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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-08-25 WK ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING – AUGUST 25, 2026 MINUTES The Workshop Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Barthel on August 25, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Councilmembers present: Karen Godfrey, Scott Schue, and Jonathan Shafto Councilmember absent: Rick Engelhardt Also present: City Administrator, Sarah Cotton Director of Public Works/City Engineer, David Berkowitz Finance Director, Lee Brezinka Associate Planner, Aidan Breen Others DISCUSS HANSON BOULEVARD AND BLUEBIRD STREET INTERSECTION Mr. Berkowitz stated the Council is requested to discuss the intersection of Hanson Boulevard and Bluebird Street. Joe MacPherson, Anoka County Engineer, provided additional information on the crash data and pedestrian activity. He stated the County has been monitoring this situation and would like to get ahead of the issues. He reviewed a few options that exist for the intersection. Mr. Berkowitz stated the County was very reluctant to allow the northbound left turn, but the City pushed for it because of the community center. He explained the community center is a destination point, so people will go out of their way to get there if the turn is eliminated. Mayor Barthel encouraged the County to review all the options. He noted his top priority is safety and recognized that the safest choice may not be the most popular choice. He stated everyone agrees that there is a problem at the intersection. Mr. MacPherson reviewed additional alternatives to consider for the intersection, provided examples of where they have been successfully implemented, and reviewed the potential cost. Mr. Berkowitz recognized the last option would require them to discuss the idea with the School District, as the School District was previously not open to mixing traffic with the school traffic. He provided additional information about the timing of the proposed AUAR development. Mr. MacPherson stated the County does not want to leave the intersection as is, so the options to consider right now would be to close the northbound left turn option or to look at the offset changes Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – August 25, 2026 Page 2 to prevent additional crashes. Mayor Barthel asked if the costs of $200,000 mentioned for the offset option would be the responsibility of the City. Mr. MacPherson stated typically the cost would be the City's, but the County has partnered with cities in the past to share the cost. Mr. Berkowitz stated staff would like to move forward on this soon, potentially with spring or summer construction. Councilmember Shafto asked what the intersection would look like if the turn movement were shut down. Mr. MacPherson replied they could place a median in the center to prevent that movement. Councilmember Shafto asked what the cost for a median would be. Mr. MacPherson estimated about $50,000 and confirmed that would be a cost of the City. Councilmember Schue commented that it would be a temporary measure as they continue to look forward in development, noting they need to engage the school. Councilmember Shafto commented on the length of time it would take for the Veterans Memorial Boulevard extension and believed that the offset makes the most sense. Mr. Berkowitz confirmed that 2031 would be the earliest date for the extension to occur. Mayor Barthel asked about the next steps if the Council chose to move forward with the offset option. Mr. MacPherson replied they would develop the plans and an estimated cost. Councilmember Godfrey did not believe the offset was a long-term solution but believed that it would be a good immediate solution, and the other members of the Council agreed. Mr. Berkowitz confirmed the direction is to obtain cost and design for the offset option and not to pursue the left- turn restriction at this time. Mr. MacPherson commented they are unsure how to stop pedestrians from crossing at that location. Ms. Cotton commented the City has worked with the School District to communicate that crossing needs to occur at the controlled intersection rather than that location. PREVIEW PROPOSED 2027-2031 DRAFT CIP DISTRIBUTION/DISCUSSION Mr. Brezinka provided background information and explained the Council is asked to review the draft 2027-2031 CIP to confirm that the Council priorities are being met. The Council agreed the message board sign at City Hall does not need to be repaired and could be removed. Councilmember Shafto suggested they expand the priority rating to better assess how important an item is and the ability to move the item around. Mr. Brezinka confirmed that items are moved Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – August 25, 2026 Page 3 around due to the constraints of funding, noting that he speaks with department heads to get their recommendations on items that can be delayed. Ms. Cotton recognized this is a work product of several directors and managers and agreed that they could work on the prioritization to make it easier to understand and make decisions. 