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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-26-2018 Council Work Session PacketOrono City Council Work Session Monday, February 26, 2018 Council Chambers 5:00 p.m. AGENDA 1. Orono Schools Event Update — Correy Farniok 2. Hiring & Training Standards 3. Trails — Maintenance of Dakota Trail Annual: • Budget: Part of June, All of July, August and October. • City Administrator & Police Chief Update (3 times per year for 15 minutes) Previous Work Session Topics January 22, 2018 • Short Term Rental Regulation November 13, 2017 • Open Meeting Law • Enterprise Funds October 23, 2017 • Wetland Buffer / Setback Clarification CITY OF ORONO MEMORANDUM DATE: February 26, 2018 TO: Orono City Council FROM: Dustin Rief, City Administrator and Adam Edwards, P.E., Public Works Director / City Engineer RE: Human Resources Update 1. Purpose. The purpose of this memo is to provide the City council and update on the City's human resources practices and changes. 2. City Staff. a. Performance Evaluation Automation. b. Review of Human Resources Practices. 3. Public Works Department Specifics. Since concerns were brought up during the removal of a Public Works Maintenance Worker last fall the following action have been taken within the department: a. Change to the Hiring Process for Maintenance Workers. In lieu of a second round of interviews, which is the norm for Orono hires, the public works department now conducts a skills aptitude interview. The aptitude interview consist of a series of hands on exercises to assess the applicant's general mechanical aptitude and equipment operations skills. This methodology was used successfully in the last maintenance worker selection. The top two applicants from the resume screening and initial interview process we invited back of the aptitude interview. The interview consisted of identifying a series of tool and subassemblies commonly used in the public works profession and a test on loading a dump b. Electronic tracking of Institutional Training. To augment the paper records maintained for institutional training, the department began experimenting with using the Cartegraph work management system to track institutional training electronically. c. Tracking of on the Job Training. The department is developing a tracking mechanism for on the job training to track the training of new employees and the training of existing employees on new equipment or procedures. This is still a work in progress. Initial efforts focused on acquiring an existing best proactive from a neighboring department. When this failed to produce results the department began the process of creating a tracking spreadsheet of tasks from scratch. That work is underway. Example below: es�� ... ���� CITY OF ORONO MEMORANDUM DATE: February 26, 2018 TO: Orono City Council FROM: Adam Edwards, P.E., Public Works Director / City Engineer RE: Maintenance of Three Rivers Park District Trails 1. Purpose. The purpose of this memo is to provide background information for discussion of the City taking on the responsibility for winter maintenance of Three Rivers Parks District Trails. 2. Background. Periodically the City received requests for residents and groups to perfume winter maintenance on the regional trail systems; in particular the Dakota Trail. The City's position has been that regional assets should be maintained by the regional body responsible for them. In previous years Orono and our neighboring communities have declined to accept winter maintenance responsibility for the regional trail system within the City. (See attached newspaper articles) However the City has historically maintained the trail along Old Crystal Bay Road from Wayzata Blvd and to CR6 as it functions as a side walk. Every three years Three Rivers Park District asks each city along its regional trails to respond as to whether the city wishes to authorize winter use of the trail segments within their communities. Acceptance requires that the city accept responsibility for maintaining the trails including but not limited to plowing, sweeping, sanding, trash removal and sign placement from November 15te to March 31 st. The District also requires that the city provide a Certificate of Insurance. 