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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council - 03/20/2001 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOPXORUM TUESDAY,MARCH 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, Nancy Tyra-Lukens CITY 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 I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER—MAYOR JEAN HARRIS Mayor Harris called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. H. APPROVAL OF AGENDA M. COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS Mayor Harris welcomed members of the Community Program Board and Parks and Recreation Citizen Advisory Commission,who were invited to the presentation of the 2001 Community Survey Results. Kerry Hill and Deanne Wiley of Wirthlin Worldwide,the City's survey consultant,participated in the meeting via telephone. Hill said all of the survey results validated information gathered from the Community Forum,which was held in October 2000. Hill presented an executive summary of the survey,including: • Research goals and methodology • Profile of respondents • Ranking of support for various parks,recreation and leisure services Detailed analysis of responses on — Community Center facilities — Possible municipal golf course — Swimming options — Senior facilities and programs — Methods of communication — Issues and challenges Councilmember Butcher said she felt the data would be valuable in guiding Council decisions on where to allocate resources. Councilmember Mosman wondered if some items were ranked as less important than others because respondents are satisfied with them,not because they don't care about them. Hill explained that in her experience the rankings serve as a clear indication of where residents feel time and money might be best spent. Parks and Recreation Citizen Advisory Commission Co-Chair Dick Brown commended the Mayor and Council for gathering important and useful information. Community Program Board Chair COUNCIL WORKSHOP MINUTES March 20, 2001 Page 2 Muna Yasiri said the respondent profile seemed adequate,but wondered why there were so many more female than male respondents. Hill said that since each survey was filled out on behalf of a household,rather than an individual, this may simply indicate that women take care of this type of task more often than men. Councilmember Case said the profile of respondents looked"off,"and he wondered how he could verify the data to ensure it is representative. City Manager Enger suggested that if necessary the profile could be compared to census data scheduled to be available this summer. Program Board Member Harry Davis, Jr., asked whether or not citizens will have access to the survey results. Mayor Harris said they will be available on the City's web site. Other means of providing the results were discussed. Davis asked if there would be an opportunity for the Council,Program Board and Parks and Recreation Citizen Advisory Commission to meet jointly to discuss the results. Mayor Harris said a joint meeting would be appropriate and asked staff to set a date for the meeting. Yasiri agreed that the Boards and Commissions need direction from the Council in using the survey data to set courses of action. Parks and Recreation Citizen Advisory Commission member John Murray said he felt they needed to think of the"common good" and not just what people say they want. Davis said the survey results are simply a"snap shot"of a moment in time, and that circumstances and needs are constantly evolving. Butcher pointed out that there are additional tools that can be used to learn what people want,but said the survey data is valuable because it is one of the few quantitative measures the Council has to guide their decision making. IV. COUNCIL FORUM A. ZERO EXPANSION Laurie Pepper,Mark Michelson, and Kim Vohs attended.on behalf of Zero Expansion. Pepper thanked the Council for showing strong leadership in hiring attorney Peter Kirsch to explore ways to oppose Flying Cloud Airport expansion. Pepper said Zero Expansion would like to have a cooperative means of serving the City in their efforts to stop the expansion. She said Zero Expansion members would be willing to serve as members on task forces and assist in public relations and communications. Pepper said Zero Expansion wants to clear up confusion on the airport issue,particularly regarding the City's position as well as factual misinformation Zero Expansion feels is circulating. Zero Expansion is developing a position statement that will be posted on their Web site and published in the Eden Prairie News. They suggested the City issue a position statement and offered assistance in doing this. Pepper noted that Zero Expansion circulated their own survey on the airport issue at the March 6, 2001, Council Meeting. She presented approximately 117 completed surveys to the Council for review. Councilmember Tyra-Lukens suggested including information on the airport issue in the Community Newsletter. City Attorney Ric Rosow told Zero Expansion that because of the legal nature of the airport issue,the Council will not be able to share as much information with them as they might like. For the same reason,the Council may not be able to be as responsive to their offers of assistance as they would like. COUNCIL WORKSHOP MINUTES March 20, 2001 Page 3 Mark Michelson said Zero Expansion strongly believes there should be a source of objective,understandable information about the airport that is easily accessible to residents. Mayor Harris asked staff to create a fact sheet on the airport,which could be posted on the City website and elsewhere. She asked Zero Expansion to submit questions they would like covered on the fact sheet to the Office of the City Manager. V. ADJOURNMENT, Mayor Harris adjourned the meeting at 6:55 p.m.