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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-16-07 July 16, 2007 Page 1 of 8 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the City Council for the City of St. Joseph met in special session on Monday, July 16, 2007 at 7:00 PM in the St. Joseph City Hall. Members Present: Mayor AI Rassier, Councilors Renee Symanietz, Dale Wick, Steve Frank, City Administrator Judy Weyrens Others Present: Ellen Wahlstrom, Bob Wahlstrom, Mary Ann Graeve, Jim Graeve, S. Paula Revier; S. Kara Hennes, Margy Hughs, Phil Welter, S. Gen Maiers, S. Margaret Fuller, Neil Allen, Nettie Pfannenstein. Rassier called the meeting to order. The purpose of the meeting was for the City Council to conduct interviews of the top four candidates for the vacant Council seat. Once the Council has had the opportunity to ask their questions, then the public will be given an opportunity to ask questions of the candidates. After the public portion the Council will discuss the interview and appoint a new Councilor. Council Interviews FRANK: Frank began by stating that he wanted to focus mainly on Candidates Meyer and Schultz as he was less familiar with them. Frank questioned how both Schultz and Meyer would respond to the comment that it may be better to select either Rieke or McDonald as they have more experience. · Schultz stated that people do gain experience by working on different boards; however, he brings new insight and a broader range of vision. · Meyer responded by stating that he has a lot of non-profit experience and he has been involved with many volunteer committees. He also added that he brings a lot of financial experience and new ideas. Frank stated that it is helpful to have people on the Council who have some financial background as the budget is one of the most important jobs of the City Council. He questioned Schultz as to his financial background. · Schultz responded by stating that he has been a leader of the St. Cloud Youth Basketball as well as the Central Minnesota Basketball Club and that he was involved in the financial statements. He added that he knows where money comes and goes and also has the ability to comprehend financial statements. According to Schultz, finances are important; however, he does not feel that they should drive all Council decisions. In the answers to the interview questionnaire completed by Schultz, Frank stated that he mentioned that he was in favor of a municipal liquor store. The recent Downtown Study that was completed also stated that their is a big market for liquor within the City; however, Frank stated that he is not sure that a Municipal Liquor Store is the way to go for the City of St. Joseph. · According to Schultz, he grew up in Osakis where his father managed the Municipal Liquor Store. He stated that the proceeds from that were able to fund several projects within the City. Based on his interview questionnaire, Rieke stated that he has been involved in the City for 16 of the past 23 years. Due to the many years on the City Council, Frank questioned Rieke as to his election loss in 2006. · Rieke stated that there were a few reasons as to why he feels he did not secure a Council spot in the 2006 election. According to Rieke, there were several special interest groups that have recently developed and he stated that votes are influenced heavily by those groups. He also stated that it may be due to a well organized effort on behalf of those involved in the Field Street issue and the number of people that he met with during the campaign. McDonald once stated that he did not run for a Council seat in the past election as he stated he was happy with the candidates. Frank questioned why he is now interested in being selected for the vacant seat. July 16, 2007 Page 2 of 8 · McDonald stated that during the last election he was happy with the candidates so he decided not to run; however, he does plan to run for a seat in the next election. He stated that he was on the Waite Park City Council for 8 years. RASSIER Rassier questioned Schultz as to whether or not he is familiar with the APO and what it is and what St. Joseph's involvement is. · Schultz responded by stating that the APO stands for the Area Planning Organization and they are responsible for long range planning in the St. Cloud Area. He added that St. Joseph is one of the Cities involved in the organization. Rassier questioned Meyer as to what process he would follow to get a street light put up at the intersection of 4th Avenue SE and CR 75. · Meyer responded by stating that he would first contact the County to start the process since CR75 is a County Road. He added that the next step would be to determine funding for the project. If receiving a call from a resident stating that an officer was rude to them, Rassier questioned McDonald as to how he would handle this as a Council Person. · McDonald stated that he would get the facts and try to understand the circumstances. Then he would contact the Police Chief and relay that information to him. He would not get involved any further as he stated that it is not a responsibility of the Council to pursue the issue. Rassier then questioned whether or not he would make a follow-up call to the resident. · McDonald stated that he would not; however, he would tell them to contact him if they are unsatisfied after speaking to the Chief. Rassier questioned Rieke as to how he would handle a call from a resident stating that the parks haven't been mowed or watered all summer. · Rieke responded by stating that he would thank the resident