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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014/12/15 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Regular I/I St.NLouis Park OFFICIAL MINUTES MINESOTA CITY COUNCIL MEETING ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA DECEMBER 15, 2014 1. Call to Order Mayor Jacobs called the meeting to order at 7.30 p.m Councilmembers present: Mayor Jeff Jacobs, Tim Brausen, Steve Hallfin, Gregg Lindberg, Anne Mavity, Susan Sanger, and Jake Spano. Councilmembers absent: None. Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmening), Deputy City Manager/Director of Human Resources (Ms. Deno), City Attorney (Mr. Scott), Controller (Mr. Swanson), Senior Planner (Mr. Walther), Economic Development Coordinator (Mr Hunt), and Recording Secretary (Ms. Hughes). Guests: Jessica Laabs (Kimley-Horn and Associates) and David Graham (architect) la. Pledge of Allegiance lb. Roll Call 2. Presentations - None 3. Approval of Minutes 3a. Study Session Meeting Minutes of November 24, 2014 Councilmember Lindberg requested that the first sentence of the fourth paragraph on page 3 be revised to state "Councilmember Lindberg stated that in his opinion this plan must be approved in order to facilitate development." The minutes were approved as amended 3b. Special Study Session Meeting Minutes of December 1, 2014 The minutes were approved as presented. 3c. City Council Meeting Minutes of December 1, 2014 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 appropnate section of the regular agenda for discussion. City Council Meeting -2- December 15, 2014 4a. Motion to Adopt Resolution No. 14-171 authonzing award of the 2015 St. Louis Park Arts and Culture Grants 4b. Motion to Adopt Resolution No. 14-172 approving the Assignment and Assumption of Redevelopment Contract between Duke Realty Limited Partnership and Central Park West, LLC. 4c. Motion to Adopt Resolution No. 14-173 approving the Second Amendment to the Contract for Private Redevelopment By and Between the City of St. Louis Park, St. Louis Park Economic Development Authonty and Central Park West, LLC. 4d. Motion to Adopt Resolution No. 14-174 authorizing execution of a one (1) year contract with Summit Envirosolutions, Inc., for consultant services related to the implementation of the Reilly Tar & Chemical Corporation (Reilly) Remedial Action Plan (RAP) dunng year 2015. 4e. Moved to 8f. 4f. Motion to Adopt Resolution No. 14-175 authorizing the special assessment for the repair of the water service line at 2921 Louisiana Avenue South, St. Louis Park, Minnesota, P.I.D. 08-117-21-43-0124 4g. Approve for Filing Environment and Sustainability Commission: Sustainable SLP Meeting Minutes of November 5, 2014 4h. Motion to Adopt Resolution No. 14-176 authonzing special assessments for the installation of a traffic signal at the shared entrance of 36 Park Apartments and Target. 4i Motion to Adopt Resolution No. 14-177 appointing City Council Member Mavity as a non-voting member of the SWLRT Executive Change Control Board (ECCB) and Council Member Sanger as the alternate. Councilmember Brausen requested that Consent Calendar item 4e be removed and placed on the Regular Agenda. It was moved by Councilmember Spano, seconded by Councilmember Lindberg, to approve the Agenda and items listed on the Consent Calendar as amended to move Consent Calendar item 4e to the Regular Agenda as item 8f and to waive reading of all resolutions and ordinances. 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 and Discussion Items 8a. Central Park West Preliminary Plat& Preliminary PUD. Resolution Nos. 14-178 and 14-179. City Council Meeting -3- December 15, 2014 Mr. Walther presented the staff report and explained that the proposed project includes two 6-story multi-family residential buildings, two 11-story office buildings, and a six- story hotel, adding the project will provide 363 housing units, including eleven affordable housing units for persons at or below 60% AMI, 706,000 square feet of office space, and up to 150 hotel rooms. He provided historical background regarding the West End Redevelopment area and stated the revised concept includes a total of five buildings and one parking structure to be completed in up to five phases and also includes a central gathering space. He explained that the Alternative Urban Area-wide Review (AUAR) was updated in 2013 and was recently reviewed by Kimley-Horn to compare the impacts of the proposed changes to the site plan. He then introduced Ms. Jessica Laabs from Kimley-Horn. Ms. Laabs advised that Kimley-Horn was asked to review the current development proposal and to compare those thresholds that were established in the AUAR and determine if the thresholds are exceeded as part of the current proposal. She advised that they reviewed the sanitary sewer production from the site and compared it to existing capacity within the City of 7.4 million gallons per day and found that sanitary sewer production is still under capacity because of the Novartis facility coming off line. She noted that Met Council is adding some improvements in the area that will add capacity of five million gallons per day. She stated that water use was within capacity of the current system, but was above 90% threshold and the City prefers to stay under 90%, so additional mitigation may be required. She advised that