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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCCMinutes_2004_02_03 � � Q� Brookings City Council Tuesday, February 3, 2004 The Brookings City Council convened in a plpnning sesston on Tuesday, February 3, 2004,at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at City Hall with the followtng members present: Mayor Scott Munsterman, Council Members Tom Bezdichek, lulie Whaley, Tom Bozied, Mike McCiemans, Tim Reed and Doris Roden. Interim City Manager Allyn Frerichs, City Clerk Shari Thornes, and City Attorney Steve Britzman were aiso preserrt. Transfer of funds from the Brookings Municipal Hospitaf to East Central Multi Disfrid. A motion was made by Reed, seconded by Whaley,to approve the transfer of $25,000 from the Brookings Hospital/Brookview Manor to the East Central Multi-District program. All present voted yes; motion carried. Convenfion�sitor's Bureau Re�. Deb Garbers, CVB Director, reported on recerrt activities and issues including the 2003 Annual Report. Brookings Public Librarv De�rtmental Per�ormance Measurernents and Benchmarks. Elvita Landau, Library Director, preserrted the 2003 Performance Measures and Benchmarks for the Brookings Public Library. �gislative U ate. Mayor Munsterman provided updates on pending legislation. While tn Pierre, Munsterman met with Department of Transportation represer�tatives regarding a land exchange for the new DOT facility and the instal{ation of focal "wayfinding" signage on state highways. The DOT will conduct an analysis of the proposed signage. Promotional Modei Develogment for Swiftel Center. The Council reviewed a revised policy. Policy adoption is scheduled for February 24m. Convention �sitor's Burecw Location. In an effort to create efficiency, Mayor Munsterman recommended the Council consider relocating the Conver�tion Visitor's Bureau from the Chamber building to the Swiftel Cerrter. Benefits could include improved communication, plannir�, and a team approach to bringing everrts irrto Brookings. Using Council policies as the baseline,the City Mpnager could be more responsible for promotional activities in the city. Deb Garbers, CVB Diredor, said her office coordinates everrts throughout the community. The location of their office isn't critical. She agreed that increased communication would be a benefit of such a move. However,there is a vlsitor center, staff sharing,and irrteraction with the Chamber and Economic Development organizations at their currerrt location. The CVB is a committee of the Chamber, but all funding is through the City. Questions ralsed included the following. Who would emplay the CVB dtredor2 Would it beoome a city departmerrt responsible to the city manager� Would the Ever�t Cerrter Board become the promotions board responsible for both errtities2 Is a CVB Board needed� The Mayor recommended an implementation plan be developed for further revtew. Tom Richter, Swiftel Cerrter Executive Dtrector, requested he be given an opportunity to preserrr the concept to his Board. � Ad Hoc Committees-Retail Development� Housing. Mayor Munsterman updated the Council on recerrt ad hoc committee meetings regarding retail development and housing. He met with leadership of the planning commission and staff to discuss how to increase commercial areas and studerrt housing areas within the city. He has asked the Planning Commission to propase a plan on the two tssues. LandscaQe Review Board. Allyn Frerichs reported that no city in South Dakota currerrtly has landscape review board procedures. Creation of these procedures would require a more detailed {andscape ordinance for commercial and retail devetopmeM. Because such a board would be involved during the planning or building permit process, it is logical that the Board wouid be a subsidiary to the Planning Commission. If desired,the Council could request or direct that the Planning Commission research how this works in other communities and if it should be considered here. Landscape review is usually part of design review committee. It was clarified that this could not be a subiedive committee because its decisions would be based on statutes and ordinances. 191 Review of 2004 Goals Report. The Council will review the report in further detail at the February l Ofh meeting. Boys 8 Girls Club Punding R�quest. The Council reviewed a $40,000 funding request from the Boys and Giris Club organization for the 2004 fiscal year. The Board will initiate a capital campaign fund drive in 2005 to raise the estimated $2.5 million to construct a 20,000 sq. ft. facility. Further review of the Council's policy on annual funding requests and this specific request will be scheduled for February 24'n. City AHorney Contract Renewal. The City's Legal Service Agreemerrt with Steve Britzman expires on April 1, 2004. Modifications to the current contract language were discussed to include the number of ineetings required. Britzman suggested that City Attorney attendance at all Council meetings is the safest course of action. Members asked if the City Attorney could provide the legal representation for other city boards (i.e. the Event Center Board). Britzman said that particular board doesn't qualify as a city board. The Council asked if the currer�t contract could be extended until the new manager is here when he can review the documerrt� Britzman agreed that the