01-26-24 CC Retreat MinutesCITY OF SHOREWOOD
2024 CITY COUNCIL RETREAT
JANUARY 26, 2024
MINUTES
1. Meeting was convened at 8:36 a.m.
5735 COUNTRY CLUB RD
SCEC CONFERENCE ROOM
8:30 AM — 4:00 PM
2. Present at the meeting were: Mayor Labadie, Council Members Callies, Sanschagrin,
Zerby and Maddy; City Administrator Nevinski, City Clerk/HR Director Thone, Planning
Director Darling, Communications Coordinator Wilson, Public Works Director Morreim,
City Engineer Budde, City Attorney Shepherd (2:45 — 3:30).
Agenda: Motion to approve the agenda was made by Councilmember Sanschagrin and
seconded by Councilmember Callies; Motion approved.
3. Review 2023 Accomplishment and 2024 Projects
City Administrator Marc Nevinski reviewed the list of 2023 accomplishments and 2024
goals shared by the Council and staff. Discussion regarding communications occurred
and included continuation of SeeCLickFix. It was noted that SCF was about $5500
annually and the new website had a different reporting/inquiry tool called Citizen
Request Form. Council liked the visibility SCF provides. Staff will develop the CRF for
evaluation and retain SCF on a monthly basis for the time being. Other topics for
increased communication included land use notifications, speed study results, and "why
I serve" articles in the newsletter.
4. Discussion of City Infrastructure and Financing Strategy
Staff provided an overview of the memo and then Council discussed each section. The
first series of topics were characterized as near -term items to be addressed. Mid-term
(enhanced treatment) and long-term (expanded water system) topics were also
discussed, although the timing could change based on demand, necessity, or
opportunity.
A. Connections: The Council discussed the challenges the City has faced in getting
households to connect to City water, including the connection charge, assessments,
perception of water quality, and investment in private wells. The idea of requiring
connections when defined events occur was discussed and it was noted the memo
contained data about home sales and construction in recent years. The Council was
not supportive of forcing connections at the point of sale, new construction or a
significant remodel, but supported more communications about the benefits of city
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water and exploration of a City lead program to assist residents with connections to
mitigate cost and complexity.
Action — Council directed staff to outline options for a City lead connection program;
Staff will develop a communications campaign about city water;
B. Utility Fees: City Administrator Nevinski noted that utility fees have annually
increased for storm sewer, sanitary sewer and water at 8%, 9%, and 10%,
respectively, for the past five years. While fees need to keep pace with operational
and capital costs, the Council noted that increases could not happen to much too
quickly. The City Council indicated that communication should be clear about
expenses and revenues to articulate why rates need to increase.
Action — Council directed staff to present a revised rate and tier structure(s) at
budget time for implementation in 2025.
C. Franchise Fees: Nevinski noted that the City currently receives franchise fees from
Xcel and Centerpoint for use of the City ROW. Funds are currently dedicated to street
and stormwater improvement projects.
Action — Council directed staff to review the current franchise fee dedications and
amounts, and recommend options.
D. Code Amendments: Staff discussed potential code amendments to clarify public and
private ownership of utility segments that may reduce liability to the City.
Action — Staff was asked to prepare options when updating the City code (See Item
6.) for consideration, noting the advantages and disadvantages for the City and
residents.
E. Treatment (Mid-term): Since last year, measures have been taken to reduce the
amount of iron in City water by relying on wells with filtration and lower iron
content. When demand increases (summer months) or when connections increase,
the lower use wells will need to be relied upon more and enhanced treatment will be
needed.
Action — Staff to develop a plan for enhancing water quality over a period of time,
such as a ten- or twenty-year period.
F. Expanding the System (Long-term): Although there is a reluctance in certain areas to
connect to city water for a variety of reasons, areas exist where private wells
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produce poor quality water and residents have expressed interest in connecting to
City water. Documenting these areas is recommended.
G. Sanitary Sewer: Council concluded that rate will be considered in the 2025 budget
process, and code amendments will be considered as part of the overall code update
(see Item 6).
H. Streets and Storm Sewer: Staff will develop a comprehensive plan for street
infrastructure maintenance and improvements. Storm Water work will mainly focus
on maintenance projects, although the Shorewood Ravine project remains on the
CIP.
5. Goals for City Communications
Staff reviewed communication activities from 2023 and shared plans for 2024. The
Council is pleased with the enhancements and plans and encouraged staff to continue to
build consistent branding (PW vehicles, social media), increase access to information and
drive people to the City's website and social media accounts, and use all outlets
available. Not having a local paper is a frustration. Consider including pictures of staff
and council on website to improve familiarity and personalize.
Staff reviewed the framework of the new website. Council liked the overall layout and
provided comments about colors and potential content. Council also supported an
opportunity to test the new website prior to launch to seek feedback from users.
6. Strategic Planning Process
Council reviewed the 2020-2025 strategic plan, and sample strategic plans from other
communities. There was concern about how to make such a plan actionable and avoid it
sitting on a shelf. Discussion occurred about engaging the community in the process. It
was noted that in 2026 work would begin on updating the decennial comprehensive
plan and that would be a good opportunity to engage residents and integrate a strategic
plan into the process.
7. Public Safety Aid Funds Allocation
Staff reviewed the funding allocation and outlined needs for capital expenses identified
by the Police and Fire Chiefs. Cities also have public safety needs that could be financed
with the aid funds and it could be difficult for the Police and Fire JPA member
communities to equitably fund the various needs. The Council concluded it was most
appropriate for the chiefs to include their capital needs in their budgets and members
cities can then decide how to best allocate their aid dollars.
8. Review and Update of City Code
Staff discussed the need to update the City Code to ensure it is relevant. Staff identified
a number of code sections in need of updating for various reasons. Council noted that,
to the degree possible and appropriate, the updated code should align among SLMPD
member cities to make enforcement easier and consistent. Staff noted that this was
likely a two-year process and would require time and involvement from all staff,
consultants, and commissions. Staff will prepare a work plan to guide the process and
timing.
9. Wrap Up
Staff shared additional topics that Council members had identified in preparation for the
retreat, but that did not have enough consensus to make the agenda. Council was asked
if it wished to discuss any of the topics before concluding the retreat.
• Figure out a way to show volunteer appreciation.
• Arctic Fever and other events — what is the cost/benefit of these?
• Fiber/Internet Service — the expected MetroNet buildout does not appear to be
advancing. It was noted that many internet service providers serve the City and
that there are challenges in building out due to density and water. The City will
continue to welcome more providers but should not invest resources in actively
seek additional providers.
• Waste hauling — Council continues to hear interest from residents in organized
collection, but when discussed in 2018, there was considerable opposition to it. The
ideas of capping the number of licenses, coordinating service somehow on 62nd
(Chanhassen and Shorewood residents), and a holding a referendum in 2026 were
posed. Staff noted that there may be direction imposed by the County in future
years regarding waste and recycling collection.
Motion to adjourn was made by Councilmember Zerby and seconded by Councilmember
Sanschagrin; Motion approved.
Adjourn at 4:08 p.m.
ATTEST:
Sandie Thone, City Clerk
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Jennifer Labadie, Mayor