ORTONVILLE CITY COUNCIL
COUNTY OF BIG STONE, STATE OF MINNESOTA
SPECIAL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES
NORTHSIDE MEDICAL CENTER - 450 EASTVOLD AVENUE
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2007
7:00 P.M.
CALL TO
ORDER AND ROLL CALL:
Mayor Blair
Johnson called the Special Workshop Meeting of the Ortonville City Council
to order at 7:00 P.M. Roll call was taken with the following present:
Mayor Blair Johnson, Nick Anderson, Artie Arndt, John Cunningham, Mike
Dorry, Bob Meyer, and Dan Oakes, with the following absent: None. City
Staff present: City Administrator David Lang, City Attorney Craig Ash,
Police Chief Curtis Hormann, Police Officer Jason Mork, and Police Officer
Justin Knowles Media Present: Mike Swenson and Susan Kaercher-Blake
(Ortonville Independent), and Julie French (KDIO Radio) Others
Present: Steve Berkner, Craig Randleman, Jim Larson, and Elsie Perrine.
AGENDA
AMENDMENTS/APPROVAL:
The
agenda was approved by consensus.
DISCUSSION: ANALYSIS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES
Mayor
Johnson open the discussion of the Stewart Wirth Consulting analysis by
indicating he believes Option 1 (funding the Police Department at the
current level) is too expensive. He noted Option 3 (combing the Police
Department with the County Sheriff’s Department) was not recommended by
the report. Accordingly, Johnson would like to focus upon Option 2 (Remain
with an in-house department, and look to cut costs).
Anderson
expressed his desire to choose some form of Option 2. Meyer noted Option 2
would cut patrol coverage 4 hours per day, and would require eliminating
one full-time officer position. Because of the possible construction of
the Big Stone II power plant, he would like to stay with Option 1.
Oakes is
concerned about the high cost of Option 1, noting the City has not reacted
to the Local Government Aid (LGA) cuts beginning in 2003. He believes in
order to make Ortonville an attractive place to live, we need to look at
shared intergovernmental services to keep costs down, including library,
airport, swimming pool, and all public safety services. If Big Stone II is
built, Oakes would like the State of Minnesota and the consortium to pay
for additional law enforcement coverage.
Cunningham
noted the study show the average daily hours of patrol time for a city our
size with our call volume (approximately three calls per day) would be 8
hours of patrol time each day. Therefore, he is in favor of Option 2.
Ortonville City Council Special Workshop Minutes November 29 2007 Page 2
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Arndt
stated he is comfortable with Option 2, and believes the study indicates
the current level of police coverage is a luxury in terms of the number of
daily patrol hours. Dorry stated he believes money is not the issue,
noting the Council is proposing a one-time transfer of $35,000 into the
golf fund from an enterprise fund. Johnson noted the study indicates 8
patrol hours daily would be indicated by the Ortonville population and low
call load, and again indicated 20 patrol hours per day is too high.
Chief
Hormann would not like to give up the Police Secretary position
completely. He requested the budget provide for 4 hours on Monday and 4
hours on Wednesday for a 2008 weekly total of 8 hours. Craig Randleman
noted the study was excellent and enlightening, and suggested we find out
how other communities with similar population sizes and police departments
function effectively.
Steve
Berkner inquired whether it was reasonable to compare, for example, Canby
with Ortonville. Johnson noted Madison, Wheaton and Dawson all have 3
full-time officers rather than 4. Oakes noted the average Minnesota city
spends approximately 9% of its General Fund Budget on law enforcement,
while Ortonville has spent close to 23%.
It was the
consensus of the Council to direct Staff to prepare a law enforcement
budget of approximately $280,000 for 2008. This will reflect a reduction
from 4 full-time officers to 3, with a daily reduction of patrol hours
from 20 to 16. In addition, the weekly police secretary hours will be
reduced from 24 to 8.
DISCUSSION: 2008 General Fund & 2008 Enterprise Fund Budgets
The
legality of the four percent surcharge was questioned. City Attorney Ash
confirmed the surcharge is permissible under Minnesota law. Arndt believes
a small portion of the assisted living facility revenues should be used to
offset the annual City contribution to the Economic Development Authority.
Dorry stated he agrees with Arndt on this matter. Johnson and Cunningham
spoke against this suggestion.
It was
noted the City should look into Ortonville Area Health Service taking over
the City ambulance department, since having a local ambulance is a service
to the hospital. Discussion and questions followed. Dorry believes golf
course users should pay for improvements to the course, rather than
transfer funds in from other sources.
ADJOURNMENT:
Mayor
Blair Johnson adjourned the meeting by consensus at 8:50 PM.
APPROVED:
ATTEST:
______________________
_________________________
Blair
Johnson David A.
Lang
Mayor
Clerk-Administrator