contract could be extended past April 1 n. Discussion regarding raising sales tax rate from 1.9%to 2.0%. Britzman clarified that the revenue neutral provision in state law expires on 12/31/04. With the revenue neutral provision, cPttes can examine the sales tax rate to determine revenues produced in 2004 are equal to what was received in 2003. A review of 2003 sales tax collections is needed. Proposed Re�eal on the Sales Tax on Food. The Council reviewed a memo from Yvonne Taylor, SDML Executive Director, regarding a petition being circulated to repeal the sales tax on food for the November ballot. She provided estimations on the loss of municipal revenue in the everrt the repeal passes. The League has asked the Council pass a resolution opposing the measure. Action on a resolution is scheduled for February l Ofh. In�grated Networks Tower Lease. The City Attorney met with company represerrtatives in January. The company has submitted a proposal to include a base rent of $150.00 per morrth but has declined to reduce the four renewal periods that the lease currerrtly stipulates. Britzman requested the Council schedule an executive session on the issue on February 10"'. Brookings Municiqal Utilities Ug�late. Paul Melby, BMU official, gave a preserrration of the BMU's long-range plans to redesign and rebuild the electrical substation system in the community. The first phase involves their use of some city storage yard property (park & forestry) (ust south of the railroad tracks and east of the Sixth Avenue viaduct. BMU staff aiso answered questions regarding the Main Avenue utiltty servtces as they might be impacted by the proposed new Streetscape project. Melby explained that the dowrrtown's water pipes are very old and have failures due to various shocks on the system, which include fires, increased water pressure, and soil movemer�t. There are also problems with abandoned steam lines,the sewer system, curbs, electrical,and telephone. Fixing the numerous problems would require taking off ali the street tops. They recommend abandoning all services underneath Main Avenue and utilizing alley space. Any transitions would be opportunity-driven with nothing specifica(ly scheduled. Brookings Municiaal Liguor Sfore. The Council reviewed the consultar�t's report, proiections from Bill Purrington, Liquor Store Manager, and property market pppraisals. The Council asked tf the consultarrt's report included a privatization comparison. They reviewed projected operationai costs if the�tore were moved to the Brookings Mall location. Purrington said the new store would have the same operational costs even with the doubled size because the bigger retail floor area wouid double as storage and would be more efficient. The inverrtory would not increase significarrtly because much of the currerrt store's inverrtory is in storage and the new store's display area would be the storage. Wine would probably be the only inverrtory item that would increase. The Council discussed a scenario in which the store was privatized and the operator would operate the store,give the "override" to the city, and keep the rest of the profit. Purrington said he calculated that type of scenario using 2002 numbers,a 10%override, reduced personnel costs by $70,000, reduced operational costs, and used a $5.00/square foot lease rate. In this scenario, the prfvate owner would have lost money under the c�rrerit pricing structure. They would have to raise prices in order to make a profit. The big issue is the override. 192 Bezdichek recommended the City investigate building a stand-alone facility designed precisely for the operation of the liquor store, funded through a bond issue, and later use that investment asset for a future location. Purrington said the Brookings Mall option is extremely economical with a lease rate of half of what good commercial retail space usually goes for. He felt that leasing was a better option due to the currerrt commitmerrt on second penny funds, the city's present cash flow, potential revenue from the sale of the currerrt facility, and the affordable lease. He said they can't afford to build a new building at this time. The Council will continue to review the options and requested more information on the difference between owning and leasing. 2004 Employee Recos�nition Event. For 10 years, beginning in 1993,the city sponsored and hosted an annual Employee Recognition event, when employees were recognized for years of service. Because of budget considerations,funding for this ever�t was deleted completely from the 2004 budget. Allyn Frerichs requested the Council approve this expenditure out of general contingency funds or concur that he use a portion of the City Manager's conttngency. The consensus was for the Ir�terim City Manager to make a decision on the matter. Ice Arena Memorandum of Understandin�. Frerichs reported that a draft agreement was reviewed by the Park and Recreation Board on February 2. The original agreement done in 2001 needs updating. The Board will review a revised draft on March 1�'. The Council wiil review the draft agreemer�t at the March 2"d planning session and take action on March 9"'. Adjournment. A motion was made by McClemans, seconded by Whaley,to ad(ourn. All preserrt voted yes; motion carried. Meetir� adjourned at 9:42 p. I : F BRO . sterman, Mayor "a{� ��b� - o� � � N°�r ' � nes, City Cler y�A KOT p