for the call and that he would pass the information on to the Public Works Director or Administrator. Rassier also questioned whether or not Rieke would make a follow-up call to the resident. · According to Rieke, he would not make a follow-up call. Rassier questioned the candidates as to whether any of them were able to define a serial meeting. · Schultz, Meyer and McDonald were all unfamiliar with the term. · Rieke stated that a serial meeting is when Council Members come to a consensus outside of a meeting whether it is by phone, email, etc. Rassier questioned McDonald as to whether or not it is okay to talk about the agenda with another Council Member prior to the meeting. · According to McDonald, it would be okay to discuss it to get clarification on an item. · Rassier suggested that it may be better to wait to ask questions or discuss items until the meeting. Based on Meyer's experience, Rassier questioned how his financial background would be helpful to the City Council. · Meyer explained that he has the expertise to analyze what is presented and find ways in which it can be presented in a way that everyone is able to understand. He added that budgeting and planning relate to one another. Rassier stated that past surveys have shown that the residents see a need for a recreation/community center. He questioned Schultz as to how to help satisfy that need. July 16, 2007 Page 3 of 8 · According to Schulz, this type of facility is part of the Comprehensive Plan. He stated that he is an advocate of such a facility. He spoke with Carlbom at an earlier date at which they discussed the future of the old Kennedy School Site. Schultz added that work should be done to decide what such a facility would be used for, who would be able to use it and possible funding for the project. Rassier questioned Schultz and Meyer as to why they have not been present at recent City Council meetings if they had intent to apply for the position. · Both Meyer and Schultz stated that they are able to watch the meetings on the Cable Channel as they have prior commitments that do not allow them to attend. WICK Wick stated that he would like to ask the same question of each of the candidates. Wick stated that much has been said about the tax rate in the City. He questioned that even though the Council may work to keep the tax rate level, the residents' taxes may go up. How do they plan to address the public on why their taxes went up when you pledged to lower them or keep them within the inflation rate and what ideas do they have to address this reduction of aid at the state level? · McDonald stated that he has reviewed the budget information and ran a comparison of the 2006 tax rates. He added that other cities in the area are in a similar situation based on !Tome values and state aid. St. Joseph is the second highest tax rate in the area. When looking at the budget, he found that, over the past two years, salary benefits increased by 78%. He stated that the City pays 80% of the employees' health benefits. · According to Meyer, there have been cuts in state funding so they need to be made up in budget cuts. Although the City needs good employees, he finds it hard to increase staff wages. He believes in bottom-up budgeting. · Schultz questioned whether Wick was questioning how they would explain the increase or change the increase residents notice on their statements. Wick stated that he would like to know how they would explain the increase. He stated that he would explain the facts and then somehow try to find a balance. · Rieke stated that there are several residents who are very passionate and care about the City's budget. In his experience as a Council Member, Rieke stated that he has had very few calls, if any, relating to the budget. He believes that the budget is well managed and if there were questions, he would refer them to the appropriate person. Rieke added that the City needs to grow its business/retail tax base. According to Wick, as a legislator, a Councilor cannot act alone. A Councilor must be able to build coalitions with his fellow councilors and the Mayor to reach the needed majority to pass an ordinance or approve a project. To get things done, a Councilor must also be able to build support for his proposals in the community. Give us an example of a project in which they had to build support, how the project turned out, and what you would do differently next time? · Meyer stated that he worked on a capital campaign for the Church of St. Joseph. They began by completing a needs assessment of the parishioners and following up by gathering the costs and facts. Many people got involved in this project. He added that he also worked with the Shalom home in St. Paul and he was able to get many different people involved in that project as well. · According to Schultz, he was a member of the Park Board in 1992/1993. They brought several recommendations to the City Council. They worked to make Kleinfelter Park what it is today. They prepared and distributed a survey to the community to determine the wants and then they were able to look at different funding sources. · Rieke explained that there are some issues that come before the Council that do not affect everyone, but there is a great need. Two examples are Minnesota Street and the Maintenance Facility. · According to McDonald, he has a different opinion about Field Street than the Action Group. He has; however, spent several hours examining the alternatives and getting opinions from other people. He stated that although there are different opinions, it is important to