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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWK - September 27, 2011City Council Workshop Tuesday, September 27, 2011 Conference Rooms A & B 1. Call to Order— 6:00 p.m. 2. Tint Meeting with Community Center Advisory Commission 2a. Discuss YMCA Teen Programming 3. Discuss Retro Reflectivity Standards for Traffic Signs —Engineering © 4. Discuss Community Garden Plots Lease Agreement/10 -13 — Engineering 5. Update of the Park Comprehensive Plan/Future Improvements to Park System —Engineering 6. Update on South Coon Creek Drive NW /11 -10 -Engineering 7. 2011 Budget Implementation Progress & August 2011 Investment Report - Administration 8. Review Draft 2012 -2016 Capital Improvement Plan —Administration 9. 2012 Budget Development Discussion/Update — Administration 10. 2012 Special Revenue, Debt Service, Capital Projects, Enterprise & Internal Service Funds Budget Distribution — Administration 11. Other Topics 12. Adjournment ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING —SEPTEMBER 27, 2011 MINUTES The Workshop Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order by Acting Mayor Julie Trude, September 27, 2011, 6:01 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Councilmembers present: Mayor Gamache (arrived at 7:56 p.m.) Sheri Bukkila, Mike Knight, Julie Trude, and Tony Howard Councilmember absent: None. Also present: City Administrator, Jim Dickinson Director of Public Works /City Engineer, Dave Berkowitz Assistant Public Works Director, Todd Haas Recreation Facilities Manager, Erick Sutherland Acting Mayor Trude introduced Councilmember Tony Howard. Councilmember Knight stated the City Council should recognize kids in the community who have done extraordinary things. He provided the Council with a newspaper article regarding a local high school student. He asked the City to recognize him in some way. Acting Mayor Trude asked City Administrator Dickinson to contact the individual and ask him to attend a future Council meeting so the City could recognize him. Mr. Dickinson stated the Mayor had suggested a program, "Andover's Best ", that would recognize individuals in the community. The Mayor had asked staff to look at putting together this program. Mr. Dickinson stated he would invite the individual to a future City Council meeting. JOINT MEETING WITH COMMUNITY CENTER ADVISORY COMMISSION Mr. Sutherland provided the Council with an update and PowerPoint presentation on the Andover Community Center including 2011 revenue, staff, expenses, and programming. Acting Mayor Trude asked if there were other high schools outside of Andover High School that utilize the Community Center. She stated it has been a complaint that the Community Center © serves Andover only and not the surrounding high schools, and Andover residents attend those schools. Mr. Jason Hemp stated in the past it has served mostly Andover High School but others are able © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —September 27, 2011 Page 2 to utilize the facilities as well. Mr. Sutherland stated there are several programs and clinics that are available to the surrounding communities. He reviewed the Indoor Soccer and the Learn to Skate program changes. Acting Mayor Trude stated she liked the change to a curriculum -based program for the Learn to Skate program. Councilmember Bukkila asked if other high school soccer teams could be asked to assist with the indoor soccer program because it is only Andover High School Soccer at this time. The Community Center should make these opportunities available to the entire community not just Andover High School. Mr. Frank Kellogg stated the Community Center is continuing to develop its business plan and with this will come increased opportunities for more community organizations to get involved. Councilmember Knight asked if there were any cross over activities for hockey and soccer available or if this would be something that could be looked into. Mr. Sutherland stated there are no activities at this time but it would be something that they could explore for future programs. Mr. Kellogg stated this type of programming would give the Community Center the opportunity to cross market their programs and this would also tie into off ice conditioning. Acting Mayor Trude asked if Mr. Sutherland or Mr. Kellogg were involved in other organizations so they could network and discuss opportunities with other individuals. She asked if the Community Center would be able to host an event like this. Mr. Sutherland stated he does belong to other associations and there are networking opportunities with these associations. Acting Mayor Trude suggested the progress of the Community Center be included in the newsletter for residents. Councilmember Knight suggested the Community Center look at hosting a movie night similar to those offered by other communities like Big Lake and Eagan. Mr. Kellogg stated the