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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014/05/27 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session St. Louis Park OFFICIAL MINUTES 111 MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA MAY 27, 2014 The meeting convened at 6:35 p.m. Councilmembers present: Mayor Jeff Jacobs, Tim Brausen, Steve Hallfin, Susan Sanger, and Jake Spano. Councilmembers absent: Gregg Lindberg and Anne Mavity. Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmemng), City Attorney (Mr. Scott), Director of Engineering (Ms. Heiser), Senior Engineering Project Manager (Mr. Sullivan), Senior Engineenng Project Manager (Mr. Shamla), Planning and Zoning Supervisor (Ms. McMonigal), Economic Development Coordinator (Mr. Hunt), Controller (Mr. Swanson), and Recording Secretary(Ms. Hughes). Guests: Linda Trummer (Meadowbrook Collaborative Outreach Coordinator), Mark Dierling (SEH), and Heather Kienitz(SEH). 1. Future Study Session Agenda Planning—June 2 and 9, 2014 Mr. Harmening presented the proposed special study session agenda for June 2nd and the proposed study session agenda for June 9th Councilmember Brausen requested that Council revisit the topic of business recycling and green packaging initiatives at a future meeting. 2. Meadowbrook Collaborative Update Mayor Jacobs introduced Linda Trummer, Outreach Coordinator for Meadowbrook Collaborative. Ms. Trummer provided a brief historical background on Meadowbrook Manor and the Meadowbrook Collaborative and stated that the founders of Children First founded the Meadowbrook Collaborative in 1993 to address the issues of crime & disorder, truancy, housing code violations, and barriers to resources. She stated the Meadowbrook Collaborative mission is to enhance the self-direction of Meadowbrook Manor residents towards the betterment of their lives in the areas of health, education, and safety. She explained that one of the first things they realized was that they would not be able to do much of anything until residents felt safe in their neighborhood. The collaborative was able to access federal funds to have a police officer dedicated to the area who worked hard to build relationships with residents and they saw a dramatic reduction in crime based on those relationships. She discussed several areas of focus, including reducing social costs related to crime, poor health, and welfare; improving school attendance and closing achievement gaps; moving individuals from poverty to self-sufficiency; and building a sustainable community where everyone can live well. She then introduced Anna Alberto, a teacher at the Meadowbrook Collaborative, and discussed some of the programming, including the early childhood initiative, targeted services with the School District, and the summer playground program. She also introduced Brandon Oslund, Advisory Council member and team leader for fundraising and sustainability. Study Session Minutes -2- May 27, 2014 Mr. Oslund stated that the Park Nicollet Foundation agreed to provide funding for the Meadowbrook Collaborative to work with a consultant on its sustainability goals and began working with Steve Devereux in January on its sustainability efforts. Mr. Steve Devereux, Devereux Development Consulting, stated he has been working with the Meadowbrook Collaborative to help them determine funding opportunities as well as developing financial goals and assisting with implementation of fundraising strategies. He stated in recent years, the Park Nicollet Foundation has provided approximately 30% of the Meadowbrook Collaborative's financial support and the Park Nicollet Foundation has committed funding for three years. He presented the Meadowbrook Collaborative's operating budget for July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015, and stated the annual budget is approximately $170,000 with the majority of the budget going toward direct program support. He also presented the 2014-2015 projected revenue and advised they have a shortfall of approximately $48,000, with a proposal to a prospective foundation donor that could secure an additional $15,000. He stated that Park Nicollet Foundation has committed to approximately $43,000/year for the next 3 years to support the Meadowbrook Collaborative, and the St. Louis Park School Distnct provides pass through monies that support the after school initiative. He stated the gap of approximately$48,000 needs to be closed before the end of June and they would like to discuss the funding gap and potential financial support from the City while we build our donor prospects, which will take approximately 3 years Councilmember Hallfin stated the City no longer has a cop shop at Meadowbrook Manor and this appears to be having a negative effect and this might be something that Council should review and keep an eye on. When asked, Ms. Trummer said first that she could speak for hours about the wonderful stories of police officers connecting with Meadowbrook adults and children over the first 15 years of operation. She stated it takes a long time to build relationships between disenfranchised people and the police, especially with people coming from different countries where their relationships with police are not always positive. She stated she has had several conversations with city/police administration and the Meadowbrook Collaborative executive committee about the importance of maintaining those relationships on an ongoing basis. Mayor Jacobs thanked Ms. Trimmer for the update. 