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HomeMy WebLinkAbout[10c] 2014 Annual Admin Report ADMINISTRATION Annual Report 2014 This page intentionally left blank 1 CITY COUNCIL Mayor Rick Schultz Term Expires: January 2015 Councilor & Acting Mayor Dale Wick Term Expires: January 2015 Councilor Steve Frank Term Expires: January 2015 Councilor Bob Loso Term Expires: January 2017 Councilor Renee Symanietz Term Expires: January 2017 The City Council conducted its business on the first and third Thursday of each month at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chambers at City Hall. At the first meeting each year, the City Council ratifies the Mayors appointments to the various committees. For 2014 the major committee appointments included: Planning Commission – Rick Schultz Economic Development Authority – Dale Wick, Steve Frank Park Board – Bob Loso CITY ADMINISTRATION The City Administration administers city government within the guidelines of MN State Statute and city policies as established by the City Council. The City Administrator serves as the chief administrative officer for the City and reports to the Mayor and City Council. The administrator is responsible for managing the overall operation of all city departments to include: Administration, Police, Public Works, and Fire in addition to the consulting planning, legal, and engineering. The Administrator is responsible for providing overall direction and guidance for the City including, presenting the annual budget, human resource management, policy and ordinance management, collaborating with other agencies and organizations, managing the City Council Agendas, and coordinating strategic planning and visioning for the City of St. Joseph. The following tables summarize some of the activity completed by administration. Labor Contracts The City negotiated and settled both the AFSCME and LELS Labor contracts in 2014 for the contract years 2014 and 2015. The contract settlement reduced the health insurance cost to the City and increased wages with an overall increase of less than 3%. Special Interest Committees In 2014 the City Council created two committees to work on special projects. One committee is entitled the facilities committee and is reviewing the facility needs of the community to include government center and community center. The second committee is the water amenity committee and they are looking at the possibility of creating an outdoor water park. Both of these activities could be funded through the regional one half cent sales tax. It is anticipated the committees will present the City Council with final reports in early 2015. Number of City Council Meeting Packets Compiled Year City Council Regular City Council Special Committee/ Meeting’s Meetings Board Meetings 2012 23 7 35 2013 24 9 30 2014 16 7 43 2 Resolutions/Ordinance Amendments Ordinance Year Resolutions Amendments 2012 34 4 2013 63 24 2014 24 7 State Demographer Census Data Year Population Households 2012 6629 1867 2013 6787 1875 2014 NA NA Administrative Citations Renting w/out Year Weed Cutting License Parking Pad Other 2012 86 20 - 2 2013 107 4 39 - 2014 101 3 58 - Licensing Type 2012 2013 2014 Liquor, Intoxicating On Sale 6 8 8 Liquor, Malt 4 3 3 Liquor Off Sale 6 6 6 Special Sunday 7 8 8 Wine, on sale 2 2 2 Strong Beer - - 2 Amusement 7 7 7 Cigarette 7 7 7 Peddler 2 1 2 Dog 294 308 309 Gambling 5 12 5 Rental Housing 154 149 143 Rental Housing, Interim Use Permit 20 17 15 Permitting Type 2012 2013 2014 Compost 542 529 535 Kegs 0 39 27 Excavation 17 18 61 Watering 0 3 4 Building Permit, total number 443 262 279 Building Permit, inspections (total) 958 699 856 Building Permit, Valuation Increase $7,353,239.86 $4,814,618.21 $4,861,212.70 3 Facility Reservations Year Millstream Park Centennial Park Fire Hall Wobegon 2012 32 41 46 6 2013 37 34 42 2 2014 32 30 46 1 Election Statistics Total Registered New Total Year Voters Registrations Voters 2010 Primary 3969 38 400 General 4036 799 2389 2012 Primary 3868 12 194 General 3963 1443 3521 2014 Primary 3856 7 287 General 3337 423 1904 FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION The Finance Department is responsible for the following support services: accounts payable; accounts receivable; payroll; cash receipting; project accounting; implementation of financial controls; budget preparation; capital improvement planning; grant administration; cash and investment management; utility billing; utility rate analysis; audit and comprehensive annual financial report; special assessments; asset management, mandated state and federal reporting; debt monitoring. Bond Rating Standards & Poor’s affirmed the City’s bond rating of A+. The rating were based on