CC Minutes 07-11-2011Chanhassen City Council - July 11, 2011
PROPOSED WATER TOWER CONSTRUCTION LOCATED ON MINNETONKA
SCHOOL DISTRICT 276 PROPERTY, 6421 HAZELTINE BOULEVARD:
A. SITE PLAN REVIEW.
B. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS, AUTHORIZE
ADVERTISING FOR BID.
C. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF PURCHASE AND EASEMENT AGREEMENTS
WITH SCHOOL DISTRICT 276.
Paul Oehme: Thank you Mayor, City Council members again. I’ll just give a brief background
again on the need for the water tower and some of the again the background associated with the
project itself so. The water tower proposed is in the high zone area which is kind of shown here
in the pink colored area. It’s approximately about 12% of the water service area within the
community itself right now. It’s a smaller area based upon the topography of the ground in this
area. Basically higher in elevation than the rest, the majority of the rest of the community to
obtain a balance pressure within the water system. This area is segregated from the rest of the
water distribution area to achieve a constant water pressure in this area so. The high zone
storage area, the high zone area in this area, there’s one tower that was built in 1971. It’s a 2,000
gallon tower. It’s on Melody Hills Road. Back then in 1970 the population was 4,800.
Approximately 4,800 in population. Today the city of Chanhassen is almost 23,000 in
population. Demand in this high zone area has been as high as 1.8 million gallons per day,
which is during our summer month periods where we see that high usage. Based upon that they,
you know talking with the Fire Marshal for the City, he likes to see a 2 hour fire flow for
residential areas in this area. There are also some commercial and some other businesses and
school up in this area but based upon his recommendation the fire flow of 2 hours is
recommended for this area. Based upon that information, the tank currently as it is today, trying
to meet those peak demand periods and also potentially using that same distribution system for
fire flows, it’s currently not adequate. It’s, the tank right now is too small for that capacity and
that need. Other incidences or other issues surrounding having a smaller storage tanks in the
distribution system is that when you hit those high demand periods your pumps and your motors
are always kicking off and on and cycling constantly and we can see upwards of 8-10 cycles per
day. From that standpoint it would be, the system becomes very inefficient. It’s hard on the
pumps and the motors to keep up with that type of demand and creates basically premature wear
on your pumps and your motors and also the tank because of the condensation that can be
attributed to the high cycling of the tank as well and the coatings of that tank. So another aspect
of needing additional storage up in this area is that for power outages, the City utility department
has to generate power to these wells and since there is very little storage in this area, the time it
takes to get a generator out to a well and have a standby generator up and running is quite small
timeframe before you know water pressure is significantly reduced so. Those are the type of
challenges that are associated with having a smaller water storage facility in this area. Based
upon the analysis that we’ve completed, both looking at what the current demand is, the fire flow
demands and then future demands of this area, future growth, we are estimating that the need of
a tank is about 750,000 gallons. So the staff has looked at you know several locations in order to
potentially site a new tower. Obviously we’d like to site it as close to or you know the existing
tower as we can. You know it basically comes down to land availability a lot of times too. Over
the last 2 years staff has looked at numerous sites. In the report that was brought before you
several months ago there were 6 sites that we specifically looked at. We also looked at
Minnewashta Regional Park as a potential site for a new tower and then also Herman Field Park.
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Chanhassen City Council - July 11, 2011
None of these sites, both of those park facilities did not achieve or we could not get land for
siting a tower on, especially on Minnewashta Regional Park property and the Herman Field Park
was just, the elevation was, is just too low and it’d be very expensive to build a tower at that site.
