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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council - 01/19/2016 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP & OPEN PODIUM TUESDAY,JANUARY 19, 2015 CITY CENTER 5:00—6:25 PM, HERITAGE ROOMS 6:30—7:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBER CITY COUNCIL: Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Council Members Brad Aho, Sherry Butcher Wickstrom, Kathy Nelson, and Ron Case CITY STAFF: City Manager Rick Getschow, Police Chief Rob Reynolds, Fire Chief George Esbensen, Public Works Director Robert Ellis, Community Development Director Janet Jeremiah, Parks and Recreation Director Jay Lotthammer, Communications Manager Joyce Lorenz, City Attorney Dan Gregerson, and Recorder Jan Curielli Workshop - Heritage Room H I. COMMISSION WORK PLANS A. CONSERVATION COMMISSION Conservation Commission Member Gina Gerard reviewed the commission's 2015 accomplishments and the work plan for 2016. In 2015 the commission provided input for the guidance manual and metrics and for Step 4 of the MPCA's GreenStep Cities program. They provided education on sustainable practices at several events and developed a new educational display graphic teaching about water use. The commission provided recommendations for the successor program to 20-40-15, and will continue to provide support for that program in 2016. In 2016 the commission will provide recommendations on key City initiatives such as the update to the Comprehensive Guide Plan. They will promote expanded use of the Environmental Learning Center at the water treatment facility and will provide additional input on pollinator protection. They will continue to provide education and outreach at events such as the Chamber Expo, Arbor Day and the City-wide Open House. They will be developing additional educational materials and are planning a joint meeting with the Parks and Recreation Commission. Aho noted the average homeowner doesn't know how much water they are using and asked if there is any way to see what their water usage is with an app or on a web link. Ellis replied they have recently looked at utility rates and possibly providing something like Xcel Energy does now in terms of use;however, the technology that exists today would require about$3,000,000 of investment. Gerard noted the Conservation Commission plans to continue raising awareness of water use and conservation methods. Nelson noted energy was not included in the commission's 2016 work plan. She would like to see some educational material available to residents about what they are allowed to do in terms of green energy technology. Tyra-Lukens suggested that would be a factor in the 20-40-15 successor program. Getschow noted the Council City Council Workshop Minutes January 19, 2016 Page 2 will have a workshop next month to discuss the successor program. He said the 20- 40-15 program focused on conserving energy in City facilities while the new program will provide ideas for community-wide conservation. B. FLYING CLOUD AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMISSION Flying Cloud Airport Advisory Commission Chair Keith Tschohl reviewed the commission's 2015 activities and 2016 work plan. Tschohl said the commission's goals for 2016 will include: monitoring developments in laws and regulations regarding small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or drones; visiting Flying Cloud Airport to learn more about airport staff and operator concerns and ideas, especially about reducing noise from airport operations; providing the Council with annual comparisons of the number of operations and noise complaints; providing feedback to the MAC Noise Program Office on revisions to the monthly noise complaint survey as they prepare to use that summary as a prototype for all MAC reliever airports; and monitoring development of the MAC's 2035 Long Term Comprehensive Plan (LTCP) for Flying Cloud Airport. He said the commission heard from representatives of MnDOT at the October meeting on the status of regulations regarding use of UAS. The commission will be monitoring changes in those regulations and the implication of regulations and UAS usage for Eden Prairie. During 2015 the commission reviewed the implementation of the Letter of Agreement(LoA)between the FAA and MAC to monitor the effectiveness of the LoA in reducing noise caused by helicopter training operations. He noted noise complaints from those operations were significantly reduced during the year. The commission also gave advice on operational changes at the airport, including a national ban on Stage 2 jet aircraft, continued hangar construction in the south hangar area, and reconstruction of Taxiway A. Case noted he had called in a noise complaint twice about repetitive helicopter operations near his home and asked about the percentage of complaints related to helicopter activity. Tschohl said he would have to get further statistics on helicopter operations. He noted the airport is fairly limited in their ability to move traffic around, and helicopter operations will probably remain on the north side of the airport. Aho asked to what the reduction in complaints might be attributed. Tschohl said there are many factors involved,but it could be due to a change in demographics, the weather or the time of day. Nelson said she noticed an increase in noise between 6:00 and 7:00 AM at least once or twice during the month. She noted that many children received a quadcopter or drone as a Christmas gift and will expect to fly them in their backyard. She asked what the regulations are about those devices. Tschohl said the FAA calls