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HRA 05/02/20131 of 36 2013 Council/Commission Survey 1. Playground Equipment Replacement: In the early to mid-1990s, the City of Fridley completed a major replacement of the children’s play equipment in all of our city park system. The cost to install the new equipment in 27 parks was approximately $1 million (1995 dollars). The life expectancy of the equipment can vary depending on the amount of use (and abuse) it gets, but twenty-five to thirty years is on the high end. We are approaching that twenty-five year mark for some of our play equipment replacements and will likely need to consider putting play structures into the Parks 5-year CIP in the near future. With inflation factored in, the same amount of play equipment at those 27 parks would likely cost around $1.4 million today. The Parks CIP was funded for many years with three sources of revenue. First, there was interest revenue earned on the fund balance reserves. While interest is still a factor in the Parks CIP revenue, we all know what has happened to interest rates in the past few years. Back in 2006 (and in previous years), the interest earned in the Parks fund amounted to around $60,000 per year. With today’s low interest rates, the Parks fund interest revenue has been around $20,000 per year. The second revenue source included a small amount of park dedication fees collected each year of approximately $10,000 per year. The third source of revenue for the Parks CIP fund was $107,000 that was transferred from property tax receipts each year. This was a standard practice in our City for many years, but was temporarily halted in 2009 due to the City’s significant budget issues. To date, this funding source has not been reinstated. As recent as five years ago, the annual revenue flowing into the Parks CIP fund was around $170,000 to $180,000 per year. We are at about $30,000 today. With interest revenue, relatively small park dedication fees, and no transfer of property tax receipts to the Parks CIP, the limited park renovations and maintenance projects have been whittling down the principal dollars. As of the December 31, 2012, the Parks CIP fund has a fund balance of approximately $2M and a projected fund balance of $1.37M at the end of 2017. Without a more substantial source of revenue for the future, this approach will eventually limit the ability of the City to do necessary park improvements. What are your views on this issue? Please select the response that most closely matches your opinion. Response Percent Response Count Reinstate the transfer of $107,000 of property tax revenue each year to the Parks CIP to help with the major play equipment replacement needs on the horizon. 53.8%21 2 of 36 Stay with the current approach and use the limited park revenues, along with the fund balance, to complete the required park projects. 46.2%18 Comments or Suggestions: 12 answered question 39 skipped question 0 2. Park Dedication Fees: Adequate parks and recreation facilities positively affect the quality of our lives and neighborhoods, and the City has required park dedication fees to help realize this goal. The program requires developers to provide park land or park dedication fees in lieu of the land dedication. According to our public dedication ordinance, the general rule is that the park dedication shall amount to ten percent of the gross residential area to be subdivided and three percent of the commercial or industrial area to be subdivided. The City has the option to accept an equivalent amount in cash for part or all of the required dedication. The policy statement on park fees for land subdivisions has established a set dollar amount for the residential, commercial and industrial developments. These fees have not been adjusted since the late 1980s. Our current fees are $1,500 per lot for a residential subdivision, $750 per lot for a residential lot split and $1,000 per acre for a commercial or industrial subdivision or lot split.A survey of 26 Minnesota communities in 2012 showed that the average park dedication fees for single family homes were $2,789 per housing unit. The average park dedication amount for commercial development was $6,581 per acre, and the amount for industrial development was $5,184 per acre. To illustrate that our current rates are considerably lower than the ten percent of residential and three percent of commercial industrial called for in our City of Fridley public dedication ordinance, we know that some recent HRA residential lots have sold for around $30,000. Ten percent equivalent in cash would be $3,000, double the current fee of $1,500. Commercial-Industrial property can sell along a broad range, but $2 to $5 per square foot is not uncommon. At the low end of $2 per square foot, commercial property would sell for almost $90,000 per acre. Three percent of that figure would be $3,000, compared to the $1,000 per acre fee we require today. While there are not a lot of park dedication fees being realized in a City as fully developed as Fridley, we do bring in park fees from several projects each year. The park fees are accounted for in our Park Capital Improvement Fund, and help with the many projects and improvements to our park system. The negative aspect of the park fees is that developers do not like to pay the current level of fees and often ask to have the park fees reduced. Higher fees may bring even more concern from potential developers. Please indicate which of the following most 3 of 36 closely represents your view on the park dedication fees. Response Percent Response Count Park dedication fees should be raised to a level that is more in line with the actual value of land dedication that is required by our ordinance. 71.8%28 Park dedication fees should be kept at the current level.28.2%11 Comments or Suggestions: 8 answered question 39 skipped question 0 4 of 36 3. Emerald Ash Borer: The Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive species that is changing the face of many metro area community landscapes. The problem insect has been affecting trees in 14 states (including Minnesota) and has also been detected in Canada. It has killed at least 50 to 100 million ash trees already and threatens to kill most of the 7.5 billion ash trees throughout North America. The potential impact of this insect rivals the damage caused by Dutch Elm and Oak Wilt disease. Some communities in the Twin Cities area are taking a pre-emptive approach and removing healthy ash trees, replacing them with a variety of other species. Other communities are doing some limited chemical treatment of healthy ash trees to attempt to ward off the insect. Other communities are taking down infected trees and replacing with other varieties at the time of removal. In the City of Fridley, we know that we have a large proportionate number of ash trees in our parks, on our other public properties and on many street boulevards. In order to get a better understanding of the potential impact of an infestation in our community, it is an important first step to conduct a comprehensive tree inventory on our public lands. By knowing the number of ash trees and the other varieties of trees we are responsible for, it will allow us to evaluate options and anticipate costs in dealing with the emerald ash borer problem. To have our Parks Maintenance Division conduct a tree inventory this coming summer would require new software, a hand-held data recorder, and a summer intern. The software for the tree inventory is available free from the US Forest Service, and the Public Works Department already has a hand-held data recorder that would be available for use this summer. A three-month forestry intern position to record the data and complete the report would cost about $7,000. At the end of this process, the City would have an accurate data base of tree species, locations, tree sizes and condition of the trees on our public land. Not only would this information be helpful in determining cost options for dealing with the Emerald Ash Borer issue, but the data would be of assistance in maintenance tracking and assessing costs for emergencies such as wind-related disasters. Relief funding for disasters can be substantiated with this information. What are your views on this issue? Please select the response that most closely matches your opinion. Response Percent Response Count Provide the resources to the Parks Maintenance Division to hire a forestry intern who will assist in completing a one-time tree inventory of our parks, boulevards and other public property. 87.2%34 Don’t do the inventory at this time.12.8%5 5 of 36 Comments or Suggestions: 11 answered question 39 skipped question 0 4. Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) as Replacement Police Patrol Vehicles: Motor vehicles used in police patrol have usually been full-sized sedans. Mid-sized cars have smaller passenger compartments and lighter frames that make them ill suited to the type of heavy duty service required in patrol operations. Auto manufacturers acknowledge that most of their current offerings are not intended for use as primary police vehicles. Over the past dozen years, the Fridley Police Department, like many others, has relied on the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, a vehicle designed and marketed for heavy duty use in police and taxi fleets. Unfortunately, in 2012 Ford stopped production of the Crown Victoria and replaced it with a downsized sedan. Chevrolet and Dodge each offer similar sedans for use as a police patrol vehicle. In addition, both Ford and Chevrolet offer a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) for police use that is also “pursuit rated”,meaning that it is specifically designed for emergency situations requiring a higher speed response. In 2011, the department purchased two Chevrolet SUVs for use by the K9 teams, and in 2012, the department purchased three Chevrolet Caprice sedans as replacements for aging Crown Victoria cars. The SUVs were able to carry a greater payload and the equipment carried is kept in the climate controlled rear portion of the passenger cabin as opposed to the trunk of a sedan. The latter is important as some devices such as oxygen tanks, defibrillators, cameras, and portable breath testers should not be continuously exposed to sub-zero cold or high heat that may be found in a sedan trunk. Between the equipment carried on their bodies (gun belt, ballistic body armor) and the equipment kept within arm’s reach (radio, light and siren controls, mobile data computer, radar) many officers found the SUVs to be roomier and more comfortable to use throughout a shift than the sedans. Prisoner access was found to be easier as well. In 2012, Detective Andrew Todd completed a 22-page research paper, for an undergraduate class, on the efficacy of SUVs versus sedans in police service. The paper explored a number of factors including: initial cost, service life, resale value, maintenance, fuel mileage, and safety considerations. His conclusion, which has been borne out by research conducted by other agencies, is that the typical police SUV costs less to operate, is safer and more comfortable, and provides better equipment storage options than the sedans. Still, there may exist a public perception that SUVs are gas guzzling and expensive. Given all these factors, should the Police Department consider purchasing additional SUVs when the need arises to replace a sedan patrol vehicle? Response Percent Response Count 6 of 36 Yes 87.2%34 No 12.8%5 Comments or Suggestions: 12 answered question 39 skipped question 0 5. Use of All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) for Patrolling City Parks and Bike Trails: Recently, through a Federal Justice Assistance Grant, the Police Department purchased an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) to improve emergency response during natural or man-made disasters where roads may be blocked by debris; to assist emergency responders in accessing the nearly 600 acres of