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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-24-11-WS �-AR�EN HILLS Approved: December 12, 2011 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MEETING OCTOBER 24,2011 IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING SPECIAL MEETING ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor David Grant called to order the City Council Work Session meeting at 5:40 p.m. Present: Mayor David Grant; Councilmembers Brenda Holden, Fran Holmes,Nick Tamble and Ed Werner. Absent: None Also present: City Administrator Patrick Klaers; Public Works Director Terry Maurer; Community Development Director Jill Hutmacher; Deputy Clerk Rebecca Brazys. 1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA The Work Session agenda was approved as a part of the preceding Special Meeting agenda. 2. AGENDA ITEMS A. Street Infrastructure Discussion Public Works Director Terry Maurer stated the City uses ICON Pavement Management software and that every three years the City has the street's Pavement Condition Index (PCI) rerated and 2011 is one of these years. He presented a map that reflects the 2011 PCI's for the City's street infrastructure together with the street-by-street ratings. The vast majority of the City streets are rated Adequate (PCI 66-100). The total length of streets rated Adequate is 21.65 miles or 73.5%. The remaining street system is 5.76 miles or 19.5 % Marginal (PCI 31-65) and 2.03 miles or 7.0% Poor (PCI 0-30). Overall the street system is in very good condition and reflects the large investment the City has made over the past several years. Public Works Director Maurer explained that the PCI rating only reflects the appearance of the street surface and further investigation is always necessary to determine the correct course of action. As an example, Old Snelling Avenue between County Road E and TH 51 was rated 31 in 2008. Due to its poor condition, a large area was "skin patched" just to hold it together. The ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—OCTOBER 24, 2011 2 patching of the surface caused the PCI to increase to 62 in 2011. Likewise, Arden Oaks Drive was rated 79 in 2008 but due to delamination of the top lift of bituminous in many areas and reflective cracking through the overlay the 2011 rating dropped to 60. Old Snelling Avenue needs to be reconstructed while Arden Oaks Drive needs to have the delamination of the top lift of bituminous repaired and be put on the crack-filling/seal-coating schedule. The general areas of streets that still need to be considered for reconstruction are shown on the map by the areas of combined red (poor) and blue (marginal) colors. Public Works Director Maurer stated that since the City has invested so much capital into rebuilding the street infrastructure the past several years, it is important that the proper attention and resources be put into maintaining and preserving the rebuilt street infrastructure. Although often the Engineering profession refers to a street design as a 20 or 25 year design, it does not mean that in 20 or 25 years that street will need to be totally rebuilt. Concrete curb and gutter should easily last 50 years and beyond. If when a street is rebuilt it is sub cut and a granular material is imported for a better base, why would that ever have to be replaced? With the rapidly changing technologies for maintaining and persevering streets, once a street is properly rebuilt it may never have to be totally rebuilt again. Generally, a proper maintenance/preservation plan will include pothole repair, crack filling, seal coating and spot concrete repair. Over a longer period of time,mill and overlay or reclaiming of the bituminous surface will be necessary. Public Works Director Maurer explained that the crack-filling/seal-coating program staff would suggest is as follows: • Newly reconstructed or reclaimed bituminous surfaces be crack-filled and seal-coated after three years. • All other streets, except those still planned for reconstruction, be crack-filled and seal- coated on a seven year rotation. Streets in areas that see a much higher percentage of heavy commercial/industrial vehicles may need a slightly shorter rotation, say five years. • A program that would crack-fill those streets one year that are planned to be seal coated the next year. • Eventually, get to a system where the entire City is divided into sections where the crack- filling and seal-coating is programmed out in fiscally equivalent areas that complete the entire system over a seven year cycle. • Areas that are coming up for crack-filling would also be looked at for any concrete repairs that may be needed so they are completely ready the next year for seal coating. Public Works Director Maurer stated that the other issue that needs to be addressed in our street system is the bituminous delamination problem that has occurred on a few of our streets. This can be addressed by either spot milling and repaving if the problem is isolated or milling of the top lift of bituminous and overlaying where the problem is more wide spread. Public Works Director Maurer explained that from a budget perspective to crack-fill and seal- coat one-seventh of the total street system in 2012 would cost an estimated $135,000. This is the minimum amount, adjusted for inflation that should be budgeted yearly for maintaining the street infrastructure. Repair of the delamination issue discussed previously would be in addition to this amount. Staff recommends that it would be better to increase the budget for maintenance and ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—OCTOBER 24, 2011 3 preservation of streets recently rebuilt and slow down reconstruction of the remaining streets to an every other year schedule. Public Works Director Maurer stated that there are a few projects that have been discussed as possible 2012 projects. Staff would need direction to move forward soon if any of these are to be ready for construction in 2012. These projects are: 1. Old Snelling Avenue from County Road E to TH 51. A preliminary scoping document laying out options was prepared in December 2010. Preliminary survey work and soil borings were completed at that time. This street is eligible for the use of Municipal State Aid (MSA) funds for improvements that meet MSA standards. 