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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Information Memorandum 10-17-1997OCTOBER 17, 1997 `�.PCOI.,NGNIEETINCx�".�ND EVEN,7S' 1. COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE.- NOTE: CHEDULE:NOTE: Ward 1 Councilmember Tim Bildsoe meets with residents and receives their comments in the Administration Library, beginning at 6:00 PM before each Council meeting. OCTOBER 29 7:00 PM COUNCIL STUDY SESSION TOPICS: Zoning, Cellular Towers, Assessments Public Safety Training Room NOVEMBER 3 7: 00 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING City Manager Evaluation Medicine Lake Room NOVEMBER S 7: 00 PM REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING City Council Chambers 2. PLYMOUTH ICEARENA, 360 Plymouth Boulevard: • RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17,6:00 PM • OPEN HOUSE, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM • GUIDED TOURS, SATURDAYand SUNDAY, OCT 18-19, 9: 00 AM to 6:00 PM 3. FIRE DEPARTMENT OPEN HOUSE, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. 4. CHARTER COMMISSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 7:00 PM Public Safety Training Room. S. PLYMOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT (PACT), OCTOBER 22, 7:00 PM, Hadiey Lake Conference Room. OCTOBER 17, 1997 `�.PCOI.,NGNIEETINCx�".�ND EVEN,7S' 1. COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE.- NOTE: CHEDULE:NOTE: Ward 1 Councilmember Tim Bildsoe meets with residents and receives their comments in the Administration Library, beginning at 6:00 PM before each Council meeting. OCTOBER 29 7:00 PM COUNCIL STUDY SESSION TOPICS: Zoning, Cellular Towers, Assessments Public Safety Training Room NOVEMBER 3 7: 00 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING City Manager Evaluation Medicine Lake Room NOVEMBER S 7: 00 PM REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING City Council Chambers 2. PLYMOUTH ICEARENA, 360 Plymouth Boulevard: • RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17,6:00 PM • OPEN HOUSE, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM • GUIDED TOURS, SATURDAYand SUNDAY, OCT 18-19, 9: 00 AM to 6:00 PM 3. FIRE DEPARTMENT OPEN HOUSE, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. 4. CHARTER COMMISSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 7:00 PM Public Safety Training Room. S. PLYMOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT (PACT), OCTOBER 22, 7:00 PM, Hadiey Lake Conference Room. CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION MEMO Page 2 October 17, 1997 6. DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS OCTOBER 26 —Set clocks back one hour! 7. HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION INTERVIEWS STUDENT APPLICANTS TO COMMISSION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 7:00 PM. Public Safety Training Room. 8. PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING ON ZACHARY LANE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT -CITY PROJECT NO. 5030, MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 7:00 PM, Plymouth Ice Arena, 3650 Plymouth Blvd. Further information is available in Staff Report Item I - 3a. 9. PLANNING COMMISSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 7 PM, Council Chambers. 10. ELECTION DAY, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, POLLS OPEN 7 AM - 8 PM. There are school board elections in districts 270, 270, 284. 11. PLANNING COMMISSION, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4.8 PM Council Chambers. Note special start time due to Election Day. 12. MEETING CALENDARS — October and November meeting calendars are attached. (M-12) .FOR YOZ'IR IAfTID ... 1. NEWS ARTICLES, RELEASES, PUBLICATIONS, ETC. a. Star Tribune Stories on homes with moisture problems, featuring two homes in Plymouth. i) October 12, 1997 story featuring the Geri and Jeff Sweet house. (1-1 a -i) ii) October 13, 1997 story featuring the Maynard and Sue Stavenau home. (I -la -ii) b. Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Stormwater Task Force notice of a meeting on Tuesday, October 21, a 1:00 PM, at the Minnetonka Community Center, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd. (I -1b) C. Notice from the Hopkins School District 270 to city managers in the school district of a decrease in the School District portion of property taxes. (I -1c) 2. MINUTES a. Bassett Creek Water Management Commission September 18, 1997 meeting draft minutes. (I -2a) CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION MEMO Page 2 October 17, 1997 6. DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS OCTOBER 26 —Set clocks back one hour! 7. HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION INTERVIEWS STUDENT APPLICANTS TO COMMISSION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 7:00 PM. Public Safety Training Room. 8. PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING ON ZACHARY LANE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT -CITY PROJECT NO. 5030, MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 7:00 PM, Plymouth Ice Arena, 3650 Plymouth Blvd. Further information is available in Staff Report Item I - 3a. 9. PLANNING COMMISSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 7 PM, Council Chambers. 10. ELECTION DAY, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, POLLS OPEN 7 AM - 8 PM. There are school board elections in districts 270, 270, 284. 11. PLANNING COMMISSION, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4.8 PM Council Chambers. Note special start time due to Election Day. 12. MEETING CALENDARS — October and November meeting calendars are attached. (M-12) .FOR YOZ'IR IAfTID ... 1. NEWS ARTICLES, RELEASES, PUBLICATIONS, ETC. a. Star Tribune Stories on homes with moisture problems, featuring two homes in Plymouth. i) October 12, 1997 story featuring the Geri and Jeff Sweet house. (1-1 a -i) ii) October 13, 1997 story featuring the Maynard and Sue Stavenau home. (I -la -ii) b. Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Stormwater Task Force notice of a meeting on Tuesday, October 21, a 1:00 PM, at the Minnetonka Community Center, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd. (I -1b) C. Notice from the Hopkins School District 270 to city managers in the school district of a decrease in the School District portion of property taxes. (I -1c) 2. MINUTES a. Bassett Creek Water Management Commission September 18, 1997 meeting draft minutes. (I -2a) CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION MEMO Page 3 October 17, 1997 3. STAFFREPORTS a. Report from Public Works Director Fred Moore on the Zachary Lane Improvement Project, City Project No. 5030. (I -4a) b. Report from Public Works Director Fred Moore on traffic and pedestrian concerns at Peony Lane and 19`" Avenue north of County Road 6. (I -4b) 4. CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS POLICY— CORRESPONDENCE A status report on the most recent correspondence is attached. S. CORRESPONDENCE a. Letter from Jerry Chmielewski to the City Council regarding the West Medicine Lake Drive. (I -5a) b. Letter from Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources Executive Director Ronald Harnack to the Hennepin County Commissioners regarding activities of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. (1-5b) C. Letter from City of Blaine Personnel Director Joyce Twistol to City Clerk Laurie Ahrens giving thanks for a presentation on the Data Practices Act. (1-5c•) d. Petition from area residents protesting a proposal for a "round about" at the intersection of 36`h Avenue and Plymouth Boulevard. (1-5d) CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION MEMO Page 3 October 17, 1997 3. STAFFREPORTS a. Report from Public Works Director Fred Moore on the Zachary Lane Improvement Project, City Project No. 5030. (I -4a) b. Report from Public Works Director Fred Moore on traffic and pedestrian concerns at Peony Lane and 19`" Avenue north of County Road 6. (I -4b) 4. CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS POLICY— CORRESPONDENCE A status report on the most recent correspondence is attached. S. CORRESPONDENCE a. Letter from Jerry Chmielewski to the City Council regarding the West Medicine Lake Drive. (I -5a) b. Letter from Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources Executive Director Ronald Harnack to the Hennepin County Commissioners regarding activities of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. (1-5b) C. Letter from City of Blaine Personnel Director Joyce Twistol to City Clerk Laurie Ahrens giving thanks for a presentation on the Data Practices Act. (1-5c•) d. Petition from area residents protesting a proposal for a "round about" at the intersection of 36`h Avenue and Plymouth Boulevard. 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(410) O Y l 07 �� ry FUN — �• 4 q -2< 7 ' o _ N �� -_ 0 Q o �7 CIA IoUMmp UHHIET? startribune.com 1 Variety Related items D Builder's choice Discuss yourhouse troubles a Energycode change proposal Finding problems withher new home Homeowners tell their stories House warminqquides Ela coccial iieport. -fho, trouble tvith t1 Xi SE i Why owners call their builders 3unu+ay, 397 New houses in Minnesota at risk for moisture, rot Jim Buchta, Karen Youso and Donna Halvorsen / Star Tribune Sandy Haberle was stunned to learn recently that the $386,000 house she had built in Minnetonka four years ago needs an estimated $50,000 in repairs. Her water heater was spewing soot and toxic gases into the indoor air, and walls in a recreation room were rotting away. Soon after Geri and Jeff Sweet moved into their two-story, $250,000 home in Plymouth in 1994, water problems emerged. Water stained the wall studs, soaked the insulation and pooled on the basement floor. The studs began to rot. In addition, the water heater was improperly installed. A year ago, a neighbor alerted Jerri and Terry McMahon that the roof on their seven-year-old, $149,000 house in Spring Lake Park appeared to be buckling. A structural engineer found numerous problems, including roof braces that weren't nailed down. Now the couple is saddled with thousands of dollars in repairs as they try to bring the house up to code. y "In my experience, 50 percent of new homes in Minnesota will experience trouble in the first three to five years," said Steve Klossner, a Minnesota specialist in diagnosing problem homes. The troubles he sees Minnesota consultant Mark include serious moisture problems, shoddy LaUberte, who trains builders, construction, and water heaters and furnaces that said: "Things have got to change, because these houses malfunction, sometimes causing serious health are not good." His comment to problems for occupants. home buyers is that they should ask questions about Such problems demonstrate the inability of state and how the house works, not justhow it looks. local governments to adequately police the home-building industry and protect consumers. While builders are supposed to meet minimum requirements set out in the building code, enforcement is uneven and interpretations differ from municipality to municipality. Moreover, state law tends to protect builders from accountability. Homeowners have only a year after they move into their houses to force builders to fix problems that result from defective work or materials. And they have only two years after discovering a problem to file a lawsuit over it. Sometimes built-in problems aren't recognized for several years. Houses built in the past 10 to 15 years are most prone to trouble, the Star Tribune found during months of investigation. The push to make houses more energy efficient by tightening their shells has made them more susceptible to moisture problems and rot. Also, homes are built with composite wood products that deteriorate rapidly after repeated exposure to moisture. These problems reflect a state building code that lags behind scientific knowledge concerning how to build durable, healthy homes. "Things have got to change, because these houses are not good," said Mark LaLiberte, vice-president of Shelter Supply, a Lakeville building supply company that also trains Minnesota builders and inspectors. Moisture certainly isn't a new problem. But houses built 30 or more years ago were drafty enough so that they could dry out. In contrast, modem homes were designed to hold warmth inside. Yet a tightly built house also traps moisture inside. Rot can then take hold and eat away at windows, roofs and walls -- often without being detected -- and can spawn molds that make people sick. UHHIET? startribune.com 1 Variety Related items D Builder's choice Discuss yourhouse troubles a Energycode change proposal Finding problems withher new home Homeowners tell their stories House warminqquides Ela coccial iieport. -fho, trouble tvith t1 Xi SE i Why owners call their builders 3unu+ay, 397 New houses in Minnesota at risk for moisture, rot Jim Buchta, Karen Youso and Donna Halvorsen / Star Tribune Sandy Haberle was stunned to learn recently that the $386,000 house she had built in Minnetonka four years ago needs an estimated $50,000 in repairs. Her water heater was spewing soot and toxic gases into the indoor air, and walls in a recreation room were rotting away. Soon after Geri and Jeff Sweet moved into their two-story, $250,000 home in Plymouth in 1994, water problems emerged. Water stained the wall studs, soaked the insulation and pooled on the basement floor. The studs began to rot. In addition, the water heater was improperly installed. A year ago, a neighbor alerted Jerri and Terry McMahon that the roof on their seven-year-old, $149,000 house in Spring Lake Park appeared to be buckling. A structural engineer found numerous problems, including roof braces that weren't nailed down. Now the couple is saddled with thousands of dollars in repairs as they try to bring the house up to code. y "In my experience, 50 percent of new homes in Minnesota will experience trouble in the first three to five years," said Steve Klossner, a Minnesota specialist in diagnosing problem homes. The troubles he sees Minnesota consultant Mark include serious moisture problems, shoddy LaUberte, who trains builders, construction, and water heaters and furnaces that said: "Things have got to change, because these houses malfunction, sometimes causing serious health are not good." His comment to problems for occupants. home buyers is that they should ask questions about Such problems demonstrate the inability of state and how the house works, not justhow it looks. local governments to adequately police the home-building industry and protect consumers. While builders are supposed to meet minimum requirements set out in the building code, enforcement is uneven and interpretations differ from municipality to municipality. Moreover, state law tends to protect builders from accountability. Homeowners have only a year after they move into their houses to force builders to fix problems that result from defective work or materials. And they have only two years after discovering a problem to file a lawsuit over it. Sometimes built-in problems aren't recognized for several years. Houses built in the past 10 to 15 years are most prone to trouble, the Star Tribune found during months of investigation. The push to make houses more energy efficient by tightening their shells has made them more susceptible to moisture problems and rot. Also, homes are built with composite wood products that deteriorate rapidly after repeated exposure to moisture. These problems reflect a state building code that lags behind scientific knowledge concerning how to build durable, healthy homes. "Things have got to change, because these houses are not good," said Mark LaLiberte, vice-president of Shelter Supply, a Lakeville building supply company that also trains Minnesota builders and inspectors. Moisture certainly isn't a new problem. But houses built 30 or more years ago were drafty enough so that they could dry out. In contrast, modem homes were designed to hold warmth inside. Yet a tightly built house also traps moisture inside. Rot can then take hold and eat away at windows, roofs and walls -- often without being detected -- and can spawn molds that make people sick. Older homes that have been weatherproofed with extra insulation and better fitting doors and windows also are vulnerable to rot and air-quality problems. "We've known the answers to these problems for maybe 10 years," said Merwyn Larson, Minneapolis building official and head of a Minnesota building officials code committee. But persuading the building industry of the need for more stringent building requirements, he said, has been a "fight every step of the way." Builders associations say they support changes to the energy code that address the problems in homes. Yet builders continue to erect houses that are more likely to develop moisture problems. A 1995 study of nearly 200 houses in the Twin Cities suburbs of Woodbury and Coon Rapids found that 54 percent had three or more critical moisture indicators two to four years after construction. They included ice dams, warped and damaged siding, mold growth on interior or exterior finishes, staining of ceilings or walls and flaking or peeling paint on the interior or exterior surfaces. The findings are significant because they can be applied to the approximately 200,000 Minnesota homes built since 1986, said building scientist Marilou Cheple, a former builder now with the Energy Efficient Building Association. She authored the study as a graduate student at the University of Minnesota. Some housing experts say the study's findings match their own observations. "1 predict that in the next 10 to 20 years we will be shoveling homes off their foundations." said Mike Lelleau. of Duluth, a former home builder who now diagnoses problem homes. Builders, for the most part, don't see significant problems with the way they build houses. Informed of the Star Tribune findings, the Builders Association of Minnesota and the Builders Association of the Twin Cities said they "do not agree with the negative assertions made about the housing industry ... " .["hey called the series "needlessly alarmist and pgjorative ... " In other interviews, builders agreed that some new homes have moisture and durability problems. but many blame the problems on the weather or on homeowners who fail to maintain their houses. "A lot of homeowners don't want to admit that the problems arise from their negligence," said Dean Flackey, president of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities. Roots of the problem The Star Tribune found a number of reasons why Minnesota houses have problems: Contrary to popular belief, the state building code does not guarantee a well-built, long-lasting house. Houses built to code are "the equivalent of getting a D on a test," said John Tooley, a North Carolina building consultant and trainer, referring to the national building code. Minnesota's code, adapted from the national code, is designed to provide only minimum standards for fire and structural safety. There has been an effort since 1994 to improve construction and ventilation through an upgraded energy code, but the building industry -- those who build and inspect homes -- has been slow to embrace it. The requirements to become a licensed builder are minimal. Builders see licensing as a badge of credibility. They say they pushed for it as a way to root out bad builders. But licenses are issued to a company, not individuals, on the basis of one managerial employee passing a multiple choice test. And while houses have Older homes that have been weatherproofed with extra insulation and better fitting doors and windows also are vulnerable to rot and air-quality problems. "We've known the answers to these problems for maybe 10 years," said Merwyn Larson, Minneapolis building official and head of a Minnesota building officials code committee. But persuading the building industry of the need for more stringent building requirements, he said, has been a "fight every step of the way." Builders associations say they support changes to the energy code that address the problems in homes. Yet builders continue to erect houses that are more likely to develop moisture problems. A 1995 study of nearly 200 houses in the Twin Cities suburbs of Woodbury and Coon Rapids found that 54 percent had three or more critical moisture indicators two to four years after construction. They included ice dams, warped and damaged siding, mold growth on interior or exterior finishes, staining of ceilings or walls and flaking or peeling paint on the interior or exterior surfaces. The findings are significant because they can be applied to the approximately 200,000 Minnesota homes built since 1986, said building scientist Marilou Cheple, a former builder now with the Energy Efficient Building Association. She authored the study as a graduate student at the University of Minnesota. Some housing experts say the study's findings match their own observations. "1 predict that in the next 10 to 20 years we will be shoveling homes off their foundations." said Mike Lelleau. of Duluth, a former home builder who now diagnoses problem homes. Builders, for the most part, don't see significant problems with the way they build houses. Informed of the Star Tribune findings, the Builders Association of Minnesota and the Builders Association of the Twin Cities said they "do not agree with the negative assertions made about the housing industry ... " .["hey called the series "needlessly alarmist and pgjorative ... " In other interviews, builders agreed that some new homes have moisture and durability problems. but many blame the problems on the weather or on homeowners who fail to maintain their houses. "A lot of homeowners don't want to admit that the problems arise from their negligence," said Dean Flackey, president of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities. Roots of the problem The Star Tribune found a number of reasons why Minnesota houses have problems: Contrary to popular belief, the state building code does not guarantee a well-built, long-lasting house. Houses built to code are "the equivalent of getting a D on a test," said John Tooley, a North Carolina building consultant and trainer, referring to the national building code. Minnesota's code, adapted from the national code, is designed to provide only minimum standards for fire and structural safety. There has been an effort since 1994 to improve construction and ventilation through an upgraded energy code, but the building industry -- those who build and inspect homes -- has been slow to embrace it. The requirements to become a licensed builder are minimal. Builders see licensing as a badge of credibility. They say they pushed for it as a way to root out bad builders. But licenses are issued to a company, not individuals, on the basis of one managerial employee passing a multiple choice test. And while houses have r� t managerial employee passing a multiple choice test. And while houses have become increasingly more complicated, builders have no educational requirements to satisfy before taking the test. Real estate salespeople, by contrast, must take 90 hours of courses before taking their licensing exam. Bonnie Polta of the State Department of Commerce said the licensing of builders wasn't intended to guarantee their competence. It was designed to replace inconsistent municipal licensing with statewide licensing and to give consumers a place to turn to with their complaints. Consumers blindly trust the system. They usually spend more time researching the purchases of cars than houses, experts say, and they tend to be more concerned about floor space and appearance than durability. In addition, popular amenities such as skylights, whirlpools and kitchen fans contribute to moisture and indoor air problems. The secret is out Minnesota's housing problems aren't unique. Minnesota has a number of nationally recognized building experts, who along with building scientists from Maine to California are sounding the alarm about the problems. "The secret is coming out." said Joseph Lstiburek. a Massachusetts forensic engineer who investigates building failures. "The secret is that new homes don't work.... We have lots of problems, and things are becoming intolerable." Excessive moisture in homes has been a growing problem since the national push to save energy, began in the 1970s. Building much tighter and far better insulated houses has reduced energy costs. But the techniques largely, have ignored the need forgetting fresh air into homes to control moisture and protect occupant health. The American Society of Heating. Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers recommends that air in houses be replaced every three hours. That exchange doesn't always happen in today's houses because people keep their windows shut, sometimes year-round. If little air moves in and out of tight homes, moisture builds up and leads to mold and rot. Tight homes also tend to perform poorly at expelling the exhaust From furnaces and water heaters, which means poisonous gases can flow into household air. Heating and air-conditioning systems recycle stale air tainted with mold spores and combustion gases. "For an awful lot of years, we built houses. and they worked just fine, and they stood for 100 or 150 years," said Hans Hagen, Minnesota builder and spokesman for the state Builders Association. "And all of a sudden our modern society said we need clean air, and we need to save energy, and one of the reasons we want to save energy is to have clean air. That ended up having an impact on the health and safety of the occupants, and it had an impact on the structural durability of the house. And we're dealing with that." A stronger code Actually, the state has a way to go in dealing with durability and health and safety issues. Minnesota didn't seriously begin to explore code solutions to the problems in new housing until the early 1990s. when the Legislature mandated that the state have the most stringent energy code in the country. Minnesota officials looked to Canada to learn about energy efficient housing because that country had spent about $50 million on research and implementation of a high-performance building program. The Canadians determined that construction techniques had to be upgraded and that the tightly built houses had to be mechanically ventilated. But when Minnesota proposed an upgraded code modeled on Canada's research, the associations representing builders and inspectors largely rejected it. Some said r� t managerial employee passing a multiple choice test. And while houses have become increasingly more complicated, builders have no educational requirements to satisfy before taking the test. Real estate salespeople, by contrast, must take 90 hours of courses before taking their licensing exam. Bonnie Polta of the State Department of Commerce said the licensing of builders wasn't intended to guarantee their competence. It was designed to replace inconsistent municipal licensing with statewide licensing and to give consumers a place to turn to with their complaints. Consumers blindly trust the system. They usually spend more time researching the purchases of cars than houses, experts say, and they tend to be more concerned about floor space and appearance than durability. In addition, popular amenities such as skylights, whirlpools and kitchen fans contribute to moisture and indoor air problems. The secret is out Minnesota's housing problems aren't unique. Minnesota has a number of nationally recognized building experts, who along with building scientists from Maine to California are sounding the alarm about the problems. "The secret is coming out." said Joseph Lstiburek. a Massachusetts forensic engineer who investigates building failures. "The secret is that new homes don't work.... We have lots of problems, and things are becoming intolerable." Excessive moisture in homes has been a growing problem since the national push to save energy, began in the 1970s. Building much tighter and far better insulated houses has reduced energy costs. But the techniques largely, have ignored the need forgetting fresh air into homes to control moisture and protect occupant health. The American Society of Heating. Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers recommends that air in houses be replaced every three hours. That exchange doesn't always happen in today's houses because people keep their windows shut, sometimes year-round. If little air moves in and out of tight homes, moisture builds up and leads to mold and rot. Tight homes also tend to perform poorly at expelling the exhaust From furnaces and water heaters, which means poisonous gases can flow into household air. Heating and air-conditioning systems recycle stale air tainted with mold spores and combustion gases. "For an awful lot of years, we built houses. and they worked just fine, and they stood for 100 or 150 years," said Hans Hagen, Minnesota builder and spokesman for the state Builders Association. "And all of a sudden our modern society said we need clean air, and we need to save energy, and one of the reasons we want to save energy is to have clean air. That ended up having an impact on the health and safety of the occupants, and it had an impact on the structural durability of the house. And we're dealing with that." A stronger code Actually, the state has a way to go in dealing with durability and health and safety issues. Minnesota didn't seriously begin to explore code solutions to the problems in new housing until the early 1990s. when the Legislature mandated that the state have the most stringent energy code in the country. Minnesota officials looked to Canada to learn about energy efficient housing because that country had spent about $50 million on research and implementation of a high-performance building program. The Canadians determined that construction techniques had to be upgraded and that the tightly built houses had to be mechanically ventilated. But when Minnesota proposed an upgraded code modeled on Canada's research, the associations representing builders and inspectors largely rejected it. Some said y iL. the new requirements weren't necessary because houses already were built well and the requirements were costly and would make houses less affordable. Others said the industry wasn't ready for such radical changes. In 1994, a compromise was reached. The builders could continue to build as they had been building, or they could build higher performance houses, called Category One houses. However, the building industry was put on notice that the choice was temporary to allow transition time to educate builders and to prepare the industry to meet the higher standard by 1998. So far, few Category One houses have been built. Only 10 percent of the houses built after 1994 were built to the higher standard. Using the rate of risk found in Cheple's study, half of the rest, or about 30,000 Minnesota homes, will have moisture problems and poor air quality. That includes houses in all price ranges. A $975,000 house shown in the 1997 Builders Association of the Twin Cities Spring Preview was built to the less stringent standard. Douglas McNamara, vice president of Robert H. Mason Homes Inc., the company that built the house, said it was designed and built to code and exceeds it "in craftsmanship and detail work." The builder decided not to include mechanical ventilation to keep costs down, said McNamara. He said mechanical ventilation. which isn't required under current code, would have added $8,000 to the price. He added that he is "looking forward to that mechanical ventilation becoming an industry standard." In recent months, builders were granted two delays in implementing the new standard to allow more time for training. The first delay was from 1998 to 1999. Now the effective date is one year after the code is adopted. The adoption of it may not be soon. A code proposal has been completed, and a public hearing is planned for December, but national trade groups for the fireplace and gas industries oppose the change. The delays mean that more than 40.000 houses could be built to the lower standard before the code changes take effect. The decision by most builders to avoid building Category One houses may have financial implications for consumers. Some state officials. such as Bruce Nelson, senior engineer with the Minnesota Department of Public Service, believe that owners of houses with water problems will have to retrofit their homes with mechanical ventilation. Repairing damage caused by excess indoor humidity or fixing heating appliances that do not work properly also could be costly to consumers. "Certainly, the state hasn't got enough money to pay for repairing problem homes,' said Hans Hagen, a Minnesota builder. Builders' concerns Builders say they're giving consumers what they want: the most house for the least price. Building scientist Pat Huelman, director of the University of Minnesota's Cold Climate Housing Program, said builders who want to build better houses find they can't compete with builders who build to the lower standard. Some builders are operating on profit margins of 4 to 5 percent. "The buyers aren't willing to spend extra money for air quality and durability benefits," Huelman said. Builders say one of their concerns in putting up new houses is the lack of skilled labor. "So, consequently quality does become a bigger issue," said Minnesota builder Lowell Pratt. y iL. the new requirements weren't necessary because houses already were built well and the requirements were costly and would make houses less affordable. Others said the industry wasn't ready for such radical changes. In 1994, a compromise was reached. The builders could continue to build as they had been building, or they could build higher performance houses, called Category One houses. However, the building industry was put on notice that the choice was temporary to allow transition time to educate builders and to prepare the industry to meet the higher standard by 1998. So far, few Category One houses have been built. Only 10 percent of the houses built after 1994 were built to the higher standard. Using the rate of risk found in Cheple's study, half of the rest, or about 30,000 Minnesota homes, will have moisture problems and poor air quality. That includes houses in all price ranges. A $975,000 house shown in the 1997 Builders Association of the Twin Cities Spring Preview was built to the less stringent standard. Douglas McNamara, vice president of Robert H. Mason Homes Inc., the company that built the house, said it was designed and built to code and exceeds it "in craftsmanship and detail work." The builder decided not to include mechanical ventilation to keep costs down, said McNamara. He said mechanical ventilation. which isn't required under current code, would have added $8,000 to the price. He added that he is "looking forward to that mechanical ventilation becoming an industry standard." In recent months, builders were granted two delays in implementing the new standard to allow more time for training. The first delay was from 1998 to 1999. Now the effective date is one year after the code is adopted. The adoption of it may not be soon. A code proposal has been completed, and a public hearing is planned for December, but national trade groups for the fireplace and gas industries oppose the change. The delays mean that more than 40.000 houses could be built to the lower standard before the code changes take effect. The decision by most builders to avoid building Category One houses may have financial implications for consumers. Some state officials. such as Bruce Nelson, senior engineer with the Minnesota Department of Public Service, believe that owners of houses with water problems will have to retrofit their homes with mechanical ventilation. Repairing damage caused by excess indoor humidity or fixing heating appliances that do not work properly also could be costly to consumers. "Certainly, the state hasn't got enough money to pay for repairing problem homes,' said Hans Hagen, a Minnesota builder. Builders' concerns Builders say they're giving consumers what they want: the most house for the least price. Building scientist Pat Huelman, director of the University of Minnesota's Cold Climate Housing Program, said builders who want to build better houses find they can't compete with builders who build to the lower standard. Some builders are operating on profit margins of 4 to 5 percent. "The buyers aren't willing to spend extra money for air quality and durability benefits," Huelman said. Builders say one of their concerns in putting up new houses is the lack of skilled labor. "So, consequently quality does become a bigger issue," said Minnesota builder Lowell Pratt. Some try harder The builders who choose to build to the more stringent code requirements believe their houses will have fewer problems and that they'll eventually get more business. One of those builders is Robb Gass, who said he believes it's cheaper to build houses right the first time. He said that since he started building Category One houses that he has avoided moisture and air quality problems. Hans Hagen's decision to build only Category One homes was rooted in economics. "Number one, you want referrals, and you want to do a good job," he said. "But you don't want to go back and fix a house that you've already taken all the money for. You've already got the money, and now you have to go back and spend tomorrow's money on repairing a house." Builders do expect houses to have some moisture problems as building materials dry. Some builders say if the problems continue the homeowners are at fault. A family that cooks a lot and has house plants, dogs and teenagers (who tend to shower frequently) will have more moisture problems than a professional couple who eat out five or six nights a week, said Flackey, president of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities. The conditions that builders say are to be expected in new homes are wet windows. cracked walls, damp' basements. and popped nails, according to performance standards published by the Builders Association of the Twin Cities. Warranty companies, such as the Home Buyers Warranty Corp., use almost identical language in their contracts and portray many problems as homeowners' "maintenance" issues. Studies show, however, that the components in the house, such as the foundation, increase the amount of moisture more than occupants do. The advice from building scientists is that the drying process typically takes a year or two. If problems persist, it's an indication of a more serious condition that requires correction. Often, moisture -related problems can be solved with proper ventilation. Category One houses have a continuous air exchange with a mechanical ventilation system. The Category Two code standards require that homeowners open the windows -- even in winter -- in order to adequately ventilate their houses "We know that doesn't happen in Minnesota in winter," said Tom Joachim, state building inspector. Building scientist Gary Nelson said builders don't expect their customers to open windows in the middle of winter. "Lots of builders just aren't aware that they could possibly build a house tight enough to have an indoor air problem," Nelson said. Part of the reason builders don't know about defects in the homes they build is because rot can be hidden and revealed over time, and new owners of "used" homes -- even relatively new ones -- usually don't complain to builders. As a result, homeowners who do complain sometimes are dismissed as "difficult," "crazy" or lazy about maintaining their homes. The dilemma for consumers if the cause of the problem isn't diagnosed is that Minnesota law gives homeowners only two years from the time they knew, "or reasonably should have known," about a problem to take action against their builders. California law gives consumers 10 years. One solution to the current housing problem is "education, education, education," said house diagnostician Klossner. Builders must take seven hours of courses each year as a condition of licensing, Some try harder The builders who choose to build to the more stringent code requirements believe their houses will have fewer problems and that they'll eventually get more business. One of those builders is Robb Gass, who said he believes it's cheaper to build houses right the first time. He said that since he started building Category One houses that he has avoided moisture and air quality problems. Hans Hagen's decision to build only Category One homes was rooted in economics. "Number one, you want referrals, and you want to do a good job," he said. "But you don't want to go back and fix a house that you've already taken all the money for. You've already got the money, and now you have to go back and spend tomorrow's money on repairing a house." Builders do expect houses to have some moisture problems as building materials dry. Some builders say if the problems continue the homeowners are at fault. A family that cooks a lot and has house plants, dogs and teenagers (who tend to shower frequently) will have more moisture problems than a professional couple who eat out five or six nights a week, said Flackey, president of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities. The conditions that builders say are to be expected in new homes are wet windows. cracked walls, damp' basements. and popped nails, according to performance standards published by the Builders Association of the Twin Cities. Warranty companies, such as the Home Buyers Warranty Corp., use almost identical language in their contracts and portray many problems as homeowners' "maintenance" issues. Studies show, however, that the components in the house, such as the foundation, increase the amount of moisture more than occupants do. The advice from building scientists is that the drying process typically takes a year or two. If problems persist, it's an indication of a more serious condition that requires correction. Often, moisture -related problems can be solved with proper ventilation. Category One houses have a continuous air exchange with a mechanical ventilation system. The Category Two code standards require that homeowners open the windows -- even in winter -- in order to adequately ventilate their houses "We know that doesn't happen in Minnesota in winter," said Tom Joachim, state building inspector. Building scientist Gary Nelson said builders don't expect their customers to open windows in the middle of winter. "Lots of builders just aren't aware that they could possibly build a house tight enough to have an indoor air problem," Nelson said. Part of the reason builders don't know about defects in the homes they build is because rot can be hidden and revealed over time, and new owners of "used" homes -- even relatively new ones -- usually don't complain to builders. As a result, homeowners who do complain sometimes are dismissed as "difficult," "crazy" or lazy about maintaining their homes. The dilemma for consumers if the cause of the problem isn't diagnosed is that Minnesota law gives homeowners only two years from the time they knew, "or reasonably should have known," about a problem to take action against their builders. California law gives consumers 10 years. One solution to the current housing problem is "education, education, education," said house diagnostician Klossner. Builders must take seven hours of courses each year as a condition of licensing, Builders must take seven hours of courses each year as a condition of licensing, but a Duluth area builder, Arno Kahn, said the state "hasn't put enough instructors out there." State and local trade associations provide courses and seminars for builders in what Kathie Pugaczewski said is an effort "to bring the entire industry up to an entire standard." Pugaczewski is executive vice president of Builders Association of Minnesota. But most of the state's licensed 8,000 builders don't belong to the state association. Most are small builders who may not have access to workshops and seminars. "A lot of people learned from an uncle or a relative," Kahn said. "The pattern of change in building dwellings is not so quick." Of the seven hours required by the state, only one hour must be on the energy code and the stricter building standards. State officials and builders concede that that is not enough time. Code enforcement Whatever standards are required in the code, it's only as good as its enforcement. And, "it's not magic," said Cheple of the Energy Efficient Building Association. "We'll always have enforcement problems. We can't expect one inspector to catch everything in a house." Home buyers may think that municipal inspections protect them against durability problems but that kind of consumer protection is "not a service we provide," said Plymouth building official Joe Ryan, echoing comments from others. Homeowners have little recourse if code violations have been overlooked by inspectors who are often overworked. Municipalities, which employ the inspectors, are immune from legal liability. Joachim, the state building inspector, said "there should be some responsibility there." A shakeup in code enforcement and accountability could be in store for the state. And some homeowners may pay higher insurance rates as a result. While the majority of the state's population lives in areas that have adopted the state building code, that's only 17 of Minnesota's 87 counties. In the rest of the state homes are built without guidance by codes or building inspectors. In some parts of the state, said former Duluth builder LeBeau, a house can be built upside delated items down as long as the septic system is correctly installed. Builders choice Nationwide, the insurance industry is auditing code enforcement to reduce C2 Discuss yourhouse troubles potential for losses. Minnesota is scheduled to be audited in 1999. Houses built after the survey in communities that score well will get rate discounts, said Enerqycode change proposal Christopher Guidette, director of corporate communications for the Insurance Finding problems withher new Services Office, New York. Houses built before the survey will have to show that home Homeowners tell their stories they meet code in order to receive the discount. House warmingguides Only visual inspections are done during home construction. Building experts say S,3eci.3l report: The trouble with the state should add performance testing of newly built homes. Such tests use houses Why owners call their builders recent) developed technology that documents how a house will perform. y� P DY Builders strongly oppose a performance testing requirement. startrbune.com Hagen, a builder, said homeowners would have to bear the cost of the testing, ! Variety which experts say is about $200. What buyers want Consumers also have to take responsibility for understanding what makes a house well built and asking questions of the builder or previous owner. Buyers focus on square footage and amenities, such as bayed windows, home Builders must take seven hours of courses each year as a condition of licensing, but a Duluth area builder, Arno Kahn, said the state "hasn't put enough instructors out there." State and local trade associations provide courses and seminars for builders in what Kathie Pugaczewski said is an effort "to bring the entire industry up to an entire standard." Pugaczewski is executive vice president of Builders Association of Minnesota. But most of the state's licensed 8,000 builders don't belong to the state association. Most are small builders who may not have access to workshops and seminars. "A lot of people learned from an uncle or a relative," Kahn said. "The pattern of change in building dwellings is not so quick." Of the seven hours required by the state, only one hour must be on the energy code and the stricter building standards. State officials and builders concede that that is not enough time. Code enforcement Whatever standards are required in the code, it's only as good as its enforcement. And, "it's not magic," said Cheple of the Energy Efficient Building Association. "We'll always have enforcement problems. We can't expect one inspector to catch everything in a house." Home buyers may think that municipal inspections protect them against durability problems but that kind of consumer protection is "not a service we provide," said Plymouth building official Joe Ryan, echoing comments from others. Homeowners have little recourse if code violations have been overlooked by inspectors who are often overworked. Municipalities, which employ the inspectors, are immune from legal liability. Joachim, the state building inspector, said "there should be some responsibility there." A shakeup in code enforcement and accountability could be in store for the state. And some homeowners may pay higher insurance rates as a result. While the majority of the state's population lives