1990 08 13CHANHASSEN CZTY COUNCIL
REGULAR ~EETZNG
AUGUST 13, 1990
Hayor Chmiel called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.. The meeting was opened
with the Pledge to the Flag.
¢OUllCJ.tmembers Present: Hayor Chmiel, Councilman Workman, Councilman Johnson
and Councilwoman Oimler arrived late
CounqJJmembers ~Ibs~qt: Councilman Boyt
~taff Present: Don Ashworth, Roger Knutson, Paul Krauss, Jo Ann 01sen, Todd
Gerhardt, Dave Hempel, Sharmin A[-Jaff, Scott HarK, Jean Xeuwissen and Tom
Chaffee
APt~ROVA4_ QF AGENDA: Councilman Johnson moved, Councilman Workman seconded to
approve the agenda amended to add the following items for discussion:
Councilman Johnson wanted to discuss the use of chemical toilets in the City;
Mayor Chmiel wanted to discuss recycling of plastics; and Councilman Workman
wanted to get a recycling program update, discuss budget workshop and Crossroads
Bank. A[I voted in favor of the agenda as amended and the motion carried
unanimously.
CONS[NT AOENI)A: Councilman 3ohnson moved, Councilman Workman seconded to
approve the following Consent Agenda Items pursuant to the City Hanager's
recommendation:
a. Approve Interim Use Permit for Carver County Public Works for a Grading
Project to construct an Active Play Area tn the HInnewashta Regional Park
located on Highway 41.
b. Resolution ~r90-94: Approve Resolution appointing Electton Judges and
establishing the rate of pay.
d. Accept Final Storm Water Utility District Report; Cml! for Public Hearing.
g. Resolution (1~0-95: Approve Resolution Entering into an Agreement with the
State for reimbursement of monies through the Federal Anti-Drug Act of 1986.
h. Approve Purchase Agreement for proposed Lake Lucy Road Park Land
acquisition.
Approve Purchase Agreement for Abby Bongard property for Highway 101
Realignment Project.
j. Resolution 190-96: Approve Change in Heating Permit Fee Schedule.
k. Approval of Accounts.
1. City Council Mtnutes dated July 23, 1990 as amended on page 5 by CounclZman
Workman to change the word "nepotent" to omnipotent".
Planning Commission Minutes dated August 1, 1990
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Park and Recreation Commission Minutes dated June 26, 1990
Public Safety Commission Minutes dated July 12, 1990
Public Safety Commission Minutes dated July 24, 1990
m. Resolution ~90-97: Approve Resolution Increasing Mileage Reimbursement Fee.
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously.
C, LAKE SUSAN HILLS FOURTH ADDITION, LOCATED ON .THE WEST SIDE OF_POWERS
BOULEVARO 3UST_ SOUTH OF THE EXISTING L~KE SUSAN HILLS 2ND ~NO 3RD _~OOITIONS.
Mayor Chmiei: There are a couple items on that specific one of which Jo Ann
I'll let you bring up the first item on that on the conditions.
Jo Ann Olsen: Their condition 8 on page 4 should read that ali the access
points to the parkland between single family lots shall be paved. The either
should be taken out, and slgned. It should say that lost shall be paved and
signed that they are public access points. So that was a mistake to keep the
either in there. There was a lot of discussion but it was dropped...
Mayor Chmiel: Okay. On one of the drawings that we have, I have a question.
Should that not have been slgned by a PE?
Jo Ann Olsen: Right.
Mayor Chmiel: And it's not?
Jo Ann Olsen: And it's not. We did ask the applicant to submit the title page
where it would be signed and they dtd submit the title page but it was not
slgned so we, but you're right. That should be signed.
Mayor Chmiel: We will have it signed?
Jo Ann Olsen: Yes.
Mayor Chmiel: Is the erosion control signed on this too? Is that taken care
of?
Dave Hempel: It's with the conditions stipulated, yes.
Mayor Chmiel: Okay. That was the only discussion that I had on that. Does
anyone have anymore? Hearing none, I'll make a motion that we accept item l(c).
Is there a second?
Workman: Second.
Na¥or Chmiel moved, Councilman Workman seconded to approve the Final Plat and
the Development Agreement for Lake Susan Hills Fourth Addition located onthe
West side of Powers Boulevard just south of the existing Lake Susan Hills 2nd
and 3rd Additions as submltte. All voted in favor and the motion carried.
City Council Meeting - August
(Councilwoman Dimler arrived to the meeting at this point.)
F. HP, RKET SgUARE. LOCATED SOUTH OF gE:ST 78TH STREET AND #EST OF I'MRK~T
BOULE~¥ARD.
Councilman Johnson: My main problem on item (f) ls that we're proposing to fill
a wetland as shown on our wetland map without a wetland alteration permit that
Z remember as part of this item. During discussion creating the ponding in
downtown we had a, we designed a two phase system where the water was sent into
this Class B wetland. Allowed some Infiltration evaporation, whatever prior to
going into the large newly created larger wetland. I forgot to grab my current
wetlands map so Z ran upstairs and got a July, 1983 wetlands map and that is
shown as a wetland as of July 23, 1984, Z should say. It shows a wetland on
either side of the railroad tracks at that location. It has been there for a
long time. How are we doing this? How is the City going to fill a wetland
without a wetland alteration permit?
30 Ann Olsen: I don't know that it's a wetland. I mean that's been an altered
a long time before this project ca~e through. The wetland had actually been
filled. I don't recall there being a wetland on that site where Harket Square
is being proposed.
Councilman Johnson: During the whole downtown redevelopment program, we talked
about that as a wetland. We talked about that as the, that's why we didn't pipe
it in the first place. We dumped the water into the first sediment retention
basin, take the big stuff out and then go into the one that we wanted to use
with fountains and be pretty so we took some of the oils and greases and
whatever out [n the first basin before going into the second. Now we're going
to fill the first basin and all the trash is going to just immediately go out to
the front of the city [n the second basin because we're eliminating it. I have
a hard time understanding thls. I apologize for not getting back in town until
this afternoon and not reading this until after you guys had gone home but
that's the way it is.
Mayor Chmiel: Okay, so you're suggestion or your recommendation ts that there's
not been a permit provided for the operation of a wetland?
Councilman 3ohnson: Alteration, yes.
Mayor Chmiel: Alteration, excuse me.
Don Ashworth: Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Chmiel: Yes Don.
Don Ashworth: I do recall the discussion that Councilman Johnson brought up.
However, through the actual construction that area has been filled for many,
many years. The area that's proposed for a pipe has existed as an open trench
for the last 3-4 years.
Councilman Johnson: They're proposing to f111 more than just the trench.
Don Ashworth: I don't believe so.
City Council Meeting .- August
Councilman Johnson: Here's the blue prints. I mean there's a drainage easement
all the way back here. This is the whole drainage easement here. This whole
area ls shown as a dralnage area and here's the trench. The trench that leads
lnto what was the wetland. In fact if you look at the shape of that and go back
to the old map, lt's almost the same shape st111 as it was in July of 1984.
I didn't get a chance to go out and look at it but I know that everybody's in a
hurry on thls thlng but ina hurry doesn't mean that we can, I need to know what
the functlon of that area was during the design of the downtown redevelopment
and I thlnk my recollection was, being the only person that was on the Council
at that time, was that this area was designed as part of the storm water system
as a retention basln. I thlnk we dld a wetland alteration permit for what we
did in that basln in the first place. I don't know. It's something that has to
be researched.
Mayor Chmiel: Do you have anything on that Paul or Jo Ann7
Paul Krauss: We're somewhat at a loss on this Councilman Johnson. This was
never a factor durlng the revlews of thls project and we've walked the site many
a times. If there was a wetland out there, it lsn't there now. It hasn't been
there for some tlme. I've also learned to place 11ttle or no rellance on that
old wetland map that we have because more often than not lt's wrong. There may
have been something out there previously. Clearly that slte's been altered but
there certainly is nothing out there now.
Councilman Johnson: Can we approve thls conditionally upon it belng further
reviewed and if it is determined that it is functioning as part of the existing
storm water system, that replacement will have to be made for this area? See
was tn on the design of this area 3 years ago and we had a 2 stage water
purification, whatever you want to call it, area in here and we're removlng
stage one which aln't a good idea. I know that everybody's Ina hurry on thls
to try and fast track it so conditional, I'm trylng to flgure out what the
conditions would be that we approve it on for this entire area here. If it
isn't a wetland, what's the effect on our storm water system? I haven't seen
any data on that either. If somebody's here that can, the hydrology and the
retention and everything else was all deslgned lnto this thlng and I don't see
any consideration given yet.
Dave Hempel: Councilmember Johnson, Z believe the plpe was not extended at that
time. It was kind of a two fold purpose, from what I'm being told here. First
of all was the cost for extending that pipe uhlch is approximately $100,000.00
and also part of the water purification settlement. It probably was an initial
settlement basln there along that dltch system before it entered lnto a larger
pond.
Councilman Johnson: This is kind of a hidden little wetland where you can drop
out some of your greases and o11s and stuff before it goes into the one with the
fountaln that's supposed to be so attractive from our entrance. Does thls need
any klnd of Watershed approval?
Paul Krauss: The entire project received Watershed approval.
Councilman Johnson: But this wasn't on the project was it? When it received
Watershed approval of the fllllng of this dltch, was that part of the project?
City Council Meeting - August [3, [990
Paul Krauss: Watershed approved the project the way it's drawn today.
Councilman Johnson: In fact we approved the project his way and I didn't notice
this at the time that we approved this project. This is one of those things
that clicked today when I was reading this rather than when they started talking
about pulling the storm water area.
Mayor Chmiel: Is there somehow that we can review this and give an approval
portion on that?
Councilman Johnson: We can actually approve it and...
Mayor Chmiel: And make sure that everything is consistent to what you're
indicating? Check that out and make sure.
Councilman Johnson: If we approve it, we've still got some time to check it out
and then we can reconsider it anyway.
Mayor Chmiel: Right. Call it back for reconsideration.
Councilman Johnson: Right. If we find out that we're hurting our storm water
system by doing this.
Councilman Workman: Mr. Mayor, could I also in relationship to this, because
this is a project that's delicate to the downtown and the HRA and the City has
gone to great lengths to speed up, expedite, hurry along this project. Could
maybe Todd Gerhardt or the applicant or somebody tell us, for the record, where
we are with this? It was my understanding that we were shooting for an August
1st closing date or was that August 15th? Maybe it's both. Are we on schedule
for that or when do we see the earth start to move out there?
Mayor Chmiel: Todd, do you have anything to say?
Todd Gerhardt: No.
Mayor Chmiel: Okay, Brad.
Brad Johnson: I can tell you where we are. We're having these agreements
approved. The lenders just...
Mayor Chmiel: Just state your name please.
Brad Johnson: I'm sorry. I'm Brad Johnson, 7425 Frontier Trail. Where we are
is we're in the process of getting all the agreements prepared so the bank can
look at them. One of the agreements that the bank has to look at is the
development agreement. The next agreement is the HRA redevelopment agreement
which is not ready as yet but should be ready tomorrow or the next day. Once
those two are signed by the City, it will be a week to 2 weeks later that the
lender will close because he has to review all the documents and feel
comfortable with them so we're just waiting. There are others things that we're
doing but in sequence of events we knew that this would be on this evening so we
did not count on closing on the 15th and the lenders have just told us that we
have to get all this stuff in order to close. So I would say we're, once the
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
agreements are approved and signed by the City, we're somewhere between 1 and 2
weeks away from being abie to cIose because the lender has to review them and
approve them.
Mayor Chmiel: What you're saying is you would see something either by the 20th
or the 2?th? On or before. That would be the Z weeks.
Brad Johnson: Well, the HRA redeveIopment agreement has yet to.
Mayor Chmiel: That's Thursday.
Brad Johnson: That's Thursday, yeah. So sometime within the next 14 days after
that would be the earl£est we could be there.
Councilman Workman: So we're behlnd schedule?
Brad Johnson: Yeah. Part of it is agreements and part of it's all, you know
there's 20 different people and deals lnvolved in this particular thlng.
There's 13 tenants.
Councilman Workman: I'm not belittling the process.
Brad Johnson: We're about 2 weeks behind right now. We were shooting for
August 1st. It's now August 13th and I would guess toward the end of the month
would be the earl£est just based upon the fact that this is where we are on this
agreement and the HRA agreement. We have yet to see the final version of the
HRA agreement. We have seen this agreement. That's where we are.
Councilman Johnson: It does say the project will go to the Riley-Purgatory-
Bluff Creek Watershed for approval also in Gary's letter.
Mayor Chmiel: I guess on the HRA portlon, the reason why that's not fully
completed is because of some of the discussions that you had and changes that
were needed because of your requests so it lsn't the HRA that's basically
behlnd. I just wanted to clarlfy that. Anymore Tom? Did you have any other?
Councilman Workman: No.
Mayor Chmiel: Jay, any other item?
Councilman Johnson: That was the main item. I just wanted to make sure we're
not shooting our storm water system while we're doing this. With that in the
record I think I'll move approval of ltem l(f).
Mayor Chmlel: Is there a second?
Councilman Workman: Second.
Resolution ~)0-98: Councilman 3ohnson moved, Councilman Workman seconded to
approve the following items for Harket Square, located south of West 78th Street
and West of Harket Boulevard pursuant to the C/tx Hanager's recommendations:
1. Approve Development Contract
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
2. Authorize Feasibility Study.
3. Accept Feasibility Study
4. #aive Public Hearing
5. Authorize Preparation of Plans and Specifications
6. Accept Plans and Specifications
7. Authorize Advertising for Bids
8. ~prove PiN) Agreement
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously.
¥~SZTOR PRES~NTATZONS: None.
PUBLTC HEARTNG: PROPO.,f~,C:'O ORDTNAIICE AIt=IlDItENT REGARDI'N6 All EXCESS #ATER USd~GE
CHARGE.
Don Ashuorth: Council has been considering for quite some time an excess water
usage charge. The idea behind it would be to establish a base for each of our
customers. That base would be selected by the usage of your winter quarter
water usage. To that amount ue would add a 30~ factor and during the summer
months any person who would be using more than that base amount would receive
the higher charge. [t is our belief that ue needed to do something tn terms of
trying to control excess water usage during the summer months. This has been a
very good year for us. [t's been very wet. it's been cool. The charge this
late in the year would not become effective for 1990 but would be effective for
[991. The ordinance also does make a minor adjustment in the sewer charge
itself. That portion would become effective for this year. We're estimating 2~
to 3~ would be the overall effects of Just the base charge changes. [s that
correct Tom? Again, the excess water charge would be effective for 1991.
Again, staff felt that this would be a very logical way to attempt to control
excess water usage.
Councilman 3ohnson: Before we open this up to the public.
Mayor Chmiei: Let's, unless you have something pertinent Jay.
Councilman 3ohnson: Yeah. [ just wanted to mention one thing before we get
started there is that there is a certain segment of our population that does not
live in Chanhassen during the winter quarter. Therefore, automatically their
summer quarter is going to be excess water usage almost completely. That's not
fair. There has to be some kind of minimum baseline established also which says
that if you don't use more than so much, you know you're considered to have used
so much water during the, you're not going to be charged for it but during the
winter. [ mean how the people get charged for their sewers that aren't here. [
mean my next door neighbor takes off down to Brownsville every year in October
and comes back in April. Are we charging him sewer rates based on no water
flow?
Don Ashworth: People who are gone in the winter quarter do see a lower utility
bill through the entire year because we set the sewer charge based on the low
quarter which happens to be the winter quarter for useage and that will be your
sewer charge during each of the 4 quarters in that next year. Again, if a
person is gone for that timeframe, hypothetically they are being charged less
for sanitary sewer during the remainder of the year. In some ways the proposed
City Counctl Heeting - AuguSt
charging system helps provide a means by which the City can basically recoup
some of it's cost by not getting enough money from that person for the winter
quarter.
Councilman 3ohnson: That tells me we've got a little problem with how we're
charging the sewer too.
Don Ashuorth: We could set a baseline. This would be entlrely computerized so
it could take a look at your low. We could take a look at your quarter, add 30~
and compare that to a particular basellne and then charge you one of those two
rates.
Councilman Johnson: Here's something you can relate to. A couple with kids off
in college. The kids aren't there very much during the winter quarter and they
move back home. All the bills go up including the water usage and the phone
usage. I mean there's a lot of situations where it may not be people out there
using water sprinkling with thelr lawn. How has thls affected the industrial
user too? There's a lot of industrial uses that use a lot more for air
conditioning because they use elther non-contact or contact coollng water for
air conditioning purposes. I know I dtd the water calculations for several
Honeywell facilities when I worked for them and it was way in excess of 30~ was
used for cooling.
Mayor Chmlel: I'd just maybe like to interject something too. I agree that
we're runnlng in a deficit on our water. We have to do something to make sure
that lt's a vlable and payable thlng for everyone. One of the things that Z
requested staff to do was to pull each of the Councilmembers to see as opposed
to what the old rate is as opposed to what the new rate ls.
Councilman Johnson: For our houses?
Mayor Chmlel: For our houses. I thought this would be very typical. Right,
that's what this is. Just alone on, I'll start out with mlne because that's the
first one that's on the top here. My monthly norms run roughly about SgO.&5 per
quarter. With the increase and the changes according to the rate, tt would run
approximately $10g.00 per quarter so it would go up $1g.00. Not quite. $18.35.
Councilman Johnson: Is that based on this year or last year's water usage?
Mayor Chmiel: This is based on this past year's water usage. Tom, is that what
you used?
Tom Chaffee: Let me correct your flgures. Flrst off, the figures that you're
talking about, that $g0.65. That would be your total water bill for the year.
Mayor Chmlel: I'm sorry, that's correct. That's what you told me. You're
right.
Tom Chaffee: And the $10g.00 would be applying the new rate and the excess
charge if any... That would be the annual total for water only. Then you go
down on the left hand side and you see your sewer totals of $18.60.
Councilman Johnson: What year was this? Was this 8g's or gO's?
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Tom charles: 1989.
Councilman Johnson: Okay, so it was a dry year and not a wet year when some
people were water sprinkling.