all such devices Unmanned Aircraft Systems and considers them to be aircraft whose regulation is under their jurisdiction. A hobbyist using a UAS within five miles of Flying Cloud airport is required to give the airport and the tower a call to let them know of the activity. Nelson then asked about regulation of kites. Tschohl said there is a separate regulation that addresses kites. He noted one of the problems with drones is that it is an evolving matter. The FAA has stated that any UAS over 250 grams City Council Workshop Minutes January 19, 2016 Page 3 must be registered. The use of UAS for commercial purposes requires a waiver, but that regulation is widely ignored by the industry. Nelson suggested we need to provide education to people about the regulation of UAS because those are becoming such a popular item. Tyra-Lukens asked if the airport receives calls from people about UAS. Mike Wilson, Airport Manager, said they must notify the airport and the control tower, and there have been a couple of those calls. Esbensen said we need to have a separate dialogue on the subject of UAS because this is a big issue. There are some meetings scheduled in a couple of weeks, and staff will be working on it during the year. C. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION Heritage Preservation Commission Chair Steve Olson reviewed the commission's 2015 activities and 2016 work plan. He said 2015 was a record-breaking year for grant receipts due to great work by Lori Creamer, Staff Liaison, to pursue those grants. The Commission did inventory work on the historic resources in Eden Prairie and plan to continue that work in 2016. The kiosk at Riley Lake Park was completed, and the Commission worked with the Parks Commission to plan for additional panels and signs at that location. They collaborated with the Parks Commission and MAC regarding the overlook at the airport and a proposed historic district for some of the airport hangars. The Dorenkemper property was declared a local historic site in 2015. They plan to do research on the Town of Hennepin and Murphy's Landing ferry, continue their work on the airport lookout site, and work on getting the Smith Douglas More and the Dorenkemper properties on the National Register. Tyra-Lukens noted they have many good ideas to use the grant money they obtain. D. HUMAN RIGHTS & DIVERSITY COMMISSION Human Rights & Diversity Commission Chair P.G. Narayanan reviewed the commission's 2015 activities and 2016 work plan. During 2015 the commission presented the Tracks in the Snow art exhibit about our Muslim neighbors, worked with the Fire Department to initiate a Cultural Services Unit(CSU) for the CERT program, sponsored a film on youth homelessness, worked on providing a formal human rights grievance procedure on the website, and other initiatives. The work plan for 2016 includes such items as elevating the visibility of the commission, increasing the Commission's listening avenues, community collaborative events including PeopleFest, and developing an advisory document to highlight the City's focus and challenges in areas of human rights. The commission will be accepting nominations for the annual Human Rights Awards soon. Tyra-Lukens asked if the human rights grievance process is something new and if we track the grievances. Patricia Fenrick, Staff Advisor, said it is not a new program and the commission will put together a procedure so the information can be tracked. Narayanan noted there have not been a large number of grievances. City Council Workshop Minutes January 19, 2016 Page 4 E. PARKS, RECREATION & NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION Parks, Recreation & Natural Resources Commission Chair Larry Link reviewed the commission's 2015 activities and 2016 work plan. He said Phase 1 of the Aquatics and Fitness Center expansion project was completed during 2015. That facility has become very busy with the two new pools and the expanded fitness center. They are reviewing the Outdoor Center master plan to update that facility and to get more visibility for the facility. A new program, Fitness in the Parks, was started in 2015 and was quite successful. In 2016 their plans include such things as monitoring development of the Cedar Hills Park neighborhood park, reviewing plans for the station design and public art for the Southwest Light Rail Transit station areas, planning for the grand opening of Phase 2 of the Aquatics Center update, and helping to launch the community Green Team. F. PLANNING COMMISSION Planning Commission Member Andrew Pieper reviewed the commission's 2015 activities and 2016 work plan. He said in 2015 the commission reviewed the plans for the Shops at Southwest Station and the Eden Prairie Retail project,reviewed an annexation request, reviewed ten land use development applications, provided input on design standards for PUD and site plans, and reviewed and provided input to the draft Transit Oriented Development ordinance and site improvements at Southwest Station. He said they plan to build on the knowledge base for the commission during 2016 and to focus on code amendment, design standards and the Comprehensive Guide Plan update. Tyra-Lukens asked about plans to review the tree ordinance. Getschow replied that is currently at the staff level. There is a workshop scheduled in the spring to take a look at code for tree preservation and replacement. Nelson commented she hoped staff is not recommending only native grasses for landscaping plans because that would change the look of the City from the current look with flowers and a variety of plantings. Open Podium - Council Chamber II. ADJOURNMENT