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02/12/2002 - City Council Special MINUTES OF A SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP OF THE EAGAN CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2002 MUNICPAL CENTER LUNCHROOM 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, Public Works Director Colbert, City Engineer Matthys, Assistant City Administrator Verbrugge, City Attorney Dougherty, Senior Planner Ridley, Police Chief Therkelsen, Police Captain McDonald, and Intern to the City Administrator Lord. I.ROLL CALL AND AGENDA ADOPTION Councilmember Tilley moved, Councilmember Bakken seconded a motion to adopt the agenda, including an amendment to move Other Business to the beginning of the agenda. Aye: 4 Nay: 0 (Councilmember Fields was not present) Mayor Awada also noted that staff from Burnsville/Eagan Television was not present to videotape the work session for cable broadcasting. City Administrator Hedges stated that the cable staff had been noticed about the meeting, and he had not received notice from Burnsville/Eagan Television to inform him of the absence of the cable staff person. II.OTHER BUSINESS The City Council reviewed reports submitted by the Parks and Recreation and Police departments pertaining to the decision made at the January 30, 2002 City Council meeting to discontinue CDBG funding to Wescott Square as of July 1, 2002. The Council discussed the current programming at Wescott and the anticipated effects of the discontinued funding. Councilmember Bakken noted that RFPs for the redevelopment of Wescott Square are due to the City on February 15. Councilmember Bakken will review the RFPs that are submitted, and the Council will consider directing a redevelopment agreement for Wescott Square at the February 19, 2002 City Council meeting. The Council agreed to continue providing City service at Wescott Square through June 30, 2002. If the City is unable to renegotiate a 4-month lease at Wescott Square, all services will end at the time the City?s existing lease expires. III. MINNESOTA ZOO NEW MASTER PLAN/PRESENATION BY LEE EHMKE, DIRECTOR/CEO Lee Ehmke, Director/CEO of the Minnesota Zoo gave a presentation on the new master plan for the zoo, which included long-term plans through 2007. The Council discussed the new plans with Mr. Ehmke and expressed their excitement over the proposed changes and additions. Special City Council Minutes February 12, 2002 Page 2 IV. DISCUSS NEXT STEP FOR PUD ZONING STUDY The City Council discussed a letter presented by City Attorney Dougherty in regard to rezoning some PUD properties within the City to R-1 zoning. Councilmember Bakken informed the Council that the rezoning of the PUD properties was only being looked at in the Stonebridge neighborhood as a pilot project, ad the City is nt recommending rezoning all PUD properties at this time. The Council directed that the APC consider the rezoning of the PUD properties in the Stonebridge neighborhood at the March APC meeting. City Attorney Dougherty noted that the City has created a legal hardship on the PUD properties and, therefore, the Council recommended that a resolution should be prepared with the findings of facts stating so. Council directed the Planning staff to prepare a letter of notification to affected property owners explaining the impacts of the proposed rezoning and the reasoning for the Council?s desire to rezone the properties. Councilmember Bakken will review the notification letter prior to it being mailed to the property owners. V. PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK STUDY City Engineer Matthys presented a study that was conducted regarding flashing warning lights at pedestrian crosswalks. The study found that the flashing lights do not produce safer conditions for pedestrians. Due to the high cost and lack of effectiveness, the flashing warning lights are not recommended by staff. City Councilmember Tilley requested that a letter be sent to Mr. Putterbaugh, an Eagan resident that approached the Council regarding the pedestrian crosswalks in his neighborhood, to inform him of the study and its findings. VI. STREETSCAPE/GATEWAYS The streetscape/gateway agenda item was continued until the Council?s streetscape/gateway subcommittee has an opportunity to meet and provide additional direction to staff. VII. PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZER?CONTRIBUTION TO CITY OF SHOREWOOD?S LOBBYING EFFORTD City Administrator Hedges summarized a memo that was distributed to the Council regarding the role of the League and the City of Shorewood in lobbying for phosphorus fertilizer restrictions. The Council discussed whether the City should contribute to the City of Shorewood?s lobbying efforts and noted the large number of Eagan wetlands and bodies of water that are currently being negatively affected by phosphorus. Special City Council Minutes February 12, 2002 Page 3 Official action was taken to contribute $1000 to the City of Shorewood?s efforts in lobbying for State Legislation to restrict the use of phosphorus in lawn fertilizer. Since the action was taken at a work session, final ratification of the expenditure to the City of Shorewood will be placed on the February 19 City Council consent agenda. VIII. DISCUSS ?CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER? RE: PROPERTY MAINTEANCE VIOLATIONS Councilmembers Bakken briefed the Council on his suggestion to implement a ?repeat violator? program for property owners that consistently violate the City?s property maintenance codes. The suggested program would be similar to the repeat caller ordinance underway in the Police department. The Council agreed that primary code enforcement duties should be kept within the Community Development department and should not be a primary focus of the police department. City Attorney Dougherty advised the Council that the City does not have the authority to recover costs of all types of code violations. The Council emphasized their intention to take a pro-active, preventative approach to code enforcement, and agreed that they do not want to continue on solely a complaint-based code enforcement system. Senior Planner Ridley, at the recommendation of the Council, will formulate a suggested approach to taking a more pro-active approach to code enforcement. Senior Planner Ridley also stated that the City?s CUPs will be reviewed and routine inspections of businesses will begin once the new code enforcement staff person begins this Spring. The Council directed staff to include a page on the City?s website to educate the public on how to register a property maintenance compliant with the City. The Council also directed staff to include the new focus on code enforcement as an upcoming newsletter topic. Lastly, the Council requested that the Community Development department distribute monthly code enforcement activity reports to the Council. IX. SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS The City Council, after completing their work program for the evening, broke off into their two-person Council subcommittees. The subcommittees that met were: the Entrance Monuments/Streetscaping team, the Community Center Operations team, the Soccer Field Study team, and Community Center Design team. Special City Council Minutes February 12, 2002 Page 4 X. OTHER BUSINESS th Following the subcommittee meetings, the Council discussed the 4 of July festivities, and in particular, the location of the festivities. th Mayor Awada moved, Councilmember Fields seconded, a motion to hold the 4 of July festivities on Central Parkway, at the new Community Center/Central Park site. Aye: 3 Nay: 1 (Councilmember Tilley was not present) Councilmember Carlson voted in dissent due to her disagreeing with the way in which the vote took place, noting that Councilmember Tilley was not present and it is the practice of the Council not to take formal action at workshops. X. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 9:50 PM. Date ____________________ City Clerk ______________________ If you need these minutes in an alternative form such as large print, Braille, audio tapes, etc., please contact the City of Eagan, 3830 Pilot Knob Road, Eagan, MN 55122, 651-681-4600, (TDD phone: 651-454-8535). 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