Loading...
2024.10.15 Work Session Packet 4141 Douglas Drive North • Crystal, Minnesota 55422-1696 Tel: (763) 531-1000 • Fax: (763) 531-1188 • www.crystalmn.gov Posted: Oct. 11, 2024 City Council Work Session Agenda Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024 6:30 p.m. Council Chambers/Zoom Pursuant to due call and notice given in the manner prescribed by Section 3.01 of the City Charter, the work session of the Crystal City Council was held on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, at ______ p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 4141 Douglas Dr. N., Crystal, MN and via Zoom. The public may attend the meeting via Zoom by connecting to it through one of the methods identified on the City Council Meeting Schedule for Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. I. Attendance Council members Staff ____ Kamish ____ Bell ____ Kiser ____ Weir ____ Onesirosan ____ Therres ____ Adams ____ Elholm ____ Budziszewski ____ Larson ____ Cummings ____ Revering ____ Eidbo ____ Hubbard ____ Struve ____ Sutter II. Agenda The purpose of the work session is to discuss the following agenda items: 1. West Metro Fire-Rescue District quarterly update. 2. City manager evaluation process.* 3. City Council liaison reports.* 4. City manager monthly check-in. 5. Constituent issues.* 6. New business.* 7. Announcements.* III. Adjournment The work session adjourned at ______ p.m. * Denotes no documentation included in the packet. Auxiliary aids are available upon request to individuals with disabilities by calling the city clerk at (763) 531-1145 at least 96 hours in advance. TTY users may call Minnesota Relay at 711 or 1-800-627-3529. 1 West Metro Fire-Rescue District October 15, 2024 Crystal Council Update ADMINISTRATION/OPERATIONS REPORT Sarah Larson, Fire Chief Calls for Service Report January 1 – August 31, 2024 Total Calls for Service 1429 with 1 severe weather Crystal 673 Estimated fire loss $1,334,218 New Hope 713 Mutual Aid 42 January 1 – December 31, 2023 Total Calls for Service 2148 Estimated fire loss $2,174,929 Crystal 896 New Hope 1167 Mutual Aid 85 January 1 – December 31, 2022 Total Calls for Service 2128 with 2 severe weather Crystal 959 Estimated fire loss $1,501,240 New Hope 1099 Mutual Aid 68 January 1 – December 31, 2021 Total Calls for Service 2124 Estimated fire loss $1,703,242 Crystal 890 New Hope 1,169 Mutual Aid 65 Fires EMS/RescueHazardous ConditionService Call Good Intent Canceled Fire Alarm Severe Weather Total Mutual/Auto Aid 26 23%16 42 3% New Hope 46 40%352 53%51 33%19 43%34 56%55 38%156 62%713 50% Crystal 42 37%307 47%103 67%25 57%27 44%75 51%94 38%673 47% Total 114 8%659 46%154 11%44 3%61 4%146 10%250 17%1 1429 100% 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 2024 Calls for Service Jan 1 Thru August 31 2 January 1 – December 31, 2020 Total Calls for Service 1828 Estimated fire loss $1,313,433 Crystal 781 New Hope 983 Mutual Aid 64 No response per COVID-19 Protocols 178 January 1 – December 31, 2019 Total Calls for Service 2018 Estimated fire loss $2,276,913 January 1 – December 31, 2018 Total Calls for Service 1856 Estimated fire loss $632,167 January 1 – December 31, 2017 Total Calls for Service 1922 Estimated fire loss $588,517 January 1 – December 31, 2016 Total Calls for Service 1573 Estimated fire loss $1,637,094 January 1 – December 31, 2015 Total Calls for Service 1514 Estimated fire loss $657,914 January 1 – December 31, 2014 Total Calls for Service 1663 Estimated fire loss $1,861,162 January 1 – December 31, 2013 Total Calls for Service 1448 Estimated fire loss $357,182 January 1 – December 31, 2012 Total Calls for Service 1349 Estimated fire loss $169,900 January 1 – December 31, 2011 Total Calls for Service 1638 Estimated fire loss $318,749 ADMINISTRATION/COMMUNITY OUTREACH Retirement / Resignation Firefighter Tom Eliason retired on August 25, 2024 after serving the District (and New Hope Fire before the merger) for 32 years. Recruit Pete Goldsmith resigned on September 16, 2024 he has b een on LOA since September, 2023; Pete was part of the 2022 recruit class. Staffing We are currently at 11 full-time & 45 paid, on-call firefighters, of which, 3 are on LOA. Promotion Firefighter Luke Kubista was appointed to Lieutenant at Station 3, he is now Lieutenant 31. Recruiting We received 73 applications during our recruiting period this summer; 53 of t hem met all the minimum requirements but 10 of them decided to drop out before the interviews for various reasons. 