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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016/09/19 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - RegularOfSt. Louis Park OFFICIAL MINUTES M I N N E S O T A CITY COUNCIL MEETING ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 1. Call to Order Mayor Spano called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Councilmembers present: Mayor Jake Spano, Tim Brausen, Steve Hallfin, Gregg Lindberg, Anne Mavity, Thom Miller, and Susan Sanger. Councilmembers absent: None. Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmening), City Attorney (Mr. Mattick), Deputy City Manager/Human Resources Director (Ms. Deno), Controller (Mr. Simon), City Clerk (Ms. Kennedy), Transportation Director (Mr. Iverson), and Recording Secretary (Ms. Pappas). Guests: St. Louis Park residents with shovels, and Evergreen Award winners. Ia. Pledge of Allegiance lb. Roll Call 2. Presentations 2a. 2016 Evergreen Awards It was noted that since 1990, this award has been given to property owners in St. Louis Park who beautify their yards with uniquely designed and well-maintained landscapes, visible to passersby. This year's winners are: • Jeanette Upton Porter — 44th Street • Liesl Kautz — Cedar Manor Neighborhood • Patricia and Maurice Young — Louisiana Avenue Mayor Spano thanked all the winners and congratulated them on their achievements. Councilmember Brausen added these award-winning yards have been an inspiration to him and his wife, who have spent the last 15 years planting in their yard and encouraging residents to do the same. He noted this practice will ultimately help address global warming issues. 2b. Recognition of Donation It was noted that Nyra Rustad has donated $2,200 for a park bench at Wolfe Park. Mayor Spann thanked her on behalf of the council and the city. 3. Approval of Minutes 3a. City Council Study Session Minutes August 22, 2016 City Council Meeting -2- September 19, 2016 It was moved by Councilmember Hallfan, seconded by Councilmember Brausen, to approve the August 22, 2016 Study Session Meeting Minutes as presented. The motion passed 7-0. 4. Approval of Agenda and Items on Consent Calendar 4a. Approve Temporary On -Sale Intoxicating Liquor License for the Job's Daughters Foundation of Minnesota for an event to be held on October 22, 2016, at the Paul Revere Masonic Center, 6509 Walker Street. 4b. Approve the Second Reading and Adopt Ordinance No. 2505-16, Granting a franchise to Northern States Power Company, dba Xcel Energy and Approve the Ordinance Summary for publication, and Adopt Ordinance No. 2506-16, Imposing a franchise fee on Xcel Energy and Approve the Ordinance Summary for publication. 4c. Approve the Second Reading and Adopt Ordinance No. 2507-16, Granting a franchise to CenterPoint Energy Resources Corporation and Approve the Ordinance Summary for publication, and Adopt Ordinance No. 2508-16, Imposing a franchise fee on CenterPoint Energy, and Approve the Ordinance Summary for publication. 4d. Approve the Second Reading and Adopt Ordinance No. 2509-16, Amending Chapter 36, Article IV, Division 10 of the St. Louis Park Code of Ordinances relating to Floodplain Districts and amending the Official Zoning Map and approve the Ordinance Summary for publication 4e. Adopt Resolution No. 16-111, Appointing additional Election Judges needed to staff the polls at the General Election November 8, 2016. 4f. Adopt Resolution No. 16-112, Committing to transferring city property and easements to the Metropolitan Council for the SWLRT Project and Approve Three Subordinate Funding Agreements for LRCI design costs. 4g. Approve Second Reading and Adopt Ordinance No. 2510-16, Amending the City of St. Louis Park Zoning Map to rezone property located at 8001 State Highway 7 from RC High -Density Multiple -Family Residence to O Office, and to approve the Summary Ordinance for publication. 4h. Adopt Resolution No. 16-113, Approving acceptance of a $2,200 donation from Nyra Rustad for the purchase and installation of a bench in Wolfe Park. It was moved by Councilmember Halm seconded by Councilmember Mavity, to approve the Agenda and items listed on the Consent Calendar and to waive reading of all resolutions and ordinances. The motion passed 7-0. 5. Boards and Commissions - None 6. Public Hearings 6a. Punch Bowl Minneapolis, LLC, dba Punch Bowl Social — On -Sale Intoxicating and On -Sale Sunday Liquor License City Council Meeting -3- September 19, 2016 Ms. Kennedy presented the staff report. She stated the city received an application from the applicant for an On -Sale Intoxicating and On -Sale Sunday liquor license for the property located at 1621 West End Boulevard, Suite 2410. She stated Punch Bowl Social is a dining and entertainment destination. It is a franchise business, with 12 locations nationwide, and the St. Louis Park location will be the first in Minnesota. It has indoor seating for 270 guests and outdoor seating for 80 guests. The applicant intends to open for business in November, 2016. She stated the Police Department completed the background investigation on the principals of the application and found no reason to deny the license application. Mayor Spano opened the public hearing. Katherine Becker, 80 S. 8111 St., Minneapolis, stated she is the local attorney working on this project. She answered questions from the council. She noted that the company is based out of Colorado and has a southern inspired menu. She added that they plan to be open for brunch on the weekends and