Mayor Chmiel: Well it wouldn't matter on mine. I have a well so it wouldn't
affect it.
councilman Workman: What's this red number in red showing $1,000.007
Councilman Johnson: That's his old water bills.
Mayor Chmiel: That means it's a deficit. Okay, the next one that we have is is
Tom Workman's.
Councilman Johnson: You live in a quad.
Mayor Chmiel: You must be tapping the neighbors. His total last year was
$47.30 and with the new rate it would come to $58.00.
Councilman Workman: If I could comment quickly. I do have an association where
the outslde water is not my own but rather the association. We have a gentleman
who would like to discuss that aspect of this also since they don't use those
splgots in the wlnter.
Mayor Chmlel: Okay. And then we have Ursula's. It was $82.15 as opposed to
the new which would be $104.50. And 3ay, your's was $97.45 as opposed to
$122.00.
Councilman Johnson: So mine's gone up the most.
Mayor Chmiel: So with that I would like to open the public hearing for anyone
who would like to address this particular issue. Come up to the microphone and
please state your name and your address and talk to us.
Steve Best: Mr. Mayor and Councilmembers. I'm Steve Best of 7221 Pontlac
Circle. I'm President of Clmarron Homeowners Association. It's 156 homeowners.
We're quad homes. Each one of these units has 5 meters. One for each owner and
one for the association. That is for the outside spigots. During the winter
quarter they're shut off so we use no water. But during the summer months we
would be using excess water from the first drop on up.
Councilman Johnson: That's where the basellne has to go. That's another
example of a baseline but that'd be different than a residential baseline.
Mayor Chmiel: Right. That's correct. Is there anyone else? If you don't
speak out now, you'll never get another chance unfortunately so I'd like
everyone who has any thoughts or ideas to come forward and please indicate
those. [f you feel uncomfortable with it, ask the questions. It took a lot for
us to understand what it ls here as well. If not seeing anyone.
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Councilman Workman moved, Councilwoman Dimler seconded to close the publtc
hearing. Ail voted in favor and the motion carried. The public hearing was
closed.
Councilman Workman: I think we're going to have a lot of angry customers on
this even though they're not here. I don't know if we can do this and this is a
simple mind working again but is the excess useage idea the only idea because I
think that the idea to conserve water is an outstanding idea. This year we have
lots of water. Sprinklers aren't running but next year or 3 years from now
we're going to have a problem. Can't we somehow, can't we put a value on a
gallon of water and say you pay for whatever amount of gallons of water you use
not taking into account an excess useage? The gas station sets the price and of
course it keeps going up but you don't use so much and they don't charge on an
extra. It would seem to me that a gallon of water to every resident in the City
has got pretty much an equal value. Haybe save the industrial customers. And
that everybody should just use whatever you want but you're going to pay more. I
don't know, maybe that's too difficult to meter every gallon of water.
Councilman Johnson: We do.
Don Ashworth: We do.
Councilman Workman: But I mean, can't we? I guess in effect I'm saying raise
the price of a gallon of water. Straight out.
councilman Johnson: Well we've done that too.
Councilman Workman: Rather than this excess usage which I think is going to
have a lot of, many of my neighbors are not there. They're in Arizona during
the winter months and they're elderly and I don't know. I see a lot of problems
with this at thls polnt.
Councilman Johnson: I think by establishing a base line we can get away from
some of those problems. Saying a quad, the average use within the quad's in the
winter months is so much. Okay, and say that if you're below that average or
above that average, that's where your excess starts in the summer is based on
that average. I look at thls and that last year, that dry year we did not
necessarily lawn sprinkling but we've got a lot of flowers and plants and trees
we trled to save. The grass you can replant it easler than the trees and I only
had a $$.00 excess usage charge.
Councilwoman Oimler: I guess I'd like to say that I don't know if this baseline
ls necessarily adequate because as Jay mentioned, I have 4 teenagers and in $
years they're all golng to be gone out of the house and my baseline ls golng to
drastically change. How often are we adjusting the base?
Councilman Johnson: Every year. The computer just does that.
Councilwoman Otmler: Also I had a question on is the City included in this
adjustment for Clty usage?
Don Ashworth: The City does not bill itself, no.
10
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Councilwoman Dimler: They use a lot of water. I've heard comments about
sprinkling out there when the rest of us couldn't and so forth. I'm not real
sure how we're going to handle that. And also, I'm just wondering if it wlll
encourage during the baseline period, tt will encourage people to use a lot of
water to get your baseline up.
Councilman Johnson: I don't think, when you start looking at a $5.00 excess
usage charge over the year, I don't think anybody's gotng to take that much into
consideration and flush twice every time just to use extra water.
Councilwoman Dimler: $o you get your baseline up so you can go over. I mean
instead of conserving could it go the other way is what I'm asking?
Mayor Chmlel: From one extreme to the other ls what you're saying?
Councilwoman Dimler: Yeah.
Councilman Johnson: We're charging .05 of a cent per gallon is our excess
charge. Is that how that works out? 50 cents per a 1,000 gallons? 1,000
gallons is quite a bit of water for 50 cents. What can you get 1,000 gallons
for 50 cents nowadays?
Councilwoman Dimler: Okay, and my other comment was that you know, I see th[s
kind of as a tax increase. I know [t's minimal but also on the other hand we're
talking about a possible surface water management utility again which is costing
us more if that passes. I hate to see us just creeping up all the time slowly
but surely.
Councilman Johnson: But we're running this utility as a deficit and we can't do
that either.
Councilwoman Dimler: ! understand that.
Mayor Chmiel: That's the only concern I have with Deloitte and Touche.
Councilwoman Dimler: I guess I would say that I would rather see an across the
board increase.
Mayor Chmiel: Flat? Straight increase?
Councilwoman Otmler: In the price per gallon.
Don Ashworth: You could have something like a $1.00 per 1,000 gallons for the
first 10,000 and $1.20 for each 1,000 after that.
Councilwoman Dimler: Rlght. Rather than you know, isn't tt golng to take a lot
of work to adjust base and all this and everybody's bill ts going to be
different?
Councilman Johnson: The computer does it.
Mayor Chmlel: Now in comparison to just what you're saytng, how would that work
from one to the other? Would it be comparable to what this would be now?
11
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Don Ashuorth: I would say you'd produce about the same total dollars. Under
what I just stated?
Tom Chaffee: More money.
Mayor Chmiel: It would be more?
Don Ashuorth: I think if the Council were leaning in that direction, you should
have us prepare some computer models that would actually show you where you
would cross over. I'm throulng a number of the alt.
Councilwoman Oimler: Have we done computer studies with other cities what
they're charging per gallon?
Don Ashworth: A number of cities are still going the opposite direction.
They'll take and have a $1.20 per gallon for the flrst 10,000 and then actually
reduce the charge after 10,000 gallons.
Councilwoman Dimler: I don't want to do that.
Mayor Chmiel: I agree. The conservation aspect is a good way to go as well but
I want to devise something that's golng to be equally equitable for the Clty as
well as for the residents so we're not overpaying those total amount of dollars.
Just to glve us more of a slush fund. I thlnk lt's klnd of an operation that we
should be on an even basis basically.
Councilman Johnson: The 30~ where did that, how did we decide on 30~9 It
sounds exactly, you reached up and grabbed it out of the air. 0id we look at
compared to wlnter quarter versus summer quarters and come up and say on the
average it's about 30~ more water usage in the summer quarter or something?
Tom Chaffee: For the analysis I prefer to use medians rather than averages.
Okay?
Mayor Chmiel: Tom, why don't you come up to the microphone here so this can get
transcribed.
Tom Chaffee: Maybe we've already accomplished what we set out to accomplish by
virtue of just getting everybody's attention about the fact that we do have to
conserve our water. Now the second thing we have to accomplish ls to lncrease
our revenues, our water revenues. I used lg88 and 1989 and I used the median
varlance water customers. The medlan variance between the first and the second
quarter of the year was 30~. In other words, half of the city varied up to
and half of them varied more than that. So I used that medlan as a basls to say
that at 30~ is a break point and then applled that. But maybe by virtue of just
the nolse we've made, we've made everyone cognizant of the fact that we do have
to conserve our water. We're going back to the old NSP style of you know
there's a demand charge involved. In the summer months you see that the lg89,
the comparisons that I gave you. The third quarter which is the summer quarter
as compared to the wlnter quarter, flrst quarter, the median variance was over
100~. If you use 10,000 gallons of water in the winter, you use 20,000. So
over 100~ additional. Los Angeles County ls an example. They're rationing
their water and we're sitting here complaining about whether or not we should
12
-.
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
pay an additional, like you say, SO cents a 1,000. But definitely we should not
invert the rates such as a lot of the communities are currently doing.
Mayor Chmiel: I think it might not be a bad idea for us to sit back and come up
with some models. Come up with some conclusions from those particular models
and once that's determined, then we can pursue the route that we should go.
Tom Chaffee: Might I suggest that we at [east for the balance of 1990, at least
adopt an lncrease in the current rate.
Councilman Johnson: To the $1.00 per 1,000 without the excess. I think that's
a good idea.
Councilman Workman: Where's it at right now per 1,0007
Councilman Johnson: $.80 per 1,000 for the first 10,000 gallons. Then it goes
to $.85 thereafter?
Mayor Chmiel: Right.
Councilman Johnson: And you're charged the first 10,000 gallons whether you use
10,000 gallons or not. The minimum bill is $8.00 so if you use 0 gallons, you
get charged $8.00. We're changlng that now to where the minimum bill would be
$5.00 for the first 5,000 gallons at $1.00 per 1,000 gallons. So for those
people who are gone to ~rizone in the wlnter, they're going to get a $5.00 water
bill versus an $8.00 water bill.
Don Ashworth: We should be able to have the information requested available by
the next Counci[ meeting. Even just putting .£nto effect an additions[ charge
would requlre a resolution whlch the Council does not have in front of them this
evening so I would encourage I think the motion that you had started which is
basically to table instructing staff to prepare the model for next meeting.
Councilman Workman: So moved.
Councilwoman Oimler: Second.
Councilman Workman moved, Councilwoman Dialer seconded to table action on the
ordinance amendment regarding excess ~ater usage charge and Lnstructing staff to
prepare models for the next City Council ~eetlng. All voted tn favor and the
motion carried unanimously.
PUBLIC HEARI~: PARK PLACE PflA~ II (C~SSEN LAKES BUSi'NESS PARK 5TH
AOOITION) IHPROUEHENT PROJECT $$-1~_; /~JTt~TT;_ P~Pf~TION OF P~S ~
SPECIFICATIONS,
Public Present:
Richard Andresen, PMT Corporation
Roman Roos, Rome Corporation
13
City Council Heeting - August 13, 1990
Dave Hempel: If the Council desires, we do have a representative here from RCM,
the consulting engineering that's dolng the project for the City. Hr. Oick Potz
can glve a brief summary of the project.
Hayor Chmiel: Good. Dick, can you present that please?
Dick Potz: Good evening. I think all of you went through the report at the
last meeting. I'd just like to review it again in case anybody here would like
to make any comments. The project locatlon is over in the Chanhassen Buslness
Park south of TH 5. This indicates the site location for the 5th Addition. In
1985 Alscor Investment owned all the parcels in there and petitioned the Clty
for installation of water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, street, curb and gutter,
and RCM dld that study. Thls gives you an 1dew of in 1985 what was presented
and what was authorized by the City Council. Construction of the roadway and
storm sewer as indicated on here. Red indicates the in place. Storm sewer was
constructed along the cul-de-sac along the roadway. It was stubbed out for
future use when development of these lots became a reallty. Storm sewer was
also installed along the back lot line to take the drainage off of Lots 1, 2,
and 3 that are abutting up on Park Drive. All that storm sewer in blue was
constructed in 1986 under a Phase 1 project. Street that you see out there now
was constructed ina rural type sectlon. The area that was graded out through
the development of the whole business park had a lot of fill brought in here.
It varled between 5 feet to 11 feet of f111 that was placed over a lot of soft
underlying soils. Based on the soil consultant's recommendation, we proceeded
wlth a rural type section. Rural belng pulled off the street into a dltch and
the drains then picked up into the storm sewer and along the extsttng sanitation
pond whlch overflows into the creek. If something was that the construction of
the curb and gutter and final surface that in excess of some places up to 6
inches could potentially settle and was a bad investment to put the curb and
gutter in and ended up with a wavy roadway. You'd have to go back in and pull
it up and do an overlay. So it was recommended and it was constructed to bulld
a bituminous rural section. Part of the feasibility report again in lg85 and
1986 was to lnstall sanitary sewer. The yellow indicates how the sanitary sewer
was built through the replatting of th£s area. What needed to be done to serve
thls parcel was to extend the sanltary sewer out and pick up thls parcel. We
also put a stub out to serve Lot 5. Assume that when this parcel developed,
lt's rlght in the mlddle of a bulldlng way so Lot 6, 5, and 4 would beneflt wlth
the installation of a new sanltary sewer. That was also constructed in 1986.
Watermaln was discussed in the 1986 report. This is an overlay from the 1986
report. Alscor Investment when they petit£oned under using Opus Corporation as
a development agent, had potential layout of all these parcels. The water
service that they desired followed the lot lines between these Lots 4 and 5.
Went around a cul-de-sac, up lnto Lot 6 and looped back to Audubon so the
orlginal proposal by the developer was to construct a loop around here. Like
I said, thls was done in the 1986 report. At that tlme we looked at
construction of a diagonal watermain loop. Running It straight up the hill to
save some trees up in thls area before we connected to the 12 inch watermaln.
We looked at construction of the loop up to TH 5 rather than this lot line. At
that tlme Palsley Place wasn't there. Zt was an open lot. So now under the
proposal, we looked again at the watermain. You can see that in the back of
your report. Wlth the addltion of Palsley Place here and construction of the
security fencing, the internal sprinkler systems and the additional cost to
construct the watermain loop through the 5, we've gone back to the ultlmate
14
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
route. So the proposal at this time is to construct a watermain loop following
the alignment that you see in the report and that's what the costs are based on.
Also at this time we're proposing to finish the construction of that roadway
surface. There's been a couple of proposals brought £nto staff to do the
development on Lot 3 and Lot 6. I'm not so sure where they're currently at.
The roadway has I believe suff1ciently settled enough that we can put [n the
concrete curb and gutter with the catch bas~ns that are installed out there tn
the curb and gutter with some back f[ll£ng behind there to dress it up and by
~nstallation of this waterma[n, the rest of the subdivision can be developed.
part of the problem with the assessments is the change of some ownerships.
Appended in your report is a copy of the development contract between Alscor and
the City. Alscor has a development contract to maintain or to develop that. All
the parcels have...equally shared. All those parcels all that cost. That's the
way the proposal had been written to assess those by divid£ng [t per acre Just
like it was in 1986. In the front of the report you also see that we did check
with legal counsel for Opus and we have not seen the purchase agreement between
some of the individual parcels that are not owned by Alscor or Opus Corporation.
Like I said, Alscor Investor still does have an agreement with the City to
finish that development. The original proposal tn 1986 when the uatermatn was
delayed and because the previous roadway surface was delayed, Council did
approve it and put a flag on those parcels as future assessments and a pending
assessment [n the future for those parcels whtch... So those parcels should
have been purchased with a pending assessment. If Council so desires to proceed
with completion of that project, I have £ncluded a project schedule £n the back
of the report. In 2 weeks we can be back, basically the next 2 or 3 weeks be
back with the plans and specifications for your acceptance and we can authorize
for construction of bids. That's a pretty quick review of what you've got in
front of you there.
Mayor Chmiel: Very good. Thanks. Any questions? Is there anyone wlsh[ng to
address th£s particular ttem on the agenda? This Ls a public hear/ng?
Richard Andresen= I'm Richard Andresen with the PMT Corporation. I'm speaking
in behalf of A1 Iverson who was unable to attend. I'd like to read off a letter
that he wrote. Dear Sirs. I wish to convey my disapproval of the City project
85-13B and the subsequent specials at th£s time for the following reasons. One,
the improvements are not part of Lots 1 and 4. Two, we've been charged specials
already for such improvements. I thank you in advance for your attention in
this matter. Sincerely, A1 Iverson, President, PMT Corporation.
Mayor ChmLel: Thank you. Are there any questLons?
Councilman Johnson: Where are Lots i and 4 on that diagram?
Dick Potz: Well one is the corner lot rlght across from the c£ty garage. Lot 4
is thls parcel.
Councilman Johnson: $o Lot 4 is definitely tnvolved in this project.
Todd Gerhardt: Mr. Mayor, if I could address this issue. A1 had asked Richard
to attend tonight's meetlng because he hasn't recetved the prlvate redevelopment
contract as of yet with the HRA. That agreement was executed at 4:30 today and
it was sent to him. Included in that agreement are the speclals for these
15
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
pending improvenlents so the specials that were outlined on the Board above are
golng to be picked up as a part of his agreement. I'm sure A1 was just making a
note for the record.
Mayor Chmiel: Okay, thank you.
Roman Roos: Hy name is Roman Roos with Rome Corporation. I'm the owner of Lot
3, Block 1. We understand the process of development, especially what Opus is
doing for Lots 4, 5 and 6. I guess my questlon and my concern ls having to do
again with the assessments. Lot 3 which was really a composite of the old
development actually was 3 different lots including 3 lots really formed Lot 3
plus it formed the basis of part of Lot 1, Block 2 and part of the Outlot A. I
guess my concern number one ls that those two remaining lots, Outlot A and Lot
1, 81ock 2 be part of this as is the other parcels. In fact if that has to be
sold. Secondly, I have 3 laterals comlng 1nrc Lot 3 at the present tlme off of
Park Road along with 3 water lines coming in. It seems that the development of
the watermain, the 10 inch maln ls really solely for the purpose of those
interior lots and I wanted to make note of that. I would disapprove becoming a
share of those assessments on that basls. Like Mr. Iverson, I also was assessed
and will be picklng up the existing assessments from the orlginal development.
