Agenda -Final HOPKINS CITY COUNGIL
FINAL AGENDA
Monday, February 4, 2008
� 7:30 pm
THIS F1NAL AGENDA IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
UNTIL THE START OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Schedule: 7:25 pm - HRA
7:30 pm - City Councii Meeting
Work session after close of regular City Council meeting
i. CALL TO ORDER
II_ OPEN AGENDA - PUBLIC COMMENTS/CONCERNS
(Public must fill out a Speaker Request Form. Three minute limit for each person)
III. REPORT
1. Excelsior Crossing Update, Elverum
IV. CONSENT AGENDA
1. Minutes of January 15, 2008 City Council Meeting
2. Minutes of January 15, 2008 Work Session Meeting following the City Council Meeting
� 3. Minutes of January 22, 2008 Work Session Meeting
4. Second Reading of Rental License Ordinance, Kearney (CR2008-010)
5. Ratify Checks Issued in January, 2008, Harkess
Vote: Youakim Brausen Rowan Hafverson Maxwell
V. PUBLIC HEARING
1. Public Hearing for 2008 CDBG Program, Beard (CR2008 - 012)
Vote: Youakim Brausen Rowan Halverson Maxwell
2. Public Hearing for 2008 Street & Utility Improvements, Bradford (CR20Q8 - 014)
Vote: Youakim Brausen Rowan Halverson Maxwell
V. NEW BUSINESS
1. Adopt Resolutions Supparting Southwest Transitway Project (CR2008 - 013)
Vote: Youakim Brausen Rowan Halverson Maxwell
2. Approve Ordinance 2008-995, Amending Section 1185 of City Code, Massage,
Obermaier (CR2008-011)
Vote: Youakim Brausen Rowan Halverson Maxwell
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VL ADJOURNMENT
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? CALL THE RAZZLE LINE —(952) 939-1421
(The Raule Line is the City of Hopkins voice message system)
A regular meeting of the Hopkins City Council was held on January 15, 2008, in
• the Council Chambers of the Hopkins City Hall.
Present were Mayor Maxwell and Council Members Brausen, Youakim, Rowan, and
Halverson. Also, present were staff inembers Getschow, Genellie, Stadler,
Elverum, Kearney, and City Attorney Jerry Steiner.
I. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Maxwetl called the meeting to order at 7:31 p.m.
II. OPEN AGENDA - PUBLIC COMMENTS AND CONCERNS
There were none.
III. REPORTS - COMMITTEES/COMMISSIONS
1 . Quarterly Depot Report
Ted Duepner and Vlad Gruin gave a report on the Depot Coffeehouse.
. IV. CONSENT AGENDA
1. Minutes of January 2, 2008 City Council Meeting
2. Minutes of January 2, 2008 City Council Work Session
3. Minutes of January 8, 2008 City Council Work Session
Council Member Rowan moved and Council Member Halverson seconded a motion
to approve the Consent Agenda. A poll of the vote was as follows: Council
Member Youakim, aye; Council Member Brausen, aye; Council Member Rowan,
aye; Council Member Halverson, aye; Mayor Maxwell, aye. The motion carried
unanimously.
V. NEW BUSINESS
1. Ordinance Amending Section 407 of the Hopkins City Code (CR2008-
010)
History has shown that regular inspections and thorough tenant screening improves
the quality of housing, improves property values, attracts quality tenants and
eventually may decrease the incidence of criminal behavior. Proposed changes of
the code would increase inspections of one and two family rental dwellings; place
responsibility on property owners to use crime free/drug free lease addendums or
. equivalent language in their leases; use criminal background checks on prospective
January 15, 2008 City Council Meeting Minutes � Page 1
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tenants; establish and inspection point system to determine severity ofi deficiency, �°��
substandard dwellings, and inspection frequency; establish licensing fees, �
�, inspection fees, and re-inspection fees.
Chris Kearney reviewed the impact of the fee schedule, the point system, and why
the City felt a need for the ordinance.
Anne Marie Buck explained the Drug Free/Crime Free Lease Addendum and the
process for using it.
; Elizabeth Page explained the Domestic violence clause. Points will not be accrued
for calls that involve violence between family members.
Charles Gibson, 7343 Ann Ct, Eden Prairie, a Hopkins rental property owner, Virgil
Aarness, 16 Ashley Rd, John Ward, Hopkins rental property owner, Buzz
Vickerman, Hopkins rental property owner, Carl McKinley, Hopkins rental property
owner, and Molly Grove, Minnesota Multi-Housing Association came forward to
make comments and ask questions.