for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday. Councilmember Brausen asked where it will be located in the West End. Ms. Becker stated at Gamble and Park Place. Councilmember Miller asked if the liquor license will be valid through March of 2017, and if they will then be required to renew. Ms. Kennedy stated that is correct. Councilmember Sanger asked if there were limits in place for what percentage of the West End can be devoted to places with liquor and how close the city will now be to the cap. Mr. Harmening responded if Toby Keith's was still open, this venue would bring the development very close to the limit. Mayor Spano closed the public hearing. Councilmember Mavity asked if these limits extend to the new construction located at the West End. Mr. Harmening answered they do not, adding that the reason there are limits is because of the parking demand. Other uses are being handled separately because they have their own dedicated parking. It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Mavity, to approve application from Punch Bowl Minneapolis, LLC dba Punch Bowl Social, for an On - Sale Intoxicating and On -Sale Sunday Liquor License for the premises located at 1621 West End Boulevard - Suite 2410, with a license term through March 1, 2017. The motion passed 7-0. 6b. Madilin Creative, LLC, dba Board & Brush St. Louis Park On -Sale Wine and 3.2% Malt Liquor License Ms. Kennedy presented the staff report. She noted the applicant is requesting an On -Sale Wine and On -Sale 3.2% malt liquor license for the property at 5810 36th Street West. Board and Brush is a design studio that allows patrons to make their own decorative pieces. It is a franchised business with 28 locations nationwide, and the premises will consist of an art studio and food service area. Andrew and Jennifer Fleury are the sole City Council Meeting 4- September 19, 2016 owners and managers of the business and intend to open for business as soon as possible. Ms. Kennedy added the Police department completed the background check, and no issues were found that would warrant denial of the license. Mayor Spano opened the public hearing. No speakers were present. Mayor Spano closed the public hearing. Councilmember Mavity asked if there were any potential impacts to the proposed use given the location's proximity to the proposed light rail station. Mr. Harmening stated that given the limited scale of this limited use license, he did not see any potential impact in the area mentioned. It was moved by Councilmember Mavity, seconded by Councilmember Brausen, to approve application from Madilin Creative, LLC, dba Board & Brush St. Louis Park, for an On -Sale Wine and 3.2% Malt Liquor License for the premises located at 5810 West 30 Street, with a license term through March 1, 2017. The motion passed 7-0. 7. Requests, Petitions, and Communications from the Public — None 8. Resolutions, Ordinances, Motions and Discussion Items 8a. Adopt 2017 Preliminary Property Tax Levy Certification and Preliminary General Fund Budget. Resolution No. 16-114 Mr. Simon presented the staff report. He reviewed the information related to the 2017 Preliminary Budget and 2017 Preliminary Property Tax Levy. An additional budget presentation will be made to the public on December 5, and the final budget approval will be December 19, 2016. Mr. Simon explained the overall tax levy is 6.5% over last year, with the majority being in the general fund. He noted that a grant was received by the city for two full-time positions in the Fire Department. Additionally, he pointed out that because the city provides various services, the majority of the budget reflects personnel expenditures. Mayor Spano explained that once the preliminary levy is set this evening, it can be decreased; however, it cannot be increased. Councilmember Lindberg asked where residents may find information on the city's website about the proposed levy and budget. Mr. Simon stated residents can go to the Finance Department page, link to budget information, and all the detail is located there. He noted a video would also be added soon. Councilmember Lindberg stated the website is easy to get to and includes good information for residents. Councilmember Sanger stated she will support the preliminary tax levy; however, she wanted to note there is an issue that is not reflected in the 2017 budget, and there are a number of residents in the audience currently who would like to address this budget - related topic this evening. She continued, currently the city plows roughly half of the City Council Meeting -5- September 19, 2016 sidewalk miles in town. While this is not a public hearing, this is a budget -related issue, and there is a group here tonight who are hoping to address the council at this time. Mr. Dale Anderson, 2700 Vernon Avenue South, stated that clearing sidewalks in St. Louis Park is a complicated situation. Because the city provides its residents with different levels of service, it creates an unequal burden. He stated that it seems the city prefers to support street clearing for motorists more than sidewalk clearing for pedestrians, and the council seems to be okay with these unequal obligations. Additionally, he pointed out there are severe fines for not shoveling sidewalks within the six -hour timeframe, and some are double taxed for cleaning sidewalks which abut their property. He also noted this is unequal treatment that disconnects residents. He believes it is the city's responsibility to fund the clearing of snow from sidewalks. Mr. Anderson added that the city has recommended