City Council - 07/16/2002 - Workshop APPROVED TNH UTES
EDEN PRAIRIE CITY COUNCIL N'VORKSHOPIFORUNI
TUESDAY,DULY 16,2002 CITY CENTER
4:00- 6:25 PM, HERITAGE ROOM H
6:30—7:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBER
CITY COUNCIL:
Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Councihnembers Sherry Butcher,Ron Case,David Luse and
Jan Mosman
CITY STAFF:
City Manager Scott Neal, Public Works Director Eugene Dietz, City Engineer Al Gray,Assistant
City Engineer Rod Rue, Traffic Engineer Randy Newton, and Recorder Lorene McWaters
Heritage Room H
I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER
Councihnember Case served as Acting Mayor and conducted the meeting in the absence
of Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens. Case called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m.
II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
III. TH 169 INTERCHANGE
Paul Zeck, MnDOT,presented a memo outlining the key findings of the TH 169
Interregional Corridor Plan. The plan calls for converting TH 169 between I-494 and
Belle Plaine to a freeway. Zeck said MnDOT is asking all of the partner cities involved
in the study to officially approve the plan. Public Works Director Gene Dietz told the
Council that approval of the IRC plan was included on the agenda for the regular council
meeting. Zeck explained funding will be a major issue in realizing the plan. About$45
million in funding has been allocated, including money targeted for the Anderson Lakes
Parkway and Pioneer Trail interchange projects. At least an additional $237 million is
needed to complete the project as planned. Zeck said the City of Eden Prairie will need
to hold a public meeting or open house for residents who will be impacted by the project.
Tom O'Keefe, MnDOT, reviewed transportation funding. He said many planned projects
will have to be delayed for at least several years due to the failure of the State Legislature
to approve the 2002 funding bill. He said MnDOT is also facing rapidly rising costs for
right-of-way acquisitions. Councilmember Luse asked O'Keefe what would help
alleviate the funding shortage. O'Keefe recommended approval of a Senate proposal for
a gas tax of 6 cents per gallon. The metropolitan area could also approve a half-cent a
gallon tax through referendum. O'Keefe is also in favor of a constitutional dedication of
vehicle sales taxes for transportation projects.
Ron Rauchle, SRF Consulting Group, discussed the various design concepts for the TH
169/Anderson Lakes Parkway Interchange. He provided a memo that outlined the
chronology of the project going back to 1979. The current recommended design is for a
folded diamond interchange. Rauchle explained that the designs took into consideration
cost, impact to park land owned by Three Rivers(Hennepin County)Park District,taking
of residences, and traffic flow impacts for nearby residential streets. Roweles said
MnDOT is seeking approval from both the City of Eden Prairie and the Park District for
the folded diamond design.
IV. OTHER TOPICS
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.)
Eden Prairie resident Basil Weisner said he would like to request all smoking ban related
e-mails from the Council. Councilmember Mosman asked if the request would include e-
mails sent to the"All Council" e-mail address. Mr. Weisner said he would like those e-
mails as well as those sent to the Councilmembers' individual addresses. Mosman asked
if the e-mails are considered public information. City Attorney Rosow said that the
content of e-mails to Councilmembers could be released either by consent of the
Councilmember or by the individual who sent the e-mail. Councilmember Luse said he
would consent to all a-mails sent to him being released. Councilmember Case said he
would not be comfortable releasing e-mails that were sent to him marked confidential.
He said some individuals who send e-mails assume they are private communications and
he would not want to betray their trust by releasing them. Rosow advised Weisner that
he could fill out a data request form during regular business hours and staff would gather
the information.
VII. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.