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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6.a. Minutes of the February 11, 2009 City Council Work Session ProceedingsROSEMOUNT CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION PROCEEDINGS FEBRUARY 11, 2009 CALL TO ORDER Pursuant to due call and notice thereof a work session of the Rosemount City Council was held on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. in the Conference Room at City Hall, 2875 145 Street West, Rosemount. Mayor Droste called the meeting to order with Council Members Bills, Weisensel, Shoe Corrigan and DeBettignies attending. Staff members present included City Clerk Domeier, City Engineer Brotzler, Community Development Director Lindquist, City Administrator Johnson, Planner Lindahl, Senior Planner Zweber, Director of Parks and Recreation Schultz and City Attorney LeFevere. DISCUSSION 2.A. 08- 01 -TA: Sign Ordinance Amendment A Memo Summarizing the Draft Sign Ordinance Amendment Approved by the Sign Committee Requesting Initial Feedback Planner Lindahl summarized the process the Sign Committee used in moving forward with the Ordinance Amendment. He also provided a schedule timeline moving forward. Discussion was held regarding the proposed changes to Dynamic (Electronic) Signs: Mr. Lindahl stated the current regulations and provided information on determining the new standards proposed in the ordinance. Further discussion ensued regarding brightness of signs. Staff will research more information about accurately measuring the brightness of electric signs. Community Development Director Lindquist provided the history and proposed changes to the Temporary Off Premise Signs. Discussion was held regarding garage sale signs, car wash signs, open house real estate signs and places where a person serves as a sign. Mr. Lindahl also reviewed the changes suggested by the City Attorney LeFevere from the current sign ordinance to the proposed sign ordinance. Mr. LeFevere provided more information about the free expression sign regulations. Ms Lindquist stated that staff planned to make the modification as suggested before going out for comment and to continue moving forward with the proposed timeline. 2.B. Determine the Future Use of Outlot B, White Lake Acres Senior Planner Zweber provided the background on the property that the City has owned through tax forfeiture since the early 1980s. Mr. Zweber explained the four different options the City Council could use moving forward. He added that staff recommended returning the property to the State with a Resolution requesting that the property be sold at public auction to the highest bidder. They City Council and staff discussed placing a conservation easement across the property before selling it preserve the existing tree line. The City Council was in agreement to return the property to the State with a Resolution requesting that the property be sold at a public auction to the highest bidder. Staff would look into adding a conservation easement as requested. ROSEMOUNT CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION PROCEEDINGS FEBRUARY 11, 2009 2.C. Central Park Expansion Planning Study Senior Planner Zweber stated the City has been considering improving and /or expanding Central Park for a number of years. He provided background on the expansion that was indentified within the Development for Downtown Rosemount (Framework) adopted in July 2004. He added that staff has met with the property and business owners of the Polfus and BP properties, surveyed Central Park and the adjacent properties, developed a number of different design alternatives, and had the Parks and Recreation Commission review the alternatives. Mr. Zweber provided more information about the five alternatives that could occur at Central Park as outlined within the staff report. Discussion was held regarding the useful life of a lift station and the cost to physically move the structure. Council Member DeBettignies questioned if the City was being realistic on obtaining the two properties discussed. Mr. Zweber stated that staff has spoke with the property owners and asked if the properties were for sale that the City would like the first opportunity to purchase. Staff would be willing to work with the property and business owners to find other locations in the City to relocate. Mayor Droste talked about the location of the fountain along with a design that would fit the area. Council Member Weisensel questioned the value placed on the public amenity. Mayor Droste commented that a public gathering space in the City has been difficult to provide in the past. Discussion was also held regarding the crosswalks at Central Park. Community Development Director Lindquist stated the crosswalks would match those located at Waterford Commons. Council Member Shoe Corrigan requested that staff add reflectors to the crosswalks. UPDATES 3.A. Update Federal Funding Applications City Engineer Brotzler stated that staff identified that the following list of potential candidate projects which applications may be submitted for including pedestrian underpass, downtown park and ride, TH 3 landscaping enhancements, and pedestrian rail road crossing upgrades. Council Member Shoe Corrigan stated that for the landscaping enhancements along Highway 3 the sidewalks should be widened and to include watering sources in the light poles. Mayor Droste questioned the due date of the applications. Mr. Brotzler stated that the applications are currently due on June 15 according to the Metropolitan Council schedule. He added that City Council resolutions will be required to move forward with the applications. Mayor Droste also questioned funding the park and ride location proposed across the street from City Hall with economic stimulus funds. Mr. Brotzler stated he was not aware at this ROSEMOUNT CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION PROCEEDINGS FEBRUARY 11, 2009 time that the request would likely be funded as an economic stimulus project. Community Development Director Lindquist added that a portion of the stimulus package was dedicated to transit but the rules have not been defined on what is included. City Administrator Johnson noted that Peter Bell has stated that the transit funding would go towards operations and that the MVTA CMAQ application did not recognize the Rosemount route. 3.B. CDBG Amendment for Assessment Abatement Program Community Development Director Lindquist provided information about a major amendment to the FY06 CDBG allocation to permit funding of the assessment abatement program for 2009. She added that the CDA would like the City to expend existing funds to assist in county -wide compliance with future allocation replenishing the funds for the Revitalization program if the City Council desired. Discussion was held regarding the assessment abatement program and using funds from the Downtown Revitalization for the program as needed. Ms. Lindquist stated that the CDBG funds are used to bring properties into compliance with existing building code requirements and the owners match would be used for facade improvements. She indicated that while the program has been widely publicized it has not been used by property owners to date. Further discussion was held regarding the CDBG allocation. The City Council was in agreement with the proposed amendment. 3.C. Draft Comments for scope of Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for mining of UMore property City Administrator Johnson provided information related to the draft comments of the scope of the EIS. He indicated that draft comments on the scope of the EIS for proposed gravel mining on the western third of the UMore property are due by February 17 to be officially considered by the University and its consultants. He added that staff received written legal options on the EIS and the RGU. Discussion was held regarding treating the University as a developer as they did not want the University to be the RGU. The City Council also discussed the concept plan at the UMore site. Emergency Plan Council Member Weisensel provided information about emergency plans that he received at a recent seminar. City Administrator Johnson stated that staff already had planned to talk about the City's emergency plan at the March work session. Community Action Council meeting Mayor Droste attended the Community Action Council meeting and a discussion was held regarding the sulfur located at Flint Hills. MVTA Mayor Droste stated that he and City Administrator Johnson attended the MVTA Board Meeting held before the work session. He added that the meeting went well and discussion will be held at the Special meeting on February 12, 2009. ROSEMOUNT CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION PROCEEDINGS FEBRUARY 11, 2009 ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the City Council and upon a motion by Droste, second by DeBettignies, the meeting was adjourned at 9:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Amy Domeier, City Clerk