the following factors: 1) very strong budgetary flexibility, with fiscal 2013 audited reserves at 65% of the general fund expenditures; 2) very strong liquidity providing very strong cash levels to cover both debt service and expenditures; and 3) strong management conditions with good financial management policies and practices. Bond Activity The City issued General Obligation Bonds, Series 2014A in the amount of $ 2,640,105.21. The bonds were issued to fund the 2014 Park Terrace Improvement, 2014 Water Tower Maintenance and the remaining financing for the 2014 Main Lift Station Project. The City called the 2007A GO Bonds as the City had the available funds to pay off the debt. The redemption saved the City $ 18,151 in future interest and reduced the overall debt of the City by $ 215,000. Utility Billing Over 1,800 utility accounts are billed bi-monthly for the City’s utility services to include: water, sanitary sewer, storm water, refuse and street light utility. Residents have the opportunity to pay their bills via the website (28 users), automatic withdraw (152 users) and the balance of accounts are paid through the mail or use of the City payment drop box. The City has a high collection rate, collecting over 98% of the utility accounts without going through a certification process. 4 Park – Roundup Program In 2013 the City started the round up project whereby residents can round up their water bill and the proceeds go towards park improvements. In 2013 the program raised $ 166.35. In 2014 55 customers participated raising $ 163.97 Grants In 2014 the City had received funding through two grant programs: 1) Safe and Sober, a program designed to add additional patrol on high traffic weekends. The City received $ 6,940 in grant funding; and 2) DEED Housing Rehab funding to allow residents in a designated area to apply for funding for rehab. The grant amount awarded was $ 600,000 with approximately 60% of the funding exhausted. Tax Classifications Property Classification 2013 Assessment Payable 2014 Residential $ 239,167,900 Commercial $ 60,144,800 Tax Exempt $ 164,048,700 Other $ 8,797,600 Total $ 472,153,000 Donations The City of St. Joseph is fortunate to have generous service clubs and residents who made donations for various projects during 2014. The total value of donations in 2014 equaled: $19,866.47. The following is a summary of donations: Donor Purpose Donation Maggie Schindler Fire Department $2,000.00 Dean Schenk Police Reserves $1,000.00 Numerous Businesses in the City Movie in the Park $3,200.00 Archery Country Archery Range Targets $874.90 Anonymous Disc Golf $125.67 Anonymous Archery Range $387.10 Anonymous Millstream Camping $1226.30 Numerous Businesses & Organizations Cloverdale Park See Below St. Joseph Plumbing, Heating & Irrigation Irrigation system/discounted $500.00 Honer Excavating, Inc. Water service installation $1,200.00 AMS Electric Electrical labor $440.00 Innovative Concrete Construction, LLC Gazebo pad labor $250.00 Loving Hearts Nursery Ongoing care for plants ongoing Concrete Plus Walking Path $6,625.00 Stearns Electric Association Fee Waived $250.00 Schroden, Inc New Sod $800.00 Knife River Discounted rate $787.50 C&L Excavating Landscaping $200.00 Total $19,866.47 5 BUILDING CODES The Building Official is responsible for administering the MN State Building Code and the primary services include: building permit administration and plan review; building code enforcement and inspections; mechanical and plumbing enforcement and inspections; rental housing licensing and inspections and sign enforcement. All building permit applications are reviewed for zoning compliance. The table below is a summary of building permit activity. Building Permit Type (excludes Plumbing & Mechanical 2012 2013 2014 permits) Residential Dwelling Multi Family New Construction New Single Family – Detached 2 2 - New Single Family – Attached 6 4 6 Remodel/Addition 30 15 17 Residential Accessory Accessory Building 9 6 8 Deck 26 11 11 Other 241 90 110 Total Residential – Number of Permit 314 128 149 Total Residential Market Value Increase $5,033,791.28 $2,049,308.81 $2,039,966.80 Commercial/Industrial New Construction 2 3 - Accessory Structure 1 1 - Addition 1 3 - Sign (permanent) 12 3 2 Other 32 33 35 Total Commercial/Industrial – Number of Permit 48 43 37 Total Commercial/Industrial Market Value Increase $1,751,360.35 $2,488,414.40 $2,753,487.00 Housing Programs In 2014 the City Council set aside $ 50,000 to be used as a single family housing incentive to help offset the water and sewer access fee. The incentive included waiving $ 5,000 of the water/sewer access fee to the first 10 single family building permits with a program end date of November 2014. In 2014 one building permit was issued with the incentive. The City Council partnered with the Central MN Housing Partnership to seek federal funding which would allow the Housing Partnership to purchase and improve the affordable housing on Baker Street East. In the grant application the City agreed to waive the building permit fee and reduce the rental inspection fees for a three year period. The City and Housing Partnership were awarded funding for the project in 2015. 