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12-08-09 CM Minutes Council/Manager Meeting Minutes December 8,2009 Present: Mayor Loomis and Council Members Freiberg, Pentel, Scanlon and Shaffer, City Manager Tom Burt, Finance Director Sue Virnig, Public Works Director Jeannine Clancy, Director of Planning and Development Mark Grimes, City Planner Joe Hogeboom, and Public Works Specialist Eric Eckman. The meeting began at 7:05pm in the Council Conference Room. Request to Allow the Use of Sheet Metal (Corrugated) Siding Residents at 320 Georgia Ave. N. wish to use a corrugated metal siding to reside their home. This is one of the materials not permitted under Section 4.05 of the City Code. Tom Burt showed a sample of the siding and images of how the home would look with the siding. He asked if the Council would like to consider amending the City Code to allow corrugated metal or other building materials currently prohibited. The Council expressed interest in reconsidering the prohibited building materials, but also a concern for retaining neighborhood character and considering issues such as reflectivity, which might impact neighbors. It was suggested that the use of such materials should be limited to a specified percentage of the structure.. Staff will review Section 4.05 and possibly discuss with the Planning Commission, with a goal of bringing ideas for code amendments to the Council for consideration next year. Metropolitan Council Environmental Services Regional Interceptor Improvements Bill Cook and Deborah Manning from Metropolitan Council Environmental Services made a presentation about a proposed regional interceptor that would run through the southeast quadrant of Golden Valley. The sewer interceptors serving the West End Project and the 1-394 Corridor in Golden Valley are near capacity, so a supplemental line is needed. A number of options were considered, but the Met Council is now finishing a facility planning report on the preferred route, which features a new lift station near 1-394 and Highway 100 and then proceeds north and west along Turner's Crossroad or Xenia Avenue to connect with the Plymouth Force Main near Highway 55 and Highway 100. They distributed a map which presents alternative routes still under consideration. The facility report will be done by the end of the year. The next step is to present the proposed project to the public and other stakeholders for comment. The Metro Council has requested to use the Golden Valley Council Chambers to hold an Open House on the evening of January 6 and a public hearing on the evening of January 27. The Metropolitan Council would conduct these meetings and have a court reporter document comments at the public hearing. Written comments will also be accepted for two weeks after the public hearing. After considering testimony the Met Council would finalize the project, and start the project design. It would also consider combining local projects in the scope of its work through a cooperative agreement. Construction is anticipated to start in 2011 or 2012; with completion in 2013. The Council agreed to allow the open house and public hearing to be scheduled at City Hall. Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element Roadway Functional Classifications Jeannine Clancy explained that information defining various street classification types was prepared along with a map outlining proposed changes to the City's street classification. She distributed a definition for minor arterial streets, which was inadvertently not included. All of Council/Manager Meeting Minutes December 8,2009 - Page 2 the proposed changes were either recommended by staff during the City's comprehensive planning process or subsequently requested by the Metropolitan Council or the City of St. Louis Park after review of the Comprehensive Plan submitted to the Met Council. Council Members discussed the advantages and disadvantages of modifying the classification of various streets. The final determination was to proceed with reclassifying a portion of Plymouth as a local street instead of a major collector, changing Regent to a collector instead of a local street, agreeing to the Metropolitan Council's request to classify all minor and major collectors as collector streets and not to pursue changing Xenia Avenue to an arterial street as requested by St. Louis Park. This issue will come back to the Council in January. Proposed Ordinance Amendments: 4:31 Stormwater Management and 11 :03 Average Height and Building Height Definitions Jeannine Clancy noted that the stormwater management ordinance changes were previously discussed by the Council on May 12. Staff incorporated changes requested by the Council and with the City Attorney made a few other changes, as presented a revised draft ordinance included in the agenda packet. She asked for Council direction regarding buffer strips along lakes and streams. Three alternatives were presented. The first is the status quo, which encourages but does not require the installation of buffer strips with two other options that are progressively more stringent in requiring buffer strips if other improvements are made to shoreland lots. A large map was presented