So we did concentrate our efforts on the Minnetonka Middle School West property. We did
specifically look at 4 locations specifically and working with the school district on these 4 sites,
Site number 5 seemed to be the best location for several reasons. As shown on here it’s in the
southwest corner of the property and shown also on this slide as well. It’s kind of out in back of
the school. The school district really doesn’t use this particular piece of their campus for
recreational or other activities. There’s currently a storm water treatment pond on this location
so it seemed to be the best location to utilize in terms of less impacts to the school district. We
also looked at shadow potential impacts if a tower were to be built on this site. This drawing
kind of shows where the maximum shadow would be during different time periods during the
year. This is kind of an extreme case. Typically there’s, you need to look at well trees and other
buildings and other obstructions that would create additional shadows here so what this is really
it comes down to basically showing that most of the, if not all of the shadow impacts are going to
be more on the school property and not on, and on park property and not on more residential type
properties. We also looked at you know impacts to residential properties in terms of sight
distances and visual impacts. Again the southwest site is shown here. The nearest structure,
residential property, house per se is about 230 feet away from where the tower will be
constructed. The next nearest one is 395 feet away from that tower. The other locations that we
looked at are substantially closer to existing residential properties. So based upon you know that
study and what we’ve looked at in working with the school district representatives, that
southwest corner of the site seems to be least overall visual impacts to residents in this area, least
disruptive to the school operations and potentially future campus improvements as well and it
also allows for the City, a good hydraulic connection to our existing watermain. Trunk
watermain which is on 41 which would be easily tapped into. So based upon that information we
wanted to detail and looked at how the tower could be constructed on this site. Shown here is
where the existing pond is currently built. What staff has come up with in working with the
school district is to move that storm water treatment pond to the north into the hillside here a
little bit. Using that material to raise up the ground elevation in this location so the tower doesn’t
have to be built as high as well. There would be some 4 foot high retaining walls to facilitate
that grading work as well. These ponds are more dry ponds, which currently exists today for
better infiltration and storm water quality benefits as well. The storm water would be routed the
same location it is today into the Trunk Highway 41 ditch system here and then continue the
pond to the south. Again the watermain, trunk watermain, 18 inch watermain from the new
tower would be extended to the trunk watermain which is currently in the Highway 41 right-of-
way as well. The bituminous drive would connect from the school property driveway, existing
to the tower as well and the storm water again would be routed more or less to the same location
that it is today. And the water service to the school property would be connected into the new
watermain that is planned for the tower as well so it’s a little bit shorter route than it is today.
Landscaping, there are a few trees that would have to be removed in conjunction with the
project. We are planning to revegetate this area as well with spruce trees and maple trees for
screening purposes and for revegetation. And than again like I said, the pond itself would be
more or less a dry pond so it’d be able to be mowed in the future if necessary. Couple different
types of towers that staff has looked at and discussed. The preferred tower is the composite
tower which is concrete column with a steel bowl up on top. This seems to be very competitive
tower nowadays. A lot of these type of towers are being built in the metro area right now, and
it’s somewhat dependent on steel prices at the time of bidding. What the composite tower allows
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Chanhassen City Council - July 11, 2011
you is a more cost effective or cheaper maintenance program down the road because you don’t
have to paint or maintain the concrete as much as you do the steel for a steel tank as we’re
showing here. The 41, on Trunk Highway 41 tank south of Highway 5 here. This is our second
choice in terms of tank type that we prefer to see out here. A little bit, probably more expensive
to build, construct and there’s probably some additional future maintenance costs down the road
again for the painting all the steel between you know 10 and 15 years out so. If the composite
tank was selected, this is the façade or the aesthetic treatment that we are proposing to put on the
tank. The column piece, it’s basically a form that goes around the tank. The concrete sets again
and then come back with a stain, a stained look after the concrete is set and the tower is
constructed. This is showing the cross section of the composite tank. Again the concrete walls
here would be potentially stained and then there would be a collar up on top here where
potentially antenna equipment would be connected to. Currently the Melody Hills tower does
have some cellular providers that utilize the throat or the column of the tank. Trying to
anticipate where that equipment would go. We’d like to try to have it all in one location and try
to hide it in terms of if it has to go on the column that’s, this is the location that we would
provide that. Also another benefit for these type of tanks is that you can include or store the
cellular equipment within the column itself so staff has made provisions to have the tank, cellular
equipment is stored inside on a more or less a mezzanine level. First floor and then there’s
provisions made to construct a second level if necessary. Right now there’s 3 providers at the
Melody Hills tower, tank. That equipment can easily stored and operated at this first level here
and then any future providers could move up to the second level. By including this cellular,
putting this cellular equipment inside a column or the tank itself, it eliminates the cellular
building, exterior buildings that you would have to have which is currently at the Melody Hills
tower, and then it also provides a quieter environment for the neighborhood on the, they
probably can be somewhat noisy. The air conditioning units can go in and off a lot of times and
with this type of design it’ll allow us again to put the equipment inside. It’s actually cooler so
those air conditioner units aren’t going off as often as well so there would be a separate access
door location for the cellular providers to access and so they can’t access the equipment or the
city equipment or access the tower. They’d have to go through a separate location to do that so.
