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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012/03/26 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session JIf St. Louis Park OFFICIAL MINUTES MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION ST. LOUIS PARK,MINNESOTA MARCH 26,2012 The meeting convened at 6:30 p.m. Councilmembers present: Mayor Pro Tem Susan Sanger, Steve Hallfin, Anne Mavity, and Julia Ross. Councilmembers absent: Mayor Jeff Jacobs and Councilmembers Sue Santa and Jake Spano. Staff present: City Manager(Mr. Harmening), Deputy City Manager/Human Resources Director (Ms. Deno), Director of Public Works (Mr. Rardin), City Engineer (Mr. Brink), Director of Community Development (Mr. Locke), Planning/Zoning Supervisor (Ms. McMonigal), Communications Coordinator (Mr. Zwilling), Organizational Development Coordinator (Ms. Gothberg), Planner (Mr. Fulton), Environmental Coordinator (Mr. Vaughan), and Recording Secretary(Ms. Hughes). Guests: Marjorie Herdes and Will Stockton, Ph.D. (Mobius, Inc.) and Craig Vaughn (SRF Consulting Group). 1. Future Study Session Agenda Planning—April 9, 2012 Mr. Harmening presented the proposed study session agenda for Apnl 9, 2012. Councilmember Mavity requested that Council briefly discuss the pedestrian and bicycle system implementation plan included in the written reports. Mayor Pro Tem Sanger requested that Council discuss the gambling premises permit for the Hopkins Raspberry Festival Association included in the written reports. Councilmember Ross requested that Council discuss the Voter ID issue at the end of the meeting. 2. Community Health Initiative Ms. Gothberg presented the staff report and introduced Marjorie Herdes and Will Stockton from Mobius, Inc. Councilmember Mavity requested further information regarding the momentum that led to this initiative and the expectations of the partners. Ms. Herdes explained that Mobius sponsored a dialogue last May in which health care professionals and citizens were invited to listen to a number of speakers, including a doctor from the Mayo Clinic, regarding a holistic approach to health care. She stated they felt that St. Louis Park had a good partnership with its businesses and residents and they asked the doctor to speak about his vision and what it would look like to be a city that takes on health in a holistic fashion. Mayor Pro Tem Sanger requested further information about the goals of the proposed community health initiative and what the City is being asked to provide. Councilmember Ross noted that Park Nicollet is not the only health care provider in the area and felt that any community health initiative should include input or buy-in from other community Study Session Minutes -2- March 26, 2012 partners such as STEP. She expressed concern about the make-up of the partnership and wanted to see groups currently under-represented in the community included as part of any steering committee. Ms. Gothberg agreed that this made sense. Dr. Stockton advised that the other partners were asked what results they would like to see and they indicated that from a health point of view, they would need to set some markers for improvement in the health of the entire community, but at this point, those benchmarks are not yet defined. He stated this will be discussed at the meeting in the fall as part of the initial community-wide dialogue. Ms. Herdes stated that Park Nicollet has indicated it wants citizens to lead the community health initiative and they are asking the City to be one of the partners that supports and invites this dialogue in the fall. Councilmember Mavity expressed support for the project and stated it feels consistent with the City's culture and how the City does its work. She added the challenge will be to make sure that all groups receive adequate representation. Ms. Gothberg stated the City has a long history of working with Park Nicollet and the schools and the City would help convene the fall meeting and would make a determination after the meeting whether to continue participation in the community health initiative. Councilmember Hallfin expressed support for the proposed community health initiative. Mayor Pro Tern Sanger stated that any community health initiative should also focus on mental health and chemical health issues. She added that there are non-profit organizations in the community that provide these types of services and they should be invited to the table as well. Dr. Stockton indicated there are tremendous resources available in this community but people do not necessarily know these resources exist or how to access them and one possible indicator of success might be to make those resources more widely known. Mayor Pro Tem Sanger asked if grant money is available for this project. Dr. Stockton replied that there is grant money available and they have had discussions with TPT about TPT being a potential recorder of this engagement so that the story that emerges is one that could be used as a model for other communities. Mayor Pro Tern Sanger stated the focus appears to be primarily on insured people and requested that health improvement for uninsured people be part of the focus as well. It was the consensus of the City Council to support the City's partnership in the proposed community health initiative. 