Mr. Ward brought up the inspection schedule, stating that a condo owner with
several units would pay more for inspections that an apartment owner with a like
number of units. Council asked staff to review that part of the ordinance before ,�"'��
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the second reading. '�'
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� Council Member Youakim moved and Council Member Brausen seconded a motion
to approve Ordinance 2008-994 for first reading and directed staff to review the
fees for condo owners before the second reading. A poll of the vote was as
follows: Council Member Youakim, aye; Council Member Brausen, aye; Council
Member Rowan, aye; Council Member Halverson, aye; Mayor Maxwell, aye. The
motion carried unanimously.
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2. Approval of Bid Authorizing the Purchase of a Fire Department Ladder
Truck (CR2008-009)
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The Hopkins Fire Department advertised in the Hopkins Sun Sailor and Star Tribune
for bids for a ladder truck. Eight manufactures requested a bid document. Three
returned bids, which were opened by Chief Specken on December 20, 2007.
Pierce Manufacturing submitted the low bid ofi $859,565.00. Other submitted bids
were from Sutphen Corporation for $905,654,00 and E-1 for $964,995.00.
Fire Chief Dale Specken explained the process that the department went through to
arrive at the decision to purchase a new ladder truck.
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January 15, 2008 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 2
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� Council Member Halverson moved and Counci( Member Rowan seconded a motion
to adopt Resolution 2008-007, accepting bid for the purchase of a Fire Department
ladder truck. A poll of the vote was as follows: Council Member Youakim, aye;
Council Member Brausen, aye; Council Member Rowan, aye; Counci( Member
Halverson, aye; Mayor Maxwell, aye. The motion carried unanimously.
VIII. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, Council Member Halverson moved and Council
Member Brausen seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting. The meeting was
adjourned by unanimous consent at 9:08 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Terry Obermaier, City Clerk
COUNCIL MEMBERS
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ATTEST:
Eugene J. Maxwell, Mayor
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January 15, 2008 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 3
January 15th, 2008
Page 1
MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
AT CONCLUSION OF THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
• Tuesday, January 15"', 2008
Mayor Maxwell called the meeting to order at 9:15 pm. Present were Mayor Maxwell and Council
members Halverson, Brausen, Rowan and Youakim. City personnel present were City Manager Rick
Getschow and City Planning and Economic Development Director Kersten Elverum, City Development
Coordinator Tara Beard, Sid Inman and Rebecca Kurtz of Ehlers and Associates, and Brad Dieke of Bradley
and Dieke.
Block 64 Redevelopment: City staff and consultants discussed the Block 64 redevelopment project with the
City Council.
Trade School Zonin� Request: A program in Hennepin County has approached the City to gauge its
willingness to allow them to occupy an industrial building in Hopkins under the trade school designation.
City staff stated that there have been other charter schools or programs that have been asking the city about
occupying industrial or certain commercial space in Hopkins. Due to the city's limited size and the conflict
between industrial/commercial uses and school uses; the city has been resistant to zoning amendments or
changes to allow many of these schools in industrial or certain commercial areas. Overall, staff wanted to
inform the council that there have been a few requests for this type of use and that there may be more in the
future.
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There being no further business, a motion was made by Brausen, seconded by Rowan to adjourn the meeting.
The motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 10:40 pm.
Rick Getschow, Secretary
CITY COUNCIL
ATTEST:
Eugene J. Maxwell, Mayor
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. January 22, 2008
Page 1
• MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — January 22, 2008
A work session of the Hopkins City Council was called to order by Mayor Gene
Maxwell at 6:35 p.m. on January 22, 2008, at the Hopkins City Hall. Council members
Rick Brausen, Kristi Halverson, Bruce Rowan and Cheryl Youakim were present. City
personnel present were City Manager Rick Getschow, Community Development
Coordinator Tara Beard, Director of Planning Kersten Elverum, Police Chief Craig Reid,
and Investigator James Niemackl. Also present were Sue Haigh, Karl Batalden and Chad
Dipman of the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHH).
Habitat for Humanity Presentation
Ms. Beard said the Harrison lots were acquired during the work on Excelsior
Blvd. The city signed a contract with Schatz Group to sell them. She has met with Karl
Batalden, and a Right of Entry Agreement was signed with TCHH. TCHH has had soil
testing done and has had the property assessed.
Ms. Haigh described the work done by TCHH and answered Council members'
questions. Their goal is to eliminate poverty housing. They build homes and sell them
to families that meet the guidelines. The 0% interest mortgage is arranged so that the
first mortgage will be no more than 30% of the family income. Payments do not increase
if income increases as they want the families to move up financially. A second mortgage
covers the remainder of the house's cost and is forgiven at the end of the first mortgage
(30 years) if the family is still living there. A maintenance escrow is included in the
mortgage so that the house can be kept up. TCHH keeps right of first refusal so they can
. buy back homes if the family decides to sell; a shared equity agreement assures TCHH
will be able to afford the property. To date only 3-5 have been repurchased, but most
houses have been built in the past ten years. They build 50-60 per yeax, and have built
about 680 homes in 41 cities in the metro area. The foreclosure rate is less than 2%.