Just wanted to show you a couple views of the tower itself. This is just again conceptual
drawings of what the location and the height of the tower would look like. Not per se the
aesthetics of it but this is an exhibit showing a rendering of what the tower would look like from
Trunk Highway 41 facing south right at the school entrance. Giving the perspective of how high
the tower will be and it’s situation on the campus. Here’s a view from Lake Lucy Road at
Highover Drive. Basically south of the school campus site. Again size and height is what we’re
trying to show you here. What it potentially would look like and then also from Highway 41 on
the south side of, or Highway 41 looking north, basically south of the school campus area. And
again from the school campus looking south, southwest at their parking lot location. So with that
the school, proposed schedule if this were to move forward. The bids opening is tentatively
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scheduled for August 12. If we move forward from that City Council considers awarding a
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contract for the tower itself on August 22. Soil corrections and utility work would potentially
take place this fall with the construction of the actual tank and additional foundations and
improvements taking place, the majority of the improvements taking place the summer of 2012.
Painting again, hopefully we can get the painting in 2012. If not, 2013 and then the removal,
potential of Melody Hills tower would be thereafter. After the cellular tower equipment is
removed so the State shutdown does impact this project too. There is a couple permits that are
needed. One is the right to work in MnDOT right-of-way. We still would have to acquire that
and then the Department of Health permits as well for review of the tank is still needed as well
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Chanhassen City Council - July 11, 2011
but we feel confident, or comfortable moving forward at this time, that we can get those permits
you know during or sometime around the bid opening process timeframe. Those permits are
somewhat easy to get so we’re looking at moving forward with this project if we could. With
that, the Planning Commission has reviewed the package and they have recommended moving
forward with the project as well.
Mayor Furlong: Alright. Very good, thank you. Ms. Aanenson, anything from a staff report?
Kate Aanenson: I was just going to add that but Paul caught it so. Did a great job. We kind of
wove it together. It’s obviously very technical and Paul knows the project very well so we kind
of blended the two presentations and I just wanted to make sure that he did note that, which he
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did. That the Planning Commission held a public hearing on the 24 of June and unanimously
approved it so, they just looked at the site plan portion so that’d be one of your actions would be
to approve the site plan with the conditions in there and then the other two would be the approve
the plans and specs and then the purchase of the easement and the school district.
Paul Oehme: Maybe I should just touch on the easement acquisition that’s necessary too. The
staff has worked with the school district on location again of the tower itself and the need for
additional easements, both permanent and then temporary construction easements as well, and
then egress easements occurring down the road as well so we can get our equipment in and out
and cellular providers through the school property since there is no access off of 41 directly, so
school district is working with us on that and they are anticipating to see the easement agreement
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on August 4 for consideration. The purchase price for the easement acquisition’s $150,000.
Mayor Furlong: Thank you. Questions for staff at this point.
Councilman Laufenburger: I have a couple Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Furlong: Councilman Laufenburger.
Councilman Laufenburger: Mr. Oehme, you talk about the cell tower. We are leasing the
Melody Hill tower to carriers, is that correct?
Paul Oehme: That’s correct.
Councilman Laufenburger: So we get monthly revenue or annual revenue from them. Do we
have commitments or do we know that they will move their lease arrangements to the proposed
new site?
Paul Oehme: The lease agreements that we’ve looked at, it’s stipulated in that, if the City can
provide an alternate site, which we think this is an alternate site, that they would have to remove
their equipment and move it to the new site based upon you know our maintenance of the tower.
Our aspect. If we want to take it down, I mean that’s something that’s our prerogative so.
Councilman Laufenburger: So and does, do they move that equipment, the antennas at their own
expense?
Paul Oehme: That’s correct.
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Chanhassen City Council - July 11, 2011
Councilman Laufenburger: Did I hear.
