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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Information Memorandum 12-23-1999DECEMBER 23, 1999 1. COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE: NOTE: Ward I Councilmember Tim Bildsoe meets with residents and receives their comments in the Administration Library, beginning at 6:00 PM before each Regular Council meeting. TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 7: 00 PM TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 7: 00 PM 2. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24 3. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31 4. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY S, 7.00 PM 5. THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 7.- 00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, Council Chambers REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, Council Chambers CITY OFFICES CLOSED—Christmas Holiday CITY OFFICES CLOSED—New Year Holiday ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITYCOMMITTEE, Medicine Lake Room HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, Medicine Lake Room 6. MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 7:00 PM YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, Medicine Lake Room 7. A List of future Regular Council Meeting agenda items is attached. (M-7) 8. December, January and February calendars are attached. (M-8) CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION MEMO Page 2 DECEMBER 23, 1999 1. NEWS ARTICLES, RELEASES, PUBLICATIONS, ETC. a) City Business story about senior housing in the suburbs. (I -1a) b) Summary of issues in the recent NCCJ Youth Alienation and Violence forums held in Plymouth. Several members of the Youth Advisory Council participated, and attended a metro–wide session at the Star Tribune building in Minneapolis. (I -I b) c) AT&T and MediaOne merger update for December 1999. (I -1c) d) Notice of League of Minnesota Cities Leadership Conference for Experienced Officials January 7-8 at the Radisson South. Contact Kurt at 509-5054 if you are interested in attending. (I -1d) e) Notice from the Minnesota Department of Trade and Economic Development that Plymouth did not receive a grant for the Village at Bassett Creek contamination clean–up project. (I -1e) Notice from Reliant Energy/Minnegasco of increased staffing over the New Year holiday weekend. (I -1j) 2. MINUTES a) Youth Advisory Council November 29 meeting. (I -2a) 3. Y2K UPDATE a) Jeff Hohenstein, IT Manager, reports that all Y2K "mission critical" information technology issues have been completed. 4. CORRESPONDENCE a) Thank–you letter from Interfaith Outreach/Community Partners Executive Director LaDonna Hoy to Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Wheeler, praising her efforts on "Make A Difference Day". (I -4a) b) Letter from Wayzata Public Schools Violence Prevention and Human Rights Officer Donna Margret praising the work of Public Safety Director Craig Gerdes and his staff with the school district. (I --4b) S. CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS POLICY—CORRESPONDENCE a) Letter from Sheron Lew regarding the snow plowing of cul–de–sacs. The letter has been forwarded to Public Works Director Fred Moore for a response. (I -5a) CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION MEMO DECEMBER 23, 1999 Page 3 b) Letter from Community Development Director Anne Hurlburt to Roselyn Tuy regarding the proposed development of the Eagle Lake area. A copy of Ms. Tuy's original letter is also attached. (I -Sb) c) Letter from Lan Dar, Inc. Contractors & Recyclers regarding some concerns raised while working on construction projects in the City of Plymouth including how consulting engineers are paid on projects and why certain projects weren't engineered by City staff. (I -Sc) A status report on the most recent correspondence is attached. (I --S) 6. LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION a) Association of Metropolitan Municipalities AMM FAX News (Dec. 13-17). (I --6a) b) Association of Metropolitan Municipalities AMMFAX News (Dec. 20-24). (I -6b) 7. COUNCIL INFORMATION a) Council, Planning Commission, Park Commission, HRA Commission, Environmental Quality Commission, Human Rights Commission, & Public Safety Board attendance for 1999. (I -7a) Happy Holidays from the City of Plymouth Staff. (M-7) Tentative Schedule for City Council Non -Consent Agenda Items January 4 Presentation by Amy Klobuchar on County crime initiatives Hearing on two alcohol compliance check violations Water Resources Management Plan Millennium Garden Planting/Reforestation Schedule for 2000 Reconsider Council regular meeting schedule for February and March (requested by Joy Tierney) CCR, agency, and annual appointments Consider Eliminating the Two -Step Planning Process for Applications January 18 Police Officer Oaths of Office Consider speed hump on South Shore Drive Consider County Road 101 property acquisition February 8 Consider amendment to noise ordinance for golf courses Plymouth Marketplace, Land Use Guide Plan Amendment and Sketch Plan February 22 Cl) � � w uj 2 � � � � � _ � LL 0 i k � _ 3 � \ A o 2 i � � LL� % 2 CD , r f � 7f A 2 � � & �| n §§ HE a. � 0 ( �! 8 o �~ cr, _8! _ m � : !; �§ zz a ILM`zi as4 CL 8 kk N Ch 00� 2 N 00� § :� '. ■ ■C4� 00 � k § w ' 7 C4 ®� � a ) ^ Q -__CA t- Q` CA § C-1LA~ Aj t & o C4 C4 G.Z � -tem q R! 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IL 8 8 A{ )� ! � . _ --r4 � ~ ~ § 07 � ' C4 §} t} §e )212 & 0- )2� CL2� �2E �9loo � IT z! z A Dw 2 02 � \° $kms ■ 2 § � _ 2 R N (I-1 a) Home I This Week's Contents I Daily Edition I Search /Archive I Extra Edge I Contact Us I Other Journals ADVERTISING neaast Pout DISCOUNTS iVW91 ` c0t Save with an-anritiat The Btt%incvkxu7W advertising oontract ACBJ : Minneapolis/SL Paul : Contents: Leading Stories Week of Leading Stories December 20,1999 g Leadin Stories Small Business Senior Development Booms in Suburbs Focus Tech Report Opinion OlherFeaturea Builders target second -ring cities Leading Stories Shannon Hahn Staff Reporter Fingerhut stocks up on small We firms Signal and Park to merge Plymouth's development wave is noted for its uperoppings of $300,000 plus homes Retek signs lease for Target tower filled with upwardly mobile couples and young families. But another kind of Senior Development Booms in housing development is surging -- senior residences. Suburbs