3. Regional Trails Description. Three Rivers Regional Trails within Orono include (6.9 total of miles): a. The Dakota Regional Trail is a bituminous surfaced trail which goes through Orono East to West for 3.5 miles to the north of Shoreline Road from Wayzata to Minnetonka Beach and then from Minnetonka Beach to Spring Park. b. The Lake Independence Trail is 2.9 miles of bituminous surfaced trail which connects the Luce Line Trail to Baker Park following Old Crystal Bay Road North and then CSAH 6 West. 4. Cost. Maintaining the Dakota Trail (2.7 mi. and 0.7 mi.) for 5 months each year for snow removal would cost approximately $5522.88 in labor and equipment. (23 snow events * 4.25 hours to travel, plow, sweep and then touch up *($42/hr. in labor + $14.50/hr. in equipment)) 5. Other Considerations. a. Pros and Cons. Pros Cons • Reasonably safe place for runners and walkers • Limited Length for runners (2.7 Mi and ,0.7 Mi) • Allows Three Rivers Park District to focus their • Eliminates winter sport uses resources on other regional assets • Inconsistent with surrounding communities • Relieves 3 Rivers of their responsibility and accountability to their constituents • Cost born by Orono tax payers for a regional asset • Liability b. None of the surrounding communities are planning on maintaining the regional trails in this winter. Regional trails that are unmaintained are used by residents for snowshoeing and or X -country skiing. Creating plowed breaks along through trails such as the Dakota may hamper winter recreation (besides running) and exposes the city to additional liability. A group of runners has requested the Dakota trail be kept clear for running. c. The portion of the Lake Independence Trail along Old Crystal Bay in front of the schools and City Hall functions as a sidewalk and connects to the City owned trails that are plowed for pedestrian use during the winter. 6. Possible courses of action: a. Status quo- Orono continues to maintain Orono assets b. Engage with 3 Rivers Park district encouraging them to maintain their assets. This course of cation was chosen in November 2014. The city administrator engaged at the staff level and Council member Printup was to engage at the political level. c. Orono take over winter maintenance of 3 Rivers Trails (beginning in 2018-19 season) Attachments: A. Trail Map B. Star Tribune Article, September 2010 C. Star Tribune Article, September 2011 2040 Comprehensive Plan v ; Orono, MN Parks and Trails BOLTON February 2018 & M E N K Real People. Real Solutions. L p= 4✓t Legend e12� _ ....,..�,.... •� .,. �.._.._. .�.._. .._.. .�..� Moon �20veN Qye e �� _ .�... ..�. .,...� . _ .. ...m , 3� . Troy ??nd ay?ata %a z x 72 19th Ave 1bthy�e N ~Y •� ; c 3 keZ ` _ 6th Ave N oad c Lake ° o d`o z Pve N Classen >il �„ .. S `r°i z c r Kelley.NY =-.._ p� Lydiard m o �r z PK c Long Lake °1 11 a - - ... - m` ..-.... d a cil, City of Orono, Source: Hennepin nCounty, MnDOT j e��°a wale�Owi, a Daniels St ~ `• • � .. 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I .ti e ..Oy�ogo Road Arcola�1 W Arm Dr the n Avo . �d ett oaa I �� Highl Lafayette fa`J e R I e Rutledge _ �•■ tis••s�------_ate.° BaV i• I Lake Ave M ark - c •.o y .Roaq I �' ♦'• � ,jo Spring/ ° ! °�0 Park V ���� Lakeview pve ° Bay ► r Bay �� ,o /' V Oonaly , �♦ •'� �•''•• o oca Tuxed° B , '• asc M d Figure 4E-2 Is/apa ' • )ir I °a.`. c M�nnetonika Road s _ Zi L i • "� �l—C l� � � N�9 1 WEST METRO Regional trails are cleared of snow only if cities do it Three Rivers Park District doesn't plow its 10 trails come winter, but some suburbs take on the task themselves. By LAURIE BLAKE Star Tribune SEPTEMBER 25.2010 —10:37 PM Ira winter, Three Rivers Park District's 10 ;popular regional trails are up for adoption. Those in cities such as St. Louis Park, Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park are picked up, reflecting a local desire to keep the trails clear during snowy months for walkers, runners and even bike commuters. Others draw no champions and are quietly snowed in. They include the Dakota Rail and Lake Independence trails, which are lined by cities unwilling to take on the maintenance and liability. Three Rivers tends to the trails spring, summer and fall. But from Nov. 15 to March 31, they're closed unless cities choose to take over the maintenance of segments within their jurisdictions. "We don't have the capacity to operate all these many miles of trails in the winter," said Margie Walz, the district's associate superintendent. Since the mid-1990s, Three Rivers has given cities the option to use city crews to keep the trails open. St. Louis Park clears snow from the Cedar Lake LRT Regional Trail from Minneapolis through St. Louis Park to Hopkins. "it is such an excellent amenity, it's hard to see it shut down for an entire season," said Cindy Walsh, the city's director of parks. People walk, tun and bike the trail all winter. "We are very happy with its use and impressed