Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutWK - April 24, 2012C I T Y O F p NDOVE 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD N.W. • ANDOVER, MINNESOTA 55304 • (763) 755 -5100 FAX (763) 755 -8923 • WWW.ANDOVERMN.GOV City Council Workshop Tuesday, April 24, 2012 Conference Rooms A & B 1. Call to Order— 6:00 p.m. 2. Open Space Commission Update 3. Joint Meeting with Artificial Turf Task Force — tentatively 7:00 p.m. 4. Discuss Deferred Assessment Terms Modification Request - Administration © 5. 2013 Budget Development Discussion - Administration 6. 2012 General Fund Budget Progress Report — March 2012 - Administration 7. March 2012 Investment Report - Administration 8. Other Topics 9. Adjournment P 0 v n ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING —APRIL 24, 2012 MINUTES The Workshop Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Mike Gamache, April 24, 2012, 6:03 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Councilmembers present: Sheri Bukkila (6:08 p.m.), Mike Knight, Julie Trude and Tony Howard Councilmember absent: None Also present: City Administrator, Jim Dickinson Community Development Director, Dave Carlberg Others OPEN SPACE COMMISSION UPDATE City Administrator Dickinson stated staff is continuing to negotiate a reasonable sale price and property boundaries with the Lawrence family. Staff has communicated that the City's interest is primarily in convenient access across the parcel and additional land could only be purchased at fair market value. If access to Hanson Boulevard could be obtained across the sod field the estimated cost for a 12 -foot wide gravel road and base across the Lawrence property is approximately $50,000. If the cost and location issues can be resolved, purchase of an additional 60 -acres from Kuikens whose property is north of the Selmer property. Together the two parcels, plus access would complete the preservation area previously discussed with the Council. If all of the property were purchased at or near current market rates, this acquisition would utilize the remaining bond referendum funds. Councilmember Bukkila arrived at 6:08 p.m. Open Space Commissioner Perry asked if any culverts would be involved in the acquisitions and installation of an access. City Administrator Dickinson stated there are culverts involved and there would be costs involved with this. He stated the City would continue discussions to obtain an easement for access. Councilmember Trude asked how much the Selmer property would cost the City. City Administrator Dickinson stated the Selmer property is anticipated to sell for the appraised © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —April, 24 2012 Page 2 value and this is anticipated to be valued as farmland, approximately $9,000 to $12,000 per acre. The majority of this property is high ground. Councilmember Knight asked if the City would plow the access in the winter. City Administrator Dickinson stated plowing the access in the winter months would be dependant on the types of activities that occurred. If the property is enhanced with trails then the road could be kept open but there would not be any groomed trails on the property for the public to utilize. Councilmember Knight asked how far the Selmer property is from Ward Lake Drive. Councilmember Howard asked about the possibility of acquiring an easement for a parking lot rather than a road. City Administrator Dickinson stated the Selmer property is quite a distance from Ward Lake Drive and he was not sure if the terrain would be suitable for a road. He explained the Open Space Commission had broadened their list of properties under consideration to include sites 10 owned by Richard Aasness, Meadow Creek Christian Academy and the Dehn family as alternatives in the event an agreement cannot be reached with the Lawrence family. The Dehn family would be interested in a partnership with the City to restore the property to natural prairies and this would be accomplished with an open space purchase agreement. He explained the Meadow Creek property has 31 -acres available that could be used for activity fields. If the property is reasonable then it may be something the City could consider for parkland rather than open space. Councilmember Trude stated if the Selmer property and the access the City is currently looking at does not come to fruition then she would like to see the City look into potentially beginning a process to purchase properties along the Coon Creek area. If the City were able to acquire a portion of the property along the creek from those homeowners then the City could look at having a trail along the creek. This is something that could be done over time as the properties are sold. She suggested this could also be something for the City to consider if there were any funds remaining if the Selmer property and access were acquired. Mayor Gamache stated the Selmer property and access is the number one priority for the Open Commission at this time. In the Coon Creek area the north side would be something that could be looked into. The problem the City has had with this area is there have not been willing sellers. Councilmember Trude stated having open space in the high population areas allows those residents to have a respite and the ability to enjoy the outdoors. The acquisition of property in this area would be a slower process because the City would only be able to potentially acquire property as it becomes available. © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — April, 24 2012 Page 3 City Administrator Dickinson clarified the direction from the Council at the last joint meeting was for the Open Space Commission and staff to continue to be aggressive with the Selmer property and obtaining access for this property. Mayor Gamache stated the City could consider having the residents vote on a new referendum in the future to allow for purchases in the high - density areas. This is something the City could consider in 2016. This would allow time for residents to enjoy the properties that have already been purchased and decide if they would like to see more purchases. Councilmember Trude stated she