HomeMy WebLinkAboutWK January 7, 2004
~OA/
C I T Y o F ~ 1-J,6-o,-\-
NDOVE
1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD N.W. . ANDOVER, MINNESOTA 55304 . (763) 755·5100
FAX (763) 755·8923 . WWW.CI.ANDOVER.MN.US
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JOINT COUNCIL/STAKEHOLDER MEETING
COMMUNITY CENTER WORKSHOP
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Wednesday, January 7, 2004 - 6:30 p.m.
AGENDA
1. Call to Order
2. Approve Agenda
3. Architectural Design Update
4. Construction Manager Update
5. Facility Security Overview (presented at Meeting)
6. Site Plan Traffic Movement Scenarios - (presented at
Meeting)
7. Concession Discussion (Attachment)
. 8. Other Business Items
a. Sunshine Park Ballfield Lighting Budget
b. Capital Campaign Update
c. YMCA Daily Pass Concept
d. Anoka-Hennepin Team Room Space
e. Ice Arena Staffing/Rental Contracts
9, Adjourn
C I T Y o F
NDOVE
1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD N.W. . ANDOVER. MINNESOTA 55304 . (763) 755.5100
FAX (763) 755·8923 . WWW.CI.ANDOVER.MN.US
JOINT ANDOVER CITY COUNCIVSTAKEHOLDER MEETING- JANUARY 7, 2004
COMMUNITY CENTER WORKSHOP
MINUTES
The Joint Meeting of the Andover City Council and Stakeholders was called to order by Mayor Mike
Gamache, January 7, 2004, 6:35 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW,
Andover, Minnesota.
Councilmembers present: Don Jacobson, Mike Knight, Ken Orttel, Julie Trude
Councilmember absent: None
Also present: John Erar, City Administrator
City Finance Director, Jim Dickinson
Park and Recreation Commissioner, Dan Maslowski
YMCA Representative, Anita Lancello
Craig Kronholm, RIM
Victor Pechaty, Architect
Greg Shuster, Architect
Darren Lazan, Capital Campaign
Bill Brossman, YMCA
Gail Essen, Pro-Tech Design, Inc.
David Berkowitz, City Engineer
Joe Samuel, RLK
Tom Durand, School District #11
Others
APPROVE AGENDA
Councilmember Jacobson requested the discussion about the lease agreement be moved up to item
6a. and move item 7 before item 6.
Motion by Jacobson, Seconded by Trude, to approve the Agenda as amended. Motion carried
unanimously.
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN UPDATE
Mr. Victor Pechaty, architect, stated the two primary exterior materials used on the project would be
brick and architectura1 pre-cast. He showed examples of what they are considering. He noted the
brick matches City Hall and the pre-cast would be a lighter version. There are two kinds of
architectural pre-cast used on the building. He summarized where the pre-cast and brick would be
Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting
Minutes - January 7, 2004
Page 2
used on the building. They tried to create a texture that works with the sunJight and shadows. He
stated they hope to create a "rolling horizon" effect.
Councilmember Trude asked if there would be any type of treatment in the event graffiti would be
put on the building at some point in the future. Mr. Pechaty stated the concrete panels are a lot more
porous than stone and he did not think they had any kind of treatment for these types of panels, but
he would research this.
Mr. Pechaty stated they want to use a metallic gray paint as a contrasting color in the thin detailed
elements. He noted the metal panels would be a progressively lighter version of a wann gray, so to
the naked eye, it would give the façade a little depth.
Councilmember Knight suggested not having glass windows all the way to the ground. Mr. Pechaty
replied the windows would start 18 inches off the ground,
Councilmember Trude asked if the entrance would be clear glass with wooden columns on the
inside. Mr. Pechaty replied that was correct; the columns and ceiling in the main street would be
Douglas Fir.