43 were invited to the first round of interviews, 36 actually attended the first round of interviews; in this first round the panels were made up of paid, on-call firefighters and officers. 30 were invited to the second round of interviews; this round is with the full-time chiefs. We gave conditional offers to 23 candidates. Our goal is to hire 20 new recruits; 15 with no experience and 5 with training elsewhere that can do an expedited training program. We only got 3 candidates that had prior experience. I believe we can make up that shortfall by hiring 17 untrained candidates. The new recruits should start in early December. FD Awards Banquet This banquet was held on Friday, September 13, 2024 at Chief Larson’s rooftop party room. The award recipients for 2024 are: Years of Service Awards 5 Years – Jason Huber, Ryan Master, Jen Johnsen, Dedric Payne, Jesus Soto & Elisha Wolfman 2023 Douglas C. Smith Award for Excellence – Shelby Wolf 3 2023 Fire Officer of the Year – Mike Zacharias 2023 Firefighter of the Year Award – Joe Konradt 2023 Rookie of the Year Award – Kyle McManus Customer Service Award Inspiration Award Innovation Award Charlie Black Ian Watson Ian Watson Tara Gray Luke Kubista Jesus Soto Eric Grimes Joe Konradt Sean Watson Eri Gonzalez Phil Maki William Leaf Bryan Hamilton Elisha Wolfman Chief’s Commendation Jake Wheeler Olivia Brown Kyle McManus Eric Enselein Joe Dvorak Jen Johnsen Jesus Soto Alyssa Anderson Samuel Gerlach Sean Watson Ian Watson Ian Osborne Matt Ruppert Andy Nichols Eric Grimes Jeff Alger Lucas Pitra William Leaf Steph Erven Adam Lockrem Dennis Marquardt Matt Rowedder Spencer Specht Community Outreach – Lieutenant Jesus Soto Lieutenant Soto has been busy doing public education, social media (Fun Fire Fact Fridays, firefighter spotlights, stories, events and interactive quizzes), Smart911 presentations and Home Safety Surveys. We now get into fall school program season, he will be presenting in the schools throughout the District from now into December. He is also working as the lead advisor for the West Metro Explorer Program, helping the POC firefighter advisors by relieving some of the coordination they have to do, as well as, helping with the training when needed. Home Safety S u rveys In 2024 we have conducted 20 surveys our goal is 30. Below is a list of the outreach projects Lieutenant Soto has done since the last report: Location Age/Grade Date Participants Cooper h igh school 6/5/2024 500 Station Tour adult 6/6/2024 2 YMCA safety all ages 6/13/2024 200 Jr Police Academy teens 6/14/2024 20 4 Forest Elementary 5-10 6/17/2024 120 New Hope Explorers teens 6/18/2024 2 Le Petite Academy 18 months - 5 years 6/19/2024 30 Water at the Park 5-10 years 6/19/2024 20 St Therese adults 6/20/2024 30 Valley Place Park 5 years 6/25/2024 20 Crisis Nursery infants - 10 years 6/25/2024 40 Early Steps Learning preschool 6/26/2024 20 Fun in the Park kids 7/8/2024 5 Fun in the Park kids 7/9/2024 5 NH Cadets teens 7/9/2024 2 NH Cadets teens 7/11/2024 2 Valley Place Park 5 years 7/16/2024 10 New Hope Citizens Academy adults 7/17/2024 15 Forest Elementary 5-10 years 120 Calibre Chase Apartments seniors 7/24/2024 30 Holy Trinity children 7/30/2024 15 West Metro Open House all ages 7/30/2024 500 Wet and Wild day 5-13 years 8/2/2024 200 National Night Out (N NO) all ages 8/6/2024 ? Holy T rinity Water D ay 10 years 8/8/2024 20 New Hope Safety Camp 3-5 grade 8/13 -8/15 60 Cop on a Rooftop all ages 8/16/2024 100 Armstrong Car wash h igh school 8/18/2024 100 Little Folks Daycare toddlers 8/21/2024 30 NNO Event all ages 8/22/2024 20 Station Tour child 8/23/2024 2 Smart911 seniors 8/27/2024 30 Station Tour family 8/27/2024 4 Birthday Brigade child 8/29/2024 2 HeartSafe adult 8/29/2024 6 Fire Extinguisher Training/ Smart911 seniors 9/5/2024 20 Pub Ed ucation children 10/1/2024 50 TRAINING /EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Apprentice firefighters All apprentice firefighters passed the Fire Apparatus Operator (FAO) state certification exam on August 30, 2024 and have been cleared as apparatus operators. This is the last training requirement in order to be promoted to the rank of firefighter. Emergency Management – Captain Jacob Wheeler Captain Wheeler has coordinated ICS 400 training for city staff, this training is taking place on October 29th and 30th. West Metro Fire participated and provided an instructor for several active threat regional response trainings over the summer. 