HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-05-2009 Council Minutes CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION January 5, 2009
APPROVED
1 CITY OF LINO LAKES
2 WORK SESSION MINUTES
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4 DATE : January 5,2009
5 TIME STARTED : 5:30 p.m.
6 TIME ENDED : 7:50 p.m.
7 MEMBERS PRESENT : Councilmember Gallup, O'Donnell,
8 Reinert, and Mayor Bergeson
9 MEMBERS ABSENT : Council Member Stoltz
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12 Staff members present: City Administrator, Gordon Heitke; Community Development
13 Director, Mike Grochala; Chief of Police, Dave Pecchia; City Engineer, Jim Studenski;
14 Economic Development Coordinator, Mary Alice Divine; City Planner, Jeff Smyser; and
15 City Clerk, Julie Bartell
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17 1. Participation in newly forming Convention & Visitor's Bureau—Economic
18 Development Coordinator Divine introduced Mr. Paul Erickson, Executive Director of
19 the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission, Barb Boyd, Director of Sales of the
20 Hampton Inn and Suites in Lino Lakes and John Connelly, Director of Development of
21 the National Sports Center.
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23 As an update on the city's participation in the National Sports Center facility, Mr.
`' 24 Erickson noted that a written report is provided to the city each year. The facility has
25 been a great success and additional investment is occurring all the time and that increases
26 interest and utilization of the facility. Youth sports has proven to be quite recession
27 resistant. The council is invited to tour the facility.
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29 Ms. Divine noted that the hotel operators in Lino Lakes have expressed an interest in
30 convention and tourism participation but the existing organization representing the
31 northern suburbs, Visit Minneapolis North, hasn't been accessible to the Lino Lakes
32 hotels. The concept of some area communities joining to create a new convention and
33 tourism organization is being considered.
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35 Mr. Erickson provided a packet of information to the council that included reasons that
36 joining a new center-north convention visitor bureau would be beneficial to the city. The
37 new bureau would be more geared to the National Sports Center facility. They are asking
38 that the city offer its support on the general concept so that planning can proceed, based
39 on the finding that doing so would be in the best interest of the city's hotels. The city has
40 statutory authority to impose a 3% lodging tax to administrate a bureau.
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42 Ms. Boyd, speaking on behalf of the Hampton Inn and the Country Inn and Suites, stated
43 that the hotels are in support of the proposal to form a new bureau.
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CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION January 5, 2009
APPROVED
45 The council concurred that it is in the best interest of the city for the hotels to do well and
46 the new bureau seems like a good idea. A resolution will be considered at the council
47 meeting on January 12, 2009.
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49 2. Comprehensive Plan Discussion—Community Development Director Grochala
50 reported back on the items requested by council at their last work session discussion of
51 the comprehensive plan update (the Plan).
52 - It was confirmed that five-year phasing will be included in the Plan;
53 - Language can be added to the Plan to indicate that the city will perform an
54 intensive review at least once every five years to ensure the Plan addresses changing
55 needs and conditions;
56 - The concept of adjusting density of the High Density Residential Land Use
57 Districts to reflect the current range of 6 units per acre with a cap of 12 units per acre is
58 still being reviewed by staff since the proposed change would drop the city's overall net
59 density below the threshold that would most likely be needed with no flexibility from the
60 Metropolitan Council. One possibility would be to reguide land for medium and/or high
61 density areas to compensate for the reduction in the density range.
62 - A policy statement can be added to the Plan that requirements will be established
63 to provide for affordable housing in all residential land use districts. That would have to
64 be implemented by ordinance that,before passage, would be fully discussed by the
65 council.
66 - The concept of density bonuses is included in the land use policies and, at
67 council direction,would be addressed as part of the zoning ordinance update.
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69 Staff will meet with the Met Council and put some numbers together for the council to
70 review. The council would like to see where there are differences and how far they run.
