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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015/12/07 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Regular IllSto Louis Park OFFICIAL MINUTES MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL MEETING ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA DECEMBER 7,2015 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: Solid Waste Program Coordinator (Ms. Fisher), Executive Director (Mr. Harmening), Economic Development Coordinator (Mr. Hunt), Community Development Director (Mr. Locke), Engineer Director (Ms. Heiser), City Clerk (Ms. Kennedy), Fire Chief (Mr. Koering), City Attorney (Mr. Mattick), Senior Engineering Project Manager (Mr. Shamla), Controller (Mr. Swanson), Operations and Recreation Director (Ms. Walsh), Senior Planner (Mr. Walther), Communications Specialist (Ms. Pribbenow), and Recording Secretary (Ms. Batra). Guests: John Easter (American Chemistry Counsel), Dave Kluesner (International Paper), Andrew Lutaya (MnDOT), Dan McElroy (Minnesota Restaurant Association and Minnesota Lodging Association), Deb McMillian (Twin West Chamber of Commerce), Phil Olson (City of Minnetonka), and Annmane Treglia (DART Container Corporation). la. Pledge of Allegiance lb. Roll Call 2. Presentations 2a. Introduction of New Community Emergency Response Team Members (CERT) Mr. Koering announced that 15 new members were added to the City's CERT team. With the inaugural class of 9 community members, sworn in last year, the new additions brought the team's total to 24 community members. The City's goal was to increase the team to 40 community members. The CERT team is working on certifying trainers internally to enable the City to train their own CERT members. Mr Koering explained that the City's firefighters are very supportive of the CERT program. The Fire Department and the CERT community members will work together to partner during emergency situations Mr Koering explained that Ms. Kennedy swore in the CERT members prior to the Council meeting. All CERT members were called to the front to be recognized for their role in the community. 2b. Recognition of Donations Mayor Jacobs recognized Solo Dock for their $100 donation. City Council Meeting -2- December 7, 2015 3. Approval of Minutes 3a. Special City Council Meeting Minutes November 9,2015 The minutes were approved as presented. 3b. Study Session Meeting Minutes November 9, 2015 Councilmember Lindberg requested a correction on Pages 2 and 4 of the minutes to correct the misspelling of his name. 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 appropriate section of the regular agenda for discussion. 4a. Accept for filing City Disbursement Claims for the period of October 24, 2015 through November 27, 2015. 4b. Adopt Resolution No. 15-190 authorizing Worker's Compensation insurance renewal effective December 1, 2015 and ongoing. 4c. Adopt the amendment to the agreement with the St. Louis Park Hockey Association for its contribution to the construction of an outdoor refrigerated ice rink. 4d. Adopt Resolution No. 15-191 accepting work and authorizing final payment in the amount of$13,595.70 for the annual Sanitary Sewer Mainline Rehabilitation Project with Insituform Technologies USA, LLC. - Project No. 4014-3003, City Contract No. 36-15. 4e. Adopt Resolution No. 15-192 accepting work and authorizing final payment in the amount of $20,552.71 for the annual Street Sealcoat Project with Pearson Brothers Inc. - Project No. 4015-1200, City Contract No. 51-15. 4f. Adopt Resolution No. 15-196 authorizing final payment in the amount of$9,906.18 for the annual Concrete Replacement Project with Standard Sidewalk, Inc. - Project No. 4014-0003, City Contract No. 103-14 4g. Moved to 8c. 4h. Adopt Resolution No. 15-193 approving acceptance of a monetary donation from Solo Dock Company in Wayzata in the amount of$100 for Cobblecrest Neighborhood Association. 4i. Moved to 8d. 4j. Approve for filing Environment& Sustainability Commission Minutes October 7, 2015 City Council Meeting -3- December 7, 2015 Councilmember Brausen requested that Consent Calendar item 4g be removed and placed on the Regular Agenda to 8c. Councilmember Spano requested that Consent Calendar item 4i be removed and placed on the Regular Agenda to 8d. It was moved by Councilmember Mavity, seconded by Councilmember Lindberg, to approve the Agenda and items listed on the Consent Calendar as amended to move Consent Calendar item 4g to the Regular Agenda as item 8c and Consent Calendar item 4i to the Regular Agenda as item 8d, and to waive reading of all resolutions and ordinances The motion passed 7-0 5. Boards and Commissions -None 6. Public Hearings 6a. Public Hearing — Highway 169 — W. 16th Street Access Closure (West Side). Resolution No. 15-194. Joe Shamla introduced the staff report. Andrew Lutaya with MnDOT presented the topic to the Council. He thanked the Council for the City's assistance in designing the improvements to Highway 169. He reviewed the list of proposed improvements to Highway 169, including a pavement preservation project that will replace deteriorated concrete from Highway 62 to Highway 55; the 9- Mile Creek bridge replacement, the extension of the acceleration and deceleration lanes by Cedar Lake Road, and, the 16th Street access