Mr. Pechaty stated the floor would be dark, charcoal gray. He stated the color would be all of the
way through the floor,
Councilmember Knight asked if custodial issues had been taken into consideration with respect to
the floor. Mr. Pechaty replied the floor would be basically maintenance free, however, he noted that
the floor might be slippery when wet and therefore he recommended throw rugs be put down when
necessary. He stated maintenance personnel do not like the no slip finishes because they are difficult
to clean.
Councilmember Trude asked if thcrc would be any maintenance to the wooden colunms. Mr.
Pechaty replied there would be a clear lacquer put on the columns, but no further maintenance would
need to be done.
Mr. Erar suggested wrapping the wooden column nearest the hockey area in Plexiglas to protect it
from hockey bags and sticks.
Mr. Pechaty stated the interior would have burnished concrete block, which is a slightly lighter hue
than what was in City Hall. Councilmember Trude asked if it was possible to also have another
color for the concrete block in addition to the sample he showed.
Mr. Pechaty stated there would be very little solid concrete block walls; most of the areas would be
glass. He stated a wood slatted system would also be used in the ceiling to warm up the space.
Councilmember Jacobson asked what the R factor in the roof is. Mr. Shuster replied it would be
approximately R25.
Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting
Minutes - January 7, 2004
Page 3
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER UPDATE
Mr. Kronholm stated they are proceeding with bid package 1. He stated the rest of the team is
working on the specifications, which would be released on Monday. He indicated the bids for bid
package 1 are out and were published and it would bid on January 22. Bid package 2 will go out on
February 19, and they have tentatively scheduled a bid date for March 9. He noted the goal was to be
in the ground no later than April 1. He stated they want to get the footing and foundation package
going immediately, so as soon as the concrete is cured back, they would like setting the pre-cast and
at the same time they want to do the site utilities.
Councilmember Jacobson asked how many other large projects are out there. Mr, Kronholm stated
they are still within the budget and they are ahead of the on1y large project that was being proposed,
Councilmember Knight asked how the site would be secured. Mr. Kronholm stated they would have
to look at this and it depends on the egress issues, which may necessitate cutting in a temporary door.
He stated they would come up with a plan to keep people out of the construction area.
Councilmember Orttel asked if the bids are on a unit cost, or an entire bid package. Mr. Kronholm
replied it is a bid package and not on unit cost.
Councilmember Trude asked if they would need to schedule a special meeting once the bids are in to
accept them. Mr. Erar replied they should probably schedule a special Council meeting once the bids
were reviewed.
Mr. Kronholm noted there was no requirement to take the lowest bid. He stated while they hoped to
break ground in March, it is more realistic that it would be the frrst week in April with the setting of
panels in the second week of April. He stated the contractors would be given very specific dates.
Councilmember Trude asked if they were doing site prep inhouse. Mr. Erar replied it would be done
in house.
FACILITY SECURITY OVERVIEW
Gail Essen stated essentially the security system is comprised of three major components, intrusion
security, cameras, and a card access system. She stated there are separate security systems for the
YMCA and the Community Center. She noted the cameras within the YMCA would on1y be
monitored within the YMCA. She indicated to save costs, the cameras would be connected to the
same video recorder and the intrusion system for both facilities would be on the same system. She
stated the card access system would have two accesses, one at the YMCA and one at the Community
Center.
Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting
Minutes - January 7, 2004
Page 4
Councilmember Trude asked if the security system would be monitored off-site in the event of an
intrusion. Ms. Essen replied it would be monitored off-site.
Councilmember Trude stated she wanted security access on all of the doors, including the delivery
access doors.
Councilmember Trude asked if the security system would also be a fIre system. Mr. Erar noted the
fIre system is a separate system that is not tied into the security system and the fue system would
meet all State codes.
Council member Jacobson asked if there would be monitoring of the parking lot. Mr. Erar replied
there would not be monitoring of the parking lots because it would be necessary to install high cost
cameras, which give a false sense of security.
