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Home My WebLink AboutCity Council Packet 12-02-2002 Special 2Agenda City of Plymouth Special City Council Meeting Monday, December 2, 2002 Im m ediately following Truth in Taxation Hearing) Public Safety Training Room 1. Call to Order 2. Consider lawful gambling request 3. Discuss Fire Department report 4. Schedule future study sessions 5. Adjourn Agenda Number: eL , TO: Dwight D. Johnson, City Manager FROM: Craig C. Gerdes, Chief of Police SUBJECT: CHARITABLE GAMBLING DATE: November 22, 2002 for City Council study session of December 2, 2002 1. ACTION REQUESTED: Review the information provided on charitable gambling and determine next steps. 2. BACKGROUND: The City Council reviewed information at its May 21, 2002 study session regarding a request received from the Plymouth Lions and Plymouth Crime and Fire Prevention Fund to allow pull -tab operations within the City. At that time, the Council directed the Public Safety Advisory Board (PSAB) to assist with drafting a gambling ordinance for the City of Plymouth. A "boiler -plate" gambling ordinance used by other cities was obtained through the City Attorney and given to the PSAB for discussion. The PSAB had a preliminary discussion at its June meeting on the subject of charitable gambling within the City. They decided to review the information and come back with ideas and suggestions at their July meeting. At the July 18, 2002 PSAB meeting, they first had a discussion on whether the City should allow charitable gambling. Of the six members present, four were in favor, one was opposed, and one was undecided. They then went ahead and decided what to recommend for inclusion in an ordinance. 3. ALTERNATIVES: The Council can review and accept the recommendations made by the PSAB and schedule for an upcoming Council meeting, or take no action and decline to study the issue further. 4. DISCUSSION: The PSAB made the following recommendations: a) The ordinance be written to allow all forms of gambling except bingo. b) Licenses should be limited to on -sale liquor license establishments. c) The ordinance should include a three percent (3%) local gambling tax as allowed by State Law. d) The City of Plymouth receive ten percent (10%) of the gross profits as allowed by State Law. 5. BUDGET IMPACT: If the charitable gambling ordinance is adopted by the Council, the costs of investigation and enforcement would likely be recouped through the three percent 3%) gambling tax. The City could also benefit from receipt of the ten percent (10%) of gross profits allowed by State Law and any donations made by the Crime and Fire Prevention Fund. 6. RECOMMENDATION: The City Council review the information provided on charitable gambling and determine whether they would like any changes, whether to schedule the ordinance for consideration at an upcoming Council meeting, to request further consideration or study, or decline to take any further action on this issue. City of Plymouth Public Safety Advisory Board Minutes ofMeeting June 20, 2002 7.•00 p.m. Present: Pete Cahill, Jenny Hibbard, Cathy Kaufman, Gary Landis, Tony Spector, Chief Craig Gerdes, Chief Rick Kline, Council member Kelli Slavik, Recording Secretary Tammy Ward Absent: Leo Haseman, Hal Nelson At 7:07 p.m. Chair Kaufinan called the meeting to order. Motion by Jenny Hibbard, seconded by Gary Landis to approve the May 16, 2002 minutes. All in favor, motion carried. Chair Kaufinan stated that the next item on the agenda was to review the gambling ordinance. Chief Gerdes stated that the Plymouth Lions and the Plymouth Crime and Fire Prevention Fund had made a request to the City Council to allow a pull -tab operation at Mulligans. Chief Gerdes stated that there are two questions that need to be asked. 1) Is gambling right for the City and 2) If yes, how do we appropriately structure it so that it is fair and impartial? Council member Slavik stated that many people are on the fence on this issue. She stated that the main reason the item is being discussed further is because the Plymouth Crime and Fire Prevention Fund has done wonderful things for the City. She stated that the item may not end up going forward to the City Council, but if it does a public hearing would be held. Chief Gerdes stated that the City Council has asked this board to offer their perspectives on gambling, as well as to prepare a draft ordinance. Cathy Kaufinan asked if any other organizations besides the Plymouth Crime and Fire Prevention Fund had ever inquired about charitable gambling. Chief Gerdes stated that the Lions Club had approached the City Council back in 1991, but at that time, the City Council was not interested in pursuing it. Tony Spector stated that it was important to define the parameters up front, because once the door is open, the door is open. He questioned if the City was ready for something like this? Council member Slavik stated that the City could designate what type of establishment could apply for a gambling license. Tony Spector asked if the city would need to hire an investigator to perform the background checks. Chief Gerdes stated that initially Investigator Bevins could perform the investigations on an overtime basis. He stated that Investigator Bevins currently performs background checks on Public Safety Advisory Board Minutes June 20, 2002 liquor license applicants and other permit applications. Chief Gerdes stated that the investigation and enforcement costs could most likely be recouped through the 3% gambling tax, which is allowed by State law. Cathy Kaufinan asked for clarification on the trade area. Chief Gerdes stated that there are a number of ways to define what can be done with the proceeds. He stated that the City could create a trade area where all or a portion of the gambling proceeds must be spent in the trade area. He stated that the trade area must include all abutting communities. Cathy Kaufinan asked if the City could choose to keep the money in Plymouth. Chief Gerdes stated that would be up to the organization. He stated that if the city incorporates a trade area into the ordinance; the City can decide what percentage of the proceeds is to be spent in the trade area. He added that the distribution of proceeds in the City Attorney's draft ordinance indicates that 10 percent of the organization's net profits shall be contributed to the City. Chief Gerdes stated that these are things that the Board will need to consider when drafting the ordinance. Cathy Kaufinan stated that it is her understanding that the Plymouth Crime and Fire Prevention Fund has purchased some great items for both the police and fire departments. Council member Slavik and Chief Gerdes agreed. Chief Gerdes stated that it is common to restrict gambling to liquor establishments, but the ordinance could also be written restricting it to places of worship. He stated if the ordinance restricted the license to places of worship, then any place of worship would be eligible to apply for a license. Jenny Hibbard asked if it was the Public Safety Advisory Boards' role to make suggestions on the wording, or to indicate whether or not they agree with allowing charitable gambling. Chief Gerdes stated that this Boards' role is to help draft the ordinance, as well as, offer their opinion regarding the ordinance. Discussion continued regarding the survey of other cities that allow some form of gambling. Jenny Hibbard commented that some cities allow both liquor establishments and places of worship, yet others allow only one or the other. Chief Gerdes stated the City Attorney recommended that Plymouth does not set numbers based on population like the City of Eden Prairie has established in their ordinance. Chief Gerdes stated that if licensed liquor establishments were allowed, they would be self- limiting as there probably would only be approximately six potential sites. Jenny Hibbard stated that she did not see anything in the ordinance allowing for a trade area. Chief Gerdes stated that the city attorney's office had just drafted a boilerplate ordinance, and that this group was to decide on items such as trade areas. Gary Landis inquired about costs associated with the permit. Chief Gerdes stated that there would be a $100 permit fee. He stated that State Statute indicates that the fee cannot exceed 100. 2 Public Safety Advisory Board Minutes June 20, 2002 Tony Spector asked about Section 1105.11 Subd. 1 — Qualifications. He asked if the senior waiter on duty would become manager by default if the manager were absent. Chief Gerdes stated that the ordinance focuses on the gambling operation as opposed to the business operation. He stated that a gambling manager would be hired. Cathy Kaufman suggested that the board continue to think about the ordinance during the next month and could come back with ideas and suggestions next month. Council member Slavik stated that she had received a phone call from Chair Kaufinan regarding the role of the Public Safety Advisory Board. Council member Slavik stated that the City Council would like to see this Board continue to meet for a year. She stated at the end of a year, they would take a look at the Board and if needed, they would reassign anyone who was interested on being on another city board. She stated that the Council felt it was this boards' role to review ordinances and other items that staff may have for them. She said like other City Boards, their role is to be reactive, not proactive. Council member Slavik stated that the City Council felt that when appropriate, staff could provide items for their agenda. She stated that the City Council feels that this Board is very important, and they would like them to be available when items do come up. She stated that the City Council thought perhaps this Board could meet every other month for the time being. Gary Landis suggested that the Public Safety Advisory Board hold some type of open forum once or twice a year. He stated that they could invite residents to attend and it would be a citizen's forum. Gary stated that this would be a proactive thing for the group to do, as well as a positive opportunity for the residents of the City. Council member Slavik stated that the first 15 minutes of each City Council meeting is set aside as a public forum. She stated that the City Council would prefer to continue holding the public forums prior to the council meetings, as all the council members could be present for the meeting. She added that it would be creating an additional layer or bureaucratic step by having the Public Safety Board conduct the forum and then pass the information on to the City Council. Gary Landis stated that some people might see it that way but others might not. Council member Slavik stated that people might have a specific issue and this forum would be more focused. Tony Spector stated that he thought that the Board should try holding one and see what happens. Cathy Kaufman stated that it would be a faster connection to the Chiefs in a less formal environment. She added that she too would be curious to see what would happen. Gary Landis stated that he thought that this would be a less threatening forum then attending a City Council meeting. Council member Slavik stated that the City Council would be concerned about what advice might be given out during these meetings. Gary Landis suggested that the City Attorney could be present to answer any legal questions. Council member Slavik stated that many of the complaints she receives are regarding policies or ordinances. She said people have specific concerns and they get frustrated and they want answers now. Council member Slavik stated that when someone comes to her with a concern, she is generally able to respond to his or her concerns that same day. Gary Landis stated that we 3 Public Safety Advisory Board Minutes June 20, 2002 wouldn't know what would happen until we tried it. Tony Spector stated that they could try it once with the City Attorney present and just see what happens. Council member Slavik stated that the City Council would want to be present for any type of open forum. Jenny Hibbard stated that the meeting would not be a way to bypass the City Council, but would allow the Public Safety Advisory Board to become more visible in the community. She stated that it would be more of an extension of the City Council. Pete Cahill stated that he would be intrigued by the experiment. He wondered how many people would attend. Tony Spector stated that the City Council meetings are taped, and people may not want to discuss an issue if their neighbors are able to view them on cable TV. Chief Gerdes stated that the City Council would have to authorize an open forum. He asked the group what they were looking for by holding the open forum. Council member Slavik stated that a Town Forum was held last year. She stated that one group who had concerns about the skate park attended the meeting along with approximately five other residents. Council member Slavik stated that she has also held two ward meetings. She said that they are very informal meetings, but not very many people attend them. Chief Gerdes added that historically community input is issue based. Unless there is a specific item on the agenda, people usually do not attend the meetings. He reiterated that Council member Slavik has indicated several times that she did not feel the City Council would be in favor of this open forum. Cathy Kaufman asked if once the gambling ordinance was written, would the Public Safety Board just be on call for any items that might come up. Council member Slavik stated that the second hand goods ordinance would need reviewing in the fall and additional items might come up as well. She suggested that the board meet every other month. She reiterated that the City Council feels that this is a valuable Board for the City. She stated that the City Council appreciates everyone on the Board. She said that she has told the City Council that the people on the Public Safety Advisory board are very eager and that they have some great ideas. She stated that other issues would come up that this Board would need to look at. Gary Landis stated that the Boards' big struggle is that they want to be visible to the public. Chief Gerdes reminded everyone of the Boards' mission. He stated that issues could be referred to the group by the City Council, City Administration, the Police Department's Community Policing Committee, Fire Department staff or by citizen referral through a member of the group. He stated that it was the City Council who had referred the gambling ordinance to the Public Safety Advisory Board. Gary Landis stated that the board is purely reactive then. Jenny Hibbard stated that everyone on this board struggles with their own individual expectations. She said that she thinks that each member contributes something to this Board. Jenny stated that it's good to know that Plymouth is such a great City, and that there aren't a lot of issues or concerns to deal with. Pete Cahill agreed that it's hard to get ahead of a very well run organization. The next item was around the table. No one had any issues. 4 Public Safety Advisory Board Minutes June 20, 2002 Chair Kaufman stated that next month the group should finalize the draft gambling ordinance. Chief Gerdes stated that additional information on the gambling ordinance would be mailed to the board members on Monday. Chief Gerdes stated that the draft ordinance would be given to the City Attorney's office for their review, and then would be sent to the City Council. Chair Kaufman stated that she would contact the members who were not at the meeting tonight and fill them in on what had been discussed at the meeting. Motion by Pete Cahill, seconded by Jenny Hibbard to adjourn. All in favor, motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 8:23 p.m. 5 City of Plymouth Public Safety Advisory Board Minutes ofMeeting July 18, 2002 7.•00 p.m. Present: Pete Cahill, Jenny Hibbard, Cathy Kaufman, Gary Landis, Hal Nelson, Tony Spector, Chief Craig Gerdes, Chief Rick Kline, Recording Secretary Tammy Ward Absent: Leo Haseman, Council member Kelli Slavik Chair Kaufinan called the meeting to order. The first item on the agenda was the approval of the minutes. Motion by Gary Landis, seconded by Jenny Hibbard to approve the June 20, 2002 minutes. All in favor, motion carried. Chair Kaufinan stated that the next item on the agenda was to review the gambling ordinance. Chair Kaufinan suggested that the Public Safety Advisory Board introduce themselves to the three visitors attending the meeting tonight. Those visitors identified themselves as Mery Bjerke, Ed Stanke and Gordo Rabens, all members of the Plymouth Lions. Chief Gerdes asked if he could outline the goals with regard to the gambling ordinance. Chief Gerdes stated that if the ordinance moves forward, the City Council would conduct the public hearing on this item. He stated that the City Council is requesting two things from the Public Safety Advisory Board. 