HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014/09/22 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session ff7St. Louis Park OFFICIAL MINUTES
MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION
ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA
SEPTEMBER 22,2014
The meeting convened at 6:34 p.m.
Councilmembers present: Mayor Pro Tern Steve Hallfin, Tim Brausen, Gregg Lindberg, Anne
Mavity, Susan Sanger, and Jake Spano (arrived at 6:46 p.m.).
Councilmembers absent: Mayor Jeff Jacobs.
Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmerung), Director of Inspections (Mr. Hoffman), Director
of Engineering (Ms. Heiser), Senior Engineering Project Manager (Mr. Sullivan), Inspection
Services Manager(Ms. Boettcher), and Recording Secretary(Ms. Hughes).
1. Future Study Session Agenda Planning—October 6 and October 13,2014
Mr. Harmening presented the proposed special study session agenda for October 6th and the
proposed study session agenda for October 13th.
Councilmember Mavity requested that Council have a discussion about the City being
responsible for plowing the 28th Street sidewalk and suggested this topic be included in the
October 6th special study session if appropriate.
Mr. Harmening stated that the 28th Street sidewalk would be discussed this fall as part of
Council's discussion regarding community and neighborhood sidewalks.
Councilmember Brausen stated he was contacted by a resident about enacting a bee friendly
ordinance similar to the ordinance recently enacted by the City of Mounds View. He advised
that City staff informed him that the City is already doing most of the items contained in the
Mounds View ordinance. He requested that this item be added to a future study session agenda
with the intent to raise visibility of the issue and point out the positive things the City is doing
with respect to bees. He stated he attended the Midwest Regional Convening on Climate
Resilience and requested that Council schedule a study session discussion regarding climate
change in the next couple of months.
Councilmember Sanger requested that Council schedule a study session discussion regarding the
City's aging infrastructure and what the City is doing to proactively address the issue.
Mr. Harmening advised that the infrastructure discussion will tie in to Council's discussion in
October regarding the CIP.
2. City Hall Second and Third Floor Remodeling Project
Mr. Hoffman presented the staff report and cost estimate for the second and third floor
remodeling project. He also presented the preliminary second floor plan and advised that the
remodeling plans include modular walls similar to the first floor that are made from recycled
materials and create a much more open environment.
Councilmember Mavity asked if fiber optic has been run throughout the building.
Study Session Minutes -2- September 22, 2014
Mr. Hoffman stated that the plans include upgrading and rewiring the cabling similar to what
was done during the first floor remodeling and agreed to further discuss this with Mr. Pires. He
presented the preliminary third floor plan and advised that the Westwood Room and Council
Chambers will not be remodeled at this time.
Councilmember Spano stated he felt the Council Chambers was dated and was interested in
having a discussion in the future about updating the Council Chambers.
Councilmember Mavity agreed and suggested that the City consider some low cost updates to the
Council Chambers at this time, e.g.,updated lighting or painting.
Mr. Harmening agreed to consider what low cost upgrades might be available for the Council
Chambers.
Mr. Hoffman advised that the City intends to reuse whatever furniture it can and staff has learned
that there are companies that will take the furniture for recycling and this is the most economical
and efficient way to get rid of the furniture.
Councilmember Sanger stated that some of the City's nonprofits might be happy to have some of
the furniture and urged the City to inform the City's nonprofits that the furniture is available.
It was the consensus of the City Council to direct staff to proceed with the proposed plan to
remodel the second and third floors of City Hall.
3. Connect the Park! Plan Amendments
Ms. Heiser presented the staff report.
Councilmember Sanger stated the City has started receiving requests from the Lake Forest
neighborhood for a sidewalk. She felt that if enough residents were asking for a sidewalk in a
particular location, the City should make it part of the system even if it does not fully connect to
the grid today.
Councilmember Lindberg felt there was a lot of equity in the robust public process that resulted
in the Connect the Park! Plan but was concerned about the addition of larger segments such as
Lake Forest and the potential for these conversations becoming plan creep to what has already
been thoroughly vetted by the entire community and balancing that with increased costs of
adding segments in the ten year plan.
Councilmember Mavity indicated that previous councilmembers were not overly supportive of
certain sidewalk segments so some of these segments did not emerge as a priority, adding it was
her understanding that the same approach was used with Lake Forest and the neighborhood
indicated they did not want the sidewalks.
Councilmember Spano stated that a gap is considered a section of sidewalk that is missing on a
continuous street block directly adjacent to a Connect the Park! sidewalk segment and requested
that Council consider this criteria more broadly, adding that he felt the one block criteria seemed
arbitrary.
Study Session Minutes -3- September 22, 2014
Mr. Harmening stated the public process is the centerpiece of the Connect the Park! Plan and if
residents in a particular neighborhood want a sidewalk, staff would bring the request to Council
for a decision.
Councilmember Mavity suggested that staff compile the sidewalk requests and have the requests
reviewed by Council once per year so that staff can plan the public process for those requests
more efficiently.
Councilmember Lindberg was concerned about well-organized neighborhoods getting Council's
attention while the needs of other less organized neighborhoods with similar priorities are not
met and urged Council to figure out a way to address this potential inequity.
Mr. Harmening requested input from Council regarding the notification process and who gets
invited to the neighborhood meetings.
