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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8B, Resilient Communities Project --A II )ENHILLS Request for Council Action 8B Prepared By: Meagan Beekman, City Planner Council Meeting Date: February 11,2013 Resilient Communities Project Budgeted Amount: Actual Amount: Funding Source: $0 $60,000 Ramsey County,Utility Funds, Cable Fund, General Fund Recommendation: Direct Staff to move forward with the Resilient Communities Project application. Supporting Documents: 1. Memorandum from Meagan Beekman, dated February 11, 2013 2. Proposed Project List lt �-AI"ILLS MEMORANDUM DATE: February 11, 2013 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers Patrick Klaers, City Administrator FROM: Meagan Beekman, City Planner SUBJECT: Resilient Communities Project Requested Action Review the Resilient Communities Project (RCP) and direct Staff on whether to move forward with an application. Background The Resilient Communities Project (RCP) is a program through the University of Minnesota and administered by the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA). The program selects one Minnesota city per year to participate. The program matches University coursework with community projects that have a sustainability impact. The program defines sustainability broadly to include environmental, social, and financial sustainability for a community. The projects should have a relatively narrow scope and clear deliverable. Once a city is selected, CURA staff match up the individual projects with graduate courses at the University of Minnesota that have a community-project component related to one or more of the city's needs. The purpose of the program is intended to better connect University resources with communities, regional entities, and organizations interested in sustainability in the Twin Cities and other metropolitan areas in Minnesota. RCP provides the community with access to hundreds of students and faculty across a range of academic disciplines, from design, planning, law and engineering to business, environmental sciences, and the humanities. The selected community and their projects are imbedded throughout the University of Minnesota curriculum, which provides extensive resources to which the community would not otherwise have access to. In addition, the program offers students real-world opportunities to apply their knowledge and training, as well as to engage with City of Arden Hills February 11, 2013, Regular Council Meeting Pagel of 5 �I i I professionals and students in other programs and fields of study. The University of Minnesota calculates the value of work produced through the project at approximately $175,000. RCP program administrators work closely with the selected community to ensure that each selected project has a clear scope of work and concrete deliverable in order to ensure a high value return for the community. The City of Minnetonka was selected to participate in the RCP pilot program for the 2012-2013 academic year. While they have only completed half of their projects and coursework, Minnetonka staff have indicated they have been impressed with the quality of the work that they have received from University students. Application Process Applications to participate in the RCP program are due February 15th. As part of the application process, communities are asked to identify 15-30 projects that might be included. Not all projects will be a good fit, but the intent is to provide a broad enough list of projects that most will fit into the program. A project's scope is limited by the timeline of the program. The selected community will participate in the 2013-2014 academic year and work with courses over both semesters. Project deliverables will likely be completed at the end of each semester. Staff has prepared a list of 19 projects to include as part of our application (Attached). Projects generally fall into three categories: • Projects directly related to TCAAP, taken from the Master Plan RFP that, if Arden Hills was selected to participate in RCP, would reduce the cost of the consultant contract to complete the Master Plan. • House-keeping projects that have a City-wide impact and need to be completed; however, are only indirectly related to TCAAP and not included in the Master Plan RFP. • Projects that would add value to the City if the City had more resources to complete them, but are not imperative to City operation. In addition, Ramsey County Administration has identified a project related to the creation of a strategic communications plan for the TCAAP redevelopment project that is related to an existing project Kate Knuth is working on with the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Communities are asked to identify a project lead for each project. The project lead will work with the program administrator and the professor(s) of the matched course to guide the scope of work and the project as needed. Staff time obligations will vary depending on the unique needs of each project; however, at a minimum, the staff project leader will meet with program administrators and the course professor at least once prior to the beginning of the project to narrow and clarify the scope of work. Periodic check-ins with the class may be necessary, and the project lead will likely attend any final class presentations related to the project. In addition, City of Arden Hills February 11, 2013, Regular Council Meeting Page 2 of 5 the selected community will identify a project coordinator who will oversee the progress of each project. As part of the application, communities are also asked to provide a