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72 The next council review meeting was scheduled for January 12, 2009, following the
73 regular city council meeting that evening.
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75 3. Advisory Board Appointments—The council reviewed the list of openings and
76 applicants. Noted was a letter from Vern Reinert withdrawing from consideration of
77 serving on the Centennial Utilities Commission since he no longer lives in the city. The
78 council decided that they will interview only for those situations where there are more
79 applicants than openings and also those individuals who are new applicants. The
80 interview process will occur on January 21, beginning at 5:00 p.m.
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82 4. City Code Update- City Clerk Bartell responded to questions raised at the last
83 review. Regarding the Lawful Gambling Ordinance, the new attorney is in the process of
84 responding to the council's question on the viability of the proposed ordinance. Staff
85 intends to provide the proposed ordinance to those organizations that currently practice
86 lawful gambling in the community when that ordinance has been reviewed. Regarding
87 the Peddler Ordinance, a new page was distributed that makes the change back to a
88 process that requires formal council approval rather than administrative, and changing the
�.. 89 allowed hours of operation to end at one-half hour after sunset.
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CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION January 5, 2009
APPROVED
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91 There were no questions raised on the green chapters being independently reviewed by
92 council members.
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94 Chapter 216, Campaign Regulations -The city's regulations have been
95 reviewed by staff and the basic recommendation is to delete the chapter and utilize the
96 regulations set forth by state statute. A council member suggested, if that occurs, he
97 would recommend adding a direct link to the state statute. It was pointed out that the
98 local regulation does trigger initial filing at a lower amount- $25 versus $750. The
99 council requested further explanation about what reporting is triggered by that threshold.
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101 Title 100, General Provisions—City Clerk Bartell explained that this section has been
102 reviewed by the code attorney, the former city attorney and, most recently,the city's new
103 attorney. The proposed language includes a section on administrative search warrants
104 which Chief Pecchia explained is a process that the city already utilizes to deal with
105 situations where a criminal search warrant wouldn't work but yet a warrant is needed.
106 Legally it is appropriate to have this language in the city code.
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108 5. 2008 Council Goals—Fourth Quarter Progress Report—Staff pointed out
109 updates to the goal on Main Street improvements where the development climate is
110 slowing movements toward improvement and on Birch Street where there is a consultant
111 in place and meetings with interested groups will commence soon and a neighborhood
112 advisory committee will be formed. Staff responded on a question about the alignment of
113 Apollo Drive to 109th St by noting that Blaine is supportive of the project so staff would
114 expect to see a project within the next five years.
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116 The Mayor noted that there is a goal related to the city charter and reminded the council
117 that if they are interested in putting anything on the ballot this year, that would have to be
118 discussed in a timely manner.
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120 Review of January 12, 2009 Regular Council Agenda—The Council reviewed the list
121 of annual assignments and indicated the following choices:
122 - Acting Mayor—Kathi Gallup
123 - Centennial Fire Steering Committee—Kathi Gallup, Jeff Reinert
124 - Joint Law Enforcement Committee—Jeff Reinert
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126 Staff will verify with Council Member Stoltz that he will continue with his current
127 assignments.
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129 The Council indicated the following assignments relative to the Economic Development
130 Authority(EDA):
131 - President—Kathi Gallup
132 - Vice President - Jeff Reinert
133 - Treasurer—Dan Stoltz
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CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION January 5, 2009
APPROVED
135 Regarding the proposed amendment to the Animal Control Ordinance, Police Chief
136 Pecchia pointed out that a communication (distributed) was received from a resident who
137 does not support a change to allow three dogs. The Police Department will respond to the
138 communication with clarification of factual information and notification that the
139 ordinance will be considered for passage at Monday's council meeting.
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141 The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 p.m.
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143 These minutes were considered and approved at the regular Council meeting held on February 9,
144 2009.
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147 • /
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149 Julianne Ba 11, City Cler Jo /Bergeson, Mayor
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