Councilmember Mavity stated that during the initial phase of the plan the City notified only
impacted homeowners and this was perceived by some that the City was only talking to impacted
homeowners and she felt this skewed the entire conversation and wanted to make sure that the
entire community was invited to participate and not just impacted homeowners.
Councilmember Spano agreed that the City should invite more than just the impacted
homeowners and should use wider outreach to those in the walkshed. He also agreed that
Council should consider sidewalk requests once per year unless the Engineering Department
needs to discuss an unusual request with Council, e.g., the 42nd Street sidewalk request being
considered by Council this evening.
Councilmember Sanger agreed that the City should use a wider outreach to those in the walkshed
and agreed with the idea that Council consider sidewalk requests once per year, however, she did
not want to wait another year to consider the request from the Lake Forest neighborhood.
It was the consensus of the City Council to direct staff to present Council with proposed
amendments to the Connect the Park! Capital Improvement Plan. It was also the consensus of
the City Council to direct staff to present Council with an amendment to the Connect the Park!
Plan based on the request from the Lake Forest neighborhood.
4. Pavement Management Area 2 Update—42"d Street Sidewalk
Mr. Sullivan presented the staff report and explained that 42nd Street is scheduled for street
reconstruction this fall and the City of Edina recently informed City staff of its plan to install a
sidewalk along 42nd Street. He stated that City staff met with residents to discuss options for
including a sidewalk on 42nd Street and determined that a sidewalk on the north side of the street
makes the most sense and the only option is to narrow the street and install a back of curb style
sidewalk, similar to the sidewalk on 41st and Morningside. He advised that driveway lengths
will not change, the project will not impact any trees, and parking would be allowed on the south
side of the street. He added the sidewalk would match Edina's sidewalk width of 5' and staff is
suggesting that this sidewalk be a Public Works snowplowed route.
Councilmember Mavity expressed support for adding this sidewalk segment as part of the 2014
Pavement Management project.
Study Session Minutes -4- September 22, 2014
Councilmember Spano requested information about the input from the neighborhood.
Mr. Sullivan advised that the property owner at 4512 was in favor of the project and had no
problem with relocating some of his plants. He stated the property owner at 4151 has a steep
driveway and expressed some concern about his driveway length but was in favor of the project.
He stated the property owner at 4150 was in favor of the project and indicated they did not want
any trees impacted or removed as part of the project. He stated he was unable to reach the
remaining two properties.
Councilmember Sanger expressed support for the project. She asked if the narrowing of the
street would create any clearance issues for emergency vehicles.
Mr. Sullivan indicated that State law requires 20' of clear travel for emergency vehicles and the
proposed plan provides 25' of clearance. He stated that Public Works and the Police/Fire
Departments have indicated this is an acceptable width if the City assigns no parking to one side,
adding that residents indicated they would not oppose this parking restriction.
Councilmember Brausen expressed support for the project and stated that he preferred to see this
item presented to Council as a resolution for formal action.
It was the consensus of the City Council to direct staff to prepare a resolution approving the
installation of a sidewalk along the north side of 42nd Street as part of the 2014 Pavement
Management project for Council approval at its October 6, 2014, regular City Council meeting.
Communications/Meeting Check-In (Verbal)
Mr. Harmening reminded Council about the Park the Street! event on Sunday, September 28`h
Councilmember Spano requested an update regarding the PLACE redevelopment concept.
Mr. Harmening advised that Allianz has expressed an interest in buying the property for PLACE
as a way to help facilitate the project and Allianz would play an important role as a partner to
PLACE. He added that Allianz has a lot of philanthropic interests and this purchase would not
represent an insurance investment on the part of Allianz.
Councilmember Mavity stated the City has outlined a vision for the former McGarvey site and
wanted to make sure that the City continues to control the vision for that site.
Councilmember Spano expressed concern about the continued traffic issues at Wooddale and
Highway 7 and urged the City to do whatever it can to resolve the issues in this area.
Ms. Heiser advised that Mn/DOT is going to be preparing the warrants analysis in early
November.
Councilmember Mavity urged the City to address the sight line issues on the bridge and
requested that staff present its recommendations for addressing the sight line issues as well as
estimated costs for Council consideration.
Study Session Minutes -5- September 22, 2014
Councilmember Spano noted the,snow removal program parking restrictions contained in written
_report#5 and suggested that_Council discuss the possibility;of using flashing blue LED lights at
major'.intersections when the,City declares a snow emergency.
Councilmember.Brausent referenced the email sent to Council from a St. Louis Park resident
asking about the •publi'c process'far housing projects and suggested that Council have a future
study session discussion about this issue.'
Councilmember Span urged the City to make sure renters are engaged in that discussion.
Tie,meeting adjourned at 8:49 p.m.
Written-reports provided and documented for recording purposes only:
5. Snow Removal Program Parking Restrictions
6. Update.on Elmwood Neighborhood Traffic'Improvements
7. Update on PLACE Redevelopment Concept for former McGarvey Site
8:. Sustainable,SLP Branding;Update
9. August 2014 Monthly Financial Report
10., Groves Academy Private Activity Revenue Bonds
11. 2015 Fees
4Mile
Nancy Str ith, ity Clerk Steve Hallfin, Ma o Tern
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