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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015/03/16 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Regular /fir St. Louis Park OFFICIAL MINUTES MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL MEETING ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA MARCH 16, 2015 1. Call to Order Mayor Pro Tem Spano called the meeting to order at 7.30 p m. Councilmembers present: Mayor Pro Tern Jake Spano, Tim Brausen, Steve Hallfin, Gregg Lindberg, Anne Mavity, and Susan Sanger. Councilmembers absent: Mayor Jeff Jacobs. Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmening), City Attorney (Mr. Mattick), Director of Engineering(Ms. Heiser), Director of Operations & Recreation (Ms. Walsh), Senior Engineenng Project Manager (Mr. Shamla), Senior Engineering Project Manager (Mr. Sullivan), Assistant Zoning Administrator (Mr. Mornson), Environmental Coordinator (Mr. Vaughan), Organizational Development Coordinator (Ms Gothberg), City Clerk (Ms. Stroth), and Recording Secretary(Ms. Hughes). 1 a. Pledge of Allegiance lb. Roll Call 2. Presentations 2a. Recognition for City Clerk Nancy Stroth's Retirement After 15 Years of Service Mayor Pro Tern Spano stated that as City Clerk, Ms. Stroth has handled the election system, one of the most important functions in the City and thanked her for 15 years of dedicated service. Following congratulatory remarks from each of the councilmembers and Ms. Gothberg, Mayor Pro Tern Spano presented Ms. Stroth with a certificate of appreciation acknowledging her 15 years of service to the City. Ms. Stroth stated it has been an honor and a pnvilege to work for the City. She stated she has had many rewarding expenences and will cherish the memones and friendships she has made and is looking forward to retirement and spending more time with her family. 3. Approval of Minutes 3a. Study Session Minutes February 23, 2015 Councilmember Lindberg requested that the second sentence of the sixth paragraph on page 4 be revised to state "He felt that a matenals ban was the nght thing to do but questioned how a matenals ban would be enforced and questioned the City's role." The minutes were approved as amended. 4. Approval of Agenda and Items on Consent Calendar City Council Meeting -2- March 16, 2015 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. Adopt Resolution No. 15-036 authorizing installation of "No Parking" restnctions west on Toledo Avenue on 26th Street. 4b. Approve Second Reading and Adopt Ordinance No. 2463-15 Amending the St. Louis Park Ordinance Code Changing Boundanes of Zoning Distncts - Meadowbrook Golf Course and authorize summary publication. 4c. Adopt Resolution No. 15-037 approving acceptance of a Metropolitan Livable Communities Act Grant from the Metropolitan Council in the amount of$50,000 for the exploration of soils in Wolfe Park/The Rec Center. 4d. Approve an Agreement between the City and Hennepin County to agree to work together to further the goals of the Southwest Corridor Investment Framework. 4e. Adopt Resolution No. 15-038 in Support of Legislation Establishing an Early Voting Process for voters in Minnesota. 4f. Approve for filing Planning Commission meeting minutes of February 4, 2015. 4g. Approve for filing Environment & Sustainability Commission: Sustainable SLP meeting minutes of February 4, 2015. It was moved by Councilmember Mavity, seconded by Councilmember Lindberg, to approve the Agenda and items listed on the Consent Calendar and to waive reading of all resolutions and ordinances. The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Jacobs absent) 5. Boards and Commissions It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Hallfan, to appoint Jayne Stevenson as Youth Commissioner to the Environment & Sustainability Commission Sustainable SLP for a term expiring August 31, 2015. The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Jacobs absent). Mayor Pro Tem Spano pointed out there are youth openings on vanous commissions and encouraged other youth to get involved in these commissions. 