3. Highway 7 and Louisiana Avenue Update Mr. Harmening presented the staff report. Mr. Shamla advised that the project is currently 24 days behind schedule and the contractor has been working on Saturdays to catch up. He stated the estimated substantial completion date is November 24th with final completion in June 2015. He went on to explain that SEH put together the estimated quantities of contaminated soil. Last fall it was estimated that there would be $1.75 million in overruns related to the contaminated soils, however, that amount is currently projected at $2.8 million in overruns for a total project cost of$33.5 million, which is 5% more than originally budgeted for the project. Mr. Harmening advised that the City's consultants SEH undertook a thorough analysis of the soils that resulted in the estimates to remove and replace the soils with buildable soils. He stated that staff is discouraged that this estimate was off by a factor of almost three and it is imperative that the City figure out why that happened. He explained that the City's understanding is that the groundwater in the area rose substantially from what was used to determine the amount of soil Study Session Minutes -3- May 27, 2014 correction necessary, and when the groundwater went up by seven to eight feet, it contaminated more soils, requiring them to be removed and replaced. He stated there was some material placed underneath the roadbed by MnDOT that had to be removed and replaced at a cost of approximately $500,000 and the City asked MnDOT to provide reimbursement but MnDOT declined, adding that the City will continue to pursue reimbursement from MnDOT. Ms. Heiser explained that the matenal under the roadbed consists of impacted fill from the time MnDOT rebuilt Highway 7 many years ago and it was common practice at the time for recycled materials to be hauled in, however, the new rules require this matenal to be hauled away. Councilmember Sanger requested further information about the significant rise in the groundwater level and asked if it rose that much between the time SEH did its sampling and the beginning of the project. Mr. Mark Dierling stated that SEH's analysis included dnlling holes and monitonng the groundwater elevations and when the work began, they discovered the rise in the groundwater elevations, adding that it is common to have fluctuations in the groundwater elevation but the magnitude surprised them. He added that given the subsurface features in the area, there is channeling of groundwater through this area that tends to increase the elevation and the wet weather contributed as well to the rise in elevation. Councilmember Sanger asked if the City could apply for grant money to remediate some of the cost. Mr. Harmening stated the City applied for money from the County last January but was not approved. He pointed out that the extra cost of$2.8 million does not mean that the City's final cost has increased by that amount. He stated the City's estimated share of the project was originally projected at$11,074,076, and that amount is now $12,280,454. Land Acquisition Mr. Hunt explained that the northeast parcel of the interchange is located between two other City owned properties and the intent was to build a modest storm water pond to help facilitate redevelopment to the north. He stated if the City acquires the northeast parcel the City could double the size of the storm water pond. He explained that the other parcel is located in the southwest corner of the interchange and is situated west of the EDA parcel and both parcels are oddly shaped by themselves but combined would create an oblong shaped lot that could facilitate commercial development at this highly desirable commercial location. Councilmember Sanger asked about the potential for return when the City sells the combined southwest parcel. Mr. Hunt believed the land values would be in the upper teens per square foot and felt this represented a very good investment by the City. He stated that when the interchange is done the City would have to have the property reappraised in order to determine the City's ability to recoup its investment. Mr. Hannening pointed out that the soils are bad on this site and the City is going to have to deal with that but it does not impact the price of the property and what the City would need to pay Clear Channel. Study Session Minutes -4- May 27, 2014 Councilmember Spano noted that whether or not the City buys the property, there would continue to be billboards on this property. Mr. Scott stated that on the southwest parcel, the City is explonng the possibility of moving the billboard even farther to the west. To assist with this, the City is looking to vacate some additional nght of way so the billboard may be able to be moved entirely off this parcel and Clear Channel has indicated it is fine with that. He advised that Clear Channel would have a permanent easement to have a billboard on the site and that is factored into the negotiations on the purchase price. Councilmember Spano expressed support for purchasing the parcels and urged the City to get Clear Channel to move the billboards as far away as possible. Councilmember Sanger requested further information about the storm water needs on the northeast parcel. Ms. Heiser explained that the large pond being constructed today is to address the storm water needs for the Highway 7 interchange. The City is considenng making a bigger pond for the regional system to handle the storm water needs when redevelopment occurs in this area. Mr. Harmening stated the City wants a storm water pond large enough to handle this area similar to the pond at Hoigaard Village and this represents a step toward thinking more regionally versus each development having its own storm water pond. It was the consensus of the City Council to direct staff to negotiate with Clear Channel on the purchase of the additional parcels. 4. Southwest LRT Preliminary Design Plans—Continued Discussion Mr. Harmening presented the staff report. Ms. McMonigal introduced Heather Kienitz from SEH and advised that the municipal consent plans for Beltline provide access for cars from CSAH 25, a surface parking lot for 545 vehicles, a new traffic signal at Lynn, removing the frontage road where the parking lot is shown, adding a second left turn lane from Lynn to CSAH 25 going west, and a queue cutter signal at the railroad tracks to prevent people from stopping on the tracks. She advised that staff met with the SPO last week and discussed improving the access points from CSAH 25, as well as the possibility of a joint development on the parking lot site, improving the signal location at Lynn, separating the regional trail, and the possibility of a backage road at Lynn. Mr. Sullivan discussed the City's efforts to minimize conflicts between light rail and freight rail and ways to better handle the current and future traffic in the area for all modes of transportation. He presented a map of the Southwest LRT alignment for the Beltline station and stated that most of the traffic congestion on Beltline is related to CSAH 25 having the most green time with an approximate 125-second cycle length. He stated there are currently approximately two freight trains per week in the a.m. peak and one freight train during the 4:00-6:00 p.m. peak resulting in delays of 3-3.5 minutes. He stated the light rail trains have an approximate 10-minute headway and take