had heard from residents that once the funds from the Open Space referendum are used up the residents would not support another referendum. Councilmember Bukkila stated there is no land available to buy in the south side of the City but she would like to see some open space in the future for these residents. She stated there is no rush to make any purchases at this time. Councilmember Knight asked if staff had looked at purchasing just the Selmer property and waiting to purchase property for access. City Administrator Dickinson stated this is something that could be considered. Councilmember Trude stated a resident who had been president of the Shadowbrook Townhome Association had suggested the City look into open space and a trail along the Coon Creek. City Administrator Dickinson stated a trail may be possible in this area but it would depend on the location of the property and if it is in the floodway. It may be possible to negotiate this type of project when a plat is brought to the City. Councilmember Trude stated if this was something that could potentially happen as part of the platting process then she would support the Open Space Commission moving forward with the Selmer property. This will provide open space in both the urban and rural areas of the City. Councilmember Bukkila asked if the Open Space Commission considered the size of the property and if there is a minimum that would be considered. She pointed out the south side of the City did not have large amounts of land available like the north end. If the City wanted to provide open space in the south side of the City then smaller parcels should be considered. Open Space Commissioner Perry stated the Commission does consider property size and larger parcels rank high in the matrix that was developed by the commission to determine if a property would be considered for purchase. Councilmember Bukkila stated she would like to see less emphasis on parcel size. If the City could acquire a two (2) to three (3) acre parcel in the south side of the City this would provide a Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —April, 24 2012 Page 4 nice open space area for the high- density area. Mayor Gamache stated the City has stated they are willing to look at parcels by willing sellers and this is something that has worked for the City. City Administrator Dickinson stated the City does need to be careful when acquiring portions of smaller parcels, the City does not want to create non - conforming parcels by purchasing just sections of property. Councilmember Trade stated she supports the purchase of the Selmer property if there is access, but is not comfortable with also buying the 60 acre Kuiken piece. Councilmember Knight stated he supports the acquisition of the Selmer property and he would like to see some money available for other parcels that may become available. Councilmember Bukkila suggested the Open Space Commission move forward with the Selmer property but she would recommend the Open Space Commission reevaluate the minimum size parcel that would be considered in the future. City Administrator Dickinson clarified the direction from the Council is to continue working on the Selmer property and access and if this does not work out then the Council would like to have the Open Space Commission discuss the philosophy and criteria used for evaluating additional parcels. JOINT MEETING WITHARTIFICIAL TURF TASK FORCE Task Force Chair Ted Butler provided the Council with background information on the Artificial Turf Task Force, the demographics of the local sports associations, and the need for additional regulation size fields in the City for football, soccer, and lacrosse. Councilmember Trade stated according to the City's census information the number of households in the City with children under 18 years old is 46.7% and there are over 7,000 children under 10 years old in the City. Task Force Chair Butler stated the immediate need would be to respond to the need for outdoor facilities. He explained the current number of fields is insufficient and organizations had to travel to surrounding fields and if the fields were played on too much they became damaged. Once the fields are damaged the risk for injury increases. He stated artificial turf could be used more because you did not have to wait between uses and the annual maintenance costs would be less than it would be for a natural grass facility. He stated the average cost per hour for a natural grass facility would be $57.00 and the average hourly cost for an artificial turf facility would be $82.00. An advantage for artificial turf would be the association's willingness to pay a reasonable fee per hour. This fee could be applied toward a replacement fund for the turf and © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — April, 24 2012 Page 5 debt service. Councilmember Howard clarified the estimated construction cost for the natural grass facility included irrigation. Task Force Chair Butler stated the installation of a well for irrigation and lights are included in the estimated costs. Councilmember Trade asked if the estimated hours of usage are high and if the cost of the land is included in the estimated cost. Task Force Chair Butler stated the estimated time of usage would not be considered high. Artificial turf could be used more frequently because students could be on the fields as early as 3:00 p.m. for practices and adults could play later in the evenings. He stated the estimated costs for the turf projects included lights and construction but land cost is not included. He stated the association members of the Task Force have also discussed interest in and demand for an indoor facility with artificial turf. The associations would like to see this type of facility centrally located in the City, such as the City Hall campus or attached to the Community Center. Many © Andover families involved in youth sports travel to surrounding communities to use indoor facilities. An indoor facility in Andover could reverse the flow of funds out of the city and help improve the demand for restaurants and retail stores. Councilmember Trade recommended the Hills