Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout07.26.04 Work Session Minutes CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MINUTES July 26, 2004 1. CALL TO ORDER City Administrator Urbia called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. It was decided Councilmember Soderberg would preside over the meeting. Present: Soderberg, Fitch (arrived 6:34 p.m.), Fogarty (arrived 6:34 p.m.) Absent: Ristow, Cordes Also Present: Dave Urbia, City Administrator; Kevin Carroll, Community Development Director; Lee Mann, Public Works Director/City Engineer; Ken Kuchera, Fire Chief; John Powers, Fire Marshal; Cynthia Muller, Executive Assistant Mike Cox and John McNamara, Wold Architects; Nancy Daubenberger, MnDOT; Donald Bluhm, Metropolitan Council 2. APPROVE AGENDA MOTION by Fogarty, second by Fitch to approve the agenda. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 3. CITY HALL NEEDS ASSESSMENT Mr. Mike Cox and Mr. John McNamara of Wold Architects presented the final report for the needs assessment for the new City Hall facility. Wold has discussed major issues with staff and Council. This report can be used as a reference when the project moves forward. The diagram showed 1500 sq. ft. of future space. Located on the first floor was the reception area, Council chambers, Building Inspections, and Engineering. Second floor contains Parks and Recreation, Finance, Human Resources, and Administration. The water level is still being studied to determine if a basement is possible for storage. There are 54 parking stalls with overflow parking in the surrounding area. The cost is $160/sq. ft. which comes to a total project cost of$7.6 million. City Administrator Urbia noted having Parks and Recreation on the second floor or first floor was an unresolved issue. They have a lot of public traffic and would like to be close to the service area. Wold will prepare an Executive Summary including unresolved issues for the August 16, 2004 Council Meeting. 4. FIRE HALL NEEDS ASSESSMENT Wold Architects has met with Fire Chief Kuchera, Fire Marshal John Powers and members of the Fire Department. Bonestroo has been testing the soil by the Maintenance Facility across from the access road. One issue was what would be the nature of a second fire station to compliment the first fire station. There is a need for storage for equipment, a location for ALF, training at the second facility, and equipment for the second facility. Training needs to be done with the equipment and the department felt this would be done at the second station. As far as the size, two bays are needed. If ALF is located here a sleeping area is needed. ALF should be located close to where most of their calls come from. Currently more calls are in the downtown area, but as growth continues more calls would come from the northern area. City Council Workshop July 26, 2004 Page 2 Fire Chief Kuchera stated ALF has always been part of the discussions and they would prefer to be at the north station. However, 25% of their calls are in the downtown area. For ALF to be located at the north station would cause problems with response times. They are closer to the townships at the current station. Once 195th Street goes through to Hwy 3, the second station would be the location for ALF. In the meantime, the optional area at the north station can be used for other things. 24-hour service for ALF would come in 3-6 years. One Class A pumper would be moved to the north station. There would then be one pumper at each station. If an engine is in for repair for an extended period, there could be problems. In the future, we need to recognize the need for an aerial apparatus. That does not mean it has to happen now. There has been discussion that the Maintenance Facility may need that area for salt and sand storage. Another site owned by Newland across Pilot Knob has also been discussed. City Administrator Urbia will contact them to obtain a cost. At the north station, mezzanine storage is a possibility. This will have to be researched further. The current fire station is 8400 sq. ft. The north station would be similar in size. The projected cost is $155/sq. ft. The total project cost is $2.1 million which includes space for ALF. Councilmember Soderberg felt the optional vehicle bay should be done right away due to growth. The second station would add another 10 firefighters. One thing to consider is what if ALF goes to 24 hour service before 195th Street goes through and how will we accommodate that at the existing station. Councilmember Fitch felt if the optional bay is built, ALF will have to go to the north station because that is where we can accommodate them. In the CIP Councilmember Fitch proposed building this facility and the Spruce Street bridge next year and City Hall the following year. Fire Chief Kuchera noted we would not have to accommodate ALF until they go to 24-hour service. Councilmember Fitch stated according to properties that will be granted MUSA, 195th Street would be extended in 2007-2008. The final report for the Fire Hall will be on the August 16, 2004 Council agenda. 