HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Information Memorandum 01-11-1985CITY COUNCIL INFORMATIONAL
January 11, 1985
CITY OF
M,mo YMOUTR
UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS......
1. TOWN MEETING NUMBER 4 -- Monday, January 14, 7:00 p.m. Town Meeting
for residents living north of Medicine Lake, east of Pineview Lane,
south of County Road 9 and west of County Road 18.
2. BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT & APPEALS -- Monday,_ January 14. The
Board of Zoning Adjustment and Appeals will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the
Large Office Area Conference Room. Agenda attached.
3. PLYMOUTH DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL -- Wednesday, January 16. Plymouth
Development Council will meet at 7:30 a.m. in the City Council
Conference Room.
4. MEETING FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS REGARDING JOINT COMPARABLE WORTH STUDY
-- Attached is a meeting notice from the Metropolitan Area Manage-
ment Association inviting City elected officials to an informational
meeting on the MAMA Joint Compensation Study. Representatives from
Control Data Business Advisors will be present to discuss their
program. A copy of the Compensation Study process summary is
attached for your information. The meeting is scheduled for
Wednesd ,_January 16, at 7:00 p.m. at the Roseville City Hall, 2660
Civic Center Drive. Please notify Laurie prior to January 16 if you
can attend.
5. SKIING IN PLYMOUTH -- The seventh annual Skiing in Plymouth will be
held Saturday, January 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Plymouth
Creek Park.
6. METRO COUNCIL - "STATE OF THE REGION" DINNER -- The Metropolitan
Council's annual State of the Region event is scheduled for
Wednesday, January 30 at the Hilton Inn, 1330 Industrial Blvd.,
Minneapolis. The event, for public officials and interested
citizens from throughout the region, will feature a dinner address
on the state of the region by Council Chair Sandra Gardebring. A
"Regional Citizen of the Year" will also be named. Four concurrent
panel discussions on major regional issues will begin at 4:00 p.m.
I have agreed to serve as a panelist on the panel dealing with the
combined sewer overflow problem. Topics for the other panel
3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD, PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447, TELEPHONE (612) 559-2800
CITY COUNCIL INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM
January 11, 1985
Page 2
discussions are: "Marketing Solid Waste Abatement: How Do We Get
Two Million People Involved?", "Transportation: How Can We Serve
the Suburbs?", and "Legislating Basic Health Benefits: Cost vs.
Consumer Projection." Attached is an article from the Metro
Council's newsletter on this event. If you plan on attending,
please notify Laurie before January 23 so reservations may be made.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION.....
1. PLYMOUTH METROLINK - DECEMBER REPORT -- We have completed one year
of Plymouth Metrolink operation. Show below is a table displaying
our average daily ridership for the commuter/ reverse commuter,
internal circulator and total system for each week of December. The
second table shows the daily ridership averages for each month
during calendar year 1984. Shown on the third table are the year to
date averages in each service area compared with the target which we
must achieve in order to have a successful project.
MONTHLY
PLYMOUTH METROLINK
DAILY RIDERSHIP AVERAGES BY WEEK BY SERVICE TYPE
DECEMBER 1984
SERVICE TYPE
Commuter/
Internal
Total
Reverse Commuter
Circulator
System
WEEK OF:
12/1 - 12/2
36
12/3 - 12/9
316
37
353
12/10 - 12/16
279
38
317
12/17 - 12/23
281
36
317
12/24 - 12/31
185
47
232
-----------------
MONTH LONG
------------------
-------------
----------------
AVERAGE
265
39
304
CITY COUNCIL INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM
January 11, 1985
Page 3
DAILY RIDERSHIP AVERAGES BY MONTH
FOR CALENDAR YEAR 1984
Commuter/
Reverse Commuter
SERVICE TYPE
Commuter/
Internal
Total
36
321
Reverse Commuter
Circulator
System
MONTH:
% OVER/(UNDER)
TARGET
- .0035%
+44%
January
330
21
351
February
310
25
335
March
307
25
332
April
301
27
331
May
295
27
322
June
276
41
317
July
August
277
266
42
47
319
313
September
275
32
307
October
276
36
312
November
271
35
306
December
---------------
265
39
304
YEAR LONG
------------------
-------------
----------------
AVERAGE
287
36
321
YEAR TO DATE
Item
Commuter/
Reverse Commuter
Internal
Circulator
Total
System
YEAR TO DATE
RIDERSHIP AVERAGE
+�
287
Y
36
321
TARGET
288
25
313
% OVER/(UNDER)
TARGET
- .0035%
+44%
+3%
A number of observations are in order:
1. From the first table it is clear that the holidays dramatically
undercut the commuter/reverse commuter ridership averages. The
internal circulator, on the other hand, continued to show
strength with an average daily ridership of 39.
CITY COUNCIL INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM
January 11, 1985
Page 4
2. As shown in the second table, the strongest months of commuter/
reverse commuter operation were January, February, March and
April. From that point on, commuter ridership tended to
deteriorate. Last winter the months of January, February and
March were snowy and cold. This winter, thus far, has been
neither snowy nor cold, which may explain our poor ridership
figures for October, November and December. The internal
circulator, on the other hand, has tended to increase its rider-
ship averages since dune and generally maintained those averages
well above our initial targets. The fact that school students
have utilized the internal circulator explains at least some of
the added ridership, although it appears that new "regular
riders" have also been added. Our January statistics will
assist us in confirming whether this is true.
3. The final table shows the project bottom line. The Council will
recall that our original application stated that the target
ridership average was to a minimum of 10% and hopefully, 15%
above the then -existing average of 250 passengers per day. This
yielded a target of between 275 and 288 passengers. Actual year
long passenger averages on commuter/reverse commuter service was
287, or an increase of just below 15%. Similarly, the internal
circulator averaged well over its 25 passenger ridership target
at 36 passengers for the entire year. This average exceeds the
target by 44%. These figures will be used by the Minnesota
Department of Transportation to conduct an evaluation of the
Plymouth project for calendar year 1984. By the end of
February, the Minnesota Department of Transportation should
complete its evaluation of the 1984 program and advise us of
whether Metrolink will operate through March 31 or for the full
calendar year.
2. LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT -- Attached is a copy of the Citizens League
report on Light Rail Transit which was prepared a number of years
ago. Also enclosed is a Citizens League statement on this subject
which was issued last April. I believe the points raised in Curt
Johnson's statement of last April are as valid today as they were
then.
3. TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF I-494 - COUNTY ROAD 15 INTERCHANGE -- The
Minnesota Department of Transportation has granted permission to C.
S. McCrossan, the contractor constructing the new interchange at
County Road 15 and I-494, to temporarily close I-494 from the hours
of 1:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. on January 10, 15, 16, and 17 to allow for
the removal of the existing bridge. The interstate will again be
closed during the early part of February so the contractor may set
in place the steel for the new bridge. Attached is a memorandum
from Fred Moore providing further information on the closure and the
detours that will be established.
CITY COUNCIL INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM
January 11, 1985
Page 5
4. MINUTES -- The following minutes are attached:
a. Meeting notes from the January 7, 1985 meeting of the City
Council and Dr. Pete Meyer, MDA Consulting Firm.
b. Meeting notes from the January 7, 1985 meeting of the Beacon
Heights Elementary School Committee.
5. TWINWEST CHAMBER:
a. Plymouth Community Affairs Meeting -- On Wednesday, January 9,
Frank Boyles, Fred Moore and I spoke before the Plymouth
Community Affairs Committee of the Chamber. This committee, as
you may recall, is designed to encourage community activity
among Chamber members. Chamber members who have problems or
concerns will be encouraged to work through this committee to
bring them to the attention of the City in order that they can
be resolved. No problems or concerns were expressed at the
Wednesday meeting, although there was a good deal of interest in
the continuing development of the City's Thoroughfare system.
Frank Boyles discussed the City's Metrolink operation and Fred
Moore spoke on various thoroughfare improvements. There were
about 17 Chamber members present.
b. Board of Directors and Executive Committee Minutes -- Attached
for your information is a copy of the Chamber's Board of
Directors November 8, 1984 and Executive Committee December 27,
1894 meeting minutes.
6. HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT -- Attached is a brochure being
distributed by the Minnesota Waste Management Board to interested
developers of hazardous waste facilities in Minnesota advising them
about the sites available and responding to questions they may have.
7. COMMUNITY AWARDS NOMINEES -- On April 18, 1985, the Plymouth Jaycees
and Jaycee Women will be holding their 12th annual Community Awards
Banquet. Awards will be presented to individuals in the following
categories: Outstanding Citizen; Outstanding Young Citizen;
Outstanding Educator; Outstanding Youth; and Outstanding Senior
Citizen. If any member of the Council is interested in submitting a
nomination for any of the above categories, the attached nomination
sheet should be completed and sent to the Plymouth Jaycee Women
before February 28, 1985. Further information on the Awards Banquet
and nomination criteria is attached for your review.
8. TAX BURDEN SHIFT FROM LOWER TO HIGHER VALUED HOMESTEAD RESIDENTIAL
PROPERTIES -- Attached are two memorandums from City Assessor Scott
Hovet explaining state mandated calculation changes in assessed
value for residential homestead property.
CITY COUNCIL INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM
January 11, 1985
Page 6
9. COUNCIL FOLLOW-UPS:
a. Mr. Jerry Chmielewski -- Attached is a memorandum from the
Public Safety Department providing further follow up to Mr.
Chmielewski's complaint aired at the last Plymouth Forum.
b. Mr. Mark Palmer, 3509 Pilgrim Lane -- Recently Mr. Palmer
contacted the City regarding the fire lane status of the
driveways at the Tiburon Addition. Specifically, Mr. Palmer
asked if it would be possible to alter the designated fire lane
in such a fashion that additional cars could park in the Tiburon
off street parking facilities rather than the public
right-of-way. Attached is a letter from Fire Inspector Larry
Plack advising Mr. Palmer that for emergency access purposes,
the fire lane cannot be deleted nor reduced in size.
10. EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION -- I have receiving the following
correspondence on Plymouth employees:
a. Memo to Park and Recreation Department from Mayor Davenport
regarding the complimentary memo received from Marion Zbikowski.
b. Memo to Dick Pouliot from Mayor Davenport on Pat Meister's
letter of appreciation to Dick for assistance in solving a
drainage problem.
c. Letter to Lyle Robinson, from Mayor Davenport, complimenting the
Fire Department for their efforts at the Holterman residence
fire.
d. Letters of appreciation from Maria Vasiliou to various City
employees.
e. Letter to Public Safety Director from Jim and Betty Threinen
complimenting the Police Department and in particular, Niel
Nielsen, for their efforts in investigating a burglary at their
residence.
11. CORRESPONDENCE:
a. Letter to City Manager from Charles Riesenberg, Greater Metro-
politan Area Foreign Trade Zone Commission, concerning
Plymouth's offer of assistance in providing foreign trade zone
service to the western Hennepin foreign trading companies.
b. Letter of appreciation from Mayor Davenport to David Berg for
his past service as a member of the Park and Recreation Advisory
Commission.
c. Letter to Michael Stulberg from Mayor Davenport in response to
Mr. Stulberg's letter of December 26 concerning attendance at
Planning Commission meetings.
CITY COUNCIL INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM
January 11, 1985
Page 7
d. Letter to Governor Perpich from Mayor Davenport responding to
the Governor's letter of December 21 requesting the City's input
for Metropolitan Council terms expiring January 1, 1985. Mayor
Davenport suggests to the Governor that for future appointments,
cities be afforded more time and provided additional information
on candidates under consideration for appointment. Also
attached is a letter from Keith Ford, Office of Governor,
responding to the Mayor's letter.
e. Letter to Ellie Ogden from Mayor Davenport on her decision not
to be reappointed as Plymouth's representative to the West
Hennepin Human Services Planning Board.
f. Letter to Mayor Davenport from Kay Mitchell, Clerk, Hennepin
County Board of Commissioners, in response to the Mayor's letter
of December 19 regarding the Hennepin County Community Action
Agency.
g. Letter to City Manager from Vern Hartenburg, Superintendent,
Hennepin County Park Reserve District, concerning the County's
Capital Improvement Program for 1985-1989. Mr. Hartenburg
points out that the 1986 section of the CIP program includes the
acquisition of right-of-way and on-site construction for County
Road 9.
h. Letter to Peter Cook, 18420 -14th Avenue No., from Mayor
Davenport, in response to Mr. Cook's letter concerning the
City's publicity efforts of the 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m, parking
ban ordinance.
James G. Willis
City Manager
JGW:Jm
attach
AGENDA
BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENTS AND APPEALS
MONDAY, January 14, 1985
7:30 P.M.
Plymouth City Center - Large Conference Room
3400 Plymouth Boulevard
ITEM # 01 - Russell King
10000 South Shore Drive
Plymouth, MN 55441
..i
Metropolitan Area I nnc)ement Affociation
ofthe e , . ;rf
January 3, 1985
TO: MAMA CITY MANAGERS OF CITIES
PARTICIPATING IN JOINT
COMPENSATION STUDY
FROM: William S. Joynes, Chairman
MAMA General Labor Relations Cnmmitt(,e
SUBJECT: MEETING FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS REGARDING
THE MAMA JOINT COMPENSATION STUDY
An informational meeting for the benefit of City elected officials has
been scheduled for the following date, time and location with regard
to the MAMA Joint Compensation Study. Representatives of Control Data
Business Advisors will be available to discuss their program.
DATE: Wednesday, January 16, 1985
TIME: 7:00 P.M.
PLACE: Roseville City Hall
Council Chambers
2660 Civic Center Drive
Roseville, Minnesota.
City Managers should notify their City elected officials of this
meeting, and also contact Helen Campbell at Labor Relations
Associates, 546-1470, with how many elected officials will be
attending from their city.
If you have any questions please contact the writer at the City of
Golden Valley, 545-3781.
WSJ: hfc
Metropolitan Area Management Association
Compensation Study
Process Summary
The plan for development and implementation of a FOCAS (Flexible
Occupational Analysis System) job analysis and evaluation system
for 25 benchmark jobs defined by the MAMA Committee and for
subsequent evaluation of MAMA member cities' non -benchmark jobs is
summarized below.
FOCAS is a questionnaire -based job analysis and evaluation
system. FOCAS has been developed to provide accurate and
comprehensive information about jobs to support effective human
resource management.
The first step in the process is to develop questionnaires to be
used to gather information about what employees do. We will use
one questionnaire for each occupational group. The 14M9A Committee
will identify one subject matter expert and an advisory group from
each occupational group to work with Business,Advisors. These
individuals will provide their job content expertise throughout
questionnaire development and job evaluation, and should be very
knowledgeable about jobs in their occupational area. Business
Advisors, together with a team of MAMA member cities' Personnel
Directors, will develop preliminary questionnaires based upon
existing job descriptions and the Business Advisors data bank of
task items. The Personnel Committee will identify and schedule
employee workshops to be conducted jointly with Business Advisors,
to modify preliminary questionnaires. Questionnaires will be
finalized with the advisory group for that occupational area.
Second, the Personnel Committee will schedule and conduct meetings
with employees for them to complete the questionnaire for their
occupational group. In filling out questionnaires, employees will
indicate for each task that they do or do not perform it and how
much time they spend on tasks performed relative to other tasks.
Third, Business Advisors will provide data entry from the
questionnaires and provide computer-generated position
descriptions for each employee who filled out a questionnaire.
This is a listing of tasks performed with time spent percentages.
The supervisor and employee will review and verify or modify the
position description. The Personnel Committee will collect and
return all modified position descriptions to Business Advisors.
Business Advisors will provide data entry and return revised
position descriptions to the Personnel Committee for distribution
to supervisors/employees. These will serve as final position
descriptions.
Fourth, Business Advisors will provide average, or benchmark, job
descriptions for the 25 benchmark jobs identified by the MAMA
committee. The Personnel Committee will identify employees making
up the benchmark. Subject matter experts and advisory groups will
work with Business Advisors to finalize descriptions.
The fifth step in the process, task valuing, begins at the same
time as the second. Business Advisors will work with the
Personnel Committee, subject matter experts and advisory groups to
set up the task valuing process. The Personnel Committee will
identify and schedule managers for valuing meetings. Business
Advisors will conduct valuing meetings. In valuing tasks,
managers will rate all tasks about which they are knowledgeable,
according to one factor, complexity, importance or
unfavorability. Business Advisors will review average task values
with the subject matter expert and the advisory group to finalize
values. Factor weights will be statistically computed by Business
Advisors and finalized with the subject matter expert and advisory
group.
The sixth step is to combine results of the completed
questionnaires with task values to determine job value. Business
Advisors' computer analysis will compute job value by multiplying
time spent on tasks times task value and sum the products to
produce a point total. Business Advisors will provide job values
for the twenty-five benchmark jobs to the MAMA committee.
Step seven is to collect and analyze wage and benefit data from
public an—A private sector labor markets. The MAMA committee will
identify available surveys and work with Business Advisors to
define appropriate markets and to determine if a specialized
salary survey .is desirable. If so, Business Advisors will conduct
a specialized salary survey. Final job hierarchies will be
constructed based upon job values and market data.
The eighth step is to analyze relationships among job values,
current pay rates and market data. Business Advisors will provide
an analysis and alternative strategies for addressing pay
discrepancies.
Ninth, Business Advisors will provide individual job evaluation
points to the member cities.
Finally, Business Advisors will provide a report of methodology
and results and meet with the MAMA committee to present the
report.
kla112141
Region's pressing problems
to be focus of annual, event
The Metropolitan Council's 1985 State
of the Region event will be just that:
Council Chair Sandra Gardebring witl
deliver a "state of the region" address
taking stock of both current conditions
and the most pressing problems facing
the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area.
"These are times when dealing with
day-to-day problems takes much of our
energy and thought," Gardebring said.
"The Council's State of the Region event
traditionally has been a time to stop and
take a hard look at just where the region
is and where we want it to go. With the
complex issues facing our area, such dis-
cussions are perhaps even more important
now than they have been in the past."
In addition to Gardebring's dinner
address, the event will feature four panel
discussions on major issues confronting
Gladys Brooks
the region.
LOCAL, NATIONAL EXPERTS
"Two of the panels—those on solid waste
and combined sewer overflow—deal with
subjects that .are a major part of the
Council's 1985 legislative program,"
Gardebring said. "The other panels, on
transportation and health, also focus on
critical issues. All the panels will include
both local and national experts who can
really put the issues into perspective."
The State of the Region dinner will begin
at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Hilton Inn,
1330 Industrial Blvd., Minneapolis.
The dinner program will be moderated
by Gladys Brooks, the winner of the
Council's first "Regional Citizen of the
Year" award. The 1985 winner will be
announced at the event.
The four concurrent panel discussions
will begin at 4 p.m. Each panel will
include 'a moderator, a presenter who
will lay out the overall issues and two
panelists who will give their reactions.
The topics are:
1
"Transportation: How Can We Serve the
Suburbs?" This panel will focus on the
special transit needs of the region's sub-
urbs. Because they're spread out and
have many different markets to serve,
providing transit requires more innova-
tive solutions, which could result in
higher costs. How the problem is being
addressed across the country also will
be discussed.
"Legislating Basic Health Benefits: Cost
vs. Consumer Protection." This panel
will look at whether legislation should
be passed defining a basic set of health
Continued on page 3. .
State of the Region
Continued from page 1.
care services as the minimum health care
plan that can be offered in Minnesota.
"Marketing Solid Waste Abatement:
How Do We Get Two Million People
Involved?" This panel will examine
garbage issues from two perspectives:
selling the idea of recycling and other
alternatives 'to land disposal of trash to
the region's two million residents, and
creating markets for recycled goods.
"Keeping Sewage Out of the Mississippi:
It's Everybody's Problem." This panel
will focus on combined sewer overflow
(CSO), which occurs because some of
the sewers in Minneapolis, St. Paul and
South St. Paul that carry human and
industrial waste on its way to treatment
also carry stormwater. During heavy
rainfalls and snowmelts, some waste-
water overflows into the Mississippi
River. CSO's effect on the region and
what it will cost to solve the problem
will be discussed.
