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07/07/1998 - City Council Special���y 1=1 1f'. AGENDA SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING Tuesday July 7, 1998 5:00 P.M. MUNICIPAL CENTER BUILDING COMMUNITY ROOM I. ROLL CALL & AGENDA ADOPTION II. CITY WIDE TREE PLANTING PROGRAM III. FAMILY AQUATIC POOL UPDATE/WATER TECHNOLOGIES, INC. IV. OTHER BUSINESS V. ADJOURNMENT t-_ MEMO city of eagan TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCILMEMBERS FROM: CITY ADMINISTRATOR HEDGES DATE: JULY 2, 1998 SUBJECT: SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING/JULY 7, 1998 AT 5:00 P.M. CITY WIDE TREE PLANTING PROGRAM At the June 23 City Council work session, staff was directed to do some research regarding a city wide reforestation program and report back at the next work session. Following that meeting, the City Administrator directed the Director of Parks and Recreation and City Forester to discuss the logistics of implementing a tree reforestation program this summer, which would make available to the community a great number of trees, and to begin a reforestation effort as early as this fall. City Councilmember Awada suggested that the number could be up to 10,000 trees if the availability from nurseries and demand by the public would reach that number during 1998/1999. At the Collaborative meeting held the same evening, June 23, a city wide reforestation project was well received by those in attendance. It should be noted that the incoming President of Rotary, Rick Waldeland, included as a part of his new President's message, a priority to replant trees in the community for 1998/1999. Staff is researching and will have information at the meeting on Tuesday about the variety, diameter and availability of trees from area wide nurseries. The City Forester can comment on the best and most effective time to plant trees. The City Administrator's office will try to contact Katey Munson, who read her essay at the June 2'd City Council meeting encouraging each resident of the community to plant two (2) trees, and invite her to attend the meeting on July 7'. Staff will need further direction on comments that were made by the City Council at the June 23rd workshop regarding how trees are to be financed; i.e. corporate donations, service organizations, City participation and match by residents and how the public should be informed; should the Wallace Group assist our Communications Coordinator to present the program to the community. There are many themes that could be adopted such as "2000 by 2000", meaning that the community will attempt to plant 2000 trees by the year 2000 which is approximately the number the City lost in the May storms. Obviously, the number of trees purchased and planted could be higher depending on the response from the community. ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED: To provide staff direction on the City wide tree planting program with the understanding that the community will be informed that a program is being considered at the July 7 regular City Council meeting and the details of the program will be worked up by staff, per direction of the City Council and presented at a future City Council meeting. FAMILY AQUATIC POOL UPDATEIWATER TECHNOLOGIES. INC. Water Technologies, Inc. will be present for the special work session to review any and all drawings, answer questions regarding the bids and respond to any questions the City Council might have regarding the proposed Family Aquatic Pool Facility Project. This is an opportunity for the City Council to further review all working drawings for the proposed project. The Director of Parks and Recreation appeared at the Dakota County Board Meeting on Tuesday, June 30, to request a right -of -entry onto library property during construction of the Aquatic Pool Project and, further, a permanent easement to relocate a Dakota Electric line onto the library property. A formal request for this Board review had been made in a letter by the City Administrator which a copy is enclosed on page_ for your review. A permanent easement to locate a portion of the Aquatic Pool Facility on library property was not granted by the County Board of Commissioners due to the need to preserve all library property for their own future expansion. However, the Board indicated that they would entertain a right -of -entry for construction purposes if there is no interim or long term impact on their property. The request for the permanent easement to relocate the electric line had been discussed between City and County staff prior to the meeting, and it was the understanding of the City Administrator from the Director of Parks and Recreation that there was agreement on the part of all the parties to relocate the electric utility line onto the library property. Relocation of utility lines, electric, cable, water and sewer is very common to capital projects. It was apparent on Tuesday/Wednesday in phone calls with the chairperson of Dakota Electric and County Commissioner Bataglia that there were a number of concerns about the relocation of the electric line onto the library property. Commissioner Bataglia also shared concerns that members of the County Board had about the potential impact on the existing library facility with the granting of a right -of -entry to allow construction of the Aquatic Pool Facility. The City Administrator had a lengthy conversation with Commission Member Bataglia on Wednesday and they both agreed to schedule a meeting at the Eagan City Hall at 3:00 p.m. on Monday afternoon with Commissioner Mueller, County staff and City staff to resolve any outstanding issues. The City Administrator and County Commissioner have agreed to have a representative of Dakota Electric present for the meeting as well. For further information on the presentation at the County Board meeting, refer to a memo prepared by the Director of Parks and Recreation referenced as pages _C� through _ . The City Administrator will report on Monday's meeting at the special workshop on Tuesday, since there will not be time to prepare a memo for the Administrative packet. ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED: To provide staff with direction regarding the Family Aquatic Pool Facility Project per discussions/presentation by Water Technologies, Inc. and regarding the outcome of the meeting between the City and the County on Monday. OTHER BUSINESS There are no other business items scheduled at this time. /S/ Thomas L. Hedges City Administrator J June 23, 1998 Mr. Brandt Richardson County Administrator Dakota County Government Center 1590 Highway 55 Hastings, MN 55033 Dear Mr. Richardson, On behalf of the City of Eagan, I want to thank the Board of Commissioners for their recent action to work with the City to provide a grading easement onto the library Troperty. 