in areas that have adopted the state building code, that's only 17 of Minnesota's 87 counties. In the rest of the state homes are built without guidance by codes or building inspectors. In some parts of the state, said former Duluth builder LeBeau, a house can be built upside delated items down as long as the septic system is correctly installed. Builders choice Nationwide, the insurance industry is auditing code enforcement to reduce C2 Discuss yourhouse troubles potential for losses. Minnesota is scheduled to be audited in 1999. Houses built after the survey in communities that score well will get rate discounts, said Enerqycode change proposal Christopher Guidette, director of corporate communications for the Insurance Finding problems withher new Services Office, New York. Houses built before the survey will have to show that home Homeowners tell their stories they meet code in order to receive the discount. House warmingguides Only visual inspections are done during home construction. Building experts say S,3eci.3l report: The trouble with the state should add performance testing of newly built homes. Such tests use houses Why owners call their builders recent) developed technology that documents how a house will perform. y� P DY Builders strongly oppose a performance testing requirement. startrbune.com Hagen, a builder, said homeowners would have to bear the cost of the testing, ! Variety which experts say is about $200. What buyers want Consumers also have to take responsibility for understanding what makes a house well built and asking questions of the builder or previous owner. Buyers focus on square footage and amenities, such as bayed windows, home theaters and gourmet kitchens rather than ventilation systems. They seem to think they're getting a well-built house if the woodwork looks good and the cabinet doors feel solid. But if what's behind the walls isn't right, or the home's mechanical systems aren't integrated, there's trouble ahead. "We clearly have a consumer expectation problem," building expert Fluelman said. "They assume for the least possible cost they are going to have a perfect house." Once defects begin to surface, homeowners sometimes try to cover up problems and sell their houses. Major defects sometimes can be concealed behind freshly painted walls and ceilings. Several owners of problem homes declined to be interviewed for these articles because they were planning to sell and didn't want prospective buyers to know about the defects. New homes are not all the same, said building consultant LaLiberte. "Caveat emptor buyer beware again reigns, and you'd better be the person asking the questions." ©` ., , r_:.na „u,:., i:. theaters and gourmet kitchens rather than ventilation systems. They seem to think they're getting a well-built house if the woodwork looks good and the cabinet doors feel solid. But if what's behind the walls isn't right, or the home's mechanical systems aren't integrated, there's trouble ahead. "We clearly have a consumer expectation problem," building expert Fluelman said. "They assume for the least possible cost they are going to have a perfect house." Once defects begin to surface, homeowners sometimes try to cover up problems and sell their houses. Major defects sometimes can be concealed behind freshly painted walls and ceilings. Several owners of problem homes declined to be interviewed for these articles because they were planning to sell and didn't want prospective buyers to know about the defects. New homes are not all the same, said building consultant LaLiberte. "Caveat emptor buyer beware again reigns, and you'd better be the person asking the questions." ©` ., , r_:.na „u,:., i:. UflRIETY startribune,com Variety Holateditems An attempt at an allergy -free home Build tight, ventilate right Building checklist Garage to house connection Q&A on howto protect yourhome S e Sal rfl `ort: i he i €�0:_ble ."dish •0 F'. 13S -'g._.. They aren't built like they used to be C2 What do you think of the findings? Asthma, headaches, lingering illness lurk in tainted air Karen Youso, Donna Halvorsen and Jim Buchta / Star Tribune Blond heads bobbing, Kristina, 6, and Katharine, 2, tug at their father, Maynard Stavenau. They want supper now. Later, after they take their medicine, they'll fuss and complain of the tummy aches the medicine gives them. For the past three years, the Stavenau girls and their mother, Sue, have battled respiratory ailments, earaches and skin rashes their doctor said are caused by molds growing in their eight-year-old $240,000 home in Plymouth. From the outside, the house looks picture perfect, yet water has caused $140,000 in damage and created ideal growing conditions for the molds. "The other night, Katharine was inconsolable because she hurt so badly," said Sue. "She was just screaming. All Maynard and I could do was walk with her." I If Katharine is held in a certain position, her discomfort is eased. The painkiller Motrin also helps. For four hours she can sleep, but then the pain comes back. "This happens way too often," Sue said. Yet, the fancily, the third owners of the house, can't afford to fix it, and they can't sell it until it's fixed. Breathing pollutants Kristina and Katharine Stavenau's wading pool has 1-fome, long considered the place to be when you're become a catch basin for rain. sick, now can be the place that makes you sick. The Stavenaus and countless other families around the country are paying, in cash and ill health. for having unwittingly purchased malfunctioning houses with inadequate ventilation. In part, the effort to make houses energy efficient has increased the likelihood of indoor air pollution. Such homes are well -insulated and tightly built but don't have the mechanical ventilation necessary to supply fresh air. In addition, the air can be contaminated with combustion eases from furnaces and water heaters that worked well in old, drafty houses but may not vent properly in these homes. "We live in big plastic baes, and they stink," said McGregor Pearce, a St. Paul indoor -air-quality specialist. Fle estimated that only 5 to 10 percent of the homes built in the Twin Cities these days are properly built and ventilated. Children, whose bodies are small and still developing, may pay the biggest price for indoor pollution. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that children spend 90 percent of their time indoors, where contaminants concentrate. Nationwide, asthma -- a potentially life-threatening recurring respiratory illness -- has increased in all age groups at a time when outdoor air quality has generally improved. Between 1982 and 1994, asthma in adults rose 62.1 percent, but in children it climbed 73 percent, according to the National Center for Health Statistics and the American Lung Association. Childhood asthma "Unfortunately, the children are the canaries in the coal mine here," said Dr. Andrew McBride, city health director in Stamford, Conn., where more than 20 percent of the school children have been diagnosed with asthma. "They really are telling us that something is going on environmentally." In the Twin Cities metro area, one out of six children has UflRIETY startribune,com Variety Holateditems An attempt at an allergy -free home Build tight, ventilate right Building checklist Garage to house connection Q&A on howto protect yourhome S e Sal rfl `ort: i he i €�0:_ble ."dish •0 F'. 13S -'g._.. They aren't built like they used to be C2 What do you think of the findings? Asthma, headaches, lingering illness lurk in tainted air Karen Youso, Donna Halvorsen and Jim Buchta / Star Tribune Blond heads bobbing, Kristina, 6, and Katharine, 2, tug at their father, Maynard Stavenau. They want supper now. Later, after they take their medicine, they'll fuss and complain of the tummy aches the medicine gives them. For the past three years, the Stavenau girls and their mother, Sue, have battled respiratory ailments, earaches and skin rashes their doctor said are caused by molds growing in their eight-year-old $240,000 home in Plymouth. From the outside, the house looks picture perfect, yet water has caused $140,000 in damage and created ideal growing conditions for the molds. "The other night, Katharine was inconsolable because she hurt so badly," said Sue. "She was just screaming. All Maynard and I could do was walk with her." I If Katharine is held in a certain position, her discomfort is eased. The painkiller Motrin also helps. For four hours she can sleep, but then the pain comes back. "This happens way too often," Sue said. Yet, the fancily, the third owners of the house, can't afford to fix it, and they can't sell it until it's fixed. Breathing pollutants Kristina and Katharine Stavenau's wading pool has 1-fome, long considered the place to be when you're become a catch basin for rain. sick, now can be the place that makes you sick. The Stavenaus and countless other families around the country are paying, in cash and ill health. for having unwittingly purchased malfunctioning houses with inadequate ventilation. In part, the effort to make houses energy efficient has increased the likelihood of indoor air pollution. Such homes are well -insulated and tightly built but don't have the mechanical ventilation necessary to supply fresh air. In addition, the air can be contaminated with combustion eases from furnaces and water heaters that worked well in old, drafty houses but may not vent properly in these homes. "We live in big plastic baes, and they stink," said McGregor Pearce, a St. Paul indoor -air-quality specialist. Fle estimated that only 5 to 10 percent of the homes built in the Twin Cities these days are properly built and ventilated. Children, whose bodies are small and still developing, may pay the biggest price for indoor pollution. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that children spend 90 percent of their time indoors, where contaminants concentrate. Nationwide, asthma -- a potentially life-threatening recurring respiratory illness -- has increased in all age groups at a time when outdoor air quality has generally improved. Between 1982 and 1994, asthma in adults rose 62.1 percent, but in children it climbed 73 percent, according to the National Center for Health Statistics and the American Lung Association. Childhood asthma "Unfortunately, the children are the canaries in the coal mine here," said Dr. Andrew McBride, city health director in Stamford, Conn., where more than 20 percent of the school children have been diagnosed with asthma. "They really are telling us that something is going on environmentally." In the Twin Cities metro area, one out of six children has some form of recurring respiratory illness, said Dr. Paul Moldy, rotted wood in Kubic, pediatric lung specialist at Children's Health Stavenau house. Star Care -St. Paul. But respiratory illness is on the increase Tribune everywhere, Kubic said, not just in urban areas. "If we put in indoor air quality standards and cleaned up the air in people's homes, we would see a significant drop in childhood asthma," he said. Minnesota has no indoor air quality standards in its residential building code. The EPA and other agencies have recommendations for acceptable air quality in homes, but they are not enforceable standards. A few builders, aware of the problem, work with agencies such as the American Lung Association's Health House Program to build houses that meet EPA standards. Meanwhile, in Minnesota and across the country, builders strive to meet consumers' demands for highly accessorized, stylized homes. They often complicate ventilation needs and increase the chance the occupants will be sickened. Recessed lights, dropped ceilings and whirlpool baths can work against the home dweller. They can transport Checking out the systems warm, moist indoor air into cold attic cavities, creating Star Tribune ice on the roof. frost in the attic and water leaks in the house. Speakers set in ceilings above steaming whirlpools provide music for bathers but also can contribute to Nvet attics and mold. In addition, powerful kitchen exhaust fans can pull exhaust fumes from water heaters and furnaces into living spaces, along with copious amounts of water vapor. That situation, called backdraRing, also can occur when a clothes dryer, bathroom fan and fireplace are in use at the same time. or under certain weather conditions. Appliances can backdraft in any home, but in new homes backdraRing usually has to do with the mix of appliances, said building researcher Pat Huelman, coordinator of the University of Minnesota's Cold Climate Housing Program. Ile estimated that about 33 percent of new homes have backdratting appliances. From moisture to mold "There's an old sentence in occupational and environmental health that says, 'disease follows the trail of exposure.'" said Michael Hodgson, occupational physician and internist with the University of Connecticut's School of Medicine. For the Stavenaus, the trail of exposure is their home. "When we lifted the rubber -backed carpet, there were tons of angleworms under it," Sue Stavenau said. "It was a bait shop." The Papenfuss family monitors carbon monoxide levels in their kitchen with a detector on a wall. In the months that followed, the Stavenaus discovered that poor roof design, improper backyard sloping and inadequate ventilation combined to cause extensive moisture damage to the house. Later, they learned that mold growth resulting from the dampness contaminated the indoor air and made their whole family, especially the children, ill. Exhilaration born of j d Pa owning a charming, f , t ; !i t • well-built home Pearce checks a duct for mold. vanished when they STAR TRIBUNE discovered, hours after taking possession, that water was seeping into the basement. "When we lifted the rubber -backed carpet, there were tons of angleworms under it," Sue Stavenau said. "It was a bait shop." The Papenfuss family monitors carbon monoxide levels in their kitchen with a detector on a wall. In the months that followed, the Stavenaus discovered that poor roof design, improper backyard sloping and inadequate ventilation combined to cause extensive moisture damage to the house. Later, they learned that mold growth resulting from the dampness contaminated the indoor air and made their whole family, especially the children, ill. some form of recurring respiratory illness, said Dr. Paul Moldy, rotted wood in Kubic, pediatric lung specialist at Children's Health Stavenau house. Star Care -St. Paul. But respiratory illness is on the increase Tribune everywhere, Kubic said, not just in urban areas. "If we put in indoor air quality standards and cleaned up the air in people's homes, we would see a significant drop in childhood asthma," he said. Minnesota has no indoor air quality standards in its residential building code. The EPA and other agencies have recommendations for acceptable air quality in homes, but they are not enforceable standards. A few builders, aware of the problem, work with agencies such as the American Lung Association's Health House Program to build houses that meet EPA standards. Meanwhile, in Minnesota and across the country, builders strive to meet consumers' demands for highly accessorized, stylized homes. They often complicate ventilation needs and increase the chance the occupants will be sickened. Recessed lights, dropped ceilings and whirlpool baths can work against the home dweller. They can transport Checking out the systems warm, moist indoor air into cold attic cavities, creating Star Tribune ice on the roof. frost in the attic and water leaks in the house. Speakers set in ceilings above steaming whirlpools provide music for bathers but also can contribute to Nvet attics and mold. In addition, powerful kitchen exhaust fans can pull exhaust fumes from water heaters and furnaces into living spaces, along with copious amounts of water vapor. That situation, called backdraRing, also can occur when a clothes dryer, bathroom fan and fireplace are in use at the same time. or under certain weather conditions. Appliances can backdraft in any home, but in new homes backdraRing usually has to do with the mix of appliances, said building researcher Pat Huelman, coordinator of the University of Minnesota's Cold Climate Housing Program. Ile estimated that about 33 percent of new homes have backdratting appliances. From moisture to mold "There's an old sentence in occupational and environmental health that says, 'disease follows the trail of exposure.'" said Michael Hodgson, occupational physician and internist with the University of Connecticut's School of Medicine. For the Stavenaus, the trail of exposure is their home. "When we lifted the rubber -backed carpet, there were tons of angleworms under it," Sue Stavenau said. "It was a bait shop." The Papenfuss family monitors carbon monoxide levels in their kitchen with a detector on a wall. In the months that followed, the Stavenaus discovered that poor roof design, improper backyard sloping and inadequate ventilation combined to cause extensive moisture damage to the house. Later, they learned that mold growth resulting from the dampness contaminated the indoor air and made their whole family, especially the children, ill. Exhilaration born of j d Pa owning a charming, f , t ; !i t • well-built home Pearce checks a duct for mold. vanished when they STAR TRIBUNE discovered, hours after taking possession, that water was seeping into the basement. "When we lifted the rubber -backed carpet, there were tons of angleworms under it," Sue Stavenau said. "It was a bait shop." The Papenfuss family monitors carbon monoxide levels in their kitchen with a detector on a wall. In the months that followed, the Stavenaus discovered that poor roof design, improper backyard sloping and inadequate ventilation combined to cause extensive moisture damage to the house. Later, they learned that mold growth resulting from the dampness contaminated the indoor air and made their whole family, especially the children, ill. Medical tests show that Site and her oldest daughter are allergic to the molds growing in their house. The girls' skin rashes, coughing, respiratory problems and ear pain are consistent with mold exposure. "It is with a high degree of medical certainty that the molds in their home made them ill," said their allergist, Dr. David L. Morris of LaCrosse, Wis. But molds can be more than allergenic. "Different mold species give off different mycotoxins," said Charles Lane, a Minneapolis indoor environmental consultant who tested their home for mold. "Some aren't troublesome, and some are quite toxic." Lane said some molds in the Stavenau home produce harmful mycotoxins or poisons. The Stavenau home was built tight, which is good, but it didn't have enough ventilation, which isn't good. Air -tightness tests showed it had .18 air changes per hour, less than the .35 air changes per hour recommended by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Tight, unventilated houses allow moisture to build up: humidity rises and water condenses on windows, wetting sills and woodwork. The same thing can happen in the hidden recesses of the walls and attic. So, in the Stavenau house, in addition to water leaking in, water was unable to get out. Family members didn't catch on right away. Dark areas on the window sills didn't seem significant at first, and it takes close scrutiny to spot the thin film of fuzz clinging to the hinges on the basement door. Sue Stavenau, a high school teacher. missed such clues. Looking back, she realized there were other signs of mold growth. "I started having problems with wheezing and sneezing when 1 visited the new house before we moved in," she said. "When I left, it went away. I thought maybe the house was dusty." And after moving in, she said "the children got sick and never seemed to be well -- at least as long as they were in the house." When they are away, they improve. But when they've been back home for a while. they become lethargic, wake up coughing and complain of stomach aches and sore throats. Sue also missed the significance of a mysterious odor that lingered in the passageway between the garage and the kitchen. "It smelled like rotting potatoes back there," she said. "I thought a bag of potatoes had been left behind in the closet, but I couldn't ever find it." Environmental Process, Inc., hired to test the house for mold, hunted for the source of the odor. Workers poked around the back entry, then they opened the attic above the garage and found the answer: Fursarium, a mold that emits an odor described by some as that of rotting potatoes. Because it produces a toxin that can make people sick, "it's not one Nve like to find in a home," said mold specialist Lane. Fursarium mold removal adds to the cost of repairing the water -damaged home. The Stavenaus sued the previous owner for allegedly not disclosing the water problems in the house. The jury ruled against them after the judge said they could not present evidence about the mold in the house and its effects on the children. "He said buying a house had nothing to do with health issues," Site Stavenau said. Bad bout of the'flu' Even if there is no sign of excess moisture, houses may have poor indoor air quality caused by appliances we rely on to heat the air and water in our homes. The Auvinen family of Apple Valley learned that the hard way. Shortly after Medical tests show that Site and her oldest daughter are allergic to the molds growing in their house. The girls' skin rashes, coughing, respiratory problems and ear pain are consistent with mold exposure. "It is with a high degree of medical certainty that the molds in their home made them ill," said their allergist, Dr. David L. Morris of LaCrosse, Wis. But molds can be more than allergenic. "Different mold species give off different mycotoxins," said Charles Lane, a Minneapolis indoor environmental consultant who tested their home for mold. "Some aren't troublesome, and some are quite toxic." Lane said some molds in the Stavenau home produce harmful mycotoxins or poisons. The Stavenau home was built tight, which is good, but it didn't have enough ventilation, which isn't good. Air -tightness tests showed it had .18 air changes per hour, less than the .35 air changes per hour recommended by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Tight, unventilated houses allow moisture to build up: humidity rises and water condenses on windows, wetting sills and woodwork. The same thing can happen in the hidden recesses of the walls and attic. So, in the Stavenau house, in addition to water leaking in, water was unable to get out. Family members didn't catch on right away. Dark areas on the window sills didn't seem significant at first, and it takes close scrutiny to spot the thin film of fuzz clinging to the hinges on the basement door. Sue Stavenau, a high school teacher. missed such clues. Looking back, she realized there were other signs of mold growth. "I started having problems with wheezing and sneezing when 1 visited the new house before we moved in," she said. "When I left, it went away. I thought maybe the house was dusty." And after moving in, she said "the children got sick and never seemed to be well -- at least as long as they were in the house." When they are away, they improve. But when they've been back home for a while. they become lethargic, wake up coughing and complain of stomach aches and sore throats. Sue also missed the significance of a mysterious odor that lingered in the passageway between the garage and the kitchen. "It smelled like rotting potatoes back there," she said. "I thought a bag of potatoes had been left behind in the closet, but I couldn't ever find it." Environmental Process, Inc., hired to test the house for mold, hunted for the source of the odor. Workers poked around the back entry, then they opened the attic above the garage and found the answer: Fursarium, a mold that emits an odor described by some as that of rotting potatoes. Because it produces a toxin that can make people sick, "it's not one Nve like to find in a home," said mold specialist Lane. Fursarium mold removal adds to the cost of repairing the water -damaged home. The Stavenaus sued the previous owner for allegedly not disclosing the water problems in the house. The jury ruled against them after the judge said they could not present evidence about the mold in the house and its effects on the children. "He said buying a house had nothing to do with health issues," Site Stavenau said. Bad bout of the'flu' Even if there is no sign of excess