9.g administrators reportSCANDILA
Staff Report
Date of Meeting: April 18, 2017
To: City Council
From: Neil Soltis, Administrator
Re: Administrator's report
Capital Improvement Committee —The Committee held its initial meeting on March 28. The
Committee reviewed the planning process, the previous plan, the initial proposals for the plan
update, the sources of capital funding, and the needs based on the pavement management
plan. Fire Chief Hinz and Public Works Director Hawkinson led tours of the respective
department to view the equipment scheduled for replacement. The next Committee meetings
will take place on May 4 and May 25.
Comprehensive Planning — The next Steering Committee meeting is scheduled for April 20. At
the workshop the Committee will review results of the SWOT analysis exercise from the
previous meeting and will be asked to refine a community survey to be posted on-line. The City
newsletter and website both offered opportunities for residents and business owners to
participate in 3 specific focus groups. To date there have only been 2 responses.
Broadband & Cable — I am working on setting up meetings with Frontier and Midco to discuss
the cost, feasibility and options to provide a higher level of broadband to all locations in the
city. That information will be discussed at the next EDA meeting. Midco recently upgraded
their base level business from 60 mps to 75 mps.
Washington County Update of Housing Needs — Washington County recently released an
update of the Housing Needs from 2017 to 2030 based on a study conducted by Maxwill
Research and Consulting. The demand study combines Marine, May Township, and Scandia in a
northeast submarket. The combined excess demand for general occupancy housing in this
submarket by 2020 is 159 units and 293 between 2020 and 2030. The 452 needed units in the
study period break down to 113 move -up units and 339 executive units. The projected demand
for senior housing in this submarket is 199 units in 2016, 237 by 2020 and 274 by 2030. In
addition to the 2020 need for active adult units, the study projects a need for 136 service-
enhanced units. The 2020 need breakdown is comprised of 44 subsidized rental units, 119
affordable rental units, 22 market rate by -owner units, 60 market rate rental units, 40
congregate care units, 78 assisted living units, and 18 managed care units.
Audit Report — Schlenner, Wenner & Co. has released a draft of the 2016 audit report. There
were no issues identified in the report. The final report is expected this week.
Workers Compensation refund —The City received a refund on its workers compensation
premium of $7,207 based on a payroll audit.
Website upgrade — Judi & I are working with GovOffice on the upgrade. We have selected a
template, suggested reorganization of the home page, and pictures. We are still looking for the
right picture to serve as the background on the home page. Based on what has been submitted
we are about 3 weeks away from getting a first mock-up of the site.
Veterans Memorial — Dave Wilson reported that the Committee has architect who is finishing his
construction drawing for the walls. Once the plans are reviewed, they will feel comfortable about
scheduling. This should coincide with the lifting of the road restrictions. They are looking at starting in
mid-May. Tom Triplett is setting up a meeting with Abrahamsons to discuss the landscaping plan.
Federated Coops — Federated is scheduled to do the final install of equipment starting on the 24th and
then open for business on the 26th.
Community Solar Farms
• Forest Lake Holdco Solar Farm — The target date from NRG for the project at the corner of
MN 97 and Manning is scheduled to go online is around 5/1.
• Oldfield Solar Garden —Applied for 1 -year extension to CUP until 8/15/2018
• Sunrise Solar Garden (s. of 97) —Applied for 1 -year extension to CUP until 4/18/2018
State Legislature update — The following bills are still in Committee of the House with no action
since the previous report: City Street Funding, Small Cell Wireless, Expanding Application of
Open Meeting Law, and the Reverse Referendum Bill.
The League has provided the following information on items of interest that are contained in
the House and Senate versions of budget bill:
• Jobs & Energy Bills — (Broadband) - Both the House and Senate have now passed omnibus
jobs bills, but the significant differences in the bills will have to be worked out by a conference
committee. The House bill contains funding of the Border -to -Border Broadband Grant Program
totaling $7 million in 2018 while the Senate bill provides $20 million in the biennium.
Transportation Funding Bills - The bills, which are ready to be reconciled in a conference
committee, rely mainly on general fund shifts and bonding, and do not contain the city street
funding initiative proposed by city groups. Neither bill contains increases to existing dedicated
funding mechanisms such as the gas tax or license tab fees. Both bills rely heavily on general
fund shifts and borrowing. Nearly all the funds for roads and bridges provided in the bills would
flow through the Highway User Tax Distribution Fund, which means dollars would be distributed
through the constitutional formula. Although the House bill contains a base appropriation of $25
million in the 2018-2019 biennium for the Small Cities Assistance Account, and the Senate has a
one-time appropriation of $10 million for this account, neither bill includes the city street
funding proposal supported by city groups.