financial contribution, in addition to staff time. A minimum amount has not been identified; however, communities are asked to show some financial commitment to the program. Communities are also encouraged to partner with other agencies on individual projects, and pool funding resources. Each project does not need an individual funding source; some projects have clear funding sources, while others do not. The application and project list are reviewed as a package, and the goal would be to cobble together resources from enough projects to include in the City's application. Funding Sources City Staff have been in contact with Ramsey County Environmental Health to discuss possible project partnerships. Out of those discussions three City projects were identified that Ramsey County Environmental Health thought would be valuable to their organization. The projects are: • Design Standards to Promote Recycling; • Site-wide Participation in a City Recycling Contract on TCAAP; and • Reduction of Construction Waste. More details on the projects are included in the attached project list. Ramsey County Environmental Health has a Public Entities Innovation Grant program to which County Environmental Health staff has encouraged the City to apply. They have tentatively committed $25,000 of grant money to provide to the City as part of our participation in RCP, provided that the City is selected to participate in RCP, and that the three projects are included in the final project list. Ramsey County Administration has also committed $10,000 towards the City's RCP application. Two of the City's 19 proposed projects relate to the creation of a social media policy for the City and the launch of a social media presence. Due to the communications and technology component of these projects, the City can include funding from the Cable Fund to assist in completing these items. Staff recommends a contribution of $10,000 from the Cable Fund to complete this work. An additional two if the City's 19 proposed projects are for creating work-flow efficiencies for the public works crews related to the tracking of sanitary sewer inspections, hydrant flushes, and other in-field work. The Public Works Director has indicated that finding solutions to these work-flow problems would be very valuable in saving staff time and resources. Staff recommends $10,000 from Utility Funds be included as part of an application to RCP. All of the projects offer value to the community, and Staff recommends including $5,000 from the general fund as part of the application. City of Arden Hills February 11, 2013, Regular Council Meeting Page 3 of 5 Discussion This program has been compared with having a full time intern who is an expert in multiple disciplines, has access to all of the resources available through the University of Minnesota, peer review, and professorial support, and requires minimal supervision. The amount of work that could potentially be completed through this program is enormous, all of which would add value to the community. The City of Minnetonka has commented that the work that they have seen out of their participation in the program is at or near professional consultant quality work. In order to be considered for participation into the program the City must commit both financial resources and staff time to completing the projects. The overall project coordinator will be aware of each project and act as the point of contact between the program administrators at CURA and the City. Individual project leads will meet with CURA staff and professors to scope individual projects and identify clear and valuable deliverables. Depending on the individual project needs, project leads will maintain periodic contact with students and will accept the final product, likely attending any student presentations. Staff believes that the City has a good mix of projects and a strong application given the activity surrounding the TCAAP property. Participation in the program also has the added benefit of positive public relations for the City. CURA maintains a website throughout the project highlighting the work being done by the University and the selected City, and hosts kick-off and project-end events to celebrate the projects. Staff is requesting that the Council discuss the RCP program and direct Staff on whether to move forward with applying. Additionally, Staff is seeking direction on the funding amount and sources. Recommendation Staff recommends moving forward with the RCP program application and including $60,000 as a funding contribution. Resilient Communities Project Funding Sources Funding Source Funding Amount Ramsey County Administration $10,000 Ramsey County Environmental Health $25,000 Cable Fund $10,000 Utility Funds $10,000 General Fund $5,000 Total $60,00 City of Arden Hills February 11, 2013, Regular Council Meeting Page 4 of 5 III Requested Action Review the Resilient Communities Project(RCP)program and direct Staff to move forward with an application. Attachments Proposed Project List City of Arden Hills February 11, 2013,Regular Council Meeting Page 5 of 5 Attachment A Resilient Communities Project—Arden Hills Proposed Project List, 2013-2014 1. Zoning Design Standards to Promote Recycling and Organics Collection a. Project Lead: City Planner b. The purpose of the project would be to identify zoning code regulations that could require/promote the participation and collection of recycling from a building and site layout perspective. The scope would include multi-family residential and commercial new construction. c. Are there ways site design and building layout can encourage recycling participation? Are there site design