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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council - 12/10/1985 - Special Meeting � A APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE CITY COUNCIL " SPECIAL MEETING TUESDAY, DECE14BER 10, 1985 6:30 PIA, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION BOARDROOM COUNCIL MEMBERS: Mayor Gary D. Peterosn, Richard Anderson, George Bentley, Patricia Pidock, and Paul Redpath CITY COUNCIL STAFF: City Manager Carl J. Jullie, Assistant to the City Manager Craig Dawson, Planning Director Chris Enger; Director of Com- munity Services Robert Lambert, Director of Public Works Eugene A. Dietz, Acting Director of Public Safety Keith Wall , Fire Chief Ron Johnson, and Recording Secretary Karen Michael PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL: Counci lmembe►• Redpath was absent. I . APPROVAL OF AGENDA The following item was added to the Agenda: II . C. Set Special Meetin C for Monda , December 30 1985, at 4:00 .m. , at which me Housing Revenue Bond proposals will be reviewed. MOTION: Anderson moved, seconded by Bentley, to approve the Agenda as amended and published. There was discussion as to whether or not the housing revenue bonds which would be considered had been through the zoning process. It was determined that the reason for the meeting would be to accommodate those who wished to apply for the bonds under the tax laws for this year; only those which had already received an inducement resolution (preliminary approval ) could be considered. VOTE ON THE MOTION: Motion carried unanimously. II. NEW BUSINESS A. Transit System Report City Manager Jullie introduced Dick Wolsfeld, traffic engineer with BRW, who reported on the Transit Study Draft Report. City Council Minutes -2- December 10, 1985 Wolsfeld addressed the proposed system, commuter needs, internal circulator, transit dependent groups, transferability, costs, and marketing. Planning Director Enger asked about the reverse-commute system which is in use in Eden Prairie now. Wolsfeld said there are about 30 riders per day. He stated the employers are not marketing the program to their employees. Those who use the systam are loyal Iders. He noted the computer-industry employment base is not growing as it was. Bentley asked why there was not the need for an out commute in the morning to the 24th Avenue South/Cedar/494, Sou thdale, and County Road 18/Shelard areas. Wolsfeld said there are no incentives to ride the bus those areas whereas the high cost of parking in the downtown area provides the necessary insentive. He noted the shorter the trip, the more difficult it is to get people to ride the bus. Bentley said the Regional Transit Board Study which is due out in the Spring points out why routes fail ; this is largely due to the pinwheel effect of everything zeroing in on the central cities. Bentley asked on what basis the internal circulation routes were determined. Wolsfeld said they were based on a combination of reasonable travel times, trip generators, and parking complexes. Bentley asked who would determine the rates. Wolsfeld said that would be determined by the councils of the individual communities. Bentley asked who would operate the routes. Wolsfeld said the cities would bid the system; there would be a request for proposals which would be sent out to various carriers. Wolsfeld said there would be a board which would oversee the system. Bentley said he would be very concerned about allowing the transit operator to select the routes and fares. Bentley asked what means would be used to "lock" the cities into an agreement which would commit them to opt-out. Wolsfeld said this would be done via a joint agreement via a resolution. Bentley noted that the communities involved in the opt-out must realize that total equitability is impossible. The governing body must be able to support that. Anderson asked if a survey had been done to determine where the ridership will come from. Wolsfeld said that had been done. Anderson said he had been surprised to hear from the employers along Wallace Road ,just how many of their employees come from the west. Wolsfeld stated what must be done by each of the cities involved: each City Council crust pass the same opt-out resolution, determine the City Council Minutes -3- December 10, 1985 plan, draft a request for proposal , get a firm to provide the service and market the service. Wolsfeld said there is much to be done in order for this to be in operation in September. Bentley suggested the City offer its facilities for a joint meeting with the other city councils involved in the process so all could discuss the final plan at one time. Peterson said he believes the supervisory structure is as important as anything to whether or not this goes. Wolsfeld said his recommendation would be to have the cities establish a committee with representation from the four cities. The consensus of the Council was that the report was generally good and that the prospect of providing this type of service was appealing. B. Referendum for City Hall , Fire Station and Equipment Assistant to the City Manager Dawson referred to the December 4, 1985, memorandum in which this issue was