Community Center has stated they would not directly compete with local businesses. He suggested Mr. Sutherland look into the possibility of hosting a non - theater movie night and work with local businesses to include them in the event. Acting Mayor Trude stated the Community Education brochures offer several ideas for potential programs and clinics that could be offered at the Community Center and at this time Community © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —September 27, 2011 Page 3 Education does not have many programs in Andover. Mr. Sutherland stated active older residents are also a target group for the Community Center. Councilmember Knight stated one expense that would need to be addressed with diversifying the programming at the Community Center would be storage. Mr. Kellogg stated the Community Center would be changing the "free" programs to "no charge" programs. The costs associated with these programs will be tracked for future reference. He stated having the election polling done at the Community Center does cost the Community Center and results in lost profits because of the time of year. Acting Mayor Trade suggested the City talk with Constance Free Church to have the election polling moved back to their location. Mr. Dickinson asked if the Council was still committed to continuing with the "no charge" programs and items. Acting Mayor Trade stated the reaction of the community would not be favorable if the City pulled back on the things that are offered. It was the consensus of the Council to continue offering the "no charge" programs and items at the Community Center. Councilmember Bukkila suggested the Community Center charge for the use of the conference rooms for adult programs. Mr. Dickinson stated the staff would be talking with the Senior Center in regard to the use of their facility as well. JOINT MEETING WITH COMMUNITY CENTER ADVISORY COMMISSION — DISCUSS YMCA TEENPROGRAMMING Ms. Jessica Gilpin, Youth Development Coordinator, explained the youth program the Community Center had developed last year and how this was partnered with the program developed by Youth First at Oak View Middle School. Youth First was in need of additional space for their program and the Community Center was able to provide this space. Youth First focuses on academics and currently does not have the "fan" programming that the Community Center could do. The two programs could be combined but still meet the mission statements for © both programs. Youth First uses college interns that help with the kids in addition to their staff. The youth program is targeted towards kids 10 to 15 years old. Councilmember Bukkila suggested they contact local businesses such as Costco to donate items Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —September 27, 2011 to the program, like school Councilmember Trude stated she had talked with a local businessperson who repairs computers. If asked he may be interested in having residents bring in their old laptops and he could get them in working order and would donate them to the youth programs. Councilmember Bukkila suggested the City put this information in the newsletter for residents. She stated she likes the direction the program has taken. The program needs to expand beyond Oak View Middle School and the Community Center. She suggested busses operate in more places than just between the Middle School and the Community Center. Mr. Dickinson stated the bussing was something Youth First could help work out. the youth program is just after school and would not operate in the evening. The 1 youth a place to hang out that is not disruptive to the community. Councilmember Knight stated kids 16 to 17 also need programs available to them. Councilmember Bukkila stated the Council was more informed regarding the YMCA youth program and Youth First. There are extra services that could be added to this program in the future such as adding night drop off hours. additional places like the theater. bussing expanded with pick -up at Dickinson clarified the Community Center would focus on the programming rather than 3portation. The City and Youth First could work on the logistics. Councilmember Knight stated there were two tours planned in October to teen centers to look at different concepts and ideas. It was the consensus of the City Council to move forward with the YMCA Youth First Program at the Community Center. Acting Mayor Trude suggested Councilmember Howard remains on the Community Center Advisory Board as the business representative. Councilmember Bukkila disagreed and suggested another member of the community be given the opportunity to serve on the Community Center Advisory Board. end of the year, until all appointments have been completed. This would give the board some Acting Mayor Trude stated she liked the idea presented by Councilmember © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —September 27, 2011 Page 5 teen