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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012/01/09 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session Ifl Sta Louis Park OFFICIAL MINUTES MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA JANUARY 9, 2012 The meeting convened at 6:30 p.m. Councilmembers present: Mayor Jeff Jacobs, Steve Hallfin, Anne Mavity, Julia Ross, Susan Sanger, Sue Santa, and Jake Spano. Councilmembers absent: None. Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmening), Director of Community Development (Mr. Locke), Economic Development Coordinator (Mr. Hunt), Director of Parks and Recreation (Ms. Walsh), Communications Coordinator (Mr. Zwilling), Chief Information Officer (Mr. Pires), Organizational Development Coordinator (Ms. Gothberg), and Recording Secretary (Ms. Hughes). Guests: John Basill (Discover St. Louis Park), Bruce Nustad (TwinWest Chamber of Commerce), George Hagemann (Friends of the Arts Board Member), Rolf Peterson (Telecommunications Advisory Commission Chair), and Joanne Hovis (CTC Consulting). 1. Future Study Session Agenda Planning—January 17 and January 23,2012 Mr. Harmening presented the proposed special study session agenda for January 17, 2012 and the proposed study session agenda for January 23, 2012. He indicated that the special study session is intended to provide Council with a list of recommendations for the Civic Recreation Task Force with the goal of having the task force formed as soon as possible and to ask the task force members to join the January 23"i discussion with consultant Ellen O'Sullivan. Councilmember Sanger stated that some residents have expressed an interest in listening to the speaker on January 23rd and asked what time Ms. O'Sullivan's presentation will be made. She also asked if the meeting would be televised, noting that this is a topic of community interest and suggested that at least this portion of the meeting be televised. Mr. Harmening replied that Ms. O'Sullivan's presentation should begin at approximately 7:00 p.m. on January 231x. He added that study session meetings are not normally televised but agreed to have the study session videotaped for later broadcast. 2. Update from Discover St. Louis Park (new official name for St. Louis Park Convention and Visitors Bureau) Mr. Hunt presented the staff report and introduced John Basill, President of Discover St. Louis Park, and Bruce Nustad, President of TwinWest Chamber of Commerce and Chair of the Discover St. Louis Park Board. Mr. Nustad stated that a search firm was hired by the Discover St. Louis Park Board to assist in hiring a President for the CVB and the Board ultimately selected John Basill. He indicated that Mr. Basill has done a great job getting the organization up and running and the Board is pleased to have him on board. Study Session Minutes -2- January 9, 2012 Mr. Basill expressed thanks to Mr. Hunt for all his help. He advised that the CVB recently signed a lease in the Parkdale Plaza and has hired a marketing coordinator and a sales manager. He stated that they quickly learned that the term "convention and visitors bureau" is not used much anymore and most CVBs are named to help draw people to a location. He indicated that they worked through several names before choosing "Discover St. Louis Park." The new name represents a call to action to discover the City, to let people know they can stay here, and it ties into the experience part where people may decide to live here. He stated that they also reviewed several tag lines and chose"Comfortably Close"because of the City's proximity to Minneapolis. He presented Discover St. Louis Park's logo and stated the logo is intended to depict the vibrancy in St. Louis Park and its close proximity to downtown. He discussed the marketing plan and budget, stating that they are currently working with the American Diabetes Association and the Alzheimer's Association on potential sites for future events. He indicated they are also working with a group on an event in 2014 that would include hotel rooms and fill most of the City's gym space. He advised they are also working with the law firm Gray Plant Mooty regarding the firm's annual law seminar. He also stated they have been in contact with a company that is interested in holding a meeting at the Doubletree for approximately 100-200 people and would include approximately 60 room nights as well as a tour on Lake Minnetonka or the Mississippi River. He discussed the amateur sports market and stated that this is a market they will pursue by working with local youth and sports groups and making sure that people coming to St. Louis Park talk to Discover St. Louis Park about their lodging and other needs. He added that the sales manager is reviewing the list of exhibitors at the Uptown Art Fair to see if Discover St. Louis Park can provide assistance with lodging arrangements. Councilmember Sanger asked if Discover St. Louis Park will provide shuttle bus service to events. Mr. Basill replied that the marketing plan includes further exploring shuttle bus service with the hotel partners. He discussed Discover St. Louis Park's partnership marketing, including Parktacular and the Rotary, and presented a recent Rotary brochure that was marketed to 140 Rotary Clubs regionally. He advised that the, producers of Cavalia have indicated they have another show called Odyssey but they would not consider coming back until 2016. He stated he will keep in touch with Cavalia and was hopeful that the City can have the Odyssey show come to St. Louis Park. He added that the producers