Loading...
City Council - 04/03/2001 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY,APRIL 3,2001 7:00 PM, CITY CENTER Council Chamber 8080 Mitchell Road CITY COUNCIL: Mayor Jean Harris, Councilmembers Sherry Butcher, Ronald Case, Jan Mosman, and Nancy Tyra-Lukens CITY STAFF: City Manager Chris Enger, Parks & Recreation Services Director Bob Lambert, Public Safety Director Jim Clark, Public Works Services Director Eugene Dietz, Community Development and Financial Services Director Don Uram, City Attorney Ric Rosow and Council Recorder Peggy Rasmussen I. ROLL CALL/CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER Mayor Harris called the meeting to order at 7:09 p.m. II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE III. COUNCIL FORUM INVITATION Mayor Harris said Council Forum is held the first and third Tuesdays of the month from 6:30 — 6:55 p.m. in Heritage Room II. This will be scheduled time following City Council Workshops and immediately preceding regular City Council Meetings. It is important if you wish to visit with the City Council and Service Area Directors at this time that you notify the City Manager's office by noon of the meeting date with your request. IV. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS MOTION: Tyra-Lukens moved, seconded by Butcher, to approve the agenda as published. Motion carried 5-0. V. MINUTES A. COUNCIL WORKSHOP HELD TUESDAY,MARCH 20,2001 MOTION: Butcher moved, seconded by Case, to approve the minutes of the Council Workshop held Tuesday, March 20, 2001, as published. Motion carried 5-0. B. CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD TUESDAY,MARCH 20,2001 Harris made corrections on page 9. In the second paragraph, the second sentence should read "She also spoke with Representative Jim Oberstar, . . ." The first sentence in the fourth paragraph was corrected to read ". . the National Organization to Insure a Sound-Controlled Environment (NOISE)." Subsequent referrals to the acronym on pages 9 and 10 were also corrected. CITY COUNCIL HU TES April 3,2001 Page 2 MOTION: Case moved, seconded by Tyra-Lukens, to approve the minutes of the City Council Meeting held Tuesday, March 20, 2001, as published and amended. Motion carried 5-0. VI. CONSENT CALENDAR A. CLERK'S LICENSE LIST B. SUNNYBROOK PLACE by Baton Corporation. 2nd Reading for Planned Unit Development District Review with waivers on 7.71 acres, Zoning District Change from Rural to RM-6.5 Zoning District on 7.71 acres, and Site Plan Review on 7.71 acres. Location: Sunnybrook Road (Ordinance No. 11-2001-PUD-6-2001 for Zoning District Change and Resolution No. 2001-56 for Site Plan Review) C. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2001-57 APPROVING FINAL PLAT OF ROLLING HILLS D. AWARD CONTRACT FOR 2001 STREET STRIPING TO PRECISION PAVEMENT MARKING,I.C. 01-5533 E. APPROVE THE RELEASE OF LAND FROM SPECIAL ASSESSMENT AGREEMENT FOR LOT 3, BLOCK 2, BELL OAKS SECOND ADDITION, S.S.A. 89-06 F. APPROVE LIMITED USE PERMIT AGREEMENT WITH MNDOT FOR A TRAIL WITHIN TH212 RIGHT-OF-WAY ALONG BRYANT LAKE DRIVE G. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2001-58 REJECTING BIDS FOR MID MOUNT AERIAL PLATFORM(FIRE APPARATUS) MOTION: Tyra-Lukens moved, seconded by Case, to approve Items A-G on the Consent Calendar. Motion carried 5-0. VH. PUBLIC HEARINGS/MEETINGS VIII. PAYMENT OF CLAIMS MOTION: Case moved, seconded by Butcher, to approve Payment of Claims. Motion was approved on a roll call vote, with Butcher, Case, Mosman, Tyra-Lukens and Harris voting"aye." IX. ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS X. PETITIONS,REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS A. UPDATE ON GOLDEN TRIANGLE TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION CITY COUNCIL MINUTES April 3,2001 Page 3 Mosman introduced Irene Wright, Executive Director of the Golden Triangle Transportation Management Organization. Mosman said she and Ms. Wright have been working together on the I-494 Corridor Commission. Ms. Wright was hired to organize a Traffic Management Association (TMA) within the Golden Triangle of Eden Prairie. She is helping businesses develop solutions to area traffic problems, which are intense, because half of the jobs in Eden Prairie are located here. The TMA is a joint effort of the City, the Metropolitan Council, the I-494 Corridor Commission, MnDOT and area businesses. There is momentum building among the businesses within the Golden Triangle to join the TMA, as they see the need for creative traffic solutions. Mosman said Ms. Wright will explain why that intensity of concern has dissipated at present and when it will likely return, along with the urgent demands to improve traffic flow. Ms. Wright is looking into starting TMAs in other areas of the City as well. Mosman and Wright are planning to meet this week with the new Chair of the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce, John Rooney. Wright said she began work on May 15, 2000. She is an Eden Prairie resident. The TMA consists of private industry members who are interested in improving traffic congestion and increasing traffic