1) their opinion on lawful gambling and 2) to create a draft ordinance for the City Council to review. Chair Kaufinan opened the item up for discussion. Hal Nelson asked if the document that the City Attorney's office had provided was just a boiler plate ordinance and not specific to Plymouth. Chief Gerdes stated that was correct. Chief Gerdes stated that it was this Board's task to make a recommendation to the City Council, as well as, offer their philosophical opinions. Chair Kaufinan stated that her personal opinion is that gambling is entertainment. She stated that people would go to casinos and play the lottery regardless of whether or not gambling is allowed in Plymouth. She stated that people have to decide for themselves if it is a bad habit or not. She does not feel that the City should say whether gambling is right or wrong. Chair Kaufinan stated that she would like to see pull -tabs allowed in bars only. She said she would also be in support of allowing pull -tabs if the proceeds could go to a high school football team or similar type organization. Chair Kaufinan said that she did not feel that allowing pull -tabs would devalue the City of Plymouth. Gary Landis asked if ten percent of the net profits were the maximum amount that could go to the City. Chief Gerdes stated that was the maximum the City could require or a "trade area". He stated that in this proposal, the City of Plymouth would get ten percent of the net profits and that Public Safety Advisory Board Minutes July 18, 2002 the Plymouth Lions and the Plymouth Crime and Fire Prevention Fund would split the remainder of the proceeds 50/50. He stated that the Plymouth Crime Fund would be donating their portion of the proceeds to the City of Plymouth. The Lions Club would give their money to charitable organizations. Chief Gerdes stated that the City could require specified funding where the City could require an organization to make expenditures of up to ten percent of its net profits to a specific lawful purpose. Or, he stated that the City could require an organization to make, expenditures of up to ten percent of its net profits to a fund administered and regulated by the City. He stated those funds could be designated by the City Council for a specific City service or department, or directed toward open space acquisition, park system expenditures etc. Chief Gerdes stated that city staff would prefer not to have the funds administered by the City. Gary Landis stated that it is a difficult issue whether or not to allow gambling in the City. He stated that the question was raised by an organization that does so many good things for the City. Tony Spector asked if the Plymouth Lions Club would be donating their proceeds to the Plymouth Crime and Fire Prevention Fund as well. Mery Bjerke stated that much of the money that the Lions Club donates would stay in Plymouth. He stated that the Lions Club participates in services for the blind and visually impaired as well scholarships and other organizations. Gary Landis asked if the decisions regarding the ordinance should be made under current conditions or if the Board should try and look twenty years down the road. He stated that none of them know who or what operations would be in the City twenty years from now. He also asked if they needed to further define liquor establishments with full dining versus those just having a bar. Chief Gerdes stated that currently both the 3.2 malt and intoxicating liquor licenses have restaurants. He said that the current City ordinance requires a certain percentage of the food sales to be larger than liquor sales. He stated that the City Attorney is recommending the ordinance be limited to all on sale liquor licenses and that there are no subsets to that requirement. Chief Gerdes added that it is best to write an ordinance to current law not potential law. Hal Nelson asked if Mulligans would receive any money for allowing pull -tabs at their establishment. Ed Stanke stated that Mulligans would receive $1000 a month for the space and clean up services. He stated the Minnesota Gambling Control Board sets that amount. Hal Nelson said that he previously worked in Madison, MN and that they had nothing but problems with gambling out there. He said that the gambling was not being properly tracked and managed and that the Minnesota Gambling Control Board was out there once a year checking on things. Hal stated that he personally is of the opinion - if it's not broke, don't fix it. Ed Stanke stated that he has been involved with pull -tabs for several years and they have never had a problem. He stated that the Minnesota Gambling Control Board audits them once a year. Ed added that the Lions Club would hire the people to run the pull -tab operations, not Mulligans. Cathy Kaufman asked if the gambling manager would be an employee of the restaurant. Chief Gerdes stated that the gambling manager would be an employee of the Lions Club or whatever organization was issued the permit. 2 Public Safety Advisory Board Minutes July 18, 2002 Hal Nelson asked if Mulligans would receive $1000 off the top, what kind of money did the Lions anticipate making? Ed Stanke stated that they have made as much as $20,000 at the Wayzata Municipal. He stated that the first month they made $10,000. He added that currently Plymouth residents are going to the cities of Medina and Wayzata to purchase pull -tabs. Jenny Hibbard stated that she had an opportunity to speak with a few people regarding the gambling ordinance. Jenny stated that they indicated that they were more comfortable with the idea knowing that a good organization, with good intent was involved. She stated that some felt that gambling should only be allowed where liquor is served. She added that some people were concerned about if every restaurant that serves alcohol were allowed to have pull -tabs; the City could be riddled with gambling. She said some also had concerns about their children being exposed to pull -tabs while eating out in certain restaurants. Chair Kaufinan stated that as a parent, she did not see that as an issue. She stated that she personally would not bring her children to Mulligans. She stated that people need to make their own choices. Chair Kaufinan stated that if she took her family to restaurant such as Ruby Tuesday, she would not be offended if they sold pull -tabs. She added that she feels that purchasing pull -tabs is much like buying a lottery ticket. Jenny Hibbard asked if the hours of selling pull tabs could be limited to hours such as 8:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. Jenny Hibbard reiterated that these comments that she shared earlier were from others that she had spoken with. These did not represent her personal viewpoint on gambling. Pete Cahill stated that he felt that selling pull -tabs at liquor establishments was fine. He also felt that the market place would take care of the family restaurants. He stated that it was unlikely that the family restaurant franchises would elect to sell pull -tabs. He stated that he felt that the Wayzata Municipal was an appropriate place to sell pull -tabs. Pete Cahill stated he; however, would like the ordinance to prohibit bingo halls. He stated that he would not want to see the City have a stand-alone bingo hall. Chief Gerdes stated that there are four ways to construct the ordinance: 1) to allow all forms of gambling 2) to allow all forms of gambling except bingo 3) to allow bingo only or bingo and pull tabs if combined gross receipts do not exceed $50,000 or 4) to allow raffles only. Chief Gerdes stated that if the Board selected all forms except bingo, you would end up with only pull -tabs. He stated that if you select all forms, you could end up with a bingo hall. Chair Kaufinan stated that she would like to get the Board's philosophical views on gambling. Chair Kaufman asked for a vote of those who were in favor of allowing gambling in the City of Plymouth. Chair Kaufinan, Gary Landis, Jenny Hibbard and Pete Cahill were all in favor of allowing gambling. Hal Nelson was opposed to allowing gambling and Tony Spector was undecided. Chief Gerdes stated that the City Council was interested in this groups' opinion on the issue; however, regardless of the outcome, they were also directed to draft an ordinance for the City Council to review. Tony Spector stated that he had some concerns about the secondary effects of gambling. He stated at this time, he personally is not comfortable with the idea of allowing 3 Public Safety Advisory Board Minutes July 18, 2002 gambling, but stated that he could proceed ahead with the task as directed by the City Council. He added that his opinion on gambling has nothing to do with the Lions Club. Pete Cahill asked if the Chief had received any opinions regarding gambling from either Medina's Police Chief or Wayzata's Police Chief. Chief Gerdes stated that he had not. He stated that the City of Wayzata has a great advantage as the ordinance limits the location to the Wayzata Municipal. He stated that Medina's ordinance is limited to social organizations. Gary Landis asked if the ordinance could be revoked on review? Chief Gerdes stated that the City Council could add or subtract to an ordinance. Chief Gerdes stated that it takes a 4/3 vote to change an ordinance. Jenny Hibbard asked if a year later the City finds out there are problems can the ordinance be changed. Chief Gerdes stated that the City could revoke a license. He stated that the City currently does this with tobacco and liquor licenses. Chief Gerdes stated that if a game were bad or fixed, the State Gaming Commission would handle the matter. He stated that if there were an accusation of theft, the police department would take the lead with the assistance of the State Gaming Commission. Chief Gerdes stated that are four main areas that need to be addressed. He stated that the first area is whether or not to impose a gambling tax not to exceed 3% of the gambling proceeds. Hal Nelson asked if this was gross proceeds. Chief Gerdes stated that he believed it was but that he would have to look that up to make sure. Motion by Hal Nelson, seconded by Pete Cahill to include the 3% local gambling tax. All in favor, motion carried. Chief Gerdes stated that this would be drafted to State Law. Chief Gerdes stated that the next area is location/limitations. He stated that the City Attorney's office has recommended limiting licenses to on sale liquor establishments. Motion by Hal Nelson, seconded by Cathy Kaufrnan to limit gambling licenses to on sale liquor establishments. All in favor, motion carried. Chief Gerdes stated that the next item was to determine which of the four types of gambling to allow. Motion by Jenny Hibbard, seconded by Hal Nelson to have all forms of gambling except bingo. All in favor, motion carried. Chief Gerdes stated that the last item to discuss was the distribution of funds. Hal Nelson asked for clarification on trade areas. Chief Gerdes stated that the City can create a trade area where all or a portion of the proceeds must be spent. The trade area must include all communities abutting Plymouth. Chief Gerdes stated he believed there were ten cities that abut Plymouth. He added that the City could determine what percentage of the proceeds is required to be spent in the trade area. Chief Gerdes stated that his personal opinion is that the ten percent option is easier than the trade area to understand, as well as, administer. He added with the trade area option, there is no guarantee that any of the money would be spent in Plymouth. Hal Nelson asked if the Lions Club could do anything they wanted with their proceeds. Ed Stanke stated that the some examples of the types of donations that the Lions Club has made would include money for diabetes; hearing aids, the eye bank, the Boy Scouts of America and they have also awarded scholarships. Gordo Rabens stated that the Lions would really like to 4 Public Safety Advisory Board Minutes July 18, 2002 expand on the scholarships that they award. He stated that their scholarships have not kept up with the growth of the City. Ed stated that the Lions currently only participate in two fundraisers. Chief Gerdes added that State law defines where the money can or cannot be spent. Motion by Hal Nelson, seconded by Jenny Hibbard to include in the ordinance that the City is to receive 10 percent of the gross profits. All in favor, motion carried. Gary Landis inquired about Section 1105.10 —Authorized Organizations. Garystated this section states that an organization must meet the qualifications in Minnesota State Statute 394.16 Subd. 2, and also meet one of the five listed conditions. Gary inquired why the applicant is only required to meet one of the five requirements. Chief Gerdes stated that this question would be posed to the City Attorney's office. Chief Gerdes stated that the above recommendations would be given to the City Attorney to include in the draft ordinance. He asked if this Board wanted to review the ordinance once the City Attorney's office has the draft ordinance available. Chair Kaufman stated that she did not feel that would be necessary. Everyone agreed that would not be necessary. Cathy Kaufman asked if the Council would know that the Public Safety Advisory Board's vote to allow gambling was 4 in favor, 1 opposed and 1 on the fence. Chief Gerdes advised that they would read it in the minutes, and it also would be presented at the time the ordinance is brought back to the City Council. He stated that would probably be September or October. Chief Gerdes stated that we would also notify the gentlemen from the Lions Club when that was going to occur. Mery Bjerke stated that the Lions Club has agreed to a 50150 split with the Plymouth Crime and Fire Prevention Fund. He asked if the ordinance could require that others do the same. Chief Gerdes stated that that the City did not have the authority to require a 50150 split as that decision was between the organizations. Jenny Hibbard asked if it was correct that the City could not stipulate both ten percent of the gross proceeds, as well as, a trade area. Chief Gerdes stated that was correct. He said that it had to be one or the other. Chair Kaufinan stated the next item on the agenda was council issues. Chief Gerdes stated that he did not have any council issues to report. Chair Kaufman stated that the next item was around the table. Pete Cahill stated that he had a handout entitled "Operation Safe Tucson" that he wanted to share with the Chief, as well as have copies made for the board members. Chair Kaufinan stated that she had some concerns regarding the road construction near 45th and Larch Lane. Chair Kaufman stated that she has talked with the Engineering Department, a police officer and the contractor for this project. She stated the diggers and dump trucks box in people and that one nearly hit her. She also stated that the same lane signage has been up during the entire project, even when it was incorrect information. She stated that she does not feel that the Public Safety Advisory Board Minutes July 18, 2002 safety concerns have been handled very well, and that she hopes in the future, safety concerns can be handled better during road construction. Gary Landis asked who is in charge of the school crossing lights at Vicksburg Lane in front of Plymouth Creek Elementary. He stated that the lights are always flashing. He suggested that perhaps the lights could be turned off during the summertime. Gary stated that the school has a home base program during the summer. However, he added that all of the students are picked up from the school, so there are no walkers and the lights would not be needed. Chief Gerdes advised that this information would be passed on to the City's Engineering Department. Hal Nelson asked if Chief Gerdes if anyone from the Public Safety Advisory Board had expressed an interest in attending the Citizen's Academy. Chief Gerdes advised that so far, no one from this Board has expressed an interest in attending. He added that they would enjoy having anyone from the Board, who was interested in attending. Both Jenny Hibbard and Gary Landis indicated that they would be interested in attending. Hal Nelson asked if the City had an ordinance on how high buildings can be constructed. Chief Gerdes stated that the item is addressed in the Zoning Ordinance. Hal Nelson was inquiring about one of the new office buildings being built in City Center. Chief Gerdes stated that his recollection is that three stories was the maximum height allowed in the City Center area. He stated that