June 20, 2016, Council Minutes
CITY OF SPRING PARK
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
JUNE 20, 2016 – 7:30 PM
SPRING PARK CITY HALL
1. CALL TO ORDER – Mayor Williamson called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL – Pavot, Hughes, Bren, Horton, Williamson
3. INTRODUCTIONS – Williamson introduced the council and staff to the public. Administrator Tolsma, Clerk Lewin, Commissioners Palen and Mason, former mayor Jerry Rockvam, Attorney Beck.
4. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
5. ADOPT AGENDA – Hughes makes a motion and Horton seconds to adopt the agenda. All votes ayes, motion carries.
6. ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA – Horton said there is a typographical error on the first page of the PC minutes and Lewin has been informed and will make the correction. Horton makes a motion and Bren seconds to adopt the consent agenda. All votes ayes, motion carries.
a. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes from June 6, 2016
b. Draft Planning Commission Meeting Minutes from June 8, 2016
7. PUBLIC FORUM - No one.
8. PRESENTATIONS & GUEST SPEAKERS - None.
9. PETITIONS, REQUESTS & APPLICATIONS - None.
10. ORDINANCES & RESOLUTIONS - None.
11. REPORTS OF OFFICERS & COMMITTEES
a. Mayor and Council – Nothing
b. City Administrator
1. City Clerk Employment Agreement –
Williamson said there will be an offer made to replace the retiring City Clerk. Tolsma explains there is a revised agreement in front of the council and it is a standard agreement. He said there has been a verbal agreement made with the candidate. The potential start date is July 11th. Williamson said there was an email discussion/memo of understanding reflecting starting wages, benefit package and he suggests that be added as an addendum to the employment agreement. Tolsma said he had a question from a council member on a definition of a specific word – “successful” – regarding job performance. He said the city attorney has made some modifications and Tolsma reads aloud the change. Williamson feels this is straightforward. Williamson said there was 23 applicants, it was narrowed to ten, nine of the ten showed up for the interview, it was then narrowed to three and those three were intensively interviewed by the council. One was selected by the majority of the council. He said it was very close to the second. He said this contract is the result of contact made by the administrator and the applicant did express a desire to follow through with employment with the City of Spring Park. Bren makes a motion to accept the agreement for hiring the city clerk. Pavot seconds. All votes ayes, motion carries of the proposed agreement.
2. Hennepin County Assessment Services Agreement –
Williamson said this is not complicated. He said a private assessor would have to be approved by the council anyway so this seems a more efficient way of handling this. Williamson moves to accept the contract. Hughes seconds. All votes ayes, motion carries.
c. City Engineer - nothing.
d. City Planner - nothing.
e. City Attorney - nothing.
f. Public Works Director –
1. Resignation
Williamson said in the packet is a resignation and he believes most were advised of this on the 15th. He said there really isn’t any action required by the council. He said the staff responsibility is to work out a transitioning. Williamson asked Beck if there is any action needed. Former Mayor Rockvam said regarding the transition period with the public works department is probably paramount. He hoped there was a lot of forethought given. He feels he needs to share his experience. He said the PW superintendent will be leaving and maybe there is a temporary agreement with the City of Orono. He can’t encourage the city enough to stay with the City of Orono. He thinks it is the most efficient way to handle this. He said Goman was here for 30 years and he was hired due to his ties with the past and what was going to happen in the future. He said Williard Bush was originally hired and he could do anything. He stayed with the city for quite a while and then he took another job. He said an interview process was conducted. He said interviews are great and some can interview very well. He said a utility superintendent was hired who interviewed very well. He said it was a disaster from the beginning. Rockvam said this person submitted their resignation and they considered it a good thing. Goman’s father was hired. Senior Goman knew the system and DJ would ride around with his father. There was a meeting held at one point regarding the fact that some things weren’t getting finished and they had a sit down meeting with him. It was learned that DJ knew a lot about what was going on so they felt very comfortable hiring him to replace his father when he retired. Williamson thanks Rockvam for coming tonight. He reminds the public that Rockvam was a former mayor for thirty plus years. Williamson thinks Rockvam’s comments are valid and should be considered. Williamson said the summertime helper will take some of the edge off from the vacancy. He said what will be important, however is how the water plant service is structured and they will have to be brought up to speed on how to take care of it. He said details will have to be worked out and solutions will have to be addressed for both short-term and long-term. Williamson said a job study was conducted about three months ago when there was an indication that the city clerk was going to retire. Williamson said there will be a lot of discussion on how to restructure. Rockvam wonders if there is any value in following up projects by the council or is it all left up to the engineer.