closure. Mr. Lutaya explained MnDOT is proposing the 16th Street access closure to be in compliance with the program, Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths' initiative. The program was started in southeast Minnesota in 2003 as a pilot program and has been instituted in the metro region since 2012. Since this program has been started, there has been a 45% decrease in fatalities. According to MnDOT, closing the 16th Street access would be proactive because it's a substandard interchange access that doesn't allow enough acceleration Mr. Lutaya explained that concrete curb and gutter would be added to replace the access. A visual barrier, which does provide similar acoustical noise benefits to those of a noise wall, is included in the proposed 16th Street access closure. He noted the guidelines for a noise wall and a visual barrier were different, but the materials and benefits would be the same. Mr. Lutaya stated to close the access point, municipal consent must be given. However, if there was a fatality on the 16th Street access, MnDOT could close the ramp without municipal consent. Mr. Lutaya explained alternative routes for access to Highway 169 have been reviewed in anticipation of the closure. The longest distance for rerouting is one mile. The traffic City Council Meeting -4- December 7, 2015 impact on Cedar Lake Road and Ford Road was also reviewed. MnDOT understands there's a problem; however, it's not significant to warrant traffic signals at this time, even if the access is closed and traffic is increased. A slide was presented with the project development schedule. Another public open house will be held early 2016 to discuss the design of the current plan. Municipal consent was requested on September 30, 2015, via a letter and the public hearing is today. Mr. Lutaya stated MnDOT is listening to feedback from the community to develop the project and he encouraged comments and suggestions to help the project run smoother. Mayor Jacobs opened the public hearing. Phil Olson, with the engineering department of the City of Minnetonka, stated he attended the meeting to convey the concerns of their city's residents. He noted the City of Minnetonka sent St. Louis Park formal correspondence expressing their opposition to the proposed closure. He explained that Minnetonka residents have a very strong presence at the 16th Street access There are approximately 550 homes in that area that will be deferred to neighboring roads without any signals. Additionally, southbound access is very similar to northbound. Possible closure of the northbound access was reviewed by the Council a few years ago, and ultimately it was decided to leave the access open. In addition, Mr. Olson stated that crash data does not exist to support the proposed access closure at this time. Victoria Thor, 9721 16th Street West, encouraged the Council to approve closure of the access. She opined the 16th Street access is not safe. She stated she wants the neighborhood to be safe for the families in the community and to possibly consider other projects that would enhance the community should the access be closed. Jason Shannon, 1330 Jordan Avenue South, encouraged closure from a safety perspective. He explained vehicles coming off the highway are traveling much faster than the posted speed limit Also, he stated the noise has increased since the sound wall on the other side of the freeway was constructed. Deb Nachbor, 9995 Cimarron Trail, Minnetonka, stated she uses the access as an exit off Highway 169 and comes off 16th Street to Ford Road. If the exit is closed, the traffic around her house will be increased, because the cars with no access to Highway 169 will be routed past her house. She opined that closing the access is merely trading one problem for another. She explained pedestrians are presently limited on Ford Road and the additional traffic will only make that worse. She encouraged work on Cedar Lake Road and the Highway 169 interchange be completed before the closure of the 16th Street access. Debbie Schumacher, 1320 Lancaster Avenue, explained she circulated a petition around the neighborhood to the residents most impacted by the proposed closure. She noted she obtained approximately 85 signatures from residents who were in favor of the closure She stated supported closure of the access and expressed belief that it will raise property values. City Council Meeting -5- December 7, 2015 Trish Campbell, 1404 Jordan Avenue, stated she purchased her property in 2002 and has noticed a significant increase in noise levels. She spoke in favor of closing the access, citing safety reasons. Adam Yurich, 1440 Jordan Avenue So., spoke in favor of the access closure. He referenced a report from MnDOT, which stated from 2011 to 2014 the stop sign off of the exit was hit 19 times. He opined closing the access is a safety issue A woman who resides near the access stated she was in favor of closing the 16th Street access. She explained the speed of the vehicles traveling in the neighborhood has increased significantly. Martin Harris, 9721 West 16th Street, explained he has lived on 16th Street for 51 years. He stated he supported the access closure. He opined that restricting access would make the neighborhood a better place to raise a family. Jana Mjor, 1330 Lancaster