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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP January 5, 2006 o ~ClD U5\ \~ \-1'1 -()Jo 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD N.W. . ANDOVER, MINNESOTA 55304 . (763) 755-5100 FAX (763) 755-8923 . WWW.CI.ANDOVER.MN.US SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING - JANUARY 5,2006 MINUTES A Special Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order at 6:05 p.m., by Mayor Mike Gamache at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota for the purpose of conducting Planning & Zoning/Park & Recreation Commission Interviews. Councilmembers present: Councilmember absent: Also present: Don Jacobson, Mike Knight, Ken Orttel, Julie Trude None None Michael King - Planning & Zoning/Park & Recreation Commissions 6:00 p.m. o Mr. King stated he has been retired for a year and has been doing volunteer work for various organizations. Before retiring he worked on the road most of the time. When he lived in Blaine he was involved in sports organizations and indicated that now that he is retired, he has the time . to volunteer. He would like to provide some civic pride. He was involved with building the Blaine ice arena and worked on the Blazing' Fourth in Blaine. Councilmember Trude stated there are a lot of areas that still need to be developed in Andover such as the Rural Reserve. She wondered how Mr. King sees Andover finishing out. Mr. King thought they need to look at the infrastructure itself and bring in some more businesses such as restaurants. This would keep people from leaving Andover to eat in other cities. He likes what they have done in Coon Rapids with the infrastructure and he likes what was done in Andover Station but the City needed to do more commercial areas beside strip malls. Councilmember Orttel stated a real important part of both Commissions is dealing with the public. He wondered what Mr. King's philosophy is with dealing with the public on issues. Mr. King stated for the last 30 years he has dealt with large companies in contract negotiations and he knows how to mediate. He thinks everyone needs to be heard. If the wording in the zoning cannot be altered in any way or form, the individual needs to be told that. It is important that the public feels like they are being heard. o Mayor Gamache wondered what Mr. King believes is currently lacking in the City's park system. Mr. King indicated he likes what was done at Sunshine Park and that there are more soccer fields for the kids but he feels it is all in one area and needs to be spread out more. They need to look at the newer areas and decide to set some space aside for paths and open area and parks. He likes the way "The Lakes" park system in Blaine looks. Houses look nice but kids have to have some place to go that is close to home. Councilmember Jacobson stated one of the problems on the Park Commission is that they have a o o o Andover Planning & Zoning & Park & Recreation Commissions Interviews Minutes -January 5, 2006 Page 2 very limited amount of money. He wondered what Mr. King's priorities would be for the parks. Mr. King stated he did not know all of the issues on the Park Commission that might need to be done. He assumed there is a five year plan but he thought they need to budget the money and complete one project at a time instead of throwing the money in all directions. He would also try to use the Boy Scouts for volunteer time to help with the parks. He stated that when they have limited resources, they need to find alternative ways to get the job done. Councilmember Knight wondered how familiar Mr. King is with what the Planning & Zoning Commission does and what their mission is. Mr. King stated he is not very familiar but has watched some of the meetings on TV. He talked to a previous Commissioner about it and what is involved. Councilmember Trude wondered if they should deviate from the rules to allow new developments to change the rules. Mr. King thought they should maintain the city lots and not go any smaller but he thought they need to look at each development individually to determine what is right for the area and how it will affect other things in the City. Mr. King stated the important thing is he would like to give something back to the Community. Victor Ruzynski - Planning & ZoninglPark & Recreation Commission 6:25 p.m. Mr. Ruzynski stated he applied for one of the positions because he wantes to get involved in the community. He negotiates contracts and enforces contracts in his current job. He is involved in road work and all aspects of construction. Councilmember Trude wondered what Mr. Ruzynski is more interested in. Mr. Ruzynski stated he would prefer to get on the Planning Commission but would also like the Park Commission. Councilmember Trude wondered what he thought about how Andover is developing. Mr. Ruzynski stated they are providing good affordable housing and the parks are outstanding. The new roads are good. The bad thing he sees is that not much is happening in the preservation of the past. He thought the growth seems too fast with what they already have. Councilmember Orttel wondered how he saw himself fitting into the personalities of either board when dealing with the public. Mr. Ruzynski