6. Public Hearings - None 7. Requests, Petitions, and Communications from the Public—None 8. Resolutions, Ordinances, Motions and Discussion Items City Council Meeting -3- March 16, 2015 8a. 2015 Connect the Park! Projects. Resolutions No. 15-039, No. 15-040 and No. 15-041. Mr. Sullivan presented the staff report and stated that the proposed 2015 projects were presented at the public heanng on March 2, 2015, and further discussed by Council at its March 9`h study session and the proposed resolutions have been prepared based on feedback received at the public heanng and study session. Councilmember Brausen thanked everyone who has contacted him or City staff about the proposed segments and also thanked everyone who attended the open houses and testified at the public hearing. He stated this project is a big undertaking and government works best when citizens participate and the St. Louis Park residents who became involved have all worked to make this a better project and a better community. He stated the Connect the Park! project was conceived out of the community visioning process and adopted after much public participation and is supported by the vast majonty of citizens, by civic leaders, by the schools and parent teacher organizations, and this project aims to make St. Louis Park a more walkable and healthy community He stated after listening to his constituents, he would like to amend the proposed resolution by deleting segments A-D in the Crestview and Westdale neighborhoods. He stated the neighbors have almost universally indicated these segments are unnecessary to enhance their neighborhood and they feel their neighborhood is already a safe and walkable community with low traffic and they do not believe the sidewalks are necessary. He added he was not convinced these sidewalks serve a purpose for safety or connecting residents with other St. Louis Park amenities, e g., Westwood Nature Center, and given the neighborhood sentiments he is compelled to delete segments A-D from the Connect the Park! project. It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Hallfin, to adopt Resolution No. 15-039 Accepting the Project Report for Project No 4015-2000, Approving Plans and Specifications, and Authorizing Advertisement for Bids for Segments A-E, as amended to delete Segments A-D. Councilmember Mavity stated she is a strong supporter of sidewalks and she understood the neighborhood's reasons for wanting to remove Segments A-D. She felt it was unfortunate that Westmoreland Lane was previously removed from the Connect the Park! Plan and stated with all due respect she would not support the amended resolution because she felt the City needs to continue to move forward with creating a sidewalk system throughout the City She added that removing sidewalk segments here and there has created the disjointed system that exists today and the Connect the Park! Plan was created to correct the disjointed system. Councilmember Sanger agreed that it was a mistake to remove Westmoreland Lane from this project because without that segment, the Flag Avenue and Hillsboro Avenue segments do not make sense. She stated she would support the motion but felt that at some point in the future Council ought to restudy the question of whether both these segments should be put back into the plan. Councilmember Hallfin stated this is a case where the neighborhood came to Council and presented reasonable arguments for removing sidewalk segments and as a result the segments are being pulled off He stated that the City Council listens to its constituents and because of that, the public process worked well. City Council Meeting -4- March 16, 2015 The motion passed 5-1 (Councilmember Mavity opposed; Mayor Jacobs absent) Mr. Sullivan explained Segments F-I and advised this portion of the project adds some missing segments and staff felt it was best to put these segments together into one bid package to achieve economies of scale. Councilmember Lindberg stated that residents previously came forward with concerns about the sidewalk's proximity to homes and the question was posed whether the sidewalk could be placed closer to the curb, however, staff advised this was not reasonable given some storm water issues. He stated Council discussed this on March 9`h and learned that the sidewalk can be reduced to 5' and requested that Council provide direction to reduce the boulevard to 5', which would provide an additional 2' buffer between homes and the sidewalk. He felt this was a reasonable request by the neighborhood and gets the project done in a way that represents the best possible outcome of the public process. It was moved by Councilmember Lindberg, seconded by Councilmember Mavity, to adopt Resolution No. 15-040 Accepting the Project Report for Project No 4015-2000, Approving Plans and Specifications, and Authorizing Advertisement for Bids for Segments F-I, as amended to reduce the sidewalk width to 5'and reduce the boulevard to 5' The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Jacobs absent) Mr. Sullivan explained Segments J-R and advised these segments represent additional segments that Council requested in order to fill gaps to enhance the overall system. It was moved by Councilmember Mavity, seconded by Councilmember