01-28-2020 Work Session AgendaR EG U LAR C IT Y C O U N C IL W O R K S E S S IO N W O R K S E S S IO N
B AR TH O LO ME W R O O M
J AN U ARY 28, 2020
5:45 P M
C all to order
1.MnD OT staff will provide the C ity C ouncil with information on the forthcoming Highway 5 reconstruction project
slated to begin in A pril 2020 and be completed in November 2020.
2.C onsideration of implementing Owner Only utility billing.
A djournment
Auxiliary aids for individuals with disabilities are available upon request. Requests must be made at least 96
hours in advance to the City Clerk at 612-861-9738.
AGENDA SECTION:Work Session Items
AGENDA ITEM #1.
STAFF RE P ORT NO.03
WORK S E S S ION
1/28/2020
RE P O RT P RE PA RE D B Y: S cott K ulzer, A dministrative A ide/A nalyst
D E PA RTME NT D IRE C TO R RE V IE W: K ristin A sher, P ublic Works D irector/C ity E ngineer
1/22/2020
O THE R D E PA RTM E NT RE V IE W: N/A
C ITY MA NA G E R RE V IE W: K atie Rodriguez, C ity Manager
1/22/2020
I T E M F O R WO RK S E S S IO N:
MnD O T staff will provide the City Council with information on the forthcoming Highway 5
reconstruction project slated to begin in April 2020 and be completed in November 2020.
E X E C UT IV E S UM M ARY:
Highway 5 will be resurfaced and bridges repaired between 34th Ave/I -494 and the Mississippi River in 2020.
The anticipated work will consist of:
Resurfacing Highway 5
Repairing ramps to and from Highway 62, Bloomington Road, and the Minneapolis – St. Paul
International Airport (MS P) entrance
Repairing the ramps to I -494
Repairing 12 bridges
Repairing and improving drainage
This project is to be done simultaneously with the second year of the resurfacing project on I -494 between the
Minnesota and Mississippi rivers, therefore, two major highways including access to and from Highway 5 to
the MS P Airport will be under construction for one year.
Closures to both eastbound and westbound Highway 5 are to be expected during the project, but at different
times. When eastbound Highway 5 is closed the detour will be northbound Highway 77, eastbound
Highway 62, to westbound Highway 5. When westbound Highway 5 is closed, the plan is to send
motorists west on Highway 62, south on Highway 77, eastbound on I-494, and finally eastbound on
Highway 5.
T he one-year project timeline is dependent on favorable weather and could spill over into 2021.
D IRE C T I O N NE E D E D:
This is an informational work session to brief City Council on the upcoming project. No direction is
needed at this time.
B AC K G RO UND INF O RM AT I O N:
A.H IS TOR IC AL C ON T E X T
About 65,000 vehicles per day use the stretch of Highway 5 that breaks off from I -494 and heads East
towards St. Paul. At the MS P Airport, the ramps from Highway 5 see a combined 32,000 vehicles daily.
B.P OL IC IE S (resolutions, ordinances, regulations, statutes, etc):
None
C.C R IT IC AL T IMIN G IS S U E S:
The project is set to begin in April and communications will begin regarding closures and detours as we
near the Spring.
D.F IN AN C IAL IMPAC T:
None
E.L E GAL C ON S ID E R AT ION:
None
ALTE R N AT IV E(S):
None
P R IN C IPAL PAR TIE S E X P E C TE D AT ME E TIN G:
Aaron Tag, MnD OT West Area Engineer April Crockett, MnDot W est Metro Area Manager
AT TAC H ME N T S:
D escription Type
P roject Map E xhibit
M innesota River494494
62
62
62
55
55
135
5 Shepard RdPilot Knob Rd34th AveMinneapolis-Saint Paul
International
Airport
Fort Snelling
National
Cemetary
Construc�on area
Old Hwy 1
1
0
AGENDA SECTION:Work Session Items
AGENDA ITEM #2.
STAFF RE P ORT NO. 02
WORK SESSION
1/28/2020
RE P O RT P RE PA RE D B Y: C hris Regis, F inance D irector
D E PA RTME NT D IRE C TO R RE V IE W: C hris Regis, F inance D irector
1/22/2020
O THE R D E PA RTM E NT RE V IE W:
C ITY MA NA G E R RE V IE W: K atie Rodriguez
1/22/2020
I T E M F O R WO RK S E S S IO N:
Consideration of implementing Owner Only utility billing.
E X E C UT IV E S UM M ARY:
At the present time the City’s utility billing system has been set up to generate utility bills by customer/account
number, not by property owner and Property I dentification Number (P I D#).
Staff is proposing to change the City's Utility Ordinance to require owner only billing on all utility accounts.
Owner Only utility billing would provide the following:
Fewer Move I n/Outs processed by Utility Billing (UB) Staff at the City
Reduces UB staff time for processing Move I n/Outs and Final Bills.
Reduces Public Works staff time to obtain final readings.
Reduces printing and mailing expenses for Final Bills.