Mr. Kronholm stated the lighting in the parking lot would be adequate to ensure safety. He noted
they did not want the lights to be too bright, which would encourage people to loiter and not too low,
which could affect safety.
Ms. Lancello stated at their Northtown facility, the police requested the parking lot cameras be
removed because of the poor quality of the images.
Councilmember Trude asked how long the security tapes would be held. Ms. Essen replied they
would be held for two weeks.
Councilmember Jacobson agreed that all exterior doors be alarmed. He asked ifit is possible to have
the cameras monitored on-line. Ms. Essen replied it is possible.
Mr. Erar asked if Council wanted to retain Pro- Tec Design, Inc. services to install the security
system.
Councilmember Orttel asked if they had to put the security system out for bids. Mr. Erar replied the
cost estimate was below the threshold; therefore it is not necessary to put this out for bids.
Mr. Berkowitz asked how breakable the glass being proposed is. Mr. Kronholm replied the glass is
the same type of glass that is installed in schools and it is very difficult to break. He also noted with
the glass being 18 inches off the ground the height would also make it more difficult to break.
Councilmember Orttel asked staff to verify that they are not required to go out for public bid for this
type of a service,
Motion by Jacobson, Seconded by Orttel, to approve Gail Essen of Pro- Tec Design, Inc. to work
with staff and be the provider of choice for the security system for an amount not to exceed
$50,000.00. Motion carried unanimously.
Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting
Minutes - January 7, 2004
Page 5
CONCESSION DISCUSSION
Mr. Erar noted that the Council has been approached by the Capital Campaign to consider leasing of
the concession space as another means of raising revenues that could then be contributed to the
capital campaign effort. He explained that details regarding this proposal are a combination of
privately leasing the concession space, selecting a service provider, and the contribution of
"assumed" retained earnings to the capital campaign has generated numerous questions that need to
be carefully considered before any specific action is taken. He presented the "talking points" as
outlined in his memorandum.
Mr. Dickinson stated he had spoken with other Cities about their concession operations. He stated
the City would be looking at approximately $25,000.00 net income without the aquatics facility. If
they added an aquatics aspect with two slides, they would be looking at another $40,000.00 to
$45,000.00 net income. He believed this was the baseline the Council was looking for.
Councilmember Knight asked how many Cities have dual operations. Mr. Dickinson replied most of
the Cities ran the concession stands themselves. However, Maple Grove gave associations the
option to work the concession stands without pay to obtain ice time on the rink. He recommended
the Center be vented for a griIl for possible future use. Right now, they would be looking at hot
dogs, pizza, pop, popcorn, etc. to start out.
Mr. Dickinson noted they would recommend part-time staffing paying $7.50 to $11.00 per hour. He
indicated there would be approximately 100 hours per week to cover for hours of operation. He did
not believe the concession stand would be open when the facility opened and that it could take six to
12 months to get it up and running fully.
Councilmember Jacobson stated it was his underslanding two slides would serve their purposes and
there was no discussion on this. Mr. Erar stated it was the YMCA's understanding that they could
share in the concession revenues at a certain percentage.
Mr. Kronholm remembered from a previous meeting that by adding to the aquatic center, there
would be a solid wall where the concession stand was being proposed and this would be an exclusive
YMCA concession,
Mr. Brossman stated in part with the expansion of the aquatic center was a step ahead of the
concession revenue. He indicated right now they had to guess as to how much revenue would come
from a concession stand. He noted the addition to the aquatics facility was a substantive addition for
the YMCA and any revenue from the concession stand was to help defray the cost of this expanded
facility. He did not believe the YMCA would have an interest in the expanded aquatics facility if
they could not share in the concession revenue.
Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting
Minutes - January 7, 2004
Page 6
Councilmember Knight asked what type of revenue share the YMCA is proposing. Mr. Brussman
replied they are not prepared to talk numbers tonight and this could be a discussion for a future
meeting.
Mr. Brussman believed this would be a good par\nership because the YMCA's business is fairly
consistent, while the community center would have highs and lows in business.
