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2000-02-15February 1.5, 2000 MINUTES - MOUND COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE -FEBRUARY 15, 2000 The Committee of the Whole for the City of Mound, Hennepin County, Minnesota, met in regular session on Tuesday, February 15, 2000, at 7:30 P.M., in the Council Workroom at 5341 Maywood Road, in said City. Those present were: Mayor Pat Meisel; Councilmembers: Andrea Ahrens, Bob Brown, Mark Hanus, and Leah Weycker. Also in attendance: Vern Hanson, Larry Olson, Larissa Tadavarthy of Metro Plains Development Co.; Acting City Manager Fran Clark; Bruce Chamberlain; John Beise; Peter Meyer; and Secretary Sue McCulloch. Mayor Meisel welcomed those present and opened the meeting at 7:31 p.m. 1.0 PRF~ENTATION BY METRO PLAINS DEVELOPMENT CO, OF A CONCEPT PLAN FOR THE OLD COMMUNITY CENTER SITE, Bruce Chamberlain introduced Larry Olson of Metro Plains Development. He stated Metro Plains Development is very serious about this project and is looking forward to working with the City of Mound. Larry Olson stated he is the Vice President of Metro Plains Development. He introduced his associates Vern Hanson and Larissa Tadavarthy. Mr. Olson stated Ms. Tadavarthy would be presenting a time schedule for the development and Mr. Hanson would be presenting the potential plans for'the development location. Mr. Olson stated Trail Head had originally contracted with the school district with this' project. He stated in November the residential portion of the project was being reviewed. Mr. Olson stated a close working relationship had begun with the City concerning the post office and the soil conditions, and Metro Plains noticed the residential and commercial development needed to be done as one package. With that in mind, Mr. Olson concluded Metro Plains could do a better development project than Trail Head. He further stated in January they worked with the school district and extended the purchase agreement to reflect the current time schedule for the development. Mr. Olson stated for those interested, he has brought with him this evening brochures that will give a thorough background on Metro Plains Development. Ms. Tadavarthy stated they negotiated an extension with the school district contingent on a few factors. She stated soil tests needed to be completed to find out if the site which had fields on was buildable. She stated the results of the soil tests have recently come back and Metro Plains is satisfied with the results. She stated there will need be some corrections made, but they are minor. Ms. Tadavarthy stated they have completed the Phase I environmental study and found old oil tanks underneath the ground, but that is not 142 MOUND COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE REGULAR MINUTES -FEBRUARY 15. 2000 surprising. She stated she has been working with staff regarding the post office, including exploring tax increment and the site plan. Ms. Tadavarthy stated several meetings have been occurring, including with potential builders for the site, Bill Beard, the Pond Arena people, Hennepin County regarding the two County roads, and U.S. West regarding the cellular antenna. She stated a site plan will be presented tonight from the information received .from these meetings. Ms. Tadavarthy stated within the next four weeks she would like to have a commercial partner in place and the site approved for the post office. They hope to be submitting a development plan and working through zoning issues. She stated the p~operty would be for sale or rental, depending upon the need and market of the people of Mound. Currently there are costs that have occurred concerning soil testing and infrastructures. Councilmember Hanus asked if the cell tower would be removed or left where it is currently located. Ms. Tadavarthy stated the tower would not be moving. Councilmember Hanus stated the lease for the tower is 20 years. Ms. Tadavarthy agreed and further stated the light pole would stay for now, but when it needed to be moved to the high school site another town would need to be built to replace this one. Councilmember Hanus asked if Metro Plains would hold on to the property they are proposing or do they sell it off. Mr. Olson stated most everything being proposed would be rental. He stated Metro Plains would act as a general partner and bring in a limited partner. He stated Metro Plains does have a development group, specific investors, and a property management company. Councilmember Hanus asked about the commercial property and the intent. Mr. Olson stated he would like the commercial property to be handled by another party or have a joint venture. Councilmember Hanus asked when the joint venture is created, would the