2024-04-23 CC Meeting Minutes WorkshopMOUND CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL WORKSHOP MINUTES
April 23, 2024
The City Council of the City of Mound, Hennepin County, Minnesota, met in a special workshop
meeting session on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers in the
Centennial Building.
Members present: Mayor Jason Holt, Council Members, Sherrie Pugh, Paula Larson, Kathy
McEnaney and Kevin Castellano.
Members absent: None
Others present: City Manager Jesse Dickson, City Attorney Scott Landsman, Deputy City
Manager Maggie Reisdorf, and Fire Chief Greg Pederson.
The Special Workshop Meeting was called at 6:00 pm.
Fire Department Strategic Plan
Mayor Holt introduced this item to the City Council. He informed that there were some important
discussion points that were brought up at a recent Fire Commission meeting. The Fire Chief
was directed to bring those items to the City Council for review and discussion.
Chief Pederson stated that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss current challenges that
the Fire Department is facing. He started with several talking points and facts about the Fire
Department.
1. That Mound firefighters have proudly served the City of Mound and Lake Area for over
100 years and that the firefighters and support staff always answer the bell. Pederson
emphasized the need to think of the future.
2. The Mound fire department performs very well and is well known as a dedicated, active
and professional organization. Pederson mentioned that residents, surrounding
communities, and other fire agencies depend on the department for emergency
response and that they do get called a lot for support.
3. That the department has been awarded (April 1, 2021) a PPC Rating of 3 by our
Insurance Services Office. This confirms that the department is providing high -quality fire
protection services. Pederson said he was very proud of that rating.
4. The department's finances and budget have been prudently managed over the years
and therefore has resulted in a very positive financial position. He referenced several
grants and donations as vital budget supplements. He informed that the budget is
watched closely and they don't buy what they don't need.
5. The department's annual bonded debt payments of $282,940 ended in 2022. This was
for the fire department building. Pederson stated that this helps the future budget
outlook.
6. The fire fund currently is at a balance of $400,654 which is the best financial position in
20 years. Pederson stated that this allows us to consider operational changes without
significant budget impacts.
7. The department's capital improvement plan related to buildings, apparatus and
equipment was stagnant between the years of 2004-2016. He informed that starting in
2017, several purchases were made to get the department where it needed to be as far
as assets and has set the department up for long-term financial success.
8. Staff is the strongest asset and that they are well -trained, responsive, and willing to meet
the expected high performance job standards. Peterson explained that they are a very
active group. He stated however that times are changing and the number of calls is
increasing significantly and more medical calls are coming in. Pederson said that a
serious challenge will be the ability to recruit and retain paid -on -call staff. He informed
that 7-8 firefighters will be leaving in 2024 for various reasons and that they will have to
be replaced. He explained that changes in the staffing model may have to change.
Pederson said that volunteering is hard today as there are high standards and time
commitments. He said that all departments are facing this issue.
9. The firefighter take pride an ownership when it comes to serving. Pederson said it is an
intangible that cannot be measured. He mentioned that the consolidation of resources
and services can provide a major benefit to maintaining revenue, budgets and fire
operations. He explained that he is trying to keep the paid on call model in place as long
as possible. He said that the City of Minnetrista is growing and that they aren't interested
in starting their own department. They want to find a solution with the current
departments, Mound and Saint Bonifacius to continue to cover their growing city.
10. Mound owns and operates a high -quality fire department, with the support of its elected
officials and the support of the neighboring communities. Pederson informed that the
entire administration, operations and budget is dependent on maintaining the current fire
contracts and related revenues.
11. Pederson discussed the need to plan for and discuss the potential of implementing a fire
partnership agreement of some sort for the benefit of all parties. He stressed the
importance of making sure all parties remained part of the discussion.
Pederson said that the City of Minnetrista recently had significant growth around Highway 7 in
which they build a new grocery store, apartments and single family homes. He stated that they
will continue to grow. He informed that the City of St. Bonifacius Fire Department is listed as the
primary fire department for this new growth area, but that the Mound Fire Department is
regularly called out for support. He explained that because Mound is the secondary Fire
Department, that the department doesn't receive revenue for these calls. He stated that the
department remains highly committed to these calls, but that part of the discussion would be
making sure that with growth, the fire departments are being compensated fairly to help cover
operation costs.
Mayor Holt asked if it would make sense to create a fire district that would become a separate
taxing jurisdiction. He said that it would require a committee and it would have to be something
that the City Council agreed to do. He explained that part of the process would include having a
conversation with the other communities on how the district would work, how the assets would
be managed, and more.
CM Pugh asked if the City of Mound owned the fire department equipment and building.
Pederson said yes the City of Mound owns these assets, but that the other communities that the
fire department serves have been paying towards these assets over the years as well.
There was discussion on the Orono Fire Department and a recent request for the City of
Mound's department to serve as a backup for mutual aid services. Pederson mentioned that
Hennepin County has a general mutual aid agreement where all 34 departments participate.
Pederson asked the City Council if they were ok moving forward with assigning city staff and
representatives to work with the communities of Minnetrista and St. Bonifacius to discuss a
mutually beneficial plan for future fire protection services.
Mayor Holt asked Pederson if the City of Mound would be able to maintain its name if a fire
district was established.
Pederson said that the City would be able to keep its name on the building and apparatus. He
said that there is great pride and ownership within the name. He said that the firefighters
understand that there is a need for change and are supportive of finding a collaborative solution.
Mayor Holt asked Pederson if there would be additional locations within a fire district besides
the two existing fire stations.
Pederson acknowledged that as the City of Minnetrista grows, the response times for the City of
Mound and City of St. Bonifacius is getting more difficult within those growing areas. He said
that there are also situations where current firefighters are moving into these developments,
making response times to the fire stations longer as well. He said that one solution would be to
have "hubs" within these areas to improve response times for certain calls.
CM Pugh said that she understands that the City of Minnetrista doesn't want their own fire
department, but that consideration must be taken as to how their city's continued growth will
impact the City of Mound and the demand on the fire department.
Pederson agreed that this would have to be part of the discussion. Pederson talked about the
duty crew staffing model and the benefits to it.
CM Castellano said that it is seen as a more efficient use of time as it is usually only one person
responding to some calls instead of many.
Pederson agreed stating that firefighters don't get called to every call and therefore are able to
have better breaks. There was continued discussion on how to navigate and coordinate
discussions with other stakeholders regarding a potential fire district.
City Attorney Landsman explained that if it were determined to move forward with a fire district
or a joint powers agreement, that it would require a specific process and that it would include in-
depth conversations about what it would look like.
The City Council agreed that CM Larson and Mayor Holt would serve as subcommittee
members to this discussion.
Adfourn
Motion by McEnaney to adjourn the meeting at 6:56 pm. Seconded by Castellano. All voted in
favor. Motion carried.
"evinKelly,
Mayor Jason R. Holt