which demonstrated riparian areas impacted by the various buffer options. The Council requested staff to prepare the ordinance with language in Subdivision 5 C. that retains current provisions regarding buffers and language in Subdivision 4 F. that addresses standards for both the Minnehaha and Bassett Creek watersheds. Joe Hogeboom explained that two definitions in Section 11.03 are proposed to be amended: Building Height and Average Grade. Building Height was previously amended to address conflicts between the City Code definition and the Inspection Department practices. However the new definition of "building height" was technical in nature and therefore difficult for residents to understand. The proposed new definition is simpler and transfers some of the specific information from the "building height" definition to the "average grade' definition. The staff determined that the "average grade" could generally be established during platting. For existing lots of record, it was decided to use the elevation of the previous structure, to within one foot. However the definition also includes special considerations that the Building Official and City Engineer can use to deviate from this standard to address drainage issues unique to the lot. The Council discussed different approaches to looking at average grade. Staff will work on the ordinance and bring back changes for further Council discussion. Douglas Drive Capital Improvements Tom Burt gave an update on the proposed Phase 1 of the Douglas Drive improvements, to be partially funded with the TLC (Transit for Livable Communities) funding. The proposal is to move to a three-lane design with bike lanes from Golden Valley Road to Medicine Lake Road, add a sidewalk on the east side of the road from Golden Valley Road to Duluth Street and a trail from Golden Valley Road south to connect to the Luce Line Trail. Grant funds would provide approximately $1 million and the original estimate suggested a local contribution of approximately $2 million would be needed. Staff recently walked the route and found many impediments to getting the project done, including: limited right-of-way, a boulevard area already congested with utilities (allowing no space to underground electrical Council/Manager Meeting Minutes December 8, 2009 - Page 3 utilities, which may need to be placed under the street pavement instead), and extensive areas of cut and fill to make a level trail/sidewalk area. Staff now estimates that the local match would be closer to $4 million, and many of the improvements would need to be redone when a final project is constructed. Staff is working with Hennepin County on the complete reconstruction of Douglas Drive from Highway 55 to Medicine Lake Road. A $20 million project has been identified, with $10 million to be paid by the City. The County will consider listing this project in its Capital Improvement Program in 2015 or later. Staff sees the franchise fee as one of the funding sources for the local match for the long-term funding, along with assessments, and possible funding from railroad crossing, Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission, state or federal grants. A franchise fee analysis was included in the agenda packet that would charge residential households $3.50 per month. Staff has determined that the franchise fee could be a significant component to finance proposed Douglas Drive improvements, but would not cover the full city share. Council decided not to pursue franchise fees at this time due to current economic environment which is a challenge for many residents and businesses. Solid Waste Handling and Recycling Study Mark Grimes provided background on the work done to date by the Environmental Commission to respond to the Council's request to study a range of recycling and waste collection issues. It is proposed that the Planning staff provide support to the Environmental Commission instead of hiring a consultant. He suggested that the initial focus be on residential hauling and other issues be considered in later phases. Staff will develop a broad scope of work and timeline to present to the Environmental Commission in January. The Council agreed with this approach. 2010-2011 General Fund Budget and 2010 Tax Levy The Council suggested that staff review the budget and add $5000 to the City's Home Free Shelter allocation, perhaps from the planning consultant budget. Council Members indicated that they want to review information to be provided by Home Free in response to Council questions before making a final decision. 2010-2014 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) There were no questions about the CIP previously distributed to the Council, which will be on the Council agenda for approval on December 15. Sue Virnig asked if the Douglas Drive project should be removed from the CIP, as the Phase 1 unlikely to occur and no local funding source has been identified. The Council suggested looking at a funding plan for the longer-term project. Tom Burt noted that no vehicles besides squad cars will be purchased in 2010 until a Vehicle Replacement Policy is considered by the Council. The meeting adjourned at 9:45 pm. Jeanne Andre Assistant City Manager