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12/14/1999 - City Council Special 00353 MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE EAGAN CITY COUNCIL EAGAN, MINNESOTA December 14,1999 A special meeting of the Eagan City Council was held on Tuesday, December 14, 1999 at 4:45 p.m. at the Eagan Municipal Center. Present were Mayor Awada and Councilmembers Bakken, Blomquist, Carlson and Masin. Also present were Assistant City Administrators Duffy and Verbrugge, Director of Finance VanOverbeke, Director of Parks and Recreation Vraa, Director of Public Works Colbert and City Administrator Hedges. AGENDA Council member Masin asked to add an item to the agenda under Other Business, allowing for an update on the MVT A ground breaking celebration. Councilmember Bakken moved, Council member Carlson seconded a motion to approve the agenda as amended. Aye: 5, Nay: 0 TASK FORCE/REVIEW ORDINANCES RE: NEW DEVELOPMENT City Administrator Hedges provided an overview on this item stating that the Advisory Planning Commission, at their work session on December 9, has expressed a strong desire to meet jointly with the APrC to study possible ordinance changes that would promote greater green space preservation and expansion. Council member Bakken moved, Councilmember Carlson seconded a motion to approve a joint APC/ APrC Task Force to review City ordinances and/or policies for the purpose of enhancing the City's ability to avoid excessive tree loss and promote greater green space preservation and expansion for new and expanded development. CEDARV ALE/HIGHW A Y 13 AREA TASK FORCE REPORT City Administrator Hedges provided an overview and history regarding the Cedar/Highway 13 Area Task Force Study. Mayor Awada thanked the Task Force in advance of their presentation for their hard work and invited them to join the City Council for the presentation. She then turned the report over to Margaret Schreiner, Chairperson of the Cedar/Highway 13 Area Task Force. Chairperson Schreiner introduced the topic by sharing her letter as Chair that appeared in the final report entitled, Village Plaza - A Redevelopment Concept for the Cedar/I3 Area. She also presented a series of recommendations that included the following: 1.) architectural standards that would include residential, commercial, green space and landscaping designs; 2.) communications that the City of Eagan would implement a proactive communication strategy in the Cedar/13 Study Area in the entire City to educate the redevelopment process; 3.) LRT/transit would be a vital element to the success of the redevelopment concept that planning for light rail transit or other modes of mass transit would be located within the identified redevelopment area; 4.) parking structures must be of a compatible Special City Council Meeting Minutes December 14, 1999 Page 2 00354 scale and architectural character to adjacent nearby buildings; 5.) relocation is an important element and that efforts should be made to keep businesses designed to remain in the area part of the redevelopment and that displaced residentslbusinesses be given fair market value and . relocation assistance and, finally; 6.) traffic and access - that road and other improvements must be preceded by detailed traffic analysis to assure the adequate infrastructure is in place to handle the impact of full development. Members of the Cedar/13 Task Force shared their comments. Task Force member Dan Sjolseth stated he is requesting that business owners be treated fairly and if at all possible be relocated within the greater Cedarvale area. He shared that in his case, he owns his own building and it would not be desirable to move to a leased building. Task Force member Gladhill agreed with member Sjolseth and further commented that an attractive redevelopment is a key to enhancing Cedarvale. He stated that his concern is the pressure the development community will have on the City to relax development standards and how important it is that the City follow a plan and not allow any compromise to development standards for Cedarvale. Task Force member Hugh Fitzgerald complimented Chairperson Schreiner on what an excellent job she did in leading the overall Task Force. He further echoed comments that there is need to help businesses locate in the area and, further, that improvements be made to properly handle traffic. Task Force member Tilley commented on the significance of a good and active communications plan for the area. Task Force member Bassett stated that it is important to residents that businesses be given fair treatment with any relocation. Task Force member Wallick stated that it is important to keep the community involved in the greater Cedarvale area redevelopment to improve an important gateway to the community. He further stated that in a recent meeting with neighbors, the biggest concern is pedestrian and traffic movement. Task Force member Tom Butler agreed with Mr. Wallick stating that Cedarvale is