In addition to that, I at thls polnt in tlme feel that I know under the
development contract when I develop our Lot 3 which there will be and has been
an approval of a 30,000 square foot buildlng on that, it will plck up those
assessments. Those remaining if you will. In the meantime I'm still paylng on
that so I just want to make that a matter of record please. Thank you.
Councilman Johnson: Could I ask another question here real quick related to
what Roman just said?
Mayor Chmiel: Sure.
Councilman Johnson: You paid the specials for Phase 1 or the specials have been
assessed against you?
Roman Roos: They are and I'm paying them off every year and of course as soon
as the building is developed under the contract, it will be the balance that's
still left will be picked up. That is correct.
Councilman Johnson: Right. Are the undeveloped Lot 4, Lot 5 and Lot 6, were
they also assessed during the Phase 17
Mayor Chmiel: Yes.
Councilman Johnson: Were they assessed equally during Phase 17 So they paid
part of the water that's in front of your lot that's coming into your's and is
not touching thelr's whatsoever is assessed agalnst Lots 4, 5 and 6 even though
they have no uso of that?
Roman Roos: Jay, you'd have to go back and look at the origlnal site plan if
you will. There was quite a different configuration in there in terms of the
lots, most of them frontlng onto Park Road. I do happen to have that drawing.
Councilman Johnson: Yeah. That's why you have 3 stubs coming into your lot.
16
City Council Hem[lng - Rugust 13, 1990
Roman RODS: That is correct, yes. And for those 3 stubs I am paying every 6
months that allocated portion if you will.
Councilman 3ohnson: Hy question is, are those other lots also paying every 6
months for the cost of Phase 17
Dick Po[z: 3ay, you're getting Phase I mixed up. Phase i that i'm talking
about is because of the redevelopment and redes[gnat[on of this addition.
Hr. [verson is talking about is when this configuration of this area uss in a
different lot configuration. The cul-de-sac was not there. There were lots
abutting up on Park Drive. This road was constructed. This sanitary sewer and
this large... The services along here uere placed based on that configuration.
Then through the replatting of this Lot 1, Block 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and Lot R
necessitated construction of this cul-de-sac for san£tary sewer and watermains.
Councilman 3ohnson: [nside of there?
Dick Potz: That's Phase I that i'm talking about.
Councilman 3ohnson: Has Roman's lot and Hr. [verson's lot, did they get
assessed for your Phase 1 that you're taIk[ng about?
Dick Po[z: Yes they were. They were not the owners at that time. The owners
were Rlscor Investors who owned Lots [, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 who petitioned and they
desired to spread that assessment for the whole project as a developer's
contract states over all those parcels equally. That's the way Phase [ went
through. They were assessed for the construction of their road that's there no~
or for the sanitary sewer and the store sewer. Yes they were. I've got a copy
of that report.
Councilman 3ohnson: ~nd these lots before becamse the 5th division were
assessed also for Park Road, the sanitary sewers, store sewer and everything
along Park Road also more than likely.
Dick Potz: I can't answer that.
Councilman 3ohnson: But they weren't in this configuration.
Dick Potz: Haybe Oon can answer how that was developed originally.
Mayor Chmiel: You actually purchased it from Alscor is that correct?
Roman RODS: That's correct.
Councilman 3ohnson: It complicates the matter on the assessment side of things
but we're not here to decide the assessment side of thing.
Councilman Workman: What are you suggesting then 3ay?
Councilman 3ohnson: I'm not suggesting anything. I'm just trying to figure
this out. I'm just trying to figure out who's on first here. tt depends upon
the purchase contracts and everything else that's happened since as to how we
spread these assessments and who pays for what in these assessments. If these
17
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
were still G available lots, there'd be no question. All of a sudden there
seems to be questions because they're no longer available. They're owned by
different people. I mean those costs would have just been passed on. Nom if
there are pendlng specials in the designation, thls is what we're talking
about I would assume. These pendlng speclals and when you purchase the lot you
knew there was a pending special against it. But here we're only here to
authorize preparation of plans and specs but it always gets lnto thls discussion
of assessments.
Don Ashworth: I think that Mr. Iverson's question has really been addressed. I
think the other owners can...
Roman RoDs: I can make this quite easy. I'm very much aware of the development
contracts and I fully intend on using that. I've already been granted it on my
development. My concern is not so much that as my concern ls that if lndeed that
is going to be the process by which those assessments are split up to the
abuttlng lots, then in fact it should be all the lots and that would lnclude
Outlot A and it would include Lot 1, Block 2. That's my only comment. Other
than that, that's the way it is. Thank you.
Councilman Workman: The only comment I had was, we laid a lot of asphalt. We
did a lot of work on this road. We seem to do thls a lot in the clty. We bulld
roads to rural standards and then 2 years later we want them to be city
standard. Isn't there a cheaper way? There's really not a whole lot on thls
road. There isn't anythlng uslng this road currently. Isn't there a cheaper
way for us to take care of a sedlment or poor soll problem on a road 11ke thts
like stacking large piZes of earth to squeeze it down rather than laying the
asphalt and then having to redo the whole. Waltlng for it to settle and then
redoing the curb and gutter and everything else? Who goofed on this?
Dick Potz: Nobody goofed. I can give you a copy of the original report.
Councilman Workman: The City Council goofed.
Mayor Chmiel: No. Nobody goofed.
Dick Potz: I can give you a copy of the original report which had the soil
engineer's recommendation there. He looked at surcharging and it was too much
down there to compress by surcharging unless he put wicks in it and went through
the sedlment plate area. You st111 surcharge lt. You st111 wlck lt. You st111
measure the plates. When you assume after 6 months to 9 months it's settled,
you remove the surcharge and there's a certain amount of rebound and you pave
it. There's not a soils engineer around, whether you believe the one that did
the orlglnal work out here that says that road after curb and gutter would have
been placed that st111 isn't going to go like that. There was no immediate
pressure to bulld on these lots so we felt that by the expense of surcharging
and the wicks involved and the time to do it. Pull it back. Put the curb and
gutter on, that it was not probably a wlse investment so why don't we 3ust put
the rural sectlon in there. The flrst layer of asphalt which is still going to
be used. Overlay it wlth another layer and add the curb and gutter on the side
at a later date and let the thlng settle. He had indicated that in this area
here it's a potential of up to 6 lnches of settling. It dld not settle 6 lnches
based on his calculations. There has been some interest in Lot 6 and Lot 3.
18
City Council Meeting - August [3, [990
The cheapest way I think is the way we tried to build it the first time. If
there had been a building anticipated to go in there right away, you may have
selected to go by surcharging or done something different so we could get the
road finished in a final condition. Does that make sense?
Councilman Workman: I'm not sure what a wick is. I know what surcharging is.
Dick Potz: It pulls water out of there and let them squeeze down.
Councilman Workman: So you're saying that by putting a layer of gravel or
whatever and then the asphalt, that does a better job than surcharging it?
Dick Potz: There had been a lot of fill material put over the peat and muck
that was down there already. $o one of the choices was to dig it all up... The
other choice is to put an overburden on there to compress the soft underlying
soils and speed up the compression of the underlying before the road is put on.
So ue had to haul in all the extra material and we didn't think it was necessary
to go through that expense because nobody was ready to build on Lots 3, 4, 5,
and 6 that they needed so that was the most economical way to get a roadway in
there.
Councilman Workman: But we didn't need the roadway anyway at that point or even
nOW.
Councilman Johnson: Could have. A building could have been built there any
day.
Dick Potz: Two months later the council could have had somebody come in there.
I don't know. The petition was to build a roadway in there so they could
develop it. We don't know what was in his mind that he had somebody who's come
and gone that wanted to put something on those lots. We don't know that. All
we know is that they're still vacant.
Councilman Johnson: What's the timeframe for a surcharge? Do you leave it on
there 3-6 months or whatever?
Dick Potz: Well it depends. I'm not a soils engineer. 9 months probably.
Councilman Johnson: And we've done this one, since this was built before I came
on Council, it's been there over 4 years now?
Dick Potz: We built what's there now since 1986. There was over burden placed
over that soft soils 4 or 5 years before this went in so there's, we anticipate
it's not going down a lot further.
Councilman Johnson: [ saw this road out there about 3 years ago. I came in and
asked about it and had this whole conversation about 3 years ago.
Councilman Workman: Is that what we did Dave Hempel on Lake Drive East? Is
that why they dld such a huge job of excavating to take those soils out of
there?
Dave Hempel: Are you referring to the one by DataServ? Yeah, that's correct.
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Councilman Workman: So basically they surcharged? Well they didn't really do
that either though.
Dave Hempel: They took the bad stuff out there to conserve tlme.
Don Ashworth: Adjacent to Empak and Rosemount. Those are two surcharge areas,
Those materials will come back out of there.
Councilman Workman: You know hindsight you know is very, very accurate and so I
guess that's what Z'm getting at but it would appear as though the same
situation for CR 17 south, if we had maybe done some things, it would appear to
be double assessments and upgrading of the road to an urban section and that's,
am I making myself clear? Ooes anybody care?
Councilwoman Dimler: I care.
Mayor Chmiel: Okay. Anyone else wishing to address this?
Councilman Johnson moved, Councilwoman Oimler seconded to close the public
hearing. All voted in favor and the motion carried. The public hearing was
closed.
Councilman Johnson: I move we approve preparation of plans and specifications
for this project 85-13B.
Councilman Workman: Second.
Resolution ~90-99: Councilman Johnson moved, Councilman Workman seconded to
authorize preparation of plans and specifications for Park Place Phase II
(Chanhassen Lakes Business Park 5th Addition) Project No. 85-13B. All voted in
favor and the motion carried unanimously.
AWARD OF BIDS: LAKE SUSAN PARK IHPROVEHENT PROJECT 89-3.
Mayor Chmiel: Dave, are you going to address this?
Dave Hempel: I'll deflect it to our consultant here again. Mr. Scott Harri of
Van Ooren, Hazard.
Scott Harri: Mr. Mayor, members of the Council, my name is Scott Harri. On
Friday, August 10th the City received 3 bids for the construction of the Lake
Susan Park improvements. The low bid was recelved from Finley Bros. Enterprises
of $309,185.28. Upon our reference checking of that firm as it matched up it's
skllls agalnst the construction needs for tennis courts and ball diamonds,
basketball courts, and those types of outdoor athletic facilities, we found that
they've had about 17 years of experience bulldlng these types of thlngs and are
I guess highly skilled in this area and we would recommend award of the bid to
Finley Bros. Enterprises.
Re~olution ~90-100: Councilman Johnson moved, Councilman Workman seconded to
award the bid for Lake Susan Park Improvement Project 89-3 to Finley Bros.
Enterprises in the amount of $309,185.28. All voted in favor and the motion
carried unanimously.
2O
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
AWARD OF BIDS: UTTI,:[TY TELEHETRY SYSTEH. PROJECT 90-3.
Mayor Chmiel: Who's going to address that Dave?
Dave Hempel: Hopefully there's an individual from OSH here this evening.
Dean Sharpe: Your honor, members of the Council, my name is Dean $harpe. I'm
with OSM consultants. We prepared the plans and specs for this project. We
received three bids for this project on July 27th. They range from a low bid of
$270,596.00 to a high bid of $478,687.00. This project utilized
pre-qualification of bidders. We checked refeFences beforehand. Past experience
in projects of this nature and such. We pre,qualified four parties to bid and
three of them did so. The low bid we find to be responsive. Have done projects
like thls before and are presently serving the C[ty and we recommend award to
Bentec.
Mayor Chmiel: Thank you. This is something that I have been hoplng for us to
get for a long time because over the overall run, it's going to save us a lot of
dollars. A lot of labor and a lot of truck time. A lot of checking every
mornings and labor costs are going to lower in itself so I can't make the motion
at this particular tlme because we're lacklng to have 3 members here. If one of
the Council people can hear lt, I'd like them to come back in here wherever they
may be. Tom?
Councilman Johnson: Well, we can make the motion and the second. We just can't
vote on it.
Mayor Chmlel: Rlght. I'll make that motion.
Councilman Johnson: ['11 second it.
Mayor Chmiel: It's been moved and seconded. Tom Workman, can you come in
here? Oh Ursula. Never mind.
Councilman Johnson: Just say yes Ursula.
Mayor Chmiel: There's a motion on the floor wtth a second to approve the award
of bids for utlllty supervisory control and data acquisition Project No. 90-3.
Re~o[utio~ t90-101: Havor Chmiel moved, Counc[lman 3ohnson seconded to aMard
the bid for the Uttltty Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) System
to Bentec in the amount of $270,59&.00. All voted in favor and the motion
carried unanimously.
VARIANCE REQUEST TO ::I;NSTACL A CH[HICAL TOI:LET ON A EACILOT LOCATED ON
HINNEWA~HTA PARKWAY ACROSS FRON LZNDEN CIRCLE. NINNEMASHTA CREEKS HOHEOI~:J~
ASSOCIATION,
Councilman Johnson: At the Board of Adjustments and Appeals tonight we denled
the petition. Although there was a lot of sentiment that the use of chemical
toilets at a beachlot may be appropriate versus the use of the lake for the same
reason that the chemical toilet's used. But we went way beyond this beachlot to
say well we've also got these at all of our clty parks. Those adjacent to
21
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
waterways and everything else. That it may not be the zonlng ordinance that
should be totally controlling port-a-potties or chemical toilets and that'8 why
Z've asked for it to be on the Councll Presentation tonlght so ue can get some
action on looking at the overall use of portable potties or chemicat toilets
throughout the city. The people are st111 here from the Association I see.
Mayor Chmiel: If anyone would like to come forward and address Council in
regard to your particular project.
Nancy ChrJ. stensen: My name is Nancy christensen. I live at 6561 Kirkuood and
I'm the President of the Association.
Mayor ChmieZ: You're aware as to the position, that the Board of Appeals has
reviewed your subject matter of a port-a-potty on your beachlot? As it appears,
there seems to be some inadequacies throughout the city and I really sort of
agree that we should revlew thls to come up with a conclusion and I thlnk thls
year is probably almost gone by the wayside unfortunately but this is something
that we can have at least an answer for thls, at least for next year's beachlot
so unless you have something else you'd like to say, we'll be more than happy to
11sten.
Nancy Chrlstensen: Well, lt's not necessarily have a lot to say. Z have some
things to say. That we have about 60 families using this beachlot. We really
feel that it would be better for our ecology to have a portable chemlcal roller
on site rather than use the lake, the bushes or whatever whlch is what people
do. Mtnnewashta Parkway is almost an impossible road to travel or to cross and
lt's really difficult to send small children across lt. You can't do lt. We
have a crosswalk and lt's lgnored. The 3 years I've lived there, not one person
has ever stopped for me or my children. So for that reason ue feel that it's
somewhat of a hardshlp not havlng a roller down there. Sometimes there's really
large gatherings and we don't have, there's nothing there. What do ue do with
100 people and that's why we're asklng for a seasonal use permlt and that's it.
Councilwoman Oimler: I do have a question. On the two lots that are there that
were grandfathered in that do have chemical tollets, can somebody address how
that's been working out?
Nancy Chrlstensen: Well I have a letter from them.
Counc£1uoman Dimler: Are they seasonal?
Nancy Christensen: They're seasonal and the people I've spoken to from there,
the President and the secretaries, they said they've never ever had a problem.
It's just there 11kw the sand ls there. Llke the water ls there. People expect
it to be there. They've never been abused.
Councilwoman Dimler: And nobody's tlpped it over? The fears that were voiced.
Nancy Christensen: No. And our beachlot we plan on probably, I'm not sure if
thls we wlll do it rlght away but more than 11kely we'll put a cement slab down.
Stake tt down and put a fence around it so it can't be seen. It can be cleaned
in 2 hours notice. Z mean it wlll automatically be cleaned once a week,
probably twice a week, especially in the months of 3uly when it's really warm.
city council Meeting - August l~, 1990
I mean today when I was down there, there were probably 25 people down there.
Host of them children.
Councilman Workman: Mr. Mayor, is this something that we can act on tonight?
Is this something we're going to act on?
Councilman Johnson: I have it also under Council Presentations but we can move
it to this point just as easily and direct staff to look into tr.
Mayor Chmtel: Yeah, I think it would-be good for you to move that up right now
Jay to this particular one because it's one and the same. So maybe if you'd
just reiterate.
Councilman Johnson: Well basically we want to look into chemical toilets
throughout the city. Construction sites. Where should they be located? You go
into a construction site and they locate it right next to the creek. Setbacks
from wetlands. Property line setbacks. The whole use of chemical toilets at
the 4th of July celebration and whatever. Numbers for the numbers of people.
What were the problems in these other cities that they don't recommend them
being on beachlots even though they have them themselves on their city parks at
the beaches. I'm not sure if the one in Minnetonka got thrown in the lake or
just dumped over and it ran into the lake. They don't carry that much stuff in
them. But if it's a matter of it getting thrown into the lake, that can be
solved by anchoring them and requiring it to be anchored. You can require it to
be visible from the street. There's lots of requirements that can be put on
there to where you know, if it's more visible it's less likely to be vandaltsed.
Councilman Workman: Visibility is one of the problems people see with them.
Mayor Chmlel: We've had ours in the city park, Greenwood Shores Park for the
last 3 years and we've not had any problems with that.
Councilwoman Dimler: And we have a homeowners association too where a lot of
people think it's going to be a good idea to put one down there.
Councilman Johnson: You don't have one at yours?
Councilwoman Dtmler: No, we don't. But a lot of people ask about tt.
Councilman Johnson: Yours is a blgger homeowners association than thetrs. A
lot bigger lot too.
Councilwoman Dimler: Right.
Councilman Johnson: The thing is, there's gotng to have to be a minimum
dlstance back from the lake and all klnds of rules and regulations on how to do
this before we start granting them. That's what I'm proposing that we look 1nrc
ls what are those rules and regulations.
Councilwoman Otmler: Greenwood Shores has had one huh? How they'd get it?
Mayor Chmiel: It's a city park.
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Councilman Workman: The City's different.
councilwoman Oimler: Ah, I don't like that. I don't like that.
Mayor Chmiel: That's the point that I brought it up you know. The City parks
have it. Beachlots can't. I guess I don't understand,
Counciiwoman Dimler: Free water and chemicaI toiIets.