stated in his job he deals with different people everyday and his job is to problem solve and he thought he could get along with anyone and there is always give and take. Mayor Gamache wondered in their park system currently, what they are lacking. Mr. Ruzynski did not think there were enough youth baseball fields and he thought they need more because that association is hurting. Otherwise the parks are outstanding with the lights but they could be a little more user friendly for the families in the off seasons. o Andover Planning & Zoning & Park & Recreation Commissions Interviews Minutes - January 5, 2006 Page 3 Councilmember Jacobson wondered what kind of a thought process Mr. Ruzynski goes through in trying to decide which way to vote. Mr. Ruzynski stated he would have to listen to both sides and then look at how it would affect the future of the area and based on that he would make a decision. He would base his decision on the best possible solution for the problem. Councilmember Knight wondered what type of development the City should pursue at this time. Mr. Ruzynski thought they should get more light industrial, office warehouse, and small production shops; places that provide jobs. He thought this would keep more people in the community and spend more money in the community. Councilmember Trude wondered ifhis kids are involved in activities that would take him to the parks now or in the future. Mr. Ruzynski stated his children range in age from 2I to 10. Half participate and the other half do not but they all do end up in the parks at some time or another. He indicated they do use the trails. Mayor Gamache wondered ifhe would have any problems with meeting twice a month. Mr. Ruzynski stated he would not have any conflicts. o Mr. Ruzynski thanked the Council for their time and asked them to consider him for a position. Doug Olson - Planning & Zoning Commission 6:40 p.m. Mr. Olson stated he is new to the community and moved to Andover three months ago. He thought about getting involved in Coon Rapids before he moved but was too busy. He thought when he moved to Andover he would get involved more. He works in the Real Estate industry and did not know if that would be a conflict or not. Councilmember Trude stated the major concern is ifhe is working with a certain developer exclusively. Mr. Olson stated he is not and he would like to help out in the community. Councilmember Trude wondered what Andover should be doing as they plan a major area in the city such as the Rural Reserve, and what should they do to keep Andover unique. Mr. Olson thought overall, they have a community with a variety of development and they have to look at it holistically. He personally likes the mix of housing. In a large development, there has to be concern in how it ties into the schools and transportation and also they have to decide how fast Andover wants to grow. They have to look at how it impacts the services. With a mixed use, there should be more acreage instead of a tight area of housing. Instead of developing all areas, they should keep some areas open. o Councilmember Orttel wondered what Mr. Olson's philosophy is in upholding the ordinances of the City. Mr. Olson thought there needs to be brainstorming and working through issues to come to a decision. They need to make recommendations based on facts and think about what impacts those decisions would have. He would not let his personal feelings get in the way of his decision. He thought that some of the potential grey areas might come out and it may be their o Andover Planning & Zoning & Park & Recreation Commissions Interviews Minutes - January 5, 2006 Page 4 role to bring them up to the Council. Ultimately the decisions need to be made based on the facts. Mayor Gamache wondered what the City's biggest asset and constraint are. Mr. Olson stated the important thing to him is the families and growth and property values. The community offered a lot of growth and development. When they moved into the community they joined the YMCA because they felt it was important to belong. When he lived in Coon Rapids he never thought Andover had an identity because there was not much commercial. He likes what he has seen develop over the last couple of years. He liked what has happened with the retail areas of the City. Councilmember Jacobson wondered why the Council should pick him over the other candidates. Mr. Olson felt his integrity is unmatched as far as doing the right thing. That is what runs his business and he has also done a lot of project management. o Councilmember Knight wondered if Mr. Olson thought they should be pursuing a certain type of development or should they take it as it comes. Mr. Olson stated the City needed to have a plan. He thought there needed to be some organized thought to that because they should be able to control and manage the City and development in the City. He thought they needed an overall plan. Councilmember Trude wondered if Mr. Olson would have any conflict with the meetings. Mr. Olson stated he would not. Mr. Olson wondered what the Council felt were the strongest qualities for this role. Mayor Gamache thought a candidate would need to be a good listener and can hear both sides and then come to a consensus