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Home My WebLink About2005/04/04 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Regular CITY OF OFFICIAL MINUTES ST. LOUIS CITY COUNCIL MEETING PARK ST. LOUIS PARK,MINNESOTA April 4, 2005 1. Call to Order Mayor Jacobs called the meeting to order at 7:33 pm. Council members present: Mayor Jeff Jacobs, John Basill, Phil Finkelstein, Paul Omodt, Susan Sanger Sue Santa, and Sally Velick Staff present: City Manager(Mr. Harmening), City Attorney (Mr. Scott), Community Development Director(Mr. Locke), City Engineer(Ms. Hagen), Planning Coordinator(Ms Erickson), and Recording Secretary (Ms. Stegora-Peterson). 2. Presentations 2a. Recognition of John Lindstrom, Fire Department- Resolution No. 05-048 Mayor Jacobs read Resolution No. 05-048 recognizing John Lindstrom's service to the City of St. Louis Park. 2b. HOV Lane Update Lee Munich, Director of the State and Local Policy Program at the Humphrey Institute and Kevin Gutknecht, MnDot, updated the Council on the MnPass Express Lanes, the goals of the program, a descnption of the operations of the MnPass lane, cost, billing, how to sign up for the program and enforcement was presented. More information is available at Mnpass.org. Lanes are scheduled to be opened the week of May 16`h 3. Approval of Minutes 3a. City Council Minutes of March 21, 2005 Councilmember Santa indicated on page four, under communications should read "Hopkins Art Center" not "Hennepin Art Center". The minutes were approved as corrected. 3b. Study Session Minutes of February 14, 2005 Councilmember Sanger indicated on page two, midway down, the last line "because the City" should be inserted after"...had provided too much assistance already". The minutes were approved as corrected. 3c. Study Session Minutes of February 28, 2005 Council Meeting Minutes -2- Apnl 4, 2005 The minutes were approved as presented. 4. Approval of Agenda and Items on Consent Calendar NOTE The Consent Calendar lists those items of business which are considered to be routine and/or which need no discussion Consent items are acted upon by one motion If discussion is desired by either a Councilmember or a member of the audience,that item may be moved to an appropriate section of the regular agenda for discussion 4a. Adopt Resolution No. 05-051 requesting reimbursement for Capital Improvement Projects from the anticipated 2005 General Obligation Bond issue 4b. Adopt Resolution No. 05-052 accepting this report relating to various pedestnan crossing improvements throughout the City, establishing and ordenng Improvement Project No. 1999-0900, approving plans and specifications, and authonzing advertisement for bids. 4c. Adopt Resolution No. 05-053 accepting this report, establishing and ordenng Improvement Project No 2004-0100, approving plans and specifications, and authorizing advertisement for bids. 4d. Adopt Resolution No. 05-054 accepting the City Engineer's Report, establishing and ordering Improvement Project No. 2005-0100, approving plans and specifications, and authonzing advertisement for bids for the relocation of watermain on Vernon Avenue 4e. Approve Contract with Barr Engineering for Professional Engineering Services related to the Westwood Lake Water Quality Detention Pond Project, Project No. 2006-1300 4f. Adopt Resolution No. 05-055 accepting the Utility Superintendent's Report, establishing and ordering Improvement Project No. 2005-1500, approving plans and specifications, and authorizing advertisement for bids for the installation of emergency power generators at Water Treatment Plants#1 and#4 4g. Approve a Sidewalk Management Program 4h. Adopt Resolution No. 05-056 authonzing installation of permit parking in front of 3212 Dakota Avenue South. Traffic Study No. 595 4i. Adopt Resolution No. 05-057 accepting this report, approving specifications, and authonzing advertisements for bids for additions to year 2005 major equipment purchases 4j. Approve Contract with SRF Consulting Group, Inc. for Professional Engineenng Services related to the design of the south frontage road relocation at Trunk Highway 7 and Wooddale Ave. 4k. Accept for filing PRAC minutes February 16, 2005 41. Accept for filing BOZA minutes December 23, 2004 4m Accept Vendor Claims for filing (Supplement) It was motioned by Councilmember Santa, seconded by Councilmember Basill, to approve the Agenda and items listed on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed 7-0. 