parkland and trails located within the City; and to provide logistical support during special events and community programs. The ATV allows the department to transport personnel and equipment during times and into areas where it is difficult or impractical to use traditional police vehicles. The addition of the ATV also provides the department with the ability to access parkland and trails on a more routine basis. The Police Department is fortunate to have a ready pool of volunteer Reserve Officers who would be willing to perform public safety and crime deterrence patrol in the parks and trails using the ATV. With the use of our volunteer unit, the costs associated with this increased patrol would have minimal budget impact. Parks and Recreation Director, Jack Kirk, is supportive of the kind of routine patrol an ATV could add to the City’s parks and trails. He believes the police presence would help citizens feel safer while they use the park system. On the other hand the noise and presence of an ATV, in areas normally off-limits to motor vehicle traffic, could be viewed as a distraction and take away from the experience of people enjoying the natural beauty of our parks and trails. Given these factors, should the Police Department engage in routine patrol of the City’s parks and trails using the newly acquired ATV? Response Percent Response Count Yes 84.6%33 No 15.4%6 Comments or Suggestions: 10 answered question 39 7 of 36 skipped question 0 6. Firefighter/EMT Staffing Levels: In 1994, the Fire Department began assisting the Police Department in responding to medical emergencies. Since that time, the program has evolved into a 24/7 service with firefighters providing a higher standard of care. As the City’s population continues to age and more senior care facilities and high density housing are being built, the number of medical calls for service has grown by 38% since 2004. In the first two months of 2013, the Fire Department has had forty-seven instances where calls were overlapping. In some cases, there were three or more calls happening at the same time. Of these instances of overlapping calls, firefighters were called from home to respond on calls thirteen times. Most of these call backs were during weeknight evenings and weekends when there is a minimum of two firefighters scheduled on duty. This results in a delayed response and has required more resources from the Police Department to respond. Similar to medical calls, the weekday staffing of four to five firefighters allows for a fire truck to respond to emergencies in a four to six minute time frame with adequate staff to begin fighting a residential fire. The same service cannot be provided on weekday evenings and weekends. Forty years ago, it took an average of 20 minutes for the contents of a residential room to go from a small fire to a room fully involved in fire. Today, it takes only two minutes on average for the same event because of all the plastics used in home furnishings. Firefighters are arriving at residential fires and finding multiple rooms involved in fire when in the past, they were typically confining fires to one room. This makes the time to respond even more critical to saving lives and reducing property damage. This raises the question…Should the Fridley Fire Department routinely schedule four or more firefighters on shift regardless of the time of day or day of the week to respond to emergency calls? Response Percent Response Count Yes. Why? 61.5%24 No. Why? 43.6%17 answered question 39 skipped question 0 8 of 36 7. Firefighter/EMT Recruitment: The shortage of qualified volunteer or paid-on-call firefighters is a national trend that is affecting all of the communities in the metro area. The US Fire Administration and the National Volunteer Fire Council cite the number one source of the problem as “not enough time.”Since the 1970s, two income families, increased training demands, higher call volume and additional demands on the fire departments have taken their toll on an individual’s ability to serve. In the past four years, the Fridley Fire Department has seen a 40% drop in the number of applications received for paid-on-call firefighters. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of non-resident applicants that are looking for experience with the goal of becoming a full-time firefighter. There is also a significant increase in the number of applicants who either cannot pass the background check or the psychological exam. Once hired, there is a problem in retaining paid-on-call firefighters. Of the eighteen firefighters hired between the years 2002 and 2009, seven have left employment with the Fire Department before reaching ten years of service. Fire departments have changed marketing strategies, consolidated services, offered additional incentives for employment and in Anoka County, hired a full-time recruiter. While these strategies may be a stopgap in the recruiting and retention problem, they do not appear to be a long-term solution. Some communities have turned to hiring experienced, paid part–time firefighters to staff stations on a scheduled basis. This appears to be a very attractive position for the firefighters and to the fire department because they come with training and experience, but requires an increased number of firefighters to fill the shifts. This staffing model also does little to resolve the issue of retention. Part-time firefighters may not live in close proximity to the community’s fire stations, which increases reliability on mutual aid from other fire departments. A full-time staffing model brings stability to the workforce for a number of reasons. Full-time employment would broaden the scope of applicants, attracting not only more in number, but also more experienced applicants. Full-time staff is traditionally less transient and employees stay in the job longer. This serves to reduce the cost of hiring, training, providing uniforms and protective clothing. Full-time staffing also brings an increased level of experience-based knowledge that reduces the City’s liability. Hiring additional full-time staff also provides depth in the staffing, reducing the impact on staffing for vacations, illness or injuries. The obvious drawback is the increased cost per firefighter in both salary and benefits. Like the part-time model, there may be an increased reliance on mutual aid from other communities if full-time staff reside outside the response area. What do you think? Should the Fridley Fire Department… Response Percent Response Count Explore additional incentives for hiring and retaining paid-on-call firefighters? This may include City 9 of 36 contributions to the Relief Association pension, health insurance or low/no cost housing. The cost of such incentives is variable and would have to be explored on a case-by-case basis. 26.3%10 Move towards a staffing model that relies more heavily on scheduled part-time firefighters? The cost to add one more paid- on-call firefighter to each of the three shifts would be $95,000 to $100,000. 34.2%13 Move towards a staffing model that employs more full-time firefighters? There is currently one full-time firefighter scheduled on one of three shifts. The cost to add one more full-time firefighter to each of two shifts is $200,000 in salary and benefits. This assumes that firefighters will be scheduled on 24-hour shifts. 15.8%6 Other (please specify) 23.7%9 answered question 38 skipped question 1 10 of 36 8. Rental Inspection Protocol: Since 2008, the number of rental housing properties has grown by over 60%. Some of this can certainly be blamed on the economy, resulting in an increase in the number of single family homes that have become rental property. There currently is a very strong market for rental property that has led to the addition of larger apartment buildings in the metro area. Fridley will certainly see an increase in higher density housing being built. While the current model of using firefighters has, for the most part, been an efficient model for the inspection of rental property, it has come at a great cost to providing emergency services. Operating the Rental Housing Inspection Division has limited the amount of staff time for developing Fire Department training, public education, facility and equipment maintenance and management. The elimination of the fire marshal position, increased call volume, and the increase in rental properties has all contributed to the problem. In addition, the increase in single family rental properties has also led to an increase in duplication of staff time and correction orders being sent by both the Community Development Department and the Fire Department. Duplication of correction orders often leads to confusion for the property owners and generates additional staff time and calls to City staff. Some efforts have been made to coordinate prevention of duplicate correction orders from the two departments, but they continue to operate independently and use different databases for the storage of information. The Fire Department is proposing a coordinated inspection staff composed of civilian personnel for the purpose of inspecting all residential housing. A civilian staff can schedule inspections without interruption by emergency calls and free Fire Department staff to focus on personnel training, prevention of fires and a more efficient emergency service. A coordinated staff, under the direction of one department, would limit duplication of inspections and correction orders and eliminate some of the confusion in who to go to for questions about property. Common policies and enforcement would provide a better service for property owners and occupants and ultimately a better service for the community as a whole. Should the City of Fridley… Response Percent Response Count Place civilian inspectors under the direction of the Fire Department for the purpose inspection of all residential properties thereby allowing firefighters to focus on emergency services and fire prevention? 23.7%9 Place civilian inspectors under the direction of the Community Development Department for the purpose of inspecting 11 of 36 residential properties thereby improving efficiency and customer satisfaction and allowing firefighters to focus on emergency services and fire prevention? 60.5%23 Coordinate the existing staff of the Fire Department and Community Development Department through policy and technology with the understanding that there will be a greater customer satisfaction and there will be some improvement in efficiency in inspections but at a continued cost to other services? 13.2%5 Continue to inspect residential rental properties with the existing Fire Department Staff but, at a reduced level knowing that there may be a less than satisfactory response from the community. 