moisture, houses may have poor indoor air quality caused by appliances we rely on to heat the air and water in our homes. The Auvinen family of Apple Valley learned that the hard way. Shortly after moving into their newly built home in the fall of 1994, members of the family began to suffer profound headaches, weakness and nausea. Because they were sick only sporadically, it appeared at first that they were simply catching a series of flu bugs, said the mother, Cheri Auvinen. A particularly bad bout of the "flu" made them suspect carbon -monoxide poisoning was the cause. The gas utility tested their furnace -- the only fuel -burning appliance in the house -- and the reading was negative. Illness continued on and off over the winter holidays. Cheri, who was pregnant, went to doctors many times and was in and out of the hospital, but the real cause of her symptoms was never found, she said. Then, shortly after the New Year holiday in 1995, her 12 -year-old son had a seizure, and at the same time her 8 -year-old daughter passed out. A call to 911 led to blood tests for the whole family, which confirmed that they were poisoned by carbon monoxide. They were treated at Hennepin County Medical Center's hyperbaric chamber, where oxygen under pressure is given to patients to reduce the damage of carbon monoxide. Further study of the house showed that their new furnace, which usually expelled its exhaust up the chimney, sometimes reversed the flow and sent more than 2,000 parts per million (ppm) of carbon monoxide into their home. That's more than 220 times the 9 ppm level at which experts start worrying about how long someone has been exposed to the gas. There's no known safe level. Ideally, that level should be zero, said Laura Oatman of the Minnesota Department of Health. The Auvinens' furnace backdrafted only when the kitchen exhaust fan, clothes dryer or bathroom fans were being operated in some combination at the same time. As the appliances expelled air from the house, depressurizing it, they drex� carbon -monoxide -laden air down the chimney and furnace vents into the house. When the fans or dryer stopped, the air flow reversed and the carbon monoxide levels dropped. The episodes of illness ended abruptly when the furnace was replaced with a sealed combustion unit, one that does not rely on air moving up the chimney to vent its combustion gases. The effects of carbon monoxide linger, however. The family's two school-age children had been excellent students, but now they no longer find it easy to learn, said Auvinen. Her son had been a whiz at math before he was exposed to carbon monoxide, she said. Now he has to repeat classes. Tests, including a brain scan, revealed damaged areas in his brain, and doctors have determined that the boy's short-term memory problems are permanent. He continues to be a successful student, said Auvinen, but he has to try harder. The personality of her daughter, now 11, has changed. The girl has terrible nightmares and is timid and easily frightened, said Auvinen. Doctors say the effects of the trauma may be a lifelong problem. The baby born after the family was poisoned appears to be healthy, although she's very small. Doctors say the extent of harm to her from exposure to carbon monoxide may not be known for years. The Auvinens have filed suit against the builder, the furnace manufacturer, the mechanical contractor who installed the furnace and the gas utility, which failed to detect the problem. All are contesting the allegations and denying responsibility. A Nov. 28 court date has been set. No guarantees For many homeowners, it comes as a surprise that new appliances in a new house might not be safe. That was the case with Chad and Janet Papenfuss. Their initial concerns were moving into their newly built home in the fall of 1994, members of the family began to suffer profound headaches, weakness and nausea. Because they were sick only sporadically, it appeared at first that they were simply catching a series of flu bugs, said the mother, Cheri Auvinen. A particularly bad bout of the "flu" made them suspect carbon -monoxide poisoning was the cause. The gas utility tested their furnace -- the only fuel -burning appliance in the house -- and the reading was negative. Illness continued on and off over the winter holidays. Cheri, who was pregnant, went to doctors many times and was in and out of the hospital, but the real cause of her symptoms was never found, she said. Then, shortly after the New Year holiday in 1995, her 12 -year-old son had a seizure, and at the same time her 8 -year-old daughter passed out. A call to 911 led to blood tests for the whole family, which confirmed that they were poisoned by carbon monoxide. They were treated at Hennepin County Medical Center's hyperbaric chamber, where oxygen under pressure is given to patients to reduce the damage of carbon monoxide. Further study of the house showed that their new furnace, which usually expelled its exhaust up the chimney, sometimes reversed the flow and sent more than 2,000 parts per million (ppm) of carbon monoxide into their home. That's more than 220 times the 9 ppm level at which experts start worrying about how long someone has been exposed to the gas. There's no known safe level. Ideally, that level should be zero, said Laura Oatman of the Minnesota Department of Health. The Auvinens' furnace backdrafted only when the kitchen exhaust fan, clothes dryer or bathroom fans were being operated in some combination at the same time. As the appliances expelled air from the house, depressurizing it, they drex� carbon -monoxide -laden air down the chimney and furnace vents into the house. When the fans or dryer stopped, the air flow reversed and the carbon monoxide levels dropped. The episodes of illness ended abruptly when the furnace was replaced with a sealed combustion unit, one that does not rely on air moving up the chimney to vent its combustion gases. The effects of carbon monoxide linger, however. The family's two school-age children had been excellent students, but now they no longer find it easy to learn, said Auvinen. Her son had been a whiz at math before he was exposed to carbon monoxide, she said. Now he has to repeat classes. Tests, including a brain scan, revealed damaged areas in his brain, and doctors have determined that the boy's short-term memory problems are permanent. He continues to be a successful student, said Auvinen, but he has to try harder. The personality of her daughter, now 11, has changed. The girl has terrible nightmares and is timid and easily frightened, said Auvinen. Doctors say the effects of the trauma may be a lifelong problem. The baby born after the family was poisoned appears to be healthy, although she's very small. Doctors say the extent of harm to her from exposure to carbon monoxide may not be known for years. The Auvinens have filed suit against the builder, the furnace manufacturer, the mechanical contractor who installed the furnace and the gas utility, which failed to detect the problem. All are contesting the allegations and denying responsibility. A Nov. 28 court date has been set. No guarantees For many homeowners, it comes as a surprise that new appliances in a new house might not be safe. That was the case with Chad and Janet Papenfuss. Their initial concerns were ill-fitting doors and moldy windows in their 18 -month-old Savage home. When the house was inspected by Steve Klossner, an expert in diagnosing house problems and the owner of Advanced Certified Thermography in Lakeland Shores, Minn., it was found that their water heater could backdraft more than 10,000 parts per million (ppm) of carbon monoxide. The Papenfusses water heater didn't show any signs that it had backdrafted, but Klossner couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't. Nor could the water heater manufacturer, or the plumber who installed it. If it did backdraft carbon monoxide at 10,000 ppm, anyone in the basement at the time would be sickened within seconds, and the threat of death would be real, said Bill Angell, extension housing specialist at the University of Minnesota. Not all water heaters produce such large amounts of carbon monoxide when they backdraft. But if there is a lethal potential, it can go undiscovered because water heaters typically aren't tested for carbon monoxide, or to see if the use of other appliances in the house could cause them to backdraft. To test the Papenfusses water heater, Klossner depressurized the house to simulate what would happen if the clothes dryer and bathroom fans were turned on simultaneously on a hot, humid day: The heater backdrafted. Klossner said it could also spontaneously backdraft with certain wind conditions. Knowing the potential danger, the Papenfusses, whose children are 11 months and 2 years old, are careful not to operate the exhaust fans or clothes dryer simultaneously. They have hooked up two carbon monoxide detectors and are seeking a more permanent solution. Appliances in new homes are almost never tested for compatibility, not even when the mix includes the popular and powerful downdraft, range -top kitchen fans. "We call them the fans yuppie killers," said George Tsongas, engineering professor at Portland State University in Oregon and an expert witness in legal cases involving indoor -air-quality problems. No deaths have been reported, but the danger is real. said Tsongas. The fans, installed in many new and remodeled homes and in nearly every high-priced home, can easily change the air pressure in a well-built house. If that house also has a wood -burning fireplace or a conventional water heater and furnace (not scaled combustion units), there can be trouble. One such house is the $975,000 Chanhassen house built by Robert Mason, Inc. and displayed in the Builders Association of the Twin Cities Spring Preview. The 5.500 square -foot -home on the shores of Lake Lucy has a downdraft range -top fan in the kitchen, a wood -burning fireplace and two conventional water heaters downstairs. Gary Nelson, a Minneapolis expert on backdrafting and depressurization, said there is no way to know for sure without testing the home, but his concern is that the fan could cause backdrafting. "It depends on how well-built the house is." Gene Selchow, a freelance municipal building inspector who is familiar with the problem of depressurization. agreed that the house has a potential for trouble. Selchow, who inspected the house for the Star Tribune, said that in his opinion, the fireplace will not work when the kitchen fan is used. The fan pulls so much air out of the house that the draft necessary to carry the smoke up the fireplace chimney could reverse, filling the house with smoke and possibly carbon monoxide, he explained. Adding the operation of the clothes dryer, bathroom fans or central vacuum system -- all devices that pull air out of the house -- would escalate the problem of depressurization, he said. The water heaters also might backdraft. Douglas McNamara, of Robert Mason, Inc., said the fireplace is equipped with a pipe to supply air for combustion, and that the makeup air for the kitchen fan is supplied by two air ducts in the basement near the furnaces. ill-fitting doors and moldy windows in their 18 -month-old Savage home. When the house was inspected by Steve Klossner, an expert in diagnosing house problems and the owner of Advanced Certified Thermography in Lakeland Shores, Minn., it was found that their water heater could backdraft more than 10,000 parts per million (ppm) of carbon monoxide. The Papenfusses water heater didn't show any signs that it had backdrafted, but Klossner couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't. Nor could the water heater manufacturer, or the plumber who installed it. If it did backdraft carbon monoxide at 10,000 ppm, anyone in the basement at the time would be sickened within seconds, and the threat of death would be real, said Bill Angell, extension housing specialist at the University of Minnesota. Not all water heaters produce such large amounts of carbon monoxide when they backdraft. But if there is a lethal potential, it can go undiscovered because water heaters typically aren't tested for carbon monoxide, or to see if the use of other appliances in the house could cause them to backdraft. To test the Papenfusses water heater, Klossner depressurized the house to simulate what would happen if the clothes dryer and bathroom fans were turned on simultaneously on a hot, humid day: The heater backdrafted. Klossner said it could also spontaneously backdraft with certain wind conditions. Knowing the potential danger, the Papenfusses, whose children are 11 months and 2 years old, are careful not to operate the exhaust fans or clothes dryer simultaneously. They have hooked up two carbon monoxide detectors and are seeking a more permanent solution. Appliances in new homes are almost never tested for compatibility, not even when the mix includes the popular and powerful downdraft, range -top kitchen fans. "We call them the fans yuppie killers," said George Tsongas, engineering professor at Portland State University in Oregon and an expert witness in legal cases involving indoor -air-quality problems. No deaths have been reported, but the danger is real. said Tsongas. The fans, installed in many new and remodeled homes and in nearly every high-priced home, can easily change the air pressure in a well-built house. If that house also has a wood -burning fireplace or a conventional water heater and furnace (not scaled combustion units), there can be trouble. One such house is the $975,000 Chanhassen house built by Robert Mason, Inc. and displayed in the Builders Association of the Twin Cities Spring Preview. The 5.500 square -foot -home on the shores of Lake Lucy has a downdraft range -top fan in the kitchen, a wood -burning fireplace and two conventional water heaters downstairs. Gary Nelson, a Minneapolis expert on backdrafting and depressurization, said there is no way to know for sure without testing the home, but his concern is that the fan could cause backdrafting. "It depends on how well-built the house is." Gene Selchow, a freelance municipal building inspector who is familiar with the problem of depressurization. agreed that the house has a potential for trouble. Selchow, who inspected the house for the Star Tribune, said that in his opinion, the fireplace will not work when the kitchen fan is used. The fan pulls so much air out of the house that the draft necessary to carry the smoke up the fireplace chimney could reverse, filling the house with smoke and possibly carbon monoxide, he explained. Adding the operation of the clothes dryer, bathroom fans or central vacuum system -- all devices that pull air out of the house -- would escalate the problem of depressurization, he said. The water heaters also might backdraft. Douglas McNamara, of Robert Mason, Inc., said the fireplace is equipped with a pipe to supply air for combustion, and that the makeup air for the kitchen fan is supplied by two air ducts in the basement near the furnaces. But Nelson said the basement air supply is intended for combustion in furnaces and water heaters, not for the replacement air for exhaust fans. As for the pipe bringing outside air to the fireplace, he said that doesn't guarantee that it won't backdraft when the kitchen fan is turned on. Backdrafting appliances sometimes produce carbon monoxide, and they always add significant moisture to the house, exacerbating indoor moisture problems and mold growth. Turning off the kitchen fan isn't the solution; it's needed to evacuate carbon monoxide from the gas cookstove. In fact, Oregon researcher Tsongas recently identified gas cookstoves as significant sources of carbon monoxide and tainted indoor air, a finding that surprised many in the housing and air-quality fields. "Traditionally, few people have considered gas ovens to be a major source of CO carbon monoxide, even though they exhaust directly into the indoor air," Tsongas said. "But these ovens, in effect, are unvented space heaters, and other unvented space heaters with a similar output are illegal in many states," he said. That includes Minnesota. Tsongas tested 60 homes with gas cookstoves in Portland. Ore., and found that the air in half the kitchens exceeded EPA recommendations for carbon monoxide exposure. It's highly unlikely that the levels of carbon monoxide produced by the stoves would kill anybody. he said, but "tile surprisingly high percentage of homes with elevated levels of carbon monoxide from operation of gas ovens leads to considerable concern regarding indoor -air quality and health problems. In fact, elevated CO production from ovens may possibly be the most serious and pervasive indoor -air-quality problem." Contrary to popular belief. the kitchen exhaust fan isn't just for ridding the kitchen of steam, cooking odors and grease. A properly installed fan should be used every time the stove is used because it evacuates harmful byproducts of combustion. But that's true only if the fan is vented to the outdoors. Recirculating fans or fans vented into the attic don't protect residents. v That's the dilemma for the home dweller and what has been called the "Catch -?2 of kitchen fans." Use the kitchen exhaust fan to rid the kitchen of carbon monoxide and you may create a carbon monoxide problem in the basement. Homeowners might find it unbelievable when told they shouldn't do laundry and have a fire burning in the fireplace while a pizza bakes in the oven. The homeowners want to believe that the house was inspected and certified safe for habitation. But the building inspectors aren't equipped to test the compatibility of appliances in a house. Because of the difficulty testing entails, some building scientists say the solution is to install water heaters and furnaces that don't draft up the chimney (called sealed combustion units) so they don't compete with exhaust fans and dryers for household air. To address the backdrafting danger, the Minnesota Department of Public Service proposes to change the state energy code so that only certain combinations of fuel -burning and exhausting appliances will be allowed in new homes. If the changes are approved, starting in 1999, new houses will be significantly safer than many existing homes. But support for those changes isn't universal. Gas appliance manufacturers and the fireplace product industry have voiced objection to the proposed code. That may delay its implementation. A sooty residue Houses with attached garages also present an opportunity for carbon monoxide to seep into living spaces. .tan Draman marvels that she isn't dead. She realized only recently when she But Nelson said the basement air supply is intended for combustion in furnaces and water heaters, not for the replacement air for exhaust fans. As for the pipe bringing outside air to the fireplace, he said that doesn't guarantee that it won't backdraft when the kitchen fan is turned on. Backdrafting appliances sometimes produce carbon monoxide, and they always add significant moisture to the house, exacerbating indoor moisture problems and mold growth. Turning off the kitchen fan isn't the solution; it's needed to evacuate carbon monoxide from the gas cookstove. In fact, Oregon researcher Tsongas recently identified gas cookstoves as significant sources of carbon monoxide and tainted indoor air, a finding that surprised many in the housing and air-quality fields. "Traditionally, few people have considered gas ovens to be a major source of CO carbon monoxide, even though they exhaust directly into the indoor air," Tsongas said. "But these ovens, in effect, are unvented space heaters, and other unvented space heaters with a similar output are illegal in many states," he said. That includes Minnesota. Tsongas tested 60 homes with gas cookstoves in Portland. Ore., and found that the air in half the kitchens exceeded EPA recommendations for carbon monoxide exposure. It's highly unlikely that the levels of carbon monoxide produced by the stoves would kill anybody. he said, but "tile surprisingly high percentage of homes with elevated levels of carbon monoxide from operation of gas ovens leads to considerable concern regarding indoor -air quality and health problems. In fact, elevated CO production from ovens may possibly be the most serious and pervasive indoor -air-quality problem." Contrary to popular belief. the kitchen exhaust fan isn't just for ridding the kitchen of steam, cooking odors and grease. A properly installed fan should be used every time the stove is used because it evacuates harmful byproducts of combustion. But that's true only if the fan is vented to the outdoors. Recirculating fans or fans vented into the attic don't protect residents. v That's the dilemma for the home dweller and what has been called the "Catch -?2 of kitchen fans." Use the kitchen exhaust fan to rid the kitchen of carbon monoxide and you may create a carbon monoxide problem in the basement. Homeowners might find it unbelievable when told they shouldn't do laundry and have a fire burning in the fireplace while a pizza bakes in the oven. The homeowners want to believe that the house was inspected and certified safe for habitation. But the building inspectors aren't equipped to test the compatibility of appliances in a house. Because of the difficulty testing entails, some building scientists say the solution is to install water heaters and furnaces that don't draft up the chimney (called sealed combustion units) so they don't compete with exhaust fans and dryers for household air. To address the backdrafting danger, the Minnesota Department of Public Service proposes to change the state energy code so that only certain combinations of fuel -burning and exhausting appliances will be allowed in new homes. If the changes are approved, starting in 1999, new houses will be significantly safer than many existing homes. But support for those changes isn't universal. Gas appliance manufacturers and the fireplace product industry have voiced objection to the proposed code. That may delay its implementation. A sooty residue Houses with attached garages also present an opportunity for carbon monoxide to seep into living spaces. .tan Draman marvels that she isn't dead. She realized only recently when she r t bought a carbon monoxide detector that records the carbon monoxide levels in her home that she has been breathing fluctuating levels of the gas since she moved into her new Plymouth house three years ago. Although her asthmatic daughter gets sick when she visits and, Draman said, "I've had a sinus infection ever since I moved in," Draman didn't make a connection between health and house until she started investigating "the black stuff." The black stuff is a creosote- or oil-based carbon that coats many surfaces in her home. "It's like there's been a fire in the house," she said. When interviewed, Draman was staying at a hotel. Her house was off-limits while At Draman's house, the garage has been sealed and caulked and an air-to-air heat exchanger has been installed, and she reports the sooting problem has improved. Draman, whose house was used in a training videotape for Minnegasco technicians, still worries that all the cleaning and restoration will be for nothing. She said a man with the same problem told her that "he had his house cleaned last winter and it the black stuff was back and everything in his house was ruined this winter." At the Stavenau house, mechanical ventilation also is part of the solution. An air-to-air heat exchanger was installed to help with moisture and provide the family with fresh air. It's the kind of ventilation that should be installed in homes when they are built, say building scientists. Unfortunately, the exchanger won't cure the extensive mold problem that came with their "dream" home. That's an all -too -familiar story to indoor air quality specialist McGregor Pearce. "People don't worry about ventilation in their home until their kids get asthma -- then they become experts, but then it's too late." 0 Cooyrijhi '997 'Trtuc.eZ�fl rglls reser, a cleaning company tried to remove the ultra -fine coating of oily, sooty, black Belated items residue that only recently became noticeable. The whole house had to be recarpeted. An attempt at an allergy -free home Her house is a good example of the recently discovered garage -to -house Build tight, ventilate right connection. Diagnostic tests of Draman's house revealed that air from the garage, Building checklist including the dirty, carbon monoxide -filled