09-20-10 Council Workshop Minutes

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MINUTES CITY COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 20, 2010 It was the consensus of the Council to not continue the City's participation in the Livable Communities Program at this time. NUISANCE The City Administrator reported that City staff is reviewing the Nuisance ORDINANCE Code relative to developing accelerated abatement procedures. In doing so, several other provisions were discovered in other cities' codes that staff feels should be considered as part of a Nuisance Ordinance update. The City Administrator reported that the first provision deals with the use of natural prairie grasses for yards versus grass. This provision would establish definitions and standards that would help City staff distinguish between natural grasses and weeds and would allow for better enforcement. Other provisions being suggested include requiring the covering of a well, hole or similar excavation that could constitute a hazard; addressing accumulations of discarded or disused machinery, household appliances, etc. in a manner conducive to the harboring of rats, mice, etc.; addressing ponds, pools and accumulation of stagnant water; as well as the proper composting of yard and/or kitchen waste. It was the consensus of the Council that City staff should proceed to include these provisions in a proposed update of the City's Nuisance Ordinance. I-1 The City Administrator reported that there are two sections in the I-1 ZONING District that address screening of outdoor storage, and the Code DISTRICT specifically states that outdoor storage areas must be fully screened SCREENING from the public right-of--way. The Administrator indicated that on some I-1 properties the screening of the gate would not impact the visibility of outdoor storage. However, City staff feels that on the Eich Auto Sales property given that their outdoor storage is directly behind the gate, that storage would be visible fiom the street if there is no screening of the rolling gate. At the Planning Commission meeting the City Planner indicated that the Code does not require the gate be screened in the case of Eich Auto Sales. The City Administrator pointed out that the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department would prefer to have a line of sight into outdoor storage areas. Not screening gates would provide that. The City Administrator stated that if the Council is agreeable that gates need not be screened to provide for visibility into a property for security reasons, then the Code should be amended accordingly. The City Planner indicated that is position relative to the Eich Auto Sales property is that the area directly behind the fence and gate area is not 4