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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 12-10-2001 . ~ ~HILLS MEETING MINUTES CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2001, 6:30 P.M. CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 1245 WEST HIGHWAY 96 CALL TO ORDERlROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Dennis Probst called to order the regular City Council meeting at 7:30p.m. Present: Mayor Dennis Probst, Councilmembers Beverly Aplikowski, David Grant, Gregg Larson, and Lois Rem. . Absent: None. Also present were City Administrator, Joe Lynch; City Accountant, Terrance Post; City Planner, Aaron Parrish; and Interim Public Works Director and Parks & Recreation Director, Thomas Moore. APPROV AL OF MEETING AGENDA Mayor Probst noted the Truth-In-Taxation Hearing was held earlier this evening. MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Rem seconded a motion to adopt the agenda for the December 10, 2001, regular City Council meeting. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). PUBLIC HEARING Mayor Probst opened the public Hearing at 7:40 p.m. Mr. Lynch explained the Sheila Stowell memorandum regarding the re-codification of the City Code. He stated staff recommends that the city adopt the City Code as written and then make corrections recommended by Councilmember Rem and Mr. Filla. He distributed a simplified summary ordinance and ordinance adoption format prepared by the City Attorney. He stated the . Fee Resolution refers to specific code violations in the new City Code. He noted the Fee Schedule has the costs for copies, applications fees, etc. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 10,2001 2 . Councilmember Rem questioned the timing of the publication of the notice for the public hearing. Mr. Lynch responded he thought it was published once in November. Mr. Filla asked ifthere was a prior public hearing. He stated that if this was the second hearing of this type then the public hearing notice would have been satisfied. Mr. Lynch stated there was not a prior public hearing. He noted they held public meetings at which this was discussed. Councilmember Rem stated this might be another reason to wait on this. Mr. Lynch stated the Council could wait until the Meeting on December 17, 2001. Mr. Filla noted his recommendation to take final action on this at the next regular council meeting on December 17, 2001. He added they should allow the people here this evening to give testimony. He stated they should further allow Council comments to be taken and incorporated in the version to be discussed at the next Council meeting. He noted the copy of the Ordinance #335 distributed tonight is essentially the same as in Ms. Stowell's memo. He added most of the appendices would have become chapters in the City Code once the Council has had time to address them. . Mayor Probst closed the public hearing at 7:48 p.m. as no one wished to appear. MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Aplikowski seconded a motion to table Agenda Item 8 D to the December 17,2001 special meeting. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. November 13,2001 Regular Council Meeting B. November 14,2001 Special Council Meeting C. November 19, 2001 Council Worksession D. November 19,2001 Closed Executive Session Summary Minutes Councilmember Grant requested the following changes to the November 14, 2001 Special Council Meeting Minutes: delete Councilmember Larson from the list present at Roll Call. Councilmember Grant requested the following change to the November 19,2001 Council Worksession meeting: on page 3, fifth paragraph from the bottom, delete" he is concerned". Councilmember Rem requested the following changes to the November 13,2001, Regular Council Meeting Minutes: . 1. On page 3, in the fifth paragraph, in the second sentence, insert "not" after ''would''. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 10,2001 3 . 2. On page 7, in the second line, delete "have asked her that" and replace with "have questioned it in Planning Commission meetings". Councilmember Larson requested the following changes in the November 19, 2001 Council W orksession Minutes: 1. On page 4, in the third paragraph, in the second sentence, insert "design" after "everyone's". 2. On page 5, in the fourth paragraph from the bottom, in the last sentence, insert "other type of" before "commercial development". MOTION: Councilmember Aplikowski moved and Councilmember Rem seconded a motion to approve the November 13, 2001 Regular Council Meeting, the November 14, 2001 Special Council Meeting, the November 19,2001 Council Worksession Minutes, as amended, and the November 19, 2001 Closed Executive Session Summary Minutes as presented. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). CONSENT CALENDAR . A. Claims and Payroll B. 2002 Pay Plan and Proposed City Benefit Reimbursement C. Regular, Full-Time Employee Status, Office Support Specialists 1. Julie Bateman 2. Jackie Gritz D. Res. #01-25, Pot O'Gold Bingo Hall, Annual Premises Permit Renewal E. City of Arden Hills Technology Policy, Approval F. Annual Election of Non- Waiver for Monetary Limits on Excess Liability Insurance Coverage MOTION: Councilmember Larson moved and Councilmember Aplikowski seconded a motion to approve the Consent Calendar and authorize execution of all necessary documents contained therein. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). PUBLIC COMMENTS Mayor Probst invited those present to come forward and address the Council on any items not already on the agenda. No public comments were made. . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 10, 2001 4 . UNFINISHED AND NEW BUSINESS A. Presbyterian Homes Bond Sale 1. Authorization for Mayor and City Administrator to execute Final Application Documents 2. Res. #01-23, "Resolution Approving the Issuance and Sale of the $5,006,800 Revenue Notes, Series 2001 (Presbyterian Homes Bloomington Care Center, inc. Project) and Authorizing the Execution of Documents Relating Thereto". Mr. Lynch explained this is a completion of action item taken earlier in a preliminary form. He stated a description of the documents to be executed. MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Aplikowski seconded a motion to authorize Mayor and City Administrator to execute Final Application Documents, to adopt Resolution #01-23 approving the Issuance and Sale of the $5,006,800 Revenue Notes, Series 2001 (Presbyterian Homes Bloomington Care Center, Inc. Project, and to authorize the execution of Documents Related Thereto as recommended by Staff. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). B. Plannini! Cases . 1. Case #01-30, Aaron Nelson, County Road D and Cleveland, Master Plan Planned Unit Development (PUD) Approval; and Final PUD/Site Plan Approval Mr. Parrish explained this action is a consolidated master and planned unit development with a 8900 square foot office building. He stated this went through a concept planned unit development approval previously. He noted this is the first project to be evaluated against the Neighborhood Business Zoning criteria. He added that to the north and to the east there are existing single family residences. He stated that to the south and to the west there are commercial developments located in New Brighton and Roseville. He stated the site is currently vacant. He noted it meets all requirements for lot area, setbacks, etc. He added that it is over landscaped according to the City Code. He stated it does meet the height requirements. He noted 35 spaces of parking are required. He added 35 spaces are being proposed. He stated six of those spaces on the southwest portion of the property would need to be designated as compact only. He noted the parking setback is proposed to be 17 or 18 feet, which is a deviation from the code. He added this is a planned unit development so deviations are permissible without a variance. He stated the traffic engineer for the County had no major comments, except he wanted the access to be 26 feet wide. He noted the access is currently 24 feet wide. He added the applicant . agreed to have a 26-foot opening that tapered down to 24 feet. He stated the Neighbor Business District intends to minimize the impact on adjacent residential properties. He noted the applicant has proposed screening in those areas. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 10, 2001 5 . He described the landscaping. He added the applicant has agreed to provide a 6-foot board on board fence along the northern property line to provide additional screening. He stated the city received two letters from residents that expressed some concern about the screening. He noted the Neighborhood Business zoning district requires 30 foot buffer yard. He added they meet that on the eastern portion of the property. He stated they meet approximately half of that requirement on the northern boundary. He noted staff suggested decorative lighting. He added the applicant has requested two 30-foot square foot signs. He stated this meets the total square footage requirements, but exceeds the total number of signs permitted. Mr. Parrish noted before construction a revised drainage and utility plan would need to be submitted for approval to the City Engineer to take into account some of the drainage issues. He added the Neighborhood Business District calls for faced brick, stone, glass, or natural wood product. He stated the applicant has proposed a faced brick or stone for the base material. He noted the applicant has proposed for the main material to be the higher-grade stucco, which is a deviation. He described the sidewalk requirements proposed by the Planning Commission. He stated this is a gateway property to Arden Hills and the applicant has proposed a sign easement for that purpose. He noted the applicant agreed to provide a bike rack. He added the Planning Commission evaluated this plan. He stated there was a unanimous recommendation for approval. . Mr. Steve Nelson stated he had discussed with a concerned resident some additional screening. He noted they are trying to work this plan into the neighborhood and therefore stepped back the second floor. He added they feel the acrylic finish would be attractive and durable. He stated they feel it would be more residential in style. Councilmember Grant asked about the proposed material since it is not allowed in this type of district. Mr. Nelson responded it is a very high quality and attractive material utilized in Bear Path. He stated it was not a flat finish. Councilmember Grant asked ifit was EFIS. Mayor Probst responded it was not EFIS, but a true acrylic finish. Mr. Mark Maguire, 2030 Glenn Paul, noted he had a letter from three residents. He stated his biggest concern is the setback variances for the building and the parking lot. He noted he understood the city has eased these requirements. He added this needed to be addressed. He stated he was concerned about the privacy lost due to building having an upper level. He noted the neighborhood had been there several years. He added he was not opposed to this being developed, but would like a one story building. He stated that too big of a building resulted in traffic issues. He noted there was a lot of water draining in the ditch. He added ifit clogged there could be a . serious problem. He stated that has been a problem in the past without the water from this parking lot. He noted they did not want flooded basements, garages and yards. He stated they would like to know the impact on the neighborhood from the pollution. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 10,2001 6 . He noted there was an old gas station on the site and pollution in the ground. He added he would like a good impact study on this to show that the neighborhood would not be impacted. He stated his concern about lights. Mr. Maguire stated some ofthe neighbors did not receive a notice. He noted they were concerned there was not enough time to prepare. He added they had solutions they felt would be acceptable. He stated they would like to reduce it to a one-story building. He noted they would like an 8-foot or higher privacy fence. He added the six-foot fence on the property line would in reality be only 4 foot high. He stated the sidewalk would onlybel0 feet from the fence that looked into the property. He noted that if the fence is placed on the retaining wall, they would have an 8 foot fence. He added he would accept a fence 8 or 10 foot hedge on the retaining wall. He stated it would like pine or cedar so one could not see through it in the wintertime. He noted he would like the City to require the snow to be removed off site. He added if the snow is pushed into the ditch, it would be a huge issue. He stated there has already been flooding of the property in the past. He noted he would like to be assured by stipulation that this would not interfere with their drainage. He added he did not want to be responsible to pay for any drainage problem crated by this development. He stated he would like to see a pollution impact study and a light study. He noted he would not like to see any manipulation of the site plan. He added he . did not want any open issues or confusion in the end. He stated the neighbors did not have enough notice about this project. He noted that over a year ago, the developer talked to some of the neighbors. He added no one has talked to them in the last year. He stated the neighbors are very serious about this and hopefully the city would not take this lightly. He noted they would do whatever they have to do to stop this proj ect. He thanked the Council for listening. He stated he hoped the developer could come up with something attractive for the City, but more acceptable to the neighborhood. He noted the City should not just throwaway the setback requirements. Mr. Don Ristow, 2033 County Road D, stated he was at the Council meeting a year and a half ago. He noted there were problems so the Council delayed the project. He added Mr. Nelson did call him to tell him about the December 5,2001 meeting. He stated he could not get a substitute teacher with one-day notice for a class he taught. He noted he has not heard anything for the last year and a half. He added he assumed that the City had dropped the case. Mr. Ristow noted that before he bought his house he asked the property owner about building a Tom Thumb on this site. He added the owner stated they would not build one because of the contamination underground. He stated his wife talked to somebody from the City before they bought the house. He noted she was told there was a 100-foot buffer between the house and what could be built on the site. He stated they knew the woods would not be on their property, but were told the woods could not be taken down. . He noted his house was recently appraised at $160,000. He added he built fire pits, decks and put a lot of money into the home. He stated with a two story building there it would reduce home values and eliminate his privacy. He questioned whether he would have any sun in his backyard. --------- ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 10,2001 7 . He stated he worked late nights and was concerned about at what time construction would begin and end. He noted he was concerned about noise and lighting. He added he was concerned about a possible outdoor break room. He stated he was concerned about going from a 100- foot buffer to a building 14 feet from his house. He noted the construction would take down everything that buffers the property. He added he was not against development. He distributed photographs. He stated that if they had wanted to buy a home with lots of buildings around it, they would have stayed in St. Paul. He noted he appreciated the time to speak. He added he was concerned about the ramp going down next to his bedrooms. He stated he was willing to do whatever it takes to stop this project and get it better negotiated. He noted he would rather not have it there at all. Councilmember Larson asked how high the trees were on the property. Mr. Ristow responded they were 60 feet tall. He stated the trees inside the woods are 100 feet tall. He noted he was concerned that the developer would be taking half of those trees down. Councilmember Larson asked if the trees currently block the sunshine. He stated the building would provide