center task force to provide feedback to the Council on the possibility of creating a teen center. The Council recessed at 7:38 p.m. The Council reconvened at 7:44 p.m. DISCUSS RETRO REFLECTIVITY STANDARDS FOR TRAFFIC SIGNS Mr. Berkowitz stated the Council is requested to discuss required Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requirements for retro - reflectivity and the proposed City of Andover Retro - reflectivity Sign Maintenance Program for how the City will identify which signs will be evaluated and replaced. There are changes anticipated to these regulations and staff will bring the formal document to the Council for approval with these changes. He explained the City's program for sign maintenance. Councilmember Bukkila asked if something could be done about the sign clutter on Crosstown Boulevard going towards Bunker Lake Boulevard. © Mr. Berkowitz stated the City follows all of the regulations and this could result in sign clutter. Regulatory and warning signs cannot be on the same post and the signs that are posted all have height restrictions that must be met. Councilmember Knight asked what the cost impacts would be to the City at this time. Mr. Berkowitz stated there is no cost to the City. He explained the City has been putting in long life signs and all of the City's signs are tracked so that warranty dates can be tracked. He also showed the City Council a new device that was purchased to test the reflectivity of signs to test if the sign needs to be replaced. Councilmember Bukkila asked if the City makes the signs used in the City. She asked if the City could add its logo to the signs. Mr. Haas stated the City puts the sheeting on the blanks to create the signs. The City logo could be added to the street signs but this would result in a smaller font size on the sign and this would likely not meet the standards in the MUTCD manual. Mr. Berkowitz stated the policy could be amended once it was adopted to incorporate any changes. © Acting Mayor Trude provided a copy of corrections she would like to see incorporated. Councilmember Howard suggested on page 4 the word "may" should be changed to "shall or will be ". © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —September 27, 2011 Page 6 Mayor Gamache arrived at 7:56 p.m. DISCUSS COMMUNITY GARDEN PLOTS LEASEAGREEMENT /10 -13 Mr. Haas stated the Council is requested to discuss renewing the lease agreement for the community garden with Grace Lutheran Church and possible expansion. Councilmember Trude stated the City has not received any complaints in regard to the community gardens and would recommend moving forward with renewing the lease. Mr. Haas explained the plots have been leasing very quickly. The City has them leased as soon as they are available and he would recommend increasing the number of plots available. The policy on leasing these lots has been the residents of Andover have the first opportunity and then it is opened to surrounding communities but due to the popularity, the lots have never been open to other communities. Councilmember Howard asked if there would be problems with parking if the number of plots © were expanded. Mr. Berkowitz explained the City has not received any complaints regarding parking at the community gardens. The City tills the gardens in the spring and does the fall clean up. There have been a couple of people who have not followed through with keeping their gardens cleaned and the City has informed them they would not be able to lease a plot this year. Councilmember Bukkila asked what size plot would be added. Mr. Haas explained the type of plots available. He would recommend smaller plots at this time. Councilmember Trude suggested renewing the lease at this time for two years with an annual renewal option. Councilmember Howard clarified expanding the amount of plots available would be acceptable as long as there were no complaints about parking. UPDATE OF THE PARK COMPREHENSIVE PLANIFUTURE IMPRO VEMENTS TO PARK SYSTEM Mr. Haas stated the City Council is requested to continue discussing the Park Comprehensive Plan ® and the responses that the Park and Recreation Commission have regarding questions or comments that were raised by the City Council at the joint meeting of August 23, 2011. He reviewed the items that were raised at this meeting and the comments of the Park and Recreation Commission. Mayor Gamache asked if the plan included paving, and curb and gutter at Prairie Knoll Park. He Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — September 27, 2011 Page 7 asked if large cement bumpers could be used instead of constructing curb and gutter. Mr. Haas explained the south parking lot would get curb and gutter due to drainage problems. The cement bumpers would not fix the drainage problems at this park. Councilmember Trade asked if the parks could be on a revolving 5 -year review plan. She did not want to see the City meet with a neighborhood in regard