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1994-02-15 CC Minutes Special . . . ALBERTVILLE CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING February 15, 1994 Albertville City Hall 7:00 PM PRESENT: Mayor Mike Potter, Councilmembers John Vetsch, Duane Berning, Sharon Anderson and Albert Barthel, City Attorney Mike Couri, City Clerk Linda Houghton Mayor Potter called the special meeting of the Albertville City Council to order. The purpose of the meeting is to interview a candidate for a potential interim administrator position. Candidate Dale Powers has submitted a letter dated February 9, 1994, requesting that the interview be conducted at a public meeting and waiving certain rights under the Minnesota Data Privacy Act. Mayor Potter outlined the forum for the interview. Questions will be fielded only from the Council. Dale Powers is a 1993 graduate from St. Cloud State University wi th a major in Public Administration and Geography. He is currently pursuing a Masters degree from Mankato State University. He has previously worked with the League of Minnesota Cities in establishing an internship program. Councilmember Vetsch asked Powers why he felt it was important for the continued growth of the City to hire an administrator versus growing with the current staff. Powers answered that he would be able to assist the City in long-range planning issues. He stated that he is not in favor of "business chasing", but rather he sees the administrator's job as a "business incubator", which he described as assisting small businesses in the community to grow and stay within the City. Councilmember Anderson asked Powers what he could give to the CIty of Albertville. Powers answered that he could give the CIty a "new look". He would see what in the City needs improvement and take steps in that direction. He stated he is not interested in "remaking the City" but would attempt to determine what the Council wants and guide them to that end. Mayor Potter questioned what steps Powers anticipated in City growth. Powers stated that initially he would talk to business leaders and residents to find out the general direction the City wants to grow and he would work with the Council to find the most efficient way for that growth to occur. Councilmember Berning asked Powers to outline his strengths both personally and professionally. Powers stated he is a "good listener", "gets along well with people", "lets good employees do . ALBERTVILLE CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING February 15. 1994 Page 2 of 4 their job, and works with those employees who may not be educated adequately to perform their jobs better" and "has a wide range of contacts--both through the League of Minnesota Cities and with State legislators". Powers stated he is not a veteran. Mayor Potter questioned Powers how he would stop the City from being forced into expansions, such as wastewater treatment expansion which the City just experienced. Powers stated there were two ways to prevent this from happening in the future-- (1) to overbuild a system initially, which Powers stated was not financially wise nor a way he would recommend, or (2) to plan in advance for upcoming expansions through capital improvement budgeting. . Councilmember Berning asked for Powers . definitions of a Planned Unit Development, variances and conditional use permits. Powers defined each. Councilmember Vetsch questioned Powers on how he progressed into the field of public administration. Powers stated he has always been interested in the process of government and, when he decided to seek a college education, this interest led him to choose that profession. Councilmember Barthel asked is attendance at evening meetings would present a problem to Powers since he is in the process of continuing his education. Powers stated that the job demands would have to come before his educational plans. Councilmember Anderson asked Powers what hours he felt would be necessary to perform the job. Powers questioned whether this issue had to do with the compensation package or with the need for the position and the duties of that position. Anderson answered, and the other Councilmembers agreed, that the need for the position was the issue. Powers stated that in previous discussions with Anderson a 3D-hour work week had been discussed. An administrator's job would be a difficult job to "punch a time clock" for and he would not guarantee that he would work only 30 hours per week. He stated he would put in the time necessary to do the job. . Councilmember Berning questioned iF Powers was aware of state or federal funds available for small cities such as Albertville. Powers stated that he is not aware of particular funding available, but he knows there are some grants/loans available yet, there are not as many dollars available as in the past. He would aggressively pursue whatever funding is available. . ALBERTVILLE CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL HEETING February 15~ 1994 Page 3 of 4 Councilmember Berning asked Powers to describe the intern program Powers worked on through the LMC. Powers explained the program that he and Tom Thelen of the LMC developed to match intern administrators to cities with certain needs. Berning asked about how Powers would go about establishing an economic development program for the City. Powers stated that economic development program requires an organized effort. Planning and cooperation must be orderly and can be time-consuming. The goal is to define the needs of the community and develop a plan of action while maintaining the businesses currently here. . Mayor Potter questioned if Powers felt that the Star City designation was worth pursing. Powers stated that he feels the process of securing the Star City status is worthwhile, since the process requires the City to establish an orderly development program. As a part of the process of being designated a Star Ci ty, the City has a video presentation highlighting the best features of the City professionally done. Powers indicated he is computer literate in WordPerfect, Lotus, Quatro, Harvard Graphics and DBase programs. Councilmember Berning asked Powers about his experience in budgeting and finance. Powers stated he has taken classes in public budgeting and finance, but he has no actual experience in the matter. Councilmember Anderson invited Powers to question the Council regarding the position. Powers asked what the Council feels are the major concerns for Albertville. Anderson stated her major concern is with economic development. Potter stated his major concern is with long-range planning and establishing a balance between commercial/industrial growth vs. residential growth. Berning and Vetsch agreed that controlled growth is necessary and that the City does allow growth to occur helter-skelter with no long-range vision. Councilmember Berning asked Powers if the terms of the potential position, i.e. six month contracted term with no further guarantee of continued employment and part-time (perhaps 30 hours per week) were acceptable. Powers stated he is flexible and would have no problem with those terms. . Attorney Couri asked Powers to give the Council some indication of the salary range he would require. Powers stated he had interviewed for an administrator position with the City of Red Lake Falls, a city of about 1500, and the salary being proposed there was $35,000 per year. For this part-time position, Powers . . . ALBERTVILLE CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING February 15~ 1994 Page 4 of 4 would accept compensation in the $20,000 annual range, or pro-rated at $10,000 for six months. Powers added that he would accept the $10,000 salary with the hopes and expectation that his employment with the City continued beyond the six months terms, his performance would be reviewed and his pay adjusted somewhat closer to the salary range mentioned for Red Lake Falls. Assuming this position becomes permanent, Attorney Couri asked what Powers" foresaw for himself in the next 5-10 years. Powers stated that if he were paid fairly, he did not foresee himself moving on to "bigger and better" things. He would be content to continue working for the City as long as the City was satisfied with his performance. Anderson made a motion to discuss the possibility of hiring an administrator based on this interview at the next Council meeting. Barthel seconded the motion. All voted aye. Anderson made a motion to adjourn at 8:10 PM. Vetsch seconded the motion. All voted aye. Michael Potter, Mayor Linda Houghton, Clerk ..." ;,. ~