2.6%1 Comments or Suggestions: 8 answered question 38 skipped question 1 12 of 36 9. Water & Sewer Service Line Insurance: Fridley City Code, Section 402.06, requires owners to maintain water and sewer service lines that serve their property. The emergency repair and/or replacement of water services and sewer laterals to residences can be an expensive burden for many homeowners, particularly in the current economy. Between 20 and 30 residents have water service leaks requiring repair during an average year. Costs borne by residents typically are between $3,000 and $5,000, but costs can at times rise to more than $10,000. Following a 2011 Council/Commission survey question, the City has allowed the costs for these repairs to be assessed over a five-year period and included in property taxes as a method of last resort to allow expedient repair. This is allowed when the owner does not qualify for a loan program through the Fridley HRA. An additional level of service could be provided to residential property owners through their pre-paid insurance. In the event of a service leak, a contractor’s repairs could be paid for by this insurance. Some other municipal utilities have provided insurance for repairs within their rate structures. This system does create an administrative staff burden which could be recovered through insurance payments. We estimate that a program administered through the City of Fridley would cost $3 to $4 per month for residential properties. This alternative would need to be mandatory for all residential owners in order to be cost- effective and administered reasonably by the City of Fridley. Other utilities also have negotiated arrangements with third-party companies to offer insurance for utility service lines who administer their repair. Costs range from $4 to $5 per month for this protection for homeowners. Would you support the City of Fridley’s involvement in such a program for residential property owners? Response Percent Response Count Yes 73.7%28 No 26.3%10 Comments or Suggestions: 12 answered question 38 skipped question 1 13 of 36 10. Water and Sewer Service Line Insurance (Continued): If you responded “Yes”to the previous question that you would support the City's involvement, which method of providing this added level of service is most preferable to you? If you responded "No," to the previous question, please proceed to the next question. Response Percent Response Count Offer mandatory insurance for residential services administered by the City of Fridley 28.9%11 Offer optional insurance for residential services through a third party insurer 44.7%17 Other (please specify) 26.3%10 answered question 38 skipped question 1 14 of 36 11. Traffic Calming Policy: Each year, the City of Fridley receives many requests from citizens seeking assistance to address neighborhood traffic concerns. Often the focus of these concerns is vehicle speeds. In most cases, speeding is not the result of an intentional decision to break the law, but is instead a poor habit. Violators are often local residents who live in the neighborhood and are driving inattentively and may be unaware they are speeding. Awareness efforts through the use of the Police Department speed trailer and enforcement action by police officers have been the only available strategies employed to resolve the citizen concerns. These are just short-term solutions, however. In 2012, the Police and Public Works Departments purchased a portable speed radar sign. The use of the radar sign in different areas of the City has been successful, but again it cannot be installed on a permanent basis and therefore is not a long-term solution to speeding in any one location. Traffic calming consists of engineering, community education, and police enforcement measures put in place on roads for the intention of slowing down or reducing motor-vehicle traffic to improve safety of all roadway users, including cyclists and pedestrians. Such measures are common in Europe, but less so in North America. Traffic calming may involve physically altering the road layout or appearance to slow traffic down. Traffic calming typically focuses on reducing excessive speeds along local streets, and may consider factors such as who’s using the roadway, how much they are using the roadway, the type of roadway, existing roadway conditions, adjacent land uses, and other factors to determine whether a means of speed reduction is feasible. A traffic calming policy would establish a process of evaluating and approving long-term speed reduction strategies for the City of Fridley, and provide guidance in regard to how such improvements might be funded and maintained. Development of such a policy would require staff time from various departments, including Engineering, Police, Fire, and Finance. Other than legal review, we do not expect that there would be additional outlay of cost for such a policy. Traffic calming elements that might be considered by such a policy could include installation of striping, signage, special surfacing, speed tables, speed cushions, curb extensions, median diverters, pedestrian refuges, changes to street width or geometry, and intersection reconfigurations. Would you support development of a Traffic Calming Policy by staff for the City of Fridley? Response Percent Response Count Yes 71.1%27 No 28.9%11 Comments or Suggestions: 8 answered question 38 15 of 36 skipped question 1 12. Street Improvement Districts: Carefully implemented roadway maintenance projects, including crack sealing, sealcoating, and overlays, can increase the lifecycle of streets by twofold or more. For every dollar spent on maintenance, a road authority saves several dollars in repairs. Continued reliance on the volatile property tax system can inhibit timely maintenance and add taxpayer costs due to inefficiencies in available funding mechanisms. In 2013, the Minnesota Legislature introduced a bill (HF 745 / SF 607) that would allow cities to create street improvement districts. The authority granted under this legislation would allow cities to collect fees from property owners within a district to fund municipal street maintenance, construction, reconstruction, and facility upgrades. If enacted, this legislation would provide the City of Fridley with an additional tool to build and maintain city streets. The proposed bill authorizes cities to establish street improvement districts and impose fees for improvement and maintenance within the districts. Transparency and public involvement are preserved in proposed legislation establishing street improvements districts, as it requires development of a plan, adopted after notice and public hearing, which identifies the district(s) before the fee may be imposed. The bill as presented also requires fee revenues be put in a separate account and used only for projects in the district and identified in the plan. Imposing special assessments for projects funded with the street improvement fee would be prohibited. By funding through a street improvement district, improvements are not required to provide special benefit to each property. Street improvement districts, therefore, are more flexible in regard to types of improvements and less prone to challenge on legal grounds. Proposed street improvement districts still require a uniform application of fees within property classification. City staff has supported this legislation, and has considered application of a street improvement fee to fund future maintenance of concrete streets in the southeast area of Fridley. City staff is also interested in the possibility of use of this street improvement fee in lieu of special assessments for rehabilitation of asphalt streets. Staff does not anticipate costs to increase to property owners through use of this fee in place of special assessments. Staff has not yet determined whether implementation of Street Improvement Districts and associated fees would be subject to the City Charter limitation on new/increased fees. If it were, a referendum would be required for its approval and passage. For the purposes of this question, it is recommended to consider that passage of a referendum would be required. Do you support use of street improvement fees to fund projects to maintain concrete streets in the Black Forest North, Innsbruck, and South Innsbruck neighborhoods in the southeast area of Fridley? Response Percent Response Count 16 of 36 Yes 60.5%23 No 39.5%15 Comments or Suggestions: 7 answered question 38 skipped question 1 13. With respect to the previous question regarding street improvement districts, do you support the use of street improvement fees to fund annual asphalt street rehabilitation projects in lieu of the current special assessment funding? Response Percent Response Count Yes 65.8%25 No 34.2%13 Comments or Suggestions: 6 answered question 38 skipped question 1 17 of 36 14. Maintaining of Trails and Sidewalks Ranking: The Active Transportation Plan being present this spring is going to trigger special attention to snow plowing of trails and sidewalks. Public so much ability to staff such needs. Please rank the following as how you would prioritize wint needs: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Public school routes 76.3% (29) 10.5% (4) 5.3% (2) 5.3% (2) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 2.6% (1) Private school routes 2.6% (1) 47.4% (18) 18.4% (7) 7.9% (3) 2.6% (1) 2.6% (1) 0.0% (0) 7.9% (3) 2.6% (1) 7.9% (3) Metro Transit bus stop access 7.9% (3) 18.4% (7) 28.9% (11) 18.4% (7) 7.9% (3) 10.5% (4) 2.6% (1) 5.3% (2) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) Senior/disabled housing areas 0.0% (0) 2.6% (1) 13.2% (5) 15.8% (6) 26.3% (10) 13.2% (5) 15.8% (6) 7.9% (3) 5.3% (2) 0.0% (0) Train station access 0.0% (0) 7.9% (3) 15.8% (6) 18.4% (7) 28.9% (11) 7.9% (3) 5.3% (2) 2.6% (1) 7.9% (3) 5.3% (2) County park trails 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 2.6% (1) 2.6% (1) 0.0% (0) 13.2% (5) 7.9% (3) 7.9% (3) 18.4% (7) 47.4% (18) City park paths 0.0% (0) 2.6% (1) 0.0% (0) 5.3% (2) 5.3% (2) 7.9% (3) 23.7% (9) 5.3% (2) 44.7% (17) 5.3% (2) Transit Oriented Development area 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 2.6% (1) 7.9% (3) 7.9% (3) 15.8% (6) 21.1% (8) 23.7% (9) 10.5% (4) 10.5% (4) Arterial and collector street sidewalks 5.3% (2) 2.6% (1) 13.2% (5) 13.2% (5) 15.8% (6) 13.2% (5) 13.2% (5) 5.3% (2) 10.5% (4) 7.9% (3) Public spaces (library, etc.)7.9% (3) 7.9% (3) 0.0% (0) 5.3% (2) 5.3% (2) 15.8% (6) 10.5% (4) 34.2% (13) 0.0% (0) 13.2% (5) answered skipped 18 of 36 15. County-Wide Recycling Facility: Over a year ago, the City Council passed a resolution asking the Anoka County Board to study the feasibility of using a portion of SCORE funds (which go to municipalities for recycling) for establishment of a County-wide recycling drop-off facility that our residents could use 5 days per week year-round. This would be an alternative to cities hosting twice-annual or monthly drop-off events where residents wait in long lines in their cars to recycle things like televisions and refrigerators. Although the County Board has not responded to that resolution, The Anoka County Integrated Waste Management staff has proposed a joint funding plan that could move toward the creation of a permanent recycling center in the southern part of Anoka County. The County would provide operational funding but the cities of Columbia Heights, Hilltop, Spring Lake Park and Fridley would need to find a site and form a joint powers agreement to operate it. The cities would likely need to share in land acquisition or leasing and remodeling or construction costs to secure a site. Assuming a suitable site in or near to Fridley could be found, would you be supportive of the City: Response Percent Response Count Pursuing such a proposal only if there were no additional costs to the City in finding AND operating the center. 13.2%5 Entering into a joint powers arrangement if the City committed no more than the equivalent cost of our twice per year recycling drop-off events— about $25,000. 50.0%19 Entering into a point powers arrangement and committing up to $50,000 additional funds toward the cost of a recycling center. 15.8%6 Opposing cities running a recycling drop-off center in southern Anoka County and feel the County should provide this service. 