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06-24-2024 City Council Work Session MinutesCHANHASSEN CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES June 24, 2024 Mayor Ryan called the work session to order at 5:30 p.m. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Ryan, Councilmember Schubert, Councilmember Kimber, Councilmember von Oven, and Councilmember McDonald COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Laurie Hokkanen, City Manager; Charlie Howley, Public Works Director/City Engineer; Jerry Ruegemer, Parks Director; Eric Maass, Planning Director; Kelly Grinnell, Finance Director; Samantha DiMaggio, Economic Development Manager; George Bender, Assistant City Engineer PUBLIC PRESENT: Jen Desrude, SEH Project Manager; Debbie Lloyd, Judy Harder, Linda Paulson 2025 Preliminary Budget and Levy Discussion Kelly Grinnell, Finance Director, gave an overview of the 2025 budget calendar and presented a tentative agenda for the levy. She reviewed the estimated market values for taxes payable in 2025 and discussed home market value exclusion increase. Ms. Grinnell then gave an update on wages a nd benefits and other items and the overall impact those items may have. The next steps for the City Council would be preliminary budgets on the August 12 work session. Lake Ann Park Preserve Construction Update Jerry Ruegemer, Parks Director, gave an update on construction of the boardwalk around Lake Ann. There has been much progress on the boardwalk around the lake. Boardwalk A is the longest boardwalk around the lake. Materials were delivered on June 21 to the site and construction will start on June 25. This will take 6-8 weeks to completed. Boardwalk C goes around the northwest side of the lake and a bridge has been started there to assist with construction vehicles and There will be a bid package for phase two that will include trails, tree grubbing, and stormwater ponds. The bid package may be delayed due to the archeology findings. The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) required the city to do further examination of the trail due to findings of lithics and ceramics in the area. There are two sites that are likely to need further examination, and this may delay bid package number two. Councilmembers von Oven and Kimber asked what the process was for the second examination and if we failed it would the path have to be moved? Jen Desrude, SEH Project Manager, responded that failing the examination would mean that they found more items of interest like lithics and ceramics. She said that if more items were found the city might have to shift where the trail would be located but that would depend on the recommendations from the SHPO and the contractor doing the examination of the possible archeological sites. PMP and Assessment Policy Follow-Up Discussion Charlie Hawley, Public Works Director/City Engineer, and George Bender, Assistant City Engineer, discussed ways to help residents with paying for city assessments that are unable to afford the fee. Residents can currently ask for a deferment of the assessment, but it isn’t widely known that the deferment is a possibility. Deferment means that the resident wouldn’t have to pay initially but would have to pay at some future date, and interest would accrue during that period. Mr. Hawley said that the city would do a better job with getting information on the city’s website letting people know when their streets would be repaired to know to plan for the assessment. He also said that the city could do more City Council Work Session Minutes – June 24, 2024 2 to promote the deferment option. The deferment would need to be asked for before the assessment went to the City Council for approval. Councilmember McDonald asked about a program that was a loan but at a lower interest rate. Mr. Hawley said that he could investigate that option. Mr. Hawley also talked about getting to the worst of the roads to repair them prior to the other streets. One way to simplify the process in 2025 would be to have a flat rate that would be added to the fee schedule and then adjust that annually. This would make the fee a known amount, easier to administer, and fair and equitable. He also said that the city could have a map for people with road projects that are 10 years out to use as a communication tool. Mr. Hawley said that they will bring this topic back to the July 22 work session and he will look for more information on a loan versus deferment. Mayor Ryan recessed the Work Session at 6:58 p.m. Mayor Ryan reconvened the Work Session at 7:58 p.m. Review Downtown Design Standards and Design Guidelines Planning Studies Eric Maass, Planning Director, presented the council with what went to the Planning Commission for review and their comments. Charlie Hawley, Public Works Director/City Engineer, reiterated that this plan is a guide to developers for how we would like things to look but it isn’t a final plan of the roads and buildings. Mayor Ryan said that she would like a list of the things the city would like to have as priorities instead of the images. Mr. Maass reviewed that the Council would like to have a list of priorities and then show examples instead of showing specific roads in the guidelines. He said that the next steps are to update the guidelines and go back to the Planning Commission on July 16 for a formal recommendation to then go to the City Council on July 22 or August 12. Chanhassen Bluffs Community Center Laurie Hokkanen, City Manager showed slides of what will be published on the website that will launch on July 28, 2024. There are renderings of the facility, a virtual tour, and frequently asked questions. There will be a booth created that can travel to different locations that will have a QR code to link to the virtual tour and people will be able to take a picture with a prop that shows what they are most excited about for the community center. The booth will debut at the July Business Expr. There will also be a postcard produced that people could take with them with details about the Community center and encouraging residents to vote in November. City Council Roundtable No discussion on this topic. Future Work Session Schedule No discussion on this topic. Mayor Ryan adjourned the meeting at 8:55 p.m. Submitted by Laurie Hokkanen City Manager Prepared by Jenny Potter City Clerk