Zamba finally finds niche Senior housing is relatively new to the west -metro community, which as of five Once a bank lechie. now a NATO webmaster years ago had none, according to city officials. Plymouth is not alone in its senior - Incubators form to aid e4z startups housing boom. Among other second-tier suburbs experiencing similar trends are HeafthPartners mentors African Eden Prairie, Eagan, Bloomington, Woodbury and Little Canada. cou t The reasoning behind this is quite logical. Although there is a senior population in need of housing in the Twin Cities' core and first-tier suburbs, where the bulk of the area's seniors live, there is not much space for new developments there. Redevelopment is often required. That can be expensive and time consuming, involving condemnation, tax increment financing and relocation of people and businesses, said Mike Conlan, a local developer of senior cooperative housing. Although redevelopments can be "tremendously rewarding if you hang in there," he said, "There are not many developers that want to bleed on a redevelopment project." And the second-tier developments are popular. Although seniors are often reluctant to move far from their current locale, they typically will move a suburb or two over, especially if they can get closer to children and grandchildren as well as new retail and health-care facilities. The facilities seniors are moving to conjure up images closer to luxury apartments than nursing homes that housed elderly generations earlier. Two-bedroom units, underground garages, dishwashers and microwaves are common housing fare. And, especially in independent living units, the option to own rather than rent is available in townhouse and cooperative facilities. "This is a complex market, a very sophisticated market," said Conlan, president of Bloomington -based Gramercy Corp. About 90 percent are coming out of single- family homes, and still want the benefits of home ownership. Senior housing developments fall on a continuum, ranging from independent -living townhomes with no extra services to dementia units caring for seniors with Alzheimer's disease. In between are facilities that provide group meals and housekeeping services, and assisted -living facilities that, for example, remind residents to take medicine. Most of the housing being developed by real estate companies targets middle- to high-income markets. The middle-income senior market is "very deep," Conlan said. It includes seniors with equity from house sales, Social Security support, pensions, certificate of deposit, and the benefits of a "kind stock market." As with other kinds of multi -tenant residential buildings, developing affordable senior housing is not financially viable without involvement of the government or nonprofit organizations. Relatively little development is happening on that front, industry observers said. The cooperative Gramercy built in Plymouth, Conlan estimated, cost at least $100,000 per unit to build. If an independent senior is looking for housing in a new building, finding it for under 90 cents per square foot, or $800 per month, would be difficult, he said. When health-care, meal and activity services are added, building owners find it hard to set rents at less than $2,500 per month, he said. The future of the senior housing development industry looks bright. Vacancy rates in the senior housing market are low: 2.4 percent for the Twin Cities metro area in 1999, according to a recent Maxfield Research Inc. report. People in their early 70s to mid -80s -- a population that won't include baby boomers until 2010 -- are the target market for developers. The size of that population is expected to stay about the same for a while, said Rich Fenske, a senior market analyst with Minneapolis-based Maxfield Research. Projected senior -household growth from 1997 to 2002 -- with senior defined as 65 or older -- is highest in some second -ring suburbs. That is due in part to the aging of the populations there, but also to attraction of seniors to new developments, Fenske said. Among communities with the highest growth -- adding 500 senior households or more -- are Coon Rapids, Plymouth, Eden Prairie, Burnsville, Apple Valley and Woodbury. But the real demand for senior housing stems less from the size of a senior market, and more from increased awareness of different housing types, he said. In the late 1980s, developers overbuilt the market by building too much of one product line -- facilities with shared dining facilities and some housekeeping services. Developers can maintain current development rates as long as they go after market niches after researching needs and desires of seniors in an area, Fenske said. "They have done a really good job in recent years." Once 2010 hits, and baby boomers start hunting for their own senior settings, the "market will just explode," he said. Too of the Pace Home I This Weeks Contents I Daily Edition I SearchlArchive I Extra Edoe I Contact Us I Other Joumels All contents of Uds site O American City Business Journals tne. All rights reserved. At present. Uwe is no charge for access tato any sites maintained by American City Business Journals. Mirrtespola/St PPri" P.Ucv ser aAoreemenent(l4 samcitv.com m O O O N x H 0 SN U W O c�3 Li` E-4 U W a . a d U O a a U W a a a z � a a O A � x V r w CO W to O O �" 3 z O U aWa as O a w a d w wd E� z x cn a 0 W `�' W `n U O A � W W O U w O U a z H a w d O a CA O O z a z ad. O W a c� O w a W W U z O w W U a �, Z U Upq z py �• z a W U W E-4 W a O O O w � a a a a a w w 5 . . . . . . . 0 . . . . . . . 