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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council - 01/29/1986 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE CITY COUNCIL WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1986 7:30 PM, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION BOARDROOM COUNCIL MEMBERS: Mayor Gary Peterson, Richard Anderson, George Bentley, Patricia Pidcock, and Paul Redpath CITY COUNCIL STAFF: City Manager Carl J. Jullie, Assistant to the City Manager Craig Dawson, City Attor- ney Roger Pauly, Finance Director Jahn D. Frane, Planning Director Chris Enger, Director of Community Services Robert Lambert, Director of Public Works Eugene A. Dietz, and Recording Secretary Karen Michael PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL: All members were present. I . APPROVAL OF AGENDA . x The following items were added to the Agenda: VI. A. Consider Special s C Date and Time for Interviewin2 Canididates for Commissions who are unable o atEen the revsous scheduled session and VI. 9. LHC on erence o e Field on February t ; item Adjournmentbecomes item MOTION: Redpath moved, seconded by Bentley, to approve the Agenda as p amended and published. Motion carried unanimously. 9 II . REPORT FROM CITY HALL SITE SECLECTION COMMITTEE City Manager Jullie said the Site Selection Committee had met twice and had come up with a recommendation regarding a City Hall site. Jullie noted the Minutes of the Committee, as well as other materials which had been provided to the Committee, were included in the Council packet. Director of Community Services Lambert reviewed the seven sites and gave the rationale for the two sites which had been selected by the Committee. Bentley asked when site #7 had come into place; he was unaware of that site until this week and thought the Council had directed the Committee to review six sites. Redpath said the City had spend a lot of money for the Purgatory Creek Master Plan; in that it was recommended a civic center be built on the east side of the park as the gateway to the park area. Y C City Council Minutes -2- January 29, 1986 Peterson said he was nervous about the City Council giving direction to a committee to look at six sites and then having a seventh site come into play at the last minute without the City Counci l 's kn;n-Iledge. He thought this would create negative opinions regarding the City Council 's process. Bentley concurred. Anderson asked whether or not a committee could be restricted as to the sites it chose to review. Peterson said the z Committee should have come back to the City Council and requested it have broader powers to look at other sites . Peterson stated the six sites were the parameters ; and, in terms of an orderly process, the Committee should have come back to the Council to ask if it could or should examine additional sites. Pidcock said she thought the Council had appointed a Site Selection Committee to look at whatever sites might be under consideration. Redpath asked if there was sufficient information available regarding Site #7. Anderson said he would be the last person to go back to the members of the Committee to say they had not had adequate information on which to base a decision. Anderson stated there are lots of unanswered questions about Site #3 as well as the other sites. Bentley said his concerns about site #7 include the fact that the Major Center Area/Purgatory Creek Park Master Plan showed the main focal point/park entrance to be on the east side of the Creek and having this moved to the west would alter that plan; and the issues used as negatives on Site #E3 were not available for Site #7 (soil conditions and specific dollar amounts ) Bentley said he thought the site should be somewhere along k Prairie Center Drive in the MCA. Anderson said he did not think any restrictions as to where the site should be were made in the motion to l establish the Site Selection Committee. Pidcock noted the City 's architects for a new city hall had expressed concern regarding the size of a city hall next to Flagship Athletic Club; the city hall would be overshadowed by the Club. Pidcock said she thought the integrity of the Site Selection Committee was being attacked. Redpath said he felt that that the integrity of the Prairie Center Drive site was to be protected all along and that a government building would set the tone for that area. Pidcock said she thought that Flagship Athletic club had altered that. Bentley said the Purgatory Creek Master Plan showed a plaza and park entrance; he stated that Site #7 did not bother him as a site for a city hall, but he did not think that should be the major entrance for the park and goes against what was intended. Anderson said he had spent a Saturday morning and a Wednesday evening listening to the pros and cons of each of the sites. He expressed concern ds to why the Council was debating this. Anderson thanked Staff for suggesting a site which might be a good one and had been overlooked. Peterson said this is going to be one of the most significant decisions the City Council will make. He said he would have to know that Site #7 had been adequately studied so he will know it is the best site. Lambert apologized to the Council and to the Site Selection Committee for adding 4 City Council Minutes -3- January 29, 1986 Site #7; he said he had not realized the sites to be reviewed were limited. He indicated that soil borings could be made and the price of the properties could be determined prior to the time when the Council made a final decision as to the site. Bentley said he recalled that part of the discussion during the hearings regarding Flagship Athletic Club were that it would not jeopardize the entrance to the park; the entrance would just be shifted north. Bentley said he had never heard that it would preclude the entrance to the park