consider approving a conditional use permit for the Kwik Trip at 906 W. Front St., which would allow for an expansion of storage and interior retail services.

The conditional use permit was recommended by the Albert Lea Planning Commission on Jan. 20.

• Have a public hearing for removal of the property at 316 Railroad Ave.

The property was deemed unfit for human occupancy on April, 9, 2007, and during a follow-up inspection made on Sept. 9, 2008, the inspection department identified it to be “dilapidated, unsanitary and inadequate in maintenance creating a fire hazard,” according to city documents.

Documents state the property owners, Steven and Jolene Svendsen of Southview Lane, were sent a notice by regular and certified mail on Dec. 10 that the situation would be up before the council. Staff received no response.

A deputy with the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office also personally served documents to the Svendsens on Dec. 27 regarding the notice for removal.

The couple has still not responded to city staff, documents state.

• Consider a request from Alliant Energy to replace the street fixtures on Blake Avenue between Southeast Marshall St. and Hendrickson Road with 40 induction street lighting fixtures.

The replacement would be part of a pilot project to determine the functionality of an energy efficient fixture under extreme Minnesota winters. The city bears no cost for the project.

The light fixtures would be installed the first week of February.

• Recognize Albert Lea Police Department school resource officer Ted for receiving the Outstanding Juvenile Officer Award through the Minnesota Juvenile Officer’s Association.

Herman accepted the award in Duluth last week.

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