Laurie Hokkanen: Two of the three carrier’s conversation they have indicated that they would
definitely move. This isn’t an issue for them.
Councilman Laufenburger: Okay.
Laurie Hokkanen: So and I just haven’t talked to the third.
Councilman Laufenburger: Okay, thank you Laurie. Also what is the vertical height above
ground of the Melody Hill tower right now?
Paul Oehme: It’s approximately 130 feet above ground.
Councilman Laufenburger: Okay. And I think it’s in here but just for the public, what’s the
vertical height of the proposed tower?
Paul Oehme: It’s 170 feet.
Councilman Laufenburger: 170 feet above ground.
Paul Oehme: Above ground, right.
Councilman Laufenburger: And that will put the level, the production level of the water at about
the same height, is that correct?
Paul Oehme: Yeah. It will be exactly the same.
Councilman Laufenburger: Okay. Alright. Thank you Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Furlong: Thank you. Other questions for Mr. Oehme at this time? Mr. Oehme, a couple
questions. If you could put the slide back up where you focused on the needs of the, or the
various listings. One of the things in this area, and then I’m probably going to have you also
look at the high zone slide. One of the things that we’re looking at is the population, Melody
Hill was built in 1971 as 200,000 gallons. If you can go to the high zone slide Ms. Aanenson.
Probably your comments here too. It would seem to me that a significant portion of the high
zone has developed since 1970. Just looking at these neighborhoods. You’ve got the Longacres
neighborhood in there and you’ve got the new ones by Westwood and Highover and.
Kate Aanenson: Pinehurst and.
Mayor Furlong: Even the properties to the east there, I would guess some of those have also
developed since, in the 80’s and 90’s since this.
Kate Aanenson: That’s correct.
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Chanhassen City Council - July 11, 2011
Mayor Furlong: Okay so Mr. Oehme, when we go back to the previous slide and you’re talking
about the current and future growth, a lot of that, it would seem to me that if in this high zone
much of it’s already been developed since the first tank was put in, that at some point that
200,000 gallon size reservoir was appropriately sized. We passed that some time ago, is that a
fair statement?
Paul Oehme: Absolutely.
Mayor Furlong: If we need 750 now.
Paul Oehme: Right. Absolutely. Yeah I mean currently really we’re not making our fire flow
demands and it’s hard on our equipment right now.
Mayor Furlong: Okay so, and I guess maybe going back to the high zone chart there. While
much of the development has occurred since this reservoir was put in, there isn’t as much to go
as already has been developed…
Kate Aanenson: I think that’s a true statement. I think what’s different about this, some of the
older parts that were built there probably didn’t put sprinkling systems and the like. You have a
different product type. A different expectation that’s out there and I think that reflects on the
peak demand that the City Engineer put up so those lots, some of those have swimming pools
and sprinkling systems so it’s a different type of product that’s out there than was probably built
in the 70’s so the demand.
Mayor Furlong: Okay, and I’m not questioning the decision of the prior council.
Kate Aanenson: No, no.
Mayor Furlong: I’m just saying in terms of the capacity of this.
Kate Aanenson: Exceed demand because of the desired housing type and uses was different.
Mayor Furlong: Have evolved as well as development.
Kate Aanenson: That’s my point, yeah.
Mayor Furlong: Yeah, and that’s very fair and thank you for sharing that because it seems to me
that the vast majority of the need for this tower is based upon current residents. Current
construction.
Paul Oehme: Absolutely.
Mayor Furlong: Even though any future discretion would just add to the lack of capacity of the
current tower.
Paul Oehme: Exactly.
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Chanhassen City Council - July 11, 2011
Mayor Furlong: Is there any, when you talked about installing the cellular equipment inside the
tower structure itself, one of the things we talked about at our earlier work session was looking at
construction materials and looking at bid alternates for the different construction materials is
something that we just naturally will go out and do, even if we think it might be a certain type.
We’re going to look for the different types. Is there any change in the design if we went with
different types of construction materials or would it, would it still be constructed in a similar
manner with having all that cellular equipment internally of the structure?