21.1%8 Comments or Suggestions: 7 answered question 38 skipped question 1 19 of 36 16. City Hall Office Hours: Governments are in business to provide public service to residents and businesses, and being available at convenient times is important in providing quality service. Unquestionably, service delivery has changed over recent years with the advent of more and more on-line services. The City is no exception to this movement. Due to the ever increasing availability of on-line services, we are experiencing a reduction in visitors stopping by City Hall. Current services that are available on-line include; utility bill payments, recreation program registration, housing and property information, public document archives and the list goes on. These services are all available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. With the advent of on-line services, several staff members have asked the question about City Hall hours and if there is a possibility of having hours changed from 8:00 a.m. –5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. –4:30 p.m. In their dealings with colleagues from other cities, it appears that City Hall hours were almost universally defined as 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.. A couple years back, staff conducted a survey of the 144 cities in the seven-county metro. Of those cities, 113 kept regular business hours throughout a 5 day work week. Of the 113, 83% posted hours from 8:00a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Only 5% of the cities, including Fridley, posted hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The remaining 12% posted hours unique to their circumstances, with variations as numerous as the number of remaining cities. In addition, both Anoka County and State agencies have office hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A modest benefit of closing a half hour early would be the reduction of energy costs. With this simple modification, peak energy consumption would be reduced by 130 hours each year. In addition to electricity reductions for lighting and equipment needs, heating and cooling costs would also be reduced. Do you support modifying City Hall hours to close at 4:30 p.m.? Response Percent Response Count Yes 81.6%31 No 18.4%7 Comments or Suggestions: 9 answered question 38 skipped question 1 20 of 36 Page 1, Q1. Playground Equipment Replacement: In the early to mid-1990s, the City of Fridley completed a major replacement of the children’s play equipment in all of our city park system. The cost to install the new equipment in 27 parks was approximately $1 million (1995 dollars). The life expectancy of... 1Needs further discussion. Some grant writing to USTA or the Youth sports affiliated with the Twins organization? Apr 9, 2013 4:57 AM 2Parks are very important asset of our CommunityApr 7, 2013 7:33 PM 3I am saying staying with the numbers now until I now what is not happening and to what deteriment to the parks. Is there some number in between. Are there any other ideas? How about all the projects that come online in the next few years with the economy picking up? Apr 7, 2013 6:37 PM 42017 is not that far off. We need to properly fund the needs of our parks.Apr 7, 2013 2:09 PM 5Either invest in the parks to make the community more appealing for families or more in the police dept. to take care of the vandalism that will result in no place for youth gather and enjoy. Apr 3, 2013 7:10 AM 6Before deciding to transfer tax revenue, a complete park usage inventory should be done. If it has not already been done, a complete repair inventory should also be done. There is no clear answer unless more facts are known. Apr 2, 2013 5:52 PM 7Reinstate the transfer of proprty tax revenue ecah year on an incremental basis over a peroid of 5 years and replace the equipment as needed. Apr 2, 2013 12:38 PM 8We cannot continue down the current path of funding without risking our parks and services in the long-term. Our parks and their condition are what will help keep Fridley competitive with neighboring communities and continue to be a desirable place to live. Apr 2, 2013 11:57 AM 9Without safe park equipment, how can we ask familes to move into Fridley?Mar 29, 2013 7:19 PM 10Nothing looks more depressing than crumbling playgrounds.Mar 29, 2013 8:17 AM 11Maybe reinstate but start at 60% and increase every year by 5%Mar 27, 2013 5:45 AM 12We need to re-plan our park system as well as equipment integrated into those parks. With the number of county parks and recreation areas do we need as many parks as we have now. Also the elementary schools have play equipment. Let's do a kind of comprehensive plan for our city parks relative to the youth occupancy in neighborhoods. Mar 26, 2013 11:25 AM 21 of 36 Page 2, Q2. Park Dedication Fees: Adequate parks and recreation facilities positively affect the quality of our lives and neighborhoods, and the City has required park dedication fees to help realize this goal. The program requires developers to provide park land or park dedication fees in lieu of the la... 1I think we can raise but not all at one time. Discuss futher.Apr 9, 2013 5:00 AM 2Review the cost of the city administrating the parks in lieu of having the county perform that task. Apr 5, 2013 5:14 PM 3If you raise the fee it allows you more room to negotiate a lower rate which still may be more than what is now being collected. I am opposed to lowering the rate however. Apr 3, 2013 7:13 AM 4This is a no-brainer. We need additional sources of revenue - it's the cost of playing in Fridley if you're a developer. Apr 2, 2013 12:02 PM 5It has been very apparent in the national news that dramatically raising fees/taxes results in loss of revenue. Apr 1, 2013 11:45 AM 6Developers will always ask for discounts, no matter how low the nominal rates are. Mar 29, 2013 9:17 AM 7We adjust our program fees to continually match our neighboring cities no reason the should not also Mar 27, 2013 5:48 AM 8No matter what the fees are set at you will find the developers asking for reductions. Mar 26, 2013 11:28 AM 22 of 36 Page 3, Q3. Emerald Ash Borer: The Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive species that is changing the face of many metro area community landscapes. The problem insect has been affecting trees in 14 states (including Minnesota) and has also been detected in Canada. It has killed at least 50 to 100 million ash... 1Are their state funds that pay some portion of the cost to pay an intern?Apr 11, 2013 1:35 PM 2Perform this inventory in houseApr 10, 2013 9:55 AM 3When was the last itme this was done? How many have repanced in the last few years. If we replace will some other creature infect the next set of trees? Discuss futher. Apr 9, 2013 5:03 AM 4Could code enforcement staff be trained on this or does it require advanced training or certification? Apr 8, 2013 10:09 AM 5I'm not sure if we have the money. If we able to get the money, then we should do it. Apr 7, 2013 7:37 PM 6I am for number one but why is the cost so high? It is an intern. Of course what are we going to do after the survey. I am all for surveys but there has to be a plan or 7000 is a lot of money to spend. Apr 7, 2013 6:40 PM 7Perhaps there is a grant from the State that may help offset the cost for this.Apr 3, 2013 7:16 AM 8Perhaps the Springbrook Foundation volunteers could do this.Apr 2, 2013 5:57 PM 9Given the large proportion of Ash trees in Fridley, this seems like a relatively small investment to help analyze the problem and, help in the development of a plan to address the potential fall-out from this pest. Apr 2, 2013 12:07 PM 10Confusing issue. The City does not permit residents to plant trees on city right of way if the ash tree in that space is pre-emptively removed. Survey may be helpful, but pre-emptive removal is difficult to comprehend how it would be done. Apr 2, 2013 7:54 AM 11We should also ensure that we put in place a program that can and is update as trees are taken down or planted. Mar 29, 2013 7:24 PM 23 of 36 Page 4, Q4. Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) as Replacement Police Patrol Vehicles: Motor vehicles used in police patrol have usually been full-sized sedans. Mid-sized cars have smaller passenger compartments and lighter frames that make them ill suited to the type of heavy duty service required in patrol op... 1Sounds like a good topic for both an article in the Focus as well as the Fridley news letter. Apr 11, 2013 1:40 PM 2I would think that an SUV would be easier to get in and out of for the size of our officers. I seem to crack my head on the door frame of sedans too often and I'm not in a hurry as an officer might be. Apr 9, 2013 1:22 PM 3I am under the assumption that SUV's are gas guzzling and expensive vehicles. Need to have some numbers on Sedans vs SUV's. Further discussion is needed. Apr 9, 2013 5:12 AM 4Is center of gravity no longer an issue? Rollovers?Apr 8, 2013 3:48 AM 5if the research states otherwise. Lets do it but have the information available for council and the residents to access. Apr 7, 2013 6:41 PM 6This is what the City of Mpls has done alsoApr 5, 2013 11:57 AM 7The report if presented to the public may help in dealing the public perception. Trying to please everyone will only result in pleasing no one. Apr 3, 2013 7:19 AM 8Without reading Detective Todd's paper, specifically fuel mileage and maintenance, I would have to agree with the possible public perception. Apr 2, 2013 6:02 PM 9I share the "public perception" that SUVs are gas guzzling and expensive. That said, if you have solid documentation that says otherwise and feel comfortable quoting an undergraduate class research paper as well as support from presumably reputable "other agencies", then go for it. Apr 2, 2013 12:15 PM 10Communication to the public and help with their perception. The main issue is that we use what the police get a vehicle that meets their needs and comfort. Mar 29, 2013 7:28 PM 11It is a good idea to "consider" all options, although I have no opinion on the best vehicle to actually purchase. Mar 29, 2013 9:23 AM 12I believe we still need some sedans for basic patrol!Mar 26, 2013 11:59 AM 24 of 36 Page 5, Q5. Use of All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) for Patrolling City Parks and Bike Trails: Recently, through a Federal Justice Assistance Grant, the Police Department purchased an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) to improve emergency response during natural or man-made disasters where roads may be blocked by debris... 1I think the feeling of safety is important but can see where the noise would be an issue. A soft yes on this one. Apr 11, 2013 1:44 PM 2Look into sound deadening add on equipment such as muffler silencers to reduce noise Apr 10, 2013 9:55 AM 3I think if people know that it is a police doing routine checks, it's not going to be viewed as an imposition but more of a safety thing. futher discussion. Apr 9, 2013 5:12 AM 4need more information. I guess I did not know the atvs were that loud. Are there quieter models? Are you talking about reserve officers versus patrol officers using the atv? right? Apr 7, 2013 6:43 PM 5Yes, safety and less vandalism is more important than an occasional noise passing by. It may also allow more interaction between the families/youth and police in a positive way while enjoying the environment. Apr 3, 2013 7:23 AM 6In Fridley most of our parks are easily accessible and the majority of the park can be seen from any given vantage point. I feel these vehicles are more of a "toy" for the police department and should be reserved for emergency situations. Springbrook and Innsbruk would be the exceptions to visibility. Apr 2, 2013 6:07 PM 7The minimal noise/distraction of such a vehicle are outweighed by the overall benefits. Apr 2, 2013 12:17 PM 8If the public feels safer, a little distraction is not an issue.Mar 29, 2013 7:29 PM 9So long as the patrol is not too frequent it should be okay.Mar 29, 2013 9:32 AM 10could go either way but the potential damage to park land swayed me - I think the bike patrols were better Mar 27, 2013 5:54 AM 25 of 36 26 of 36 Page 6, Q6. Firefighter/EMT Staffing Levels: In 1994, the Fire Department began assisting the Police Department in responding to medical emergencies. Since that time, the program has evolved into a 24/7 service with firefighters providing a higher standard of care. As the City’s population continues t... Yes. Why? 1Makes good sense.Apr 15, 2013 8:25 AM 5What is the cost involved with additional staff?Apr 9, 2013 5:15 AM 6If I had a fire at my home in the evening or on the weekend I would want the same service that is provided during a weekday. Apr 9, 2013 3:51 AM 7fire can happen anytimeApr 8, 2013 10:02 PM 8it is needed to protect and serveApr 8, 2013 1:20 PM 10Yes, but look at other options for medical response.Apr 8, 2013 10:12 AM 11Limited availability of POC weekday resourcesApr 8, 2013 9:40 AM 12Yes, residential safety is one of the primary reasons for government.Apr 8, 2013 3:52 AM 13I'm not