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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 06.cIn attendance: Lakeville City Council Work Session February 27, 2012 Council Member Laurie Rieb Council Member Kerrin Swecker Council Member Matt Little Council Member Colleen LaBeau Absent: Mayor Mark Bellows Staff: Minutes Dennis Feller, Finance Director Chris Petree, Public Works Director Steve Michaud, Parks and Recreation Director John Hennen, Parks Superintendent Zach Johnson, Interim City Engineer Mac Cafferty, Environmental Resources Manager Judi Hawkins, Deputy City Clerk The meeting was called to order at 6:05 p.m. by Acting Mayor Rieb. There were no Citizen Comments. ITEM #1 - Park Dedication Fee. Parks and Recreation Director Steve Michaud stated that staff has been working with Dan Licht of The Planning Company on an update of the Park Dedication ordinance. Recently a local developer contacted the City because he believes the park dedication fees are too high, based on the downturn in the economy and declining land values. Due to this request, Mr. Licht was asked to look at the park dedication fees as part of the 5-year system plan update. Mr. Michaud stated that historically Lakeville has been in the mid range of park dedication fees compared to cities of a similar size. During the peak of the building boom in the 1980s and 90s park dedication fees produced substantial revenues to develop the parks and trails system to meet the needs of the current population. Two park referendums supplemented the growth of the system. Michaud stated it is difficult to formulate a fair park dedication fee of cash or acreage due to the varying valuations of properties and is asking Council to assist in determining that formula. Needs have grown in the system since the schools have eliminated many of the youth sports programs, such as football. Current low prices might offer an opportunity to purchase land for future park development or athletic complexes. Dan Licht added that State statutes enable cities to require dedication of land, or a cash equivalent in lieu of land, to be used for acquisition and /or development of public parks, recreation, trails, wetlands, or open space. Licht stated that the current park dedication formula needs to be revised to meet the criteria of new state statutes. The Parks, Trails, and Open Space Update that was completed in 2006 established planned development City Council Work Session Minutes February 27, 2012 Page 2- and complete build -out of the system based on projected population and national standards for park systems. The 2006 update analyzed how much additional land would be required for active and passive recreation purposes to complete the system. The 2007 Parks CIP includes acquisition and development of facilities; however, challenges exist for implementation. The amendment of the park dedication statute, adopted at the request of the Twin Cities Builders Association, limits cities' ability to provide park facilities for new developments. Establishing land and property tax values for the purpose of calculating cash fees is difficult, since sales transactions do not necessarily represent market values. A park dedication formula should both welcome growth and ensure that new users pay for the additional needs they create. Michaud asked Council for comments or questions on the proposed framework for park dedication requirements, and whether they believe the correct course of action is being followed in determining funding for the 2007 Park CIP. Council Member Swecker believes it is challenging for developers to find affordable land and develop it. She agrees with the importance of having amenities available for the residents while not over - taxing businesses or developers. She asked if developers are allowed to donate land that they might be buying at a lower cost. Michaud stated that the land dedication requirements need to be within desired park areas and provided examples of parks where combinations of cash and land dedication were used. Council Member Little believes a change in the formula could be requested again in a few years when the economy improves and land values increase. Developers need a predictable, consistent policy, and land value disagreements will impact the projected formula. In response to the suggested community -wide average property appraisal he believes that would be unfair to any properties that are below the average value. Little wants to ensure that park land will be available to complete the system as planned. Council Member LaBeau stated that being in the industry gives her a unique perspective and she called the report "bogus." She has a hard time with the averaging of values. Values are "messed up" right now because of short -sales and foreclosures, making appraisals difficult. At the developers forum it was requested that one way to get Lakeville moving ahead with the amount of available land and infrastructure would be to look at park dedication fees. She believes it would be more appropriate to compare Lakeville to adjoining cities such as Farmington and Burnsville rather than other large cities such as Eden Prairie and Maple Grove