1992-01-21MINUTES - COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE M~.~.TIN~
JANUARY ~1~ 199~
The meeting was called to order at 7 PM. Members present: Mayor
Skip Johnson, Councilmembers Phyllis Jessen, Andrea Ahrens, Liz
Jensen and Ken Smith (arrived at 7:23 PM). Also present: Jim
Fackler, Parks Director; Jon Sutherland, Building Official; Ed
Shukle, City Manager and Parker Hodges, Sailor Newspapers.
Ed Shukle, City Manager, introduced the topic of Commons markings.
He indicated that during the December 10, 1991 city council
meeting, the Council talked about the issue of marking the Commons
as they relate to the Commons areas so that people would be aware
that the Commons are abutting their properties. He indicated that
the Park and Open Space Commission discussed this at their December
12, 1991 meeting and again on January 9, 1992. They felt that it
was unnecessary for the Council to spend money to build monuments
marking the Commons areas. The Council then discussed this and
asked the parks director to come back at the next C.O.W. meeting to
offer some suggestions on how there could be some marking, but on
a limited basis.
A draft of procedures in relation to construction on public lands
permits was discussed. Jim Fackler, Parks Director and Jon
Sutherland, Building Official discussed Ordinance #320 as it
relates to the construction on public lands permit. Discussion was
also held on the maintenance permit process. Staff was directed to
bring back more information with regard to two separate processes
so that the Council could take a look at these and provide further
direction on how to administer this program. The Council agreed
that staff should be aggressive towards enforcing Ordinance #320.
This matter will appear on the February 18th Committee of the Whole
agenda.
The proposed rental housing ordinance as drafted by the city
attorney and reviewed by the planning commission was discussed.
City Manager Ed Shukle asked that the Council discuss whether they
were comfortable with the ordinance as proposed. If so, a
discussion could proceed with regard to implementation of the
ordinance. Following some discussion on the ordinance itself,
Council consensus was to have the City attorney prepare an
executive summary of Ordinance #319 and to have the summary ready
for the Council prior to any public hearing.
Ed Shukle, City Manager and Jon Sutherland, Building Official then
discussed a memo dated January 21, 1992 from Sutherland to Shukle
on estimated costs for putting the rental housing program into
place. Some questions were raised with regard to the
implementation procedure: 1) How do we address an owner occupied
unit within a rental building? 2) How do we address a renter who
objects to having a city inspector inspect his/her rental unit? 3)
How can we establish an incentive program so that landlords would
not have to have annual inspections if they complied with the
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MINUTES, JANUARY 21, 1992, PAGE 2
rental housing ordinance and could have a break in fees if
compliance was maintained? 4) How do we address the change of
owner issue and whether or not a new license and new fees have to
be charged? These and other issues were discussed and staff is to
go back and research these items and discuss with the city attorney
and bring back responses at the next C.O.W. meeting.
Eurasian Water Milfoil disposal was continued until another
meeting.
A request to Hennepin County to study the feasibility of allowing
parking on the east side of Bartlett Blvd. between the north
entrance of Mound Bay Park and the Mound Bay Park Depot was
discussed, city Council asked that a resolution be prepared to be
discussed at the January 28, 1992 regular meeting. The purpose of
the request would be to provide additional parking for boat
trailers to alleviate congestion that boat trailer parking now
causes along Bartlett Blvd. and along Beachwood Road.
Goal Setting/Team Building follow up and future meetings was
discussed. This matter was continued until the next C.O.W.
meeting.
Artwork for the council chambers was continued until the next
C.O.W. meeting.
City Manager Ed Shukle updated the Council on the following issues:
1. Dakota Rail - He indicated that the condemnation commissioners
had viewed the properties in question on January 16, 1992. The
commissioners met with Eli Mills and his attorney Jeff Brauchle and
Jim Larson, city attorney for Mound and Ed Shukle, City Manager, to
look at these properties. The week of February 17, 1992 was
tentatively set for the condemnation hearings to be held.