flow in and out of the Golden Triangle area. The Golden Triangle is bounded by Highway 169, I-494, and Highway 62. The TMA is part of a Regional Demonstration Project. Funding for the TMA comes from a Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) grant, which is being used to pay TMA expenses through December 2001. The demonstration project has a multi-level strategy to reduce congestion. One is a traffic study identifying specific intersections and specific infrastructure projects that will help improve traffic flow in and out of the area. The consultant group, SRF, has completed this study. The market-research portion has handled some employee focus groups to discuss what types of incentives, if any, would persuade them to carpool. Also there is a telephone survey being conducted to obtain the same information. A study will test those incentives this summer. The other strategy is a study of development within the Golden Triangle area, which is heavily industrial. There are still 40 open acres to develop and, with single-level office buildings, room for redevelopment within the area. Businesses are willing to come together and work toward some solutions, so now it is a matter of setting priorities to move forrward. Membership in TMA is voluntary, and there are currently 15 members, including some property managers. The TMA speaks on transportation matters for all employees in that specific area. The TMA members pay annual dues, which can be used to support the administration of the TMA, provide new incentives to employees for ride-sharing, for transit, or for new local infrastructure improvements. The dues structure has been put on hold while a work plan is being developed and while the members determine what types of projects they want to promote. Dues are set depending on the size of the building the member owns, or size of employment if the member is a property manager. Wright is now working on the plan for 2001-2002. There are 26,000 employees in the Golden Triangle area. The 15 TMA members represent about 7,400 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES April 3,2001 Page 4 employees. The TMA has collected $18,000 in dues the first year. The core group of members is innovative, attends meetings regularly, and has committed time to get transportation management strategies in place in the buildings they own or manage. Wright has contacted 193 employers in the Golden Triangle, most of which have 50 or more employees. That is 30 percent of the 553 employers in the area. She has exhausted the list of larger companies in the Golden Triangle and is now working on smaller companies to recruit members for the TMA. Some have only ten or twenty employees and don't think they contribute to the traffic congestion. However, there is a growing consensus among the businesses she has met with that they want to do something. The vision of TMA members is they want to promote an efficient transportation system that produces a healthier environment for the Golden Triangle commerce and community. They are continuing with various activities. In April they will be contacting employers to obtain an employee survey sample to use for TMA incentive testing. This summer they will start testing some strategies from the surveys and focus groups to see if they are viable. They will work with transit operators to see what strategies can be implemented. For example, employees may be interested in joining a car pool where they would exchange lane miles for flight miles or gifts. She is hoping to make more than just Transportation Demand Management (TDM) part of their TMA. Other changes would be development and redevelopment, such as working with the City to see how to bring in mixed-land use,with the hope of having housing available to keep employees in the area. She is working with employers to change hours of work, which would make it easier for employees to get in and out of the Golden Triangle. The timing of ramp meters was reduced by MnDOT to a maximum of four seconds, so there is not as much of a problem getting out of the Golden Triangle area. Butcher she understood the program is funded through the end of the year and asked what will happen then. Wright hoped the TMA would be self-sufficient by then because of the dues paid by the members. That should be enough to keep the staff going and can be used to leverage funding for infrastructure improvements or move them up closer to the top of the list of projects. Butcher said she would like to see the plan fulfilled and hoped Wright's position would remain for a few years. Wright said she believed the TMA would want to keep someone in place to continue working specifically for this cause. Tyra-Lukens asked if there are models for effective TMAs within the Twin Cities' area. Wright replied the Golden Triangle TMA is the first of its kind in Minnesota and is the model for the state. There are some others, mostly on the east and west coasts. They exist primarily because of the need to reduce pollution emissions from cars and trucks. Now, with pollution reduced, TMAs are not a requirement for businesses