Avenue, admitted that she uses the access every day but was still in support of closure. She explained the exit was closed a few years ago during construction and the neighborhood was quiet and wonderful. Diana Schug, 1607 Ford Road, stated on September 23, 2015, between 7 and 8 a.m., she counted 456 cars traveling on Ford Road. She explained the residents along Ford Road will be greatly impacted by closure of the access because the amount of traffic will increase significantly. An individual residing at 1826 Melrose Avenue stated she represents 150 people in the area who want the 16th Street access to remain open. She noted in her area she found very little support for closure. She circulated a petition in the neighborhood along 18th, Parker Lane, Melrose, and towards the pond. Out of 240 residents in the area, approximately 150 signed the petition to keep the access open. Amy Marriott, 9710 16th Street West, stated she lives across from the utility building. She explained her children are not allowed to play in the front yard because the traffic is so heavy. She stated she would gladly reroute during her commute for the safety of her children. She spoke in favor of closure of the 16th Street access. Amy's son, Victor, stated that instead of riding his scooter on the street he has to walk around the block in order to stay safe, and this does not make him happy. Tina, who lives on 16th Avenue, stated she was not in favor of closing the access She added traffic is bad on Ford Road, and not as bad on 16th Street. Nick Erpelding, 10025 Kingman Lane, Minnetonka, stated crossing Ford Road as a pedestrian to get to Ford Park would be difficult if the access was closed, due to the increase in traffic the neighborhood would see. He understood the issue on 16th Street, but wanted to point out how the closure would impact his neighborhood. Angela Beier, 1420 Jordan Avenue South, explained she uses and enjoys the convenience of the exit, but also sees that the access has become a safety hazard. She added she is in favor of the noise wall that would be built if the access is closed because it would make her house easier to sell City Council Meeting -6- December 7, 2015 Howard Walstein, 1651 Melrose Avenue, stated he walks his dog every day on 16th Avenue by Kilmer Pond. He explained he circulated a petition around the neighborhood and a majority of the residents who signed the petition were in favor of keeping the exit open. He noted if the exit is kept open his biggest concern is that nothing has been done to mitigate the speed of the vehicles. If access is closed, he opined there may be fatalities on Cedar Lake Road. Councilmember Mavity stated she has recorded sayings that Mayor Jacob has said throughout his time on the Council. One of those sayings is that our job as the City Council is to come together once a week, disagree, shake hands, go home and come back and do it again. She encouraged residents to apply this same strategy in their neighborhoods. Mayor Jacobs pointed out the City's good working relationship with surrounding cities. He added whether the access is closed or not, the streets need to be safe. Dr. Graham Keith, 1612 Melrose Avenue, stated the 16th Street access has been closed three times in the last 20 years. He inquired if MnDOT had information on whether or not the surrounding streets have seen an increase in the number of accidents occurring during those times. He noted he was supportive of closing the access. Beth Davis, 9624 Robin Oak Road, Hopkins, stated there is a large volume of traffic. She has noticed that vehicles turn onto Cimarron to get to the stoplight and travel at an increased speed. She opined this tendency will most likely increase with closure of the access. Scott Richter, 1636 Melrose Avenue, asked if there is crash data available for vehicles going south on Highway 169 because acceleration at that point is not favorable. Also, he asked if there is an option to temporarily close the access to gather statistics on how the area is affected. Mr. Lutaya stated temporarily closing the access is not an option. He noted there were 19 stop sign hits and 25 non-serious crashes on Highway 169 near the access point in approximately the last 20 years Debbie Anderson, 1821 Melrose Avenue, stated she would like to see the access closed due to safety concerns. She opined a stoplight is necessary at the intersection of Ford Road and Cedar Lake Road in Minnetonka. She stated she uses a different route to avoid the area, because other vehicles have honked or shown road rage when she goes the speed limit Bill, who lives on Ford Road and Ford Circle, stated he is in favor of keeping the access open due to the amount of traffic that would rerouted onto Ford Road if the access was closed. Tia Fink, 1605 Melrose Avenue, stated she has lived in the neighborhood since 2002 She explained she has a 3-year-old who has been confined to playing solely in the backyard due to the volume of traffic on her street. She explained she would like her kids to be able to play out front, so she supports closure of the access. Stephanie Schanno, 1330 Jordan Avenue South, stated walking in the 16th Avenue neighborhood is very dangerous due to the sightlines City Council Meeting -7- December 7, 2015 Jamie Marriott, 9710 16th Street West, stated there are