Minutes - 2017/12/11 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mounds View City Council December 11, 2017 Regular Meeting Page 6 Council Member Meehlhause reported the City does not have a charge for police calls to an individual home, residence or apartment. Finance Director Beer stated the City does not have an Ordinance in place to allow the City to charge for police services. Police Chief Harder indicated Mounds View has not considered putting a policy in place that would charge Mounds View residents for police services. He described how the Police Department works with rental unit owners/property managers through the Crime Free Multi-Housing program to address habitual problems. Interim City Administrator Zikmund added that the City did have an Ordinance in place to charge for excessive false fire alarm calls. Mayor Mueller did not want people to hesitate to call 911 if they were in danger. Council Member Bergeron discussed the Crime Free Multi-Housing program and explained this allows the City to collect data and monitor problem properties. Council Member Meehlhause addressed the free and reduced lunch concern. He explained the Council did not have any control over how the school district set its boundaries for its elementary schools. He stated this was the responsibility of the School Board and the Superintendent. Council Member Gunn did not believe it was right to deny future students the right to attend Pinewood Elementary School because they already had 56% of its students receiving free and reduced lunch. Council Member Bergeron commented he was concerned with the 56% when he first heard this, but noted this was only 4.5% above the national average. He did not believe that Pinewood Elementary was an outlier but rather, some of the other elementary schools were extremely below average. He explained the “Boulevard” development was estimating to have roughly 30 students. He did not believe this number would tremendously impact Pinewood Elementary. Mayor Mueller discussed how the City worked to get more mass transit into Mounds View from the Met Council. She noted the closest bus stop was at the corner of Mounds View Boulevard and Silver Lake Road. She indicated there was also a bus stop at Hillview Rod or Red Oak Drive. City Planner/Supervisor Sevald commented further on a map and the bus routes available in the City of Mounds View, along with the services within walking distance of the proposed apartment complex. Mayor Mueller requested further information on how the site would be accessed. City Planner/Supervisor Sevald reviewed the access point to Boulevard from Mounds View Boulevard. He described how traffic would flow in and out of the site and noted the developer had completed a traffic study. Mayor Mueller questioned how long the City has been working on this project and how many opportunities did the public have to offer feedback. City Planner/Supervisor Sevald explained Staff has been working with the developer since February of 2017 and there have been at least 12 meetings where public comment was taken.