of Cavalia were pleased with the show's ticket sales and attendance. He then presented examples of Discover St. Louis Park advertisements that have been run in several publications, including AAA Travel, and was hopeful these advertisements would generate leads. He stated the marketing plan also includes enhancing the City's partnership with Explore Minnesota and other CVBs and they recently entered into a partnership marketing program with Explore Minnesota. He advised that the Discover St. Louis Park website should be operational by early March and the goal is to have an interactive website that will drive hotel bookings and make sure the economic impact stays in St. Louis Park. He added they are also working on a visitor's map, a visitor's guide to St. Louis Park, a restaurant guide, as well as a brochure for meeting and event planners. Councilmember Mavity asked if Discover St. Louis Park has had any difficulty in working with area hotels and whether any changes are needed to the hotel tax structure. She also asked what the City can do to support the work of Discover St. Louis Park. Mr. Basill replied that the hotels have been very responsive and they have had no issues. He stated that the hotels have accepted the lodging tax and noted that bookings during the week are Study Session Minutes -3- January 9, 2012 high but there is a lot of capacity on the weekends. He indicated that City staff has been very helpful throughout the start-up process and expressed appreciation for that support. Councilmember Spano stated that events such as Cavalia require a great deal of coordination, e.g., making sure all permits are taken care of, and urged Discover St. Louis Park to work with the City to make sure the process is as seamless as possible. Councilmember Ross expressed thanks to Mr. Nustad and Mr. Basill for their efforts and was pleased that everything is going well. She asked if there are areas where the City may be lacking, such as a larger facility to hold theater type events or more green space to hold large events. She added she felt that the name "Discover St. Louis Park" does not set the City apart enough and the name is similar to "Explore Minnesota." Mr. Basill explained their research found that the term "discover" was used the least by other CVBs and Discover St. Louis Park is being marketed primarily to areas outside the Twin Cities metro area. He stated they recently met with public theater representatives who are looking for venues and would like a location in St. Louis Park. He endorsed any type of facility that would allow them to attract more people to the City, including theaters and a community center. Councilmember Santa asked if Discover St. Louis Park is actively marketing to the City's residents about hotels for out of town guests. She also asked if restaurants will be contacted about providing discounts to promote the City's restaurants and nightlife. Mr. Basill replied they have a list of every neighborhood president and will contact them to see if they are willing to provide Discover St. Louis Park with their email list. He presented a brochure called "Crammed for the Holidays?" which was part of the keep it local campaign. He added that they will also have an e-newsletter. He indicated that restaurants will be contacted about buying advertising space on the website; in addition, Discover St. Louis Park will be putting together a restaurant guide and restaurants will be asked to provide discount coupons. Councilmember Sanger stated that businesses may be holding events at their location but will have employees coming from other locations who require lodging. She asked if Discover St. Louis Park is reaching out to these organizations. She added that employees relocating to the area may also need to stay in a hotel until their house is ready. She also asked about Discover St. Louis Park's plans for marketing events related to children and families. Mr. Basill agreed that employee relocations and out of town employees represent a good market for Discover St. Louis Park and they are proactively targeting local businesses. He stated that Discover St. Louis Park's program budget related to family-type events was increased in an effort to attract those types of events to the City. He added they recently joined the National Association of Tournament Directors and have been working with Ms. Walsh and Mr. Birno. 3. Friends of the Arts Annual Report and Update Ms. Walsh presented the staff report and introduced George Hagemann, Friends of the Arts board member. Mr. Hagemann presented the annual report of Friends of the Arts (FOTA) and explained that FOTA has three primary projects, including Our Town, Arts & Culture Grants, and the Arts for Life scholarship program. He stated that this year's Our Town program, 2012 Our Town: Beats Study Session Minutes -4- January 9, 2012 and Streets, will include a series of drumming activities. He advised that the FOTA grants are given out several times per year and requested Council's help in making sure that people interested in a grant make application to FOTA. Councilmember Mavity requested further information regarding FOTA's five or ten year vision. Mr. Hagemann stated he would like to see the drumming morph into something further where a grassroots organization enhances the program and uses the marketing and resources of FOTA to endorse the program. He indicated FOTA has been talking about its long term goals and whether FOTA can start a multi-phased project, e.g., an art walk that is done over a number of years. Councilmember Sanger stated she would like to see an