0 0 C7 A z a W O H A a 0 w H z w w a a w a H z w w U a 0 w z w a U E-4 a z z N a. 0 W W a w H a w U z w a z 0 0 z H U w a z 52 0 w A U w H a V w A w w A � � ° o � x V � w � � a w x O � a � � U a � A W � w a a A a A a A F p w z w w H 1.0 � .. w A a A W � � z O H � � V W z z 0 0 CA W °a 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 w H z w N w 3 a o a o z � z � � ° o x w w N ° a a N � OO z w � Or! U a 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I �a U 0.4V 9 E4 w O w w E� 0 2 a A4 Med i -a 0"n e This is Broadband. This is the way. AT&T New Local Phone Service Starts For the first time ever, residents in some Twin Cities com- munities will have more than one option for their local phone service. MediaOne is using its broadband network to provide consumers with this exciting new choice in lo- cal phone service — Digital Telephone Services (DTS). By the end of December, MediaOne Digital Telephone Services will be available to about 30,000 residents in 12 north -central suburbs: Arden Hills, Columbia Heights, Falcon Heights, Hilltop, Lauderdale, Little Canada, Mounds View, New Brighton, North Oaks, Roseville, St. Anthony and Shoreview. Consumers will pay $22.95 a month to have unlimited lo- cal calling and several popular calling features. Me- diaOne 's price is 23 percent lower than the competition. When the merger is complete, AT&T will help MediaOne introduce the service to the remainder of its service area, which stretches from Ramsey in the northwest to Hastings in the southeast. More than 80 of those communities should have access to Digital Telephone Services by 2001. Customers who switch MediaOne's local telephone ser- vice will be able to keep their existing telephone numbers and long-distance carriers. They'll also have the option of switching back to their previous provider within 30 days at no charge. AT&T knows consumers benefit from having op- tions, whether it comes to long-distance service or brands of peanut butter. That's why AT&T made a public commitment this month to offer consumers a choice of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) carried over AT&T systems. December 1888 Where the Merger Stands On December 6, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) unanimously approved the merger of AT&T and Me- diaOne. While cable companies are regu- lated by local governments and not the state, the PUC's sign -off was needed be- cause the Commission had given both companies approval to offer local tele- phone service. "The PUC approval is an important step in our ability to team up with AT&T and pro- vide Twin Cities residents their first real choice in local telephone service," said Jeff Harkman, MediaOne Vice President and General Manager. Among the 89 communities MediaOne serves in Minnesota and western Wiscon- sin, 88 have approved the transfer of Me- diaOne's cable franchises. Nationally, over 90 percent of the 500 -some local communities in 15 states that need to ap- prove license transfers have done so. The two companies expect the merger to be completed in the first half of 2000. New ISP options will become available next year over AT&T's new local service offer through its fixed wireless technology. In addition, AT&T reaf- firmed it will negotiate private commercial arrange- ments with multiple ISPs for access to AT&T's broadband cable systems by 2002, when technical issues are resolved and a current exclusive contract with Excite@Home expires. Continued on reverse MERGER INFORMATION CENTERS: AT&T • 901 MARQUETTE AVENUE SOUTH, SUITE 900 • MINNEAPOLIS. MN 55402 MEDIAONE • 10 RIVER PARK PLAZA • SAINT PAUL, MN 55107 Continued from front AT&T made its commitment in a letter sent December 6 to the Federal Communications Commission. The letter was also signed by MindSpring Enterprises, the nation's second-largest ISP. In the letter, AT&T pledged to provide con- sumers with: ➢A choice of ISP without having to sub- scribe to any other ISP ➢Continued ability to change or customize "start pages" and other aspects of their Internet experience QUOTE OF NOTE ➢Full access to any content on the Internet Some observers have been concerned about whether AT&T's cable systems would pro- vide consumers with enough ISPs options. This pledge from AT&T demonstrates that this emerging market doesn't need heavy- handed regulations ("forced access") to en- sure that consumers have the options they want. Commercial agreements — not gov- ernment regulations — are the best way to assure the spread of high-speed Internet ac- cess services and customer choice of ISPs. Federal Communications Commission Chairman William Kennard reacted positively to the news of the AT&T and MindSpring agreement: "While government regulation now would only slow down broadband deploy- ment, the constructive dialogue evidenced by today's developments should hasten consumer access to multiple high-speed Internet options. The Internet is a rapidly growing and competitive force. Americans want multiple options for high-speed Internet access. I encourage the stakeholders to continue to develop market-driven solutions to serve consumer needs. " Merger Benefits Feature Community Will See Upside Both MediaOne and AT&T have a strong commitment to the Twin Cities community. That commitment will be even stronger after the merger. Area residents will continue to benefit from important weather and civil defense updates over the cable system. And many public safety organizations and neighborhood watch groups will continue to receive free wireless phones and airtime. In addition, schools will continue to re- ceive free cable and high-speed Internet access, along with teacher -support materials and train- ing. After the merger, AT&T will continue to demonstrate its commitment through donations to lo- cal charities, sponsorships of important public events and encouragement of employee volun- teerism. Interested parties should contact Kurt, 509-5054, to make reservations for you. Leadership Conference for Experienced Officials lzm � m4heoe 06" a Vecluaw '2� "' Dates and locations January 7-8, 2000 Radisson Hotel South & Plaza Tower, Bloomington January 28-29, 2000 Ruttger's Sugar Lake Lodge, Grand Rapids Agenda Friday Saturday 2 p.m. Registration 8 a.m. Host Mayor Welcome 3:00 The Big Picture for 8:15 Strategic Decision Making Veteran Officials 12 Noon Adjourn 6:00 Dinner and Recognition of Leaders 7:00 Government as a Team Registration Fee and to Register For More Information $140 Contact: For a registration form speak with Jodie Tooley, Cathy Dovidio or your city clerk or call the LMC Rebecca Erickson at (800) 925-1122 fax library at (651) 215-4039. or (651) 281-1200. December 22, 1999 The Honorable Joy Tierney Mayor, City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Blvd. Plymouth, MN 55447-1448 +1,tA N E S O?,9 �& Trade & Ec6h6ftiic Development Business & Community.. Develop RE: Contamination Cleanup/Investigation Grant Program Site: Village at Bassett Creek Applicant: Plymouth HRA Dear Mayor Tierney: The Department of Trade and Economic Development has completed its review of the applications for the Contamination Cleanup/Investigation Grant Program received on November 1, 1999. We are not able to offer you an award this grant cycle because we have a limited amount of grant funds available, and