more sunlight. Mr. Ristow responded are enough gaps in the trees to allow sunlight. He stated they have a pool for the kids. He noted he would like to see an 8 foot fence from the back of the site to very front. . Mr. Nelson stated his goal is to have it as an office building from 8 to 5 on Monday through Friday. He noted it is a light use project. He added they did submit a concept plan. He stated it was always going to be a partial two-story structure. He noted the parking lot was 10 foot off the north property line. He added it was moved to the south so there was room for some snow storage on that side. He stated there is a building across from Mr. Maguire that is two-stories and 37 feet tall. He noted there are people on the second floor. He added they have already lost some privacy to the west. He showed a view ofMr. Maguire's backyard. He stated Mr. Maguire has a large garage 24 x 30 behind his home. He noted Mr. Maguire also has a dog kennel and an icehouse back there. He added they looked at a scalloped fence with a softer design. He stated they could not do that if the fence was taller. He noted he had asked his landscape architect about an 8ft fence. He noted the architect stated a fence over six feet had a significant amount of engineering problems. He added there was more area for the wind so they had to beef up the timber. He stated these fences are unattractive. He noted the Landscape Architect thought that with the trees going in on the north side there should be sufficient privacy. He added they are using River Birch trees, which are fast growing. Mr. Nelson explained that when he started the project two years, he met with all the neighbors. He noted the former owner of Mr. Maguire's home met with him and was in favor ofproject. He . added the project has not changed except that the building has been pulled back 4 feet. He stated his civil engineer told him that people have been dumping into the ditch. He noted the neighborhood would have to find a new outlet for their yard waste. He added that on the east side as well, people have been dumping timbers, clotheslines, and TV antennas. He stated it was a ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 10, 2001 8 . dumping yard for all the neighbors. He noted they are going to dig out the ditch, regrade it, and reset it. He added that there is going to be a perforated pipe set in the bottom of the ditch. He stated it would be covered with river rock over it so that it would be used if needed for drainage. He noted it would allow water to drain out of that ditch. He added this approach has been used in these kinds of situations before. He stated this lot has always been impervious surface. He noted it had been a gas station. He added the water did drain to the north based on prior design and layout. He stated that if the ditch has been blocking up that is due in part to being blocked with yard waste. He noted it has a 21- inch drain. He added there has to be a lot of water to block it. Mr. Nelson stated the other homes have garages in the back as well. He noted each of these houses have detached garages across the back. He added the parking lot would start 18 feet from the westerly side and run 81 feet. He stated it went halfway across the neighbor's property. He noted the neighbor's garage ends up right in the middle ofthe next door garage. He showed an illustration. He stated there will also be a masonry stone receptacle that would block the view from the other parking area. He noted that it is primarily the garage area where the parking area would be located. Mr. Nelson noted that with respect to the issues regarding pollution control, they did get closure. . He stated there is contamination in the southwest comer, where there was a pump island. He noted there is some contamination in the ground water. He added when they build, they would have an environmental engineer on site from pollution control to test the soil that is removed. He stated if the removed soil is found to be contaminated they would have to treat it and store it separate from the uncontaminated soil. He noted they would have to cover the soil and decide what to do. He added it is his understanding that there is no contamination on the easterly side. He stated he felt they did not have to do anything there. He noted they would still have the environmental engineer on site to test it. Mr. Nelson added that with respect to lighting the property directly to the west throws out more light. He stated that property almost lights up the whole parking lot. He noted he had questioned the need for lights at all. He added he was told they needed to have lights in the parking lot according to the City Code. He stated they had planned on a 14- foot shoebox light because it would cut off the light from spreading. He noted the city has asked them to use more decorative lighting so they are looking for a decorative light that would cut off the light the same way. He added they planned to the light in the parking lot so there would only be one fixture. He stated then it would not be 35 feet up like what was used across the street. Mr. Nelson stated that with respect to notice, he felt bad that Mr. Ristow did not feel that he received notice. He added when he talked to Mr. Ristow, Mr. Ristow told him the letter had been received, but put aside and forgotten. He stated he told Mr. Ristow about the Planning Commission meeting. He noted he offered to meet with Mr. Ristow on several occasions. He . added he told Mr. Ristow he would be at the Planning Commission meeting one half hour early, but Mr. Ristow did not come. He stated he tried to meet with Mr. Ristow several other times. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 10, 2001 9 . He noted that with respect to keeping the fence 10 feet off the boundary, it would not work with the plan. He added it would require them to push the snow off into the street, which they would not want to do. He stated it would not be appropriate. He noted that when it is appropriate they would need to move snow off this site and they are aware of that. He added that with respect to hedges 8 to 10 feet, the trees would grow faster than the hedge with the number of trees they have planned. He stated the ramp that Mr. Ristow talked about was part of the concept plan. He noted they were going to have grass pavers. He added they would be concrete with grass growing up between it. He stated it will not be a paved surface. He noted there would be a catch basin at the bottom to catch the water that runs down it. He added it was going to be used occasionally for private use. He stated they would use the basement for storage. He noted they are placing trees to the east so that they would not have to trim the neighbor's trees. He added that at the time of the preliminary concept plan, they did meet with all three of the neighbors. He stated they are talking about a quality development. He noted that hopefully they would provide a nice attractive building at the entrance to the community. Councilmember Larson asked about the fence. Mr. Nelson responded that on the north side there is a fence and all the trees. He stated Mr. Ristow had asked the landscape architect to have a . green hedge in that comer. Councilmember Grant stated setbacks has come several times, but in the presentation it appeared there were no setback issues. Mr. Parrish responded there are no building setbacks or deviations being requested. He stated there is a parking lot setback of 17 and 18 feet from Country Road D and Cleveland A venue, when 20 feet is required. He noted the neighborhood business zoning district has a buffer yard requirement of 30 feet. He added it is met on the east side, but not on the north side. He stated it is 14 feet to the north or one half of the requirement. He noted that is measured from the edge of the parking lot. Councilmember Grant asked if the fence is designed to mitigate the fact that there is a smaller buffer yard. Mr. Parrish responded that was an accommodation made. Councilmember Grant asked about the second fence. Mr. Nelson responded there is a dilapidated fence that would be removed. He stated that in the discussion with the landscape architect, the architect indicated that a six-foot fence is a standard fence. He noted to increase it to a eight foot fence would be to almost double the cost. He added that an eight-foot fence is an ugly fence. He stated there is more screening by trees than by the eight-foot fence. He noted if they have straight-line winds as they did before, it would blow the fence down. He added they went through this discussion on the sideline setback with the concept plan. He stated everyone wanted parking on the west side of the building to buffer Mr. Ristow since his home is very close. He noted the sidewalk there is a fire exit out of the north side of the building. He added they had to have two . exits from the second floor. He stated the sidewalk would be used for the fire exit. Councilmember Larson stated that after listening to the presentations and knowing the history of this property, he is prepared to support the proposal. He noted they have a design that is as ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 10, 2001 10 . sensitive as they can make it to the restraints that are on that property right now. He added the builder has proposed landscaping that goes well beyond what the City requires trying to meet the needs of the neighbors. He stated the number of caliper inches being provided and the amount of landscaping more than typically required. He noted the plan does not meet the setback on the north side. He added that with the garages at the back of the lots, the fence and the landscaping, it is as good as it can be. He stated the developer has been sensitive to the privacy issue of the owners by setting back the second floor. He added a house could be two stories and be more InVaSIVe. Councilmember Aplikowski stated she was here two years ago when this was discussed. She stated she was concerned about people not knowing about this. Mr. Parrish responded staff followed the standard notification procedure. He stated they also had a list of individuals that did receive notice. He noted there might be a variety of reasons why they did not see it when it was received. Councilmember Aplikowski stated this plan might not be to the neighbor's liking right now. She noted that when one lives in a regular house, the neighbors could do things that a person does not like. She added there is no recourse for that either. She stated that for the reasons explained by Councilmember Larson, she thinks it is a good plan for that comer. . MOTION: Councilmember Larson moved and Councilmember Rem seconded a motion to approve the Master Plan Planned Unit Development, and Final Planned Unit Development/Site Plan, subject to the conditions of the Planning Commission. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). 