with the people who use it all year round," she said. Brooklyn Center's segment of the North Mississippi Regional Trail is just four blocks, but the city keeps it open all winter because it links residents to a larger trail system, said Todd Berg, supervisor of parks and streets. "It's a pretty important part of the park system for residents." In Brooklyn Park, "we would hear from our residents" if the city didn't plow the 4 miles of Rush Creek Regional Trail and the 4 miles of the Shingle Creek Regional Trail that run through town, said Jon Oyanagi, director of recreation and parks. Golf course employees get winter trail maintenance duties because the city thinks it's important to provide residents with "fitness and year-round outdoor opportunities," he said. Minnetonka and Excelsior regularly take on segments of the Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail. Golden "Valley, Greenwood, Hopkins, Maple Grove, Plymouth, New Hope and Shorewood also adopt the stretch of trails within their borders. Eden Prairie plows the Minnesota River Bluffs LILT Regional Trail for walking, jogging and bike commuting, said Parks and Recreation Director Jay Lotthammer. "More and more, people getting into year-round mike commuting use that as a safe way to commute," he said. Taking on a trail segment for the winter comes with rules. Three Rivers requires cities to obtain a permit and buy liability insurance as well as plow, sweep, sand, pick up trash and post permissible activities. To control ice on crushed limestone trails, Three Rivers insists that cities "use buff - colored three-eighth-ineh, clear limestone chips," sold only by one Burnsville aggregate Pit. The district also requires cities to repair trail surface damage done during the winter So far officials along the 13 -mile Dakota Rail Trail, which has quickly become one of the most popular in the state, have decided not to take on these responsibilities. "We don't do any trails in terms of snow removal for winter maintenance —we don't have the resources to do that," said David Abel, assistant planner for Minnetrista, home to 2 to 3 miles of the paved trail. Mound, at the midway point of the Dakota Rail Trail, is in the process of putting in a bathroom for users of the trail but won't plow it this winter. City Public Works Superintendent Jim Fackler said the permit required "is pretty specific about how everything needed to be done, and they [council members] were not comfortable with that." Without plowing, the trail is typically snow-covered, but people may walk or ski on it anyway, Fackler said. Neighboring Spring Park and Minnetonka Beach also will let their segments of the Dakota Rail Trail close for the winter. ` VVe discuss it every year," said Spring Park utility superintendent DJ Goman . "We do not do the snow removal, ice removal any of that." Minnetonka Beach considers care of the trail "too much maintenance," said city Administrator Suzanne Griffin. In cities where trails are not plowed, Three Rivers posts warnings that they won't be maintained but does not bar people from using them, Walz said. Come spring, "we take the trails back." Laurie Blake • 612-673-1711 � StarTribune Winter trail plowing may become a parks priority Article by. LAURIE BLAKE Sler Tribune September 4, 2011 - 616 AM How many people use the west metro regional trails to walk, bike, ski or run during the winter? Three Rivers Park District, which is based in the suburbs of Hennepin County, decided last week to study the demand for Its 10 regional trails this winter as it reconsiders its 20 -year policy of letting trails fill with snow unless cities step up to maintain them. Some cities have begun to chafe at the cost and responsibility of clearing segments of the regional trails and they question why Three Rivers doesn't maintain them itself year-round. Without agreeing to make a change, park district board members said they will look into it. "I think we should at least look at what the cost would be and whether we have the resources to do it," said Board Member Barbara Derus Kinsey. Since the mid-1990s, when the first regional trails were opened in Hennepin County, the west suburban park district has malntained the trails between March 31 and Nov 15 but has never gone to the expense of keeping them free of snow and ice during the winter. Because residents in many communities want to use the trails for winter walking, biking, running and skling, about 16 cities -- including Minnetonka, Excelsior, Eden Prairie, Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center— each year have agreed to add the trails 