they reviewed AM and PM peak hour traffic and no additional mitigation measures are needed at this time Mr. Walther stated the proposed preliminary plat creates three new lots and two outlots and dedicates a small amount of nght-of-way. He stated one of the recommended changes to the preliminary plat relates to providing drainage and utility easements over the underground storm water drainage, the exact extents of which will be shown in the final design, and the applicant has indicated a willingness to provide an easement tailored to the exact location of the utilities. He stated staff also recommends combining Outlot A with Lot 1 in the final plat and protecting that space through easements or agreements. He presented a diagram of the site depicting five buildings, one large parking structure on the east side, and a large gathenng space that will provide a pedestrian connection from 16th Street. He advised that the preliminary storm water plan has been reviewed and will be refined in the final plans. He reviewed the PUD zoning analysis including DORA, density, floor area ratio, parking, and landscaping and stated that in the final PUD, alternative landscaping measures include public art, green roofs, and alternatives to planting overstory trees. Mr. David Graham of ESG Architects stated that they believe the proposed PUD will provide a network of pedestrian friendly streets and amenities and the project includes a lot of sustainable practices. He presented an image of the publicly accessible park. He also described the paved landscape courtyard to create entrances to the residential buildings and parking. He advised they have had meetings with Golden Valley staff to discuss ways to create a gateway from the site into Golden Valley, including bikeways and extending the trails, and including a well-designed parking facility He presented several renderings of the project and discussed phasing of the project. Councilmember Sanger stated she was happy to see the bike trails and walking paths within the development but was concerned that the trails do not connect to anything City Council Meeting -4- December 15, 2014 outside of the West End area and asked about the City's planning efforts to connect to the Cedar Lake trail or Quentin Avenue and even a way to get across the bndge into Golden Valley. Mr. Walther advised that the Connect the Park/ plan includes extensions of City trails or bikeways on Quentin Avenue and connecting along the south side of Wayzata Boulevard under Highway 100 with the goal of creating better connections on the east side of Highway 100. Councilmember Mavity expressed support for the proposed development and requested further information about the proposed greenway and public access to that space. Mr. Walther stated the developer has committed to privately owning and maintaining that space and allowing the space to be available to the public. He advised it is staff's intention with the Final Plat and PUD to negotiate easements for accessibility with the expectation that that will provide a 24-hour connection through the site along with some management of park hours consistent with surrounding uses Councilmember Mavity requested clanfication regarding the water capacity issues and asked how this development might impact other developments coming on line as it relates to water capacity. Mr. Walther stated the City has a vanety of mitigation measures already in place, including the Water Access Charge (WAC) adopted in 2012 for any new development and this will help fund projects identified in the Capital Improvements Plan, such as adding treatment to one of the City's existing wells which will add capacity to the City as a whole. He explained the reason for the 90% threshold was to cover an emergency situation and noted that the City also has several agreements with surrounding cities that could provide service to St. Louis Park in an emergency situation. Councilmember Mavity felt this highlights the need to focus more on conservation rather than increasing capacity. She requested that the last sentence of Conclusion #10 of the Resolution approving the PUD be amended to state "If capacity is exceeding 90% peak capacity, the City and the Developer shall cooperate to identify city-wide and project- specific measures to first and foremost reduce consumption and if needed to increase capacity." Councilmember Spano expressed support for the project and felt it complemented what is going on in the area as a whole, adding that his only concern was to keep the park gathenng space as open as possible He stated he would like to see further details about the parking for the hotel and how guests will be shuttled back and forth. He stated he would also like to see green roofs to offset the lack of vegetation given the constraints on the site. Councilmember Brausen stated he was happy with the proposed project and felt it would be a wonderful addition to the West End, adding that he agreed with Councilmember Mavity's comments about water conservation. 