2. Case #01-30, Steve Petry, Lake Lane, Front Setback Variance Mr. Parrish explained the request for a setback variance to the front yard setback in an R-2 zoning District. He stated the requirement is 40 foot and the applicant proposed 30 foot. He noted the site is currently a vacant lot. He added the applicant proposed an access to Edgewater Street, which is improved. He stated Lake Lane is unimproved. He noted almost all of the adjacent properties are single-family residential. He added that to the west is an institutional use by Odd Fellows. He stated the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of this variance based on the five findings outlined in the staff report. He noted the applicant stated reason for the variance was to maintain an adequate back yard and to maintain a 40-inch diameter tree on the property. He added the other properties on Edgewater Street did have 30-foot setbacks. Mayor Probst stated it did appear that other homes along Edgewater Street appeared closer than the 40 feet required. MOTION: Councilmember Grant moved and Councilmember Aplikowski seconded a motion . to approve in Planning Case #01-30 a front yard setback variance, subject to the findings contained in the staff report. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 10,2001 11 . 3. Case #01-16, City of Arden Hills, Shoreland Ordinance, Introduction and First Reading of Ordinance No. 334 Mr. Parrish explained this the latest in the City's codification effort. He stated there were no changes other than the comments by the City Attorney. MOTION: Councilmember Aplikowski moved and Councilmember Grant seconded a motion to accept in Planning Case #01-16 the first reading of Ordinance #334, an Ordinance adopting Shoreland management standards within the City of Arden Hills. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). C. 2002 Budget 1. Authorization to Cancel December 17, 2001 Truth-in-Taxation Continuation Hearing MOTION: Councilmember Aplikowski moved and Councilmember Grant seconded a motion to cancel the December 17, 2001, Truth-in-Taxation Continuation Hearing, as recommended by staff. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). D. New City Code of Ordinances . 1. Adoption of City Code of Ordinance 2. Ord.#335, "An Ordinance Summary Adopting a New Municipal Code for the City of Arden Hills, MN, Amending, Restating, Revising, Updating, Codifying and Compiling Certain Ordinances of the City of Arden Hills Dealing with the Subjects Embraced in the Code of Ordinances, and Providing Penalties for the Violations of the Code of Ordinances" 3. Res. #01-24, "Adopting a Schedule of Fees and Charges for Various Services, License and Permits for the City of Arden Hills, MN" Mr. Lynch explained the City Attorney has found that the League of Minnesota Cities and the statutes do not require a publication of a public hearing notice for a re-codification. He stated the city just did a notification for public information and record. He noted there is no 14 or 10 day requirement. Mr. Filla stated the statute that set up the City's right to do this re-codification does not require a public hearing. He noted if the Council intended to adopt parts ofthe City Code that required public hearings because of the Land Planning Act, then the City would have to hold a public hearing. He added the City was not changing the zoning regulations. Councilmember Grant stated his preference for leaving the matter on the table until the meeting on December 17, 2001. He noted this would give them more time to go through Councilmember Rem's and Mr. Filla's recommendations. . Mayor Probst stated there would be a full agenda for the meeting on December 17, 2001. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 10, 2001 12 . Councilmember Rem asked ifthe City is bound to the recommended changes. Mr. Filla responded Councilmember Rem's changes would be made before its publication this month. He stated he did not think the changes were very significant. He noted the administrative staff would only take a few hours to make the changes. E. City Hall 1. Pay Request #14, Rochon Corporation Mr. Lynch explained the Pay Request #14 for Rochon Corporation for its work on City Hall. He stated they have checked and double-checked the numbers due to past problems with the pay requests. He noted Mr. Post has examined the numbers and finds them to be accurate. He added that after meeting with the architect, staff would make a recommendation to hold up a substantial amount of money. He stated there has not been much progress in finishing the punch list items. He noted the city considers some ofthese items to be either Rochon Corporation's or the architect's responsibility. Councilmember Grant asked if the Council had seen change order #6 referenced in the letter from Mr. Vesterholt. Mr. Lynch responded that change order has not been presented to the Council yet. He stated staff is still verifying the receipt of credits and the accuracy of the numbers. . MOTION: Councilmember Larson moved and Councilmember Aplikowski seconded a motion to approve Pay Request #4 in the amount of $107,994.81 to Rochon Corporation, as recommended by staff. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). ADMINISTRATOR COMMENTS Mr. Lynch stated he had no comments. COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilmember Grant stated the Operation and Finance Committee would meet December 20, 2001 to continue the discussion on the maintenance facility. He noted he would appreciate an update on the TCCAP property and the documents authorized to be developed for presentation. Councilmember Rem stated as a reminder that the Arden Hills year end message is due today. She noted last Monday the Restoration Advisory Board for arsenal met at City Hall. She added it was the Board's understanding it would be able to meet at City Hall for the near future. Councilmember Rem stated she attended the State Human Rights Day Conference last Friday. She noted there are some timely things going on with human rights issues. She added the Northwest Youth and Family Service Board would be having its regular monthly meeting on . Thursday. She stated the big topic of conversation is going to be the state of the state's finances. She noted the article in the paper this past week that indicated that five of seven grant requests were turned down. She added this was due to the foundation endowments not making the returns expected. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 10, 2001 13 . Councilmember Rem noted the interesting letter from the Rice Creek Consulting Engineer on the local stormwater management plan. She referenced the comment that installing curb, gutter, and storm sewers did not necessarily have positive effects on the City's water resources. She added that some things in the plan contradicted some of the recommendations of their Water Quality Task Force. Councilmember Larson stated the Parks, Recreation and Trails Committee reviewed the final review of draft of the Parks and Recreation Plan at its last meting. He noted the Committee decided to hold a public open house on December 18, 2001 to review the plan. He added the Committee recommended that the City go forward with some much-needed replacements of the warming house at Freeway Park and the shelter building at Hazelnut Park. He stated he was not sure when the replacements would be on the Council's agenda. Councilmember Larson noted the newspaper article about the Housing Resource Center. He added he hoped the City would communicate to the newspaper that it is not the Shoreview Resource Center. He stated there should be credit given to the other communities supporting the center. Councilmember Aplikowski questioned a public hearing the week before Christmas on . something as big as a park plan. She asked how many people would be there. She questioned what they were thinking. Mayor Probst reviewed his possible appointments. He stated he was not anticipating any changes with exception of two. He noted Mr. Sand has been the representative for the Cable Commission for many, many years. He asked if the Council was comfortable with that. He questioned whether a Councilmember should sit on the Commission or not. He stated Councilmember Grant is the alternate. He noted anyone with thoughts on the matter should let him know. He added Councilmember Rem would be his recommendation for Acting Mayor for the next year. He stated logic would recommend not moving the appointments around for the Parks, Recreation, and Trails Committee and the Public Works Committee. He noted both of these committees face critical junctures on pending projects. He added that he had some recruitment work to do. He stated the Council did need to have some discussions on the Operations and Finance Committee. He noted the Chairman, Councilmember Grant and Mr. Moore were the only ones able to make the last meeting. He added the Council might need to discuss again where it wants to go. Councilmember Grant stated the Committee needs more members with the amount of work to do in the coming year. He noted if anyone is aware of a possible candidate, he or she should let him know. Councilmember Larson stated Mr. Sands is currently the Chair of the Cable Commission. He noted he was unsure how long the chair term was. He added he was not sure about the . implications if Mr. Sands was not re-appointed. Mayor Probst stated the combined Chamber is having a grand opening this Thursday. He noted the State of the Region meeting is this Wednesday at 8:30. He added he would not be able to ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 10, 2001 14 . make the meeting. He stated he also received a mailing for the National Association of Installation Developers Conference. He noted there is a conference in January on the development of former military installations. He added the Council might want someone to attend this conference. He stated another issue would be funding for the public works building. He noted the Council did not budget for that project. He added the Council needed to discuss possible funding options. He stated Mr. Lynch had noted the County was looking at proceeding on a design build format He noted the City cannot do that. He added there are a number of decisions that need to be made so the Council needs to set aside some time to discuss them. He stated the 35W Corridor Coalition has established assessment rates. He noted the Council needs to take formal action on that activity. Mr. Lynch explained the options for the City to consider with regard to Ramsey County. Mayor Probst stated the City should be a full partner with the County. He noted if not there would be some issues. He asked the Councilmembers to consider it. Councilmember Larson agreed. He stated if the City does not communicate to Ramsey County the City's expectations, it would be get whatever the County comes up