he would check on this and could get back to Hal with the answer. There were no upcoming agenda items or concerns, so everyone agreed that the meeting in August would be canceled and the Board would meet again in September. Chair Kaufrnan adjourned the meeting at approximately 8:32 p.m. 0 Adopted Minutes Special Council Meeting May 21, 2002 Page 3 of 6 Mayor Tierney thanked the residents who attended the meet' g. She stated the Council understands the pressure for residents to develop their pro rty. She stated the City would not restrict the sale of the land. Community Development D' ector Hurlburt explained there is a zoning requirement of a minimum of 20 acres for resi ntial development in this area. Councilmember Harstad stated the limited market alue and increases assume that the tax rate will stay the same, but the rates usually decreas a stated he doesn't want to see people forced off their land because they can't pay property es. He added that growth could decrease as land values appreciate. Mr. Goblirsch responded that the City y not forbid the sale of their land, but the value of the property would not be realized in a sal . He stated residents are paying taxes on their land as if it has greater worth, but there is an aff dability issue. Mayor Tierney stated these issue ould be reviewed. She stated not this year but sometime in the future land configurations d topography would be reviewed. Councilmember Johnson s ed the no—growth option was unrealistic. However, the Comprehensive Plan for a area was well—planned by staff to manage growth in anticipation of the infrastructure. She s ted the development of bridges and streets is meant to benefit the residents, and the City eeds to review how to balance development with the interests of residents. Councilmember ewitt thanked residents for attending the meeting. She understands market value concerns d believes development issues need to be reviewed before 2008. Mayor Tie ey agreed that there is pressure to develop the land. She reminded residents of the lengthy p cess to re -study the guide plan. Lawful Gambling Ordinance Police Chief Gerdes discussed requests by the Plymouth Lions Club and the Plymouth Crime and Fire Prevention Fund to permit charitable gambling in the City. He stated the Council could either direct staff to prepare an ordinance permitting charitable gambling or discontinue the discussion. He reviewed State statutes and guidelines permitting cities to regulate charitable gambling. He stated questions to be discussed include whether gambling is appropriate, how it could be restricted, and whether there would be a conflict of interest for the Crime and Fire Prevention Fund to participate as a licensee, when they would be also be recipient of some of the proceeds. Mayor Tierney asked what types of gambling would an ordinance cover. Police Chief Gerdes replied that it is very unusual to see anything other than pull tabs and bingo. He stated pull tabs are the most profitable form of gambling. Adopted Minutes Special Council Meeting May 21, 2002 Page 4 of 6 Councilmember Stein asked if the City could limit the number of licenses. Police Chief Gerdes responded that a limit would not be an equal application of law if the number issued is only one, but that application to other sites would remove any conflict of interest for the City. Attorney Knutson stated the City could impose a limit in theory but the application of that could be a challenge. He suggested the possibility of a drawing to grant applicants a license. In response to questions about limiting locations, Police Chief Gerdes stated the typical restaurant chains would not allow gambling on their premises. He stated the majority of the licensees would be from charitable groups, athletic, or sportsmen's organizations. Councilmember Johnson supports proceeding with developing an ordinance and referring any proposals to the Public Safety Advisory Board for review. Councilmember Black stated this is a philosophical issue and thinks the City shouldn't proceed with an ordinance allowing gambling. Councilmember Harstad agreed with Councilmember Black. He believes there is too much proliferation of gambling, and that it is not merely an entertainment. He stated it creates societal costs beyond its merit. Councilmember Harstad made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Black, not to take any action on this request. Councilmember Hewitt agreed with Councilmembers Harstad and Black. She believes there is a conflict of interest with the Crime and Fire Prevention Fund organization. She noted the negative impact of money spent on gambling. She does not agree that because other cities have it Plymouth needs it. She agreed that fundraising is getting harder to do, but that it doesn't justify the City's permitting of gambling. Councilmember Stein stated people who have a gambling problem would gamble regardless of where it is available. Councilmember Slavik stated she is undecided with this issue. Mayor Tierney stated there could be problems associated with gambling. She stated many issues need to be studied, but she views gambling as entertainment. She would support receiving further comments and pursuing further study. Lions Club representative Ed Steinke stated he has worked with gambling in Wayzata and suggested Plymouth prepare an ordinance. He stated pull tab games offer the largest paybacks to players. He stated the Plymouth Lions Club only has a limited chance to sell fundraising tickets, and this would allow another venue for that activity. Dave Hogshire, 525 Brockton Lane, stated he and his wife have been involved with the Plymouth Fire and Crime Prevention Fund, which gave $9,000 to the City for laser imaging equipment. He stated the Council should weigh what the proceeds could purchase versus any Adopted Minutes Special Council Meeting May 21, 2002 Page 5 of 6 social problems created by gambling. He stated he is glad the Council is asking constituents for advice on the issue. Councilmembers Harstad and Stein agreed that proper controls (oversight, audit, etc.) would be required of any stated his family had cash businesses through his life, and he agrees that proper controls are needed, but this is not a reason to deny an opportunity for the organizations. Police Chief Gerdes stated that donations from the Crime and Fire Prevention Fund were dedicated for unique purchases, such as the original K-9 purchases, and are now part of the City budget. Fire Chief Kline stated that all firefighting and fire prevention purchases are prioritized with other City departments. Councilmember Johnson stated the two different questions in philosophical and money areas merit discussion and review. She supports public debate and education on the issues. Councilmember Harstad stated that alcohol has effect of reducing inhibitions, and can't support pull tab sales. He noted that lottery and scratch—off games are not being sold in the places where alcohol is consumed. Councilmember Johnson believes the government can't legislate all. Councilmember Stein made a motion, seconded by Mayor Tierney, to call the question. With all members voting in favor but Johnson, the motion carried. The Council voted on the main motion and with all members voting against but Harstad, Hewitt, and Black, the motion failed. Councilmember Stein made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Johnson, to direct staff to draft ordinance language permitting charitable gambling, which would be reviewed by the Public Safety Advisory Board for review and comment. Councilmember Slavik stated more public comment is needed on this request. Mayor Tierney asked whether the City might narrow the scope of the ordinance and the recipients of any proceeds. Police Chief Gerdes responded that there would be opportunities to address those issues during the development of the ordinance language. He stated other considerations include how to guide an application, and what fees could be charged for administration and investigation costs. Gordon Rabens, 1194 Xene Lane, suggested that if lawful gambling would be permitted, the City require that a portion of the proceeds be allocated for college scholarships. There being no further discussion, with Slavik, Johnson, Stein, and Tierney voting yes and with Harstad, Hewitt, and Black voting no, the motion carried. Adopted Minutes Special Council Meeting January 15, 2002 A Special Meeting of the Plymouth City Council was called to order by Mayor Tierney at 7:05 p.m. in the Public Safety Training Room, 3400 Plymouth Boulevard, on January 15, 2002. COUNCIL PRESENT: Mayor Tierney, Councilmembers Johnson, Slavik, Stein, Black, Harstad, and Hewitt. ABSENT: None. STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Johnson, Assistant City Manager Ahrens, Police Chief Gerdes, Fire Chief Kline, Park and Recreation Director Blank, Housing Manager Barnes, Community Development Director Hurlburt, Finance Director Hahn, Public Works Director Faulkner, Solid Waste Coordinators Hageman and Vigoren, and City Clerk Paulson. Motion was made by Mayor Tierney, and seconded by Councilmember Hewitt, to reverse the order of the agenda for items 1 and 2 on the a egnda. With all members voting in favor, the motion carried. Plvmouth Crime and Fire Prevention Fund and Plvmouth Lions Reauest for Pull -Tabs Assistant City Manager Ahrens reported on the request of the Plymouth Lions Club and the Plymouth Crime and Fire Prevention Fund requesting approval to sell pull tabs at Mulligan's. She stated with the exception of bingo, gambling is currently prohibited in the City. However, the State lottery is exempt as well as a one-time lawful gambling event (i.e. raffles). Therefore, if the Council would desire to allow other types of lawful gambling in the City, adoption of an ordinance amendment would be necessary. Ed Stanke, Plymouth Lions Club, requested the Council to consider adopting an ordinance amendment that would allow for pull -tab gambling within the City. He stated when he was formerly with the Lions Club in Wayzata, the proceeds derived from their gambling location in that community were given to the Wayzata Fire Department, the school, and a few national organizations that their club supported. Police Chief Gerdes noted that the City would have the option of receiving either a 3% tax from the licensed organization on their gambling proceeds or charge a $250 investigation fee. He stated the $250 fee would not cover his department's costs; therefore, he recommended the 3% tax. Adopted City Council Minutes Special Meeting of January 15, 2002 Page 2 of 6 Mayor Tierney stated the Council needs to determine if they want to have other forms of gambling in the City. Assistant City Manager Ahrens stated this issue was last discussed in 1991, and it failed on a 2-3 vote. Mayor Tierney stated if the Council is philosophically opposed, there is no need to discuss it further. Councilmember Harstad stated he is not philosophically in support of the additional gambling. He acknowledged the benefit that is derived from the additional funds derived from gambling that could be used within the community, but that wouldn't alter his view. He is very concerned about how the gambling would be regulated. Councilmember Black stated she is unsure if she would support this request. She, too, could strongly support the causes that the funds could be used for. However, she doesn't totally support the act of gambling. Councilmember Hewitt stated due to her past experience in social service agencies, there was a lot of negative impacts to individuals who were compulsive gamblers. She is also concerned on how this activity would be monitored. Mayor Tierney stated she would support further information on the issue. Some of this information could include how other cities got started, how they regulated it, what types of gambling are allowed in their communities, and if they restrict the types of establishments where the gambling could occur. Councilmember Slavik asked if staff is aware of any community that doesn't allow pull -tab gambling, other than the City. Assistant City Manager Ahrens replied of the cities the City contacted, there is no one who prohibits gambling in their community. Billie Kaye Goodman, from the Crime and Fire Prevention Fund, stated they have seen a drastic decrease in contributions to their fund. They sent donation letters to 800 businesses, and they have only received $1,000 in donations. She agreed that the gambling would need to be monitored, but Plymouth residents, who enjoy gambling, will spend their money elsewhere. She mentioned the new freestanding pull -tab only facility in Crystal. Councilmember Stein stated he would like further information on this item. He would be interested in reviewing what types of controls the City could have. Adopted City Council Minutes Special Meeting of January 15, 2002 Page 3 of 6 Councilmember Johnson asked if the City could self limit the number of licenses that would be issued. Assistant City Manager Ahrens stated she is unsure, but she would report back. Motion was made by Councilmember Black, and seconded by Councilmember Hewitt, to determine whether the Council should pursue this further, by obtaining additional information, and bringing it back to another Council Study Session. Councilmember Slavik stated she is not a supporter of gambling for philosophical reasons. However, it would be difficult to reject the request from two organizations that have made many contributions to the community. At this point, she is not really inclined to proceed further; however, she would support receiving additional information. In comparison, she would rather continue supporting the one-time lawful gambling exemptions that are used for community and school events, as they are perceived to be more family type events. She also noted that the exemptions are a different type of gambling environment than that of pull -tabs. Councilmember Johnson stated she views gambling as entertainment. She agreed that individuals are not always responsible when they participate in gambling, but gambling isn't the only thing that is abused. She stated there could be a great benefit to keeping the entertainment dollars in the City. She would be willing to review information from other cities on their ordinances. Councilmember Black stated this item is really an emotional and a rational issue. The Council needs to go beyond the emotional issue in making their decision. Councilmember Johnson agreed with Councilmember Black and questioned if this is any different than the liquor licenses that the Council issues. The licensees and consumers need to be responsible. Councilmember Stein agreed and stated that citizens need to have individual responsibility. He stated he gambles occasionally, and he views it as entertainment. He stated if people are going to gamble, they're going to gamble, but it would be to the City's benefit for the residents to spend their money in the City. Motion was made by Councilmember Stein, and seconded by Councilmember Harstad, to call the question. With all members voting in favor but Johnson and Slavik, the motion carried. The Council voted on the main motion, and with Stein, Johnson, Slavik, and Tierney voting yes, and Black, Hewitt, and Harstad voting no, the motion carried. City Manager Johnson requested the Council to give any concerns or requested information to staff to include in their report. Adopted City Council Minutes Special Meeting of January 15, 2002 Page 4 of 6 Councilmember Johnson requested information on whom the City could limit the licenses to, and if the City could require that the funds remain in the community. Mayor Tierney requested information if the City could limit the types of organizations that could be licensed in the City. Housing M ager Barnes reported at the October 23, 2001 Council meeting, the Council suggested tha Study Session be conducted to discuss concerns about affordable housing as well as plan forousing forum. He stated the purpose of conducting this forum would be to educate the stakeh ders on the issue of affordable housing in the City that would include: 1. What is affordableusing. 2. Past affordable housi projects in the City. 3. Various ways the City y participate in affordable housing projects. 4. Potential sources of funds d their restrictions. 