Evansville Common Council---Strategic Planning Meeting---October 13, 2007

Evansville Common Council
Strategic Planning Meeting
Saturday, October 13, 2007
9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Bank of Evansville Community Room
12 J. Lindemann Drive.

Minutes

Call to order.
Mayor Decker called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 13, 2007.

Roll call.
Present: Mayor Sandy Decker, Alderpersons Mason Braunschweig, Tom Cothard, Dennis Wessels, Diane Roberts, John Sornson, Barb Jacobson, and Fred Juergens (arrived late). Absent: Alderperson Tony Wyse. Also present: Administrator Dan Wietecha, Finance Director Eric Jepperson, Fire Chief Mike Halvensleben, Police Chief Scott McElroy, Emergency Medical Services Coordinator Mary Beaver, Water and Light Superintendent Scott George, Public Works Superintendent Dave Wartenweiler, Library Director Kathi Kemp-Tejeda, Engineer Dave Sauer, and several members of the public.

Approval of agenda.
Braunschweig made a motion, seconded by Wessels, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried with all in favor.

Citizen appearances.
None.

Sidewalk assessments.
Staff Report: Wietecha distributed the engineer’s report and proposed final resolution. Most of the sidewalk project is adjacent to city property on the east side of the north end of Mason Street and the entry into the park. There are also two residential properties, one on Grove Street and one on North 6th Street. The estimate is $5 per square foot.
Initial Discussion by Council: None.
Public hearing: Mayor Decker opened the public hearing at 9:07. Dave Watson, 32 Grove Street, said he does not have a problem with the sidewalk but he is not too happy about having his yard dug up all winter. He noted it has already been a long year with construction in front of his business all summer. He had two questions: 1) When will the project start and 2) why does it have to be done in the fall when they are planning on digging up the lawns which will cause it to be muddy all winter? Wartenweiler noted that the project was sent out for bids and will start as soon as the bids are approved, likely in late October or early November. The yards will be graded, mulched and seeded right away, and some re-seeding may be needed in the spring. This project is in the 2007 budget. With no other comments, the hearing was closed at 9:12.
Final Discussion by Council: It was noted that the assessment was proposed to be payable over 10 years at 5%, consistent with other sidewalk projects.
Braunschweig made a motion, seconded by Sornson, to adopt Resolution 2007-45, Final Resolution Authorizing Installation of Sidewalk and Levying Special Assessments against Benefited Properties for Same. Motion carried with all in favor.

Creation of TID #8.
Mayor Decker removed herself from the table. Wietecha distributed the proposed resolution prepared by Ehlers and Associates. He noted that future steps in the legal process would include a meeting of the Joint Review Board. Negotiation of a development agreement with the Evansville Manor would also be pending. Braunschweig made a motion, seconded by Sornson, to adopt Resolution 2007-41, Creating, Describing and Making Certain Findings and Approving Project Plan for Tax Incremental District #8. Motion carried with all in favor. Mayor Decker returned to the table.

Mayoral appointments.
Braunschweig made a motion, seconded by Cothard, to waive the seven day notice on citizen committee appointments. Motion carried with all in favor.
Braunschweig made a motion, seconded by Roberts, to approve Michael Pierick, 126 Grove Street, to the Advisory Committee on the Unified Land Development Code (formerly named TND Committee). Motion carried with all in favor.
Braunschweig made a motion, seconded by Roberts, to approve Roger Berg, 6508 Ron Road, to Advisory Committee on the Unified Land Development Code (formerly named TND Committee). Motion carried with all in favor.
Braunschweig made a motion, seconded by Cothard, to approve Jeff Hanson, 535 Greenview Drive, to the Board of Appeals for an unexpired term ending in 2010. Motion carried with one vote against.
Braunschweig made a motion, seconded by Cothard, to approve Jeff Hanson, 535 Greenview Drive, as 2nd alternate to the Board of Appeals for 2007. Motion carried with all in favor.

Review of open meeting and public records law.
Mayor Decker distributed copies of a compliance guide prepared by the Attorney General. The Council noted that most committee notices contain a disclaimer that members of the Common Council may be attendance of the meeting. It was agreed that the disclaimer language would be reviewed for all committee notices to avoid potential problems of meeting in quorum.

Council procedures.
Council discussed changing the meeting dates in order to have a couple days in between the Finance and Labor Relations Committee and Common Council meetings. It was decided that no schedule change was needed at this time. It was agreed that department heads would review their regular bills to see if any need to have their billing cycle altered to better meet our meeting and payment schedule.