funds allocated to the visual barrier if the access is closed at this time. She clarified if the access is not closed at this time, the funds would be reallocated and a visual barrier would not be constructed. Mr. Lutaya explained if an overhaul is done where a lane is added on Highway 169, a noise analysis will be done and if it comes back that a noise wall is needed one will be installed. Another way to get a noise wall is via the priority system. The 16th Street neighborhood falls at position 162 out of 280 sites, so it would be a while before the noise wall would be approved via this route. At this time, the visual barrier was added to the project to make the closure more favorable for the City. Ms. Marriott clarified that it would be in the City's best interest, as a good business decision, to close the access now because if MnDOT closes the access at some point in the future the visual barrier may not be constructed or the City may have to fund its construction. John Schech, 1414 Melrose Avenue, asked about the difference between a visual barrier and a sound wall. Mr. Lutaya responded that a visual barrier and noise wall are one in the same for MnDOT. For this project, MnDOT is proposing that the highest part of the wall be 6 feet around 394; however, going south passed 16th Avenue, the wall will be as high as 20 feet. Mr. Schech suggested, if the access is closed, funds should be allocated to add traffic revisions to Ford Road because, in his opinion, they will be necessary. Mayor Jacobs closed the public hearing. Councilmember Brausen stated he appreciates the feedback from residents. He noted he lives in Ward 4, has travelled through the area hundreds of time, including today, and fully understands the competing interests here for access, safety, traffic, and noise. He explained it's a difficult problem to balance the competing needs, because one side is going to be unhappy, and he apologized for that in advance to those unhappy residents. He expressed his support of closing the access, noting he realizes the challenges, but felt it was a public safety issue. He opined a fatality is imminent, so the sensible decision is closure. Councilmember Sanger stated she supports closure of the access for the same reasons as Councilmember Brausen. In addition, the visual barrier included in the project is desired. She explained that if the Council does not grant municipal consent, and MnDOT unilaterally closes the access, the City would not get the visual barrier. Councilmember Mavity thanked the speakers. Regarding the idea that the traffic at the two intersections could get more challenging, she stated those two intersections are located in Minnetonka so they are outside of the Council's jurisdiction. She stated she does have safety concerns on Ford Road. She stated that a short section of sidewalk on Ford Road is not included in the City's 10-year sidewalk plan, but can be added if Minnetonka wants to add a sidewalk to Ford Road. Councilmember Spano stated he supports closing the access. In his opinion, the strongest argument for closure is the stop sign that's been hit 19 times in 4 years, which is once every eleven weeks. He opined the City should deliberately work with Minnetonka to improve traffic conditions on Ford Road. He stated that the 16th Street access design is deficient. Ford Road is not. City Council Meeting -8- December 7, 2015 It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Sanger, to waive the reading and adopt Resolution No. 15-194, supporting the closure of the W 16th Street Access ramps on the West side of Highway 169 at W 16`h Street and construction of a visual barrier The motion passed 7-0 6b. Public Hearing- Zero Waste Packaging Ordinance. Ms. Fisher presented the staff report using a slide to explain the background of the Zero Waste Packaging ordinance. This issue was presented at study sessions in early 2015 On November 23, 2015, the final draft of the proposed ordinance was submitted to the Council. Ms. Fisher explained that the goal of the ordinance is to increase traditional recycling and organics recycling while reducing waste and environmental impact. The intent of the ordinance is to accomplish the goals through the two major requirements, which are food establishments are required to use "Zero Waste Packaging" for food prepared and served onsite or packaged to go, and food establishments are required to provide onsite recycling or organics recycling for customers dining in. The ordinance applies to all food establishments that have food prepared for immediate consumption in the City licensed by Hennepin County. She explained that only dine-in establishments are required to have recycling bins. Food trucks do not qualify for an exception and must have recycling bins. Ms. Fisher stated packaging used by food establishments for food and beverage eaten on- site or taken to go must be reusable or returnable, recyclable, or compostable. The ordinance does not include utensils, plastic wrap, straws and stir sticks. The reusable packaging must be reusable or refillable such as a water bottle or growler. The recycling packaging is required to be constructed of recyclable material and accepted by local material recovery facilities. Packaging that is compostable must be acceptable locally and made with unlined