to a park and then not go back and talk to the neighborhood again to discuss what they would like to see. The demographics of neighborhoods changes and the City should be mindful of this. Mayor Gamache asked if there was anything that could be done around the Community Center. Councilmember Bukkila suggested fitness stations along the City's trail system. This is something that could be tailored more towards older adults and not just kids. Mr. Butler stated this was something that had been talked about in the past and could be discussed again. ® Councilmember Howard pointed out the CIP should not list shelters because the residents may expect the City to provide these even if the City decides in the future they are not warranted. Mr. Haas explained staff would meet with neighborhoods prior to any improvements being done to a park to determine what they would like to see added or improved and then determine what the City would be able to do. Not all amenities will be in every park. Councilmember Trade asked if the City has associations that use the fields that are not irrigated. Mr. Haas stated the City is telling associations they have to practice on the non - irrigated fields because they are using the irrigated fields for games. Councilmember Howard stated the wording should be changed in regard to the dugouts. The City was not planning on building full concrete dugouts but rather provide a canopy or cover of some kind. He did not want residents to expect to have dugouts built at all the fields. Councilmember Trade agreed the term "dugout" be changed so there is no confusion in the future. Councilmember Trade provided a handout that outlined additional items she would like to have considered. She asked if the land west of City Hall would be in the 20 -year plan. Mr. Haas stated the land west of City Hall was included in the 20 -year plan but at this time it has not been determined what type of facility will be there. Councilmember Howard asked if the parking lot lights for Sunshine Park were considered a City Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —September 27, 2011 Page 8 issue or a park issue. Councilmember Trude stated it should be considered a City issue. Mayor Gamache stated something would need to be done at Sunshine Park but the city needed to determine how to pay for it. Mr. Butler stated the City could consider staggering the start time for events so the parking lot was not so busy all at one time. He also suggested a trail along the edge of the parking lot because the current trail leads people into the parking lot. Mr. Berkowitz stated Connexus Energy had provided an estimate of $34,000 for lighting. This would be minimal lighting and would not meet the city code. The lighting would be considered safety lighting and this would not have to meet the city code or the City could grant a variance. Mr. Dickinson suggested solar lighting be considered. Mr. Haas stated staff could look into this option. The lighting will not happen this year and staff will look into options for this project for next year and bring it to the Council for consideration. Mr. Dickinson pointed out if the lighting was going to be included as a CIP change then the money would need to be budgeted as well. Councilmember Bukkila clarified for the record the information handed out by Councilmember Trude had not been reviewed by the City Council and does not necessarily reflect what the City or Council may like to see done or incorporated into the CIP plan. Councilmember Trude asked if the Parks and Recreation Commission could be responsible for the trails rather than the City Council. The trails had become a responsibility of the City Council and it has not been discussed much in the last 5- years. Mr. Haas stated this could be brought back to the Council for consideration at a future meeting. UPDATE ON SOUTH COON CREEK DRIVE NW /I1 -10 Mr. Berkowitz updated the City Council on the proposed South Coon Creek Drive Reconstruction project planned for 2012. He reviewed the comments, questions, and concerns brought up at the open house on September 22 with adjacent property owners. He clarified the residents were © presented with a plan for a 37 -foot wide road, which included a 5 -foot bike lane on both sides. He also explained there would not be as many trees removed as originally expected and several of the residents stated the number of trees being removed was acceptable. Councilmember Trude stated a 37 -foot wide road did not feel wide enough to accommodate a 5- Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —September 27, 2011 Page 9 foot bike lane on both sides. Mayor Gamache asked if the bridge over the creek would have to be widened. Mr. Berkowitz stated the bridge has wide tappers so it would not have to be widened. There is one property the city will need to look at because the City does not want to impede any further on this property than it already has. Councilmember