exhaust from her Cadillac, was Garage to house connection transported into the house. A o Q&A on howto protect yourhome report: pro Trouble with Minnegasco discovered the extent of such problems in houses last year when it investigated why carbon monoxide service calls skyrocketed after detectors ... heyaren't built likethey used to became popular household items. Researchers conducting the Minnegasco study be found that in 75 percent of the cases studied. auto exhaust from attached garages 1:2,What do you think of the findings? set off the alarms. Researchers were surprised to learn that the car didn't need to run in an enclosed startribune,com garage for very long for carbon monoxide to be a problem. Merely starting a car in Variety a garage with the garage door open and service door closed, backing the car out inside and closing the door was enough to sound alarms the house two hours later. They found that carbon monoxide seeped from the garage into the house through the shared walls and ceilings. But because the gas had moved out of the garage by the time inspectors responded to alarms, and no gas appliance was found malfunctioning, stymied technicians tended to blame the detector as faulty or oversensitive. At Draman's house, the garage has been sealed and caulked and an air-to-air heat exchanger has been installed, and she reports the sooting problem has improved. Draman, whose house was used in a training videotape for Minnegasco technicians, still worries that all the cleaning and restoration will be for nothing. She said a man with the same problem told her that "he had his house cleaned last winter and it the black stuff was back and everything in his house was ruined this winter." At the Stavenau house, mechanical ventilation also is part of the solution. An air-to-air heat exchanger was installed to help with moisture and provide the family with fresh air. It's the kind of ventilation that should be installed in homes when they are built, say building scientists. Unfortunately, the exchanger won't cure the extensive mold problem that came with their "dream" home. That's an all -too -familiar story to indoor air quality specialist McGregor Pearce. "People don't worry about ventilation in their home until their kids get asthma -- then they become experts, but then it's too late." 0 Cooyrijhi '997 'Trtuc.eZ�fl rglls reser, r t bought a carbon monoxide detector that records the carbon monoxide levels in her home that she has been breathing fluctuating levels of the gas since she moved into her new Plymouth house three years ago. Although her asthmatic daughter gets sick when she visits and, Draman said, "I've had a sinus infection ever since I moved in," Draman didn't make a connection between health and house until she started investigating "the black stuff." The black stuff is a creosote- or oil-based carbon that coats many surfaces in her home. "It's like there's been a fire in the house," she said. When interviewed, Draman was staying at a hotel. Her house was off-limits while At Draman's house, the garage has been sealed and caulked and an air-to-air heat exchanger has been installed, and she reports the sooting problem has improved. Draman, whose house was used in a training videotape for Minnegasco technicians, still worries that all the cleaning and restoration will be for nothing. She said a man with the same problem told her that "he had his house cleaned last winter and it the black stuff was back and everything in his house was ruined this winter." At the Stavenau house, mechanical ventilation also is part of the solution. An air-to-air heat exchanger was installed to help with moisture and provide the family with fresh air. It's the kind of ventilation that should be installed in homes when they are built, say building scientists. Unfortunately, the exchanger won't cure the extensive mold problem that came with their "dream" home. That's an all -too -familiar story to indoor air quality specialist McGregor Pearce. "People don't worry about ventilation in their home until their kids get asthma -- then they become experts, but then it's too late." 0 Cooyrijhi '997 'Trtuc.eZ�fl rglls reser, a cleaning company tried to remove the ultra -fine coating of oily, sooty, black Belated items residue that only recently became noticeable. The whole house had to be recarpeted. An attempt at an allergy -free home Her house is a good example of the recently discovered garage -to -house Build tight, ventilate right connection. Diagnostic tests of Draman's house revealed that air from the garage, Building checklist including the dirty, carbon monoxide -filled exhaust from her Cadillac, was Garage to house connection transported into the house. A o Q&A on howto protect yourhome report: pro Trouble with Minnegasco discovered the extent of such problems in houses last year when it investigated why carbon monoxide service calls skyrocketed after detectors ... heyaren't built likethey used to became popular household items. Researchers conducting the Minnegasco study be found that in 75 percent of the cases studied. auto exhaust from attached garages 1:2,What do you think of the findings? set off the alarms. Researchers were surprised to learn that the car didn't need to run in an enclosed startribune,com garage for very long for carbon monoxide to be a problem. Merely starting a car in Variety a garage with the garage door open and service door closed, backing the car out inside and closing the door was enough to sound alarms the house two hours later. They found that carbon monoxide seeped from the garage into the house through the shared walls and ceilings. But because the gas had moved out of the garage by the time inspectors responded to alarms, and no gas appliance was found malfunctioning, stymied technicians tended to blame the detector as faulty or oversensitive. At Draman's house, the garage has been sealed and caulked and an air-to-air heat exchanger has been installed, and she reports the sooting problem has improved. Draman, whose house was used in a training videotape for Minnegasco technicians, still worries that all the cleaning and restoration will be for nothing. She said a man with the same problem told her that "he had his house cleaned last winter and it the black stuff was back and everything in his house was ruined this winter." At the Stavenau house, mechanical ventilation also is part of the solution. An air-to-air heat exchanger was installed to help with moisture and provide the family with fresh air. It's the kind of ventilation that should be installed in homes when they are built, say building scientists. Unfortunately, the exchanger won't cure the extensive mold problem that came with their "dream" home. That's an all -too -familiar story to indoor air quality specialist McGregor Pearce. "People don't worry about ventilation in their home until their kids get asthma -- then they become experts, but then it's too late." 0 Cooyrijhi '997 'Trtuc.eZ�fl rglls reser, OCT -14-1997 09:02 MINNEHAHA CREEK WATERSHED 6124710682 P.01i01 Minnebaba Creek Watershed District Irrcproving Quality of Water, Quality of Life f Gray Freshwater Center Hwys. 15 819, Navarre MEMORANDUM Mail: 2500 Shadywood Road DATE: October 14, 1997 Excelsior, MN 55331.9578 _ Phone: (612) 471-0590 TO: Stormwater Task Force Fax: (612) 471-0582 FROM: Diane Lynch, District Administrator Email: RE: Meeting Notice admi n0minnehahacreekorg Web site: At the last meeting of the Stormwater Task Force, a group formed to www.minnehahacreek,org revise Rule B, MCWD's Stormwater Management Rule, it was determined that our next meeting should be like our first one --all- inclusive and it will be co-chaired by Lee Gustafson, Public Works Director for Minnetonka. Board of Managers: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 21 from John E. Thomas 1:00-3:30 p.m. at the Minnetonka Community Center, 14600 President Minnetonka Blvd. . The meeting will be held in the Boards and C. Woodrow Love Commission Room. Vice President Pamela G. Blixt The purpose of the meeting is to go through changes recommended Treasurer by the MCWD at the last Stormwater Task Force meeting. Monica Gross Secretary A meeting notice and attachments will be mailed out later this week. Thomas W. LaBounty Thomas Maple, Jr. CC. Board of Managers Malcolm Reid Oislrlct Office: Diane P. Lynch District Administrator Prititld on rnyctnd Dilwr comjfninp M. klSS;pk PnR COnLNlfir MYW. TnTQ1 P R 1 OCT -14-1997 09:02 MINNEHAHA CREEK WATERSHED 6124710682 P.01i01 Minnebaba Creek Watershed District Irrcproving Quality of Water, Quality of Life f Gray Freshwater Center Hwys. 15 819, Navarre MEMORANDUM Mail: 2500 Shadywood Road DATE: October 14, 1997 Excelsior, MN 55331.9578 _ Phone: (612) 471-0590 TO: Stormwater Task Force Fax: (612) 471-0582 FROM: Diane Lynch, District Administrator Email: RE: Meeting Notice admi n0minnehahacreekorg Web site: At the last meeting of the Stormwater Task Force, a group formed to www.minnehahacreek,org revise Rule B, MCWD's Stormwater Management Rule, it was determined that our next meeting should be like our first one --all- inclusive and it will be co-chaired by Lee Gustafson, Public Works Director for Minnetonka. Board of Managers: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 21 from John E. Thomas 1:00-3:30 p.m. at the Minnetonka Community Center, 14600 President Minnetonka Blvd. . The meeting will be held in the Boards and C. Woodrow Love Commission Room. Vice President Pamela G. Blixt The purpose of the meeting is to go through changes recommended Treasurer by the MCWD at the last Stormwater Task Force meeting. Monica Gross Secretary A meeting notice and attachments will be mailed out later this week. Thomas W. LaBounty Thomas Maple, Jr. CC. Board of Managers Malcolm Reid Oislrlct Office: Diane P. Lynch District Administrator Prititld on rnyctnd Dilwr comjfninp M. klSS;pk PnR COnLNlfir MYW. TnTQ1 P R 1 HOPKINS SCHOOL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES 1001 HIGHWAY 7 HOPKINS, MINNESOTA 55305-4723 "Passion for Learning... Learning for Life" October 15, 1997 TO: City Managers RE: Tax Changes for Taxes Payable 1998 C - The Hopkins School District portion of property taxes for taxes payable in 1998 will once again decrease. Pay -1998 will be the third consecutive year of a decrease in the School District portion of property taxes. The reasons for the changes in School District taxes for Pay -1998 are: 1. The legislative lowering of basic tax rates for both residential, commercial, and industrial properties. 2. Reduction in the School District's Health and Safety levy. This levy is approved at the State level and set by the School District. 3. Conversion of 25% ($2 million) of the School District's permanent referendum authority from net tax capacity (NTC) to market value (MV). This conversion will span a four year period at 25% each year, beginning in 1998. 4. The basic increase in assessed property values as determined at the city level. Estimated increases are averaging 4%. 5. The basic School District tax rate has been lowered across the State by 2%. 6. For Pay -1998, residential homeowners will receive a tax credit of up to $225. This credit relates to valuation of property and is only for taxes payable in 1998. The tax credit will appear under the School District portion of taxes as listed on the November property tax statements. 7. The School District is still experiencing levy adjustments related to previous years' abatements. The School District is estimating a 1.5% to a 3.5% decrease in School District portion of property taxes for Pay -1998. I hope this information will be helpful to you as you proceed with your Truth in Taxation hearings this December. Please feel free to call our office if you should desire additional information (988-4001). Sincerely, David Shapley Director of Business Se ices AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EDUCATOR AND EMPLOYER HOPKINS SCHOOL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES 1001 HIGHWAY 7 HOPKINS, MINNESOTA 55305-4723 "Passion for Learning... Learning for Life" October 15, 1997 TO: City Managers RE: Tax Changes for Taxes Payable 1998 C - The Hopkins School District portion of property taxes for taxes payable in 1998 will once again decrease. Pay -1998 will be the third consecutive year of a decrease in the School District portion of property taxes. The reasons for the changes in School District taxes for Pay -1998 are: 1. The legislative lowering of basic tax rates for both residential, commercial, and industrial properties. 2. Reduction in the School District's Health and Safety levy. This levy is approved at the State level and set by the School District. 3. Conversion of 25% ($2 million) of the School District's permanent referendum authority from net tax capacity (NTC) to market value (MV). This conversion will span a four year period at 25% each year, beginning in 1998. 4. The basic increase in assessed property values as determined at the city level. Estimated increases are averaging 4%. 5. The basic School District tax rate has been lowered across the State by 2%. 6. For Pay -1998, residential homeowners will receive a tax credit of up to $225. This credit relates to valuation of property and is only for taxes payable in 1998. The tax credit will appear under the School District portion of taxes as listed on the November property tax statements. 7. The School District is still experiencing levy adjustments related to previous years' abatements. The School District is estimating a 1.5% to a 3.5% decrease in School District portion of property taxes for Pay -1998. I hope this information will be helpful to you as you proceed with your Truth in Taxation hearings this December. Please feel free to call our office if you should desire additional information (988-4001). Sincerely, David Shapley Director of Business Se ices AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EDUCATOR AND EMPLOYER Bassett Creek Water Management Commission Minutes of the Meeting of September 18, 1997 Call to Order.- The rder: The Bassett Creek Water Management Commission was called to order at 12:05 p.m., Thursday, September 18, 1997, at the City of Golden Valley City Hall by Chairman Enck. Roll Call: Crystal: Commissioner Toni Mathisen Counsel: Curt Pearson Golden Valley: Commissioner Ed Silberman Engineer: Len Kremer Medicine Lake: Commissioner John O'Toole Recorder: Pat Schutrop Minneapolis: Alternate Jodi Polzin Corps of Engrs: David Raasch Minnetonka: Commissioner Lee Gustafson Ne►v Hope: Commissioner Peter Enck Plymouth: Commissioner Ron Quanbeck Robbinsdale: Commissioner Maria D'Andrea St. Louis Park: Commissioner Michael Rardin Also present: David Hanson, Alternate Commissioner, City of Golden Valley Jeff Oliver, Assistant City Engineer, City of Golden Valley Nancy Azzam, League of Women Voters Ismael Martinez -Ortiz, Bonestroo Rosene Anderlik and Associates Nick Polta, Pioneer Engineering William Huser, Hidden Lakes Approval and/or Correction of Minutes: The minutes of August 21, 1997 were presented. Mr. Silberman moved and Mr. AMathisen seconded approval of minutes. Carried unanimously. Financial Statements: 1. Mr. Silberman presented the Treasurer's Report as of September 18, 1997. The checking account balance is $19,640.09. The investment balance is $102,335.18, plus two commercial papers in the amount of $104,537.20 (due October 14, 1997) and $202,232.50 (due November 10, 1997) for a total investment balance of $409,109.88. The construction account is as follows: Construction Account Balance .................................... $116,609.31 CommercialPaper ............................................ $207,102.00 Long -Term Investment ........................................ $1,000,000.00 Money Held for Medicine Lake ..................................... $5,000.00 Total Construction Account Balance .............................. $1,328,711.31 The construction escrow amount held by the City of !Minneapolis is $230,305.94. Two commercial papers conic due before the Commission's October meeting (one investment account paper and one construction account paper). Mr. Silberman will reinvest them when the time approaches. The Treasurer's report was accepted as presented and ordered to be filed subject to audit. Page Bassett Creek Water Management Commission Minutes of the Meeting of September 18, 1997 Call to Order.- The rder: The Bassett Creek Water Management Commission was called to order at 12:05 p.m., Thursday, September 18, 1997, at the City of Golden Valley City Hall by Chairman Enck. Roll Call: Crystal: Commissioner Toni Mathisen Counsel: Curt Pearson Golden Valley: Commissioner Ed Silberman Engineer: Len Kremer Medicine Lake: Commissioner John O'Toole Recorder: Pat Schutrop Minneapolis: Alternate Jodi Polzin Corps of Engrs: David Raasch Minnetonka: Commissioner Lee Gustafson Ne►v Hope: Commissioner Peter Enck Plymouth: Commissioner Ron Quanbeck Robbinsdale: Commissioner Maria D'Andrea St. Louis Park: Commissioner Michael Rardin Also present: David Hanson, Alternate Commissioner, City of Golden Valley Jeff Oliver, Assistant City Engineer, City of Golden Valley Nancy Azzam, League of Women Voters Ismael Martinez -Ortiz, Bonestroo Rosene Anderlik and Associates Nick Polta, Pioneer Engineering William Huser, Hidden Lakes Approval and/or Correction of Minutes: The minutes of August 21, 1997 were presented. Mr. Silberman moved and Mr. AMathisen seconded approval of minutes. Carried unanimously. Financial Statements: 1. Mr. Silberman presented the Treasurer's Report as of September 18, 1997. The checking account balance is $19,640.09. The investment balance is $102,335.18, plus two commercial papers in the amount of $104,537.20 (due October 14, 1997) and $202,232.50 (due November 10, 1997) for a total investment balance of $409,109.88. The construction account is as follows: Construction Account Balance .................................... $116,609.31 CommercialPaper ............................................ $207,102.00 Long -Term Investment ........................................ $1,000,000.00 Money Held for Medicine Lake ..................................... $5,000.00 Total Construction Account Balance .............................. $1,328,711.31 The construction escrow amount held by the City of !Minneapolis is $230,305.94. Two commercial papers conic due before the Commission's October meeting (one investment account paper and one construction account paper). Mr. Silberman will reinvest them when the time approaches. The Treasurer's report was accepted as presented and ordered to be filed subject to audit. Page Presentation of Invoices to be Paid: The following invoices were presented for approval: 1. An invoice was received from Barr Engineering Company for professional services during the period of August 2 1997 through August 29, 1997, in the amount of $16,637.52. Mr. Silberman asked Mr. Kremer to clarify the web page charges under the Surveys S Studies line item. This charge is for adding the Bassett Creek Water Management Commission Application and Requirements for Improvements and Development Proposals documents to Barr Engineering Company's web page. Mr. Kremer said the member cities will be able to link with Barr's web page making these documents easy access for developers located in those cities. Mr. Silberman moved and Mr. Gustafson seconded approval for payment of claims as set forth on the invoices. Upon call of the roll, the vote was unanimously carried. Communications: Chairman: 1. Correspondence was received from Barr Engineering Company in response to Wenck Associates' review comments of the City of Minnetonka's Water Resources Management Plan. 2. Copies of the Corps of Engineers' Operation and Maintenance of Facilities manuals were received. Extra copies of the manuals arc available at the City of Golden Valley. Mr. Silberman noted the manual states the City of Minneapolis has permanent responsibility for the old tunnel and that landscaping which is part of the Corps of Engineers' project cannot be changed without the Corps' approval Counsel: 1. Mr. Pearson started receiving the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources' agenda and meeting minutes. Mr. Pearson will not distribute the agenda and minutes to the commissioners, but will review them and address items of interest with the Commission. 2. Mr. Enck and Mr. Pearson will meet with representatives of the Minnesota Department of Transportation to discuss the Wirth Lake improvements. 3. Mr. Pearson is working with the Commission engineer on the 60 -day rule. The 60 -day rule applies to prompt handling of zoning or planning projects submitted for Commission review. If the review cannot take place within the 60 days, an extension request must be given by the developer. The Commission engineer can extend the period for an additional 60 days by informing the applicant in writing of the reasons for any extension. The developer's application may be considered approved if an extension is not requested or the matter handled as set out in MN Statutes Sec. 15.99. 4. Mr. Pearson reviewed the City of Minnetonka's Water Resources Management Plan (Plan) and talked with the representative of Wenck Associates who reviewed the report for the Commission. Page 2 Presentation of Invoices to be Paid: The following invoices were presented for approval: 1. An invoice was received from Barr Engineering Company for professional services during the period of August 2 1997 through August 29, 1997, in the amount of $16,637.52. Mr. Silberman asked Mr. Kremer to clarify the web page charges under the Surveys S Studies line item. This charge is for adding the Bassett Creek Water Management Commission Application and Requirements for Improvements and Development Proposals documents to Barr Engineering Company's web page. Mr. Kremer said the member cities will be able to link with Barr's web page making these documents easy access for developers located in those cities. Mr. Silberman moved and Mr. Gustafson seconded approval for payment of claims as set forth on the invoices. Upon call of the roll, the vote was unanimously carried. Communications: Chairman: 1. Correspondence was received from Barr Engineering Company in response to Wenck Associates' review comments of the City of Minnetonka's Water Resources Management Plan. 2. Copies of the Corps of Engineers' Operation and Maintenance of Facilities manuals were received. Extra copies of the manuals arc available at the City of Golden Valley. Mr. Silberman noted the manual states the City of Minneapolis has permanent responsibility for the old tunnel and that landscaping which is part of the Corps of Engineers' project cannot be changed without the Corps' approval Counsel: 1. Mr. Pearson started receiving the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources' agenda and meeting minutes. Mr. Pearson will not distribute the agenda and minutes to the commissioners, but will review them and address items of interest with the Commission. 2. Mr. Enck and Mr. Pearson will meet with representatives of the Minnesota Department of Transportation to discuss the Wirth Lake improvements. 3. Mr. Pearson is working with the Commission engineer on the 60 -day rule. The 60 -day rule applies to prompt handling of zoning or planning projects submitted for Commission review. If the review cannot take place within the 60 days, an extension request must be given by the developer. The Commission engineer can extend the period for an additional 60 days by informing the applicant in writing of the reasons for any extension. The developer's application may be considered approved if an extension is not requested or the matter handled as set out in MN Statutes Sec. 15.99. 