10 city plowing routes. In that fashion, about 55 miles of the 130 -mile regional trail system are maintained in the winter That patchwork approach creates uneven access and can make it difficult for winter bikers to use them for commuting. Cities ask why Over the past couple of years as Three Rivers has worked with cities to plan new regional trails officials from Robbinsdale, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Now Hope, Richfield, Bloomington, Edina, Minneapolis, Spring Park and Golden Valley have questioned the district's practice of not maintaining the trails in the winter, said associate superintendent Margie Dahlof. The popular Dakota Rail Regional Trail from Wayzata to St. Boniiacius is not plowed by any of the cities along its 13 miles in Hennepin County. The Lake Independence Regional Trail from Orono to Corcoran is likewise left to the elements, with signs alerting people to use it at their own risk. Golden Valley also leaves its segment of the Luce Line Trail unplowed. "It's not our trail, and we don't want to pay for the cost and liability," of winter maintenance, said Carlton Moore, public works director for Mound, which is on the Dakota Rail Trail. Clearing it for winter is "up to Three Rivers," but, he said, even left to the elements the trail is used for skiing, snowshoeing and walking. St. Bo illacius declines to plow its segment of the Dakota Rail Trail because snowmobiles would use it and damage it and then the city would be liable for the damage, said Mayor Rick Weible, if Three Rivers wanted to keep it dear, pick up the garbage and patrol it, "I would be supportive of it," Welble said. Golden Valley has asked Three Rivers to maintain the 4,8 miles of Luce Line trail through that city. "We have heard from people who would like to see those trails maintained and be usable year around, and so we forward that on to Three Rivers," said Golden Valley Mayor Linda Loomis. The city maintains 43 miles of city trails and sidewalks and has neither the money nor the staff to maintain the regional trail, too, Loomis said. Trails have changed Questions about the policy will continue until Three Rivers re -addresses it because "regional traits are something different than they were 20 years ago," when the winter policy was set, said park board chairman Larry Blackstad. Use of the trails has increased and people have a higher expectation for their maintenance, he said. "The regional trails are a regional benefit. We can't segregate them to individual communities any longer." Research this winter will be necessary to sed what kind of use is being made of the trails, where use is heaviest and how much the cities spend on maintaining them, he said. Many board members are worried about taking on the extra cost. "We definitely want to encourage winter activity," but at this point budget control is the top priority, said Board Member Sara Wyatt. Board Member Joan Peters said: "I don't know if the park district can take on one more thing. I am very concerned about our money" Board Member Pale Woodbeck cautioned that it might be difficult for the park district to live up to high standards for quick snow removal set by individual cities that have done the plowing. Laurie Blake - 612-673-1711 ® 2014 Star Tribuna Correy Farniok From: Correy Farniok Sent: Monday, February 26, 2018 1:10 PM To: 'Karen Orcutt' Cc: Dustin Rief Subject: Council Work Session Good afternoon, Work Session begins tonight at 5:00, however there are two other topics of discussion and Aaron Printup cannot make the meeting until around 6:00 or 6:10. We are set to begin at around 6:00. So you don't need to be there till 6:00. Some of the talking points that I have identified. -Partnerships -City and School -PD and PW -PD and other police agencies -Minnetonka PD -4 investigators -Hennepin County Sheriff's Office (VOTF and CISA) -FBI (Mpls field office) Peer Support -Chiefs and personnel from other departments self -deployed to assist with event Positives -Communication -Safety of KIDS and STAFF were top priority -Staging Area (parents) -3 separate police operations 1. Command 2.Invetigations 3. Perimeter and Tactical -25-30 officers assisting school staff to get to a positive solution Possible Negative Vies and areas to improve -Go-Fund-Me -Politics of Gun Control and arming teachers -Signage at PD (EOC etc.) -Media Staging area (defined) -Proper setting up of EOC Please feel free to add change or delate as you feel appropriate. Thank you f�rsve� �'arraiak Police Chief Orono Police Degarinient 932-2AQ-1700 Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.