6 PLANNING COMMISSION Ross Rieke Term Expires: January 2016 Matt Killam Term Expires: January 2017 Brad Cobb Term Expires: January 2015 Gina Dullinger Term Expires: January 2015 Chad Hausman Term Expires: January 2016 Daryl Schaefer Term Expires: January 2017 Rick Schultz Council Liaison The Planning Commission conducted its business on the first Monday of each month at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chambers at City Hall and are an advisory commission appointed by the City Council. The primary role of the Planning Commission is to hear requests and provide recommendations to the City Council on land use matters to include: variances, special/conditional use permits, ordinance amendments, rezoning, plats and/or subdivisions and development requests. The Planning Commission is also charged with planning for the future and developing and managing the Comprehensive Plan for the City. 2014 Highlights In 2014 the Planning Commission conducted 14 meetings, including one joint session with the City Council and Economic Development Authority. A priority for 2014 was the amendment to the Sign Ordinance, encapsulating new technology within the guidelines. The following is a summary of activities: Zoning The Planning Commission conducted three (3) hearings to request amendment to the Zoning Map. The Council accepted the recommendation of the Planning Commission rezoning all three areas as requested. The areas are as follows: The property adjacent to MN St W and I94 was annexed in 2014 and the property was rezoned to allow for commercial development. The property formerly known as the Metro Plumbing and Heating site was rezoned from Industrial to B2, Highway Business. The request was received to allow for the operation of a music based day care. 7 The proposed PUD for the downtown area included one property that was zoned R1. The property was rezoned to B1, to allow for commercial development. Variance The Planning Commission conducted two (2) hearings for Variance, one for McDonalds allowing for additional height for the free standing sign and one for Ridgewood Events Center allowing use of a parking area without meeting the improvement requirements as the use is seasonal. Once the use becomes year round the parking must meet the Ordinance requirements. The Council subsequently accepted the recommendation of the Planning Commission and issued the variances as requested. Special Use The Planning Commission considered two (2) requests for special use, one for the operation of an events center and the second allowing an accessory structure before the construction of a primary structure. The events center is located on the Scenic Specialties site and converts the century barn to an events center allowing for weddings and conventions. The events center will accommodate allow the serving of alcohol and outdoor music. The Council subsequently accepted the recommendation of the Planning Commission and issued the Special Use Permits as requested. Interim Use The Planning Commission conducted two (2) public hearings for Interim Use. Both permits requested an IU to allow a non-owner occupied rental in a R1 Zoning District. The permits expire in 2015 and can be renewed for an addition year and after the second year the property can no longer serve as a non-owner occupied rental. PUD/Platting The Planning Commission considered two requests for Planned Unit Development (PUD), one of which also included platting. The first PUD is entitled Bayou Blues and is located in the B1 Zoning District adjacent to College Avenue, North of Minnesota Street and South of Ash Street. The project includes a mix of retail, restaurant and two levels of residential dwellings. The PUD includes two buildings with one three stories in height. The first floor is proposed to be retail and the second and third floor is residential 8 and/or office. The second building is entitled Alley Flats and is a four (4) unit condominium unit with roof top patios. The project is anticipated to begin in 2015. Ordinance Amendments In 2014 the Planning Commission spent considerable time reviewing the Sign Ordinance, re-writing the entire Ordinance. The revised Ordinance expanded the definitions and added provisions for new