5. Barriers to developing affor ble housing. He stated the audience would cons t of the Council, City's Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Planning Commission m bers, City staff, developers, non-profit housing providers, housing advocates, and citizens. Councilmember Harstad voiced his conceof occupying additional staff time to focus on affordable housing. He stated the Council n't provided suggestions to staff on an educational process for this type of forum. Mayor Tierney requested that staff provide City to assist in affordable housing. Councilmember Hewitt suggested staff include in to assist in providing affordable housing, and this assist developers and landowners. ion on what resources are available at the on efforts that landowners could do lude the "tools" that are available to Councilmember Slavik suggested that landowners be invited this forum. She stated she is not interested at this time in establishing a fund within the City's bNhthataffordable housing due to the uncertainty of the State's budget and how it would affect She indicated that one needs to review the current housing stock in the City to determhousing could remain affordable. Agenda Number: TO: Dwight D. Johnson, City Manager FROM: Craig Gerdes, Police Chief, and Laurie Ahr , Assistant City Manager SUBJECT: Request for Charitable Gambling DATE: May 13, 2002, for City Council study session of May 21, 2002 1. ACTION REQUESTED: Review the information provided on charitable gambling and determine whether to expand gambling in Plymouth. 2. BACKGROUND: At a Council study session on January 15, 2002, the Plymouth Lions and the Plymouth Crime and Fire Prevention Fund made a request to allow a pull -tab operation at Mulligan's. With the exception of bingo, gambling is currently prohibited in the City. Attached are copies of the meeting minutes, along with additional information collected through a survey of other communities. Two fundamental questions remain: 1) Is gambling right for this community? 2) Is there a conflict of interest, specifically with respect to the Crime and Fire Fund? There may be a perception of conflict in the City allowing gambling at the request of the Plymouth Crime and Fire Prevention Fund after a long prohibition because the City receives contributions from the group beyond the 10 percent that could be required of all organizations. In fact, the stated purpose of the organization is to raise funds for the Plymouth fire and police services. There may be a more specific conflict of interest with respect to the police department with this group. The department conducts the investigation of the applicant and handles enforcement action, while receiving contributions from the group. (If gambling is expanded, staff would recommend at a minimum that the Sheriff handle all investigation and enforcement actions for this group.) This is not unique. The fire relief associations in many cities operate pull -tab operations as a method of fund-raising. And, certainly other non-profit groups could request gambling to raise funds to purchase open space or to make environmental improvements. However, the most common requests, as shown in the survey, are from veteran/fraternal organizations and athletic associations. 3. ALTERNATIVES: The Council can direct staff to prepare an ordinance to consider at a future regular meeting, or take no action and decline to study the issue further. 4. DISCUSSION: At the January study session, the Council discussed the social costs related to gambling. There were also several questions related to regulation of gambling. The attached survey was conducted to answer questions about the restrictions placed on establishments and licensed locations, the restrictions placed on proceeds, and whether an investigation fee or local gambling tax is imposed. What types of gambling are allowed in other cities? Most cities in our survey allow gambling to a greater degree than Plymouth. However, Minnetonka and Edina have strict restrictions on gambling which results in no annual gambling licenses issued in those communities. State law provides for pull tabs, bingo, paddlewheels, raffles, and tipboards. In practice, pull tab operations are the most common. Some cities prohibit bingo halls. How is gambling regulated? Gambling licenses are issued by the State. The City has the opportunity to, in effect, approve or disapprove a State license. Therefore, a local police investigation is needed. The City is governed by general legal principles that govern other types of licenses. While the Council has a fair amount of discretion in considering a license request, the Council may not arbitrarily or capriciously disapprove a license. The State is also intended to be the primary investigation entity for enforcement of lawful gambling violations. However, with over 2,000 organizations operating in 3,900 locations in the State, it is necessary for cities to also enforce gambling. How could the City limit the number or types of organizations, establishments, or locations? It is common to restrict gambling to liquor establishments, the licensed organization's premises, and places of worship. However, Minnetonka prohibits gambling in liquor establishments. Edina allows gambling only in churches and schools, and only for special events lasting no more than three days. The City Attorney suggests that our ordinance should not distinguish between types of liquor establishments. For example, the ordinance could not prohibit gambling in family-oriented restaurants or establishments that have a 3.2 malt liquor license versus a liquor license. The number of organizations or establishments should also have some rational basis. Some cities allow only one organization per location, while others allow each organization to have two or four locations. Eden Prairie limits the total number of licensed premises to four, plus one for every 10,000 population in excess of 40,000. Can the City require that the funds remain in the community? State law provides that cities may establish "trade areas" in which all or part of the gambling proceeds must be spent. The trade area must include at least all abutting communities. While this does not ensure that all funds will be spent within the community, it does result in expenditures that benefit the general community area. Blaine requires 100% of net proceeds to be spent within the trade area, St. Louis Park 90%, Maple Grove and Medina 50%, and Bloomington 30%. Some cities have no trade area restriction. How should one-time gambling events be handled? One-time gambling events that are exempt from licensing are typically used for community and school events. These events are exempt from licensing by the State and should not be unduly regulated by the City. We currently send these requests to the City Council for approval; however, no investigation is done. There would likely be no basis for denial of a request. We recommend that the ordinance be amended to provide for a police review of all applications (to ascertain the legitimacy of the organization and ensure we have no complaints against the organization). After a positive police review, the application would be forwarded directly to the State. If any problems are found, the application would be forwarded to the City Council for action. This process would save time for the applicant and provide for a better review by the City. If the Council wishes to proceed with gambling, the next step is to direct staff to draft an ordinance to allow charitable gambling. 5. BUDGET IMPACT: If gambling is expanded in Plymouth, the investigation and enforcement costs could likely be recouped through the 3 percent gambling tax, which is allowed by state law. 6. RECOMMENDATION: Review the information provided and determine whether gambling should be expanded in Plymouth. Attachments: Gambling Survey Minutes of January 15, 2002 study session Staff report on gambling for January 15 study session Request of Plymouth Lions Club and Plymouth Crime & Fire Prevention Fund Gambling Survey Ci Lie sod, GZ nniza ions Licensed Locations Restrictions on Proceeds Other Apple Valley 2 4 None. Invest. fee $250 American Legion Allowed only in liquor Hockey Assn. establishments. Blaine 6 6 100% of net proceeds 10% of net profits to 4 Hockey Assn. Allowed only in liquor must be spent in trade City -administered fund. 1 Lions establishment, church, area. 1 VFW fraternal veterans or nonprofit organization. Bloomington 14 12 + gambling allowed 4tft 30% of net proceeds 25% Local Gambling floor Mall of America. must be spent in trade Tax on gross receipts. Allowed only at liquor area. establishments or licensed organization premises, places of worship. Each organization can hold 3 locations. No more than 3 organizations permitted in any location. Brooklyn Park 12 12 75% of net proceeds Each organization can from pulltabs must be hold 3 locations. spent in City of BP. Must be a church, bingo Trade area includes hall, nonprofit org. surrounding premises, or liquor communities and establishment. Minneapolis. Ci Licensed Or amzations LicensedLocations Restrictions; on Proceeds Other Burnsville 3 4 250 investigation fee. Allowed only to Allowed only in liquor organizations with establishments. principal offices in the Only 1 license allowed City. per location. Coon Rapids 7 11 60% of net proceeds For last 6 months of Lions Only organizations with must be spent in trade 2001, over $250,000 Youth sports 1/3 of its members from area, with 10% within was spent in the trade Scholarship Assn. Coon Rapids allowed. Coon Rapids. area. American Legion Allowed only at liquor VFW establishments, except Little League given CUP to operate a storefront operation. Eden Prairie 1 Hockey Assn. 1 Each organization allowed in 4 premises. Premises limited to 4 1 for ea. 10,000 population in excess of 40,000. Premises must be owned by organization. Edina Allowed only in churches 2 permits issued to 1 and schools. organization in a year; each event maximum 3 days. staf laurie/memo/02 charitable gambling cities Licensed Or animations Licensed Locations Restrictions on Proceeds Other Maple Grove 4 4 50% of net proceeds Limited to one Comm. Charities of MN Allowed in church, veterans must be spent in trade organization per Lions fraternal or nonprofit area. premises. Fire Dept. Relief Assn. organization, or liquor 10% of net profits to Hockey Assn. establishment. City -administered fund. 5% Local gambling tax on gross receipts. Medina 3 3 50% of net proceeds 1 Lions must be spent in trade 2 Fire Dept. Relief Assns. area. Minnetonka 0 Gambling prohibited in liquor establishments. New Hoe 1 Fire Dept. Relief Assn. 1 Richfield 2 2 American Legion Organization may hold VFW only 2 locations. Allowed only in liquor establishments or licensed organization's premises. Bingo halls not permitted. St. Louis Park 5 5 90% of net profits must Problems enforcing VFW Allowed only in liquor be spent in trade area. trade area; dealt with Humane Society establishments. license denials. Basketball 75% gambling tax, Hockey recently dropped Raspberry Festival from 2% staf laurie/memo/02 charitable gambling cities Agenda Number: CA TO: Dwight D. Johnson, City Manager FROM: Laurie Ahrens, Assistant City Manager] SUBJECT: Request for Pulltabs DATE: November 20, 2001 1. ACTION REQUESTED: Review the information provided on lawful gambling and direct staff on whether to draft an ordinance to expand the types of gambling allowed in the City. 2. BACKGROUND: Request Received. The City of Plymouth has received a letter from the Plymouth Lions Club and the Plymouth Crime and Fire Prevention Fund requesting approval to sell pull tabs at Mulligan's Bar and Grill. With the exception of bingo, gambling is currently prohibited in the City of Plymouth. An ordinance amendment would be needed to consider this request. A copy of their letter is attached. Plymouth Ordinances on Lawful Gambling. Prior to 1991, gambling was prohibited in Plymouth. That year, the City Council considered a request from St. Therese Home to allow bingo and pull -tabs in order to develop a bingo hall at the Plymouth Shopping Center site on Highway 55. The City Council considered this request and adopted a gambling ordinance to allow bingo. Pulltabs and other forms of gambling (e.g. paddlewheels, raffles, tipboards) were not allowed under the new ordinance. The ordinance also prohibited gambling in liquor establishments. St. Therese did not pursue the operation, at least partly because they required pulltabs along with the bingo operation. Several requests to allow pulltabs have been received since that time, but the Council has not indicated an interest in expanding gambling in Plymouth. Today, the Plymouth City Code still prohibits lawful gambling in the City., with the exception of bingo. The other exceptions are the state lottery (which the City cannot restrict) and gambling exempt from state licensing (e.g. one -tithe raffle held by a school.) State Law on Lawful Gambling. With the exception of the state lottery, paramutual horse racing, bingo, tipboards, paddlewheels, pull -tabs, and raffles, Minnesota laws prohibit all forms of gambling and gambling devices. Only qualified organizations may conduct lawful gambling. To qualify, an organization must be a religious, fraternal, veterans', or other nonprofit or tax-exempt entity that has been in existence for at least Page 2 three years, has at least 15 active members, and is not in existence solely for the purpose of conducting gambling. The Minnesota Gambling Control Board is the state agency that licenses and regulates gambling. A City is allowed to prohibit gambling. If gambling is allowed, there are several classes of licenses: 1) all forms of lawful gambling; 2) all forms of gambling except bingo; 3) bingo only, or bingo and pull tabs if combined gross receipts do not exceed 50,000; and 4) raffles only. An organization must apply to the State for an organization license, a premises permit, and a gambling manager's license. The Gambling Enforcement Division conducts the license investigations. Applicants are screened through a background investigation that includes the applicant's personal, business, and financial relationships. The State notifies the City of each gambling application, and the State may not issue or renew a license unless the organization submits a resolution of approval from the City Council. The City has the opportunity to, in effect, approve or disapprove the State license. Therefore, a significant local police investigation is also needed. The City is governed by general legal principles that govern other types of licensing. While the Council has a fair amount of discretion in considering a license request, the Council may not arbitrarily or capriciously disapprove a license. The City is prohibited from requiring a local license for gambling. The State is also intended to be the primary investigation entity for enforcement of lawful gambling violations. However, with over 2,000 organizations operating in 3,900 locations in the State, it is necessary for cities to also enforce lawful gambling. The statutes require that no more than 70 percent of gross profits from bingo, and 55 percent of gross profits from all other forms of gambling, may be used for expenses related to lawful gambling. The remainder of the profits must be used for lawful expenditures. Local ordinance regulations commonly require quarterly revenue reports, copies of reports the gambling manager is required to send to the State, and copies of checks sent to the charities. Any regulations must apply equally to all forms of gambling. Local gambling ordinances typically include one or more of the following requirements: 1) Specified funding. The City could require an organization to make expenditures of up to 10 percent of its net profits to a specific lawful purpose. However, the constitutionality of this has been questioned because an organization may be required to make a contribution to a cause that it philosophically does not support. 2) City administered funds. The City may require an organization to make expenditures of up to 10 percent of its net profits to a fund administered and regulated by the City. These funds may be distributed for 1) lawful purposes or Page 3 2) for police, fire, and other emergency or public safety-related services, equipment, and training, excluding pension obligations. 3) Trade area. The City may require that an organization expend all or a portion of its net profits for lawful purposes conducted or located within the city's trade area. The City Council defines the "trade area", but it must at least include all abutting communities. 4) Local gambling tax. The City may impose a local gambling tax not to exceed 3 percent of the gross receipts less actual prizes paid out on each licensed organization. The City could not use local gambling tax money for any purpose except regulation of lawful gambling. A tax is in lieu of all other local investigation fees on law gambling. If no tax is imposed, the City may charge $250 per investigation; however, this would not cover the City's cost. As a note, the State automatically receives a 10 percent tax on gambling proceeds. Other cities. Most cities allow lawful gambling in some form. We contacted the following cities and all allow lawful gambling: Apple Valley, Blaine, Brooklyn Park, Burnsville, Coon Rapids, Eagan, Edina, Maple Grove, Maplewood, Minnetonka, New Hope, and Richfield. If the Council decides to consider allowing gambling in Plymouth, we would review these cities' ordinances to determine how they commonly handle fees, reporting requirements, trade areas, and local taxes. 