3. Environmental Input Discussion Ms. Deno presented the staff report. She referenced the background information contained in the staff report, including historical information regarding the formation of the Police Advisory Commission. Councilmember Mavity thanked City staff for the extensive background information included in the report. She suggested the concept where the City could form a resident task force for a limited time, e.g., five meetings. She suggested the first meeting provide background Study Session Minutes -3- March 26, 2012 information and be used as an educational meeting to make sure everyone is on the same page; the second meeting could be a brainstorming session; the third meeting could be used to sift through ideas from the brainstorming session and begin to prioritize the ideas; the fourth meeting could be used to discuss various options and discuss whether to form a commission; and the final meeting could be used for making a final recommendation to the City. Councilmember Hallfin acknowledged the City's desire to remain sensitive to the other boards and commissions and stated he did not believe the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission would feel that an environmental task force would be doing similar work to the work of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission. He stated he was in agreement with Councilmember Mavity's concept for forming a task force. Councilmember Ross stated she was in agreement with Councilmember Mavity's concept for forming a task force and felt it was a good starting point. She indicated there is a lot that can be done in this community around education, getting new ideas, keeping an eye on what other communities are doing, and trends and shifts outside the City. She stated it will also be important to think about how the City works with other groups, e.g., the Watershed Districts, and to look at what other people are doing creatively to control air and ground pollution, as well as working with refuse providers around recycling issues. She added it would be nice if the City had a group that could serve as the City's content experts and that could tie all the other commissions together as well. Mayor Pro Tem Sanger recognized that staff has already done a lot of good work on environmental issues and this discussion should not be interpreted as a put down of staff. She stated that environmental stewardship is one of the four main Vision goals for the community and the City needs to have a board or some equivalent mechanism whose main focus is environmental issues. She agreed with the framework of Councilmember Mavity's concept and suggested that the task force be charged with defining the mission and goals of a new board or some equivalent mechanism. She added that the mission could include advising Council on new areas or issues that are emerging related to the environment. Mr. Harmening requested clarification regarding Councilmember Mavity's concept and stated that under Councilmember Mavity's approach, the task force would be asked to define the approach the City should take for public input into the City's environmental policies and initiatives. He indicated the task force could then go through the five meeting process to help define what is missing. If Council wants to move directly to a commission, that should be stated in these meetings up front. He stated it appears that Council wants more of the open ended question on what type of environmental input is recommended for our community. Councilmember Ross agreed with the concept of formation of a new environmental commission with Council setting the framework for what that commission looks like, outlining its goals, and defining how the commission can assist the City in meeting its Vision, and leaving this open to the task force to recommend. Councilmember Mavity stated there might be other venues available that could offer resident interaction about environmental issues such as someone could create an online forum that could connect residents on various issues, e.g., community gardens. She indicated the task force could then address issues more appropriate for the entire community related to the environment. She supported the City asking residents to sign up for a time-limited task force that may result in the Study Session Minutes -4- March 26, 2012 formation of a new commission or that may result in other recommendations for residents related to the environment. Mayor Pro Tern Sanger felt the resulting work of the time-limited task force may result in the formation of a new commission and/or other recommendations. Councilmember Mavity requested the names of the people on the environmental Vision team. Ms. Gothberg suggested that the task force be composed of 8-15 people. Ms. Deno asked if Council wants to select the members of the task force. Mayor Pro Tern Sanger replied in the affirmative. Mr. Harmening stated that staff will prepare a proposal for Council consideration prior to soliciting task force members. He added the proposal will be on the agenda in April. 