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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016/01/11 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Sessionfff St. Louis Park MINNESOTA The meeting convened at 6:30 p.m. OFFICIAL MINUTES CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA JANUARY 11, 2016 Councilmembers present: Mayor Jake Spano. Gregg Lindberg, Tim Brausen, Steve Hallfin, Anne Mavity, Thom Miller, and Susan Sanger. Councilmembers absent: None. Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmening), Economic Development Coordinator (Mr. Hunt), Director of Community Development (Mr. Locke), City Clerk (Ms. Kennedy), Communications and Marketing Manager (Ms. Larson), and Recording Secretary (Ms. Batra). Guest: Becky Bakken (President of Discover St. Louis Park) 1. Future Study Session Agenda Planning — January 19 & January 25, 2016 Mr. Harmening reviewed the proposed Study Session agendas for January 191h and January 25th Councilmember Mavity stated in her opinion the Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) ordinance and the off -sale liquor discussion were left without final resolution in 2015. She suggested the new Council review both topics and open them up for discussion. Councilmember Sanger agreed that the Council should further discuss the BYOB ordinance; however, in her opinion the off -sale liquor discussion had reached a resolution. Mayor Spano agreed with Councilmember Mavity's proposal regarding the off -sale liquor discussion. He stated that he recalls there was a split on the issue amongst the Council and there were not enough votes to move forward in a specific direction, so the matter was dropped. Councilmember Miller asked if staff provided enough information, and the Council agreed that enough information had been provided. Mayor Spano, Councilmember Lindberg, Councilmember Mavity, and Councilmember Miller agreed to revisit the off -sale liquor discussion. Councilmember Mavity suggested the Council focus the discussion around establishing a size limit for liquor stores. Councilmember Mavity explained that there was a split vote on the BYOB ordinance, so the proposed ordinance was dropped. Councilmember Brausen stated there was a lot of discussion and staff time spent without a resolution. Councilmember Mavity stated she wants to pick up the BYOB ordinance at the point where it was last discussed, with a new Council, to make a clear statement. Councilmember Miller stated he is in favor of a new discussion. Councilmember Lindberg explained that he is not supportive of a fee, but he wasn't in a position to vote as the issue was not `ripe.' Councilmember Brausen stated that he is in favor of opening the issue up for discussion. Councilmember Hallfin stated, in his opinion, the decision of no action was final so he would prefer not to reopen the issue. Councilmember Sanger stated that she is willing to discuss again because, in her opinion, a decision was not reached. The Council discussed the need to involve the Environment and Sustainability Commission in future discussions on the BYOB ordinance. Councilmember Mavity reminded the Council of the roundtable that was conducted with three Councilmembers and a few members of the Commission to collectively discuss the ordinance. Study Session Minutes -2- January 11, 2016 2. Annual Update — Discover St. Louis Park Ms. Bakken presented the staff report and annual update on Discover St. Louis Park (Discover SLP). She explained that Doug McIntrye, with Foley & Mansfield, is the chairman of the Board and is serving his second year in 2016. She discussed the makeup of the Board of Directors of Discover SLP, which, according to the association's bylaws, must be a mixture of hoteliers and City officials. Councilmember Mavity asked for clarification on the makeup of the Board and Ms. Bakken stated that there must be four hotel members on the Board. Ms. Bakken explained the importance of tourism to the City. She discussed the economic impact tourism has on the State's economy, the 3% hospitality tax, and how tourists spend money when travelling. She explained how the taxes are allocated amongst programs. She noted when visitors come to town, all areas of the City benefit and it elevates the community as a whole. Ms. Bakken reviewed the different business segments in their marketing division and how the organization advertises. She highlighted several new marketing projects aimed to bring in revenue for the organization. Ms. Bakken discussed the unique visits to the association's website and where the majority of the traffic is coming from. She explained that this industry responds very well to social media. The top five pages visited on their website are Restaurants, Things to Do, Business Listings, Shopping and Hotels. Most of the visitors to their website are from Minneapolis and out of state, primarily fi•om Chicago. The association