Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCCMin_95Jul26CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF JULY 26, 1995 2 i Mayor Baldwin convened the meeting at 7:03 p.m. PRESENT Baldwin, Gehrz, Hustad, and Jacobs. Also present were Hoyt, Asleson, Kriegler, and Sampson. ABSENT Gibson Talbot. COMMUNITY FORUM Bob Long, the attorney representing Steve Wellington, the owner of Falcon Crossing, told the council that since Falcon Crossing L.L.C. had dismissed its tax court petition to appeal the assessment agreement, he hoped that negotiations could resume between the city and Mr. Wellington regarding property tax relief for the Falcon Crossing shopping center. Long asked the city council to consider putting this item on the agenda for a September council meeting. He also expressed a concern with requiring Mr. Wellington to pay the costs of having a new proposal analyzed by the city before he knew if the council would agree to the intent of the proposal. Mayor Baldwin responded that city staff is available to meet with Mr. Long and Mr. Wellington to listen to new ideas about the property and property taxes on the property, as long as those ideas do not come at the expense of the taxpayers of Falcon Heights. MINUTES OF MAY 24, 1995 Minutes were approved as presented by unanimous consent. CONSENT AGENDA APPROVED Motion was made by Councilmember Gehrz to approve the following consent agenda: 1. Disbursements 2. Licenses 3. Resolution proclaiming August 1st as National Night Out in Falcon Heights 4. Approval of first payment on the 1995 alley reconstruction for 559,618.91 5. Fund transfers 6. Approval of the plans and specifications for the replacement of the city hall roof 7. Scheduling August 7, 1995 council meeting and canceling August 9, 1995 council meeting City Council Minutes July 26, 1995 Page 2 POLICY AGENDA FALCON HEIGHTS PLAYGROUND IMPROVEMENT PROJECT ll~. N V Park and Recreation Director Kriegler reviewed proposed improvements to the playground at Falcon Heights Elementary School. The school's playground is the only park area north of Larpenteur and east of Snelling in the city, so the city and school have been working on joint improvements for the benefit of all. The park and recreation commission and a school lot task force have been working for some time to determine the most appropriate improvements to pursue at this location. Their final recommendations include children's play equipment, improved baseball fields, a new hardcourt surface, re-installation of an "old" swingset, and miscellaneous amenities, landscaping, and signs. Kriegler also commented that input had been solicited from property owners near the school property. Of those that responded, the largest concern was over playground rules and who would enforce them. While the city can work with the school to draft appropriate rules for play, the school ultimately governs the use of its property and would be responsible for rules enforcement. The neighboring property owners would also like to see some landscaping on the site, although they do not want trees blocking their view of the school grounds. Councilmember Gehrz asked about whether maintenance arrangements had been discussed with the school. Kriegler responded that this had not yet been discussed in detail, but that such arrangements would be part of the final contract between the city and the school. Councilmember Hustad inquired as to whether provisions had been made for outdoor restrooms at the school. Kriegler answered that the school generally has restrooms available during the day and that to date, there has been no problem with this issue at the school site. The following motions were made by Councilmember Hustad: 1) to approve the Falcon Heights school playground improvement schematic plan; 2) to authorize a contract with MSA Consulting Engineers for services relating to the development of plans and specifications, engineering, and field construction of the hardcourt surface; 3) to authorize negotiations with school district personnel for the purpose of reaching an agreement on issues such as site maintenance and inspections and site use policies, rules, and regulations; and 4) to authorize the issuance of proposal requests from play equipment vendors in an amount not to exceed 525,000. Motion passed unanimously. City Council Minutes July 26, 1995 Page 3 CONSIDERATION OF A PROPOSAL FOR THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE LARPENTEUR AVENUE CORRIDOR AND SNELLING/LARPENTEUR BUSINESS DISTRICT 2 . Fred Hoisington, representing Hoisington Koegler Group, updated the council on activities related to the Larpenteur Avenue streetscape. Mr. Hoisington's firm had been contracted to design a concept plan for streetscape improvements and as a part of this process met with interested parties with property along the Larpenteur Avenue. As a result of these meetings, some property owners are considering incorporating changes to their private property to better blend with the city's concept plan for the street- and area. Mr. Hoisington explained that the next step in the planning process is to begin preliminary designs. This involves meeting with county officials and coordinating design elements with the county's street plans, coordinating streetscape plans with individual property owners' plans for property improvements, and determining future costs for construction and maintenance of the streetscape. Motion was made by Councilmember Jacobs to hire the Hoisington Koegler Group to prepare preliminary design plans for Larpenteur Avenue and the Snelling/Larpenteur Business District at a cost of 57,850. Motion passed unanimously. Administrator Hoyt noted that, just prior to the meeting, she had