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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04.20.98 Council Minutes COUNCIL MINUTES REGULAR April 20, 1998 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Mayor Ristow at 7:00 P.M. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Ristow led the audience and Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL Members Present: Members Absent: Also Present: Ristow, Cordes, Fitch, Gamer, Strachan None City Administrator Erar, Attorney Andrea M. Poehler, City Management Team 4. APPROVE A GENDA . MOTION by Gamer, second by Fitch to approve the Agenda with the following changes: . Typographical error on Page 10 of the April 6, 1998 Council Minutes, Paragraph 11(b) - "APIF, MOTION CARRIED" was omitted. . Accept Supplemental Agenda requesting that the April 20, 1998 Council Agenda be amended to add the following items: => 6(e) "South Suburban Medical Center" under CITIZEN COMMENTS; and => 10(c) "Farmington Area Code Prefix Update" under PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS. . Add item 14(b) "Civil Litigation - Contractor Claim Update". APIF, MOTION CARRIED. Council Minutes (Regular) April 20, 1998 Page 2 5. ANNOUNCEMENTS a) Proclamation Declaring Earth Day MOTION by Cordes, second by Gamer to proclaim that the City of Farmington will designate April 22, 1998 as Earth Day. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 6. CITIZEN COMMENTS Dennis Walter, 18235 Euclid Avenue, questioned how the right-of-way proceeds for Hill Dee Park property would be utilized relative to the CSAH 31 project. City Administrator Erar indicated staff would prepare a written response to Mr. Walter within two weeks. a) Resident Comments - Judy Bryant - Development Improvements Council acknowledged. b) Resident Comments - James Gunderson - CSAH 31 Project Council acknowledged. c) Resident Comments - Rudy Garcia (Lime Rock Ridge) - Seal Coat Project Council acknowledged. d) Resident Comments - David Gerardy (501 Oak St.) - Seal Coat Project Council acknowledged. e) South Suburban Medical Center Lee Larson, CEO of South Suburban Medical Center (hereinafter "SSMC"), was in the audience (as well as four SSMC Board Members) and pleaded his case to Council for the sidewalk in question to be installed on the south side versus the north side of Elm Street. He noted that the Hospital Board opposed the installation of sidewalk on the north side of Elm Street. John Curry, SSMC Board Member - Added that their main concern is the area at Highway 50 and Highway 3, since it is the major traffic route to the hospital. Dan Nicolai, SSMC Board Member - Studied the site and feels the proposed sidewalk on the north side would "look like a stretch of sidewalk going nowhere" and would be rarely used. It would also be a great expense to the hospital to maintain. Council Minutes (Regular) April 20, 1998 Page 3 City Engineer Lee Mann presented staffs position and reasoning for installing the sidewalk on the north side of Elm Street as follows: > Placing the sidewalk on the south side would introduce at least two to three additional pedestrian crossings along Elm Street. This includes forcing pedestrians to cross the frontage road and/or having to cross Elm Street at other undesignated crossings either on the curve of the street or at other points to access hospital property. > Placing the sidewalk on the north side of the property, on the other hand, would provide for a continuous pedestrian link between the East Farmington subdivision and the downtown area. It would also eliminate the need for any pedestrians to cross Elm Street at any point along the curve to access hospital property or to the downtown area. > Curb already installed along the north side of Elm Street is already designed for handicapped persons in wheel chairs. Without a sidewalk on the north side, disabled persons would have to cross Elm Street mid-block along the curve, that as a collector will be heavily traveled, exposing handicapped pedestrians to additional safety risks. > When additional facilities are constructed on SSMC property in the future, the lack of a sidewalk on the north side would force both employees and patients to walk on the street along the north side curb or to cross over to the sidewalk on the south side and then back over to the north side. > In terms of ambulances entering and exiting the private driveways, it is a far safer scenario to have pedestrians stay on the northerly sidewalk to walk across SSMC private driveway entrances. This, in turn, would avoid forcing pedestrians to cross Elm Street from the south side to the north side with ambulances driving back and forth on Elm Street. > All private property owners are required to shovel snow along public sidewalks. It was discussed with SSMC that they may wish to offer the property owner some type of arrangement to assist him in keeping the sidewalk clear. Further, as the sidewalk will be on public right-of- way, private property owners have no exposure with respect to someone tripping or falling on the sidewalk. > Snow storage on the boulevard would be no less or greater a problem than if the sidewalk were on the south side. > Placing the sidewalk on the south side would necessitate having to redesign the project plans adding additional cost and delay to project completion that is scheduled to be completed within the next two weeks. Council Minutes (Regular) April 20, 1998 Page 4 Mr. Mann further stated that since the road was put in, he has observed pedestrians walking on the street almost daily. It is also his understanding that hospital employees walk to work. It should be noted that a Conditional Use Permit was approved by the Planning Commission on May 13, 1997, with the former SSMC Executive Director, as well as the Hospital Board, agreeing to the plan requirements placing the sidewalk on the north side of Elm Street. Council approved the plans and specifications on June 16, 1997. It was further noted that the installation of the sidewalk on one side of Elm Street would be consistent with the City's Sidewalk Policy. Mayor Ristow asked Council for their opinion as to whether the sidewalk should be on the north side or the south side of Elm Street. The responses were as follows: Councilmember Cordes - north side; Councilmember Gamer - south side; Councilmember Fitch - agreed to send back to Planning Commission