2010-02-10 WS CC - Approved - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council 2010-02-10 6:50 p.m. Minutes of Work Session Present were Mayor Capra, Council members Jeff Paar, D Love, Linda Broussard- Vickers, and Ben Fehrenbacher. Also present were City Attorney Kurt Glaser, Engineer Mark Statz, Public Works Director Paul Palzer and Finance Director Mike Jeziorski. 1)Downtown Drainage Project. Mark Statz, Engineer, reviewed the status of the downtown drainage project. Anoka County has agreed to permit use of a pond in the County park to collect stormwater from downtown, which would then be pumped onto LaMotte Park through a lawn irrigation system. The project cost estimate is about $1 million. The City would receive about $350,000 in grants and would need to fund the balance of about $625,000 through bonds. A financing schedule was provided which would pay debt service from stormwater user fees. Some members of the council expressed reluctance to proceed with the project if the city share is that large. Staff will find out if the granting agencies will still participate if the project is phased with a significant portion of the costs delayed until downtown redevelopment begins. 2)Trail Project. Mark Statz reviewed the trail project. City Attorney, Kurt Glaser reported that easements have been secured from all but three parcels. The eminent domain proceedings are in the works and the court should grant possession of the remaining easements by the end of March. The Council will, very soon, be asked to approve resolutions that would authorize final design and bidding as well as providing financing arrangements. 3)Nonconforming uses. The Council discussed the restrictions on expansion of nonconforming uses, particularly those in the downtown redevelopment area. Since the redevelopment has not happened as planned, some are concerned that the property owners are unfairly prevented from making certain additions and improvements. The Council requested that staff and P&Z solicit comments from affected property owners and report back to council with a recommendation. 4)Sidewalks. The Council considered snow removal on sidewalks adjoining streets. Many sidewalks have not been kept clear of snow and ice. Due to the large amount of snow, there are areas that have inadequate snow storage on the boulevard between the curb and sidewalks. Staff suggested the possibility of the city clearing sidewalks when snow amounts require plowing the streets. Additional equipment may be needed. The consensus is to look at the possibility of changing its policies so that the city would do some of the snow removal next year. In the meantime, staff will work with property owners to do a reasonable job of clearing sidewalks.