competition was high. The next deadline for applications to the program is May 1, 2000. You are welcome to resubmit this project, or other contaminated site projects that the Plymouth HRA may be working on. We will be hosting application workshops in March, 2000. A notice will be sent out specifying dates and times. Applications will be available at that time as well. If you would like to discuss your application, or the process for the next round of grants, please call me at 651-297-4132. Sincerely, Meredith Udoibok, Director Brownfields & Community Assistance cc: Edward Goldsmith 500 Metro Square, 121 7th Place East, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55101-2146 USA 612-297-1291 •800-657-3858 • Fax 612-296-1290/296-5287 • TTN -/TDD 800-627-3529 www.dted.state.mn.us \,',7e'iant \Energy Minnegasco December 20, 1999 Dear Mayor, Co L 800 LaSalle Avenue P.O. Box 59038 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55459-0038 With the new year fast approaching, we want to be sure you are aware of Reliant Energy Minnegasco's Year 2000 initiatives. Over the past five years, we have assessed, validated, tested and retested all components of our natural gas distribution system to ensure Y2K readiness. This system is largely mechanical. In areas where we have computerized components, the system is designed to perform with or without the aid of computers. Additionally, we have assessed and validated all systems that support our customer service and dispatch functions. Based on our work, we are confident that we will continue to provide your community with the same safe, reliable natural gas service you're used to during the changeover to the Year 2000. Reliant Energy Minnegasco also is working closely with its suppliers, other utilities and the Minnesota Division of Emergency Management to ensure a coordinated Y2K response. Every company participating in this initiative is increasing staffing levels and has arranged for backup communications systems on Dec. 31 and the first few days of January. We value your community's business and the trust you have placed in Reliant Energy Minnegasco. For 130 years, Minnesota's homes and businesses have counted on us to keep them warm and comfortable. We're committed to continuing our track record as we move into our third century of operation. We hope this information is helpful. If you have any special needs or concerns, please feel free to give us a call. Happy holidays! Sincerely, AlW.,W Swintek (612) 321-4799 Arne Hendrickson (612)321-5375 PS — as always, in the event of a gas leak or other emergency, please report it to our emergency line (612) 372-5050 or (800) 722-9326. If you have trouble contacting us at that number, report the problem to the nearest police, sheriff or fire department. (1--2a) YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL MINUTES OF MEETING NOVEMBER 29,1999 The meeting was called to order by Chair Paul Lenhardt at 7:00 PM. Also present were Amy Anderson, Nnennia Ejebe, Dev Jadhav, Jameson Johnson, Sam Kelner, Laura Marofsky, Manager Dwight Johnson, and Deputy City Clerk Kurt Hoffman. Absent were Trent Eisenberg and Councilmember Judy Johnson. The minutes of the November 22, 1999 meeting were approved without objection. Jameson Johnson provided an update on the Youth Jam 2000 plans. He reviewed a timeline for the event: Now Draft budget and fundraising letters January 1 Headline event booked Mail out letters to companies for fundraising February 1 Start looking for local bands March 1 Local bands booked AN Tech support solidified April 1 Media and paper advertising efforts begin Contact Governor Ventura April 15 Technical equipment secured May 1 Media advertising complete May 15 Advertising up June 3 Youth Jam date June 24 Possible rain date Manager Johnson said that the Youth Jam 2000 may have a possible tie—in with the grand opening of the Plymouth Creek Center, which is scheduled for the same date. Staff reported that Minnetonka officials were contacted for details about their youth town forum. No response has yet been received, and the matter was placed on the December 20 meeting agenda. Kurt Hoffman reported that Minnetonka officials had high praise for the November 22 presentation made by the Plymouth Youth Advisory Council. Nnennia Ejebe reviewed findings of the citizen survey conducted among 400 random Plymouth residents by Decision Resources, Incorporated during the summer. She said residents surveyed had a high positive rating of the city. She noted a perception by residents of a high youth crime and vandalism problem. Manager Johnson said correlating information about the survey could be obtained soon, to learn more about the participants. The findings could be reviewed by Youth Advisory Council members for possible future study topics. Youth Advisory Council November 29, 1999 Meeting Page 2 Manager Johnson reported on the Plymouth policy that bans overnight street parking. He said there were two apparent reasons for the overnight parking ban. One was a seasonal issue, to make snow plowing of the streets easier. The other was an apparent neighborhood safety issue, for neighbors to be alert to the presence of vehicles not owned by neighborhood residents. Council members suggested comparing the Plymouth ordinance with neighboring communities like Golden Valley. They also asked for information on what sorts of exceptions are made for overnight parking on streets, and statistics on how many citations were issued to violators. The item was placed on the December 20 meeting agenda. Council members discussed options for publicizing Youth Advisory Council projects in the schools. A motion was made by Sam Kelner, seconded by Paul Lenhardt, to talk with school administrators about what ways communications might be established. Sam volunteered to talk with officials at Armstrong Senior High School. Nnennia volunteered to find a staff person at Wayzata Senior High School who might act as a liaison between the school and the Youth Advisory Council. Nnennia also suggested it might be useful to present the Advisory Council's mission and goals statements as part of an awareness campaign in the schools. The matter was placed on the December 20 meeting agenda for discussion. The motion was approved without opposition. Options for holiday projects through Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners were discussed. While cooking baking and caroling were