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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-26-21-SWS City of Arden Hills ▪1245 West Highway 96 ▪ Arden Hills Minnesota 55112 Phone 651.792.7800 ▪ Fax 651.634.5137 ▪ www.cityofardenhills.org Request for Special City Council Work Session A special meeting may be called by the Mayor or by any two Councilmembers. Reason for meeting: 1A. PTRC Trail Priority/Work Plan Discussion 1B. Chicken Ordinance Discussion Requested Date: 07/26/2021 Requested time: 5:00 pm Open meeting X Closed meeting Signature of person(s) making request: ________________________ 07/22/2021 Mayor or Council Member Date / / Council Member Date -This section to be completed by City staff- Date received: 07/22/2021 Date meeting to be held: 07/26/2021 Time of meeting: 5:00 pm Location: City Hall All necessary posting and notices have been completed. 07/22/2021 Signature of City Clerk Date -AR EN HILLS Approved: August 23, 2021 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL WORK SESSION JULY 26,2021 5:00 P.M. -ARDEN HILLS CITY HALL CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Grant called to order the City Council Special Work Session at 5:00 p.m. Present: Mayor David Grant; Councilmembers Brenda Holden, Fran Holmes, Dave McClung (attending remotely) and Steve Scott Absent: None Also present: City Administrator Dave Perrault; Interim Public Works Director David Swearingen; Senior Planner Jessica Jagoe; Recreation Programmer Joe Vaughan, City Clerk Julie Hanson; and PTRC Chair Jon Van Valkenburg (arrived at 5:05 p.m.) 1. AGENDA ITEMS A. PTRC Trail Priority/Work Plan Discussion Interim Public Works Director Swearingen stated the PTRC recently submitted its trail priority list to the City Council dated April 20, 2021; following a discussion the City Council requested a meeting with the PTRC Chair to discuss future PTRC work plans and direction from the City Council. This meeting will serve as a preliminary meeting with the PTRC Chair to discuss PTRC priorities, workplans, and set the stage for a future joint meeting between the City Council and the PTRC. Mayor Grant commented on the ten trails the PTRC selected. He noted this was a recommendation from the PTRC and may or may not match up with the City's priorities at this time. He explained he saw the list as input from the PTRC. Councilmember Holden stated the order of the projects should be considered in order to align with the City's street improvement program. She explained she was not interested in pursuing Item#9 or#10. Councilmember Holmes believed it would be beneficial for the city to clarify this was not a trail priority list but rather was a recommended trail list to provide residents with greater clarity. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL WORK SESSION—JULY 26, 2021 2 PTRC Chair Jon Van Valkenburg stated this may be a good idea for clarity purposes. He understood that the list was a recommendation and that none of the projects were guaranteed or funded. He explained that the PTRC had tried to coordinate trail recommendations with projects that were happening in the City. He understood that the PTRC was making recommendations and was a resource available for the City Council. He suggested a point person that was knowledgeable about the trails be considered. Councilmember Holden indicated she had some concern about the "point person". She discussed how not all information was shared with the PTRC when it came to grants due to the fact the City did not want to miss out on opportunities and to keep projects from getting too competitive. Mayor Grant explained in the last 20 years while he has served on the Council, the City has only received a handful of grants from 2000 to 2015. However, in the last five years the City has been successful in receiving more grant funding from the State. Councilmember Holden reported the City Council was working hard to get more money for trails. She suggested that if the PTRC had a point person that this person be in communication with the City Council liaison. PTRC Chair Van Valkenburg stated he liked this recommendation. Councilmember Holden suggested the PTRC members have a point person to inspect existing trails to ensure they are being properly maintained. She recommended that the PTRC map out the buckthorn in the City's parks as well. Mayor Grant supported this recommendation. He commented further on how the PTRC was completing park tours in order to track the condition of each park in the City. Councilmember Holden recommended the PTRC create a park amenity/equipment replacement plan as well. Councilmember Holmes stated she believed it made more sense for the PTRC to have a point person on the different parks in the City than on specific future trails that may or may not be completed. Further discussion ensued regarding the potential of having point people within the PTRC to get trails and projects done in the City's parks. Councilmember Holden requested the language for Trail #8 be rewritten because wood chips had been placed on this trail. Mayor Grant commented on the condition of several bench throughout the park system that were in need of attention. Councilmember Holden recommended Trail #9 and #10 be removed from the priority list. She noted this was AHATS and TCAAP property and was not City owned land. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL WORK SESSION—JULY 26. 