12. UPCOMING MEETINGS & TRAINING – Williamson said there might be a change regarding the personnel committee meeting. He said this might be premature as the pertinent information has not been assembled yet. Tolsma said it might make sense to brief the council at the work session. Tolsma will hope to have met with all the entities by then and he should have a better picture. Williamson suggests to cancel the personnel committee meeting and move to the work session. Pavot just wondered if there were any thoughts or ideas that could be researched prior to the work session. Tolsma is looking at any and all options. He said first of all they’re looking at the short-term and then the long-term discussion will take place over the next month or so. Hughes said the part-time summer person can only work a limited time and he wonders if this can be projected out in order to determine how efficiently this can orchestrated. He said the option is to make this person a permanent part-time employee versus seasonal but the PERA becomes important. The seasonal worker has stated he will continue. Tolsma thinks the need is in a different area in terms of a licensed operator. Tolsma said the seasonal worker doesn’t want 40 hours due to other commitments and doesn’t want twelve months either but he is willing to help out where he can. Williamson said division of responsibilities and functions of the city need to be determined and Tolsma will be able to come to forward with a list.
a. June 21 – Personnel Committee – 3:00 PM
b. June 22 – LMCD – 6:00 PM
c. June 27 – City Council Work Session – 7:00 PM
d. July 5 (Tuesday) – City Council Regular Meeting – 7:30 PM
13. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
14. NEW BUSINESS & COMMUNICATION
a. Bills & Payroll – Horton makes a motion and Pavot seconds. All votes ayes, motion carries.
15. MISCELLANEOUS (Information Only)
a. Water Quality Workshop
b. MFD Press Release
c. MFD Fish Fry Update
d. MFD May Report – Williamson noticed a resurgence of false alarms due to contractors. Hughes wonders if the contractor notified the alarm company they were working on the system.
16. ADJOURNMENT – Horton makes a motion and Hughes seconds to adjourn the meeting at 8:13 p.m. All votes ayes, motion carries.
___________________________________
Wendy Lewin, City Clerk
____________________________________
Dan Tolsma, City Administrator
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
JUNE 20, 2016 – 7:30 PM
SPRING PARK CITY HALL
1. CALL TO ORDER – Mayor Williamson called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL – Pavot, Hughes, Bren, Horton, Williamson
3. INTRODUCTIONS – Williamson introduced the council and staff to the public. Administrator Tolsma, Clerk Lewin, Commissioners Palen and Mason, former mayor Jerry Rockvam, Attorney Beck.
4. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
5. ADOPT AGENDA – Hughes makes a motion and Horton seconds to adopt the agenda. All votes ayes, motion carries.
6. ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA – Horton said there is a typographical error on the first page of the PC minutes and Lewin has been informed and will make the correction. Horton makes a motion and Bren seconds to adopt the consent agenda. All votes ayes, motion carries.
a. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes from June 6, 2016
b. Draft Planning Commission Meeting Minutes from June 8, 2016
7. PUBLIC FORUM - No one.
8. PRESENTATIONS & GUEST SPEAKERS - None.
9. PETITIONS, REQUESTS & APPLICATIONS - None.
10. ORDINANCES & RESOLUTIONS - None.
11. REPORTS OF OFFICERS & COMMITTEES
a. Mayor and Council – Nothing
b. City Administrator
1. City Clerk Employment Agreement –
Williamson said there will be an offer made to replace the retiring City Clerk. Tolsma explains there is a revised agreement in front of the council and it is a standard agreement. He said there has been a verbal agreement made with the candidate. The potential start date is July 11th. Williamson said there was an email discussion/memo of understanding reflecting starting wages, benefit package and he suggests that be added as an addendum to the employment agreement. Tolsma said he had a question from a council member on a definition of a specific word – “successful” – regarding job performance. He said the city attorney has made some modifications and Tolsma reads aloud the change. Williamson feels this is straightforward. Williamson said there was 23 applicants, it was narrowed to ten, nine of the ten showed up for the interview, it was then narrowed to three and those three were intensively interviewed by the council. One was selected by the majority of the council. He said it was very close to the second. He said this contract is the result of contact made by the administrator and the applicant did express a desire to follow through with employment with the City of Spring Park. Bren makes a motion to accept the agreement for hiring the city clerk. Pavot seconds. All votes ayes, motion carries of the proposed agreement.