discussed. ` Present to address the fire station and equipment issues were Ron Johnson, Fire Chief, and Mike Rogers, Assistant Fire Chief. Johnson related the needs of the department and why it has those needs. He stated there is a :geed to improve the response time to the southeast portion of the City; that time now averages 16 minutes whereas in the rest of Eden Prairie the response time averages six to eight minutes. Other needs include that of increasng the efficiency of the existing fire stations and increasing the overall firefighting capability. Johnson said these needs can be met with the addition of a fire station in the area of County Road 1 and Homeward Hills Road, remodeling fire stations #2 and #3, and improving the radio system which is presently in use. Johnson referenced the 1979 ISO study which is the basis for rating insurance. He stated there is a need to provide for the best overall firefighting capability and the same level of service must be provided to all parts of the City. Pidcock asked if an independent study of the needs of the City has been done. Johnson said this was last done in 1979. Anderson asked what the response time is for the airport. Johnson said it averages ten minutes for the first truck. Anderson asked how many responses the City has to the airport. Johnson said there have been 20 - 22 in the past two years. City Manager Juliie said the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) has stated it would be willing to help fund a fire station but that it would have to be within 90 seconds response time from the airport. Bentley asked Staff for an opinion as to the City 's firefighting needs in terms of fiscal responsbi lity. Jullie said there is a need for E City Council Mlinutes -4- December 10, 1985 2 another station as well as the equipment to support it. He said more rationale was needed to support the expansion of the existing stations as well as some of the stated equipment needs. Jullie said he had asked that ideas be presented to the Council tonight as to what might be needed by the department. Bentley said he would like to see a prioritized list with recommendations from the City Manager as well as site and design information and costs. He asked that this be ready no later than January 31st. Anderson said he would like to see something worked out with MAC. Bentley suggested a comparison be done with surrounding communities as to their equipment and also what equipment is available from the surrounding communities with whom we have mutual aid. Peterson said he would like to see some data regarding the radio situation. Assistant to the City Manager Dawson spoke to the December 4, 1985, memorandum and introduced Ed Frenette and Wally Daniels, architects with Setter Leach & Lindstrom, Inc. who were present to discuss the City Hall portion of the referendum. Daniels reviewed what has been done and stated they are now in the process of finalizing the building program. Daniels said the architects are aware of what the City 's needs are. Frenette said the building would be as efficient as possible. Daniels reviewed three sites which they have looked at: site one, across Mitchell Road from CPT, was unavailable; site two, the City-owned property south of the Public Safety Building, is "tight" and there would be more constraints particularly in the parking which would have to be structured; and site three, the property immediately north of the Flagship Athletic Club, is not owned by the City,has poor soil conditions and would have to be built on pilings. Frenette reviewed the design considerations. Anderson expressed concern about the site restrictions of site number two and the soil conditions of site number three. He posed the question: what would a City Hall on Mitchell Road overlook? He did not think overlooking the sludge ponds was desireable. Bentley said it might be a wise decision to look at other sites. Peterson suggested the Council appoint a site selection committee to look at four or five sites. i City Manager Jullie said he liked the campus idea. He said he would like to be near other City facilities for which he is responsible and in that respect favored site number two. Anderson said he concurred with Bentley about looking at other sites. He indicated he had not really thought of a city hall in the Purgatory 71 1 F ...� .�. max- t 4 City Council Minutes -5- December 10, 1985 ` Creek Area until he had seen the Purgatory Creek Master Plan. He said that might well be a more enjoyable and aesthetic area in which to have a city hall. Peterson said consideration must be given to the question of what does the community want to pay for -- an up-scale building would dictate something more than concrete block which is what most of the present city buildings are and would be more costly. Pidcock said she liked the idea of the campus-type environment. This would lend itself to good, efficient government. Director of Community Services Lambert said that if the City Council is still committed to the Purgatory Creek Recreation area and if there is going to be the grand entrance to the area, there must be enough land to provide for adequate parking. He noted that parking can be shared by the City