2001-04-10 CITY OF MOUND
HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
APRIL 10, 2001
The Mound Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Mound, Hennepin County,
Minnesota, met in regular session on Tuesday, April 10, 2001, at 6:30 p.m. in the
Council Chambers at 5341 Maywood Road, in said City.
Members Present: Acting Chairperson, Mark Hanus; Commissioners Bob Brown, Klm
Anderson and Peter Meyer.
Members Absent: Chairperson Meisel.
Others Present: Acting City Attorney, Daniel Greensweig; City Manager, Kandis
Hanson; Acting City Clerk, Bonnie Rifler; City Planner, Bruce Chamberlain; Fire Chief,
Greg Pederson; Bill and Dorothy Netka, Lorrie Ham.
1. Open Meetin.q !. ,:
Acting Chairman Hanus called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
2. Approve Aqenda ; .
MOTION by Brown, seconded by!Meyer tO approve the agenda as presented. All voted
in favor. Motion carried.
3. Approve Minutes ,~
MOTION by Meyer, seconded by Brown t° approve the minutes of the March 13, 2001,
meeting. All voted in favor. Motion carried.
4. Project Reports
A. Post Office
A copy of a letter was presented that Representative Jim Ramstad wrote to the
United States Postal Service on March 29, 2001. This letter urged the
proceedings of the post office relocation, which will ensure the receipt of the TEA-
21 funds for the constructi°n of the Greenway and allow the City of Mound to
co-nt~-tl~e-re~le-veloF~~ts-downtown~-area:
Greenway Grant :
Bruce Chamberlain explained that this grant (TEA-21 funds) is attached to the
Post Office issue. There has been a request for an early May hearing where a
request will be made to extend the life cycle of these funds due to the post office
situation. He explained that the Metropolitan Council controls these funds and
the MDOT controls the contracts.
Xcel Energy Substation
Options from Xcel Energy to bury utility lines in the downtown district and
suggestions from staff were presented by Bruce Chamberlain. He explained that
distribution lines (lines running from. substation to individual users) will be placed
HRA Minutes- April 10, 2001
underground at no cost to the City. The issue is putting the transmission lines
(high power lines running between substations) underground.
Meyer brought out that some of the options given by Xcel have $1 million and $2
million charges to Mound energy users. He thinks that a surcharge of about
$6/month/Mound resident, for three to five years is way too much and he would
never support this option. '
Chamberlain's recommendation is a follows: The downtown development district
(from Alder Road and post office sit on the north to Cypress Lane on the east, to
Our Lake of the Lake Church on the south, to Cottonwood Drive on the west) be
identified as an overhead utility-free zone. This implies that Xcel's option 2B
would be followed in the burying of transmission lines. Staff suggests that four
items be addressed in Council direction to Xcel Energy regarding this matter: 1 )
Mound requests Xcel Energy to conduct detailed cost and engineering
exploration of burying transmission lines in the downtown district as identified; 2)
Mound offers to negotiate purchase of Xcel land west of the substation and
assist Xcel in acquiring land east of the substation; 3) Mound offers to work with
Xcel to enhance the landscaping around the substation; and 4) Mound asks Xcel
to determine the ratepayer impacts of this work.
MOTION by Brown, seconded by Anderson to accept staff recommendations
and direction as noted above. Ayes: Brown, Hanus, Anderson. Nayes: Meyer.
Motion carried. Meyer wanted it noted for the record that his vote was based on
him not supporting Xcel's 2B option.
D. County Road 15 Reali,qnment
Chamberlain stated he met with the County and would like the Council to set an
open house for April 26th, where the County and City staff would be present to
make presentations and answer questions from the public. City Manager Kandis
Hanson added that it is out of the ordinary for the City to be taking a lead in this
project,-but~thetimeline-is-ef-great-importance-because-itJ'~as to coi.ncide with-the
......... Gramercy project.---Discussion followed as-to options if-the County Road 15
project went as planned and the Gramercy project was delayed.
MOTION by Meyer that the MetroPlains Development be stopped until the
County's traffic impact study is complete and to direct staff to work with the
County on these issues. Motion died for lack of a second.
It was noted that the MetroPlains project and the County Road 15 Project are
independent of each other. It is purely coincidental that they are coming together
at the same time. Hanson emphasized that the County stands firm on one thing,
being that the intersection in question can handle traffic for the next twenty years,
with present development projects already taken into consideration.
HRA Minutes - April 10, 2001
MOTION by Brown, seconded by Hanus to accept the County Road 15
Realignment progress report and schedule of tasks as presented, and set an
open house for April 26, 2001, from .7-9 p.m. All voted in favor. Motion carried.
MOTION by Brown, seconded by Anderson to continue the HRA meeting due to
concurrent Executive Session with the City Council. All voted in favor. Motion carried.
At 7:21 P;m;i A~ing Chairman Hanus continued the HRA meeting until the executive
session, which will run concurrent with the City Council Executive Session.
County Road 15 Reali.qnment
At 8:04, City Manager Hanson addressed the HRA, still being in session,
regarding the open house date for the County Road 15 realignment. The
Chamber of Commerce has a recognition banquet on April 26, so there may be a
conflict with this date.
MOTION by Brown, seconded by Meyer to revisit the open house issue. All
voted in favor. Motion carried.
OTION by Brown, seconded by Meyer to set April 25, 2001, as an alternate date
for the open house on the,~County Road 15 Realignment, contingent upon this
date working out for the County personnel involved. All voted in favor. Motion
carded. ~:~ ..,
$. Executive Session: Law Suit by Polston, et al.
From 8:07 p.m. to 8:18 p.m., the HRA was in Executive Session with the City Council.
Acting Chairman Hanus reconvened the HRA meeting at 8:19 p.m., stating that the
purpose of said session was to update and receive information from the attorney
representing the City.
6. Adioumment
MOTION by Meyer, seconded by Brown t0 adjourn the meeting at 8:20 p.m.
favor. Motion carried.
all voted in
Attest:~ Kandis Hanson, Executive Director
'A~:tingr-Ghairman, Mark Hanus