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01/16/1996 - City Council SpecialAGENDA SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING Tuesday Jam u ary 16, 1996 5:00 P.M. Municipal Center Building (Lunchroom) 5:00 p.m. L ROLL CALL & ADOPTION OF AGENDA II. VISITORS TO BE HEARD 5:05 P.M. III. UPDATE RE: DISCUSSION WITH DART TRANSIT ABOUT 200 ACRE PARCEL @ LEXINGTON & YANKEE DOODLE 5:25 p.m. IV. PRESENTATION BY APRNRC ABOUT PLANS FOR A PARK REFERENDUM 6:15 p.m. V. COMMITTEE UPDATE ON FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION VL OTHER BUSINESS VIL ADJOURNMENT LMAIJ101 _ city of eagan TO: HONORABLE MAYOR & CITY COUNCILMEMBERS FROM: CITY ADMINISTRATOR HEDGES DATE: JANUARY 121 1996 SUBJECT: SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING/TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1996 A Special City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 16, 1996 to receive an update on the status of negotiations with DART Transit about the acquisition of a portion or all of the 200 acre parcel at Lexington and Yankee Doodle Road, to hear a presentation by the APRNRC about plans for a park referendum and to receive a community update on the Fourth of July Celebration. The APRNRC has been invited to attend the work session and their Chair, Lee Markell who will be making the presentation about the plans for a park referendum, is aware of the three agenda items and the time allocation that has been given for each item. UPDATE RE: DISCUSSION WITH DART TRANSIT A series of meetings with representatives of DART Transit and Eagan staff, which Includes the Director of Parks & Recreation, Director of Community Development and City Administrator, have been ongoing with the most recent scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 16. The Director of Community Development was asked to prepare a memo summarizing the issues staff and DART Transit have discussed for the past several weeks at the request and direction of the City Council. This memo if attached without page number. The memo is comprehensive and provides most of the background in written form; during the 20 minutes allotted for this item, staff will summarize any further information determined from the Tuesday afternoon meeting with DART Transit and, further, ask for discussion by the City Council. More than likely, this item will receive further discussion as a part of the presentation by the APRNRC. PRESENTATION BY APRNRC/PARK REFERENDUM The APRNRC has been invited to attend the Special City Council meeting to present the status of the committee that is considering plans for a ark referendum In 1996. The 00 committee has met several times. Enclosed on pages through 6 for Council review is a . memo, copy of minutes and a map identifying four parcels that will be presented at the meeting on Tuesday by the APRNRC Chair, Lee Markell. The APRNRC felt the need to present a status report to the City Council and receive some direction before proceeding any further regarding plans for a park referendum. COMMITTEE UPDATE/FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION Staff, consisting of Communications Coordinator Foote, Chief of Police Geagan, Director of Parks & Recreation Vraa and Assistant to the City Administrator Duffy, are attending community meetings to discuss future Fourth of July Celebrations. At a recent Department Head meeting, Chief Geagan presented a status report for the management team regarding the discussions that have been held to date. For a summary of that information, refer to a memo prepared by the City Administrator which is enclosed without page number. The community meetings have been attended by members of the Lions and Lioness Clubs and chaired by Ann Carlon, Executive Director of the CVB/Acting President of the Chamber of Commerce. OTTER BUSINESS More than likely, there will not be time for additional business. /S/ Thomas L. Hedges City Administrator PARK LAND ACQUISITION / C.I.P. FOR PARKS Brown Property c ego e CMWM Is 4. C - . .. Holz Farm Access Additio ^ow 40 APPLE vaccFy o M0 3 el 74: �'_' o s Anderson ParceI _ MdlNY/1rY MMC Carthy Property .� . G.. a �E Brown Property c ego e CMWM Is 4. C - . .. Holz Farm Access Additio ^ow 40 APPLE vaccFy o M0 3 4�&- _ city of eagan DATE: DECEMBER 28, 1995 TO: TOM HEDGES, CITY ADMINISTRATOR FROM: KEN VRAA, DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION MEMO SUBJECT: ADVISORY PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 1996 PARKS BOND REFERENDUM The Advisory Commission met in workshop session after It's December 18 regular commission meeting and has prepared a "preliminary draft" recommendation to the City Council for a parks bond referendum. The Commission wishes to get this draft to the City Council and is hoping for an early January meeting to discuss their thinking on the subject. Chairman Markell may be contacting Mayor Egan some time after the first of the year to relay the need to meet and the urgency involved. The Commission would like any additional direction from the City Council to begin a strategy for a referendum. This assumes the Council still wishes to proceed with a referendum. I felt it was important to share with you some hesitancy by some of the Commission Members regarding a referendum, or at least the need to keep the referendum to a reasonable amount. Several members are concerned relative to the issue of tax increases and the need to keep the referendum reasonably simple. They also expressed a desire to do some preliminary marketing of the draft referendum plan with community groups to ascertain their support level and solicit input on what has been determined for inclusion in a referendum. This would give the Commission an opportunity to change or revamp a final proposal if the reaction to a referendum is negative by the public, i.e. too big, too small, etc. Please advise me at your earliest opportunity when we might be able to discuss this and schedule a time when the Advisory Commission can present their proposal to the City Council. KV:cm eevah..nd.0; P ,Advisory Parks Recreation and Natural Resources Commission Minutes of Workshop Session December 18, 1995 Minutes of the workshop session of the Advisory Parks Recreation and Natural Resources Commission December 18, 1995. Commission Members present included were Lee Markell, John Rudolph, Stephen Thompson, Ken Tyler, Michael Vincent, Sherie Wallace, and Joathan Widem. Absent were George Kubic, David Szott. Staff present included Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa, Park Superintendent Olson, Recreation Superintendent Peterson and Landscape Architect/Parks Planner CJ Lilly. The Director of Parks and Recreation reviewed for the commission members where they had last left off from their workshop. The Commission had identified three general categories of priority acquisitions and the Commission should now come to a more firm decision regarding the parcels within each of the categories. Vraa further suggested that the Advisory Commission now consider it's recommendations regarding the Remo and Anthony Caponi property and finally what role some of the development needs should play in a possible bond referendum. Discussion