property be held on to or sold off by Metro Plains? Mr. Olson stated Metro Plains would hold on to the property. Mayor Meisel asked about time-lines with the development. Mr. Olson stated the amendment on the purchase agreement with the school district stated the soil work and environmental work would be completed by February. He further stated there are two contingencies that need addressing and are they are hopeful that these will be completed by June and closing will take place in the summer. He stated the school district would like to use the football field in the fall. Mr. Olson stated the post office is always of high priority and is hopeful fall construction would begin on the commercial site. Mayor Meisel confirmed the post office occupancy would occur in the year 2001. Councilmember Brown stated the property is currently zoned R-1. He stated if this is going to be rental, it would need to be rezoned. Mr. Olson stated with the City of Mound 143 MOUND COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE REGULAR MINUTES -FEBRUARY 15. 2000 completing their Comprehensive Plan, this area could be rezoned as medium density to comply with the development being proposed. Councilmember Brown stated he does not approve of a large section of rental apartments in this new development. He asked if this site is going to be comprised a majority rental property. Mr. Olson stated they are taking the proper steps and accumulating information to figure out exactly the type of development that will be built. He stated because the soils are better than expected, there are a variety of routes to take in development. He stated there may be rental and for saleable property for the site. Councilmember Brown stated the area has always been a residential neighborhood. He stated there has been a lot of discussion in the past about the green space and how the City of Mound would like to keep it zoned as R-1. Councilmember Hanus stated the Beard Group is proposing a lot of homes for the site. does agree with Councilmember Brown to be cautious about putting more apartments or rentals in Mound because overall he did not think the town would like that idea. He Veto Hanson presented an aerial map of the school before it got removed, a map with the survey from the school district, a map showing the Pond Arena and parking, and a map where the ballfields currently exist. Mr. Hanson then presented a drawing of the development site with the transition having taken place. It showed the commercial and residential areas, with the post office being the center building to fie the two properties together. He stated when the preliminary drawing work had started, they encountered a major multi-district utility sewer line that ran through the .property. He stated this is how they decided the separation of the commercial and residential property would start. Mr. Hanson stated the main area off of Alder Road needed to be addressed. He stated the County Roads 110 and 15 roads need to be respectful of the business district and lmve to create a downtown feel. He stated it was important to create a visual and physical site line to fie these two quadrants together. Mr. Hanson stated that west of the intersection of County Roads 110 and 15, the post office would be located there and would be the middle of the two locations. The large scale drawing of the commercial and residential properties was well displayed. Mr. Hanson stated there is about 36,000 square feet for commercial property out of the 50,000 square feet site. He stated the parking is appropriate for what is proposed. He stated the residential district would consist of 2-story townhomes with a town square as the center component. He stated the townhomes would be medium density. In .the center of the residential development would be a gazebo with a bridge over a ponding area. The 144 MOUND COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE REOULAR MINUTES -FEBRUARY 1~, 2000 townhomes would consist of two or three bedrooms and a two-car garage, with one stall out front to park. This whole site would establish an on-grid pattern for circulation from the residential to the com~hercial. Councilmember Brown was concerned about hardcover and stated the City of Mound had very stringent codes set up regarding hardcover. Mr. Hanson stated hardcover has not been diSCussed yet and the zoning will need to be diSCussed at a later date as well. Councilmember Hanus asked if a buffer or retaining wall would be included on the west side of the townhomes. Mr. Hanson stated there will be a retaining wall on the west-. Councilmember Brown stated park dedication needs to be considered into the site drawing. Mr. Hanson stated park dedication has not been considered at this