but are strongly suggested. In Eden Prairie TDM plans are strongly suggested. There is a lot of potential to increase the number of TDM plans. CITY COUNCIL MINUTES April 3,2001 Page 5 Mosman said Wright referred to a long list and a short list of goals, and asked if she would be submitting those goals to the City to get support for them. Wright said she definitely would be doing that. She is working on the first draft of a work plan. From that work plan, and also from meeting with the City engineers, she is going through the traffic study identifying projects to work on. She also wants to contact each employer in the Golden Triangle and ask what types of things they want to see done in order,to find out what they perceive the problems are. The short list is goals to be reached in 90 days and the long list is goals for the next two years. She was sure she would be coming to the City for support for these projects. Case asked Enger if the City is allowed to mandate TMA membership as part of the developer's agreement for new development or redevelopment in the Golden Triangle area. Enger replied the City has not mandated TMA membership so far, but in each development agreement the Council has required the developer to include a TDM plan. As Ms. Wright indicated, these businesses are not in the Transportation Demand Management business and, to the extent that they are multi-tenant buildings, it has not been very cost-effective for them to hire a coordinator and do it on a per-building basis. The Council has been requiring developers to have TDM plans. He suggested an alternative idea, that they could choose membership in a TMA. However, he was not sure membership in a TMA costs enough to really offset what it would cost them to meet the requirement of the development agreement. For example, it may cost a company $100,000 per year to hire a coordinator for their 200,000 square-foot building, and then the cost to run a program and give incentives to employees beyond that. If their membership in the TMA costs perhaps $5,000 a year, a real disparity exists there. He and the Council would need to talk about that. He believed real progress could be made in that relationship between either the requirement for a TDM plan or giving credit for membership in the TMA. It was just that the TMA needed to get up and to the point where the services it offered were as effective or comparable to what you would require in the development agreement, but done on a global basis. Case asked if Enger thought the City was to the point where TMA membership could be part of the TDM that the City mandates. Enger said he would want to look at that,but it sounded like a good idea. Wright said she also approaches employers asking them to utilize the team of people supporting the program — the TMA, the transit providers and Metro Commuter Services. She tells them to use the team as an extension of the company to help find out what is available to their employees, because there are subsidies and many incentives that employers don't know about. She will then help get the program going for them. Mayor Harris said the work Wright is doing is critical, because the Golden Triangle is a very vital area, and to the extent it thrives so does the City. She thanked Wright and asked her to continue the good work. CITY COUNCIL MINUTES April 3,2001 Page 6 Suzanne Zutter, Business Liaison with Southwest Metro Transit, said her job was made possible because of the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality grant. She was hired by Southwest Metro primarily to organize van pools for businesses located in Eden Prairie, Chanhassen and Chaska to provide suburb-to-suburb transportation. Many employees come from other areas for entry-level positions and don't have transportation. Southwest Metro leases vans and provides insurance, fuel and maintenance of the vehicles. The driver gets the use of the van at no cost, and passengers pay the same amount as the bus fare would be. Currently there are eleven vans on the road. Of the eleven,three are going to Best Buy in the Golden Triangle area. They hope to get more vans. The program is funded through December 2002. Tyra-Lukens asked about "van wraps", which is advertising on the outside of the vans. Zutter said she has had a number of phone calls about this. It is estimated about 250,000 people would see the advertising. Mayor Harris congratulated Zutter on Southwest Metro's advertising brochure, which not only has good information but also has eye appeal. Getting people into van pools helps to relieve traffic congestion. B. PRESENTATION FROM HABITAT FOR TECHNOLOGY Enger stated that this has been rescheduled to the Council Meeting on April 17. XI. REPORTS OF ADVISORY BOARDS & COMUSSIONS XII. APPOINTMENTS XIII. REPORTS OF OFFICERS A. REPORTS OF COUNCILMEMBERS B. REPORT OF CITY MANAGER 1. Set dates for Council Effectiveness Retreat and Joint Council/ Community Program Board/Parks & Recreation Citizen Advisory Commission Workshop on Community Survey Results Enger said the Council decided to hold an overnight Council Effectiveness Retreat at a