1 understand that County and City staff had a productive meeting on June 19 to review the various issues involved as well as the County's concerns for future library expansion. This letter formally requests that the City of Eagan be granted an easement to grade onto the library property as reflected on the attached grading plan dated June 23, 1998. In order to develop a simple legal description for this easement, the City is requesting that a line forty feet north of the south library property line be described as the easement area. As the attached grading plan reflects, the City of Eagan will not be grading this entire area, only a portion. Dakota Electric is also requesting a ten -foot utility easement just north of the library's south property line to re -install a primary electrical line. This service line provides electrical service to the library and Eagan City Hall. As a result of this project, the service line will have to be relocated within this ten -foot easement. This is a buried service line and will be well outside any future construction zone for library expansion. Again, thank you for your assistance with this project. Sincerely, Tom Hedges City Administrator TH/cm Attachments TO FROM DATE: city of eagan CITY ADMINISTRATOR HEDGES DIRECTOR OF PARKS & RECREATION VRAA JUNE 30,1998 MEMO SUBJECT: DAKOTA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS' ACTION RE: REQUEST FOR CONSTRUCTION RIGHT OF ENTRY & RELOCATION OF DAKOTA ELECTRIC LINE I attended the Dakota County Board of Commissioners meeting today, June 30, for the purpose of requesting formal action by the County Board to grant a right of entry to allow construction for the aquatic pool facility project on a small portion of the library property. It was determined by the County Board at a recent meeting that a permanent easement to locate any portion of the aquatic pool project on library property would not be acceptable; however, a right of entry for construction purposes would be given consideration. There were six of the seven County Commissioners present for the meeting and the request for a construction right of entry was denied on a 3 to 3 vote with Commissioner members Branning, Hams and Krause voting yes and Bataglia, Maher and Mueller voting no. Included as a part of the discussion and action regarding the right of entry was a request to relocate a Dakota Electric line, which was included in a letter that was -sent to the Board when we requested that this item be placed on the June 30 agenda. Our City Engineer, Russ Matthys, who was on vacation this week, asked that I include, as a part of our request, a permanent easement to allow for the relocation of a Dakota Electric line onto library property. Relocation of electric lines are common to public facility projects, as well as street improvements. The relocation of the electric line had been discussed with County staff on June 19 and appeared to be acceptable. Typically, Engineering includes all the relocation of utilities, including Dakota Electric lines and Peoples Natural Gas mains, as pan of the project detail. In summary, the reason the City was pursuing the right of entry onto library property for construction purposes is to reduce the need for an extensive retaining wall. Staff will need direction from the City Council as to whether we should pursue this any further with Dakota County or proceed ahead without the right of entry and confine all construction to the site. Again, it is important to make a distinction between a right of entry for construction purposes, which is what the City was requesting from Dakota County on library property, and a permanent easement whereby part of the facility would actually be constructed on County property. When the County Board said no to a permanent easement, it was the understanding of the City that the construction easement would be acceptable, because the library would have full use of its property and it would help the City blend the aquatic pool facility site with the library property. The issue regarding the Dakota Electric line easement was a recommendation from Engineering; given the response of the 03 County Board, staff will continue to work with Dakota Electric to look for other alternatives to relocate the electric line. I hope this provides an explanation of the request that was made to the County and their action. Director of Parks & Recreation KV/vmd 'J Minutes of the Special City Council Meeting July 7, 1998 page 1 MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE EAGAN CITY COUNCIL EAGAN, MINNESOTA JULY 7, 1998 Present: Mayor Tom Egan, CoungilmeMber..F.W.Aw.gida, Councilmember Bea Blomquist, Councilmember Sandy Masin, Coin Cilfneitif#®i: >3i.:Wachter, City Administrator Hedges, Director of Parks and Recreation, Vraa, City Forester Hove, Intem to the City Administrator Hertel. Mayor Egan called the meeting to order at 5:05. The agenda was approved and Mayor Egan suggested the Council proceed to the Aquatic Pool Facility issue and return to the City Wide Tree Planting Program topic when Councilmember Awada arrived;':.:.... ITOR9zi0 BE HEARD Jeff Gregory, President of the VtCiiltlCteai;Rieowr3gi?s Association, spoke on behalf of the assembled group, stating that Fie and'his nei hbtits felt they needed to pay close attention to the process of the pool facility. Mr. Gregory further stated that they are skeptical of the potential stand-by generator and may have comments on that at the regular Council meeting. City Administrator Hedges reviewed:#k 8;- fem gf d introduced the representative from Water Technologies, Mr. Ken Ward, -Mr._ Hedot reported that the purpose of this update was to review the bids the Cit ytiadteceived for the aquatic facility and give the Council a chance to ask any additional gaestiorl$they may have. City Administrator Hedges updated the group about the meeting which:fook place at the Municipal Center between himself, Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa, Councilmember Blomquist, members of the Dakota County Board of Commissioners and a representative from Dakota Electric. He further stated that the group covered two issues, the first of which was the relocation of the underground electric lines and the second of which was the construction right of entry on Iibrary.,praperty.:Mr._Hodges stated that the meeting was very successful and was plea satl'tii:iiifoFm tli2:gfovp that the electrical lines did not need to be relocated onto County prc►g8lty, but{xlild be dropped lower in their current location. He further informed tFie group tliet*the County Board, meeting as the Physical Development Committee, voted;' -0 to gr >f the right of entry on the County property to the construction site for the farii4jt ®E;c?tic:p90# #e?{ity earlier in the day. City Administrator Hedges stated itini`:::: ' : ritiSi:ap{irvphate for Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa and Mr. Ward from Water Technologies to review the bids. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa clarified that the project had been bid in two packages; the first package included,th9.."..and the lazy river features of the facility, and the second package was for Yk. -:$We teatures. Mr. Vraa explained that for both packages, there were bothi ias2 bids and aitdinate bids, which would include variations on the specified feat"ia He further e'iifileined that the bid the City received from Wanzek was the lowest bid�:but that the City -had received word from them that their bid was in error and they."l_ drew their:bid_�j*.ector. of Parks and Recreation Vraa Minutes of the Special City Council Meeting July 7, 1996 page 2 then directed the attention of the group to the remaining bids for the pool and the slides. He also indicated that the successful bidder for the water slides had also offered some voluntary deducts, which are still under review. Councilmembers Awada and Masin arrived at approximately 5:15. Mayor Egan asked K the total projected cost had changed for bid package number one. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa replied that the current projected cost was $3,080,000 for the first two packages, saying that the cost is still similar to the original estimates. Mr. Vraa then reviewed an updated project budget and stated that the total cost of the project is now expected to be about $6.8 million, down from the original estimate of $7.1 million. Councilmember Wachter asked 9 the entire cost of relocating the electrical lines could be eliminated from the budget. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa responded that the cost could be reduced from the listed $15,000 to between $6,000 and $7,000, based on the new information provided by Dakota Electric about lowering the lines. Mayor Egan asked Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa to explain the additional costs for landscaping. Mr. Vraa replied that he was referring to landscaping around the outside of the facility, which will mirror the landscaping done within the facility. He stated that the costs could be expected to increase to $70,000 for landscaping, which would also provide for landscaping in the parking areas and the additional landscaping the library was looking for. Councilmember Wachter asked if the amount listed for the cost of the retaining wall was the most expensive that it had been. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa stated that this was a reduction from other discussions of the wall and that the cost of the wall had been calculated to cost up to $108,000, but, given this design, the retaining wall is not expected to be that costly. Mayor Egan asked if there was a connection between the reduced costs of the project and the move to line item budgeting. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa responded that the City's estimates were more refined now, giving everyone has a better indication of the scope of the project. Mr. Ward of Water Technologies stated that the pools and slides were under budget or very Gose and directed the Council's attention to the alternate bids, suggesting they consider those options as well. Mr. Ward explained how it was possible to use wood in place of metal for the support struts of the slides and may potentially save the City money. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa stated that the City is still looking into this possibility and that alternatives including wood should be considered. Mr. Vraa explained that offered deduct was for an all -wood structure for the slide support system and said that the use of wood may necessitate more maintenance than metal. Mr. Vraa indicated that using wood may also mean having more support beams on the structure, potentially impeding walking and Guttering the deck area. Mr. Vraa stated that he was in favor of considering wood as part of the structure because it would complement the materials being used in the rest of the facility, but that valve engineering along with a Loser review by the consultants was needed first. Minutes of the Special City Council Meeting July 7, 1998 page 3 Councilmember Wachter asked his fellow councitmembers to not discount wood as a material or be overly concerned about its safety and relayed his experience working at Valleyfair, where the rollercoasters are built of wood. Mr. Ward supported his comment and stated that it was possible to tiaVe a structure with both wood and metal for optimal performance. Councilmember Masi Y supported the use of wood, saying that wood doesn't get as hot in the summertitrte;:;fgctlrrieiuber:Blomquist expressed concern that wood may be more slippery +e"responded that the walking surface would remain a slip -resistant fiberglass composite. Councilmember Wachter asked for clarification about the fib.ftlass. Mr. Ward responded that the surface is designed for deck surfaces. Mayor Egan asked if there were further questions and stated that this issue would be formally dealt with in Old Business at the Regular Meeting. Councilmember Blomquist expresioieid concW that the latest plans were not in the packet and therefore still showed thi pool k.0 ect encroaching on the library's property. Director of Parks and Recreation Visa disoi** ed the construction plans and indicated the sand play area that had been:Mpdified:jn;the new. plans. Councilmember Blomquist asked if the fence was exactly on;il ie: jlp(sertyX}e::Jii'ector of Parks and Recreation Vraa explained that there were some areas where the.fence was on the property lines and others where it deviated; he was unable to be clearer because the drawings were only of the facility itself and not the surrounding properties. Councilmember Blomquist expressed the concerns of the residents who were present, stating that it was very important to them to know how close to their proPerty>tbis facility would be situated and asked again for the distance between the fence.:afidfiie other properties. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa restated.tttat:letid trijfhave that exact information at his disposal, but could provide it. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa aslSeiiti?.;share the preliminary plans with the Council for the entryway to the aquatic facility:::,MijyS}Egan allowed the request and the Council reviewed several different perspectives of tlf6:' roposed entry. Councilmember Blomquist asked if the entryway designs were in the bid packages. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa stated that these plans were not in the bid or in the current budget, this feature would be bid separately and wanted to share these plans with the council. Mr. Vraa indicated that the proposed entryway display would have an estimated cost of $120,000. Mr. Ward added that theso'id signs.were rAeant to be a focal point and a means of identification for the facilf y '1r113yQr. gamest ed if it would cost more to add the entry features at a later date. Mik�64)arsori M Greystone indicated that the additional cost for doing it in the future woutd.be minimill. Councilmember Wachter expresse<;fii-fg-" iQaiii tifxkt the deck in the pool facility, asking if the facility's concrete wGl) rieet!'a'seaTet&'some kind and if that was in the budget. He expressed further concern about durability and cracking issues, but was informed that Graystone was looking into all those issues. CITY WIDE TREE -PLANTING PROGRAM City Administrator Hedges introduccdtl*3 ti �§i6*q* 1a:.13em. Mr. Hedges reviewed the extensive loss of trees in the Eagai Community it :10. -past two years' storms, especially the May 15 and May 30 storms. hAr` Hedges state4. t in recent conversations with City Council members on this isstW.; there have beerYsuggestions to plant anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 trees, look: *.Ihe. Kea(:2Q0 as a target date for completing the Minutes of the Special City Council Meeting July 7, 1998 page 4 reforestation efforts. Mr. Hedges asked the Council to provide direction for staff to further research this potential program, including direction on tree diameter, funding, distribution and timelines. He further.stated that the Council that he had already asked City Forester Gregg Hove to do research on this issue and asked Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa to give an overvi6W:*of forestry issues in Eagan. Director of Parks and Recreation1!f$a t fps? e j tts ;>':0 ncil that spring is the preferred time for planting due to availability,:quality and diversity of trees. Mr. Vraa reminded the dfic Council of the yearly tree sale conted through the City and discussed several options for tree -diameters and their respe8Ve costs. He further stated that bare root trees can be purchased for $15420, 1 '% inch diameter trees in ten-gallon containers can be purchased for $40450 and that there were more varieties available at that size, and 2 to 3 inch ball -and -burlap trees cost approximately $2504300 per tree. City Forester Hove asked the Council to thK-:about how they would want to distribute the trees, relaying experiences froitf:the tre ;$ale and offering several potential means of distribution. He also suggested Oe Council ironsider what types of properties they will be targeting. Mr. Hove further suWested;:that.th.:pragram is spread out over several growing seasons, with akick-off tflia;211;;3kia:phtigiarii;Cauld run in Fall 1998, Spring and Fall 1999 and end with a finale in Spring 20b0: " Mayor Egan asked if the trees would be purchased at "cost." City Forester Hove said yes. Councilmember Awada asked if the City could get a price break for ordering such a substantial number of trees. Mr. Hove stated that the. -City should be able to get as many trees as they request, but the price break w'it (*J eiTd on a variety of factors, including type and time of year. City Administrator Hedges stated'that.ft.prograi'o can't be developed until staff have the numbers on tree diameter and irigiifreil; atiout additional handling issues with the various sizes of trees. City Forester Hove corlii fi.ed that the bare -root trees were more challenging to transport and plant and stated that fi :wouldn't be able to negotiate on prices with the wholesalers until he had some indication of size and quantity. Councilmember Wachter said he would prefer doing a program with the 1 % inch diameter potted trees and his suggestion was met with consensus from the rest of the Council. Mayor Egan said that it was impdftnt for ft:Council and the City to be very clear about the objective of this program: to replace tree$.that had been lost through storm damage in the past two years. Mayor Eg :.e haSiZ-ed that he did not want the City to be competing with private firms for iiidiuit k:laiid.. .... 