plans to concentrate on increasing traffic from out of state visitors for 2016. Ms. Bakken presented a summary of the City's lodging tax revenue, which shows that it has grown every year since 2012. She stated a 3% growth was projected over the next year, but noted it will eventually level off. She added there are some potential new projects and opportunities in the works that will increase the revenue generated over the next few years. Ms. Bakken outlined the organization's key initiatives for 2016, including utilizing more volunteers, launching a revised website, a statewide travel campaign, Ryder cup preparation (international event coming to the region), the 3`a DSLP Adam Turman Visitor Guide Illustration, and a possible partnership with the City of Golden Valley. Councilmember Miller asked about hotel capacity and if the City is reaching their limit. Ms. Bakken replied there is a little room for growth, but the City will level out eventually. She explained how the revenue is calculated using the industry standard. Mayor Spano asked if the 3% tax is average when compared with other cities. Ms. Bakken confirmed that 3% is the highest that can be collected. Councilmember Brausen stated that the organization does great work and asked what it takes to get listed as a business organization with the association. Ms. Bakken stated that the association is working to promote businesses that increase tourism. Ms. Bakken explained that Golden Valley has sought out a partnership with Discover SLP, because Golden Valley likes what the organization has done for the City of St. Louis Park. She reviewed the history of the discussions between Discover SLP and Golden Valley. She explained if the same 3% tax was implemented, the City of Golden Valley would generate Study Session Minutes -3- January 11, 2016 approximately $147,000. She stressed that the organization wanted to hear Council's opinion on the subject because the Board recognizes the importance of maintaining the identity of Discover SLP. Mr. Harmening stated that the City is already maintaining the assets, therefore, in his opinion, the City should be getting income. He noted this could also open up dialogue with other surrounding cities. Mayor Spano asked if the partnership would change the composition of the Board. Ms. Bakken explained another three seats would be added to include a representative from a hotel, a city official and one at -large member. Councilmember Mavity asked what Golden Valley wants out of the partnership and asked about a ten-year vision. Ms. Bakken stated they are looking for economic development and looking to promote their city to have a greater presence. Councilmember Sanger stated that she sees pros and cons to the partnership. She asked if there is a mechanism for assessing whether the benefits received are proportionate to what is contributed. Mr. McIntyre stated that the Board has looked at those questions for a long time. He explained the City is already marketing and as long as the association is not rebranding, it could be a win/win situation. Councilmember Miller asked about the opposing points of view. Mr. McIntyre explained that the first goal is to not lose the identity that has been created and the second goal is to figure out the division of expenses and resources between St. Louis Park and Golden Valley. Mr. McIntyre stated it is $150,000 of new revenue coming in, which creates more opportunity for the City. Mr. Harmening stated his main concern was losing the Discover SLP identity and it was apparent that the Board had similar concerns and was committed to not letting that happen. He stated that, in his opinion, the proposition could be a win/win for both cities. Councilmember Lindberg stated that this proposal makes him nervous, although he defers to staff's judgment. He explained that he is cautious and would be curious to know what Golden Valley's thought process is about this partnership. Councilmember Hallfrn stated he is cautiously optimistic about partnering with another city, and he defers to the Board, but hopes that Discover SLP would be able to opt out of the relationship if it does not work. Councilmember Mavity stated her support of moving the recommendation forward with the cautions that have been discussed. Mayor Spano stated his agreement with the proposed partnership because the assets in each city are very different and it would take a long time for Golden Valley to acquire the infrastructure for equity to become an issue. It was the consensus of the City Council to encourage Discover St. Louis Park to move forward in exploring the partnership with Golden Valley. 