Hail facility and the park users. Peterson said he would like to see some cost estimates. Planning Director Enger stated that the image of the community should reflect what the City requests developers to do; he said he has to tell developers on a daily basis what the City expects, and that should be a consideration in the City 's plans for a new city hall. _ Bentley said he would suggest a site selection committee consisting of the City Manager, two Staff members appointed by the City Manager, and four residents appointed by the Council ; this should be done very quickly. Anderson and Pidcock said they would like to be on the committee. Daniels reviewed a possible time line which indicated potential schedules from now until a bond referendum and from the time of a referendum: to the start of construction. MOTION: Bentley moved, seconded by Peterson, to appoint a Site Selection Committee consisting of the City Manager, one Staff member appointed by the City Manager, and five residents appointed by the City Council (appointments to be made at the December 17, 1985, meeting of the City Council ) . Motion carried with Pidcock voting 84 no Peterson said consideration should be given as to the types of committees which the Council should appoint to carry out the work necessary prior to the referendum. Bentley said the Council will have to resolve these issues by January 29, 1986. He noted there is a need to set a tentative date for a referendum. City Council Minutes -6- December 10, 1985 City Manager Jullie said he had been asked by members of the Eden Prairie Hockey Association to include their needs in the referendum. He said an addition to the Community Center would cost approximately $2 - $3 million ; Miller Park site acquisition would be about $2.25 million; and a softball field complex would cost $1 million. This would be a total of $11 million with a City Hall, fire needs and the requests of the athletic associations; this would amount to 2.4 mills or $54/year on a $100,000 home. Jullie said there is a question regarding how the referendum question might be structured; the City has had differing legal opinions regarding this and it is being studied further. Pidcock asked what the cost would be to the homeowner for a city hall and a fire station. Jullie said about $25 - $30/year. Peterson said he would like to see some projections on what we can foresee in five to ten years regarding tax increment financing, other City needs, and capital investments. He said there is a need for definitive answers. Bentley noted the City Needs Committee did a considerable amount of work regarding the needs and the staging of needs. He said the Council must look at how firmly it wants to stand regarding those recommendations. He said what he would like to know if there are different needs than those which were recommended by the City Needs Committee. Director of Community Services Lambert stated that many on the committee felt it made more sense to have the City make its requests via one referendum rather than in consecutive years. Bentley asked what is going to be done about the lake levels. Lambert said Barr Engineering was supposed to report to the City in November as to how much would be assessed to each community. He said he was assumming the cost would be about $1 million. Pidcock said she would like to know what percentage of the people in Eden Prairie would be using the second sheet of ice as well as what percentage of the population is served by the Community Center. MOTION: Bentley moved, seconded by Anderson, to set a special council meeting date for Wednesday, January 29, 1986, at 7:30 p.m. for the purpose of getting input from Staff and other sources on specifics of the referendum; and to set a tentative referendum date for March 25, 1986. Motion carried unanimously. C. Set Special Meetin, for Monday, December 30, 1985 at 4:00 p. m. at which time Hous ni g�enue BonA Proposa s will be rev ewe City Council Minutes -7- December 10, 1985 MOTION: Bentleymoved seconded b Pidcock to set a special meeting y P 9 of the City Council for Monday, December 30, 1985, at 4:00 p.m. at which time Housing Revenue Bond Proposals will be reviewed; the meeting will be held in the School Administration Boardroom. Motion carried unanimously. D. Peterson - noted that Floyd E. Siefferman and Gordon Alexander, representing the Cardinal Creek Homeowners Association, have request to be on the Council Agenda on December 17, 1985. A : Jullie - noted that Jeannette Harrington had contributed her collection of drawings of old Eden Prairie buildings to the City and the School District. MOTION: Anderson moved, seconded by Pidcock, to refer Jeannette Harrington 's donation of drawings to the Historical and Cultural Commission for its input as to how to display them and to thank Jeannette Harrington for her contribution. Motion carried unani- mously. Jullie - noted the process for the selection of a new Public Safety Director has begun and applications will be accepted through the end of January. III . ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Bentley moved, seconded by Anderson, to adjourn the meeting at 11:20 p.m. "ration carried unanimously. e ,z _..:.. .._._..