local conference center, and after checking dates with all participants, April 27 and 28 was found to be the best time. Staff contacted the Oak Ridge Conference Center in Chaska and has made preliminary plans to hold the meeting there on those dates. Leadership Consultant Carl Neu is available to attend on those dates. At the March 20 Council Workshop, the Community Survey results were presented. A suggestion was made by a member of the Community Program Board that it would be worthwhile to have an opportunity for the Council, Community Program Board, and Parks and Recreation Citizen CITY COUNCIL MINUTES April 3,2001 Page 7 Advisory Commission to meet jointly to discuss the results, as well as to give the Boards and Commissions directions from the Council in use of the survey data to set courses of action. After reviewing the Council schedule, staff determined the May 1, 2001, Council Workshop is the first opportunity to hold such a meeting. MOTION: Tyra-Lukens moved, seconded by Case, to set April 27 and 28, 2001, as rescheduled dates for a Council Planning Retreat; and to set the May 1, 2001, Council Workshop as a joint meeting with Parks and Recreation Citizen Advisory Commission and Community Program Board. Motion carried 5-0. 2. Metropolitan Airports Commission Planning and Environment Committee Meeting Enger reported a meeting of the above committee was held that afternoon, April 3, to consider setting a public hearing on June 15,2001,to determine whether or not Ordinance 51 should be amended or repealed. It was removed from their Consent Calendar so people could speak to the issue. Tom Heffelfinger, Chair of the Flying Cloud Advisory Commission, encouraged the Planning and Environment Committee not to set the public hearing for June 15, but to table a decision to the July 10 meeting of the Committee. City Attorney Ric Rosow also spoke, as he wanted to make the Planning and Environment Committee aware of the City Council's motion on March 6, 2001, which further committed the Council's support of the mission to work on resolution of the Ordinance 51 issue. There were also presentations by Kim Vohs of Zero Expansion and Gary Demee of Zero Expansion, who is a newly appointed member of the Flying Cloud Advisory Commission. The Planning and Environment Committee tabled their motion, did not take action, and will revisit this item on July 10. Enger said Peter Kirsch and his associate, Dan Reimer,were in attendance to observe the proceedings and get background information. He and Rosow met with them afterward, and they were to meet with the Council in the closed session at the end of the Council meeting. C. REPORT OF PARKS AND RECREATION SERVICES DIRECTOR D. REPORT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCIAL SERVICES DIRECTOR E. REPORT OF PUBLIC WORKS SERVICES DIRECTOR 1. Water Management Planning Task Force Dietz explained that a task force is required for both the Local Water Management Plan (LWMP) and Wellhead Protection Plan(WHPP); two CITY COUNCIL MINUTES April 3,2001 Page 8 issues the City is currently working on. Because the focus of the two plans is similar, protection of surface and ground water, the staff suggested putting them together. Councilmembers received the Charter Statement for the task force in their packet of information. The meetings will begin this spring. The purpose would be to provide input to staff for development of these two plans. The second request was to appoint people to the task force. It is suggested that there be one Councilmember. A member of the Community Planning Board has been asked to serve on the task force. The suggested format for citizen participation is that there be a well-driller and a business person, and they have been secured. Five residents have also been asked, and all are very well qualified. Four are technical specialists in the water and biology fields and the fifth is an expert in community affairs. Dietz asked Council to adopt the Charter Statement naming the task force and to appoint the members to the task force. ,MOTION: Case moved, seconded by Tyra-Lukens, to create a Task Force and adopt a Charter Statement for the Local Water Management Plan and the Wellhead Protection Plan. Motion carried 5-0. Mayor Harris said she would like to appoint Jan Mosman as the Council's representative, and Sherry Butcher as her alternate. Both have accepted. MOTION: Tyra-Lukens moved, seconded by Case, to appoint Councilmember Jan Mosman, and Councilmember Sherry Butcher as her alternate, Ray Stoelting, Mark Namtvedt, Matt Schultz, Terry Jorgenson, Bruce Shaepe, David Veith, Kim Vohs and Jennifer York to the Water Management Planning Task Force. Motion carried 5-0. F. REPORT OF PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES DIRECTOR G. REPORT OF MANAGEMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR H. REPORT OF CITY ATTORNEY XIV. OTHER BUSINESS A. CLOSED SESSION ON POTENTIAL LITIGATION Rosow requested adjournment to a closed session on potential litigation. XV. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Harris adjourned the meeting to a closed session at 7:50 p.m.