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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011/04/04 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Regular f/fSt0 Louis Park OFFICIAL MINUTES MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL MEETING ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA APRIL 4,2011 1. Call to Order Mayor Jacobs called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Councilmembers present: Mayor Jeff Jacobs, Phil Finkelstein, Anne Mavity, Julia Ross, Susan Sanger, and Sue Santa. Councilmembers absent: Paul Omodt. Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmening), City Clerk (Ms. Stroth), Community Development Director (Mr. Locke), Public Works Director (Mr. Rardin), Engineering Project Manager(Mr. Olson), and Recording Secretary(Ms. Hughes). la. Pledge of Allegiance lb. Roll Call 2. Presentations 2a. Recognition of Board & Commission Members Mayor Jacobs expressed the City Council's deep appreciation to all of the board and commission members for their time, energy, and expertise they provide on behalf of the entire community. He recited the Proclamation Honoring Board and Commission Volunteers and presented Certificates of Appreciation to Steve Fillbrandt, Sharon Lyon, Pat Swiderski, and Vladimir Sivriver. He also recognized the contributions of Jonathan Awasom, Joan Barnes, Bill Gavzy, James Kelly, Robert Malooly, Mohamed Abdi, and Shelley Weier, who were not in attendance. 2b. Caring Youth Day Proclamation Mayor Jacobs recited the Caring Youth Day Proclamation. He stated that this year's Caring Youth Recognition event will be held on April 26, 2011, at the Marriott West Hotel at 7:00 p.m. He noted that the event will be cable rebroadcast. He indicated that questions regarding the event may be directed to Karen Atkinson at Children First. 3. Approval of Minutes 3a. Council Workshop Minutes March 12,2011 The minutes were approved as presented. 3b. Study Session Minutes March 14, 2011 The minutes were approved as presented. City Council Meeting -2- April 4, 2011 3c. Special Study Session March 21, 2011 Councilmember Ross requested that the second sentence of the last paragraph on page 1 be amended to add a reference to the fact that that there may be some people who do not feel comfortable with public speaking. The minutes were approved as amended. 3d. City Council Minutes March 21,2011 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, 11-043 authorizing the special assessment for the repair of the sewer service line at 1618 Melrose Avenue South, St. Louis Park, MN—P.I.D. 01-117-22-44-0003. 4b. Adopt Resolution No. 11-044 authorizing the special assessment for the repair of the water service line at 4249 Ottawa Avenue South, St. Louis Park, MN - P.I.D. 07-028-24-31-0022. 4c. Grant the City Manager authority to administratively approve work extras (change orders and minor extra work) for an additional $100,000 limit for City Project 2004-1700 (Highway 7/Wooddale Interchange Project), in accordance with the City's existing policy. 4d. Approve Resolution No. 11-045 approving Wellness Incentive Program for benefit earning staff in 2011-2012. 4e. Adopt Resolution No. 11-046 accepting Donation to the City to support the Environmental Coordinator's Attendance at the 2011 International Society of Arboriculture Conference. 4f. Approve for Filing Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes January 19, 2011. 4g. Approve for Filing Vendor Claims. It was moved by Councilmember Ross, seconded by Councilmember Mavity, to approve the Agenda and items listed on the Consent Calendar; and to waive reading of all resolutions and ordinances. The motion passed 6-0 (Councilmember Omodt absent) 5. Boards and Commissions—None 6. Public Hearings—None 7. Requests, Petitions, and Communications from the Public—None City Council Meeting -3- April 4, 2011 8. Resolutions, Ordinances, Motions and Discussion Items 8a. Amend Consultant Contract — Highway 7/Louisiana Avenue Interchange Project Mr. Olson presented the staff report and proposed Amendment No. 3 to the consultant contract with SEH, Inc. related to Phase 4 activities for the Highway 7/Louisiana Avenue project. He explained that Phase 3 work is nearing completion, and includes preliminary design and environmental assessment work, as well as the geometric layout of the preferred concept, which has been approved by Mn/DOT. He added that the environmental assessment has also been prepared and is currently undergoing agency review by Mn/DOT and the Federal Highway Agency. He advised that Phase 4 activities would include final design and plan preparation and these activities would allow construction to commence in the summer of 2012. He reviewed the pros and cons for completing Phase 4 work, noting that this work will likely place the project in a stronger position for Federal funding. He noted