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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWK - March 24, 2009 ANLb Y O F 6VE 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD N.W. • ANDOVER, MINNESOTA 55304 • (763) 755 -5100 FAX (763) 755 -8923 • WWW.CI.ANDOVER.MN.US City Council Workshop Tuesday, March 24, 2009 Conference Rooms A & B 1. Call to Order — 6:00 p.m. 2. Andover YMCA/Community Center Advisory Commission Interviews (6:00 — 6:30) 3. Discuss Proposed DNR Shoreland Regulations 4. Public Hearings on DNR Grant Applications (to be held at 7:00): a. Natural and Scenic Area b. Remediation 5. Continued Discussion Sustainable Landscape /2007 -2008 Council Goal 6. Continued Discussion Single Family Residential Market Value Preservation 7. Discuss Alternative Energy Options /2008 -2009 Council Goal 8. 2011 -2015 Capital Improvement Plan Discussion 9. 2010 Budget Development Guideline Discussion 10. Other Business 11. Adjournment C I T Y o r Val D0 Yff ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP —MARCH 24, 2009 MINUTES The Andover City Council Workshop was called to order by Mayor Mike Gamache, March 24, 2009, 6:05 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Councilmembers present: Sheri Bukkila, Don Jacobson, Mike Knight, Julie Trude Councilmember absent: None Also present: City Administrator, Jim Dickinson Community Development Director, Will Neumeister City Planner, Courtney Bednarz Others ANDOVER YMCA /COMMUNITY CENTER AD VISOR Y COMMISSION INTER PIE WS Kate Morphew © Ms. Morphew reviewed with the Council the reasons why she wanted to be on the Community Center Advisory Commission. She thought it was important for the community to have a place like the Community Center for a place to go and do things. Councilmember Knight asked if she is familiar with what the Commission does. Ms. Morphew stated she has sat in on a meeting to make sure it is something that would fit for her. Councilmember Jacobson asked what in her background profession could she bring to the table that would be an assist to the Committee. Ms. Morphew stated she has a business background and the lessons and skills she learned there fits into all businesses. Councilmember Trude asked if she is comfortable with discussing budgets and managing things. Ms. Morphew indicated she is and that she manages a budget at home. She would like to know what the five year goal is for the Community Center and did not know if that was planned. Mayor Gamache asked if she would be flexible to meeting times. Ms. Morphew stated she is. Councilmember Jacobson asked how she would handle conflict or rejection of ideas. Ms. Morphew stated she would be upset but would not let it build animosity in the group. She would more than likely drop the idea unless she was passionate about it. © Steve Elliot Mr. Elliot reviewed with the Council why he wanted to serve on the Community Center Advisory Commission. © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — March 24, 2009 Page 2 Councilmember Bukkila asked what his son is involved in. Mr. Elliot stated they are involved with the traveling basketball and booster club. Councilmember Trude asked if he was in Andover while the Community Center was being built. Mr. Elliot indicated he was. Councilmember Trude asked if he has ever had to work on budgets or facility management before. Mr. Elliot stated he has had to manage budgets in his job. Mayor Gamache asked how long he has been a member of the YMCA and what his impressions are of it. Mr. Elliot stated he has been a member for almost the entire time and did not have a problem with it. He thought the staff has been really friendly. Councilmember Jacobson thought his knowledge fell a little more on the YMCA side of things and they needed someone who was able to help with management. He wondered what strengths other than budgeting he would bring to the group. Mr. Elliot thought being a member of the community for a number of years helps along with being able to determine if the facility is being used efficiently. Councilmember Jacobson asked how he would handle conflict or rejection of ideas. Mr. Elliot © stated he would want to know what the reasons were for the rejection before he left the meeting. Councilmember Trude wondered when he applied for this did he have something in mind that needed to be added or changed. Mr. Elliot stated he did not but thought of it as a great resource along with being more involved in the community. The Council discussed and decided on an appointment to the Board. Motion by Jacobson, Seconded by Bukkila to appoint Kate Morphew to the Community Center Advisory Commission Board. Motion carried unanimously. DISCUSS PROPOSED DAR SHORELAND REGULATIONS State Statute has required an update of the shore land regulations to begin. The proposed rules will change the regulations for all lakes, wild and scenic rivers throughout the state. Once adopted, the City will be required to update its regulations to substantially conform to the new requirements within three years. Councilmember Jacobson stated he is confused