occurred regarding parcels: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7, and the estimated cost for each of the parcels in the high priority category. In response to a question, Director Vraa stated that this was just an estimate and that the commission should give some allowance for these numbers. In response to a question, Michael Vincent stated that the Acquisition and Development sub -committee had reviewed all these parcels and felt very strongly about the properties identified in category one. There were some questions about the properties in group two. Regarding the LeMay Lake parcel, Director Vraa stated that he had talked to Carl Olsen relative to the estimated price on the property and is now concerned that there may be some confusion as to the exact property since Mr. Olsen does own property on both sides of 35E. Commission members asked the Director to contact Olsen in regards to that property to see if the property was for sale and determine the estimated price range. The Commission then concluded that in would confirm parcels 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 and that the LeMay Lake parcel may be a possible inclusion. Commission Member Widem questioned the status of the golf course and the Northwestern Mutual two -hundred acre property now being acquired by Dart. Director Vraa reviewed the status of Carriage Hills property acquisition by Pulte and the neighborhood opposition that seems to be forming relative to it being developed for residential use. He then reviewed the layouts prepared by Brauer and Associates for the Northwestern Mutual property and the recent discussions with the owners of Dart. Commission Member Widem then questioned why the Advisory Commission hadn't put more thought into the acquisition of the Northwestern Mutual property, given the Commission had previously talked about its importance when the parcel was being developed? He stated that the Advisory Commission should give stronger consideration to acquiring this parcel. From his perspective the Commission needs to support the Council in the preservation of this property and the long term benefits of maintaining a golf course within the community. There was general discussion by other commission members who agreed with Mr. Widem's remarks. In response to a question asked by the Commission, Director Vraa stated that the Commission should then show support to the City Council regarding their feelings on the importance of maintaining a golf course in the community, and in particular the Northwestern Mutual property if that is their desire. Members spoke about the desire to maintain the property, preferably with a community center and a golf course being the most ideal. Discussion continued relative to the property and the desire to proceed with a condemnation action to acquire it. Widem then suggested that the Commission place two -and -a -half million dollars for the acquisition of the Northwestern Mutual property within the referendum. Mr. Widem went on to say that he felt there would be tremendous support for such a referendum and this property acquisition. He questioned what sport other than golf was played by as many people in the community. It was general the agreement of the Advisory Commission that there would be significant support for referendum dollars for this property. It was suggested that if it were to proceed and the City was successful in acquiring the property that the development of the golf course should come relatively soon, being financed by revenue bonds. Soo,* Advisory Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission Minutes of Workshop Session - December 18. 1995 Page 2 After further discussion, it was the consensus of the Advisory Commission to present a draft proposal to the City Council for inclusion of the parcel 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 along with two -and -a -half million dollars for acquisition of the Northwestern Mutual property as part of the referendum proposal. Director Vraa then questioned what the Advisory Commission's direction would be relative to the Capon! parcel. Commission member Rudolph said it was his sense that the Art Park's proposal was not a major benefit to the community but would cost the taxpayers more in the long run to maintain and operate. He asked the Commission Members who had participated on the task force for their opinion. Commission Member Wallace stated that she had serious misgivings about the City acquiring the property and the operation of the property for the Art Park. Commission Member Vincent stated that he had met with Mr. Caponi on several occasions, and at the task force meetings, suggesting that there are other alternatives to the City's involvement and that he could seek dollars from elsewhere rather then from the City. Mr. Vincent stated he had serious concerns and reservations about the City acquiring a portion of the forty acres from Mr. Caponi. In response to a question from Chairman Markell, Director Vraa stated that Mr. Caponi was not interested in trading property with Remo for the Art Park. Further, Mr. Caponi said that he wished to retain that porfion of the forty -acre site in which the pavilion would be located. General discussion followed regarding Mr. Caponi's latest proposal and how the City would be able to work with such a plan. Mr. Markell indicated that he would like to see the City acquire the property but was concerned about the entanglements with the Art Park. After further discussion, it was the consensus of the Advisory Commission to recommend to the City Council that the parks referendum not include any of the Caponi property. Director Vraa then asked the Advisory Commission how it wished to deal with the need for development dollars. A discussion followed relative to the development needs and some of the priorities. In response to a question, Director Vraa stated that the commission may wish to consider funding for the development of Patrick Eagan Park in that it lines itself with the Natural Resources theme identified earlier by the commission. Commission Members also discussed the concept of keeping the amount of the referendum to a reasonable level; between 3 and 4 million dollars. It was suggested that the City could also come back with another referendum in 2 to 3 years for development. It was the consensus of the Advisory Commission that the preliminary proposal to the City Council should be for acquisition purposes only of the defined parcels and that the development could come later. Director Vraa stated that since the Commission has come to a preliminary recommendation it may wish to bring this idea in front of groups for comment and review to see if there is support for this referendum on a preliminary basis. Questions were raised on how this would get to the City Council with the desire to get it to them immediately for their reaction. Director Vraa said that he would contact City Administrator Hedges. Members of the Advisory Commission suggested that Chairman Markell speak with the Mayor in regards to this proposal. There being no further discussion, the Advisory Commission workshop session adjourned at approximately 9:25 pm. Secretary Date