2. Recycling - City Manager Ed Shukle indicated that meetings had
been held recently with the cities who are under contract with
Knutson Recycling. Knutson has indicated that they are in
financial problems due to the fact that the market for recyclable
materials is not available for the amount of material that is being
collected. The cities have been working with Knutson to try to
assist in educating the public on further ways to improve recycling
within each of the communities. Cities, however, have asked
Knutson to give a proposal to them that would spell out what
Knutson is looking for to assist them. The city manager pointed
out that the cities are in a dilemma because they are intimately
involved in promoting and encouraging recycling along with Hennepin
County. At the same time, Knutson is under a contract to perform
recycling services through the end of 1994. More information on
this topic will be available at a later date.
9
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MINUTES, JANUARY 21, 1992, PAGE 3
3. Anthony's Floral - The city manager and the mayor are going to
be meeting with Tony and Eva VanDersteeg with regard to their
property.
4. Triax - Franchise Fee - The city manager updated the Council
on the status of the recent rate increase as instituted by Triax
Cablevision. He indicated that the rate has been increased by 5%
and that Triax has been trying to communicate this to the public as
a franchise tax increase. He indicated that he had met with the
regional manager of Triax regarding this and that Triax indicated
that they would be putting an ad in the newspapers and would
provide a press release to be inserted into the City's newsletter
for the purposes of clarifying the rate increase. The city manager
also indicated that he had received a legal opinion drafted by Tom
Creighton, legal counsel for the Lake Minnetonka Cable Commission,
and the attorney who had originally drafted the Mound franchise.
Mr. Creighton indicated in his legal opinion that the Lake
Minnetonka Cable Commission and other cities under franchise with
Triax, should contact Triax to direct them to change the format of
their billing system, which explains that the franchise fee is not
something that is tacked on to the bill, but rather it is really
part of the rate that Triax charges and has been that way since
1983 when the franchise was originally drafted and approved. The
city manager is following up on this in conjunction with the Lake
Minnetonka Cable Commission. Council also asked that they would
like to see a financial statement from Triax if they are publicly
held.
5. Single Room Occupancy (SRO) housing projects - The city
manager indicated that two persons interested in building single
room occupancy housing projects in the suburban areas met with Mark
Koegler, city planner and Ed Shukle, city manager the week of
January 13, 1992. The purpose of the meeting was to familiarize
the staff with this concept and whether this would be something
that would interest the City of Mound. Basically, it is a 35-55
unit multiple family housing project with units that are one room
(studio efficiency) with private baths and would be offered to
persons that would only pay a maximum of $275 per month in rent,
which would include utilities. The city manager indicated that he
is not sure that Mound has a market for this type of housing.
Councilmember Jessen suggested that the city manager contact the
Westonka Community Action Network since they are in the process of
developing a housing survey to see if there might be a market for
this type of housing.
6. Mound Vision Project - The city manager introduced the
conceptual plan developed by the Design Committee of the Mound
Visions Project and endorsed as a concept by the Economic
Development Commission. He indicated that there was going to be an
article in the upcoming "Sun Sailor" paper and that he wanted to
make sure the Council.was aware of what was being discussed prior
]0
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MINUTES, JANUARY 21, 1992, PAGE 4
to any newspaper article being issued. He reviewed the conceptual
plan and told the Council that a formal presentation would be given
at the March 17, 1992 Committee of the Whole meeting by the EDC.
7. Earth Day Committee - The city manager asked again if any
members of the Council would be interested in serving on the Earth
Day Committee for Earth Day April 22, 1992. Phyllis Jessen
indicated some interest in this committee.
Other business discussed was the Annual Congress of Cities
Conference sponsored by the National League of Cities held in
Washington DC, on March 8 - 10. Mayor Johnson and Councilmembers
Jensen and Jessen expressed an interest. If three members of the
Council attend the conference, the March 10, 1992 Council meeting
would have to be postponed or cancelled.
The next Committee of the Whole meeting is scheduled for February
18, 1992, 7 PM, at city hall.
Upon motion by Ahrens, seconded by Smith and carried unanimously,
the meeting was adjourned at 10:50 PM.
u~klectful ly submitted,
City Manager
ES:is