Paul Oehme: No, we looked at both. Both the composite tank and the fluted column concrete,
or steel tank. Actually we visited the City of Minnetonka a couple weeks ago and they have the
same set-up that we’re looking at in terms of putting the cellular equipment in and they have a
fluted column tank. That steel tank that they put their equipment in so based, and you know for a
certain amount of structural standpoint, Doug Klamerus is here to talk, if you’d like to talk to
him about, from SEH about any structural designs related to that but we’re looking at again,
bidding out both types.
Mayor Furlong: I’m going to keep it at the high level. I don’t want to get into the design but my
question is, I like the concept of including that equipment inside the structure itself for the
reasons that you mentioned. And what I’m hearing is, regardless of construction materials we
can include that aspect.
Paul Oehme: Yeah, either type of tank that we’re looking at we can incorporate that cellular
equipment inside the tank.
Mayor Furlong: Okay, alright. Very good. And then Ms. Aanenson, on the site plan approval
process. We went through the Planning Commission. I always like to confirm this. Since the
City was the applicant, I assume we followed our own rules that we would expect a private party
to follow both in terms of the process and the reviews and.
Kate Aanenson: Correct. Notified everyone within 500 feet, plus there was residents there that
were, you know the closest neighbor obviously has some concerns about visual impacts. There’s
people on the other side that were more excited to see it potentially move to a different location.
Paul Oehme: And Mr. Mayor, we did have a neighborhood meeting prior to the Planning
Commission meeting too and we invited more people than we were invited to the Planning
Commission meeting too so, so we try to get the notice out as best as we could.
Mayor Furlong: And this is a permitted use within the zone.
Kate Aanenson: That’s correct.
Mayor Furlong: So there wasn’t any changes, okay. If there are no other questions, I bring it to
council for comments. Thoughts. Observations. Oh, Mr. Gerhardt. You want to say
something?
Todd Gerhardt: Paul could you talk about, is there another water tower in the high zone that we
could utilize?
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Chanhassen City Council - July 11, 2011
Paul Oehme: Currently there’s only one tower within the high zone. That Melody Hills tower
that we’re referring to. That 200,000 gallon tank in the high zone.
Todd Gerhardt: And that’s the one that’s under capacity.
Paul Oehme: That’s the one that’s under capacity, correct.
Todd Gerhardt: We have other water towers in the community. Can we utilize any of those or
make those larger that could work in this area?
Paul Oehme: Not in this area. Our key financial, looking for it in our CIP has another tower in
the low zone as well for future demand. When basically area south of 5 develop. We don’t have
the ability right now to pump water from the low zone up into the high zone because this area is
segregated. It’s such, it’s so much higher in elevation than the other parts of town so that’s the
dilemma that we have. We just really can’t utilize the water from the low zone area into the high
zone because basically if we open the valve from the high zone down to the low zone, all the
water’s going to run to the low zone so we’re kind of stuck with what we have right now.
Mayor Furlong: And the high zone is as much a, it’s a function of topography.
Paul Oehme: It is, absolutely.
Mayor Furlong: It’s elevation.
Paul Oehme: It’s elevation.
Mayor Furlong: It’s the glacier’s fault.
Paul Oehme: We just can’t have one…
Councilman Laufenburger: Blame Mother Nature.
Councilman McDonald: Excuse me Mr. Mayor, if I could just add. I thought at one time one of
the reasons for putting in the second water treatment plant was that would then give us the cross
connect.
Paul Oehme: It would. Yeah, it would definitely give us a cross connect but again it’s that
storage capacity need and then when we get the future water treatment plant then we’ll have a
little bit, a lot better ability to utilize.
Councilman McDonald: Yeah to go between zones but for right now we don’t have that ability
at all.
Paul Oehme: Exactly.
Councilman McDonald: Okay.
Mayor Furlong: Thank you. Councilman Laufenburger.
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Chanhassen City Council - July 11, 2011
Councilman Laufenburger: Two follow-up questions. Can you talk a little bit about the safety
of these water towers? For example I think back to my childhood growing up in Waconia and
there was a water tower, obviously. I mean it was conspicuously built no more than 50 feet away
from a house right below it and the water tower exploded in the winter and water fell down on
this home. What’s to prevent that from happening with these?
Paul Oehme: Well.