approximately 45-50 seconds to travel through the crossing. He stated that City staff and SEH have analyzed the plans for light rail and freight rail at grade with Beltline as well as grade separation with Beltline and found there is not a lot of change with LRT along this Study Session Minutes -5- May 27, 2014 corridor, explaining that the real roadblock in the system is due to the CSAH 25 and Beltline signal. This results in the highest delay, and grade separating light rail and freight rail would not result in significant changes from an operational perspective. He stated if light rail comes through at grade, it would add an average of 5-8 seconds in the a.m. peak and approximately 8 seconds in the p.m. peak; in addition, if there was a freight rail and light rail event occurring simultaneously, it was add approximately 20 seconds to the p.m. peak. Councilmember Sanger stated there is frequently a backup occurring now from the tracks back to CSAH 25 and questioned where that backup is going to go with the addition of light rail. Ms. Heather Kienitz explained that they tested no light rail or freight rail at a grade separated crossing versus a light rail event at grade and found there were no queues extending back to CSAH 25. She stated there were queues with a freight rail event that extended back to CSAH 25 but the volume was not such that it would develop a long enough queue back to CSAH 25 throughout the entire peak hour. Councilmember Sanger reiterated that cars are already backing up to CSAH 25 and if this was as easy as changing the signal timing the City should run an experiment now before anything is built. Mr. Harmening stated that it does not appear that grade separating Beltline at a cost of approximately $20 million is going to achieve the result Council is looking for and the money might be better spent on improvements to the intersection in lieu of grade separation. Mr. Sullivan explained that proposed improvements include dual left turn lanes for northbound traffic on Beltline to allow more cars to get through the intersection and alleviate congestion. He stated that the current signal timing is geared toward the County roadway and staff has suggested to the County the possibility of changing the signal timing at this location to provide more green time to the City's lanes. He indicated that for a fraction of the $20 million cost for grade separation, staff believes that improvements to the intersections could alleviate congestion in the area and better balance the system. He stated that the Nordic Ware improvements would require trucks to go south on Beltline and no left turns would be allowed dunng the peak p.m. Councilmember Hallfin agreed with the concerns expressed by Councilmember Sanger and stated that the $20 million grade separation cost is not yet confirmed and he would like to see more concrete numbers. He felt that the roadway should be grade separated because the traffic in this area is only going to get worse. Councilmember Sanger indicated the City had discussions with the County a number of years ago about changing the timing of the signals and the County refused. She felt the City has to deal with Ottawa between Minnetonka Boulevard and CSAH 25,particularly with the addition of a light rail station and the increased traffic needs to be accounted for in the estimates. She also urged the City to push for a park and ride in conjunction with redevelopment and stated that it makes no sense to use all that space for a surface parking lot. Ms. McMonigal stated that staff has been talking with the SPO about a development scenario instead of the large surface lot. She indicated Hennepin County has expressed a willingness to optimize its roadways and felt the County would be more open to changing the signal timing than in the past. She then presented a draft list of unfunded items totaling $77 million and stated Met Council would not fund these costs and Met Council needs a commitment that the City or , , Study Session Minutes -6- May 27, 2014 some other agency would fund them. She stated that the list also includes TSAAP identified improvements for opening day and beyond totaling$21 million. Mr. Harmening asked if the City should make a statement at the Hennepin County and Met Council Public Hearing on Thursday, May 29`11 . Councilmember Sanger felt the City should make an appearance either in person or in writing to reinforce the City's position in favor of light rail and to reinforce that there are additional considerations the City needs beyond what the SPO has already acknowledged. Councilmember Spano stated that Council has already issued an official statement and felt that the City should stress the importance of the work the City is doing with the Met Council and the fact that the City is making headway but that it is critical that these issues get addressed in order for the line to function the way that Met Council wants it to function. Councilmember Sanger stated the public hearing is also an opportunity for the City to clearly state on the public record that it wants Met Council to acknowledge that it is not going to study the reroute idea again. Mr. Harmening agreed to have a City staff member speak at the public hearing on May 296 . Communications/Meeting Check-In (Verbal) Mr. Harmening advised that a retirement party for Mr. Windschitl is being held tomorrow from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at Fire Station#1. Council discussed the cost overruns associated with the contaminated soils on the Highway 7 and Louisiana Avenue project and agreed to further discuss this in closed session. Councilmember Sanger stated that Council does not typically receive presentations from other nonprofits and was concerned about setting a precedent. Councilmember Spano stated that he and Councilmember Hallfin felt it was a good idea to hear from the Meadowbrook Collaborative about what they do and how the City might consider supporting them in the short term. Councilmember Hallfin stated if the Meadowbrook Collaborative is not able to do its work then the costs to the City could go up and it was his belief that if the City does not help, that crime will go up and hence, police protection will increase. Mr. Harmening agreed to have Mr. Luse discuss this issue with Council. The meeting adjourned at 8:59 p.m. Written reports provided and documented for recording purposes only: 5. April 2014 Monthly Financial Report Nancy Stroth, ity Clerk Jeff J o , M yor