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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-06-23 WK ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING – JUNE 23, 2026 MINUTES The Workshop Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Barthel, June 23, 2026, 6:00 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Councilmembers present: Rick Engelhardt, Karen Godfrey, Scott Schue (arrived at 6:27 p.m.), and Jonathan Shafto Councilmember absent: None Also present: City Administrator, Sarah Cotton Community Development Director, Joe Janish Director of Public Works/City Engineer, David Berkowitz Interim Fire Chief/Parks & Streets Operations Manager, Jason Baumunk Finance Director, Lee Brezinka Others Park & Recreation Commission Members present: Chair Bruckner Johnson Vice Chair Jim Lindahl Commissioner Emily Honer Commissioner Liza Shafto Commissioner Shane Stenzel Commissioner Liliya Ustimchuk Park & Recreation Commission Members absent: Commissioner Kristin Lackie PARK & RECREATION COMMISSION JOINT MEETING a. DISCUSS 2027-2031 PARK PLAYGROUND REPLACEMENT PLAN The City Council is requested to discuss the 2027-2031 CIP for the Park Playground Equipment Replacement Plan, as recommended by the Park & Recreation Commission and Public Works staff. Mr. Baumunk reviewed the staff report. Councilmember Godfrey asked what it would take to catch up and get on the 15-year cycle and Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – May 26, 2026 Page 2 whether this is the right plan given the current resources. Mr. Baumunk replied the plan is good, as to how many replacements they are doing each year, but it is getting harder to fit that within the $200,000. He explained they hire out the installation of the playgrounds, and the park staff can install the woodchips. He stated the budget may need to be increased to stay on this plan. Mayor Barthel stated Councilmember Schue asked whether the Commission had ever considered a fully accessible, ADA-compliant park. Park Commissioner Stenzel replied they have contemplated that in the past and is perhaps something they could consider for the City campus site. b. DISCUSS 2027-2031 TRAIL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN – NEW TRAILS The City Council is requested to discuss the 2027-2031 CIP for New Trail Segments. Mr. Baumunk reviewed the staff report. Councilmember Godfrey asked if they could start looking for other areas that may have gaps they should begin to plan for. She commented they have wonderful parks and great trails, and she would love to see them more connected so that people can use the trails to get to the parks. Mr. Berkowitz provided additional information on the collaboration between County roads and trails along those roads, as well as related grant funds the City is applying for. Mayor Barthel referenced a trail that was planned for Miller’s Woods that did not move forward because a few neighbors objected and asked whether those funds would be reallocated to another trail project or stay reserved for that project in the future. Mr. Baumunk stated those funds have been moved to another project. Mayor Barthel referenced the roundabout at Constance Boulevard and Crosstown Boulevard and asked if there would be room to retrofit a trail connection once trails are added in that area. Mr. Berkowitz stated the City worked with the County to plan for a future trail connection. He stated they also pursued a trail connection from the development to that intersection, but it did not work out because of funding. He provided information on additional funding requests the City is pursuing that would not be available until after 2030. c. DISCUSS 2027-2031 TRAIL RECONSTRUCTION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN The City Council is requested to discuss the 2027-2031 Trail Reconstruction Improvement Projects that are being considered by staff for the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Mr. Baumunk reviewed the staff report. Councilmember Godfrey asked if there is a better way to fund this to ensure they are accurately planning for the funds that will be needed. Mr. Brezinka provided additional information on the funding. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – May 26, 2026 Page 3 d. DISCUSS 2027-2031 CIP PARK CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS The City Council is requested to discuss the 2027-2031 Park Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Mr. Baumunk reviewed the staff report. Councilmember Godfrey recognized the limitations of how the park dedication dollars can be used and commented that it is useful to continue to remind residents of the restrictions that are placed on those funds and how they can be used. Mr. Berkowitz commented on the influx of park dedication dollars that has occurred in recent years from larger development projects. Park Commissioner Lindahl commented they currently have too many parks in Andover, so they are being fiscally responsible as to when parks are added and how parks are reinvested into for maintenance. Councilmember Shafto asked about the current park dedication rate and the current balance in the fund. Mr. Baumunk replied the park dedication fee is currently $5,435 per unit, and the current balance of the fund is $3,800,000. Councilmember Shafto asked if a lot of those funds would be used on the City campus project. Park Commissionr Stenzel recognized there are only so many park dedication dollars that will be received, and they need to ensure they continue to plan for the future. He stated they do not want to spend the dollars because they are available when they know the City campus will be a high- cost project. He hoped in ten years they would have sufficient funding for 80 to 90 percent of that project. Park Commissioner Lindahl commented in the past, there were years when they were unable to do anything because of a lack of funding. Mr. Berkowitz stated staff will begin working with RJM to price out the components for the City campus master plan. Mr. Baumunk stated they are redoing