of Bunker Lake Park as a potential location for a turf facility because this is an area that is underutilized. Task Force Chair Butler stated there is limited access to this facility and parking and lighting would be problems in this location. He stated a facility located on the City Hall campus or at the Community Center would take advantage of the parking and the lighting of the fields will not disturb residents. He recommended the City consider building an artificial turf facility that had the ability to be covered in the future. Councilmember Bukkila stated the Artificial Turf Task Force did not do a full review of the City's park system to determine what was available and what type of facility could be added to the existing parks. The City does need more game fields but the City should also look at the entire park system. Task Force Chair Butler stated a grass facility could be added to Fox Meadows Park but he would recommend looking at artificial turf because this would provide more field time for the investment because it could be used more. © Councilmember Trude stated staff could talk with the school district as well in regard to their property and potential for utilizing some of their property for additional field needs. Andover Elementary has 40 -acres and there may be some available space. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — April, 24 2012 Page 6 City Administrator Dickinson stated staff could discuss this with the school. Councilmember Howard pointed out the main problem is not the space for more fields but the need for having more facilities for the youth programs to use. Even with the addition of an artificial turf facility there would be a shortage of fields. Councilmember Knight stated during the discussion on potential open space purchase the Meadow Creek property was identified as a potential site that could be used for fields. Mr. Haas stated the City could install a natural grass facility at Fox Meadows Park and there would be no additional land costs involved with that project, parking is already there. Task Force Chair Butler stated input from the Council on what the Task Force should pursue and what would be realistic for the City is required in order for the Task Force to proceed. Councilmember Bukkila stated she would like to see projected usage, expected scheduling and potential costs for a natural grass field versus an artificial turf field. She would like to see if the potential revenue from an artificial turf facility would be enough to offset the additional costs. Councilmember Knight asked if there would be a fee for using an outdoor artificial turf facility. Task Force Chair Butler stated the sports associations have stated they would be willing to pay a fee for artificial turf but not for a grass facility. Councilmember Howard asked if an artificial turf facility would be open to the public. Task Force Chair Butler stated if an artificial turf facility is constructed this would not be considered a regular park and it would not be open to public use. The Community Center has the ability to manage scheduling and invoicing for the facility. Councilmember Knight stated from a practical point of view, a single campus would make more sense because everything would be in one location. Mayor Gamache stated he liked the City Hall campus location. City Administrator Dickinson stated charging for artificial turf use could be a point of contention for residents and associations and asked the Council if there was support of charging a fee for the use. © Mayor Gamache stated charging a fee for the use of an artificial turf facility would be acceptable. This type of facility would be considered something more than a standard field and the sports associations would be the ones using it. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —April, 24 2012 Page 7 Councilmember Trade asked the sports association representatives whether they would be open to paying a rental fee and whether the parents would accept this fee. The North Metro Soccer Association Representative, Sean Beggin explained their fees already include rental fees because they need to pay these fees to other facilities. They would not have to increase their current fees. Andover Football and Lacrosse Association Representative, Twilla Hauck stated they would be able to pay a small fee of $30 to $50 per hour for an artificial turf facility. Task Force Chair Butler stated lacrosse would like to see an indoor facility built, football and soccer would also like to see a turf facility as well as additional fields. He recommended if the Council considers building an artificial turf facility it should be constructed in a manner that physically allows it to be covered with a dome structure in the future. It was the consensus of the Council that to charge a rental fee to associations for use if an artificial turf facility is constructed would be ok. Mayor Gamache asked how many fields are needed in the City at this time and how would the construction of an artificial turf facility impact this need. Councilmember Bukkila stated the Task Force had not been able to determine how many fields were needed to meet the youth associations' needs. Artificial turf can be used 7 days a week and this would be equivalent to two (2) natural grass fields. City Administrator Dickinson stated the actual shortage in terms of hours should be determined prior to the discussions regarding location. Task Force Chair Butler suggested the City consider constructing an artificial turf facility first and if there are additional needs then a natural grass field can be constructed at Fox Meadows Park. If there are additional needs in the future then the City can look at other parks in the City. Mayor Gamache asked if the Task Force had discussed having residents vote on a park bond referendum. This would provide the needed funds for the City to purchase land if needed and to construct the facility without trying to determine where the Council will need to make changes in the budget for this project. It would also allow the sports associations the opportunity to get their members to support the project. If the project