paper or certified compostable materials. Ms Fisher explained Public Works may develop rules and regulations as necessary and the rules of the ordinance will be reviewed and presented to Council for approval annually. The exemption process will be made available for non-compliant packaging products that have no reasonable commercially available option. Violations will be subject to administrative penalties and corrective action must occur in 14 days. If the ordinance is passed, the effective date would be January 1, 2017 Staff recommends if Council is in favor of the ordinance, that Council make a motion for the first reading of the Zero Waste Packaging ordinance. If the ordinance is passed, Public Works would use 2016 to develop lists of acceptable products and exemptions, develop education and outreach materials, and create activities offering technical assistance to those businesses that would be effected by the ordinance. Mayor Jacobs opened the public hearing John Easter, representing the American Chemistry Counsel, stated he has been participating in the entire process He stated he is also representing the interests of the Plastics Packaging Group. He expressed his support of the goal of zero waste under the City Council Meeting -9- December 7, 2015 ordinance. However, there exists two concerns and proposed written amendments were provided to the Council to address those concerns. First item involves the definition of recyclable packaging. The American Chemistry Council and the Plastics Packaging Group recommend adding all plastics, including polystyrene, to the group as recyclable to encourage recycling. The second item involves an amendment to the section on exceptions, which would add a hardship provision stating that at any time there is more than a 10% cost, based on wholesale to a food packaging item, the provision would grant an exception. He also mentioned that when Minneapolis enacted their zero waste ordinance, this same hardship provision was used Dave Kluesner, International Paper in Madison, Wisconsin, explained that International Paper is one of the largest paper-based food packaging distributors in the world. He stated he reviewed the draft proposal. International Paper's basic cup has a poly-lining that would not fall under the compostability or recyclability requirements. The products that have a PLA lining (corn based) do qualify, but there's an approximately 30% price increase. He explained paper cups have been accepted in the mixed paper waste stream in some of the bigger cities such as Seattle. He stated the Food Packaging Institute is compiling a list of paper mills in the nation to help with this issue, which could be provided upon request once it's available. Deb McMillian, Twin West Chamber of Commerce, stated she supports small businesses. She stated this ordinance creates an increase cost where the neighboring cities don't have, so the City would not have the competitive edge. She encouraged the City to wait until the compostable material choices and cost can catch up. Dan McElroy, Executive Vice President of the Minnesota Restaurant Association and the Minnesota Lodging Association, stated that he wanted the Council to create an exception for the lid of the cup as the eco-lid is structurally inferior, is more expensive and does not hold liquid as long. Also, since consumers are invited to recycle plastic types 1 through 7 in the City, he opined that the City should treat both residents and businesses the same. Mr. McElroy explained that as far as paper is concerned, uncoated is assumed to be compostable but lined is not. The cups are coated with one of three materials, wax, clay, or polyethylene. In addition, paper used in food establishments typically is not certified so, he opined, the City would be blazing new pathways. Mr. McElroy explained that franchises buy standard cups under contract for a region. With compostable requirements, the costs would increase significantly because the franchises will not receive the quantity discount. He asked the Council to reconsider this ordinance, because, in his opinion, the people of the City should make the decisions, not the Council. Conrad Segal, 2621 Georgia Avenue South, stated he is against the ordinance. He opined this decision is beyond the scope of the Council, and the ordinance represents the loss of freedom and is a government overreach. Emily Barker suggested the City commit to recycling all the way if the ordinance is passed. She stated that if the ordinance is piecemealed with a bunch of exceptions, the goal will not be achieved. As the ordinance is written, City staff are allowed to review on a yearly basis, therefore, the ordinance can be amended with new demand, collectors and City Council Meeting -10- December 7, 2015 products available. She stated she understands the price issue, but with more demand, price goes down. Annmarie Treglia, Global Manager at DART Container Corporation, stated that the price of recycling polystyrene is coming down due to more demand. She stated to encourage more recycling, the City should try a pilot project first. She is happy to work with the City to help draft a plan to recycle polystyrene. DART Container Corporation has been recycling polystyrene since 1990. Councilmember Hallfin asked Ms Treglia when will there be a