City Council - 02/02/2016 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP & OPEN PODIUM
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016 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 Lorene McWaters
Workshop - Heritage Room H
Council Members Nelson and Case were absent. Council Member Butcher Wickstrom joined the
meeting at 6:00 p.m.
I. STATEWIDE MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION AND HIGHWAY
INVESTMENT PLANS
Josh Pearson of the MnDOT Office of Planning gave a presentation on the Statewide Multi-
Modal Transportation Plan (SMTP) and the State Highway Investment Plan (MnSHIP).
Pearson said the SMTP translates the state's 50-year transportation vision, called Minnesota
GO, into policy direction for all modes of transportation. The SMTP is a family of plans used
to identify priority transportation projects and decide how funds will be allocated. The
MnSHIP component of the STMP is a 20-year plan that deals with the 12,000 miles
highways that cross the state, including interstates, U.S. highways and state highways.
The SMTP is updated every 4 to 6 years, and the 2013 plan is currently undergoing
revision. Pearson said the update process involves reviewing the recent past and making
educated guesses about the future.
MnDOT staff is traveling to events and workplaces to gather input from Minnesotans on
priorities and issues. The update process began with project scoping in January 2015.
Background information was gathered and work groups met during the summer of 2015,
and public and stakeholder outreach has been taking place since the fall and will continue
into this spring. The draft SMTP will be released this summer and a final plan will be
adopted in January 2017. MnDOT has identified $36.4 billion in needs in six categories:
• Asset Management- $20.7 billion
• Traveler Safety - $1.4 billion
• Critical Connections - $7.3 billion
• Transportation in context- $2.6 billion
• Other- $4.4 billion
City Council Workshop Minutes
February 2, 2016
Page 2
Sources of revenue for MnSHIP include the federal fuel tax (26%), the state fuel tax (27%),
vehicle registration (20%), state highway bonds (15%) and the vehicle sales tax (12%).
MnDOT expects to receive about $20 billion in highway funding over the next 20 years
years, and will have to find ways to close the needs and resources gap.
MnDOT uses performance-driven and risk-based planning to determine where funds are
used. It has developed three possible investment approaches for the SMTP update:
Approach A—Focuses investments on repairing and maintaining existing state highway
pavements and bridges and meeting substantial ADA compliance with pedestrian
infrastructure; reduce investment in supporting infrastructure, new safety improvements,
bicycle connections, travel time reliability in the Twin Cities, and regional and locally-
driven priorities.
Approach B —Balances investments in repairing and maintaining existing state highways
infrastructure (roadway surfaces, bridges, roadside infrastructure,rest areas, weigh
stations), meeting substantial ADA compliance with pedestrian infrastructure and
strategically investing in improving travel time reliability; reduce investment in new safety
improvements, bicycle connections, and regional and locally-driven priorities.
Approach C —Focus investments improving travel time reliability, non-motorized options,
and regional and locally driven priorities; reduce investment in and accept significant
decline in the condition of our existing state highway infrastructure.
Pearson handed out two worksheets MnDOT is using to solicit input from the public on
priorities for the 20-year MnSHIP and the SMTP.
Aho suggested that MnDOT include Chambers of Commerce for presentations. Pearson
said MnDOT staff has done presentations for Chambers in outstate areas. Aho suggested
the presentation also be provided for transportation coalitions, specifically for the 494-
Corridor Commission.
Mayor Tyra-Lukens asked who is responsible for paying for interstates and U.S. highways.
Pearson said MnDOT uses state and federal funds for those roadways, which are part of the
state highway system.
Mayor Tyra-Lukens said the cloverleaf at 494 and 312 has been used as a MnDOT
construction staging area for several years, even though there are no construction projects
nearby. She asked if staging areas can be moved closer to actual projects. Ellis said staff
has been in touch with MnDOT about this issue.
Open Podium - Council Chamber
II. OPEN PODIUM
III. ADJOURNMENT