Cost of the event, including dinner, i�
$13. Advance registration is requirec
by Jan. 23. For information, call the
Council Communications Departmen
at 291-6464.
Lynno William.
April 6, 1984
Citizens League
84 S. 6th St., room 530
Minneapolis, Mn. 55402
338-0791
MEMORANDUM
TO: Legislators and others interested in light rail transit
FROM: Curt Johnson, executive director, Citizens League
SUBJECT: Citizens League statement
The Citizens League is asking the 1984 Legislature not to act on
something as far-reaching as light rail transit by a "back door"
approach. In our enclosed statement we state that an issue of such
significance, involving the potential ultimate expenditure of hundreds of
millions of dollars, should be debated on its own merits, instead of being
Included as a one -paragraph amendment to another bill.
Moreover, we believe a key component to the success of light rail,
its ability to attract riders, has not yet been able to be demonstrated.
In fact, recently -released data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census
concerning employment locations in the metropolitan area makes light
rail's ability to attract riders even more questionable.
We would appreciate any comments you might have on our statement.
Thank you.
April 6, 1984
CITIZENS LEAGUE
84 S. 6th St., Room 530
Minneapolis, MN 55402
338-0791
STATEMENT
T0: Members, Minnesota Legislature
SUBJECT: Financing of light rail transit
("No, no!" said the Queen. "Sentence
first -- verdict afterwards." Lewis
Carroll, Alice in Wonderland)
A proposal in the 1984 Minnesota Legislature would earmark
approximately $10 million in 1985 for planning and engineering for light
rail transit in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
The proposal is part of a bill that would accelerate transfer of
the motor vehicle excise tax receipts from the state general revenue fund
to the highway user tax distribution fund. Under the proposal, 25 percent
of the amounts transferred would be dedicated for transit, with 80 percent
of the 25 percent earmarked for the metropolitan area. The proposal also
specifies that all of the funds available for transit in the metropolitan
area under this act in 1985 would be given to the state commissioner of
transportation exclusively for "planning and engineering for light rail
transit."
The Legislature is not considering light rail transit on its
merits --The Minnesota Legislature is considering such a fundamental-
decision
un amentaldecision about the future of transportation in the Twin Cities
metropolitan area in an extremely unusual way. The Legislature is not
taking up a specific bill concerning light rail transit, so that it could
debate, up front, whether light rail should or should not be built, where
it should go, what it would accomplish, and how it would be financed.
Instead the issue is buried as a one -paragraph amendment to a bill
designed to transfer the revenues from the excise tax on motor vehicles
from the state general fund to the highway user tax distribution fund.
The proposal seems innocent enough, because the bill would dedicate
revenues for only one year, 1985, and the funds could only be used for
"the planning and engineering design for light rail transit". But such an
action could set a precedent that such funds are to be available to light
rail transit in coming years, assuming that light rail advocates are able
to demonstrate that they need the money.
Major questions have not been answered --The "foot in the door"
action in this session eventually could lead to commitments of hundreds of
millions of dollars of expenditure for light rail transit. It would seem
logical that light rail should already have demonstrated that it can
-3 -
It doesn't seem likely that in the light rail corridors --at least those
under discussion --the proportion of workers whose jobs are located
downtown would be any higher than the county's overall average. Thus as
many as nine out of 10 persons living near the light rail line will have
job destinations located other than where the light rail line goes.
Land development changes near light rail transit may not
occur --Supporters of light rail transit argue that higher density
residential development will be located near the light rail stops. Thus
ridership will grow over time, even though it may be small to start with.
If such a projection is to come true, it will be necessary for the cities
through which light rail transit will pass to zone land for higher density
purposes. At this point there is no guarantee that such zoning will be
accomplished. In fact, neighborhood residents usually strongly resist
higher density housing near their homes. Even if the zoning is changed,
there is no assurance that development would occur as deemed desirable,
and, if it did, there still is not assurance that the people who live in
such developments would have jobs located where the light rail lines would
go. The importance of the land use dimension to the success of light rail
was highlighted in a paper presented in January 1984 to the Transportation
Research Board in Washington, D. C., by Robert Cervero, assistant
professor, Department of City and Regional Planning, Institute of Urban
and Regional Development, University of California, Berkeley. Cervero's
paper outlined light rail developments in the nation. He states:
"Studies over the past decade have consistently shown that rail transit
can have a significant effect on shaping urban form and land uses only if
integrated with local pro -development policies."
Other claimed benefits of light rail transit are questionable --Same
supporters of light rail transit argue that it represents good insurance
for a metropolitan area against the prospect of there being a petroleum
shortage. If this were to be possible, then light rail would have to be
carrying a significant proportion of trips in the metropolitan area. This
can't happen because the lines serve so few corridors. The combined
length of the three corridors under study in the Twin Cities area now for
light rail is about 25 miles, which is less than three percent of the
total mileage'of existing bus routes in the region.
If non -petroleum use of the public transit fleet is the real
objective, existing buses could be converted to electric trolley buses.
An earlier Citizens League study demonstrated that if the entire Twin
Cities area bus fleet were electrified, the total petroleum savings in the
region would be about 2.9 percent of all fuel used by cars and buses in
the Twin Cities.area now.
Another claim by light rail advocates is that use of light rail
will reduce operating costs of the Twin Cities bus system. This argument:
is based on the point that one driver can carry many more passengers on
eight rail transit than on a bus, because light rail vehicles can be
attached to each other. This argument assumes, however, that there are
corridors where full buses follow one after another in large numbers.
This could be true on the University Ave. line during certain rush hour
periods. But it is not commonly the case.
Citizens Leamue renort
TR,ANSTT:
P.EnITIECT PRIORITIES
TOUAP.T) A
SMALL - VEHICLE SYSTEM
AND SHORTER TRIPS
A positive proposal for the Twin Cities area to hrinQ service, now, to almost everyone,
at minimum cost, and, in the future, to build short - distance transit which, by help-
ing implement the major diversified center concept, will reduce the need for travel.
Prepared by
Transit Facilities Cormittee
Gerald E. Magnuson, Paul `lagnuson, co-chairmen
Approved by
Citizens League Board of Directors
January 21, 1974
Citizens League
84 South 6th St.
T"inneapolis, Minnesota 55402
Phone: 33R-0781
TABLE OF CONTE.ITS
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • • • • • • 1
Major ideas in our report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3
Findin.s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 - 12
Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 - lc
Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Discussion of 'teconmendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 - 26
Cornittee AssiTnnent . . . . . . . . . . • • • • • • • • • 27
Committee ".em,-cr.s'iip and Activity . . . . . . . . . • . 27 - 30
-1-
INTRODUCTIO`I
The Twin Cities metropolitan area is face to face with a very difficult
public question affecting its future: what to do about transit. The dollars
Involved dwarf any previous sin -le proposition. But it is more than just
dollars. It involves basic directions on the future growth of the region and
on the ability of citizens of this metropolitan area to get from their homes
to their destinations and hack attain.
17ot suprisin.ly, the issue is enormously controversial.
The MTC plan has been submitted. It represents years of effort, and.
considerable expense. It is the only thing resembling a finished plan. The
Legislature asked the 14TC to prepare a plan. The plan is Nein,- vigorously
advocated. There is strong appeal to Vie idea of a system that can go under-
ground. To the extent that transit can help shape development of the region,
there is an impression that a fixed - guidex.Tay systeT^ will do more than a non -
fixed system.
It seems clear that within the 04 - 694 beltline, at least, construction
of more freeways beyond those currently "committed" is unacceptable as a
solution to the transportation problem.
However, there is a feeling that projected ridership figures for the MTC
plan -- about 6 - 10' of all trips -- are low, considering the billion - dollar
price tag attached to the MTC plan. Consequently, systems which promise
patronage figures more like 50% have some appeal. PRT is one of these. Yet,
there is a feeling the fine - grained system has not been developed, and, if
developed, could not be installed.
So there is a tendency to loot: toward existing technology. rut even
there difficulties emerge. The experience in San Francisco thus far casts
some doubt on the automation of the fixed - guideway. The bus -- perhaps
on its own reserved right - of - way -- is advanced as an alternative. Fut
there is a feeling that this is too unappealing, that it is not "real transit".
Busways seem too much like freeways. And the operational costs -- for all
those drivers -- may be unacceptably high.
Meanwhile, new ideas for what might be called "non - automated" PRT are
forthcoming: ideas for working more heavily with the existing network of
small,*privately - owned and operated vehicles, although such ideas frequently
have also been characterized as not `real" transit.
It was into this debate that our committee entered late in August 1973.
We had the assignment for the Citizens League Board of Directors to review the
MTC plan and report back with recommendations to the 1974 Legislature. We
reached general committee consensus on the MTC plan early in January. But
committee members, in reviewing a preliminary draft incorporating our conclu-
sions were clearly disturbed with the negative posture in which these conclu-
sions seemed to leave us. Our assignment was limited to conducting a review
of the MTC plan. To propose an alternative would be to go beyond our origin-
al charge. Nevertheless, we concluded that it would be a disservice
to the community -- which is undertaking such an intelligent look at its
transportation problems -- to issue a report which said a little more than
"no". During our review of the MTC plans we reviewed the various alternatives
and we came up with entirely new perceptions of the transit problem and
how it should be solved -- with proposals which we believe will offer more
service, help reduce demand for travel and cost less.
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MAJOR IDEAS . . .
I. Build_ser_vice now by working heavily with improvements in the small,
privately owned vehicle fleet plus the public bus system.
* Transit must relate to the residence. It must pick a person up at
home or close by and get him back there. It must do this, for many
years at least, within the Twin Cities area's pattern of dispersed,
single - family residences.
* There is no reason why a resident of the metropolitan area, today,
who needs a ride to work or other essential transportation service
should be denied the opportunity. It is important to provide good
service throughout the area.
* A much more ambitious program of petting people "out from behind
the wheel" is needed than can he accomplished by relying exclusively
upon buses fcr transit. The problems of energy limitations and rising
cost of driving require prompt actions, throughout the metropolitan
area.
* The bus systerr. serve best where it is now operating, connnecting the
two largest concentrations of shopping and employment, the downtowns
of Minneapolis and St. Paul, with their surrounding higher - density,
residential areas.
* Expansion of the bus transit system should focus chiefly on improving
service along present bus routes. This offers the best potential
for improved transit via the large - vehicle system. The large -
vehicle system is not well - suited for other destinations or origins,
which make up the largest portion of trips.
* Automation of present bus routes or substituting subways for some
routes is not needed, given the relatively low corridor volumes.
* Throughout the region small vehicles carry far and away more passengers
than do the large public vehicles.
* Small vehicles, cars, vans, taxis, have the most capacity available, now.
Seats are available (more than 1.5 million vacant seats in the rush hour,
for example). Licensed, part - time drivers are available. Right - of -
way is available.
* Small vehicles provide practically the only potential for the vast
majority of trips:
-- for the central city resident whose destination does not happen to be
the central business district.
-- for the suburbanite whose destination is the CBD but who does not
live in an area well served by a bus line.
-- for all other trips which originate and terminate in a variety of
locations throughout the region.
* The Twin Cities area transportation problem can best be solved by making
the small vehicle network more readily available to people who need rides.
151!
. . . IN OUR REPORT
It. Emphasize transit facilities which favor short _trips over long trips
to reduce travel demand in the future.
In this committee -- and only here within the Twin Cities area to the hest
of our knowledge -- an entirely new dimension of the transportation problem has
unfolded. It is of absolutely central importance. Let us try to state it
sufcinctly:
Always up to now the transportation problem has been set essentially as
a problem of supplying facilities for a travel demand that was assumed
to be growing and to be beyond the range of public policy to affect.
* But the transportation problems about which we are fundamentally
concerned - congestion, the neighborhood disruption of additional
construction, energy consumption, pollution -- occur as a result of
an imbalance in the supply of facilities related to the demand for
travel.
* Since this is basically an equation, it is possible to work on the
problem by dealing also with the demand side: to affect the volume
of trips, the tieing of trips.
f All the "answers" proposed for the transportation problem, so far,
have in common that they are efforts on the supply side. Different
as are the regional network proposals of the MTC, of the Metropolitan
Council and of the advocates of PRT, these all represent proposals for
facilities to make it possible for people to travel farther,
faster, with less inconvenience. They differ simply in the technol-
ogy they propose. In this sense, the regional fixed - guideway, the
exclusive busway or the regional PRT network, work much as an inter-
state highway: Each assumes a continued separation of residential,
retail, office, industrial, and recreational land uses around the
area and attempts to connect them with higher - capacity transpor-
tation facilities.
* We propose that a new dimension be a part of the answer to the
transportation problem: that we try now to reduce the demand for
travel. Some long vehicle trips should become short vehicle trips.
And some trips formerly requiring an auto should be eliminated al-
together. This can take place if, increasingly, new, higher density
dwelling units are located close to employment, shopping and other
destinations. In plain words, this means that higher - density
residential development should be concentrated in and near the
downtowns and the other major diversified centers, such as Southdale -
494 - 100.
* Transit can help support housing in such areas by offering --
for the first time -- superior ability to make trips within such
centers. The automobile is at clear disadvantage here. This means
walkways, bikeways, mini - buses -- or some form of automated fixed
guideway which operates only within the vicinity of the center. This
can be a powerful magnet to reduce the demand for travel.
* Therefore, there can and should be some automated fixed - guideway.
But it must be confined within a major diversified center rather than
running from one center to another.
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FI:IDI'?GS
We make essentially four findings, which will form the basis of our
conclusions and recommendations:
I. The Twin Cities area is a relatively low-density metropolitan area,
with land uses widely dispersed. This means many origins and many
destinations: travel patterns which resemble a ball of yarn rather
than spokes on a wheel. There is extensive reliance on small,
private vehicles.
II. The MTC long-range plan features an expanded bus system and a 57 -
mile fixed --guideway over which automated vehicles would travel.
Service now and in the future would be oriented chiefly to a few
maior destinations, utilizing a network of permanent, public routes
and schedules.
III. The regional fixed - guideway portion of the TtTC plan would help
the *;TC increase its number of passengers. But, in the aggregate,
the increase in patronage would not represent any substantial
shift, proportionately, in the region's extensive reliance un on
small, private vehicles.
IV. The regional fixed - guideway would likely have some irpact on the
location of future residential growth, but the fixed - guideway
would not necessarily encourage such growth within diversified
centers. The fixed - guideway would not Help reduce the demand
for travel in coming years.
Our findings in more detail follow:
I. The Twin Cities area is a relatively lox? - density metropolitan
area, with land uses widely dispersed. This means many origins and many
destinations: travel patterns which resemble a ball of yarn rather than
spokes on a wheel. There is extensive reliance on small, private vehicles.
A. Residential density is low -- According to the 1970 Census the
Twin Cities urbanized area ranked 19th anions, the 20 largest urban-
ized areas in the nation in population density. Among central
cities only, Minneapolis and St. Paul combined ranked 14th among
the 20.
B. Pattern will not change fast -- Despite a growing trend for multiple
dwellings in new residential construction, the basic layout is
not likely to change significantly at an early date. While people
themselves move frequently, about once every five _years on the aver-
age, the two-thirds of a million dwellings units already built will
not be moved. About 10,000 - 20,000 units may be added every
year, some of which undoubtedly will be built along the single-
family pattern so prevalent in the past. Of the multiple dwellings,
continuing the pattern of recent years, only a fraction are likely
to be of the high — density, hi - rise variety. And some of the
hi - rise apartments are likely to follow the dispersed urban pattern
and be located in suburbs as well as in the higher - density parts
of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
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C. Land uses are separate -- Public policy has deliberately encouraged
separation of different kinds of land uses from each other.
Residential, retail, employment, medical, cultural, educational,
and recreational areas are located in different, widely - separated
locations. There is extensive travel in vehicles. Only 6.7% of
workers in the metropolitan area walked to work in 1970, accord-
ing to the U. S. Census.
D. Result is many travel destinations -- The consequence of this pattern of
development is not few origins w*.th few destinations, or even many origins
with few destinations. Instead there are many origins going to many
destinations. For example, the 1.970 Travel Behavior Inventory of travel
in the metropolitan area revealed that during the 6 - 9 a.m. rush hour,
no single sub - portion of the region attracted more than 8% of the
desti--ations (downtown Minneapolis). For downtown St. Paul the percentage
was 5%. 11hile many of us may have an image of everyone in the metropol-
itan area going to work in the same general location, nothing could be
further from the truth. Nor should the relatively low percentages for the
downtowns be misunderstood. The downtowns remain the largest concentrations
of destinations during the rush hour by a large margin.
E. Region relies heavily on small vehicles -- More than 907.' of the travel
takes place in small, privately - owned and operated vehicles (cars).
About 40% of the households have at least 2 cars. The system of large,
publicly - owned and operated vehicles (buses) serves a small, but signif-
icant, portion of the total, mainly the higher density corridors leading to
the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul. According to the 1970 Travel
Behaviour Inventory, about 59Z of all trips were taken by auto drivers,
31% by auto passengers, and about 3.2% by public bus passengers. Thus it
can be seer. that the small - vehicle system carries about 10 times as many
passengers (31%) as the public bus sytem (3.2"). Even during rush hour
the small - vehicle system carries about 3 times as many passengers as the
public bus system.
F. Continuinc ,un:iort ior_sm+ iil veliicl.es evident -- Additional development
are under way to further support the small - vehicle network, including
the ongoing program of upgrading some 11,000 miles of roads and local
streets in the metropolitan area. Certain proposed freeways have been
dropped from consideration in the metropolitan area in recent years, such
as the Southwest Diagonal, 28th St. Crosstown, Cedar Ave., and W. Broadway
freeways. Nevertheless, a considerable amount of freeway construction still
is planned for many parts of the area, such as I-304, I-94 north of down-
town Minneapolis, and Fia;.7atha Avenue. Newly - adopted federal lata provides
a way for a metropolitan area to have an interstate highway removed from
consideration with an equivalent amount of dollars made available for
transit. But we have no evidence that such an eventuality is conte^plated
for any of the remaining segments of the interstate system in the metropol-
itan area.
Additional parking facilities, including publicly - supported ramps in
downtown Minneapolis, continue to he added to a supply of parking which,
throughout the region, probably totals in excess of 2 million spaces. While
the energy crisis points up concern about how the small - vehicle system is
used, it is likely that this system will continue, with the vehicles prob-
ably designed and used differently.
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G. Small - vehicle system generally has worked well -- Residents of the -Twin
Cities metropolitan area experience considerable freedom of mobility, with
travel times relatively short. Congestion, while irritating in some areas,
in not as generally a serious problem as it is in some metropolitan areasq
The Travel Behavior Inventory revealed that median trip time declined from
26 minutes to 22 minutes between 1958 and 1970, despite the fact that during
this time the average length of trip approximately doubled, to about 5
miles. An average bus trip tool 11-in11ts-R in 1970, compared to 1R i"inutes
for a freeway auto trip and 11 minutes for a non -freeway auto trip.
H. Poor not adequately served by system -- The proportion of no -car households
in the Twin Cities area (13%) is lower than 11 other large metropolitan
areas included in a table on auto ownership in the 1972 National Trans-
portation Report. Nevertheless, for the auto - less the region's private,
small -vehicle system presents a hardship because of lack of adequate
access to the system. Perhaps illustrative of the need which lower -
income persons have for small - vehicle transporation, and the price
they must pay, is the extent to which they use -taxi service. Taxi
companies report that most of their business comes from residents of lower -
income areas. A Minneapolis taxi dispatcher has estimated that about 60%
of his calls come from people who make less than $6,000 a year.
I. System vulnerable to energy crisis -- Because of the way in which the
small, privately -owned and operated vehicle network has been used, the
region today is particularly vulnerable to the constraints being imposed
to the energy crisis. With 4 or 5 empty seats, on the average, in every
private vehicle, the small - vehicle network has been particularly waste-
ful of energy, road space and transportation dollars. On a 24 - hour
basis there are only 15 occupants in every 10 cars. During rush hours
the situation is worse, with only 13 occupants in every 10 cars. A
recent Urban Institute study ranked the Twin Cities metropolitan area 7th
highest among 18 metropolitan areas in transportation cost, while ranking
the area first in overall quality of life.