Sanger, to adopt Resolution No. 15-041 Accepting the Project Report for Project No 4015-2000, Approving Plans and Specifications, and Authorizing Advertisement for Bids for Segments J-R. The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Jacobs absent) 8b. Project Report: Municipal State Aid Project — Walker/36th Street — Project No. 4015-1100. Resolution No. 15-042. Mr. Shamla presented the staff report and explained the vanous components of the 2015 _ MSA project. He stated that the project is located within the Reilly Tar site and requires a Response Action Plan with all contaminated matenal hauled to a landfill and an environmental consultant will be onsite during removal of matenals. He discussed the bikeways being added to Walker/36`h Street and noted that parking will be limited to accommodate the bike lanes. He advised this project is expected to take five months and roads will be open to local traffic with access to dnveways most times unless the contractor is digging in the road. He stated the engineer's estimate for this project is $2,694,000 and will be funded through Municipal State Aid, the Pavement Management Fund, the Water Utility Fund, and Sanitary Utility Fund. It was moved by Councilmember Lindberg, seconded by Councilmember Mavity, to adopt Resolution No. 15-042 Accepting the Project Report, Establishing Improvement Project City Council Meeting -5- March 16, 2015 No. 4015-1100, Approving Plans and Specifications, and Authorizing Advertisement for Bids. Councilmember Lindberg noted the reference to seven day limited access to driveways in order to allow time for the concrete to cure and asked about advance notice He also asked about limited access to the businesses and industrial areas east of Louisiana Avenue and whether staff has had any contact with those businesses. Mr. Shamla stated the contractor will typically provide 48 hours' notice about limited driveway access. He advised that staff has not communicated directly with the businesses east of Louisiana Avenue, adding that these businesses will always have access and the City could provide signage if they would like The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Jacobs absent) Councilmember Mavity stated the Connect the Park! plan is a ten year plan and some of the projects extend out to 2022 and Council has received requests from residents to move projects around and encouraged residents to contact Council and/or City staff with any requests. She noted that a request from the Minikanda Vista neighborhood to move quicker on installation of a bike lane on 38th Street will be considered in the near future. 8c. Traffic Study No. 651: Authorize Parking Restrictions on Ottawa Avenue (28th Street & Highway 25). Resolution No. 15-043. Ms. Heiser presented the staff report and presented a map depicting existing conditions and explained that parking is proposed to be restricted on the west side of Ottawa from W. 28` Street to Minnetonka Boulevard and noted that residents are supportive of this restriction. She stated parking on the west side from Minnetonka Boulevard to CSAH 25 would be restricted during the am and pm peak and no parking would be allowed on the east side of Ottawa She presented a revised resolution and explained that the resolution from 1988 must be rescinded She stated that staff proposes to install no parking signs this week with a grace period of one week to allow drivers to become educated about the new parking restrictions and the Police Department is supportive of that grace period. It was moved by Councilmember Sanger, seconded by Councilmember Lindberg, to adopt Resolution No. 15-043 Authorizing Installation of"No Parking"Restrictions on Ottawa Avenue between 28`h Street and CSAH 25— Traffic Study No 651 Councilmember Sanger thanked staff for working on this issue and indicated that residents have been asking for parking restrictions for a long time and this should help traffic flow better in this area. The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Jacobs absent). 