point. Mr. Olson stated this site drawing presented this evening is only one option and there is room for change. A. lthough, Mr. Olson stated he is fairly confident with the post office location. Mayor Meisel asked about the price of the townhomes and Mr. Olson stated they would start at about $140,000 if it they were to be sold. Bruce Chamberlain answered the ponding concern by stating they are looking into regional ponding with the development of County Road 15. Councilmember Brown asked about the arena and parking for it. Mr. Hanson stated they would have only the parking behind the building that would be dedicated to the arena. Mr. Olson stated the amount of parking would be considered at great lengths for the commercial value and access. Mr. Chamberlain stated the road next to the post office would be a dead-end road to allow for proper setbacks, parking, and to alleviate the right-of-way concern. Mayor Meisel was concerned if this was good planning to have it a dead-end street. Mr. Hanson stated the drawing demonstrates an access off of County Road 110 and would like to maintain two curb cuts to keep the traffic flowing. Councilmember Hanus asked how many units are being proposed in the preliminary drawings presented tonight. Mr. Hanson stated there are 152 with medium density. Councilmember Weycker asked if the post office individuals have seen this drawing yet and Mr. Chamberlain stated no; although, it would be done in the very near future. 145 MOUND COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE REGULAR MINUTES -FEBRUARY 15, 2000 Councilmember Hanus was concerned about the heavy traffic flow that would be occurring at the post office that so close to the residential area. Councilmember Brown asked if it would be feasible to take away some of the townhomes and allow more green space for a larger park area. He realizes this may not be economical for the developers, but it may be more what the citizens of Mound would appreciate. Mr. Olson stated this has not been discussed up to this point. Mr. Chamberlain stated the. open space on the preliminary drawing does focus around the central green and connects the green space with the downtown core. He stated it would be important to use the green space to make that tie and create the atmosphere for everyone involved. Mayor Meisel stated Mound has a lot of variety in housing. She stated she appreciates the bridge look and the connection between the commercial and the residential areas, but is not confident the 152 units proposed is an appropriate amount. Councilmember Hanus agreed the residential areas do seem quite dense. He further stated the park dedication of 10 perb, ent needs to figured into the downtown development, and the 10 percent cannot include ponding. CoUncilmember Hanus asked what the size of the residential property was to date. Mr. Hanson stated it was approximately 11.5 acres. Councilmember Weycker stated she would like to see a ballfield in the downtown location. Mr. Hanson is pretty certain there is not enough acreage for this to occur. Mayor Meisel stated she would prefer to see park dedication for a ballfield located out at the Rex Alwin property. She stated the parking would be much more appropriate there than at the downtown site. Mr. Hanson confirmed this preliminary development site has an urban setting, including the flow from the street, to the sidewalk, to the buildings, with a center square. Councilmember Brown suggested having the ponding go under the gazebo as well. He stated this would be an appealing look. Mr. Olson stated they will continue to have weekly meetings to keep the whole process moving along in an orderly fashion. Mr. Olson thanked the Councilmembers for their time. The Councilmembers thanked Mr. Olson and his associates for their time and look forward to working with them further. 146 MOUND coMMITtEE OF TIlE WHOI.~ REOULAR MINUTES -FEBRUARY IS. 2000 1.1 1MOUND DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS PLAN. Mayor Meisel presented the Mound Development Communications Plan. She stated Mr.. Prosser, Bruce Chamberlain and herself sat down and drew up this Plan. She stated it would be a way to keep communication lines open between the public and City staff. Mayor Meisel stated the Questions and Answers had positive feedback from the public, and is hopeful this Plan will also. Mayor Meisel is asking Councilmembers for their input regarding additions or deletions from the Plan at the February 22, 2000, meeting. Councilmember Brown would like this circulated to all department heads as well as the public. Brace Chamberlain stated this Plan is a great concept in keeping the public apprised with the redevelopment of downtown. Councilmember Ahrens was concerned if the people of