Councilman Johnson: But the one at Carver Beach is right up next to the road.
It's the only place you can service it and lt's probably 50 foot from that
nearest house.
Councilman Workman: How many beachlots on Lotus?
Councilwoman Oimler: Private or public?
Counciiman Workman: Both.
Councilwoman Dimler: There's Carver Beach. There's ours. There's a public
landing.
Mayor Chmiel: Three that I'm aware of.
Councilman Johnson: Oh, more than that.
Councilwoman Dimler: A public and two privates that I know of.
Councilman Johnson: There's two private next to you and then there's a private
over on the other side.
Councilwoman Dlmler: That's rlght but they don't do anythlng to keep up their
lot. There's another private one that is not kept up yeah.
Councilman Johnson: There's at least 3 private beachlots on the east side that
know of.
Brian Wlndschltl: Jay, my name ls Brlan Windschltl. I live at 6591 Joshua
Circle and I don't know if it wtll help you at all but I feel everybody has a
bad taste for chemlcal toilets. They've come a long ways. If they're tlpped
over right now, they're spill proof unless they're totally overused. Most
people thlnk of chemlcal rollers as 11ke when they go to the State Falr or any
functions which they're over used tremendously. I work construction so I'm with
them all the tlme and wlthin 2 hours I could have somebody out there and take
care of it. I mean if somebody comes in to me and tells me that they don't like
the odor or they don't 11ke how dlrty it is in there, in 2 hours I can have
somebody out there and have it cleaned so I think most of the people and
probably you people, the only tlme you see them is at 4th of July funotlon or
State Fair where 11ke I say they're just totally over used. They're not as bad
as they have been 20 years ago. I mean they've come a long ways and they are
designed to be staked down. They have the holes right in the ~unners. Kids
don't even care to tip them over. That klnd of went out with the twlst too.
They're too lazy to tip them over. You know the other thing that we kind of
24
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
feel, being on the far west end of town ls, we don't really have a place for our
kids or for that matter for us to go and that is our park out there and there's
a chemlcal roller on every park in the city that I belleve and I don't really
see a problem. We don't have, I noticed in the Boards of Appeals there they
sald that they thought that it mlght be too close to the neighbors. Well, the
neighbors got the letter and there's nobody here that would have a problem with
havlng it out there so I mean.
Councilman Johnson: She's dead. One is.
Mayor Chmiel: If you got a comment from there you'd be. Thank you. Jay, do you
want to finish what you were saying?
Councilman Johnson: Yeah, I do agree that the technology of chemlcal toilets
has changed a lot. I was just at the Star of the North games and they must have
had, or not Star of the North. USA Cup Soccer Tournament and they must have had
40-50 of those things everywhere but they had a truck cont£nously going around
emptylng them at that thlng. After spending some time in the mountains recently
with what they call the ptt toilets, no running water or anything. Just a
buildlng and the pit underneath lt, thls ts a vast Improvement over that. My
gut reaction without actually getttng any real study on this ts it's better off
to have a chemlcal roller the proper distance away from the property 1the and
the lake than it is for the kids to go in the lake and create a warm spot.
Councilman Workman: I'd like to move this along. Ithtnk we all understand
that this is getting into the dog you know what scooper rule here. I'm sure
everybody's aware and the homeowners are aware of the aesthetics. The potential
pollution problem. I think we have to be very careful about, because once you
say go on thls, you're going to say lt. We have 11 lakes or so and so lt's
going to be a big impact and so I think we're all sympathetic to the situation
out there and what kids do and what even some adults do when lt's late and
they're drinking beer and everything else. And so I Just think we should be
very careful about how, and I think that's what the Board of Adjustments was
saying that why did the Council tn the past say, the ordinance in fact say none
of these rollers. If there's been changes and innovations then we should look
at them and we should change with the ttmes if it's prudent but it's a very
dellcate situation I thlnk.
Resident: Are you talking about all size beaches? Is that what you're talking
about or are you talking about the City?
Councilman Workman: Well apparently the Clty has special prlviledges. We can
put them anywhere we want apparently.
Councilman Johnson: Our clty park's not a beachlot.
Councilwoman Oimler: Yes
Resident: ...private access beaches?
Councilman Workman: Right. I'm just saying it's not just one Satellite. It's
many.
2S
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Resident: Well how many times has this been brought to you by another private
association that want port-a-potties?
Councilman Workman: Well Ursula's has said that they want one.
Resident: So that's one?
Councilman Workman: I'm just saying, when you open up the gate then it's going
to happen probably everywhere. I can sit here and predict sure but I mean.
Mayor Chmlel: Z don't know if you're aware but we do have presently a City Code
that does read, no structures, portable chemical toilet, ice fishing houses,
camper trailers, tent, recreational vehlcles or shelters shall be erected,
m~intained or stored upon any recreational beachlot. We have to change the Code
flrst of all but Z think what we have to do ls look 1nrc it and study what's the
best way for us to go about this to make sure we're not causing any more given
problems than what could exlst. Z guess that's what Tom ls really say rlght?
Councilman Workman: Yeah. In addition to decks and everything else because we
have those varlance requests all the time and we have to say look at the
overall. And again, it doesn't mean I'm against you having a, I'll refer to It
as a Satellite, out there but once we say yes, then that's a part of the Code
that's going to, somebody's golng to come in with a deck and more the other side
and all the way around and lt's golng to be. And so the overall protection of
the lake is what I'm looking at.
Nancy Chrlstensen: You can't say lt's alrlght to use just temporarily on a
trial basls?
Mayor Chmiel: Not according to our Code. We'd have to change the Code first.
Resident: But wlth that Code, would it be taking into consideration that seeing
you have a 45 mph, which everybody drives ?0 mph speed limit and you have a
crosswalk that these people are supposed to slow down at and you've got a trail
of small children, 8,000 lawn chairs, 2. alligators trylng to get them across
this crosswalk and it's very dangerous. I've called and complained to the
pollce department because my klds have almost been picked off trylng to get
them. You know they've got to pee and you don't want them peetng in the lake
and it sounds trlvlal but it lsa frightening thing to a small child and we've
got like under 9, we've got about 50 kids out there. It's a real frightening
thlng. Zt ls. You can't say well just run home and use the bathroom or run
home because you have to be there to watch those kids to cross that walk. And
even the policeman that I talked to said hey, we're not out here and unless we
get complaints, they don't come.
Mayor Chmiel: I've sat out on Minnewashta Parkway several different times
watchlng the speeds and not having a radar gun unfortunately, I would say yes.
There are some cars that do exceed their 11mlts.
Resident: You know we don't have the sidewalks and we don't have the bike paths
and we don't have those other thlngs so, and belng that the park ls across the
highway, what mother is go£ng to send their children. Right across TH ?, watch
2_6
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
out for the semi's and you can go play not knowing whether they're going to come
back or not.
Councilwoman Dimler: Plus if you had more kids, you're not going to leave the
other ones at the beach unattended so you have to take them all. It's terrible.
I've been through it.
Resident: It is very much so.
Councilman Johnson: Basically what we're saytng is two fold. One is, we don't
believe it deserves a variance to the zoning ordinance in this case. Two, we
believe we need to know under what conditions we should have thee. What
distances from the lake. Oistance from lot lines. We need a ore study. Third,
you're not going to put it up this year anyway so there's thettme involved and !
think that we want to look at it th~s year over the w£nter months and get
something going so that next spring this can be addressed. It may turn out that
we want to say that any beachlot with more than blank families on tt has to have
one of these in there.
Nancy Christensen: So you'll be able to give us an answer by perhaps next
spring?
Councilman Johnson: That's what we'll be shooting for yes.
Mayor Chmiel: That's what I'd try to do, yes.
Nancy Chrlstensen: Okay, that's fair.
Mayor Chmiel: Thank you.
Nancy Christensen: How will we know?
Councilwoman Oimler: We'll put it on the agenda.
Mayor Chmlel: We'll put it on the agenda agaln to dlscuss it and tf you'd leave
your name and address wtth Paul and Paul will make sure that you have that.
Councilman Johnson: I believe we've basically given direction to staff. We
don't really need to vote on that.
Mayor Chmlel: ! don't think we need any motlon on this.
Don Ashworth: No, because the Board had acted on it.
WETLAND ALTERATION PERHZT FOR ALTERZN6/REHOVIN6 VEGETATION IN A CLASS B WETLAND
LOCATED IN CURRY FARHS SUBDIVISION. 30YCELYN HUGHES.
Jo Ann 01sen: You have the report wlth all the hlstory and thls has been
presented to you before. We did send it to the Planning Commission who felt to
be consistent wlth past action and with what the ordinance states, they
recommended denial. They did not feel that what was being proposed was an
improvement to the wetland. They did not agree that tt should be permitted.
They sort of left it with direction to the applicant to further work with ONR,
27
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Fish and Wildlife and whoever to see if there were a way to remove some of the
vegetation in a manner that would be seen as an improvement to the wetland. In
speaking with the applicant, they still wanted to pursue it through the Councll
to get full. action to see exactly what the Council directs them to do. I'll
just throw out what we dld. We came up with a survey for the wetland showlng
the perimeter and the square footage. The applicants are proposing to clear
away the vegetation on the easterly slde opposlte of where the clty parkland
Rather than get into the rest...
Mayor Chmiel: And the direction on that Jo Ann, what direction from clty park?
Would it be south of that?
Jo Ann Olsen: No, they're dlrectly east across the wetland from the city park.
Mayor Chmiel: Well the one south is Class A. Alright.
Jo Ann Olsen: This is an old plan that kind of shows the parkland. Another
issue was that there was discussion whether or not the applicants should be
required to pay the $25.00 application fee. There are two applicants with this
and one of them has paid and Joycelyn hasn't because she was glven direction
that that would not be required. I explained that that would be really a
Council action also whether or not to see... So you can also act on that
tonlght.
Councilman Johnson: $25.00? The $25.00 was paid?
Jo Ann Olsen: Yeah. $25.00 has been paid from the 8earrood's...
Councilman Johnson: Is it one application or two applications?
Jo Ann Olsen: Two separate applications. There are two separate lots involved.
Councilman Workman: Are you through?
Councilwoman Oimler: I do have one question Tom. Did you want to go ahead and
comment. I have one question. I mlssed the reason why they wanted to cut the
vegetation. 0id you say anything about that?
Jo Ann Olsen: The applicant's reason?
Councilwoman Oimler: Yeah.
Mayor Chmiel: Maybe if we have the applicant come up and please state your name
and your address.
Lynn Hughes: My name's Lynn Hughes. My wife's the one that submitted the
request. What we wanted to do is we wanted to alter the property, or our
property rlght behind us that's classified as a uetland. When we originally
purchased the property 2 years ago, it was shown that it was a drainage
easement. There were no cattails. No bulld up of any klnd of vegetation. We
just want to go doun there and clean it up. We don't want to alter it. We want
to brlng in some beauty to it ulth ulldflouers. We'd like to get some ducks in
there. We'd like to get all kinds of wildlife so that's what ue're trying to
28
City Council Meeting - August
ask for is alteration to clean it up. We don't want to go in there and turn it
into a pond. We don't want to take all the cattails out. We just want to take
some of them out so we can see the ducks. Right now if you were to look at what
we've got, we've got a bunch of cattails that you can't see anything and it's
covered with green slime. We'd like to clean up some of the vegetation around
it and get it where we can see something. A majority of what we're talking
about is on our property. It does back up to the park the way it's shown but
most of the water and most of the vegetation is what we paid for and what we
purchased when we bought the lot. It's part of the reason why we bought that
lot. Now we want to go in there and do it. There were other people in our
group or in our housing development, Curry Farms Addition that have done some
alteration. We haven't touched it. We've waited. We've gone to the Council.
We've listened to everybody's proposal. We've tried to go the proper route with
this thing. All we want to do is clean up our yard.
Councilman Johnson: How many other lots adjoin this wetland?
Lynn Hughes: I think you can see that there's probably 1 on the end and then
there's 3. We've got thls one, this one and this doesn't really show it.
Jo Ann Olsen: There's about 2 more in addition to that.
Lynn Hughes: You can see that this one backs up to the end and this person over
here has some. The majority of ones and the ones that turned in a permit or
request for alteration are these two lots.
Councilman Johnson: The two middle ones. Has there been any discussion with
the people owning Lot 2 and Lot 6?
Lynn Hughes: We've talked to them and I think they've had some discussion with
Jo Ann. They have no desire to alter theirs. They want to leave it the way it
is.
Councilman Johnson: Because with the wetland permit, uhat was it? 20~? What
was the percent?
Lynn Hughes: It was 30~.
Councilman Johnson: 30~ allowable open area, whatever. These two use up that
30~ you know and then you see the other. This one was surrounded by 8 different
homeowners, 2 people came in and used all the allowable then it's kind of like a
first come, first serve. I've got mine.
Lynn Hughes: We'll use just our 30~. We were willing to go along with the
proposal but our 30~ would be both this side as well as the other side. If you
look at the total square footage of the area, of the wetland, we have some on
both sides. We're willing to just alter 30~. We're willing to go along with
the proposal that was presented to us. So all we're doing is we're going along
with everything that was presented to us in a compromise.
Joycelyn Hughes: And it's taken a year to do it.
City Council. Meeting - August 13, 1990
Councilma]l Johnson: The development of this area has totally changed this
wetland has it not? Z mean of the wetland that was there before Curry Farms was
developed, there's not much of that remaining?
3o Ann Olsen: It's been dredged out and made smaller and deeper.
Lynn Hughes: In fact it has a drainage. This wetland has a drainage.
Councilman Johnson: Yeah. I mean that's where the horses used to run around
from Jensen's horse farm. A lot of fertilizer.
Councilman Workman: My question is, is can you thin out wetland vegetation in
order to, as they're saying to see?
3o Ann Olsen: Dredge really. You have to dredge it and make it deeper.
Councilman Workman: Itl my discussion ulth Paul earlier today, it was hls
interpretation that Planning Commission denied this because the word improvement
really, they weren't really improving lt. They were altering it but not
necessarily improving it and improving it lsa word they may feel they're
improving it and then Flsh and Wlldllfe mlght have a different term for that and
maybe we do. But Paul was saying that, as you do, that dredging it and making
it a permanent wetland ls an improvement but thlnnlng It really lsn't.
Jo Ann 01sen: Well, it's a wetland now. Dredging it wouldn't make it any more
permanent wetland. What it would do would be to provlde open water that would
stay open and clear the vegetation of the cattails.
Councilman Workman: Is that preferable to so called thJ. nnlng it?
Paul Krauss: Thinning is really not a concept that I think the DNR, Fish and
Wildllfe support or understand. You don't thln something that grows back every
year. I mean you don't pull out every other cattail and achieve a goal. It's
my understanding here that the applicants want to achieve having open water.
Havlng open water, a mixed open water surface and cattail surface is generally
thought to be an improvement in most water bodles because you have water floulng
into the open water. But the way you get that, as Jo Ann was saying, the proper
way to get that ls you go in with, you have some equipment and you dredge it out
past z depth of 4 or 5 feet so cattails just can't root on the bottom where you
have the open water. As Z understood the Plannlng Commission, they were saying
that if that was the klnd of improvement that was being sought, that they would
look favorably on something 11ke that. They were just uncomfortable with the
proposal as it sat right now. They didn't really believe it ach£eved the
purpose.
Councilman Workman: But Jf you dredge something out, aren't you going to have
potentially have cattails just moving further up thelr yard potentially? I mean
are you going to have a yard and then a drop off and there's the water?
Paul Krauss: No. The water elevation of this feature would stay exactly where
it ls because it's contingent on the outlet structure for the pondlng area.
~hat you're doing is you're making a portion of it deeper so that plants can't
root on the bottom.
3O
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Councilman Workman: They're still going to have some edging vegetation.
Paul Krauss: Yes.
Mayor Chmiel: Paul, do we know what the depth of that existing pond is?
Paul Krauss: I don't.
Councilman Workman: And one last question. ! think I've seen some of the
handiwork of your neighbors that you're talking about and it's kind of a hit and
miss thing that really doesn't make it look very attractive or natural.
Lynn Hughes: That deals with our neighbors. That doesn't deal with what we're
asklng for.
Councilman Workman: Right. I understand that. Is this, it would appear as
though this would affect these people and so it would be more or less uniform
here. Am I correct?
Paul Krauss: If we could back up a litle bit. This came out of a desire that
was expressed by the Council to try and work out some sort of a compromise here.
Thls project was not processed in the optimum way. The identification of the
wetland wasn't made terribly clear. The developer told people something.
Eealtors told people something else. People didn't understand that a dralnage
easement could be a wetland as well. We have no maps that show these areas wtth
any certainty. We came into this because people had been unilaterally fllllng
and we responded to those complaints that some people were saying, you know
there's fllling and we went out and investigated. In trylng to work out a
compromise, and that's sort of what this is, this 30~ rule or guideline is a
guideline that I'd have to say the Flsh and Wlldlife came up with to make the
best of not an optimal situation. We have been working with two groups of
neighbors to resolve these things. Thls proposal means that the neighbors on a
given wetland all have to cooperatively agree on what the improvement's going to
be. Some people may get the open water in front of their house. Some people
may not get any but they all have to agree to it because we don't want to
arbitrate wlth neighbors as to who's golng to get what. The other wetland I
have to say is much more complicated. There's many more people. There's been
significant alteration there already and it's Interesting to see rlght now that
some of that alteration took place last year when we were still in a drought.
There's one fellow for example who built a chainlink fence below what was the
high water elevation of the wetland. That is now partially under water and he's
got cattails growing lnside hls fence. So we are trying to work these things
out but again, getting back to this particular wetland we've asked the neighbors
to cooperate. These neighbors dld not go in and alter anythtng yet so ! suppose
in that, there's a moral step up I suppose from what we had on the other one.
We are trylng to work out a compromise but agaln I think the Planning Commission
was supportive of it, they just wanted it done correctly. I've got to bel£eve
that the DNR and Fish and Wildlife were givlng us gutdance would assume that to
the extent that we're going to allow alteration to take place, that we are doing
it correctly.