suggested, no consensus was reached, and Council members agreed to look at independent work projects. The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 PM. December 14, 1999 City of Plymouth Human Rights Commission 3400 Plvmouth Blvd Plymouth, MN 55447 Dear Ms. Wheeler: (1--4a) Thank you so much for your donation of $70 to Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners. We really appreciate your coordination of the Make a Difference Day activities which resulted in this kind donation. Most of the families who come to IOCP are working poor, and the problems they face are complex. IOCP's food and clothing shelves continue to be an important resource, but often longer-term solutions must be sought. Your support enables IOCP to also address the need for safe housing, dependable childcare, reliable transportation, and job training. Once families are able to overcome these barriers to self-sufficiency, they are truly able to make it on their own. Thank you again for your support and for your kind gift. Sincerely, v LaDonna Hoy, Executive Director INTERFAITH OUTREACH & COMMUNITY PARTNERS TOCP did not provide any goods or services in consideration of this gift. 110 Grand .Avenue South Wayzata, Minnesota 55391-1872 612/473-2436 Fax 612/473-4337 (1--4b) December 17, 1999 Dwight Jchn Son City Manager 3400 PlymoL!th Blvd. Plymouth, NI; J 55 447 Dear Mr. Johnson, As the new year approaches I am thankful for Wayzata Schools relationship with the Plymouth Police Department. I would especially like to take this opportunity to express our District's appreciation for the collaborative work Chief Gerdes has participated in with our staff, students, parents, and community. To name just a few are his leadership in safety training and prevention planning for our administrators and staff, his longstanding efforts toward alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse prevention, and our police liaison program. It is extremely valuable to work together for a respectful and safe community in Plymouth. Chief Gerdes is tireless in his efforts. Sincerely, Donna Marget Violence Prevention and Human Rights Officer (I -5a) SHERON L. LEW 2040 hLVBERL F LANE PL ETIOUTH, 11IN 55447 December 17, 1999 City of Plymouth Public Works Department Mr. Fred Moore. Public Works Director 3400 Plymouth Blvd. Plymouth, N -IN 55447 Dear fir. Moore: December has arrived an' snow is not far behind. As a resident v,ho relocated from Fort Wayp Indiana in June 1998, snow removal is far superior to that of Fort Wayne. However, I �kas very disappointed with how the snowplow crew plowed the streets in the Shores of Kraetz Lake subdivision last winter. There are three cul-de-sacs and a road leading to the homes. Tile snowplow came in and plowed Kimberly Lane from 2000-2040, turn left and plowed the cul-de- sac with 2065-2080 and then continued onto Kimberly Court to plow. The snowplow missed the cul-de-sac for 2040.12050/2060. This happened every time it snowed last winter. How do I know? I am at-home and I saw the driver miss this cul-de-sac. At first, I thOM111t he would come back to plow but he left after plowing Kimberly Court. That prompted me to call Public Works and strongly request that your crew come back to plow the part that was missed. My neighbor at 2060 and I got stuck every time we backed out leave our garages. I fully expect more complete snow removal this coming winter as there are now four morning school buses (three, Wayzata and one, Breck) and three afternoon school buses (two, Wayzata and one, Breck) that come -' 'his cul-de-sac to turn around daily. It is also very inconvenient for us at 2040/'_);.i_ --'j '2060 to leave our honies if Pubiic WoOks provides plo•.A iu:�;. I expect an explanation of how Public Works plans to rectify this unfortunate situation. Thank you for your prompt and immediate attention to this very important winter problem. Sincerely, Sheron L. Lew Cc: -Iayor Joy T:: rney Kelli Slavik, CJard 2 December 16, 1999 Roselyn Tuy U.W. — Stout 234 Kranzusch Hall Menomonie, WI 54751 Dear Ms. Tuy: CITY OF PLYMOUTH - Mayor Tierney requested that I respond to your letter concerning the Eagle Lake area. Based on your comments, I assume that you are referring to the Eagle Lake Regional Park property that is located north of the intersection of Bass Lake Road and Zachary Lane. A new townhome development is under construction immediately west of this property. Eagle Lake Regional Park is owned by Hennepin Parks. Hennepin Parks purchased the Eagle Lake Park property approximately 20 years ago for an active recreation area. They are now proposing to construct golf facilities on the southern 53 acres of this 220 -acre site. In addition to the golf facilities, the park would include unpaved hiking trails, paved trails, cross-country ski trails, snow -showing area, as well as other facilities. Hennepin Parks would locate the active recreation uses in areas that were formally used for agricultural purposes. As a result, Hennepin Parks would save the majority of mature trees found on the site. You may wish to contact Hennepin Parks at the following address: Suburban Hennepin Regional Park District 12615 County Road 9 Plymouth, MN 55441 (612) 559-9000 If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact John Rask at 509-5457. Mr. Rask is the planner on my staff who reviewed this project. Sincerely, Anne Hurlburt, Community Development Director C: John Rask, Planner PLYMOUTH ABeauci%u!'1'lacc'To bve 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000 ©M'`'•M;Iv www.d.plymouth.mmus Roselyn Tuy U.W.