01/29/1991 - City Council Special
MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
EAGAN CITY COUNCIL
January 29, 1991
Eagan, Minnesota
A special meeting of the Eagan City Council was held on Tuesday, January 29, 1991, at 5:30
p.m. in the City Council Chambers. Present were Mayor Egan, City Councilmembers Gustafson, McCrea
and Wachter. City Councilmember Pawlenty was under doctor's care and disallowed any mobility from his
home and therefore was unable to attend the meeting. Also present were Director of Community
Development Runkle and City Administrator Hedges.
SENIOR HOUSING PROJECT
Mark Ulfers, Executive Director for the Dakota County HRA, and Karl Gill, Assistant to the
Executive Director for the Dakota County HRA, were present and explained the proposed senior housing
project the City and County are coordinating for development on Outlot A of the Park Center plat on the
north side of Cliff Road, west of Cliff Lake Road. Mr. Ulfer's presentation and review of the senior housing
project included alternatives to providing senior housing in addition to an examination of private and public
ownership for the financing and management of a senior housing project. He further reviewed the joint City
of Lakeville/Dakota County HRA housing project and explained the financing, number of units and success
that project has had under public ownership and management. After further review and presentation by Mr.
Ulfers, the City Council expressed their support for the public ownership option which lowers monthly rents
by $300 - 400, reduces the total development cost and eliminates the necessity for a developers equity.
After additional discussion, the Director of Community Development was given direction by the City Council
to prepare the necessary documentation and agreements with the Dakota County HRA for a 65 unit rental
senior housing project to be located on Outlot A of the Park Center subdivision.
BUDGET REDUCTIONS
City Administrator Hedges reported on a bill that was enacted by the Minnesota Legislature
during their first week of the 1991 session that imposes a reduction in the July payment of HACA aid from
the State of Minnesota. He stated that the impact on the general fund budget is approximately $200,000
requiring an amendment to the 1991 operating budget. The City Administrator further suggested that a
spending reduction plan be authorized by the City Council to adjust the operating budget according to the
decrease in the state aid appropriation. City Councilmember Wachter commended the City Administrator
on a memo he prepared entitled "1991 Spending" advising all departments of the City to practice expenditure
constraints due to the anticipated mid-year budget cuts by the State Legislature to offset the state budget
deficit. He further suggested that a framework for managing all expenditures during 1991 be established
and that specific recommendations be made to the City Council for an amendment to the 1991 general fund
operating budget due to the reduction in HACA aid. City Councilmembers discussed various spending
proposals and suggested that the police accreditation program be placed on hold and, further, that certain
departments may receive larger budgetary adjustments due to the necessity to prioritize the delivery of City
services. The City Administrator was directed to prepare an amendment to the 1991 general fund operating
budget that reduces total 1991 expenditures in the general fund by an equal amount of revenue reduction
in HACA aid that we received as a part of the July payment by the State of Minnesota. The City
Administrator stated that a plan will be presented at the February work session with ratification proposed
for the March 5, 1991 City Council meeting.
PUD REVIEW
Mayor Egan reconvened the Special City Council meeting by welcoming members of the
Advisory Planning Commission including its Chairperson Gary Graves, Joyce Staehli, Mark Miller, Ron
Voracek, Scott Merkley and Lori Trigg to the traditional and annual review of all planned unit developments.
Director of Community Development Runkle Introduced the PUD review referring to the City Code
regulations that require an annual review of all planned unit developments. He further introduced Kim
Eggers, Project Planner In Community Development, who prepared the document analyzing the status of
each inactive, semiactive and active PUD. Project Planner Eggers briefly reviewed the Inactive planned
developments for several parcels and, due to the lack of activity and status of each project, there was little
discussion by either members of the Advisory Planning Commission or City Council.
Project Planner Eggers also reviewed the semi-active planned developments which are
thirteen (13) various subdivisions that are not fully developed. There was limited discussion on each of the
various parcels basically focused on current ownership of properties remaining to develop within each of
the PUDs. There were no presentations by property owners, developers or residents for either the inactive
or semi-active development reviews.
Project Planner Eggers continued her presentation by reviewing those planned unit
development projects that are considered as active development projects within the community. Those
PUDs represented by a property owner or developer that included a formal presentation were as follows:
Blue Cross - Blue Shield Earl Milbridge
Cray Addition Ron Zamanski
Diffley/Cedar Mike Gould
Eagan 40 Dan Dolan
Eagan Center Paul Gross
Eagan Heights Commercial Park Charles Bartholdi
Eagan Hills West Greg Hoffman
Eagandale Center Ind. Park #9 Bob Worthington
Eagan Lemay Lake Bob Worthington
Gaiaxie Cliff Plaza Paul Gross
Gopher-Eagan Industrial Park John Tapper
Knob Hill of Eagan Paul Olmschenk
Lance Properties John Klein
Park Center Charles Bartholdi
West Publishing Steve Bryant
Following each of the aforementioned presentations, members of the Advisory Planning
Commission and the City Council asked various questions regarding development plans, ability to secure
financing and other relevant development discussions. Most of the presenters indicated a slowdown in
development due to the recession, inability to secure lending and as a result of an overbuild during the
1980s in commercial, office and retail space. Presenters, despite the present downward trend in
development, were confident that certain projects and development would continue in the City of Eagan.
Members of both the Advisory Planning Commission and City Council asked a number of questions that
were project specific of each of the presenters and following the last formal presentation Mayor Egan
commended the staff on their preparation and thanked each of the landowners or developers who were
present for their cooperation and presentations. After general discussion on the PUD process, staff was
directed to finalize the annual review of all PUDs taking into consideration any questions or additional
research that was recorded during the presentations and present all the development proposals for official
action by the City Council at a March meeting. Mayor Egan stated that no formal action was required on
this item however thanked members of the Advisory Planning Commission for jointly participating in the
annual review of all the planned unit developments.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 p.m.
TLH
January 29, 1991
Date City Clerk