Councilman Workman: So you're saying the way they want to do is incorrect?
31
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Paul Krauss: And don't achieve the goals that they want and will not achieve
the policy goals that the City has set.
Lynn Hughes: We're willing to do what the Wildlife, who was lt? Jlm? Wlldllfe
and Fish but what was it?
Ann Olsen: Paul Burke.
Lynn Hughes: Okay. What he proposed we're willlng to follow in 11ne wlth that.
The 20~ so we're saying we're wtlllng to do here as a compromise.
Councilwoman Dimler: I think this is the one Paul ue were out at it after we
checked, yeah. I think right now I'm feeling that we kind of promised them a
compromise. We gave them a procedure to follow. They followed that procedure
and now we're saying that maybe you can't do it. I'm a little uncomfortable
wlth that. I don't thlnk lt's the best solutlon but Z would be lncllned to go
along with it. I also think that Steve Emmings had a good comment in that he
thought the City mlght be lnvolved in the process to see that we do it rlght.
14as that been checked lnto?
Councilman Workman: Are you talking about thinning?
Councilwoman Oimler: No. He made some comment that we mow the land around
there too. Is that correct?
Paul Krauss: ...park property that was adjacent to this. That the City in
essence owned 50~ of the shoreline of the this wetland and that we would be a
party or could be a part lnto lt. We haven't investigated that further. I
guess I'd have to say the City, we're not aware of any. desire on the part of the
Clty to alter thls wetland any further. Thls ls solely to satlsfy some
aesthetic and presumably environmental desire of the neighbors.
Councilwoman Dimler: But if we're concerned that it's done right, then maybe we
should be involved is what I'm saying.
Jo Ann Olsen: We'll be involved in ltke the inspection part of lt, the design
of it.
Councilwoman Dimler: Apparently it has to be done every year right?
Jo Ann Olsen: No. Not if it's done correctly.
Paul Krauss: If it's done correctly...and it's good for a number of years until
it sediments in.
Councilwoman Dimler: I guess my comment is still the same that you know we
altered one for our purposes over there on Lake Drive East and I think we've
taken them to a certain polnt expecting that we would work out a compromise.
I know the City does it when it fits their purpose so I really think we should
maybe go along with this.
Mayor Chmiel: Okay.
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Councilman Johnson: After ail this discussion, the dredging and digging and
everything, what exactly is the applicant asking to do? Just cut down the, pull
out what's there now? Wetland vegetation and put in wild flowers.
Jo Ann Olsen: I believe they were just going to remove the vegetation. They
weren't going to actually alter the depth or remove any of the soil on the
bottom of the wetland.
Councilman Johnson: Basically mow the wetland and replant it? Is there open
water in that wetland at times?
Hayor Chmiel: Is it there at all times? Okay.
Councilman Johnson: So we're not doing any dredging and this would be a
continuous maintenance type deal where you'd have to mow it after the flowers
quit blooming or whatever and replant flowers every year. If you let it go, it
just goes back to where it started. I still think we need some fertilizer use
control over wetland areas and distance wetlands and whatever.
Councilwoman Dimler: Absolutely.
Councilman Johnson: I'm not that sure that there's any real reason to...
Councilwoman Dimler: Okay. That brings up a question if I may ask. With the
change of ownership, I know you think you're going to stay there forever but
perhaps you don't. Being that it's a maintenance every year. Change of
ownership, what happens?
Mayor Chmiel: Yeah. How do we convey this?
Paul Krauss: Well I think that's one of the, yeah we'd record it against the
properties but when you have a wetland alteration, a traditional wetland
alteration, you have a plan and the contractor goes out there and does the owrk.
We lnspect it. It's done. It doesn't change from year to year. This is one
that you'd almost have to go out periodically to make sure that the stuff wasn't
mowed down too far lnto the wetland. The people understand the 30~ rule.
What's growing in the area that's been opened up. It's somewhat more difficult.
Councilwoman Dimler: So we're leaving ourselves open to problems in the future
is what you're saying? Interpretation problems?
Paul Krauss: Yeah.
Lynn Hughes: If we didn't touch it, it'd just go back to the wetland.
Councilman Johnson: Actually a wetland alteration permit goes with the land
doesn't it?
Mayor Chmiel: Yes.
Councilwoman Dimler: So the next owner may choose to exercise it or may choose
not to exercise it.
33
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Councilman Johnson: But he would probably have no knowledge of the wetland
alteration permit and he'd just all the way down if he wanted to. That's
basically what happened over in other areas. Just clean up my back yard because
nobody informed him.
Joycelyn Hughes: We'd inform them because I don't want them to have to go
through what we've been through.
Councilman Johnson: But you're trying to sell a house. It's easy to say right
now when your house isn't for sale and you're not trying to buy a house in
California for that other job or whatever.
Mayor Chmiel: It's really a catch or catch can on this whole thing. In other
words, it's really hard.
Councilwoman Dimler: It's hard to decide on this.
Mayor Chmiel: It is.
Paul Krauss: If I could suggest. I don't mean to butt in but it seems to me
that there may be grounds for compromise here that what the question here seems
to be one of technique and not of the other fundamental actlon here. We've
tried to work out this compromise from the start and Ursula you know we've been
lnvolved with thls for qulte awhlle and we had recommended approval to the
Planning Commission. I think we would support it and I think the Planning
Commission's lntent would be served if this was approved with the wetland
improvements taking place subject to the recommendations of the ONR and Fish and
Wildlife as to how it be done. Now that may not be exactly the techniques that
the applicants wish to employ but it still would achieve their purpose. I think
that we as staff would be more comfortable ulth a proposal comlng down that way.
Councilwoman Oimler: Do those authorities have a procedure in place that it
won't take forever for them to find out what they're supposed to do?
Jo Ann Olsen: Well after the Planning Commission I talked to Teresa and asked
her to make, start that contact so they could provide us with a plan that had
been approved by those. I don't know if they've followed through with that yet
but no, it doesn't take too long.
Paul Krauss: The staff at DNR, Fish and Wildlife have been out there several
tlmes. They're fully famlliar wlth thls and lt's not golng to be an awfully big
deal.
Councilwoman Dlmler: Would that be acceptable to the Hughes' and the
Bearrood's?
Lynn Hughes: One comment that he made to us when he got there was that this
slze wetland is too small for hlm to waste his time .... worklng with wetlands 3,
4 times the slze of this in the city.
Councilman Johnson: 100 times.
Lynn Hughes: Yeah, easy. He's not concerned with the size that we're doing.
34
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Mayor Chmiel: True but each wetland shoulU be treated separately whether it be
small or large. They're all valuable.
Lynn Hughes: ...he dldn't have tlme to mess wlth lt...
Paul Krauss: I think that's really a misrepresentation. I mean we've had thetr
staff people. Yeah, they have devoted an inordinate amount of tlme to two
rather small inconsequent£al wetlands and yes they probably do have more
important thlngs to do wlth their time but they came out there because
fundamentally they're concerned about these things and we've developed a very
supportive relationship between clty staff and their staff and they did it to
back us up as well. I still think that this is something that we can work out
and lt's a questlon of technique.
Councilman Johnson: So it may take staff making a call to ONR too. They work
with us on small wetlands all the tlme. Smaller than thls one even believe it
or not. But to them if it's under 5 acres, forget it. They really don't, we're
one of the few cltles in the entlre state that protect wetlands under 5 acres.
Zt's getting to be more and more. We were one of the first I think to do such.
Councilwoman Dimler: Have the applicants submitted a procedure as to how they
propose to do it? Maybe that's where we need to start.
Mayor Chmlel: I thlnk that would be a good 1dem.
Paul Krauss: As I say, if you're comfortable approving it subject to staff
obtaining a plan that meets the guidelines of DNR a]~d Fish and Wildlife, I'm
confident that we can work that out.
Mayor Chmlel: Plus I think to develop a kind of a tickler system, within a year
from the specific time that you get this thing rolling, make sure that you check
back to see that lt's belng done in the fashion that it was intended to be done.
Councilman Johnson: The one other thing I'd want on this particular one is that
all property owners of this wetland be made fully aware of the alterations and
that they realize that these are the only alterat£ons that are going to occur on
thls wetland. This ls it for the wetland. So that's the 4 homeowners and the
City obviously is aware of it because we're involved in this but what I don't
want to see is the other 2 homeowners oomtng in and say, hey that's pretty. Let
me do it too. If you're already taking up the 30~ capacity allowed for the
entire wetland.
Lynn Hughes: We'll address the 30~ in our area.
Councilman Johnson: Oh, 30X on your property?
Lynn Hughes: Of our property. I*m uncomfortable with you saying get your other
neighbors to agree with what you're doing.
Councilman Johnson: But you already said they do.
Lynn Hughes: They do but that's the ones today. Now if tt changes, It could
change everything.
35
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Paul Krauss: No, it'd be done at this point in time.
Councilman Johnson: Yeah, this is frozen in this point in time. You can't say
that some person in the future has approval over it. We're not even saylng they
approval. I want to say their knowledge in that obviously if they were really
upset about lt, they'd be here tonlght but no. The drawlngs we have show 100~.
From property line to property line you're clearing. That's what's before us
rlght now is 100~, not 30~. Now you're saying you're only going to clear 30% of
your perimeter?
Lynn Hughes: Our property.
Councilwoman Dimler: So you're saying 30~ of each of your properties.
Joycelyn Hughes: 30~ of ours and 30~ of theirs.
Paul Krauss: See one of the guidelines that they gave us was not that each
neighbor rlp up 30~ of thelr backyard but that there be 30~ open water in the
water body itself. And this has been one of the issues that I think Ursula
remembers was one of the issues back in November wlth the other wetland as well
ls that we told the neighbors say look. You've really got to agree on who's
golng to do what. It's impossible for us to deal wlth each individual property
owner. Each individual property owner having a pot hole in their backyard.
Councilman Johnson: Is there open water currently on your property?
Lynn Hughes: There's some open water.
Councilman Johnson: So you're not changing that?
Councilwoman Oimler: Okay. I think I'm ready to make a motion. I move
approval wlth the stipulation that the applicant come in and present thelr
procedure to City staff. That city staff approves of the procedure and with
approval to the Fish and Wlldlife and DNR guidelines and Jay, what was your
last?
Councilman Johnson: Just the neighbors being aware of what's going on here.
Councilwoman Oimler: The present neighbors?
Councilman Johnson: The present neighbors.
Councilwoman Oimler: And notification of the present neighbors and their
approval.
Councilman Workman: And that if they're not satisfied with that, they have
recourse to come back before the Council?
Mayor Chmiel: Right.
Councilman Workman: We're talking about 30% of each plot?
36
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Mayor Chmiel: No. Total.
Councilman Johnson: You're talking different than the applicant then. See
I don't think we even know what's gotng on here because the applicant's saying
we want to do it 30~ of our lot. You're saying 30~ of the total perimeter.
Jo Ann 01sen: The plan that we were given.
Councilman Johnson: The plans that we've got in front of us are different than
what they're talking about now.
Mayor Chmlel: I think we need clarification.
Jo Ann 01sen: ...showed 70 feet which ts more than 30~ of the lot.
Councilman Johnson: Right. They've agreed to modify that and they want to go
only 3OX.
Jo Ann 01sen: Even if each lot does 30~, that totals more than 30~ of the whole
perimeter.
Councilman Workman: What's the total perimeter of the whole pond?
Councilman Johnson: Well you couldn't because the City owns half of it. If the
city has half, everybody could do 60) of thetrs.
Jo Ann 01sen: Like Paul was saying that's not what, what we tried to work out
was a plan where 30~ would be the most that could be removed but it wasn't golng
to be 10 feet here, 10 feet here, 10 feet here. They'd prefer to have areas of
open water. Areas of vegetation. So agaln we'll have to work together wlth
that plan to be approved.
Councilman Johnson: Yeah. But if the two people on the end don't want to do
.
anything, the two people in the center do, it makes sense to, on an adjoining
property 11ne between the two in the center to make that modification to where
we have the minimum impact and they can both do what they want. I th£nk the two
groups can work together and come out to what they're looktng for. I mean we
don't have a whole lot of information and there's a lot of conversation but
something that will be actually less than the total perimeter and we'll do it
all in one space. Not in potholes of open space. I agree with you. If this
had 30 homeowners on it and every homeowner took 30~ of their perimeter and
cleared it, that would be very unnatural.
Councilman Workman: Well that's what they're doing in the other pond. Not
these people. That's what the other people on the other pond have done and
that's why I mentioned it looks ridiculous.
Councilman Johnson: Leap frog development.
Councilman Workman: Yeah, and that's what I understood the applicant to be
saying. That he'd do it and then his neighbor would do it over there and then
we start to have these drive ln.
37
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Councilman Johnson: I'd rather get the 30~ done and over with so we don't have
anymore wetland alteration permits to waste an hour on and staff waste many,
many, a whole lot more than $25.00 worth of staff tlme on.
councilman Workman: Well I'd like to think this is time well spent. I mean you
find out some thlngs.
Councilman Johnson: Yeah, I shouldn't have sald wasted. $25.00 permlt ls an
extremely cheap thing when you start getting two...
Lynn Hughes: ...we were told it would be waived.
Councilman Johnson: Who told you that?
Joycelyn Hughes: It all began that night that we weren't aware that it was a
wetland and it was a big misrepresentation of the what was there.
Councilman Johnson: Oh, the whole Curry Farms wetland wave?
Joycelyn Hughes: ...trying to figure out a compromise.
Paul Krauss: What they were told was that we would certainly make the Council
aware of that. If the Council wished to waive lt, it was really in your power
to do lt.
Councilwoman Oimler: Is thls one application or two? It looks 11kw one.
Mayor Chmiel: Two.
Councilwoman Dimler: Then it looks to me 11kw we need the price for two. If
it's one, then that 30~ is included in the two properties to me. This ls two
applications each with 30~. Is that what you're saylng?
Jo Ann 01sen: See what you do is, because it's two different lots, individual
lots. It's $25.00 per individual or else you can do $150.00 for more than one,
you know a group.
Councilwoman Dlmler: You're better off with $25.00 each aren't they?
Jo Ann 01sen: Yeah, they're better off.
Mayor Chmlel: Okay. Where are we golng?
Councilwoman 0imler: Well I have a motion. No second.
Councilman Workman: I'm going to have to have it repeated if I could.
Councilwoman 01mler: I don't remember what I sald. Where's the secretary?
Councilman Johnson: Who wrote that down?
Jo Ann 01sen: I dld. It's the applicant present the procedure to staff. Staff
approve it along wlth Fish and Wildllfe and DNR. The neighbors be lnformed and
38
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
that they give their approval to work on a plan that does the 30~. Then the
fee, I didn't know.
Councilwoman Oimler: Then we got into the clarification which I don't know if
we settled that yet.
Jo Ann 01sen: Then the application fees, I'm not sure what we said on that one.
Councilman Johnson: We'll do that a separate motion.
Councilwoman Dlmler: Yeah, I thlnk that should be a separate motion.
Councilman Workman: Second.
Councilwoman Oimler moved, Councilman Uorkman seconded to approve #etland
Alteration Permit ~90-4 for removal of #etland vegetation tn a Class B ~etland
in Curry Farms ~ith the conditions that the applicant present a plan ustng DNR
and Fish and #11dlife guidelines for City staff approval. That all neighbors on
the ~etland are informed of the ~etland alteration and approve the re~oval of
30~ of vegetation on the entire ~etland. All voted Ln favor and the motion
carried unanimously.
Mayor Chmiel: Now the fee portion.
Councilman Workman: Are you saylng we waived this fee somewhere else?
Jo Ann Olsen: No. What happened was that the Hughes' were told that Lt could
be waived. That the Council could waive the fee and given the impression that
there wouldn't be an application fee. The other applicant, when she brought in
the application paid. Was told there was a $25.00 fee.
Councilman Workman: $o who's paycheck in City Hall will this come out of if we
waive it because who told them that?
Paul Krauss: The Council.
Councilwoman Oimler: Well I thlnk in order for fairness, if one has paid the
other should pay.
Councilman Johnson: Or the other should get the refund.
Councilman Workman: I would move to waive it based on.
Councilwoman Dimler: So you're going to refund?
Councilman Workman: Yeah. Based on their wiIlingness to come in, unlike some
of their other neighbors and working with us and they're go/rig to continue to
work with us I think.
Jo Ann Olsen: The other group is under the impression that their fees will be
waived too. You're going to have.
Councilman Workman: Is that going to create a big problem?
39
City Council Heeting - August 13, 1990
Councilwoman Oimler: It will create a precedent.
Hayor Chmiel: Yes.
Counciluoman Dialer: It will create a definite precedent.
Councilman 3ohnson: Is everyone coming in with $25.00 fees?
Hayor chmie].: Especially with our $250,000.00 shortfall, we have to.
Councilman Workman: How much money are we talking about for the neighborhood?
30 Ann olsen: Well for tlmt group it would be cheaper for them to do the
$150.00,
Cou~,cilman Workman: So ue're talking about $200.00 total?
Councilman Johnson: Yeah. And how many hours does staff have on this?
Jo Ann Olsen: Well we've got a lot because we did the survey.
Councilman Workman: The City Attorney's already made double that tonight. My
motion stands.
Councilman Johnson: I'll second it,
Councilman Workman moved, Councilman 3ohnson seconded to waive the $25.00
application fee for Teresa Bearrood and Joycelyn Hughes for the wetland
alteration permit, Councilman Workman and Councilman Johnson voted in favor.
Mayor Chmiel and Councilwoman Dimler were silent and the motion carried.
R.J. RYAN COMPANY FOR DEXTER MAGNETIC MATERIALS LO~AT~D ON OUATTRO DRIVE:
A. REPLAT OF LOTS 5 AND 6, BLOCK__1, PARK ONE 3RD ADDITION INTn ONE LOT.
B. SITE PLAN REVIEW FOR A ~,000 SO. FT. OFFICE, MANUFACTURING FACILITY.
Paul Krauss: The applicants are requesting approval to construct a ~0,000
square foot office/warehouse. The Dexter Company manufactures industrial
magnets and will be relocating into Chanhassen from I belteve Eden Prairie. The
bulldlng wlll galn access from Ouattro Drive. Tuo curb cuts will be utilized.