3. ALTERNATIVES: The City can prohibit lawful gambling altogether or allow only certain types of gambling. If the Council wishes to consider expanding gambling in the City, staff can be directed to prepare an ordinance for consideration at a future meeting. The Council could also decline to consider the issue further. And, the Council may wish to request additional information not covered in this report. 4. DISCUSSION: The City has received a request for lawful gambling (pulltabs) from two local organizations that are well known and do much good work in the community. It is important that the Council consider the issue of whether to allow pulltabs in the City without sole regard to these organizations. It is highly unlikely that gambling would be limited in the City to these two organizations. Once pulltabs are allowed, we will receive requests from many organizations to conduct gambling. Requests could come from local youth sports associations, other local service organizations, veterans' organizations, fire relief associations, and national organizations such as the M.S. Society or Dollars for Scholars. For purposes of framing the discussion, the Council could consider the following issues: 1. Is gambling desirable in the City? This is largely a philosophical question. One opinion is that since gambling can encourage social problems and the City has the legal authority to prohibit it, it should do so. Another view is that gambling has positive entertainment value and should be expanded to offer a service currently not available in the City. Consistency with surrounding communities could also be considered. Maple Page 4 Grove, New Hope, Minnetonka, and Medina allow pull -tabs. Plymouth currently does not. Most pull tab operations are located within liquor establishments. There may be some benefit in drawing customers to businesses that have pull -tabs available versus those that do not. Or, the reverse could be true. Certain individuals may specifically choose to frequent an establishment that does not offer gambling. Gambling also serves as a significant source of revenue for many nonprofit organizations that otherwise would have funding issues or be unable to provide the same level of services. Through the establishment of a "local trade area", the City would make more funding available through gambling contributions to local nonprofit organizations that serve Plymouth residents. Without this provision, all gambling proceeds could be spent at a national level or for services not available to Plymouth residents. If gambling is expanded in the City, there would be new costs to the City related to licensing, investigation, financial monitoring, and enforcement. However, the 3 percent local gambling tax could likely cover these costs of regulation. 2. Is gambling a good way to fund the City? The City has taken the perspective that contributions from the Crime and Fire Prevention Fund are to provide special or unique items beyond the City's normal budget. For example, the Fund initiated the canine program, which is now wholly funded by the City. The Fund contributed a boat to the Fire Department which is now maintained by the City. If funding is greatly expanded through either contributions from the Crime and Fire Prevention Fund or through a 10 percent city -administered fund on all gambling, should those finds supplant some local tax dollars for police or fire items? From a financial perspective this may make sense. Gambling proceeds would be a new source of revenue, and there are new programs, ongoing services, maintenance, and replacement costs to find. However, gambling proceeds should be considered variable income. It would be risky to cant on consistent gambling proceeds to fund ongoing services in lieu of local tax dollars. There are many alternatives for the 10 percent city -administered fund. The funds can be designated by the City Council for a specific City service or department, or directed toward open space acquisition, park system expenditures, or a community foundation. The Council could also fund local social service agencies, which the City currently furls through the General Fund. 3. Is there a conflict of interest, specifically with respect to the Came and Fire Fund? There may be a perception of conflict in the City allowing gambling at the request ofthePlymouthCrimeandFirePreventionFundafteralongprohibitionbecausetheCity receives contributions from the group beyond the 10 percent that could be required of all organizations. In fact, the stated purpose of the organization is to raise finds for the Plymouth police and fire services. There may be a more specific conflict of interest with respect to the police department with this group. The department conducts the investigation of the applicant and handles enforcement action, while receiving contributions from the group. (If gambling is expanded, staff would Page 5 recommend at a minimum that the Sheriff handle all investigation and enforcement actions for the Plymouth Crime and Fire Prevention Fund.) 4. If gambling is expanded, can it be controlled or restricted? State law provides a variety of ways that cities can restrict gambling. A City can prohibit gambling or allow only certain types of gambling. Zoning regulations can reasonably be used to determine the appropriate locations for lawful gambling; however, we have found no evidence that the Council can distinguish, for example, between a Mulligan's and a TO Friday's (which some may perceive as a more family-oriented establishment). On the other hand, chain restaurants typically are not as likely to conduct lawful gambling. The Council could limit each location to one organization, or multiple organizations can be allowed at each location and gambling restricted to only one license holder at a time. The conduct of gambling, can be restricted to certain hours or to certain days of the week. A City can limit the prizes to be awarded more restrictively than state law, or prohibit employment of people other than members of the licensed organization. Decision Steps. If the City Council decides to expand gambling, the following decision steps could be discussed: 1) What types of gambling should be allowed? a) all forms of lawful gambling; b) all forms of gambling except bingo; c) bingo only, or bingo and pull tabs if combined gross receipts do not exceed 50,000; and d) raffles only. 2. Should the City charge a 3% tax to cover the costs of regulating gambling? The other alternative is a $250 investigation fee. No license fee may be charged. 3. Should the City establish a 10% city -administered fund? If so, is there a general idea of how the funds should be expended, i.e. police, fine, parks system, open space acquisition, other city department, social service agencies. 4. How should the "local trade area" be defined? (It must at least include Plymouth and all abutting communities.) 5. Are there any other restrictions or controls that should be considered? (i.e. zoning, prohibit in certain types of liquor establishments, allow one nonprofit licensee per establishment or only one at a time, hours/days of sale.) 5. BUDGET EMPACT: If the Council decides to allow lawful gambling, the City's administrative licensing, police investigation and enforcement costs will increase. There is also a fair amount of financial record-keeping involved for the City. There could be a positive or negative budget impact of allowing lawful gambling in the City, depending on the requirements, funds, and taxes adopted by the Council. The implementation of a 10 Page 6 percent City fund and restrictive "trade area" requirement could result in new revenue for the City and additional funding of local nonprofit organizations. 6. RECONUMNDATION: Review the information provided in this memo and direct staff on how to proceed. 11-10-01 Dear Mr. Johnson, Re: Pull Tab Resolution On behalf of the Plymouth's Lions Club and Crime and Fire Prevention Fund, We are asking to come before you so we can explain why it is important for us To get a Pull Tabs Resolution in the City of Plymouth. The monies raised by the Crime & Fire Prevention Fund would go back to the city for continued Public Safety programs, equipment, education, etc. Monies raised by the Lions Club would be given to charitable organizations. The Lions Club and the Crime & Fire Prevention Fund would be splitting the proceeds of the Pull Tabs, with the Lions Club doing the work. Mulligans Bar and Grille has agreed to be the site for the Pull Tabs operation. We are asking you to amend the Gambling/Pull Tab Ordinance, and adopt our Resolution for Pull Tabs in PlymoIIth. We look forwarding to meeting with you and answering any questions you might have. Thank you very much for your time. Sincerely, 4 Ed Stanke, Plymouth Lions Club Billie Kaye Goodman, PC&FPF 763.559.5584 FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN August 2002 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Plymouth Fire Department is a paid -on-call agency that provides fire protection services for the 66,000 residents of the City of Plymouth. An authorized strength of seventy-eight firefighters, operating out of three fire stations, addresses the fire protection needs of a growing community. In 2001, the Department improved its ISO rating to a Class 3, and responded to more than 1300 calls for service. The City of Plymouth is the seventh largest city in the State of Minnesota. Like other similarly situated cities, Plymouth has been challenged to balance limited fiscal resources with increasing demands for services. The Plymouth Fire Department struggles with this balance, and continues its own efforts to do more with less. The concepts of tradition and cost efficiency drive all volunteer and paid -on-call fire departments, and the Plymouth Fire Department is no exception. The department has grown from a truly volunteer organization to a paid -on-call organization in its forty-two year history. Demographics and socioeconomic variables within the community affect the ability of paid -on-call fire departments to effectively recruit and retain personnel. The Plymouth Fire Department is experiencing difficulty in the recruiting and retaining of qualified personnel to serve as paid -on-call firefighters. These difficulties have impacted the ability of the Department to adequately staff for fireground activities. Our ability to meet the future goals — both immediate and long-range — depends upon adequate staffing, careful analysis of our organization, and input from our community. A significant increase in calls for service, along with a decreased interest in volunteerism, has made this evolution inevitable. Thus far, we've gotten by. The initiatives we've undertaken have, for the most part, enabled us to stretch our resources to meet the most immediate needs. Yet, we are regularly challenged in our efforts to provide adequate services to the community. And we are quickly approaching the point at which our ability to manage the risks to the community is tested on a regular basis. We offer recommendations to improve the service delivery to our community. These recommendations include: Immediate 1. Continue the Department's Duty Crew Program Add a second full-time field supervisor; and Add a fifth operational firefighter to each shift. 2. Adopt Appropriate Staffing_ Committee "Daily Operations" Recommendations 3. Continue Efforts to Recruit and Retain Paid -On -Call Staff Members Mid -Term (in 2004) 1. Expand the Department's Duty Crew Program Expand the program into the daytime weekend hours; Staff two stations — each with a crew of three operational firefighters, including one who is a field supervisor; and Add a full-time supervisor and a full-time firefighter/mechanic. 2. Postpone Planning for Station IV 3. Continue Efforts to Recruit and Retain Paid -On -Call Staff Members Long -Term (in 2007) 1. Expand the Department's Duty Crew Program Expand the program to provide coverage twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week; and Add full-time personnel as necessary to fully staff all shifts. 2. Renovate Two or More Stations to Include Sleeping and Living Quarters 4. Continue Efforts to Recruit and Retain Paid -On -Call Staff Members TABLE OF CONTENTS ExecutiveSummary---------------------------------------------------------------------- i Table of Contents Introduction 1 History-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 FiregroundStaffing---------------------------------------------------------- 5 Recruitment and Retention 13 Station IV 19 TheDuty Crew Program--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Five -Year Strategic Plan------ 24 rtn INTRODUCTION This report is the fourth in a series of Department -initiated comprehensive reports on the Plymouth Fire Department. The first report, A Department Profile, was completed in September of 1996 and outlined the results of an in-house study that carefully examined the Department, the services it provides, and the challenges it faces. Several critical issues were identified, including adequate staffing, response time, and the ability of the Department to continue to meet the demand for services into the next century. The second report, Service Delivery Recommendations, was completed in June 1997, contained an in-depth analysis of the barriers challenging the Department, and offered recommendations for meeting those challenges. The report included the results of researching several service delivery options, and provided strategies to best position the Department for the future. The third report, Staffing Report and Recommendations, continued the practice of critically exploring not only who we are and how we do business, but also who we can become and how we can do business even better. The report was completed in April 2000, and focused on what we have found to be the single most significant issue affecting our ability to provide services now and into the future. That issue is staffing. This, the fourth report, reviews our progress to date and outlines a five-year strategic plan for the future. As an organization, we have undergone significant changes in the past six years. Some of those changes have been driven by external factors; others were internally driven initiatives. These initiatives have generated a high degree of interest in the fire service community. The Department's Duty Crew Program, the first of its kind in this region, has received widespread recognition and currently serves as a model for a number of other organizations. While so much has changed, however, our most critical issue, staffing, has remained the same. Fire departments across the nation share the challenge of providing an increasing 1 variety and number of services to their communities, while depending on a fixed or decreasing number of firefighters to provide those services. Yet, we find little solace in the fact that we are not alone in our struggle to provide adequate staffing during our business hours" — 24 hours per day, seven days per week. This report will review our significant accomplishments to date, examine the status of our previous initiatives, and identify our current challenges and future goals. The Plymouth Fire Department recognizes that as our City grows, so too do its fire protection needs. This report will provide several recommendations for positioning the Department to continue to meet those needs. Staffing continues to be our biggest challenge, and therefore influences our entire discussion. K HISTORY The Plymouth Fire Department was established in 1960 to provide fire protection to the City's 9500 residents. Fifteen volunteer firefighters worked out of a single fire station and answered calls in one fire engine. Today, the Department provides a variety of services, including fire suppression, technical rescue, hazardous materials response, preparedness planning, and fire prevention and life safety education, to the City's 66,675 residents and dynamic business community. Last year, sixty-five paid -on-call firefighters working out of three fire stations answered more than 1370 calls for service. Over the past several years, the Plymouth Fire Department has received regional, national, and international recognition for its significant accomplishments. The City has twice been the recipient of the League of Minnesota Cities' Public Safety Award of Excellence — once for the Department's Fire Survivor's Handbook project, and again for the Department's "Lester the Smoke Detector" fire safety campaign. The Lester campaign also earned a National 3CMA (City and County Communications and Marketing Association) Savvy Award for innovation in the marketing and communicating of a safety message. The Department's flagship initiative, its Duty Crew Program, was recently recognized with the Spotlight Award from the International City/County Management Association, and with the Fire Service Award for Excellence from the International Association of Fire Chiefs. The Plymouth Fire Department continues its strong commitment to public education. During the last six years, we have nearly tripled the number of public education fire prevention programs. In addition to fire station tours, school programs, fire extinguisher training sessions, career workshops, juvenile fire setter classes, home and business safety inspections, and Safe Escape House demonstrations, the Department recently undertook several new initiatives. We now sponsor a smoke detector program for seniors, an adopt - a -hydrant program, a bike helmet and safety campaign, and children's car seat sales and fitting programs. 