an important entrance into the community. Task Force member Parranto stated that what has been presented in the planning process are good ideas, but it should be remembered that ideas are only concepts and are subject to change. He further stated that a project similar to Centennial Lakes in Edina offers a great benchmark for our City as an example of positive developments/redevelopment. Task Force member Ron Miller agreed that redevelopment is necessary and should occur in the greater Cedarvale area. He also expressed a need to address how the development will be paid for. Task Force member Mark Hansen made reference to page 14 of the Village Plaza Concept stating that the final phase of land use is a major change to Cedarvale. Task Force member Gregg Larson also commented that redevelopment is necessary, however, there is a strong necessity for the City to treat existing business in the Cedarvale area on a fair basis relating specifically to relocation. Task Force member Ashfeld commented that there is a need for establishing traffic standards to implement a good transportation plan for all of Cedarvale. Special City Council Meeting Minutes December 14, 1999 Page 3 00355 Task Force member Ted Gladhill spoke a second time stating that timing is critical for a quality redevelopment. He stated that there could be some pressure for redevelopment given the fact that hotels are closing in the City of Bloomington due to the proposed North-South Runway at the International Airport. Task Force Chairperson Schreiner stated that she has heard from the faith community who has expressed interest in providing affordable housing opportunities in the Cedarvale area. She also made reference to the necessity to follow the preferred development guidelines. Mayor Awada thanked the Task Force members for their comments and opened the floor to public comment. Gene Franchette, representing Dakota County, spoke on the status of the LRT Study from the Mall of America to Apple Valley which includes the Cedarvale area. He stated that a transit station is proposed for the TH13/Cedarvale area and more specifically that the SE quadrant is most desirable for a transit station. Dr. Bruce Hanson, representing the Eagan Veterinary Clinic, stated that he learned from a presentation at a recent open house that his business, according to the Village Plaza Plan, will be eliminated. He further stated that his concern is that there is no proposal to relocate his business. Dr. Hanson indicated that a new location would require a green space and buffers for animals that are bordered at the clinic. He further asked why doesn't the redevelopment start with Cedarvale Center. Task Force member Fitzgerald stated that housing will start first which is a natural step for the redevelopment proposal. Assistant City Administrator Verbrugge provided background on how the City will coordinate relocation once redevelopment occurs in the Cedarvale area. Barb Baker, representing St. John Neumann Church, asked what type of housing has been identified. Task Force member Bassett stated that fly-overs caused by the proposed North-South Runway might be a problem for a certain type of housing in the Cedarvale redevelopment area. Task Force Chairperson Schreiner commented that she would like to see a life cycle housing proposal and development for the area. Steve Cohen, representing Twin City Poultry, asked when his business is sited for redevelopment. Assistant City Administrator Verbrugge stated that the Twin City Poultry Building is considered in the Phase I redevelopment plan. Chairperson Schreiner stated that this type of question is a good reason for implementing an ongoing communications plan for the redevelopment. Assistant City Administrator Verbrugge spoke to the Draft Communications Plan providing an outline of its implementation relative to newspapers, the City's web site and other media sources. Bob Baker re-addressed the Village Plaza Redevelopment Concept Plan specifically addresses higher income households. Mayor Awada stated that the housing section addresses a broad range of opportunities for residential development, further cOmmenting that she has had contact with the Dakota County HRA in regards to a mixed housing. Councilmember Blomquist spoke to the redevelopment proposals, giving a history of the changes that have occurred in the Cedarvale area which were caused mainly by the reconstruction of the Cedar AvenueITH 13 intersection. She stated that when access to THI3 Special City Council Meeting Minutes December 14, 1999 Page 4 OU356 and Old Cedar Avenue were eliminated, the impact on business was serious. Council member Blomquist further stated that the roads in the greater Cedarvale area require additional help. Task Force Chairperson Schreiner stated that the issues addressed by Council member Blomquist are specifically why the recommendation of the Task Force includes an in-depth analysis of the entire roadway system by traffic