02-26-2018 Council Work Session Minutes

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Minutes of the Orono City Council Work Session Monday,February 26,2018 Council Chambers 5:00 p.m. PRESENT: Mayor Dennis Walsh, Council Members Richard F. Crosby II, Wendy Dankey, and Aaron Printup. Representing staff were Development Director Jeremy Barnhart, Police Chief Correy Farniok, Director of Public Works/City Engineer Adam Edwards, and City Clerk Anna Carlson. Meeting Start Time: 5:05 p.m. 1. Trails—Maintenance of Dakota Trail Director of Public Works/City Engineer Adam Edwards began presentation of the Trails and the city's process for maintaining its trails. Edwards noted that there is a program within Three Rivers that allows municipalities to opt in to perform winter maintenance of their trail system. To do so,the city would need to fill out an application and identify which section of the trail we intend to do maintenance and what kind of maintenance the city plans to do on that portion of the trails and why. The City would also need to submit a proof of insurance and sign a waiver accepting liability for damages that may occur on the trails during maintenance. Edwards reached out to Three Rivers to find out what other cities opt in for winter maintenance on the trails, finding that there are none that opt in. It's not our asset, The group collectively discussed the liability issues that could arise from maintaining the trails and the issues that it could create with the inconsistency of maintenance along the trails. 2. Hiring& Training Standards City Administrator, Dustin Rief presented a Human Resources Update. Rief mentioned that he has been searching for ways to improve our process internally. Rief mentioned that Standards for training and hiring has already begun within the Public Works Department. Edwards mentioned that there are three main areas for hiring and training standards within Public Works. The city has implemented a hiring process that relates to maintenance works comprised of a series of two interviews. The city has altered the second interview into a performance based interview. During the second interview candidates are asked to do two exercises. The first exercise includes identifying certain tools and explain how it's used, or how it works. The second exercise is an equipment exercise, and candidates use equipment and judgement is based off of the subject's ability to do the task. Edwards felt that it was a very good way of filtering the candidates and that it showed their potential, their willingness to ask questions, and their abilities to perform a task and operate equipment.