local plant to recycle the polystyrene as the City can't recycle if it costs more money to ship it to Iowa. Ms. Treglia responded that the State is not currently doing polystyrene recycling so there is no market for a plant. Councilmember Mavity stated recycling has been ongoing since the 1980's and polystyrene has not been commonly accepted as recyclable; therefore, the time has come to develop a new strategy Terry Gips, 9000 West 28th Street, is an economist, a sustainability consultant, and Chair of the City's Environment and Sustainability Commission. Since not all commissioners granted their support of his findings, he is presenting as a concerned citizen. He explained the commission has been working hard on many sustainability issues including zero waste for the City. It is his hope that the policies enacted will focus on key priorities. He opined that the City needs to look at the ordinance as a county proposal rather than just a city proposal, because there are still many unanswered questions that need to be addressed before moving forward with the policy. Mayor Jacobs closed the public hearing. Councilmember Brausen stated that he believes this is a shared concern and needs to be a community approach. He stated the City needs to do what's healthy and sustainable and this is a step in the right direction. Councilmember Sanger stated it appears that the most consistent arguments presented to the Council state that polystyrene is actually recyclable; however, that does not help the residents in Minnesota. She expressed her agreement with Councilmember Mavity, who stated the industry has had decades to try to set up recycling for these projects, yet none exist. Councilmember Sanger also stated she is sympathetic to the cost to businesses to comply with the ordinance. To the extent there are businesses using products that would be illegal, the environment is taking the hit and the businesses are profiting. She stated there is not one statewide standard and approach to zero waste so the City has to start somewhere. She stated she supports this ordinance, as it's the right thing to do. Councilmember Hallfin stated he supports the ordinance. He compared the City's current position to curbside recycling in the 1980s. The City will pioneer the way now as back then. He stated the City is moving in the right direction. Councilmember Lindberg stated the Council has discussed this ordinance for almost a year. He does support the ordinance; however, he would like to further discuss the City Council Meeting -11- December 7, 2015 impact on small businesses and the grant programs available to assist in the cost to implement this ordinance. It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Mavity, to approve the first reading of the proposed Zero Waste Packaging Ordinance and set the second reading for December 21, 2015 The motion passed 7-0 6c. Public Hearing — 2016 Proposed Budget, Tax Levies and Truth in Taxation Public Hearing. Brian Swanson presented the staff report, which has been shortened but is available in its entirety on the City's website. Mr. Swanson stated the City has experienced a decline in revenue, because the rec center is undergoing a federally-mandated renovation so ice time revenue is reduced. Mr Swanson discussed transfers into the City's budget. He presented a slide with pie charts detailing the city's general fund expenditures. He explained the City is proposing two full time positions, one in fire and one in police to be filled next year. Mr. Swanson explained that there is a 4.64% increase, or $ 1,512,656, in the 2016 General Fund Budget when compared to 2015. The proposed general fund budget is $34,137,094. On September 21, 2015, a Preliminary Property Tax Levy was adopted at 6.5% and was subsequently proposed to Council. In response, Council directed staff to proceed with a 6% ($1.6 million) tax levy increase for this meeting. On January 2, 2015, the assessor sets the taxable market value for taxes payable in 2016 and other key dates for the City's tax process. Using a chart, Mr. Swanson presented and explained the average residential property tax percentage change in all jurisdictions. He also presented and explained the average business property tax percentage change and where property taxes are spent. Comparing the tax rates with other cities, the City ranks 18 out of 45 for city residential property taxes, and the City is ranked 21 out of 45 for overall residential property taxes in Hennepin county. Mayor Jacobs opened the public hearing. No speakers were present. Mayor Jacobs closed the public hearing. 