HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Information Memorandum 02-13-2020CITY OF PLYMOUTH
COUNCIL INFO MEMO
February 13, 2020
EVENTS / MEETINGS
Planning Commission Agenda for February 19 ................................................... Page 2
Official City Meeting Calendars .................................................................... Page 3
Tentative List of Agenda Items ..................................................................... Page 6
CORRESPONDENCE
Appointment of Planning Commission Chairperson and Vice Chairperson for 2020 ........ Page 7
Appointment of Environmental Quality Committee Chairperson
and Vice Chairperson for 2020 ................................................................... Page 8
REPORTS & OTHER ARTICLES OF INTEREST
Commentary: State Should Let City Charge Fees, or City Should
Halt Housing Development, Southwest News Media.......................................... Page 9
Morey's Seafood Bought by New York
Food Company, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal .................................... Page 11
1.CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
2.PUBLIC FORUM
3.APPROVE AGENDA
4.CONSENT AGENDA-These items are considered to be routine and will be enacted by one
motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Commissioner or citizen so
requests, in which event the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and placed elsewhere
on the agenda.
4.1 Approve proposed February 5, 2020 minutes.
5.PUBLIC HEARINGS
6.NEW BUSINESS
6.1 Hollydale GC Development, Inc. Environmental Assessment Worksheet and
Pre-Application Sketch for redevelopment of the former Hollydale Golf
Course site, 4710 Holly Lane. (2019086)
7.ADJOURNMENT
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
AGENDA
Planning Commission
February 19, 2020, 7:00 PM
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SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
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SUN TUES MON WED THUR FRI SAT
February 2020
3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, MN 55447 OFFICIAL CITY CALENDAR 763-509-5080 plymouthmn.gov
7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers
7:00 PM ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE MEETING
Council Chambers
5:00 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING Update on Plymouth Creek Center Project Medicine Lake Room 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers
PRESIDENTS DAY CITY OFFICES CLOSED
7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers
7:00 PM PARK & REC ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers
7:00 PM HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY MEETING Council Chambers
8:00 AM-4:30 PM ABSENTEE/DIRECT BALLOTING Medicine Lake Room
8:00 AM-4:30 PM ABSENTEE/DIRECT BALLOTING Medicine Lake Room
8:00 AM-4:30 PM ABSENTEE/DIRECT BALLOTING Medicine Lake Room
10:00 AM-3:00 PM ABSENTEE/DIRECT BALLOTING
Medicine Lake Room
8:00 AM-4:30 PM ABSENTEE/DIRECT BALLOTING Medicine Lake Room
3:00 PM-7:00 PM Fire and Ice Parkers Lake
5:00 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING
Architect Interviews for Fire Station Building Projects Medicine Lake Room 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers
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March 2020
3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, MN 55447 OFFICIAL CITY CALENDAR 763-509-5080 plymouthmn.gov
7:00 PM ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE MEETING Medicine Lake Room
7:00 PM HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY MEETING
Council Chambers
7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers
SUN TUES MON WED THUR FRI SAT
7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers
7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers
7:00 PM PARK & REC ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers
7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
Council Chambers
PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION PRIMARY ELECTION Polls Open 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM
8:00 AM-5:00 PM ABSENTEE/DIRECT BALLOTING Medicine Lake Room
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April 2020
3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, MN 55447 OFFICIAL CITY CALENDAR 763-509-5080 plymouthmn.gov
7:00 PM ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE MEETING Medicine Lake Room
7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers
SUN TUES MON WED THUR FRI SAT
7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers
CHANGES ARE
9:00 AM—2:00 PM Discover Plymouth Plymouth Creek Center
5:30 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING
Board and Commission Social Medicine Lake Room 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
Council Chambers
7:00 PM HOUSING AND
REDEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY
MEETING
Parkers Lake Room
7:00 PM PARK & REC ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers
7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers
5:00 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING Presentation on City Center 2.0 Plymouth Creek Center
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Note: Special Meeting topics have been set by Council; all other topics are tentative.