2. The Mounds View High School trail has been discussed. In order to move forward in 2012 with construction, topographic information should be gathered prior to snowfall so design can proceed through the winter months. MSA monies could be used to fund this proj ect. 3. Council and staff have heard from several residents on Edgewater Avenue between Asbury Avenue and Ridgewood Road about the condition of their street. Its PCI rating is 34 and it is clearly one of worst condition streets in the City. Public Works Director Maurer stated that staff is recommending a discussion regarding the balance between street reconstruction and maintenance/preservation activities. Staff would also appreciate direction on potential upcoming projects and/or additional information the Council would like to see at a future meeting. Public Works Director Maurer also explained that he was just at a Mn/DOT meeting and learned that $33 million had been placed in a bridge bonding account and $24 million is unallotted. He contacted Kimley-Horn, the engineering firm that had done the bridge analysis on Old Snelling, and it would take about $30,000 - $40,000 to design plans to submit to the state for a portion of the bridge-bonding funds. He added that Old Snelling is a State Aid route so bridge bonding would pay 50 percent of the cost. The Old Snelling bridge replacement project is estimated to be a $500,000 project and if the Council is interested staff can move forward to get a firm quote from Kimley-Horn to get the plans to an approval level and submitted to the State. Councilmember Tamble stated that the City would need to do this engineering regardless. Public Works Director Maurer stated that the City has $950,000 in the State Aid account and will get$180,000 in 2012 in construction funds. In a year or two, if the City doesn't use the State Aid funds, it will be penalized by the State, but if it's spent down, the City becomes eligible for an interest-free loan for four times the amount of the City's annual allotment, not to exceed $3 million. Arden Hills would qualify for approximately an $800,000 loan amount, interest free. Eligible State Aid projects include: Old Snelling, costs associated with the US 10/Highway 96 interchange, certain portions of the B-2 district, the County Road E bridge, the Mounds View High School trail, and the trails adjacent to streets as shown in the Valentine Park concept plans. Councilmember Tamble questioned if retaining walls would be eligible. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—OCTOBER 24, 2011 4 Public Works Director Maurer responded that retaining walls would be eligible as long as they are associated with roadway. He then stated that he knows the Council's policy had been to hang onto the State Aid funds, but he believes that if there are projects eligible, the funds should be utilized allowing the City to take advantage of the interest-free loans. Councilmember Holden asked that additional information on possible MSA projects be provided to the Council. Councilmember Holden questioned if the areas where the City experiences frequent water main breaks are being considered when prioritizing street projects. Public Works Director Maurer explained that one of the projects included in his recommendation is the Edgewater neighborhood which is an area with a lot of water main breaks. He recommended the Council hold a neighborhood meeting to advise residents what the City is considering and the proposed assessment amount. Councilmember Holmes questioned why the PCI rating only reflects the appearance of the street surface and not the overall condition of the street. Discussion took place regarding the type of improvements that would be needed in the Glenview Avenue neighborhood and in the Chatham Avenue neighborhood. Public Works Director Maurer stated that he would like to see the rating done in-house so that we can rate our own streets and trails and do it more often so the ratings are accurate and current. Mayor Grant summarized the Council consensus as follows: • accept proposed maintenance plan with more details to be provided • direct staff to request a proposal from Kimley-Horn for the final plan preparation for the Old Snelling bridge for state funding • proceed with survey work on the Mounds View School trail and determine assessability to the school for project costs. B. Public Works Department Update Public Works Director Maurer stated that staff has done research and determined that a full- time staff person could be hired for the same amount of money we currently pay for 75 percent time for Roseville engineering services. Having our own staff would generally give the City more control. He explained that he would look for someone who could lead and direct projects; have ICON software skills; and someone who can work outside with Public Works staff. Consultants would only be hired for work that staff cannot accomplish and for special projects. Other options considered included working with a consultant to place a contract employee at city hall. After researching human resource issues, staff is recommending we hire a full-time staff member at a pay grade 9 or 10. Public Works Director Maurer explained that if the City decides to end its Joint Powers Agreement with Roseville for engineering services, that may impact other services Roseville ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—OCTOBER 24, 2011 5 currently provides, such as GIS. Staff is investigating whether Ramsey County could provide these services if we cannot obtain them from Roseville. Public Works Director Maurer stated that he would also like the new staff member to take over responsibility for records retention for Public Works. Mayor Grant questioned what plans there are for transition. Public Works Director Maurer stated that the transition plan will have to be worked out,but he does plan to continue using Roseville to allow for some overlap with the person the City hires. Mayor Grant questioned the proposed timeline. City Administrator Klaers explained that