Loading...
04/01/1997 - City Council Special 00100 MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE EAGAN CITY COUNCIL April 1, 1997 A special meeting of the Eagan City Council was called to order at 5:00 p.m. on April 1, with Mayor Egan, Councilmembers Awada, Blomquist, Masin and Wachter present. Staff present included Planner Shannon Tyree, Senior Planner Mike Ridley and City Administrator Hedges. MVTA UPDATE City Administrator Hedges stated that the City Council has requested an opportunity to discuss the Joint Powers Agreement and status of the operating budget for the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority at a work session. He stated that Audrey Schwartz, Assistant Executive Director for the MVT A was present to respond to any questions regarding either the joint powers agreement or budget. The City Administrator further stated that staff is looking for direction regarding regulations relative to a bus bench policy due to calls members of the City Council and staff have received as a result of the placement of bus benches throughout the community by National Courtesy Bench. City Councilmember Masin, who Is also Chair person for the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) reviewed changes that were proposed to the joint powers agreement by the city of Apple Valley. She stated that at a recent MVTA board meeting the agreement as proposed by the city of Apple Valley was not accepted. Mayor Egan asked what the feeling was of the MVT A on the Apple Valley City Council action specific to the alternate m~bers voting authority. City Councilmember Masin stated that this matter Is being reviewed by the MVT A's legal counsel. Planner Tyree stated that It has been her practice to vote In Councllmember Masin's absence as the City of Eagan's alternate, only after reviewing the Issues with City Councllmember Masin as to how she would like her vote cast on behalf of the City. Mayor Egan asked about the representation on the MVT A Board specific to service. Audrey Schwartz, Assistant Executive Director for the MVT A, appeared and provided a summary of how the service Is provided In the six member cities. She also stated that the subsidy for midday rates is $4.10. City Councilmember Awada questioned what the MVT A Is doing for the reverse commuter and suggested that that be a high priority. Ms. Schwartz stated that the MVT A Is subsidizing a bus from the City of St. Paul to West Publishing that Is full each route at $.70 per passenger. She further stated that another bus starts at the Mall of America and services Blue Cross and various businesses along Corporate Center Drive. Mayor Egan suggested that the MVT A meeting with representatives of the Information and Finance Service Center for the U.S. Postal Service that will be constructed in the Waters Addition, stating since many of these employees will be commuting from Minneapolis and St. Paul, they might be good prospects for the reverse commute. City Councllmember Awada questioned whether there Is language In the joint powers agreement that provides a provision to reduce property taxes if the legislature should decide not to require a full transit levy by all cities In the seven county metropolitan area. City Councllmember Masin stated that there Is no language In the joint powers agreement addressing that Issue and further stated that It Is highly unlikely the legislature would ever allow cities the option to levy a transit tax. She stated that there Is a recognized need to subsidize mass transit Including the MVT A. Audrey Schwartz stated that the MVT A is continuing to study options that reduce subsidies such as whether certain bus routes should be cut back and other possible choices. City Councllmember Wachter stated that he in particular appreciated the review and agreed with City Councilmember Awada that it Is unfonunate that the City cannot have greater control over the amount of the levy which Is mandated by the State Legislature and through the Metropolitan Council for transit service. Special City Council Meeting Minutes April 1, 1997/Page 2 00101 BUS BENCH POLICY City Administrator Hedges stated that a new company, National Courtesy Bench, has recently placed bus benches along various collector roads throughout the community. He stated that some members of the City Council and staff have received complaints about the apparent proliferation of bus benches and have expressed Issues ranging from the advertising that occurs on the bunches, the location of benches which Is often misleading to the public. He stated that residents assume that where a bus bench exists there is a bus stop which Is not always the case. The City Administrator stated that staff Is looking for direction as to whether an ordinance should be given consideration for the regulation of bus benches as It pertains to location, maintenance and advertising. Audrey Schwartz stated that U.S. Bench Company first placed benches In the City at locations where there were no busses. She stated that for the most pan that company has relocated the benches and cooperates with the MVT A for advertising their bus services. City Councllmember Blomquist suggested that the City give consideration to a bus bench policy for reasons stated by the City Administrator and that Information be complied from other cities who have adopted policies before any funher consideration is given by the City Council. City Councllmember Masin stated that the MVT A has a draft ordinance which will be provided to the City for review and consideration. Planner Tyree stated that It would be helpful to add the regulation of bus benches to the zoning ordinance. She further stated that location, maintenance and advenislng are the main Issues as stated by the City Administrator. Mayor Egan asked that staff review the legislative authority relating to first amendment rights, health and safety, and governance of setbacks. He stated that these are questions the City Administrator may want to raise with the City Attorney's office. Mayor Egan thanked staff for raising the Issues relative to the need for addressing a bus bench policy and provided direction to the City Administrator to review bus bench policies of other communities and the draft ordinance of the MVT A and report back to the City Council at a future work session. MVTA BUDGET City Councllmember Masin presented a document that Includes assumptions for creating the 1997 MVT A operating budget. She further stated that this document is a guideline for spending. City Councllmember Masin funher stated that because the city of Rosemount did not join the other five cities in assuming the levy for transit tax, the MVT A still must approach the Met Council for the Rosemount allocation. City Councllmember Awada continued to express concern about the amount of public subsidy and frustration that the money could be used for other services or less taxes. She stated that she has a philosophical difference about the $2 million Eagan pays for services, stating that those doilars could be better used. Mayor Egan expressed some concern that limited Input Is going into the development of the MVT A budget which is an $8 million operating budget or half of the City of Eagan's budget. He stated that cities should have more detail, similar to the City of Eagan budget format. City Councllmember Masin commented on the MVT A strategic plan stating that it would be helpful to have a more diverse makeup from other cities as the MVT A develops the budget and other policies. After further discussion and a response to questions by the Assistant to the Executive Director Audrey Schwartz, Mayor Egan thanked City Councilmember Masin, who chairs the MVT A and Audrey Schwartz for their input and response to questions regarding the budget and various MVT A operations. CODE ENFORCEMENT POLICY City Administrator Hedges stated that the planning division has written a policy regarding code enforcement that clarifies sections of the City Code as to how the City should handle systematic inspections. The purpose of the policy is to provide staff with direction and an expectation for the community that all properties will be Inspected every 1 - 3 years and that violations will be Identified. The City Administrator stated that there are several chapters In the City Code including Chapters 4, 9, 10 and 11, that require an ongoing City Code compliance through systematic Inspections of properties. Mayor Egan stated that he Special City Council Meeting Minutes April 1,199 7/Page 3 00102 agrees with the code enforcement policy, however, would not want staff to go overboard with enforcement creating a bureaucratic and user unfriendly attitude between business and residents with their local government. Senior Planner Ridley provided background as to why the City is considering a code enforcement policy, stating that to date enforcement has been complaint driven which Is not consistent or fair with expectations the community has that ordinances will be upheld regarding City Code compliance. City Councilmember Awada agreed with Mayor Egan stating that enforcement should be based on common sense and be reasonable on the part of staff. After further discussion, the City Administrator. was given consensus to proceed with the Code Enforcement Policy as presented. OTHER BUSINESS There were no Items for Other Business. AD10URNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:30 p.m. TLH April 1, 1997 Date