emphasis on dance and questioned why dancers were not part of the drumming program. She indicated there appear to be opportunities for art events that can help promote the community as well and suggested having public participation events related to the arts. Councilmember Ross encouraged FOTA to partner with diverse communities on other types of cultural events. Mayor Jacobs stated that the Human Rights Commission sponsored a cultural event a number of years ago that included a taste event with native foods from around the world and felt that this was something that could be done around the drumming or other music program. Mr. Hagemann thanked Council for its support and stated that the money provided by the City each year allows FOTA to have continuity from year to year. He stated that the arts and culture section of the City's website contains information on the public art locations throughout the City. 4. Adagio Unit Mix within Hoigaard Village Mr. Locke presented the staff report and revised housing unit mix for the Adagio apartment building within the Hoigaard Village project. He advised that the developer met with his investor and has eliminated the studio units and increased the number of one bedroom units and one bedroom units with dens. He stated that approximately two-thirds of the 122 units in the Adagio and Medley Row will be larger than one bedroom units and will be either one bedroom plus den or two bedroom units which, when added to the total project of 416 units, 306 of the units will be one bedroom plus den or larger. Councilmember Mavity expressed appreciation to staff and Mr. Dunbar for reworking the unit mix and stated she would support moving forward with the project as presented. It was the consensus of the City Council to accept the changes made by the developer to the proposed unit mix. Councilmember Sanger stated that Council previously indicated it needed to have a larger policy discussion about the City's long term housing goals. Mayor Jacobs suggested that Council have this discussion at its workshop later this month. Study Session Minutes -5- January 9, 2012 5. Fiber Optic Study Mr. Pires presented the staff report and provided a brief history of the City's fiber optic network and the fiber optic study currently underway by the Fiber Optic Study Task Force. He stated that the City's fiber optic network was completed eight years ago and the City has now recouped its $400,000 investment. He then introduced Rolf Peterson, Chair of the Telecommunications Advisory Commission, and Joanne Hovis, President of CTC Consulting. Ms. Hovis discussed CTC Consulting's work plan and scope of the fiber optic study. She stated that the City's investment in this technology is important and cutting edge and the FCC has indicated that fiber with speed capabilities up to 1 Gbps is what every community requires now. She felt that the City's fiber network at 1 Gbps will allow the City to be more competitive, but it is not possible to predict what the City will need in thirty years given that data needs have multiplied exponentially over the past several years. She added that fiber itself will not become obsolete. Mayor Jacobs stated he felt the City should be doing everything it can to make sure it stays competitive not only now but in 2050. Councilmember Ross agreed and stated if the City wants to stay competitive, it has to stay ahead of the curve. She questioned what the City can do now to make sure areas being redeveloped have fiber installed. Mr. Pires stated that staff has been working with the Community Development department regarding redevelopment in the City, particularly including areas surrounding light rail. Councilmember Sanger agreed with Mayor Jacobs and asked to what extent the task force is asking local businesses and major institutions what they need. She stated she felt the goals of the wi-fi project remain valid, including community connections and opening up connections for residents, especially residents who cannot afford to pay a cable provider for that connection. She asked what the City can do to help improve residential connectivity. Councilmember Santa stated that no matter how strong the fiber optic backbone is, there is a built-in weakness due to Xcel Energy's aging electrical infrastructure and felt this needs to be at least noted as part of the overall fiber optic study. Ms. Hovis agreed that the study can focus on un-served and underserved communities, similar to the goals of the wi-fi project. She stated that her inclination, which includes outcomes much less certain but also much less risky, would be to focus on areas of redevelopment and consider whether there might be a market for private sector providers to lease capacity from the City and then invest in a certain neighborhood in providing services. She noted this is a model being piloted in other areas of the country and the cost is relatively modest. Councilmember Mavity stated that one of the values the City has is support for its small businesses and felt that the City should do whatever it can to help provide incentives to bring small businesses into the City. She asked if any economies of scale would be realized by collaborating with other communities. Councilmember Sanger requested that the study provide all available alternatives so that Council can prioritize the alternatives and start a pilot project to see whether it is workable. She stated Study Session Minutes -6- January 9, 2012 that the City's aging electrical infrastructure will need to be addressed as part of the overall strategy. She stated she felt that fiber installation