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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council - 02/20/2001 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRM CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP/FORUM TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20,2001 5:00-6:55 PM, CITY CENTER HERITAGE ROOMS I&H CITY COUNCIL: Mayor Jean Harris, Councilmembers Sherry Butcher,Ron Case, Jan Mosman CITY COUNCIL STAFF: City Manager Chris Enger, Parks & Recreation Services Director Bob Lambert, Public Safety Director Jim Clark, Public Works Services Director Eugene Dietz, Community Development and Financial Services Director Don Uram,Management Services Director Natalie Swaggert, City Attorney Ric Rosow and Recorder Lorene McWaters I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER—MAYOR JEAN HARRIS Mayor Harris called the meeting to order at 5:20 p.m. H. APPROVAL OF AGENDA III. BOARD AND COMMISSION CHAIR AND CO-CHAIR DISCUSSION Mayor Harris praised the new worksheets created by Management Services for use in discussion of Chair and Vice Chair appointments. Harris suggested extending the current Chair and Vice Chair terms for another year, since the Boards and Commissions have worked under the reorganized structure for only a year. Councilmember Case asked that this would be setting a precedent, and if so, did the Council really want to do that. Councilmember Mosman said she liked the idea of moving the Chair and Vice Chair appointments around. Councilmember Butcher noted that a two-year term would provide continuity and an opportunity for the Chairs and Vice Chairs to put all the training and learning involved in leadership to better use. Harris said her suggestion to extend terms was for this year only, not forever, and asked for input on this. Enger agreed that the decision to reappoint or select new Chairs and Vice Chairs could be made each year during the overall selection process. All agreed they liked the idea of deciding on Chair and Vice Chair selection each year. Case requested that when members are asked if they wish to serve in a leadership capacity, they also be asked about their general impressions of the Board or Commission on which they serve. He said this would help the Council gauge how well the Boards and Commissions are functioning. Butcher said she would like the staff liaisons to have more input, including their impressions of applicants as well as Chair and Vice Chair candidates, since they work closely with these individuals. City Manager Enger said City Planner Mike Franzen had suggested that the interview process be modified to include a short interview of candidates by the staff liaison before meet they meet with the Council to answer questions. Case also suggested avoiding duplication of questions during the interviews. He proposed asking something generic such as, "Tell us about yourself and your experiences." Enger suggested having the liaisons or a staff member summarize data gathered from the applicants for Council review. COUNCIL WORKSHOP MINUTES February 20, 2001 Page 2 It was decided that existing Chair and Vice Chair appointments would be extended one year. Due to a vacancy on the Parks and Recreation Citizen Advisory Commission,the Vice Chair position was open. The Council agreed that David Larson would be asked to fill this position. IV. GUIDELINES FOR COUNCIL NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS Council reviewed the January 11, 2001, letter to Highview Drive and Lakeland Terrace residents regarding the March 6 Workshop on concerns about improvements underway on their streets. The letter outlined a proposed agenda that includes the following: • Chronological project summary by City Staff • Summary of concerns and issues by neighborhood representatives • Discussion and question/answer session • Identification of options • Setting of goals and process for completing the project Case said he believes the neighborhood needs the opportunity to vent their frustrations and to let the City know how things might have gone more smoothly. Enger suggested that the Council set a framework for the meeting so that it doesn't end up a blaming session. He also said it should be made clear that staff put themselves on the line to ensure this project was completed on schedule and within budget. Case said he always lets people know he trusts staff and the process. Enger suggested outlining expected outcomes at the beginning of the meeting to set a clear direction. Mosman and Harris suggested letting the neighborhood know exactly what has been done and why. Harris noted that there have been concerns about the quality of groundwater in the neighborhood and other safety issues, and that the project wasn't undertaken merely for the convenience of the few who wanted it. Case suggested using the Highview Drive/Lakeland Terrace project as learning experience from which to build a process for handling future controversial projects. Pubic Works Director Dietz said he knows of two residents who may ask to be paid for easements. He said the City has a longstanding policy of not paying for easements; however, the City does compensate to restore land to its original condition at a reasonable cost. If easements can't be negotiated, they may have to be taken by condemnation. The price is then determined by a court or settled on between the parties. Dietz noted that the Council might have to consider raising the assessment cap if the City ends up paying for easements. V. OTHER TOPICS A. COMMUNITY SURVEY QUESTION#12 The preliminary results of Question 12, which asked residents to choose up to three major concerns out of a list of ten, indicate the top three concerns are taxes, traffic congestion, and open space. The airport expansion was fourth, with 26 % listing it as a concern. Case pointed out that the question asked only if expansion was a COUNCIL WORKSHOP MINUTES February 20, 2001 Page 3 concern, not whether or not the respondent was in favor of or opposed to expansion. Butcher noted this could be said of most the questions. Enger noted that while respondents were asked to list concerns, they were not asked how much they would be willing to pay to address the concerns. The memo from Kerry Hill of Wirthlin Worldwide noted it is believed that Zero Expansion sent a broadcast e-mail to supporters asking them to one-shot the answer to this question as airport expansion, but that it didn't appear as if this had skewed the results. Mosman said additional community feedback on support for litigation against expansion may have to be gathered due to wording of the original question. Case indicated that as the author of the question he did feel it was valid; however he felt it might be helpful to learn if people were willing to support litigation with tax dollars. Case asked Mayor Harris if a survey was conducted before deciding to litigate the landfill case. There was none. VI. COUNCIL FORUM VH. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Harris adjourned the meeting at 6:55 p.m.