that the Federal funds already secured by the City have a sunset date of March 31, 2012 and in order to meet this schedule, Phase 4 activities need to begin in April. He stated that Phase 4 work by SEH is estimated at $958,600 and would be completed by the end of July 2012. Councilmember Santa stated that she felt the City should proceed with Phase 4 activities so that if further funding becomes available, the City will be ready to move forward with completing the project. Councilmember Finkelstein stated that he would not be supporting the contract amendment. He indicated that the City's engineering department has done a great job shepherding this project and working on obtaining funding, but he felt it was clear that the City would not be getting any Federal or State funding for this project this year and the City does not have the ability to pay for this regional project on its own. He added he is not willing to spend additional taxpayer money on Phase 4 work and would rather save the money until there is additional funding available for the project. Councilmember Ross noted that the City was in a similar situation with the Highway 7/Wooddale Avenue project and expressed support for moving forward with Phase 4 work so that the City can be in a better position to obtain funding for the project. Councilmember Sanger acknowledged that there is a risk associated with moving forward with Phase 4 work, but felt it was a risk worth taking. She stated that there is a significant need for this project to address the safety and traffic congestion issues. She indicated that she was not willing to throw away all the money that has been invested to date by the City and added that the City needs to move forward with Phase 4 work so that it is in a better position to secure additional funding in the future. Councilmember Mavity agreed and requested further information regarding funding requests and sources of those funds. She also asked if the City can request an extension of the Federal funds prior to the 2012 sunset date. Mr. Rardin explained that the City has applied for four different grants in the past eight months but was unsuccessful in obtaining any funding. He indicated that there are currently no grant programs available that the City can avail itself of. He stated that there have been instances in the past where one year extensions have been granted if good faith efforts have been shown in completing the project. City Council Meeting -4- April 4, 2011 Councilmember Mavity asked if the Phase 4 work would be useful at whatever point the City obtains additional funding; in other words, the work being funded by the City has to be done at some point in time, whether now or in the future. Mr. Rardin replied that this is correct and stated that the plans and specifications have an approximate three year shelf life. It was moved by Councilmember Santa, seconded by Councilmember Mavity, to approve Amendment No. 3 to City of St Louis Park Consulting Services Contract No. 142-08 for the Highway 7/Louisiana Avenue Interchange Project, Project No. 2012-0100. Mayor Jacobs acknowledged that this is a difficult issue but felt it was worth the risk. He stated if the City puts in the additional time and money on Phase 4, the City's chances of obtaining additional funding will likely increase. He stated that he shares Councilmember Finkelstein's concerns but is confident that the City will be able to obtain an extension on the Federal funds if the City can show a good faith effort toward completion of the project. He asked if the work on Phase 4 can be stopped if it becomes obvious that the additional $10 million in funding will not be forthcoming. Mr. Olson replied in the affirmative. The motion passed 5-1 (Councilmember Finkelstein opposed; Councilmember Omodt absent). 9. Communications Mayor Jacobs reminded residents of the Caring Youth Day event on April 26th at the Marriott West Hotel at 7:00 p.m. Mayor Jacobs stated that the Council has scheduled two listening sessions on the freight rail issue for April 27th and 28th at 6:30 p.m.; both sessions will be held at the Junior High School and the sessions will be cable rebroadcast. He added that further information regarding the listening sessions will be posted on the City's website. Councilmember Sanger noted that the purpose of the two listening sessions is to provide an opportunity for the Council to listen to the community about the freight rail question and that no formal action will be taken by the Council at these sessions. Councilmember Ross reminded residents of a public meeting regarding the Highway 100 project on Tuesday, April 12`h, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the St. Louis Park Evangelical Free Church at 6805 Minnetonka Boulevard. 10. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 8:07 p.m. Nancy Stro , City Clerk Jeff Jac• ••g a •r