sure if we need four or more, but it should to be raised from two firefighters. Apr 7, 2013 7:43 PM 15Increased senior living and an aging community will require an increase in medical calls. Apr 7, 2013 5:34 PM 16Rise to the level of service needed for both commercial buildings and homes. Every minute counts. Apr 7, 2013 2:20 PM 17The facts indicate we need a larger staff.Apr 6, 2013 7:09 AM 18Start with three at night and weekends first then measure the response timeApr 5, 2013 5:21 PM 19FOR CITIZEN PROTECTION AND SAFETYApr 5, 2013 11:58 AM 21In order to maintain adequate fire response time for insurance statsApr 4, 2013 2:57 PM 22If there is other work that can be done as well it would benefit the communtiy to have more staff available. Apr 3, 2013 7:28 AM 24Yes. Public safety reasons.Apr 2, 2013 1:46 PM 25The Fire department should be providing the same level of service regardless of the time of day. Apr 2, 2013 12:43 PM 28It appears that there is a justifiable need for the community to have these services available, if the money is there it should be done. Apr 1, 2013 11:53 AM 29Question? Do we have the staff to cover this?Mar 29, 2013 7:36 PM 27 of 36 Page 6, Q6. Firefighter/EMT Staffing Levels: In 1994, the Fire Department began assisting the Police Department in responding to medical emergencies. Since that time, the program has evolved into a 24/7 service with firefighters providing a higher standard of care. As the City’s population continues t... 30Yes, provide better coverage for emergenciesMar 29, 2013 2:42 PM 31because of agging pop.Mar 29, 2013 10:27 AM 32Yes. Keeping people safe is the most important service that the city provides. The data above indicates there is a need for more staff--if so, we should have more staff. Mar 29, 2013 9:34 AM 33Additional firefighters during evenings and weekends, but not overnight. I'm sure the call log would assist in which days / hours routinely recieve the most calls and the fire department should staff accordingly. It is not different than the grocery store - busy nights and weekends, so they staff based on the times when the most people are shopping. Mar 29, 2013 8:30 AM No. Why? 2Try to get the needed coverage by partnering with other cities.Apr 11, 2013 1:48 PM 3how about leveling the staffing with three during the day and three nights nad weekends? Apr 10, 2013 9:56 AM 4If money were no object, this would be a yes answer. However,we might have to think of what the primary purpose of a Fire Dept. is. Is it fire suppression or medical aid? Are the overlapping calls medical or fire related? Do police fire and ambulance all have to respond to an incident? I don't feel I know enough how the Fire Dept. operates to give a really good answer to this question. Apr 9, 2013 1:43 PM 5What is the cost involved with additional staff?Apr 9, 2013 5:15 AM 9Suggest looking at peak hours and scheduling up to 4 or more personnel with consideration for these peak periods and not necessarily routine. Consider savings on Police and Allina calls. Apr 8, 2013 10:59 AM 14need more information. I think this is a very big issue related to costs versus many other isssues. Do we need to wait for the study to be completed. what are our cities doing etc. not enough info to response yes or no. Apr 7, 2013 6:45 PM 20No, the question and its answer aren't as simple as can be provided here in this spce, but generally speaking I would need to have more data to make a decision such as the one being sought. Apr 5, 2013 8:33 AM 22How do municipalities with all volunteer depts. manage then. It seems to work for them. Apr 3, 2013 7:28 AM 23This question also does not give enough information. Don't we have agreements with other communities to help with responses? Would they be fulltime firefighters or on-call? Perhaps, like the pawn shops, a fee could be assessed to senior care facilities and high density housing developments to offset the cost. Apr 2, 2013 6:17 PM 28 of 36 Page 6, Q6. Firefighter/EMT Staffing Levels: In 1994, the Fire Department began assisting the Police Department in responding to medical emergencies. Since that time, the program has evolved into a 24/7 service with firefighters providing a higher standard of care. As the City’s population continues t... 26Ideally a respondent would reply "yes". My issue with this question is it doesn't tell me what the cost of adding additional resources is and what alternatives that might exist. Without such information, I can't respond "yes". I don't think that throwing additional bodies regardless of the time of day or day of week makes sense. It sounds like more resources are necessary - what are other communities doing to address this issue? Any chance to "pool" resources with other municipalities? Apr 2, 2013 12:23 PM 27We have police and ambulance firt responders as well. We can't staff for every conceivable problem. Apr 2, 2013 7:58 AM 34I would require more information to make this decision.Mar 27, 2013 3:25 PM 35Tomuch down time.Mar 27, 2013 10:21 AM 36cost Mar 27, 2013 7:15 AM 37No the fire department should consider merger with other area departments to provide expanded services Mar 27, 2013 6:05 AM 38what is the % of calls weekday vs evening/weekend and adjust staffing levels adding only if needed Mar 27, 2013 5:58 AM 39EMTs are sitting with ambulances at various locations and need to respond to medical emergencies. The Key word is emergency! Mar 26, 2013 12:05 PM 29 of 36 Page 7, Q7. Firefighter/EMT Recruitment: The shortage of qualified volunteer or paid-on-call firefighters is a national trend that is affecting all of the communities in the metro area. The US Fire Administration and the National Volunteer Fire Council cite the number one source of the problem as “not eno... 1I think we should address this issue after the current study is complete.Apr 9, 2013 1:47 PM 2Discuss furtherApr 9, 2013 8:27 AM 3I'd wait for current shared services study report and re-evaluate this issue.Apr 8, 2013 9:43 AM 4move towards more full time, but work with adjacent communities for coverage.Apr 8, 2013 4:01 AM 5this is a big compolex issue and needs to be conference type discussion. as we heard from some of our applicants there has to be some goals and objectives related to each dept and the overall city then start working toward solutions. Apr 7, 2013 6:48 PM 6Perhaps the City Council should convene a special committee to research this issue. It seems that there are several aspects of paid-on-call that should be looked at. One that comes to mind is hiring full time firefighters as paid-on-call from communities that we have mutual aid agreements with .I would have chosen the first response but I wished to add comments. Apr 2, 2013 6:25 PM 7The Fire Department should hire two additional full-time firefighters to cover the current shifts and explore additional incentives for paid-on-call firefighters. The City should consider a new Public Safety building that includes dormitory style living quarters for paid-on-call firefighters. Apr 2, 2013 12:50 PM 8Can we explore a resolution that creates one department that includes Columbia Heights, Fridley and Spring Lake Park? Mar 27, 2013 5:23 PM 9explore merging with another city/area fire department and reduce overall city expenses for fire department coverage utilize economies of scale we are a small city and do not need to have everything under our control. Mar 27, 2013 6:07 AM 30 of 36 Page 8, Q8. Rental Inspection Protocol: Since 2008, the number of rental housing properties has grown by over 60%. Some of this can certainly be blamed on the economy, resulting in an increase in the number of single family homes that have become rental property. There currently is a very strong market fo... 1Could some of the problems in this area be eliminated or improved upon with additional technology or technolgy upgrades? Apr 11, 2013 2:12 PM 2Further discussion neededApr 9, 2013 8:28 AM 3I'm not sure if it shoulf be under the direction of the Fire Department or the Community Development Department or a representative from both working with the civilian inspector. Apr 7, 2013 7:54 PM 4why do you say that there will be some improvement. Lets look at this in an positive and can do. Apr 7, 2013 6:50 PM 5This will cause a shift in personnel. Community Development will need appropriate staff to perform this task. This should free up the time of a firefighter to respond to medical calls potentially reducing the need for more than one additional part-time person added to each shift. Apr 7, 2013 5:45 PM 6Residential rental properties or all residential properties?Apr 2, 2013 6:28 PM 7I agree the two departments should coordinate their information into one program. I would however, like to see the fire department do the inspections. Unless we could ensure a civilian inspector has been educated to the degree the fire department agrees with. Mar 29, 2013 7:47 PM 8This will allow a person with SUP and building code knowledge along with public safety knowledge and resources to make the inspections and make them more effectively. Mar 27, 2013 5:35 PM 31 of 36 Page 9, Q9. Water & Sewer Service Line Insurance: Fridley City Code, Section 402.06, requires owners to maintain water and sewer service lines that serve their property. The emergency repair and/or replacement of water services and sewer laterals to residences can be an expensive burden for many homeowne... 1I like the idea of the mandatory City of Fridley program but the funds would have to be dedicated to the sewer and water lateral line insurance program only. Apr 11, 2013 5:32 PM 2support as long as it is voluntary rather than mandatoryApr 10, 2013 10:05 AM 3Further discussionApr 9, 2013 8:28 AM 4Perhaps this could be self funded. $3 to 4 a quarter or even $5 would be reasonable, but unreasonable at a monthly rate. Apr 8, 2013 4:06 AM 5again all new to me and I need more informationApr 7, 2013 6:50 PM 6If the city were to undertake this program, effective marketing would be crucial.Apr 7, 2013 5:46 PM 7Absolutely. A cup of fancy coffee a month to cover this cost is worth it knowing you won't have a huge expense maybe in the future. Apr 3, 2013 7:38 AM 8The city should not be in the insurance business.Apr 2, 2013 6:32 PM 9Not if such a program would be mandatory. In essence this would appear to be a tax increase. If the city of Fridley could offer it as an option to its residents i.e. not be mandatory, I would support such a program for those who chose to pay for the insurance. Apr 2, 2013 12:40 PM 10Where does the home owner's responsibility end and the insurance's responsibility begin? Or does the insurance cover any underground leak of the water and/or sewer? If that is true, I would agree with Fridley looking into the insurance. Mar 29, 2013 7:54 PM 11I was one of the 20-30 people who had a water main rupture in 2012. The cost is tremendous. Insurance rates tend to be better for larger groups of people, so involvement at the city-level seems to be the most economical approach. Mar 29, 2013 11:44 AM 12I don't support the insurance option only because these rates can go up continually making it a hardship for people on fixed incomes. I realize that a break or leak would also be a hardship but maybe insurance with a copay that could mitigate the cost. Mar 27, 2013 5:43 PM 32 of 36 Page 10, Q10. Water and Sewer Service Line Insurance (Continued): If you responded “Yes” to the previous question that you would support the City's involvement, which method of providing this added level of service is most preferable to you? If you responded "No," to the previous question, please proceed... 