4. Beltline Boulevard Trail Improvement Options Mr. Brink presented the staff report and proposed trail improvement options. Councilmember Mavity stated that the SWLRT Community Works Committee has been reviewing circulation and development around the proposed light rail stations and noted that whatever improvements the City makes are likely to be undone if and when light rail happens. Councilmember Hallfin stated he was okay with that and added that safety is paramount to cost in this location. Mr. Vaughn explained the issue at this location is the perceived and real difficulty for trail users to cross four lanes of an undivided section of roadway with a speed limit of 30 mph and heavy traffic volumes. He stated there is a misnomer as to who has the right-of-way at the crossing and the proposed improvements attempt to address a means to allow users to safely cross the roadway by causing an effect on the trail users and cars. He explained they have attempted to create a physical environment that gives cues to both cars and trail users by changing the alignment of the trail to cause enough of a change to the trail user's experience in how they approach the crossing. Councilmember Mavity asked if her understanding was correct that the challenge in having a trail crossing mid-block is less safe, based on research and professional opinions and expertise. Mr. Vaughn confirmed this was correct and added that research and statistics show that having a marked crosswalk at a mid-block location is less safe than if it were an unmarked crossing. He stated that typical practice has been to mark these crossings but there has been a paradigm shift in thinking to not marking these crossings. He stated the trail improvements include realigning the trail crossing and shifting of the roadway to the east to accommodate a twelve-foot median. He noted that all improvements take place north of the railroad tracks and will maintain eleven foot lanes in the roadway which will continue the calming effect on traffic; in addition, the multi- use path on the east side will be maintained. He added that the wider median will create a two- stage crossing for trail users to cross the roadway. He noted these improvements will require installation of a retaining wall approximately twelve feet from the trail. Study Session Minutes -5- March 26, 2012 Councilmember Mavity stated the estimated cost of these improvements is $150,000 and asked what the cost would be to paint the crosswalk and install signage in the area. Mr. Vaughn replied that paint and signs could cost a few thousand dollars (—$3,000). Councilmember Hallfin expressed support for the proposed trail improvements and requested the City seek funding assistance from Three Rivers Park District. Councilmember Ross expressed support for the proposed trail improvements and felt the improvements represent one of the few solutions available to the City at this time. She acknowledged the cost involved for this short-term project, particularly if the City is unable to obtain funding assistance from other sources. Mayor Pro Tern Sanger expressed concern that the improvements will not address the traffic problems, safety issues, and sight line problems. She stated the proposal also does not address the problem with one car stopping for a trail user and another car failing to stop. She felt that the lack of a crosswalk has not solved the problem and also felt the consultant's recommendation is totally different than what seems to be the norm. She indicated the information put out by the City is different from other cities and believed the City gave incorrect information that vehicles do not have to stop at trail crossings. She felt strongly that the City needs a crosswalk at this location and it was more important for the City to be consistent with all other communities as it relates to trail crossings and right-of-ways. She stated that the City failed to inform dnvers that they had to stop when a trail user was already in the roadway. Councilmember Mavity stated she was hesitant to spend$150,000 on improvements that may not completely address some of the broader user issues in this area, especially since the improvements might be torn out in five years, and did not feel she could vote in favor of the improvements. Mayor Pro Tern Sanger did not think it would address the problem of drivers not stopping for trail users and urged the City to further educate drivers and trail users. She asked what would happen if the City were to put the crosswalk back in this location and to install an overhead sign that alerts dnvers in a more forceful fashion. Councilmember Hallfin felt that the City did a great job with this plan and respectfully disagreed with