received a letter of concern from Ann Wiedenhoeft, a resident who lives on the corner of Roselawn and Snelling. Ms. Wiedenhoeft was concerned that improvements to Larpenteur Avenue might change traffic patterns such that more traffic would be routed to Roselawn Avenue. In the past several years, Ms. Wiedenhoeft has experienced problems associated with the upgrading of Snelling and Roselawn. Mayor Baldwin responded that because these are county and state roads, it is difficult for the city to take action to assist these homeowners but that her concerns would be passed along the county. CONSIDERATION OF A PROPOSAL TO STUDY AND PREPARE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ADDENDA FOR THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF SNELLING AND LARPENTEUR Administrator Hoyt reported that staff would like to have the city's comprehensive plan reviewed to more specifically outline the uses and design guidelines for the southeast corner of the Snelling/Larpenteur business district. While there is currently no proposal pending for the development of this property, it would be prudent to have a clear vision for the future should a developer submit a request for financial assistance to develop the property. The Hoisington Koegler Group proposed to do the comprehensive land use addenda and design guidelines for this property at a cost of 56455. This cost will include map revisions, design guidelines, and meetings with developers. Fred Hoisington explained City Council Minutes July 26, 1995 Page 4 2~;c that his firm would meet with several developers individually to get their ideas about possible uses for this parcel. This is not a request for proposals, but rather is an information gathering exercise so that the city's vision for the property is consistent with market demand. Motion was made by Councilmember Gehrz to approve the proposal from Hoisington Koegler Group to review the comprehensive plan and related planning documents related to the southeast corner of Snelling and Larpenteur, at a cost of $6,455, to be paid from the city's tax increment financing fund. Motion passed unanimously. PROPOSED FORMATION OF A TEAM FOR "VISION TO ACTION FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES" AND SUBSEQUENT COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY LIFE AND YOUTH Councilmember Hustad reported that the council had been working on how to effectively involved community members on emerging issues within the city and have proposed forming a team to investigate ways to bring citizens together. As a start, the team would attend a seminar entitled "Vision to Action for Young Children and Their Families" in November and then meet on a regular basis over the course of 1996. The team would not focus solely upon children and families, but upon all aspects of community life. Hustad presented the text he'd prepared to be used in a flyer to recruit team members. Discussion ensued regarding the process for recruitment and the timeline for applications. Applications will be due at the end of August so that selection can be done in September. Councilmember Gehrz said that she would like the group to understand that it will not have a large budget to use for specific projects, and will focus on ideas as a start. Mayor Baldwin confirmed that it was not his intention for this group to be an "action" committee, but rather to be thinkers interested in discussion about the issues facing Falcon Heights as a community. INFORMATION ON THE LIVABLE COMMUNITIES ACT Administrator Hoyt briefly updated the city council on the Metropolitan Council's draft Livable Communities Act. Among the issues funded are polluted site clean-ups, funds for demonstration projects, and local housing incentive programs. None of the provisions of the act appear to have serious financial ramifications for Falcon Heights at this time, although staff will continue to monitor any revisions made. City Council Minutes July 26, 1995 2~~ Page 5 1 J CITY INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Councilmember Jacobs said that he would like to comment on the community forum earlier in the evening. He said that he didn't understand why Mr. Long reappeared before the council asking for property tax relief for Mr. Wellington's property when the council already clearly decided that it was not interested in amending the assessment agreement on the property. Jacobs stated that he feared that Mr. Long may have misunderstood the message from what was said earlier in the evening. Mayor Baldwin explained that, like any property owner, Mr. Wellington has the right to approach the staff with a variety of different, creative ideas and communicate them. Mayor Baldwin and Councilmembers Hustad and Gehrz reiterated the importance of the council's previous decision on this matter and the staff's authority to reject any proposal that involved the amending of the assessment agreement without a dollar for dollar replacement of funds. Councilmember Jacobs thanked the council for allowing him to express his opinion. He asked that the record state that the motion he made on the original request still stands. Councilmember Hustad reported that he had participated in a police ride-along and had found the experience very enlightening. Administrator Hoyt informed the council that the consensus among Grove homeowners was that there should be seven lights installed along the east side of Folwell Avenue. She also updated the council on the following items: the upcoming Ice Cream Social, Northome alley reconstruction and sealcoating, and a planned police open house in the fall. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:59 p.m. Carla Asleson Recording Secretary ~~ Tom Baldwin, Mayor