1discuss furtherApr 9, 2013 8:29 AM 2Responded "no" to Q9Apr 8, 2013 9:46 AM 3Would want to know which is most cost effective before making a final choiceApr 8, 2013 4:07 AM 4I am not sure. I think I would prefer a third party, then it would not take additional staff time. Apr 7, 2013 7:58 PM 5too little informatin. what all is covered,etcApr 7, 2013 6:51 PM 6$3.00 to $4.00/monthApr 6, 2013 7:10 AM 7I answered no, but needed to put something here to procede to the next question. I think like health insurance, rates could rise based on City resident use and we could choke our residents with costs, if not careful. Folks who own homes need to maintain and be responsible for these systems, even though they are costly and breaks untimely. Apr 5, 2013 8:43 AM 8The City should not be in the insurance business.Apr 2, 2013 6:33 PM 9I don't support the insurance option only because these rates can go up continually making it a hardship for people on fixed incomes. I realize that a break or leak would also be a hardship but maybe insurance with a copay that could mitigate the cost. Mar 27, 2013 5:44 PM 10I responded no and would not let me pass this question.Mar 27, 2013 6:10 AM 33 of 36 Page 11, Q11. Traffic Calming Policy: Each year, the City of Fridley receives many requests from citizens seeking assistance to address neighborhood traffic concerns. Often the focus of these concerns is vehicle speeds. In most cases, speeding is not the result of an intentional decision to break the law, b... 1Can't we just keep moving the trailer around?Apr 11, 2013 5:36 PM 2discussion neededApr 9, 2013 8:29 AM 3Its at least worth looking into,Apr 7, 2013 8:03 PM 4But on a small scale.Apr 6, 2013 7:10 AM 5Make this a part of street upgrading and reconstruction.Apr 5, 2013 5:31 PM 6The City is responsible for setting speed limits and enforcing traffic laws.Apr 2, 2013 6:35 PM 7This is especially important to families raising small children.Mar 29, 2013 11:46 AM 8We can never eliminate complaints about traffic!Mar 27, 2013 5:46 PM 34 of 36 Page 12, Q12. Street Improvement Districts: Carefully implemented roadway maintenance projects, including crack sealing, sealcoating, and overlays, can increase the lifecycle of streets by twofold or more. For every dollar spent on maintenance, a road authority saves several dollars in repairs. Continued re... 1discuss furtherApr 9, 2013 8:30 AM 2I don't know if I understand all of the implications here in order to answer this question. Apr 8, 2013 2:21 PM 3Concrete streets have a long life, but the maintenance and eventual replacement will be very costly. This alternative would build reserves over time with a modest yearly levy, rather than potentially expensive special assessments. The levy would be tax deductable, whereas the special assessment is not tax deductable. Apr 7, 2013 5:54 PM 4I think the last street workon concrete streets in the Black Forest North, Innsbruck, and South Innsbruck were poorly engineered and construction. They failed after only a short time. The subsurface needs to be addressed. Apr 5, 2013 5:37 PM 5I think the Charter limitations would apply and it appears the City has failed to inform citizens of the laws regarding special assessments and the requirement that each property see an improvement. Quite frankly I'm surprised that the City has not been sued based on the drop in property value. MN law says the "special assessment" must be equal to or less than the increase in property value. Apr 2, 2013 6:42 PM 6I was not aware that the streets in Black Forest North were public and/or concrete. I also was not aware the other two were concrete? I not sure if I totally understand the entire program as stated. Mar 29, 2013 8:04 PM 7I support the special assessment that would only impact the property affected.Mar 27, 2013 5:59 PM Page 12, Q13. With respect to the previous question regarding street improvement districts, do you support the use of street improvement fees to fund annual asphalt street rehabilitation projects in lieu of the current special assessment funding? 1As with 12 above, would like a little more detail on how this would work.Apr 11, 2013 5:41 PM 2I don't understand all of the implications in order to answer this question.Apr 8, 2013 2:21 PM 3i think so but need more discussionApr 7, 2013 6:53 PM 4Equity would be an issue for residents that recently paid for street rehab projects. Other than that, from a staff perspective it would eliminate a lot of administrative work tracking special assessments. Apr 7, 2013 5:54 PM 5I might, but I would need to know more information than this question provides.Apr 5, 2013 8:45 AM 6I support the special assessment that would only impact the property affected.Mar 27, 2013 5:59 PM 35 of 36 Page 14, Q15. County-Wide Recycling Facility: Over a year ago, the City Council passed a resolution asking the Anoka County Board to study the feasibility of using a portion of SCORE funds (which go to municipalities for recycling) for establishment of a County-wide recycling drop-off facility that our resi... 1Need more infomation to make the right decision. How busy would the site be? How many people need to be there to operate? We have a good system now, needs some tweaking plus it gives council a chance to be out in the public eye. Apr 16, 2013 7:15 AM 2I am for one or 4.Apr 7, 2013 7:00 PM 3Would not be opposed to committing to securing a location as long as Anoka County operated the facility. Having a centralized recycling location with a reasonable driving distance of Fridley would be ideal. Anoka County would find that recycling tonnage would increase significantly if a permanent facility is available year round. Apr 7, 2013 6:05 PM 4Money from SCORE plus $25,000Apr 6, 2013 7:13 AM 5Having a facility open 5 days a week may reduce the recycling stacked up waiting for the twice a year program now. Apr 3, 2013 7:49 AM 6I would support response #2 even though it is the County's responsibility to carry out recycling. Apr 2, 2013 7:05 PM 7I support the idea of a more frequent ability to recycle - other cities are able to offer this service and it's one I think many residents would find desirable. Apr 2, 2013 12:57 PM 36 of 36 Page 15, Q16. City Hall Office Hours: Governments are in business to provide public service to residents and businesses, and being available at convenient times is important in providing quality service. Unquestionably, service delivery has changed over recent years with the advent of more and more on-line... 1What is the dollar savings of the 130 hour reduction? Are there and labor dollar cost savings? Apr 11, 2013 5:58 PM 2Maybe, if there is a savings of reduced employee costs; wages, etc.Apr 10, 2013 3:46 PM 3This would align our city hall office hours with a majority of other governmental agencies. Apr 7, 2013 6:06 PM 4Providing employees take only a 1/2 hr unpaid lunch.Apr 2, 2013 7:08 PM 5While I support this move, would it not appear to Fridley residents that such a change would also result in a smaller paycheck for less time being worked? Apr 2, 2013 1:03 PM 6Yes, however it was not mentioned that employee costs would go down. Their hours would change from an 8 hr day to a 7 1/2 hour day. Mar 29, 2013 8:11 PM 7I may also suggest having one day a week where the hours are 8:30 - 5:00 so that people who work later may still have the opportunity to come in by 5:00. Mar 29, 2013 11:54 AM 8As someone who works outside of Fridley, I would like to have 4:30 to 5 PM available if I needed to go to City Hall. It is much easier to leave work early than come in late. I would be more likely to support a closing of one day a week, half day a week, or later opening time, with preference to closing one half day a week. Mar 29, 2013 8:42 AM 9would we not also see a payroll savings? if no payroll savings then I would say no to a change Mar 27, 2013 6:17 AM EXHIBIT XXIV - E ESTIMATED IMPACT OF TAX INCREMENT FINANCING DISTRICT NO.20 IMPACT ON TAX BASE ORIGINAL ESTIMATED CAPTURED DISTRICT TAX TAX TAX TAX AS% ENTITY BASE CAPACITY CAPACITY CAPACITY OF TOTAL City of Fridley 25,746,857 1,036,423 2,983,842 1,947,419 7.564% County of Anoka 251,300.018 1,036,423 2,983,842 1,947,419 0.775% ISD#14 10,956.626 1,036,423 2,983.842 1,947,419 17.774% IMPACT ON TAX RATE` TAX % TAX TAX RATE ENTITY RATE TOTAL INCREMENT INCREASE City of Fridey 0.47042 30.69% 916,105 3.849% County of Anoka 0.44328 28.92% 863,252 0.346% LSD#14 0.51260 33.44% 998,247 11.080% Other 0.10668 6.96% 207,751 1.53298 100.00% 2,985,354 Assumes construction would have occurred without the creation of a Tax Increment Financing District. if construction is a result of Tax Increment Financing,the Impact is SO. XXIV-E-1 • Exhibit I-C TIF#22 Cumulative Modified TIF Plan Budget ESTIMATED TAX INCREMENT REVENUES (from tax ncremen generated by the district) Tax increment revenues distrnuted tram the county $ 94,200,000 Interest and investment eanwgs 500,000 • Salesiiease proceeds 1.000,000 Market vabre homestead credit Total Estimated Tax Increment Revenues $ 95,700,000 ESTIMATED PROJECTIIFO4ANCING COSTS (to be paid or financed with tax increment) Project Costs Larxlfiuildng acquisition $ 12280,000 Site improvernentsrpreparafion costs 10,000,000 Utiktes 1,000,000 Other quaifying nprovements 20,000,000 Construction of aifordt'le housing Small city authorized costs,if not already included above Administrative costs 9,420,000 Estimated Tax Increment Project Costs $ 52,700,000 Estimated Financing Costs Interest expense 43,000,000 Total Estimated ProjectIFinancing Costs to be Paid From 11 $ 95,700,000 0 ESTIMATED FINANCING Total anomnf of bonds to be issued 51,200,000 I-C-17 • MMB:4817-2854-8883,v. 1 HRA RESOLUTION NO. A RESOLUTION MODIFYING THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT NO. 1 AND THE TAX INCREMENT FINANCING PLANS FOR TAX INCREMENT FINANCING DISTRICTS NOS. 6-7, 9, 11-13 AND 16-21 TO REFLECT INCREASED GEOGRAPHIC AREA, INCREASED PROJECT COSTS AND INCREASED BONDING AUTHORITY WITHIN REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT NO. 1, CREATING TAX INCREMENT FINANCING DISTRICT NO. 22 AND ADOPTING A TAX INCREMENT FINANCING PLAN RELATING THERETO. BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Commissioners (the "Commissioners") of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority in and for the City of Fridley, Minnesota (the "Authority"), as follows: Section 1. Recitals. 1.01. It has been proposed that the Authority approve and adopt the proposed modifications to its Redevelopment Plan for Redevelopment Project No. 1 (the "Project Area") reflecting increased geographic area, increased project costs and increased bonding authority, pursuant to and in accordance with Laws of Minnesota 2008, Chapter 154, Article 9, Section 23, Laws of Minnesota 2008, Chapter 366, Article 5, Section 23 and Minnesota Statutes, Sections 469.001 to 469.047 and 469.174 to 469.1799, inclusive, as amended and supplemented from time to time. 1.02. It has been further proposed that the Authority approve and adopt the proposed modifications to the Tax Increment Financing Plans (the "Existing Plans")for Tax Increment Financing Districts Nos. 6-7, 9, 11-13 and 16-21 (the "Existing Districts") reflecting increased project costs and increased bonding authority within the Project Area, pursuant to and in accordance with Laws of Minnesota 2008, Chapter 154, Article 9, Section 23, Laws of Minnesota 2008, Chapter 366, Article 5, Section 23 and Minnesota Statutes, Sections 469.001 to 469.047 and 469.174 to 469.1799, inclusive, as amended and supplemented from time to time. 1.03. It has been further proposed that the Authority approve the creation of proposed Tax Increment Financing District No. 22 (the "Proposed District") within the Project Area and approve and adopt the proposed Tax Increment Financing Plan (the "Proposed Plan") relating thereto, pursuant to and in accordance with Laws of Minnesota 2008, Chapter 154, Article 9, Section 23, Laws of Minnesota 2008, Chapter 366, Article 5, Section 23 and Minnesota Statutes, Sections 469.001 to 469.047 and 469.174 to 469.1799, inclusive, as amended and supplemented from time to time. 1.04. The Authority has investigated the facts and has caused to be prepared with respect thereto, a modified Redevelopment Plan for the Project Area and modified Existing Plans for the Existing Districts reflecting increased geographic area, increased project costs and increased bonding authority within the Project Area and the Proposed Plan for the Proposed District, defining more precisely the property to be included the public costs to be incurred, and other matters relating thereto. 