requirements that make recycling/organics storage and collection easier? How can such standards be designed for flexibility to accommodate evolving approaches and technologies for collection of recycling and organics? What are the differences between multi-unit/family standards and those for commercial buildings, and will there be significant differences for different types of commercial uses that would be allowed in this new mixed use area of the City? d. Deliverable: Recommendations for best practices in zoning regulations related to designing into site plans and building layouts recycling accommodations for consumers, residents, and employees, as well as ease of collection by recycling service providers. e. Sustainability Impact: Promotion of waste reduction. This is important to the City as we move forward with TCAAP development to ensure residential and business development provides adequate access to recycling services, and ease of collection. f. Ramsey County Environmental Health Staff and Eureka Recycling 2. Site-wide Participation in City Recycling Contract a. Project Lead: City Planner b. The project would explore options for efficient, effective provision of recycling and organics collection services for commercial and multi-family properties, including the option of expanding City contracting for recycling. The scope of work would include both the implementation of providing recycling and organics collection services, as well as a review of the logistics of collection. c. Are there communities in Minnesota that offer city-contracted recycling services to multi-family residential properties and businesses? What are the best practices related to city-wide recycling and organics collections for commercial property? What are mechanisms that will allow a city to enforce participation? d. Deliverable: Description of best practices for ensuring and maximizing recycling and organics collection services and participation for multi-family and commercial buildings. These recommendations may lead into City Code amendments related to multi-family and commercial recycling and organics collection participation. e. Sustainability Impact: Promotion of waste reduction. The City is interested in exploring expansion of its recycling service to commercial and multi-family properties,along with other options f. Ramsey County Environmental Health Staff and Eureka Recycling i Attachment A 3. Reduction of Construction Waste a. Project Lead: City Planner b. The purpose of the project is to identify ways to reduce on-site demolition and construction waste and promote recycling during the build out of TCAAP. The scope of the work would include policies, programs, incentives, or regulations that would reduce demolition and construction waste, and increase recycling and use of recycled-content materials. c. What are best practices related to the reduction of on-site generated construction waste?What are solutions that could be utilized during the construction of TCAAP? d. Deliverable: Literature review to determine what has been done in this area already. Best practices and recommendations for what the City can do to reduce demolition and construction waste and promote recycling during large scale construction projects, and also for smaller-scale development and redevelopment projects e. Sustainability Impact: Promotion of waste reduction. The City is interested minimizing the amount of truck traffic and promoting waste reduction during such a large construction project. f. Ramsey County Environmental Health Staff I 4. Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment a. Project Lead: Parks and Recreation Manager b. The purpose of this project would be to identify a formula for assessing parks and recreation needs on the TCAAP site that will be used to create a park dedication policy and ordinance. The assessment would also be incorporated into the City's Master Plan for the TCAAP site as part of a Parks and Open Space Plan. c. What is the current level of parks and recreation amenity offered to Arden Hills' residents?What should the City expect will be the needs of future residents and employees on the TCAAP site? What is a reasonable park dedication approach on the TCAAP site? d. Deliverable: An assessment of future parks and recreation needs on TCAAP, a formula for determining park dedication based on projected build out numbers, and recommendations on implementing a park dedication policy. e. Sustainability Impact: Access to recreation and conservation of park land. Arden Hills is dedicated to providing leisure and passive open space opportunities for residents and employees in the City. f. Ramsey County,as the property owner on TCAAP, is a stakeholder for this project. 5. Landscape and Tree Preservation Requirements a. Project Lead: City Planner b. The purpose of the project is to review and update the City landscape and tree preservation requirements with the development of TCAAP in mind. c. What are the City's current landscape and tree preservation requirements? Are the current regulations adequate? What are other communities doing about tree preservation and landscaping? Are there ways to encourage more sustainable landscaping practices? How could the City of Arden Hills'tree preservation and landscaping requirements be improved/clarified/simplified? d. Deliverable: Recommendations on revisions to the City's regulations pertaining to tree preservation and landscaping. Attachment A e. Sustainability Impact: Sustainable landscaping and tree preservation. Tree protection is a high priority in Arden Hills. The City wants to encourage/require more sustainable landscaping practices. f. No outside stakeholders have yet been identified. 