J. Continued mobility is critical - For the housing which is already built
and the employment, retail, and other land uses, continued ability for
residents to get between their homes and destinations is critical for the
economic and social well-being of the region.
K. Just preserving mobility isn't the answer -- Travel problems are likely
to become increasingly severe in coming years if the rising demand for
trips continues unabated. So long as new dwelling - unit construction
occurs mainly in locations far from employment, shopping and other
destinations, more and more travel will be required. The result is likely
to be rising levels of congestion and longer travel times. Metropolitan
Council projections reveal that the number of trips per day in the region
could reach 12 million a day by the end of the century, up from 5 million
a day in 1970.
11. The MTC long - range plan features an expanded bus system and a 57 - mi.
fixed - guideway over which automated vehicles would travel. Service now and in
future would be oriented chiefly to a few rinjor destinations, utilizing a network
of permanent, public routes and schedules.
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A. "fixed _ guideway" at heart of plan --- The 14TC proposal features
publicly - o.7ice and operated vehicles running on publicly - designed,
permanent routes a=.1d time schedules. Capital cost would be approximately
$.' billion in 1972 dollars, escalated to $2 billion by the time of
construction. The biggest capital investment in the MTC system would
be a 57 -- mile regional yixed - guideway over which about 850 automated
vehicles would travel. In addition the MTC would have, by 1990, about
1,350 buses, up frGr± its current fleet of about 700 buses.
bus improvements no',,, receiving high priority -- Laze in 1973 the MTC added
another dimension to its transit plan. While continuing to press for
legislative authorization to continue work on the regional fixed - guide-
way, the MTC presented a new package of bus - improvement proposals to
the Legislature which had not been in the MTC's legislative proposals
earlier in the year. This package has three major features:
-- Financing a ra7idly - increasing subsidy of the current bus system,
brought about by higher diesel fuel prices and a higher labor costs.
The subsidy will reach an estimated $8 million in fiscal 1974,
up frog, only $250,000 in fiscal 1-71. Since the MTC took over the
formerly - privately - owned bus company in 1970, it has substantial-
ly expanded its service. The result has been an increase in rider-
ship, reversing a downward trend which had been going on since 1946.
--- Permitting an immediate 407 expansion in bus fleet and drivers to
provide more service because of the energy crisis. During peak
hour most ?TTC seats are on the road and most are filled. There is
little capacity in reserve. Capacity must be expanded by adding
buses. The 'STC originally had planned to replace 236 old buses in
the spring of 1974 with new buses. PTow it proposes to keep those
old buses in service after the new ones arrive, and not replace them
for another two years or so, at which time more new buses would be
purchased.
-- Constructing park - and - ride sites, bus loading areas, and bus
shelters and stations at a cost of about $84 million.
The Legislature is being asked to finance the program in the follow-
ing manner: First the ?ITC's property tax millaQe for operating ex-
penses would be_increased from 1.45 mills to 2.1 mills, which would
raise approximately $3.8 million more annually. These funds would
financed the rising subsidy at the current level of bus service and
preliminary engineering, plan refinement and environment impact
study for the MTC's regional fixed guideway. Second the Legislature
would make available immediately, from fund sources unspecified,
$4.5 million., which would finance the immediate 40% expansion of the
bus fleet and drivers for a period of 18 months. Third, the Legisla-
ture would be asT_ed to permit use of state highway funds for about
$11 million of the cost for park - and - ride sites, bus loading
areas, and bus shelters and stations. The MTC capital levy would
provide another $6.6 million, with the balance, about $66.4 million,
anticipated from fec'eral sources.
-q -
C. Large_- vehicle system serves the_dog.:-ntovms ?-,est -- 'Not surprisingly, the
f focus. o� `i e "TC system has been and continues to be the downtowns
of 'lianeapoiis and St. "aul. Because of the employment and retail base
exists in ti -ie two downtowns and because the relatively higher - density
areas are located in the central cities, buses on regular, public, permanent
routes have been able to get enough riders to justify such service. The
newly - adopted fare - zone plan of the '`MTC continues to provide this down-
town focus.
Large vehicles have not been well suited for other destinations. Because
of their size buses cannot travel, legally, on most residential streets.
Also, the diverse pattern of destinations for employment, shopping and
other purposes in ot'ier parts of the region has not been amenable to the
concept of operatin7 lame buses on pernarent routes.
D. Internal - circulation systems also mentioned - The t?TC's development
program alsc calls for improved transit service within major diversified
certers. The ?`TC's current legislative program contains no specific
recommendations w4th respect to such systems. Powever, the MTC has
provided assistance in preparation of internal circulation plans for
downtown Minneapolis, downtown St. Paul, the couthdale 494 - 100 areas and
the University- of Minnesota - Cedar - Riverside area.
TTI. The regional f�„ec' - p.uieewiv portion of the ?'TC plan would heln the MTC
increase its number ofassF�ngers. But, in the ag regate, the increase in patronage
would not represent any substantial shift, pr!:l rtaonately_, in the region's extensive
reliance_ o:. small, pr_vato vehicles.
A. Ridership a small Proportion of total trips -- The entire MTC plan,
covering both the regional fixed - guideway and the bus network, would
not materially cl,an,ge the region's use of small, privately - owned
vehicles. In figures presented to the Legislature, the MTC projects
that the proport4.cn of total trips taken by public transit would increase
from 3.212 ir. 1970 to 6.0; in 1990. Also, because of the growth in
trips between 1970 ard. 1990 (projected by the Metropolitan Council to
increase from about 7 million in 1970 to about 9 nillion in 1990), the
growth in trips, ir, absolute numbers, taken in small, privately - owned
vehicles, will vastly exceed the growth in number of trips on the MTC
system.
Because of the orientation of the 'ITTC service to the two do4mtowns, the
proportion of trips on transit to those locations would be much
higher than the reional average. Under its plan the MTC projects
that about 505' of the commuters working in the downtowns will be using
transit. In 1970 the proportion of persons using transit into the down-
towns during the rush hour was 24.17 in Minneapolis and 19.2;; in St. Paul.
B. Re£ional fixed - guiAp-ay doesn't service residential locations well --
T'_e proposed routes of thn regional fixed - aui.deway would connect major
centers of employment. The routes would extend from a point near the
31f Center east of St. Paul through downtown St. Paul, west to downtown
Minneapolis, then forming a y with one leg going southwest to Ilighways
494 - 100 and the other ^,oing northwest to 7i7hways 52 - lon. Other
legs would extend from Uopkins to downtown Minneapolis, from Columbia
Heights to downtown 1linneapolis from Rosedale in Roseville.
-10-
tr) the P`idlvav are: or st. Pau' and from Scuth St. Paul to downtown
St. PF1._ .
Ac( -t;, d_Lng th-2 i�-Census, approyimately 28'% of all employed
persons in the 5 - county S`iSA lived in census tracts which are located
adjacent to the tentat.v^ ;--)ute locations. Of course, a much smaller
proportion of persons wool: 'iv? near the 40 stations which would be
spaced more tha>: a r -.'e apart, wh.c;i means only a fraction of the 28%
will live rear a sta*fon. More importantly, the fixed - guideway route
is r. _ i is i. to with the work - trip destinations of thousands
of workers along the route anyway. For example, of the workers who
lived in the above - mentioned census tracts in 1970, only 10% worked
in downtown Minnea-olis and. 4.2 in downto�.•n St. Paul.
C. Be",inning of regional fixed i}+videI:ay service would be many years
awn,,, -- Construct;_on of the regional fixed - guidewav would do nothing
in terms of providing ser -:rice for a minimum of eight years, since
it is not expected to open until 19a2, and then only 37 miles
would be open, it such a schedule could be met. 7•7ot until 1990,
at the very earliest, would the entire system be complete. Again,
that is assuming Strict adherence to the recommended schedule of
the MTC. It would not he unlikely that the actual completion dates
would be far beyond thopc anticipated -- if other public Works
projects can he tz,:_n as a barometer.
This means, of` course, that the regional fixcd - guideway is not
going to he able to help the profilers rif fuel scarcity until well
after the start of the next decade and even then, based on patron-
age Drojections, it would not significantly reduce the region's
reliance on gasoline. 'rhe fuel scarcity problem will have to be
solved by other means.
D. Uncertainty of federal `unding adds to the problem -- The federal
gm• r;-ent iro_;1r ,:;e erected to provide the vast majority of
funds for capital costs. Under Dresent law, up to 80' of capital,
costs could be eligih le. for federal assistance. The likelihood
that 80% federal fundir:7 of the fixed - guideway would be received
in the amnur_ts ane a-, the time requested is uncertain at best.
According to the National Transportation Report of the Department of
Transportation, as of 1.4 transit recuests to the year 1990
totaled more than $6-•illi.on, in 1069 dollars. This does not
include certain systems that have been proposed since then.
Congressional approprat{ons for transit so far have been one -
tenth of that level, and even if the amounts authorized are appro-
priated, the dollars woiA d only be one - fifth of the needs. Pard
decisions will have to be made in coming years by the federal
government in apportioning funds among metropolitan areas. Currently,
in fact, federal policy is to puce higher priority on improvements
in bt5 systems, because of the energy crisis, as against funding new
regional fixed - guideway.
A metropolitan area that expects to receive g07 of whatever it asks
for, may find its exnectations thv-arted. This had been said publicly
by officials of the Department of Transportation. To the extent the
feecral portion is not forthcoming, the balar..ce will fall on the local
taxpayers or a syster will be only partially built, which means, of
course, its service will be even more limited.
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use In a Riven . , ' , I i, '71. 1 t
-in �--,Ltie area, of ren.sit co
counted only as one ran,:, and, c,: r t a -.' n t1" 1? T11C S t s 4 "n
,.jL - " -,� r to
:�, I t 1.1.rl�i �js A 'Or
E. TTrDroN7etl- acces
I in f I u,_, i,.
MTC in 1969 has __;jjsjt can be p;rt�
in shaping land ua;c- when the s".f7,n
to thnt land. :E , -i t n 01. -, e r y 4 ane 1-
t�)C- c el: s
rea�'v providps .,ary lh.�_gh accessJ'
way system al
A regional fixed - PW i6e'0,17 not -,11-1.r-_ -
to the land I Vr, gtatjorii ar.,6
4 - P {MT, -4
-13-
CIONCI,t'Si9lis
Our conclusions Ln bri ,- f :
I. Tne bus - i-iprovement nares of the MTC plan, are urgently need,:,' and
should be sunpor.ted.
II. Much higF?�ir serv1'_cr- s=owls need to he set for this re,:,ior: --
service w")-icl, is de signed fol all ur'. an residents. S.jc}? service Powis
can be attainted by working, Ta to"i_ wl-th tii(- network of smaller, file>r.ibl ,
usually privately -• nu-,ej vehiclas w'�-,i^h h;ve the capab'lity o` aa.ra:-
cn all pu:)Zic streets and hi.a?'�-;>+�s, ratiiar than by
public bu, sys`r:Tt.
Iif. Mnre eT^7411asi.s bp upon avolding cr reducing C7?e 1E:'"SACC[
of trips. st J*Tnul at::.,:= the locatlon.. of
housing to rc loc.,atLd w.;'..r and i. ;r::c;?i ately ad;ace^t to riajur dive; s`_", F c'
centers. TransA -- di.Gtance flxzec! - dui tr.zi.s:.
offers 'super4.or T'ichillr �,-`.L'Hn Tnnjor ct,ntnrs maycio more to t; c..e•,r ^,>
location e- r (14
.Stance, ,�i:ii '70 U...� t.tCi:l .... :r, -- !�.>.StaT-iCe., fl._..i�r� ,t_liC��ikTd!/ :......-1. ,
connects centers wit) reino.:it housinp ?oca*ions.
TV. 7ne r`!•_ �7nai fixed ,^.uic?eTr4y port c . of
supported becou.•^,e _r i'•£:ttcr sE7rv1.-e to rot.
metropolitan arca re.s`r'Arts ?t lc•.,cr cost and tecauSe the reY_iona fiYj
guideway would provide fT>,-ther erCr'u''-_h7'T!C nt tr Bu;iroit lcTig, - -':st_an.-
travel rather t :viii . 'io:tc:r tri_is.
Our conclusions L, mors: detail:
I. The bus - ir�•rovemenr *?arts of the 'ITC plan are urgently needed an,]
should be supported.
A. Increased subuj ,iv is needed --Recent increases in diesel fuel `rices
and cost of�aEDor are largely out of the MTC's hands. If fundi, are
not found, servi•^e cutbacks would have to be made.
Desp=ite the ,_>_,latively small part which the public bus syste;r plavc
ins the metropolitan area's transportation system, it is a valual-.le
pu.? is utili Ly , 3eserviag of public support.
While we might prei"er the use of part-time drivers and better uti-
lization of full-time drivers during the off-peak hours, we do
delude ourselves that such changes are easy to come by, nor would
they do the job of eliminating the need for public subsidy.
We would not advocate an increase in the basic 30 -cent fare, recog-
nizing that is probably would adversely affect ridership.
B. Immediate bus -expansion is justified --The MTC's 800 -mile network of
bus routes provides valuable service to residents who live nea4
these routes and whose destinations coincide with those of the rnutei..
Very little excess capacity is available during the morning ar d eve-
ning peak hours.. Almost all available equipment is in use at those
times, with standing -room -only a common sight.
-14 -
bore fra uc,..t a= -
t� i. n1.',15 p»ese?nt r01 _?', A1C`?It t.-?. j -.:"# ,l:'. C -
where de:,Si7a6 is wr' i i entified, is urgent!'' :leedad at thl P. t4 p";
Pexso-s w',:, �, x ,:. [ an r: ,.
ought to ' e prr�,vioe. + .:ic. finismean-i t le • r� = ... : � cam-
The XTC LIP:i 11 s'. =,x _ _, -r for sora:'• t1 2 ... , L) sh" wE,.ic? a. _
duffed to arri ,e �egxnri?,,g Apwil 1, 1474. Sone 23b of tat• -e new L uses?
had been scha '.•1_,' to r�-:,1t.ce old bus,.,3. Now V,e 'i:^ �
cause a:. the a ie -."c ' ..._.. �.R, to keen) Vie old rasps ine:. J -E . s .
add d-; Ve,•3 and about 50 mechai.. _: L,-
expans10-,. If t" .. :. d not ha,•a the. neva xj!�-!s rn a%- . t' s
like; v it. wn"',d no- _ �c_ the enphrtunit;y -., re.
fiscal Yei.::, the old c+usc:s we-a...d .'•f L!.
fleet fuZE.-hti-_n3 to :t tOt2i Of 1,1� �t.
_ The prograr~ i:. urg-'ti ,=%ui r:ea;!s su-,po.t.
C. Further b'1.3•^?'',Ir.L, d CP.p t:a;, impr.cyeiaerrts reed F'__.: �•,i
menaed -a2 _ "rpt m of the
^111. •i -'i
sites, bub -' 0, c_-s_'z.: r bus £ tatj':11
out in de:t:F.W.l 7. LVr1.-. S 10Cat 1o'.size r"_• :t _ wry,
1 -1 -,t -t ..:'e ._e CJ^` feted oui k
C
taken olcnj, -w-ch F.►'h'E t;: laC i GP prope'sF -E �C e. :.'.. ' c
areae.do,.pit,,: ,Vk4 _-r_ ihr,c:F: tnc `tette. ' j-_
MUCh
service which i i vnrreside` ts.
be attained by u'c cr tl - t r!v "� S-
privately - owned ve -- - - i
public street EThifr•+T„` ri r t r ti 'i ICTk_n ` ft•
bus system. ---
(Our service concert i 7Dr1i�> rr �•eilicle ta}ich t,r. "f.
the opportuni;:y to r�,-e, rpt' :-. �'.;,. '-_ve, includin,r rri� a .
concept is spelled out
'Pronter octaiil in an e..rl,'. ?
Building Incentive= s fox 3 .=.._ 7o nide). � _t•.
A. Small vehicle, n -"e de..•J to ale,,puately serve
every five t= r!c � " zi tan:aj on a ty?ic:_. c
area either l:' t : c end at ho -e. This fc^r is c* de,.;._ ,,,
for transit, ran_ it, ii it is to serve, r.u-, fir: a ,. +
Twin Cities o_ disperse.i, sin_'e_ a, jy"'--
to pick up pe-sor-' at h1me and get then
not to connect hc- rlsces with work-pacN.,.,
shopping, offica, and industrial locations with anther. w ;�
may appear, on tre surface to have some
of trips occur b4tween and ancon.€ these locatioa::, Inc
connect resides,zes :tiit:: work -places and other destinations, v..--. -
they happen to ;,e.
B. Give first vriori.t� to the work trip --Of all trip: taken by Pe,
in the metrotjol.itEtr' area today the work trip is the one wnic'n
most regular fr,;:- day to day in terms of roti P and tinir.c aq
as concertratlor cf persons ar a common destir.a:io;i, Mor, -!'
r.;•:
work trip is most critical for meeting the revdr cF
viduals whose job nnpertunities are limitec to the a: •_ ac tt•c i r. -
get to without drive .g, In terms of combLtir.s ever- reliar c °
the automobile, co:lcentration on the work trip i,-
for
sfor reducit:2 th- r.tember of r.:o-car .familiee �eca;sa rite:;- cc=,
the extra car is needed for the work trip. _. } -.. cs- .'e
a non -driving tL 4 it is much more likes ly t._ .
the day alcn W411 ho
The 19-.(' Txae-.'. Feiznvfor re.Vee..' 4
of
the ti.:.V s Ly ba�t,c,
5.4%, irvs r: 8' Gt*;�r
t bar: is
31.17. if are f a I L, C Faz t-_- I - I.,
t
-1 f ti.
could '0,M' ILC-4mc:-
v,,j, L -o th
hour ava-_ -,t vou'lu
to work, ox 1.'"" 'J� Galt s, cf, Yc�&C Cr
parking 'Lots.
Any lock at the cif
v -,x
other purpos", Or
which ig '-o T:-ert the
dual. VIC. rt:*,pecf- to wc-rk
orJieL- locar.*en, ^Iic -v:rJr I
lis. the M`6'W;�y Or, n xlk
area along F, -r pf F,. 1 'JUI e..Ilat'f..
L- ey
or Fr or
k,
the re-glor, onr. P !x
11,ar
dri-I
fess-ionel jr,,--er c"' i-
exami,lt 71 k
some 460
be?;W Vr.'_,3
C. Higher tr.=�sit i7ca_-.�-, uee-�Ied-_We cann a tre:x-,, --E. :.`Oil goa'
!-� srZ_;
. -
whI.ch offern
ridPr!,Ih:-'r- oii the "Us syu,_tl:.
For that purtion o a tion i M ch
very much necfIrO. Rut- -,Fuch lok-! :azi
-
relipuce urian ).ar-e , T :Jb I 'L C ly e c rrun
on fixed s-hadaes
of sez-vIx4. vast maj.,)rIty Of tri -I
pote-.,itia.1 i -L Ir
..-,i
small, T ' :7:t S' ;,i j.e f 10c t.
_JT -&ie uestion
C.- to tal'x. 1r]tern,-.-,
even. as of
all trips pe-;senRerp. -at.ie*- tlLaa
D.
i V
n t S o e
Reside T
within
maxinum
t
ed Li Lzs
least a c. ;.=. _c, work 0�,:-itl not
avd no- Again. thli� use
of sinall
E. Better qervt,7e ca7i helT> "soar)eI!--TtIio mecronoliran tz_�!'�g
age de,41opwent oa skipped -over I-vn4 �
Vj.-SUE
to enco-tr 4 - F 1t is
At present, transit takes one no more attrsct`vo C-io OUI,-r-,
both depeni-f. Che auto. The one differqvlt C JOI e
in land could i:! the presence of traicit ser,., -.1 as t'he
availability of a ride to work, which will re�a]r�: rj,, as:e, of Lvurse,
of small vehicles.
