Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-09-17 Work Session Meeting MinutesMINUTES OF THE EDINA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION COMMUNITY ROOM, CITY HALL TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER I7, 2024 5:30 P.M. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Hovland called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. ROLL CALL Answering rollcall were Members Agnew, Jackson, Pierce, Risser, and Mayor Hovland. Absent: None Staff in attendance: Scott Neal, City Manager; Air Lenz, Assistant City Manager; Pa Thao, Finance Director; Jennifer Bennerotte, Communications Director; Ryan Browning, IT Director; Todd Milburn, Police Chief; Kelly Curtin, Human Resources Director; Zoe Johnson, City Management Fellow; Andrew Slama, Fire Chief; Perry Vetter, Parks & Recreation Director; Chad Millner, Engineering Director; Cary Teague, Community Development Director; Derik Otten, Facilities Manager; Jesse Meyer-Ruud, IT Support Supervisor; Sharon Allison, City Clerk. 2025-2030 CIP AND 2025 BUDGET City Manager Neal reviewed the overall timeline for creation of the City's budget and noted that the start of the budget making process began in April of 2023 at the Council retreat. Finance Director Thao reviewed and answered questions that the Council had asked at their last work session. She reviewed details from the proposed 2025-2030 CIP and 2025 Budget including comparisons to 2024; on demand maintenance items; deferred maintenance — local sales tax; projection of CIP levy; bonding; debt service; Financial Management Plan projections — before golf course building; Financial Management Plan projections — including golf course building; 2025 levy supported operating budget; Police Department; Fire Department; Parks & Recreation Department; Public Works Department; Engineering Department; Community Development Department; Administrative — Operating Departments; and Support Department. City Manager Neal reminded the Council that they needed to adopt a Preliminary Budget and Levy at the regular meeting tonight because it was due to the County no later than September 30, 2024. He stated staff was recommending that the City move forward with what was being proposed. The Council asked questions of staff and discussed use of budget surplus funds; what would 'fall off and be added in 2025; Public Safety expansion and its relationship with the proposed levy increase; the overall breakdown that explained the proposed levy increases; how much of the proposed increase was related to inflation and the current economy; the idea of being conservative in their projections; health insurance costs; the opportunity to have commentary to outline specifics of the increases in comparison with other cities; possible removal of the golf course building from the CIP; possibility of including the golf course building and the third fire station on a longer term CIP or as a placeholder on an unfunded CIP for future planning; the one-time expenses that arise because of playground equipment that can no longer be repaired; public safety/paramedic calls for service and how important that information may in telling the story of the budget; the levy increase and what the actual impact would be on taxpayers; large increases in IT expenditures over the last 10 years; the need for an expansion of public safety services in order to keep the City's people and property safe; if there may be things they had originally planned for 2025 that could be pushed back to 2026 or 2027 in order to try to keep the rate of increase a bit lower, without reducing services; on demand versus deferred maintenance and what the significance may be of not doing some of the things listed; age of Fire Station #1 and the expected lifespan of its mechanical and electrical systems; what is important to be communicated to the public about the budget numbers and which things are driving the increases; assurance for the public that the City will look to decrease the projected increases by the time they need to adopt the Page 1 on Allison, City Clerk ames B. Hovland, Mayor Minutes/Edina City Council Work Session/September 17, 2024 final budget; ways to forecast this information within the City's revenue model; and concerns about not having enough time to talk about the CIP throughout the budget process. EDINA HISTORICAL SOCIETY: SUBMITTED STRATEGY AND OPERATIONAL PLAN WITH FUNDING REQUEST Parks & Recreation Director Vetter introduced Edina Historical Society Board President, Sarah Solsvig, and reviewed the establishment of the Edina Historical Society (EHS); its mission; current annual funding; services provided by the EHS; past Council discussions; possible increase in the City's financial support; and outlined specifics of the funding request to levy for an additional $80,000 beginning in 2025 for a total of $100,000 through 2027. He outlined the pros and cons of consideration of levying for these additional funds for the EHS and explained that the EHS had taken the Council's previous input into account and had come up with the Strategy and Operational Plan that was included in the packet. The Council asked questions of staff and discussed the line between the City taking over and it continuing to be maintained as a non-profit; what could be done to ensure that the City was not taking it over; if there was a certain funding level that would put their eligibility as a 501 (c)(3) at risk with the State; City-owned signage at Tupa Park; settler heritage of the EHS and the hope for a concerted effort to broaden its scope, especially if there would be an increase in funding; the series of Executive Directors that have come from the same small department at the University of St. Thomas that essentially have brought the same vision; possibility of having a delay of a year in order to allow the Council to look at this; opportunities to focus on the indigenous population prior to colonization; the long-term viability of the EHS if there was a delay in increased funding; confusion about the EHS Board's identity and who can help them complete the work they would like to do; possible revenue generating activities that could be undertaken if the EHS has some additional funding; plans to revamp the existing permanent exhibit because it was showing its age; whether additional funding from the City could come with a requirement to work with the City's DEI Manager to help ensure that there is inclusivity of things such as a focus on the indigenous population and not just the pioneers; the importance of attempting to ensure the EHS's vitality and long-term value to the community; possible opportunities of getting metrics in place in order to provide for ways to measure pertinent data; other possible uses for the requested funds that may be more beneficial to components of the EHS mission and vision statements; and fundraising opportunities that may arise if there was a sunset on the City's additional funding. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Hovland adjourned the meeting at 6:52 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Minutes approved by Edina City Council, October I , 2024. Page 2