Mayor Pro Tem Sanger and Councilmember Mavity. He stated that spending$150,000 was nothing if it means it will save a life. He felt the wider median and angled trail crossings were safer than a sign or marked crosswalk. Councilmember Mavity stated if cost were not an issue, then the City should build a grade separated bndge at this location. She expressed concern that the proposed trail improvements will not adequately address the-concerns in this area. She added the City has until the end of the year to have a concrete plan in place in terms of the infrastructure for the light rail stations and felt the City could make a decision at that time about whether it wants to invest in a grade separated bridge at this location. Mr. Harmening acknowledged there is no perfect solution in this location short of a grade separated crossing. He stated there are cheaper alternatives available, including restriping the crosswalk. Study Session Minutes '-6- March 26; 2012 Councilmember Ross stated she would like to hear from Mayor Jacobs and Councilmembers Santa and Spano before moving forward with any improvements. Mayor Pro Tern Sanger asked if there was any way to install lights that trail users could activate to warn drivers that there is someone entenng the road. Mr. Vaughn explained there are side mounted pedestrian crossing or trail crossing signs available that flash and are typically implemented with a crosswalk. He stated that signs would not be appropriate at this location due to the adjacent railroad crossing and conflicts with the signage and flashing lights associated with this rail crossing equipment. Similar to Wooddale Avenue crossing in-pavement lighting would be a more appropriate application here if a crosswalk and advance warning indications were desired. It was the consensus of the City Council to defer action on this item until all Councilmembers are present. 5. Business Park Zoning District Ms. McMonigal presented the staff report and proposed Business Park Zoning District as the implementation of the new land use category in the Comprehensive Plan. This new category was developed to better address the needs of the market and guide development in the City. She explained the City's Zoning Ordinance follows the standard layout of existing ordinances and includes five categories of uses in all zoning districts. She stated the Business Park Zoning District would limit outdoor storage, heavy manufacturing, and warehouse type uses and would allow more office, density, and uses incidental to other uses in the area. She added that any Business Park property in the City could request this zoning reclassification. Councilmember Mavity questioned why any type of housing was excluded from the area between County Road 25 and the transit line and felt this area was ripe for that even if co-located as business and office space. Ms. McMonigal stated that an overlay district might be able to address that issue. She indicated the proposed zoning district attempts to avoid wholesale changes and noted there is a lot of multi-family residential within one-half mile of this area. Councilmember Ross expressed support for the proposed Business Park Zoning District. Mayor Pro Tern Sanger expressed support for the proposed Business Park Zoning District and requested that definitions of light assembly work and low impact manufacturing and processing be included. Mr. Fulton stated the definitions would be included in the ordinance. Mayor Pro Tern Sanger requested that the ordinance include a requirement for sidewalks. She also requested that the ordinance include more restrictive standards that address signage limitations, noise, fumes, odors, and other items associated with manufacturing that can be detrimental to nearby residents. Mr. Fulton stated that these standards would be addressed through uses allowed. Study Session Minutes -7- March 26, 2012 Mayor Pro Tern Sanger felt the setback requirements from residential areas were not sufficient and requested that the setbacks be increased. Mr. Fulton explained that item 3a of the proposed ordinance is comparable to the most restrictive setbacks in place in the Zoning Ordinance. Councilmember Ross'noted the City recently approved a care facility on Wayzata Boulevard that uses this standard. She stated she did not want to make the setbacks too restrictive at this time. Councilmember Hallfin suggested using a 50' setback requirement and if someone wanted a 35' setback they would have to request a variance. Councilmember Mavity felt the text should remain consistent with the rest of the City Code. She asked what conversations have occurred with existing land owners and business owners. Ms. McMonigal advised that several meetings have taken place with business owners and some of them would like to change their zoning because they frequently get requests for these types of uses. She stated the City is hesitant to force the zoning on a property owner. Councilmember Mavity asked if the City will grandfather in existing uses. Ms. McMonigal replied in the affirmative and stated these properties would be non-conforming uses that could continue their use but not expand. Mayor Pro Tem Sanger stated she was opposed to spot zoning and if the City only changes the zoning upon request of the property owner, the City will end up with spot zoning, which is not good for the City or its immediate neighbors. It was the consensus of the City Council to direct staff to move forward with rezoning as many of the properties as reasonably possible and to remain sensitive to the property owners involved. 