08-22-16 CC WC MinCITY OF SHOREWOOD
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016
MINUTES
1. CONVENE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
6:30 P.M.
Mayor Zerby called the meeting to order at 6:30 P.M.
A. Roll Call
Present. Mayor Zerby; Councilmembers Siakel and Woodruff; Administrator Joynes; City Clerk
Panchyshyn; Finance Director DeJong; Planning Director Nielsen; Director of Public
Works Brown; and, Engineer Hornby
Absent: Councilmembers Labadie and Sundberg
B. Review Agenda
Woodruff moved, Siakel seconded, approving the agenda as presented. Motion passed 310.
2. 2017 GENERAL FUND BUDGET DISCUSSION
Director DeJong explained the meeting packet contains a copy of the preliminary 2017 General Fund
Operating Budget. It is the outcome of several Council work sessions held during July and August to
discuss the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and the Budget.
Revenues from licenses and permits were increased by $70,000 when compared to the 2016 adopted
budget. That is in anticipation of new housing construction for the Minnetonka Country Club (MCC)
development.
The moderately significant increases in expenditures include the following.
➢ A 2.5 percent reserve for salary and benefit increases for union and non -union personnel.
➢ There is no information yet on increases in health insurance costs.
➢ The professional services category was increased $10,000. Most of that is for the increase in
costs for Hennepin County property assessment services.
➢ The City's contribution toward police costs increased $57,885 after factoring in the $16,000
reduction in the City's contribution toward bonded debt payments for the public safety facility.
➢ There is a $30,000 increase in the Public Works transfer to the CIP — $15,000 to the Equipment
Replacement Fund and $15,000 to the Street Reconstruction Fund.
With those changes the deficit in the General Fund Budget at the end of 2017 is projected to be $72,785.
The 2016 budget projected the use of $180,148 in General Fund reserves to offset the anticipated 2016
deficit.
CITY OF SHOREWOOD WORK SESSION MEETING MINUTES
August 22, 2016
Page 2 of 3
A 2 percent increase in the General Fund levy is recommended for 2017. That is at the low end of the
range for neighboring communities. The recommended levy increases for some of those communities are
as follows.
➢ The City of Chaska
— 8.6 percent. It is using 3.6 percent for tax abatement.
➢ The City of Orono —
8 percent. One half of the increase is for its street program.
➢ The City of Medina
— 3 percent.
➢ The City of Minnetrista
— 3 percent.
➢ The City of Chanhassen
— 1.98 percent.
➢ The City of Victoria
— 0.14 percent.
There are some significant budgetary risks with the proposed Budget.
➢ There is a significant increase in building permits. If the market slows down and there are not as
many home sales in the MCC development as anticipated in 2017, it could impact the Licenses &
Permits revenue.
➢ The $85,000 originally budgeted for contract services for updating the Comprehensive (Comp)
Plan in 2017 was removed from the proposed budget. There may be some elements of that update
that staff would not be able to do. If that is the case there is no budget for that.
➢ The proposed budget includes a $2,500 increase in Protective Inspections to cover the cost of for
contractual services when the Building Inspector is on vacation. If there ends up being a need for
additional help to do the inspections for the MCC development that will require the use of
reserves.
General Fund reserves were $4,502,000 at the end of 2015. The City's General Fund Balance Policy
stipulates a reserve level of 55 — 60 percent of the next year's operating expenditures. Sixty percent of
the year -end balance would be $3,608,000. That leaves $894,000 available for use (the difference
between the two amounts). For 2016 the budget anticipates the use of approximately $180,000 in
reserves. That leaves an undesignated balance of $714,000 above the 60 percent that could be available
for use. The proposed 2017 Budget projects the use of $73,000 in 2017 to fund the budget deficit. That
would then leave an undesignated balance of $641,000 above the 60 percent that could be available for
use
There has been discussion about transferring about $500,000 from the General Fund unassigned balance
to the Street Reconstruction Fund to fund roadway projects that have temporarily been advanced in the
Street Reconstruction CIP. The undesignated balance could also be used to buy out the four other co-
owners of the Southshore Community Center. Or, it could be used for other capital projects.
Director DeJong asked Councilmembers if they had questions about the preliminary 2017 General Fund
budget.
Councilmember Woodruff stated the City has contracted with S &S Tree and Horticultural Specialists for
forestry services. He asked if the Budget includes funding for those services. Director DeJong explained
it includes $40,000 for that; the same as in 2016.
Woodruff commented that the General Fund balance is sufficient to cover those areas of risk Director
DeJong pointed out.
Mayor Zerby stated revenues include a line item Intergovernmental / FEMA Storm Disaster Aid. There is
no amount in any of the years. It was his recollection that the City was supposed to receive about $70,000
in FEMA aid for the problems caused by high water in 2014. Director DeJong noted that was received in
CITY OF SHOREWOOD WORK SESSION MEETING MINUTES
August 22, 2016
Page 3 of 3
2015 and explained it was posted to the Stormwater Management Fund because it was for damage caused
by stormwater. It is a coding issue.
Zerby then stated line item Intergovernmental Grants indicates the City has received close to $35,000 in
grants. He asked where the grant for the new Badger Park playfield is reflected. DeJong explained the
construction of that playfield is being funded out of the Park Improvements Fund. The grants /pledges to
help pay for that were unbudgeted. The documents that he and Director Nielsen have prepared for the
Park Commission's discussion about Park Improvements CIP on August 23 show the grants /pledges in
the Park Improvements Fund. It includes $225,000 in grants from the Lacrosse and Football Associations
and $200,000 for the Hennepin Youth Sports Program award.
Zerby went on to state Miscellaneous Revenue line item under Miscellaneous Revenue includes $15,400
for 2017. The 2016 year -to -date (YTD) actual amount is $275. The actual amounts for previous years
were: 2015 — $3,278; 2014 — $2,262; and, 2013 — $9,318. He asked what is anticipated in 2017 that
would bring it up to $15,400. DeJong explained the Miscellaneous Revenue line item is actually refunds
and reimbursements. The Refunds and Reimbursements line item budgeted amount for 2017 is $10,000.
The 2016 budget amount is $10,000 and the 2016 YTD is $62,305. DeJong noted it is more of a coding
issue than a budgetary issue.
Councilmember Siakel asked when work needs to begin on making the changes to the Comp Plan and
when that effort needs to be completed. Director Nielsen stated work on it needs to begin in 2017; he
does not know when it needs to be completed. Siakel then asked if the City has a process in place for
making the updates that it has used in the past. Nielsen responded yes. Siakel stated she has not been
through that process with the City before and that she would like to know what to expect.
Councilmember Woodruff commented the Metropolitan Council has prepared some new tools to help
cities update their comp plans.
Director DeJong explained that during its August 8, 2016, work session Council and staff discussed
expanding the reconstruction versus reclamation decision matrix to include more decision points and to
cover more than just reconstruction and reclamation. Staff will bring that back to Council later in the fall.
Administrator Joynes noted the agenda for the regular Council meeting following this work session
includes the approval of the preliminary 2017 General Fund Budget and the maximum tax levy for 2017.
That has to be certified to Hennepin County by the end of September.
3. ADJOURN
Woodruff moved, Siakel seconded, Adjourning the City Council Work Session of August 22, 2016,
at 6:47 P.M. Motion passed 310.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
Christine Freeman, Recorder
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ATTEST:
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