-15 -
III. "ore emphasis _must he placed upon avoiding or reducing the length
of trips. This means stimulating the location of new, higher - density
housing t:o 'fie located within and i_mmediatP ac,�acent to maor.diversified
centers. Transit -- e -7-2n. -, - dfixedid
distance, fixed guideway. transit --which
offers_superior mobilia within-rAJor centers may _do more to eneourape
location of such housirg than lon_rdistance, fixed _ f,uidevav transit
which connects centers with remote housing locations.
So far this metropolitan area has worked essentially on one side of the
travel "equation", namely the siipply side. The other side, demand, has been
considered to be mainly an independent variatie. In plain words it has been
thought t; -:at travel demand must be accommodated, whatever its nature. Par-
ticularly, in this metropolitan area, we have continued to re -enforce the
tendency for ever - increasing length of trips.
But if this metropolitan area does nothing to encourage living environ-
ments in which the need to take long trips is diminished, our transportation
problems cannot be solved. A respectea national authority on transportation
who has studied transportation problems around the world has conclude!, after
many years of study, that there is no "solution" to the problem of meeting
travel deman6. The only wall:, in this person's opinion, tc solve the
transportation problem, is to reduce the need for trapsportatior►.
New, at this point in time, the metropolitan area is approaching a
decision - point on ti -e future direction of longer - range transit planning.
So far the focus '?a�: been chiefly on transit improvenents that would
continue to re - enforce longer distance travel. The 57 - mile regional
fixed - guideway proposal, for example, would make it easy for residents wino
live far from their destinations to make trips. It would, thereby, support,
in coming years, location of housing at remote distances from destinations.
Because four out of five trips begin or end at home, this means, inevitably,
a continuation of long - distance travel. In effect, more transportation
and more transportation problems.
Transit improvements which would encourage shorter trips have been talked
about but have net received the priority which they deserve. For exanple,
the MTC plan includes support for internal circulation systems which would
serve concentrations of housing, employment, shopping, and land uses in
the same general Location (the major diversified centers throughout the region.)
In effect, such internal circulation systems would be designed to provide
superior mobility within a fairly small area, meaning that short trips would
be aided because it would become particularly easy to take short trips. Inter-
nal circulation systems can take many forms. Their important characteristic
would be that they uo uld crake it easy to tale short trips, say, up to a mile
or two. Such syste^s could l,e non - vehicular or vehicular. That is, an
enclosed walkway is an internal circulator. The vehicles could be bicvcles,
mini - buses or other vehicles which are not fixed to the guideway. Or the
vehicles could be automated and fixed to a guideway, operating as an internal
circulator.
The creation of internal circulator systems which provide much better
mobility within major diversified centers will support the already - evident
tendencies for more residential development in and near such centers. Again,
if more housing locates here, this will mean more shorter trips, rather than
longer trips.
There are many advantages to transit planning which stresses imprcvemert
of internal circulation systems:
A. --o.!ipetes C -'tit T I
-alor
fl.vers�-,
�;reat,es -i !,(-re 4-�: r:rr� T';e s*r,:.
way netucr,, 1 i, si-<: t�- f;) a
11TO"Irld the T•_'. o,- 'TC,
circulat-1,.i7. Wi :I
T•JOri ti of 17, t`5. 1) Z? r-tA a-- ro', r at,,- i,., r
..alel�:o-
C. Capair. lf. o -1v
that aT;
th.-
op,erarinr, 3 -11 -
!'ears beforc. a!
t, r
o hrr,c. ai� iTn!� 1: 077. C
ree-le-' c,
D.
I.
I
*o COPIT,
as Woll fj
miles Of .•^r 7)
mil -:z
E. Risk o" ;-,r r`nir1--'1-1` If, T-G:-
j
a suJ.
l) �ejriona` '-Jxc,6 oT
out to e a ni S Lak e , t 1 C rr: SE 1711 it""I C C' S 0 8T1 C 3 V
less than_, ficr-exar!11c
turned out to ')E, a
F. !,Tat as e:,mc,i A -,e esti.—,a:!-es, n ar
circul a t r cr, 1 i I J s t '1,0,
these i, - iLu.;'_1.17 Clia! .Orr WOUIC' 1;e far Te3,C t!-.-ITl
a] fixed v viv , tir, -z' run c r-,, -3 s -A'rp ro,
f?,.)V;? 17 '1p,
q -ovidi- up P" of ,:'l fi c a
true that fpncral ofFicialls have- thoug'-. r-'ra r! I
funding rea`,.mal. fi.xe,, - guilei:Tn netwr;,•:
distance c. or.mi I t i,a 1 n F! t 9, 1 r i - al 1
ed to rL-d%-e nt—d for long, -- 1�.-,
that federal ofilcials Tads -ht !c.:,--1-
regional sy�gems, ilowever, incroas-in's,1,7. 'erir os:
Portation whether as `U-een
or between car' tzO. nnci opernt!n, cxnense or
regional systen7, are likolly to 1-c. rade hel.ota .he
4n a general el'oration of fuimvs for
IV.
The regional
` 4 ::Q6 - �u ir %-
p rtion
0 f the - 1' ' mart art
s up p o r t e d
because o t 1h. e r
i. -T, r ov eme n t-, c P -L
-o
%_i�, P
I-) c z r E-, r sere;'
politan area residents
--,t lower cyst ire,
tecause
ti!,-- re,:�
would provide further encouzagemenL to support lon,-, - 0
than shorter trips.
-1R-
Ue do not dispute the claim that the regional fixed - guideway system _
would attract more riders, once it is built, than just the bus system. Nor
do we doubt that the regional fixed - guideway would have some impact on the
location of new development.
Our findings and other conclusions, however, convinced us that goals of
the regional fixed - guideway can be met better, quicker and at lower cost by
other means. Therefore, the regional fixed - guideway is not needed.
If cost were no consideration, the metropolitan area probably could be
blanketed with regional fixed - guideways that would enable any resident to
get wherever he wants to go. The question is whether a billion - dollar expend-
iture can be justified for a fixed - guideway network that would serve only a
very small proportion of trips in the region and then only 10 to 20 years
from now. We think not. Much more can be done by other means.
17hile the regional fixed - guideway would have some impact on new
development, we believe that its impact would be to continue to support a pattern
of development which requires long - distance trips rather than short - distance
trips.
Construction of the regional fixed - guideway might occupy a dis-
proportionate amount of PITC time and energy over the next two decades. The
MTC's development plan indicates that the regional fixed - guideway is at the
center of its plan, with all other parts relating to it. The MTC might find
it difficult to give adequate attention to other service aspects of transit
when so fully occupied with the regional fixed - guideway.
Moreover, if the go - ahead were to be given by the Legislature to
construction of the regional fixed - guideway, it could convey the incorrect
impression that the region's transit problem had been "solved" thereby.
Consequently, other needed improvements affecting more trips and more people
might not receive adequate attention.
Perhaps sometime in the future an automated regional fixed - guideway
could be justified, if at that time it could be demonstrated as needed as
part of an overall transit service concept in the region. But such a justi-
fication is clearly absent today.
19-
R (7,,( r• NDA' IO!?S
I. Inuaediate bus .,ervice inrr;i rent-;
A. 1 -le recommend that. ti•.e 1974 Lepisla`ure ap;>ro-kre the TIT(- rEc? .cnr. i..
additioral financio. to cover increasing st;hsidies reyuire.0 tc su snort
its presr-nr. lev- " c' Sf
B. We recc.mvent' that 11-1,E' ";4' Lepialature aprr,Dva the "',TC " rc^u^ 5;
U p tU �! �'; l� l'.5 f?: {:L its bus : ief dDrJ C
Legislature provY;?P the neves-sary `ur.:1s -cr ti-iis e::r a} ;jar•.
C. Ile recomi(iend t!. i Cie .. 1 renare a sp i is Ian
estimates, lr,•..___ an" Size of rrcomr:^-,(~r:d i.ar'r•: - a-` •- r:,.c_
sites, bus loa(."n areae and Eus shelters ai.d s':atiovs, nc� c3 -,t.`....
review o- the pian by th,_ trorolitan rnu--A1 ('.c -is,, t-nt '
capital plan here're see':ini' legislature a':thorit rn. its Y::oC 'tee'
084 rijilian corcf_::ruction pro -,ram fcr ti_ese purposes.
II. The MTC loap, - r,-,Tj el=
We recorunenc _h --.'t the lP r1
for preli-minor" plan rr""ne.Trint
study of its: p..='our,snd 57 - mile regional fly -c - • c._,,::..
III. Reduction e_`' tea.*l
A. We recom end P. re - or.ien'_at'on of lcng - ranee* transit
in the metropolis"an a' e? tc focus or reds+circ; tl-e ane".:r:t or
by encouraging short trins rather t`iar( long ti -ins. T' -,i s
particularly, tbEx improvcmc_nt of circulation Sy�;Lef%s r�'itll7;. alir
diversif ee centers., so as to give a ;lefintto adh antage to r
in short tri, s as against lone. trips. Plans slcould tha complete"
early enoug'-, so rnut the 1975 Legislature can taF:a act on. PI ':'.: sT�ould
cover m:, cz ,ii.vcrsifi.ed certers as may be identified throun.l,cot t'F:_-
metros_ oli.an a- ca. They should include, as I_eed,-d. a varict,, of
kinds of internal circulation systems, including enclosed waiKk vs,
bike - ways; mini - buses, and in some cases, suh - regic•r(al
guideways for areas within and irurediatelvt ad.iacer,t to maio:- 'diot,r -i!
fied centers.
B. We recommend ir:'lediate experiments in demand - responsive service in
neighborhos"s around the metropolitan area, utilizing taxis or other
vehicles as desirable.
IV. Small - vehicle service
We recommend major expansion of efforts to proTM;ete transit ser -,`;7e i" small,
usually privately - or:n?ed vehicles, including:
-- Establishment of a Qeal of reducing the number of drivers, and incren -
ing the number of passengers, in the metropolitan area tc nrr'ut cs;,°' ty
1980. Annual nrogr`ss towards this i*oal should be monitcre,'.
ported.
--
Preparation of a plan,*ith a recom^:endated leislati• i e u> fcr
j..
action by the 117,75 5 Legislature, on ways to improve t!)e :.;raf of the
private vehicle fleet. ."t ch a plan L;houlc' .i.t;i:l.::'c, �c r cell'` , rear
ence to any noNdcci incentives •- positive or newt ive --- to encourage
more ridership.
-21---
OF
?1.-.
OF Uro,.?IE?dn,ATIO-7-
Readers undoubtedly will have many questionq al-ar:t the recornendations.
This sac.tion of the rerort is intended to anticipate some of tile questiorls ^nd
try to provide an..v yrs
Z.
How Lill' tl.e ln!:_ t�'C ''ant 'LntEI'c Sf'
tation pro Lem read ;:o t'ze pror)osals?
Ve don't know, nog,*, hoer tt:e• c771_1_ react. Ye can say, now.,l;r,, WE:
hope they would respond, reasonably.
-- The MTC. It will be disap jointed that ve do not su)2pori_ the ae; io_,a:t
fixed - guideway, which ha,: beer: at the ce:,' c.r e M'C
the recommendations support a fi�jor expnn_ -,ion of MTC bu
Moreover, the MTC has the opportunity to develop and ope ':-:rt
circulator transit syster:s, which may be the most alvance,l t~ansit cc:1.-
cent in the nation, because they can offer -- fol. the first tine, --
an opportunity to reduce the r.?ed for lonn trans.
-- Advocates of PRT. The internal circulatorthee: clic o,�p.):.tun I:v
to try the new teehnolo^y they urge, or somet1-1n rinse to i:: --
although not on a aceawide basis as then would rref.er. Hc�tr•:r:r, tr.c
areawide service concept recommended in the report whicli. strc_s5es
extensive u of existing smill, dertane - responsive, persona . � e
provi.dir.r, origin - to desination servi.c.e, w..th offis qulte similar to the Pi.T service concent. There is ons
difference: the present systeia requires dri-.:-erg,. Under t; c YR'' service
concent vehicles.are automate -l.
-- Central Cities -- They are mr=.ch better off than under the Y7C plan.
our proposals will reduce congestion and auto travel more. The. -
provide incentives for hig'; - rise buildings to locate in major centers,
like the downtown not in lox - density, built - up re sidencial. neigl.-
borhoods. This ereatEy enhances the vitality of the fit. Paul ane{
Minneapolis c.owntowns, and eliminates the prospect of difficult coi'lict
with the residents over the construction of apartments and parkin¢ lots
near the fixe(* - guideway stations in residential areas.
-- Suburbs. Tih.y need service, and they get it. In many cases, sui:urt:an
residents have no hope of walking, as an alternative. Big buses won't
work. Suburbs must have a vehicle system. A small - vehicle systen is
the only system that can hope to bring service to all residential streets.
-- ,inner - City residents. Joh opportunities for perso::s wi.t'.iout reacy_
access to their owl, private autos, which includes many low -• i.nco-i--
persons, will he broadened because they no loner will be limitccl to
jobs located along conventional transit routes which serve their
borhoods. --hey will have access to the flexil,le, sr.all -- ve0iCl^s
71.oreover, door - to - door service usinry small vehicles which pick un
workers at home can help stimulate regular job attendance on the part o`
persons who nay have had problems in maintaining a regular work schco'ule
in the past. Inner - city residents will benefit, too, because they
will experience no disruption, by construction, of any regional syste1,
and high - density apartments won't intrude into their. neighborhoods.
--Metropolitan Council. The Council will be disappointed in our failure
to support its busway concept. But our system conforms to low - risk,
incremental strategy, which was the essence of their nolicy.. Also our
proposals have maximum impact on implementing the diversified centers
concent and on restrictinc urban sprawl.
-22-
) _ r C. i. to our -Oc y i"•Or: 11n 'rke current Ll! - �G'C i;2.7iE' r.1"'i^ (% ^Qt •
We are not supporting any specific proposal at t'n`:, time.
Proposals for automated f _xed - puidew^y internal ciTcu':•-,TOr�z n.
active for the Cedar - i:i�-erside - t'r.iversity of MinrLesotr,area for ,(',
. _
r for
ton Mineapoiis. Other prove!sals are under considPratio
wr-
Paul and the. Southdale - 494 - 140 area.
It is essential that our support for the concert of int --r;• ciI =
not be misunderstood as enecresement of any specific plan now 'W",-
ation. We have not reviewed any of these plans in 'aetai�.
• The motivation behind these plans varies from case to case. it
as if some plans were advanced chiefly to meet a specific need to :ot:
people from one location to another in an area defined as ri":=r ?i'✓''
fieri center. They were not necessarily advanced to r-o--i'e ; ,r e3"
movement throughout the residential -employment
entertainment corn—Aex which makes up a major diverii f ie -3 cert(' -
We are a:aare, tc.(,, rat the proposed alignme-ts c,i i!fe'er:~. lan
may have some conflicts. For exam -le, an interTial circc�at^-.
which has been propc3ed for downtowr: Minr:eapelis ia3ir.- tha,
Possible to extend the system to the Cedar -
Meanwhile, an interna] circulator proposal nog- under cjn-idera_icc ir:
Cedar - Riverside - University area contemplates the p-5sibilitV :. zt;t
sion as far as General Iicspi tal in do�mtovn Minneapolis.
The variety of internal circulator proposals now beim, advances'. in
to us the degree of interest wtiicl; prevails for this concept. mut
no position to present a plan '.or such internal circulators. ii`! effect., `
are urging that transportation planners and decision - ma};P-=s re
attention on providing ret: transit facilities to help peoT)le -Oct arnu-.
major diversified center:_,, where real problems of T-10-er:ecit ex,s
where real opportunities for stimulating new higher - densit,j housir.s-. to
are present, and where preference can be given to short tri,)-
3. Wng do we placo succi a high degree of ems ,-,2ei6 or.
using transit for internal circu',ation?
We have identified an entirely new dimension on the role o'
in a metropolitan area such as ours. It is a dimension jhich c(!',!u t r,
all conventional thinking about transit's role.
It would not seem unfair to state that until now at virtually eve -:-v
of transit and transportation planning from the federal government on do'_:-',
transit facilities have been designed and built for Lor? ty-n,. 7— "ilelpin:_
the commuter to get to work." or "easing the congestion on our freew<
Not that it isn't importan� to help the commuter net to work of to eaEe
congestion on our freeways. But in our metropolitan area, at least, we ha--
found
a' -found better ways to handle those problems without building a fixed :��'
transit system. The new dimension which our report adds is tl.atit
facilities, here, ought to be built for short trips. At first bluE.l, ti ,
may appear to be turn_'.ng all of transportation planning inside ou. , 'cru
-23 -
probably it is.
Why, therefore, are we placing such emphasis on transit which makes it
easier to take short trips, and, more explicitly, short trips wiOr-:in a major
diversified center?
* The concept of short trips goes to the heart of arty long - terms sc.u-
tion to the transportation problem. So long as facilities are
provided to enable people to travel farther and faster, ti,.at is what
they will try to do. it simply means more cost, more congestioc-i and
more demand for more ?_orng - distance facilities to ease. conguestio;.
* If, on the other hanil, facilities are made available which make i.t
particularly ac.vanta ;ons Lo take snort trips, this ma T
stimulate new residential development to be located in closes s:roxi
mitt' because of the superior movement which will be L:a4eoss
1;..
thereby. Short trips represent a way to reduc., the de . jr.d-
portation.
* Transit facilities would be built with the stratcgy ir: mind no'�
simply of accommodating the demand for travel, ULt seeki.nF to in`lln.
ence that demand.
* Internal circulation systers are likely to do more th«r any ott
transportation improvement to male major divert,=tied center:, rr a' :i k
succeed. To the extent tlat such systems encourage --ew r s.dt:c.fia:`
growth centers they serve tc add new vitality and stren,ti: rc
the centers.
* Conventional means of transportation -- mainly the auto -- a.e vex
difficult to use as a means to get around within a center. Thus ne,4
transit facilities can be built to serve a market where every other
means of travel is inferior. This is not usually the case with
transit facilities which serve long - distance travel.
* From a strictly practical standpoint, it is much easier to provide
more fregeuent (therefore, more superior) transit ssry ce at reason-
able cost, when the service area is not too long - distance.
Transit vehicles can make more round trips.
4. What is a major diversified center?
A major diversified center is a cluster of residential, employment.
shopping, cultural,education, medical, and recreational iand uses all
located within the same general area.
It is not a group of department stores and shops built around an enclos-
ed mall. Shopping facilities of the Brookdale, Rosedale, Ridgedale, Southdale
variety are definitely a part of a major diversified center. But by themselves
they are not the major diversified center we are talking about, nor, for that
matter, is that a major diversified center from the standpoint of the MTC
and the Metropolitan Council.
The 11TC's policy statements make it clear that major diversified centers
are to include clusters of employment, shopping, housing and cultural
-24 -
facilities in a limited number of regional locations, thereby reducing the
demand for many scattered trips. This is fully consistent with the Metropolitan
Council's policy on major diversified centers, which states: "develop major
diversified centers by clustering regional shopping, service, cultural,
entertainment, governmental and high - density residential facilities."
From our standpoint the residential component is absolutely critical
to the success of the major diversified center.
The amount of higher - density construction which will be built in
the Twin Cities area is not unlimited, although it is clear that in coming
years a significant portion of new residential construction will be higher
density. A 1973 law was designed to further stimulate high - rise construct-
ion by providing for a lower taxable valuation for high - rise as against
garden - type apartments. But there is still only so much of this kind of
development to go around. For example, a recent study at the University of
Minnesota of different land uses in the metropolitan area under a variety of
assumptions indicated that the overall proportion of dwelling units built as
high - rise would likely remain fairly constant, about 3 of all new dwelling
units. This percentage remained constant even under an assumption that two-
thirds of all new dwelling units would be multiple family.
Because only so much new high - rise construction will be built, the
question of its location becomes very important. We are saying such high -
density development should be located mainly within those locations identi-
fied by the Metropolitan Council as major diversified centers.
Already, there is evidence of strong interest in more high - density
residential development in and immediately adjacent to the downtowns of
St. Paul and Minneapolis. Internal circulator systems will be needed there
to serve the transportation needs of the thousands of anticipated residents.