Councilman Laufenburger: First of all there’s no house immediately below it at this location,
right?
Paul Oehme: Exactly. It’s like I showed on the different slide, the nearest house is 230 feet
away. There is a storm water conveyance system that we designed. I can show you that too here
for any overflow of the water in the tank, if we have a spillage or anything else. The water does
end up in the storm sewer system as well, and then it ends up in the pond here.
Councilman Laufenburger: Into the 41.
Paul Oehme: Exactly. So there’s some safety mechanisms there as well. In the wintertime, you
know in the past we’ve had some freezing problems but it’s the operators, utility operators
objective during the winter months to bounce those tanks as much as you can. Once the water
gets stayed.
Councilman Laufenburger: Bound the tanks.
Paul Oehme: Bound the tanks.
Councilman Laufenburger: What does that mean?
Mayor Furlong: The water level.
Paul Oehme: Bounce the water level, yeah. Move the water level up and down the column.
Councilman Laufenburger: I’m not a water engineer so.
Paul Oehme: As much as you can.
Councilman Laufenburger: I mean I drink water but I just don’t know that much about the
engineering.
Paul Oehme: Yeah so we try to move that water up and down as much as we can so we don’t
have that stagnant water that has the ability then to freeze.
Councilman Laufenburger: Okay. Second question. I’m reading that this water tower is going
to cost 2 million dollars roughly. What’s the immediate impact on the citizens of Chanhassen or
the high zone specifically related to their water bill as a result of this?
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Chanhassen City Council - July 11, 2011
Paul Oehme: There is no immediate impact. This facility improvement project has been planned
for several years. It’s, a lot of, the majority of the cost for the tank is built into those connection
fees for new houses, new developments. There’s some cost associated with current water usage
but it’s built in. It’s been budgeted for and.
Councilman Laufenburger: Okay. Alright, thank you Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Furlong: Alright, thank you. Other questions. Discussion then. Thoughts. Comments
on the proposal in front of us.
Councilwoman Tjornhom: I think the best comment was made probably by the Planning
Commission that said that you know they were doing this for a reason of public safety and a
provision to keep water capacity for the northwest part of the city that I think pretty much says it
all. That that’s why they’re doing it for public safety and it’s been in the works for a while and
it’s a part of, we just had a work session about disasters and being prepared and I think this is
part of that also. Being prepared for whatever happens to our citizens and making sure that we
as a council and as a city make sure that everyone is protected and can adequately be protected
and this water tower helps at least our fire department do that.
Mayor Furlong: Thank you. Others thoughts, comments. The one request that we received, we
did receive a request from Mr. Clark. He spoke I know at the Planning Commission. He had
sent a request that’s included in the packet. I guess I’d be interested in council members
comments or thoughts. I know the City has had discussions with Mr. Clark and has been
working with him to try to mitigate some of his concerns, is that correct Mr. Oehme?
Paul Oehme: Right, and we’re still planning to work with him to try to address his concerns the
best we can.
Mayor Furlong: Okay. Any thoughts or, I’m sorry. Any thoughts or comments from the
members of the council for direction to staff in that regard.
Councilwoman Tjornhom: I think I feel comfortable letting staff still continue to talk to him and
negotiate, and then it will come to us I’m sure if they can’t work it out.
Mayor Furlong: Okay. Alright. That sounds fine. Thank you. If there are no other comments
we have three items before us this evening. I assume Mr. Knutson we can take all three of those
in a single motion.
Roger Knutson: That is correct.
Mayor Furlong: Okay.
Todd Gerhardt: To get the most flexibility in the resolution, instead of putting a specific date
award of bid, if we can say basically a future City Council meeting. That would be nice. I think
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we have August 22. With the State shutdown we need the health department approval on the
design of this so whatever flexibility we can have in waiting for that approval.
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Chanhassen City Council - July 11, 2011
Mayor Furlong: I don’t want to go backwards but do we have some people here that might want
to provide some public comment on this issue or not?
Todd Gerhardt: Yeah, we have representatives from the Minnetonka School District here.
Mayor Furlong: Good evening. Please come forward. And I apologize for skipping by that part.