those are the direct competition for home sales. She also disagrees with the calculations shown in the Park Dedication Survey and believes governments were unprepared to adjust to the downturn in the economy. LaBeau commented that neighborhood park tot lots are no longer needed in the community because people don't let their kids go to the park by themselves and many have installed their own playground sets in their backyards. She uses the trails and notices that the parks are under -used. More focus needs to be put on how to get businesses to come to Lakeville rather than going somewhere else. She stated that when she brings potential homebuyers through the city they ask about the schools and road City Council Work Session Minutes February 27, 2012 Page -3- systems, and not about parks and trails; she believes many people don't want to pay for upkeep on something that is not used frequently. She is very disappointed with the information in the report and believes is it inaccurate. Council Member Swecker addressed Council Member LaBeau and stated that she had received several phone calls and emails from residents and a developer who are concerned about LaBeau making any comments on the park dedication fee revisions since her father is a developer. Regardless of the City Attorney saying that there is no direct conflict of interest, this seems to be the common perception. His current plat has 37 lots in the development process and more coming through. Lowering the park dedication rate by even 5% would be a great benefit for his company. Michaud acknowledged that park dedication fees are a big part of the overall costs incurred by developers. There have been past instances when the City has frozen park dedication fees for future phases of a development; however, the fees have never been lowered. It is important to maintain a balance of what amenities people come to the community for - schools, parks, police, etc. Swecker believes that residential fees could be lower; however, they should reserve the right to increase fees in the future as the economy picks up. She believes the commercial and industrial formula is fine. LaBeau reiterated that the comparisons don't make sense to her since those cities are not Lakeville's competition for homebuyers. She believes that Lakeville's most important assets are the school system and the location between two main roadways (35W and Cedar). Council Member Rieb asked LaBeau for clarification on what she meant by not wanting parks and trails. LaBeau said maybe there are enough neighborhood parks and the focus should be on the bigger parks. Rieb stated that it still takes money to build the athletic complexes. Michaud stated that many years ago the decision was made to build more parks that serve several neighborhoods. Unfortunately, some neighborhoods without a park were not satisfied and wanted their own. The parks planning policy includes an athletic field in each neighborhood park to help meet the needs of the youth sports programs. Dan Licht stated that as part of the 2012 update of the system plan Council will discuss policy issues and anticipated costs. Efforts continue to implement projects in the 2005 system plan, however some of the 2005 policies will be revised in the 2012 update. Due to changing demographics, the 2005 document has evolved by increasing park spacing guidelines to a one -mile radius and placing more emphasis on community facilities. The park survey can determine what the residents want and set community priorities. The City can accept parkland or cash for funding development of parks. LaBeau asked if most developers would want to make a land dedication. Licht stated that they are more inclined to donate cash since there is a greater opportunity to profit from building a home. LaBeau asked it was possible for developers to get wetland credits for parkland. Michaud stated that wetlands are usually under the jurisdiction of the DNR. City Council Work Session Minutes February 27, 2012 Page -4- Council Member Little would Tike to see the formula kept simple and easy for everyone to there was some room to move in the amounts on the residential but the commercial/ understand. Licht and Michaud agreed that developers should be able to easily calculate their fees, while being in compliance with the new statute. Council Member Swecker felt industrial fees should stay as they are. The $4,700 is still at the high end compared to other cities in the survey but they would like to see a comparison to south metro cities. Changes will be made as proposed and brought back to the Council for direction. ITEM #2 - Trails Improvement CIP Park Maintenance and Operations Manager John Hennen stated that over 100 miles of paved trails have been constructed in the City of Lakeville in the past 25 years. Almost 25% of those trails are over 20 years of age and another 44% are 10 to 20 years of age. It is important to preserve and maintain this amenity since the trail system is a great asset to the City and much used by residents. The City contracted with WSB to inspect, analyze and review the trail system and determine the overall condition index (OCI) of trails and sidewalks and