the contract with Roseville calls for a one-year notice of termination but staff believes Roseville will accommodate our needs and schedule. Public Works Director Maurer stated he would also like Council's approval to use outside services now because he is reluctant to get the Roseville engineer involved in current projects such as Valentine Parks Improvements. After some discussion, Mayor Grant stated the Council is comfortable directing staff to investigate Roseville's position regarding amending or severing the Joint Powers Agreement. City Administrator Klaers stated if Roseville is in agreement with amending or ending the agreement, should staff set up a Personnel Committee meeting to discuss the new position. Mayor Grant stated that would be a good next step and then the Personnel Committee will bring it to Council. C. TCAAP / Stadium Update City Administrator Klaers stated that staff met with Ramsey County staff a week ago regarding the stadium proposal, but a lot has happened since then. The Governor has had a series of meetings with interested parties and plans to make his recommendation on the stadium location and financing on November 7. The Governor also plans to call a special session November 21 - 23. He added that the City of Minneapolis has renewed its efforts to have the stadium built there. He stated that if the Council wants staff to attend the special session or meet with Legislators, staff needs a clearer position from the City. If the Council does take a position, he would suggest that it include the statement that their position is based on the Metropolitan Council's report and risk analysis and that they support the stadium. Councilmember Holmes stated staff could go to meetings and attend the session and protect the City financially without the Council having taken an official position. City Administrator Klaers then asked if Council wants to hire a lobbyist to advocate for the City during the special session. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—OCTOBER 24, 2011 6 Councilmember Holden spoke in support of hiring a lobbyist. Councilmember Holmes commented that if the Council is going to take a position on the stadium, we may want to hold a public hearing. Councilmember Tamble stated that residents have expressed opposition to the stadium and one commented that as long as tax dollars are going to be used to build the stadium, residents should be allowed to participate to a certain degree. He added that the "not knowing" for residents is worse than the negative news they're hearing. He suggested there be an educational element to any public hearing. City Administrator Klaers stated that the Metropolitan Council's report is thorough and it could be the document used in the decision-making process by the Legislature. Councilmember Holden asked if the public hearing would cover the proposed taxes or the stadium itself because the City has no control over the tax issue. She then asked if there is anything in the current legislation that the City has requested. _ City Administrator Klaers responded that we do not know what is in the current legislation or even if there is any current legislation. He then stated he doesn't know what the City would need that we can't control through the municipal approval process for such things as land use and water and sewer connections. He also explained that his mission would be to protect the City financially so that we don't have extraordinary police, fire, or public works expenses and the language the City has seen in an earlier draft is acceptable. Councilmember Holden stated that at one time the Council had talked about a hotel tax and she believes this is the perfect time to ask for such a tax. She then stated that the lobbyist would be able to tell the Council whether or not this is the appropriate time to request such a tax. City Administrator Klaers presented correspondence from the consultant, Todd Hill, for the Council to review. Mr. Hill has excellent contact within the Republican group and has frequent meetings with both leaders. If the Council chooses to hire him, we will want him to advocate for the City and the stadium, and to get the word out that the stadium benefits the city and state. He referred to Mr. Hill's correspondence which offers two options and he recommends that if the City is interested in having the stadium, they need to be more engaged in the legislative process. Mayor Grant stated the question before the Council at this time is whether or not they want to hire the lobbyist to advocate for the City. Councilmember Tamble stated a lot of these decisions piggy-back each other and he wondered how the Council could invest taxpayer dollars in the lobbyist without public input. Councilmember Holden commented that by not taking a position,the City may have a little more edge with Ramsey County. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—OCTOBER 24, 2011 7 City Administrator Klaers stated that he believes the Council can say they support the TCAAP and stadium proposal based on what they know, without saying they won't have future concerns with various parts of it. Councilmember Holmes stated that she does not believe the Council is doing their job by not taking a position. They are planning to put a stadium in Arden Hills yet the Council hasn't announced an official position. She added that the Council's job is to represent the people of the City. Councilmember Tamble agreed with Councilmember Holmes' comments. Councilmember Holmes stated she believes that Betty McCollum's recent press release was well stated and the Council could follow that example. City Administrator Klaers stated that he believes the Council could mimic Betty McCollum's statement and does not need a public hearing to do so. He stated the Ramsey County Charter Commission has held a public hearing on the sales tax. He added that a vast majority of the comments at a public hearing would be anti-stadium; not necessarily because of the stadium itself but because of the proposed tax increase. They would not hear any merits of the development compared to leaving the land undeveloped. The stadium proposal is the best use of the land and he believes