realize that you cannot please everyone, but the most important thing is to make a decision that is best for the City. July 16, 2007 Page 4 of 8 Wick questioned the candidates as to one new project idea that they would like to see happen in the next 18 months. · Schultz stated there is a lot of energy in St. Joseph and he would like to get more people involved. · Rieke stated that he would like to see some smart growth such as a business center. · McDonald stated that he would like to work towards an even tax base. · Meyer stated that he would also like to find a balance for the tax base and develop larger service organ izations. SYMANIETZ Symanietz questioned the candidates on their opinions towards Field Street. · Schultz stated that he is unsure as to what problems Field Street will solve. He agrees that there needs to be some proactive planning in moving people within the City; however, he is opposed to taking business away from the City. · Rieke stated that in the 1980's there were several meetings with the engineer regarding future transportation planning; however, nothing was mapped out at that time. Things are now more complicated than they used to be. He added that he is opposed to the Field Street issue; but believes it needs to open for a solution. According to Rieke, there needs to be a road built to solve future traffic needs; however, he stated that County Road 2 should be redirected prior to a Field Street being constructed. · McDonald, on the other hand, stated that St. Joseph needs a transportation plan and that it is not as easy to plan today as it was 20 years ago. He stated that the City is constructing Field Street rather the City is looking at alternatives as to where the future road should/will go. Numerous studies have been done so far and there are some good alternatives. · According to Meyer, he is opposed to Field Street and believes the City should look at different alternatives. He did; however, state that the City needs to make a decision. Due to the fact that there is a College within St. Joseph, Symanietz asked each candidate how the City and College can work together and form a bonding relationship. · Rieke stated that the City should continue to work with the College and communicate with each other. · According to McDonald, he stated that it would be a good idea to find ways to work with them better by being a part of each others committees. · Meyer would like to see more communication between the City and the College such as their future plans. He would also like to see some interaction with the student organizations. · Schultz stated that he would like to see more involvement in each others organizations. Based on the new Clean Air Community Law that was recently passed, Symanietz questioned how that should be enforced within the City. · All four candidates stated that this law should be enforced like all other laws/ordinances that are enforced within the City. Symanietz questioned each candidate to what they believe is their greatest asset that they could bring to the Council. · Meyer stated that although he has the financial experience, he is a futuristic planner. · Schultz described himself as a list taker and a planner. He stated that he want to put things into action. · Rieke stated that his greatest asset would be his experience as he has been involved for so many years on City committees. · McDonald stated that he has the time, energy and experience to bring to the Council. Symanietz asked each candidate to describe themselves in one word. · Schultz - Passionate · Rieke - Communication July 16, 2007 Page 5 of 8 · McDonald - Fair · Meyer - Honest PUBLIC INTERVIEW Herman Gangl, 1h Avenue SE: Gangl questioned Rieke as to ways in which the City can promote community involvement. · Rieke stated that the City could work to get more information on the website and allow for citizens to comment on issues within the City. He added that there are a lot of citizens; however, that do not want to get involved. Margy Hughes, 128 Able Street E: Schultz stated earlier that he feels the people are the greatest strength of the City. Hughes questioned Schultz as to what more citizens can do within the community. · Schultz responded by stating that there are many new and familiar faces in the City and he believes that those that have been long time residents need to go and talk to the new people to get them involved. He stated that a community center would bind citizens within the community. Sr. Kara Hennes, St. Benedict Monastery: Hennes questioned Meyer as to the Downtown Revitalization effort and what he would bring to that effort in the future. · Meyer stated that there have been steps in the past to revitalize the south side of the Downtown Area; however, he would like to see steps made to rejuvenate and make the Downtown more appealing. Beyond the downtown, Meyer stated that he would like to see other areas of the City rejuvenated as well. Ellen Wahlstrom, Fih Avenue SE: Wahlstrom questioned the candidates as to whether or not they read the budget that was printed in the Newsleader and if so, what was their reaction. · Meyer responded that he was happy to see that the City is in decent financial shape. After reviewing the information, nothing seemed unusual to him. · McDonald stated that he read the budget that was published as well as the Audit that was presented to the Council. He stated that it is hard to actually see how well the City is financially as a balance statement always balances. · According to Rieke, he did not read the information that was published. He stated that the