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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council - 01/10/1995 - Workshop CITY OF EDEN PRAIRIE MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP on WATER SYSTEM EXPANSION 7:00 PM TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1995 CITY CENTER, TRAINING ROOM 8080 Mitchell Road City Council Present: Mayor Jean Harris; Councilmembers Ron Case, H. Martin Jessen (arr. at 7:30 p.m.), Patricia Pidcock, Nancy Tyra-Lukens City Council Staff Present: City Manager Carl Jullie, Assistant City Manager Chris Enger, Assistant to the City Manager Craig Dawson, Director of Public Works Gene Dietz, Superintendent of Utilities Ed Sorensen Consultant Staff Present: Black & Veatch: David Carlson, Chad Hill, Doug Kobrick, Dan McCarthy Tushie-Montgomery Architects: Gary Tushie A. Introductions Dietz introduced the members of the consultant team to the Council and staff. B. Project Overview Dietz presented an overview of the $23 million proposed expansion to the water system. The City decided to provide municipally-treated water in 1969 and began pumping to 700 customers in 1973. Expansion of the system had been planned all along. The first phase of the water plant had a 4 million gallon per day (mgd) capacity. The latest addition, completed in 1988, brought the plant to its current capacity of 18 mgd. The proposed addition, which would be the last one and designed to meet the City's projected ultimate population, would yield a plant capacity of 28 mgd. When finished, Eden Prairie's would be the third largest treatment plant in Minnesota (after those of Minneapolis and St. Paul). In 1990, the City Council decided that the larger water system capacity should be added at the site of the Water Plant, rather than building a stand-alone facility in southwestern Eden Prairie. This decision meant that the City's practices for removal of lime residuals resulting from the water softening process would have to be changed significantly. Eden Prairie's system is one of only six in the metropolitan area that softens water at the plant. A key component of the system expansion planning is development of a water conservation. The State requires essentially all municipal water systems to develop conservation plans by January 1, 1996. One of the features of the planning process has been the activities of a task force. Members included staff from several City departments, consultant staff, two residents--one of whom serves on the Environmental and Waste Management Commission, MTS, and others. Substantial completion would occur in Spring 1998, with final completion in Summer 1998. Minutes of January 10, 1995 City Council Workshop Page 2 B. Treatment Facility Requirements Sorensen explained the steps in the City's water treatment process. McCarthy reviewed project development issues, including plant capacity, residuals handling, operational needs of the utilities and treatment divisions, and community issues. Projected ultimate staffing for the utilities and treatment divisions would rise from 22-25 today to 40 at full operation. These divisions would also be able to use that part of the public works/parks maintenance building that will remain after demolition needed to construct an on-ramp at the future Highway 5-212/Mitchell Road interchange. Community issues included architecture, aesthetics, and public education space (for environmental conservation, recycling, wetlands, etc.) Discussions with Eden Prairie School District staff suggested that several on-going educational.programs could be developed to use what would be available at the Water Plant. The Environmental & Waste Management and Planning Commissions believed the public education space was very desirable. The Council concurred. Tushie reviewed aesthetic and architectural issues. Task Force members wanted the existing building to blend with the architecture of the addition. The building should have a design which would be appealing well into the future, but at the same time should not look like a warehouse. Its design should be compatible with other buildings in the Marketcenter Area. The building should incorporate an environmental education facility. On the site, the lagoons would be replaced with a wetland and a clearwater pond, although one lagoon would remain for emergency use. The Planning Commission commented on the building and site design on January 9, 1995. Its members liked the design, and thought that it favorably met standards to which private development would be held. Development of the property should be sensitive as an entry feature to the Marketcenter Area along Technology Drive. Close attention should be given to screening the loading dock doors on the north side. D. Water Supply Plan Discussion in this portion of the agenda focused on water conservation. Kobrick reviewed several approaches to conservation, and noted that Eden Prairie already had most of the measures in place. Conservation measures are part of a long-term demand management strategy. Regulation/enforcement activities are appropriate to respond to drought or emergencies. The City's odd/even lawn watering restrictions do not conserve water, but help to manage peak demands. Council agreed with the comments of the consultant, staff, and the Environmental & Waste Management Commission that public education--a long-term, gradual, multi-faceted approach--would be the most effective strategy to conserve water. There was also discussion about conservation-oriented water rate structures, and an approach which had a higher rate for "excess usage" seemed preferable. The Council stated that a conceptual goal of an up-to-5 percent peak demand reduction through a new water rate structure should be explored. There was also sentiment that the City should undertake more enforcement activity on the existing odd/even watering restrictions. E. Adj ournment The meeting ended at 10:20 p.m.