since the regulations have not been written yet but when they are written the City will need to conform to them. He wondered how they are supposed to © comment when they do not know what the proposed regulations are. Mr. Bednarz stated they can get the draft but he thought they may want to discuss what Andover may have to conform to. Councilmember Trude stated when looking at the lots on Crooked Lake they are very close to the lake and she was worried about compliance for any of those properties. Mr. Bednarz stated the © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — March 24, 2009 Page 3 biggest problem with the properties around the lake are the ones with City sewer and water since they already have a fifty foot setback and they are proposing to move it back to seventy -five. If the home was built near or at fifty feet the home will be non - conforming and will need a variance. Councilmember Jacobson stated in order to grant a variance they have to allow them to grant one and the DNR may not allow them to give a variance. Councilmember Trude wondered if they will be enforcing a buffer area around lakes and ponds and would the City be responsible for enforcing the buffer areas. Mr. Bednarz stated the City would need to document what they have and then continue to enforce the regulations. Mr. Bednarz stated the two big thrusts are to get public water and regulations around them. Councilmember Bukkila asked if the DNR wanted excessive land around the lakes and ponds to make public paths, etc. Mr. Bednarz stated that is correct. Councilmember Jacobson stated he would be concerned about taking land from people along a lake for public use. The Council was not in favor of the new proposed DNR regulations because it would take land from © people apparently without compensation. Councilmember Trude stated she agreed with most of the staff comments in regard to this. Councilmember Trude noted she would also have a problem with funding since a lot of these are mandated and they do not have the resources or people to educate residents. Councilmember Jacobson wondered if public waters would apply to other bodies besides lakes. He asked Mr. Bednarz to check and see what would be considered public waters. Councilmember Trude thought they should let the contacts at the Rum River Watershed District know their thoughts and concerns. Councilmember Jacobson thought they needed more information before they made a formal decision on this item, Council directed staff to notify the Round Lake and . Crooked Lake Associations. PUBLIC HEARING ON DNR GRANTAPPLICATIONS Motion by Trude, Seconded by Knight, to open the public hearing. Motion carried unanimously. Mr. Bednarz reviewed the differences between the grant programs. © Councilmember Jacobson asked if there was anything in the grants that would hurt them. Mr. Bednarz stated there is not and added that for the natural and scenic program the DNR wants to ensure that any future uses of the property would not change the natural qualities of the property. © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — March 24, 2009 Page 4 Councilmember Trade stated they would want to indicate they want trails for nature views but did not laiow if they wanted to list the trail as paved or not. Mayor Gamache thought they had decided from the beginning the open space would be more of a passive type of park left natural. Councilmember Knight asked how definitive are they going to be for access such as car traffic. Mr. Bednarz stated there is no access for vehicles but in the future access could be provided adjacent to the site when the property to the south is developed. Right now there would be limited foot access. a. Natural and Scenic Area The Council directed staff to proceed with this grant application. A public hearing and an approved resolution are two elements of the applicant for this grant. b. Remediation © The Council directed staff to proceed with this grant application. A public hearing and an approved resolution are two elements of the application for this grant. Motion by Jacobson, Seconded by Knight, to close the public hearing. Motion carried unanimously. Motion by Jacobson, Seconded by Knight, to approve the resolution authorizing the Natural and Scenic Areas Grant application. Motion carried unanimously. Motion by Bukkila, Seconded by Trade, to approve the resolution authorizing the Remediation Grant application. Motion carried unanimously. CONTINUED DISCUSSION SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE ALONG HANSON BOULEVARD 12007 -2008 COUNCIL GOAL This has been a Council goal and the staff wants to discuss the latest information about the progress and issues that have arisen since this was last discussed in February. Mr. Neumeister reviewed the meeting they had with the neighbors and some of the potential problems they may incur. He noted the County will not allow them to plant in the right -of -way so he is asking the Council and residents to contact the County and lobby them for ten feet of the right-of- way to use for plantings. Councilmember Jacobson thought the Council should authorize the City Administrator to contact the County and the Mayor and Councilmembers contact County Board Members regarding this. © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — March 24, 2009 Page 5 Councilmember Knight asked if staff could draft a letter to the County and have the Council sign it. CONTINUED DISCUSSION SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL MARKET VALUE PRESERVATION This item was last discussed by the Council on February 24`" and is being pursued to address two 2007 -2008 Council goals. 