EDA refers to the Economic Development Authority
Tentative Schedule for
City Council Agenda Items
March 10, Regular, 7:00 p.m., Medicine Lake Room
• Accept donation of Fire Engine 1 from Plymouth Fire Relief Association
• Approve Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Minnetonka for the Ridgemount Avenue
Rehabilitation Project (ST210002)
• Approve purchase of six police patrol vehicles
March 24, Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers
• Oaths of Office to Police Officers Tommy Satele and Paul Freng
• Recognize Police Officer Bill Dane and Canine Odie
April 7, Special, 5:00 p.m., Plymouth Creek Center
• Presentation on City Center 2.0
April 14, Board and Commission Social at 5:30 p.m., Medicine Lake Room
April 14, Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers
• Recognize board and commission members
April 28, Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers
May 12, Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers
May 26, Special, 5:30 p.m., Medicine Lake Room
• Human Rights Committee
May 26, Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers
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1
On February 12, 2020 the Environmental Quality Committee (EQC) elected Clark Gregor as Chair and
Laura Babcock as Vice Chair for 2020.
Cc: Michael Thompson, Director of Public Works
Chris LaBounty, City Engineer
Memorandum
To: Mayor Jeffry Wosje
From: Ben Scharenbroich, Interim Water Resources Manager
Date: February 13, 2020
Item: Environmental Quality Committee Elections
Page 8
Commentary: State should let city charge
fees, or city should halt housing development
By John Diers Feb 10, 2020
Hold on to your wallet. According to Prior Lake Mayor Kirt Briggs, Prior Lake homeowners
could get stuck with upwards of $25 million if a recent state Supreme Court decision stands and
this upcoming legislative session takes no action on bills authored by Rep. Brad Tabke, DFL-
Shakopee, and Sen. Eric Pratt, R-Prior Lake.
At issue is who should pay for roadway improvements made necessary by developers’ residential
housing projects. Two years ago, Woodbury developer Dennis Harstad sued when Woodbury
wanted $1.3 million in development fees to pay for city road improvements made necessary by
Harstad’s project.
Woodbury’s demands seemed reasonable — more people, more cars, more pressure on local
roadways. Logically, shouldn’t the developer pay upfront when it’s their development project
that facilitates the need, and the demand, for more roads and city services? Why should the costs
fall on current homeowners and businesses?
A lot of money is at stake. In a typical year, according to Mayor Briggs, the city of Prior Lake
takes in roughly $225,000 in fees from residential developers for street improvements. The
problem is that Prior Lake, like Lakeville and Dayton and Woodbury and other growing cities,
lacks clear state statutory authority to levy the fees — which is why the Supreme Court ruled for
Harstad.
Giving cities that statutory authority is what the Tabke and Pratt legislation is about. Without it,
developers can pick up $225,000 for themselves, and Prior Lake residents get stuck with the
difference on their property tax bills.
It also explains why, despite strong support from the league of Minnesota Cities, special interests
have the legislation in their sights. Enter the Builder’s Association of the Twin Cities, AKA
Housing First Minnesota, a developer trade association and lobbying group.
BATC markets itself as a friend of the homebuyer and affordable housing. It argues that
municipal fees and regulations drive up housing costs and make it impossible to build a single-
family home in the Twin Cities for less than $375,000.
Really?
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I can remember when a simple, new home with three bedrooms and two baths went for $85,000.
Of course, it wasn’t 4,000 square feet, nor did it have a three-car garage or sit on a half-acre lot
on a cul-de-sac in a project with an upscale name. Housing costs are grossly inflated, but how
much of it is driven by developers and landowner speculation? Expensive homes on big lots
mean more profits for developers and landowners. That’s why they build them.
Comes the question: Is the BATC a friend of the homebuyer and affordable housing, or is it
about fattening developer profits and sticking the costs to current residents? I suspect the latter,
and so does the League of Minnesota Cities. The League was blunt in the January-February
edition of its journal, Minnesota Cities Magazine:
The League believes that BATC’s work is financially motivated, and that BATC is
using cities as scapegoats for increases in costs that affect housing affordability.