with the rest of the Commission. Councilmember Knight thought the person would need common sense and a professional approach. Councilmember Orttel stated they need people who can think on their feet and put their words together in a professional manner. Councilmember Trude stated there needs to be a variety of ideas. Councilmember Orttel stated the candidate would need to be unbiased and keep personal feelings out of their decision. Dan Masloski - Park & Recreation Commission 7:00 p.m. Mr. Masloski stated he works for the City of Champlin as their recreation manager. He noted he used to teach at Andover Elementary and fell in love with the City. o Councilmember Trude wondered how his evening job works out with the Park & Recreation Commission meetings and will he be able to resolve the conflicts. Mr. Masloski stated he has missed a few meetings for Hockey but it is only a few times out of the year and is required by his job in Champlin. o Andover Planning & Zoning & Park & Recreation Commissions Interviews Minutes - January 5, 2006 Page 5 Councilmember Trude wondered what his goal would be in the next three years. Mr. Masloski stated he has tried to learn about the parks and problems over the last three years. He stated he has tried to interject his personal beliefs and also brought over some of his experiences from Champlin. Councilmember Trude wondered how they can create a well maintained system with the parks. Mr. Masloski thought Andover has gone through some growing pains and used future money for today's projects. They need to bring things to their community that they do not have and that other communities do not have either. They need to have someone on staff that works with recreation everyday and work with the associations daily. He thought Andover may need to have their own Recreation Department to handle the parks and different associations and scheduling. He thought they have tried to catch up and lost something. Councilmember Orttel wondered what Mr. Masloski felt was a deficiency in the park system. Mr. Masloski thought it lacks a common goal. There are a lot of things everyone wants but there is not a consensus. He stated the Commission recently got together and communicated and tried to work through issues to try to create common goals. o Mr. Masloski stated recreation has to be planned out better. Mayor Gamache stated in the last three years they have had a lot of growth and he wondered how Mr. Masloski felt about the trail system. Mr. Masloski stated they are always trying to catch up on the trails. They need to connect the trails to get people places. He thought in the Rural Reserve, they will need to plan out the trails. Councilmember Jacobson stated when he looks at the two boards, he sees a huge difference in the professionalism and appearance and how they are run. He wondered how the Park Commission could correct this. Mr. Masloski thought there was a lot of discussion that could be brought up off camera which would make the meetings more professional looking. He agreed it looks a little chaotic at tiIDes. Councilmember Knight stated as the age cycle changes, the park demands change. Has the Park Board every discussed looking at that cycle. He wondered what happens when the parks get older and no longer used, how they should correct this. Mr. Masloski stated he has never seen the demographics but he saw personally in different areas, growing areas where new people move in and older residents move to different areas. He stated there is continual change and he felt that Andover will remain young because new people are always moving in. o Mayor Gamache wondered if Mr. Masloski would be comfortable as the Chair of the Commission. Mr. Masloski stated he is a person who always understood his place but would not step on others toes. If asked he would accept the Chair position but he would feel uncomfortable taking over the position someone has held for a number of years. C Andover Planning & Zoning & Park & Recreation Commissions Interviews Minutes - January 5, 2006 Page 6 Mark Larison - Planning & Zoning Commission 7:25 p.m. Mr. Larison stated he has lived in Andover for fifteen years. He would like to volunteer to be part of a Commission that will help develop the City. He noted he is a professional engineer and has a lot of experience in development and has some experience working with operating committees. He has some experience with efficiency studies and fail mode skills and he can get the full picture from a drawing. Councilmember Trude explained the City is looking at developing the Rural Reserve. She wondered if Mr. Larison has an idea how he would like to see Andover develop. Mr. Larison stated he is excited about the fact that the Rural Reserve will bring a different element into the City that they do not already have. He likes that Andover has larger lots in the northern part of the city. He felt there is a good mix of homes in the different areas. He noted he would like to see the large lots remain in the northern part of Andover and he did not like the idea that the Met Council dictates how a City should be developed with density. o Councilmember Trude wondered if Mr. Larison would like to see more commercial, retail, parks, trails or single family