The Metropolitan Council in February 1971 identified six major diversi-
fied centers already in various stages of development: downtown Minneapolis,
downtown St. Paul, the Southdale - 494 - 100 area, the Snelling - Pwy. 36
area in Roseville, the Brookdale area in Brooklyn Center, the 'Midway district
in St. Paul.
The Council also identified the general location of 10 other future major
centers: Coon Rapids - eastern Blaine, White Bear Lake, Lake Elmo - Wood-
bury, Jonathan, Inver Grove Iieights - Eagan, Burnsville - Apple Valley - Lake-
ville, Eden Prairie, Eastern Minnetonka - western St. Louis Park, Northern
Plymouth - Maple Grove - Western Brooklyn Park, and Eastern Cottage Grove.
5. Is it essential that internal eirculatorr, for all diversified centers
be planned together to avoid the risk of being unable, at some time in the
future, to Zink them up?
Not necessarily.
It is important to realize -- as far as this report is concerned --
that we are not recommending internal circulators as the start of an area -
wide transit system that would carry people all over the region. Some
persons who advocate such a system -- known generally as fine - grained per-
sonal rapid transit -- hope the internal circulators will be the beginning
-25 -
of such a system. Therefore, they attach high value to making sure that the
same technology is used in every center.
From the standpoint of this report, however, we are vieerintl Each :nri•rnal
circulator as being fully self - sufficient in its own right, whether aut:'mated
or non - automated, vehicular or non - vehicular. It does not need a rr-r,nection
with another system. Renember, we are urging the internal circulators t.
make it easier to take short trips within centers. They are not being Dr..;posud
to assist in movement between the centers. Some persons would arfr:.e, ;norc ova r,
that a ma4or diversified center's attractiveness as a location for ne:!
development would L�e diminished by connecting it with a regional
the center's particular advantage would be lost.
If vans and other smaZZ vehicles serve marl;, ?,lark tri; -)
kind of service will be provided bet7men peak hours, for the otr.,er -
work trips?
For such purposes, we see demand - responsive "dial a -- ri.a5 `
as be:,t suited.
!-.'e stress very 'ieavily the importance of utili zi < snaller, priv
vehicles for work trir,s that do not coincic'.e -:c.'.1 t�ith t': fI- uus
sys ten. And we concluded that, from the standpoint of t';,, ,.,_t.?' _ _.,te;-
the work trip deserves first priority consideration.
Nevertheless, many other kinds of trip requirements exist uirc 5_ri:C ti,
day: shopping trips, medical trips, music lession tris, and so fr.r;:'..
For many of these other tries, in those areas not served b, tlir- ?tT:`
bus routes, the private car is and should remain an important Part of trf.
system. A trip to the supermarket to pick up several baps of groceries rl.vy
well be handled best by the private car.
Unfortunately, with today's transportation system, ar. individual Is
almost required to use the private car for many other relatively short
because no alternative is available, such as running an errand to a
hood shopping shopping center. Such trips are taken a different lour of the day an,!
different times of the week. They need to pick up a persors close to hone
and deliver that person bacir at the doorstep or fairly nearby.
This is where we see the need for Demand -responsive "Ola -- a -• ri:'<-"
service! small vehicles circulating on residential st_eets tskir:r person:
from their homes to their nearby destinations. Such service would inv,�� :e
relatively short distances. A person living in Bloomington who wanted to gc
to Brookdale on a shopping trip could not expect to be serviced by =uclf ;!er,an-A
responsive service. But such a person could legitimately be provided with
a ride to a nearby shopping area within Bloomington.
Demand responsive service operating within and in the vicinity of
neighborhood is not unlike the idea of providing service in a mayor
diversified center as discussed earlier. That is, heavy emphasis is ;la,ed
upon frequent service within a relatively small. area.
The taxi is the closest form of dial - a - ride in the region todej.
It is a small vehicle, capable of traveling on all streets. It is ordered
-26 -
by phone. It provides service from origin to destination. The problem with
the taxi is its high fare. With taxis the driver has no incentive to carry
more than one passenger. His commission is the same for the ride, one
passenger or five. Thus the service tends, inevitably, to be somewhat
expensive. This problem should be able to be overcome with some changes in
the traditional fashion of delivering taxi service.
We understand that dial - a - ride - type experiments are being explored
by the MTC in connection with a series of ridership studies it now has under
way. As far as we know, no experiment has yet begun. Clearly, 50 - passenger
buses are not appropriate for neighborhood dial - a - ride service. It is not
yet clear exactly what role the MTC would play in developing demand - respon-
sive systems in neighborhoods around the region.
And there are other, as - yet - untried, possibilities. One is the so -
called "jitney", in which a small vehicle, probably the size of a taxi, would
travel along an established route, picking up and discharging passengers on
demand. We were informed that a large Middle East city moves some 100 million
people annually by means of the jitney.
Another suggestion is that of a part - time taxi. Perhaps some drivers
could recieve special licenses and equip their private cars with inter - com
connections with a central dispatcher. Then from time to time, as they would
desire, they could transform their own cars into taxis, perhaps carrying people
to the same destinations they are headed.
Perhaps, too, the van concept could be expanded to cover shopping areas or
medical clinics, with such facilities providing van service to pick up people
at their homes and take them back again.
A previous Citizens League report, Building Incentives for Drivers to
Ride, containsa number of suggestions on better utilization of the existing
fleet of vehicles - large and small, publicly - owned and privately - owned.
7. How does this report relate to the emerging developments on studies
of small - vehicle technology as taking place between the "MTC and the State
Senate MetropoZitan and Urban Affairs Committee?
About three days before our committee completed its work we were made aware
of a possible refinement in the MTC's long range plan, designed to accommodate
concerns of the Mass Transit Subcommittee of the Metropolitan and Urban Affairs
Committee as outlined in a background report issued late in 1973.
The possible refinement is addressed essentially to reviewing the questions
of (a) size of automated vehicle to travel on the MTC's regional fixed - guideway
(b) possibilities of stations being located off the main line of the regional
fixed - guideway so as to facilitate non - stop origin - destination service, and
(c) certain other questions relating to transit technology.
As far as we can see these issues are essentially outside of the questions
faced in our report. Our feelings about the need for the regional fixed -
guideway will not be changed if the size of automated vehicle is larger or
smaller or if off - line or on - line stations are proposed. We simply don't
see the need for a long - distance regional fixed - guideway for the region's
transportation system.
-27 -
COMMITTEE ASSIGNT11ENT
The Citizens League has been actively involved in transit and tri:::>E
questions in the Twin Cities metropolitan area for the past decade. Ir.
a League committee began meeting which eventually recommended, in
1965, the establishment of tl?e Metropolitan Transit Commission (i"":TC} .
1967 the League recommended the establishment of the Metropolitan Gc:c.-1
among other responsibilities, policy control over highways and transitt it
metropolitan area. In late 1968 another League report explored the Cart'.;�
decision - making framework in more detail. This was followec1y in 1911.
report which identified transit primarily as a service rather than
That report, too, spelled out League recommendations on transportation.
making. In early 1973 the League issued a report which broadly redet:r.ee,
transit as riding (regardless of the size or ownership of the ,-et_c__e1
Although previous League reports, particularly the 197.1_ rep .t. ,v_
addressed certain aspects of the MITC long - range plan, nE,s: until Earl; _:
was the MTC plan itself submitted to the Legislature. In the surnr:er ".
the League Board of Directors authorized the formation of a special
committee with the specific assignment of reviewing; the MTC plan, and
back by January 1974.
The Board asked that the 21TC Plan be reviewed fror., the sta::r.T�c
alleviating congestion, the social and physical development of liE: r«r
viding for transportation for persons without cars, improving and pres<<r
the environment, and the fiscal resources of the community. The comms-_,___
was told by the League president at its first meeting that the question r�
government structure in the transportation field -- having been addre:, :,e-_=
other League renorts -- -as outstle the stove of this committee's assggi:n,t_;:°.
COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
A total of 46 persons participated in the work of the committee_'};:
others signed up but were unable to participate. Co - chairmen were
E. Magnuson of Minneapolis and Paul Magnuson of South St. Paul. They arE u;-
related. Both are lawyers. Other committee members were:
D. 1d. Angland
Francis M. Boddy
Allan Boyce
Richard J. Boyle
Charles H. Clay
Eleanor Colborn
Rollin H. Crawford
Hugo Erickson
Waite D. Durfee
Joan Forester
Virginia Greenman
Ronald Hubbs
James A. Johnson
Robbin S. Johnson
Verne C. Johnson
Geri Joseph
Esther Kellogg
Carl Kroening
Larry Laukka
David Lebedoff
William Leeper, Jr.
Greer E. Lockhart
Steve McCormick
Arthur Naftalin
Martha Norton
Byron D. Olsen
Robert D. Owens
Judy Pearce
Elliot Perovich
F. War're'.. ` J
Rosemary
John Rc L; a.
Warren
Steven
Robert
John ''`i: SuI2
Marcia Tc,,!_-_ '_f1 .
Loren Si:r,:
Daniel I'r ;0-
Paul Uselm
Robert Van, oe_`
Robert C.
James I. '
John i ,.
--28-
The committee was assisted by Paul A. Gilje, Citizens League associate
director, Jon Schroeder, research assistant, and Paula Ferner, clerical staff.
The committee met 20 times -- a schedule of about one meeting a week -
from August 27, 1973, to January 19, 1974. Meetings were held alternately
in St. Paul and Minneapolis for convenience of committee members. Most
meetings were from 7 to 9 p.m., although the committee held one four - hour
session on a Saturday morning.
The committee devoted its first several weeks to intensive orientation.
This involved, first, two meetings with officials of the MTC for a briefing
on their transit plan. We then followed with an exploration of alternative
approaches which had been advanced, including the busways concept of the
Metropolitan Council and the personal rapid transit (PRT) concept backed by
a group headquarted chiefly at the University of Minnesota. At this time in
the committee work it appeared as if the committee's job was to decide among
the three approaches: regional fixed guideway, busways or PRT.
The committee soon learned to look at the problem in a different light.
This emerged after several meetings in which the basic pattern of trips in
the metropolitan area and the land use pattern of the area was reviewed. At
the same time the committee learned about certain low - capital "para - tran-
sit" efforts, involving essentially privately - owned vehicles.
The question of transit's impact on urban development came to the fore-
front in meetings on proposed internal circulator systems, the four - hour
Saturday morning session, and in a later meeting with Wilfred Owen, senior
fellow, the Brookings Institution, Washington, D. C.
Through the assistance of Congressmen Bill Frenzel and Donald Fraser,
arrangements were made for John E. Hirten, No. 2 man in the Urban Mass
Transportation Administration, Washington, D. C., to make a special trip to
the Twin Cities area to meet with the committee on the question of federal
funding for transit.
Notices of all meetings were mailed to officials of the MTC, Metropolitan
Council, Minnesota highway Department, PRT advocates, legislators close to
transit legislation, and others in the metropolitan area who are following
the transit debate. As a result, representatives of the public agencies most
affected by the discussion were present at most meetings. This was extremely
helpful to committee members. On many occasions the visitors were turned
to for comment. Officials of the PITC, particularly Doug Kelm, chairman, and
John R. Jamieson, director of transit development, attended meetings most
regularly. We are deeply grateful for their cooperation.
The following persons met with the full committee as resource persons
for one or more sessions:
Doul; helm, chairman, Metropolitan Transit Commission
John R. Jamieson, director of transit development, �1TC
Michael Ferrari, executive vice president, Simpson & Curtin, Inc., ccin-
sul.tant to the MTC
Robert L. Koffman, chairman, physical development committee, Metropc?ik :--
Council
David Graven, member., *Metropolitan Council, and former chairman of ;uur,cii`s
Development Guide Committee
Oliver Byrum, manager, development framework stu(l;, 1-letropoli tan
Steve Alderson and Michael Munson, Metropolitan Council staff
R. P. Braun, Barton - Aschr:an Associates, consultant to the Metropoli-car
Council
J. Edward Anderson, professor of mechanical en?ineering, University o`
rTinnesota, head of a University task force wliic't)
issued a report on PRT to the 1973 Lenislature.
Lloyd BerT,gren, manager, transit system.-, development, i'niflo Systems
Company
Ronald Koffman, chief transit liaison section, `linnesota Highway P,epart-
+ ment
Leonard Lehman, director, office administration, the 3'1 Company
Tom Durfee, Ptinneapolis Do<<mtowii Council
IIy Kilt>orn, the St. Paul Companies, Inc.
Roger Huss, transit coordinator, university of i+innesota
Wilfred Owen, senior fellow, the Brookings Institution, 1Jashingtor,, D. C.
John E. Ilirten, deputy administrator, Urban Plass Transportation Administra-
tion, Washington, D. C.
John Borchert, director, center for urban and regional affairs, niv:
of " innesota
Richard l'olsfeld, rat')er - 7'.in7rose -- ':'ol.sfe?d, Tuc., consult-=nt on
"n-iversity :?ren internal circulator study
-30 -
Max Goldberg, manager of: transportation, city of Minneapolis, wlio outlined
downtown Minneapolis internal circulator study.
Russell t4pgseth, staff, city of Blooninrton, :^o outlined Southdale -
494 - 100 internal circulator study
Ray Harris, private developer, 'tInneapolis
Bruce Thomson, president, Pem - Tom, Inc., hornebuilder
Robert C. Binsweiler, planning consultant, former planning director
Metropolitan Council
Roger Conhaim, housing consultant
Dayton Hudson Corporation
777 Nicollet MaLl
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55 302
January 21, 1974
Board of Directors
Citizens League
530 Syndicate Building
84 South Sixth Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
Dear Members of the Board:
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the report s-L:ID_
mitted to you by the Transit Facilities Committee. Although
several among you were members of the committee and worked
with the staff to turn the report in the current direction, 1 a--4
hopeful that some of the points I raise will become the foc2s c:*
serious discussion by the Board of Directors.
Before directing your attention to what I believe are specie
shortcomings of the report, I think it is only fair to state that
on the specific question facing the committee, i.e., the appro\,al
of the MTC regional transit proposal, I was in a distinct minority.
Further, I want to acknowledge that a large number of the suggestions
I have made over the course of the committee's work have been incor-
porated by the staff in the final draft. I am writing then not as
someone who feels he has not had an opportunity to speak his mind,
but rather as a member of the Citizens League who believes that
there are important questions relevant to the transit decisions we
face which are treated inadequately in the report and therefore the
report is unworthy of the Citizens League endorsement.
My specific concerns about the report are the following:
1. The s2ecific criticises of the potential of the MTC pr )t osai 011t -
lined on page 18 of the report are inadequate to the concision
they purport to support. There are essentially three; 1wi1 h
discuss the cost point in number 2. The report asserts constriction
of the MTC plan might occupy a disproportionate amount of time a::d
energy of the MTC. Do we really want to hang our hat on the poin_
that a formal organization once it reaches a certain size can ons,"
do one function at a time? The Department of Defense, General P'otors
and scores of other organizatiorsare modest examples to the conte-ary.
Secondly, the report states that acceptance of the MTC plan would give
the impression the transit problem is solved. The very existence of
the Citizens League to say nothing of other forces in the area cer-
tainly cause this point to fall of its own weight.
Board of Directors
Page -2-
January 21, 1SD,74
2. Inadequate attention is given in the report to the trade-off
of cost, source of reve.�iue, and the service received. No
impression of flexibility is communicated if our highly speculative
assumptions about federal support are incorrect. If federal money
was available for the MTC but not for the internal circulators where
would we stand? We say a billion dollar expenditure is not worth
what we receive. What is the comparative utility of a billion dollar
subway system (assuming 80% funding) costing the area $20.0,000,000
and 4 internal circulators costing the area $140,000,000 with the
assumption 50% federal funding. The service of the MTC system would
be many times tl.e internal circulator assuming current or planned
residential populations in the major diversified centers. Shouldn't
some cost alt rnatives and trade-offs be acknowledged as crucial to
the report?
3. The report over -reacts to the regional system planned by the
MTC to the extent of assuming an unconstructive2osture on the
importance ofcooperative planning of inte_nal circulator systems
and the po'terr_i.al for linkina internal circulators into sub -
regional systems. The respons_ to question number 5 in the dis-
cussion questions (pages 24-25) should be substituted with a positive
statement encouraging cooperative planning. A substantial number of
committee members shared this concern about the report.
4. The inrortance of the two downtowns in the continued vitality
or the metropolitan area is totally ignored in the report.
Approximately fourteen times as many people work in the downtowns
as work in any other location. The city councils of both cities
have stated their strong support of the MTC fixed guideway plan.
Discussion question number one on page 21 indicates that the central
cities are much better under the Citizens League plan. Residential
construction plans for downtown Minneapolis seem unaffected by the
negative response to the proposed internal circulator for downtown
Minneapolis. No substantial argument is made for the conclusion
drawn on page 21. Transit can be a major force to encourage future
commercial and residential development with the consequence of main-
taining the tax base and the services of the core cities.
5. The target populations of poor people, senior citizens, no car
families, one c=;,.r families who have a particularly acute need
for service are :iot a substantial part of the Citizens League
recommended program. The reference to the problem made on page
7 of the report un&rlines the concern transit planners should have
about this population. No further discussion is forthcoming. Vir-
tually all the new high density housing currently planned for down-
town Minneapolis and St. Paul and within the range of the internal
circulators is luxury or semi -luxury.
0
Board of Di::ect^:. s
Page -3--
January 21, 1474
6. The embrace u.t the concrt�of shc,r teni ng tAhe length .of trip
'and the impo�t:a.nce of +.;^E residential component of the major
diversified cent:er,_ sf t:.s t r� havY^ r�vershadow e -d finding number
1 in the crnelus ons and c.f the report. The
major recommendation o the orrumitteo. repot- is that the number one
transit idea we t in.: ha.s pote;:ti.al i.: =perding large sums of money
for internal circulators in areas w h re peop:i.e do not presently live.
The City Planning Commisslon i.r.. t41inne-a.polis calculates that there
is presently a market for 1,074 apartments per year in downtown
Minneapolis. That is probably in excess of the calculated demand
in most of the of .er centore- T s ;paort the planning
of internal circulators aF a part of t_.' -_e total transit picture, but
,-
is our focus- `_ �.
there :�ully r-�a�;�onsiv� ����
...: :L:::r.sit needs of the
metro-oli tar, area.
If
7. T:,e negative
,amt o.:._:c•c�s�_
'.rr.•�.
r,-imbe.rs of surface
butes on ' i_E
r�.cwnto�, n
area :a � '�:i: � .y
-__
T�f--� demand on t e
_residen{_i�
_ _
.''_..� ' .ar. -. . Y �..'`... .'.e
. Clet ET.�_ i 3:a
_'raish to c:ceate has
_
il��` liCc i a� E: ! .0 - `= . ;;�, _ :,+ E -;i ; _•r`5
. E. v l: tsubterranean
feature, of rte i' ': ? i,az, IV
a r..: ''r r• c:; t. ,
_ is naver mentioned
in tho reprrt.
^':F: prcpo ..k"d
T
nlat-.or for downtown
Minneapolis
a nig:::>,.;.-
, r_ -F :P;,-:;::.�.. i;a
'z;Zge i arz because
of the elevated,
I believe that an accen*:ar:C,. c.r t3 c ri-. .)nmended report will substan-
tiallv d4ndn.i:2h the po it-i.v-:i i.rnpact -4.i:e (::,;.t.iz; ns League would have
in the transit area. Now i.::; time to stand above the present
battle, focus ar.tc rtor or 470mn ui t t- now ideas which emerged from
thi3 committee, and r:i .int_.in a postiare which w.,ill allow for con-
structive pa rt c i.i,':.:> cry ._:, .i:i'. r A repo;_ from which the
obvious heaC lallc. is `Sari"ti: *_' iS I:Ya. ut: _`.hacks MTC Plan" is more
likely to be part f.•-: -,:he p4roblczi i_;'. part of the solution, as one
member of the commit' -,>a st:<<tej.
Tire argument will ine vita?_).1. y i:)e raised t -)Z%t the committee met nearly
every week for four ori.V^ months and that if the Board does not
accept the report:, tip effort will have_• been for naught. As a
person who spent as murk time toorking with the committee as
any other member, ?.cit mG simply say th:at.'1 think not only several
members of the .:j!wil.ttae but many in the broader metropolitan com-
munity would Le indebted to the Board for such an action.