2021 3 PTRC Chair Van Valkenburg questioned if the Council wants the PTRC to reorganize the trail priority list. Councilmember Holmes explained it should be made clear this list was a recommendation and was not setting priorities for the City. Councilmember Holden encouraged the PTRC to focus on additional recreational activities that could be held in the community. PTRC Chair Van Valkenburg supported this recommendation. Councilmember Holden commented she would like the PTRC to consider taking an inventory of dead trees within the City's parks when making their park tours. She indicated the City had tree replacement funds that could be used to replace dead and diseased trees. PTRC Chair Van Valkenburg recommended the PTRC come before the City Council on an annual basis as well to provide the Council with an update. Councilmember McClung stated he supported the City offering more recreation programming, whether this was the City conducting this on its own, or through partnerships. Councilmember Holden supported the City consider sponsoring movies in the park in the community. Interim Public Works Director Swearingen explained he would provide the Council and PTRC with a list of the work the ICWC crews would be completing. City Administrator Perrault suggested a joint meeting between staff, the City Council and the PTRC members to lay out Council expectations in early 2022. He reported a follow up meeting could then be held at the end of 2022. B. Chicken Ordinance Discussion Senior Planner Jagoe stated at the July 12, 2021 Special Work Session, the City Council reviewed the first draft ordinance for the keeping of chickens and provided staff with guidance on language to be modified or researched for inclusion in the ordinance. Council direction was to bring this matter back at an upcoming work session for further review. For this meeting, staff has prepared an updated draft ordinance with new language for review. Staff reviewed the proposed changes and requested comment from the Council on how to proceed. Councilmember Holden indicated her main concern was with the fact the chickens would be making noise at all times and could not be silenced like a barking dog. Mayor Grant discussed the Cottage Grove ordinance. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL WORK SESSION—JULY 26, 2021 4 Councilmember Holmes stated she supported the recommendations from the Municipal Chicken organization and suggested applicants be required to receive 100% support from all contiguous neighbors. She recommended the support/approval process being conducted by City staff. Councilmember Holden explained she would like the support/approval process being done by the applicant. Mayor Grant discussed Items 9 and 10. Councilmember Holmes stated she would like to give chicken owners somewhere between seven and ten days to remedy a problem. Mayor Grant commented he could support ten days. Councilmember Holden indicated she did not want residents turning abandoned chicken coops into sheds, if they were no longer keeping chickens. Councilmember Holmes stated it may be better to have all coops removed if a property owner was no longer keeping chickens instead of having the coops repurposed. She suggested property owners have the coops removed within 60 days. Mayor Grant supported this recommendation. Councilmember Holden asked how much would be charged for chicken keeping permits. Councilmember Holmes reported this fee has not been set. Senior Planner Jagoe explained the five cities surveyed charged a license fee between $30 and $50. She reported residents seeking to keep chickens would also need to apply for a zoning permit ($65)to build the chicken coop and possibly installation of fencing. Councilmember Scott supported the fee being set at $50. Councilmember Holden supported the fee being $10. Councilmember Holmes recommended the chicken fee be set at $30. She reported chicken keepers would be paying the City $30 every other year. Mayor Grant indicated he could support a $30 fee for chicken keeping. Councilmember McClung stated he could support a $30 to $40 fee. Councilmember Holmes questioned if the pen had to be removed if the coop was removed. The Council supported removal of the coop, run, and pen/exercise yard if a resident was no longer keeping chickens. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL WORK SESSION—JULY 26, 2021 5 Councilmember Holmes asked if a specific coop height should be set within the ordinance or that the language from the Municipal Chicken organization be used to ensure humans could stand up in the coop for maintenance and egg collection. The Council supported this recommendation. Councilmember Holmes questioned if the exercise yard had to be fenced. Senior Planner Jagoe reviewed the definition of an exercise yard within the Ordinance. Councilmember Holden suggested the City require chickens to be banded for identification purposes. Mayor Grant asked if a public hearing for this Ordinance would be held before the Planning Commission and City Council. Senior Planner Jagoe reported this Ordinance amendment would require a public hearing before the Planning Commission and City Council. City Administrator Perrault explained this matter would go before the Planning Commission in September. 2. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND STAFF UPDATES Councilmember McClung reported the Fire Board met last Wednesday where confidential matters were discussed regarding personnel along with the 2022 budget. Councilmember Holden questioned if the bench at Crepeau Park had been removed. Interim Public Works Director Swearingen stated it had not yet been removed. Mayor Grant discussed Council comments in general. ADJOURN Mayor Grant adjourned the City Council Work Session meeting at 6:50 p.m. Juli anson David Grant Cit Jerk Mayor