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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-17-09-WS ~ ~HlLLS Approved: April 13, 2009 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MEETING FEBRUARY 17, 2009 5:00 P.M. - ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Stan Harpstead called to order the City Council Work Session meeting at 5:05 p.m. Present: Mayor Stan Harpstead; Council Members David Grant, Brenda Holden (arrived at 5:25 p.m.), Fran Holmes (arrived at 5:07 p.m.), and Dave McClung. Absent: None. Also present: City Administrator Ron Moorse; Finance Director Susan Iverson; Public Works Director Gregory Hoag; Civil Engineer Kristine Giga; Community Development Director James Lehnhoff; Park; Recreation Manager Michelle Olson; City Planner Meagan Beekman and Community Development Intern, Charles Roberts. Councilmember Grant requested the Council discuss Management by Objectives under Agenda Item lB. The Council was in favor of this suggestion. 1. AGENDA ITEMS A. Green Development Community Development Director Lehnhoff presented the City Council with information regarding green development, with a focus on tools and sustainability within the TCAAP development. He indicated this could occur within the entire City and be expanded as well. Community Development Director Lehnhoff ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 2 explained that questions and comments would be taken at the end of the presentation. Lyle Salmela thanked the Council for their time and presented the Council with several sustainable ideas for the City of Arden Hills. Mr. Salmela indicated the design would need to be interconnected and self-reliant. He explained that green design can lead to a 25% savings for the community. Mr. Salmela stated wind energy, passive design, natural light and cross ventilation are all ways to reduce energy use. Mr. Salmela explained that this would work only if City developed an energy and sustainability plan that will be tied into the energy standards and City ordinances. He indicated this would assist the future TCAAP residents in understanding energy diversity and how it should be done. Mr. Salmela stated green design focuses on energy use, orientation to the sun, distribution of natural light, cross ventilation and minimum corridor area are the areas that most greatly affect green design concepts. He explained that even using local building supplies and metal roofs are energy savers. Mr. Salmela indicated life cycles of asphalt should be considered due to the rising costs of asphalt. He explained that President Obama was a huge advocate for electric vehicles and that this should be considered within future developments. Mr. Salmela stated the City of Arden Hills has a rare opportunity to become a sustainable community, explaining that the greatest impact on oil, natural gas, and green house gas reduction will come from green building design, hybrid electric vehicles, and sustainable land use design. Michael Orange thanked the Council for their time and interest in green design. Mr. Orange stated cities can have a great impact on climate change and curbing oil consumption through land use design and green design. He indicated this would be a powerful example to encourage environmental awareness and sustainabili ty. Mr. Orange explained the LEED program, with 240 projects occurring across the country, including two in the state of Minnesota. These projects improve environmental quality; provide smart growth and green building design. He indicated City ordinances allow these projects to be more sustainable. Mr. Orange ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 3 explained the construction costs are only 2-5% higher than conventional construction and encouraged the City of Arden Hills to take part in LEED. Mr. Orange reviewed several slides with the Council explaining how important building types and street placement was for green development. He noted how the height of buildings directly affects the projected widths of roadways within green urban developments. Mr. Orange further explained the requirements for the LEED program. Mayor Harpstead asked for comments or questions from the Council. Councilmember Holden questioned what additional fees would be added to the commercial buildings by having them go green. Mr. Orange indicated green buildings are a bit more costly but have great paybacks generally within three years due to reduced energy use. He stated this could be seen as more of a return on investment issue than an increase expense for the development. Councilmember Grant asked for a visual example of green buildings. Mr. Orange described a cross-over apartment with the Council and the many environmental and energy benefits the building presented. Mayor Harpstead reviewed his thoughts stating the TCAAP site was unique and making it sustainable would greatly benefit the development and City. He stated the criteria presented will give the Council a lot to consider moving forward. Mayor Harpstead questioned the fee process used in the certification process with LEED and if each single family home had to be certified. Mr. Orange explained each building would need to be certified and that some were easier than others to certify. He indicated that TCAAP had a projected 15 year build-out and that LEED will evolve sustainable design during this time. Councilmember Grant stated he wasn't concerned with the score of the development but was more concerned with doing what made the most sense for this development long term. Mayor Harpstead agreed and asked how the design wouldn't conflict with livability. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 4 Mr. Orange explained how this type of design style has worked in several other developments and noted there was a whole list of tools within the planner's toolbox to create a sustainable neighborhood. He stated that LEED has created a list of tools within sustainable neighborhoods to guide cities towards sustainable developments. Mayor Harpstead questioned if this process would create blocks or patterns of priorities within the development while creating a complete community versus managing the individual subpopulations. Mr. Orange explained that this could be defined within City Code so as not to be micromanaged by the Council throughout the development. Councilmember McClung stated he was in favor of the principle but that his only hesitation would be that it was a new concept and did not want it to be a "fad" that the City jumps on as it evolves over the next 15 years. He encouraged the City to work towards sustainability and put these principles to work within TCAAP. Councilmember McClung indicated the information about the electric cars and how this will impact transportation should be considered by the Council, not just within TCAAP, but throughout the entire City on new forms of transportation and how this will be dealt with. Mayor Harpstead questioned how electric vehicles would affect infrastructure going into the future. Mr. Orange explained that hybrid electric vehicles could only be used for 20-30 mile trips and that the freeways would not become obsolete. He was not sure how an increase in this vehicle type would affect the local arterial streets. Councilmember Holden asked how large of a ponding structure would be used if the development went geothermal. Mr. Salmela stated the best potential would be to tap into the 2.5 million gallons of water that are being pumped daily. Mayor Harpstead questioned how much energy could be created by those 2.5 million gallons of water and what type of an impact does this have on TCAAP. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 5 Mr. Salmela stated this would be quite an equation but would create a great deal of energy for the site. Mayor Harpstead encouraged the Council to send any further comments or questions to staff and thanked Mr. Orange and Mr. Salmela for their presentation. B. 2009 Goals & Action Steps City Administrator Moorse reviewed the goals and actions steps discussed at the retreat in December of 2008. He indicated that under each goal there were several action steps and that staff was to refine this information to define what was to be accomplished in 2009. City Administrator Moorse stated staff has completed this task and wished to receive comments and questions from the Council. Mayor Harpstead stated he would like to see a staff member or two attached to an individual objective and be able to report on the progress of the goals. He then asked for comments on Goal 1 from the Council. Councilmember McClung stated overall staff has to do a better job pulling out the action items from the implementation clutter to clarify what must be done. He indicated this was a critical working document that would assist the Council in reviewing what was or was not accomplished throughout the course of the year. Councilmember Grant and Mayor Harpstead agreed that the focus could be clearer on several items. Discussion ensued regarding the goals set for 2009 and how they should be arranged. Mayor Harpstead asked that Item A be specified and detailed more greatly to show the economic affects. He stated the local access intersection on TH10 should be added to this document. Councilmember Holden questioned what needed to be addressed with the City of Shoreview and what the City's position was on these issues. City Administrator Moorse explained that this had to do with the work being done to County Road H, how it affects County Road I and if access points were going to be closed. He stated he has had several discussions with them along with MnDOT addressing their concerns. City Administrator Moorse indicated that ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 6 options could be drawn up as concept plans, brought to Shoreview and signed off by them. Discussion ensued regarding the need for staff to report on the progress of issues to Council in a more timely fashion. Councilmember Holden asked if regular congressional communication could be added as a priority for 2009, along with the National Guard. Councilmember McClung agreed and stated the City needs to establish a comprehensive lobbying plan. He felt that this was an area the Council could Improve. Mayor Harpstead felt Items A, H and Communication/Lobbying items were the main priorities thus far. The Council was in agreement. Mayor Harpstead questioned what additional items should be elevated within this document. Councilmember Holden suggested Item E be elevated due to the possibility of federal stimulus funds. Councilmember Grant agreed. Mayor Harpstead indicated he would like to see the bridge built in 2009 but questioned ifit was a shovel ready project. City Administrator Moorse explained it met the definition of a shovel ready project and that a feasibility report was completed for this bridge. He indicated plans and specifications were not complete at this time. Mayor Harpstead explained that he would like to see the City pursue outside funding and complete construction of the bridge for the next item. The Council was in agreement. Mayor Harpstead indicated the next item addressed within the goals was a complete in depth review of the City's key public safety services while developing a long term plan to ensure the most effective and efficient delivery of public safety. He questioned if this included a review of Fire Station #1. Councilmember McClung indicated the condition of Fire Station #1 may need to be reviewed in the near future. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 7 Councilmember Holden asked if an analysis was going to be completed on Fire Station #1 before proceeding with improvements. City Administrator Moorse stated that the fire station mayor may not need to be replaced, that this information was uncertain. He indicated the roof was being monitored at this time due to the fact it was leaking in the truck bay area. Councilmember Holden suggested C be the priority with G as well, to assure that the building is maintained and not falling apart. Councilmember Grant stated Item 3A, 3B and 3C, ensuring the most effective and efficient delivery of public safety services to the community needs to have additional discussion so that each contract was well thought through each year for the benefit of the residents. Mayor Harpstead stated having objective and measurable timelines would benefit the City in this area. Councilmember Grant suggested the Council negotiate out of the street car and/or the power deputy for next year's contract. He indicated the contract could also be extended for one year and not renewed for three. Mayor Harpstead summarized after the Council's discussion that Items 3A and 3C were priorities with an understanding of where the City was with a recommendation by September of each year on the public safety contracts. He felt that Item F should drive A and C, and not vice versa, keeping the City focused on their needs. Mayor Harpstead asked that the staff point person be assigned for these items to provide the Council with a future contact on this issue. Mayor Harpstead moved onto Item 4 and asked how these items should be prioritized by the Council. Councilmember Grant added an Item regarding interim facilities, covering infrastructure, operations, cost structures, agreements, etc. He explained that this information was lost with the change of City staff. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 8 Mayor Harpstead agreed that the whole file and organization structure of information within the City could be improved and will hopefully benefit from the hiring of a deputy clerk. Mayor Harpstead indicated he would be in favor of revisiting the assessment policy and asked for comments from the Council. Councilmember Holden, Councilmember Holmes and Councilmember McClung were not in favor of reviewing this document. Mayor Harpstead stated the City would need to address the assessment levels with a development happening within the City in that the assessment, relative to the property value will be at an extreme that could become difficult as a City. He indicated the policy would not have to be reviewed, but that the Council would have to find a balance between the elements. Councilmember Holmes stated she felt the judgment was not interpreted in this manner. She encouraged the Council to review this information before further assessments were set. Discussion ensued regarding how assessments should be set for future projects, understanding that the cost of street improvement projects and the cost of asphalt were on the rise. Mayor Harpstead stated he may be in favor of supporting assessments being a ratio of tax money in a project versus assessment money, or setting a basic assessment rate of 25%. He suggested, again, that this issue be reviewed by the Council looking at the cost per mile of a complete reconstruction in 2009, compared to a projection going forward of how the City's assessment policy impacts individual homeowners to devise a cost per unit. Mayor Harpstead questioned if the pavement management program discussion should be held. Councilmember Holden stated she was more worried about the 1&1 having a work plan than the PMP at this time. Councilmember Holmes stated she would be in favor of further discussion on the assessment policy to find a fairness or rate creating a neutral ground going into the future. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 9 Councilmember McClung sugge~ted a senior discount still be offered for that population along with the ability to use state aid funds for areas needing the assistance. Councilmember Grant indicated he would be in favor of reviewing the assessment policy and setting it as a priority for 2009. He stated he felt taxes could not be raised enough to create the surplus needed for future PMP improvements. Councilmember McClung explained there would always be residents complaining about their assessments and property taxes, no matter how the City bases the fees. Mayor Harpstead summarized the Council's comments being that PMP should be an objective, along with an 1&1 work plan. Councilmember McClung indicated he would like to see the Council get through E-4 and F-3 in 2009. He stated it was important to him for the Council to accomplish set objectives this year, along with an option for Valentine Park. Councilmember McClung explained that he would also like to see the CP Rail Bridge constructed in 2010, if not earlier. Councilmember Holden the CP Rail Bridge may take longer than 2010 due to the fact negotiations need to be reached with the railroad. City Administrator Moorse indicated CP Rail was presented with a concept plan for the trail under the bridge and they were okay with the City proceeding. Mayor Harpstead suggested the priorities be set as follows: an 1&1 work plan, Items E& F, along with documentations for the maintenance and the PMP program discussion. The Council was in agreement with these priorities. The Council moved on to Item 5. Councilmember McClung stated his highest priorities for this item were administrative fines and a unified code enforcement policy. He felt that this item was of a higher priority than Item 4. Councilmember Grant suggested a program be developed to help encourage residents to keep up their homes. He indicated this issue may be resolved in a more timely fashion with a positive approach versus administrative fines. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 10 Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated there was revolving loans available and a few things through the County or HRA. Mayor Harpstead indicated he was in favor of this positive approach in dealing with the residents to bring them into compliance versus using the "stick". He suggested that additional data be gathered and shared with the residents. Councilmember Grant indicated there were funds available through the stimulus package for energy efficient windows and suggested that the City pass this information on to the residents. The Council was in favor of gathering this information. Mayor Harpstead asked if the priorities set by the Council were too aggressive to be achieved in 2009. City Administrator Moorse indicted the item that would be the most difficult to accomplish is the public safety information. He stated this involves a great deal of information along with seeking feasible alternatives if the current providers are found to be unfit. Mayor Harpstead clarified that the current contract does have a 12 month cancellation clause, which would give the City adequate time to seek alternative public safety providers if the current were deemed unfit. He understood this item would involve staff time, but would greatly serve the needs of the community. Councilmember McClung added that reviewing this item would be in the interest of neighboring cities as well. Mayor Harpstead thanked staff for providing Council with the working document addressing the 2009 goals with action steps and for the discussion held. He indicated the priorities set will give staff guidance throughout 2009 while also allowing the Council to monitor which objectives are being completed. Councilmember Grant stated he would like to see the main priorities assigned to a staff liaison allowing Council to monitor the progress and offer comments or questions. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 11 Mayor Harpstead was in agreement with this suggestion stating this would also assist with performance reviews with City staff, providing tangible items that were completed for the year. He explained that it was very important for the Council, City and staff s goals to be aligned in order to work towards a common vision. C. Shoreland Ordinance Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated the Council set this item as a priority for 2009, to review the Shoreland Ordinance and provide updates. He indicated the Planning Commission held a work session on February 4, 2009 where initial discussions were held. Community Development Director Lehnhoff explained that this item was informational to discuss the foreseen Shoreland issues and will not be resolved tonight. He asked that each Councilmember provide comments and recommendations to assist in moving this item forward. Mayor Harpstead stated his number one priority was sustainability of lake quality, which was a direct component of water runoff. He indicated his second priority was management of appropriate use on the City lakes. The last priority was public safety and e.coli. Mayor Harpstead suggested that great thought be put into how the shoreline impacts the quality of the lake. Councilmember Holden questioned what regulations the DNR presently enforced within the City of Arden Hills. Community Development Director Lehnhoff indicated the DNR regulations are to be followed by the residents, such as limiting the percentage of impervious surfaces and is to be enforced by the City. Councilmember Holden stated her greatest concern with this Ordinance was the aesthetics along the shoreline of the City's lakes. Councilmember McClung agreed with Councilmember Holden's comments regarding aesthetics and added that water quality was important. He stated the work plan looked fantastic and was in favor of encouraging community involvement. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 12 Councilmember Holmes questioned if Bethel and Northwestern needed to have special requirements as they both abut lakes. She added that the geese population needed to be addressed as well. Mayor Harpstead suggested the existing lake associations be contacted for comment on this Ordinance. Community Development Director Lehnhoff agreed with this comment and stated this would be done throughout the approval process. Mayor Harpstead then reviewed his comments and suggestions for the Shoreland Ordinance stating the setbacks should be reviewed and that Marsden Lake should be added as a lake within the City. Councilmember Holden stated the high water mark was always in question and asked if this could be clarified within the Shoreland Ordinance. City Planner Meagan Beekman stated the high water mark was evaluated and set by the DNR every couple of years and that the City could do a better job of educating the residents on how this information was gathered. Mayor Harpstead discussed the use of rip rap and stated this may need to be addressed as it will be used within TCAAP. He suggested a range or percentage be set or designated for amount of rip rap allowed along the shoreline. Mayor Harpstead questioned if boat houses were allowed. Community Development Director Lehnhoff indicated boathouses are banned on the water by the DNR. However, if they are on land but within the shoreland setback they used to be allowed as water oriented accessory structures and have been grand-fathered in. He stated new accessory structures are prohibited. Discussion ensued regarding boat houses and enforcement of shoreland issues, along with controlled access lots. Councilmember Holden expressed concern with the size of accessory structures found on lakeshore lots and how they were blocking the lake views for residents. Community Development Director Lehnhoff indicated the City was in favor of homeowners improving their homes but that limits were set on the size of accessory structures within existing City code. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 13 Mayor Harpstead indicated water runoff from large parking lots should be addressed within this Ordinance. He stated the water quality and pleasure of the lakes will be improved by addressing this Ordinance. Community Development Director Lehnhoff explained that Northwestern has created their storm water ponding systems through the Rice Creek Watershed. Community Development Director Lehnhoff thanked the Council for their comments and stated additional comments could be forwarded to staff. D. Review of Pay Levels for Temporary/Seasonal Positions City Administrator Moorse presented the City Council with background information on the temporary/seasonal positions within the recreation programs throughout the City. He indicated this included both park attendants and public works seasonal employees. City Administrator Moorse explained the City approves the temporary/seasonal employee pay ranges each year and stated for 2009 the ranges would be kept similar to 2008 accept for the two lowest pay levels, which were increased by 25~. Councilmember Holden stated the City of Arden Hills is paying 10-20% more than neighboring communities for temporary and seasonal positions. She indicated the City was overpaying their temporary help and that the City should watch these pay ranges more closely to align with the competition. Park and Recreation Manager Olson explained she regularly researches the pay scales with neighboring cities. Councilmember Grant stated it would have benefited the Council to see the research before approving the pay ranges. City Administrator Moorse explained staff could pull together a spreadsheet with the pay range information from various cities. Councilmember Holden indicated these pay ranges may have been adequate several years ago when there were more jobs than people, but due to the current economic trends, these numbers should be reevaluated. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 14 Park and Recreation Manager Olson apologized for not gathering the correct information for Council and explained why she felt the current pay ranges were acceptable and directly reflected on the quality of employees hired. Mayor Harpstead indicated it may be in the best interests of the City to seek a joint powers agreement with a neighboring City to ensure that qualified staff is hired for the Parks Department at a fair wage. It was the consensus of the City Council to direct staff to provide Council with information on the total amount of funds spent on temporary/seasonal help annually along with a spreadsheet showing the pay ranges of comparable cities and have this information brought back for future discussion. 2. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REQUESTS City Administrator Moorse stated AHA TS was holding a sustainable green development workshop on March lOth_13th downtown 81. Paul. He indicated staff would not be attending the entire seminar but would have representation at the wrap up. Councilmember Grant stated he received the City of New Brighton's park and recreation information. He indicated it may benefit the City of Arden Hills to co- sponsor some events. Councilmember Grant explained that New Brighton also had a "Buy a Tree" program that should be looked into further as it was a unique idea. Councilmember Grant stated that in 2009 the Council approved full time programmer Sara Grant in the Park and Recreation Department. As part of the justification for moving to this full time position, the Parks & Recreation Manager would now have time to seek and apply for grants & scholarships. Councilmember Grant asked what progress was being made in this area. Park and Recreation Manager Olson explained that the programming position started full time in January. She indicated that she would continue to do research on grant opportunities. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 15 Mayor Harpstead encouraged the City to partner with a neighboring City to seek grant funding. He indicated this would mean the City would have to share the profits but that in the end the community and Arden Hills residents would benefit. Councilmember Holmes asked if there were any funds in the budget for a spring City clean up/fundraiser to non-profits. Mayor Harpstead indicated he would support funding such an event if funding were available within the budget as it would benefit and beautify the City. Councilmember Holden questioned if the County hired all the 9/11 operators that were needed after the cuts. City Administrator Moorse stated this was in the process and that he would receive an update on this on Thursday. Councilmember Holden asked when the open house/town hall meeting would be scheduled. City Administrator Moorse indicated this may be pushed back to May, unless the meeting could be held at City Hall, the first Monday in May. The Council was in favor of holding the Town Hall meeting May 4th, Councilmember McClung suggested an article be drafted for the newsletter informing the residents of the Town Hall meeting date, time, etc. along with what items would be discussed at the meeting. Councilmember Holden questioned when the City Administrator's performance review would be held. City Administrator Moorse indicated this was scheduled for March. Councilmember McClung stated he would like to see the old City Hall building demolished and questioned if this would be a shovel ready project that could benefit from stimulus dollars. Staff indicated they would investigate this issue further. Community Development Director Lehnhoff stated a Phase I Environmental Study was completed but that he was uncertain of the details. Public Works Director Hoag reported the tanker was delivered to the City last Friday. Park and Recreation Manager Olson questioned if the Council would be in favor of keeping the ice rinks open an extra week as temperatures allow. She stated this would involve an additional $1,500 and was covered within the budget, but that the rinks could be closed. ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - FEBRUARY 17, 2009 16 Councilmember Holden stated she was in favor of the rinks staying open pending the weather. Councilmember Grant agreed. City Administrator Moorse explained that there were only several consent agenda items for the upcoming Council Meeting and stated these items could be put off until March, allowing the meeting the meeting scheduled for February 23rd to be canceled. He indicated he would be having conference call with the Army next Wednesday and suggested a closed TCAAP meeting be held February 25th, Councilmember Grant indicated he may be out of town on the 25th. Councilmember McClung explained that he could make it, but that it would have to be later than 6:00 p.m. Mayor Harpstead adjourned the City Council Work Session meetin ~\. \ t 8:46 p.m. ~44 ~,' /: Ronald J. oorse City Administrator .~~