The building is sited in a matter that allows the preservation of much of the
mature trees in the property and also affords consideration screening to the
north where there's a large change in topography, The building architecture is,
it's not particularly excltlng but it is consistent with the ordinance and with
other buildings in the area. A conceptual expansion to the north ls illustrated
but no approvals are belng sought for that at thls tlme nor belng proposed by
the city staff, The Planning Commission reviewed this item on July 18th, They
voted unanimously to approve the project but they did raise some concerns over
the number of conditions that had been applied. Earlier versions of these plans
weren't nearly as complete as the current set and it dld result in a number of
conditions being attached..,review, In addition there were a group of residents
from Eden Pralrie who were concerned about vlsual lmpacts and possible nolse
impacts. Staff explained to the residents that were there that evening that the
4O
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
building would be highly screened by the 18 foot change in elevation. A lot of
tree preservation that's being over on this property and on their property and
also some additional plantings so I thlnk that that concern ls generally pretty
well realized. Since the Planning Commission meeting the applicants have worked
with staff to resolve most, if not all of the outstanding lssues that were
confronted at the Planning Commission. Staff is recommending approval of the
site plan and preliminary and flnal plat approval. We'd like to add 2
conditions though however. They're relat£veLy routine and they were somewhat
overlooked I suppose when the staff report was generated. The first one
concerns tree preservat£on and would be attached as I believe condition 7 to the
slte plan revlew and that is a standard stipulation that we put in there that
all trees marked for preservation, or all trees designated for preservation are
to be marked wlth a snow fence prior to gradlng and that that snow fence be out
there for staff's approvaL. Staff w£11 walk the site and we'lL have it modified
if posslble to plck up additional trees if when we're out on the site that seems
to be reasonable. Designated trees Lost due to construction activity w111 be
replaced by sultably slzed and located material approved by staff. That is a
condition that we've been applying routinely to every project that has a
significant tree preservation element. The second one is a condition that we
wanted to apply to the plat, f£nal plat, that the applicant enter into a
development contract wlth the city. That does it for me.
Councilman Johnson: Snow fence at the drip line?
Mayor Chmlel: Yeah.
Councilman Johnson: Or snow fence this far around the trunk doesn't do you any
good. You kill the tree anyway.
Mayor Chmlel: So you're just clarifying that it goes out to the drip line of
the tree as far as the outer perimeter. So you understand that part. Good.
I guess I do have just a couple of questions. I'd like to find out the number
of trucks per day that we're going to have into that facility. In Looking at
this, maybe I passed it over but handicapped parking.
Paul Krauss: Well I'll defer the truck question to the applicants and
handicapped parklng has slnce been added.
Roger Fellows: Good evening. My name is Roger Fellows. I'm the General
Manager of Dexter Magnetic Materials. We ship primarily UPS so we have a UPS
truck that comes in in the morning and delivers and one that comes in in the
evenlng at 4:00 and plcks up. We probably, ! haven't done a formal study or
count. We probably maybe get 2 to 3 semis in a day that might be delivering raw
material but not a lot of truck traffic and nothing after 4:00.
Mayor Chmtel: Okay. How early in the morning?
Roger Fellows: 8:00.
Councilman Workman: That intersection on TH 5 is going to have a light. That's
going to be a signalized intersection.
41
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Mayor Chmlel: Yes. At that particular entrance into the city, that will be and
that's In conjunction ulth Eden Prairle. Rtght. I notice we're saying we're
going to lose 3 mature oak trees and those are golng to be replaced by other
trees with specific diameters of the trees. Lighting was one of the issues.
Maklng sure that we had no more than .05 foot candles of 11ght on the property
line.
Paul Krauss: I guess Mr. Mayor, that's typically a condition that's satisfied
when they come in utth their building plans. They give us the detatled
electrical work.
Mayor Chmiel: One of the other conditions I thlnk should be on there and
construction of, they should have erosion controls, Type III put on there dur£ng
construction perlod.
Paul Krauss: The most recent plans which we worked out this past week does show
Type III erosion control.
Mayor Chmiel: Alright. Anyone else?
Councilman Johnson: Usually someone on the Planning Commission asks you a
little blt more about the materials that you work wlth. Your chemicals and a11.
There was some mention of it in the Planning Commission but not very much. Oo
you have degreasers? Do you have any examples of what you manufacture? I mean
magnets can be a lot of things. Magnetron.
Mayor Chmiel: It's the thing that holds my refrigerator up.
Councilman Johnson: It keeps the paper all together that holds the refrigerator
up.
Roger Fellows: We're actually not a manufacturer. It's kind of, this is
actually one of our, this is a blood pump. There's a local company.
Councilman Johnson: Right. You make the magnet that goes 1nrc the blood pump?
Roger Fellows: Right. Our primary markets here in the Twin Cities, we're part
of the Dexter Corporation which is a Fortune 300 Corporation headquartered out
of Windsor Locks. A little history. The oldest company on the New York Stock
Exchange founded in 1767. We're a smaller dlvlsion of that company. We have 11
plants across the Untted States, 2 in Europe. We're the largest fabricating
distributor of permanent magnets and magnetlc materials in the world. We don't
actually take the, the magnets that you have in front of you are ceramic.
They're 11kc your dlshes at home except they're unique in that they have these
permanent magnetic properties. We don't take the raw ceramic and press it and
slurry lt. We take the blocks that are made. It's slmllar to a steel
machining, precision machining business where they take bar steel and machine
precision shapes out of lt. We take magnetlc materials, machlne them into
precision shapes and then we magnetize them and ue create the magnet out of it
so we're really a fabricator. We're primarily a machining business. We don't
use any chemicals in our process. We use coolants which are a11 contained on
small 10 gallons tanks on the floor. No real processes that requlre any
chemicals.
42
City Council Meeting - ~ugust 13, 1990
Councilman 3ohnson: You don't do cleaning processes?
Roger Fellows: No. In fact the only things we really clean with, mostly we use
just water.
Councilman 3ohnson: Do you paint?
Roger Fellows: No.
Councilman Johnson= I mean these obviously...
Roger Fellows: Yeah, that's coated actually. That's done by somebody else.
Councilwoman Dimler: Is this your only product?
Roger Fellows: No. We really don't. That's Just a give away. Our products
are made specifically for companies. We're a job shop so we make Rosemount or
this company come to us and typically we get involved in the engineering and the
design of the product and then we make the product for them but it's unique to
them so we don't have a standard product line.
Councilwoman Dimler: But it's all magnetic?
Roger Fellows: Yes.
Councilman 3ohnson: $o you may make the magnets for the aagnetron on a radar
unit?
Roger Fellows: Yeah.
Councilman Workman: I'd move approval.
Councilwoman Dialer: I'll second that.
Mayor Chmiel: ~ny further discussion?
Councilwoman Dialer: Wait a minute. What are you saying? ~pproval of (a) or
(a) and (b)?
Hayor Chmiel: Well I read them both. It was replat of Lots 5 and 6, Block 1
plus the site plan would be it.
Councilman Workman: (a) and (b).
Councilman Johnson: With Paul's recommended changes?
Councilwoman Dimler: Yes, exactly.
Councilman I~orkman moved, Councilwoman Dialer seconded to approve Preliminary and F~nal
Plat Request ~1~0-~ Subdivision a~ ~ho~n on the plan dated 3uly 18, 1~0 subject
to the following condition~:
43
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
1. The plat shall show the typical easements 10 foot south (front) and 5 feet
on the north, east and west (sides). The applicant shall show the 20 foot
wide preservation easement.
Park and trail fees must be submitted to the City in lieu of parkland at the
time building permit is requested.
3. The applicant shall enter into a development contract with the City.
and approval of Site Plan Request ~90-6 as shown on the plans dated 3une 18,
1990 sub3ect to the following conditions:
1. Provision of trash storage enclosure for all outside trash storage. All
trash will be stored internally. Plans for outdoor storage and rooftop
screening shall be submitted to staff for approval.
2. The applicant shall obtain and comply with conditions of the Watershed
District permit.
3. All disturbed areas should be seeded and Type III erosion control blanket
installed. The detall should be incorporated into the new grading plan.
The applicant must provide retaining walls to protect the existlng tree as
shown on Attachment
4. Financial guarantees for landscaping shall be submitted to the City at the
time of buildlng permlt application.
5. The applicant shall submit a lightlng plan and must demonstrate that there
is no more than .5 foot candles of light from fixtures at the property line.
The applicant shall submit slgnage plans for City approval.
The applicant shall comply with the conditions of the conservation easement
located on the northerly 20 feet of the property.
7. All trees designated for preservation are to be marked at thetr drfpline
ulth a snow fence prlor to any grading and approved by staff. All trees
lost due to construction shall be replaced by suitably slzed and located
material approved by clty staff.
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously.
HETES AND BOUNDS SUBDIVISION REQUEST TO SUBDIVIDE A Z.O. ACRE PARCEL INTO 2 LOTS,
1375 LILAC L. ANE, 3~HES DONOVAN.
Jo Ann Olsen: This is a metes and bounds subdivision divlding i acre parcel
separating off a 1 acre parcel from a 10 acre piece. The 1 acre paroel has an
existing slngle famlly residence on lt. We dld flnd out that it ls hooked up to
sewer and water so one of our conditions that they have to hook up, condition
number 7 can be removed. That parcel already ls oonnected to the City sewer and
water. Also in condition 8 where the second line, second from the end where it
says improvement project be conducted for Lllac Lane, that should be Teton Lane.
The subdivision is a simple one but one of the issues surrounding it is the
44
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
improvement to Teton Lane. We are not recommending that Teton be tmproved at
this t~me but what we do with any subdivision ts if there is the need to acquire
right-of-way, if that street ever had to be lmproved In the future, we'd do It
as part of the subdivision which we are requiring as condition of approval for
thls subdivision. So not only along Parcel A but both Parcel A and B we would
like to acquire that right-of-way. Again, not to pursue the improvements at
thls tlme but just so we have the right-of-way available.
Mayor Chmiel: Is Mr. Oonovan here?
Jlm Oonovan: Yes.
Mayor Chmiel: Is there anything you'd like to add to what Jo Ann has said?
Jim Oonovan: Well on number 8 it says £f further development or land division
ls proposed for these two newly created parcels or if access ls deslred on
Teton, it is recommended that a full street and utility. I guess I don't
understand what they're talking about. What they're saylng there. In other
words, if someone on Teton Lane decides to put their driveway from their house
down onto Teton Lane, ls that considered an improvement or are you just talking
about my two parcels of property? Not anybody else's parcels of property there?
Mayor Chmiel: Strictly your two parcels but I'd like to make sort of a
clarification of this. I also sort of highlighted that particular one. From
what's here in the staff's report, what I have here, Teton remains as a private
street at this particular ttme. We have not, nor will we accept Teton as a
public road. Further subdivision may trlgger upgrading Teton but not required
now. We are asking for 14 right-of-way and only to protect future options for
that additional and any home built on a new lot should, if possible, use Lllac.
Jo Ann Olsen: One of the reasons that that was pointed out was also just with
englneer was looklng at that. It would be the preferable access.
Don Ashworth: I think it's 17.
Mayor Chmiel: Yeah, I think lt's 17. I said 14 but it should be 17.
Jo Ann Olsen: Right. It wasn't real clear on the half sections exactly what
the amount ls but it looks close to 17 feet. I think engineering can address
whether or not. We felt that we did want to have some say in where access
actually occur, if it does, on Parcel B. That could posstbly trigger
improvement.
Councilman Johnson: Jlm, are you building another house?
Jim Oonovan: No. There's a residence on Parcel A.
Councilman Johnson: What do you live on?
Jim Oonovan: I live on, well I don't live on, I ltve on Parcel C I guess. I
1lye to the east of there.
Councilman Johnson: Oh, okay. So nobody's 11v£ng there now?
45
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Jim Donovan: No, There's a farmhouse there now and these people who are
proposing to buy it are from Connecticut and they want to restore it, It's been
rented for years and years and years and I bought the property approximately 3
years ago.
Councilman 3ohnson: And you're doing this in order for the farmhouse to be
sold?
Jim Donovan: Yes.
Councilman Johnson: That's the purpose of this?
Jim Donovan: That's the whole thing, yes.
Councilman Johnson: And they've already got access?
Jim Donovan: They've already got a driveway there. They have city sewer and
city water and it's all connected already.
Councilman Johnson: That's where the deer hang out at night. And during the
day actually in the tall weeds right behind there and they head over to your
place in the evenlng.
Jim Donovan: Because ue feed them.
Councilman Johnson: Yeah. I was sitting out there with the radar, the City's
radar one day on Teton radaring people and looked out and there were about 6
deer just stand up maybe 50 feet from me.
Jim Oonovan: If you're looking on Teton and you look straight west then, you'd
see my place there. I'm up on a h111 there.
Mayor Chmiel: Jo Ann that parcel A, what is the total footage on that? It
shows here 142.07 by 239. Is that correct?
Jo Ann Olsen: It's just over, it's just an acre.
Mayor chmiel: Okay, so a little over an acre. Okay.
Councilman Workman: There's no future proposed use for the rest of it?
Jim Oonovan: No.
Councilman Workman: And I know there's some people in here that are concerned
about a barricade and I'm getting to know them as close friends.
Jim Donovan: I want the barricade kept there because if that Teton Lane is made
into a city street, I'm the person that's going to suffer. When Centex was
doing their development there, the Clty dld an appraisal of the amount of money
it would take for city sewer and water there and on my property alone would cost
me over $33,000.00.
46
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Councilman Workman: Well somebody in those proceedings stated there's a 99 year
covenant on this piece that can't be developed and that was a premise for
barricading. That was part of the premise for barricading in that it wouldn't
be developed. Do you remember that?
30 Ann Olsen: It was stated. I don't know if it was ever.
Councilman Workman: I don't doubt that but I'm just saying.
councilman 3ohnson: They said they would put a DY year, if we wanted to I think
somebody said they would put a ~ year thing on their property. I don't think
there was.
Councilman Workman: That would be this gentleman.
Councilman Johnson: Yes.
Jim Donovan: There is not a trust on it.
Councilman Johnson: We never asked him to.
Councilman Workman: No, I'm not going to ask him to but I'm just saying,
somebody used that in the argument that that's why the barricade should be up
because.
Jim Donovan: I'm not proposing to develop anything here.
Councilman Workman: I know that but anytime activity happens in this area, that
barricade becomes.
Jim Oonovan: We're not really asking for any activity as such. I mean this
property prior to this has been rented. It has not been improved by renters.
These people are willing to upgrade this property and do a lot of things to make
it more beautiful and to upgrade the whole thing. As some of the conditions for
selling it, I've had to do some upgrading of the property itself in order to
make it for the appraisals so overall it's to benefit the entire piece of
property there.
Mayor Chmiel: Tom, that's one of the reasons indicated before. Make sure
everything is as is and we're not changing anything.
Jim Donovan: I'd like to ask a question on number 5 there. The last part.
Designated as a protected wetland part of my property there. That is not a
wetland. I mean we've had a lot of rain this year, much more than usual, and
it's as dry as can be in there. I'm mowing in there and to arbitrarily
designate part of my property as a wetland ! don't feel is really fair.
Mayor Chmiel: Okay. Is there any reason from staff?
Jo Ann Olsen: We did go out when I had one of the Fish and Wildlife people out
and we were looking at CUrry Farms and we drove them up there. It's another
marginal wetland but it's got wetland vegetation. One of the reasons we were
looking, so we are protecting it as a wetland as it is now and also if that land
47
City Council Meeting -- August 13, 1990
is ever developed, that's where the water dralns to and that should be
protected. I'm learning from past experience, I just want to make it clear that
those are wetlands and not necessarily completely be subdivided lnto lots. We
want them to be protected.
Councilman Johnson: A wetland does not have to have water on top of the
surface.
Jlm Donovan: I understand.
Councilman Johnson: If you've got within a few lnches of the surface the water
table, then your normal Bermudas, or not Bermudas. I'm back in Alabama.
Kentucky's and whatever, cannot grow and you get wetland vegetation. That's
what you've got in that corner is wetland vegetation.
Jlm Donovan: Well you sald that you at one tlme stopped on Teton there and
looked across. Then you've seen how I've cleared off about 6 1/2-? acres of
that property. Mowed it off there.
Councilman Johnson: At that time it wasn't. A year ago or something. At least
not where I thlnk they're talklng about here in the southeast corner.
Jim Oonovan: That part is not yet. I mean but what i'm saying is that the part
of Parcel B at one tlme was 11ke this and that I've cleared it and made it the
same way.
Councilman Johnson: We have people that mow wetlands.
Jim Oonovan: Pardon me. I know, it looks like a lawn now.
Councilman Johnson: Yeah. That doesn't mean it's not a wetland because it
looks 11ks a lawn.
Jim Donovan: Hy contention is that there are other parts of the property uhere
the elevations are the same as what you're showing there in that wetland, or
supposed wetland there and that part ls...
Councilman Johnson: Not by your survey.
Jim Donovan: Toward the western part of the property there where it connects
with my...property.
Paul Krauss: That's about 8 feet hlgher.
Councilman Johnson: Yeah, 6 to 8 feet. 4 feet. It's going down, Everything
else drains into this area. There is not outlet here is there? It's almost
been shown as a depression. That's about where the deer came out of, There
were tall weeds in there.
Jim Donovan: Well I guess what I'm asking is, is this approval by the
Commission contingent upon this piece of property, this part of my property
beJ. ng designated as a wetland? I'm not clear from what it says.
48
City Council Meeting - ~ugust 13, 1990
Councilman Johnson: We could designate it as a wetland anyway. Without
approval. If it's got wetland, by our wetland ordinance, if there's wetland
vegetation growing in it, it's a wetland. No matter what you did with it, it'd
get designated, it's a wetland. If you tried to develop it, it would then.
Jim Oonovan: No, I'm not talking about developing it but what i'm saying is
that part of my other property that I've mowed down had the same type as here
and that could just as well have been, and still can be wetland.
Jo ~nn Olsen: There's definitely a Iow spot right there.