4. Mr. Pearson reviewed the City of Minnetonka's Water Resources Management Plan (Plan) and talked with the representative of Wenck Associates who reviewed the report for the Commission. Page 2 Wenck Associates, Inc. submitted a memorandum to the Commission dated January 31, 1997, giving their review comments of the Plan. The comments were passed onto Barr Engineering Company, preparer of the Plan. On August 25, 1997, Barr responded to Wenck's comments in a letter. The Commission's contract with Wenck did not include meetings and follow-up activities so Wenck did not respond to Barr's comments. The following are Wenck's comments to which Barr responded: a. How does the city propose to interact with the Commission regarding future permitting? Mr. Pearson submitted a copy of a resolution adopted by another "watershed district as an example for the Commission to consider if Minnetonka's local plan is approved. The resolution is an example of how a city can qualify requirements to meet objectives for both the Bassett Creek water management plan and the city's local plan. The Commission would then try to work with the city in developing a memorandum of understanding so that nothing is overlooked in the Commission's plan or the responsibilities given by the state. b. Is an evaluation of mitigation measures required to minimize the effects of increases in impervious areas on flood discharge and runoff bodies compared to the 1972 Watershed Management Plan? Barr's response was that the existing Minnetonka plan includes policies which answer this question. Mr. Pearson will recommend that Wenck recheck the references. C. Clarify how the decreased flood storage volumes associated with Crane Lake and Oak Knoll Pond meet the Bassett Creek standards. Wenck informed Mr. Pearson they will re-examine and compare the information. Mr. Gustafson recommended Wenck talk to Minnetonka's City Engineer and Barr Engineering Company concerning past history and flood storage information of Crane Lake and Oak Knoll Pond. Mr. Gustafson said substantial work has beef] done by the city so that it will not be necessary for Wenck to do a lot of independent research. d. Recommend development of ordinance implementation and regulatory provisions schedule. Mr. Pearson said this relates primarily to the shoreland ordinance. It was mandated by the 1972 legislature that every city in the state have a shoreland ordinance. According to Barr, the City of Minnetonka's shoreland ordinance was conditionally approved by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on January 6, 1997. Mr. Gustafson said Minnetonka has not adopted the shoreland ordinance because the city is performing an extensive review of its comprehensive plan at this time and needs to coordinate that policies with all the watershed districts in the city. The city expects to adopt the ordinances such as the shoreland ordinance sometime in early 1998. C. Identify and describe water resources -related agreements. Barr prepared an addendum to the plan for Wenck to review. Page 3 Wenck Associates, Inc. submitted a memorandum to the Commission dated January 31, 1997, giving their review comments of the Plan. The comments were passed onto Barr Engineering Company, preparer of the Plan. On August 25, 1997, Barr responded to Wenck's comments in a letter. The Commission's contract with Wenck did not include meetings and follow-up activities so Wenck did not respond to Barr's comments. The following are Wenck's comments to which Barr responded: a. How does the city propose to interact with the Commission regarding future permitting? Mr. Pearson submitted a copy of a resolution adopted by another "watershed district as an example for the Commission to consider if Minnetonka's local plan is approved. The resolution is an example of how a city can qualify requirements to meet objectives for both the Bassett Creek water management plan and the city's local plan. The Commission would then try to work with the city in developing a memorandum of understanding so that nothing is overlooked in the Commission's plan or the responsibilities given by the state. b. Is an evaluation of mitigation measures required to minimize the effects of increases in impervious areas on flood discharge and runoff bodies compared to the 1972 Watershed Management Plan? Barr's response was that the existing Minnetonka plan includes policies which answer this question. Mr. Pearson will recommend that Wenck recheck the references. C. Clarify how the decreased flood storage volumes associated with Crane Lake and Oak Knoll Pond meet the Bassett Creek standards. Wenck informed Mr. Pearson they will re-examine and compare the information. Mr. Gustafson recommended Wenck talk to Minnetonka's City Engineer and Barr Engineering Company concerning past history and flood storage information of Crane Lake and Oak Knoll Pond. Mr. Gustafson said substantial work has beef] done by the city so that it will not be necessary for Wenck to do a lot of independent research. d. Recommend development of ordinance implementation and regulatory provisions schedule. Mr. Pearson said this relates primarily to the shoreland ordinance. It was mandated by the 1972 legislature that every city in the state have a shoreland ordinance. According to Barr, the City of Minnetonka's shoreland ordinance was conditionally approved by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on January 6, 1997. Mr. Gustafson said Minnetonka has not adopted the shoreland ordinance because the city is performing an extensive review of its comprehensive plan at this time and needs to coordinate that policies with all the watershed districts in the city. The city expects to adopt the ordinances such as the shoreland ordinance sometime in early 1998. C. Identify and describe water resources -related agreements. Barr prepared an addendum to the plan for Wenck to review. Page 3 Mr. Pearson is asking Wenck to respond under the original agreement, but if Wenck needs additional funds, the follow-up work could be completed for about $200. He asked the Commission to authorize him to ask Wenck to prepare their responses to Barr's .� comments and, if necessary, the Commission will fund this additional work. L' w Mr. Quanbeck moved and Mr. Silberman seconded the motion to direct the Commission counsel to prepare a letter to Wenck asking for Wenck's official response to Barr's comments, and the Commission authorizes additional funds be paid to Wenck, if necessary, for this follow-up work. Carried unanimously. Commissioners: No communications. Engineer: 1. A discharge of water-soluble paint into Bassett Creek from a Mn/DOT facility was discovered in early September. Mr. Jeff Oliver, Assistant City Engineer for Golden Valley, followed up and found the source to be a Mn/DOT maintenance facility located on Duluth Avenue. Mn/DOT was washing some of their equipment in the yard where the runoff discharges via a storm sewer into Bassett Creek. Mr. Kremer discussed the situation with Mn/DOT and maintenance procedure changes are being made so that they type of discharge will not reoccur. Mr. Enck authorized Mr. Kremer to send a letter to Mn/DOT requesting modification of their maintenance operations to discourage this type of discharge from occurring. 2. Mr. Kremer had discussions with the Corps of Engineers concerning completion of the Highway 100 work. Mr. Mathisen said it is still not done to the City of Crystal's satisfaction. Mr. Kremer will continue to follow-up. New Business: 1. Plymouth Pond BC-P9A. A request was received for review of a grading, drainage and erosion control plan for construction of the Plymouth Pond BC-P9A regional water quality pond. The project is located along the north side of TH 55 immediately west of Plymouth Boulevard.. The project includes the construction of a multiple cell water quality pond to provide stormwater treatment. Grading will occur on 3.6 acres. The multi -cell system includes three new basins (north, south, central), one main wetland cell, and one expanded wetland cell. Two projects are currently under construction that will discharge to the proposed pond for water quality enhancement. These projects include the Mann Theater and the TCF Bank. Individual plans were previously reviewed and approved administratively for these developments contingent on the completion of the regional pond prior to completion of the proposed developments. Runoff from two major drainage areas discharge to the proposed regional pond. Plymouth drainage area BC19A, located west of the pond is 39 acres. This area consists of 19 acres of undeveloped land (including the Mann and TCF projects) and 20 acres of developed land. Plymouth drainage area BC20, located south of TH 55 and the pond is 176 acres. This area is mostly developed. Runoff from BC19A discharges to the three proposed water quality ponds prior to discharging to the proposed main wetland. Runoff from BC20 discharges to the Page 4 Mr. Pearson is asking Wenck to respond under the original agreement, but if Wenck needs additional funds, the follow-up work could be completed for about $200. He asked the Commission to authorize him to ask Wenck to prepare their responses to Barr's .� comments and, if necessary, the Commission will fund this additional work. L' w Mr. Quanbeck moved and Mr. Silberman seconded the motion to direct the Commission counsel to prepare a letter to Wenck asking for Wenck's official response to Barr's comments, and the Commission authorizes additional funds be paid to Wenck, if necessary, for this follow-up work. Carried unanimously. Commissioners: No communications. Engineer: 1. A discharge of water-soluble paint into Bassett Creek from a Mn/DOT facility was discovered in early September. Mr. Jeff Oliver, Assistant City Engineer for Golden Valley, followed up and found the source to be a Mn/DOT maintenance facility located on Duluth Avenue. Mn/DOT was washing some of their equipment in the yard where the runoff discharges via a storm sewer into Bassett Creek. Mr. Kremer discussed the situation with Mn/DOT and maintenance procedure changes are being made so that they type of discharge will not reoccur. Mr. Enck authorized Mr. Kremer to send a letter to Mn/DOT requesting modification of their maintenance operations to discourage this type of discharge from occurring. 2. Mr. Kremer had discussions with the Corps of Engineers concerning completion of the Highway 100 work. Mr. Mathisen said it is still not done to the City of Crystal's satisfaction. Mr. Kremer will continue to follow-up. New Business: 1. Plymouth Pond BC-P9A. A request was received for review of a grading, drainage and erosion control plan for construction of the Plymouth Pond BC-P9A regional water quality pond. The project is located along the north side of TH 55 immediately west of Plymouth Boulevard.. The project includes the construction of a multiple cell water quality pond to provide stormwater treatment. Grading will occur on 3.6 acres. The multi -cell system includes three new basins (north, south, central), one main wetland cell, and one expanded wetland cell. Two projects are currently under construction that will discharge to the proposed pond for water quality enhancement. These projects include the Mann Theater and the TCF Bank. Individual plans were previously reviewed and approved administratively for these developments contingent on the completion of the regional pond prior to completion of the proposed developments. Runoff from two major drainage areas discharge to the proposed regional pond. Plymouth drainage area BC19A, located west of the pond is 39 acres. This area consists of 19 acres of undeveloped land (including the Mann and TCF projects) and 20 acres of developed land. Plymouth drainage area BC20, located south of TH 55 and the pond is 176 acres. This area is mostly developed. Runoff from BC19A discharges to the three proposed water quality ponds prior to discharging to the proposed main wetland. Runoff from BC20 discharges to the Page 4 proposed expanded wetland prior to discharging to the proposed main wetland. A new outlet structure and skimmer will be constructed at the main wetland cell. -� • Plymouth's objective for the system is to provide water quality treatment for the undeveloped areas of the watershed in accordance with the Level 1 treatment classification. In addition, treatment will be maximized for previously developed areas, although the removal will be below Level 1 classification. • Information provided indicate, a Level 1 pond constructed to only treat the 18 acres of undeveloped land would remove 74 lbs/yr of phosphorus. • Information provided indicate, the three proposed water quality ponds (north, south, deep portion of central) will remove at least 95 lbs/yr of phosphorus based on ultimate development (39 acres) of BC19A. Additional phosphorus removal at the shallow portion of the central pond and the downstream wetland basin would also occur. The average depth of the north and south ponds are less than 3.0 feet. • The entire regional pond, including flows from both BC19A and BC20, removes 285 lbs/yr of phosphorus. This represents approximately 27 percent efficiency for the entire pond. Currently, treatment is not provided for BC20. Area BC20 was routed through the wetland expansion and main wetland to provide sonic phosphorus removal. Recommendation: approval, note following comments: a. Although the proposed ponding system does not provide Level 1 treatment for the entire drainage area, the multiple cell system will remove more phosphorus than providing ponding only for the undeveloped arca. The average depth of the north and south pond is less than 3 feet; however, due to the multiple cells and proposed wetland plantings, this is less critical than for single cell ponds. b. Discharging drainage area BC20 through the regional pond minimizes its effectiveness. We recommend additional ponding for BC20 be investigated in the future. C. Final plans including temporary erosion control provisions and skimmer details must be provided for final review. Discussion followed. IVIS. Polzin asked for clarification of what the Commission is approving. Mr. Kremer said approval is on the ponding area. Mr. Enck would like to see a commitment from the City of Plymouth to achieve future water quality requirements of Medicine Lake at Level 1. i\•Ir. Kremer stated the water quality study for Medicine Lake which is a cooperative study (the City of Plymouth, the Commission, and Hennepin Parks) will answer what ponding developments will be feasible to benefit Medicine Lake. Ms. Polzin moved and Mr. Gustafson seconded the motion to approve the construction of Pond BC-P9A in Plymouth. Carried unanimously. 2. Village at Bassett Creek: Plymouth. This is a 29.5 -acre development located along the west side of Revere Lane immediately south of 10th Avenue near Bassett Creek. Tile projects includes the construction of 182 townhomes and 3.6 acres of commercial development. Grading will occur on 27 acres of the 29.5 -acre site. The site would provide 5.2 acre-feet to restore storage volume lost which exceeds the Commission's water quality requirements for this size area. Recommendation: approval of preliminary grading plan only, contingent on following modifications: Page 5 proposed expanded wetland prior to discharging to the proposed main wetland. A new outlet structure and skimmer will be constructed at the main wetland cell. -� • Plymouth's objective for the system is to provide water quality treatment for the undeveloped areas of the watershed in accordance with the Level 1 treatment classification. In addition, treatment will be maximized for previously developed areas, although the removal will be below Level 1 classification. • Information provided indicate, a Level 1 pond constructed to only treat the 18 acres of undeveloped land would remove 74 lbs/yr of phosphorus. • Information provided indicate, the three proposed water quality ponds (north, south, deep portion of central) will remove at least 95 lbs/yr of phosphorus based on ultimate development (39 acres) of BC19A. Additional phosphorus removal at the shallow portion of the central pond and the downstream wetland basin would also occur. The average depth of the north and south ponds are less than 3.0 feet. • The entire regional pond, including flows from both BC19A and BC20, removes 285 lbs/yr of phosphorus. This represents approximately 27 percent efficiency for the entire pond. Currently, treatment is not provided for BC20. Area BC20 was routed through the wetland expansion and main wetland to provide sonic phosphorus removal. Recommendation: approval, note following comments: a. Although the proposed ponding system does not provide Level 1 treatment for the entire drainage area, the multiple cell system will remove more phosphorus than providing ponding only for the undeveloped arca. The average depth of the north and south pond is less than 3 feet; however, due to the multiple cells and proposed wetland plantings, this is less critical than for single cell ponds. b. Discharging drainage area BC20 through the regional pond minimizes its effectiveness. We recommend additional ponding for BC20 be investigated in the future. C. Final plans including temporary erosion control provisions and skimmer details must be provided for final review. Discussion followed. IVIS. Polzin asked for clarification of what the Commission is approving. Mr. Kremer said approval is on the ponding area. Mr. Enck would like to see a commitment from the City of Plymouth to achieve future water quality requirements of Medicine Lake at Level 1. i\•Ir. Kremer stated the water quality study for Medicine Lake which is a cooperative study (the City of Plymouth, the Commission, and Hennepin Parks) will answer what ponding developments will be feasible to benefit Medicine Lake. Ms. Polzin moved and Mr. Gustafson seconded the motion to approve the construction of Pond BC-P9A in Plymouth. Carried unanimously. 2. Village at Bassett Creek: Plymouth. This is a 29.5 -acre development located along the west side of Revere Lane immediately south of 10th Avenue near Bassett Creek. Tile projects includes the construction of 182 townhomes and 3.6 acres of commercial development. Grading will occur on 27 acres of the 29.5 -acre site. The site would provide 5.2 acre-feet to restore storage volume lost which exceeds the Commission's water quality requirements for this size area. Recommendation: approval of preliminary grading plan only, contingent on following modifications: Page 5 a. Water quality Ponds must be excavated at the beginning of grading operations to �-' provide temporary stormwater detention during construction. Sand and silt must be removed from the pond at the completion of construction. Where feasible, erosion control features must be installed prior to grading operations. This grading sequence must be indicated on the grading plan. b. Temporary construction entrance must be revised to include a rock berm with a minimum depth of 2 feet and maximum side slopes of 4:1. C. Separate surcharge and erosion control plan must be provided for review if the plan is significantly different than general grading and erosion control plan. d. Drainage plans and detailed grading plans must be provided to the Commission's Engineer for review after they have been completed. Drainage plans must include details for skimming structures at pond outlets. C. Developer shall evaluate discharging Pond 1 into Wetland 1 (instead of Pond 2) to minimize potential flushing and increase the effectiveness of Pond 2. Mr. Enck commended the developer for including the provision for more than adequate flood storage as part of the project. Mr. Gustafson moved and Ms. D'Andrea seconded the motion to approve the preliminary grading plan only, contingent on the above Commission's engineering recommendations. Motion carried. 3. Valley Creek Office Park. This is an 8.7 -acre site which includes the construction of three office buildings. An on-site water quality pond will be constructed for treating stormwater runoff from the site. This ponding area fulfills the Commission's water quality requirements. The pond will be maintained by the developer and inspected by the Commission engineer as part of its yearly inspection visits. Recommendation: approval, contingent on following modifications: a. Sand and silt must be removed from the water quality pond at the completion of construction. This grading sequence must be indicated on the grading plan. b. Temporary construction entrance must be revised to include a rock berm with a minimum depth of 2 feet and maximum side slopes of 4:1 at locations where runoff leaves the site. C. The average depth of the water quality pond (pond volume/surface area) must be greater than or equal to 3.0 feet. d. Installation details for erosion control features must be included on the erosion control plan. C. Filter material must be provided below riprap on site. f. High discharge velocities exist at Apron 117. Adequate erosion protection must be provided to prevent erosion. g. Adequate erosion protection must be provided at Apron 121. Mr. Silberman moved and Mr. Mathisen seconded the motion to approve the grading, drainage, and erosion control plan contingent upon the Commission engineer's recommendations. Carried unanimously. 4. Flood Control Project Financing. Mr. David Raasch, Corps of Engineers, presented a discussion of the financial aspects of the Bassett Creek Water Management Commission flood control project. Originally, Mr. Raasch was the engineer representing the Corps of Engineers to the Commission on the flood control project during the period 1985-1990. In 1990, A4r. Bill Page a. Water quality Ponds must be excavated at the beginning of grading operations to �-' provide temporary stormwater detention during construction. Sand and silt must be removed from the pond at the completion of construction. Where feasible, erosion control features must be installed prior to grading operations. This grading sequence must be indicated on the grading plan. b. Temporary construction entrance must be revised to include a rock berm with a minimum depth of 2 feet and maximum side slopes of 4:1. C. Separate surcharge and erosion control plan must be provided for review if the plan is significantly different than general grading and erosion control plan. d. Drainage plans and detailed grading plans must be provided to the Commission's Engineer for review after they have been completed. Drainage plans must include details for skimming structures at pond outlets. C. Developer shall evaluate discharging Pond 1 into Wetland 1 (instead of Pond 2) to minimize potential flushing and increase the effectiveness of Pond 2. Mr. Enck commended the developer for including the provision for more than adequate flood storage as part of the project. Mr. Gustafson moved and Ms. D'Andrea seconded the motion to approve the preliminary grading plan only, contingent on the above Commission's engineering recommendations. Motion carried. 3. Valley Creek Office Park. This is an 8.7 -acre site which includes the construction of three office buildings. An on-site water quality pond will be constructed for treating stormwater runoff from the site. This ponding area fulfills the Commission's water quality requirements. The pond will be maintained by the developer and inspected by the Commission engineer as part of its yearly inspection visits. Recommendation: approval, contingent on following modifications: a. Sand and silt must be removed from the water quality pond at the completion of construction. This grading sequence must be indicated on the grading plan. b. Temporary construction entrance must be revised to include a rock berm with a minimum depth of 2 feet and maximum side slopes of 4:1 at locations where runoff leaves the site. C. The average depth of the water quality pond (pond volume/surface area) must be greater than or equal to 3.0 feet. d. Installation details for erosion control features must be included on the erosion control plan. C. Filter material must be provided below riprap on site. f. High discharge velocities exist at Apron 117. Adequate erosion protection must be provided to prevent erosion. g. Adequate erosion protection must be provided at Apron 121. Mr. Silberman moved and Mr. Mathisen seconded the motion to approve the grading, drainage, and erosion control plan contingent upon the Commission engineer's recommendations. Carried unanimously. 