05-20-2024 City Council Work Session MinutesCHANHASSEN CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL WORK SESSION
MINUTES
May 20, 2024
Mayor Ryan called the work session to order at 5:28 p.m.
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Ryan, Councilman McDonald, Councilwoman
Schubert, and Councilman Kimber, Councilman von Oven
COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Laurie Hokkanen, City Manager; Charlie Howley, Public Works
Director/City Engineer; Kelly Grinnell, Finance Director; Jerry Ruegemer, Parks Director; Eric
Maass, Planning Director
PUBLIC PRESENT: Andy Berg, Partner, Abdo, Tyler See, Manager, Abdo, Bryan Harjes
(HKGi)
Presentation of Audit Results
Andy Berg from Abdo reported that the City of Chanhassen was given an unmodified clean opinion
under GAAP with no instances of non-compliance. He recommended implementing a quarterly
financial reporting process. Tyler See, from Abdo, then gave a more detailed overview of the city’s
financial status.
Downtown Design Guidelines and Standard Plan Review Follow Up
Bryan Harjes, HKGi, gave an update on the streetscape design elements incorporated within the
broader Downtown Design Guidelines planning study. It was noted that currently W 78th Street
has no on-street parking, no dedicated bike lane, and wide intersection crossings for pedestrians.
The conceptual streetscape renderings showed alternatives that could provide for a dedicated bike
lane on the north side of W 78th Street, bump-outs at intersections to shorten pedestrian crossing
distances which would create an opportunity for parallel on street parking if desired, as well as
expanded sidewalks on both sides of the street. All of those alternatives were shown in a way that
would keep the current planted center medians. The council agreed that they desired the addition
of bump-outs to create shortened pedestrian crossing distances and recognized that it would result
in one lane of westbound traffic on W 78th street being eliminated as well as the addition of space
for a dedicated bike lane on the north side of W 78th. The City Council also discussed on-street
parking and if it was necessary between the pedestrian bump-outs. They also discussed having
pull-in parking rather than parallel parking. The City Council indicated that they would like more
information on if parking movements would impact traffic flow as that was not part of the
downtown traffic study. The decision was made to take the Downtown Design Guidelines and
Downtown Design Standards to the Planning Commission on June 4, 2024 to have a public hearing
and get their input. Then the Downtown Design Guidelines would come back to the City Council
on June 24, 2024 for further consideration prior to going back to the Planning Commission for
formal recommendation.
Bluff Creek Sewer Area Extension and Development Update
Charlie Howley, Public Works Director/City Engineer, presented to the council that there is an area
in the southern part of the city that does not have sewer and water and it was not in the current
plan to have those utilities. There is now some interest in developments in that area and staff are
City Council Work Session Minutes – May 20, 2024
2
asking for guidance from the council if the city should move ahead with getting sewer and water
to those areas to help with those developments. The City Council all thought that it would be a
good idea to start planning the sewer and water extension with design and construction for a lift
station.
Mayor Ryan recessed the work session at 6:45 p.m.
Mayor Ryan reconvened the work session at 7:40 p.m.
Development Fee Discussion – SAC and WAC Policy, and Lateral Charges Discussion
Eric Maass, Planning Director and Charlie Howley, Public Works Director/City Engineer, gave
an overview of the Sewer Access Charge (SAC) and the Water Access Charge (WAC) as well as
a lateral charge that are fees that a developer pays to have when developing or redeveloping a
property. Suggestions were made for the city to make some changes to fees to encourage
development and redevelopment. The council was in favor of the package presented that would
provide five credits of the city portion of the fee to expanding or remodeling businesses. They
would like to have the proposal go forward to be reviewed by the EDC and at a future city
council meeting.
Chanhassen Market Street Addition Redevelopment Contact (Chanhassen Cinema and
County Inn and Suites Redevelopment) – Project Update
There was no discussion on this item. All information was included in the packet for the council.
Mayor Ryan adjourned the meeting at 8:18 p.m.
Submitted by Laurie Hokkanen
City Manager
Prepared by Jenny Potter
City Clerk