12-01-2021 Workshop Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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WORKSHOP MINUTES CITY COUNCIL DECEMBER 1, 2021 for financing from the new Ramsey County Housing & Redevelopment Authority program that 4.1fLJL1G new county levy 10UJLU11L6. McGraw asked when the neighborhood meeting would be. Mr. Keenan stated that he and the architect are going to stay at city hall after the Planning Commission meeting on December 9 and the neighbors will be invited to come and see plans and ask questions then. The Community Development Director stated that letters will be going out tomorrow to residents within at least 350 feet of the project area to notify them of the Planning Commission and City Council meetings where the rezoning to multi -family will be considered, along with inviting the residents to City Hall after the Planning Commission meeting to ask questions. The City Administrator reviewed the option of creating a housing Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District for these properties. Mr. Keenan stated that if the City has no interest in a TIF District, he would like to know that as soon as possible. The City Administrator stated that he is not hearing any major concerns from Council on this project, but if the Council does have concerns tonight, then staff will not move forward now with sending out the notices. There were no concerns from the Council on moving forward with the rezoning application. Torkelson stated that he wants to be able to explain to the residents why this could be a good project and fit in that area, but he wants the Council to not just give in when there is some pushback from residents. CITY HALL SPACE NEEDS ANALYSIS The Public Works Director stated that the facility study done earlier this year by Kraus Anderson revealed a lot of work that needs to be done at City Hall in order to get the building back into shape for the next several years. He explained that there was also talk about whether City Hall was meeting the needs of staff and the public, so staff felt it was a good time to analyze City Hall and potentially include renovations while also performing the maintenance suggested by Kraus Anderson. The Public Works Director stated that staff has met with two architect firms to go over some of the deficiencies with the building as well as potential improvements in work space for current staff levels. He explained that several topics came to the top of the list: • Adapting the public restrooms to comply with Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. • Reconfiguring the employee restrooms/coffee bar/janitor closet to meet ADA guidelines and allow for better utilization of the space. • Analyzing the front office area and putting together a floor plan and furniture plan that works for the current staffing model and also for potential future staffing changes. This analysis includes looking at the HVAC systems and their efficiency, as well as removing the existing acoustic ceiling and exposing the wood paneled ceiling above. • Reconfiguring the entry area to better utilize the space. There is potential for it to be a copier area. 2