05-03-2021 HRA MIN - Laserfiche WebLink

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Housing and Redevelopment Minutes Page 3 May 3,2021 Chair Toth asked if the pots Suzanne purchased can be used downtown this year to see if they work. Commissioner Wagner indicated she thought the test pots would be tried out downtown this year. She noted she grew up in Benson which is one of the cities listed who have used the H2O pots and will find out from the mayor how they are working out. She indicated she is not interested in purchasing the H2O pots until the HRA receives feedback on how well they work in Minnesota. She felt more importantly, the HRA needs to determine how the pots the DERBA is purchasing will be maintained this year. Commissioner Ovall stated he recommends not going out to bid again and using city resources to ensure the baskets get watered properly. Commissioner Chuba stated he felt the cost of the bids were too much money and would recommend city staff to maintain the flowers. Commissioner Swenson agreed. Commissioner Wagner asked if there was any feedback from Tim Sevcik. Mr. Portner stated the recommendations he had received were changing the types of plants used, only having planters on one side of the street due to extreme heat and hiring seasonal staff to maintain the flowers. He indicated there is a challenging to hire seasonal employees and this maintenance would more than likely be done by regular maintenance staff. Commissioner Wagner disagreed with having flowers on one side of the street and felt professionals would provide the right kind of plant. Mr. Portner stated the numbers that staff presented last month is what they have to allocate. He's hopeful the plants will be hardier, and staff is trying to find a way to be more successful. He noted the H2O planters presented is only to ensure the flowers are watered and bridge the timing between when they could be watered. He stated this is for informational purposes only, the larger pots can be used on the poles, and discuss during budget talks a contract for next year. Commissioner Swenson asked about lights as an option in the future. Mr. Portner stated Ms. Fischer apologized not being able to present the information herself to explain pricing for the lights,but she will present that information at a future meeting. The HRA discussed either directing staff to maintain the flowers or approve one of the two maintenance proposals received and adjusting their quote to fit when the flowers arrive. Commissioner Wagner stated the flowers were being ordered by DERBA but was not sure when they are being delivered. Commissioner Swenson asked if staff had a recommendation for which company to choose. Ms. Eddy stated both businesses met the qualifications, and the cost shows how labor intensive this type of work is.