engineers. Assistant City Administrator Verbrugge stated that access is a major issue and the phasing of the redevelopment should address those concerns. Council member Blomquist further stated that the analysis should include how buses and other types of transportation will relate to the proposed redevelopment of Cedarvale. Councilmember Bakken stated that he was impressed with the Task Force and their study results and suggested that the City Council accept the report. After a brief discussion, a motion was introduced by Council member Bakken, seconded by Mayor Awada that the report of the Task Force be accepted and scheduled at a future workshop in late January, early February, following a review by the Advisory APrC, EDC and APC Commissions. All members voted aye. Councilmember Masin asked ifMnDOT staff had been included as a part of the County LRT Study Team. Mr. Franchette, representing Dakota County, stated that MnDOT is represented and included in the County LRT Study. Council member Carlson expressed her thanks to the Task Force. Chairperson Schreiner thanked the entire Task Force and the work of Assistant City Administrator Verbrugge and stated that the process is a coming of age for redevelopment in the City. She stated that the process undertaken for Cedarvale will allow the City to learn from any mistakes as it continues to coordinate redevelopment. Mayor A wada again on behalf of the entire City Council thanked the Task Force and stated that this is a landmark and someday the Task Force members and City Council can look back and credit this initiative for the redevelopment of the greater Cedarvale area. SALARY COMPENSATION City Administrator Hedges stated that as part of the 1999 budget deliberations and compensation review by the City Council, it was determined that a compensation practices review covering non-collective bargaining unit positions was needed. He further stated that for the most part, collective bargaining unit positions are compared to other communities during each contract review and are typically compensated a pay rate of benchmark comparison cities. The City Administrator further stated that non-collective bargaining unit positions have not received benchmark comparisons for a number of years, and in most cases, employees have not been paid the final two steps available in the City's existing pay plan. He reviewed action by the City Council that authorized the hiring of an external compensation consultant in 1999 which after reviewing three (3) consulting groups' proposals, the firm of Riley, Dettman & Kelsey was hired by the City Council in June, 1999. The City Administrator provided further overview of the process that was facilitated this past summer and fall and then introduced Rod Kelsey, the City's consultant, to further review the outcome of the compensation study. 00357 Special City Council Meeting Minutes December 14, 1999 Page 5 Mr. Kelsey explained the pay philosophy which targets the Eagan pay rates at the Q-3 (75th percentile) of pay in several benchmark comparison cities and counties. He stated that the compensation study recognizes and reinforces the City's standards of excellence and provides that positions be paid in the market place of comparable public sector jurisdictions from which Eagan recruits, establishes all non-collective bargaining unit compensation of base pay structure the third quartile level, so that about 25 percent of the benchmark jurisdictions pay on average above the City of Eagan and about 75 percent of the benchmark jurisdictions pay on average below the City. He stated that maintaining a compensation plan is important to recognize good staff with highly complex operations, relax some of the pay compression, be sensitive to a tight labor market and other factors/reasons for considering the Q-3 Compensation Study. Mr. Kelsey spoke to the need to review certain TSP's suggesting that there are seven (7) that he is recommending for review during January, February and March. He commended on the pay structure as being a logical extension of a policy the Council has had in place for non-collective bargaining employees. Following further comments by the consultant and City Administrator, a motion was made by Mayor Awada, seconded by Council member Masin, with all members voting aye to accept the Compensation Plan as presented and place the item on the December 20, regular City Council meeting agenda for formal ratification. MVTA CELEBRATION Councilmember Masin summarized a ground breaking celebration that occurred on December 14, at the Burnsville MVTA Transit Station. EXECUTIVE SESSION Mayor Awada stated that the City will be adjourning into Executive Session for the purpose of reviewing employee labor contract demands and the status of negotiation/condemnation proceedings with Duke Weeks Realty for the Community/Central Park Acquisition. OTHER BUSINESS There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m. December 14, 1999 Date