5. TH3 ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLAN Ms. Nancy Daubenberger, MnDOT, was in attendance to answer any questions regarding the final draft of the TH3 Access Management Plan. Proposed access openings and closings were discussed. This is a planning document, what the state would like to see happen in the future. The plan showed three phases. For the near term, it showed closing the frontage road at Ash Street and Hwy 3 on the west side, and closing the frontage road on the east side ofHwy 3. This is not currently in the Ash Street project and will need to be discussed when the plans are ready. As far as the Main Street closure, Councilmember Fitch would like to get the business owners involved. MnDOT does have access management funds. If MnDOT proposes a project and the City comes forward with some improvements they are doing as part of a local project, the funds can be used for that. This is a competitive fund. A median closure is proposed at Larch Street, and a closure at Walnut Street. It is proposed to open Spruce Street at Hwy 3 showing no left turns coming out of Spruce Street. The City envisions this as being a signal some day, which is contrary to the no City Council Workshop July 26, 2004 Page 3 left turns. The State has an issue as there are signals at Elm Street and the spacing between Elm and Spruce is less than typically you want to have for signal spacing. There should be a half mile between signals. The Winkler and Devney properties will probably have a connection to Spruce Street. Councilmember Soderberg agreed there should be signals at Spruce and Hwy 3. Ms. Daubenberger stated the need for signals would have to be justified. Traffic backing up would indicate a need for a signal. It would be difficult to get a signal at Spruce and at Elm Street. They are too close together. The plan also shows closing the access to the frontage road from Elm, close Main Street at Hwy 3, and close private accesses to Hwy 3. Many of these are suggestions that should be considered if redevelopment is done in the future. The intersections at Spruce and Elm Street will have to be reviewed further. 7. METROPOLITAN COUNCIL WASTEWATER SYSTEM PLAN UPDATE (This item was moved forward to accommodate participants). Mr. Donald Bluhm, Met Council representative, was present to answer any questions regarding the proposed sewer alignment from Elko to Farmington. Staff provided maps showing the different options and the cost for each. The difference in cost is related to the depth of the sewer. Councilmember Soderberg was concerned this would promote leapfrog type development. City Engineer Mann explained Elko-New Market has proposed to expand their treatment plant to deal with the growth. The plant discharges to the Vermillion River. Eureka, Lakeville, Farmington and others have expressed concern about this expansion. Farmington is also concerned with the peripheral development and storm water. All groups want to minimize the discharge to the river and not have Elko- New Market on their own plant. The only way to get rid ofthe Elko plant is to bring the interceptor from the Empire plant. The time frame on some ofthe options is 2010. Mr. Bluhm stated the Met Council is currently drafting policies for water resource management. Approval would come in March 2006. One policy would be to not allow connection in any of the townships unless they would become part of a Comp Plan process and become more of a community. There are six options that affect Farmington. The difference between the options is not how it comes through Castle Rock and up to Empire - that is the same. The options talk about how Lakeville gets served. City Engineer Mann reviewed the options. Option 6 brings the sewer line along Flagstaff Avenue. The Met Council has not decided to participate in the cost to serve Lakeville. Development is slated along Flagstaff for approximately 3 units/acre. Staff asked if Council was interested in developing along Flagstaff at a higher density than the current sewer system allows. Is there a sewer line that we would share with Lakeville that would be beneficial to Farmington? Or we could build our own line along Flagstaff and relieve the Middle Creek interceptor. There is also a school site along Flagstaff. If that site is chosen how will it be served - from a line along Flagstaff or from Middle Creek. These questions can be answered as Council is provided more information in the future. City Council Workshop July 26, 2004 Page 4 6. COUNCIL/SCHOOL WORKSHOP This will be held August 2, 2004 at 7 :00 a.m. at the Middle School East. Community Development Director Carroll distributed a map showing the school district boundaries and the three proposed sites for a new High School. They include the Christensen property, Angus property, and Peterson-Empey properties. The Christensen property is scheduled to come out of ag preserve in 2012. The Empey property is scheduled to come out of ag preserve in 2013. The Peterson property is currently under review for MUSA allocation. Staff then distributed a chart showing a ranking of issues with each property regarding annexation, MUSA, ag preserve, comprehensive plan, roads, utilities, and soil conditions, wetland, floodplain. This ranking showed the Peterson-Empey property would have a fewer number of complex issues. The issue of properties being in ag preserve was discussed. There are two ways to get out of ag preserve. One way is to have a property owner petition the Governor to get an executive order to get the property out. No one has used this method for a school district. The other option is using eminent domain, condemning the entire site. The school would have to do this with the Christensen property. Staff questions whether they can do this as the school has already entered into an Option Agreement. They would also have to give a notice to the EQB. Ifthe EQB feels it would have a negative effect on other properties, the EQB can put it on hold for a year and require a public hearing. Some have said this is a school district issue and they should pick the site they want. Others have said because of the impact this will have on City development plans, it would be appropriate for Council to take a position. At the meeting, the school board will go over the task force issues, site locations, working together on recreational facilities, etc. City Administrator Urbia will provide Council with a spreadsheet showing infrastructure costs. Councilmember Soderberg would like to know more about removing properties from ag preserve. Especially the history of removing the Donnelly property from ag preserve. 8. ADJOURN MOTION by Fogarty, second by Fitch to adjourn at 9:52 p.m. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. Respectfully submitted, ~~p?dlL Cynthia Muller Executive Assistant