Trude asked if any of the residents had expressed interest in hooking up to City water. Mr. Berkowitz stated he had not gotten any feedback from residents. This information would be included in the assessment and to have the water stub put in would be approximately $2,000 and the full hookup would be approximately $10,000. There are 20 to 25 possible hookups in this area. Councilmember Howard asked if the overhead power lines would be buried with this project. Mr. Berkowitz stated the power lines could be buried for an estimated cost of $450,000 and this would be at the city's expense. Councilmember Trude asked if parking would be permitted on one side of the street and if this would meet the requirements for State Aid. Mr. Berkowitz explained the 5 -foot bike lane is the minimum required and once the road is striped the lanes will be 12 -feet wide and this could reduce the speed of traffic. He explained in order to allow parking there would need to be a minimum of 6 -feet between the curb and the lane. Having a 6 -foot shoulder and parking would decrease the safety of using this as a bike lane and is not recommended. He stated the road width could be reduced to 33 -feet. This alternative would limit the impact to trees. Mayor Gamache suggested staying with the 37 -foot width because this is what was discussed with the residents and this is what they are expecting. The wider road will also make the bike lane safer. Councilmember Trude stated the additional funds being spent for the wider road could be spent on other projects in the city. She asked what roads in the city would be 33 -feet and 37 -feet wide. Councilmember Bukkila asked if the sewer through the golf course with a possible trail on top was part of this project. Mr. Berkowitz stated it is not. Councilmember Knight asked what the money source would be for the project. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — September 27, 2011 Page 10 Mr. Dickinson stated State Aid, the Road and Bridge Fund, the Water Trunk Fund, and general tax levy would be the sources for this project. Mr. Berkowitz stated the City would assess a portion of the road construction costs and staff will put this information together once the design has been determined. Staff will need direction on the width of the road the Council would like staff to move forward with. Mayor Gamache stated the residents are expecting the road to be 37 -feet wide because this is what the City presented to them. Mr. Berkowitz has explained the wider road with a bike lane on both sides would also be safer for bike and pedestrian traffic. Councilmember Howard stated he is hesitant to go the maximum width on the road due to the additional expense the City would incur. The amount of foot traffic in this area may not support a bike lane on both sides of the road. He would suggest a bike lane on one side of the road and no parking on the other side of the road. Mr. Dickinson asked if a 6 -foot concrete sidewalk on one side of the road and 12 -foot lane widths should work. Mr. Berkowitz stated in order for the project to meet State Aid requirements the trail would have to be 8 -foot minimum width. If the City went with a 6 -foot concrete sidewalk then this would have to be constructed 2 -feet behind the curb and the sign regulations state the signs must have a 1 -foot clearance on both sides. This would not impact the overall road width. Councilmember Trude recommended the Council take an opportunity to drive through the city and look at the different road widths before making a final decision. She stated the Council could meet after the regular City Council meeting on Tuesday, October 4 and give staff direction at that time. Mr. Berkowitz suggested streets within the City that had similar traffic patterns and road widths so the Council could compare them. Councilmember Trude asked if the $300,000 difference in the 33 -foot road width versus the 37- foot road width was a significant expense in the project. Mr. Dickinson stated the full project costs were estimated at close to $2.1 million. Councilmember Trude stated residents have talked about trails in this area. Trails provide important connections for residents. © Mr. Berkowitz stated the shoulder will go to Crosstown Boulevard and in the long term the city will need to look at doing something on the west side. © Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —September 27, 2011 Page 11 2011 BUDGETIMPLEMENTATIONPROGRESS &AUGUST2011INVESTMENTREPORT Mr. Dickinson reviewed the overall budget for 2011 and the City Administration directives and departmental expenditures. He also reviewed the General Fund Expenditure Budget Summary and the Investment Maturities Summary. He suggested the City consider doing more direct mailings rather than a newsletter to reduce costs. Direct mailings are cheaper and put the City's information in front of residents more often. Councilmember Trude stated residents loved the