I am grateful to you for your consid<�.ration of this letter. I
assure you I have great respect for the contribution the Citizens
League has made .and continues t.o make to this area.
Sincerely,
n
mes . Jci,--ason
Director of Public Affairs
Committee members who joined Johnson in his dissent were T-Jaite Durfee, Hugo
Erickson, Byron D. Olsen, Loren Simer, and "arcia Townley.
ABOUT THE CITIZENS LEAGUE . . .
The Citizens League, founded in I�152, is an independent, non-partisan educa-
tional organization in the Twin Cities area, with some 3,600 members, specializing
in questions of government planning, finance and organization.
Citizens League reports, which provide assistance to public officials and
others in finding solutions to complex problems of local government, are developed
by volunteer research committees, supported by a fulltime professional staff.
Membership is open to the public. The League's annual budget is financed by
annual dues of $15 ($25 for fami ly memberships) and contributions from rrore than 50C-
businesses.. foundations, and other organizations.
0- #icer,
r'ert
Pe t:;r 1�. HFegaard
Vi,', PWesi dens
wavne H. 0lson
Peter Seed
"yrs. Pat Davies
Francis M. Boddy
Stuart W. Rider, Jr.
Secretary
Gordon M. Donhowe
'rreasurer
WiiIiam J. Hempel
Di rectors
Newton Ablahat
1-harles H. Gackstron-
Dale E. Deihoffer
Mrs. Elsa Carrenter
Charles fl. Clay
Pars. Eleanor Colborn
Rollin H. Crawford
Richard J. FilzGerad
Raymond K. Frellsen
Ray Harris
James L. Hetland,Jr.
George C. Hite
Verne C. Johnson
Mrs. Geri Joseph
Pers. Jean King
Tod:; Jeffrey Lefko
Arthur Naf tal in
Roger r'almer
�:'aync G. Popham
John W. Pulver
Leonard F. Ramberg
Allen I. Saeks
Waverly Smith
John M. Sullivan
Matthew Thayer
Douglas Wallace
James L. Weaver
Ceo rge We i ke rt
Past Prps1 den"S
Cha! -los H. E'eii.?•r
Cnarles H. Clay
D. Curfe
John, F. Finn
i hard J. ritzGeraItj
Eti:;lte. S. Harris, Jr.
:Janes L. Hetl and, Jr.
Sluart s,,. Le, -,K, Sr.
Gi-e,nr- E. Lockhart
John W. P°,00tE '
Nc;rmar, L. Plewha 1 I , Jr.
Wayne H. Olson
Leslie C. Park
Malcolm G. Pfunder.
James R. Pratt
Leonard F. Ramberg
Charles T. Si lverson
,chibaid Spencer
Frank ';Ja l tern
John W. Windhorst
Staff
Executive D's rector
Ted Kol derie
Associate Director
Paul A. Gilje
P,1ernbership Di rector
Calvin W. Clark
Research Associates
Clarence Shallbetter
-
Glen Skovholt
Research Assistant
Jon S ch roe de r
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
3400 PLYMOUTH BLVD., PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447
TELEPHONE (612) 559-2800
DATE:MEM O
January 9, 1985
TO: James G. Willis, City Manager
FROM: Fred G. Moore, Director of Public Works
SUBJECT: Closure of I-494
County Road 15/I-494 Interchange
City Project 129
C. S. McCrossan, the contractor constructing the new interchange at County
Road 15 and I-494, has received permission from Mn DOT for a temporary
closure of I-494. This temporary closure is necessary for the removal of
the existing bridge and to set in place the steel for the new bridge.
A detour will be established when this portion of I-494 is closed on
Highway 12 - County Road 18 - Highway 55. All of the necessary signing for
this detour has been coordinated with Mn DOT, Hennepin County and the state
highway patrol.
Only the north bound or the south bound lanes will be closed during the
early morning hours. Both directions of travel will not be closed at the
same time. During this closure, a state patrol officer will be posted at
the interchange, either north or south, to insure that traffic already on
the interstate exits and follows the detour. The on ramps at Highway 55
and Highway 12 will be barricaded with the appropriate detour signing.
The schedule for the closing of I-494 for the removal of the existing
bridge is as follows:
January
10
1:30 a.m.
to
5:00 a.m.
- south
bound
lanes
January
15
1:30 a.m.
to
5:00 a.m.
- north
bound
lanes
January
16
1:30 a.m.
to
5:00 a.m.
- north
bound
lanes
January
17
1:30 a.m,
to
5:00 a.m.
- south
bound
lanes
The new steel will be set during the early part of February. At this time
we do not have a date for the necessary closure of the interstate.
The City's consulting engineer, Strgar-Roscoe-Fausch, Inc., will be at the
construction site each day during the closure of the interstate. If there
are any questions, please contact me.
Fred G. Moore, P.E.
FGM:bw
cc: Dick Carlquist, Lyle Robinson
NOTES
CITY COUNCIL MEETING WITH DR. PETE MEYER, MDA CONSULTING FIRM
January 7, 1985
PRESENT: Mayor Davenport, Councilmembers Neils, Crain, Vasiliou, Dr. Pete
Meyer, City Manager Willis, Public Works Director Moore,
Assistant City Manager Boyles, Ann Anderson of Post Publications
Dr. Pete Meyer stated that 15 persons were interviewed: eight previous
survey participants and seven new persons. He was most impressed about the
change detected between their initial and the current survey regarding
attitudes toward development in Plymouth. The staff has clearly commun-
icated to developers working in the community that they are more "can do" in
the Mayor's words and willing to seek a solution to developer difficulties.
While developers stated that they may have a problem with one member of the
staff or the other, overall they are satisfied with the attitude displayed
by the staff. The change can be seen in the reception area, both in person
and over the telephone, as well as other departments. The Manager based
upon the Council's direction has done an excellent job as shown in his
memorandum regarding staff orientation to make improvements in the
effectiveness of public relations at Plymouth.
While the results of the follow up study clearly show improvements in the
City's ability to serve the public, there is continued frustration on the
part of developers with the process and requirements. There will always be
some conflict because developers attempt to get as much as they possibly
can. Dr. Meyer stated that only the Council can determine whether, and to
what degree, process and requirement questions should be dealt with. As a
suggestion, but not a recommendation, he stated that the Council may wish to
consider providing for administrative review and approval of site plans
which are in full conformance with City ordinances and policies. In this
fashion, the review and approval process could be significantly shortened.
Fred Moore expressed concern that because not all issues are addressed by
the ordinance, the staff would be called upon to make many interpretations.
These interpretations could be perceived by the developers as holding their
development hostage by the staff. Mayor Davenport stated that this subject
has been considered before by the Planning Commission and City Council and
that they are sensitive to the staff's concerns. Dr. Meyer stated that this
might be a subject the Council wishes to consider over the long haul and
perhaps, ultimately decide not to pursue. Mayor Davenport stated that the
Planning Commission and Council should discuss this subject at their next
Joint meeting.
The Mayor congratulated Manager Willis and the staff for a job well done and
stressed that the good progress to date needs continuing effort. He also
encouraged their continued emphasis on positive relationships with all
customers of the City.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m.
BEACON HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COMMITTEE
January 7, 1985
Mayor Davenport and I met on January 7 with Lester and dune Nielsen, and
Mrs. Pat Redick, representing the Beacon Heights neighborhood, and Shirli
Vioni and Stan Tikkanen of the School District. The purpose of this meeting
was to have the parties become acquainted with the topic and review the
history of the School District's desire to recycle the property into some
other use.
Mayor Davenport thanked the parties for getting together to discuss this
Issue. He noted that the School District and its taxpayers have a consider-
able amount invested in Beacon Heights and that it would be to everyone's
advantage to insure that this asset was properly recycled. He noted that
Dean Fitch, representing the Board, was not present because he was out of
town and wondered whether or not the Board as a whole was endorsing the
meeting with the citizens and the City to seek to find ways by which the
School District could use its property. Shirli Vioni noted that the Board
members were aware of the committee and endorsed its efforts.
Mayor Davenport noted that the City Council had previously received a
request for a land use guide plan amendment and rezoning for the property
from Ms. fan Carlson (84060). This application had been denied by the City
Council and it was clear that it was the City Council's intention that the
property should not be rezoned from the R1 -A single family zoning classifi-
cation. The committee members should therefore consider uses for the
property which are either permitted or conditional under the R1 zoning
district. The City Manager reviewed these types of uses from the zoning
code. Mayor Davenport also indicated that the Beacon Heights Committee
report submitted to the District's Building and Grounds Committee in
February 1983, provided a rich background of possible alternative uses for
the site, and that this report should be used as a reference point. He
noted that the Building and Grounds Committee considered that rezoning of
the property would be "doubtful".
The Nielsen's and Mrs. Redick confirmed that the neighborhood would not
desire to see the property rezoned, but would prefer some permitted or
conditional use. They also would like to see the property utilized rather
than remain closed and therefore subject to deterioriation and vandalism.
Mayor Davenport suggested that the Beacon Heights Committee report of 1983
be re -reviewed to look at the feasibility of moving the District offices to
the Beacon Heights site and selling the administration site for housing.
That site is also zoned R1 -A. It was agreed that Stan Tikkanen would review
the 1983 report and the Wold Associates data on the economic viability of
such a move. The City will, upon request, assist in providing information
on possible development costs as well as land values at the request of the
District. It was suggested that the administrative office site would be
"choice" for residential development with Gleason Lake on one side, Burl
Oaks and Luce Line to the north, and the Kingswood Farm to the south. A
small neighborhood park might be required, but that could easily be
accommodated within a residential development.
BEACON HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COMMITTEE
January 7, 1985
Page 2
The School District also will look into determining whether or not the
Gullickson field on the site would constrain its use for other purposes.
Shirli Vioni noted that there had previously been some interest expressed in
using the Beacon Heights site for a church. She thinks this is still a
possible option, although it might be considered a long shot. Other
possible uses, assuming the present structures would remain, would be for a
private school, day care or senior citizen activity center. Any use of the
existing school site would require substantial investments to bring them up
to code depending on the type of occupancy.
It was agreed that the committee would get together upon request of the
School District officials after they have developed additional data on the
feasibility of moving the administrative offices to the Beacon Heights site.
TwinWest Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
Thursday, November 8, 1984
Present: H. Schadow, D. Albrecht, N. Berg, T. Bergstedt, M. Brinkman,
B. Clifford, B. Craig, B. Crouch, A. Fagley, L. Hanks,
D. Jergenson, C. Johnson, P. Kronlage, G. L'Herault, D. Lees,
B. MacMillan, C. Nelson, S. Patterson, L. Ralles, R. Rauch,
J. Reed, M. Renneke, R., Vold, J. Willis, D. Ewald, T. Snell,
K. Mariska, J. Jones
I. Program of Work - Doug Ewald
A. Mission
B. Annual Report
- I-394 Transportation position coalition of efforts being
put together to obtain this position
- Other needs: research person
- Annual Meeting - Will be at General Mills with Harvey Mackay
as keynote speaker
II. General Organization - Karen Mariska
A. Ambassador group - new program known as new member sponsor.
A current member sponsors a new member by calling and inviting
them to a chamber function.
B. Business Education Partnership - funded through the school
districts. The program has received national recognition.
C. Small Business Council - Sponsor Overtime program on an every
other month basis. Small Business Roundtable will meet in
groups of 8 or 10 to discuss promoting businesses in the
TwinWest area.
D. Memoer Communications - recently sent certified letters to
delinquent members. Will review and recommend ways of
communicating with current, delinquent and prospective members.
E. Light Rail Transit - Studies being done on the soutnwest
corridor.
F. Legislative Affairs - Issues development is the format for the
November 21st breakfast meeting. There will be a breakfast
meeting with legislators the first Friday of every month for
legislative updates.
G. Transportation - Committee is planning a transportation fair
to be held in the spring.
H. Seminars - Committee will find audiences first and then set up
seminars. First seminar will be "Anatomy of a Merger."
III. Board Organization - Holly Schadow
Seven Functional Areas:
A. Membership
B. Administration & Planning
C. Education
D. Economic Development
E. Government Relations
F. Program
G. Communications
Ray Void
Duane Jergenson
Nelson Berg
Doug Lees
Brad Robinson
Merlyn Brinkman
Bill MacMillan
IV. Finance - Phil Kronlage
- The Bylaws indicate there should be an annual audit. The
following audit committee was formed: Kronlage, D. Clark,
Schadow.
- A cash flow and accrual budget will be done monthly.
V. Board Expectations
Job Descriptions
- Consideration of policy options and establishment of ultimate
policies determining wnat is to be done and in which direction
the chamber is to go.
- Attends bi-monthly meetings of Board of Directors.
- Attends annual and special meetings w:,en called.
- Participates as a member of one or more committee.
- Support chamber programs in a strong and visible manner.
- Serve as a resource to staff.
- To become informed of the needs of the chamber's members
and communities.
VI. Annual Meeting format
- Business meeting at 4:00 p.m.
- Hors d'oeuvre buffet at 5:30 p.m.
- Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
- Speaker - Harvey Mackay at 7:30 p.m.
VII. Other business
Foundation - Denny Albrecht
- Ten grants will be awarded at the annual meeting for a total
of $4,600.
- If anyone on the board is interested in serving as a chairperson
for the next fundraiser, or even to serve on the committee,
contact Denny or Doug.
Membership - Tom Snell
- The drive brought in 72 new members to date.
- Tom is working on a plan for a year long membership recruitment
effort.
Bill Clifford - commented about last year and looks forward to
a good year for the chamber.
Thanks was extended to Clayton and Bill for the good job they
did last year.
Meeting adjourned at 9:00 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Jackie Jones
Administrative Director
-2 -
Executive Committee:
' Chair
Holly Schadow
Chair Elect
Daryl Clark
Secretary
Chris Johnson
Treasurer
Phil Kronlage
Past Chair
Bill Clifford
Past Chair
Clayton Nelson
IV. Finance - Phil Kronlage
- The Bylaws indicate there should be an annual audit. The
following audit committee was formed: Kronlage, D. Clark,
Schadow.
- A cash flow and accrual budget will be done monthly.
V. Board Expectations
Job Descriptions
- Consideration of policy options and establishment of ultimate
policies determining wnat is to be done and in which direction
the chamber is to go.
- Attends bi-monthly meetings of Board of Directors.
- Attends annual and special meetings w:,en called.
- Participates as a member of one or more committee.
- Support chamber programs in a strong and visible manner.
- Serve as a resource to staff.
- To become informed of the needs of the chamber's members
and communities.
VI. Annual Meeting format
- Business meeting at 4:00 p.m.
- Hors d'oeuvre buffet at 5:30 p.m.
- Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
- Speaker - Harvey Mackay at 7:30 p.m.
VII. Other business
Foundation - Denny Albrecht
- Ten grants will be awarded at the annual meeting for a total
of $4,600.
- If anyone on the board is interested in serving as a chairperson
for the next fundraiser, or even to serve on the committee,
contact Denny or Doug.
Membership - Tom Snell
- The drive brought in 72 new members to date.
- Tom is working on a plan for a year long membership recruitment
effort.
Bill Clifford - commented about last year and looks forward to
a good year for the chamber.
Thanks was extended to Clayton and Bill for the good job they
did last year.
Meeting adjourned at 9:00 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Jackie Jones
Administrative Director
TwinWest Chamber of Commerce
Executive Committee
Thurs., Dec. 27, 1984 Shelard Tower Room 205
7:30 a.m. St. Louis Park, MN
Present: Holly Schadow, Daryl Clark, Chris Johnson, Phil Kronlage,
Bill Clifford, Clayton Nelson, Ray Vold, Duane Jergenson,
Brad Robinson, Merlyn Brinkman, Bill MacMillan, Doug Ewald
I. TwinWest Chamber Policy Positions
A. Legislative Issues - Brad Robinson, Vice Chairman of
Governmental Relations, presented the key issues and recom-
mended positions as developed by the Chamber's Legislative
Affairs Committee. A copy of this list of legislative
issues and positions is attached to these minutes. It was
moved by Brinkman seconded by Vold and unanimously approved
that these positions be adopted and referred to the Board of
Directors for final action.
B. Light Rail Transit - Doug Ewald presented a discussion of
recent activities regarding Light Rail Transit. A recommen-
dation will be made toward the end of January, 1985, by a
Metropolitan Council Committee regarding the feasibility
of a light rail transit system in the Minneapolis/St. Paul
area. If that feasibility study should indicate the desira-
bility of a light rail transit system then a furtner deci-
sion will be made, at a later date, on the selection of an
initial route: one between Minneapolis and St. Paul, one
from downtown Minneapolis to the airport or one along the
southwest diagonal corridor from downtown Minneapolis to
Minnetonka. The Chamber's Light Rail Transit Committee, by
consensus, has recommended the Chamber's involvement in the
selection process, with representatives of the city of
Plymouth being somewhat less enthusiastic than others.
After considerable discussion it was moved by Brinkman,
seconded by Robinson and unanimously approved that the
Chamber continue its information disseminating role until the
initial decision is made on the feasibility of a light rail
transit system in the Metro Area. .Should the decision be
made to go ahead, the Chamber's Exeuctive Committee and
Board will take further action.
C. I-394 - Doug Ewald presented a discussion of the status of
Interstate 394. It has become apparent that the state and
federal political systems might benefit from strong business
community support toward a rapid start and finish of the
I-394 project. It was moved by Clifford, seconded by Vold
and unanimously approved that the TwinWest Chamber of
Commerce should become actively involved in expediting the
construction of I-394 and Ewald was directed to make
appropriate contacts with Governor and State and Federal
agencies and office holders.
-2 -
II. Marketing Committee - Holly Schadow presented her comments
regarding the need for marketing Chamber products and services.
The concept was enthusiastically received and it was moved by
Robinson, seconded by Kronlage and unanimously approved that a
standing Marketing Committee be established and that suitable
membership and volunteer leadership for the committee be sought
and put in place as soon as possible.
III. Chamber Insurance Coverage - Holly Schadow lead a discussion of
current Chamber insurance coverages provided through the Schadow
Agency and solicited opinions of desirability of putting future
coverage out to bid among chamber members. After considerable
discussion it was moved by Nelson, seconded by Clifford and una-
nimously approved that because of the rather small degree of
financial involvement, tnat Chamber insurance coverages not be
put out to bid. In the case of Director Officer coverage, it
was determined that the current coverage of 1 million dollars is
adequate. Scnadow will develop alternative plans, regarding
various deductibles, etc, and present recommendations to the
Executive Committee at a future date.
IV. President's Goals - Doug Ewald presented his personal goals for
Program Year 1984-85. It was moved by Robinson, seconded by
Clifford and unanimously approved that these goals be accepted
as presented.
V. TwinWest Chamber Foundation - It was moved by Clifford, seconded
Dy Nelson, Vold, and Kronlage that the Foundation's Board of
Directors be commended on its selection of grant recipients for
1984. It was the consensus of opinion that this year's reci-
pients reflected a sensitivity to community needs and were agen-
cies which would help establish the fact that the Chamber is
interested and involved in its communities.
VI. Finance - Treasurer Phil Kronlage presented the financial
reports through November. It was suggested that a year-to-date
coiumn be added on the cash flow budget. It was moved by
Clifford, seconded by Nelson and unanimously approved that the
report be accepted as presented and referred to the Board of
Directors with the addition that treasurer Kronlage and the
Finance Committee develop a reporting system that gives
leadership the information it needs regarding the financial
position of the chamber while at the same time being non -
cumbersome.
VII. A. Executive Committee Meeting Dates. By consensus it was
determined that the meeting dates of the Executive Committee
shall be changed to the 4th Wednesday of every month at
7:30 a.m.
-3-
B. Golf Tournament - It was moved by Robinson, seconded by
Clifford and unanimously approved that Golden Valley
Country Club be selected as the sight for the 1985 Golf
Tournament, and that a golf tournament committee be formed
to plan and run the tournament.