3. Boards & Commissions Appointments Ms. Kennedy presented the staff report, which is the continuation of a discussion from 2015 regarding changes to the Rules and Procedures for Boards and Commissions. Study Session Minutes -4- January 11, 2016 Councilmember Mavity stated in response to the two questions posed in the staff report, she agrees with the proposed revisions, but is not ready to move forward with the pending appointments and reappointments at this point. She referenced the new online application system and questioned why there would be two separate applications. Ms. Kennedy explained there would be an application for new candidates and an application for or current members seeking reappointment. Councilmember Mavity stated she did not think that a dual approach is necessary and wants the same information for each applicant presented to the Council. Councilmember Mavity asked why the term expiration date in May was proposed by staff Ms. Kennedy explained that staff had originally proposed an expiration date at the end of December, however there were concerns raised about monopolizing an entire study session for candidate interviews at that time of the year as Council will also be in the midst of budget discussions and other end of the year preparations. Councilmember Mavity discussed the proposed interview process and stated she is not in favor of interviewing all of the candidates. She suggested the Council use the ranking process that was previously created to determine which candidates would be interviewed. Councilmember Mavity suggested the Rules and Procedures could state that applicants may be asked to interview based on the discretion of the Council. Councilmember Lindberg agreed that not all applicants needed to be interviewed and stated that the process needs to be simple, transparent, and applied equally for all applicants. Councilmember Hallfrn stated he does not think the whole system needs to be changed and re - interviewing people seeking reappointment is not a good use of time. Councilmember Sanger stated she doesn't want to re -interview incumbents unless there is a specific reason or extenuating circumstance. She stated that she doesn't mind interviewing applicants for a vacancy. Councilmember Miller asked if the impetus for the changes was to make the process easier for staff. Ms. Kennedy stated staff was asked by the Council to make recommendations for changes to the overall process. She noted that one of the benefits of the proposed changes was that the process would be more streamlined and efficient for staff to manage. Councilmember Miller agreed with Councilmember Mavity regarding interviews and delaying the next round of appointments and reappointments until May. He suggested using a standard HR practice to review the applications and then interview the top candidates. Councilmember Mavity suggested that the Council and staff be more efficient when conducting the interview process. Councilmember Lindberg stated he would support the changes discussed as long the process is transparent and can be easily explained. Mayor Spano stated he would like to open up the Boards and Commissions appointments, but does not want to interview 25 applicants in a night. I -Ie added that the current process is not efficient and makes it difficult for the Council to evaluate candidates appropriately. He agreed with implementing a standard HR practice to evaluate candidates. Study Session Minutes -5- January 11, 2016 4. Proposed TIF District - 9920 & 9808 Wayzata Blvd (Former Santorini Property)e Mr. Hunt presented the staff report relative to establishing a new TIF District on the former Santorini property. In 2012 the Santorini restaurant building was declared a health hazard, and the City required the building's repair or removal. A predevelopment agreement was entered into with the property owner to demolish the building in the fall of 2012. In early 2013, the Santorini family had the building taken down. Due to statutory limitations, the City has three years after building demolition to create a new TIF District on the property, and that time period will soon expire. Staff asked if the EDA would be interested in creating a redevelopment TIF District, which would preserve the EDA's ability to utilize tax increment to facilitate an appropriate redevelopment on the property. Councilmember Sanger stated her agreement, but inquired on the vision for the site and whether the City plans to seek out a redeveloper for the site. Mr. Hunt explained that the property is guided and zoned Commercial, but the City would like to see something intense with high property value that would support other uses in the area. Mr. Locke stated the City will look for a developer. Councilmember Sanger stated that it would be a great spot for a nice piece of visual architecture. In response to Councilmember Miller's question about the $25,000, Mr. Hunt explained that is the cost to formally establish the TIF District. He further explained that the EDA normally passes that fee on to the developer, which the EDA could still do when the right project comes along. Councilmember Brausen stated his support, because the cost is a small expense to leave the City's options open for redevelopment of that site. Mr. Hunt explained the next steps to move the proposal forward and explained that if the EDA acts now, there is still time to get the request in before the deadline. 