should be mandated at the time any large new redevelopment project begins as well as any time streets are opened up during reconstruction. Councilmember Hallfin asked if people will be able to have faster speeds through satellite and requested that the study address that as well. Mr. Pires understood Council wished the fiber optic study to look long-term, i.e., a generation or more, and look at all alternatives for Council consideration, including pros, cons, costs, and risks. He stated that the further information will be presented to Council and other stakeholders throughout the process, which is anticipated to be completed no later than June. Councilmember Sanger requested that the City publish a non-technical article for residents regarding the fiber optic study and explaining why the City is spending money for this study. Discussion regarding ParkAlert Mr. Harmening advised that a notice was sent to the entire City on New Year's Eve between 5:00-6:00 p.m. to remind residents and businesses of parking ban restrictions and further test the ParkAlert system. Not all councilmembers received the phone call. Mr. Pires explained that when the City sends a broadcast message, it is sent out through the City's provider, 17,000 calls at one time, and the City has learned that in this and other regions of the country, the capacity of the local phone system is limited in how many calls it can handle at one time. He stated that staff is working with the broadcast call provider and local phone company in the City in order to stagger the load on the phone system. Mr. Zwilling indicated that the issue appears to be primarily with landlines and not cell phones and the company is aware of it and working on a solution. 6. Proposed Agenda—2012 City Council Workshop Mr. Harmening presented the staff report and proposed agenda for the City Council workshop on January 20-21. Ms. Gothberg discussed the relational learning aspect of the agenda and the discussion that will occur regarding unwritten rules and protocols. She stated that the location of the workshop will be provided to Council before the end of the week. Councilmember Sanger requested that the discussion on Friday with respect to relational learning be postponed until Councilmember Santa arrives on Friday evening. She asked that Council discuss the difference between being an At Large Councilmember and Ward Councilmember. She stated that it would also be helpful when discussing big projects, in addition to knowing the cost, to understand the City's long term funding challenges in general. Councilmember Mavity stated that the housing discussion should be more strategic and not compartmentalized and should address how the City wants the community to look thirty years from now and how the City will get there. It was the consensus of the City Council to approve the City Council workshop agenda. Study Session Minutes -7- January 9, 2012 7. Communications/Meeting Check-In (Verbal) Councilmember Sanger requested information regarding the Vision check-in meeting. Ms. Gothberg advised the January 12th Vision check-in meeting will start at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers and 75 people have signed up to attend. She stated that the City Manager will give introductory remarks, a video on four Vision areas will be presented followed by speakers on each of the four Vision areas and a short Q&A period, and then the attendees will be split into groups for a dialogue about the four Vision areas. She indicated she received a number of calls from Safety in the Park asking whether they can express an opinion about freight rail and while all residents are welcome to attend the Vision check-in meeting, it is not a public forum on freight rail and no testimony will be taken at this meeting. She added that Council's role is to listen only. Councilmember Santa stated that she has served as the City Council representative on the Community Education Advisory Commission and needs to step aside in order to serve on the STEP Board and wanted to give another councilmember the opportunity to serve on CEAC. Mayor Jacobs requested that the City Council Workshop include a discussion about Council's role in serving on various community boards and foundations. Mr. Harmening presented an idea for Council to consider as it relates to how the community can support its partners in St. Louis Park, particularly STEP, similar to the voluntary heat share program offered by CenterPoint Energy. He indicated that the City's utility billing system could be used that would easily segregate any monies being donated. He added that the City Attorney has advised that this type of program is legal. It was the consensus of the City Council to direct staff to provide further information to Council regarding a voluntary program for donating money for use in the community. Councilmember Sanger advised that she was invited by the Advisory Council at Lenox to attend a meeting tomorrow to talk about how Lenox can become relevant for baby boomers. The meeting adjourned at 9:28 p.m. Written Reports provided and documented for recording purposes only: 8. Charter Amendment for Administrative Penalties 9. Business Terms for Redevelopment Contract with Oak Hifi 7100 LLC (Anderson- KM Builders) Related to the Oak Hill II Office Building Project (located at NE corner of Louisiana Ave and Walker St.) 10. Solid Waste Program Survey 11. Participation in the MnWARN Mutual Aid Network 12. Toby Keith Liquor License—Food/Liquor Sales Interim Report 13. November 2011 Monthly Financial Report Nancy Stroth,ity Clerk Jeff Jac s, a or