Councilman Johnson: Explain to Jim what the impact of us designating this as a
wetland, what does that do to him? What can he or can he not do now with that
property.
Jo ~nn Olsen: If and when or if he ever does subdivide Parcel B, it's just
letting everyone know ahead of time that that is a wetland and it will have to
be protected. Most likely if that property is developed into 15,000 square foot
lots, we have to get a few of them in there so it would have to be used as a
drainage pond similar to Curry Farms.
Councilman Johnson: But at this time he can mow it?
Jo 4nh Olsen: He can't fill it in.
Councilman Johnson: He can run horses on it. I mean Jensen ran horses on her
wetlands.
Jim Oonovan: I rented to her.
Councilman Johnson: Yeah. See designating this as a wetland at this time has
almost no effect on you. Only when you subdivide it it has an impact.
Jim Donovan: I got you. I'm planting trees and things like that in there.
Jo ~nn Olsen: Right.
Councilman Johnson: Just make sure that they can live in wetlands or you're
going to waste your money.
Jim Donovan: Yeah. Okay, that's, I didn't know what that meant. That's fine
then.
Councilman Workman: I'd move approval.
Councilman Johnson: There's a couple hands up in the audience.
Mayor Chmiel: Do you have something? State your name and your address please.
Randy Carl: I'm Randy Carl at 6391 Teton which is a public street as far as
I know since you guys come up and plow it and maintain it and service it and all
of that. The barricade was put into place and all of that a couple-3 years ago
when you guys approved the new Curry Farms development and it looks like since
49
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
there won't be any development on this, that there wouldn't be any reason to
change that. I can understand that. 8ut since there's been some talk about
beautification and improvements and things have been done, since the City closed
off that road here this year, all they've done is piled up concrete barricades,
wooded barricades, hurricane fences and all kinds of stuff across there and it
was supposed to be a barricade that would be able to be knocked down by fire
trucks and emergency vehicles to provide proper access. As long as you're
looking at that property and you're saying you're 'not going to do anything any
different or change that road and that access, we ought to at least then go
ahead and fulfill the requirement. In my discussions with some of the people at
the City on this, the reason they weren't doing it is because they knew this
issue was coming up and they thought that this road might be opened up and
improved but if it's not, then let's get the proper barricade in there so if a
fire truck or emergency vehicle comes up, happens to come up the wrong side,
they don't have to spend a couple minutes going back around because that could
be a potential hazard to both the people that live on the older side and the
people that live on the new side so I think the City needs to follow through now
if they're going to leave this this way and fulfill that requirement.
Mayor Chmiel: Thank you.
Councilman Johnson: Good point.
Marc Simcox: Marc Simcox. I live at 21GO0 Lilac Lane in Shoreuood and I'm here
representing two people that do live in Chanhassen. The Ware's and the
Plckard's and the only concern that we had on thls entlre thlng ls something
that the Hayor brought up earlier and it's item 8. What it seems to do in item
8, and I thlnk you reworded it and I didn't understand it completely but what
this does is this said that if there is, or. It says if further development or
].and subdivision is proposed for these two newly created parcels, or if access
is desired on Teton Lane then it opens it all up. The only thing that we would
11ke to have that changed to read, if full development or land dlvislon or full
land ~ubdivision is proposed for these two newly created parcels an____d_if access
ls deslred on Teton Lane, rather than say or because the way it's worded now, if
the new property owner decides because of the lay of the land they're going to
build a new garage and so forth and if they declde to move it around and come on
Teton or if the Ware's decide that they don't want to continue to drive over the
Plckard's property on that easement, they'd 11ke to go out to Teton Lane. That
opens it up and it just really takes off all the other original, I think the
orlglnal lntent that was put on thls restriction for Teton Lane when it was
first upgrading. And that's the only concern that there ls. If that could be
clarified so that uould state, and I mean we don't, you can't ever say never.
We know that. We don't know, maybe Jim mlght develop it in a year but until
that tlme, uhlch I thlnk uas the origlnal lntent of the orlginal proposal wlth
Teton Lane, if we could just make sure that that's echoed here.
Mayor Chmiel: I think the clarifications that I had addressed that.
Marc Simcox: Okay. Well if ue could have that reread again so we understand
that.
Mayor Chmiel: Sure. Let me just go through it one more time. Teton remains as
a private street. We have not nor wi11 we accept Teton as a public road. I
5O
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
thlnk that sort of spells that out right now.
Paul Krauss: It is a public road now.
Marc Slmcox: I think it lsa public street, yeah. It ls owned by the City. It
was accepted when it was turned over to the City.
Councilman Johnson: Zt's clty right-of-way but lt's not necessarily a city
street.
Marc Simcox: Oh I see.
Mayor Chmlel: What I'm saylng here ls st111 is true. Further subdivisions may
trigger upgrading Teton not required now. We are asking for I? foot of
right-of-way only to protect the future optlons. And any home built on now, on
new lots should, if possible, use Lilac.
Marc Slmcox: Is there a way to specify what kind of future development? The
density or just to, I mean if you divide it in half that still leaves it open.
Paul Krauss: If I may, I'd strongly recommend against clarifying or limiting
your future options. What we have in these situations is that sometimes
somebody decldes I'm golng to develop all 10 acres I own in one fell swoop but
typically what happens is individual property owners make decisions over a
perlod of tlme. Right now we're creating a new homeslte. Hr. Oonovan ls not
intending to sell it rlght away but he could turn around and sell ~t tomorrow.
That's one new homesite. In the future the person who buys thls home on the
corner could theoretically subdivide that. It's an acre lot. There are lots on
the east side of the street that could be subdivided. I don't know where the
magic point is that you decide that you need the street but I'd be very
relunctant to say that the whole area has to be developed before you make that
decision. I think that decision needs to be done by you at such time' in the
future that this comes up.
Mayor Chmiel: Yeah, I think that's right.
Marc Slmcox: The only thlng is that we'd 11ke to go back then and as part of
this proposal kind of clarify because it does say substantial additional
development and just exactly what is substantial? When does the red flag go up
for us when we see a proposal? Is it dividing it into two 4 1/2 acre lots or we
don't know. It really leaves it wide open and anybody can challenge anything
virtually.
Paul Krauss: To further clarify this, when thls originally came up we were told
by neighbors that development wouldn't occur. It's occurring. I've got to
belleve, and I don't want to dispute anything that Mr. Oonovan or anybody else
said but I've got to believe that sooner or later tt's going to continue to
occur again. This ls the flrst of a long series of things that's going to take
place, probably over a period of time but it's inevitable that it will probably
take place and I think the Clty has to be in a positlon to handie that when it
does occur.
51
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Marc Simcox: And we don't disagree with that. It probably will. The only
thing is that we want to do is have that addressed at that time. If that can be
addressed, there's nothlng wrong wlth addressing it at that time. Absolutely
nothing. To acquire the right-of-way is fine and to address the rest of it when
that happens. We don't want to put in some klnd of conditions in what we expect
or thlnk might happen in the future because nobody knows and to go and open this
up as soon as somebody hiccups, be able to open that road up, that's what we're
concerned wlth. Those are our concerns and that's all.
Dave Priest: It's less than a year since the public hearing when nobody said
nothing was going to be developed and here we are. The property's being split
nOW ·
Mayor Chmlel: Would you like to state your name and your address please.
Dave Priest: Bare Priest, &360 Teton Lane·
Marc Simcox: If I could just like to address that. A lot of people have been
here since long before Centex ever dug a first scoop of dirt out of there and
the whole proposal for closlng Teton Lane never came from that neighborhood.
That came from Centex as an alternative to spending a hundred and some thousand
dollars to putting another access out onto CR 17 over city property over by
where the machine shops are and loslng Lot 15 so whether or not Teton Lane
closed off has absolutely nothing to do. That was one of the parts was that
that property wasn't going to be developed but the major part of that came from
Centex when Centex wanted to save the money and it was thelr proposal that we
close it off and we agreed to that and we just want to stick with that.
Mayor Chmiel: Thank you. Any further discussion?
Paul Krauss: Mr. Mayor, I'd like to clarify one of the conditions that's in
there. I thlnk condition ils misleading. We wanted to voluntarily have
Shorewood review this plat to know that we've taken sufficient right-of-way to
expand. We've indicated in condition i that we'd 11kc Shorewood to be made
aware of the fact that we've got sufficient right-of-way on Lilac to improve
this street but lt's misleading. We do not want nor do we thlnk we need to have
Shorewood approve this plat so I would ask you to delete the approval.
Councilman Workman: Paul would it help us to somehow say, if further
development, number 8. If further development or land dlvision is proposed for
these two newly created lots and if access is deslred on Teton Lane by the Clty
of Chanhassen? Why is it or?
Jo Ann Olsen: We were leaving it so that even now if this Parcel Bls developed
into one lot and that they are proposing to use Teton. I mean the situation
rlght now ls that there should not be even one more access onto Teton Lane. We
just want to leave it open that as each case comes in, we can look at it and
review it.
Councilman Johnson: So if somebody builds on that Lot B I guess they're calling
it.
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Councilman Workman: One more driveway onto Teton on Lot B is going to overload
Teton?
Jo Ann Olsen: Right now it should be improved.
Councilman Workman: If we deleted number 8, would that leave it wide open?
Jo Ann Olsen: Yeah.
Mayor Chmiel: Tom, could I make a recommendation? That we pull 8 ar, d
substitute what I had for clarifications.
Councilman Workman: ! don't think we need the substitution either do we?
Councilman Johnson: Just pull 8 altogether?
Mayor Chmiel: Just pull 8 completely is what you're saying? Okay.
Councilman Johnson: Handle it when it happens.
Mayor Chmiel: Okay. I agree with that.
Jo Ann Olsen: I guess one reason why we had that in there was because the
building permit does not come in front of you.
Councilman Johnson: So basically you want to say if a home is developed on
parcel B, it shall have aocess to Lllao versus Teton. That's one thlng we're
trying to say. Right now there's basically only one person using Teton.
Jo Ann Olsen: We're going to recommend that it's improved it has to come back
in front of you anyway so.
Dave Hempel: Also if I just may comment. Sewer and water is only available
on Lilac, not Teton so most likely building pad would be up off of Ltlac versus
Teton.
Mayor Chmiel: Yeah.
Councilman Workman: So we can take 8 out and we'll still be covered?
Mayor Chmiel: I think we can drop 8. Yes sir.
Jim Donovan: I'd like to address the question of the barricade from Mr.
carlisle here. I asked, I called the city and asked the city to put up the
hurricane fence there because of people drlving over my property and because
they weren't able to get through the barricades there, they decided to drive
over my property. Now that is my property and that's my right to not have
people drive over tr. Now if we have, as Mr. Carlisle wants, if we have the
break away ones or the knock down ones I'm sure, I mean it's nobody from our
area that is going south on Teton over my property. It's the people coming from
Centex development, from there coming onto my property and tf we have that type
of barricade, then they're going to just disregard where they shouldn't be
going. They're just golng to disregard the knock down barricades and go through
53
City Council Meeting -- August 13, 1990
it anyway and not have it just be used for the emergency vehicles. I understand
the importance of having something for the emergency vehicles but I also
understand that I shouldn't be subjected to havlng people drlve around and on my
property just because the road is barricaded there.
Mayor Chmiel: I think that's something we can have staff look at to come up
with what's basically needed within that location. Making sure access isn't off
to the sldes of those.
Councilman Johnson: I think what he's asking for is to have the proper
barricade situation put up which means that people can't go across there and
they can't go across your property either. You know a fire truck's got a bumper
about yea blg. That's going to take out those barricades versus my Horizon.
Jim Donovan: I appreciate that, yeah. What I'm saying is that the people from
Centex now have been disregarding the permanent barricades and going across my
property. What's to stop them from dolng the same when you have the temporary,
when you have the knock down. They have a fence there now because the City put
it up for me.
Resident: Why is the City providing fences for prlvate citizens?
Jim Oonovan: Because you people are going over my property, that's why.
Resident: Can you prove it was somebody from Centex?
Mayor Chmiel: I don't think that's the polnt or the issue.
Resident: He's making that.
Mayor Chmiel: That'~ correct but I thlnk we should brlng thls back to the
Council and come up with a motion on this speciflc item.
Councilman Workman: I would move approval of the metes and bounds subdivision
for Mr. Oonovan with staff's recommendations minus number 8.
Mayor Chmiel: And 1.
Councilman Workman: And 1.
Councilman Johnson: Changlng 1. Leave 1 in there but just remove the words and
approved.
Mayor Chmlel: Yes.
Jo Ann Olsen: And taking out number ?, right.
Councilman Workman: And number
Jo Ann Olsen: They do have sewer and water.
Mayor Chmiel: Is there a second?
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Councilwoman Dimler: Second.
Councilman Workman moved, Council.oman Dimler seconded to approve the Heres and
Bounds Subdivision ~90-1! to create Parcels A and B as sho~n on the plans dated
3uly 16, 1990 with the following conditions:
l. The City of Shorewood shall review the proposed subdivision.
2. The applicant shall provide right-of-way along Teton and Lilac Lane to
maintain full 50 foot street right-of-way.
If a future building permit is applied for Parcel B, it shall be contingent
upon connecting into City sewer and water located on Lilac-Lane.
4. The applicant shall provide typical drainage and utility easements along the
external and internal lot lines of Parcel A and B.
5. The 1,000 foot elevation located in the southeast corner of Parcel B will be
protected by a drainage easement and designated as a protected wetland.
6. The shed and garage on Parcel B shall either be removed or relocated
onto Parcel A where they meet the required setbacks. If relocation is not
completed prior to requesting flling of the metes and bounds subdivision, a
$1,000.00 financial guaratee should be provided to the City.
7. Deleted.
8. Deleted.
Park dedication fees shall be paid at the time a building permit application
is requested for Parcel B.
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously.
COUNCIL PRESENTATIONS:
Mayor Chmiel: The only thing that I'd like to bring up on the plastic
situation. Jo Ann I'd 11ke you to reiterate a little bit more what's the
potential about plastics being recycled within the City.
Jo Ann Olsen: Well we had last Tuesday a recycling commission meeting which we
invited haulers to come to dlscuss whether or not we should initiate curbside
recycling of plastic and if we do, what the ramifications were. We had 3 of the
major haulers, BFI and Waste Management and ~agard come and they could all
accomodate curbside recycling but it's costly. It takes up a lot of space
versus cans that can be crushed and that cost would be passed onto the resident.
Our other concern was that the smaller haulers can't accommodate it. We're
talking the 3 big ones that do have it and there's pilot programs going on with
other cities and a lot of cities are doing just drop off centers for plastic. So
we klnd of left it at that to look into whether or not we could do a drop off
center to start something or whether or not to push for curbside so we are
pursuing it. There will be something. Exactly what form, we don't know yet.
55
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Mayor Chmiel: Good. Thank you.
Councilman Johnson: Do the smaller haulers, I know some of them were talking
about just mixing everything together in one bin and then taking it back to some
location and sorting.
3o Ann Olsen: I don't know whether they do that.
Councilman Johnson: I've got BFI so I don't know. I know that all the big
haulers use the compartmentized vehicles and so it's no big deal. They just
have another compartment for that.
Councilwoman Dimler: It's not another truck that they need?
Jo Ann Olsen: They would have to, some of them would have to add another truck.
Another compartment.
Councilman Johnson: They'd have to empty their truck more often because they're
collecting more.
Jo Ann Olsen: It's all air.
Councilman Johnson: Actually it'd be fairly easy to design a compacter into one
of those compartments to get rid of the air.
3o Ann Olsen: They say they're designing something for that now. It hasn't
been perfected but they still pop back.
Councilman Johnson: Another way would be to shred it as you go. At 6:00 in the
morning.
Councilman Workman: Does anybody know where you can drop off platics? I was
told over in the Menards lot they have something. Maybe that's that Goodwill
truck.
Jo Ann Olsen: In Excelsior they do too behind the.
Mayor Chmiel: Right behind the City offices.
Jo Ann Olsen: The post office?
Mayor Chmiel: No, I didn't see any there. It's right behind the city offices
in the parking lot.
Councilman Johnson: We only buy our milk where they provide reuseable
containers and then we bring the containers back.
Councilman Workman: Well you're good people, I'm not. Okay. So anyway.
Councilwoman Dimler: I do both and it is more difficult.
Mayor Chmiel: Thomas, would you like to talk on recycling?
56
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Councilman Workman: Yes, and in relationship to that I guess, the Adminstrative
packet was a lot of fun this time. Sometimes it can be no good. There was a
lot of fun this time. In relationship to the recycling, the Carver County
Community Health Service people and the Board of Commissioners, etc. are
promoting our cigarette vending idea all over the County. I think we are good
people and we are forward thinkers. I think that worked out really well. I'm
patting us all on the back for that. In relationship to that, I think the
curbside recycling program has received a lot of publicity. I think we are
leaders in that and I want to pat ourselves on the back and especially Jo Ann.
I think that thing is going far and wide and I can go down to Chaska every day
and say you know we've been doing this for a year and a half. How come you guys
aren't doing this and now they're going to start to use our program just about
when they're forced to do it so I think we started a year and a half ago or so
and so again we are Carver County leaders and I thank staff for that. And in
post haste Jim Chaffee for his help with the cigarette vending. So I wanted to
get that out of the way. Crossroads Bank. Z'm getting some calls in
relationship to that. Maybe the City Manager can quickly, I think I ask this
every meeting about where we're at. What I'm getting calls for now, I seem to
be getting all the calls in the city, is it's unfair to the taxpayers of this
city to leave that thing sit vacant and we should have something on it and it's
not collecting as I know taxes are right now. I guess I'd like to know where
we're at.
Don Ashuorth: They have until the end of the year to either potentially sell
that to someone else. You could build the same structure or to execute those
documents themself. One of the problems was that we had to provide clear title
to them. As you're aware, some of the title transfer items, i.e. the whole
Burdick lawsuit and the rest of that were not finalized until I'd say in the
last 6 months and they had a I year period from that date to do something.
There was an opinion back over from John Dean's office. Z have since met with
Roger. Re-explained to Roger the importance of trying to get that property onto
the tax rolls and to see if his opinion is the same as Holmes and Graven.