7. Requests, Petitions, and Communications from the Public—None 8. Resolutions, Ordinances, Motions and Discussion Items 8a. Ordinance Amending St. Louis Park City Code Chapter 3, Section 57 Related to Microdistillery Licenses. Ms. Kennedy presented the staff report regarding the first reading of an ordinance related to microdistilleries. This issue was discussed in-depth at a City Council Study Session on September 28, 2015. She explained at that time, the City Council directed staff to proceed with drafting the first reading of an ordinance that would provide for two new City Council Meeting -12- December 7, 2015 license classifications, a microdistillery cocktail room license and a microdistillery off- sale license. She stated both new types of license classifications would be subject to all applicable state and local regulations, including the days and hours of sale. She noted a provision was included, based on previous Council discussion, that would prohibit a restaurant from being located at a cocktail room. It was moved by Councilmember Hallfin, seconded by Councilmember Spano, to approve the first reading of an Ordinance Amending St Louis Park City Code Chapter 3, Section 57 related to provide for Microdistillery Cocktail Room Licenses and Microdistillery Off- Sale Licenses and to Schedule the Second Reading of the ordinance for December 21, 2015 The motion passed 7-0 8b. 4900 Excelsior- Final Plat and Final Planned Unit Development (PUD - First Reading). Resolution No. 15-195. Mr. Walther presented the staff report regarding the final plat and final planned unit development at 4900 Excelsior, which is located in the Wolfe Park neighborhood. The property is currently zoned for mixed use and high-density multiple family residential. The property will be rezoned to include two parcels: one owned by the EDA and one owned by LA Fitness. The final plat would combine the properties into one lot and dedicate right-of-way and drainage and utility easements. This plan is consistent with the preliminary plat that was approved by the Council. He stated the building design has been revised and discussed at several City Council meetings over the past 10 months. Mr. Walther presented several illustrations of the proposed development, and highlighted several of the improvements that have been made to the plans. Mr. Walther further explained how the parking is provided and how the portions of the off-site parking would be shared by the commercial employees and residential guests A shared parking study was conducted at the site, and the peak demand was defined as 331 spaces based on an earlier proposal for 183 units, rather than the 164-176 units currently proposed He explained a traffic study was also completed. The traffic study looked at the proposed uses and evaluated the trip distribution It was found that the development would have little to no impact on the traffic situation on the corners of the development Mr. Walther stated there has been a neighborhood meeting on this issue and the Council also has met five times to discuss this project. Staff is recommending approval of the proposed PUD. Councilmember Mavity expressed her support of the project. She pointed out that the drawings and renderings contained on pages 299 through 306 in the packet are not relevant to tonight's discussion She opined the project is a great value as to the return on investment and will help bring this area alive. Councilmember Sanger stated she will vote no, because this project is too big for the area, lacks green space at ground level, and does not plan for enough parking. The City is making an error counting street spaces toward this project. She opined the community City Council Meeting -13- December 7, 2015 does not need more small apartments, because they do not accommodate families. She stated this parcel is npe for redevelopment, however, this is not the nght project. It was moved by Councilmember Mavity, seconded by Councilmember Lindberg, to waive the reading and adopt Resolution No. 15-195, approving the Final Plat for Park Commons West for properties at 4760 and 4900 Excelsior Boulevard, subject to conditions, and approve first reading of the Ordinance creating Section 36-268-PUD 2 and amending the Zoning Map from MX Mixed Use and R-C High Density Multiple Family Residence to PUD 2 for property bound by Excelsior Boulevard, Quentin Avenue South, Park Commons Drive, and Princeton Avenue South, and to set the Second Reading of the Ordinance for December 14, 2015 The motion passed 6-1 (Councilmember Sanger opposed) 8c. Bid alternates and the addition of LED lighting upgrades in both ice arenas as a part of The Rec Center Refrigeration Replacement Project. Commissioner Brausen stated the City received a $400,000 Mighty Ducks Grant that allowed the City to use these funds for additional energy efficiency upgrades as part of this project. It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Mavity, to approve the bid alternates and the addition of LED lighting upgrades in both ice arenas as a part of The Rec Center Refrigeration Replacement Project The motion passed 7-0 8d. Recognize Public Service Worker Donald Schmaus for his 30 years of service to the City of St. Louis Park. Resolution No. 15-197. Councilmember Spano stated that Mr. Schmaus worked for the City for 30 years He would like to recognize Mr. Schmaus for his excellent years of service to the City. It was moved by Councilmember Spano, seconded by Councilmember Mavity, to waive the reading and adopt Resolution No. 15-197, approving to recognize Public Service Worker Donald Schmaus for his 30 years of service to the City of St Louis Park The motion passed 7-0 9. Communications This is Mayor Jacobs' last meeting with the Council. The Council expressed their appreciation to Mayor Jacobs. The Council discussed Mayor Jacobs' career, noting he has set a high bar for the Council to follow. 10. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 10:33 p.m. Mehss _Kenned , City Clerk Greg Li db rg, Mayor Pro Te