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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCCWS 01-21-2003 . ~ ~~HILLS MEETING MINUTES FINAL CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2003, 4:45 P.M. CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 1245 WEST HIGHWAY 96 m_ CALL TO ORDER Mayor Aplikowski called the meeting to order at 4:50 p.m. Present: Council members David Grant, Brenda Holden, Gregg Larson, and Lois Rem. Also present: City Administrator, Joe Lynch; Director of Operations and . Maintenance, Tom Moore; Director of Community Services, Aaron Parrish; City Engineer, Greg Brown; Deputy Clerk/Human Resources Director, Cynthia Young; and Recording Secretary, Pang Silseth. Mayor Aplikowski added Item 4.C. Corneas!. 2. A. COMMUNITY SERVICES: Guidant- Final AUAR and Miti2ation Plan Mr. Parrish introduced the plan and alerted the Council that there were no apparent "red flags" in the plan. Councilmember Rem said although the plan appeared to be complete, more infonnation may be necessary. She also had concerns regarding the height of the buildings. Mr. Parrish indicated that building specific issues would be dealt with through the onsite plan review process with proper notification to residents, similar to the process of normal planning cases. . Councilmember Larson asked what kind of flexibility the City had when dealing with a master plan. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES JANUARY 21, 2003 2 . Mr. Parrish responded that Guidant would need to apply for an amendment to the master plan if they were going to deviate from it. Mayor Aplikowski asked for details about the impact of water run off to the neigh borhood. Courtney Bott, SRF responded by directing the Council to Figure 10, found in the attached Guidant Campus Master Plan. Joe Ford, RSP Architects stated the final plan indicated a net reduction in the impervious surface. Councilmember Larson asked if the City had the ability to halt any development, stating he may feel more comfortable if the City was not bound to permanent plans. . Mr. Parrish suggested that possibly, like Bethel College, the plan could be revisited on a five (5) year basis. However, this language would need to be included in the development agreement. Staff was directed to bring forth this item to the January 27, 2003, Council Meeting. 2.B. COMMUNITY SERVICES: Ramsev County Park Master Plan Amendment Mr. Parrish stated Ramsey County was requesting that the City evaluate a proposed park master plan amendment to the Rice Creek North Regional Trail Master Plan. Mr. Parrish added that after evaluating and testing other options, a different approach had been taken then what was originally presented. Greg Mack, Director of Parks & Recreation, Ramsev Co., discussed concerns regarding transportation routes with staff and the City Council. Mr. Mack directed staff and the City Council to Attachment F, as found in the agenda packet. He further stated Ramsey County would prefer not to have a transportation route going . through the wildlife corridor, however, the amendment left this option open. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES JANUARY 21, 2003 3 . Bart Rehbein, CRR, stated he felt the City needed to do more extensive research before making a commitment with Ramsey County. Council member Holden asked Mr. Rehbein if the City had a say in the development of the TCAAP property. She recognized that the fences were not wanted through the corridor. Mr. Mack stated Ramsey County would work with the National Guard. Mayor Aplikowski asked if the County could include language in its document that indicated it would work with the City. Councilmember Larson asked what the plan is for north/south transportation through TCAAP. Mr. Mack stated they would prefer the western route as the major route. . Mayor Aplikowski stated the bottom line is that the property needed to be cleaned up to a public use standard. The City Council consensus was that it would be comfortable with the language in the document, with some additional "fine tuning". The City Council Worksession was recessed at 6:15 p.m. Mayor Aplikowski reconvened the worksession at 6:30 p.m. Mayor Aplikowski instructed the Council to look over the proposed letters to the OSA, the congressional delegation, and the Postal Service and to email comments to Mr. Parrish by Thursday, January 26, 2003. C. Letter to GSA Mr. Parrish introduced a letter to OSA. Mr. Lynch asked if government officials should be copied on the letters. Mayor . Aplikowski agreed. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES JANUARY 21, 2003 4 . Councilmember Rem asked if all members of the Council should sign the letter. Mayor Aplikowski agreed. Staff was directed to bring the GSA letter to the City Council Meeting on Monday, January 27, 2003, as a consent item with copies to Senator Norm Coleman, Senator Mark Dayton and Representative Betty McCollum. Councilmember Larson asked to address Item 4.B. Lake Josephine Hills Association, at this time. 4.B. Lake Josephine Hills Association Mr. Lynch reviewed three (3) issues, which required direction by the Council: . Lake Josephine Hills Association's request for a legal survey. . Whether the Council wanted to proceed with an easement agreement with Lake Josephine Hills Association. . . Who the Council wanted to negotiate with Lake Josephine Hills Association. City Engineer Greg Brown presented Exhibit 1, an engineering drawing of the site. Dou!!: Hartford, Lake Josephine Hills Association, presented a letter dated January 21, 2003, from Lake Josephine Hills Association relating to the need for an exact map of existing properties and specifics of what is planned. Greg Brown identified two logical areas for an easement. Mr. Brown stated if the City were to dredge into the lake, it would only do so at the request of the association and with DNR approval. Mayor Aplikowski asked if the City had paid for easements in the past. Mr. Lynch stated the City had, but only for utility related work. Council member Holden asked if the plats the City had on file would be appropriate for determining the property lines. Engineer Brown stated the existing plats could be used. . Linda Swanson, Lake Josephine Hills Association, asked if they should contact the City Engineer regarding further dialogue on this topic. ---- -- - -..------- ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES JANUARY 21, 2003 5 . The Council instructed staff to follow the normal procedure for obtaining easements and not to proceed with a legal survey. The Council also directed the City Engineer and City Staff to maintain good communication with the affected residents. 3. Operations and Maintenance A. Ramsey County Public Works Facility Cost Comparison Mr. Lynch stated Ramsey County wanted an answer as to whether or not the City would commit to a joint facility with Ramsey County. He also stated that Ramsey County would build, whether or not the City relocated. Councilmember Holden asked if the new Public Works facility could accommodate an increase in staffifTCAAP is developed. . Mr. Moore said staff growth had been factored into the plans. Councilmember Larson cited a shared services program in the City of Falcon Heights. He suggested looking at how the City would gain from having a joint facility. Mr. Parrish stated Ramsey County had indicated there could be an ownership interest for the City. Mr. Lynch stated the taskforce made suggestions regarding what to include in the site and now, Ramsey County was looking for direction from the City. Mayor Aplikowski stated the City was not interested in a lease option. Councilmember Holden stated residents were already angry that a new City Hall was built and the Council should take into account those sentiments when approaching the building ofa new Public Works facility. . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES JANUARY 21, 2003 6 . B. Karth Lake Water Level Mr. Lynch presented a memo from URS which proposed to install a lake level gauge to monitor the lake level. Staff was directed to bring this as a consent item to the Monday, January 27, 2003, City Council Meeting. 3.2. Plannilll! Review for Ramsev County Public Works Mr. Parrish requested the City Council's authorization for a site review to be performed by a third party. Staff suggested Dahlgren, Shardlow and Uban (DSU) do this site review. Mayor Aplikowski asked what the role for DSU was, and how their objectivity might be different than that of staff. . Mr. Parrish replied the City would work with Ramsey County, and DSU could analyze the plans that would be submitted. Mr. Lynch added that by using an independent party to review the plans, staff would not be forced into a compromising situation. Councilmember Grant suggested City Staff do the evaluation. Mr. Parrish stated staff could do the review, and consult with DSU to provide comments. Council member Larson stated, given the scope of the significance and location, he felt that money used on a consultant was money well spent. Councilmembers Rem and Holden stated they supported the third party site review, but did not agree with using DSU as the consultant. Mayor Aplikowski stated staff should plan on performing the site review in-house, and to come back to the Council if it becomes a problem. . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES JANUARY 21, 2003 7 . 4.A. 2003 Retreat Mr. Lynch updated the Council on the new dates for the 2003 City Council Retreat. Mayor Aplikowski expressed displeasure with the scheduling of the Retreat dates. The Council suggested the following dates to consider when rescheduling: Schedule Session I for Saturday, February 22, 2003, and keep the March 6, 2003, date or possibly schedule both on Saturdays. 4.C. Comcast Update Mayor Aplikowski asked for information concerning the Comcast situation. Mr. Lynch provided background information and stated a letter was sent to . Comcast that the City had no data responsive to the Data Practices Act Request. City Council Comments: Mavor Aplikowski stated Representative McCollum had a rally January 22, 2003, at I :00 and inquired who, from the City would attend. She added that Craig Wilson would be willing to serve as liaison to the North Suburban Communications Commission and should be appointed at the January 27, 2003, Council meeting. Councilmember Holden stated the audio on the Council Meeting broadcasted on cable was difficult for viewers at home to understand. She indicated she had received several complaints from residents in this regard. Councilmember Rem reported on the City Wide Neighborhood Watch meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 11,2003, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at City HalJ. Councilmember Larson had no comments. . Councilmember Grant stated the City did not have a legal consultant with environmental issues regarding TCAAP. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES JANUARY 21, 2003 8 . Mr. Parrish said there was a line item for TCAAP budget environmental counsel. Councilmember Grant suggested that the TCAAP claims be presented in conjunction with budget line items. Councilmember Holden stated the information found in the TCAAP Bulletin and City Newsletter seem to be contradictory. The Tuesday, January 21,2003, City Council Worksession was adjourned at 10:00 p.m. 61~ ~b~~' May6r Beverly liko ski /1 t/~~1// d . istrator Joe Lynch . .