getting a volunteer to shovel; however, this is not easy to do, nor is it always timely to find someone — either volunteer, or hired snow service — to do this within the required timeframe. He noted that this situation makes St. Louis Park a nice place to visit, but people would not want to own property here. Mr. Anderson suggested that one solution is for the city to fund the clearing of everyone's sidewalks, but he realizes this will cost money. He stated that if the city can find volunteers to do this job in a timely manner, he will wait for it to be tested. He also recommended dropping the fines. Mr. Jerry Engber, 4209 Basswood Road, stated his home was the first on Basswood Road, and he has lived there for 34 years. He added there is no public sidewalk adjacent to his house, and he lived at this address before sidewalks were added. He stated he is new to this process and was unaware of the unequal treatment mentioned by Mr. Anderson. Mr. Engber stated that hearing about this situation is disconcerting, and he believes the city needs to find funds to pay for shoveling public sidewalks. Ms. Cheryl Martin, 5826 26`x' Street West, stated she has been a realtor for 37 years, lived in her house for 34 years, and raised 2 children as a single mom. There has been no sidewalk in front of her house in all the years she has lived there. Ms. Martin stated she has wanted a sidewalk; however, after hearing about this situation, she does not want a sidewalk. She believes the city is pushing people from their homes for not shoveling their sidewalks. She stated that this, along with the lack of affordable housing in St. Louis Park, is going to make it difficult for seniors to remain in their homes. She added that seniors won't have enough in their budget to pay for this service, and she would hate to see seniors leave the city because of this policy. St. Louis Park wants to be a diversified community. From a real estate standpoint, this is a great place to live. Ms. Martin stated there is a 1.8 months' supply of houses for sale in St. Louis Park at this time and the normal amount is 5 months, which indicates the desirability of the city. Councilmember Brausen stated he appreciated the residents coming to the meeting to discuss this, adding this is a budget issue that will continue to be addressed. He stated it was addressed at a study session recently, also. He explained there are difficult challenges from a revenue point of view, as the estimated cost of clearing the snow from sidewalks at the standard the city prefers is substantial and approaches $1 million. He stated that there are trade-offs to make with the budget, and the council will continue to City Council Meeting -6- September 19, 2016 talk about this. He stated the council respects the resident's opinions and thanked the residents for sharing them. Councilmember Lindberg also thanked everyone for their comments and stated that the council will look at all options. He asked staff how many fines have been issued on sidewalk maintenance. Mr. Harmening stated he and Mr. Anderson had talked about this issue over the years, noting tickets had not been given out on a regular basis. Mr. Harmening stated that he will pull together information for the council from the past three years related to warnings or tickets issued, and fines, adding it is a relatively nominal number. Councilmember Sanger thanked residents who came to the meeting and spoke to this issue. She noted that Mr. Anderson's calculation on the fines is the theoretical maximum that could be imposed if someone repeatedly does not shovel the city sidewalk in front of their home. She stated that the city has not imposed the fines to the theoretical maximum, but what she understands from the residents, it is the fear of getting the fine that is a problem, whether or not they actually get the fine. Councilmember Sanger added that it will cost the city $150,000-$500,000 per year to shovel the sidewalks where it is not currently done. However, it is a question of fairness, and the city needs to treat everyone equally. She added that everyone is taxed, but the city needs to provide services on an equal basis. Councilmember Sanger said the council talks over and over again about walkability in this community, and if the city wants people to walk safely, it needs to make sure that all the sidewalks are clear. For those sidewalks that are not cleared, people are walking in the streets, which creates a potential safety issue. She stated the council needs to keep looking at this issue. While she knows it is not an easy issue, it is not going away, and it needs to be addressed. Councilmember Mavity stated we are throwing out a lot of really dramatic numbers, and she wanted to caution everyone as they are hearing these costs for shoveling sidewalks. She had thought it was more in the million -dollar range, looks forward to further discussion on this, and appreciates folks coming forward to talk about it. Councilmember Mavity noted with regard to the levy amount, as the motion proceeds today, the Council is authorizing the levy at the maximum amount. She added that in her seven years on the council, this number has always gone down, but the Council wants to leave flexibility for staff on this so that the work to be done is accurate. Additionally, she recently spent the day with city council peers from other cities around the state talking about long-range planning to address older infrastructures. They are not taking the long- range view like St. Louis Park is. She noted that St. Louis Park