newsletter and this should not be discontinued. Councilmember Bukkila agreed the newsletter should not be discontinued. Mr. Dickinson stated the City would be exceeding over the animal control budget because there are some cat/dog issues that needed to be dealt with. The City will be receiving a significant permit fee this year from the Anoka County Highway Department building expansion. He stated the City might have another project next year. Pov's has not paid property taxes and he may recommend the City not approve their liquor license next year. He has communicated this with the owner. REVIEW DRAFT 2012 -2016 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN Mr. Dickinson presented the "draft" 2012 -2016 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). He stated the lighting for Sunshine Park would be added and he requested the City Council provide additional feedback and direction to staff. He stated the public hearing would be held on the 2012 -2016 CIP on October 18, 2011. The City Council is requested to provide additional direction to staff. Councilmember Bukkila stated she understood the City would be talking to neighbors of the mini parks about paying for the installation of the irrigation and the City would pay the on -going maintenance. Mr. Berkowitz stated there is a water stub near the Woodland Estates Park that could be used. It would cost the City less than $5,000 to hook up irrigation for this park Councilmember Trude stated the park was provided with $15,000 for equipment and it is the only park that serves this area. She would recommend the City pay the cost for installing the irrigation. Mayor Gamache agreed with Councilmember Trude. 10 Councihnember Howard also agreed with Councilmember Trude. He asked for additional justification for the $140,000 expense for a front -end loader on page 123. Mr. Dickinson stated the front -end loader would be used for snow removal, loading trucks, and Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — September 27, 2011 Page 12 loading salt. The front -end loader would make snow removal in cul -de -sacs more efficient. This would be a bonded item. Councilmember Trude asked if the expense for fire /water rescue equipment was still included. Mr. Dickinson stated this was included. Councilmember Howard asked for justification for the $65,000 10" trail mower listed on page 111. Mr. Berkowitz stated he would check with staff regarding this purchase. The purchase would be recommended based on the maintenance record of the City's current equipment. If the maintenance for a particular piece of equipment was too high then it was moved up in the line for replacement. Councilmember Howard asked if the 1998 rescue truck would be sold or rotated into another area of the City's fleet. 1 Mr. Dickinson stated the vehicle would be rotated into another location within Public Works. 2012 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSIONIUPDATE Mr. Dickinson reviewed the 2012 Budget Development guidelines that were adopted at the April 5, 2011 City Council meeting, the Fund Balance Forecast, Proposed 2012 Levy, and Proposed 2012 General Fund Budget Updates, and the Capital Projects and Debt Services Funds. Councilmember Bukkila asked for clarification regarding the Council Memberships and Donations /Contributions for Youth First (program funding), Teen Center Funding (YMCA) and Northwest Anoka County Community Consortium. Mr. Dickinson explained what each program is and what the funding was for. Councilmember Trude suggested Youth First and the Teen Center Funding be grouped together and designated in a way that shows the two programs are related. She also stated the City should look at doing a survey. The City has traditionally conducted a survey every 5- years. Mr. Dickinson stated the City is required to do a survey and this will be conducted through Survey Monkey. He provided a list of questions that will be part of this survey. Mr. Dickinson asked if the Council was considering lowering the levy for next year. He cautioned the Council that it would need to be a substantial cut in order to make an impact. Mayor Gamache asked Mr. Dickinson to provide additional information to the Council on Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes —September 27, 2011 Page 13 options of how the levy for 2012 could be reduced. Councilmember Trude pointed out that any cuts would also need to be sustainable because if the levy is lowered next year the City needs to be sure it will not have to raise the levy significantly the following year. She suggested the City look at staying with a "0" increase this year and work towards a "0" increase next year. Mr. Dickinson stated one of the things the City could consider next year would be to increase the Public Works staff. This is an area that could be considered understaffed. He stated he would bring a plan back to the Council for consideration. Mayor Gamache expressed