2. Hennepin County Assessment Services Agreement –
Williamson said this is not complicated. He said a private assessor would have to be approved by the council anyway so this seems a more efficient way of handling this. Williamson moves to accept the contract. Hughes seconds. All votes ayes, motion carries.
c. City Engineer - nothing.
d. City Planner - nothing.
e. City Attorney - nothing.
f. Public Works Director –
1. Resignation
Williamson said in the packet is a resignation and he believes most were advised of this on the 15th. He said there really isn’t any action required by the council. He said the staff responsibility is to work out a transitioning. Williamson asked Beck if there is any action needed. Former Mayor Rockvam said regarding the transition period with the public works department is probably paramount. He hoped there was a lot of forethought given. He feels he needs to share his experience. He said the PW superintendent will be leaving and maybe there is a temporary agreement with the City of Orono. He can’t encourage the city enough to stay with the City of Orono. He thinks it is the most efficient way to handle this. He said Goman was here for 30 years and he was hired due to his ties with the past and what was going to happen in the future. He said Williard Bush was originally hired and he could do anything. He stayed with the city for quite a while and then he took another job. He said an interview process was conducted. He said interviews are great and some can interview very well. He said a utility superintendent was hired who interviewed very well. He said it was a disaster from the beginning. Rockvam said this person submitted their resignation and they considered it a good thing. Goman’s father was hired. Senior Goman knew the system and DJ would ride around with his father. There was a meeting held at one point regarding the fact that some things weren’t getting finished and they had a sit down meeting with him. It was learned that DJ knew a lot about what was going on so they felt very comfortable hiring him to replace his father when he retired. Williamson thanks Rockvam for coming tonight. He reminds the public that Rockvam was a former mayor for thirty plus years. Williamson thinks Rockvam’s comments are valid and should be considered. Williamson said the summertime helper will take some of the edge off from the vacancy. He said what will be important, however is how the water plant service is structured and they will have to be brought up to speed on how to take care of it. He said details will have to be worked out and solutions will have to be addressed for both short-term and long-term. Williamson said a job study was conducted about three months ago when there was an indication that the city clerk was going to retire. Williamson said there will be a lot of discussion on how to restructure. Rockvam wonders if there is any value in following up projects by the council or is it all left up to the engineer.
12. UPCOMING MEETINGS & TRAINING – Williamson said there might be a change regarding the personnel committee meeting. He said this might be premature as the pertinent information has not been assembled yet. Tolsma said it might make sense to brief the council at the work session. Tolsma will hope to have met with all the entities by then and he should have a better picture. Williamson suggests to cancel the personnel committee meeting and move to the work session. Pavot just wondered if there were any thoughts or ideas that could be researched prior to the work session. Tolsma is looking at any and all options. He said first of all they’re looking at the short-term and then the long-term discussion will take place over the next month or so. Hughes said the part-time summer person can only work a limited time and he wonders if this can be projected out in order to determine how efficiently this can orchestrated. He said the option is to make this person a permanent part-time employee versus seasonal but the PERA becomes important. The seasonal worker has stated he will continue. Tolsma thinks the need is in a different area in terms of a licensed operator. Tolsma said the seasonal worker doesn’t want 40 hours due to other commitments and doesn’t want twelve months either but he is willing to help out where he can. Williamson said division of responsibilities and functions of the city need to be determined and Tolsma will be able to come to forward with a list.
a. June 21 – Personnel Committee – 3:00 PM
b. June 22 – LMCD – 6:00 PM
c. June 27 – City Council Work Session – 7:00 PM
d. July 5 (Tuesday) – City Council Regular Meeting – 7:30 PM
13. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
14. NEW BUSINESS & COMMUNICATION
a. Bills & Payroll – Horton makes a motion and Pavot seconds. All votes ayes, motion carries.
15. MISCELLANEOUS (Information Only)
a. Water Quality Workshop
b. MFD Press Release
c. MFD Fish Fry Update
d. MFD May Report – Williamson noticed a resurgence of false alarms due to contractors. Hughes wonders if the contractor notified the alarm company they were working on the system.
16. ADJOURNMENT – Horton makes a motion and Hughes seconds to adjourn the meeting at 8:13 p.m. All votes ayes, motion carries.
___________________________________
Wendy Lewin, City Clerk
____________________________________
Dan Tolsma, City Administrator