Ensures owner receives the quarterly utility bill and has an opportunity to pay it prior to Certification.
Reduces UB staff time to generate multiple Certification Letters for unpaid balances.
Reduces printing and mailing expenses for Certification Letters.
Allows for Clean-up of utility accounts
W e do not always receive updated tenant information, leads to incorrect billings to old tenant
and creates inefficiencies.
Eliminates the billing confusion of tenants moving in and moving out.
W ould Eliminate:
Calls from property owners checking on payments.
Owners disputing late fees because the tenant did not pay.
Eliminates the issue of a renter moving out of a property without paying the final bill
unbeknownst to the owner. The unpaid bill now becomes the responsibility of the owner.
Eliminate utility accounts with the duplicate P I D#’s.
Statistical:
68% of Final Bills Certified were from Rental properties.
38% of Active Accounts Certified were generated from Rental properties.
Approximately 75% of cities that are members of the LOGI S consortium require owner only
billing.
Consistency with practices used by other metro cities. (Bloomington, Robbinsdale, Apple Valley,
Crystal, New Hope)
W hat this would mean for a property owner, is that all tenant accounts that are attached to the property
owners Property I dentification Number (P I D#) would be consolidated into one utility account and one utility
bill would be mailed to the property owner. I t would then be the property owner ’s responsibility to pass down
the utility charges to their tenants.
D IRE C T I O N NE E D E D:
Tonight's work session is a chance to ask questions about the proposed ordinance change and
provide staff with direction.
B AC K G RO UND INF O RM AT I O N:
A.H IS TOR IC AL C ON T E X T
None.
B.P OL IC IE S (resolutions, ordinances, regulations, statutes, etc):
The current City ordinance does not allow for owner only billing.
C.C R IT IC AL T IMIN G IS S U E S:
None.
D.F IN AN C IAL IMPAC T:
I t is expected that the City will realize savings in staff time, postage, printing/paper and
mailing service costs.
E.L E GAL C ON S ID E R AT ION:
The change to owner only utility billing will require a change to the City’s current utility
ordinance.
ALTE R N AT IV E(S):
Decide not to change the City’s utility ordinance.
P R IN C IPAL PAR TIE S E X P E C TE D AT ME E TIN G:
N/A.
AT TAC H ME N T S:
D escription Type
A mendment to Utility B illing Ordinance Ordinance
1
BILL NO. __________
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SUBSECTIONS 705.17, 715.05, AND 720.07 OF THE
RICHFIELD CODE OF ORDINANCES RELATING TO SANITARY SEWER, WATER
AND STORM WATER UTILITY BILLING
THE CITY OF RICHFIELD DOES ORDAIN:
Section 1. Subsection 705.17 of the Richfield City Code is amended as follows:
705.17. – Billings.
Bills for charges for the use and service of the sewage system shall be made
out by the Finance Department in accordance with the usual and customary practice.
All bills and notices sent by the City shall be sent to the owner of the property or the
owner’s duly authorized property manager at the designated billing address. Any error
in address must be promptly reported to the City. The City shall place all accounts in
the name of the fee title owner of the property and send all bills for payment to such
owner or the owner’s duly authorized property manager. Duplicate copies may be
requested by tenants by submitting a written request to the City. Bills shall be payable
at the office of the City Finance Coordinator. Bills are rendered quarterly.
Section 2. Subsection 715.05 of the Richfield City Code is amended as follows:
715.05. – Accounts, how maintained.
All accounts shall be kept on the books of the City by the house and street
number and under the account number assigned thereto and the name of the owner or
of the person signing the application for services. All bills and notices sent out by the
City shall be sent to the house or street number owner of the property or the owner’s
duly authorized property manager at the designated billing address. The City shall
place all accounts in the name of the fee title owner of the property and send all bills
for payment to such owner or the owner’s duly authorized property manager. If non-
resident owners or agents desire personal notice sent to a different address, they shall
file an application therefor with the City. Duplicate copies may be requested by tenants
by submitting a written request to the City.
Section 3. Subsection 720.07 of the Richfield City Code is amended as follows:
720.07. – Establishing basic rate and billing.
In determining charges, the Council shall, from time to time, by resolution
establish a basic system rate to be charged against one (1) acre of land having an
REF of one. The charge to be made against each parcel of land shall then be
determined by multiplying the REF for the parcel's land use classification times the
parcel's acreage times the basic system rate. All bills and notices sent out by the City
2
shall be sent to the owner of the property or the owner’s duly authorized property
manager at the designated billing address. The City shall place all accounts in the
name of the fee title owner of the property and send all bills for payment to such owner
or the owner’s duly authorized property manager. Duplicate copies may be requested
by tenants by submitting a written request to the City.
Section 4. This Ordinance will be effective in accordance with Section 3.09 of the
City Charter.
Adopted this ____ of ________________, 2020.
By: ___________________________
Maria Regan Gonzalez, Mayor
ATTEST:
__________________________
Elizabeth VanHoose, City Clerk