1.05. The Authority has performed all actions required by law to be performed prior to the approval and adoption of the modifications to the Redevelopment Plan and Existing Plans and the approval and adoption of the Proposed Plan. 1.06. The Authority hereby determines that it is necessary and in the best interests of the City and the Authority at this time to approve and adopt the modifications to the Redevelopment Plan and Existing Plans, to create the Proposed District and to approve and adopt the Proposed Plan relating thereto. Section 2. Findings. 2.01. The Authority hereby finds, determines and declares that the assistance to be provided through the adoption and implementation of the modified Redevelopment Plan, modified Plans and Proposed Plan (collectively, the "Plans") is necessary to assure the development and redevelopment of the Project Area. 2.02. The Authority hereby finds, determines and declares that the Plans conform to the general plan for the development and redevelopment of the City as a whole in that they are consistent with the City's comprehensive plan. 2.03. The Authority finds, determines and declares that the Plans afford maximum opportunity consistent with the sound needs of the City as a whole for the development and redevelopment of the Project Area by private enterprise and it is contemplated that the development and redevelopment thereof will be carried out pursuant to redevelopment contracts with private developers. Section 3. Approvals and Adoptions. 3.01. The modifications to the Redevelopment Plan reflecting increased geographic area, increased project costs and increased bonding authority within the Project Area are hereby approved and adopted by the Commissioners of the Authority and are forwarded to the Fridley City Council for public hearing, review and approval. 3.02. The modifications to the Existing Plans reflecting increased project costs and increased bonding authority within the Project Area are hereby approved and adopted by the Commissioners of the Authority and are forwarded to the Fridley City Council for public hearing, review and approval. 3.03. The creation of the Proposed District within the Project Area and the adoption of the Proposed Plan relating thereto are hereby approved and adopted by the Commissioners of the Authority and are forwarded to the Fridley City Council for public hearing, review and approval. Section 4. Filing of Plans. 4.01. Upon approval and adoption of the Plans, the Authority shall cause said Plans to be filed with the Minnesota Department of Revenue, the Office of the State Auditor and Anoka County. PASSED AND ADOPTED BY HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IN AND FOR THE CITY OF FRIDLEY THIS 2nd DAY OF MAY, 2013. LAWRENCE R. COMMERS - CHAIRPERSON ATTEST: Print Name: Title: CERTIFICATION of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority in and for the City of Fridley, Minnesota, hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of Resolution No. adopted by the Authority on the 2nd day of May, 2013. Print Name: Title: MMB:4811-8430-2611,v. 1 , 1-I.F. No. 3149B, Conference Committee Report- 85th Legislative Session(2007-2008) Page 1 of 68.12 Sec. 23. Laws 2008,chapter 154,article 9,section 23, is amended to read; 68,13 Sec.23. CITY OF FRIDLEY;TAX INCREMENT FINANCING DISTRICT; 68.14 SPECIAL RULES. 68.15 (a) If the city elects upon the adoption of a tax increment financing plan for a district, 68.16 the rules under this section apply to a redevelopment tax increment financing district 68.17 established by the city of Fridley or the housing and redevelopment authority of the city. 68.18 The city may include one or more of the 68.19 following parcels and adjacent railroad property aed in the redevelopment tax increment 68.20 district. which shall be referred to as the Northstar Transit Station District: parcel 68.21 numbers 223024120010,223024120009,223024120017,223024120016,223024120018, 68.22 223024120012,223024120011,223024120005,223024120004,223024120003, 68.23 223024120013,223024120008,223024120007,223024120006,223024130005, 68.24 223024130010,223024130011,223024130003, 153024440039, 153024440037, 68.25 153024440041, 153024440042,223024110013,223024110016,223024110017, 68.26 223024140008,223024130002,223024420004,223024410002,223024410003, 68.27 22302411 0008,22302411 0007,2230241 10019,223024110018,223024110003, 68.28 223024140003,223024140009,223024140002,223024140010,and 223024410007. 68.29 (b)The requirements for qualifying a redevelopment tax increment district under 68.30 Minnesota Statutes,section 469.174,subdivision 10,do not apply to the parcels located 68.31 within the Northstar Transit Station District,which are deemed eligible for inclusion 68.32 in a redevelopment tax increment district. 68.33 (c) In addition to the costs permitted by Minnesota Statutes,section 469.176, 68.34 subdivision 4j ,eligible expenditures within the Northstar Transit Station District include 68.35 those costs necessary to provide for the construction and land acquisition for a tunnel 69.1 under the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks to allow access to the Northstar 69.2 Commuter Rail. 69.3 (d)Notwithstanding the provisions of Minnesota Statutes,section 469.1763, 69.4 subdivision 2,the city of Fridley may expend increments generated from its tax increment 69.5 financing districts Nos. 11, 12,and 13 for costs permitted by paragraph(c)and Minnesota 69.6 Statutes,section 469.176,subdivision 4j,outside the boundaries of tax increment financing 69.7 districts Nos. 11, 12, and 13,but only within the Northstar Transit Station District. 69.8 (e)The five-year rule under Minnesota Statutes,section 469.1763,subdivision 3, 69.9 does not apply to the Northstar Transit Station District or to tax increment financing 69.10 districts Nos. 11, 12,and 13. 69.11 (f)The use of revenues for decertification under Minnesota Statutes,section 69.12 469.1763, subdivision 4,does not apply to tax increment financing districts Nos. 11, 69.13 12, and 13. 69.14 (g)The city may establish additional tax increment financing districts consisting 69.15 'of parcels identified in paragraph(a).which it does not include in the Northstar Transit 69.16 District, under general law. The provisions of paragraph(c)amply to these districts and the 69.17 permitted pooling percentage for the districts under Minnesota Statutes. section 469.1763, 69.18 subdivision 2. is increased to 30 percent,Theprovisions of paragraphs(b).(d).(e). and 69.19 ff)do not apply to these districts The authority to create districts under this authority 69.20 expires on December 30.2017, 69.21 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective upon approval by the governing body https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php7bill=ccrhf3I49B.html&session=1s85 5/20/2008 H.F. No, 3149B, Conference Committee Report- 85th Legislative Session(2007-2008) Page 2 of 69.22 of the city of Fridley and Gaon compliance by the city with_Minnesota Statuses. section 69.23 645.021.subdivision 3. https://www.revisor.leg.state.tnn.us/bin/bldbill.php7bill=ccrhf3149B.html&session=ls85 5/20/2008 '= ACTION ITEM HRA MEETING OF MAY 2, 2013 CITY OF FRIDLEY Date: April 17, 2013 To: Darin Nelson, Interim City Manager From: Paul Bolin, Asst. Executive HRA Director Subject: Housing Replacement Program - Phase IX Creation Attached for Authority consideration is a resolution approving Phase IX of the Housing Replacement Program's (HRP) scattered site tax increment-financing district. In late 2010, the Authority and the Council approved an amended and restated plan for the HRP. The restated plan gave the Authority the ability to add Phases (parcels) to the program, by resolution. Once a parcel is included in the district, the HRA collects tax increment for a period of 15 years. The increment is used to help cover some of the costs of the program (ie. acquisition, demolition, property maintenance, etc.). Unlike a traditional tax increment district, the HRP is less cumbersome to administer. Since the program originally began in 1995, the City has approved eight phases for a total of 34 properties. Under special legislation approved in April 2010, the City can designate up to 100 total parcels, inclusive of the 34 properties already in the program. The parcels included in Phase IX include: Address: Purchase Price: 4656 2nd Street $72,000 Recommendation Staff recommends that the Authority approve the attached resolution amending the Housing Replacement Program to include Phase IX. HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IN AND FOR THE CITY OF FRIDLEY COUNTY OF ANOKA STATE OF MINNESOTA HRA RESOLUTION NO. 2013 -XX RESOLUTION APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE ADDITION OF PHASE IX TO HOUSING REPLACEMENT DISTRICT NO. 1 BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Commissioners (the "Commissioners") of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority in and for the City of Fridley,Minnesota(the"Authority") as follows: Section 1. Recitals. 1.01. It has been proposed that the Authority approve and adopt the addition of Phase VIII to Housing Replacement District No. 1 (the "District"), pursuant to and in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, Sections 469.001 to 469.047 and 469.174 to 469.1799, as amended; Laws of Minnesota 1995, Chapter 264, Article 5, Sections 44 through 47; Laws of Minnesota 1996, chapter 471, article 7, section 22; Laws of Minnesota 1997, chapter 231, article 10, section 13; Laws of Minnesota 2002, chapter 377, article 7, section 6; Laws of Minnesota 2008, chapter 154, article 9, section 19, and Laws of Minnesota 2010, Chapter 216, Section 42 (collectively"The Act"). 1.02. By City Resolution 66-1995 adopted October 23, 1995, the City Council of the City(the "Council") adopted a resolution approving a Housing Replacement District Plan and creating Housing Replacement District No. 1. 1.03. By City Resolution 2010-99 adopted December 13, 2010, the Council approved a Restated Housing Replacement District Plan (the "Plan") enabling the Authority to add parcels to or delete parcels from the District. 1.04. The Act and the Plan specify the procedures whereby parcels may be added to and deleted from the District. 1.05. It has been proposed that the parcel to be included in Phase IX be added to the District. Section 2. Findings. 2.01. The Authority hereby finds that it is necessary and in the best interests of the City and the Authority at this time to approve and adopt Phase IX to the District to achieve the Authority's and City's goal for acquiring blighted, undeveloped, or underdeveloped parcels for redevelopment or rehabilitation, and for resale as market rate housing. 2.02. The Authority hereby finds, determines and declares that the parcel in Phase DC qualify for inclusion in the District pursuant to the Act and the Plan; and that the reasons and supporting facts for this determination are retained and available at the Authority Offices.` 2.03. The Authority further fmds, determines and declares that the parcel to be added to and certified within the District includes one vacant single-family dwelling located at: Parcel 1 4656 2nd Street PIN 26-30-24-33-0050 2.04. The Authority further finds, determines and declares that the intended reuse of these properties is market-rate, owner-occupied housing,pursuant to the Act and the Plan. 2.05. The Authority further finds, determines and declares that there are now 35 parcels in the District with the inclusion of the three Phase IX parcels. The maximum number of parcels that can be included in the District is 100 parcels. Section 3. Approval of Phase IX to the District. 3.01. The inclusion of the Phase DC parcel to Housing Replacement District No. 1 is hereby approved and adopted by the Commissioners of the Authority. Section 4. Certification of Parcels. 