1 City Council Meeting -5- December 15, 2014 It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Mavity, to adopt Resolution No. 14-178 Giving Approval of Preliminary Plat with Subdivision Variances for Perimeter Drainage and Utility Easements— Central Park West. The motion passed 7-0. It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Mavity, to adopt Resolution No. 14-179 Approving a Preliminary Planned Unit Development (PUD) located at 1511 Utica Avenue South — Central Park West, and amending the last sentence of Conclusion #10 to state "If capacity is exceeding 90%peak capacity, the City and the Developer shall cooperate to identify city-wide and project-specific measures to first and foremost reduce consumption and if needed to increase capacity. " The motion passed 7-0. 8b. 2015 Budget, Final City and HRA Property Tax Levies and 2015-2024 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Resolution Nos. 14-180, 14-181, 14-182. Mr. Swanson presented the staff report and explained that the 2015 proposed property tax levy increase of 5.5% is consistent with information adopted by Council in September. He stated that the HRA levy is currently paying for the Highway 7 and Louisiana Avenue project and based on the City's Long Range Financial Management Plan, the funds in the HRA Levy are committed through 2021 for this project. He stated that given the significant infrastructure needs of the City, staff is recommending that the HRA Levy continue at the maximum allowed by law for the 2015 budget year, calculated at $953,238, an increase of $3,879 from the 2014 Final HRA Levy. He advised that for 2015, total expenditures are budgeted at approximately $65 06 million, with $32.6 million or 50.15% attnbuted to the General Fund. He stated that Council regularly reviews the 2015-2024 Capital Improvement Plan and the CIP will continue to have aggressive infrastructure needs. He pointed out that Council is being asked to approve only 2015 projects in the CIP and that years 2016-2024 are for planning purposes only and do not represent a firm commitment until authonzed by Council He explained that the utility rates for 2015 were adopted by Council on October 20, 2014, with an approximate cumulative effect on a typical residential property for all utility rate adjustments of $45 per year or an increase of $3.75 per month, representing an approximate 4.6% increase over 2014. He stated that franchise fees for residential customers will increase $18 per year or $0 75 per utility for a total fee of$3.25 per utility per month. He stated that the 5.5% property tax increase, utility rate increases, and franchise fee increases for a typical residential property with a median value of$217,600 result in an overall increase of$115 per year or$9.67 per month. It was moved by Councilmember Spano, seconded by Councilmember Hallfan, to adopt Resolution No. 14-180 Adopting the 2014 Final Amended General Fund Budget, 2015 Budgets and Authorizing the 2015 Final Property Tax Levy, to adopt Resolution No. 14- 181 Approving the 2015 Final HRA Levy, and to adopt Resolution No. 14-182 Adopting the 2015-2024 Capital Improvement Program Councilmember Sanger stated she has heard some concerns from residents about the property tax increase and mentioned a program offered by the State of Minnesota for senior citizens where a portion of property taxes can be deferred for household incomes I City Council Meeting -6- December 15, 2014 up to $60,000 per year. She stated further information is available on the Department of Revenue website. Councilmember Brausen stated that St. Louis Park is an incredibly well run city as reflected by the City's AAA bond rating. He stated citizens expect a high level of service and the City provides a high level of service that he is proud of, adding that this Council and City staff have worked hard to present a fair and balanced budget that continues to replace the City's aging infrastructure in an aggressive and timely manner. Councilmember Mavity stated that this is the most important vote taken by Council every year and this Council has been working on the budget for many months and a lot of thought has gone into the budget and Council recognizes the impact on taxpayers. Councilmember Spano stated that staff has done a good job of being creative in finding ways to fund projects, e g. using franchise fees to pay for road repairs rather than taxing individual residents. He stated the City tries to be respectful of all residents and to strike a balance with this budget and felt it has done a great job. Councilmember Lindberg expressed support for the 2015 budget and stated it was important to understand the balance between supporting a high quality City staff and the challenges of an aging infrastructure. He acknowledged the impact to residents and stated that Council will have an important conversation in the near future about the City's prionties and what the City is doing to address the needs of taxpayers with a focus on financial sustainability and fiscal responsibility. The motions passed 7-0 8c. Fund Equity and Operating Transfers, Interfund Loan, and Fund Closings. Resolution Nos. 14-183 and 14-184. Mr. Swanson presented the staff report and stated that the 2013 comprehensive annual financial report showed an unassigned fund balance of $14.3 million, equal to 47% of 2014 budgeted expenditures and the City's fund balance policy provides that the City will strive for a fund balance of 35-50% of the subsequent year's expenditures and any amount greater than 40% can be transferred to other funds. He stated that at the end of 2014, the City's unassigned fund balance will increase to $16.3 million or approximately 50% of proposed 2015 budgeted expenditures; as