3 In May 2000, the City Manager created a multi -disciplinary task force to study and make recommendations regarding the provision of fire services to the community. The Fire Service Task Force met regularly and, after careful analysis and discussion, put forth a list of recommendations to address the issue of Fire Department staffing. The list included recommendations regarding the Duty Crew Program, recruitment and retention, wages and benefits, computers, training, firefighter housing, and full-time staff. We have implemented the vast majority of the recommendations, including all of those for which the Fire Department had primary responsibility. (See Summary of Task Force Recommendations in Appendix A). During April of 2001, the Insurance Services Office (ISO) completed a review of the City's fire protection services. ISO is the leading supplier of statistical, underwriting, and actuarial information for the property/casualty insurance industry. Many insurers use the ISO classification for underwriting and calculating premiums for residential, commercial, and industrial properties. After comprehensive analysis, ISO changed the City's rating to a Class 3, an improvement from our former Class 5 status. This change has the potential to bring lower insurance premiums to property owners in the City. In November of 2001, the Department's Profile Committee created an eight -member subcommittee to work on the development of a program or programs that will eventually provide the community with a predictable and timely fire response twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. This group took on the name Staffing Committee because the department's ability to meet this goal is dependent upon the issue of staffing. The group provided an interim report to the Fire Chief in April 2002 that included several recommendations for meeting our current and future needs. Among those recommendations were the addition of full-time staff and the expansion of the Duty Crew Program. (See Staffing Committee Interim Report in Appendix B). 4 FIREGROUND STAFFING The most significant issue affecting our ability to continue to provide services now and into the future is staffing. Volunteer and paid -on-call fire departments have never enjoyed the luxury of predictable staffing. When the fire siren sounds — or more likely today, when the fire pagers go off — there is no way to be certain how many firefighters will respond to the call. As a result, some calls for service are answered by more than enough personnel, while other calls for service are answered by too few personnel. Both situations bring problems. Overstaffing raises the issues of fiscal responsibility and sensitivity to firefighter time demands. Understaffing raises the more serious issues of firefighter and public safety. Despite a number of innovative initiatives, including dispatching protocol, the duty crew program, and various recruitment strategies, the Plymouth Fire Department continues to struggle to provide timely and predictable services to the community. An evaluation of the staffing levels for fire company crews involves a careful analysis of the effects of reducing staff, in terms of accomplishing the objectives of fire control, saving lives, reducing property loss, and providing adequate safety precautions for firefighters. Several time and motion studies have attempted to identify the minimum number of firefighters necessary to safely and effectively mitigate a "working" structure fire. As anticipated, study results suggest that a direct correlation exists between staffing levels and performance quality. The results indicate that staffing levels below a crew size of four can: a) overtax the operating force and increase firefighter injuries; b) result in a loss of efficiency and overall performance; and c) increase the risk to victims and property due to critical tasks being delayed or not completed at all. 61 Fire Growth and Flashover A timely and predictable response is key to successful fire outcomes. In order to save lives and limit property damage, fire departments must arrive within a short period of time with adequate resources to do the job. Timeliness is especially critical because fires increase in size at an exponential rate. All fires go through the same stages of growth. One particular stage, flashover, is a very significant stage because it marks a critical change in conditions. After the initial smoldering stage, fires progress to the incipient or open burning stage in which flames are visible. As a fire burns, all the contents of the fire area are gradually heated to their ignition temperatures. When they reach their ignition point, approximately six to eight minutes later, simultaneous and instantaneous ignition occurs, and the area becomes fully involved in fire. This is called flashover. Flashover is a critical stage of fire growth for two reasons. First, no living thing in the room of origin will survive, so the chance of saving lives drops dramatically. Second, flashover creates a quantum jump in the rate of combustion, and a significantly greater amount of water is needed to reduce the burning material below its ignition temperature. A fire that has reached flashover means it is too late to save anyone in the room of origin, and a lot more staffing is required to handle the larger hose streams needed to extinguish the fire. A post - flashover fire burns hotter and moves faster, compounding the search and rescue problems in the remainder of the structure at the same time that more firefighters are needed for fire attack. Creating and Evaluating Standards of Response Coverage for Fire Departments, 3rd Edition, Summer 2001 A timely response, however, is all for naught if a fire department fails to arrive with adequate resources. A minimum number of firefighters is required to respond in order to make the response productive. Without adequate staff to conduct concurrent fireground operations and aggressively suppress the fire, it will advance on the building, its occupants, and fire personnel. rei A timely response is also important for rescue emergencies. Vehicle and industrial accidents require the speedy arrival of multiple crews to control the scene, provide medical care, and perform rescue operations. The goal of responders is the removal of the injured within one hour of notification — "the golden hour." Concurrent Operations Fireground tasks may be divided into "sequential" and/or "concurrent" operations. Sequential fireground tasks may be performed one after another, with little impact upon safety or the time required to complete the task. Critical fireground tasks, those related to the preservation of life and the reduction of property loss, must be conducted in concurrent fashion in order to be successful. On the well -organized and well -staffed fireground, many tasks are being completed at once. Firefighters are hooking to hydrants, stretching hoselines, operating apparatus, placing ladders, advancing tools, forcing entry, providing ventilation, conducting search and rescue operations, containing the fire, and protecting exposures. One firefighter serves as the incident commander, coordinating all of this activity. When limited staffing does not allow for concurrent operations, critical tasks must be performed sequentially instead. As a result, the successful completion of these tasks is less likely. The fire grows in size and, because of the delay, the completion of critical tasks becomes even more difficult. Developing an Effective Response Force and Standards Impacting Adequate Staffing A guiding principle that must be considered in evaluating a community's fire protection delivery system is the ability of the agency to provide adequate resources to mitigate fire, medical and rescue emergencies. If resources arrive too late, or are under -staffed, the emergency will continue to escalate, drawing more of the agency's resources into a deteriorating situation. What fire companies must do if they are to save lives and limit 7 property damage is to arrive within a short period of time with adequate resources to control the incident. An Effective Response Force is defined as the dispersion (distribution) and cost effective clustering (concentration) of resources designed to provide the maximum effectiveness against the greatest number and types of risk. Each emergency requires a variable amount of staffing and apparatus, arriving in a timely fashion, to safely and effectively mitigate an escalating incident. A national consensus has not been reached in determining adequacy in fire suppression services and staffing. The diversity of each community, and of the fire service, has challenged a "one -size -fits -all" solution to identify adequate staffing models. Numerous efforts have been made to determine just what constitutes adequate levels of resources for fire suppression, for firefighter safety and for special response such as hazardous material and technical rescue incidents. Only recently have templates for evaluating local fire protection systems been formulated. Current Service Level Benchmarking Systems The need for an accurate evaluation of available service levels is highly important. The identification of benchmarks for adequate service delivery is extremely useful, and currently there are three systems available. One type of benchmarking is contained within the National Fire Protection Associations NFPA) Standard 1710 for substantially career departments, and NFPA 1720 for substantially volunteer departments. In the spring of 2001, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) published two documents that influence staffing levels of career departments (NFPA 1710) and those of s volunteer departments (NFPA 1720). Both standards address requirements relating to staffing levels, response times and levels of service. Although NFPA 1710 does not impact our department, the standard sets minimum response and staffing requirements for career fire departments based upon several risk categories. As an example, the recommended response to a "low" risk occupancy calls for an effective response force of 14 fire personnel, arriving within eight minutes of dispatch. As the degree of occupancy hazard increases, so do the demands for fire suppression personnel. An initial response force may consist of 24 fire personnel operating under two chief officers. NFPA 1720, Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments is applicable to the Plymouth Fire Department. This standard specifies minimum criteria addressing the effectiveness and efficiency of volunteer public fire suppression operations, emergency medical service, and special operations delivery in protecting the citizens of the jurisdiction. Portions of the standard germane to this discussion are the following: The fire department shall identify minimum staffing requirements to ensure that a sufficient number of members are available to operate safely and effectively. Upon assembling the necessary resources at the emergency scene, the fire department shall have the capability to safely initiate an initial fire attack within two minutes of arrival, 90 percent of the time. Initial attack operations shall be organized to ensure that at least four members are assembled before initiating interior fire suppression operations at a working structure fire. Two of these four initial members shall be present, outside the structure, for assistance or rescue. The assignment of individuals shall not be permitted if abandoning their critical task(s) to perform rescue clearly jeopardizes the safety and health of any firefighter operating at the incident. 9 NFPA 1720 does not stipulate adequate staffing levels, response times and required resources. The standard does allow for the use of mutual aid in meeting the requirements of the standard. Another type of measure may be referenced in the existing fire department accreditation program from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) that is applicable to all fire departments. The CFAI accredits fire departments based upon the agency's ability to successfully complete several core and performance indicators. One requirement for a fire agency to become accredited is to prepare a "Standard for Response Cover" and the development of an "Effective Response Force." The Standard for Response Cover establishes the required distribution and concentration of fixed and mobile resources of the agency; the Effective Response Force identifies specific resources (staff and equipment) required to safely mitigate risks within the community. A standardized methodology utilizing task assessment, a comprehensive risk analysis of the community, development within the community and the community's fire history provides an objective analysis of the fire protection needs of the jurisdiction. A "systems" approach to fire department deployment, rather than a one -size -fits -all perspective is achieved when following the CFAI process. In an informed public policy discussion, municipal leadership and elected officials determine the level of service the community requires or expects and the associated cost. The United States Fire Administration has made available a computer program (RHAVE) to assist in the evaluation. The Insurance Service Office (ISO) may be utilized as a third measure of community fire protection potential. Although ISO does not address adequate staffing of fire companies, it does provide a classification system that "rates" the capabilities of the municipal fire department on a scale of 1 through 10 (one being a highly rated department). Three 10 primary categories are evaluated (dispatch, fire department capabilities, and available water supply). An ISO rating does not necessarily provide an accurate indicator of the fire protection delivery system, only the infrastructure in place. OSHA Standards In 1998, the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a new standard regarding respiratory protection. The standard addresses a number of issues, including firefighter staffing at structure fires. OSHA now requires a minimum of two firefighters, operating as a team in direct voice or visual contact, to conduct interior firefighting operations utilizing self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). In addition, prior to the commencement of interior operations, a minimum of two properly equipped and trained firefighters must be positioned outside, remain in direct visual, voice, or radio contact with the interior team(s), and remain capable of their rapid rescue. This provision has been termed the "Two In/Two Out" standard. One of the two stand-by members must account for and, if necessary, initiate a firefighter rescue. Aside from this individual dedicated to tracking interior personnel, the other designated member is permitted to take on other roles, such as incident commander in charge of the emergency scene. This person cannot be assigned tasks that are critical to the safety and health of any other member working at the incident. Any task that the outside firefighter performs while in stand-by rescue status must not interfere with the responsibility to account for those individuals in the hazard area. Any task, evolution, duty, or function being performed by the stand-by individuals must be such that the work can be abandoned, without placing any member at additional risk, if rescue or other assistance is needed. We believe the apparatus operator cannot abandon his/her work without placing others at additional risk, and should not be counted as one of the "Two Out." For this reason, the Plymouth Fire Department requires that five operational firefighters (four plus the apparatus operator) be on scene prior to the commencement of interior structural III firefighting operations. Currently, we try to staff the Duty Crew with four operational firefighters. These four -person crews can engage in concurrent operations and, with the assistance of just one other trained and equipped firefighter, can initiate an interior fire attack. That fifth firefighter, often the Duty Crew field supervisor or a member of the administrative staff, is often, but not always, available. 