HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998/02/23 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session TY OF Minutes
CTI LOUIS City Council Study Session
PARK February 23, 1998
7:00 p.m.
The meeting convened at 7.05 p m.
Present at the meeting were Councilmembers Chris Nelson, Ron Latz, Robert Young, Jeff Jacobs
and Mayor Mayor Dorfman.
Staff present: City Manager(Mr. Meyer), Deputy City Manager(Ms Kutzler); Director of
Community Development (Mr. Harmening); and City Clerk(Ms. Larsen).
1. Transit Study
Council met with Judie Erickson, Tom Harmening and Jim Lasher to review the results of a
meeting held with the City Councils of Hopkins, Minnetonka and St. Louis Park regarding the
Transit Study recently conducted, to ask questions of the City's transit consultant regarding Phase
I of the feasibility study and to allow Council to identify what it perceives to be the local issues,
interests and needs that a redesigned transit system should address
Jim Lasher distributed a handout identifying discussion items he felt should be addressed. He and
a colleague presented slides to illustrate various points throughout the discussion. His vision
involved evaluation of the regional picture of transportation needs and opportunities and then
designing the system to meet the actual needs of the population. He saw the goals and objectives
of the study as (1) creating an effective and efficient regional express service, (2) enhancing and
creating community connections with new or improved service types and (3) creating access to
employment centers into and within the study area
Councilmembers asked various questions about results of phase one of the study regarding
ridership, costs of various components of the current system, and discussed the pros and cons of
dial-a-ride and fixed circulator systems.
Mayor Dorfman asked about the commitments of Hopkins and Minnetonka City Councils for
pursuing these regional changes to the transit system Mr. Lasher replied that transit issues are a
high priority for the Hopkins City Council.
Mr. Meyer pointed out the current dollars already spent in the region could be better utilized on a
new system that actually works more efficiently
III Councilmember Nelson asked if we needed a transit hub and if it could or should be
accommodated in the Park Commons plan
Mr Harmening said that phase 2 of the study centers on design of a local system and that the
current contract did not include an analysis of how to best restructure the system.
Mayor Dorfman suggested that Hopkins, Minnetonka and St Louis Park should join together and
submit a joint application for grant money from the Metropolitan Council. Mr Lasher indicated
that the Metropolitan Council would look more favorably on this idea if all three communities
were in agreement on needed results
He also suggested that privatization could bring costs of a transit system down considerably He
gave Council a brief overview of how the current system could be restructured to save
considerable money on personnel and labor costs.
Mr. Harmening pointed out that Hopkins and St Louis Park stand to benefit from a better system
that could serve their own community needs as well as continue current services into the
downtown metro, while Minnetonka's most pressing need is a system for"reverse commute" that
could bring needed workers from the central metro area to Minnetonka businesses
Council directed staff to continue working toward phase two of the transit study.
2. Commercial Recreational Vehicle Ordinance
Mayor Dorfman reiterated her statement made at the previous City Council meeting that the next
meeting would not be a public hearing She suggested that Council run through only those issues
which are still in debate
Number of Vehicles- Council discussed options for the number of vehicles allowed outside the
garage and whether they could require that garage spaces be used for parking rather than storage
or other uses Mayor Dorfman suggested that the number of licensed drivers be the number of
vehicles allowed on the property up to five vehicles Ms Erickson explained the difference
between the terms"legal parking" and a"legal parking space" in the zoning ordinance
Councilmembers expressed concern that they didn't want City Inspectors to have to monitor use
inside garages Mayor Dorfman suggested that Council pass the ordinance now and revisit in two
years if problems should become apparent in enforcement Another suggestion was made to
include language which would state that the number of vehicles allowed outside the garage should
be increased to equal the number of licensed drivers at the residence up to five vehicles.
Vehicle Size - Councilmember Jacobs and Councilmember Nelson who had raised the question of
whether residents should be allowed to park in the front if they had no access to the back yard
indicated that they no longer wished to support the suggestion due to problems in enforcement
Screening - Councilmember Nelson asked what would happen if Council passed the ordinance
without screening provisions Councilmember Brimeyer suggested that Council commit to a date
certain to revisit the screening issue Mr Harmening agreed that because of public notification
efforts he would like Council to make a decision no later than the end of June. He suggested that
111 the effective date for screening provisions to the ordinance could take effect much later
Commercial Vehicles- Councilmember Nelson suggested that signage alone should not be
enough to define a commercial vehicle Several Councilmembers agreed.
Fish Houses- After brief discussion Council directed staff to leave in provisions regarding
location of fish houses.
Mr Meyer indicated that a report would be prepared summarizing the proposed revisions
3. Livable Communities Ordinance
Councilmember Young said that he felt higher garage heights should only be allowed where the
structure did not abut another property. Councilmember Brimeyer agreed that it sounded
sensible More discussion regarding set backs for 2-story garages ensued. All members present
expressed their desire to pass the ordinance and hoped that one or two issues would not
negatively affect the entire ordinance
Mayor Dorfman suggested that staff put together a list of other communities around the country
that may be good examples of livable communities principles so that Councilmembers could
actually see examples rather than just discuss concepts Council directed staff to set second
reading for March 16th.
4. Communications
Council directed staff to prepare a list of applicants currently on file for board and commission
appointments so that they could consider them prior to the next meeting
The meeting adjourned at 9.20 p m.
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Mayor Dorfman, Mayor
R ording Secretary