and look at changing sidewalk to the south side; Councilmember Strachan - south side; Mayor Ristow - agreed to send back to Planning Commission and look at changing sidewalk to the south side. Mayor Ristow indicated the main reason for agreeing to recommend installing the sidewalk on the south side is that the sidewalk would connect with an existing sidewalk on the south side of Oak Street to 9th Street. Councilmember Fitch requested that a letter be sent to the hospital confirming their request to change the location of the sidewalk. The letter should specifically state that in the event there are delays or additional construction costs, the hospital will be responsible for 100% of the costs as per the original Development Agreement. After lengthy discussion, it was decided by Council to refer the matter back to the Planning Commission with a recommendation to change the location of the sidewalk from the north side to the south side of Elm Street. This item will be on the agenda at the next Planning Commission Meeting on May 12, 1998. Community Development Director David Olson indicated that regardless of whether or not the Planning Commission approves SSMC's amendment, the determination will end there, since the Planning Commission is the body that approves Conditional Use Permits. If rejected. by the Planning Commission, SSMC would have to appeal directly to Council to overturn the Planning Commission's decision. Council Minutes (Regular) April 20, 1998 Page 5 City Administrator Erar indicated that the contractor must be notified immediately regarding the potential change and delay in construction. Citizen Marv Wier, 808 3rd Street, claimed Highway 50 has only one approved crosswalk between the stop light at Highway 3 and Akin Road. One crosswalk approved by the County is at 3rd Street. Pedestrians from the south side of Elm Street will cross Highway 50 and County approval will be needed to put in a crosswalk at that location. 7. CONSENT AGENDA MOTION by Strachan, second by Gamer to approve the Consent Agenda as follows: a) Approved Council Minutes 4/6/98 (Regular) b) Approved Agreements - Clean-up Day c) Approved Capital Outlay - Parks and Recreation Department d) Adopted RESOLUTION R41-98 Approving Reimbursement of Expenditures - CSAH 31 e) Approved Agreement for Professional Service - Comprehensive Planning Consultant f) Acknowledged Release of Right-of-Way Proceeds - D & 0 Properties g) Approved School and Conference Request - Administration Department h) Approved School and Conference Request - Parks & Recreation Department i) Approved School and Conference Request - Fire Department j) Approved Compensation Adjustment - Administration Department k) Approved Appointment Recommendation - Community Development Department 1) Approved Municipal Liquor Operations - Downtown Store Remodeling Project m) Approved Bills APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 8. PUBLIC HEARINGS - None . 9. A WARD OF CONTRACT - None Council Minutes (Regular) April 20, 1998 Page 6 10. PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS a) 1998 League of Minnesota Cities Annual Conference (June 16-19, 1998 - Duluth, MN) City Administrator Erar suggested that all individuals interested in attending the Conference contact Executive Assistant Folie as soon as possible. b) City/County CSAH 31 Project Coordination Plan City Administrator Erar announced the Project Coordination Plan developed in anticipation of the CSAH 31 construction project. A telephone line established solely for this project will be answered by the Administrative Service Manager. The telephone number is 463-4141. c) Farmington Area Code Prefix Update City Administrator Erar provided Council with an area code prefix update. The City of Farmington will be placed in the 651 area code. A typographical error in City Administrator's April 20, 1998 memo was noted. At Paragraph 4(b), "February 28, 1998" should read "February 28, 1999" (as marking the official end of the permissive dialing period). 11. UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None 12. NEW BUSINESS a) Adopt Resolution - Designate New MSA Mileage City Engineer Lee Mann outlined the annual street mileage report submitted to MnDot as required by the MSA Program to identify the amount of mileage the City may use to designate Municipal State Aid streets. Due to the City's growth, the City will be allowed to designate up to 1.23 miles of additional MSA routes this year. MOTION by Gamer, second by Cordes to ADOPT RESOLUTION R42-98 Establishing State Aid Highways. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. Council Minutes (Regular) April 20, 1998 Page 7 13. COUNCIL ROUNDTABLE a) Various Public Works Department Issues City Engineer Lee Mann presented responses from the City's Public Works Department regarding the three issues brought forth during Council Roundtable discussions at the April 6, 1998 Council meeting. Mayor Ristow brought up the issue of street patching on Maple Street between 2nd and 3rd Street. City Engineer Lee Mann indicated he would ensure an appropriate staff response to remedy the problem. Mayor Ristow also requested that action be taken as soon as possible to temporarily remedy the drainage problems on Hickory Street and at 509 8th Street (Mrs. Anderson's back yard) until proper grading can be completed when the ground either dries up or freezes. Mr. Mann indicated that he would look into this request and get back to Council. Councilmember Strachan: Pleased Mike Schultz was recommended for appointment as a full-time City Employee in the Planning Department. Councilmember Fitch: Commented that preliminary work has begun on CSAH 31. Mayor Ristow: Received letter inviting Council and staff to Dakota Electric's Annual Meeting on April 23rd at the Farmington High School, 800 Denmark Avenue, at 7:00 p.m. Mayor Ristow called/or a recess at 8:20 P.M. 14. EXECUTIVE SESSION Council adjourned into Executive Session at 8:30 P.M. to discuss the following issues: a) Outcome of 1994 Municipal Board Decision - Attorney/Client Privilege b) Civil Litigation - Contractor Claim Update Council adjourned out of Executive Session at 9:32 P.M. Council Minutes (Regular) April 20, 1998 Page 8 15. ADJOURN Council adjourned from the Council Session at 9:33 P.M. Respectfully submitted, i".' '-./1:117 '/1 0. j . C7'\lY' (,L \ ~t( '.. 7()LtZ..- Lori J. Folie Executive Assistant