Councilmernber Jacobson stated it was his understanding that the City was paying entirely for the
concession area. Mr. Erar replied this was what was going to happen before the expansion of the
aquatic center. With the expansion of the aquatic center, the YMCA now has an interest in sharing
in the cost of the concession area, as well as the concession revenue. He stated they do not have
information at this time as to what the split would be.
Councilmember Jacobson was concerned that this seemed to have appeared out of the blue and he
was not aware of this proposal.
Councilmember Trude stated she also did not realize the YMCA was interested in assisting with the
paying of the concession area. Mr. Erar replied this has been tentatively discussed and if they want
to share in the revenues, they need to contribute to the operation also.
Councilmember Knight asked if staffhad looked at a lease proposal instead. Mr. Dickinson replied
they had not looked at this option, but could look at this in the future.
Councilmember Trude stated she did not believe it would hurt to look at possibly leasing the
concession out. She pointed out this might give them a better idea if their revenue projections are
realistic.
Mr. Erar noted the concession area was not meant to be a fundraiser, but to help defray the cost of
the aquatic center.
Mayor Gamache believed this was a premature discussion because the YMCA's facility would not
be up and running until 2005. Mr. Dickinson believed they need to decide if they want to do a
sharing operation with the YMCA.
Councilmember Knight noted with the food business there was a learning curve and it was difficult
to project actual figures right now.
Councilmember Orttel stated he did not believe the private vendor would be interested in a
$40,000.00 concession stand. Mr. Erar indicated staffs research showed that most of these types of
concessions were run by the Cities.
Mr. Brussman stated it would benefit the Council to learn as much from the other Cities as possible
regarding their concession operations. They should do this before they go out for any RFPs. He
stated it is his interest tonight to determine if there is any interest in revenue sharing, but it is
Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting
Minutes - January 7, 2004
Page 7
premature to come up with any numbers at this time. He indicated, however, that the City nor the
YMCA were experienced in the food operations business, and therefore, they should look at and
explore all options. This could be very successful, but it could also fail and it is important to look at
all of the pros and cons. He stated the YMCA is interested in pursuing what is best for the project.
He noted the shared operation of the concession would not come near to reimbursing the cost of the
expanded aquatic center, so this is not their main interest.
Mr, Lazan stated there are outside vendors who would be interested in leasing the concession space.
He noted there are public' vendors who had offered to help design the facility and assist in choosing
the product to be sold. He indicated it is possible for a public vendor to overstock both inventory
and staff, which would provide a better product at a lower cost to the consumer. He believed an RFP
was a much better operation and asked Council for the opportunity to present a proposal at their next
meeting.
Mr. Erar stated in-kind donations would not be considered if they went out for an RFP. The issues
still need to be worked out between the City and the YMCA. He stated an RFQ made more sense
than an RFP and they might want to look at the RFQ option.
Councilmember Trude asked if there would be a full-time service operator to run the concessions.
Mr. Dickinson stated whoever operated the ice arena would also be in charge of the concessions, so
that person would need food concession experience.
Mayor Gamache asked staff to work with Mr. Lazan on looking at the RFQ option and bring a
presentation back at a future meeting.
SITE PLAN TRAFFIC MOVEMENT SCENARIOS
Mr. Pechaty stated there are a couple of outstanding issues they are trying to resolve. The one
change that is common to all of the schemes is the east parking lot. He stated the island would be
eliminated so the parking on the two sides of the buildings would be symmetrical. He noted by
doing this, they netted some additional parking stalls at no additional cost. He asked if there should
be an addition of a circulation road to complete a road entirely around the building. He summarized
the three scenarios. He noted with scenario 3, the parking lot would be connected to the City Hall
parking lot, which would make the access from the City Hall Parking lot a right in and right out on1y
onto Crosstown. He noted this was a County requirement. Scenario 2 would add a road to the south
of the building, which would not connect to the City Hall parking lot and therefore would not affect
the City hall parking lot access in or out. He stated with this additional road, there would be an
additional increase to the budget and it posed challenges for stormwater retention. He also noted this
road would be a one- way road. Scenario 1 would also add a road to the south of the building, which
would not be connected to the City Hall Parking lot, but this road would be a two-way road.