-Stout 234 Kranzusch Hall Menomonie, WI 54751 Plymouth News City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Blvd. Plymouth, MN 55447-1482 Dear Plymouth News, My name is Roselyn Tuy, and I have been a resident of the city of Plymouth for eighteen years. I am writing to you in concern of the recent attention that the Eagle Lakts Forests has gained within the recent months. The latest media has reported that the old and sacred forest was to be cut down and cleared for more streets and condominiums. This issue was presented in the Plymouth News the first week of November. Let me tell you that the Eagle Lakes Forests has been a huge part of my life ever since I was a little girl. It is a place that holds special meaning for not only me but others as well. I'm sure all of us would like to have our children experience this joy as well. It would sadden me to see the old and beautiful forest cut down. And for what? So there can be a few more homes to build in our already crowded city? Our city is already covered with homes and shopping centers. Where did all of the nature go? It may only take only hours to cut down this forest, but it will take hundred of years for it to re -grow to its original size. I would like to see the Eagle Lakes Forests saved from construction and preserved in its natural state. My family and neighbors love our city and encourage others to write about their concern for this serious issue. Thank you for your support, and please write back to me with any other information concerning the Eagle Lakes Forests. Sincerely, Roselyn Tuy (1 -Sc) �• Contractorsax-"'�& Recyclers" December 15, 1999 Mr. Dwight Johnson City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Blvd. Plymouth, MN 55447 Dear Dwight: Thank you for taking the time to ,meet with Randy and I this morning. As a matter of review, these are the majority of the issues we discussed. Our objective was to show you some things we have seen while working on construction projects in our city, and to draw your attention to some areas of concern as we perceive them. The number one issue or complaint we have is regarding how the consulting engineer is paid on a project. As we have observed, the engineer has no reason .to final a project, or even get along with the contractor throughout project, because they get paid on an hourly basis for everything theydo once the project has started the construction phase. Every meeting they attend, every time they have to re -measure or re -calculate a pay request,.the. city is billed accordingly., They benefit from disputing with the contractor. They also benefit from the initial plans being what I would classify as poor. If the quantities are close from the beginning, many of the disputes concerning pay quantities wouldn't happen. When the engineer doesn't do accurate quantity calculations on the bid documents, and then the amount.of the job goes over the contract amount, in order for us (the contractor) to get paid,the additional amount a change order must be processed. Now the engineer will argue forever on quantities for two reasons: 1. They continue to keep generating income for themselves as long as we keep disagreeing; 2. They need to justify the additional quantity to City which can make the engineer look bad ifthe quantities are different only because of a miscalculation from the beginning (as opposedto a change of conditions on the project). On the 1998 Trail Improvement Project (#8021), the engineer is charging the City of Plymouth $9,307.26, of which $8,376.64 has been paid to date, for what they call the, Design Fees. That amount appears to be determined by a percentage of the total contract amount, so I'm assuming that amount will increase when our final change, order is processed and the final total on the project is calculated.- 4850 alculated. 4850 West Medicine Lake Drive • Plymouth, MN 55442 - (612) 559-0071 - Fax (612) 550-1165 In addition to the Design Fee, the engineer has charged the City of Plymouth $14,901.92 for Professional Services, plus there is an additional $861.80 that was paid to STS Consultants for testing on the project. That brings the total engineering costs on the project to $25,070.98, or almost 25%: We also raised the question as to why this project wasn't engineered.by City staff. A trail project like this one could have easily been designed and inspected by your own personnel. Please provide us copies of the signed contracts in. place now for all the Consulting Engineers that the City of Plymouth Engineering Department uses. We'd like to review documentation as to: • How they get paid (set bid amount or percent of project, for example); • What they have to provide the city for that fee; • The hourly and mileage rates; • What part of their service falls into "design" and what part is "professional services"; • What provisions are there are for increases in hourly rates within the contract period. 1'd also like to know.how these fees are monitored by City staff. The invoices you have received from SRF pertaining to the Professional Services area total hours per employee for the month billed. Who verifies that these are correct? In particular, the last day we did any 'work on this job. was June 1, 1999, except for the crosswalk striping g what was done September.1 , yet the. City continued to get charges July through October. And why are there charges for Jim. Dvorak, he hasn't been involved in this project, and if David Roedell, the certified engineer on this project, needs to get advice from his superiors, the City shouldn't have to pay for it. Besides, why are senior engineers being charged by the hour when they very rarely come to the job site. Their job is to prepare the -contract _documents, pay,requests, change orders, etc. which should be included in the Design. Fee.. (1'd assume the almost 9% they are getting on this project should more than cover the engineer's cost to prepare the plans and bid , any change orders, the final documents and all documents, the contract documents progress payments and any other correspondence that should be needed.) How can SRF increase their hourly rates in 1999 fora project that was started in 19987 1 know, the job was suppose to be' complete in 1998, but due to utility re -location problems, it went into 1999. We, .the contractor, .are not allowed .any. increase in pay items even though all my prices went up from last year. ,Why should they be able to charge you more and we can't? We talked about some of the following issues and would like you to provide us with written answers to these questions regarding how the City of Plymouth deals the Civil . Engineering contracts. 1. Do you use a bid process? If so, provide.the qualifications used to determine which firms are hired.. 2. How often are, engineers reviewed or updated? Is this review done by Engineering Department or other City administrative departments? Dwight Johnson Page 3. 3. Who's on the current Engineer list? Is there an Engineer pool? 4. Does the engineer assigned to a project provide the city a budget for engineering fees? Is it per job, before each job, approximate percent of total project? Is there a maximum fee per project? 5. Does the City stipulate a maximum they will pay for these services? What percent of the job should be engineering? 