4.01. The Authority shall cause this Phase to be filed with the Minnesota Department of Revenue, the Office of State Auditor and request that the parcels be certified with Anoka County. PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IN AND FOR THE CITY OF FRIDLEY THIS 2nd DAY OF MAY, 2013. Lawrence R. Commers, Chairperson ATTEST: Paul Bolin, Assistant Executive Director • MMB:4832-3509-3000,v. 1 2 f= INFORMATIONAL ITEM HRA MEETING OF MAY 2, 2013 art OF FRIDLEY Date: April 26, 2013 To: Darin Nelson, Interim City Manager/ Finance Director From: Paul Bolin, Asst. Executive HRA Director Subject: Gateway Northeast Update 6071 University/ McNutt: Dave McNutt has not had any luck attracting a retail anchor for the building he would like to construct on the former Sinclair site. The exclusive agreement he had with the Authority expires on April 30th. At this time, Staff would not recommend extending his exclusive development agreement. Lyons /Trident Group: The Lyons/Trident Group, were extremely happy to learn that the Authority was able to obtain ownership of the Fridley Animal Hospital site. They continue to work on their site plan and explore different options for the development of the GWNE properties. Fridley Animal Hospital: The purchase agreement for the site has been reviewed and approved by Dr. LeMay's attorney. The agreement has been sent over to Land Title and we expect to close on or before May 30th. Dr. LeMay will lease the space from the Authority through August 31, 2013. During this time we will conduct a hazardous materials assessment, blight analysis, and run a bid process to allow demolition to take place in early September. Fridley HRA Housing Program Summary Cover Page May 3, 2012 HRA Meeting Report Description Loan Application Summary Loan application activity (e.g. mailed out, in process, closed loans)for past month and year-to-date. Loan Origination Report Loan originations for past month and year-to-date. Remodeling Advisor Shows the number of field appointments scheduled and completed for the Remodeling Advisor Services administered by Center for Energy and Environment. H:4-Paul's Documents\HRA\HAA Agenda Items\2013\May 2,2013\lousing Program Cova May 2013 Page.docx C 9 En 0 o o C m lit N # c1 3 - r o 0 3 (D m 'a a m 11 in ., m m m Z n -4 m o < I o • a m a 0 m 0. n a - `I- g w C3 ca 0P b CP _ ° m ▪ti rt asm t a v0 m S � 0 a " n tA N y O) 0 -a3 O N N w • co 0a C F o ? w 0 ¢ n O A \ c j O CY N o T 0 o N Os ✓1 fA c� 5 Co a \ S f el m V1/4 I N 0 0 N L T “ '" 9 \ A •a. ▪ y` o n A off . CO a * 3 _ a w m -V m a3 CO 00• 7 CD m Co cn 0 O 3C S 6 1 N e . MEMORANDUM FINANCE DEPARTMENT i DARIN IL NELSON CITY OFFRIDLEY FINANCE DIRECTOR To: Mayor, Council, Commission Members, and Department Managers From: Darin R. Nelson, Interim City ManagerlFinance Director Date: April 26, 2013 RE: Council Commission Survey Results Attached are the results for the 2013 Council Commission Survey. Altogether 39 of 48 potential respondents completed the survey. Thank you to each of you for participating. The feedback that Council and staff receive from this survey has proven to be invaluable. Over the years, a number of Council policies and projects have been implemented as a result of this process. There are two attachments to this memo. The first is a survey summary with abbreviated questions along with a breakdown of the responses for each group of respondents. The second attachment is the full survey results provided by SurveyMonkey. This year's survey included the option to provide comments to each question. Those comments can be found towards the back of the detailed survey. As in past years, it is the plan to bring selected questions to the city commissions in meetings with Council and the department managers. All of the meetings will be held in the lower level meeting rooms and will begin at 6:00 p.m. The schedule is as follows: May 2 HRA May 6 Parks and Recreation Commission May 13 Planning Commission, EQEC, Appeals Commission, and Charter Commission Thank you again for your participation. I look forward to the upcoming discussions. Darin 2013 COUNCIL/COMMISSION SURVEY SUMMARY REPORT 1. Playground Equipment Replacement: We need to consider replacing some of our playground equipment. What are your views on this issue? All Council Commissions Staff Reinstate the transfer of$107,000 for Property tax revenue each year to the Parks CIP to help with the major play equipment replacement needs on the horizon. 21 1 15 5 Stay with the current approach and use the limited park revenues, along with the fund balance,to complete the required park projects. 18 4 12 2 2. Park Dedication Fees: The City requires park dedication fees. The program requires developers to provide park land or park dedication fees in lieu of the land dedication. The fees have not been adjusted since the late 1980s. What is your view on this issue? All Council Commissions Staff Park dedication fees should be raised to a level that is more in line with the actual value of land dedication that is required by our ordinance. 28 4 19 5 Park dedication fees should be kept at the current level. 11 1 8 2 3. Emerald Ash Borer: The potential impact of the Emerald Ash Borer rivals the damage caused by Dutch Elm disease and Oak Wilt disease. The City is considering conducting a comprehensive tree inventory on its public lands. What are your views on this issue? All Council Commissions Staff Provide the resources to the Parks Maintenance Division to hire a forestry intern who will assist in completing a one-time tree inventory of our parks, boulevards and other public property. 34 4 25 5 Don't do the inventory at this time. 5 1 2 2 4. Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) as Replacement Police Patrol Vehicles:, Should the Police Department consider purchasing sport utility vehicles when the need arises to replace a sedan patrol vehicle? All Council Commissions Staff Yes 34 5 23 6 No 5 0 4 1 5. Use of All-Terrain Vehide (AN) for Patrolling City Parks and Bike Trails: Should the Police Department engage in routine patrol of the City's parks and trails using their newly acquired AN? All Council Commissions Staff Yes 33 5 22 6 No 6 0 5 1 6. Firefighter/EMT Staffing Levels: Should the Fire Department routinely schedule four or more firefighters on shift regardless of the time of day or day of the week to respond to emergency calls (on weeknights evenings and weekends, there is a minimum of two firefighters scheduled on duty). All Council Commissions Staff Yes 24 2 17 5 No 17 4 11 2 7. Firefighter/EMT Recruitment: In the past 4 years, the Fire Department has seen a 40% drop in the number of applications received for paid-on-call firefighters. What do you think the Fire Department should do? All Council Commissions Staff Explore additional incentives for hiring and retaining paid-on-call firefighters. 10 1 7 2 Move towards a staffing model that relies more heavily on scheduled part-time firefighters. 13 1 10 2 Move towards a staffing model that employs more full-time firefighters. 6 0 5 1 Other. 9 3 4 2 2 8. Rental Inspection Protocol: Since 2008, the number of rental housing properties has grown by over 60%. Currently firefighters inspect rental property. Operating the Rental Housing Inspection Division has limited the amount of staff time for developing Fire Department training, public education, facility and equipment maintenance and management. Should the City. . . All Council Commissions Staff Place civilian inspectors under the direction of the Fire Department for the purpose of the inspection of all residential properties. 9 0 7 2 Place civilian inspectors under the direction of the Community Development Department for the purpose of inspecting residential properties. 23 3 15 5 Coordinate the existing staff of the Fire Department and Community Development Department through policy and technology. 5 2 3 0 Continue to inspect residential rental properties with the existing Fire Department staff, but at a reduced level. 1 0 1 0 9. Water and Sewer Service Line Insurance: Fridley City Code, Section 402.06, requires owners to maintain water and sewer service lines that serve their property. The emergency repair and/or replacement of water services and sewer laterals to their residences can be an expensive burden. Some municipal utilities have provided insurance for repairs within their rate structures. Other utilities have negotiated arrangements with third-party companies to offer insurance for utility service lines who administer their repair. Would you support the City's involvement in such a program for residential property owners? All Council Commissions Staff Yes 28 3 21 4 No 10 2 5 3 3 10. Water and Sewer Service Line Insurance (Continued): If you responded "Yes" to the previous question, which method of providing this added level of service is most preferable to you? All Council Commissions Staff Offer mandatory insurance for residential services administered by the City. 11 1 9 1 Offer optional insurance for residential services through a third-party insurer. 17 2 11 4 Other 10 2 6 2 11. Traffic Calming Policy: Traffic calming consists of engineering, community education, and police enforcement measures put in place on roads for the intention of slowing down or reducing motor vehicle traffic to improve the safety of all roadway users, including cyclists and pedestrians. Would you support development of a traffic calming policy by staff for Fridley? All Council Commissions Staff Yes 27 5 15 7 No 11 0 11 0 12. Street Improvement Districts: Roadway maintenance projects, including crack sealing, sealcoating, and overlays, can increase the life cycle of streets by twofold or more. In 2013, the Minnesota legislature introduced a bill that would allow cities to collect fees from property owners within a district to fund municipal street maintenance, construction, reconstruction and facility upgrades. City staff has considered application of a street improvement fee to fund future maintenance of concrete streets in the southeast area of Fridley. Do you support the use of street improvement fees to fund City projects to maintain concrete streets? All Council Commissions Staff Yes 23 . 4 13 6 No 15 1 13 1 13. Street Improvement Districts (continued): Do you support the use of street improvement fees to fund annual asphalt street rehabilitation projects in lieu of the current special assessment funding? All Council Commissions Staff Yes 25 5 15 5 No 13 0 11 2 4 14. Maintaining of Trails and Sidewalks Ranking. Maintaining of Trails and Sidewalks Ranldng:The Active Transportation Plan being presented to Council this spring is going to trigger special attention to snow plowing of trails and sidewalks.Public works only has so much ability to staff such needs. Please rank the following as how you would prioritize winter plowing needs: Public school routes Metro Transit bus stop access Private school routes Train station access Arterial and collector street sidewalks Transit Oriented Development area Senioddisabled housing seas Public spaces (library.etc.) City Park Paths County park trails 0 2 4 6 8 10 5 15. County-Wide Recycling Facility: The Anoka County Integrated Waste Management staff has proposed a joint funding plan that could move toward the creation of a permanent recycling center in the southern part of Anoka County. Assuming a suitable site in or near Fridley could be found,would you be supportive of the City: All Council Commissions Staff Pursuing such a proposal only if there were no additional costs to the City in funding and operating the center. 5 2 3 0 Entering into a joint powers arrange- ment if the City committed no more than the equivalent cost of our twice per year recycling drop-off events (about$25,000). 19 2 13 4 Entering into a joint powers arrange- ment and committing up to $50,000 additional funds toward the cost of a recycling center. 6 0 5 1 Opposing cities running a recycling drop-off center in southern Anoka County and feel the County should provide this service. 8 1 5 2 16. City Hall Office Hours: Do you support City Hall closing at 4:30 p.m.? All Council Commissions Staff Yes 31 3 22 6 No 7 2 4 1 6