'business. Mayor Egan stated g'r'oiips that through his interactions with 3ryrvicA',irf Ei ban, he knows there is a lot of interest in and support for this program; for that reason, he believes it is crucial that the City outline a definable program with reasonable timelines that can work in coordination with other groups in the community. Councilmember Blomquist asked if:tf?e' iii)gfait?;e3i luId start in the fall. The consensus among the group was yes. Councilmember Awada asked howmany trees had been lost to storm damage. City Administrator Hedges responded#3sdtayel...4. tr 5.'had been damaged. Minutes of the Special City Council Meeting July 7, 1998 page 5 Councilmember Awada suggested a target of 10,000 trees and corroborated Mayor Egan's comments about interest from the business community. Director of Parks and Recreation Vita stated that there are an infinite number of ways to organize this program and asked for direction on how to set priorities. Councilmember Blomquist suggested that the Courae .gei a mmtrlA .:of interested citizens from the Collaborative Meeting together, sfi8: yititioC si33e t tW.-'j;oncem over the losses of trees in Eagan parks and though the progrAm should be comprehensive, and that the committee should include representatives frO* i the Advisory Parks Commission. Mayor Egan stated that he would like to see the Council adopt a policy about how to distribute trees through this program, develop a way to quantify and identify the losses suffered and then a policy for how to remedy those losses. Mayor Egan restated that he thought the Council needed to bepQry Gear about the direction of the tree planting program and the objectives of the:C;ouncil.:::: Councilmember Wachter expressed conceftaabout the types of trees that would be available through this program, due.to ttZe.t cent.development of the yellow spruce fly infestation in the area. CouncilmQi' . achio .:$tafed that the Council should limit the number of spruce trees allowed to be'. e plan ted.so ttiat'fhis program doesn't self-destruct in a matter of a few years; he further stated that the Council should modify its policies about landscaping for all kinds of development to respond to this infestation. Mayor Egan shared Councilmember Wachter's concerns about the spruce and said they should be regulated in the future. Mayor Egan also stated .that the Council needed to identify priorities for the tree planting. CouncilmemberfVlasin $fated that she thought the developers already needed to get their.VeidtldsC OIN plans approved and questioned the X. need for a new policy. City ForeSleeiioconfirired that there is an existing policy, but that the spruce tree is currently ori .the list: of recoinmended trees and it is a popular tree that provides good coverage and that is:why Uevelopers like to use it. Councilmember Masin asked that staff prepare an amendmenf>ttitt2current landscaping policy to regulate the number of spruce trees. Mayor Egan asked if this was enough direction for staff to proceed with the planning of the tree -planting program. City Administrator Hedges responded that staff would work with City Forester Hove to develop plans to be reviewed by the committee of interested citizens. Councilmember Blom qui.st::(pi}ated 113af: thought representatives from the Advisory Parks Commission shoujq:#3e'8n:fl1:offiii3ittee. Councilmember Awada asked that members of the business co.hMunity Fs jtiGuded on the committee; she also asked City Forester Hove to feel out the -market foi. trees and get an indication of projected costs. Mr. Hove said he would dgthat, buk$kso warned that planting trees over several growing seasons means the Co(iiGifiiay:7ltei?eiica3:fluctuating costs. City Administrator Hedges suggested:Dtiyiiiig'a'Vatietyofspecies and working with the wholesalers to lock in a price over the coming growing seasons. Councilmember Awada stated that she thought businesses would certainly be willing to lock in a price on such a substantial order. Mayor Egan emphatically urged tht;>r"giiiC$ tti tgilain Gear on the objective of the program because that clarity will.betiiore condui ii®10 finding price breaks and keeping other groups involved who may 6i3'8eterred if the Cdiji. strays from its objective. Mayor Egan also thought the committeO.'Oduld have repretsentatives from the Garden Club. Minutes of the Special City Council Meeting July 7, 1998 page 8 OTHER BUSINESS Councilmember Masin asked the rest of the Council and City Administrator Hedges if they had received numerous cells:A.Wut the 4'" of July celebration and inquired if there was a means of tracking those cal(. Op know how extensive the response has been. City Administrator Hedges stated itytaifi'@csived a few calls from disappointed citizens prior to the ceietiratfor.-,.: t f fsaif,ritt received any calls since. Councilmember Blomquist said s*had received many calls and that the City needs to find a place to do an aerial display;$fie stated that personally, she thought the fireworks were high and beautiful and that this was one of the best displays ever. Councilmember Masin stated that she had received many calls, which indicated to her the importance of fireworks and the importance of the newspaper as a means of communication. Mayor Egan said he had spoken to Roy Wallace about the article in the paper and had learned that the reporter who wrote the st¢ijk was unfamiliar with the Eagan beat and had spoken to individuals who did not officialli*preser t;$ieir entities on this issue; this resulted in poor reporting and embarrassed the.. City audio Ms. Carlin of the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Councilmember:4tada stated that members of her staff had informed her that the fireworks were lame. ;�pfri iiia iCMon :C.