6. What is industry standard for Engineering fees? (We've heard 11-13%, how can 25% be justified?) 7. What cost controls are. therefor professional services? Do. the engineers provide time cards and detailed explanation as to what they did for the hours charged? They should, just like the contractors are required to do before they get paid, and the time involved compiling that data should not be charged to the City under the professional services - hourly rates. 8. How many projects were let in Plymouth in 1998 and 1999 that used consulting engineers and what firm(s) got the work? Please list each project, the contract amount and which engineering firm was used. 9. How may projects were engineered in house in 1998 and 1999? What percent is the cost of these projects of the total contract? Please list these projects. 10. Please instruct SRF to provide all documentation for hours and mileage charged to this project. The time to gather this information should not be charged to the City. Dwight, We think it might be advantage for you, or someone in your department, to make a few calls to other City Engineers and other engineering firms not presently contracted with. Ask them about their experience in the City/Consulting Engineering relationships. What is an acceptable or normal engineering fee? Do they do both the design and the inspection of'a project? Ask them the above questions 1 7. 1 think you might be surprised at some of their answers. One final suggestion we had offered is for the City to send out surveys to the contractors at the completion of a project inquiring how the job went. The survey would include specific questions pertaining to the quality of the plans, how quickly changes orders. are. processed, how the contractor/engineer relationship was, etc. Contractor input might'prove valuable. After we get the above data, we'd like meet with you again to review the findings. Thank you for checking into our concerns. Sincerely, . 4LA President 00 o, cn cl o� O ON aN o p N ON c7N Z� O 00 O\ ON 00 M to O O C) ON ON N N O O O O N N N CN as ON � N ON O O O N N N O CISQ, U � h C/1 N N � �+ � •O'er 79 2 A tO+ t Q+ 4-i V O O 0 bb U rn rn y �m O O O [i a U u c � o U O � � F y r••y C!1 r5 � � � a � v VCd 0 L3 N F, x U � 000 0 0 0 lu x � � � � From: AMM To: Laurie Ahrens Date: 12/17/99 Time: 4:37:18 PM (I -6a) )e 2 of 2 AMM FAX NEWS AMM Fax Nems is faxed periodically to all AMM city managers and administrators. The information is in- tended to be shared with mayors, eouncilmembers and staff in order to keep officials abreast of important metro city issues. OCopyright 1999 AMM 145 University Avenue West St. Paul, MN 55103-2044 Phone: (651) 215-4000 Fax: (651) 281-1299 E-mail: amm@amml45.org Dec. 13-17, 1999 us Association of Metropolitan Municipalities Met Council adopts SAC waiver he Metropolitan Council adopted an amended SAC waiver policy at its Dec. 15 meeting. The policy, as pro- posed by Met Council Chair Ted Mondale, is a three-year dem- onstration program that: ♦ Waives the SAC for housing targeted to households at 30 percent of median income for renters and 60 percent for homeowners. ♦ Limits the amount of the SAC waiver to $750,000. At least $500,000 will be from the SAC fund and it is unclear if the remainder will be from SAC or other sources. ♦ Requires no match from local SAC or water access charges. ♦ Requires the sponsoring local government to make a contribution to the development. ♦ Does not require the devel- opment to use "green" building techniques or use specific water conservation methods. The AMM, based on adopted policy regarding the use of service fees and user charges, opposed the SAC funds as a funding source. In his proposal, Mondale indicated that the Met Council would need to find a permanent funding source if the program is successful. Some Met Council members indicated that if possible the SAC fund should be reimbursed for the costs of the waiver. Legislative deadlines are announced The 2000 Legislative Ses- sion will begin on Feb. 1, 2000. The deadline to get a bill out of all policy committees in one body is March 3. The companion bill in the other body — House or Senate — must be passed out of all policy committees by March 10. Budget bills are required to be passed out of divisions by March 17. Being aware of the dead- lines, it is recommended that if you will sponsor a bill, it should be ready to be intro- duced within the first week of Session. From: AMM To: Laurie Ahrens Date: 12/22/99 Time: 6:00:10 PM (I --6b) AMM FAX NEWS AMM Fax News is faxed periodically to all AMM city managers and administrators. The information is in- tended to be shared with mayors, councilmembers and staff in order to keep officials abreast of important metro city issues. ©Copyright 1999 AMM 14.5 University Avenue West St. Paul, MN 55103-2044 Phone: (651) 215-4000 Fax: (651) 281-1299 E-mail: amnt(&mm145.org Association of Metropolitan Municipalities Dec. 20-24,1999 Metro HRA may administer family housing program The Metropolitan Council's Livable Communities Commit- tee has approved a proposal that would have the Metro Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) be the lead agency in developing family housing in most of the region. The proposal, if approved by the full Metropolitan Council in January 2000, would permit the Metropoli- tan Council rather than the Minne- apolis Public Housing Agency to be responsible for administering the development of approximately 245 family housing units made available as a result of the Hollman consent decree. The units would be federally funded units that could be part of a larger development or could be units in a scattered -site environ- ment. The proposal also authorizes the Metropolitan Council to assume responsibility of family housing units currently located in such cities as Minnetonka, Plymouth and Maple Grove. The Metropolitan Council, as part of the proposal, would authorize approximately $200,000 annually in section 8 operating reserves to fund the program. It is anticipated that the Metropolitan Council would add two positions to its HRA staff. Council to apply for LCMR funds for parks Since the governor has limited the ince Metropolitan Council's state bonding request to $5 million and the Council has developed a capital program of $23 million, an application will be made to the Legislative Commission on Minnesota's Resources (LCMR) for $11.2 million to fill the funding gap. The