Mr. Berkowitz noted the road to the south would be marked as a no parking zone.
Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting
Minutes - January 7, 2004
Page 8
Mr. Brussman stated there are a lot of constraints on this site and they want equal access to the
building. He stated they are not opposed to a south road being added. However, one of the concerns
would be the impact of a future expansion to the aquatic center. He suggested this road be an
expansion road, instead of a street in case it needed to be vacated at some point in the future if they
should decide to expand the aquatic center.
Mr. Erar indicated the YMCA was looking for a vacation option of this road noting that the YMCA
would need access to Hanson Boulevard if the road would be vacated in the future.
Councilmember Trude asked if they could split off the Community Center land from the City Hall
and therefore the County would be required to give the Center a separate access. Councilmember
Orttel believed the County could deny access onto a County Road.
Mr. Dickinson stated the banks and underwriters would be concerned regarding any type ofland
transfer.
Mr. Berkowitz stated staff had talked to the County in the past about constructing a frontage road
along Crosstown.
Councilmember Knight noted a road to the south would add a lot of traffic along Tower Drive. Mr.
Berkowitz replied there would be the need for some improvements made to Tower Drive if that
proposal was accepted.
Mr. Erar stated the message the administrative level needed was in order to stay on schedule the staff
had to know which scenario the Council wanted. He stated this was the single most important issue
on the agenda and they did not have the luxury of time to debate this with the County.
Councilmember Jacobson asked if they did not connect the City Hall parking lot to this development,
how did that affect the parking count. Mr. Erar replied as long as the City Hall was made available
for parking, it would be counted as part of the parking count. He noted there would be a sidewalk
connecting the two parking lots and as long as people had the ability to get to the Community Center,
it would meet code.
Councilmember Jacobson asked how much the road would cost. Mr. Erar replied it is achievable in
the current budget.
Mayor Gamache asked Mr. Brussman which scenario the YMCA would be agreeable to. Mr.
Brussman replied he liked scenario number I.
The remainder of the Council agreed scenario one was the best option.
Councilmember Knight expressed concern that Tower Drive would be a bottleneck with this scenario
and requested staff look at this concern.
Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting
Minutes - January 7, 2004
Page 9
LEASE AGREEMENT
Councilmember Jacobson understood that the City would have to commit by the end of this month
for millions of dollars in materials and he was concerned that they did not have a lease agreement
with the YMCA in place. He is uncomfortable not having a written lease agreement and asked
where the City is in the negotiations,
Mr. Erar replied he had submitted a Letter of Understanding to the City Attorney and the City
Attorney has prepared a draft lease document which would be presented to the YMCA. He noted
timing was very important, but he did not believe a final lease agreement would be available by the
end of the month, It is possible to have a preliminary lease agreement in place by the end of the
month if this is what Council wants.
Councilmember Jacobson stated he wants at least something in writing which would protect both
sides. He noted technically right now, the YMCA could walk away from this project which would
leave the City with a substantial investment. He asked if there was something less than a lease they
could have by the end of the month.
Mr. Erar replied if the Council said they want something more firmed up legally, they could sit down
with the YMCA to see what could be done. He would advocate attempting to move this forward as
soon as possible, but there are still a lot of blanks that need to be filled in and he was not sure those
blanks could be filled in by the end of the month.
Councilmember Jacobson asked if the YMCA had any concerns regarding this. Mr. Brussman stated
he appreciated his concerns and they are open to participating in a discussion. He stated they are
proceeding in good faith and had put a lot of time and effort into this project, but he believed a Letter
of Understanding was a good starting basis. He stated once a draft of a Lease is created, the YMCA
would review it quickly.