Council and department heads discussed re-establishing meetings on the Committee of the Whole. It was noted that in the past it provided more and better information from the various committees than is sometimes provided during the regular Common Council meeting. This will be put on the Council agenda for continued discussion.

The Council discussed re-establishing the Ordinance and Resolution Committee to review and draft all ordinances and resolutions proposed out of the various committees. It was agreed that the staff review and compilation of existing ordinances should be completed before putting this on the Council agenda for additional discussion.

Facilities, equipment, and staffing requirements.
Fire Department: Halvensleben noted that Excel Engineering has been selected for design of the new building and site. They will assist in evaluating and estimating needs to construct the building given the site’s soil conditions, including finding an alternate site. The Fire District has not yet purchased the property, and the City has not yet purchased the current Fire Hall. They hope to begin construction in the spring with completion that fall; the cost is estimated at $2 million. The District does have its own bonding authority if needed to finance the construction. The Council voiced its displeasure with the current structure of the District. The City pays 54% of the expenses (an amount expected to increase with continuing growth) but has only 2 of the 6 votes on the board. A substantial amount of money is to be paid by the City for the new Fire Hall and the ongoing operations of the Fire Department, and the City does not have adequate say about how the money is spent.

EMS: Beaver distributed a memo outlining the EMS space needs. The EMS office is currently housed in a spare room in City Hall. Some EMS employees are not local and stay in the office overnight when on-call; similarly, rural employees will stay in the office during winter weather conditions. The office is not set up to be and is inadequate for living quarters. They also lack room for ongoing training and meetings. They could move into the Dean Center Building with minimal remodeling. There are some staff complaints about vehicle exhaust when the ambulances start in the garage below City Hall; a garage could be built beside the Dean Center but is not an immediate need. They do have secure storage for records, but space is getting tight. They have no current equipment needs; a new ambulance is scheduled for 2012. The Council indicated that EMS should plan on moving into the Dean Center in early winter.

Police Department: McElroy said that at a meeting approximately five years ago the Council talked about moving the Police Station to the center of town; the current Fire Hall has been evaluated and appears to be a good fit. They currently have storage problems for equipment, no inside vehicle parking, inadequate storage for records, no suitable space for staff meetings and training. A training/meeting room in the building could be utilized by other departments. They are looking into digitally copying archived records to meet space needs. They would like to add a lift to do vehicle inspections on site and are getting a cost estimate. Staffing needs are growing; calls this year are running 22% higher than last year. They anticipate adding staff in 2009 or 2010. Eventually a second shift clerical position would also make the department more accessible to the public.

Municipal Court: Judge Tom Alisankus was unavailable to attend the meeting since court was in session. At a recent department head meeting, he had indicated that there are no problems in the foreseeable future for facilities or staffing. He is considering adding another day of court within the next year; it would be held on a Saturday.

Public Works: Wartenweiler said that other than items scheduled in the capital budget, the Department is in good shape. No remodeling needs to be done, but they have been looking into the feasibility of implementing solar energy at the garage. They have added a staff position this past year so are in pretty good shape.

Wastewater Treatment Plant: Wartenweiler and Sauer said we do need some upgrading to address elevated nitrates levels, approaching capacity limits in a 25-year-old treatment plant, and increased regulations to be imposed upon us in the next few years. Instead of doing an interim upgrade (which was done about three years ago and bought us another six years time), we should really upgrade the facility to meet the new capacity for 20 years and design it better to meet these limits. Our compliance schedule states that by the end of 2008 we need to have a design; this means planning within the next few months. The plant will take over a year to build it and it will cost about $1 to 2 million. The upgrade will also help us open up for more economic growth in the city. The City currently has three licensed operators.

Parks: Wartenweiler indicated staffing is going to be a critical issue in the next couple years after the westside park opened; this will most likely mean additional part-time, summer help. Playground equipment and a parking lot are scheduled for the westside park next year; a shelter/bathroom, ballfields, second entrance, and a service garage are planned in the future. It was noted that the neighborhoods around the westside park expect the improvements.

Water and Light: George noted that the new substation is under construction; it should be operational in early January. The next project is to continue the distribution loop. An addition to the warehouse is scheduled for 2009. John Rasmussen is retiring at the end of the year; we expect to promote from within for his successor.