with. He noted that by the time the City sees the design it would be too late to do anything. He added one concern would be that the building be screened appropriately and have a low profile. He stated they did not want to . see usual equipment yards. He noted the City should come up with some general statements about what it would like to see. Mayor Probst stated the City is in a strong position because under the current zoning this would not be an acceptable use. He noted while the state and federal governments could go on their own without City approval, the County could not. He added it would be better for the City to be a partner. He stated staff should draft some proposed statements. Councilmember Grant stated those statements could be ready for the meeting on December 17, 2001. He noted the City could have a joint meeting with the County during one of the worksessions in February. He added it would give the Operations and Finance Committee the chance to meet prior to the joint meeting. He stated he thought that face to face negotiations on an ongoing basis would be better. Councilmember Aplikowski concurred. She stated she thought it might be better if the Council attends one of the County's meetings. Councilmember Larson stated the Council should still put something on paper to document the design issues. He noted there are things about which the County would not be sensitive. Mayor Probst stated he would like the Council to be active in the selection process of the design team. . Councilmember Grant agreed that Arden Hills should put together some guiding principals. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 10,2001 15 . Mayor Probst stated some activities on the arsenal property are heating up. He noted he has met with the third developer. He added it would be on the agenda at a future worksession. He stated they have been told the presentation would be limited to 45 minutes or less. He noted they would have a strong team with a strong presentation. He added the other two parties would like to schedule time in January. He stated they might need to schedule some special meetings in January. He noted he hoped they could make a decision in early February as to how they wanted to proceed. He added that if they wanted to go through an RFP process they could do that. He stated Mr. Parrish is going to walk the Council through a draft of the package for Representative McCollum. He noted if the Council is comfortable with what it is seeing, then a draft copy could go to Representative McCollum's staff to see if anything further is needed. Mr. Lynch stated he met with Mr. Brown and Mr. Parrish to discuss the type of package to prepare. He explained the components of the presentation: a base map showing the current situation, an aerial photo showing an overlay of the property, a use map with the contamination areas, the National Guard's proposed acquisition map, the City's proposed acquisition map, and a composite map showing all the above compressed into one map. He stated there was also literature surrounding those maps. He noted Mr. Parrish developed a summary history. He added that he did summary of recent events. He stated the final presentation ends up being a dozen pages. He noted they have not completed the requested action page. He added they could request the acquisition of the northwest to southwest comer or federal legislation for that property . acquisition. He stated this was an area where Representative McCollum's staff could assist them with how that could be phrased. Mayor Probst asked if the City had all these maps electronically now so it could provide whatever is needed. Mr. Parrish responded they did not have them all now, but would have them shortly. Mayor Probst stated they should be clear in their overture to the Congresswoman that the City is requesting a title transfer to the City of the development area. Councilmember Aplikowski asked about the change in the name of the plan. Mayor Probst stated they might want to have two separate documents. He noted one would be the Vento Reutilization Plan and the other would be the City's Comprehensive Plan that follows it. He added this would show the City has been consistent. Mr. Parrish stated they have not been able to find the Vento Reutilization Plan with a map of land uses. He noted they had only been able to find the general principles. Mayor Probst stated he thought there was a drawing. Councilmember Larson stated he thought it was important for Representative McCollum to . understand there has been some real continuity. Mayor Probst stated it is critical to have it. He noted that otherwise the city goes back to the drawing board. He added it would show the City had been consistent and honorable in its ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 10, 2001 16 . approach. He stated his recollection was that the city paid for a color drawing. He noted the drawing was attached to some of the documentation. Councilmember Aplikowski stated they should include the historical value of the committee involved and how many entities participated. Mr. Lynch stated they tried to hit the highlights. ADJOURN MOTION: Councilmember Larson moved and Councilmember Grant seconded a motion to adjo the meeting at 10:00 p.m. The motion carried unanimously (5-0). NOTICE OF MEETINGS . The next Council Meeting will be held Monday, January 14, 2002 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arden Hills Council Chambers. .