Paul Bourgeois: That’s okay. Thank you Mr. Mayor, members of the council. I’m Paul
Bourgeois. I’m the Executive Director of Finance and Operators for Minnetonka Public Schools.
Mayor Furlong: Welcome.
Paul Bourgeois: Thank you. Just want to say that we’ve been actually very pleased to be
working with Paul and Todd and the city staff on this project. I think it’s a good solution. It’s
going to help all the people in the area and we serve all the citizens together so we appreciate.
We think it’s going to be a nice improvement to the public safety aspects of the area and then as
far as the dollars that we’re going to be using, we’re actually applying those, it’s kind of twofer
for the community. We’re applying those to help pay for the tennis courts that we have under
construction up at the middle school. We have over 100 girls typically going out in the spring
and almost 100 boys in the fall playing tennis and so we’re replacing 2 broken down courts and
basically then adding 5 for a total of 7 so they can have middle school meets that are the
equivalent of a Minnesota State High School League meet as the program grows. So it’s going
to be available for the students but it’s also going to be available then for the public so we hope
everybody gets up there and grabs a racket and goes knock a ball around a little bit.
Mayor Furlong: Excellent. Very good, thank you.
Paul Bourgeois: Thank you.
Mayor Furlong: Thank you for being here and those comments. We appreciate it.
Todd Gerhardt: Mayor, council. I’d just like to thank School District 276 for their support in
this. What an excellent collaboration. Mike and Paul have been great to work with. Dr.
Peterson. We went to the school board and presented our plan. They were very supportive and
thank you guys for all your support in this and what a perfect collaboration. I mean really this is
the only location we can have this and they didn’t use that against us in appreciation for the land
so, you know I make that comment.
Mayor Furlong: Well it’s not over yet so.
Todd Gerhardt: So we really appreciate our partnership with the school district and it’s great
when you get two government agencies working together.
Mayor Furlong: Very good, thank you. Appreciate those comments and we echo those
statements of gratitude as well so thank you. Any other comments or thoughts on this? If not,
getting back to where I was a few minutes ago. We do have 3 motions in front of us that can be
considered in a single motion if members of the council are in agreement. Would somebody like
to make a motion please?
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Chanhassen City Council - July 11, 2011
Councilman Laufenburger: I’ll try it Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Furlong: Councilman Laufenburger.
Councilman Laufenburger: I would, I move that the Chanhassen City Council approve the site
plan for water tower located at Minnetonka Middle School West, plans prepared by SEH dated
July 11, 2011 subject to the conditions of the staff report and adoption of the Findings of Fact.
And move that the City Council approve the plans and specifications and authorizes advertising
for bids for a new water tower located on Minnetonka School District 276 property, 6421
Hazeltine Boulevard in accordance with the resolution as modified by Mr. Gerhardt removing
the specific date. And third, move that the City Council approve an agreement for purchase of
the easements for a water tower with School District 276 on the Middle School West property
contingent upon the school district approving the agreement and the City Council approving a
contract for construction of the water tower.
Mayor Furlong: Thank you. Motion’s been made. Is there a second?
Councilman McDonald: I’ll second.
Mayor Furlong: Councilman McDonald seconds the motion. Any discussion on the motion?
Todd Gerhardt: Mayor, I have one comment for the attorney. Will that easement agreement
give us the flexibility for some reason we don’t award bid that that contingency’s in there?
Roger Knutson: Yes. We’re only approving it contingent upon us using that piece.
Todd Gerhardt: Okay, good.
Mayor Furlong: Thank you. Any other discussion on the motion? Hearing none we’ll proceed
with the vote.
Councilman Laufenburger moved, Councilman McDonald seconded that the City Council
approve the site plan subject to the conditions of the staff report and adoption of the
attached findings of fact and recommendation. The recommended conditions of approval
are as follows:
1.The pedestal shall be painted sky blue if a steel shell, or if constructed of a composite
concrete material shall be stamped with architectural patterns to mimic block or brick.
2.The light fixture shall have a 90-degree cut-off angle and be shielded from off-site view.
3.Haul routes must be established for the trucking of material off the site.
4.A building permit is required for the retaining walls since they will be at least four feet high.
5.The retaining walls must be designed by an engineer registered in the State of Minnesota.
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