City Council - 05/07/2002 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES
EDEN PRAIRIE CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP/FORUiNI
TUESDAY, MAY 7,2002 CITY CENTER
5:00- 6:25 PM,HERITAGE ROOM H
6:30—7:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBER
CITY COUNCIL:
Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Councilmembers Sherry Butcher,Ron Case, David Luse and
Jan Mosman
CITY STAFF:
City Manager Scott Neal, Public Safety Director Jim Clark,Director of Parks and Recreation
Services Bob Lambert, Community Development and Financial Services Director Don Uram, City
Attorney Ric Rosow, and Recorder Lorene McWaters
Heritage Room H
I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER
II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
III. PRESENTATIONS BY COLLEGE STUDENTS REGARDING RECYCLING OF
BUILDING COMPONENTS
Finance Director Don Uram said he has been investigating ways in which the abandoned
Old Police Building might be"recycled"instead of simply demolished. As part of his
research,Uram contacted the University of Minnesota Architecture School. Five teams
of students from a University of Minnesota School of Architecture Sustainable Building
class taught by Rick Carter presented concepts for a proposed Miller Park Pavilion based
on materials salvaged from the Old Police Building. Parks Director Bob Lambert and
Mayor Tyra-Lukens thanked the students for the thought and effort they put into these
projects.
IV. OTHER TOPICS
Phosphorus Legislation
Mayor Tyra-Lukens said she received a letter pointing out that although recent legislation
will ban use of phosphorus in fertilizers after August 1, it does not prohibit the sale of
phosphorus.Mosman said that the Council may want to consider closing up this loophole
by passing a local ordinance to ban the sale of phosphorus. Luse suggested referring the
matter to City Attorney Ric Rosow. Case asked Rosow to prepare a memo for Council's
review by late June.
Second Hand Smoking Ordinance
Mayor Tyra-Lukens said she had spoken with City' Manager Neal about how to best go
about designing a second-hand smoke task force. She said they concluded makeup of
any task force would depend largely on which particular issue the Council decides they
want to tackle. Tyra-Lukens said she believes all of the Councilmembers agree they want
to do something in regard to second-hand smoke,but the question remains how extensive
any ordinance should be and how it should be implemented.
Case said that since everyone seems to agree that some sort of ordinance is in order,
perhaps the Council should forgo creation of a task force and go right to work on a draft
ordinance. The Council could then focus on extent of the ban and methods of
implementation. Case suggested that, assuming an ordinance is passed,the City
publicize our smoke-free status regionally to attract individuals who prefer not to be
around second-hand smoke.
Mosman said she feels the Council will encounter resistance if they pass an ordinance
without taking public input. Butcher said her perspective all along has been that a task
force that would explore all sides of the issue would be created. She also urged the
Council to do research into what other communities are doing. She said it would be
dangerous for five individuals to make such an important decision without getting
community input. Butcher also suggested the possibility of holding a referendum on any
proposed ordinance. Mosman said that she fears that if a referendum is held, it will come
down to which side spends the most money on publicizing their point of view. Butcher
said she doesn't think the controversy will dissipate even after any ordinance is passed.
Luse said that the Council must keep in mind the best interest of the entire mass of
people. He said if an ordinance is passed, it must be all-inclusive and that there should
not be any"half measures." Luse noted that although Duluth is often touted as being
completely smoke-free, its ordinance applies only to establishments that serve food, and
that stand-alone bars do allow smoking. He also warned that the City will be looking at
protracted legal expenses if it chooses to pursue an ordinance. Butcher said she doesn't
mind Eden Prairie standing as an island, as long as the majority of citizens approve of the
decision.
Council Chamber
V. OPEN FORUM (Scheduled participants, 6:30-6:50 p.m.)
No one was scheduled to speak at Open Forum.
VI. OPEN PODIUM (Unscheduled participants, 6:50-7:00 p.m.)
No one requested to speak at Open Podium.
VH. ADJOURNMENT