C. It was moved by Nelson, seconded by Kronlage and unanimously
approved that a proposal for an additional phone line for
the purpose of membership sales, as proposed by membership
director, Tom Snell, be accepted with the following addi-
tion: That the Chamber shall pay all expenses involved for
the additional line as long as the new membership goal for
program year 1984-85 be increased to 436 new members.
VIII. It was moved by Vold, seconded by Nelson and unanimously
approved that the meeting be adjourned at 9:15 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Douglas R. Ewald, CAE
President
DRE:sf
TwinWest Chamber of Commerce
Legislative Package
Part I - State Legislative Stands
f
I. Personal income tax- We support the reduction of personal income
taxes while reducing spending.
A. Support maintaining federal tax deductibility on state form.
B. Support IRA conformity.
C. Support the simplification of tax processes and forms.
II. Real Estate Tax
A. Support reducing the number of real estate classifications.
III. Sales Tax
A. Oppose expansion of sales tax to additional categories.
B. Support reducing sales tax from 6% to 4%.
IV. Superfund - We support eliminating retroactivity in cases where it
complied with the law and/or commonly accepted disposal practices
at the time.
V. Unemployment Compensation
A. Support limiting access to benefits to legitimate needs.
B. Support moving toward making the system more experience rated.
VI. Workers Compensation - Support eliminating limits on rate discounting to
insure competition in workers compensation rates.
-2 -
VII. Spending Reductions
A. Support a zero increase spending budget.
B. Support .adopting a zero base budgeting system.
C. Recommend as a first step toward determining spending cuts,
that the legislature examine areas that receive largest per-
centages of the budget.
Part II - Recommended Procedural Changes
I. Impose a per session limit on the number of bills each legislator
can carry as chief author without obtaining special permission
from the rules committee.
II. Stipulate that only those amendments that have been considered in
at least one house may be added to a bill in conference committee.
III. Insure that 24-hour notice is given for all hearings. (Posted at
the capitol.)
IV. Allow unlimited co-sponsorship on bills.
V. Prohibit political fundraisers during session.
VI. Make it mandatory to have a hearing for every bill introduced.
;`p
PLYMOUTH JAYCEE WOMEN
P.O. BOX 41064
Pb
LYMOUTH, MN. 55447
EE w
January 2, 1985
Dear Friend & Neighbor:
Everyone talks about our community's quality of life. For the past
eleven(ll) years the Plymouth Jaycees and Jaycee Women have honored
people who have made Plymouth a better place to live. We need you
to help us by calling to our attention those special people you know.
As in the past, awards will be presented to individuals in the
following categories:
1. Outstanding Citizen
2. Outstanding Young Citizen
3. Outstanding Educator
4. Outstanding Youth (junior
5. Outstanding Senior Citizen
(ages 18 - 25)*
& senior high students)*
(age 65 or older)*
We look forward to your submitting nominees in any of the above
categories. If you know someone who's made a difference in our
community ---please enter his/her name at your earliest convenience.
Our selection committee will accept nominations until February 28,1985.
There are a few criteria which must be considered. Nominees must
either live or work within Plymouth; also, please note age require-
ments for categories 2 & 5.
To nominate someone, please fill out the attached form, including
detailed information regarding the person's accomplishments and/or
contributions to the community. Send your completed forms to:
Plymouth Jaycee Women
P.O. Box 41064
Plymouth, MN 55447
Mark your calendars ndV for Thursday, April 18, 1985.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours in Community Spirit,
Plymouth Community
Judy LaTour
Lidell Jacobsen
Ellie Singer
Mary Muller
Ceil Held
Awards Banquet Committee
NOMINATION FORM
Community Awards Banquet - 1985
Plymouth, MN
CATEGORY
NOMINEE'S NAME
ADDRESS
YOUR NAME & PHONE NUMBER
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
PHONE NUMBER * Return to: Plymouth Jaycee Women
* P.O. Box 41064
Plu* M
ymoth, N 55447
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
(Use space below detailing nominees accomplishments and contributions, use additional
paper if necessary. If possible, please type. Deadline is February 2, 1985.)
THE 12th ANNUAL COMMUNITY AWARDS BANQUET - 1985
The Awards Banquet is a special event sponsored by the Plymouth
Jaycees and Jaycee Women. Nominations are sought in the following
categories: Outstanding Citizen, Educator, Youth, and Senior Citizen.
As Paul Giel, U of M athletic director, stated at the 1983 banquet
"people like this are a cut above the ordinary. They give instead
of take. They put something back into the community, the schools,and
the state."
The "Banquet" is a new twist. The event has always been held on a
saturday morning. Hopefully, with an evening time slot, more people
can participate. This banquet was established to be a community
event. The Jaycees and Jaycee Women feel the accomplishments of
various citizens are so important that they should be recognized and
applauded by all their fellow citizens - not just a select few.
"We believe that: Service to humanity is the best work of life."
(part of the Jaycee Creed)
Mark your calendars; plan to attend; start now to look for nominees:
COMMUNITY AWARDS BANQUET - Radisson Inn Plymouth
APRIL 18, 1985 - THURSDAY
6:00 - 7:00 pm - SOCIAL HOUR
7:00 -.7:45 pm - DINNER
7:45 - - SPEAKER & PROGRAM
Nominations will be accepted anytime between now and February 28, 1985.
Anyone can make a nomination. There will be no fee to make a nomination.
Tickets will be available beginning in January at the
Plymouth City Center or from any Plymouth Jaycee or Jaycee Woman.
For more information or requests for nomination forms, contact Judy
at 473-8183.
Award recipients will be announced at the banquet on April 18, 1985.
Special recognition is also given to an outstanding police officer
and outstanding firefighter. These special people are chosen by their
respective departments.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
THE PRICE OF THE DINNER TICKETS IS $12.00. (each)
NOTE: Since there is no fee to make a nomination, groups and
organizations are encouraged to purchase a ticket for
their nominee.
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
3400 PLYMOUTH BLVD., PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447
TELEPHONE (612) 559-2800
MEMO
DATE: December 26, 1984
TO: James G. Willis, City Manager
FROM: Scott L. Hovet, City Assessor
S U BJE C TCOUNTY PORTION PAYABLE TAX SHIFT FROM LOWER TO HIGHER VALUED HOMES
The calculation of the assessed value for residential homestead property
was changed from the 1984 to the 1985 payable tax years as directed by the
Commissioner of Revenue. This calculation is demonstrated as follows:
1984 Payable Assessed 1985 Payable Assessed
1st $30,000 of market value @ 17% lst $31,000 of market value @ 17%
2nd 30,000 of market value @ 19% 2nd 31,000 of market value @ 19%
Balance over $60,000 @ 30% Balance over 62,000 @ 30%
Assuming 2 communities have identical mill rates (100 mills) but their
average home values are different, the shift can be demonstrated as
follows:
1984 Payable 1985 Payable
Estimated market value $ 65,000. $ 65,000.
Total assessed value 12,300. 12,060.
County portion of tax bill 30% 30%
County portion payable tax $ 174.00. $ 167.00.
Estimated market value $115,000. $115,000.
Total assessed value 27,300. 27,060.
County portion of tax bill 30% 30%
County portion payable tax $ 624.00. $ 617.00
The county portion of the taxes payable on both homes dropped $7.00. This
represents a drop of —1.1% on the $115,000 property, while the tax dropped
—4.2% on the $65,000 property. This demonstrates that all things remain—
ing equal, there is still a shift of the tax burden to the more affluent
properties from the lesser valued areas.
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
3400 PLYMOUTH BLVD., PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447
TELEPHONE (612) 559-2800
MEMO
DATE: January 8, 1985
TO: James G. Willis, City Manager
FROM: Scott L. Hovet, CAE, City Assessor
SUBJECT ASSESSED VALUE/TAX BURDEN SHIFT FROM LOWER TO HIGHER VALUED HOMESTEAD
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.
The following examples demonstrate the state mandated calculation changes in
assessed value from payable tax year 1978 through payable tax year 1985.
1978 was chosen as a starting year because it was prior to the base 1 and base
2 (2 tier) system. It also demonstrates a time frame where market values were
rapidly inflating along with a period where there was very little if any
inflation. Inflation seems to be the criteria that dictates the assessed value
calculation change.
For demonstration purposes all the data must be constant or equal. In the
examples it can clearly be seen that the assessed value reduction from one year
to the next is being shifted from the lower valued to the higher valued homes.
From 1980 to 1981 for example, the assessed calculation on the lower valued
home went down —23.9% while the higher valued home went down only —15.5%. This
clearly demonstrates the tax burden shift to higher valued homes. The overall
shift for the two properties in the assessed value calculation from 1978 to
1985 was 31.4%.
1978 Payable
$65,000. estimated market value
1st 15,000 @ 22%
Balance over 15,000 @ 36%
Assessed: $21,300.
1979 Payable
$65,000. estimated market value
1st 17,000 @ 20%
Balance @ 33 1/3%
Assessed: $19,400.
Assessed reduction
from previous year: -9.8%
1980 Payable
$65,000 estimated market value
1st 21,000 @ 18%
Balance @ 30%
Assessed: 16,980.
Assessed reduction
from previous year: -14.3%
1981 Payable
$65,000 estimated market value
1st 25,000 @ 16%
2nd 25,000 @ 22%
Balance @ 28%
Assessed: 13,700.
Assessed reduction
from previous year: -23.9%
1982 Payable
$65,000 estimated market value
1st 27,000 @ 16%
2nd 27,000 @ 22%
Balance @ 28%
Assessed: $13,340.
Assessed reduction
from previous year -2.7%
$115,000 estimated market value
1st 15,000 @ 22%
Balance over 15,000 @ 36%
Assessed: $39,300.
$115,000 estimated market value
1st 17,000 @ 20%
Balance @ 33 1/3%
Assessed: $36,066.
Assessed reduction
from previous year: -8.9%
$115,000 estimated market value
1st 21,000 @ 18%
Balance @ 30%
Assessed: 31,980.
Assessed reduction
from previous year: -12.8%
$115,000 estimated market value
1st 25,000 @ 16%
2nd 25,000 @ 22%
Balance @ 28%
Assessed: $27,700.
Assessed reduction
from previous year: -15.5%
$115,000 estimated market value
1st 27,000 @ 16%
2nd 27,000 @ 22%
Balance @ 28%
Assessed: $27,340.
Assessed reduction
from previous year -1.3%
1983 Payable
No Change
Same as 1982 Payable
1984 Payable
$65,000 estimated market value
1st 30,000 @ 17%
2nd 30,000 @ 19%
Balance @ 30%
Assessed: 12,300.
Assessed reduction
from previous year: - 8.5%
1985 Payable
$65,000 estimated market value
1st 31,000 @ 17%
2nd 31,000 @ 19%
Balance @ 30%
Assessed: 12,060.
Assessed reduction
from previous year: - 2.%
$115,000 estimated market value
1st 30,000 @ 17%
2nd 30,000 @ 19%
Balance @ 30%
Assessed: $27,300.
Assessed reduction
from previous year: - .01%
$115,000 estimated market value
1st 31,000 @ 17%
2nd 31,000 @ 19%
Balance @ 30%
Assessed: $27,060.
Assessed reduction
from previous year: -.09%
(- 76.6% since '78) (- 45.2% since '78)
The overall shift between the 2 examples
from 1978 to 1985 is 31.4%
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
3400 PLYMOUTH BLVD., PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447
TELEPHONE (612) 559-2800
MEMO
DATE: December 31, 1984
TO: Chief Carlquist
FROM: Detective Hanvik
SUBJECT Complaint by Mr. Jerry Chmielewski
As you may recall from a memo which I left you last week, I did
speak with Mr. Chmielewski at some length at the office on 12/22/84.
At that time Mr. Chmielewski advised me that although the bicycle
was damaged to a point where it really cannot be ridden he advises
that it has never been repaired, nor has he received an estimate of
cost to bring the bicycle into normal operating conditions. At that
time his step -son, advised that one
did the damage by throwing a skate -board at the bike. *� stated
that he hollered and the two boys involved left the area. He advised
that the other party involved was a party by the name of
In June I went to the.-1000h■t residence at = and
was advised by Mr.-NIFAMEhm that his son was in northern Minnesota at
the time the original incident occurred. Mr. Chmielewski advises that
he believes that this was a lie and wanted this matter investigated
further.
On 12/28/84 I returned to th mehamaddress where I spoke with
Mrs."INNNNObra and she again re -confirms that her son was not in town when
the incident occurred and that further the description of her son does
not match the suspect described to her over the phone by Mr. Chmielewski.
She expressed some concern that Mr. Chmielewski was insistent that her
son may have been involved in this incident. Furthermore, she does not
know anyone bearing the last name ofd also mentioned in the
report.
On 12/29/84 I was able to speak with Mrs. 10110W by phone and discussed
this matter with her. She states that she was completely unaware of the
incident, but advised me that she would cooperate in anyway and that she
could by speaking with her son and would advise me as soon as possible.
At approximately 1:00 o'clock Mrs. ontacted me by phone again
and stated that she believed that the matter had been completely resolved.
She advised that although her son does not own a skate -board that he had
one at home which he had borrowed from a friend. On the date that the
damage to the bicycle occurred he was out with a friend by the name of
who was not involved in this incident at all and may have
been completely unaware that such an incident had even happened. 1110ML.
does live in the neighborhood in the area
She advised that her son had been riding the skate-
board and fell off near the front of the Chmielewski residence. In so
doing the skate -board rolled across the street and struck the rear tire
of s bicycle with enough force to knock the boy to the
ground. ot up and began yelling and
ran home. Mrs. 4NINIPW advises that she and her son will be very
willing to speak with Mr. Chmielewski and make restitution as
required. Mrs. ONINGUM also states that she wished that Mr.
Chmielewski had been in contact directly with her when the incident
could have been cleared up completely without any type of Police
involvement.
I have had contact with Mr. Chmielewski by phone and advised him that
I have been in contact with Mrs.40NOMW and that she will cooperate
with what ever investigation occurs. I re -contacted him by phone after
my second conversation with Mrs.-MROWNqWand he stated that she had
already been in touch with him and that they will handle the matter
between themselves. He has advised his step -son, to make
every effort to have a proper estimate done on the repair of the bike
as soon as possible.
I believe that this should take care of this long running problem. I
further believe that our department was in no means negligent in the
handling of this case as it was reported. As you recall the original
and only report that we had with Mr. Chmielewski concerned the alleged
vandalism to his personal vehicle. Since the follow-up to that original
report the allegation of vandalism to a bicycle came to light. I think
that based on the fact that this was evidently an accidental situation
occurring between two children that it appropriately and rightly could
have been handled in the neighborhood between the parents, however, this
was obviously not the case, and it came to our attention rather force-
fully by mail and through the Plymouth Forum meeting. In any case the
matter appears to have been resolved between the parties involved. I
anticipate that no further action will be necessary.
"W'"L
(tmb)
DATE:
REFERRED TO:
CITY OF PLYMOU, , ;/F:
3400 PLYMOUTH BLVD., PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447
TELEPHONE (612) 559-2800
MEMO
DATE: November 28, 1984
TO: Fred Moore, Dick Carlquist
FROM: Frank Boyles, Assistant City Manager/ /)
SUBJECT 2:00 A.M. TO 5:00 A.M. ON STREET PARKING ORDINANCE COMPLAINT
I received a call from Mark Palmer, a resident of Tiburon. Mr. Palmer
expressed concerned about the 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. parking ban. I
suggested that it would be appropriate for you two to meet with Mr.
Palmer to review his problem. Specifically, he is questioning whether
it would be possible to alter the designated fire lane in such a
fashion that additional cars will be able to park in the Tiburon off
street parking facilities rather than use the public right-of-way. He
sees this as a less expensive alternative to constructing additional
off street parking at this facility. I would appreciate it if you
would let me know your findings. Mr. Palmer's phone numbers are
546-6235 or 339-7700.
FB:jm
cc: S/F- +L'7f
84-C
January 9, 1985
Mr. Mark Palmer
3509 Pilgrim Lane
Plymouth, Minnesota 55441
Dear Mr. Palmer:
/r,,70 tZ,
It is my understanding that you have been in contact with Mr. Frank Boyles
the Assistant City Manager regarding the fire lane status of the driveways
at the Tiburon addition. This letter is to clarify the location and purpose
of the fire lanes.
On approximately November 30, 1984, in response to your concern, I visited
the Tiburon addition to determine whether or not the fire lanes could be
reduced or deleted. Each driveway in this development serves four (4)
townhomes, which are built in a cluster around it. It is this driveway that
also serves as a fire lane to provide emergency vehicles access to the rear
section of all four buildings. It is my opinion that this fire lane cannot
be deleted nor reduced in size and still provide emergency access and meet
the intent of the City Code.
I hope this letter answers some of your questions, however, if it does not
please feel free to contact me at 559-2800 extension 365.
'ncerely,
Lawrence S. Plack
Fire Inspector
LSP:mas
3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD, PLYMOUTH. MINNESOTA 55447, TELEPHONE (612) 559-2800
I
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
3400 PLYMOUTH BLVD., PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447
TELEPHONE (612) 559-2800
MEMO
DATE: January 7, 1985
TO: Park and Recreation Department
FROM: David Davenport
SUBJECT
Thank you for the Christmas card; it was special to
receive one from the Department. I was pleased to
read of Marion Zbikowski's complimentary memo to you
of December 21st regarding the plowing and sanding
that was done around the path in Plymouth Creek Park.
You are all doing an outstanding job and I and the
Council very much appreciate your efforts to service
our public
DJD: cap
P.S. Eric, because of a National Guard commitment, I
will not be able to attend Skiing in Plymouth on
Saturday, January 9th. Please convey my regrets
to the Civic League.
CITY OF PLYMOUTH , --
3400 PLYMOUTH BLVD., PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447
TELEPHONE (612) 559-2800
MEMO
DATE: January 7, 1985
TO: Dick Pouliot
FROM: David Davenport
SUBJECT Pat Meister
Dick, I was pleased to receive a copy of Pat Meister's
letter to you thanking you for assisting her in solving
her drainage problem. It is obvious you went out of
your way to attempt to resolve her complaint and I very
much appreciate your efforts in doing so.
DJD: cap
3
CITY O�
PLYMOUTH
January 7, 1985
Mr. Lyle Robinson
Plymouth Fire Department
Plymouth City Center
Plymouth, MN 55447
Re: Fire at Holterman Residence
2005 Urbandale Lane
Dear Lyle:
Please extend my compliments and appreciation to the
Department for the firefighters' outstanding efforts in
bringing the fire at the Holterman residence under control
and minimizing the damage. It was particularly satisfying
to learn the insurance company was complimentary of the
firefightersle forj- o minimize the damage.
Sincprel
L C.
David J. Davenport
Mayor
DJD: cap
3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD, PLYMOUTH. MINNESOTA 55447. TELEPHONE (612) 5592800
W
MARIA VASILIOU
18325 - 31sT AVENUE NORTH
PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447
January 8, 1985
Mr. Eric Blank
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
3400 Plymouth Blvd
Plymouth, MN 55447
Dear Eric,
Thank you for the special attention you gave to providing my
mom with -•a tape of the swearing-in ceremony last night. I know
you had enough on your mind with the inaugural taping of the
council meetings so I really appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Obviously, just another example of the "can do" attitude that
the city staff has embraced and that came out loud and clear in
the recent Pete Meyer survey.
I am very, very proud of the efforts and the results that have
been achieved. Keep up the excellent work.'
Thanks again for your help to me as a planning commissioner. I
look forward to learning about park development as a council member!
Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
/�A"
Maria Vasiliou
cc: Jim Willis
p.s. Eric, don't lose sight of your dream for a community
center. All things in good time:
MARIA VASILIOU
18325 - 31ST AVENUE NORTH
PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447
January 8, 1985
Mr. Fred Moore
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
3400 Plymouth Blvd
Plymouth, MN 55447
Dear Fred,
I was thrilled at the recent findings of Pete Meyer' You are
to be commended for the excellent staff development you're
working toward. It appears the fruits of your labor are being
to appear.
Negative comments and complaints are not pleasant, I know. But
I want you to know that I appreciate the giant strides you and
the engineering department have made and I know that we can look
forward to continued friendly relations with the community at large.
