01-13-98 WSWork S ssion Minutes
January 15,1998
A City Council work session was held on Tuesday, January 13,1998, in the Raspberry
Room at Hopkins City Hall. Present were Mayor Redepenning and Counril members
Gene Maxwell, Fran Hesch, Karen Jensen, and Diane Johnson. Also present were
staff: members Sure Mielke, City Manager, Steve Stadler, Public Works; Jim Kerrigan,
Planning and Economic Devebpment; Connie Kurtz, Crime Pr~enrention.
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Chuck Redepenning at 6:30 pm.
The first item of business was a discussion of a traffic report fior the Supe~Valu
development project. Jim Kenrigan, Planning and Economic Development Diret~or,
outlined the discussions held at the most recent special mee~tlng of the planning
commission. The planning commission recommended alternative D, a proposal to
construct a single road further north than the existlng road, and pnaviding for greafier
buffering and landscape area on the south side of Fitch Stneet.
After discussion, the Council directed staff to inform the Park Valley neighborhood that
a derision on the roadway alignment would be considered at the February 3 meeting,
and that the Counril was headed fiotivarc! alternative D, as recommended by the staff
and planning commission.
The Counal was iniom~ed that the neighborhood was planning to have a meeting on
Monday, January 19 to review this item and to provide further input to the Council on
specific design issues. Counal requested that staff' relay iniorrnadon relative fio the
Supei~l/alu building height, and infom~atlon about Buffer Park do the neighborhood.
Discussion was held regarding the status of the east end neighborhood. Kenigan
indicated that the Milwaukee rectension tD Exoelsbr Boulevard has been considered a
separate and distlnct issue from the Superl/alu project, and tho. one, no additional
meetings ha~re been called with the east end neighbort~ood to discuss the traffic report
recommendations with them. Council directed staff` to provide the neighborhood with
an inforrnatlon update concerning the traffic reports recommendations and a timetable
for potentlal decisions by the Council on those recommendations.
The next item of discussion was a discussion of the sump pump inspectlon program
implementation. Public Works Director Steve Stadler, with consultant Steve Gatlin of
Howard Green Inc., reviewed the proposed implementation methods and education
program. He also outlined the proposed timetable fior implementing the education
process. He stated that the Counril has approved implementation of Phase I, which is
approximately 500 homes, but would need to approve any future phases.
The next item of discussion was a proposed joint resolution for the Hopkins Center for
the Arts. City Manager Steve Mielke outlined the proposed joint resolution indicating
that the resolution was drafted as a result of discussions by the Counril and Hopkins
Center for the Arts operations board, with the intentbn that eventually both bodies
would adopt the resolution. Mielke indicated that the resolution is drafted off of a base
resolution construed by Council member Hesch, with some modifications. Mielke
requested that the Council review the resolution and indicate to him any potential areas
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of change. The resolution has also been forwarded to the operations board for their
review and consideration.
Connie Kurtz, Crime Prevention Specialist, along with Sharon MacDonald and Howe
Epstein, bath of the Chemk~l Health Commission, presented fio the Coundl an outiin
of a proposed liquor compliance check program. The City of Hopkins has received a
grant for $1,580 to conduct an education and compliance check program, to debermii
the extent of the problems in the area of youth access to liquor. Kurtz revieMred the
grant application and requested approval from the Coundl to proceed with
implementing the program. The Coundi discussed the various aspects of the Pro9re
as well as the potential for future compliance programs, and indkated that they were
supportive of the liquor compliance check program and wished to have further
discussions after seeing the results of the program. They further indicated that after
reviewing a proposed piece of legislation which may require mandatory compliance
checks, that they also would like to r+evietiv this legislation to consider supporting or
opposing the legislation after they see the final draft.
Coundl member Jensen arrfired at this time.
Discussion also was held regarding tobacco use by youth, and Folios Departmeryt
efforts to enfioroe current laws. After discussion, City Manager Mielke indcated that a
future discussion with the Folios Department and the Coundl would be scheduled to
further discuss police enforcement actlvities in this area.
The next ifiem of discussion was consideration of redevebpment of the dty-awned
property south of Excelsior Boulevard between 11th Avenue and Highway 169.
Jim Kerrigan outlined for the Coundi the current dkec~on to tine staff, which indk;ates
the willingness ofi the Coundl to consider redevelopment proposals from 11th Avenue
to 8th Avenue for appropriate redevelopment projects. Several developers have
indkated interest in the past, but have not been able to make the project feasible. As
such, staff is requesting direction from the Coundl on the Council's desires to continue
with the current planning and improvement efforts, or tD give different direction.
After discussion, the Coundl indk~ted a desire to Impro~re the boulevard from Highway
169 to 8th Avenue in some form of IandscapeJpark project that will provide a creative,
image building appearance to the boulevard. Suggestions included things like a
landscape garden, flower garden, pedestrian-friendly landscaping and trails. They also
asked that the trail-hub concept at 8th Avenue be encouraged with linkages to regional
and kx;al trails. They further indicated a willingness to continue trying to market the
ar-~ between Sth Avenue and 11th Avenue for redevelopment projects. They stated
that they would be interested in projects that do rat directly compete for retail, fast-food,
gas st~rtlons, etc., and instead, were interested in specialty destination businesses that
had a high level of architectural appeal and would be esthetically enhancing to the area.
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The next topic of discussion was that of per diem payments fio the Counal and Council
salaries.
Mielke indicated that it had been over eight years sinus the last increase fio Council
salaries, and that no increase could take dR„ri for another two years, after the next
election. As such, he indicated that the Council's salaries v~rere slightly below the
average for dties of similar sire, and that a modest inc;nease was appropriafie fio offset
the costs assodated with Counal ac~ivitles. He indicated that per diem payments Mrere
treated similarly to salary increases in that neither can be approved and implemented
immediately, but must be held urrtil after the next etec~ion. The Council indicated a
willingness to consider an increase at a future Council meefing, and directed the City
Manager to prepare the issue for Coundl consideration.
The next item of discussion was that of correspondence to the City Counal. The
Counal asked that when a piece of oornespondenoe is given to the City Manager's
office for distribution to the Counal, that a letter from the City Manger's off~oe be sent fio
the requesting party. The later would acknowledge the receipt of the oon+espondence
and informing the sender that it had been fiorwarded to the Counal. Individual Council
members would be responsible for any specific responses to the oornsspondence. The
purpose of this direction is to make sure that the sending party of the congspondence is
aware that the Council has received it.
A motion to adjourn the meetlng was made by Council member Johnson, seconded by
Council member Hesch, and approved unanimously. The meetlng was adjourned at
9:42 p.m.
A~ES ~ = CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS:
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