a result, it is recommended that an equity transfer from the General Fund of$1,050,000 be made to the Capital Replacement Fund in 2014 and this equity transfer will aid in solving this fund's long term sustainability challenges He stated that other proposed transfers include $450,000 from the Permanent Improvement Revolving Fund to the Capital Replacement Fund, $110,000 from the Park Center TIF Distnct to the Housing Rehabilitation Fund to be used for eligible housing programs, $47,356 from the Development Fund to the Hwy 7 Corporate Center TIF Distnct representing a one-time transfer to correct a previous salary entry that should have been paid by the Development Fund, and $227,039 from the 1999, 2003, and 2010B General Obligation Debt Service Funds to the Housing Rehabilitation Fund to cover possible delinquencies and tax collections. He stated that an interfund loan from the Development Fund to the Housing Rehabilitation Fund is also proposed in an amount not to exceed $500,000. He advised that four funds have been identified as no longer necessary. the former Park and Recreation Fund, which was merged with the General City Council Meeting -7- December 15, 2014 Fund, as well as the 1999 GO Improvement Debt Service, the 2003 GO Improvement Debt Service Fund, and 2010B GO Refunding Debt Service. It was moved by Councilmember Sanger, seconded by Councilmember Lindberg, to adopt Resolution No. 14-183 Authorizing Fund Equity Transfer, Operating Transfers, and Fund Closings. The motion passed 7-0 It was moved by Councilmember Sanger, seconded by Councilmember Lindberg, to adopt Resolution No. 14-184 Authorizing an Interfund Loan. The motion passed 7-0. 8d. 2015 Employee Compensation. Resolution No. 14-185. Ms Deno presented the staff report and stated that for 2015, the City Manager is recommending a 2.5% salary increase for all non-union employees, consistent with the union contracts previously approved. She stated that the City's consultant recommends increasing the City Manager's pay range at 2.5%, adding that Minnesota has a salary cap in place and the City Manager's 2015 salary is recommended to be capped at $165,003, not including car allowance and PTO City Manager's salary will be applied upon successful completion and acceptance of the upcoming 2014 performance evaluation and effective on January 1, 2015 She stated that the Fire Chief has also recommended a 2.5% increase to paid-on-call firefighters and a continuation of the volunteer firefighter benefit. It was moved by Councilmember Lindberg, seconded by Councilmember Hallfin, to adopt Resolution No. 14-185 Confirming 2015 Compensation for Non-Union Employees, Setting the City Manager's Salary; Continuing Participation in the Volunteer Firefighter Benefit Program; and Continuing Performance Program Pay for Paid-on-Call Firefighters. The motion passed 7-0 8e. Paid Parenting Leave Policy. Resolution No. 14-186. Ms. Deno presented the staff report and explained that staff researched a paid parenting leave program, as requested by Council, to provide additional PTO to parents of all genders, including birthing and adoptive parents. She stated the policy was created to partner with the City's short term disability program and provides up to 21 paid calendar days of parenting leave for birth or adoption of a child into the household; after 21 days if additional leave is needed, an employee could go into the short term disability program if eligible. She advised the policy is gender neutral, available for any type of marriage, and would be offered to employees effective January 1, 2015. She indicated the paid parenting leave policy will run concurrently with FMLA, MN Parental Leave, and/or STD and does not extend the expiration dates of those programs Approval of the resolution makes all non-union staff eligible for paid parenting leave for births occurring on or after January 1, 2015. She stated Human Resources will meet and confer with each union group to determine if they wish to approve this program. City Council Meeting -8- December 15, 2014 It was moved by Councilmember Mavity, seconded by Councilmember Spano, to adopt Resolution No. 14-186 Adding Paid Parenting Leave Policy to the Personnel Manual. The motion passed 7-0. 8f. Next Steps to Increase the Climate Resilience of Communities Grant Agreement. Resolution No. 14-187. Councilmember Brausen requested this item be removed from the Consent Calendar and wanted to point out that the City is making application to receive a grant from the Pollution Control Agency to fund a project related to increasing the City's resilience to climate change and how the City can adapt and be more resilient in the face of a changing climate. He commended staff for being proactive and secunng funds from the State to assist in that process. It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Mavity, to adopt Resolution No. 14-187 Authorizing Execution of the Next Steps to Increase the Climate Resilience of Communities Grant Agreement with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The motion passed 7-0 9. Communications Mayor Jacobs reported that Mr. Locke recently underwent a successful double lung transplant and was doing well. He extended the City Council's warm wishes for Mr. Locke's continued recovery. 10. Adjournment Mayor Jacobs adjourned the meeting at 8:52 p.m Nancy Str�ity Clerk Jeff Jacob M: or