Councilman Johnson: I talked to one of their directors in June who's got kids
on the same swim team as my klds are on. He said they had a 11ttle more problem
raising the money than originally anticipated and they were rethinking some of
their strategies on ralslng the finances. The lnltial, you can't start a bank
without any money. They think they're going to be able to bring the money
together later on.
Councilman Workman: So are we going to then, Don and Roger, are we going to be
able to judge come the end of the year whether or not this is in the best
lnterest of the city? We're going to be able to act in January on that? They
seem 11ke good people. I'm just now people are starting to ask questions about
how long.
Don Ashworth: My discussion with both John and Roger is insure that we have
provided every notice that we have to provide so that we can start if we want
to, in negotiation or the bidding process this fall so when It gets to January
2nd, we're in a position to turn that over to someone else. I literally just
gave that assignment over to Roger thls past week. Again the first opinlon was
from Holmes and Grave but I think given the magnitude of this issue, I did ask
Roger's office to look into it as well.
57
City Council Meeting -- August 13, 1990
Mayor Chmiel: Tom, just for your information too. There are other banks just
waiting to get i,to this community if they don't move.
Councilman Workman: They all want my cash. Okay.
Councilman Johnson: They want that location right across from Rosemount.
Councilman Workman: Okay. What else was I going to discuss quickly? Public
Safety Commission meetings. I hope that's not why Scott's hanging around this
late. Scott had a memo out and he indicated when the next, oh he's got two
meetings in September. I didn't even notlce that .... Publtc Safety Commission
and I talked to Scott today. The Publlc Safety Commission ls meeting in the
conference room in the public safety wing and I came to the last meeting and
Z guess I was klnd of, I rode my blke down here and I was klnd of astonished
that it wasn't here and it wasn't tn the atrium etther but was rather back
there. I got talking to some of our staff, I never did end up golng lnto the
meeting. I think I was thinking 7:30 and it was about a quarter to 8:00 so the
meeting was probably just about over. Scott sald that Publlc Safety has
discussed this and that's where they want to meet. My contention ts purely when
people pull lnto City Hall and are expecting a city meeting or a public meetlng,
should they find it right here or should they have to find it in a smaller room
somewhere wlthJn Clty Hall? That's nly question.
Councilman Johnson: They'd have difficulty finding it up there.
Mayor Chmlel: Well, all they'd have to do is just post it on either of the
doors where the meeting's held.
Councilman Workman: Then my second contention is is that this is a rather large
room and Scott said that the Public Safety was concerned about, they wanted to
have a more personal situation. Well, some people don't want a personal. They
want to kind of just come in, sit in the back in the shadows and leave, like me
and not be so notlced or so much a part of the meetlng and so maybe we need to
refer that back and get an opinion again from Public Safety. I don't know if
that pollcy ls something that's good either for the vlsltors or the prooess.
don't know.
Councilwoman Dimler: If I may, I'd like to add a comment to that too. I came
that same night also a little bit later. I could not find the meeting and I did
catch Todd upstairs and he told me where it was and I too have felt rather
uncomfortable walking in after the meeting had been going on for a long time.
It's a small room. There's not much room for anyone else to slt and when you
walk in, you're very well noticed and I think the publlc should be able to come
in and it is supposed to be a public meeting so there should be ample chairs for
public to walk in and leave at will and it is kind of secluded back there. I
just don't know how they're going to find it. If they're not golng to have them
i, the Council chamber because they feel that's too big and not homey enough,
then at least in the atrlum.
Don Ashuorth: I just received Scott's memorandum so we haven't had a chance to
talk but I think there was also some building security issues in here as well.
I mean right now we can lock off the rest of the building but if Public Safety
is open, there's no way to stop somebody from going in and picking up a computer
58
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
or whatever else unless we were to have somebody stationed rlght at the front.
Councilman Workman: $o you're suggesting here?
Don Ashworth: Well again, I'm not sure what prompted the memorandum but I think
this area has worked quite well and the Courtyard conference has worked quite
well. I would hope that one of those two areas might be acceptable in the
future.
Councilman Johnson: And there you can lock it off.
Don Ashworth: And that's where we can lock It off, right.
Councilman Workman: The atrlum you can?
Don Ashworth: No, the atrium that still secures Public Safety area and the main
portion of Clty Hall you know where computers are.
Councilman Johnson: Unless the janitors are here with all the doors propped
open.
Councilman Workman: I don't know. Just a point.
Councilman Johnson: I agree with you. I've come into those meetings meaning to
be, 11ke ! do at Planning Commission, inoonspicuous and you can't be.
Councilwoman Oimler: Yeah, you're an tntegral part of the meeting.
Mayor Chmiel: I've been to the Public Safety meetings, the last two also.
I came in late for both of them. I guess I didn't feel conspicuous.
Councilman Johnson: But you're expected to be late.
Mayor Chm£el: You're right. You're right. That's fashionable.
Councilman Workman: I thlnk the only thing I had to discuss was the budget and
perhaps a Council workshop. Are we going to schedule something like that fairly
quickly?
Mayor Chmlel: Yes. ! thlnk there's one already.
Don Ashworth: Why don't the Mayor and I work together in trying to select a
date. My concern ls I want to present to you options that are truly options.
The magnitude of the problems, staff's suggestions as to how we're going to get
through that, and so maybe Don and I could work together in trying to come up
with a date hopefully within the next 2 weeks, 3 weeks.
Mayor Chmiel: Don has met with staff.
Don Ashworth: We'll have another one tomorrow.
Mayor Chmiel: Yes. Right. And that they review their budgets and to come up
with some conclusions. Okay. Let's move on to Adminstrative presentations and
59
City Council. Neetin.g - August 13, 1990
maybe you'll just touch before we go onto the community center, on the
conference registration thing.
ADHINSTRATIV£ PRESENTATIONSL
OOrl Ashuorth: Mr. Mayor, I did get a chance to talk very briefly. This
registration form needs to be in very, very quickly if we're golng to take
advantage of some of the lover early registrations. In light of the overall
budgetary prob].em, the Mayor had suggested that we should real].y be looking to
cutting back travel and training and if potentially one of those areas may be
wlth the Mayor and Clty Councll budget. Accordingly, both Don and I have made a
decision not to attend this fall and I guess it's going to be back up to other
Counc11 members whether or not you ulsh to or not.
ltayor Chmiel: It's strictly everyone's perogative but I thought we have to
face.
Councilman Johnson: Where is it this year?
Mayor Chmiel: Texas.
Councilwoman Dimler: Houston.
Mayor Chmiel: If we're going to face a shortfall, I think we should sort of
blte the bullet and pull back on expenditures.
Councilman Workman: Well Ursula and I had a conversation today and we discussed
that. That's where some of the budget meetlng, etc.. I have no ldea, I have
not as much idea about the budget and deficit and what we're going to do as I'd
11ke to that's why I'm urglng the meeting.
Councilwoman Oimler: If you apply and then cancel, is there a penalty?
Don Ashworth: I can't remember. I thlnk there ls an early registration. Post
marked by September 14th so we have, we literally have a month. I thought they
said that it had to be rlght away. Well. Maybe there's another date for
houslng or whatever else.
Councilman Johnson: How much is the registration?
Don Ashworth: $280.00 early registration. $315.00 after that and then that's
really lt. There's another $30.00 cancellation that's after November gth. I
thought there was another registration required as a part of the hotels and
maybe that's where you were to get the information in as soon as possible.
Councilman Johnson: Yeah, but you can get that information in but if you cancel
hotels you get it back. They're not glving you that good of a deal. We're
probably saving $1,000.00 a head you know. That's $6,000.00.
Councilwoman Dimler: I guess we'd have to discuss whether we felt it was
valuable. Made us better councilmembers. Made us more aware of the national
issues.
6O
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Councilman Johnson: I've always felt it was extremely valuable to me to tell
you the truth.
Mayor Chmiel: It is. There's no question about it. There are many valuable
things that you do learn from the workshops.
Don Ashworth: It would appear as though we do have until that September 14th so
we would have a month to see how well we're going.
Councilwoman Dimler: Well, we're going to have a budget meettng between now and
then?
Don Ashworth: Right. So that's why we should have that... Next lssue that I
placed on was the community center. You had asked for a type of a brochure that
could be malled out to residents. Thls is what we came back with. One of the
real issues I had though was that there's no question that the Community Center
Task Force came to the conclusion of a compromise with the ice hockey people in
that we would be looking to a refrigerated outdoor ice as a part of the
community center itself. What was not clear from the discussion was are we
looking to a no frills type of a building which was the $3.1 million which you
would add the $400,000.00-$500,000.00 to or was it the everything complete type
of structure which was estimated at the $4.6 million.
Councilwoman Dimler: My understanding was that we went with the bare bones
proposal to put it on the referendum.
Councilman Workman: At 3.what?
Mayor Chmiel: 3.6.
Don Ashworth: Yeah, at 3.6.
Councilman Workman: And that includes?
Councilman Johnson: Outdoor refrigerated ice.
Councilman Workman: In my discussions with Oon today too. I was on the phone
today talking to the Clty all day. This refrigerated 1ce, and I'm not sure how
far the hockey people are even appreciative of that, it may be a situation and I
talked to Mr. Ashworth about it, whether it might be better to have it not at
all or to cover it in that it's such a large expense it might not even be worth
the paln to do lt. I mean for another half a mllllon you can cover it and make
it fancy or spend, what is it? Now much did we say?
Don Ashworth: A million one was my recollection. The total cost for the ice.
The indoor ice in the original proposal.
Councilman Workman: Yeah, it's about a half a million just to put the outdoor
in or something.
Don Ashworth: Yeah, I think they said $400,000.00 to $500,000.00.
&l
City Council fleeting - August 13, 1990
Councilman Workman: And so it's a large expenditure that Z don't know. That's
some of the detalls I thlnk that we've got to clear up because we're putting
this thing on. We're settlng a figure that I'm not sure correlates wlth what we
want.
Councilwoman Dimler: Maybe we can explain that situation.
Councilman Johnson: What kind of heating savings do we get with this outdoor
J. ce? I mean basically the bulldlng heatlng system becomes the heat part of the
refrigeration system for part of the year but if it's outdoors, part of the year
you don't use the refrigeration. So I mean all you use it for ls fall and
whatever.
Mayor Chmlel: Yeah, you start early fall and late wlnter.
Councilman Johnson: Right, and then you can supply heat to your bullding from
the refrigeration system but in the middle of the wlnter you don't so you have
to have your auxilliary heat anyway.
Don Ashuorth: There's some loss in revenues that we really didn't get into at
the last meeting because with the outdoor facility, you would not be able to
charge admission, etc. ice component. The polnt brought out tn the McGlllvarey
study though was that by losing the major groups, meaning having lost the htgh
school, the major contractual agreements, the 1ce turns lnto a loser. It ls not
a paylng situation. The question is, as an outdoor facility, will we lose even
that much more. The last 1rem is that agaln, wlth the bare bones faclllty it 15
exactly that. 3.6 million. We're not into a design phase at this point in
tlme. We don't know a lot of the detalls but some of the thlngs I dld ask Mlke
Neimeyer, I went back to him and said, alright. What type of things, what are
you buylng for $3.6 mi111on versus $4.6 million? Well at $4.6 m1111on you're
probably talking about belng able to do some indoor treatments that are
different than just the clnderblock, palnted clnderblock. From my own
perspective, I think painted cinderblock is just flne. The things you will not
be able to do would be whirlpool, sauna ls not in the bare bones facility.
You're not doing the locker rooms where you have adult versus youth. You're not
doing any additional treatment in the locker rooms. You're not providing
lockers. You're not providing a lot of the, I guess I would really suggest that
the Counc11 look to something 11ke saylng that the referendum, or that the total
cost will not exceed $4.0 million. I'm saying that just to insure that you have
some form of latitude. What thls w111...
Councilman Workman: We can spend less can't we?
Don Ashuorth: We could spend less.
Councilman Johnson: We could do the study after the referendum and say we're
not golng to put refrigerated outdoor 1ce, only outdoor 1ce and come out at $3.1
million.
Don Ashworth: It could be done but I thlnk it's golng to be more difficult
because you're going to have those peopZe coming in saying ueZ1 I voted for this
and thls ls the reason I voted for it and now you're trylng to cut it out. ! do
believe that, tf the referendum were successful, that is the time that you plck
City Council Heeting - August 13, 1990
out community groups. You get seniors involved. You get the school officials.
You start talking about the individual design. It would be nice to do some of
those types of things now but you're talking about $40,000.00-$50,000.00. So
what you've done is you've just allocated a blank number of dollars associated
with each of the major components and it now becomes kind of a question. You're
making a guess. Is the dollars that we're putting aside for this group to work
with in the future, is that going to sufficient or will the seniors come back
and say no. The 10,000 square feet is really not enough for us. We should be
looking at 15,000. Now maybe at that point you make some hard decisions. Say
alright, we're not going to take and we'll give the seniors what they're looking
for and we'll cut this down to a 2 lane pool instead of a 4. But you're at the
bare bones right now so it becomes very difficult to cut some of those things
back. If you're at like $4 million, then you're starting with a 6 lane pool.
You're starting with 15,000 square feet for seniors. You're finishing locker
rooms. You're doing them at a little higher scale.
Councilwoman Oimler: Don, I guess I recall very specifically that one of the
reasons I voted to put it on the referendum was because this ams supposed to be
a fact sheet. That we were going to make no statements that would influence the
voter one way or another. And even as you're starting out here, you're talking
about demands. You're talking about serving different interest groups and so
forth. ! would prefer to see none of that. Just give them the facts as you've
given them to us here. Also, under the cost to the taxpayers, I highly
recommend that you show the cost to business properties as ~ell as homeowners
because I think they're going to be more impacted. And then the last one on
that first page here where it says, is there an opportunity to build a community
center in conjunction with a new Chaska School District middle school? That's
your question and you put not in the short term. ~ would prefer to see a
positive response that would read something like, yes. Several years down the
line. Can we wait? You know and then put in, a middle school is planned in the
1995 to 1997 timeframe. That makes it more positive and.it gives them the option
to decide whether it's feasible or not.
Councilman Workman: I found the Hinnetonka Public Schools are going through
another bond election and I have it here. It's signed by the School Board.
Each School Board member, they're having their breakfast and we all got this.
It explains when and where but the back sheet has 1 thru 10, a two sided sheet
and I'll give this to you Oon if you haven't seen it. Why is the bond election
being held? What will be constructed if approval is given? What special
considerations are being given to construction plans? How ~ill the new space
accommodate students? ! don't know detailed but it kind of lays things out
pretty. I think there's a little bit of objective in here but you know what
I mean? It's just i or 2 sides and maybe ali the City Council members can
sign the front sheet or something but it really paints the picture I think.
Don Ashworth: How do we want to proceed on this? You've given me some
suggested changes, This is another one.
Councilman Johnson: I had one. Technically you say there's two full sized gyms.
We're only making one gymnasium but it's got two full sized basketball courts in
it so it's not two gymnasiums. It's only one gym.
Mayor Chmiel: One gym, 2 full sized courts.
63
City Council. Meeting - August 13, 1990
Don Ashworth: Two full sized.
Councilman Johnson: Basketball courts. Adult sized. I don't know how many
that turns into being kids courts but a whole mess.
Don Ashuorth: Do you want me to put parenthesis, 4 youth?
Mayor Chmiel: Well, you could.
Councilman Johnson: We probably have more youth basketball players than adults.
I'll take this from 3 to ? youth courts.
Don Ashworth: Why don't I take the information that you've given me so far.
Try coming back with another draft. Having that draft a little cleaner than
this one but generally the idea of a map type of thing and some of the salient
features.
Councilman Johnson: The map really has to show them that this is somehow very
conceptual, draft, whatever. I mean you've got concept plan written in at the
bottom but you know this is not marked in stone.
Councilwoman Oimler: You know I'd like to see you put in there like you
explained it to us too about the bare bones for 3.G or you know a little bit
more embellished or what you get for the extra million. Nicer interior.
Don Ashworth: I guess what I'm saying is that in talking with Mike, he also
would feel more comfortable if there was kind of some position that might be in
between. We've got the bare bones and then we have the everything is complete.
It's still not a lush facility. Well, I mean is it possible to come back into
the $4.0 million bracket or as Tom had mentioned, maybe leaving it at a lower
amount with either public groups, if they want to collect monies or somehow, if
dollars could be channeled. Get additional dollars through tax increment.
Whatever it would happen to be. We're going to just set the limit for the
general obligation portion at 3.6 million.
Councilwoman Oimler: That's right.
Mayor Chmiel: I know that all the things we're talking are specifically dollars
but the thing that I keep looking at is for what we're going to put in, what
number of parking spaces would be required and where would that be located.
Don Ashworth: We show parking here and according to Neimeyer's work, that would
be sufficient parking. I continue to be concerned.
Mayor Chmiel: Total space?
Don Ashworth: Yes.
Mayor Chmiel: It just doesn't look large enough.
Councilman Johnson: I mean the ice arena hockey area looks like an indoor arena
on this drawing too.
64
City Council Meeting - August 13, 1990
Councilwoman Dimler: Okay so we're saying that we're going to present the
schoo! site as the one on the referendum so that's the only opt£on they have?
Councilman Johnson: It's the only way you can build it for that money.
Councilwoman Dimler: Right.
Councilman Johnson: Have you written up the question?
Don Ashworth: That will be back to the...
Mayor Chmiel: Any further discussion?
Councilman Workman: What's that dollar figure?
Mayor Chmiel: Well you're talking 3.6 to 4.0.
Councilman Workman: 4.07
Council=an Johnson: Not to exceed 4.0.
Mayor Chmiel: Right.
Councilman Johnson: It depends on how long it takes to get the thlng together.
You're talking 3.6 in today's money. It could be 2 years before it's actually
being bullt.
Councilman Workman moved, Councilwoman Oimler seconded to adjourn the meeting.
voted Ln favor and the motion carried. The meeting Has adjourned at [0:55
Submitted by Don Ashworth
City Manager
prepared by Nann Ophelm