Councilmember Jacobson stated he did not mind a lease being signed in June or July, but he wants
something in writing now that if this project failed to go through, that the money expended so far
would be split with the YMCA, so the City would not be held responsible for the entire cost.
Mr. Dickinson indicated before the City could go out for bonding it would be necessary that
everything be in place legally.
Mr. Lazan asked staff to solidify the deadline dates and inquired what exactly was expected with
respectto the campaign. He wanted to make sure the campaign was there for the City, but they need
conflID1ation as to what was expected. Councilmember Jacobson stated it was his opinion that the
day they needed to pay the money was the day he needed to know what was raised through the
campaign. He stated at this time he did not know ifhe was going to support this project, unless they
have the funds to support it.
Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting
Minutes - January 7, 2004
Page 10
Mr. Kronholm stated money would not need to be paid out until approximately March 15, 2004.
OTHER BUSINESS ITEMS
A. Sunshine Park Ballfield Lighting Budget
Mayor Gamache asked how much it would cost to light the fields. Mr, Erar replied to light all four
fields it would cost approximately $279,000.00. It would be necessary to adjust the budget to add
another $139,000.00 if they want to light all four fields. Right now, the budget would only support
two lights. He stated no decision is necessary tonight, but he wanted 10 make Council aware of this.
Val Holthus stated when the lights were put in at Sunshine Park, they put in low lights and she was
worried if the lights were moved into Sunshine Park, the neighborhood would be upset. She also
noted the lights might on1y last ten years anyway and suggested they put in new lights instead of
moving lights. Councilmember Trude replied money is an issue.
Mayor Gamache noted there are woods in this area which would block some of the light.
Mr. Erar stated if Council wanted staff to work on an estimate on lighting the parking lot, they could
do that. He asked if Council was interested in making it their intention to light all four fields, with
the acknowledgement that if other funding sources were not available that this would affect the park
budget.
B. Capital Campaign Update
Mr. Lazan stated he had nothing further to add as an update.
C. YMCA Daily Pass Concept
Mr. Erar stated the concept is that the YMCA is agreeable to looking at offering daily passes with
service restrictions, but they still had to work out the exact details.
Councilmember Jacobson asked if this would limit it on1y to Andover residents. Mr. Brussman
replied that would be the intention and he believed something could be worked out.
D. Anoka-Hennepin Team Room Space
Mr. Durand stated they have worked with the construction manager and have more realistic figures.
He noted they had one percent of the space, but had more than one percent of the cost.
Mr. Kronholm noted they had cut back on the size and had taken one percent of their estimates,
which would be updated at bid time.
Special Andover City Council Workshop Meeting
Minutes - January 7, 2004
Page 11
Mr. Erar stated they have given up nothing by doing this.
Councilmember Jacobson asked if this would be a one-time payment, or would it be spread out over
time. Mr. Durand believed it would be a five-year payment plan.
E. Ice Arena Staffmg / Rental Contracts
Mr. Erar stated he had received inquiries as to the cost of the ice rental. He noted this would need to
be decided 60 to 90 days before the opening date of the arena. He indicated it would be necessary to
have staff in place at least within a 60 to 90 day time frame and they would be bringing a job
description forward in the next couple ofmonlhs for Council's review.
Councilmember Jacobson stated he wants it to be noted that there are residents that also want free
skating time and requested not all of the "good" times be taken by hockey games and practices.
Councilmember Knight expressed concern about having a full time person on staff 60 to 90 days
prior to the opening. Mr. Erar replied this was necessary to get a staff person up to speed and to use
their expertise for the final decisions that would need to be made.
Councilmember Trude stated she had communications with the associations regarding concerns they
had regarding the Community Center project. Mayor Gamache stated he would talk to them.
Motion by Knight, Seconded by Jacobson, to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting
adjourned at 10:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathy Altman, Recording Secretary