LCMR's funding sources are a portion of the state lottery pro- ceeds and a two -cent cigarette tax. The LCMR requires a 40 percent match of its grant amount. Since 1994, the Metropolitan Council has received $14.3 million in LCMR funds. The $11.2 million if approved would be twice as large as any previous LCMR appropria- tion for regional parks. The applica- tion requests funds for projects in most regional parks and to build or rebuild trails throughout the region. For a copy of the LCMR funding request, call AMM Executive Direc- tor Gene Ranieri at (651) 215-4001. (I -7a) 1999 City Council Attendence X - Absent DATE MEETING TYPE Johnson Bildsoe Slavik Spigner Brown Black Harstad Tierney 01/05/99 Regular X X 01/12/99 Special 01/19/99 Regular 02/02/99 1 Regular 02/09/99 Special 02/16/99 Regular 02/25/99 Special X X 03/02/99 Regular X 03/09/99 Special X 03/13/99 Special X 03/16/99 Regular 03/31/99 Special X 04/06/99 Regular 04/13/99 1 Special X 04/20/991 Regular 04/27/99 Board of Review X X 05/04/99 Regular X 05/11/99 Board of Review. 05/11/99 Special 05/18/99 Regular 06/01/99 Regular 06/22/99 Special 06/22/99 Regular 07/06/99 Regular X X 07/20/99 Regular 07/27/99 Special X 07/27/99 Joint -Planning Commission 08/03/99 Regular 08/17/99 Regular 08/24/99 1 Special 08/31/99 Joint -Planning Commission 09/01/99 1 Special 09/071991 Regular 09/14/99 Special 09/21/99 Regular 09/29/99 Joint -Planning Commission X X 10/05/99 Regular 10/05/99 Special 10/12/99 Special X X X 10/19/99 Regular X 10/26/09 Joint -Planning Commission X 11/02/991 Regular 11/15/99 Special 11/16/99 Regular 12/06/99 Special X 12/07/99 Regular 12/14/99 Joint -Planning Commission X X 12/21/99 Regular rn rn C m rn E cn E O U oda eouepua)4y 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0, T7 O M"- 00 O O co ti O� ti 00 OO O O s6Uiaaw Uae #/P # titi~~NNQ C-4 ' N� LO CO V M O 0) T- 'gr v— N N •— N N N lulor 66/1L/ZL W 66/8/Z L X X X X X X X W 66/0L/LL X X X X x x 66/LZ/0 L X X X X X X X z ;uior 66/9Z/0 L X X x X X O 0 MUM L X X X x x x mor 66/6Z/6 X X X X X X 66/ZZ/6 X X X X X X 66/8/6 X X X X X X iwor 66/L£/8 X X X X X X 66/9Z/8 X X X X X fO U 66/L L/8 X X X X x v 66/8Z/L X X X X X }uior 66LZ/L X X X x x z 66/1L/L X X X X x X z 66/EZ/9 X XX x X f..� 66/6/9 X X X x X a 66/9Z/9 x x x x x x w ;uior 66/9Z/9 x X X O 66/ZL/9 X X X X x x x W 66/8Z/1 X X X x X U 66/14/b x x x x x x Z 66/1Z/£ X X X X X X X �n 66/0 L/E X X X x x x ^ 66/1Z/Z X X X x x z W 66/0 LIZ X x XX X 66/LZ/ L XX XXX X 66/£L/L X X X X X X re N Z I- uj m m Q Z d z i i� w i w 0 z X x x d d 06 x x x x x x d ¢ x x xCAx A x d: Q 01 x xrnX x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x �a r x x x ¢ w x x x n � x x x d d4 ao wl e� w i w m rn E E Q C N CL U fCt) V W W aouepueu o e o o o O O O OM M 0 0 0 O O OIt 1� O O O O O Or, N 0 0 0 OO IA O 1- r� O O O ~ s6ui;99w#/pu9;;e oc°���-�er� oM�-�co�era- 66/9 6/Z 6 0 66/86/66 X X X X _ _ C) 66/K/0 L X X X X X 66/9U6 X X X X X 66/ZUG X X X X x 66/ML Z/ X X X X 66/tb U9 X X X X 66/OZ/9 X X X r0 w 66/5 UIP X X X X U66/9 UE X X X X X 66/8 VZ X X X X X 66/ 6 Z/ 6 X X X Q z_ O w v LU Y Z N 0 w J z 2?�ZQ0SJ JOS J Z V W m rn E E Q C N CL U w a� N rl a\ 0 z z o� ON 00 o, a O, M ON N O� 04 os .a eo-d o•rs 3 o C D � e4 � M x y 1. 44.1 0�q 6 '. 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C% o a C 0 3x3Ar,3x�3V��Hc�dV :�3 a W X X X X X x • X X x X x X X X m x X X x cu c 'X X x x x Q a� os 'X X X X x X X X X X X X X X O .y X X X x X x x ca U x N X x x x X x x X X X � cv = x x X x t O -x X x E FL • ' 3 N ehet 3: � 3 J Q J Q J Q N N N N F= JQ 1= p N w N ti N I- N Q >+ C t t C Y C r d d 1�0 m O dc d N d d C g U c 7 3 t N H = > cc .` 3cc 3 R Y t A ' R LL 3 V V W ea L Y O A e0 d C d J '7 7 V ea Q v 12/16/99 rn y L 11/18/99 cx LL% m o G p < 0 UUUU a O O O CO Z UU 10/21/99 v �i oQ U)m 0 U E >� a° - 9/16/99 L W W NLD 4 x QZ (n0 N 4 x E k J Wp �O m Q C aQ Q k 12/16/99 E L 11/18/99 U UUUU CO C O UU 10/21/99 E x rn Oxxx O 0 x 9/16/99 L L a) U x x x x x x 8/19/99 U ca U UU U UU 7/13/99 U UUUU c°) o O UU 6/17/99 U UUUU cnL a� UU 75 5/20/99 7cu ci L O(DwXXX a) Cc ca) O E a) 0 cm a� CU �• O 4/15/99 v� o Q - U �a) 2z -w cc cu c 0 c U =ca XwWxxx o cc 00 ox fa N cc Q rn a C TO ca 3/18/99 N ca L c E� �� ; MEMO CITY OF PLYMOUTH 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD, PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447 DATE: December 23, 1999 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Laurie Ahrens, Assistant City Manager/ -A-/ SUBJECT: Upcoming Annual Appointments There will be a number of annual appointments on your January 4 Council agenda: • Appoint Council Coordinating Representatives (CCR) • Appoint council and staff members to other agencies • Designate Deputy Mayor, Official Newspaper, Official Depositories, Health Officer, and Council Secretary I have attached the list of annual appointments for CCRs and other agencies, so you can give some thought to whether any changes are desired. Staff reports will be provided on all items in your regular agenda packet for the January 4 meeting. At the January 11 study session, you will interview board and commission applicants. City Clerk Sandy Paulson has prepared the attached packet of materials to give you time to prepare for the interviews. She has included: • Current commission rosters which indicate the expired terms, commissioners' interest in reappointment, and attendance records. • Copies of applications received to date, and • A chart indicating each applicant's ward and choice of commissions. Note that the first line of this chart also indicates the positions to be filled (appointed or reappointed) for each commission. The Human Rights Commission has also requested that the City Council consider replacing the Ward 4 representative, Jennifer Butler, due to attendance issues. She has been contacted several times during the year, but attendance has not improved. Please call Sandy (509-5080) or me (509-5052) with any questions. u u 0 00 c 0000 tn O 000 0 d' � •b ami ° z rb z z a V1 •� O O O N O N O O O O O O M 1 M M M 1 M 1 M r: M O O O u F - u 0 a o (ON � c o 00 all 00 0o O to O n O O O o N .. O O Co O O O tn Ci �I v 'ITxav C14 C,4 NT z� N zn �� �n SoW, W ) tn a N Qp �a N w c � °Q° � (� NM O� ed Cl NC/�� O 0 ,,aN N cn 00'T O N �t OM 'O O O �DO O D� O= pMp L yM 00 Oi i. �• z G� On'�"O0 O 0� it .- i ^O Qv1 On'C'�O i. O vl On L N i �C7U pn a• O N� On a N i CC OO s ct z as.0 3��a.o3Ar.a�o3x-.a�3U.�a�odHva�odU.�aGo C,4 a4