homes. Mr. Larison stated he likes the parks and trails and did not think they need all of the retail/commercial. He stated they can go to Coon Rapids for that. Councilmember Orttel wondered what his philosophy will be regarding issues with residents. Mr. Larison stated his style in working with larger groups is to build consensus without compromising the core values. He thought they need to respect residents and business people but not compromise the things that are important to the City. He thought there were opportunities to give variances. Mayor Gamache stated the Planning & Zoning Commission meets two times a month and he wondered if there would be any problems with making the meetings. Mr. Larison stated he did not think there would be any conflicts. Councilmember Jacobson wondered what Mr. Larison thought the Planning & Zoning Commission did. Mr. Larison thought they should be an extension of the City Council and they should be able to take the zoning code and take in issues that need either variances or something that does not make the code to be reviewed. He thought the Commission should be able to resolve a position for the City that the City Council would accept. o Councilmember Jacobson wondered how Mr. Larison would handle someone wanting a variance for a new addition to the Code. Mr. Larison did not think they should vary from the code if it has recently been added. Councilmember Knight asked what would be the single most important thing for planning in the City going forward. Mr. Larison stated the City has developed a lot since he has lived in the City. He thought what they have done so far is good. Going forward he thought the areas along Bunker will fill up and the area has been done tastefully and will continue to be done that way. o Andover Planning & Zoning & Park & Recreation Commissions Interviews Minutes - January 5, 2006 Page 7 He also felt the northern area should remain with more open space. Mr. Larison stated he has not done a lot of volunteer work in the past and now he has time to do it. He has some project experience in commercial and educational. He does like to build consensus and not compromise. He felt the Commission has to maintain the respect for people who come before them. Mr. Larison suggested some improvements that could be made would be at the end of the discussion a summary to tie the decision together. He also suggested if the Council is going to be able to handle issues and delegate some of the issues to the Commission, the issues need to be buttoned up in a concise way so the Council knows what the decision was that the Commission came to. Councilmember Trude stated the Commission has a statutory role and they do not delegate to the Commission. The Council is more for the community. COUNCIL DISCUSSION o Councilmember Jacobson suggested having Mr. Kirchoff be reappointed to the Planning and Zoning Commission and Mr. Masloski be reappointed to the Park and Recreation Commission. Motion by Councilmember Jacobson, seconded by Councilmember Orttel to appoint Mr. Kirchoff to the Planning & Zoning Commission and Mr. Masloski to the Park and Recreation Commission. Motion carried unanimously. Councilmember Knight thought they should review Mr. Walton's position. Mayor Gamache thought they should leave him on the Park and Recreation Commission until his term is up and then let him reapply next year. Councilmember Orttel stated he would hate to see Mr. Walton punished because his term is not up. Councilmember Jacobson thought they should decide appointments for the Planning & Zoning Commission first. The Council reviewed the candidates for the Planning & Zoning Commission. Motion by Councilmember Jacobson, seconded by Councilmember Orttel, to appoint Mr. Devon Walton to a three year term and Mr. Mike King to a one year term on the Planning & Zoning Commission. Motion carried unanimously. o Motion by Councilmember Jacobson, seconded by Councilmember Orttel, to appoint Mr. Victor Ruzynski as Alternate one and Mr. Mark Larison as alternate two to the Planning & Zoning Commission. Motion carried unanimously. Motion by Councilmember Knight, seconded by Councilmember Jacobson, to appoint Mr. Dean Daninger as Chairperson of the Planning & Zoning Commission and Mr. Tim Kirchoff as Vice- Q Andover Planning & Zoning & Park & Recreation Commissions Interviews Minutes - January 5, 2006 Page 8 Chair of the Planning & Zoning Commission. Motion carried unanimously. The Council discussed candidates for the Park Commission. Motion by Councilmember Jacobson, seconded by Councilmember Orrtel, to appoint Mr. Jeremy Boyer for three years and Mr. Jason Neumann to a one year term and Mr. Bill Hupp as the alternate to the Park Commission. Motion carried lInanimously. Motion by Councilmember Orrtel, seconded by Councilmember Knight, to appoint Mr. Dan Masloski as Chairperson of the Park Commission. Motion carried unanimously. Motion by Councilmember Jacobson, seconded by Councilmember Knight, to appoint Mr. Jim Lindahl as Vice Chair of the Park Commission. Motion carried lInanimously. Motion by Councilmember Jacobson, Seconded by Councilmember Knight, to adjourn at 8:I8 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. o Respectfully Submitted, Susan Osbeck, Recording Secretary o