is trying to be mindful and plan accordingly in advance of a crisis situation, and thanked staff for doing that. Mayor Spano stated that the city has heard from bond rating agencies and auditors that our practices have allowed the city to be in a good position. He added this is a hallmark of St. Louis Park's management that will continue. Councilmember Miller agreed with Councilmember Sanger on this issue and stated he would like to take it up again. He added he thinks the amount is relatively small and agrees this should be part of the public infrastructure and taken under consideration. He City Council Meeting -7- September 19, 2016 added that the largest part of the budget is not these projects but is the personnel who take care of city services. Councilmember Brausen added he thinks this is a very fair and judicious budget. Councilmember Lindberg added that 77% of the budget is the investment in staff, adding there are certain high expectations, and this is council's investment in the people who do the work. He strongly supports these folks, and training and motivating staff to do their jobs well. He added he appreciates the work staff does and is in support of this in the budget. Mayor Spano stated the sidewalk shoveling/plowing discussion takes place every couple of years, and at the study session a couple of months ago, the city manager noted the costs for hiring staff and equipment for this project. Mr. Harmening stated it would cost $1.1 million to shovel all city sidewalks and an annual cost of $400,000 for staff. He agreed that the city's most important asset is the people who support city services. It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Hallfin, to adopt Resolution No. 16-114, Approving 2017 Preliminary General Fund Budget, 2017 Preliminary Property Tax Levy, and Setting Budget Public Hearing date for December 5, 2016 The motion passed 7-0. 8b. Traffic Study No. 669: Installation of Permit Parking — 1300 Block of Kentucky Avenue. Resolution No. 16-115 Mr. Iverson presented the staff report. He explained that the city has a program for authorizing permit parking for areas where parking demand is high. The area in question is near the 394 and Louisiana Avenue intersection. The Engineering Department has received a petition from residents on the 1300 block of Kentucky Avenue to install permit parking on their block. Residents have noted a large increase of parking demand on their block since the construction of the Comfort First facility at 7115 Wayzata Boulevard. This situation was discussed at the June Traffic Committee meeting, and since then, staff from Engineering and Community Development have met with a Comfort First representative and held a public meeting for potentially impacted residents to discuss the situation. Councilmember Sanger stated she remembered when approvals were granted for construction of the Comfort First facility, and parking was discussed at that time. She noted underground parking was available to support their employees and visitors at that time, so why is the council considering this now. Mr. Iverson explained that people are being advised to park on the street now, as underground parking spots are secured and have been held for employees. Councilmember Brausen stated he has looked at this parking situation and spoken with management at Comfort First. He noted one reason they would like to reserve parking is for their staff that does visits at the facility. He added there is more space on Kentucky Avenue. He stated he does support permit parking there, and the neighborhood supports it, as well. City Council Meeting -8- September 19, 2016 Mayor Spano noted he lives near Methodist Hospital, and permit parking has been installed on the street there, also, and there have not been any problems with it at all. He added it has worked in his neighborhood, and Methodist Hospital supported it. In light of this, it important that Comfort First also receives permits. He added he supports it, also. Councilmember Hallfin asked if someone parks there without a permit, how will the city handle this and what is the process. Mr. Iverson answered it would be complaint driven, and a parking ticket would be issued. Councilmember Mavity added this has been a good use of parking in Ward 2, and she very much supports this, as well. It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Lindberg, to adopt Resolution No. 16-115, authorizing the implementation of permit parking restrictions on the 1300 block of Kentucky Avenue South. The motion passed 7-0. 9. Communications Councilmember Lindberg reported on the Two Wheels on 28"' event and conversations on bike lanes. He stated he was very impressed with the event and heard there were 130 surveys completed. He added it was a very impressive crowd. He thanked staff for their work on this and for the encouraging dialogue. Mayor Spano stated that on Sunday, he held a coffee open house, and it was a great opportunity to talk to folks about city issues. He said he had a police officer join him and will do this again, as it was a great opportunity to ask the officer questions, also. He stated he will circulate the date for next month. Mr. Harmening stated this coming Saturday will be the annual fall clean-up day at the municipal service center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. He noted if residents check the website, they can see what items are accepted at no charge and which items are accepted for a fee. 10. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m. Melissa Kennedy, City Clerk