5. Review of 2016 Legislative Issues and Priorities Mr. Harmening presented the staff report and explained the Council has been doing this process for quite some time. Questions for the Council include (1) is the Council okay with issues included in draft document, any revisions or additions; and (2) is the Council comfortable with using legislative lobbying assistance for 2016. Mr. Harmening explained there are a number of issues the Council have seen in past years, which encourages legislatures to support the City's capital bonding requests. Mr. Harmening reviewed and discussed new items on the agenda for 2016. Councilmember Sanger stated she is comfortable with what's written but a few things are left out: (1) a statement of support to improve the transportation funding, such as a gas tax increase, in general for the state; (2) specific funding for safety improvements for at grade railroad crossings; (3) Minnetonka Boulevard is missing that the scope of the study needs to be broader than what's outlined to include landscaping and redevelopment; and (4) add a statement that addresses the wear/tear maintenance needed due to redevelopment in the section that contains the statement for modification of fiscal disparities. Councilmember Hallfin stated he likes what's in the draft report, including the items Councilmember Sanger mentioned. Study Session Minutes -6- January 11, 2016 Councilmember Brausen agreed with Councilmember Sanger regarding the transportation tax and stated the only thing missing is community solar gardens and accelerating the development of and pushing Xcel Energy for that. Councilmember Lindberg stated he has no changes to suggest. Councilmember Mavity stated that the County needs to take the lead on a few issues, but the City needs to verify that it's going to be addressed by the County. Mr. Harmening responded that the City will be pointing the necessary agenda items to the County to address. Councilmember Mavity discussed the issue regarding Metro Cities' policy about appointment to the Met Council. Councilmember Mavity provided background on the Metro Cities' policy position on Met Council appointments and reaffirmed that the City supports that approach. Mr. Harmening stated he will add this issue to the agenda. Mayor Spano stated the draft agenda looks good. He explained that the session should last approximately six weeks and if anything gets addressed, it will be transportation and possibly bonding. Because of this observation, he stated that there are 19 items but probably only one will get addressed. Mayor Spano suggested the Council step forward and highlight the top priority and prepare a prioritized list for ease of reference for our legislators to address. Mr. Harmening stated he will provide a draft for the Council to further discuss and edit. Councilmember Miller suggested that the Council take away the whistle quiet zone, because there is a lot controversy surrounding the issue. Councilmember Mavity stated that there is not enough Staff time or resources to work this up currently. Councilmember Miller stated his intent was to raise the question to the Council not to pull off or change. It was the consensus of the City Council to discuss and edit the draft prepared by Mr. Harmening and discuss again at the next study session. Communications/Meeting Check -In (Verbal) Mr. Harmening stated that Starbucks as a corporation is looking to provide beer and wine at their establishments so there's going to be a beer/wine license application in the near future. Mr. Harmening explained that he's almost finished with his portion of his evaluation so Council can expect the evaluation soon. Mayor Spano asked Mr. Harmening for clarification on the Meadowbrook Manor exchange. Mr. Harmening stated that he thinks that improved management of the housing will be increased and demographics will be discussed. Councilmember Mavity stated, for clarification, that on the Wooddale report, there will be recommendations on sightlines on the bridge. Councilmember Sanger stated that her big concern is with the median on Wooddale. She explained that all of the traffic coming down through there will have nowhere to go and would like to discuss what can be done to minimize traffic cutting through Sorenson neighborhood. The meeting adjourned at 9:24 p.m Written Reports provided and documented for recording purposes only Study Session Minutes -7- January 11, 2016 6. SWLRT Update 7. November 2015 Monthly Financial Report 8. Wooddale/Highway 7 Interchange Update 9. Memorandum of Understanding with Minnehaha Creek Watershed District for Erosion Control Permitting Authority XL Melissa Kennedy, City Clerk