Library: Kemp-Tejeda said the library is beyond its capacity; this limits the library’s ability to acquire new materials. Specific desires of a library addition include expanded adult fiction, large print books, a teen room, space dedicated to seniors, a larger children’s area, a staff work room, a meeting room and a computer lab. The library currently has only one librarian; they would like to have a half-time children’s librarian. Additional staff will also be needed after the library expands. It was noted that a combination of library facilities, an educational center and a conference room would make the project eligible for additional funding.

City Hall: Decker noted the tuckpointing is budgeted but still needs to be done. The former administration office can be of some use for storage or meetings but is not accessible for the public. Jepperson said the reorganization of the finance and clerical staff is going well. There was a request to put up a better directory in the lobby directing people to the offices on the second floor.

Dean Center Building: It was noted that a lot of haphazardly organized city records are stored in the basement. It was agreed that the vacant main floor should be utilized by the EMS.

Evansville Youth Center Building: Wietecha noted that the building has water problems during every significant rain; the cleaning bills are expensive. Some significant structural work on the building appears less expensive in the long run but estimates have not yet been examined.

Project reviews and prioritization.
Allen Creek Walls: Juergens said that the Drystone Conservancy would be conducting a training workshop next week. The 3000 linear feet of walls have been evaluated and ranked according to needed repairs. About 350 feet needs immediate attention as a safety issue; the remainder could be rebuilt over the next several years.

Lake Leota: Wietecha noted that the City received seven proposals for design engineering to dredge the lake; a budget amendment earlier in the year is funding the engineering. The proposals are posted on the City’s website for review. A screening committee with representatives from the Common Council, Public Works Committee, Park Board and SOLE select finalists to interview in a couple weeks. The engineering should be completed by the end of January, then there will be a defined project and reliable cost estimate with which to work. If the dredging project does not proceed, the City will need to consider closing the sluice gate and allowing the lake to re-fill in order to avoid having the area revert to wetlands. The dredging project is currently in the capital plan for 2009 at $2.5 million.

Stormwater Improvements: The general area around South Sixth Street has complained about a variety of drainage problems. Although the stormwater system generally worked considering the amount of rain received in August, there are some deficiencies. The designation of a drainage ditch just west of these properties as a channel on the updated FIRM map brings additional concerns for neighboring properties. In the near future, the Public Works Committee plans to convene a special meeting to discuss drainage concerns in this neighborhood, FEMA’s new floodplain maps throughout the City and the possibility of creating a stormwater utility. A stormwater utility would provide a funding source for stormwater-related maintenance currently funded through property taxes, for new activities to improve the City’s community rating system (CRS) score and for capital improvements to the existing stormwater system throughout the entire City. Stormwater improvements in general, not at any specific location, were named among the City’s top priority projects. If needed, revenue bonds could be issued to finance utility projects.

J. Lindemann Roundabout: This has been added to next year’s capital budget. With the addition of a health club, a hotel and other businesses, the roundabout cannot wait for the development of the D&D property. This project was named among the City’s top priority capital projects; it would be a TIF eligible expense. Additional right-of-way may need to be acquired. Halvensleben will be consulted during the design because of his knowledge in trucking and the concerns of the Fire Department.

WWTP Upgrade: Discussed earlier; there will be better cost estimates mid winter. This project was named as the City’s most essential capital project. It would likely be financed through revenue bonds and not impact the City’s debt limits. The WWTF does not have any debt currently so is in a pretty good position.

Other Street Projects: Liberty Street is on the capital plan for 2012.

New Fire Station: Discussed earlier; the Fire District has bonding authority to finance the construction independently.

Library Addition: Discussed earlier. The City will need to purchase of the current Post Office building. There are two possibilities being discussed with the owners. It may be purchased for $200,000; this appears to be a fair price. Or, the City may accept donation of the building in return for writing off some substantial deferred assessments on other properties of the same owner, a possibility of not having to come up with the $200,000. In either case an appraisal will be wanted. The Post Office would continue to pay rent to the City until the library project was ready. If the City were to cancel the lease of the Post Office prior to December 2014, the City would be obligated to help the Post Office relocate. Consensus was that the property be purchased for the future library expansion.

Renovation of Old Fire Station: Discussed earlier.

Renovation of Dean Center Building: Discussed earlier; remodeling should be minimal and may be done by City staff.

