Agenda - Planning Commission - 11/02/2006

Home

Further discussion: Mayor Gamec noted this is one of the first of these types of leases. He suggested the lease be determined by June 1 st to allow notice to the tenant of the rates and terms by August. Mr. Sharp explained they carry insurance on the structure and the tenant carries his own insurance. Motion carried. Voting Yes: Mayor Gamec, Councilmembers Cook, Elvig, Jeffrey, Olson, Pearson, and Strommen. Voting No: None. Case #15: Report from Finance Committee 1) Wetlands Functions and Values Study; Case of City of Ramsey Councilmember Strommen reviewed that last year, the City engaged the services of Peterson Environmental Consulting, Inc. to conduct a wetlands functions and values study. A transfer of $35,000 from the Landfill Tipping Fee Fund to the General Fund was authorized to initiate this work. The original contract assumed that approximately 20% of the wetlands would be classified as Preserve or Manage 1. The GIS and data review portion of the study resulted in 136 wetlands, or a little more than twice the assumed number of wetlands, being preliminarily classified as either Preserve or Manage 1. This required additional field work. The consultant has submitted a budget supplement necessary to complete the study in the amount of$19,163.25. The Environmental Policy Board (EPB) recommended proceeding with the additional $20,000 from the Landfill Tipping Fee Fund to complete the study. The Finance Committee discussed this, and while the Committee agreed the project should be completed there was concern over the fact that this will be approving the transfer of funds for work that has already been completed, and that the Council recently discussed the issue of retroactive approval. The recommendation of the Committee was to approve the transfer of $20,000 to complete the work, but that no further expenditures over an approved not-to-exceedamount will be authorized until the Finance Committee considers a case for a clear procedure for communication and tracking not-to-exceed amounts and establishes a clear chain of authority on those procedures. Motion by Councilmember Strommen, seconded by Councilmember Jeffrey, to ratify the recommendation of the Finance Committee in Case No. 1 and to authorize a transfer of $20,000 from the Landfill Tipping Fee Fund to the General Fund to complete the functions and values study. Further discussion: Councilmember Cook stated he will be voting against this for the very reason that this authorization request came in after the work was completed, and it is very unfair to treat consultants differently. He clarified he is very much in support of the wetland study. Councilmember Strommen indicated this issue was discussed by the Finance Committee. One difference is that this study included a clear scope of services on the functions and values study. Although the authorized amount was exceeded the work completed was within that scope of servIces. Motion carried. Voting Yes: Mayor Gamec, Councilmembers Strommen, Jeffrey, Elvig, Olson, and Pearson. Voting No: Councilmember Cook. City Council / September 26, 2006 Page 36 of 38 P56