make recommendations for improvements. WSB also analyzed funding options for long -term maintenance in order to maximize the life of the trails. Park Director Steve Michaud added that WSB's trail and sidewalk assessment was modeled after the City's street pavement assessment, which WSB also completed. Michael Reif, Construction Services Manager for WSB & Associates, stated that he has been working with the Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources on a similar program. The analysis focused on: what is important in the system; how are the trails being used; who are the users; what issues are being experienced. A crack or heave in a roadway system is insignificant for a car but can be potentially hazardous for a pedestrian. Expansion and contraction of the pavement and the weight of snow removal equipment can cause distress to the pavement resulting in cracks and breaking up of the asphalt. These issues, or "events," were identified in the analysis. The analysis looked at the City's objectives: having a high quality system; extending the life of the pavement; and getting ultimate value for maintenance dollars. Not all trails were constructed to the same standards over the years. In 2005 higher standards for asphalt and base materials were adopted, which increased the life expectance of trails constructed after that time. Mr. Reif displayed examples of various trails within the system to illustrate 00 ratings. Trails with an 00 rating of 30 or less are candidates for major rehabilitation or reconstruction; an OCI between 40 and 60 indicates the need for major preservation and improvement measures; and preventive maintenance activities should be scheduled for all trails with an 00 of 70 or higher. In addition, there are 75 miles of sidewalks in the city; for which the Engineering Dept. is responsible. The $25,000 annual sidewalk maintenance budget includes funds for minor repair and required ADA updates. Other major trail maintenance would be done at the same time as street improvements. WSB has developed a Parks CIP, which is based on current life expectancy of trails. Policy decisions need to be made by Council to establish goals for long -term maintenance of the City Council Work Session Minutes February 27, 2012 Page -5- system. Routine maintenance is currently inconsistent as a result of unavailable funding. Deficient trails need to be scheduled for repair or reconstruction as funding becomes available. Tree roots coming through the asphalt is another continuing issue which needs to be addressed. WSB is suggesting developing a Trails CIP and budget. Cost sharing opportunities can be investigated with developers or with other cities through Joint Powers to obtain the best possible price for trail maintenance services. Swecker asked whose responsibility it is to maintain the sidewalks and could they ever be replaced with asphalt. Michaud stated that it is the homeowners' responsibility to maintain sidewalks. Those replacements would be done along with street reconstruction projects. Public Works Director Chris Petree stated that replacement costs are now being partly assessed to adjoining homeowners along with street improvement projects. It was suggested that the maintenance budget be increased to prevent large one -time future costs from draining the budget. Budget recommendations from WSB are based on how many miles are classified in each OCI range, and estimated cost for restoration at each level of disrepair. The lower the 00 rating, the more costly the repair will become. LaBeau asked about reclamation and reconstruction of the trails and possible damage by plowing equipment on the trails. Michaud responded that he has been advised that damage from plowing equipment is less significant than from heavy equipment in the summer because the ground is frozen. LaBeau also asked about standards for width of concrete. Michaud stated that when they are required, 4 -foot sidewalks are built on one side of the street in residential areas and 8 -foot sidewalks are built in commercial areas. Staff reviewed the proposed 2012 to 2016 Capital Improvement Plan for trail projects as prioritized by year. A total fund balance of $1.3M is currently budgeted for the 5-year plan; average annual expenditures are proposed to be about $250,000. Finance Director Feller stated that trail improvement options would be discussed as part of the budget process later this year. Projects are subject to change depending on weather conditions or unforeseen situations. The main advantage of the CIP is to eliminate sharp spikes in expenditures over the years. Chris Petree added that trail and sidewalk projects are being bid at the same time as miscellaneous street projects in order to achieve the most favorable prices. There has also been some interest shown in joint powers agreements. Council directed staff to proceed with implementation of the 2012 -2016 CIP Trail Improvement Fund as presented. ITEM #3 - North Creek Hydrological Study Chris Petree stated that over the last few years there have been several rain events that caused Cedar Avenue to overtop and resulted in flooding in the Valley Park area and along the North Creek