Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 1977/01/17PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF MOUNDS VIEW RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA A special meeting of the Mounds View City Council was called to order by Acting Mayor Don Hodges at 7:10 p.m. on January 17, 1977, at the Mounds View City Hall, 2401 Highway 10, Mounds View, MN 55112. PRESENT: Councilmember Hodges Councilmember Baumgartner Councilmember Rowley Councilmember Ziebarth Mayor Pickar ALSO PRESENT: Clerk Admin. Achen Administrator Achen stated that there is $1.1 million available in this round of CDBG funding. The maximum grant application is $500,000 and the minimum $25,000. Application deadline is February 18, 1977. Last year five applications were funded out of the $1.1 million available. The purpose of this hearing is to receive citizen input regarding community development and housing needs. Another hearing will be held January 24th. After the two hearings have been held, the Council should establish priority community development and housing needs for the City and determine which need to seek CDBG funds for. Mayor Pickar arrived. Council discussed last year's application and the needs established therein. Councilmember Baumgartner questioned the status of Need 2 of the 1976 CDBG application since the comprehensive storm drainage plan had been completed. He felt that Council was not yet in a position to begin the full improvement project. Councilmember Hodges suggested that an application could be sub- mitted for acquisition of land that has been identified in the storm drainage plan as future detention basins. Mayor Pickar stated that such acquisition might be premature without a public hearing on the overall storm drainage improvement project. Councilmember Ziebarth stated that he feels the Council should not unnecessarily prolong implementation of the storm drainage plan especially when it is almost certain that some type of drainage improvements are going to be eventually made. Mayor Pickar stated that he would like to see additional citizen input and comments on the storm drainage plan before implementation. This project would require assessment of properties within the city and he would like to know how the citizens feel. He stated that the drainage project should be postponed if necessary, in order to give the Council time to receive such citizen input. January 17, 1977 Page 2 Councilmember Rowley stated that the need for storm drainage improvements is still there and a city priority. She stated that the Council should not ignore the possibility of securing federal funds to help finance drainage improvements. She suggested that the Council still would have an opportunity to decide not to go forward with the project even if the grant is approved. Administrator Achen stated that the Council has justification for not plunging into the storm drainage improvement project. He indicated that the storm drainage plan still must be reviewed and approved by the Rice Creek Watershed District before work begins and an environmental assessment will be necessary for the project. If the Council felt like applying for funds to meet Need 2 as established in its 1976 CDBG application, it would be justified in postponing applying for this project until these reviews and approvals have been obtained. Representative Howard Neisen stated that most of the Council's discussion has assumed the City would receive a grant which actually is not a very good possibility considering the number of cities that are competing for the money. He stated that acquiring land for the storm drainage detention basins now would benefit the City in its future storm sewer improvement projects, whenever they are begun. Councilmember Ziebarth asked whether the city has satisfied Need 1 as established in the 1976 CDBG application. Administrator Achen responded that Need 1 deals with programs to upgrade and maintain housing conditions in the city. He indicated that the current CDBG program would be completed this calendar year, but that the City will have an ongoing program in the housing code enforcement area. Thus, the need still exists. However, the City is conducting activities designed to meet that need. Councilmember Ziebarth proposed that since Need 1 is no longer a top priority, that Needs 2 and 3 be moved up in priority. He suggested that the City secure funds to begin implementation of the storm drainage plan. Councilmember Baumgartner questioned whether the actual items included in the City's 1976 CDBG application might not be considered luxurious and meet with less approval by HUD. He suggested that the shelter buildings could be tied to city programs serving the needs of low and moderate income persons and thus an application for these types of improvements might be found more favorable by HUD. Mayor Pickar asked Administrator Achen to prepare a rough draft of needs based upon Council's discussion for the January 24th public hearing. He stated that this draft would assist the Council in making its final determination of needs and objectives and would help citizens by giving them some ideas to which they could react. MSP Ziebarth- Baumgartner) to adjourn at 8:25 p.m. Rese ctfu1ty submitted, (z/uctAa Mark Achen, Clerk- Administrator 5 ayes