06/12/2008 - Open Space CommitteeAGENDA
OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE MEETING
THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2008
4:00 P.M.
CONFERENCE ROOMS 2A&B
I. ROLL CALL AND AGENDA ADOPTION
II. DISCUSS PROCESS/TIMELINE FOR REFERENDUM
III. OTHER BUSINESS
IV. ADJOURNMENT
Agenda Information Memo
June 12, 2008 Open Space Committee Meeting
VI. DISCUSS PROCESS/TIMELINE FOR REFERENDUM
ACTION TO BE DISCUSSED:
To provide a recommendation to the City Council regarding the timeline, public process
and communications plan for the Carriage Hills Referendum.
FACTS:
As part of the settlement agreement reached with Wensmann Realty for the Carriage
Hills Golf Course, the City will hold a public referendum at the November General
Election to allow residents to choose whether or not the City shall purchase Carriage
Hills Golf Course.
This item was directed to the Open Space Committee for further review and a
recommendation regarding timeline and public input process to be brought back to
the City Council.
• A group of City Staff met on May 6, 2008 to discuss the required deadlines and other
responsibilities of this City for the referendum. The following timeline/dates were
noted:
June 12—Council workshop to discuss timeline, process, etc.
June 16—APrC meeting
July 14—APrC meeting
August 12—Council workshop (could consider recommendation of
APrQ
September 2—Regular Council meeting, adopt referendum question and
authorize referendum (resolution)
September 12—Deadline to provide notice to County of referendum
question
October 13 (week of)—Place a PDF link on the City's Website to the
Experience Eagan article about the upcoming referendum
October 18 and 25—Place notice of election in legal newspaper (publish
twice)
October 20 (week of)—City Newsletter article regarding referendum
November 4—Election
Open Space Committee
June 3, 2008
Process/Timeline for Referendum
Page 2
• City staff also discussed public policy questions that have been raised and/or received
from Eagan residents. The committee may wish to give thought on if and/or how the
following questions should be answered:
o Understanding the referendum only pays for the purchase of the land, does
the City Council intend to determine and communicate to the public future
uses and/or restrictions for the land in advance of the ballot?
o Does the City Council want any further study done by the APrC or other
appointed committee in advance of the referendum?
■ APrC could consider at June 16 or July 14 meetings with a report
back to the Council at the August 12 workshop.
o Is it the intent of the Council to utilize the $60,000 set aside in the
Community Investment Fund (CIF) for communication associated with the
referendum?
o Will including the referendum information in the October issue of the City
Newsletter be appropriate or would the Council prefer that a separate
mailing be created for referendum information?
• The Committee is encouraged to discuss the timeline and other public policy
questions and make a recommendation to the City Council as a whole on how the
City shall proceed to prepare for the November referendum.
• It is proposed that the City Council discuss the recommendation of the open space
committee at the June 12 Special City Council workshop.
ATTACHMENTS:
None
5
Open Space Committee
June 12, 2008, 4:30-5:15 p.m.
Meeting Notes/Recommended Timeline
Committee Members Present: Mayor Maguire and Councilmember Bakken
Staff Present: City Administrator Hedges, Assistant to the City Administrator Miller,
Director of Parks and Recreation Johnson, Director of Administrative Services
VanOverbeke, and City Attorney Dougherty.
I. Discuss Process/Timeline for Referendum
The committee requested that a matrix be prepared showing land use options for the
Carriage Hills Property, should the referendum pass. The matrix should include the cost
to establish and maintain the use. Examples should include: Passive open space (with
trails only). Active open space (trails shelter, etc.), "High Density" Open Space (fields,
trails, shelters, etc.), and Restored prairieland.
There was committee consensus not to ask the APrC for a formal recommendation as to
how the land should be used if the referendum passes.
The Committee asked staff to speak to Decision Resources to inquire whether a 3-4
question, scientific phone survey could be done of Eagan residents, with results coming
back to the City Council by August 1. The survey would ask residents how they should
like to see the property used if the referendum passes.
The Committee concurred with the following schedule/timeline:
Week of June 16-20 Schedule follow up Committee meeting (staff and
committee only)
June 12-August 1 Decision Resources Survey
Late June Committee meetings with Stakeholders (e.g. Dorothy
Peterson and members of APrC, Carriage Hills Coalition
rep, Wetland Banking rep, etc.)
June 17 Community-wide "Listening Session" on ideas for property
if the referendum passes
Mid August 2°a Community-wide "Listening Session" on ideas for
property if the referendum passes
September 2 Adopt referendum question
Early October Mail fact sheet to residents