Buyers must attend a series of classes so they have the skills to maintain and keep the
house. They must also put in 500-600 hours of work on their home or other homes.
Most houses have three or four bedrooms; the families are often multigenerational.
They will seek financial assistance from HUD through Hennepin County and
from Habitat International to potentially purchase the Harrison lots. Mr. Batalden said
TCHH will apply for that help in February; September would be the earliest they could
actually purchase the lots. A down payment could be made before that. Later he added
that the federal grant money must be repaid by TCHH, even if the house is foreclosed,
which is why there is an equity agreement. Answering Mayor Maxwell, Ms. Haigh said
actual building, other than the foundations, would probably not start until next spring;
both houses would be built at the same time. TCHH would be happy to interview
Hopkins' residents as possible purchasers, although she could not promise they would get
the homes. Four follow-up visits are made to each family after the purchase; TCHH is
considering expanding that program. Answering Mr. Brausen, she said TCHH would be
happy to hold an open house in the neighborhood. Ms. Youakim asked about cash and
in-kind donations; Ms. Haigh said she would get current figures for the Council.
She noted $82,000 per lot would be one of the highest prices TCHH will have
paid. Mr. Batalden said TCHH would need a Memorandum of Understanding or a
. Purchase Agreement by February 21. They would also need a resolution passed by the
January 22, 2008 �
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� Council or a letter from the Mayor. Mayor Maxwell said he would want a neighborhood �����
meeting held before then so the Council would have resident feedback. Ms. Beard noted �
a resolution could be passed at the February 19 Council meeting. General Consensus was
to use Feb. 19 as a deadline for the neighborhood meeting and a decision on the purchase
price.
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I Graffiti Plan
� Chief Reid said graffiti was one of the biggest crime concerns in the city survey.
Staff has been working on a plan to make responses more consistent and of more service
to residents. There are 250-400 incidents known to police each year, but many do not get
reported. Ray often cleans up signs, etc. as he sees them and does not report those. St.
Louis Park thought they had about 100 incidents; once they started their graffiti program
they found they had about 700. He also feels the city could do better with the victims.
Hopkins will be working with other cities as taggers often work in more than one city.
Another city might know the tagger's moniker, making apprehension possible. The
biggest change Hopkins will make is to have the morning PSO spend a couple hours
several times a week looking specifically for graffiti. Digital camera photos will be
taken, and the graffiti will be cleaned immediately if possible. All incidents will be
entered in police records. Liz Page will be responsible for follow up. Many incidents
involve city property or public utilities, He would like to institute a letter signed hy
Mayor Maxwell to be sent to public utilities and government entities that do not get
graffiti cleaned off their property in a reasonable length of time; this would be only a few
; times a year, but would show the city is seriously concerned about graffiti. Public ��.
� Works' goal is to remove graffiti from city property within 24 hours. Seven days would �
� be the deadline for residents. Mayor Maxwell expressed concern if Liz could handle the
extra load; City Manager, Getschow assured him that had been considered. The only
noticeable work load increase will be handled by the PSO. Answering Mayor Maxwell,
Chief Reid said most taggers are not gang members; if they seem to be, the gang force
will be notified. Mr. Brausen said the coupon for savings on graffiti cleaning supplies
� was a really good thing. Chief Reid said he has told the Hance Hardware owner the
police department would pay back the $5 coupons redeemed, but he said he wanted to do
this for the community. He added Hance Hardware is the only business that sells the
graffiti removal products in Hopkins. Mr. Getschow said this was a plan with increased
efforts toward graffiti abatement. There are not any current plans to bring forth any city
code or ordinance revisions. Chief Reid said he wanted the Council to be aware the
issue is being addressed.
Other
Ms. Youakim asked• how influential neighborhood disapproval would be in the
TCHH project. Mayor Maxwell said there would need to be good points, not just "I don't
I like it." Mr. Brausen added that "fair market value" might be brought up, but that is what
the city plans to charge. Ms. Youakim added she feels the fact the new residents would
be independent owners needs to be stressed.
City Manager Getschow reminded the Council that planning for State of the City
would start soon. There was a general discussion. A new format is a prime concern. t „„
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r January 22, 2008
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� Mr. Getschow noted the next Council meeting would be on Monday, Feb. 4, due
to caucuses on Tuesday. The work session Feb. 12 will include the legislative platform.
Citizens' Academy will start Feb. 28; graduation will be April 1. Ms. Youakim said she
would do one of the first two sessions.
On motion by Ms. Halverson and second by Mr. Brausen, the meeting adjourned
at 8:10 p.m. on a �ote of 5-0.
Kasey Kester, Secretary
COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ATTEST:
Eugene J. Maxwell, Mayor
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