the park dedication study this year. Councilmember Shafto asked if the study includes anticipated park dedication fees in the future, assuming a certain growth rate. Mr. Baumunk confirmed that maximum build-out is considered in that study, as well as the percentage of the system that has been built and what the remaining portion of the system would look like. Councilmember Schue arrived. Mayor Barthel recognized the current balance of the park dedication fund and asked if the interest Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – May 26, 2026 Page 4 earned goes back to that fund or the general fund. Mr. Brezinka stated all interest earned by a fund remains with that fund. Mayor Barthel welcomed any additional input from the Park Commission on what they think should remain on the radar. Park Commissioner Honer stated she is a huge fan of the skate park, noting the heavy use that the amenity receives. She stated her other passion is the trails, and she would like to see continued investment in the trails. Park Commissioner Shafto agreed that trails are intergenerational and enjoyed by many residents in the community. Park Commissioner Honer commended the park staff for the great clearing of the trails in the winter months. Park Commissioner Lindahl commented they have discussed a fully accessible park, but they have had difficulty in finding the right neighborhood location, which led them to the City campus location because of its central location. Councilmember Schue commented he has a son with Down Syndrome and his family associates with other families who have members with disabilities. He explained he does not advocate for spending money unnecessarily, but for those items to be planned for, noting the availability of grant funds for projects of that nature. He stated if there is a known park that is set up to be accessible, people will travel to that location. He agreed that the City campus could be a good location. Councilmember Godfrey referenced the 2016 Master Plan and noted it sounds like the Commission is working to revise that. She asked if that had happened and whether current and expected use are being considered. She also asked for more information on the neighborhood surveys. Mr. Baumunk provided additional information on a current survey that is being done related to a park element and whether residents would prefer an existing amenity to remain or be replaced. He stated typically, surveys are used in those unique situations when park staff notice an amenity not being used. Mayor Barthel stated he was recently at a Lacrosse tournament in another community that is building an indoor turf facility. He asked about the attraction to that type of amenity and whether there is value in that. Commissioner Lindahl commented those types of facilities are often great in the beginning, and then the use tapers off and maintenance issues arise. He commented it is a lot of money to create a facility that is good for ten years and then have rising maintenance costs. It was noted those facilities are seasonal, as people prefer to be outdoors in the summer, and the operating and maintenance costs are very high. ST ROUND LAKE BOULEVARD NW & 181 AVENUE NW ROUNDABOUT DISCUSSION (26-24) st The City Council is requested to discuss the Round Lake Boulevard NW & 181 Avenue NW Roundabout, City Project 26-24, that Anoka County has planned for construction in 2028. Mr. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – May 26, 2026 Page 5 Berkowitz reviewed the staff report. Mayor Barthel asked if the County is planning to have lanes of traffic moving during construction. Mr. Berkowitz replied there will be lanes of traffic open during construction. He stated the staging plan has not yet been developed. st Mayor Barthel asked if this intersection is busier than Hanson Boulevard and 181 Avenue. Ms. Cotton commented on the backups that exist in the morning and evening commutes. Councilmember Godfrey agreed this is a terrible intersection, and she believes it is worse than the Hanson Boulevard intersection. Mr. Berkowitz commented for the County to move forward without federal funds shows that there is a problem with traffic. Councilmember Schue recognized that bike lanes are currently planned but may not be developed. He asked if bike lanes could be added at a later time if they are not constructed with the project. Mr. Berkowitz stated that staff thinks ahead when working with the County on roundabouts to ensure they are planning adequately for future needs. ARTEMIS – FIELDS OF ANDOVER – ENTITLEMENT APPROACH – COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT/ZONING CODE AMENDMENT DISCUSSION Mr. Janish reported the Fields of Andover AUAR is published in the EQB Monitor, and Artemis (the applicant) is continuing its pursuit of developing approximately 808 acres currently located within the Rural Reserve. The Council is being asked to review three concepts: the proposed Entitlement Approach, a Comprehensive Plan Amendment, and a Zoning Code Amendment. He reviewed the staff report. Councilmember Godfrey asked if they would anticipate fewer changes with this approach when they get to the final PUD. She noted that was the biggest issue from residents with Petersen Farms, as there was an understanding of what the development was going to look like, and then things changed. She wanted to ensure they effectively communicate with residents as to what this means and how firm the plans are. Mr. Janish stated there are things staff would look for in this process that may not have been included in the Petersen Farms process. He stated this is a much longer process, ten to 15 years, and market conditions can change, but this does allow for discussions with the developer and Council, as things may change. Councilmember Godfrey stated she likes this approach and stated that, in her experience as a banker who has worked on a project like this, the process worked great. Mayor Barthel asked about the benefit the City would gain by going through this process. Mr. Janish stated that is addressed in his presentation and continued to present information on the Comprehensive Plan Amendment. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – May 26, 2026 Page 6 Councilmember Shafto asked if staff would anticipate the Metropolitan (MET) Council having any issues with this approach. Mr. Janish stated depending on the input from the Council, staff would begin to have discussions with the MET Council. He did not anticipate any issues as he believes that this is set up to meet the intent of the MET Council, but recognized that will be up to the MET Council’s interpretation. He presented additional information on the Zoning Amendment. Councilmember Shafto stated it sounds as if the Comprehensive Plan Amendment were adopted, st it would just be for the part Artemis is looking at, and it would leave Rural Reserve south of 161 Avenue. Mr. Janish commented there would also be scattered properties and identified those areas. He explained those areas would remain purple. He stated the decision would then be part of the 2050 Comprehensive Plan process as to whether the City leaves those purple. Councilmember Shafto used the scenario that this Comprehensive Plan Amendment was approved, and this developer did not move forward. He stated it would then seem that a developer could come in to develop small chunks, but would need to complete the review process for the Preliminary Plat. Mr. Janish stated that there would still need to be a large project proposed in order to justify the City's spending the funds on infrastructure that would be needed. He stated if the Master PUD is adopted, it would remain with the land, and any changes proposed by a new developer would need to come through the review process. Mayor Barthel stated he likes the process and understands the benefit, but is nervous that they might be too late on some things. He stated he is still bothered by Phase I of Petersen Farms, where a road was required but never constructed in a future phase. Mr. Janish stated that concerns have been brought forward with several developments, as to how connections are brought forward. He stated related to Petersen Farms, they have learned that they need to request soil borings where future roads will be placed to determine feasibility. Mr. Berkowitz confirmed the City learned from that process. Mayor Barthel stated he lives on a road that is not very wide, so parking is not allowed on both sides of the road. He noted a recent graduation party where people parked on both sides of the road and stated he noticed that there was not sufficient space for a firetruck to get through if that was needed. Mayor Barthel invited the applicant to speak. Jake Walesch (Artemis), applicant, recognized this is a massive site and explained they would grade half the site at once, which would include the connection points. Mr. Janish commented there is an application process still to occur and asked if the Council is comfortable with staff breaking it up in this way to present the different requests. He noted there will be more workshops and public hearings related to these requests. Mayor Barthel confirmed the consensus of the Council in support of the process, as described by Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – May 26, 2026 Page 7 staff. Councilmember Godfrey commented she did not believe there is any development with alley access in Andover, but stated that in her experience in other communities, it is a disaster. Mr. Berkowitz stated there is a development with alleys that has been successful. He stated those alleys are maintained by an HOA and stated the City would not want to be responsible for the maintenance of those. OTHER TOPICS Mr. Berkowitz commented the fiber companies are becoming more intense and provided an update. He recognized that competition is helpful for the market but expressed concerns about the continuous impacts on residents through the installation of fiber by different companies. He stated he did not need input tonight, but asked the Council to consider how they want to handle this moving forward. He noted perhaps this topic should be added to the next Council workshop agenda. Councilmember Schue stated Councilmember Godfrey brought this forward as a future topic consideration at the last meeting. He noted this adds more specificity to the topic for consideration. He recognized that people want competition, cheaper prices, and speed, but was unsure that residents would want to have month-long disruptions every summer. Ms. Cotton recognized there were requests from residents for more options, but noted that residents do complain about the impacts when the utility is installed, and was unsure if residents would want the disruptions from additional providers. Mayor Barthel asked if utilities are located in the same locations or different areas. Mr. Berkowitz stated it can be part of the discussion, and perhaps a second provider can be allowed to install in another area of the community. Councilmember Godfrey agreed that they need to better understand this and how to get some control. Mayor Barthel stated perhaps there is one area of the community that is open for the season, and all providers can go in the same holes. Mr. Berkowitz explained the provider sets up a box and runs lines from there, so providers do not always locate in the same areas and can jump all over. FUTURE AGENDA ITEM REQUESTS None. COUNCIL COMMITTEE UPDATES Mayor Barthel stated the Executive Director of QCTV is retiring, recognizing the great position she is leaving the organization in. He stated the first round of interviews produced three candidates, and it was decided not to proceed with any of them. He commented they will now Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – May 26, 2026 Page 8 conduct internal candidate interviews in July. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Schue, Seconded by Shafto, to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously. The workshop meeting adjourned at 7:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Amanda Staple, Recording Secretary