Soybean Crushing Facility: There is a $4 million allocation in the proposed state budget as seed money for development of a crushing facility. It has the support of both parties and the governor, but a budget has not yet been adopted. Evansville appears the logical site for such a facility, and Landmark Services Cooperative has indicated they will match the allocation with an addition $4 million to develop the facility in Evansville. If this proceeds, it may come quickly with planning and permitting in 2008 and construction in 2009. The project would likely involve the City applying for CDBG-PFED and TEA grants as well. The site is in TID #7.

Westside Park: Discussed earlier; this is the only area without a neighborhood park. Playground equipment and a parking lot are scheduled for next year.

Allen Creek & North Union Redevelopment Plan: The final draft is expected within the next couple weeks; it will go before the Plan Commission and Common Council in November. It is expected to include recommended capital projects, economic development efforts, and changes to zoning regulations. Most of the properties in this area are in TID #5.

Project financing.
Debt Capacity: Wietecha distributed copies of the General Obligation Debt Capacity Analysis that had been prepared by Ehlers & Associates for the October 9 meeting. He indicated that according to state statutes, the total general obligation indebtedness of the City may not exceed 5% of the equalized value of the taxable property in the City. In general, Ehlers recommends maintaining about 40% of this capacity unless the Council deems passing the threshold is warranted based on the specific nature of an individual project. As debt is paid off and as new tax base is added in the City, the amount of capacity available increases. When financing projects, the City may want to consider revenue bonds, PAYGO tax increment, or other means to avoid utilizing general obligation debt.

Stormwater Utility: A stormwater utility may be created to manage the stormwater system throughout the city. User fees would be established proportionate to the amount of stormwater runoff occurring from each individual property. It is primarily for maintenance, but also to fix existing deficiencies throughout the drainage system. New development would still be required to install ponds etc at the developer’s expense. A principal advantage to using a utility (rather than paying for stormwater expenses through property taxes) is that it more equitably allocates the costs based on the amount of runoff produced by each property. The Public Works Committee will discuss this possibility at a future meeting.

Park Land Impact Fees: There is proposed legislation that would allow conditioning approval of new developments upon dedication of parkland or payment of fees for park improvements in lieu of land. Wartenweiler asked about imposing parkland fees during the building permit process.

Excess City Properties: The City owns a small, surplus lot in the industrial area on Water Street; a neighboring property owner has asked about purchasing the lot to construct a building similar to those in the area. The City would gain some revenues from the sale and would see some increase in the tax base from the new building. The City also owns about two acres of unimproved parkland near Church and Fourth Streets; it could be sold for residential development.

Cable TV Franchise: Juergens pointed out that the City receives approximately $30,000 a year in franchise fees. These fees are limited to only cable television, not internet or telephone over the same cable lines, but there may be opportunity to negotiate other revenues in the new franchise agreement. There is currently legislation proposed that would prevent franchise fees from being determined locally; any negotiation of a new franchise agreement is on hold until after a decision on the state’s pending legislation.

Direct Legislation: Wietecha noted that some cities have seen direct legislation set thresholds for required referenda. Where these limits were unrealistically low, a city may be unable to accomplish needed infrastructure projects. Similarly, plebiscite requirements may prevent economic development projects needing a timely decision. He recommended the City consider a proactive approach by adopting an ordinance establishing procedures for conduct of citizen initiatives. Consensus was for Wietecha to draft such an ordinance; Juergens and Braunschweig will sponsor.

Policy matters.
Intergovernmental Cooperation: The City passed a resolution in May to establish its side of a committee to examine intergovernmental concerns with the Town of Union. The Town has yet to adopt a corresponding resolution.

Unified Land Development Code: The Plan Commission intends to overhaul the zoning code with a unified land development code. Aside from updating the zoning regulations; it is intended to provide a better, more user-friendly organization to the zoning and development regulations. An ad hoc committee will be meeting starting in November to discuss and draft the proposed update.

Annexation and Extraterritorial Zoning: Wietecha noted that the City may want to review its Smart Growth Plan and determine appropriate criteria for reviewing annexation and extraterritorial zoning requests.

Economic Development: Wietecha attends most Chamber of Commerce meetings to maintain a strong relation with the business community. They are working with the Economic Development Committee in planning for an Economic Development Summit on January 12; preparatory work has been well received.

Green Communities and Eco-Municipalities: There are 12 cities in the state certified as eco-municipalities. There are a number of environmental and conservation oriented things that already occur in Evansville; it may be advantageous to look into this certification program.

Adjourn.
The meeting was adjourned at 2:19 p.m.