Mound would really appreciate this type of information presented to them or would it be over burdensome. Mr. Chamberlain stated the Questions and Answers received positive feedback, so he thinks this will also. C°Uncilmember Hanus stated this Plan identifies all the different aspects of redevelopment and should really allow the public to understand the worked involved in such an endeavor. CoUncilmember Brown appreciated seeing the Beard Group preliminary drawing of the redevelopment site and concept presented in the banks. He stated this was good PR. Mayor Meisel stated this Plan would allow information out for the public to review' and, thus, the City of Mound would not be accused of not making information available to the public. Councilmember Weycker appreciates the Plan, but is concerned there are no time-lines noted. Mr. Chamberlain stated a notation of time-lines could possibly be implemented into the Plan. The following were other suggestions how the City of Mound could communicate with the public in a positive way: . Ed TV (channel 18). Make a documentary of some type noting and visioning changes to the downtown area. Mr. Chamberlain suggested a PBS documentary. Awards or special recognition be given out for big successes for towns and this could be publicized. 14:/ MOUND COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE REGULAR MINUTES -FEBRUARY 15. 2000 Colored billboard display of the redevelopment. Mr. Chamberlain stated this · .would cost about $600. Have a' notation in the newsletter about the award-winning concept for the City · of Mound that was received by Hoisin~ton-Koegler. .. 1.2 CASH ADVANCE FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO THE NEW TIF FUND; The Acting City Manager stated this cash advance is required for the audit. The amount being recommended is approximately $200,000. The consensus agreed to have this item put on the agenda for February 22, 2000, for approval. 1.3 REOUF~T FROM WESTONKA PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR A DONATION TO MUSIC 2000 "THE MUSIC IN THE PARK" SERIES. The Acting City Manager presented this item. She stated the Westonka Public Schools requested a donation from the City of Mound for the Music in the Park. She stated the City donated approximately $167 in 1998. Councilmember Brown stated the City of Mound would like to donate to the Music in the Park, although, this item was not presented to the City Council so they could budget for it this year. As a result, the funds are not available for a substantial donation. Councilmember Ahrens asked why it would appear they are losing the grant money previously dOnated for the Music in the Park. Mr. Meyer stated this grant money was a start-up fund and it was not meant to be continual. Councilmember Ahrens would have appreciated knowing this information last year before budget time. Mayor Meisel would be curious to know if Minnetrista has been asked to donate to the Music in the Park. She had conversations with Cheryl and Russ Fischer which sparked this thought. Mayor Meisel stated she would possibly be willing to match what Minnetrista donated, if they donated at all. Councilmember Brown stated he would not have a problem with donating to this cause if the money had been budgeted. Councilmember Weycker asked about giving half of what is being requested from the City of Mound. Mayor Meisel stated she would rather match what the City of Minnetrista was asked to donate, although, there is the question of knowing where to get the money because it was not budgeted for this year. biOUNI~ COMMrIT~; or TH~ WHOL~ Rt~OOL~ M~s -~s~o,~¥ ~, 2ooo Councilmember Brown stated, and Mayor Meisel agreed, he would like this item listed as a line item on the Park Commission's budget for next year. He strongly recommended to the Park Commission this would be a good cause to put money toward for next year. C0uncilmember Weycker inted out that it has been in the Park Commission's Budget request for the two years and has not been funded. Councilmember Ahrens does appreciate Mayor Meisel's suggestion of having' half coming from Minnetrista and half coming from the City of Mound. The Acting City Manager stated we could request donations from the bass fishing tournaments, such as Red Man or Performance. The Acting City Manager was directed to investigate whether or not Minnetrista donated to the Music in the Park this year and what amount was presented. The Acting City Manager will talk to School District contact for Music in the' Park and explain the budget constraints this year, that the Council is supportive of their efforts, and that Mound would make a sincere effort to include this in budget for 2001. The consensus agreed this was an appropriate reply. 