being in that general location. Lambert said the major changes would have to be made to the Purgatory Creek Park Area Master Plan due to the existence of Flagship Athletic Club and the soil conditions; the major access to the park would have to be moved 600' to the north. Anderson said he would like to have the Council have all the information which was p-esented to the Site Selection Committee prior to the Council 's decision being made. Pidcock said she thought it was ridiculous to have appointed a Site Selection Committee and then not to take its recommendation. Peterson said he thought the City Council should look at this very closely; there was no reason for the Council to race through with a decision. Peterson said he thought it was good there were questions raised this evening regarding the sites. MOTION: Anderson moved, seconded by Bentley, to direct Staff to bring to the City Council all the information which was looked at by the Site Selection Committee with the hope the Council will look at this with an open mind. 0 { Redpath said he would expect that review to include information on hard # figures regarding the costs of each of the sites as well as ,,oil conditions of each . Peterson asked if the park plan could be updated to show a western entrance. Lambert said that would cost about $5,000. Peterson asked if it would be reasonable for this to be brought before the Parks, Recreation & Natural Resources Commission. Lambert asked for clarification; was the information which is to be provided the Council to be for Sites #3 and #7 only. Pidcock said she would like to have information on Site #1 also. AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION: Pidcock moved, seconded by Redpath, tc restrict the presentation of additional materials - anything which might be pertinent regarding a site for city hall to Sites #1, #3, and #7. Motion carried unanimously. VOTE ON F4OTION AS AMENDED: Motion carried unanimously. 1 MOTION: Anderson moved, seconded by Bentley, to set a special meeting of the City Council for 8 p.m. , Tuesday, February 11, 1986, to discuss the sites under consideration for a new city hall. Motion carried unanimously. City Council Minutes -4- January 29, 1986 a III . LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR REFERENDUM QUESTIONS ON THE BALLOT City Manager Jullie said the City had consulted with bond counsel firms regarding this matter; the City Attorney had also researched the question. x Jullie called attention to Finance Director Frane's memorandum of January 24, 1986, in which this issue was addressed. t 9 t Redpath said he would like to get back to the City Needs Committee and have it look at this for its recommendation as to whether or not to go for the whole package; the recommendation of that Committee had been to have one referendum in 1986 and another in 1987. Anderson stated there were several members of the City Needs Committee on the Site Selection Committee who were concerned about where the support is coming from; he said how the question is put before the residents is very important. Peterson said he did not think the Council needs to justify the need for a new city hall or for a fire station; the Committee could be asked about including the community center expansion and park improvements on the same ballot. Bentley said he did think there was any justification for the Committee to look at this ; he said he was not prepared to decide beyond the city hall and fire station. Lambert noted that when the City Council appointed the City Needs Committee a sub-committee was appointed as well ; the sub-committee had different priorities than the City Needs Committee and had requested that all be included in the referendum. Jerry Wigen, 7000 Kingston Drive, said he would have a hard time with a referndum which included four questions. He said single-issue referenda have passed, but multiple question referenda have failed. He stated the success of any referendum is based on people working together for the same cause. He provided background information regarding the referendum held in 1979. City Manager Jullie said that several weeks ago some of the representatives of the various athletic associations had talked to him and expressed the need for more facilities ; they indicated they would support a referendum which included those issues. Jullie said Staff had pulled together the data so the Council could decided how it wants the issue to be and noted the linkage provision would give the residents, should they desire to do so, an opportunity to go ahead with the community center expansion and park development a year earlier than had been proposed by the City Needs Committee. MOTION: Bentley moved, seconded by Redpath , to ask the City Needs Committee to reconvene to review which of the items should be included in the referendum and to come back to the City Council with its report as I soon as possible. Pidcock said she did not feel the Committee should add anything to what has already been proposed; but it should have the opportunity to delete should it so desire. City Counci 1 Minutes -5- January 29, 1986 Rich Anderson, member of the City Needs Committee, said he believed the simpler the question, the better. VOTE ON THE MOTION: Motion carried unanimously. MOTION: Anderson moved, seconded by Bentley, to thank the people who R served on the Site Selection Committee for their work. Motion carried ,a unanimously. MOTION: Bentley moved, seconded by Redpath , to direct the City Attorney to give the City Council a very specific ruling on how the referendum question ,must be phrased as wrll as specific rulings regarding matters ' similar to this. Motion carried unanimously. IV. POTENTIAL REFERENDUM ITE";S City Manager Jullie noted a memorandum dated January 24, 1986, from Fire Chief Ron Johnson which addressed the referendum. Johnson spoke to the