"BATC’s premise that city fees are the primary factor for the lack of affordable
housing is simply false," says David Unmacht, League executive director.
"This premise is not based on fact, and we believe BATC’s motive is to raise the
profits of builders at the expense of property taxpayers. This issue is greater than
just affordability, and the League will do everything we can to defeat legislation
that limits local control, or the ability of our cities to ensure that development pays
for itself."
Bravo for the League of Minnesota Cities, State Rep. Tabke, State Sen. Pratt, Mayor Briggs and
the entire Prior Lake City Council and others who’ve taken up this cause for current homeowners
and businesses. They need our support. This same legislation failed in last year’s session. Let’s
make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Development doesn’t pay for itself, nor should businesses or retired homeowners or young
families struggling with student loans get stuck with the costs of development. It’s said we live
in a new Gilded Age. A better term might be the Age of Inequity — an absence of simple
fairness that puts greed above the common good.
Development costs belong with the developers. If this legislation fails again and developers are
unwilling to pay their fair share and shirk their responsibility to the community, then our City
Council should put a moratorium on new housing development until such time as developers are
prepared to accept their responsibilities and acknowledge the common good.
John Diers is a Prior Lake resident who spent 40 years working in the transit industry
and is the author of “Twin Cities by Trolley: The Streetcar Era in Minneapolis and St. Paul”
and “St. Paul Union Depot.” To submit questions or topics for community columnists, email
editor@plamerican.com.
Page 10
FOOD & LIFESTYLE
Morey’s Seafood bought by New York food
company
By Dylan Thomas – Staff reporter, Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal 51 minutes ago
Morey's Seafood International was acquired in January by Rich Products, a New York food company. Plymouth-based Morey's is
known for its smoked fish and frozen fish and seafood.
Plymouth-based Morey’s Seafood International has been acquired by Rich Products
Corp., owner of the SeaPak brand of frozen fish and shrimp.
The cost of the deal, which closed Jan. 30, was not disclosed. Rich Products is
headquartered in Buffalo, N.Y..
Morey’s CEO Jim Walstrom said it’s been “business as usual” for the company’s roughly
200 employees since the acquisition. Morey’s has a processing facility located about 70
miles north of St. Cloud in Motley and last year relocated its corporate headquarters and
distribution center to Plymouth from Golden Valley.
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Walstom said Rich Products plans to retain the Morey’s brand and has expressed
interest in growing its Minnesota operations. Morey’s products include smoked fish and
frozen fish and seafood.
“They recognize the value of the brand, and in particular it’s a legacy brand here in the
Midwest,” he said.
Rich Products reports annual sales of more than $4 billion. Forbes ranked Rich
Products the 115th-largest privately held U.S. company in 2019.
The Morey’s deal is just one of several acquisitions Rich Products has completed since
the start of the year. Rich Products also purchased Spokane, Washington-based pizza
company Rizzuto Foods and bought two manufacturing plants — including a bakery
facility in the Twin Cities suburb of Fridley — from Oak Brook, Illinois-based TreeHouse
Foods Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of private label foods.
Buffalo Business First has more details on the other transactions. In January, it talked
with Rich Products CEO Richard Ferranti, who took the helm of the company this year,
about his plans for the company.
Asked what led to the Morey's deal, Walstrom said the 2018 death of company chairman
Justin Heyman “sort of changed our course.” Heyman, a partner in Chicago-based
private equity firm Acuity Capital Partners, was killed in a snowmobile crash while
traveling in Wyoming.
Walstrom said the company went through a “lengthy process” to find a partner.
Similarities between Morey’s and Rich Products led to a “mutual attraction,” he said.
“We just seemed to have a lot of the same business ethics. We put family first, do the
right thing,” he said.
Loren Morey, the son of the company’s founder, maintained an interest in the business
up until the acquisition, Walstrom said.
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