City Council - 12/10/1992 - Workshop MINUTES
EDEN PRAIRIE CITY COUNCIL•
AIRPORT WORKSHOP SESSION
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1992 7:30 PM CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBER
7600 EXECUTIVE DRIVE, EDEN PRAIRIE
COUNCILMEMBERS: Mayor Douglas Tenpas, Richard Anderson, Jean
Harris, H. Martin Jessen, and Patricia Pidcock
CITY COUNCIL STAFF: City Manager Carl Jullie, Assistant to the City
Manager Craig Dawson, City Attorney Roger Pauly,
Director of Community Development Chris Enger,
Planner Scott Kipp, and Planner Jean Johnson
ROLL CALL: All members present except Councilmember Harris. Also present
were three members of the Zero Expansion at Flying Cloud
group.
/I. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
The agenda was approved as submitted.
II. CITY STAFF/CITY ATTORNEY UPDATES
• A. Metropolitan Council Systems Committee Review of MAC Long-Term
Comprehensive Master Plan
Kipp reviewed and summarized the December 2, 1992 Metropolitan
Council staff report prepared for the Systems Committee meeting of
December 8. There were several issues and interpretations with
which the City would disagree. Enger believed that the staff
presentation at the Systems Committee meeting more forcefully
stated reasons to support the proposed expansion. The staff
claimed:
1) Air traffic levels at Flying Cloud were beyond the airport's
capacity
2) Improvements for instrument operations were needed as IFR
operations are available only. at MSP, Holman Field (St. Paul) ,
Airlake, and Flying Cloud
3) Land use compatibility - there was no joint airport zoning
board, and the City's comprehensive plan did not conform with
requirements for the airport
- Tenpas stressed that Metropolitan Councilmembers-need perspectives
and information in addition to its staff s. Anderson cautioned
• that the Met Council believed southwest communities complained too
much about hosting regional facilities. He noted that Met Council
now stated one reason for expansion was to handle larger aircraft
diverted from MSP; the MAC has never admitted this motive.
Airport Workshop Session Minutes
December 10, 1992
Page two
B. * Latest Information RE: Airport Issues and Review Process
Pauly discussed several important legal issues related to the case.
State legislation adopted in 1977, 1980, and 1983 would preclude
the MAC and Met Council from proceeding on this proposal. A State
Supreme Court case from 1982 involving the City of Faribault
determined that airport zoning is a taking of property requiring
compensation; neither the Met Council nor the MAC has indicated
they would accept this liability. He commented further on what he
believed were the strongest points in the City's position. Pauly
believed the City needed to show early that it was serious in its
opposition to the expansion, but not against the presence of the
airport.
III. DISCUSSION OF STRATEGY AND RESOURCES
There was general discussion about the types of assistance the City
would need in its case. The Council agreed that financial commitments
at this time should be limited, and allow time for information needs and
strategy to develop.
Councilmembers assented to an action plan made by Jessen:
1) Councilmembers would contact Met Council members by December 15,•
and other persons as appropriate
• - Staff and City Attorney would prepare brief information points
2) Be prepared to interview technical consultants by January 19
- More information will need to be developed about air traffic
trends than construction and flight requirements initially
3) Hire public information assistance soon
4) Contemplate retention of a legislative lobbyist by early February
Anderson requested staff to report on strategy development at the
December 15 Council meeting.
Tenpas agreed with a member of the Zero Expansion group that we need to
dispel NIMBY perceptions, and stress that we like our airport.
IV. OTHER BUSINESS
None.
V. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 9:14 p.m.
CWD:bmm