corridor. One year ago, Lakeville contracted with Barr Engineering to study the North Creek Subwatershed and the Cedar Avenue area and to identify some alternatives to mitigate the flooding in those areas. City Council Work Session Minutes February 27, 2012 Page -6- Interim City Engineer Zach Johnson stated that the goal of flood mitigation is to improve public safety and reduce the risk of property damage. Barr's study concentrated on analyzing several flood mitigation alternatives in response to flooding at Cedar Avenue and Highview Avenue in 2010 and 201 1 and established flow and volume standards along North Creek at the city boundary. Representatives from Barr Engineering stated that possible mitigation alternatives include constructing additional culvert capacity to carry rainwater below Cedar Avenue, providing additional floodplain storage along North Creek between Cedar Avenue and Highview Avenue, and modifying the height of Highview Avenue with various amounts of culvert reduction. The goal of this mitigation is to store enough water upstream at Highview Avenue to prevent Cedar Avenue from overtopping without impacting the residents upstream. In summarizing the results, Barr determined that only one of the scenarios would meet all of the desired criteria. That alternative would raise Highview Avenue by approximately seven feet and restrict the existing 5X7 culvert to a 3X3 culvert. This alternative would prevent Highview and Cedar from overtopping and provide benefits downstream. LaBeau asked if Dakota County is participating in the project or costs and why nothing was done about this at the time of the road project. Staff stated that the County has indicated that they would consider cost sharing. They are aware of the situation due to the Vermillion River Watershed being a component of the County. There were no improvements directly related to this as part of the Cedar Avenue study; however, the City made some storm water system improvements as part of the project. LaBeau asked about potential flooding on land between 1 65 th and 175 and if there would need to be corrections in order to make it possible to develop. Petree stated that this land has wetland issues and would need drainage corrections to allow development in any case. The landowners are aware of the discussions regarding their property. If Council chooses to pursue mitigation alternatives staff will obtain additional information such as surveys in order to provide accurate cost estimates. Council asked if there were any grants available. Mac Cafferty stated that a grant with the Vermillion JPO funded about half of the North Creek study. The VRWJPO is also considering participation in funding for the project due to water quality and control benefits. The project will be presented to the JPO board and the City will pursue cost sharing with Dakota County. LaBeau asked if any of the existing homes were affected by the new FEMA maps. Johnson stated that he was not aware of any. Swecker asked if any communities downstream would benefit from this project. Johnson stated that no impacts or changes are anticipated in any other communities. ITEM #4.a. Ipava Avenue Pedestrian Crossing Analysis Chris Petree stated that the crossing at Ipava Avenue and 185 Street at Century Middle School was installed in 201 1 as part of a federal aid Safe Routes to School project grant. City Council Work Session Minutes February 27, 2012 Page -7- The current crossing meets the minimum requirements; however, there have been inquiries from residents and the school district about possible improvements. The stopping sight distance in a 45 -MPH speed zone is required to be a minimum of 360 feet; the current distance is 375 feet, which barely meets the minimum. Additional high visibility signage has been discussed. Other issues are trees in the median and on the east side of the roadway causing sight obstructions; excessive speed for a school zone; and inadequate nighttime lighting in the crosswalk. Council asked about possible pedestrian push- button crossing signs. Petree stated that a total of five electronic signs would be needed for vehicles approaching the intersection from each direction, and that could be cost prohibitive. Council directed staff to bring this item back to a future work session with proposed improvements and estimated costs. Council member Little asked about the status of Driver Feedback signs on Flagstaff Avenue. Petree stated that that project should be going out for bids soon for scheduled sign installation this summer. Funding for the project was previously approved through the pavement management fund. ITEM #4.b. Heritage Center Volunteer Demolition Steve Michaud updated the Council on the progress at the Heritage Center. There is a savings opportunity by using a group of volunteers for some interior demolition. The work needs to be completed before the renovation contracts are awarded. Council directed staff to proceed with using volunteers for the demolition work. ITEM #4.c. Interagency Committee /Board Reports: There were no reports. ITEM #5 - Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Judi Hawkins Deputy Clerk Laurie Rieb Acting Mayor