is included in the City's CIP there is a chance that the project would be pushed to a future date if the funds are needed for other projects. A park bond referendum could be specific to this project and the funds would be used for this project only. Mayor Gamache stated staff will need to research what to charge for a rental fee if an artificial turf facility is constructed. He stated he does like the idea of constructing something on the City © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —April, 24 2012 Page 8 Hall campus or at the Community Center. The park bond referendum is something that could be researched and discussed at a later date. Councilmember Trude stated she would support directing staff to research the bond referendum issue and have the Park Commission review it. City Administrator Dickinson stated notification of the park bond referendum vote to the County would need to take place by August. Councilmember Bukkila stated the financial information regarding the costs and the impact on the needs of the associations should be provided to the Council prior to the Council making a final determination on what type of facility should be pursued. Councilmember Howard suggested the current field usage and shortages along with the exact needs for each sports association should be provided as well. The Council recessed at 8:10 p.m. © The Council reconvened at 8:19 p.m. 2012 GENERAL FUND BUDGET PROGRESS REPORT City Administrator Dickinson stated the concessions have not been doing well at Andover Station North. Recreational Facilities Manager, Erick Sutherland stated at Andover Station the concession deposits have not been sufficient to justify keeping the facility open during the week. He suggested the concession stand only open for tournaments only at this location. If this occurs then the bathroom facilities would not be available during the week Councilmember Trude stated the bathrooms should be available for residents to use. The sports associations could take responsibility for opening and locking the facility. City Engineer Berkowitz stated there is a portable facility available at the site. The problem with having one of the associations open the facility would be they are not available to watch the facility while it is open and they may not lock up at the end of the day. Councilmember Bukkila stated residents use portable facilities in Coon Rapids. ® Mayor Gamache stated the association presidents had access to the facilities and could be responsible for opening and closing the building. This way residents could use the restrooms. He suggested staff talk to the associations in regard to opening and closing the buildings so that the alarms are not set off. ® Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —April, 24 2012 Page 9 It was the Consensus of the Council to have concessions available at Andover Station North during tournaments and other high traffic events but keeping the bathroom facilities available to the public. Councilmember Howard asked if pop machines or Gatorade machines could be put in the building. Mr. Sutherland stated the sports associations may approach the City about selling concessions during the week but he would not recommend this. Problems may arise with inventory and ownership of products kept at the facility if there are multiple concession providers. Councilmember Trude suggested someone talk to the associations about utilizing the fields in this location. She suggested Mr. Sutherland use his judgment to determine what events the concessions will be available for. DISCUSS DEFERRED ASSESSMENT TERMS MODIFICATION REQUEST City Administrator Dickinson stated as part of the Woodland Crossings, Cardinal Ridge, and QShaw's Glen developments, public improvement assessments in 2007, neighboring properties that were not part of the initial development but has the potential for future urban development were also assessed. Those neighboring properties assessments were allowed to be deferred with specific terms. One of those property owners is requesting the Council consider modifying the terms of the current deferral. He is requesting that in the event no development occurs on his parcel by September 4, 2017, the deferral remains a deferral and does not come due at that time and the deferral be extended to 15 years and at that time the deferral be depreciated in equal amounts over the next 10 years at which point the deferred assessment would expire. Historically, the City has not let deferred water and sewer assessments expire but has exercised various options to collect. He recommended the City consider some modifications to the road cost portion of the assessment similar to what the property owner is requesting but he would not recommend this for the water and sewer portion of the assessment. He explained the street portion of the assessment would be attached to the property and if not developed in 15 years then the amount would start to depreciate over the next 10 years. After 25 years the street portion of the assessment would have nothing due if the property had not been developed or sold. The City has done similar deferred assessments in other areas of the City. The water and sewer assessments should remain deferred. City Engineer Berkowitz stated he did not believe the property owner had petitioned to have sewer and water hook up. He stated he would check into this for the Council. He stated as the property is developed and hooked up to City services there would be an assessment. © Councilmember Bukkila clarified the City had the stubs installed with the project so as the property developed there was the ability to hook up to City services. O Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —April, 24 2012 Page 10 City Administrator Dickinson stated an option for the City utility service portions of the assessment would be to cap the amount in 2017. The interest would accumulate until 2017 as scheduled and then at that time the amount would remain the same until the property is developed. The City Attorney could work this out with the property owner if the Council would like to move in this direction. Councilmember Trude stated