4. Flood Control Project Financing. Mr. David Raasch, Corps of Engineers, presented a discussion of the financial aspects of the Bassett Creek Water Management Commission flood control project. Originally, Mr. Raasch was the engineer representing the Corps of Engineers to the Commission on the flood control project during the period 1985-1990. In 1990, A4r. Bill Page Spychalla took over as the Corps' project manager on the project. Mr. Raasch is now "`A replacing Mr. Spychalla as representative again for the Corps. - When the project began, the budget was $29 million. The final cost will end up to be close to $42 million. Overview The flood control project was authorized in 1976, and 10 years later, Congress appropriated money for the construction to begin. The delay was due to cost-sharing issues that needed definition. The Commission and the Corps of Engineers were the first to partake of a Section 215 agreement and an Alternate Dispute Resolution in the United States. In 1986, the Water Resources Development Act made the cost-sharing breakdown to be 25 percent local and 75 percent federal monies. The local share may consist of land, relocations, administrative costs, etc. A minimum cash requirement of 5 percent was part of the 25 percent and additional cash contributions were required to make up any remaining monies needed to meet the 25 percent minimum Commission contribution. The project construction started with the federal portion beginning in 1987, while the local portion started in the early 1980s under the 215 agreement which provided local funding with a federal reimbursement when funds became available. Chronology of Major Project Features and Costs In 1979, the Mn/DOT portion of the tunnel was constructed for $12 million with the Commission's portion being $4 million. In 1982, under the advance construction by the locals, and in 1991 by the Corps, about $1.7 million in construction was performed in the Mark wood/Edgewood embankment area in the City of Crystal. In 1984, the Commission and communities did sonic advance culvert work at 32nd, Brunswick, 34th, Georgia, and 36th and Hampshire. In 1984 and 1987, under the Section 215 agreement, the local parties performed advance construction on Regent, Noble, and Westbrook avenues—highway culverts in the Golden Valley area. In 1987, the first feature was constructed in the City of Golden Valley which was the Highway 55 control structure costing about $85,000. This feature demonstrated results the first year. This structure saved about $1 million in potential flood damage from occurring downstream due to a high volume rainfall during 1987. In 1988, the Corps of Engineers and the Commission constructed the 3rd Avenue tunnel at a cost of $2.4 million. In 1990, the twin box tunnel (which included the replacement of the old tunnel) was completed at a cost of about $13.4 million. In 1993, the Golden Valley Country Club structure was completed for about $437,000 Page 7 Spychalla took over as the Corps' project manager on the project. Mr. Raasch is now "`A replacing Mr. Spychalla as representative again for the Corps. - When the project began, the budget was $29 million. The final cost will end up to be close to $42 million. Overview The flood control project was authorized in 1976, and 10 years later, Congress appropriated money for the construction to begin. The delay was due to cost-sharing issues that needed definition. The Commission and the Corps of Engineers were the first to partake of a Section 215 agreement and an Alternate Dispute Resolution in the United States. In 1986, the Water Resources Development Act made the cost-sharing breakdown to be 25 percent local and 75 percent federal monies. The local share may consist of land, relocations, administrative costs, etc. A minimum cash requirement of 5 percent was part of the 25 percent and additional cash contributions were required to make up any remaining monies needed to meet the 25 percent minimum Commission contribution. The project construction started with the federal portion beginning in 1987, while the local portion started in the early 1980s under the 215 agreement which provided local funding with a federal reimbursement when funds became available. Chronology of Major Project Features and Costs In 1979, the Mn/DOT portion of the tunnel was constructed for $12 million with the Commission's portion being $4 million. In 1982, under the advance construction by the locals, and in 1991 by the Corps, about $1.7 million in construction was performed in the Mark wood/Edgewood embankment area in the City of Crystal. In 1984, the Commission and communities did sonic advance culvert work at 32nd, Brunswick, 34th, Georgia, and 36th and Hampshire. In 1984 and 1987, under the Section 215 agreement, the local parties performed advance construction on Regent, Noble, and Westbrook avenues—highway culverts in the Golden Valley area. In 1987, the first feature was constructed in the City of Golden Valley which was the Highway 55 control structure costing about $85,000. This feature demonstrated results the first year. This structure saved about $1 million in potential flood damage from occurring downstream due to a high volume rainfall during 1987. In 1988, the Corps of Engineers and the Commission constructed the 3rd Avenue tunnel at a cost of $2.4 million. In 1990, the twin box tunnel (which included the replacement of the old tunnel) was completed at a cost of about $13.4 million. In 1993, the Golden Valley Country Club structure was completed for about $437,000 Page 7 In 1995, one of the last parts of the federal portion of the flood control project was the Highway 100 embankment costing about $1.3 million. In 1996, the City of Plymouth completed the Medicine Lake outlet. .' Mr. Raasch handed out spreadsheets for the Commissioners showing the complexity of the project and an overview of costs for each portion of the flood control project. Mr. Pearson interjected the comment that the Commission worked through the City of Minneapolis who signed the local cooperative agreement with the Corps of Engineers. The final total project cost will be approximately $39,165,000 depending on returned real estate values. Projected project closeout will take place over the next six months. The credit information gathered so far shows the local sponsor may receive a reimbursement for the project. Old Business: 1. Hidden Lakes Preliminary Grading Plan. A preliminary grading plan was reviewed by the Commission at a previous meeting. The developer is asking for approval of a partial grading plan at this time. The developer will again cone back to the Commission asking for approval of a final grading plan in the next month or so. There are two parts of the site the developer would like to begin work on. They are a 9.6 -acre site where foundations will be consolidated, and a 11.6 -acre site %$here an access road and utilities will be constructed. The developer would like to begin the site work before the first frost. The developer is proposing to build temporary water quality storage facilities before implementing all of the permanent water quality features proposed to be built as part of tite site. They are proposing to build four temporary ponds. [LEN:????] The ponds are designed in accordance with the required criteria of the Commission's water quality standards. As part of the work, a silt fence will be installed. Mr. Mathisen expressed concern about the use of silt fence and its effectiveness to control all the erosion. The Commission engineer is recommending approval of the partial grading plan. Discussion followed. Tile temporary ponds will be in place until possibly next spring, depending on the approval and the City of Golden Valley's permitting process. Mr. Bill Huser, Hidden Lakes, project manager of the Hidden Lakes development, said the City of Golden Valley reviewed the partial grading plan on Tuesday, September 16, 1997, and gave approval contingent upon the Commission's approval. Mr. Pearson asked that any motion front the Commission be conditioned upon the review of the Commission and subject to all Golden Valley's processing requirements, permits, and approvals. Ms. Polzin asked that in addition to the above condition, the motion stipulate if the plan is changed, the developer will need to come back to the Commission for additional approval of the plan. Mr. Silberman asked if the Commission is committing itself to the future development of the peninsula located near the site. The developer reassured tite Commission that the peninsula is not part of the plan. Ms. Polzin asked about the surface treatments that will be needed to treat erosion that occurs from areas being graded. The developer said the entire site needed a deep surface compaction of 2 to 3 feet and more standard soil correction is needed in some parts of the site. The final permitting process is continuing with the City of Golden Valley and the site work is not estimated to begin for another two weeks. Page 8 In 1995, one of the last parts of the federal portion of the flood control project was the Highway 100 embankment costing about $1.3 million. In 1996, the City of Plymouth completed the Medicine Lake outlet. .' Mr. Raasch handed out spreadsheets for the Commissioners showing the complexity of the project and an overview of costs for each portion of the flood control project. Mr. Pearson interjected the comment that the Commission worked through the City of Minneapolis who signed the local cooperative agreement with the Corps of Engineers. The final total project cost will be approximately $39,165,000 depending on returned real estate values. Projected project closeout will take place over the next six months. The credit information gathered so far shows the local sponsor may receive a reimbursement for the project. Old Business: 1. Hidden Lakes Preliminary Grading Plan. A preliminary grading plan was reviewed by the Commission at a previous meeting. The developer is asking for approval of a partial grading plan at this time. The developer will again cone back to the Commission asking for approval of a final grading plan in the next month or so. There are two parts of the site the developer would like to begin work on. They are a 9.6 -acre site where foundations will be consolidated, and a 11.6 -acre site %$here an access road and utilities will be constructed. The developer would like to begin the site work before the first frost. The developer is proposing to build temporary water quality storage facilities before implementing all of the permanent water quality features proposed to be built as part of tite site. They are proposing to build four temporary ponds. [LEN:????] The ponds are designed in accordance with the required criteria of the Commission's water quality standards. As part of the work, a silt fence will be installed. Mr. Mathisen expressed concern about the use of silt fence and its effectiveness to control all the erosion. The Commission engineer is recommending approval of the partial grading plan. Discussion followed. Tile temporary ponds will be in place until possibly next spring, depending on the approval and the City of Golden Valley's permitting process. Mr. Bill Huser, Hidden Lakes, project manager of the Hidden Lakes development, said the City of Golden Valley reviewed the partial grading plan on Tuesday, September 16, 1997, and gave approval contingent upon the Commission's approval. Mr. Pearson asked that any motion front the Commission be conditioned upon the review of the Commission and subject to all Golden Valley's processing requirements, permits, and approvals. Ms. Polzin asked that in addition to the above condition, the motion stipulate if the plan is changed, the developer will need to come back to the Commission for additional approval of the plan. Mr. Silberman asked if the Commission is committing itself to the future development of the peninsula located near the site. The developer reassured tite Commission that the peninsula is not part of the plan. Ms. Polzin asked about the surface treatments that will be needed to treat erosion that occurs from areas being graded. The developer said the entire site needed a deep surface compaction of 2 to 3 feet and more standard soil correction is needed in some parts of the site. The final permitting process is continuing with the City of Golden Valley and the site work is not estimated to begin for another two weeks. Page 8 Ms. Polzin expressed concern about the water quality of Twin Lakes and the inspection of the construction site. The Commission engineer makes routine inspections of ongoing f construction sites within the watershed and a status letter is sent to the respective city. The Commission engineer is not reimbursed by the developer for the inspection time. The City of Golden Valley would like the Commission to perform more frequent inspections of the Hidden Lakes project. Ms. Polzin moved and Mr. Silberman seconded the motion to recommend approval to the City of Golden Valley subject to all Golden Valley permits and approvals and any other governmental requirements or agreements from other agencies. The Commission is also approving this plan and any plan changes must be returned to the Commission. The Commission also requests the City of Golden Valley utilize very careful inspection of all construction and erosion problems because of the environmental sensitivity of this area. Carried unanimously. Ms. Polzin moved and Mr. Silberman seconded the motion recommending the Commission engineer inspect the Hidden Lakes project on a weekly basis and the increased cost be submitted to the City of Golden Valley. Carried unanimously. 2. Draft Water Quality Policy. The two parts addressed are: (a) the addition of requirements for temporary and permanent best management practices to be implemented for street projects that involve a grading area of more than 0.5 acres of land, and (b) the addition of definitions for expansion/additions to existing developments. The grading portion of the water quality policy was originally reviewed in November 1996, and the responsibility of drafting a detailed policy was given to the Water Quality Committee. On May 15, 1997, the Committee drafted their final recommendation of the policy. Information sheets were distributed to the Commission to review prior to today's meeting showing the excerpts from the actual policy with changes shown in redline/strikeout. Mr. Silberman moved and Ms. D'Andrea seconded the motion to adopt the above changes to the Bassett Creek Nater Management Commission Water Quality Policy. Carried unanimously. Revised copies of the Water Quality Policy will be distributed with the next meeting packet. Adjournment It was moved by Ms. Polzin and seconded by Mr. Mathisen that the meeting adjourn. Chairman Enck adjourned the meeting at 2:00 p.m. W. Peter Enck, Chairman Pat Schutrop, Recorder Date: Toni Mathisen, Secretary 5A7 1.1 Page 9 Ms. Polzin expressed concern about the water quality of Twin Lakes and the inspection of the construction site. The Commission engineer makes routine inspections of ongoing f construction sites within the watershed and a status letter is sent to the respective city. The Commission engineer is not reimbursed by the developer for the inspection time. The City of Golden Valley would like the Commission to perform more frequent inspections of the Hidden Lakes project. Ms. Polzin moved and Mr. Silberman seconded the motion to recommend approval to the City of Golden Valley subject to all Golden Valley permits and approvals and any other governmental requirements or agreements from other agencies. The Commission is also approving this plan and any plan changes must be returned to the Commission. The Commission also requests the City of Golden Valley utilize very careful inspection of all construction and erosion problems because of the environmental sensitivity of this area. Carried unanimously. Ms. Polzin moved and Mr. Silberman seconded the motion recommending the Commission engineer inspect the Hidden Lakes project on a weekly basis and the increased cost be submitted to the City of Golden Valley. Carried unanimously. 2. Draft Water Quality Policy. The two parts addressed are: (a) the addition of requirements for temporary and permanent best management practices to be implemented for street projects that involve a grading area of more than 0.5 acres of land, and (b) the addition of definitions for expansion/additions to existing developments. The grading portion of the water quality policy was originally reviewed in November 1996, and the responsibility of drafting a detailed policy was given to the Water Quality Committee. On May 15, 1997, the Committee drafted their final recommendation of the policy. Information sheets were distributed to the Commission to review prior to today's meeting showing the excerpts from the actual policy with changes shown in redline/strikeout. Mr. Silberman moved and Ms. D'Andrea seconded the motion to adopt the above changes to the Bassett Creek Nater Management Commission Water Quality Policy. Carried unanimously. Revised copies of the Water Quality Policy will be distributed with the next meeting packet. Adjournment It was moved by Ms. Polzin and seconded by Mr. Mathisen that the meeting adjourn. Chairman Enck adjourned the meeting at 2:00 p.m. W. Peter Enck, Chairman Pat Schutrop, Recorder Date: Toni Mathisen, Secretary 5A7 1.1 Page 9 DATE: October 17, 1997 TO: Dwight D. Johnson, City Manager FROM: Fred G. Moore, P.E., Director of Public Works SUBJECT: ZACHARY LANE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT 36THAVENUE TO COUNTY ROAD 10 CITY PROJECT NO. 5030 The consultant for the Zachary Lane Improvement Project from 36`' Avenue to County Road 10 has completed the preliminary surveying, traffic counts and has developed some very preliminary concepts for the roadway improvement. In order that these can be shared with the adjacent neighborhood and receive citizen comments on the project, an information meeting has been scheduled for October 27, at 7:00 p.m. at the Plymouth Ice Center. Attached is a letter which has been mailed to the properties in the Zachary Lane area. After receiving neighborhood input, the Preliminary Engineering Report will be completed for presentation to the City Council. This will probably take place in December. attachment \\Ply_nt\ntdiskI\PW\Engineering\PROJECTS\530\MEMOS\Dwight 5030.doc DATE: October 17, 1997 TO: Dwight D. Johnson, City Manager FROM: Fred G. Moore, P.E., Director of Public Works SUBJECT: ZACHARY LANE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT 36THAVENUE TO COUNTY ROAD 10 CITY PROJECT NO. 5030 The consultant for the Zachary Lane Improvement Project from 36`' Avenue to County Road 10 has completed the preliminary surveying, traffic counts and has developed some very preliminary concepts for the roadway improvement. In order that these can be shared with the adjacent neighborhood and receive citizen comments on the project, an information meeting has been scheduled for October 27, at 7:00 p.m. at the Plymouth Ice Center. Attached is a letter which has been mailed to the properties in the Zachary Lane area. After receiving neighborhood input, the Preliminary Engineering Report will be completed for presentation to the City Council. This will probably take place in December. attachment \\Ply_nt\ntdiskI\PW\Engineering\PROJECTS\530\MEMOS\Dwight 5030.doc October 16, 1997 «PIN» OwnerNameN «HOA» «Address» «City» , -St. «ZIP» CITY OF PUMOUTR SUBJECT: ZACHARY LANE IMPROVEMENTS 36TH AVENUE TO BASS LAKE ROAD (COUNTY ROAD 10) CITY PROJECT NO. 5030 Dear Resident: This is to inform you that we will be having a public information meeting on October 27, 1997, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the large meeting room in the Plymouth Ice Center located at 3650 Plymouth Boulevard. The entrance to the Ice Center is along the north side of the building and the driveway is from 37`' Avenue. The purpose of this meeting is to present some concepts and receive your input for the proposed improvement to Zachary Lane anticipated to begin in the spring of 1998. Following the presentation and general discussion, City staff and the City's consultant, Short, Elliott, Hendrickson, Inc. (SEH) will be available with draft plans to answer individual questions and receive comments. In addition, comment cards will be available for those who wish to write out their comments and submit them to the City. As previously determined by the City Council on June 4, 1994, the future improvement of Zachary Lane will be a two lane urban roadway, (i.e., one southbound lane and one northbound lane) with the possibility of turn lanes where warranted. The existing two lane roadway with shoulders and ditches will be improved by adding curb and gutter and a storm sewer system to replace the ditches. In addition, a trail will be included with the roadway improvement as well as landscaping improvements. At the October 27 meeting you will have an opportunity to express how you would like these basic improvements to be made. G:\PW\ErigineeringkPROJECrS\53OkLTRS\Zachary_frm-2.doc PLYMOUTH A eautiyidP(tzce'To Live 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000 October 16, 1997 «PIN» OwnerNameN «HOA» «Address» «City» , -St. «ZIP» CITY OF PUMOUTR SUBJECT: ZACHARY LANE IMPROVEMENTS 36TH AVENUE TO BASS LAKE ROAD (COUNTY ROAD 10) CITY PROJECT NO. 5030 Dear Resident: This is to inform you that we will be having a public information meeting on October 27, 1997, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the large meeting room in the Plymouth Ice Center located at 3650 Plymouth Boulevard. The entrance to the Ice Center is along the north side of the building and the driveway is from 37`' Avenue. The purpose of this meeting is to present some concepts and receive your input for the proposed improvement to Zachary Lane anticipated to begin in the spring of 1998. Following the presentation and general discussion, City staff and the City's consultant, Short, Elliott, Hendrickson, Inc. (SEH) will be available with draft plans to answer individual questions and receive comments. In addition, comment cards will be available for those who wish to write out their comments and submit them to the City. As previously determined by the City Council on June 4, 1994, the future improvement of Zachary Lane will be a two lane urban roadway, (i.e., one southbound lane and one northbound lane) with the possibility of turn lanes where warranted. The existing two lane roadway with shoulders and ditches will be improved by adding curb and gutter and a storm sewer system to replace the ditches. In addition, a trail will be included with the roadway improvement as well as landscaping improvements. At the October 27 meeting you will have an opportunity to express how you would like these basic improvements to be made. G:\PW\ErigineeringkPROJECrS\53OkLTRS\Zachary_frm-2.doc PLYMOUTH A eautiyidP(tzce'To Live 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000 Page Two If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please plan on attending the public meeting on October 27, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Plymouth Ice Center located at 37' Avenue and Plymouth Boulevard. If you cannot attend the meeting and have questions or comments, you may submit them in writing or please contact either myself at 509-5520 or contact Dan Campbell at 509-5522. Sincerely, Daniel L. Faulkner, P.E. City Engineer cc: Fred G. Moore, Director of Public Works N:\PW\Engineering\PROJECT'S\530\LTRS\Zacliary_Page_2 2.doc Page Two If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please plan on attending the public meeting on October 27, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Plymouth Ice Center located at 37' Avenue and Plymouth Boulevard. If you cannot attend the meeting and have questions or comments, you may submit them in writing or please contact either myself at 509-5520 or contact Dan Campbell at 509-5522. Sincerely, Daniel L. Faulkner, P.E. City Engineer cc: Fred G. Moore, Director of Public Works N:\PW\Engineering\PROJECT'S\530\LTRS\Zacliary_Page_2 2.doc DATE: October 17, 1997 TO: Dwight D. Johnson, City Manager FROM: Fred G. Moore, P.E., Director of Public Works SUBJECT: TRAFFIC/PEDESTRIAN CONCERNS PEONY LANE/19TH AVENUE NORTH OF COUNTY ROAD 6 The City Council needs to make a determination on whether the two speed humps will remain on Peony Lane/19"' Avenue north of County Road 6. This item will be placed on the City Council agenda for November 5. In order to receive input on various options from the residential area, which most frequently uses this street, we have sent the attached letter and questionnaire. Also attached is a map showing the area of the mailing. This is the same type of questionnaire which was used on the issues surrounding Lions Park. Please let me know if you have any questions. attachments \\Ply_nt\ntdiskl\PW\Engineering\GENERA L\MEMOS\FRED\Peony_I9 traf conans.doc DATE: October 17, 1997 TO: Dwight D. Johnson, City Manager FROM: Fred G. Moore, P.E., Director of Public Works SUBJECT: TRAFFIC/PEDESTRIAN CONCERNS PEONY LANE/19TH AVENUE NORTH OF COUNTY ROAD 6 The City Council needs to make a determination on whether the two speed humps will remain on Peony Lane/19"' Avenue north of County Road 6. This item will be placed on the City Council agenda for November 5. In order to receive input on various options from the residential area, which most frequently uses this street, we have sent the attached letter and questionnaire. Also attached is a map showing the area of the mailing. This is the same type of questionnaire which was used on the issues surrounding Lions Park. Please let me know if you have any questions. attachments \\Ply_nt\ntdiskl\PW\Engineering\GENERA L\MEMOS\FRED\Peony_I9 traf conans.doc l� �_ � �{ � iq '; �� 1�ZE / s� �.