12 RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION The Plymouth Fire Department continues to be challenged in its efforts to recruit and retain citizens to serve as paid -on-call firefighters. The Department has an authorized strength of seventy-eight members, but only sixty-six paid -on-call firefighters serve the City today. Fifty-nine new firefighters were hired between August 1998 and May 2002, but the Department has not been able to keep pace with attrition. In the last nine years, the number of fire calls has increased dramatically by 76%, but the number of people answering those calls has not. The City is now served by fewer firefighters than it was in 1993. 1500 1400 1300 1200 1100 1000 900 800 700 PLYMOUTH FIRE DEPARTMENT Calls for Service 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Year 13 80 70 60 50 40 30 j 20 I 10 0 PLYMOUTH FIRE DEPARTMENT m. POC Firefighters 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Year Several factors impact our ability to attract and retain qualified members. Some of these factors are related to demographics. The residents of the City of Plymouth are predominantly white-collar professionals who commute to work outside of the City in the morning and return back to the City at night. Many are members of dual career families raising children, have household incomes of more than $77,000, and live in homes valued at $284,000 or more. The City of Plymouth compensates its firefighters with a wage that ranges from $9.05 to 12.10 per hour. This wage cannot compete with the salary, commission, or wage earned by the three-quarters of Plymouth's labor force employed in executive, administrative, professional, or sales positions. The compensation received for spending a single additional hour of work at one's full-time place of employment will exceed, many times over, the hourly firefighter wage. For many, the hourly firefighter wage does not offset the cost of childcare or compensate for the inconvenience to the family. Financial compensation, however, neither motivates prospective firefighters to apply, nor keeps firefighters from leaving. In several formal surveys of our current and past members, we have found that nearly all of our members joined the Department in order to serve their community. The greatest challenge for those who continue to serve — and the 14 reason firefighters leave — is the time commitment required for service. Last year, paid - on -call members of the Plymouth Fire Department worked an average of almost 500 hours for their community. The Department has undertaken a variety of efforts to attract new members in recent years. Recruitment strategies have included pieces on local cable and broadcast television; posters at area businesses; a recruitment hotline; lighted signs on busy streets; postings on the City's web page; articles in the City newsletter and the SunSailor newspaper; information in new resident packets and City water bills; and both formal and informal contacts at community events. We have tracked our recruitment efforts, and have found all of them to be useful in attracting applicants. We recently relaxed our travel time requirement for daytime Duty Crew participants. This has helped us spread the recruitment net even wider. It has allowed us to retain several members who otherwise would have been forced to leave the department, and has permitted us to rehire several experienced firefighters who moved out of the City and left the department prior to the Duty Crew Program. We have also examined our hiring methods, and have made changes to streamline the process. Driver license checks and job offers are made earlier in the employment process, and target completion dates are identified for each step in the selection process. Beginning in the fall of 2002, criminal background investigations will be conducted by a private firm. We've discovered that we lose the largest percentage of applicants at the interview stage of the hiring process. Specifically, 24% of the applicants we invite to an interview either fail to schedule the interview or fail to show up for the interview which they scheduled — both circumstances beyond our control. 15 We have hired fifty-nine new firefighters in seven classes during the last forty-eight months, but these new hires have not significantly impacted the way we are able to provide service to the community. First, many of these new hires are still in training, having worked for less than the two-year period typically required to become fully functioning firefighters. Second, despite recruitment efforts specifically targeted to attract daytime personnel, very few of these new hires are available to respond to calls during the day. Fire departments across the nation face the same staffing challenges. In fact, our experience may be better than average for the paid -on-call fire service today. As an example, the Brooklyn Park Fire Department reported that during the years 2000-2001, thirty-three new members joined their department, but twenty-nine members left. Our experience is similarly unfavorable. Of the paid -on-call firefighters we have hired since August of 1998, 50% have left the department within 24 months —318% within the first 12 months. Fifty paid -on-call firefighters have left the department since August 1998. Fifty-eight percent of the paid -on-call firefighters who left the department identified "time" as their primary reason for leaving. Thirty percent moved out of the 16 City, many citing the high cost of housing in Plymouth. Eight percent retired after more than 20 years of service, and four percent were terminated. REASONS FOR LEAVING THE PLYMOUTH FIRE DEPARTMENT 4% 8% Time Moved 30% 58% 1 p Retired i L Terminate The cost to recruit, hire, and train each new member of the Department is significant. Recruitment and hiring costs include advertisements, printed brochures, mailings, booth displays, postage, medical examinations, drug screens, and staff time to call and visit with prospective applicants and candidates, provide written correspondence, conduct interviews, check drivers licenses and references, administer physical ability tests, and complete background examinations. Training costs for those hired are also considerable, and include a structured orientation and mentoring program, the purchase of gear and equipment, and tuition, books, and wages for five basic firefighting classes. New members without firefighting experience typically become fully functioning firefighters after having worked and trained for approximately two years. By this time, the City has already made a very sizable financial investment in each employee. We estimate this investment to be in excess of $4000. Other cities have indicated that their cost to recruit, hire, and train each new firefighter ranges from $3000 to $7500. 17 We are among the most innovative fire departments in addressing the staffing challenge - with advent of the Duty Crew Program and the continuation of comprehensive recruitment efforts - but more work needs to be done. The cost to recruit, hire, and train paid -on-call firefighters is significant. When our history shows that half of those firefighters will leave the Department within twenty-four months of being hired (and prior to becoming fully functioning firefighters), the investment in the paid -on-call staffing model appears to be a poor one. It makes financial sense to consider other staffing models. 18 STATION IV For some time, staff members have been discussing the need for a fourth fire station to serve the City. The need to plan for a fourth fire station was identified in the "Fire Service Study" commissioned by the City Council in 1986. The consultants hired by the City, Boarman & Associates, predicted that a fourth station would, dependent upon development, be required by the year 2000. Two years ago, we recommended that, in order to continue the City's commitment to provide excellent emergency services to the community, a fourth fire station be included in the City's Capital Improvement Plan. The need for a fourth fire station is driven primarily by the issue of response time. A Comparative. Performance Measurement" Report prepared by The Urban Institute and the International City/County Management Association identifies a fire department response time of five minutes or less as an industry standard. Our existing stations, when not staffed, do not allow us to respond in what the ICMA identifies as a timely fashion. The community, of course, has the ultimate decision in determining levels of protection, service delivery, and funding. There are parts of the City, primarily in the northwest corner, which are outside of our five-minute response area. Because of the historically small number of calls for service in that area of the City, however, response time has not been viewed as a critical issue. When we do staff one or more fire stations, our response times improve dramatically. Typical response times to emergencies during the Duty Crew Program (when one station is staffed) are between six and seven minutes. During non -Duty Crew times, our emergency response times average between ten and eleven minutes. We appreciate the importance of fiscal responsibility, and understand that the addition of a fourth station is a large capital undertaking. Preliminary cost estimates for a functional stand-alone fire station for the City of Plymouth, including land acquisition, construction, and equipment, are approximately $3,000,000. Several years ago, we were, convinced 19 that planning for a fourth fire station was in the best interests of the community. We believed that the need for such an improvement was, with the growth of the City, becoming more apparent. The growth and success of the Duty Crew Program, coupled with the difficulty in recruiting and retaining paid -on-call firefighters, have caused us to rethink our previous recommendation. First, we are more committed than ever to continuing our Duty Crew Program. It has proven to be our new standard for providing predictable, timely, and cost-efficient service to the City. It is "the way we do business" seventy-five hours per week. Second, we are not confident that we would be able to staff a fourth fire station with paid -on-call firefighters. The northwest corner of the City, though growing, is still much less densely populated than the other areas of the City. The pool of potential responders living within five minutes of the site of the proposed station is very small. We have done some sophisticated mapping of travel and response times for each of our existing stations and some potential station sites. We've discovered that we could provide a timely fire response to the vast majority of the City of Plymouth (whether measured in square miles served, population served, parcels served, building value served, or property value served) by staffing two of our existing stations. Doing so would entail additional personnel costs — perhaps full-time personnel costs — but would save the City the cost of a fourth station. By staffing two stations, we feel that there is no immediate need for a fourth fire station. Our ability to have enough trained firefighters able to respond immediately determines our ability to safely handle emergency fire and rescue calls. We believe that the key to providing a consistently predictable and timely level of service to the community is to have two staffed stations. We are convinced that modifying our Duty Crew Program to accomplish this will enable us to provide an improved level of service, while also being fiscally responsible. ommumommoommmmommmmmmmmmommommoommmmmmommommmommmmmommmommmmmmommmommmmmI 20 THE DUTY CREW PROGRAM By far our most progressive initiative to address the staffing issue is the Department's Duty Crew Program. The program has a proven record of ensuring predictable staffing levels for fire call response, and reducing total response time to both emergency and non- emergency calls. When shifts are fully staffed, the program, with its own dispatching system, addresses both the overstaffing and understaffing problems. A single crew handles all calls for service and, because the crew is already "in quarters," i.e., staffing a fire station, is able to respond immediately. The program allows the Department to provide a level of service to the community that had not previously been possible. It provides the citizens of the City of Plymouth with a level of service traditionally delivered only by full-time fire departments, but at a fraction of the cost. We spent a year planning the program because our research into the subject of duty crew programs led us to the realization that no other fire department has a program similar to the one we envisioned for the City of Plymouth. With no model to follow, we set out to create our own program. We assembled a group of firefighters to seek out, research, and recommend a framework for a program which would address the issue of staffing during the daytime — when we received the most calls for service, but drew from the smallest pool of available firefighters. Twelve members of the Department agreed to serve as members of the Duty Crew Committee. The Department was well represented. The group included both officers and firefighters, both daytime and nighttime responders, and both experienced and inexperienced firefighters. The Duty Crew Committee met regularly for four months to develop the program, and in mid-1997, we recommended beginning the Duty Crew Program, following the framework developed by the Duty Crew Committee. The Duty Crew Program began in January 1998 as a four-month pilot program to provide service to the community during our busiest times, weekdays from noon to 6:00 PM. The program was so successful in meeting its objectives that we continued to operate after the 21 end of the trial period. In October 1998, we expanded the program to include the hours of 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. In April 1999, we expanded the program to include the hours of 9:00 AM to noon. In October 2000, we expanded the program once again. Currently, the program is in operation seventy-five hours per week (Monday through Friday, from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM). WEEKDAY CALLS FOR SERVICE 10,530 call sample) When we designed the Duty Crew Program, we identified several measurements for its success." These measurements included the program's ability to decrease in-service and total response times, guarantee adequate staffing on responding apparatus, consolidate firefighter time obligations, reduce the budget spent in firefighter salaries, positively impact recruitment and retention, and increase the number and type of public education offerings. By all measures, the program has been successful, exceeding even our own expectations. The very success of the Duty Crew Program, however, has brought with it new challenges for the Department. The Duty Crew Program has grown from six hours per day to fifteen hours per day, and nearly forty paid -on-call firefighters participate each 22 month. Yet, despite the program's popularity, its success depends upon a core group of participants who work a large number of shifts. Consistent staffing of all shifts has also proven to be problematic. The evening shift is almost always fully staffed, but the daytime shifts are frequently understaffed. On these occasions, calls for all or portions of the day are paged general alarm as we did prior to the Duty Crew Program, and firefighters respond from their homes or offices to the stations. As a result, citizens receive a fire department response that is neither timely nor predictable. Though the Duty Crew Program was initiated to help address the difficulty in daytime staffing, the remedy is far from complete. As a department, we consistently receive approximately 60% of our calls for service during the day, and answer those calls with less than 20% of our staff. Conversely, we receive approximately 40% of our calls for service during the evening and nighttime hours, and answer those calls with more than 80% of our staff. This day/night inequity has not been corrected by the recruitment of additional paid -on-call firefighters. 