City is finally able to have a Finance Director on staff to do that and he is happy with that. · Schultz stated that he was able to read the budget that was printed and it seems as if the City has a sound budget. Sr. Genevieve Mehrs, St. Benedict Monastery: Mehrs questioned the candidates as to their awareness of the habitat for humanity project that will be taking place within the City of St. Joseph and whether or not they support it as well as how they would promote it to the Council as well as the community. · Rieke stated that the best method for promoting it within the community would be to invite the citizens to get involved as well as join with other groups in moving the process forward. · Schultz stated that he had previously participated with a Habitat for Humanity project and he believes that it is an excellent bonding opportunity for the City. · McDonald stated that he attended the last Chamber meeting at which it was stated that the project is on hold due to lack of land. · According to Meyer, this would be a good opportunity for the City and the College as well a way to gain community support. Phil Welter, Kiwi Ct.: Welter questioned McDonald as to the recreation services that are offered within the City. · McDonald stated that he reviewed the information relating to participation over the past three years. Last year there were only 44 participants from the City of St. Joseph. The other participants were from either St. Joseph or St. Wendel Townships. The big question is who is to blame for the low participation in Summer Recreation. The City has already spent funds on Summer Recreation for 2007. He then questioned how summer recreation is different than winter recreation. July 16, 2007 Page 6 of 8 Sr. Margret Fuller, St. Benedict Monastery: Fuller questioned McDonald as to whether or not he is open to reconsidering the Field Street issue. · McDonald replied that he has looked at several different alternatives and a lot of them do not make any sense; however, he is open to looking at some non-traditional alternatives for the corridor. Jim Graeve, 619 Minnesota Street E: Graeve questioned how the City can control engineering costs and whether it would be an option for the City to partner with other area cities to hire an engineer to work amongst those Cities. · According to Meyer, it sounds like a good idea; however, he stated that it would be difficult to determine which percentage should be paid by each community as each community has different projects. He added that many engineers would most likely not agree to such an arrangement. · McDonald responded by stating that a City such as St. Cloud would be large enough to hire its own engineer. A joint venture for engineering services will not change the industry standards. · Rieke stated that there may be an opportunity for joint engineering services; however, it would be difficult as we would need to be able to provide the infrastructure to get ready to go. · Schultz stated that he is in favor of shared services, but he is unsure if engineering is the right place to start. Neil Allen, 544 Graceview Loop: Allen stated that he is very happy with the neighborhood in which he lives in, but also stated that he is happy that the woods owned by the Sisters of Sf. Benedict are available for the public to enjoy. He questioned the candidates as to whether or not they also value the woods owned by the Sisters. · Meyer stated that, in his opinion, green space is important. He added that there are times; however, when you have to put in a road and trees need to be cut down. Currently, the City of St. Joseph has an approximate population of 6,000 and continues to grow. He would like to see the City keep its small town atmosphere. · McDonald stated that he likes the green space that the large woods offers, but he also understands the need for the corridor. He stated that it seems that people see this as a WIN- LOSE philosophy for the Sisters of St. Benedict. They have made a concession to construct an at-grade crossing to be able to make the best of the situation. · According to Rieke, this decision will affect homes, businesses and land owners alike. He agrees that there is a need for an East-West Roadway and it is a serious issue. He stated that lots of dialogue needs to take place. · Schultz stated that when he moved into his house in 1985, it was an empty field at a dead-end street. Since then, there have been homes and town homes constructed in the once empty field that abutted his property. The question is how the City going to deal with this change. He added that the City will adapt to Field Street if and when it is constructed. MaryAnn Graeve, 619 Minnesota Street E: Graeve stated that the City Staff deals with the citizens. She questioned how they will deal with City Staff, Administrator Weyrens in particular and any problems arising between City Hall Staff and the citizens. · Schultz stated that, as a citizen, he dealt with Weyrens for the first time this past March. He stated that there just needs to be communication. He stated that he would try to understand the entire situation before doing anything. · Rieke stated that he would not get involved in any issues between City Hall and citizens unless there is a need for the Council to be involved. In that case, the Council would need to address the situation as a group. · According to McDonald, he does not see himself, as a Council Member, the boss of any employee. The Council makes policies and it is up to the City Employees to follow those policies. He also stated that the Council cannot control