5. Boards and Commissions - None 6. Public Hearings - None 7. Requests,Petitions,and Communications from the Public—None 8. Resolutions, Ordinances, Motions Council Meeting Minutes -3- April 4, 2005 8a. City Engineer's Report: Municipal State Aid Street Rehabilitation Project— Project No. 2004-1100. Resolution No. 05-049 Ms. Hagen presented the staff report. Councilmember Velick stated a concern for residents on Westwood Hills Drive. How would they monitor that? Ms. Hagen replied that they would put signage on Cedar Lake Road and on Wayzata Blvd to avoid traffic using Texas Av. and try to divert some of the traffic from making that detour. Councilmember Velick wanted to remind people who went to Westwood Hills Nature Center that there would be an inconvenience at this time. She requested this information be put on the web site and that there be good signage. Councilmember Sanger noted that the staff report indicated that coordinating with this project would be reconstruction of the parking lot for the junior high school on Texas. Who was paying for that? Ms. Hagen replied that the School District approached staff and requested the possibility of bidding the two projects together. The School District would pay 100% of the reconstruction of the parking lot and would also be responsible for inspection and engmeenng dunng construction. Councilmember Omodt asked if they had checked to see if there were any people with handicapped parking on Westwood Hills Drive, because that might be an issue? Ms. Hagen responded that Texas Avenue was going to be closed. The detour would be routed there. A gentleman came to the neighborhood meeting and expressed that he had limited mobility and they were going to work with him. They would also like to make the parking lot across the street available for residents dunng that period. It was motioned by Councilmember Velick, seconded by Councilmember Omodt, to adopt the Resolution No. 05-049 accepting this report, establishing and ordering Improvement Project No. 2004-1100, approving plans and specifications, and authorizing advertisement for bids. The motion passed 7-0. Mayor Jacobs and the City Council thanked Ms. Hagen for her service to the City of St. Louis Park and exceptional work on a multitude of projects. 8b. Resolution opposing proposed transit service reductions and supporting a dedicated funding source for transit. Resolution No. 05-050 Ms. Enckson presented the staff report. Mayor Jacobs stated a public hearing would be held April 121h at the Hopkins Center for the Arts from 6:30-8:30 PM. He also noted in the resolution about 1/3 of the way down, it should be route 604 and 605. Council Meeting Minutes -4- April 4, 2005 Councilmember Santa stated she would be speaking at the meeting and would present this resolution. It was important to note, at a time when projects were being considered as being part of a transit route and receiving grants because they were on a proposed transit route for light rail in the future, the bus service to that site was being eliminated. It created a hardship for seniors and low-income people who depended on the bus It also had a wider community impact for employees and businesses that located on transit routes that would not go away Councilmember Sanger added that the grants that they had received for transit-oriented development had come from the Metropolitan Council and they were now proposing these cuts, which did not make sense. In addition to the businesses and employees that depended on bus ridership, there were also a number of apartment complexes that had bus routes as amenities. Councilmember Finkelstein stated as a naturally occurring retirement community with over 15% of the population over age 65, they relied on the buses, as well as the disabled community, for day-to-day life. Councilmember Santa indicated many of the youth use the bus as their only form of transportation, including bus service in the vicinity of the Rec. Center. It was motioned by Councilmember Santa, seconded by Councilmember Sanger, to adopt the Resolution No. 05-050 opposing proposed transit service reductions and supporting a dedicated funding source for transit. The motion passed 7-0. 9. Communications Mayor Jacobs stated that the Youth Summit would be April 12th from 5:30-8:30. The Lennox Spaghetti Dinner is April 15th at Lennox. Bookmark in the Park will be meeting on Apnl 13th at City Hall to select a book. 10. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 8:34 p.m. C y Clerk Ma(or