*Ordinator Foote was in the audience and stated that the newspoOft: iaQ begirt sW complete and accurate press releases that they chose not to use. Councilmember Blomquist informed the group that there was low turnout, but repeated that she considered this year's celebration one of the best ever and said she was pleased. Councilmember Masin said that there was a lot of attendance lost this year due to the bad press, and that the organizers of the celebration will have to do something big next yeu;{Cregain the community's support. Councilmember Blomquist said she wantedtb;tie�ogniie the Police and Fire departments for their efforts. Cownoil{iiei ir:`Aw+ada suggested the Council reconsider this holiday and its importance. CisiincjlfnembeffVlasin responded that this was perhaps the City of Eagan's most important "'izfay; gaping it a homecoming for many past and present Eagan citizens. The meeting adjourned at 6:13 p.m. ���y 1=1 1f'. AGENDA SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING Tuesday July 7, 1998 5:00 P.M. MUNICIPAL CENTER BUILDING COMMUNITY ROOM I. ROLL CALL & AGENDA ADOPTION II. CITY WIDE TREE PLANTING PROGRAM III. FAMILY AQUATIC POOL UPDATE/WATER TECHNOLOGIES, INC. IV. OTHER BUSINESS V. ADJOURNMENT t-_ MEMO city of eagan TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCILMEMBERS FROM: CITY ADMINISTRATOR HEDGES DATE: JULY 2, 1998 SUBJECT: SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING/JULY 7, 1998 AT 5:00 P.M. CITY WIDE TREE PLANTING PROGRAM At the June 23 City Council work session, staff was directed to do some research regarding a city wide reforestation program and report back at the next work session. Following that meeting, the City Administrator directed the Director of Parks and Recreation and City Forester to discuss the logistics of implementing a tree reforestation program this summer, which would make available to the community a great number of trees, and to begin a reforestation effort as early as this fall. City Councilmember Awada suggested that the number could be up to 10,000 trees if the availability from nurseries and demand by the public would reach that number during 1998/1999. At the Collaborative meeting held the same evening, June 23, a city wide reforestation project was well received by those in attendance. It should be noted that the incoming President of Rotary, Rick Waldeland, included as a part of his new President's message, a priority to replant trees in the community for 1998/1999. Staff is researching and will have information at the meeting on Tuesday about the variety, diameter and availability of trees from area wide nurseries. The City Forester can comment on the best and most effective time to plant trees. The City Administrator's office will try to contact Katey Munson, who read her essay at the June 2'd City Council meeting encouraging each resident of the community to plant two (2) trees, and invite her to attend the meeting on July 7'. Staff will need further direction on comments that were made by the City Council at the June 23rd workshop regarding how trees are to be financed; i.e. corporate donations, service organizations, City participation and match by residents and how the public should be informed; should the Wallace Group assist our Communications Coordinator to present the program to the community. There are many themes that could be adopted such as "2000 by 2000", meaning that the community will attempt to plant 2000 trees by the year 2000 which is approximately the number the City lost in the May storms. Obviously, the number of trees purchased and planted could be higher depending on the response from the community. ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED: To provide staff direction on the City wide tree planting program with the understanding that the community will be informed that a program is being considered at the July 7 regular City Council meeting and the details of the program will be worked up by staff, per direction of the City Council and presented at a future City Council meeting. FAMILY AQUATIC POOL UPDATEIWATER TECHNOLOGIES. INC. Water Technologies, Inc. will be present for the special work session to review any and all drawings, answer questions regarding the bids and respond to any questions the City Council might have regarding the proposed Family Aquatic Pool Facility Project. This is an opportunity for the City Council to further review all working drawings for the proposed project. The Director of Parks and Recreation appeared at the Dakota County Board Meeting on Tuesday, June 30, to request a right -of -entry onto library property during construction of the Aquatic Pool Project and, further, a permanent easement to relocate a Dakota Electric line onto the library property. A formal request for this Board review had been made in a letter by the City Administrator which a copy is enclosed on page_ for your review. A permanent easement to locate a portion of the Aquatic Pool Facility on library property was not granted by the County Board of Commissioners due to the need to preserve all library property for their own future expansion. However, the Board indicated that they would entertain a right -of -entry for construction purposes if there is no interim or long term impact on their property. The request for the permanent easement to relocate the electric line had been discussed between City and County staff prior to the meeting, and it was the understanding of the City Administrator from the Director of Parks and Recreation that there was agreement on the part of all the parties to relocate the electric utility line onto the library property. Relocation of utility lines, electric, cable, water and sewer is very common to capital projects. It was apparent on Tuesday/Wednesday in phone calls with the chairperson of Dakota Electric and County Commissioner Bataglia that there were a number of concerns about the relocation of the electric line onto the library property. Commissioner Bataglia also shared concerns that members of the County Board had about the potential impact on the existing library facility with the granting of a right -of -entry to allow construction of the Aquatic Pool Facility. The City Administrator had a lengthy conversation with Commission Member Bataglia on Wednesday and they both agreed to schedule a meeting at the Eagan City Hall at 3:00 p.m. on Monday afternoon with Commissioner Mueller, County staff and City staff to resolve any outstanding issues. The City Administrator and County Commissioner have agreed to have a representative of Dakota Electric present for the meeting as well. For further information on the presentation at the County Board meeting, refer to a memo prepared by the Director of Parks and Recreation referenced as pages _C� through _ . The City Administrator will report on Monday's meeting at the special workshop on Tuesday, since there will not be time to prepare a memo for the Administrative packet. ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED: To provide staff with direction regarding the Family Aquatic Pool Facility Project per discussions/presentation by Water Technologies, Inc. and regarding the outcome of the meeting between the City and the County on Monday. OTHER BUSINESS There are no other business items scheduled at this time. /S/ Thomas L. Hedges City Administrator J June 23, 1998 Mr. Brandt Richardson County Administrator Dakota County Government Center 1590 Highway 55 Hastings, MN 55033 Dear Mr. Richardson, On behalf of the City of Eagan, I want to thank the Board of Commissioners for their recent action to work with the City to provide a grading easement onto the library Troperty. 