she would support this. She stated she would like to know if the property owner had petitioned for the hook ups. The City Attorney will need to look into this and determine if this is something the City can do. The City needs to be consistent for all residents in similar situations. City Engineer Berkowitz stated there is past precedent for the City to do work with developers with similar assessments. City Administrator Dickinson stated the Council could give direction to the City Attorney to determine if there was something that could be done without setting precedent. Councilmember Bukkila stated she would agree with delaying the assessment as long as it is fair and reasonable. City Administrator Dickinson clarified the City would consider extending the assessment on the street repairs to 15 years and then allow it to depreciate over the next 10 years and then allow the water and sewer assessment accrue interest until 2017 and then remain at that rate until the property is developed. Councilmember Trude stated the City should also look at what the property owner had presented to the City because they do not want to do something inconsistent with what was agreed to at that time. City Administrator Dickinson stated staff would research the request and determine if a petition had been filed and forward the information to the City Attorney. 2013 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSION City Administrator Dickinson stated staff is starting to focus on the 2013 Annual Operating Budget development process. Preliminary Anoka County Assessor taxable market value figures for the City of Andover are reflecting a 3.6% decrease in total taxable market value. Tax Increment Financing District 1 -1 will be decertifying at the end of 2012, complete impacts are still being evaluated, and it is likely the State of Minnesota will place levy limits on cities for 2013 levies. If there is no tax bill then levy limits would not go into effect. The Open Space Commission and staff have been active in pursuing the third open space purchase. With property tax revenues making up 80% of the total General Fund revenues cash flow designations approaching 50% would be appropriate and are recommended by the City's auditor. The City Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —April, 24 2012 Page 11 Vehicle Purchasing Committee will be meeting on Thursday to perform an analysis and make recommendations to the Council as part of the 2013 -2017 Capital Improvement Plan development. A truck purchase would be a good item for bonding. He stated a few staffing requests are expected for the 2013 budget. Administration and Human Resources will be exploring a PTO conversion program as part of the 2013 budget process as well. Councilmember Knight suggested increasing the amount the City contributes to Alexandra House. City Administrator Dickinson stated Alexandra House has submitted a proposal and request for this year. He stated he would make arrangements for Alexandra House to make a presentation to the Council. Councilmember Howard stated charitable gambling is expected to increase this year as well. City Administrator Dickinson reviewed the fund balance and provided an update for the Council. Based on information available at this time it is expected the fund balance will increase and this could be used to pay for additional staff or to bring back or enhance services. Councilmember Trude stated this increase could also be used to do projects the City has put off doing due to the economy. This may provide an opportunity for the City to catch up on some of these projects. She stated she would also like to see the City look into bringing back the Employee Appreciation program. Councilmember Knight stated he would support this. City Administrator Dickinson stated these items would be discussed in greater detail at the May workshop. 2012 GENERAL FUND B UDGET PROGRESS DISCUSSION (CONTINUED) City Administrator Dickinson stated monthly review of the City Budget progress to the governing body is a recommended financial practice and often viewed positively by rating agencies. Councilmember Trude stated she would like to have the budget items for youth programs identified as a line item on the summary report. MARCH 2012 INVESTMENT REPORT 10 City Administrator Dickinson provided a summary of the City's Investment portfolio. He stated the City of Andover Investment Policy recommends the Finance Director present to the City Council quarterly the detail listing of investments held by the City. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —April, 24 2012 Page 12 OTHER TOPICS City Engineer Berkowitz stated he had done some research and was able to locate the petition received in December 2005 for the Woodland Crossings, Cardinal Ridge, and Shaw's Glen developments. It was noted that not all of the benefiting properties had petitioned. The properties that did not petition for the improvements were Puttman, Allen, and Almeida. City Administrator Dickinson stated he would forward this information to the City Attorney. Councilmember Knight stated the Community Center Advisory Commission has looked at potentially adding a Teen Center and he would like to know if this was moving forward. City Administrator Dickinson stated this topic would be coming to the Council for additional consideration and discussions throughout the budget development process. Councilmember Trude requested staff organize a community bus tour before the end of the summer. She stated she would also like to see a workshop agenda that includes the County Highway Department. Councilmember Trude stated the Council would like to have an Q opportunity to discuss the roads in the City and to look at potential grants. She stated she would also like to have the Sheriff's Department and Safety Investigator present at a Council workshop. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Councilmember Howard, Seconded by Councilmember Bukkila, to Adjourn the April 24, 2012 City Council Workshop. The motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 9:43 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Tina Borg, Recording Secretary