6. Transportation Demand Management Policy a. Project Lead:Assistant City Engineer b. The purpose of the project is to identify transportation demand management techniques that might be effective on the TCAAP site to decrease peak-hour demand on the road network. The project area is not currently served by transit. c. What are best practices in comparable communities?What is the process to get new transit service to an area? Does Metro Transit have population or density warrants? What is the long-term potential for fixed-route transit options? d. Deliverable: Best practices in developing a TDM plan for the TCAAP site and establishing a TDM policy for TCAAP. e. Sustainability Impact: Transportation management through reduction of vehicle miles traveled. The City is interested in bringing transit service to the TCAAP site. f. Metro Transit, Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority, and Ramsey County Public Works may be stakeholders in this project 7. Renewable Energy Regulations a. Project Lead: City Planner b. The purpose of the project is to explore regulations for parcel-specific renewable energy installations on the TCAAP site. Examples include the use of geo-thermal and wind turbines. c. What are best practices related to municipal regulations of renewable energy installations? Are there regulations the City should have in place to address these uses? Are there other communities regulating these uses? Should the City encourage wind turbines and/or other renewable energy practices? d. Deliverable: best practices, policies,and approaches of other communities; regulatory barriers; and recommendations for TCAAP specific policies on parcel-specific renewable energy installations. e. Sustainability Impact: The project explores renewable energy on TCAAP. f. No outside stakeholders have yet been identified. 8. Social Media Policy a. Project Lead: City Clerk b. The City of Arden Hills does not currently utilize social media. Obstacles to the use of social media include staff resistance, lack of clear goals for and benefits of social media, and concerns regarding the necessity and ramifications of allowing community- generated posts. Students will draft a social media policy that addresses these issues while being sensitive to the legal and political realities of local government. c. What practical benefits does social media offer to local government? How can cities control their message through social media? How can legal or political concerns with social media be addressed? d. Deliverable: Draft Social Media Policy ready for presentation to executive staff and the City Council Attachment A e. Sustainability Impact: More demographically diverse and accessible community engagement f. No outside stakeholders have yet been identified. 9. Social Media Implementation Plan a. Project Lead: City Clerk b. Assuming City approval of the social media policy described above,the City needs to implement social media in a manner that does not overburden existing staff resources, reaches targeted audiences, and utilizes the most effective social media channels. The implementation plan will specifically address how and when social media should be used to communicate information on the TCAAP project. c. How can the City use social media to reach target populations? Which social media tools will be the most effective for the City and why? How can the City use social media to maximize its benefits and minimize resources necessary to manage information? d. Deliverable: Social Media Implementation Plan e. Sustainability Impact: More demographically diverse and accessible community engagement f. No outside stakeholders have yet been identified. 10. Analysis of Commercial/Industrial Property —Tax Revenues vs Cost of Service a. Project Lead: Community Development Director b. A broad mix of commercial and industrial property is anticipated for the TCAAP site. Tax revenues generated from the commercial properties general are higher than residential properties. The City is interested in understanding what the tax capacity might be compared with cost of providing services. c. What public services are demanded by commercial and industrial property? Is the demand for service impacted by the amount of commercial property in a given area? How does the tax capacity of vacant commercial property compare to that of residential properties? How does demand for services compare to projected property tax revenue for commercial and industrial property? d. Deliverable: Analysis of public services by category of commercial property; Comparison of service demands to revenue projections; Final report including executive summary e. Sustainability Impact: Fiscal Sustainability of City programs and services f. Ramsey County and the Joint Development Agency are stakeholders in this project. 11. Analysis of TCAAP Housing Density—Tax Revenues vs Cost of Service a. Project Lead: Community Development Director b. Single-family, multi-family, and senior housing will be proposed for development on TCAAP. Cities see a greater demand for City services from residential uses than from commercial uses. Tax revenues and amount of services required vary depending on housing type. The City needs to understand the service demands of housing types in comparison to the revenue generated. c. What public services are demanded by single-family, multi-family, and senior housing? Does demand for services change according to density within each type of residential use? How does demand for services compare to projected property tax revenue per type of residential use? d. Deliverable: Analysis of public services by housing type and density; Comparison of service demands to revenue projections; Final report including executive summary Attachment A e. Sustainability Impact: Fiscal sustainability of City programs and services f. Ramsey County and the Joint Development Agency are stakeholders in this project. 