1 understand that County and City staff had a productive meeting on June 19 to review the various issues involved as well as the County's concerns for future library expansion. This letter formally requests that the City of Eagan be granted an easement to grade onto the library property as reflected on the attached grading plan dated June 23, 1998. In order to develop a simple legal description for this easement, the City is requesting that a line forty feet north of the south library property line be described as the easement area. As the attached grading plan reflects, the City of Eagan will not be grading this entire area, only a portion. Dakota Electric is also requesting a ten -foot utility easement just north of the library's south property line to re -install a primary electrical line. This service line provides electrical service to the library and Eagan City Hall. As a result of this project, the service line will have to be relocated within this ten -foot easement. This is a buried service line and will be well outside any future construction zone for library expansion. Again, thank you for your assistance with this project. Sincerely, Tom Hedges City Administrator TH/cm Attachments TO FROM DATE: city of eagan CITY ADMINISTRATOR HEDGES DIRECTOR OF PARKS & RECREATION VRAA JUNE 30,1998 MEMO SUBJECT: DAKOTA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS' ACTION RE: REQUEST FOR CONSTRUCTION RIGHT OF ENTRY & RELOCATION OF DAKOTA ELECTRIC LINE I attended the Dakota County Board of Commissioners meeting today, June 30, for the purpose of requesting formal action by the County Board to grant a right of entry to allow construction for the aquatic pool facility project on a small portion of the library property. It was determined by the County Board at a recent meeting that a permanent easement to locate any portion of the aquatic pool project on library property would not be acceptable; however, a right of entry for construction purposes would be given consideration. There were six of the seven County Commissioners present for the meeting and the request for a construction right of entry was denied on a 3 to 3 vote with Commissioner members Branning, Hams and Krause voting yes and Bataglia, Maher and Mueller voting no. Included as a part of the discussion and action regarding the right of entry was a request to relocate a Dakota Electric line, which was included in a letter that was -sent to the Board when we requested that this item be placed on the June 30 agenda. Our City Engineer, Russ Matthys, who was on vacation this week, asked that I include, as a part of our request, a permanent easement to allow for the relocation of a Dakota Electric line onto library property. Relocation of electric lines are common to public facility projects, as well as street improvements. The relocation of the electric line had been discussed with County staff on June 19 and appeared to be acceptable. Typically, Engineering includes all the relocation of utilities, including Dakota Electric lines and Peoples Natural Gas mains, as pan of the project detail. In summary, the reason the City was pursuing the right of entry onto library property for construction purposes is to reduce the need for an extensive retaining wall. Staff will need direction from the City Council as to whether we should pursue this any further with Dakota County or proceed ahead without the right of entry and confine all construction to the site. Again, it is important to make a distinction between a right of entry for construction purposes, which is what the City was requesting from Dakota County on library property, and a permanent easement whereby part of the facility would actually be constructed on County property. When the County Board said no to a permanent easement, it was the understanding of the City that the construction easement would be acceptable, because the library would have full use of its property and it would help the City blend the aquatic pool facility site with the library property. The issue regarding the Dakota Electric line easement was a recommendation from Engineering; given the response of the 03 County Board, staff will continue to work with Dakota Electric to look for other alternatives to relocate the electric line. I hope this provides an explanation of the request that was made to the County and their action. Director of Parks & Recreation KV/vmd 'J Minutes of the Special City Council Meeting July 7, 1998 page 1 MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE EAGAN CITY COUNCIL EAGAN, MINNESOTA JULY 7, 1998 Present: Mayor Tom Egan, CoungilmeMber..F.W.Aw.gida, Councilmember Bea Blomquist, Councilmember Sandy Masin, Coin Cilfneitif#®i: >3i.:Wachter, City Administrator Hedges, Director of Parks and Recreation, Vraa, City Forester Hove, Intem to the City Administrator Hertel. Mayor Egan called the meeting to order at 5:05. The agenda was approved and Mayor Egan suggested the Council proceed to the Aquatic Pool Facility issue and return to the City Wide Tree Planting Program topic when Councilmember Awada arrived;':.:.... ITOR9zi0 BE HEARD Jeff Gregory, President of the VtCiiltlCteai;Rieowr3gi?s Association, spoke on behalf of the assembled group, stating that Fie and'his nei hbtits felt they needed to pay close attention to the process of the pool facility. Mr. Gregory further stated that they are skeptical of the potential stand-by generator and may have comments on that at the regular Council meeting. City Administrator Hedges reviewed:#k 8;- fem gf d introduced the representative from Water Technologies, Mr. Ken Ward, -Mr._ Hedot reported that the purpose of this update was to review the bids the Cit ytiadteceived for the aquatic facility and give the Council a chance to ask any additional gaestiorl$they may have. City Administrator Hedges updated the group about the meeting which:fook place at the Municipal Center between himself, Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa, Councilmember Blomquist, members of the Dakota County Board of Commissioners and a representative from Dakota Electric. He further stated that the group covered two issues, the first of which was the relocation of the underground electric lines and the second of which was the construction right of entry on Iibrary.,praperty.:Mr._Hodges stated that the meeting was very successful and was plea satl'tii:iiifoFm tli2:gfovp that the electrical lines did not need to be relocated onto County prc►g8lty, but{xlild be dropped lower in their current location. He further informed tFie group tliet*the County Board, meeting as the Physical Development Committee, voted;' -0 to gr >f the right of entry on the County property to the construction site for the farii4jt ®E;c?tic:p90# #e?{ity earlier in the day. City Administrator Hedges stated itini`:::: ' : ritiSi:ap{irvphate for Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa and Mr. Ward from Water Technologies to review the bids. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa clarified that the project had been bid in two packages; the first package included,th9.."..and the lazy river features of the facility, and the second package was for Yk. -:$We teatures. Mr. Vraa explained that for both packages, there were bothi ias2 bids and aitdinate bids, which would include variations on the specified feat"ia He further e'iifileined that the bid the City received from Wanzek was the lowest bid�:but that the City -had received word from them that their bid was in error and they."l_ drew their:bid_�j*.ector. of Parks and Recreation Vraa Minutes of the Special City Council Meeting July 7, 1996 page 2 then directed the attention of the group to the remaining bids for the pool and the slides. He also indicated that the successful bidder for the water slides had also offered some voluntary deducts, which are still under review. Councilmembers Awada and Masin arrived at approximately 5:15. Mayor Egan asked K the total projected cost had changed for bid package number one. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa replied that the current projected cost was $3,080,000 for the first two packages, saying that the cost is still similar to the original estimates. Mr. Vraa then reviewed an updated project budget and stated that the total cost of the project is now expected to be about $6.8 million, down from the original estimate of $7.1 million. Councilmember Wachter asked 9 the entire cost of relocating the electrical lines could be eliminated from the budget. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa responded that the cost could be reduced from the listed $15,000 to between $6,000 and $7,000, based on the new information provided by Dakota Electric about lowering the lines. Mayor Egan asked Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa to explain the additional costs for landscaping. Mr. Vraa replied that he was referring to landscaping around the outside of the facility, which will mirror the landscaping done within the facility. He stated that the costs could be expected to increase to $70,000 for landscaping, which would also provide for landscaping in the parking areas and the additional landscaping the library was looking for. Councilmember Wachter asked if the amount listed for the cost of the retaining wall was the most expensive that it had been. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa stated that this was a reduction from other discussions of the wall and that the cost of the wall had been calculated to cost up to $108,000, but, given this design, the retaining wall is not expected to be that costly. Mayor Egan asked if there was a connection between the reduced costs of the project and the move to line item budgeting. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa responded that the City's estimates were more refined now, giving everyone has a better indication of the scope of the project. Mr. Ward of Water Technologies stated that the pools and slides were under budget or very Gose and directed the Council's attention to the alternate bids, suggesting they consider those options as well. Mr. Ward explained how it was possible to use wood in place of metal for the support struts of the slides and may potentially save the City money. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa stated that the City is still looking into this possibility and that alternatives including wood should be considered. Mr. Vraa explained that offered deduct was for an all -wood structure for the slide support system and said that the use of wood may necessitate more maintenance than metal. Mr. Vraa indicated that using wood may also mean having more support beams on the structure, potentially impeding walking and Guttering the deck area. Mr. Vraa stated that he was in favor of considering wood as part of the structure because it would complement the materials being used in the rest of the facility, but that valve engineering along with a Loser review by the consultants was needed first. Minutes of the Special City Council Meeting July 7, 1998 page 3 Councilmember Wachter asked his fellow councitmembers to not discount wood as a material or be overly concerned about its safety and relayed his experience working at Valleyfair, where the rollercoasters are built of wood. Mr. Ward supported his comment and stated that it was possible to tiaVe a structure with both wood and metal for optimal performance. Councilmember Masi Y supported the use of wood, saying that wood doesn't get as hot in the summertitrte;:;fgctlrrieiuber:Blomquist expressed concern that wood may be more slippery +e"responded that the walking surface would remain a slip -resistant fiberglass composite. Councilmember Wachter asked for clarification about the fib.ftlass. Mr. Ward responded that the surface is designed for deck surfaces. Mayor Egan asked if there were further questions and stated that this issue would be formally dealt with in Old Business at the Regular Meeting. Councilmember Blomquist expresioieid concW that the latest plans were not in the packet and therefore still showed thi pool k.0 ect encroaching on the library's property. Director of Parks and Recreation Visa disoi** ed the construction plans and indicated the sand play area that had been:Mpdified:jn;the new. plans. Councilmember Blomquist asked if the fence was exactly on;il ie: jlp(sertyX}e::Jii'ector of Parks and Recreation Vraa explained that there were some areas where the.fence was on the property lines and others where it deviated; he was unable to be clearer because the drawings were only of the facility itself and not the surrounding properties. Councilmember Blomquist expressed the concerns of the residents who were present, stating that it was very important to them to know how close to their proPerty>tbis facility would be situated and asked again for the distance between the fence.:afidfiie other properties. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa restated.tttat:letid trijfhave that exact information at his disposal, but could provide it. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa aslSeiiti?.;share the preliminary plans with the Council for the entryway to the aquatic facility:::,MijyS}Egan allowed the request and the Council reviewed several different perspectives of tlf6:' roposed entry. Councilmember Blomquist asked if the entryway designs were in the bid packages. Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa stated that these plans were not in the bid or in the current budget, this feature would be bid separately and wanted to share these plans with the council. Mr. Vraa indicated that the proposed entryway display would have an estimated cost of $120,000. Mr. Ward added that theso'id signs.were rAeant to be a focal point and a means of identification for the facilf y '1r113yQr. gamest ed if it would cost more to add the entry features at a later date. Mik�64)arsori M Greystone indicated that the additional cost for doing it in the future woutd.be minimill. Councilmember Wachter expresse<;fii-fg-" iQaiii tifxkt the deck in the pool facility, asking if the facility's concrete wGl) rieet!'a'seaTet&'some kind and if that was in the budget. He expressed further concern about durability and cracking issues, but was informed that Graystone was looking into all those issues. CITY WIDE TREE -PLANTING PROGRAM City Administrator Hedges introduccdtl*3 ti �§i6*q* 1a:.13em. Mr. Hedges reviewed the extensive loss of trees in the Eagai Community it :10. -past two years' storms, especially the May 15 and May 30 storms. hAr` Hedges state4. t in recent conversations with City Council members on this isstW.; there have beerYsuggestions to plant anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 trees, look: *.Ihe. Kea(:2Q0 as a target date for completing the Minutes of the Special City Council Meeting July 7, 1998 page 4 reforestation efforts. Mr. Hedges asked the Council to provide direction for staff to further research this potential program, including direction on tree diameter, funding, distribution and timelines. He further.stated that the Council that he had already asked City Forester Gregg Hove to do research on this issue and asked Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa to give an overvi6W:*of forestry issues in Eagan. Director of Parks and Recreation1!f$a t fps? e j tts ;>':0 ncil that spring is the preferred time for planting due to availability,:quality and diversity of trees. Mr. Vraa reminded the dfic Council of the yearly tree sale conted through the City and discussed several options for tree -diameters and their respe8Ve costs. He further stated that bare root trees can be purchased for $15420, 1 '% inch diameter trees in ten-gallon containers can be purchased for $40450 and that there were more varieties available at that size, and 2 to 3 inch ball -and -burlap trees cost approximately $2504300 per tree. City Forester Hove asked the Council to thK-:about how they would want to distribute the trees, relaying experiences froitf:the tre ;$ale and offering several potential means of distribution. He also suggested Oe Council ironsider what types of properties they will be targeting. Mr. Hove further suWested;:that.th.:pragram is spread out over several growing seasons, with akick-off tflia;211;;3kia:phtigiarii;Cauld run in Fall 1998, Spring and Fall 1999 and end with a finale in Spring 20b0: " Mayor Egan asked if the trees would be purchased at "cost." City Forester Hove said yes. Councilmember Awada asked if the City could get a price break for ordering such a substantial number of trees. Mr. Hove stated that the. -City should be able to get as many trees as they request, but the price break w'it (*J eiTd on a variety of factors, including type and time of year. City Administrator Hedges stated'that.ft.prograi'o can't be developed until staff have the numbers on tree diameter and irigiifreil; atiout additional handling issues with the various sizes of trees. City Forester Hove corlii fi.ed that the bare -root trees were more challenging to transport and plant and stated that fi :wouldn't be able to negotiate on prices with the wholesalers until he had some indication of size and quantity. Councilmember Wachter said he would prefer doing a program with the 1 % inch diameter potted trees and his suggestion was met with consensus from the rest of the Council. Mayor Egan said that it was impdftnt for ft:Council and the City to be very clear about the objective of this program: to replace tree$.that had been lost through storm damage in the past two years. Mayor Eg :.e haSiZ-ed that he did not want the City to be competing with private firms for iiidiuit k:laiid.. .... 