concerns with the amount of sick time the City allows employees to accumulate and be used after retirement. He asked how much the City would need to have on reserve to cover these expenses. He stated the City should be aware so the program is not unfunded. Mr. Dickinson explained the options the City has for providing sick time, vacation, or annual leave or personal time off. Andover offers a program where sick time can be accumulated and used after retirement. Councilmember Bukkila stated there is a cap on the amount of sick time that can be cashed out. She asked if this program is still offered. Mr. Dickinson stated the program is still offered. The City could choose to change this in the future. There would need to be a transition period for employees to change to a new accrual system. Mayor Gamache asked if it would be beneficial for the City to offer short-term disability rather than allowing employees to accumulate sick leave. Mr. Dickinson stated staff would look into this and bring it back to the Council for consideration. 2012 SPECIAL REVENUE, DEBT SERVICE, CAPITAL PROJECTS, ENTERPRISE & INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS BUDGET DISTRIBUTION Mr. Dickinson provided the Council with information regarding the City's other fund budgets including the Special Revenue Funds, the Debt Services Funds, the Capital Project Funds, the Enterprise Fund, and the Internal Service Funds. ® OTHER TOPICS ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ON SOUTH COOK CREEK Andover City Council Workshop Meeting Minutes — September 27, 2011 Page 14 Mr. Berkowitz stated Crooked Lake Boulevard is 38 -feet wide and would be a good representation of what South Coon Creek Drive would look like. Based on the current and future traffic projects Crooked Lake Boulevard and Nightingale Street would be close to the same volume as South Coon Creek Drive. Councilmember Trude suggested the road width for South Coon Creek could be set at 37 -feet then the Council would not have to meet again. Councilmember Bukkila stated she would like to consider the long -term impacts of this decision and meet after the next Council meeting on Tuesday. Mr. Dickinson stated in 2013 the State Aid bond will be paid and there will be an additional $234,000 in the construction fund annually. The City can also borrow ahead on State Aid funds UNIVERSITYA VENUE PAVING PROJECT Mr. Berkowitz stated the City of Ham Lake sent a feasibility report to the City in regard to paving University Avenue. There are four properties in Andover that are along this road. These property owners have stated they are against this project. If Andover supports it then the City's cost would be approximately $60,000 and the property owners would be responsible for $60,000. Ham Lake is requesting comments from Andover. Councilmember Trude explained the project was not development driven and Andover should decline to be included in the project. Councilmember Knight stated if the Andover residents did not want the project then the City should not support it. Mr. Berkowitz stated this item would be brought up at a future Council meeting. FENCE REQUEST INSOPHIEW SOUTH Mr. Dickinson stated a resident in the Sophie's South development sent a letter to the City because he would like to put a fence in his back yard. Based on the City's ordinances the property owner would be able to put in a fence but it would only provide a 20 -foot area behind the house that could be fenced. The property owner has stated he would like a bigger area and had he been aware of these restrictions he would not have bought this home. This is not a developer issue and the water that is currently in the wetlands was there when he purchased the property. Mr. Berkowitz clarified the property owner cannot build a fence in the drainage and utility easement. Andover City Council Workshop Meeting 0 Minutes — September 27, 2011 Page 15 Mayor Gamache asked if there were other fence requests in the development. Mr. Berkowitz stated he would check into this and let the Council know. Councilmember Trude clarified the property owner was able to build a fence, just not the size he would like. Mr. Dickinson stated this was correct. The property owner was told they could build within the guidelines of the ordinance or they could apply for a variance. The property owner was also told that a variance request would not likely be approved by the City based on past precedence. Councilmember Trude requested the address so that she could look at the property. Mr. Dickinson stated the City will respond to his letter stating the variance process is an option available to him otherwise he would have to follow the City's ordinances. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Councilmember Bukkila, Seconded by Councilmember Knight, to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 10:42 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Tina Borg, Recording Secretary H