12. Performance-based Stormwater Management Strategies a. Project Lead:Assistant City Engineer b. The City currently has minimum green space requirements on a per-parcel basis within the Zoning Code. With the development of TCAAP,the City is interested in adopting a performance-based approach to parcel-specific stormwater management that might include rain gardens, permeable surfaces,or low impact landscaping methods. With the goal of achieving high value stormwater collection and on-site retention the City seeks to develop green space requirements that are allow a more flexible approach. c. What are best practices related to on-site stormwater collection and management? What other communities use a performance-based approach to stormwater management in their zoning regulations? Are their barriers to implementation,such as long-term maintenance issues? d. Deliverable: Recommendations for adoption of performance-based zoning regulations related to green space and on-site stormwater management. e. Sustainability Impact: Promotion of sustainable landscaping and more effective use of green space. f. Rice Creek Watershed District and Ramsey Conservation District. 13. Wetland Setbacks a. Project Lead: City Planner b. The City currently does not have wetland setback requirements. With the development of TCAAP it is necessary to create regulations that protect the natural wetlands in the area. c. How do other communities regulate wetland setbacks? Does the DNR or Rice Creek Watershed District have recommendations for best practices? What mechanisms are available for long term protection of wetland buffer areas? d. Deliverable: Recommendations for zoning code revisions related to the creation of wetland setbacks. e. Sustainability Impact: Improved water quality and wetland protection. f. Rice Creek Watershed District and the Department of Natural Resources. 14. Stormwater Facility System Review and Mapping a. Project Lead:Assistant City Engineer b. The City has a system of stormwater facilities including outflow pipes and ponds. The City does not have an efficient process in place to track maintenance and maintenance schedules of the system. The project would include field inspections of stormwater facilities, creating a system to identify, rank, and classify each facility, and locating each facility with the City's handheld GPS device, and mapping the system. The City also requires a workflow plan for regular maintenance of the system. c. What types of stormwater facilities does the City have within its system? How are these facilities best classified, identified, and ranked? What maintenance schedule is required to keep the system functional? d. Deliverable: Completion of in-field inspections of stormwater system, GPS locates and the creation of a GIS table to identify and rank each facility, creation of a system-wide map, recommendations for workflow schedules to maintain the system. Attachment A e. Sustainability Impact: Improved water quality, efficient use of City resources to maintain stormwater system. f. Public Works Department 15. Workflow Solution to Mapping Sanitary Sewer Inspections a. Project Lead: Assistant City Engineer b. The City currently has a workflow problem in the area of storm sewer inspections. The City has a schedule for sewer inspections that are tracked using a paper map and highlighters. The system is not efficient for gathering real-time information on project progress. The City has unique identifications for each segment of sewer line that is already part of a GIS shapefile. The City needs a workflow solution to allow inspectors in the field to enter information about sanitary sewer inspections directly into our electronic system. The City hopes that this solution can eventually be expanded to include other in-field tracking of work, such as hydrant flushes,sewer cleaning, watermain breaks,water meter installations, etc. c. What are other communities doing to allow in-field information to be entered into an electronic GIS system? What are possible solutions to the City's workflow problem? What solution is the most user-friendly in terms of ease of use for the public works employees? d. Deliverable:An application that allows public works crews to enter sanitary sewer inspections directly from their tablets into the City's GIS system. e. Sustainability Impact: Efficient use of City resources to maintain sanitary sewer lines. f. Public Works Department 16. Stormwater Management Modeling on the TCAAP Site a. Project Lead: Public Works Director b. The City is working with a consultant team to complete a TCAAP master plan. A component of the plan will be identifying regional stormwater solutions for the stormwater management that will be required on the site. The City would like the student project team to work with the consultant team to model the stormwater run- off that will be generated on site based on land use assumptions, analyze stormwater management options, and identify best practices as they relate to the TCAAP site and the creation of a regional stormwater feature that can be an amenity to the site. c. What are best practices in regional stormwater management? What modeling is available to calculate stormwater generation on the site? What are stormwater management solutions that comply with Rice Creek Watershed District requirements that could be incorporated onto the