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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-19-13-WS BAR EN�HILLS Approved: April 29, 2013 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS,MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MEETING FEBRUARY 19, 2013 5:00 PM COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Grant called to order the City Council work session meeting at 5:00 p.m. Present: Mayor David Grant; Councilmembers Brenda Holden, Fran Holmes, Dave McClung (arrived at 5:04 p.m.) and Ed Werner Absent: None Also present: City Administrator Patrick Klaers; Director of Finance and Administrative Services Sue Iverson; Public Works Director Terry Maurer; Community Development Director Jill Hutmacher; City Planner Meagan Beekman; Parks and Recreation Manager Michelle Olson; and Deputy Clerk Amy Died 1. AGENDA ITEMS A. US 10/Hwy 96 Grade Separation Discussion Public Works Director Maurer stated that the bids for the US 10/Hwy 96 grade separation project have been received and Ramsey County and MnDOT are currently reviewing them. He noted that the project is anticipated to begin mid to late March, and a public informational meeting will be held on March 26. Beth Engum, Ramsey County, stated that MnDOT is scheduled to be on-site on March 25, as that is the date the contractor will be on the ground and working. She noted that some small utility relocation is underway and will be on-going up to March 25th. She indicated that work will begin in the northwest quadrant of the intersection where trees will be cleared in order to build the ponds that are planned for that corner. She stated that a temporary access road will be built to maintain access to the businesses and homes located there. Ms. Engum stated that the contractor should complete the temporary access road within approximately one month, which means that road should be done in April. She indicated that contract provisions require that westbound Hwy 96 to westbound US 10 traffic movement be open ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—FEBRUARY 19, 2013 2 within 90 days of closure of Hwy 96, which means that traffic is anticipated to be switched over to the permanent ramp in August. Ms. Engum stated that the construction project was originally expected to take two years, but now will be completed within one year. She indicated that Hwy 96 is expected to be closed from about May until November 2. She explained that November 2 is the date by which the contractor is required to have everything substantially completed. Public Works Director Maurer stated that MnDOT added to the project an unbonded concrete overlay of all of US 10 diagonal from I-694 to I-35W. He noted that the concrete overlay will be completed within the same time frame as the main US 10 and Hwy 96 project. Councilmember Holden questioned where the road will be closed on Hwy 96. Ms. Engum stated that it will be closed in both directions from North Heights Church all the way to east of Round Lake Road. She noted that provisions have been made to make sure there is access to Lakeshore Place. Mayor Grant asked for clarification to better understand the concrete overlay process. Public Works Director Maurer explained that it is an unbonded overlay, which basically means that new concrete pavement will be poured over the existing road. Ms. Engum stated that it is approximately eight inches of concrete, and it is similar to the project that was done on 1-35E from Forest Lake to County Road E. Councilmember Werner questioned if Old Highway 10 is going to be open during this project. Ms. Engum stated that Old Highway 10 will not be open at all except for access to Lakeshore Place. Public Works Director Maurer noted that Highway 96 will be lowered about 17 feet, and US 10 will either be raised very slightly or will remain at the same elevation. He stated that some of the watermain and sanitary sewer will need to be relayed. When that happens, the City will be actively involved in the inspection process. Councilmember Holden inquired when the signalized light will be installed at County Road F and Snelling/Hamline Avenue. Public Works Director Maurer stated that should occur sometime in April/May. Mayor Grant requested that a link be put on the City's website to the County's website for detailed project information. Public Works Director Maurer stated that the City's website currently has a link to both MnDOT and Ramsey County websites, both of which offer details regarding the upcoming project. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—FEBRUARY 19, 2013 3 Mayor Grant requested that staff reach out to Land O' Lakes, Boston Scientific, and Scherer Brothers to make them aware of the impact the construction project may have on their businesses. Councilmember Holmes stated that the Mounds View High School should also be notified of the project. She indicated that they provide announcements every morning to staff and students. She suggested that a week or so before the start of construction that an announcement be made at the school so everyone is aware that they need to plan a different route to school. Councilmember Holden asked if Lakeshore Drive will be totally rebuilt. Public Works Director Maurer stated that Lakeshore Drive will be rebuilt and a 52 inch retaining wall/barrier will be provided. Landscaping will also happen after this construction project is complete. City Administrator Klaers stated that in terms of communication, Community Development Director Hutmacher has put together a newsletter that will be distributed to the Round Lake businesses. Councilmember Holden questioned what is going to be done to notify residents of the project. Public Works Director Maurer stated that a mailing will be done by either MnDOT or Ramsey County to residents in the City and bordering areas. Discussion ensued regarding the impact of the US 10/Hwy 96 construction project. Mayor Grant thanked Beth Engum for attending the meeting and for providing information regarding the construction project. B. Discussion Regarding Park Events Parks and Recreation Manager Olson stated that this is a follow-up discussion regarding possible park events that might be chosen in lieu of not having the Celebrating Arden Hills event in 2013. Parks and Recreation Manager Olson indicated that staff recommends hosting an event to celebrate the reopening of Valentine Park. She noted that if additional events are desired, staff recommends moving forward on them slowly in order to gauge their success. Councilmember McClung stated that because of the positive impact to the community at minimal cost, he is in favor of option two, which is a public works/public safety open house. Councilmember Holden noted that the location may be an issue. Parks and Recreation Manager Olson stated that one of the three larger parks work best because the parking situation is better. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—FEBRUARY 19, 2013 4 Mayor Grant stated that he is leery of the outdoor movie on an inflatable screen idea because he is unsure whether a large enough number of people will participate. He does like the idea of doing something at Valentine Park, but the nature and size of the park limits what can be done there. Discussion continued regarding various event options. The consensus among the Council was to focus on one park event at Valentine Park. Suggestions were made for staff to explore such as ribbon cutting, picnic shelter dedication, ice cream social, and music. Council asked staff to bring back options at a future Council meeting for this type of event. C. City Council Goals Update Mayor Grant stated that staff is working on a number of items, so that should be kept in mind when looking at goal attainment. City Administrator Klaers indicated that each of the Directors will discuss their departmental goals. He noted that this is a living document that is subject to change, and he thinks that good progress has been made. Director of Finance and Administrative Services Iverson discussed the goals of Finance and Administrative Services. Councilmember Holden stated that goal 2e, which is to provide staff and Council training on sexual harassment, hostile work environment, and technology use, is important, but it is not in progress yet. She sees this as a high priority and thinks it should get done. Director of Finance and Administrative Services Iverson explained that she had that particular goal down for fourth quarter, but hopes to complete it this summer. Mayor Grant requested that another column be added to the goals worksheet, which would read, "Revised Goal timeframe", to allow a place for staff to indicate to the Council what they think they can get done. Councilmember Holden inquired about goal 2d, which is to review/update the personnel policy. Director of Finance and Administrative Services Iverson stated that a Personnel Committee meeting will be held in March and a list of minor changes to the personnel policy will be discussed. Councilmember Holmes requested that charging fees to non-profits be researched. It is not currently on the goal worksheet, but she would like to add it. Director of Finance and Administrative Services Iverson stated that this topic has been on FPAC's agenda, but they were waiting for Council direction before moving forward with researching the topic. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—FEBRUARY 19, 2013 5 Mayor Grant directed staff to assign it to FPAC, and if it does not get looked at, it will be assigned to staff. Councilmember Holden requested that information be reported back before the end of the year. Director of Finance and Administrative Services Iverson stated that FPAC meets in March, so it will be discussed as part of the 2013 Work Plan at that meeting. City Administrator Klaers discussed the goals listed under the Administration portion of the goals worksheet. Councilmember Holmes stated that she would like more out of the police contract, such as one- on-one interaction between the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department and residents. Councilmember Holden stated that she would like to see less expensive police services. City Administrator Klaers stated that the City is under contract with the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department. He noted that the City voted against the police budget, but it still passed because of the majority vote of the other members. Councilmember Holden inquired if there is an additional charge for CodeRED. City Administrator Klaers explained that there is not an additional charge for CodeRED, nor does the City get charged by the Sheriff's Department for their annual attendance at a City Council meeting. Councilmember Holden questioned what is happening with the 9-1-1 system. City Administrator Klaers indicated that the CAD system is being updated. He stated that in recent meetings, no problems with address locations have been reported during 9-1-1 calls. City Administrator Klaers noted that he will continue to communicate Fire Joint Powers information through the Administrator's Update, and he will begin working on a City Council newsletter article policy. Community Development Director Hutmacher presented Community Development's goals. Councilmember Holden asked how goal 10a (maximize participation in the 2011 rental registration program) is determined. Community Development Director Hutmacher stated that maximizing participation in the rental registration program will continue on an on-going basis. Councilmember Holmes inquired about goals 10c (work with Ramsey County on enforcement issues) and 10d (research legal constraints and opportunities for enforcement) and whether the new City Attorney has been made aware of the issues. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—FEBRUARY 19, 2013 6 Community Development Director Hutmacher stated that the City Attorney is aware of the issues and has been actively working on them. She noted that the enforcement process is in place, and issues are being dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Community Development Director Hutmacher explained that the Economic Development Authority (EDA) has been meeting, and they are working on their 2013 Work Plan. She indicated that there will be a State-of-the-City address in 2013 and other ideas are being discussed to increase business contacts. Public Works Director Maurer presented an overview of the Public Works goals worksheet. Mayor Grant inquired about the SCADA system being abandoned from the goals. Public Works Director Maurer stated that due to Council's approval of purchasing the Omni system, which is more cost-effective, there is no longer a need to pursue the SCADA system so that is why it has been abandoned from the worksheet. D. Lexington Station Concept PUD Review City Planner Beekman stated that the Robert's Development Company is requesting a concept review of a possible Planned Unit Development (PUD) at the southwest corner of Red Fox Road and Lexington Avenue. She introduced the applicant, Nick Roberts, and two of the people who are working with him on the project: Christian Hendrie, with Hoefler Architects, LLC, and Tim Gilbert, with Roberts Management Group. City Planner Beekman explained that the applicant is present tonight seeking feedback from the City Council on the development concept. She noted that a formal application will be subject to the full review process, and will include a public hearing with the Planning Commission as well as City Council review. City Planner Beekman stated that the landscaping requirements have not been discussed at this time. The Roberts Development Company is looking to demolish the building and replace it with approximately 15,000 square feet of retail space. She noted that they propose to remove three driveways and connect the parcels for better internal circulation. Mayor Grant noted that the proposed intersection lines up with Target's intersection. He inquired if that is part of Phase I of the development plan. Nick Roberts, building owner and applicant, confirmed that the plan would be to line up the intersections as part of Phase I. Councilmember Holden inquired if the Robert's Development Company utilized the Shoreview traffic analysis. Mr. Roberts stated that his company did have access to that particular traffic study. I ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—FEBRUARY 19, 2013 7 Mr. Roberts explained that his goal is to improve the community by taking an older-looking building and making it nice-looking. He stated that this would be a phased development that would start with tearing down the Blue Fox. He has plans for future phases of the development, which include work on the other two buildings to the west. He explained that lining up the intersection directly across from Target is essential to the project, and he would like to be able to add a signalized light there to improve traffic flow. Mayor Grant stated that he likes the idea of redeveloping the site. He noted that with the back of the building facing Lexington Avenue, it is going to be important to add architectural improvements to make the building look nice. He stated that the same situation occurred with the construction of the new Walgreen's building and that building did not turn out looking as good as he had hoped. Mr. Roberts stated that the goal is to make it a higher-end development with a lot of brick and better quality tenants. Mayor Grant noted that he likes the proposed improvements for traffic circulation. He would like to see the project done all in one phase, but understands the need for multiple phases. Councilmember McClung stated that he would like to see a narrowed-down timing of the phases for this project. Mr. Roberts explained that Phase I would begin next year. The building directly to the west has tenants whose lease is coming due in three to four years. Once the lease is up, he plans to decrease the size of the building and, by bringing the building back approximately 80 feet, it will allow for additional parking. The tenants at 3771 Lexington Avenue have longer leases and they have invested a lot of money in their space. For that reason, that phase of development will not happen for approximately eight to ten years. Councilmember McClung noted that the back of two of the buildings will face Lexington Avenue; therefore, it is essential to use high-quality materials and get good-quality tenants in those buildings. Councilmember Holden stated that she has an issue with the proposed location of the drive-thru window, and explained that the walkability seems to be lacking. She inquired if a trail or sidewalk will be proposed. City Planner Beekman indicated that a parking analysis has not been done yet, but the number of stalls does seem tight to her. Mr. Roberts questioned how to move forward on obtaining a traffic analysis. City Planner Beekman stated that a Request for Proposal (RFP) with Ramsey County could be requested and the applicant can decide whether it fits with his time schedule. If not, it is possible to have an independent traffic study done as part of the application process. She stated that the City does not want to hold up the project. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—FEBRUARY 19, 2013 8 Councilmember Holden advised the applicant to not offer closing any driveways until he is granted permission to put in a signalized light at the intersection. E. Urban Fowl Discussion City Planner Beekman stated that Councilmember Werner requested this topic be brought to the Council for discussion. She noted that fowl are considered farm animals, and although they are not prohibited, they must be kept 200 feet away from property lines. This requirement ends up making the keeping of fowl prohibitive for most properties in Arden Hills. City Planner Beekman shared a Star Tribune article that discussed the topic of keeping chickens and it listed surrounding cities that allow and do not allow fowl. She stated that staff is seeking direction from the Council regarding how to proceed with an amendment to City Code. She noted that before taking the time to propose