6. Communications/Meeting Check-In Voter ID Councilmember Ross urged the City to determine the ramifications to the City of the voter ID amendment, including increased costs for election judges and the issue with provisional ballots. She felt the City should send a strong message that there has already been enough burdens shifted to cities without adding the voter ID requirement and requested that Council adopt a resolution opposing the amendment. Councilmember Mavity supported adopting a resolution. She stated the League has prepared a report on the implications of voter ID for cities and it would be helpful to have a strong factual staff report to use in the resolution to educate people on the implications to the City. She suggested the resolution include some sort of public education without being overtly political that discusses the impact on the City should this happen. Mayor Pro Tern Sanger was supportive of having a resolution adopted by Council. She stated it sometimes takes up to seven weeks for the State to issue driver's licenses and ID cards and felt the public education should tell people about the time it takes to get a State-issued ID card. She iY Study Session Minutes -8- ' March 26, 2012 requested that the City research whether it can issue photo IDs to residents that meet the requirements of the proposed law. Gambling Premise Permit for Hopkins Raspberry Festival Association Mayor Pro Tern Sanger stated a gambling premise permit is being requested by the Hopkins Raspberry Festival Association for Toby Keith's and did not feel it was appropriate to issue a permit when the establishment is on probation for not selling enough food. She indicated that a gambling premise permit should not be issued until they come off probation. Councilmember Hallfin agreed. Mr. Harmening stated that Council has considerable discretion in granting a gambling premise permit and can deny the permit after articulating and adopt a finding of fact that the denial is to protect the welfare of the City and its residents. Councilmember Mavity agreed that a gambling premise permit should not be granted based on Toby Keith's provisional liquor status. Councilmember Ross indicated this raises the larger discussion that Council should have regarding its food to liquor ratio and whether to amend this requirement. It was the consensus of the City Council that at such time the application was brought to the City Council, it shall not be approved until Toby Keith's was off probation. Pedestrian and Bicycle System Implementation Plan and Policy Review Councilmember Mavity suggested that the definition of Community sidewalks include a reference to the number of bicycles and pedestrians using the sidewalk per day so that the City has an understanding of the role that intensity of the use plays in whether a sidewalk is a Community sidewalk or Neighborhood sidewalk. She also suggested that consideration be given to having shared cost as an option for Neighborhood sidewalks. She requested that the City make sure to avail itself of various new technologies related to sidewalks and to make sure the City is being creative in materials used. Mayor Pro Tern Sanger requested that the definition of sidewalks be consistent as it relates to how far someone has to travel to get to their destination. She asked if the City could create a special service distnct for a block or neighborhood for the purpose of snowplowing, similar to an association. Holiday Observances Mr. Harmening stated that the City currently observes Christian and Jewish holidays for its Council meetings. He stated that Edina's Council meeting schedule policy includes Muslim and Hindu observances. Mayor Pro Tern Sanger felt if someone has business before Council that is in conflict with their religious observance, Council will reschedule the item. It was the consensus of the City Council to take no action at this time with respect to Council's meeting schedule policy The meeting adjourned at 9:48 p.m. Study Session Minutes -9- March 26, 2012 Written Reports provided and documented for recording purposes only: 7. Pedestrian and Bicycle System Implementation Plan and Policy Review 8. Outdoor Lighting Ordinance 9. February 2012 Monthly Financial Report 10. Gambling Premise Permit for Hopkins Raspberry Festival Association 11. 2011 Lawful Gambling Ten Percent Contribution Fund Report 12. Redevelopment Project& EDA Contract Status Report: March 2012 l \ %Mimes Nancy Stroth, I,y Clerk gusan Sanger, ayor Pro Tern