2027 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROGRESS – UPDATED VALUES Mr. Brezinka provided background information, noting staff briefly discussed the City’s market values at the July workshop, and Anoka County Property Tax has since provided updated Pay 2027 valuation estimates. He presented this information to the Council. Councilmember Shafto asked about the proposed budget increases from the County and School District. Mr. Brezinka noted the proposed increase by the County. He also provided additional clarification on the difference that would exist in the proposed levy if the road bonding were not included. The Council agreed with the importance of catching up in the improvement and maintenance of the roads and believed that point should be stressed when communicating to residents. PREVIEW PROPOSED 2027 PRELIMINARY LEVY Mr. Brezinka stated each year the City Council is required by State law to approve a preliminary budget and submit a preliminary levy certification to Anoka County Property Records and th Taxation Division by September 30. He provided a brief presentation and stated the presentation st for the proposed 2027 Preliminary Tax Levy is scheduled for the September 1 City Council meeting. DISCUSS THE FRAMEWORK FOR TRUNK SANITARY SEWER AND WATER MAIN DESIGN FOR THE PROPOSED ARTEMIS DEVELOPMENT Mr. Berkowitz stated the City Council is requested to discuss the Framework for Trunk Sanitary Sewer and Water Main Design for the proposed Artemis Development. Councilmember Godfrey asked for clarification on the reference to offsetting connection fees. Mr. Berkowitz provided additional explanation and stated the City wants to have a portion of the cost upfront to ensure there would be less risk to the City in spending the time and money to develop those plans. Councilmember Shafto asked for more information on the timing, noting the development has not yet been approved. He asked when the developer would be required to pay those funds. Mr. Berkowitz stated the Council would need to approve the development, and platting would still go through the typical process. He stated the developer would then pay those funds so the City could develop the plans while the developer is going through the Preliminary Plat process, so once approvals are gained, the City could begin to run the sewer lines to the properties. He stated staff wants to be ready so they can pull the trigger to go once approvals are gained. He reviewed the Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – August 25, 2026 Page 4 timeline from Bolton and Menk and noted the delays that have occurred throughout the review process thus far. Councilmember Schue asked for more information on the risk management to the City, recognizing that the developer would be paying 25 percent upfront. He commented it would seem the City would still hold 75 percent of the risk and asked how that could be mitigated. Mr. Berkowitz provided an example of when trunk lines were extended down Bunker Lake Boulevard, and then the recession hit. He stated ultimately the money could come back through the rates paid. He stated if the developer were to make the decision to stop partway through, another developer would eventually come, and there may be adjustments made to the plan. Councilmember Schue asked if they could require the developer to maintain the 25 percent risk, only letting them withdraw what is paid ahead. Mr. Berkowitz confirmed they could stay 25 percent ahead if that is the direction of the Council. Councilmember Godfrey agreed that would shift more of the risk to the builder for a longer period of time and would also be an incentive for the builder to stay in it longer. Mayor Barthel confirmed the consensus of the Council to pursue that option. Councilmember Godfrey asked for examples of connection rates. Mr. Berkowitz provided additional explanation on connection fees. Mr. Berkowitz confirmed the consensus of the Council to collect 25 percent, $1,375,000, upfront to be collected in two payments of $550,000 at the time of design, and the remaining $825,000 will be collected prior to awarding the contract to the contractor. A proportional rate for the developer will be determined for the sewer rate, starting in phase one and through subsequent phases. After the $1,375,000 has been charged, the City would charge the developer fully. Mayor Barthel referenced the first payment for design and received confirmation it was built into the cost of $5,500,000. He asked and received confirmation that the additional water line shown would provide for looping within the Rural Reserve. DISCUSS ROLE OF ANDOVER REVIEW COMMITTEE IN CITY CODE Mr. Breen stated the Council is requested to discuss the role of the Andover Review Committee as specified in the City Code. Councilmember Godfrey stated she has some concerns with changing the Planning and Zoning Commission from an advisory commission to a decision-making body. She stated she likes clarifying things in a comprehensive way but does have concerns with that change. Ms. Cotton explained the Commission would still serve in an advisory capacity, and if an applicant did not agree with the Commission, they could still appeal to the Council. She stated currently staff is serving in the formal decision-making capacity, which is problematic for the function of the meeting, and provided examples. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – August 25, 2026 Page 5 Mr. Breen commented other cities have delegated authority for some decisions to their Planning Commissions, but understood the concern. Councilmember Schue stated he is comfortable with the changes as proposed. He stressed there needs to continue to be an option for an appeal, no matter the decision-making body. Mayor Barthel stated the title of the Andover Review Committee is misleading because it is just a group of staff members. He agreed with the changes as proposed but also agreed with Councilmember Godfrey that it would make him uncomfortable to delegate the Planning and Zoning Commission as a decision-making body rather than an advisory commission. Mayor Barthel confirmed the consensus of the Council to support the changes as proposed and discussed, with the Council continuing to act as the final decision-making body. Councilmember Godfrey agreed with staff that the Building Official should make the decision on allowed commercial building materials. Mr. Breen provided additional information on the cooperation and consultation that occurs between staff to make those decisions. He confirmed ARC does not make the decisions and that formal