1. Initiate a program to maintain current housing stock and programs to help revitalize some of the older neighborhoods and businesses. 2. Consider an ordinance regulating all rental property including townhomes and single family residential. Ms. Angie Perera, Associate Planner, reviewed the staff report with the Council. Councilmember Jacobson asked what the City would do for them if they have a rental application fee. Mr. Neumeister explained the process the City would go through after giving the license to the owner. © Mr. Dickinson stated they will also track police calls for nuisance issues and contact the owner of recurring problems. Councilmember Jacobson asked if they would need to hire additional people to do this. Mr. Dickinson indicated they would if they wanted to extend the program beyond what they are currently proposing, but with the current proposal our goal is to only use existing staff. Councilmember Jacobson asked if this only applied to single family residences that are renting. Mr. Dickinson stated this also applies to townhomes and duplexes. Councilmember Jacobson asked how this will affect property taxes. Mr. Dickinson stated the owner could not homestead the property if they are not living at the property. Councilmember Trude stated she is a little concerned about health, safety and welfare for the rental properties and questioned if they want to enforce the indoor items. Councilmember Jacobson indicated they would then need to have inside inspections. Ms. Perera thought they could put various comments related to this in the frequently asked questions indicating it is the landlord's responsibility that these types of items will still need to be enforced. Mayor Garnache thought they needed to have something that will be effective and will accomplish resident concerns. Councilmember Bukkila stated if the property owner is told of problems she thought they will take action and resolve the problems. Mr. Dickinson stated the City would need to set up some type of fine provision if the owner does not comply. © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — March 24, 2009 Page 6 Councilmember Knight asked if the City would be liable if the house burned down and there were no safety items in the home and someone died, could the City get sued for not enforcing an obvious code violation. Mr. Dickinson stated the application identifies to the owner of the property that they have certain responsibilities. Mr. Dickinson also indicated the City could get sued at any time for just about anything. He did not think they would have liability as long as the responsibilities are covered in the application form referencing the various codes the property owner has responsibility for. Councilmember Jacobson suggested they authorize staff to draft a plan, have the City Attorney review it and bring it back for Council review. Mayor Gamache thought since a few other cities are not charging to do this, should Andover not charge for these services. He thought it may promote all rental owners to sign up. He asked staff to research and find out how other cities can do this without charging a fee. Sylvia Munson was wondering why she had to have her tri -plex inspected inside and out and pay a fee and the proposed program would not require single family residences to be inspected the same way. She did not think the City regulated the rental code now because she has called about issues © with different rentals in the City and nothing has been done. She did not think the City will be accomplishing anything. Councilmember Bukkila indicated this code will open up the lines of communication with the Sheriff's Department for issues and the City will be notified. The Council discussed rental properties and what is currently being done by the City to enforce code violations and what could be done in the future if this program is implemented. Councilmember Knight asked if there is a way they could trigger into the police system for all homes in Andover for different issues. Councilmember Bukkila indicated that is limited because of the software that is currently being used. OPENSPACE NEW INTEREST Mr. Bednarz explained another resident came forward with interest next to the Kuiken property for open space interest. He reviewed the area and information with the Council. Councilmember Trude asked if they get the grant and purchase the property they are currently interested in will there still be money left over. Mr. Dickinson indicated there would be. DISCUSS ALTERNATIVE