5 UASI Grant West Metro Fire Rescue District has been awarded a Fiscal Year 2024 Urban Area Security Initiative (FY2024 UASI) Grant in the amount of $91,247. This grant will provide functional and technical upgrades to meet the identified goal of providing a joint EOC. The delivery of funds from UASI will add monitor displays, improve functionality of hardware and projection capabilities of intelligence and planning information, upgrade existing sound and microphone capabilities to meet the needs of a 21st century EOC, and add equipment to meet existing needs (white board, projector screen, storage needs for supplies). The improvements made will build and further the goal of having a functional and modern joint EOC. LOGISTICS Facilities Staff met with the city managers to develop a more inclusive capital plan that will reflect the long term plans of both cities and the District. Captain Grimes coordinated with Crystal public works staff to replace and improve the front apron of Station 2. Apparatus and Vehicles Annual aerial testing of Tower 1 has been completed with no significate deficiencies. It was noted in the inspection that some hydraulic lines and other wire are showing signs of abrasions during normal operation. Staff is monitoring theses and will take steps if necessary to make repairs. As the new engines come up on their one-year anniversary, logistics’ staff has been meticulously inspecting them and documenting any known or potential issues. For the first year the trucks are covered bumper to bumper by the manufacturer. After one-year different parts of the truck such as the motor, frame, water tank, and transmission have their own warranties that range from five years to lifetime. Two of the three new staff vehicles that arrived have had graphics applied. The equipment for upfitting of the new GMC Canyon has arrived and Lieutenant Nichols has started the upfitting process. The new one-ton truck that arrived will be replacing U-32 our grass rig. The current skid unit will be re-used in the new one and transferred this fall. Annual pump testing and servicing will be completed in October. In 2025 the District’s capital plan includes replacement of all three of the one-ton rescue trucks. Lieutenant Nichols has started researching available contracts for replacing the chassis and possibly the rescue bodies. 6 IT and Communications We have started the transition to the new RMS software and I happy to report it is going very well. Testing of the payroll and firefighter tracking is working accurately. Once we have everyone trained on the report writing and personnel tracking we will be ending the use of the current RMS software. PREVENTION Deputy Fire Marshal, Shelby Wolf Inspections/Plan Reviews Inspections 1/1/2024 thru 8/31/2024 Completed 702 No violations 277 Re-inspections completed satisfactory 135 Re-inspections completed unsatisfactory 106 Awaiting re-inspection 184 Monitoring Apartment Building Fire Alarms There are several apartment buildings in our two communities that have old zoned by floor fire alarm systems, out dated smoke detectors, and are not monitored by a fire alarm monitoring company. When a fire alarm system is monitored the fire department is notified automatically when the system is activated. Not having a monitoring company relies on the occupants to call 911, which can delay our response. Residents mistakenly assume the fire department has been notified when the system alerts them to a fire. We are working with older apartment building owners/management companies to update their antiquated fire alarm systems to an addressable system, and have them monitored by an alarm company. The addressable panels benefit the firefighters by clearly indicating which device has been activated. With a zoned system they would have to walk the building looking for the activated detector. So far, the owners/management companies of many apartment buildings have been supportive of updating their systems. To date, 3-4 apartment complexes have agreed to monitor their systems. It will take some time, but in the future, it will be better for all to have these systems upgraded. 