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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council - 07/16/2002 - Workshop APPROVED TNH UTES EDEN PRAIRIE CITY COUNCIL N'VORKSHOPIFORUNI TUESDAY,DULY 16,2002 CITY CENTER 4:00- 6:25 PM, HERITAGE ROOM H 6:30—7:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBER CITY COUNCIL: Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Councihnembers Sherry Butcher,Ron Case,David Luse and Jan Mosman CITY STAFF: City Manager Scott Neal, Public Works Director Eugene Dietz, City Engineer Al Gray,Assistant City Engineer Rod Rue, Traffic Engineer Randy Newton, and Recorder Lorene McWaters Heritage Room H I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER Councihnember Case served as Acting Mayor and conducted the meeting in the absence of Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens. Case called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA III. TH 169 INTERCHANGE Paul Zeck, MnDOT,presented a memo outlining the key findings of the TH 169 Interregional Corridor Plan. The plan calls for converting TH 169 between I-494 and Belle Plaine to a freeway. Zeck said MnDOT is asking all of the partner cities involved in the study to officially approve the plan. Public Works Director Gene Dietz told the Council that approval of the IRC plan was included on the agenda for the regular council meeting. Zeck explained funding will be a major issue in realizing the plan. About$45 million in funding has been allocated, including money targeted for the Anderson Lakes Parkway and Pioneer Trail interchange projects. At least an additional $237 million is needed to complete the project as planned. Zeck said the City of Eden Prairie will need to hold a public meeting or open house for residents who will be impacted by the project. Tom O'Keefe, MnDOT, reviewed transportation funding. He said many planned projects will have to be delayed for at least several years due to the failure of the State Legislature to approve the 2002 funding bill. He said MnDOT is also facing rapidly rising costs for right-of-way acquisitions. Councilmember Luse asked O'Keefe what would help alleviate the funding shortage. O'Keefe recommended approval of a Senate proposal for a gas tax of 6 cents per gallon. The metropolitan area could also approve a half-cent a gallon tax through referendum. O'Keefe is also in favor of a constitutional dedication of vehicle sales taxes for transportation projects. Ron Rauchle, SRF Consulting Group, discussed the various design concepts for the TH 169/Anderson Lakes Parkway Interchange. He provided a memo that outlined the chronology of the project going back to 1979. The current recommended design is for a folded diamond interchange. Rauchle explained that the designs took into consideration cost, impact to park land owned by Three Rivers(Hennepin County)Park District,taking of residences, and traffic flow impacts for nearby residential streets. Roweles said MnDOT is seeking approval from both the City of Eden Prairie and the Park District for the folded diamond design. IV. OTHER TOPICS Council Chamber V. OPEN FORUM (Scheduled participants, 6:30-6:50 p.m.) No one was scheduled to speak at Open Forum. VI. OPEN PODIUM (Unscheduled participants, 6:50-7:00 p.m.) Eden Prairie resident Basil Weisner said he would like to request all smoking ban related e-mails from the Council. Councilmember Mosman asked if the request would include e- mails sent to the"All Council" e-mail address. Mr. Weisner said he would like those e- mails as well as those sent to the Councilmembers' individual addresses. Mosman asked if the e-mails are considered public information. City Attorney Rosow said that the content of e-mails to Councilmembers could be released either by consent of the Councilmember or by the individual who sent the e-mail. Councilmember Luse said he would consent to all a-mails sent to him being released. Councilmember Case said he would not be comfortable releasing e-mails that were sent to him marked confidential. He said some individuals who send e-mails assume they are private communications and he would not want to betray their trust by releasing them. Rosow advised Weisner that he could fill out a data request form during regular business hours and staff would gather the information. VII. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.