HomeMy WebLinkAbout1985/08/26 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study SessionMINUTES
CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION
ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA
August 26, 1985
1. Call to Order
The Mayor called the study session to order at 7:00 p.m. In attendance
were Council members Larry Mitchell, Jerrold Martin, Keith Meland,
Tom Duffy and Mayor Hanks. Also in attendance were the City Manager,
Assistant to the City Manager, Administrative Assistant and Director
of Parks and Recreation.
2. Youth Football Program
Councilman Meland provided background information about this subject
and stated that it had been discussed at the July meeting of the Community
Education Policy Advisory Committee. It appears that the high school's
football coach has recommended that the City or School District develop
and coordinate a fifth and sixth grade tackle football program to be
run in conjunction with a similar program in the Hopkins School District.
Parks 8 Recreation Director George Haun provided Council with a history
of the organized youth tackle football program in St. Louis Park. He
noted that between 1969 and 1975 the number of participants had dropped
from 400 to 125. Mr. Haun pointed to the increased cost for equipment
and the populatiry of soccer as significant factors to the decline
of tackle football. He noted that in 1980, the City combined with the
Golden Valley youth football program in a program which proved to be
unsatisfactory due, in part, to the lack of qualified coaches. The
City's current instructional program for third, fourth, fifth and sixth
graders has been operating since 1982 and currently includes approximately
50 registrants. By comparison, the high school football program for
grades 9-12 is made up of 54 participants. Mayor Hanks noted that any
discussion concerning the future of tackle football should include
concerns about safety and liability as well as a financial commitment
for hiring qualified coaches. He recommended that the issue be returned
to the City's Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and the Community
Education City-wide Advisory Council for further consideration.
3. Strategic Planning
The City Manager and Assistant to the City Manager facilitated a discussion
among Council members concerning several issues related to the strategic
planning process. After completion of the discussion and a review of
Council's comments, it was agreed that the Assistant to the Manager
would coordinate the responses, have them typed and return them to
Council members for further consideration.
4. Housing Inspection Program
At the outset of the discussion, there was a consensus among Council
members that the intent of the City's housing inspection program was
to provide for the health and safety of residents and to maintain the
City's existing housing stock by enforcing appropriate sections of
the Uniform Building Code. Councilman Martin commented that the consistency
City Council study session 2.
August 26, 1985
of enforcement among City inspectors is a problem. He also stated that
in his opinion building codes for homes to be sold should be no more
stringent than they were in the year in which the house was built.
He went on to say that he felt too much discretion was being exercised
by inspectors and that sections of the code were being enforced arbitrarily.
The City Manager commented that perhaps a checklist of inspection items
would be helpful to resolve problems with consistent enforcement.
Mayor Hanks concurred and added that it was never the intent of the
Council to impose unnecessary restrictions on sellers, but simply to
maintain the quality of the City's existing housing stock and keep
it safe for future residents. Council members Duffy and Mitchell supported
the proposal and stated that a preliminary list should be prepared
by staff which would include as many items as they deemed necessary
and should be returned to Council for further study. The City Manager
ended the discussion by suggesting that a comprehensive training program
would be beneficial for all members of the Inspections' staff who are
expected to participate in the home inspections program.
5. Request from Timothy O'Tooles
The Mayor initiated a discussion on a request from Timothy O'Toole's
Pub to allow a special outdoor festival on the parking lot adjacent
to the building by stating that he did not appreciate a last minute
request and that with better planning the O'Toole's management could
have had this request reviewed by Council at its last regularly scheduled
meeting.
The remainder of the Council concurred with the Mayor's sentiments
but agreed that the request should be approved and that O'Toole's manage-
ment should be asked to provide Council with more time for review of
any future requests.
A motion to that effect was made by Councilman Martin and seconded
by Councilman Meland and was approved unanimously by Council.
6. 3400 block of Quebec Ave.
The City Manager provided Council with maps and aerial photographs
of the area which includes the eastern half of the 3400 block of Quebec
Ave. After considerable discussion, Councilman Meland suggested that
further discussions with the City Attorney and neighborhood residents
would be in order and requested that this item be brought back for
Council's consideration on Sept. 3, 1985.
7. Paper Ballots
The Council unanimously opposed the proposal to use paper ballots in
the upcoming City-wide election.
8. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 9:55 p.m.
C.A. Gears, Recording Secretary