1.4 SALARIES OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. The Acting City Manager presented a 1999 survey for cities with a population similar to the City of Mound. She stated if the Councilmembers do choose to change the salaries, they will not go into affect until January, 2001. Councilmember Brown stated with all the excess meetings concerning TIF, HRA, and time spent at home by the Councilmembers due to the redevelopment of the City of Mound, he requested the Councilmembers salaries be increased by $100 per month across the board. He suggested having this increase budgeted for next year's budget. This item will be presented at a future City Council meeting. 1.5 REVIEW OF THE TWO UNION CONTRACTS THAT WILL BE ON THE AGENDA FEBRUARy 22. 2000. PUBLIC WORKS {LOCAL 320} AND POLICE SERGEANTS {LELS}. Mayor Meisel stated the Committee of the Whole would continue in executive session to discuss the union contracts. She stated this is a labor issue so this type of action is appropriate. MOUND COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE REGULAR MINUTES -FEBRUARY lS, 2000 The meeting recessed at 9:05 p.m. The Committee of the Whole was brought back into session at 9:36 p.m. 0.6 POSSIBLE CLEAN-UP DAY IN MOUND (MAY 6. 2000). A® B. C. D. No leaves, wood or brush; Do we allow Minnetrista residents; This was budgeted for in the recycling budget; and Cost is $10,000 to $12,000. We usually take in about $6,000. would be paid through the recycling fee. The balance Councilmember Hanus suggested non-residents be charged a higher fee because the City of Mound residents are already paying a recycling fee. The Acting City Manager was directed to put the date and time of the clean-up in the newsletter so the public would be informed. 1.7 REINSTATING THE POLICE CANINE PROGRAM, THIS WQI. JLD BE PAID FOR ENTIRELy BY THE CRIME PREVENTION FUND, WE KEpT AN EXTRA CAR JUST FOR THIS PURPOSE. THE (,'OST OF TRAINING IS $1.500 FOR THE OFFICER. THE SCHOOL STARTS MARCH 1;}. 2000, PLEASE LET ME KNOW TONIGHT IF THE COUNCIL IS IN FAVOR OF THIS, Councilmember Brown wanted to confirm he was stating to Mr. Harrell that he personally was not in support of the canine program and he was not speaking on behalf of what the City Council thought of the program. Mayor Meisel asked what benefit there is having a canine program of this type for the City of Mound. Councilmember Brown stated with the information he received, it was strictly a PR improvement. He stated also the dog was an entry-level dog that would be placed with the officer. Councilmember Brown further stated he spent a lot of time today speaking with Mr. Harrell and other friends on the Mound police force regarding the canine program. He raised the following items concerning his conversations: Currently there are two dogs for Hennepin County kept in the high crime area of Minneapolis that can be used in any suburb when the need arises. MOUND ¢OMMlqTfiE OF THE WHOLE REGULAR MINUTES -FEBRUARY 1:5. 2000 e e 10. 11. 12. 13. The crime prevention program provides the cost of the dog, but thc food would need to be paid for by the department. There would be no benefit to the officer because it would be considered a reassignment, and not a promotional item. The newer vehicle would become the dog car for four to five years and this would put an older vehicle back into service. The clothing requirements would be a bite slip and specific leashes. The newer car would have to have special control heating and cooling units for the car. It was suggested the officer's belt would have a button that, once pressed, it would open the door of the vehicle allowing the dog to get out of the car. This would cost about $300, although it may not be necessary. Vet and kennel bills would need to be paid by the City. The initial dog training is about 12 weeks and the officer leaves for the full 12 weeks at one time. There would be no overtime expense with that officer gone, but the City of Mound would be lacking an officer on the street. There may be decisions to make if the dog is sick and whether this does allow the officer to take a sick day as well from work. There would be conference times and dog competition times that would need to be computed as well. In case the dog car would stop an individual, another car would have to be called to assist if the individual needed to be transported. The dog car could not be used for transporting. This would be good PR for the City of Mound. It appears the base price for this canine program could be as much as $3,200. Mayor Meisel stated what seems most troublesome to her is the EMT school cost, the officer being gone for 12 weeks for the canine training, and the officer in the dog car having to pull another squad to assist which may cause life