such an amendment, staff wants to gauge the Council's interest in changing the Code at this time. Councilmember Werner stated that a number of communities allow fowl and others do not. He feels the biggest concern is what the neighbors will think. He is in support of allowing fowl if it is tightly regulated. He feels no roosters should be allowed,there should be a limit on the number of hens, there should be regulations regarding where they are kept, and he supports the regulation of a setback from the lot line for housing requirements. He said he was surprised by the number of neighboring communities who do allow fowl. Councilmember McClung stated that he has done some research on this topic. He noted that his concern is regarding setting precedence by allowing chickens. He worries about issues with wild turkeys and the anticipated smaller lots on the TCAAP property. He feels there is potential for problems in the future and unfavorable responses from neighbors. Councilmember Holden stated that when she first moved to Arden Hills, some farm animals were allowed, but over the years, the City began eliminating the keeping of farm animals. She is concerned about the smell, and the unsightliness of fencing materials. She feels that the communities who are allowing fowl have not had the allowance long enough to provide adequate feedback. She stated she is not in favor of allowing fowl. Councilmember Holmes noted that whatever the decision is, it is not going to please everyone. She stated that she is not in favor of allowing chickens. Mayor Grant explained that he is concerned about creating neighbor issues. He feels that asking a neighbor to allow another neighbor to keep chickens pits people against each other. He stated that a situation may be created in which a neighbor agrees to allow another neighbor to keep chickens and then that neighbor moves and the new neighbor has a potential issue with the keeping of chickens. The consensus of the Council is to not have staff move forward with this item. F. Discuss Response to Trial Agenda Center Packet ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—FEBRUARY 19, 2013 9 Deputy Clerk Dietl stated that staff would like to discuss the Council's response to the new look of the agenda packet using the Agenda Center module for agenda creation. The Council consensus is to continue creating agendas using the Agenda Center module, but they would like staff to eliminate putting the proposed motion on the agenda. The proposed motion should only appear on the memo created by staff. 2. COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilmember Holden inquired about the property off Snelling Avenue that is in tax foreclosure. City Planner Beekman stated that the City is waiting for the County to send an official document stating the City has an opportunity to purchase the property, along with information such as the price and time frame to purchase. Councilmember Holden inquired if the City Administrator followed up with Rob Davidson on concerns with the condition of the building. Mayor Grant noted that the television in the lobby has resolution issues, and it is an old 32-inch tube. He stated that it might be time for the City to purchase a flat screen. Councilmember Holmes stated that she does not think a television is needed in the lobby; therefore, she is against it. Councilmember Holden thinks we should replace the television. Councilmember McClung stated that he does not have an opinion one way or another. Mayor Grant stated that with upcoming TCAAP meetings, it may get to the point in which large numbers of people begin attending the meetings. He noted that the television in the lobby could be important for the overflow of people who do not fit in the Council Chambers. He also noted that staff needs to monitor the slide show of information that plays on the local cable channel. He directed staff to look into purchasing a new television and possibly relocating it over the fireplace. Mayor Grant stated that the City has been asked to re join the I-35W Corridor Coalition. He noted that it costs approximately$10,000 per year. Councilmember Holden asked what that membership would provide to the City. She noted that she was told it would provide `power'. She stated that the coalition includes other communities all the way up to Forest Lake, which means we are competing for dollars with those communities. She stated she is not for it. Councilmember McClung stated that he is a no vote as he does not feel that group is going to help the City. He noted that the City has the clout of the TCAAP project, and he feels the City would just be competing with the other pet projects, which would actually hurt us. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—FEBRUARY 19, 2013 10 Councilmember Werner stated that he also is not in favor of rejoining the coalition. Councilmember Holmes stated that she does not know enough about it to weigh in. Mayor Grant summarized the Council comments and stated that the consensus is not to rejoin the I-35W Corridor Coalition. Mayor Grant requested that staff update and distribute the laminated cards containing staff and Council contact phone numbers. Mayor Grant inquired about the CURA application. City Planner Beekman stated that a response should be received in mid-March. Councilmember Holden stated that there is a neighborhood blood drive on Lake Johanna Boulevard, across from Presbyterian Homes. She explained that three blood mobiles park outside a private residence, so anyone interested in donating should contact Councilmember Holden to register. The drive will be held on Saturday, March 2 from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Mayor Grant inquired about the E-Street Flats sign on the side of the building and whether it violates the sign ordinance. City Planner Beekman stated that staff has not received a sign permit request. Staff will research further. ADJOURN Mayor Grant adjourned the City Council work session meeting at 7:50 p. Patrick Klaers David Grant City Administrator Mayor