702 277 135 106 184 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 Completed No violations Re-inspections completed satisfactory Re-inspections completed unsatisfactory Awaiting re- inspection 2024 Inspections 1-1 thru 8-31 7 Fire Investigations: 7/5/2024 - 81XX 45th Avenue North (dumpster/garage fire from fireworks) 7/8/2024 - 48XX Quebec Avenue North (commercial roof fire due to boiler issues) 7/12/2024 - 76XX 36th Avenue North (small cooking fire) 7/24/2024 - 56th and Adair Avenue North (vehicle fire) 8/1/2024 - 38XX Xenia Avenue North (garage/house fire) 8/4/2024 - 29XX Louisiana Avenue North (small bathroom fan fire) 8/13/2024 - 35XX Zane Avenue North (small dryer fire) 8/17/2024 - 57XX Quebec Avenue North (small electrical fire in outlet) 8/20/2024 - 55XX Zealand Avenue North (small cooking fire) CITY MANAGER MONTHLY CHECK-IN - OCTOBER 2024 Objective 1 – Work with City Council to develop Long-Range Vision for the continued implementation of Council priorities: • Continuing to work with council vision and priorities for the remainder of 2024 and through the 2025/2026 Budget process • Reviewing 2024 Resident Survey submissions Objective 2 – Policy Facilitation – Implement the Longe-Range Vision/Strategic Planning for continued implementation of Council priorities: • Thriving Business Community o Working with legal counsel to amend Cannabis zoning regulations and for 2025 registration o Staff is continuing to assist with potential redevelopment opportunities and business openings • Strong Neighborhoods o Continuing to work with businesses on THC/Cannabis sales compliance and current licensing program o Working with HRG on organized organic waste collection proposal – Proposed 4/2025 o Continuing to work on the Crystal Cove Aquatic Center project o Working with residents/property owners to address code violations and traffic concerns o Completed BLX Municipal Consent phase that included attaining partner assurances for city’s interest o Executing Police Chief succession plan • Sound fiscal policies and practices o Continuing to seek additional outside funding for projects o Continuing to implement the 2024 Capital Program o Processing implantation of Questica budget software o Continuing 2025/2026 Budget process based on council feedback. • Conducted Mayor’s Podcast on 2025 Budget o Fee Schedule considered 10/15 and updated Long Term Plan will be proposed soon. o New search for Accountant position • Welcoming and inclusive community o Inclusion & Diversity Commission – • With full membership, the Commission is continuing to work on developing a Work Plan. Commission is interested in a joint meeting to discuss draft work plan. o City hosted the Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ Water Blessing at Crystal's Bassett Creek Park on October 14 o CPD participated in the Faith and Blue event (10/12-13) Objective 3 – Re-establish the Environmental Quality Commission with a clear and engaging 4141 Douglas Drive North • Crystal, Minnesota 55422-1696 Tel: (763) 531-1000 • Fax: (763) 531-1188 • www.crystalmn.gov purpose and a sustainable future: • Continuing to research other cities’ environmental commissions/efforts to develop future Climate Action Plan • Monitoring additional grant opportunities for Climate Action Plan development • Name change to Sustainability Commission • Initial focus will be on Climate Action planning, Gold Leaf Challenge Program action items, and continued GreenStep Cities, in addition to existing former EQC work. • Will begin recruitment campaign upon name change Objective 4 – Create an atmosphere of better teamwork, open communication, enhanced employee performance, and where staff feel empowered to help make decisions: • Reviewing job descriptions and updating roles/responsibilities • Working with Asst. City Manager on Classification and Compensation study • Actively recruiting and interviewing new staff for open positions o Police Officers – new officers swearing-in ceremony on October 21 o Conducting PW Utility interviews o Participating in WMFRD Chief interviews • Supporting staff wellness and continuing professional growth and development • Connecting with neighboring city managers on various local issues • Continuing participation in city manager leadership/peer group and metro and state professional organizations • Attended 2024 ICMA Conference • Elected to LOGIS Executive Committee • Elected to NWSCC and CCX Media Executive Committees • Working with Council to revise manager evaluation process.