'business. Mayor Egan stated g'r'oiips that through his interactions with 3ryrvicA',irf Ei ban, he knows there is a lot of interest in and support for this program; for that reason, he believes it is crucial that the City outline a definable program with reasonable timelines that can work in coordination with other groups in the community. Councilmember Blomquist asked if:tf?e' iii)gfait?;e3i luId start in the fall. The consensus among the group was yes. Councilmember Awada asked howmany trees had been lost to storm damage. City Administrator Hedges responded#3sdtayel...4. tr 5.'had been damaged. Minutes of the Special City Council Meeting July 7, 1998 page 5 Councilmember Awada suggested a target of 10,000 trees and corroborated Mayor Egan's comments about interest from the business community. Director of Parks and Recreation Vita stated that there are an infinite number of ways to organize this program and asked for direction on how to set priorities. Councilmember Blomquist suggested that the Courae .gei a mmtrlA .:of interested citizens from the Collaborative Meeting together, sfi8: yititioC si33e t tW.-'j;oncem over the losses of trees in Eagan parks and though the progrAm should be comprehensive, and that the committee should include representatives frO* i the Advisory Parks Commission. Mayor Egan stated that he would like to see the Council adopt a policy about how to distribute trees through this program, develop a way to quantify and identify the losses suffered and then a policy for how to remedy those losses. Mayor Egan restated that he thought the Council needed to bepQry Gear about the direction of the tree planting program and the objectives of the:C;ouncil.:::: Councilmember Wachter expressed conceftaabout the types of trees that would be available through this program, due.to ttZe.t cent.development of the yellow spruce fly infestation in the area. CouncilmQi' . achio .:$tafed that the Council should limit the number of spruce trees allowed to be'. e plan ted.so ttiat'fhis program doesn't self-destruct in a matter of a few years; he further stated that the Council should modify its policies about landscaping for all kinds of development to respond to this infestation. Mayor Egan shared Councilmember Wachter's concerns about the spruce and said they should be regulated in the future. Mayor Egan also stated .that the Council needed to identify priorities for the tree planting. CouncilmemberfVlasin $fated that she thought the developers already needed to get their.VeidtldsC OIN plans approved and questioned the X. need for a new policy. City ForeSleeiioconfirired that there is an existing policy, but that the spruce tree is currently ori .the list: of recoinmended trees and it is a popular tree that provides good coverage and that is:why Uevelopers like to use it. Councilmember Masin asked that staff prepare an amendmenf>ttitt2current landscaping policy to regulate the number of spruce trees. Mayor Egan asked if this was enough direction for staff to proceed with the planning of the tree -planting program. City Administrator Hedges responded that staff would work with City Forester Hove to develop plans to be reviewed by the committee of interested citizens. Councilmember Blom qui.st::(pi}ated 113af: thought representatives from the Advisory Parks Commission shoujq:#3e'8n:fl1:offiii3ittee. Councilmember Awada asked that members of the business co.hMunity Fs jtiGuded on the committee; she also asked City Forester Hove to feel out the -market foi. trees and get an indication of projected costs. Mr. Hove said he would dgthat, buk$kso warned that planting trees over several growing seasons means the Co(iiGifiiay:7ltei?eiica3:fluctuating costs. City Administrator Hedges suggested:Dtiyiiiig'a'Vatietyofspecies and working with the wholesalers to lock in a price over the coming growing seasons. Councilmember Awada stated that she thought businesses would certainly be willing to lock in a price on such a substantial order. Mayor Egan emphatically urged tht;>r"giiiC$ tti tgilain Gear on the objective of the program because that clarity will.betiiore condui ii®10 finding price breaks and keeping other groups involved who may 6i3'8eterred if the Cdiji. strays from its objective. Mayor Egan also thought the committeO.'Oduld have repretsentatives from the Garden Club. Minutes of the Special City Council Meeting July 7, 1998 page 8 OTHER BUSINESS Councilmember Masin asked the rest of the Council and City Administrator Hedges if they had received numerous cells:A.Wut the 4'" of July celebration and inquired if there was a means of tracking those cal(. Op know how extensive the response has been. City Administrator Hedges stated itytaifi'@csived a few calls from disappointed citizens prior to the ceietiratfor.-,.: t f fsaif,ritt received any calls since. Councilmember Blomquist said s*had received many calls and that the City needs to find a place to do an aerial display;$fie stated that personally, she thought the fireworks were high and beautiful and that this was one of the best displays ever. Councilmember Masin stated that she had received many calls, which indicated to her the importance of fireworks and the importance of the newspaper as a means of communication. Mayor Egan said he had spoken to Roy Wallace about the article in the paper and had learned that the reporter who wrote the st¢ijk was unfamiliar with the Eagan beat and had spoken to individuals who did not officialli*preser t;$ieir entities on this issue; this resulted in poor reporting and embarrassed the.. City audio Ms. Carlin of the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Councilmember:4tada stated that members of her staff had informed her that the fireworks were lame. ;�pfri iiia iCMon :C.*Ordinator Foote was in the audience and stated that the newspoOft: iaQ begirt sW complete and accurate press releases that they chose not to use. Councilmember Blomquist informed the group that there was low turnout, but repeated that she considered this year's celebration one of the best ever and said she was pleased. Councilmember Masin said that there was a lot of attendance lost this year due to the bad press, and that the organizers of the celebration will have to do something big next yeu;{Cregain the community's support. Councilmember Blomquist said she wantedtb;tie�ogniie the Police and Fire departments for their efforts. Cownoil{iiei ir:`Aw+ada suggested the Council reconsider this holiday and its importance. CisiincjlfnembeffVlasin responded that this was perhaps the City of Eagan's most important "'izfay; gaping it a homecoming for many past and present Eagan citizens. The meeting adjourned at 6:13 p.m.