Thanks again, Fred, and happy New Year'
Sincerely,
AAS
Maria Vasiliou
cc: Jim Willis
(MARIA VASILIOC
18325 - 31';T AVENUE NORTH
PLYINIOLTH, MINNESOTA 5544
January 8, 1985
Mr. Sherm Goldberg
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
3400 Plymouth Blvd
Plymouth, MN 55447
Dear Sherm,
It is so nice having you back at the city. It doesn't seem like
you were ever gone.
The Pete Meyer report clearly represents your contribution to the
overall "can do" attitude that the city would like to achieve.
Congratulations!
Thanks, also, for your patience with me when I ask dumb questions.
Engineering expertise just doesn't seem to be something I'm making
any great strides with!
Looking forward to '85. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Sincerely,
A4khl�l
Maria
cc: Jim Willis
t
V
MARIA VASILIOC
18325 - 31ST AVENUE NORTH
PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55-47
Mr. John Sweeny
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
3400 Plymouth Plvd
Plymouth, MN 55447
Dear John,
Thank you very much for all the
was on the planning commission.
in the engineering field is not
resume.'
help you've given me while I
As you've noticed, expertise
something I will list on my
The Pete Meyer report reflects all the positive changes the
staff has made and I congratulate you for that. Keep up the
good work!
Thanks again for your help.
Sincerely,
Maria Vasiliou
cc: Jim Willis
MARIA VASILIOU
18325 - 31ST AVENUE \OATH
PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447
January 8, 1985
Mr. Al Cottingham
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
3400 Plymouth Blvd
Plymouth, MN 55447
Dear Al,
The persevering way in which you have gone about doing the
business of the city has paid off.' The Pete Meyer report is
absolutely terrific.
During the time you've been at the city (including your intern
days.') I have always found you to be very, very helpful. Your
sense of humor doesn't hurt in your business either.'
I'm sure things can be trying, but I really appreciate your
attitude and I wanted to tell you that.
Keep smiling '
Thanks again for your help.
Sincerely,
Maria
cc: Jim Willis
MARIA VASILIOU
18325 - 31ST AVENUE NORTH
PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 5544 -
January 8, 1985
Ms. Grace Wineman
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
3400 Plymouth Blvd.
Plymouth, MN 55447
Dear Grace,
Wouldn't you know it .... just when you start coming back to the
Planning Commission meetings, I leave. Nevertheless, I want to
tell you how much I appreciate the spirit of cooperation that
best describes your work attitude. I can't think of a time when
you haven't been more than willing to go the extra mile when I've
asked for your help on one of my little projects.
Apparently I'm not the only one that has noticed your helpful ways.
The Pete Meyer report is absolutely the most exciting thing ever!
I'm so proud of everyone at city hall - you've worked very, very
diligently to show our true "can do" colors.
Thank you again for being so helpful. You made my role as chair-
person a pleasure. Keep up the good work.'
Sincerely,
Maria
cc: Jim Willis
r..
l
r'
r:
r
Wouldn't you know it .... just when you start coming back to the
Planning Commission meetings, I leave. Nevertheless, I want to
tell you how much I appreciate the spirit of cooperation that
best describes your work attitude. I can't think of a time when
you haven't been more than willing to go the extra mile when I've
asked for your help on one of my little projects.
Apparently I'm not the only one that has noticed your helpful ways.
The Pete Meyer report is absolutely the most exciting thing ever!
I'm so proud of everyone at city hall - you've worked very, very
diligently to show our true "can do" colors.
Thank you again for being so helpful. You made my role as chair-
person a pleasure. Keep up the good work.'
Sincerely,
Maria
cc: Jim Willis
MARIA VASILIOU
18325 - 31sT AVENUE NORTH
PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447
January 8, 1985
Mr. Blair Tremere
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
3400 Plymouth Blvd.
Plymouth, MN 55447
Dear Blair,
Thank you for all the special help you've given me while I
served on the Planning Commission. You have always been
generous with your time and you've been more than willing
to do whatever it took to get the job done. I sincerely
appreciate that. We've had our disagreements from time to
time over the years but I never once questioned your desire
to be fair.
Last night the council reviewed the Pete Meyer report. You
and the members of your staff should be absolutely thrilled
with the feedback from the community. Change is slow, change
can be painful and sometimes change just can't happen for a
variety of reasons. Not so with the planning department!
My sincere thanks for your help to date, my congratulations
for the excellent report and I look forward to our continued
good working relationship.
Happy New Year.
Sincerely,
A"
Maria
cc: Jim Willis
MARIA VASILIOti
18325 - 31sT AVENUE NORTH
PLYJIOCTH, MINNESOTA 55447
January 8, 1985
Ms. Sarah McConn
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
3400 Plymouth Blvd
Plymouth, MN 55447
Dear Sarah,
Thank you very much for your tireless efforts that made my
job on the Planning Commission an absolutely delightful
experience. You are one of the most talented individuals
I work with and I admire your abilities very much.
When I heard the results of the Pete Meyer report last eve-
ning I could hardly contain myself! I'm so proud of all of
you and of the City of Plymouth in general.
I'm sure it gets discouraging from time to time with all the
exposure you have to hearing complaints, but please know that
the community at large and certainly all the members of each
advisory commission know and appreciate the job that you do.
I look forward to continuing the good working relationship
I've enjoyed with you and I see big things for you in the
future!
Happy New Year and thanks again, Sarah.
Sincerely,
Maria
cc: Jim Willis
MARIA VASILIOU
18325 - 31ST AVENUE NORTH
PLYMOUTH, MINWESOTA 55447
January 8, 1985
Mr. Jim Willis
City Manager
City of Plymouth
3400 Plymouth Blvd.
Plymouth, MN 55447
Dear Jim,
Nr' A
At the risk of sounding like a Valentine, I just have to tell
you one more time how very proud you can be of your staff. The
Pete Meyer report is so positive and so encouraging. Obviously,
your leadership efforts are exemplary and I know that these re-
sults are not without a tremendous amount of effort.
You have put together a marvelous team and I look forward to
becoming a member of your "A" Team'
Keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Maria
Chief Richard Carlquist,
Police Department,
City of Plymouth
Dear Mr. Carlquist:
January 4, 1985
As you Know, our home at 5860 Lawndale Lane was burglarized in
1984, and we experienced the loss of articles very dear to us.
The subsequent investigation by officers of the Plymouth Police
Department was courteous and professional in every way. In
particular the efforts of Offi Pr Niel Nielsen which resulted
in the recovery of several items and the arrest of a suspect,
was gratifying. While deeply disappointed in the nature of
individuals which maKes them prone to crime, it is reassuring
to us to note that such errant persons can be brought to justice
by the persistent efforts of dedicated law officers such as
those in the City of Plymouth.
ThanK you and the officers. of your department for your efforts
in our behalf, and the continuing excellent service to the citizens
of Plymouth.
Sincerely,
im and Betty Threinen
5860 Lawndale Lane
Plymouth, MN 55446
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
James Heltzer, Chairman
Minneapolis Community
Developmen' envy
331 2nd Avenue ouch
Midland Square Building
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Donald Dunshee, Vice -Chairman
The Port Authority of the
City of St. Paul
25 West 4th Street
Suite 1350
St. Paul, MN 55102
Charles E. Riesenberg,
Secretary Treasurer
First Bank System, Inc.
P.O. Box 522
Minneapolis, MN 55480
►.
R
Greater Metropolitan
Foreign Trade Zone
Commission
January 4, 1985
Mr. James Willis
City Manager
City of Plymouth
3400 Plymouth Blvd.
Plymouth, MN 55447
Dear Jim:
Donald Risk On behalf of the Metropolitan Foreign Trade Zone Commission,
Minneapolis Development Agency
thank you for sharing your interests in the development of the
DevelopmentAg ency
3312ndAvenueSouth area's FTZ at our December 17 meeting. We will :.surely do our
Midland Square Building
Minneapolis. MN 55401 best to include the City of Plymouths assistance in providing
Donald
Groen
Bloomington Chamber of Commerce the FTZ service to the western Hennepin foreign trading companies.
Bloomi
8200 Humboldt Avenue South If any specific business application comes along to your atten-
Bloomington, MN 55431
tion the Commission is positioned to move promptly.
Eugene Kraut
The Port Authority of the
City of St. Paul
25 West 4th Street
Suite 1305
St. Paul, MN 55102
Robert Purcell
The Port Authority of
the City of Bloomington
2215 W Old Shakopee Road
Bloomington, MN 55431
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
Se'gej Schachowskoj
Minnesota Trade Office
MN Dept of Agriculture
g0 West Plato Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55107
Lawrence McCabe
Minneapolis -St. Paul Metro-
politan Airports Commission
P.O. Box 1700
Twin City Airport
Minnesota 55111
Sincerely,
_ ,.J✓
,6Z� -
Charles E. Riesenberg
CER: pm
cc: operating committee
331 2ND AVENUE SOUTH • MIDLAND SQUARE BLDG. • MINNEAPOLIS, MN. 55401 • (612) 370-5028
t
t -A
,
CITY OF
PLYMOUT 4
January 7, 1985
Mr. David F. Berg, President
North Star Information Services, Inc.
417 East Lake Street
Wayzata, MN 55391
Dear Dave:
My reaction was mixed to your letter of December 18th. I
was sorry that the new responsibilities that you will be
assuming with the Northstar Bancorporation will prevent
you from continuing your service as a member of the Park
and Recreation Advisory Commission, but I was also pleased
for you that the Northstar organization has recognized
your considerable talents by giving you increased job
responsibilities.
Dave, it is Plymouth that needs to thank you for your service
to our community these past three years. The community has
benefitted from your expertise.
Thank you again for your commitment to Plymouth these past
three years and ple.Ase accept my best wishes for your
continuing-�ucce"ith Northstar.
Sin rely, /
Dabid J -(Davenport
Mayor
DJD: cap
P.S. Jim, should we give David Berg a plaque or a certificate?
DJD
3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD. PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447, TELEPHONE (612) 559.2800
K
PYCI
r
L-.
PUMOUTR
January 7, 1985
PERSONAL
Mr. Michael M. Stulberg
5101 Shady Oak Road
Minnetonka, MN 55343
Dear Mike:
Thank you for your letter of December 26, 1984.
Mike, I am glad that things have started to settle down for you
at LaBelles and of course I am pleased that you will now be
more available in 1985 so that the entire Commission will
have the benefit of your considerable experience and planning
expertise on a more regular basis.
Best wishes foi-Na jo
well! /
ySinery,
Da id J. Davenport
Mayor
and prosperous new year to you as
DJD: cap
cc: Plymouth City Council
3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD. PLYMOUTH. MINNESOTA 55447, TELEPHONE 1612; 559-2800
MICHAEL M. STULBERG
5101 SHADY OAK RD.
MINNETONKA, MINNESOTA 55343
December 26, 1984
The Honorable David Davenport
Mayor of Plymouth
City of Plymouth
3400 Plymouth Boulevard
Plymouth, MN 55447
Dear Dave:
As I am sure you are aware, my attendance at planning commission
meetings for the last year has been less than satisfactory.
I do enjoy serving on the planning commission and believe that
when I am in attendance, I make a contribution to the commission
and the City of Plymouth.
Now that the turmoil of the acquisition of our company has calmed
down, I believe that my attendance record will greatly improve.
Best wishes to you for a healthy and happy New Year!
Sincerely yours,
Mike Stulberg
MMS:trs
cc: Maria Vasiliou - Ex -chair• Planning Commission
Paul Steigerwald - Vice chair Planning Commission
January 8, 1985
Governor Rudy Perpich
State of Minnesota
Office of the Governor
St. Paul, MN 55155
Dear Governor Perpich:
Thank you for your letter of December 21, 1984 soliciting the
City of Plymouth's input in respect to the eight Metropolitan
Council terms that expire as of January 1, 1985.
I believe this is the second time you have solicited such input
and your efforts are greatly appreciated. Both times, however,
your request has been sent out very close to the time when you
expect to make the appointments. Consequently, as a practical
matter, there is very little time for us to respond in any
kind of informed fashion since frequently the names of the
nominees under consideration are not even made public at the
time our input is sought.
To improve upon the process I would therefore suggest that you
provide us with the names and the applications of those
individuals that are under consideration for appointment. The
names without the applications have not been much help since
the background qualifications are especially important in
evaluating the persons involved.
Thank you again for
want to wis y u
new year s wel, --�7//
Sinc.6rq�ly
David J. Denport
Mayor
DJD: cap
consulting with us. We in Plymouth also
your family a very joyous and prosperous
3406 PLYMOUT" BOULEVARC P,YMOUTH MINNESOTA 55447 TE.E°HONE (E"2 559 2B0"
RUDY PERPICH
GOVERNOR
January 10, 1985
STATE OF MLNNESOTA
OFFICE OF THE Go%m on
ST. PAUL 55155
Honorable David J. Davenport
Mayor, City of Plymouth
3400 Plymouth Boulevard
Plymouth, MN 55447
Dear Mayor Davenport:
Thank you for your letter of January 8, 1985 in which you stated that
our request for your recommendations for the vacant Metropolitan
Council seats has, once again, come too late for you to become
informed about the current candidates and their qualifications.
We appreciate your comments and suggestion that we provide the names
and applications of individuals who are under consideration to you
for evaluation prior to your making informed recommendations.
However, we do not have the staffing to provide such a service.
All open appointment applications are on record with the Secretary
of State and are open to the public, should you care to look at them.
Vacancies are published in the State Register which may be found at
your county library. Also, should you personally know someone whom
you feel would qualify you might encourage him to apply in the future.
Again, thank you for writing.
rJ
Sincerely,
ell -
11
KEITH FORD
Office of the Governor
A ��' - i" ,, ::"�
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
E
CITY C�
PUMOUTR
January 8, 1985
Ms. Ellie Ogden
1505 Xanthus Lane
Plymouth, MN 55447
Ellie,
I was disappointed to learn of your desire not to be reappointed
to the West Hennepin Human Services Planning Board in 1985. I
say "disappointed" only because you have quietly but ever so
effectively represented the interests of Plymouth's less
fortunate residents on the Board so capably the last six years.
It will not be easy to find someone with your vitality and
commitment to replace you.
I appreciate your willingness to serve until we can find a
replacement, and we will undertake to do so immediately.
Do take special care 'and as soon as a qualified person is
selected to replace you, I or Pat will be in touch.
Sincerely,
Davi J. Davenport
Mayor
DJD: cap
B.P.S. Jim, please get a plaque ready for Ellie Ogden for
a future Council meeting.
3400 P�VV3._'�+ EGJ�Ew'AR� PLYtJ'--: ", V,'�NESC't 55tG' Tc -Ea --1 - - __,
`aiN oo PHONE
CLERK TO THE BOARD
jt'S348-3433
A
4rtiivsso�r
BOARD OF HENNEPIN COUNTY COMMISSION -ERS`'
2400 GOVERNMENT CENTER
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 55487
January 8, 1985
The Honorable David J. Davenport
City of Plymouth
3400 Plymouth Boulevard
Plymouth, MN 55447
Dear Mayor Davenport:
Your letter dated December 19, 1984 regarding the Hennepin County
Community Action Agency and requesting notification when the
State has recognized the CAA, was received by the Hennepin County
Board of Commissioners at their Board meeting today.
The contents were noted, and Chairman Spartz directed that a copy
be made available to each Commissioner and Administration and the
original be placed on file.
My office will keep you apprised of the appointment schedule upon
approval of the State.
Sincerely,
Kay M chell
Clerk of the Board
jc
PARK RESERVES
BAKER
CARVER
CROW-HASSAN
ELM CREEK
HYLAND LAKE
LAKE REBECCA
MURPHY-HANREHAN
REGIONAL PARKS
BRYANT LAKE
CLEARY LAKE
CLIFTON E. FRENCH
COON RAPIDS DAM
EAGLE LAKE
FISH LAKE
JAMES W. WILKIE
LAKE SARAH
SPRING LAKE
SPECIAL USE AREAS
ARTHUR E. ALLEN WILDLIFE
SANCTUARY
BAKER PARK GOLF COURSE
CLEARY LAKE GOLF COURSE
HYLAND HILLS SKI AREA
NOERENBERG MEMORIAL PARK
WAWATASSO ISLAND
WILD GOOSE CHASE ISLAND
TRAIL CORRIDORS
NORTH HENNEPIN TRAIL
BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS
DAVID LATVAAHO
CHAIR
GOLDEN VALLEY
WILLIAM H. BOYNTON
VICE CHAIR
ST. LOUIS PARK
JUDITH S. ANDERSON
BLOOMINGTON
PATRICIA D. BAKER
MINNEAPOLIS
SHIRLEY A. BONINE
MAPLE PLAIN
WILLIAM I. HOLBROOK
MINNEAPOLIS
SCOTT L NEIMAN
MINNEAPOLIS
VERN J. HARTENBURG
SUPERINTENDENT &
SECRETARY TO THE BOARD
Hennepin County Park Reserve District
3800 County Road 24 • Maple Plain, Minnesota 55359 • Telephone 612-473-4693
January 9, 1985
Mr. James G. Willis, City Manager
City of Plymouth
3400 Plymouth Boulevard
Plymouth, MN 55447
Dear Jim:
For your information, attached is a co
ment Program adopted and published by
ment of Transportation for 1985-1989.
County Road 9 project which appears on
you can see, the commitment to acquire
on-site construction is reiterated in
py of the Capital Improve -
the Hennepin County Depart -
I have highlighted the
page 2 of the CIP. As
right-of-way an accomplish
the CIP program.
The Park Reserve District will keep you closely informed of
developments regarding the County road projects as they come
to our attention.
Until the Park Reserve District completes its new Headquarters
at Medicine Lake, we have scheduled use of the Plymouth City
Council Chambers for our bimonthly Board Meetings, held the
first and third Thursdays of each month. We appreciate the
willingness of the City of Plymouth in allowing us to use
your facilities. We will invite Eric Blank to attend one of
our meetings so as to give an opportunity to Eric to brief the
District Board on park and recreation opportunities provided by
the City of Plymouth.
Sincerely,
Vern J. Hartenburg, Superintendent
and Secretary to the Board
VJH:ghd
cc: Mayor David J. Davenport
Attachment: Hennepin County Department of Transportation
Capital Improvement Program
4
CITY OF
PLYMOUTR
January 8, 1985
Mr. Peter T. Cook
18420 14th Avenue North
Plymouth, MN 55447
Dear Mr. Cook:
I believe you have by now received a response to your letter
of December 26th in respect to the parking ticket you received
the morning of November 26th.
I am sorry that you were irritated that your Blazer received
a ticket.
I am enclosing a copy of my article in the November issue of
Plymouth on Parade, where there is a reference to the "burden
of citizenship" being more than just "casting a ballot". In
spite of good faith efforts on the City's part to keep its
residents informed about matters that impact upon them, we
are not perfect, but we are improving and I believe most of
the time we meet our residents more than half way. Certainly
this was true in respect to the efforts that surrounded the
implementation of the 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. parking ban
ordinance. Frank Boyles' letter of December 28th outlines in
detail the City's extensive efforts to inform our residents
of this ordinance.
I note that your stationery makes reference to your residing
in "Minneapolis", Minnesota. Perhaps you more closely identify
yourself with Minneapolis than with Plymouth and perhaps this
is the reason you have not chosen to subscribe to the Plymouth
Post or read the Plymouth -Wayzata Sailor. Articles were,
however, published in both these papers and in Plymouth on Parade.
We are very proud of this latter publication and the Council is
considering increasing the number of times a year it is
distributed since it goes to all households within the City.
Residents who take the time to peruse this publication are
very complimentary of it and those people, as a result, are at
least minimally informed about some of the events going on in
the City that may affect them.
3400 PLYMOUTH ?`;!,_ 1r ; JTH ,. r 1 - .;7 _
Mr. Peter T. Cook
January 8, 1985
-Page 2 -
If you have any suggestions that you would like to make as
to how we might improve our efforts to inform, please write
me. But I also would appreciate your thoughts as to what
level of effort a citizen should reasonably be expected to
exert to keep his or herself minimally informed about local
government.
Sincerely,
711
David J. Da nport
Mayor
DJD: cap
Encl.
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