ENERGY OPTIONS 12008 -2009 COUNCIL GOAL © Andover City Council LTrorkshop Meeting Minutes — March 24, 2009 Page 7 This report will begin exploring various aspects of the Council Goal of incorporating "Alternative Energy Options" into City operations and codes. The Council's 2008 -2009 adopted goal is: "Make a concerted effort toward promoting the usage of solar and wind power, including the identification of appropriate sites and installations." Mr. Neumeister and Mr. Dickinson reviewed the report with the Council. Councilmember Jacobson stated solar power in the area does not make economic sense at this time. Councilmember Trude thought solar might be ideal for small projects. Councilmember Knight thought it was important for the City to stay on top of this technology. City staff discussed with the Council wind energy, solar energy and how efficient each is along with possible costs. Staff asked if the Council wanted to pursue various ordinances to guide solar and wind installations. The Council thought they would want to develop proper ordinances for people who want to install smaller wind systems. They also need to look at what the City wants to do for future development of © facilities for the City. 2011 -2015 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLANDISCUSSION In early April, Administration/Finance will conduct a 2010 -2014 CIP kick -off meeting with Department Heads where discussion will center on the 2010 -2014 CIP development calendars and the need of other committees (Vehicle Purchasing & Facility Management Committees) and commissions (Parks and Recreation & Community Center Advisory) to start their work. Mr. Dickinson reviewed the information with the Council. Councilmember Jacobson asked if they could take the skate park off the list since they do not have the funds to do this project at this time. Councilmember Trude thought they could move it out a few years. Councilmember Bukkila wondered if they could move up Sophie's Park on the list. Mr. Dickinson stated the best time to develop that park is when the area to the south develops. Mr. Dickinson updated the Council on the 2009 reconstruct project and explained based on the bids they can reduce the assessment by about $500 per lot. The Council discussed the bids for 157 t " and ® how the current assessment policy is impacting the project. Mr. Dickinson reviewed the rest of the Capital Improvement Plan with the Council. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting © Minutes — March 24, 2009 Page 8 2010 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINE DISCUSSION City Departments will soon start preparing for the 2010 annual operating budget development process and is looking to the City Council to establish the Council's guidelines for the preparation of the 2010 annual operating budget. Mr. Dickinson reviewed the information with the Council. Councilmember Trude thought they need to have an emergency fund established again in case there is a major storm. Mr. Dickinson explained they already have this in place and have reserve balances for basic service items. Mr. Dickinson thought some of the items are easy decisions but item one refers to taxes. He asked the Council what their desire is and do they want to raise the gross levy to the levy limit maximum. Councilmember Trude thought they could start running numbers and keep the Council posted. Mr. © Dickinson stated they have a pretty solid budget that can be tweaked to work. He wanted each department to target five percent under the 2009 budget with their operational expenses. Going forward with 2010 has indicated he does not want to see an increase in the department budgets. He has already indicated to the staff that salaries may become frozen for 2010. The Council indicated they want staff to come forward with a flat expenditure budget and they want to try to make some impact to the tax levy if possible. OTHER BUSINESS • Speed Limit Legislation Mr. Dickinson indicated this went well. This was laid over until Friday and this is one issue they are still working out with MnDOT and the Township Association. The House Transportation Committee looked very favorable on the bill. • Electrical Coops Councilmember Jacobson stated all of the Electrical Coops in the State are participating in a program call "Our Energy, Our Future" and is asking people to sign up to be put on a master list and sent to the Legislature. All it does is indicate they support the four positions the electric © cooperatives are taking. They are asking the Legislature "What are you doing to speed up the tecluiology, how much is all this going to increase my electric bill and what will you do for me and how will they keep existing jobs in Minnesota ". Andover City Council Workshop Meeting © Minutes — March 24, 2009 Page 9 Councilmember Jacobson asked the Council to sign up so he can submit these to Comlexus Energy. Motion by Bukkila, Seconded by Trude, to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 9:51 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Susan Osbeck, Recording Secretary