04/09/2002 - City Council Special
MINUTES OF A
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP OF THE EAGAN CITY COUNCIL
TUESDAY APRIL 9, 2002
MUNICPAL CENTER COMMUNITY ROOM
5:00 P.M.
Present: Mayor Awada, Councilmembers Bakken, Carlson, Fields and Tilley, City
Administrator Hedges, Director of Administrative Services VanOverbeke, Parks
and Recreation Director Vraa, Superintendent of Recreation Asfahl, Cascade Bay
Manager Hunter, Public Works Director Colbert, Assistant City Administrator
Verbrugge, City Clerk Karels, and Intern to the City Administrator Lord.
I.ROLL CALL AND AGENDA ADOPTION
Councilmember Fields moved, Councilmember Carlson seconded a motion to approve
the agenda as amended to include three additions to other business: volunteer recognition,
streetcape lighting, and monitoring of the deer population. Aye: 3 Nay 0
(Councilmembers Bakken and Tilley were not yet present)
II.VISITORS TO BE HEARD
There were no visitors to be heard.
III. VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION
The Council directed staff to host a cookout at Blackhawk Park on Thursday, June 6 to
recognize and thank the Eagan commission members for their spirit of volunteerism and
for all of the assistance they have provided to the City Council. Letters will be sent to
each commissioner. The Council will formally thank the volunteers of Eagan at the April
16 City Council meeting in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Week.
IV.STREETSCAPE LIGHTING
Councilmember Bakken arrived.
The Council discussed the streetlight fixtures for Central Park. The Council asked that the
lighting features in Central Park be the same as those used for the other streetscaping
plans in the City. Council directed Public Works Director Colbert to send
Councilmembers Carlson and Fields the catalogue of lights for their review. The
streetscaping subcommittee (Councilmember Fields and Councilmember Carlson
(substituting for the Mayor)), will meet to discuss the light fixtures at 5PM on Tuesday
April 16, prior to the City Council meeting. The recommendation of the subcommittee
will be brought to the City Council for their consideration.
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V.DEER POPULATION
Councilmember Tilley arrived.
City Administrator Hedges informed the Council of calls the City has received in regard
to the deer population. Council directed staff to contact the DNR to inquire about the cost
of doing a flyover to determine the deer population. The Council directed City
Administrator Hedges to bring back the cost estimate to the April 16 City Council
meeting in order to action on the item at that time.
VI. FUNDING OPTIONS FOR STORM MITIGATION
City Administrator Hedges informed the Council that the City?s Finance Committee
(Mayor Awada and Councilmember Tilley) met the morning of April 9 to review options
for financing the balance of the storm mitigation improvements beyond the $5 million
provided by the State grant. The Council discussed funding options and listened to the
recommendations of the Committee.
Mayor Awada moved, Councilmember Tilley seconded a motion to transfer $2 million
from the sanitary sewer trunk fund, and in order to pay the balance of unfunded projects,
$1-1.5 million from the water reserve fund should be allocated to pay for the remaining
storm mitigation project costs. Aye: 5 Nay: 0
Mayor Awada noted, and the Council agreed, that if the City needs to pay back the
money in the future, the payback can be considered at that time.
VII.UPDATE/DIRECTION RE: DARE FUNDING AND SPECIAL
REQUEST BY ISD 191
City Administrator Hedge presented the Council with a letter from the Superintendent of
ISD 191, Benjamin J. Kanninen, asking that the City of Eagan consider a one-time
waiver of fees paid by the District to the City for provision of DARE and School
Resource Officer (SRO) programming. The Council discussed the programming, and
noted the importance of the Dare program.
Mayor Awada moved, Councilmember Fields seconded a motion to provide funding for
DARE instruction at Rahn Elementary for the 2002/2003 school year, and not accept the
requested loss of SRO funding from the crime levy for the 2002/2003 school year.
Aye: 5 Nay: 0
Councilmember Fields noted that the City should only subsidize the DARE program for
one year.
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VIII.SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATE ON LOCATIONS FOR SOCCER FIELDS
City Administrator Hedges presented the Council with a map of potential sites for soccer
fields in Eagan. The soccer fields subcommittee (Mayor Awada and Councilmember
Fields) stated that they will be meeting with the Cities of Inver Grove Heights and
Rosemount to discuss a possible joint soccer field complex between the three cities. The
subcommittee will have an update for the Council at the next workshop.