needs of the Fire Department. Bentley expressed concern about the remodeling of the fire stations. He said he did not think it was essential to do that at this time; he did not believe the justification for absolute need had been demonstrated. Bentley questionned the need for a second ladder truck. Jullie said Staff had done a lot of research and this is a critical item in getting a rate code adjustment. Johnson explained how a volunteer fire department works and how every person has a specific assignment. Johnson noted that fire protect Ion in a city has to grow with the city; it is not a catch-up process. Bentley said he thought there would have to be some cuts made from the list presented to the Council . Johnson said he would cut equipment before cutting the remodeling of the fire stations; he said he is concerned with the care and needs of the fire fighters and the equipment which they now have. Bentley said the intent of the proposed referendum was to get one new fire station and that seems to have escalated. Bentley said he was not saying there was not a need for the other items , but that was not what had been intended. Johnson said he had been directed to come up with fire needs and had not realized it was limited to a fire station. He stated that a package had been developed so the Fire Department would not have to come back to the voters often. Peterson said he thought everyone should be aware that the voters are looking at a lot of money and the Council must be able to justify each item. Redpath said perhaps some of the items could be included in the City `s budget over a period of years. Bentley suggested Jullie and Johnson rework the figures to see if there are some areas which can be redone. Redpath said the Council must keep in mind that it is dealing with a volunteer department which has served the City well . Johnson said he must take back a package which will be I City Counci 1 Minutes -6- January 29, 1986 M supported by the firefighters . Peterson said he thought it would be wise to look at the space needs and not some of the smaller dollar-amount items. Jullie pointed out that there is sometimes a levy limit problem with some of the i t erns noted. Lambert said his intention would be to meet with the sub-committee of the City Needs Study Committee to get a recommendation from it which would then go to the City Needs Study Committee which would then make a recommendation to the Council . This would be following the process used last summer. These groups would review the $15 million list. lambert said the City has a schematic plan for the Community Center and the dollar figure of $3.2 million is a guesstimate on his part ; he asked for authorization to have the plan reviewed by an architect for more specific i costs. MOTION: Anderson moved, seconded by Bentley, to authorize up to $2,500 to have an architect come up with a dollar amount for an addition to the Community Center. Roll call vote: Anderson, Bentley, Pidcock, Redpath, and Peterson voted "aye". Motion carried unanimously. Bentley expressed concern with the fact that the referendum had started out to include a new city hall and a fire station and had now mushroomed into a large expansion of the Community Center and the park acquisition proposal . He said he would vote "no" on a bond issue if the Council does not have hard figures before it very soon ; he said he did not think this was a catch-all bond issue for everyone in Eden Prairie. Redpath said some of these items were proposed for 1987; for the Council to have to pare down the city hall issue so the total referendum is saleable is not fair. Jullie said Staff brought to the Council figures to show the magnitude of what is before the City in the way of needs. Pidcock said it is up to the Council to look at what is happening at the State and Federal levels in the way of cuts. She said she had expected to get near-to- complete figures as to costs this evening. Bentley said he was frustrated with the circumstances. He said he was excited about a new city hall ; and believed that while there are fire needs and park needs, these must be dealt with in an orderly way so the tax payers in Eden Prairie are not destroyed in the process. Bentley said the Council was asking the Needs Study Committee to recommend whether or not the circumstances have changed so these should be included in this year 's referendum. V. REFERENDUM DATE i City Manager Jullie suggested May 6th as the target date for a referendum. The consensus was that it was realistic to set May 6th as a target date but to postpone setting it in the event a change was necessary based on the information which has been requested this evening. 140TION: Redpath moved, seconded by Pidcock, to set the first part of May as the target date for a bond referendum. Motion carried unanimously. City Council Minutes .7- January 29, 1986 ^ VI . OTHER ITEMS A. Consider Special Date and Time for Interviewin Candidates for Commissions who are unable to attend previous y scheduled session City Manager Jullie said requests to appear at another time had been made by candidates for comnissions who are not able to attend the February 10th meeting. The consensus was that not everyone would be able to attend one or more interview sessions. Staff was directed to communicate to those who had indicated they would not be able to attend the February loth session that they should contact the Council members individually and/or provide additional background material for review by. Council members. B. LMC Conference on February 5th City Manager Jullie noted the LMIC Conference to be held on February 5th. Council members Pidc©ck, Redpath , and Peterson said they would be able to attend. VII . ADJOURNMENT l 140TION: Anderson moved, seconded by Redpath, to adjourn the meeting at 11 :00 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. a �t_