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Regular City Council Meeting <br />Monday, June 29, 2009 <br />Page 13 <br />County property record data, and follow-up between residents, the City and Ram- <br />sey County in correcting those records; and whether future tracking could include <br />certain areas of the City trending toward conversions from single-family, owner- <br />occupied properties to rentals. <br />Mr. Trudgeon noted another interesting statistics indicating those landlords living <br />in the community versus those out-of--town investors. Mr. Trudgeon reviewed <br />development by staff of a more improved and streamlined application process for <br />benefit of the public and reducing staff time; and better compliance rates being <br />achieved in the second year of the program. <br />Recess <br />Mayor Klausing recessed the meeting at approximately 7:34 p.m. and reconvened at approxi- <br />mately 7:42 p.m. <br />11. Public Hearings <br />a. Public Hearing for Proposed Construction of a Noise Wall along Highway 36 <br />as a part of the Rice Street Interchange Project <br />Public Works Director Duane Schwartz reviewed summarized the evaluation and <br />design process to-date, based on state and federal environmental rules, for Ram- <br />sey County's reconstruction of the interchange of Highway 36 and Rice Street, <br />from preliminary to final design. Mr. Schwartz noted that a noise analysis has in- <br />dicated that highway noise in the northwest quadrant of the interchange would ex- <br />ceed state standards, creating the need to verify that a majority of the property <br />owners adjacent to the noise wall are supportive of its construction. <br />Mr. Schwartz introduced agency representatives and presenters of the proposed <br />noise wall, including Ramsey County Project Manager Jim Tolaas; Marc Goess, <br />with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT):and Engineering <br />Consultants Mark Benson and Eric Tomlinson with the firm S.E.H. <br />Presenters provided schematics of the proposed design of Highway 36 and the in- <br />tersection at Highway 36 and Rice Street, eliminating one signalized intersection <br />on Rice, evening alignment and proposing a noise wall on the north side of High- <br />way 36. The presentation included rationale and criteria in the noise analysis; <br />state and federal standards based on decibel (dBA) levels and differentiations in <br />those standards; and daytime and night-time dBA levels, with abatement required <br />when they exceeded those standards, whenever technically feasible and reason- <br />able. Comparison levels for typical dBA perceptions were provided; and impact <br />assessments based on computer modeling before and after proposed construction <br />activities; and mitigation assessment indicating barrier effectiveness, location, and <br />municipal support for such mitigation. <br />Presenters provided overall observations from both sides of Highway 36 and <br />noise levels above state standards today, and predicted in the future; inability to <br />