site? d. Deliverable:Stormwater generation calculations, stormwater management options, best practices for stormwater management on the site. e. Sustainability Impact: Improved water quality, enhanced community parks and open space through shared water feature f. Rice Creek Watershed District, Consulting Team, Arden Hills and Ramsey County Public Works Departments, and the Joint Development Authority are stakeholders on this project. Attachment A 17. Traffic Sign Management Policy a. Project Lead: Public Works Director b. The City has not historically had a traffic sign policy,which has lead to various signs being installed without an analysis on whether they are necessary or beneficial to an intersection. The City seeks a review of the existing street signs, an analysis of best practices in traffic sign management, and recommendations on which signs in the City might be removed. c. What are best practices for traffic management at various residential intersections? Do other communities have traffic sign management policies? What process should the City go through when determining to install a traffic sign? When are traffic signs necessary;when are they not necessary? d. Deliverable: recommendations for best practices and a traffic sign management policy. e. Sustainability Impact: More efficient use of City resources f. Public Works Department, Ramsey County Public Works 18. Cost of Trail Maintenance a. Project Lead: Parks and Recreation Manager b. The City has a system of trails that have been constructed overtime. The City has never had a comprehensive process in place to maintain the trail system or understand the long term cost associated with trail construction. The City is seeking a review of the trail systems existing conditions, and an analysis of the cost of maintaining a segment of trail over a 20 year time period. c. What are the available trail maintenance options? What are other communities doing in terms of trail maintenance? What is the City's current work plan in terms of trail maintenance? What is the cost of implementing a trail maintenance plan over a 20 year time period for a specific segment of trail? d. Deliverable:A 20 year maintenance schedule of a newly constructed trail segment, the cost of implementing the maintenance schedule, best practices for trail maintenance. e. Sustainability Impact: Efficient use of City resources, better maintained trail system that remains functional longer. f. Public Works Department 19. Public Art and Placemaking on TCAAP a. Project Lead: City Planner b. The TCAAP site represents a significant time in the history of the United States and our participation in World War ll. While there are no historically significant physical features on the site,the legacy of the site is an important piece of history that the City would like to incorporate in some way into the new development. The City is seeking concepts for how art and placemaking can be utilized throughout the development of the site in cost effective,yet significant ways. St. Paul's Public Art Ordinance may serve as a model for how to successfully incorporate public art and place making into the site. c. What are the aspects of the historical significance of the TCAAP site? What are ways that public art and placemaking can be utilized on site to highlight the history of the property? How can the City and County incorporate public art and placemaking in a cost effective way on the TCAAP site? d. Deliverable: Identification of specific concepts that are historically unique and/or significant about the property, recommendations for how to incorporate these concepts i Attachment A into public art and placemaking in a cost effective way throughout development of the site. e. Sustainability Impact: Placemaking and community building f. local artists, Ramsey County, and the Joint Development Authority are stakeholders for this project. 20. Strategic Communications Plan for TCAAP Redevelopment Project a. Project Lead: Ramsey County b. The TCAAP project requires ongoing,transparent, participative communication with residents, businesses and property owners in Ramsey County,and immediately surrounding the site. People will be naturally curious about the project, and there are also significant opportunities to clarify and correct inaccurate information about the site that persists. c. What issues are important to stakeholders living around the site, and in the broader Ramsey County community? How can positive stories (i.e. environmental reinvestment, increasing tax base,adding living wage jobs) influence community support for the project? What is the best and most effective way to reach these groups on a consistent, factual basis? d. Deliverable: In conjunction with an existing project led by Kate Knuth, Humphrey Policy Fellow, develop a strategic communication plan that can be used by laypeople to explain the importance of this project, empower community involvement in problem solving, and identify issues of importance to the community at large. Build momentum and support through branding and marketing studies and plans for the site as a whole, working in conjunction with the City's Master Plan. Report frequently to the Joint Development Agency (JDA). e. Sustainability Impact: Creation of sustained, community-driven support for the project as a whole; education around the importance of diverse tax base that generates positive outcomes in the form of job creation, passive and active green space, economic diversity, private investment, and long-term growth that is beneficial to the community, its residents and future opportunities. f. City of Arden Hills, Ramsey County, Community Stakeholders