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2014-01-24 Council Workshop Goal SettingCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL GOAL SETTING WORKSHOP AGENDA January 24, 2014 — 2:00 p.m. Mendota Heights City Hall 1. CaII to order 2. Goal setting discussion 3. Adjourn irwo"'"'"' DATE: TO: FROM: SUBJECT: CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS January 24, 2014 Mayor and City Council Justin Miller, City Administrator 2014 City Council Goals Workshop 1101 Victoria Curve I Mendota Heights, MN 55118 651.452.1850 phone 1 651.452.8940 fax www.mendota-heIghts.com BACKGROUND Each year the City Council reviews a set of goals for the upcoming year and provides direction to staff on areas to focus on. Below is a list of items that were either mentioned by council in the past as potential 2014 goals or items that staff has identified as possible topics of discussion. Instead of providing a memo on each, staff is providing a brief synopsis of each item. How the council decides to prioritize the list is up to the city council. Once staff receives direction, we will put together a master list as well as a timeline for future actions. 1) Warrior Drive Parking Issues relating to student and staff parking from Sibley High School have recently been brought to the council's attention. The current direction from council is for the Traffic Safety Committee to review the progress of changes implemented by the high school and report back to the council this winter /spring. 2) Day Care Uses in Business/Industrial Zoning Districts Within the past year there have been at least two cases where day care facilities (child as well as adult) have entered the city. In one case, the city council approved a code amendment to allow adult day care as a conditional use in the industrial zone. If council wishes to revisit this, staff would be glad to bring more information back to the council. 3) Sign Ordinance Review The city's sign ordinance went through a comprehensive revision within the past year, but enough proposals continue to be presented to staff (especially related to dynamic or digital signage) that we thought a further review may be needed. 4) MHAA Funding The city continues to annually support the Mendota Heights Athletic Association through monetary donations, free field use, and an agreement with ISD 197 for access to Sibley Field. It was suggested that these contributions be evaluated to see if improvements could be made. 5) Personnel Policy Revisions This past year the city amended the personnel code relating to harassment. There are other areas that need attention, including nepotism, political activity, and the structure of our personal leave /sick leave banks. 6) Right -of -Way Vacations Last year the city processed a vacation of the 2nd Avenue alleyway. Engineering continues to maintain a list of potential vacations and unless council directs otherwise, staff will bring them forward for council consideration as time permits. 7) Cellular Coverage One of the more common complaints the city receives is in relation to the quality of cellular phone coverage in the city. Staff has provided the council with a history of actions related to cell tower requests, but we will be looking for direction if the council would like to be more active in recruiting new towers to the city. 8) Stormwater Requirements Each year new and more restrictive rules and regulations are being established by the federal and state government related to stormwater quality. In the past the city has taken steps to test a small sample of the ponds in the city. If the council wishes to take a different approach, staff can provide various options. 9) Cable Franchise Renewal The city's cable franchise agreement (as part of NDC4) is up for renewal in 2015. Work is already underway for this endeavor. One key aspect of the agreement will be the status of the institutional network (I -Net) that the city uses to access the interne and communicate between city facilities. If free access to the I -Net is eliminated, the city will need to start to plan for alternative service options. 10) Water System Contract The city's contract with St. Paul Regional Water Services expires in November 2014. Staff has held preliminary discussions with SPRWS but there are several policy questions relating to the future ownership of the water system that the council needs to discuss before we can move further. 11) Ice Arena In 2013 the city was approached by the City of West St. Paul to partner in a feasibility study regarding the construction of a new ice arena to serve area residents. While the feasibility study concept was not approved, it has been suggested that a broader view of the recreation needs of the community be looked at with the ice arena being one portion of such a study. 12) Electric /Gas Utility Franchise Fee One method many cities generate funds for specific uses is through a franchise fee charged on utility bills. This fee is charged to all utility customers (including tax - exempt parcels) and collected by the utility company, which then passes the fee to the city. Potential uses of the fees collected could be directed towards street improvements, the Special Parks fund, or any other area the city council chooses. 13) Police Department Staffing During a 2013 workshop, the council reviewed various police department staffing models. With pending retirements in the department, the council may wish to revisit this discussion to determine the best staffing structure. 14) Solicitor Licenses Review A few years ago the city council adopted a revised ordinance pertaining to solicitors /peddlers. With a few years of experience, staff has found several issues with the ordinance language and would like to revisit the ordinance with the city council. These are the items that staff has identified and that council has passed along to staff for inclusion in the goal setting workshop. If there are other items the council wishes to consider, staff will add them to the list as directed by council. BUDGET IMPACT Dependent on the direction of the city council. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends the council discuss the above topics, as well as others that may arise, and provide direction to staff on how to proceed with each item.