decisions of any kind continue to follow the typical process. Mayor Barthel commented that ARC needs to be removed from City Code. DISCUSS POTENTIAL AGRI-TOURISM Mr. Breen stated the Council is asked to provide direction on whether staff should explore City Code amendments addressing agricultural tourism, or agritourism. Councilmember Godfrey commented she believes that this is a wonderful idea and provided examples of where this exists in other communities. She commented this is a great way to promote agritourism and provide another opportunity for farmers to share their wares, create awareness of their work, and create revenue. She stated the concept for this location is great but had concerns about hosting weddings because of the lack of sewer and water. She also wanted to ensure the border with Pine Hills North Park is protected. Councilmember Shafto agreed the park border would remain in place but agreed this is a great idea. He noted this concept would bring people into Andover who would also visit other businesses. Councilmember Schue commented some of these activities are being done by a farm in Andover and agreed this is something they should support. He expressed a concern with the noise that is created by peacocks, noting he has received complaints from residents in the past. Mr. Breen commented that staff were not aware of all the activities occurring at other locations but are aware that some of those things are taking place. He stated they would want to consult with existing property owners in order to incorporate those things into potential language. He noted staff has not received any complaints related to the ongoing activity. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – August 25, 2026 Page 6 Mayor Barthel stated he also agrees, to a point. He noted that agricultural properties are exempt from paying property taxes. He stated he is fine with going down this road, but wants to limit the percentage of business that can occur on the property. He stated if the nursery opens a pizza place all year-round, that is a restaurant on a property that does not pay property taxes. Councilmember Godfrey recognized that a farm should be a farm and anything else should be supplemental. It was noted it could be a part of the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) process. Mayor Barthel stated he is not opposed to a pizza operation at a farm that operates during the warm weather months, but if it is open year-round, he would not want to see that type of operation. Ms. Cotton believed that agricultural properties do pay something towards property taxes but could get clarification. Mayor Barthel believed the taxes collected go to the County and not the City. Mr. Breen asked for direction from the Council on the type of parking that would be allowed for this type of use, specifically whether parking would be allowed on unimproved surfaces such as gravel or in a field. Mayor Barthel stated he visits one of the Andover farms each year for their events and they have parking on dirt. He stated if parameters are set limiting the operations to accessory uses during the season, he can support parking on unimproved surfaces such as dirt. Councilmember Shafto believed that would be part of the review process, as the type of activity proposed would help to dictate the parking requirements. OTHER TOPICS Ms. Cotton stated the Bank of Elk River is planning its grand opening and for every new qualified checking account opened at that location, they would donate $50 per account, up to $5,000, to the Andover Fire Department. She noted the promotion would run from the opening date through November. She stated that Council approval is required for formal acceptance of donations. She confirmed the support of the Council in accepting the donations. FUTURE AGENDA ITEM REQUESTS Councilmember Schue stated he would like to have a discussion around the park/pet area located within the County area in Coon Rapids, noting the City is part of the joint powers agreement for that property. Councilmembers Shafto and Godfrey stated they are also interested in this topic. Mayor Barthel suggested that discussion would begin with a presentation of facts and confirmed the full support of the Council. Ms. Cotton noted it could be added to the September workshop, if time allows; otherwise, it could be scheduled for the October workshop. Mr. Berkowitz stated staff will invite a representative from Anoka County to attend that meeting. Councilmember Schue asked if a representative from Coon Rapids should be invited. Mayor Barthel requested they just begin with Anoka County to learn more information on that topic, and Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes – August 25, 2026 Page 7 they could invite Coon Rapids in the future if that is necessary. COUNCIL COMMITTEE UPDATES Councilmember Schue provided an update on the most recent meeting of the Andover Fire Relief Association. Ms. Cotton provided additional clarification on the different types of permits required for gambling activities. Councilmember Godfrey commented there have not been any meetings for the Anoka-Hennepin Community Education group and noted that meetings will resume after school begins. Councilmember Shafto commented the upcoming FEMA mapping changes were discussed at the Lower Rum River Water Management Organization (LRRWMO) meeting, noting it would be three to four changes before the modeling is completed and the changes are implemented. Mayor Barthel reported an Interim Executive Director was appointed for QCTV and the recruitment process will begin again in six months. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Shafto, Seconded by Godfrey, to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously. The workshop meeting adjourned at 7:46 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Amanda Staple, Recording Secretary