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Mounds View City Council August 22, 2011 <br />Regular Meeting Page 2 <br /> <br />Associate Planner Heller stated the Council would be holding a public hearing this evening to 1 <br />introduce an Ordinance that would update the City’s Code regarding Variances. The revisions 2 <br />made to the City’s Code would bring it into compliance with new State regulations. She 3 <br />explained that hardship language has been omitted from the Variance code and has been changed 4 <br />to practical difficulty. 5 <br /> 6 <br />Planner Heller stated the proposed changes simplified the process for variance requests. Staff 7 <br />recommended the Council hold the public hearing and introduce Ordinance 861. 8 <br /> 9 <br />Council Member Mueller questioned if Subdivision 6, on Page 4, should have the words 10 <br />“unusual hardship” removed. City Attorney Riggs indicated there were two different types of 11 <br />variance requests, zoning variances and variances regarding subdivisions. He indicated further 12 <br />revisions could be made in the future if necessary, but the document provided was in alignment 13 <br />with State code. 14 <br /> 15 <br />Council Member Mueller asked if the code should further define “practical difficulty” as it 16 <br />appeared quite vague. City Attorney Riggs stated the proposed language was adequate. He 17 <br />recommended the code language be closely aligned with State code. 18 <br /> 19 <br />Mayor Flaherty opened the public hearing at 7:15 p.m. 20 <br /> 21 <br />Hearing no public input, Mayor Flaherty closed the public hearing at 7:15 p.m. 22 <br /> 23 <br />Mayor Flaherty was pleased that the State had handed variance requests back to local 24 <br />government. 25 <br /> 26 <br />MOTION/SECOND: Mueller/Gunn. To Waive the First Reading and Introduce Ordinance 861, 27 <br />Amending Titles 1000, 1100, and 1200 about Variances. 28 <br /> 29 <br /> Ayes – 5 Nays – 0 Motion carried. 30 <br /> 31 <br />B. 7:10 p.m. Public Hearing (ROLL CALL VOTE), Second Reading and 32 <br />Adoption of Ordinance 862, an Ordinance Implementing a Franchise Fee on 33 <br />Xcel Energy Electric and Natural Gas Operations within the City of Mounds 34 <br />View. 35 <br /> 36 <br />Finance Director Beer stated this was the second reading and adopting of an Ordinance that 37 <br />would continue a franchise fee on Xcel Energy. This provision sunsets annually and will be 38 <br />renegotiated in 2012. The City is recommending a 3.87% franchise fee with Xcel. 39 <br /> 40 <br />Mayor Flaherty opened the public hearing at 7:18 p.m. 41 <br /> 42 <br />Hearing no public input, Mayor Flaherty closed the public hearing at 7:18 p.m. 43 <br /> 44 <br />MOTION/SECOND: Gunn/Mueller. To Waive the Second Reading and Adopt Ordinance 862, 45