that's what the Council should be taking a position on; in the long term, big scheme of things,this is in the best interest of the City. Councilmember Holden expressed concern over the public hearing pitting neighbor against neighbor; those opposed against those in support of the stadium. She was also concerned about how it would be interpreted if a large group of people speak against the stadium at the public hearing and the Council then votes in favor of the stadium. Councilmember Tamble stated that the "truth is in knowing"; the positives and negative should be clearly stated. City Administrator Klaers commented that the Council wouldn't want to hold a big public hearing before the Governor has made his position clear. Councilmember Holmes stated that she is starting to be convinced that we should not hold a public hearing. Councilmember Holden commented that we have a Public Inquiries period every time we hold a Council meeting and she's surprised there have not been more people showing up to express their opinion. City Administrator Klaers stated that if the Council does not want to take a position without holding a public hearing, he recommends they not take a position. Councilmember Holmes stated the Council resolution could include references to all the opportunities the residents have had for public input. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—OCTOBER 24, 2011 8 Councilmember Werner stated he doesn't know what else would be done with the TCAAP property so he is in favor of the stadium. However, he is concerned about the proposed county sales tax because it is for a period of thirty years and he believes it is over-burdensome. Another point he made is that the north end"gets the short end of the stick" and he believes that having the stadium would bring more improvements to our area. He would vote for a resolution supporting the stadium proposal but would not support the county sales tax. He also does not agree that a public hearing is necessary. He added that the Council has been silent for so long that most people assume we are not against the stadium. Mayor Grant commented that the Council should not proceed with a resolution unless the entire Council is in agreement. Councilmember Tamble commented that the Councilmembers are representing the residents and the stadium is a gigantic topic. He was concerned about moving forward without offering the residents an opportunity for input. He added that he does believe the Council should take a position on the stadium. Councilmember Holden pointed out that the last City newsletter had a full article about the stadium including information on how residents could express their opinions to the Council. She stated that there had not been any surge in contact from residents. Mayor Grant commented that if the Council listened to all the residents who object to road projects,the City would never do a road project. Councilmember Tamble stated he would like to have the opportunity to educate the residents on this topic. Director of Finance and Administrative Services Sue Iverson stated the Council could offer an educational component without doing a public hearing. City Administrator Klaers stated that the Council has been silent on the stadium issue to this point which implies support. He explained that he is looking for more direction from the Council before the special session and whether or not the Council wants to hire a lobbyist. He stated the lobbyist's proposal includes two options; a weekly contract or for representation during the special session in November. He stated that the Governor will be making his.recommendation on November 7 and will probably reaffirm his plans for a special session at that time. He suggested that the Council may want to wait until after the Governor's announcement to take a position. Councilmember Holden commented that before taking a position, she wants more details about the proposal to ensure that the City's interests are being protected. After some discussion, the Council consensus was to enter into a contract with the lobbyist, Todd Hill, with instruction from the Council in support of the stadium. Councilmember Tamble stated that if we don't hold a public hearing, he believes we should present to our residents a list of the opportunities for public input on the stadium proposal. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—OCTOBER 24, 2011 9 Councilmember Holmes pointed out that the first time the stadium issue was raised was during is the City's Comprehensive Plan review. Council consensus was to direct staff to create the list of the opportunities that the public has had for input on the stadium proposal which the Council will present at their next regular meeting. Council consensus was to place the stadium proposal discussion on the Council's November 14th agenda, and, based on the Governor's announcement November 7, decide at that meeting how to proceed with a resolution stating the Council's position on the stadium proposal. Also to direct staff to come up with a list of items to be included in the resolution to protect the City's interests. COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilmember Holden stated the National Guard is moving units from out of state locations to Arden Hills and it appears there will be more units coming. She recommended this topic be placed on a work session agenda for discussion. Councilmember Werner stated the Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee will be holding their park clean-up day Saturday, October 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Councilmember Holmes stated the New Brighton library grand opening is Saturday, October 29, 2011. • Councilmember Tamble stated that he will be participating in an interview for a new Communications Committee member tomorrow. Councilmember Tamble stated that he had taken pictures of the new snow plow truck which he hopes to include in the next newsletter. ADJOURN MOTION: Mayor Grant moved and Councilmember Holmes seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). Mayor Grant adjourned the City Council Work Session meeting at 8:41 p.m. Patrick Klaers David Grant City Administrator Mayor