technology such as digital signs. The City did keep the provision prohibiting billboards. Other Ordinance amendments included Fence and PUD Provisions. The City Council subsequently accepted the recommendation of the Planning Commission amending the Sign, Fence and PUD Ordinances. JOINT PLANNING BOARD Rick Schultz City Planning Commission Jeff Janssen Township Supervisor Ross Rieke City Planning Commission Hal Undersander Township Planning Gina Dullinger City Planning Commission Ralph Eiynck Township Planning Renee Symanietz City Council Michael Koltes Township Planning Judy Weyrens Administrator to Board Mark Bromenschenkl Stearns County Com. In 2010 the City and Township of St. Joseph and Stearns County executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) streamlining the development process in the Orderly Annexation Area. The MOU creates a Joint Planning Board which has exclusive authority over land use and zoning issues in the OA area. The Board consists of the following: City Representation – One member of the City Council and three from the Planning Commission; Township Representation – One member for the Township Board and three members from the Planning Commission; Stearns County Representation – District County Commission (ex-officio, non-voting). The Joint Planning Board conducts its business the second Monday each month, as needed, at 7:00 PM in the St. Joseph City Hall. In 2014 the Joint Planning Board met six (6) times. The following is a summary of activities: Rezoning All property within the Orderly Annexation Area (OAA) is zoned Urban Expansion (UE) and allows for one dwelling unit per 40 acres as the OAA is an area of transition. In 2014 the Joint Planning Board considered and approved two (2) requests for rezoning, zoning two areas R10 allowing for a residential development, one home per 10 acres. Before the development can proceed the developer will be required to complete the platting process which is anticipated in 2015. Variance The Joint Planning Board conducted two (2) hearings for variance, one allowing the construction of an accessory building before the primary structure and the second allowing the construction of an accessory building beyond the front line of the primary structure. Both variances were approved with construction in 2014. Conditional/Interim Use The Joint Planning Board conducted one public hearing for conditional use, allowing construction of an office to an existing business and one interim use allowing St. Joseph Sand and Gravel to operate a temporary asphalt plant for up to four (4) years. 9 COMMUNICATIONS The City of St. Joseph’s means of communications with the residents are as follows: Website Residents of St. Joseph are able to use the City website www.cityofstjoseph.com as an informational and productive resource. The website is monitored and updated by City Staff, including information such as:  Agendas, Minutes, and meeting packets for the Council, Boards, and Commission  An “Upcoming Events” section which shows all upcoming meetings  Contact information for City Staff and members of the Council, Boards, and Commission  Updated City Ordinances  The bi-monthly Newsletter  Building permit activity reports  Updated budget and fee schedule information  City maps  Information about Parks within the City In addition, residents are able to access forms for their convenience. Such forms include; building permit applications, dog license applications, and park and fire hall reservation forms. The website also allows residents to pay their utility bills, compost permit fees, and dog license fees online. Residents can report any concerns they may have utilizing the “Report a Concern” function. The Administrator is notified once the concern has been submitted and takes the necessary action on a case by case basis. The types of concerns varied and all were acted upon by City Staff. Newsletter In the Know in St. Joseph, is the bi-monthly newsletter that is sent to residents with their utility bills. It can also be accessed on the homepage of the website. The newsletter provides any updates, holiday information, and reminders for the residents. A few businesses in St. Joseph have submitted their ads to appear in the newsletter as well. Cable Access Channel The cable access channel serves as an additional informational resource to residents of St. Joseph. The channel consists of informational slides that include contact information for City Council members and department heads, any upcoming events in the City, and any updates/reminders for that particular season. In additional all regular City Council and Planning Commission are broadcast live and repeated once each week. 10 This page intentionally left blank 1