03 FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN Our plans for the Plymouth Fire Department are guided by the need to continue to provide high quality fire protection services to the citizens of the City. Our ability to provide those services, evaluated at its most basic level is this: Can we consistently arrive on the scene of an emergency in a timely fashion and with enough people to safely handle that emergency? By 2007, we plan to measure our success by evaluating our ability to achieve the following goal: Have six operational firefighters on the scene of an emergency anywhere in the City within six minutes, regardless of the time of day or day of week, at least 80% of the time. In order to work toward that long-term goal, we propose the following plan. Our immediate goal involves the continuation of the Duty Crew Program. The program has proven to provide a significantly enhanced level of service to the community during its hours of operation. "In Service" times (the time between fire department notification and the first truck departing the fire station) have been dramatically reduced by the program. During the last two years, "In Service" times averaged just over one minute during the program's hours of operation, and nearly six minutes during non -Duty Crew times. When fully staffed, the Duty Crew Program has also enabled the Department to ensure that a predictable number of firefighters arrive at an emergency scene at the same time — allowing those firefighters to safely engage in concurrent operations and bring about successful outcomes not otherwise possible. Having crews "in quarters" has, time and time again, proven to have a very significant positive impact on the favorable resolution of both critical fire and rescue incidents. 24 The Duty Crew Program has demonstrated value in both the recruitment and retention of Department personnel. Several of our new hires have been attracted to the Department because of the program, a number of our veteran firefighters remain active members of the Department solely because of it, and three former members have returned to the Department because they can now fulfill their obligations on daytime Duty Crew. The program allows all participants to be "part-time" firefighters with the flexibility to choose their own schedules. And because the program consolidates their call response, training, maintenance, and fire prevention education obligations, their total committed time is reduced. The program has widespread appeal. Sixty-five members of the Department participated in the Duty Crew Program in 2001. The Duty Crew Program, because of the advantages it provides to both the City and the paid -on-call firefighters, has grown considerably in the last five years. The pilot program was in operation only on weekday afternoons. Today's program operates with five shifts per day during the week, for a total of fifteen hours per day and seventy-five hours per week. The success and resulting expansion of the Duty Crew Program have brought with them several staffing challenges. Because of the distinct advantages the program provides to the citizens of the City of Plymouth, continuation of the program is our top priority. In order to do so, however, we need to make changes to our organization. The success of the Duty Crew Program, and our commitment to its continuation, have served to highlight the need for an additional full-time management position for the Department. The primary responsibilities of this position will be to provide field supervision to participants in the Duty Crew Program and management of the Department's training program. The growth of the program from six hours per day in 1998 to fifteen hours per day today has created the need for a second full-time field supervisor to ensure its continued success and its ability to reach its full potential and productivity. According to the Department's Staffing Committee, "Additional 25 supervision is needed now, and must be in place prior to any expansion of the Duty Crew Program." Ensuring a timely and predictable response to calls for service during the Department's busiest times was a primary factor in the development of the Duty Crew Program, and is our principal reason for wanting to continue. The continued success of the program, however, hinges on our ability to fully staff duty crew shifts. This is especially problematic during the day, when most calls for service are received, but the fewest firefighters are available to respond. In the City of Plymouth, as is true everywhere, the daytime hours bring the greatest number of calls, and the nighttime hours bring the greatest risk. Statistics show that the highest risk for fire deaths is during the nighttime hours, when citizens are at home and are asleep. This paradox raises in our minds the question of whether the community is entitled to, or expects, the same level of fire protection service twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. 120 100 80 60 40 20 U WEEKEND CALLS FOR SERVICE 10,530 call sample) 0 0 o`'° 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o'0° oA° o° o° o° o° o° o° o° o° Sunday Saturday We have discussed the possibility of a twenty-four hour Duty Crew, including the operational challenges as well as the potential benefits. The most substantial operational challenge would be staffing, and meeting that challenge would necessitate mandatory participation with assigned shifts for paid -on-call personnel, and the addition of more full-time staff members. In order to meet the current and future needs of the City of Plymouth, we offer the following recommendations: Immediate 1. Continue the Department's Duty Crew Program Adding a Second FT Field Supervisor and Adding a Fifth Operational Firefighter to Each Shift The Duty Crew Program has a proven track record, and we are committed to its continuation. We recommend the addition of a second full-time field supervisor, and a fifth operational firefighter (budget allowing) on each shift. Our immediate goal is to consistently provide a minimum staffing level of five operational firefighters during the program's current hours of operation. 2. Adopt Appropriate Staffing Committee "Daily Operations" Recommendations The Department's Staffing Committee has recommended minor changes to several operational policies and practices that committee members believe will provide more predictable staffing. These changes include considering a general alarm percentage requirement for all members to ensure adequate staffing at major incidents, expanding the Duty Crew program to include the "traditional" holidays on which crews currently are not scheduled to work, and changing the vacation days program to require all members to submit their vacation requests ahead of time. The current policy permits members to take days "off' and be excused from call attendance after -the -fact, providing supervisors with little ability to predict staffing availability, and make changes to our paging protocol if appropriate. 27 3. Continue Efforts to Recruit and Retain Paid -On -Call Staff Members We recommend continuing our efforts to recruit and retain qualified paid -on-call staff members. We plan to continue our emphasis on hiring and retaining firefighters to participate in the Duty Crew Program, as well as supporting our traditional night response capabilities. Mid -Term (in 2004) 1. Expand the Department's Duty Crew Program We recommend the expansion of the Duty Crew Program into the daytime weekend hours. Our experience shows that weekends follow the same call patterns as weekdays, with the call volume increasing throughout the day and then dropping off during the evening hours. We have become increasingly alarmed by our inability to consistently provide adequate staffing on weekends. Saturdays and Sundays are not unlike weekdays in that we receive the most calls for service at the same time we draw from the smallest pool of available firefighters. During Duty Crew hours, we recommend staffing two stations, rather than just one. A two -station response will allow us to respond, in two trucks, to the vast majority of the City in a timely fashion. We propose staffing each station with a crew of three operational firefighters, including one who is a field supervisor. Our ability to fully staff these duty crew shifts will require the addition of full- time personnel to supplement the paid -on-call staff. The Staffing Committee identified this potential in its report. The committee stated, "We are quickly reaching the point of exhausting our options for maintaining a paid -on-call department, and need to look into the future and evaluate our need for additional full-time personnel." Any full-time staff members would have additional skills and responsibilities beyond merely filling shifts. To support the expanded hours of operation, we recommend that a minimum of two full-time positions be added one a supervisor, and the other a firefighter/mechanic. 28 The concept of a firefighter/mechanic has been previously discussed, and is universally favored by members of the Department. A Firefighter/Mechanic would best meet the immediate needs of the Fire Department, including daytime fire call response and mechanical and maintenance services for Department vehicles, equipment, and facilities. A Firefighter/Mechanic could perform most, if not all, of the light maintenance work on fire apparatus, reducing the workload of the Public Works mechanics. A Firefighter/Mechanic could perform some of the maintenance and inspection of our fire pumps, reducing the reliance on outside vendors. A Firefighter/Mechanic could also provide the janitorial services to the fire stations that are currently contracted out to another company. 2. Postpone Planning for Station IV The need for a fourth fire station is driven by the issues of adequate staffing and response time. Staffing two existing fire stations will allow us to provide a timely fire response to the vast majority of the City. Doing so will entail additional costs, but those costs will be significantly less than the costs associated with a fourth station. 3. Continue Efforts to Recruit and Retain Paid -On -Call Staff Members We recommend continuing our efforts to recruit and retain qualified paid -on-call staff members. We plan to continue our emphasis on hiring and retaining firefighters to participate in the Duty Crew Program, as well as supporting our traditional night response capabilities. Long -Term (in 2007) 1. Expand the Department's Duty Crew Program We recommend the expansion of the Duty Crew Program to provide coverage twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. Staffing such a program would involve mandatory participation by the paid -on-call members of the Department. 29 Again, our ability to fully staff these duty crew shifts may require the addition of full-time personnel to supplement the paid -on-call staff. The full-time staff members would have supervisory, mechanical, or other duties beyond merely filling shifts. 2. Renovate Two or More Stations to Include Sleeping and Living Quarters The expansion of the Duty Crew Program to provide 24/7 coverage brings with it the need to have sleeping quarters for participants. We also recommend the renovation of one or more fire stations to include apartment -like living quarters to be provided, free or at a reduced cost, to paid -on-call members in exchange for a commitment to complete station duties and respond to fire calls during designated times. Similar live-in programs have had success in other parts of the country and in local communities like White Bear Lake. Both improvements will help contribute to more predictable and timely fire response. 4. Continue Efforts to Recruit and Retain Paid -On -Call Staff Members We recommend continuing our efforts to recruit and retain qualified paid -on-call staff members. We plan to continue our emphasis on hiring and retaining firefighters to participate in the Duty Crew Program, as well as supporting our traditional night response capabilities. These recommendations represent a five-year strategic plan for the Plymouth Fire Department. Our goal is to continue to provide an increased level of service to the community. Community service is the standard by which we, as a department, measure our success. 30 Agenda Number: TO: Dwight D. Johnson, City Manager FROM: Laurie Ahrens, Assistant City Manager SUBJECT: Set Future Study Sessions DATE: November 27, 2002, for City Council study session of December 2, 2002 ACTION REQUESTED: Review the pending study session topics list and establish future special meetings if desired. Calendars are attached to assist in scheduling. Pending Study Session Topics at least 3 Council members have approved the following study items on the list) Discuss 2001 Audit Report — spring 2003 (Tierney, Black, Slavik) Pond cleaning options and Policy for handling drainage concerns — spring 2003 (Black, Johnson, Stein) Street Reconstruction Program — spring 2003 (Black, Harstad, Johnson) Connection to City sewer and septic systems (Stein, Black, Hewitt) Jake Braking of Trucks (Black, Johnson, Slavik) Control of buckthorn in City -owned spaces (Slavik, Stein, Johnson) Weed Mowing, Tree Removal, and related Special Assessment Procedures (Council) Subdivision Regulations (Johnson, Slavik, Stein) Meeting with Legislators (Johnson, Slavik, Black) Other requests for study session topics: Discuss smoking issue initiated by the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission (Johnson) OFFICIAL CITY MEETINGS December 2002 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2:00 PM OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS - 7:00 PM TRUTH IN TAXATION HEARING, I Council Chambers sPECIALcouNCIL 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION, Council Chambers 7:00 PM HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - Council Chambers 4:30 PM Deadline for receiving AtPImouthy Historical Society Building MEETING; IMMEDIATELYFOLLOWINGTRUTH IN TAXATION : FIRE DEPT. RE ORT, 7:00 PM PLYMOUTHLY SOT Large Council Seat applications CONSIDER PULL TAB REQUEST SET FUTURE SYUDY SESSIGNS, g Roomty COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT (PACT) - Bass Lake Room 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 80 PM TRUTH IN TAXATION RING RECONVENED (IFNKEEDED),C-1 Chrnb- 7;00 PM ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE 7:00 PM CHARTER COMMISSION ANNUAL MEETING, Public Safety Training Room EQC), Medicine Lake 870 PM OR IMMEDIATELY FOLLO NG TRUTH IN Room (this month) TAXATIONITING :INTERVIEWSPECIALCOUNCILMEEBOMNOMMISSION CANOIDATES; CCRIDEPUTV MAYOR APPTS; REVIEW COUNCIL 17: 800 PM PARK & REC DVISORYCOMMISSION (FRAC), Council Chambers AT-LARGEAPPLARTINS, Pubo Sarar 7:00 PM PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY BOARD,(PSAB), Police Dept. Library 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 15:00 PM SUBURBAN TRANSITAUTHORITY tymohCreEekMCent. 7:00 PM REGULAR 7:00 PM PLANNING 7:00 PM HOUSING & REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (HRA), COUNCIL COMMISSION, Medicine Lake Room 6:00 PM SPECIAL COUNCL MEETING: INTERVIEW APPLICANTS FOR AT -LARGE COUNCIL; MEETING, Council Chambers Council Chambers Ptymouth Creek Center Ballroom C 7:30 PM YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, Council Chambers 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY - City Offices closed 29 30 31 Nov 2002 Jan 2003 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 1 2 3 4 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 26 27 28 29 30 31 modified on 11/27/2002 OFFICIAL CITY MEETINGS January 2003 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 Dec 2002 Feb 2003 NEW YEAR'S 7:00 PM HUMAN S M T W T F S S M T W T F S DAY - City RIGHTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 Offices Closed COMMISSION - 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Council Chambers 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 29 30 31 23 24 25 26 27 28 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 7:30 PM YOUTH ADVISORY 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL 7:00 PM ENVIRNMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE EQC), Medicine Lake 7:00 PM PARK & REC ADVISORY COMMISSION COUNCIL, MEETING, Council Room (this month) PRAC), Council Council Chambers Chambers Chambers 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 7:30 AM -9:15 AM -MLC 7:00 PM PLANNING 7:00 PM HOUSING 8 REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (HRA), LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION, Medicine Lake Room BREAKFAST, Council Chambers Radisson Hotel 7:00 PM PUBLIC 8 Conference SAFETY ADVISORY BOARD (PSAB), Police Center, 3131 Dept. 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