8d. Conditional Use Permit for Excavation at 4106 Forest Lane. Resolution No. 15-044. Mr. Morrison presented the staff report and stated the applicant has submitted an application to excavate 816 cubic yards of soil for construction of a new home at 4106 Forest Lane. He stated the parcel is vacant and has 31' of grade change from the edge of City Council Meeting -6- March 16, 2015 the street to the back of the property and after excavation is complete, there will be a 10' slope at the back of the property and an 8' grade change from the edge of the street. He stated an erosion control plan has been submitted, the proposed haul route is CSAH 25 and France Avenue, and hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for five days and it is expected that 14 trucks per day will haul a total of 68 loads He advised that a neighborhood meeting was held on February 14th and there were no concerns expressed by the neighbors in attendance. He introduced the property owner, Ms. Tiffany Han, and the architect, Mr. Timothy Alt, from ALTUS Architecture & Design. It was moved by Councilmember Sanger, seconded by Councilmember Brausen, to adopt Resolution No. 15-044 Granting Conditional Use Permit under Section 36-79(b) of the St Louis Park Ordinance Code Relating to Zoning to Permit Excavation of Approximately 816 Cubic Yards of Soil from Property Zoned R-1 Single Family Residential District located at 4106 Forest Lane. The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Jacobs absent). 8e. Bee-Safe Community Resolution. Resolution No. 15-045. Mr. Vaughan presented the staff report and stated the City has been performing Integrated Pest Management for a number of years and selectively treats park turf areas and has reduced the amount of spraying done in the City's parks. He stated the proposed resolution includes eight specific parks to be designated as Bee-Safe parks where no chemicals will be sprayed and the Resolution provides for intensive public education about bees. It was moved by Councilmember Mavity, seconded by Councilmember Brausen, to adopt Resolution No. 15-045 Endorsing "Bee-Safe"Policies and Procedures Ms. Judy Chucker, 2260 Ridge Dnve, stated that "Humming for Bees" has been impressed by the City Council's enthusiasm to adopt this resolution and thanked Council for its action and also thanked Mr. Vaughan. She stated their overriding purpose is to start a conversation about threats to the environment and this resolution is not meant to be symbolic, rather, they see it as a dynamic document that will expand the public's consciousness of positive choices they can make, consistent with Vision St. Louis Park about environmental stewardship and best practices. She stated the resolution calls for solutions to address the problem of lost habitats and food sources and by passing this resolution, the City Council supports pollinators and the entire food web She announced an event to celebrate bees on Tuesday, June 30, from 5-8.00 p.m. at Excelsior Commons. Mr. Joe Wiersma, 4124 Colorado Avenue, thanked those who helped him move his bees last year after the flooding. He stated he has always had an interest in bees and has kept bees for 40 years in St. Louis Park Ms. Nora Wildgen White, 4144 Brookside Avenue, stated that worldwide scientific studies have demonstrated that neonicotinoids can persist for 19 years and longer and pollinators are vulnerable to low doses of neonicotinoids She stated it is time that communities took pollinator protection into their own hands and she was confident this could be done one yard and one city at a time. City Council Meeting -7- March 16, 2015 Ms. Melissa Hochstetler, 3120 Raleigh, stated she is an organic farmer and bees all over the country are contributing to her work. She encouraged everyone to give something back to the pollinators and plant some food for them and stop spraying pesticides. Councilmember Brausen thanked the bee-safe advocates for pushing this issue. He stated he has not sprayed pesticides or used fertilizer all the years he has lived here and is converting his turf to native species and encouraged others to consider doing the same. The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Jacobs absent) 9. Communications Councilmember Sanger stated that MnDOT has notified the City that the closure of the Minnetonka Boulevard Bridge has been changed to Monday, March 23rd, at 9.00 a.m. Mayor Pro Tern Spano noted that City staff and Council will do their best to provide residents with up-to-date information from MnDOT and encouraged residents to check the City's website, Twitter, and Facebook for updates and announcements Councilmember Hallfin stated the City's website has a link to the MnDOT website and residents can sign up to receive email updates from MnDOT. Councilmember Brausen advised that he attended two community outreach meetings last week hosted by the Police Department. He stated these community meetings are intended to continue to build the Police Department's relationships with citizens and provide an opportunity to build trust in public servants. He stated the Police Department plans to hold 35 of these meetings throughout the City and encouraged citizens to attend. 10. Adjournment Mayor Pro Tern Spano adjourned the meeti t at 8: 4 doh Melis•a Kennedy, City Clerk Jak: Sp. o, . ' • em