IX.PART II 2002-2007 PARKS C.I.P.
Per the direction of the Council at the March 11 Special City Council work session, the
six (6) year Parks CIP was brought to the Council for additional review. The Council
discussed the CIP and concluded that they would only approve the 2002 CIP, rather than
approving five years out.
Councilmember Carlson moved, Councilmember Fields seconded a motion to:
?
Direct the APrC to list both ?Holz Farm Master Plan? and ?Soccer fields? as
pending until further cost figures and information is obtained on each of the items.
?
Direct staff to prepare the 2002 Parks CIP for action at the April 16 Council
meeting.
?
Reaffirm the direction for the APrC to look at the long-term viability and revenue
sources for parks, particularly when the City is no longer receiving park
dedication revenues from developer fees.
Aye: 5 Nay: 0
X.REVIEW PROPOSALS FOR CHANGES IN PRECINCT
BOUNDARIES
City Administrator Hedged briefed the Council on the work that staff has done on
reviewing the precinct boundaries, and noted Councilmember Bakken?s assistance in the
process. Councilmember Bakken presented his suggestions for the precinct locations to
the Council. Councilmember Tilley voiced concern over Councilmember Bakken?s
participation, and noted that she would prefer staff alone make the recommendations for
any changes. Councilmember Carlson stated that the purpose of the changes is to make it
easier for residents to get to their voting locations, and that the changes do not effect
elections.
Councilmember Bakken moved, Councilmember Carlson seconded a motion to approve
Northwest option 1 and Southwest option 1. Aye: 5 Nay: 0
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Council directed that the precinct changes be presented for ratification at the April 16,
2002 City Council meeting.
XI.REVIEW PROPOSALS FOR CASCADE BAY STROLLER POLICY
Per the direction of the City Council at the April 2 listening session, the Cascade Bay
stroller policy was directed to the April 9 workshop. The Council discussed options for
bringing strollers to Cascade Bay. An Eagan resident was present to speak to the Council
about her hope that strollers will be allowed in Cascade Bay.
The Council directed staff to research how many strollers could be stored if a designated
space was made available under the slides. Council also directed Parks and Recreation
Director Vraa to develop sample stroller policies. The Council directed staff to present
the research and policies at the first Council workshop in May.
Mayor Awada departed.
XII.REVIEW WESCOTT SQUARE REDEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS
Per the direction of the Council at the March 19 City Council meeting, further
consideration of the Wescott Square Redevelopment Proposals was continued to the
April 9 workshop. The City Council reviewed the two proposals that were submitted--
CommonBond Communities and JS Partnership. Dave MacGillvray and Bruce Kimmel
of Springstead Incorporated presented a comparison of the two proposals that were
submitted and recommended that the City Council move ahead with one developer and
then have the chosen developer provide a detailed financial plan. Doug Mayo of
CommonBond Communities and Jeff Johnson and John Sowers of JS partnership
presented a synopsis of their respective proposals to Council. Citizens in attendance
asked questions of both CommonBond and JS Partnership regarding their plans for
Wescott Square. Members of MICA spoke to the City Council requesting that
CommonBond Communities be chosen as the developer.
The City Council discussed the two proposals noting that it is the Council?s desire to
keep Wescott Square affordable. Additionally, the Council voiced their opinion that they
did not want to convert half of Wescott Square to market rate housing, as was suggested
by JS partnership.
Councilmember Bakken moved, Councilmember Tilley seconded a motion to designate
CommonBond Communities as the preliminary preferred developer for Wescott Square.
Aye: 4 Nay: 0 (Mayor Awada was not present)
Council noted that when the research on the financial plans from CommonBond come
back to the City, a public hearing will be held prior to CommonBond formally be
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approved as the developer. The Council asked that notification of the public hearing be
bilingual, and recommended that staff contact Patience Ferguson for information on
which languages to include in the notice. Council also directed that the current owners of
Wescott Square be noticed about the public hearing.
XIII.UPDATE RE: AIRPORT BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE
Mayor Awada returned.
Assistant City Administrator Verbrugge briefed the Council on the recommended
framework for the new MSP Airport Noise Oversight Committee (MANOC). The City
Council directed Assistant City Administrator Verbrugge to proceed ahead in promoting
MANOC.
XIV. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 9:30 PM.
XII. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 9:20 PM.
Date ____________________ City Clerk ______________________
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