every situation between citizens and City Staff. · Meyer stated that he would listen to citizen concerns and a meeting would need to be held if necessary. Nettie Pfannenstein, 208 E Ash Street: Pfannenstein stated that City Staff is very cooperative with the citizens they do a good job. Based on the fact that Meyer's main focus seems to be on the City's July 16, 2007 Page 7 of 8 finances, she questioned whether or not he is going to allow the City Staff to handle the day-to-day operations or whether he will be overstepping his boundaries as a Council Person. · Meyer replied that he would be happy to let the City Staff do their day-to-day operations. He stated that the role of the Council is to oversee City operations rather than get involved. Mary Therese Woida, St. Benedict Monastery: There are a couple different ways to proceed with City. 1. Look at needs of the City and plan for those 2. Look at its assets and build on them. She questioned the candidates to what they consider the greatest asset of the City and how could that be put to work for the City. · McDonald stated that the greatest asset is the citizens. It is difficult to get them energized to get involved. The City has tried to do this with the formation of the Downtown Revitalization Committee. He is in charge of the Meals on Wheels program in the City and stated that the City needs to create an environment in which people want to volunteer. · Rieke agreed with McDonald that the citizens are the greatest asset to the City. He stated that they are also the greatest weakness. The City needs to get the citizens motivated. They have done it in the past and many people were excited to be involved. · Schultz stated that recreation is the greatest asset to the City. There are excellent programs available to the Citizens if they work with the College of St. Benedict or ISO 742. · According to Meyer, the citizens are the greatest strength as well. He stated that it is important to build on the strength of the people. He believes that the City has a need for a community center. Mary Niedenfuer, 202 - 5th A venue NW' Niedenfuer stated that she is in charge of the Millstream Arts Festival and they are planning to bring it back to St. Joseph. She questioned what area they are most interested in, either downtown revitalization or development along along Hwy 75 and whether or not they would support the Millstream Arts Festival. · Rieke stated that his interest is in the area of business and retail. AT the present time the downtown revitalization project needs the most help and supports such efforts. Rieke also stated that he support the Millstream Arts Festival as it is a great opportunity for the City. · Schultz stated that he was disappointed when the Festival left St. Joseph. He would work to bring it back to the City as it could be a binding opportunity for the City. He added that the Downtown District needs a better vision and some direction. · Meyer stated that CR 75 is a well traveled road and businesses that serve the community will develop in that area. The Downtown; however, is the unique part of St. Joseph. He is in favor of such an event downtown. · According to McDonald, the Millstream Arts Festival will not recreate the downtown. He added that the downtown area is not a good place for heavy retail traffic due to lack of parking and infrastructure and thus will not remain the downtown area for the City. Candidate Summaries Rassier asked each candidate to summarize why they should be selected for the vacant Council seat. · Schultz stated that he has been a member of the community since 1985 and he is a community focused individual. He believes in vision first and then action. He wants to take an active role in the community. · Rieke stated that he and his wife chose to make St. Joseph their home. He added that his greatest strength is his long history of involvement within the community. · McDonald stated that there was good competition among the four candidates. He stated that he has a strong financial background as well as Council experience. He added that he also has some strong viewpoints. July 16, 2007 Page 8 of 8 · Meyer described himself as a futuristic planner and stated that he can use analytical data to make decisions. He stated that he has been very active in the Parish and that he would like to bring that involvement to the community. Councilor Appointment: Rassier stated that he was impressed by the candidates, but he had strong feelings about both Rieke and Schultz. Symanietz agreed and stated that she was impressed with both of them as well. Frank and Wick stated that they were most impressed with Schultz. According to Rassier, experience is important although Schultz brings good input to the table. Symanietz made a motion to appoint Rick Schultz to fill the vacant City Council seat. The motion was seconded by Frank and passed unanimously. Oath of Office: Administrator Weyrens administered the Oath of Office to Councilor Schultz. Mavor Appointment: Rassier requested that Councilor Wick be appointed to the St. Cloud Area Economic Development Partnership and Symanietz be the alternate. This appointment was previously held by former Mayor Carlbom. Frank made a motion to accept the appointment of Wick and Symanietz (alternate) as the representatives for the St. Cloud Area Economic Development Partnership. The motion was seconded by Symanietz and passed unanimously. Adiourn: Frank made a motion to adjourn; seconded by Schultz and passed unanimously. j t { 1/",,,..,'., , I r .'--.9'. ~L, t. 'I t t~L.,YCLLt- // Jud eyreris .. ,. / Admin' trator