hardship elsewhere. Councilmember Hanus does not think the time is fight for this type of program, although, he stated the opportunity is great. He stated the budget is tight. Councilmember Weycker stated this might be more of a benefit if this was a drug dog and the City of Mound could make money from this dog. Councilmember Brown stated this would be an incentive to keep officers in Mound, but the funds are not available for this program. He stated the City of Mound should decline with opportunity this year. Councilmember Hanus restated the timing is not right for this year. MOUND COMMITI~E OF THE WHOLE REGULAR MINUTES -FEBRUARY 15, 2000 Mayor Meisel stated she would rather approve this type of program when it has been budgeted and planned for appropriately. Councilmember Ahrens stated she does not agree' with this program with the only benefit to the City of Mound being PR as well as the service of the police department being lessened with this program in effect. The consensus of the Councilmembers was to wait until a possible later date and time to adopt such a canine program. 1.8 SHIRTS WITH THE CITY LOGO FOR NON UNION EMPLOYEEq, The Acting City Manager stated the head of Public Works, Mr. Skinner, suggested this. Mr. Skinner stated he felt it would be nice to have the City logo on staff shirts for them to wear at the City offices. Mr. Skinner is willing to donate $75 out of his own personal clothing budget in support of this cause. Councilmember Brown stated he would donate $50 of his own Councilmember salary to help with this cause as well. The Acting City Manager stated the cost of the shirts would be approximately $17 per shirt. It was agreed the City staff could purchase the shirts with the donated money suggested above. 1.9 INFORMATION ITEMS. Mayor Meisel stated the Committee of the Whole will be meeting with the Park Commission in April to discuss what the City would like the Parks Commission to address in the City of Mound. She stated she is looking for ideas from the Councilmembers to present to the Park Commission in April. Mayor Meisel stated these could be projects that will affect the development. Councilmember Ahrens suggested initiating a garden club. Mayor Meisel suggested having "tree tops" in planters at Christmas time in the downtown area. Councilmember Brown stated Shirley Anderson would appreciate being involved with a project of this type. Mayor Meisel would appreciate the Councilmembers input at the February 22, 2000, City Council meeting. Councilmember Brown informed the Councilmembers of the dilapidated detached garage located on the Start property, that encroaches on the neighbors, which is now be requested by the applicants to keep erected on their property even though it was agreed by the applicants in a resolution to tear it down within a three year period 5. 6. 1.10 MOUND COMMFITEE OF THE WHOLE RF.~ULAR MI]qUTES -F~BRUAR¥ 15, TX)00 which has now come due. Councilmember Brown stated the new streamllnm' g code allows the applicant~ to be considering this request. Councilmember Brown stated a motion will be presented to the City Council on February 22, 2000, regarding this cas0, and the Planning Commission will be requesting the City Council change the code to allow streamlining, but when it encroaches on another person's property, streamlimn' g would not apply as in the Start case. Brown confirms this garage does need to come down. Councilmember Ahrens agreed that if all your pieces of your property are not on your land, then the streamlining should not apply. Cotmcilmember Hanus stated he recalls the City Attorney stating if this type of situation does arise, then rather than changing the code, this should be a civil matter' between the two parties involved. Councilmember Hanus was not sure and wanted to think about this before stating a position. Councilmember Weycker agreed. The Acting City Manager stated the City Council meetings will be aired every other Thursday at 7:00 p.m. The organization involved has requested $1.51 from the City of Mound and that was agreed by the Councilmembers for a three-month period at a previous meeting. The Acting City Manager stated this studio could be used for personal use without being charged individually. The Cout~cilmembers were shocked with this report. It was agreed when the audit had been conducted, the contract might need to be revised. The WECAN, Inc. financial report was reviewed and discussed briefly. The Netka letter to Brace Chamberlain was presented. A Proposed reply to the Netlm letter from Jim Prosser was presented. MOTION by Brown, seconded by Weycker, to adjourn at 10:23 P.M. The vote was unanimously in favor. Motion carried. 5-0. Attest: Council Secretary Francene C. Clark, Acting City Manager