��� �_ � i l� �_ � �{ � iq '; �� 1�ZE / s� �.��� �_ � i October 16, 1997 «PIN» OWNER» «STREET» «CITY», aST» «ZIP» SUBJECT: TRAFFIC/PEDESTRIAN CONCERNS PEONY LANE/19T'' AVENUE NORTH OF COUNTY ROAD 6 Dear Property Owner: Over the past 18 months, the City Council has taken action to address traffic/pedestrian concerns on Peony Lane/19`h Avenue, north of County Road 6. These concerns were associated with the high speed of traffic on this residential street. Action taken includes the following: • Two speed humps were installed between 20" Avenue and County Road 6. • The centerline on the street was marked between Peony Lane and 201h Avenue in the area of the two sharper curves to indicate that traffic should not cross the centerline of the street. • A bike/pedestrian lane was marked on both sides of the street between County Road 6 and 20`' Avenue. • A marked crosswalk with appropriate signage was installed at the entrance to Imperial Hills Park. • The speed limit was reduced to 25 m.p.h. on the portion of the street with the marked bike lane. • The Police Department has this street as one of the traffic enforcement areas for the traffic unit. G %.PW'TngfneeeringlGENEPLALLTRS`FREUPwny_I9_b FORM. dot October 16, 1997 «PIN» OWNER» «STREET» «CITY», aST» «ZIP» SUBJECT: TRAFFIC/PEDESTRIAN CONCERNS PEONY LANE/19T'' AVENUE NORTH OF COUNTY ROAD 6 Dear Property Owner: Over the past 18 months, the City Council has taken action to address traffic/pedestrian concerns on Peony Lane/19`h Avenue, north of County Road 6. These concerns were associated with the high speed of traffic on this residential street. Action taken includes the following: • Two speed humps were installed between 20" Avenue and County Road 6. • The centerline on the street was marked between Peony Lane and 201h Avenue in the area of the two sharper curves to indicate that traffic should not cross the centerline of the street. • A bike/pedestrian lane was marked on both sides of the street between County Road 6 and 20`' Avenue. • A marked crosswalk with appropriate signage was installed at the entrance to Imperial Hills Park. • The speed limit was reduced to 25 m.p.h. on the portion of the street with the marked bike lane. • The Police Department has this street as one of the traffic enforcement areas for the traffic unit. G %.PW'TngfneeeringlGENEPLALLTRS`FREUPwny_I9_b FORM. dot 1. 3 Although the speed humps have been an effective measure to reduce the speed, the City has received requests to have the speed hump between 17' and 18' Avenues removed. An alternate to the speed hump, which has been suggested, is the installation of an "All -Way" stop at the intersection of 19' Avenue and Peony Lane. The City Council will be considering whether the existing traffic safety measures should remain in place or changed at their regular City Council meeting on Wednesday, November 5. The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. To provide an opportunity for input to the City Council, enclosed is a questionnaire which we are requesting that you fill out and return to the City on or before October 31. The results of the questionnaire will be tabulated and become part of the record in the staff report to the City Council. We sincerely appreciate your time in review and completion of the enclosed questionnaire, and if you have questions, I can be reached at 509-5501. Sincerely, Fred G. Moore, P.E. Director of Public Works enclosure cc: Daniel L. Faulkner, P.E., City Engineer 1962 6 2ndPage.doe 1. 3 Although the speed humps have been an effective measure to reduce the speed, the City has received requests to have the speed hump between 17' and 18' Avenues removed. An alternate to the speed hump, which has been suggested, is the installation of an "All -Way" stop at the intersection of 19' Avenue and Peony Lane. The City Council will be considering whether the existing traffic safety measures should remain in place or changed at their regular City Council meeting on Wednesday, November 5. The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. To provide an opportunity for input to the City Council, enclosed is a questionnaire which we are requesting that you fill out and return to the City on or before October 31. The results of the questionnaire will be tabulated and become part of the record in the staff report to the City Council. We sincerely appreciate your time in review and completion of the enclosed questionnaire, and if you have questions, I can be reached at 509-5501. Sincerely, Fred G. Moore, P.E. Director of Public Works enclosure cc: Daniel L. Faulkner, P.E., City Engineer 1962 6 2ndPage.doe QUESTIONNAIRE PEONY LANE/ 19"" AVENUE Name Address If your name and/or address as they appear on the cover letter are incorrect, please check here so we can update our data base. ❑ Please rank options for Peony Lane/19`h Avenue speed control (Most preferred No. 1, least preferred No. 6) F-1 0 Comments No Change (Do not remove either speed hump). Remove northerly speed hump by Shadyview Circle. Remove southerly speed hump between 17"' and 18`h Avenue. Remove both speed humps. Remove southerly speed hump between 17`h and 18"' Avenue and install "All - Way" stop at 19`h Avenue and Peony Lane. Install "All -Way' stop at 19`h Avenue and Peony Lane. QUESTIONNAIRE PEONY LANE/ 19"" AVENUE Name Address If your name and/or address as they appear on the cover letter are incorrect, please check here so we can update our data base. ❑ Please rank options for Peony Lane/19`h Avenue speed control (Most preferred No. 1, least preferred No. 6) F-1 0 Comments No Change (Do not remove either speed hump). Remove northerly speed hump by Shadyview Circle. Remove southerly speed hump between 17"' and 18`h Avenue. Remove both speed humps. Remove southerly speed hump between 17`h and 18"' Avenue and install "All - Way" stop at 19`h Avenue and Peony Lane. Install "All -Way' stop at 19`h Avenue and Peony Lane. (Please fold, staple, or seal, add postage and return) fold here first ------------------------- ------------------------- fold here second ------------------------- City of Plymouth Engineering Department C/O Fred Moore, Director of Public Works 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, MN 55447-1482 Staple here (Please fold, staple, or seal, add postage and return) fold here first ------------------------- ------------------------- fold here second ------------------------- City of Plymouth Engineering Department C/O Fred Moore, Director of Public Works 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, MN 55447-1482 Staple here ON 4 Q. N M N N N N N N C', G� 00 00 00 O\ Co O� O� Q\ d1 r, •-, •-• ,� G1 Os O\ Oi O O\ d1 (:7N C1 Q\ (7"O\ O co N A ,6a1 G1 N N AN N N 0 0 0 ` 00 00 00 O\ ON Q\ G1 d\ O� G� O� G1 •-" .-� _ .- C O\ � O\ C1 Q � CN D1 Q\ G1 O� G\ Oi d Rl :ni d1 O� ' I tt i 00 a �- In �D i D\ ' M I ' c� ' d N V 1 r �n i N N i N N i �Ocl N O 00 — 00 .-- 00 N OO N 00 N i 00 N i 00 01 O� O� G1 O� G\ O� G1 i O O .. hfi= [� [� G� C7, C\ d1 G V, G1 C71, Q1 D; G� Q; G� O� 01 i i 4 .-. -- N n N ,O N co N N n kn O O M o A 00 00 Co Co 00 00 00 00 0, G\ CA O\ O -o -cs 03 o -moo d �3 o cn o cn o - 00 O O O .� >' iG O cC O v O O O bA R Q c01 .; � � 4:i'r • � GA "cj Q., "'O 0 R$ � O a� 'O ca 4-, cs 4. a� o °� � O is 0 — .x co t E a�n�-.�HO�av�zZ.'�a wa �wdUawdv�� 0 F: >, cl oo c,3 9.1 U on N U bA ° bA N ,� 7 o C a� o N C13 p V Q) U U Q U w ti ti ►° ►� rL E-� Cct cA v� E-� cn d ti y O O O O x V r�r V rpm V x x. �0 r rC x x iG Z, to 00 O*l O N r, d vi [— r- ON 4 Q. N M N N N N N N C', G� 00 00 00 O\ Co O� O� Q\ d1 r, •-, •-• ,� G1 Os O\ Oi O O\ d1 (:7N C1 Q\ (7"O\ O co N A ,6a1 G1 N N AN N N 0 0 0 ` 00 00 00 O\ ON Q\ G1 d\ O� G� O� G1 •-" .-� _ .- C O\ � O\ C1 Q � CN D1 Q\ G1 O� G\ Oi d Rl :ni d1 O� ' I tt i 00 a �- In �D i D\ ' M I ' c� ' d N V 1 r �n i N N i N N i �Ocl N O 00 — 00 .-- 00 N OO N 00 N i 00 N i 00 01 O� O� G1 O� G\ O� G1 i O O .. hfi= [� [� G� C7, C\ d1 G V, G1 C71, Q1 D; G� Q; G� O� 01 i i 4 .-. -- N n N ,O N co N N n kn O O M o A 00 00 Co Co 00 00 00 00 0, G\ CA O\ O -o -cs 03 o -moo d �3 o cn o cn o - 00 O O O .� >' iG O cC O v O O O bA R Q c01 .; � � 4:i'r • � GA "cj Q., "'O 0 R$ � O a� 'O ca 4-, cs 4. a� o °� � O is 0 — .x co t E a�n�-.�HO�av�zZ.'�a wa �wdUawdv�� 0 F: >, cl oo c,3 9.1 U on N U bA ° bA N ,� 7 o C a� o N C13 p V Q) U U Q U w ti ti ►° ►� rL E-� Cct cA v� E-� cn d ti y O O O O x V r�r V rpm V x x. �0 r rC x x iG Z, to 00 O*l O N r, d vi [— r- October 12, 1997 Dear Plymouth City Council: A single working taxpayer who gives up more in taxes than the half fare married couples who the coucil seems more concerned with would like to tell you that your improvements on. West Medicine Lake Drive have added fifteen minutes on to my old ten minute drive to Highway 55. Because o fthe improvements, it is now faster for the to go five miles farther by traveling west first to go downtown. Could you please be concerned with people's drive to work as much as you are intrying to make Plymouth the Edina of the ninties. 1f you were to represent all the people, you would plan for all the people. Jerry Chmielewski 12410 26`' Avenue North Plymouth, MN 55441 October 12, 1997 Dear Plymouth City Council: A single working taxpayer who gives up more in taxes than the half fare married couples who the coucil seems more concerned with would like to tell you that your improvements on. West Medicine Lake Drive have added fifteen minutes on to my old ten minute drive to Highway 55. Because o fthe improvements, it is now faster for the to go five miles farther by traveling west first to go downtown. Could you please be concerned with people's drive to work as much as you are intrying to make Plymouth the Edina of the ninties. 1f you were to represent all the people, you would plan for all the people. Jerry Chmielewski 12410 26`' Avenue North Plymouth, MN 55441 Mrd sota Boaot Water&Soil Resources One West Water Street Suite 200 St. Paul, MN 55107 (612)296-3767 Fax(612)297-5615 Field Offices Northern Region: 394 S. Lake Avenue Room 403 Duluth, MN 55802 (218) 723-4752 Fax (218) 723-4794 3217 Bemidji Avenue N. Bemidji, MN 56601 (218)755-4235 Fax (218) 755-4201 217 S. 7th Street Suite 202 Brainerd, MN 56401-3660 (218)828-2383 Fax(218)828-6036 Southern Region: 261 Highway 15 S. New Ulm, MN 56073-8915 (507) 359-6074 Fax (507) 359-6018 40 -16th Street SE Suite A Rochester, MN 55904 (507)285-7458 Fax (507) 280-2875 Box 267 1400 E. Lyon Street Marshall. MN 56258 (507)537-6060 Fax (507) 537-6368 Metro Region: One West Water Street Suite 250 St. Paul. MN 55107 (612)282-9969 Fax (612) 297-5615 An equal opportunity employer Printed on recycled paper October 13, 1997 1 1 Board of Henne P Y in Count Commissire s A-2400 Government Center. Minneapolis, MN 55487-0240 ` Dear Commissioners: a The Board of Water and Soil Resources has received` a copy of resolution no. 97- 9-624R3 which was adopted by the County Board on September 23, 1997, regarding allegations raised by various cities concerning activities of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (District). We understand the three major areas of concern to be accountability of the District to member cities, the scope and/or role of the District's regulatory authority within the watershed, and capital improvement program development. We agree with Hennepin County that the resolution of issues raised by the cities and an improved working relationship with member cities can be achieved through facilitation by an outside entity such as the Board of Water and Soil Resources. Our intention is to proceed promptly on your request. To that end, we have already been in contact with the state Office of Dispute Resolution to gain their assistance in the resolution of this matter and the State Auditor to determine what level, if any, of investigation is necessary to address the allegations. Participation daring this process from all of the cities and townships within the District, and Hennepin County is important and strongly encouraged. Each has a unique role and responsibility and varying degrees of accountability in seeing this processes to a "WIN-WIN" conclusion. Jim Haenel of my staff, at 297-2906, has been assigned to lead this effort. Please feel free to contact him. Sincerely. rna Executive Director cc's on next page wl Mrd sota Boaot Water&Soil Resources One West Water Street Suite 200 St. Paul, MN 55107 (612)296-3767 Fax(612)297-5615 Field Offices Northern Region: 394 S. Lake Avenue Room 403 Duluth, MN 55802 (218) 723-4752 Fax (218) 723-4794 3217 Bemidji Avenue N. Bemidji, MN 56601 (218)755-4235 Fax (218) 755-4201 217 S. 7th Street Suite 202 Brainerd, MN 56401-3660 (218)828-2383 Fax(218)828-6036 Southern Region: 261 Highway 15 S. New Ulm, MN 56073-8915 (507) 359-6074 Fax (507) 359-6018 40 -16th Street SE Suite A Rochester, MN 55904 (507)285-7458 Fax (507) 280-2875 Box 267 1400 E. Lyon Street Marshall. MN 56258 (507)537-6060 Fax (507) 537-6368 Metro Region: One West Water Street Suite 250 St. Paul. MN 55107 (612)282-9969 Fax (612) 297-5615 An equal opportunity employer Printed on recycled paper October 13, 1997 1 1 Board of Henne P Y in Count Commissire s A-2400 Government Center. Minneapolis, MN 55487-0240 ` Dear Commissioners: a The Board of Water and Soil Resources has received` a copy of resolution no. 97- 9-624R3 which was adopted by the County Board on September 23, 1997, regarding allegations raised by various cities concerning activities of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (District). We understand the three major areas of concern to be accountability of the District to member cities, the scope and/or role of the District's regulatory authority within the watershed, and capital improvement program development. We agree with Hennepin County that the resolution of issues raised by the cities and an improved working relationship with member cities can be achieved through facilitation by an outside entity such as the Board of Water and Soil Resources. Our intention is to proceed promptly on your request. To that end, we have already been in contact with the state Office of Dispute Resolution to gain their assistance in the resolution of this matter and the State Auditor to determine what level, if any, of investigation is necessary to address the allegations. Participation daring this process from all of the cities and townships within the District, and Hennepin County is important and strongly encouraged. Each has a unique role and responsibility and varying degrees of accountability in seeing this processes to a "WIN-WIN" conclusion. Jim Haenel of my staff, at 297-2906, has been assigned to lead this effort. Please feel free to contact him. Sincerely. rna Executive Director cc's on next page wl Board of Hennepin County Commissioners October 13, 1997 Page 2 cc: Cities and Townships in District District Board of Managers Louis Smith, District Counsel Vern Genzlinger, Hennepin County Public Works Director Roder Williams, Office of Dispute Resolution Kathleen Docter, Office of the State Auditor BWSR Staff: Birkholz, Haertel, Sandstrom, Thomas Board of Hennepin County Commissioners October 13, 1997 Page 2 cc: Cities and Townships in District District Board of Managers Louis Smith, District Counsel Vern Genzlinger, Hennepin County Public Works Director Roder Williams, Office of Dispute Resolution Kathleen Docter, Office of the State Auditor BWSR Staff: Birkholz, Haertel, Sandstrom, Thomas City of Blaine 9150 Central Avenue N.E., Blaine, Minnesota 55434-3499 (612) 784-6700 October 13, 1997 ¢' Ms. Laurie Ahrens, City Clerk City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth MN 55447-1482--.�_n_i Dear Laurie: FAX (612) 785-6156 On behalf of everyone at TUG, I want to thank you for your presentation on the Data Practices Act at our meeting on October 9, 1997. I am very proud of your work and your accomplishments in this area. It is obvious that the City of Plymouth is very lucky to have you serving in the capacity of responsible authority. You represent the City Clerks of Minnesota in an exemplary fashion. Once again, thank you very much. incerely, Joy e Twistol, CMC Director of Personnel JAT:Ika City of Blaine 9150 Central Avenue N.E., Blaine, Minnesota 55434-3499 (612) 784-6700 October 13, 1997 ¢' Ms. Laurie Ahrens, City Clerk City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth MN 55447-1482--.�_n_i Dear Laurie: FAX (612) 785-6156 On behalf of everyone at TUG, I want to thank you for your presentation on the Data Practices Act at our meeting on October 9, 1997. I am very proud of your work and your accomplishments in this area. It is obvious that the City of Plymouth is very lucky to have you serving in the capacity of responsible authority. You represent the City Clerks of Minnesota in an exemplary fashion. Once again, thank you very much. incerely, Joy e Twistol, CMC Director of Personnel JAT:Ika SENIOR SAFETY CONCERNS FOR ALL - Dear Sir, This letter is concerning a Safe Crossing on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. We have heard that there is going to be a Round About Drive to slow traffic on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. WE DO NOT feel this will be adequate for anyone to safely cross. We would prefer a STOP LIGHT, to totally stop vehicles for a safe crossing. We would also like a sign posted, NO TURN ON RED, as many of our residents have almost been hit by turning cars. It is also very hard for vehicles leaving Life Time Fitness to get out safely. When they stated construction on Life Time Fitness we were told they were going to install Signal Lights for our safety. This petition represents those who are concerned and would like a STOP LIGHT installed on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. r. 1L)/ k) At3Ae . "y 73 -559 2 6 '� 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. i 6 '� 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. SENIOR SAFETY CONCERNS FOR ALL - Dear Sir, This letter is concerning a Safe Crossing on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. We have heard that there is going to be a Round About Drive to slow traffic on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. WE DO NOT feel this will be adequate for anyone to safely cross. We would prefer a STOP LIGHT, to totally stop vehicles for a safe crossing. We would also like a sign posted, NO TURN ON RED, as many of our residents have almost been hit by turning cars. It is also very hard for vehicles leaving Life Time Fitness to get out safely. When they stated construction on Life Time Fitness we were told they were going to install Signal Lights for our safety. This petition represents those who are concerned and would like a STOP LIGHT installed on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. r. 1L)/ k) At3Ae . "y 73 -559 2 6 '� 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. i 6 '� 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. SENIOR SAFETY CONCERNS FOR ALL �- Dear Sir, This letter is concerning a Safe Crossing on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. We have heard that there is going to be a Round About Drive to slow traffic on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. WE DO NOT feel this will be adequate for anyone to safely cross. We would prefer a STOP LIGHT, to totally stop vehicles for a safe crossing. We would also like a sign posted, NO TURN ON RED, as many of our residents have almost been hit by turning cars. It is also very hard for vehicles leaving Life Time Fitness to get out safely. When they stated construction on Life Time Fitness we were told they were going to install Signal Lights for our safety. This petition represents those who are concerned and would like a STOP LIGHT installed on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. ' 1. ;�t '.c2_; Viz.' -�.. C�;E°<i.,�=�' <l?�'• - 5�,� -� � c%>Ct _2 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. , 15.E 16. 17.E 18.� 19..C'� 20. 21. ,r 22.0 , 23. 24. 25, 26, 271 28. 29. 3C J� r 2. �� � I.. rte-/ � � � ,-f91.r l- - - -1 4111C SENIOR SAFETY CONCERNS FOR ALL �- Dear Sir, This letter is concerning a Safe Crossing on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. We have heard that there is going to be a Round About Drive to slow traffic on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. WE DO NOT feel this will be adequate for anyone to safely cross. We would prefer a STOP LIGHT, to totally stop vehicles for a safe crossing. We would also like a sign posted, NO TURN ON RED, as many of our residents have almost been hit by turning cars. It is also very hard for vehicles leaving Life Time Fitness to get out safely. When they stated construction on Life Time Fitness we were told they were going to install Signal Lights for our safety. This petition represents those who are concerned and would like a STOP LIGHT installed on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. ' 1. ;�t '.c2_; Viz.' -�.. C�;E°<i.,�=�' <l?�'• - 5�,� -� � c%>Ct _2 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. , 15.E 16. 17.E 18.� 19..C'� 20. 21. ,r 22.0 , 23. 24. 25, 26, 271 28. 29. 3C J� r 2. �� � I.. rte-/ � � � ,-f91.r l- - - -1 4111C 30./ i %� t•,� `'�' � 1x2-•,�-r�' � �� - �., •.) � �' C'_l, , 58. ,-—` 50. 59. r :l'x.��� `jam-- k�1� ai— ' 32. rte,' r''1� r� 4 .� '�" •^ "1 �I a `T 3 ! 57. 63. F _ 34: .n-7 2 — 35 z ! 67. _ 36. 69. _ c 37. 38. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. r+46. 47. —7----=• 48. 58. ,-—` 50. 59. r :l'x.��� `jam-- k�1� ai— ' 52. 53 5455 . 61. J3 n 56. .Lid 24 4�o� 57. 63. 58. ,-—` 59. r :l'x.��� `jam-- k�1� ai— ' 60. 61. J3 62. � �i.�� 63. 64.'�/u 67. _ 68. 69. 70. 30./ i %� t•,� `'�' � 1x2-•,�-r�' � �� - �., •.) � �' C'_l, , 58. ,-—` 50. 59. r :l'x.��� `jam-- k�1� ai— ' 32. rte,' r''1� r� 4 .� '�" •^ "1 �I a `T 3 ! 57. 63. F _ 34: .n-7 2 — 35 z ! 67. _ 36. 69. _ c 37. 38. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. r+46. 47. —7----=• 48. 58. ,-—` 50. 59. r :l'x.��� `jam-- k�1� ai— ' 52. 53 5455 . 61. J3 n 56. .Lid 24 4�o� 57. 63. 58. ,-—` 59. r :l'x.��� `jam-- k�1� ai— ' 60. 61. J3 62. � �i.�� 63. 64.'�/u 67. _ 68. 69. 70. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143.- 144.- 145.' 146.' 147.' 148. * 149.' 150. 151. 152. 153. 154. 155. 156. 157. 158. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143.- 144.- 145.' 146.' 147.' 148. * 149.' 150. 151. 152. 153. 154. 155. 156. 157. 158. 1 SENIOR SAFETY CONCERNS FOR ALL X J Dear Sir, This letter is concerning a Safe Crossing on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. We have heard that there is going to be a Round About Drive to slow traffic on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. WE DO NOT feel this will be adequate for anyone to safely cross. We would prefer a STOP LIGHT, to totally stop vehicles for a safe crossing. We would also like a sign posted, NO TURN ON RED, as many of our residents have almost been hit by turning cars. It is also very hard for vehicles leaving Life Time Fitness to get out safely. When they stated construction on Life Time Fitness we were told they were going to install Signal Lights for our safety. This petition represents those who are concerned and would like a STOP LIGHT installed on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. 1 2 3 4 5. / 6. 8. 9. 10. 11.- 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 1 SENIOR SAFETY CONCERNS FOR ALL X J Dear Sir, This letter is concerning a Safe Crossing on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. We have heard that there is going to be a Round About Drive to slow traffic on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. WE DO NOT feel this will be adequate for anyone to safely cross. We would prefer a STOP LIGHT, to totally stop vehicles for a safe crossing. We would also like a sign posted, NO TURN ON RED, as many of our residents have almost been hit by turning cars. It is also very hard for vehicles leaving Life Time Fitness to get out safely. When they stated construction on Life Time Fitness we were told they were going to install Signal Lights for our safety. This petition represents those who are concerned and would like a STOP LIGHT installed on 36th and Plymouth Blvd. 1 2 3 4 5. / 6. 8. 9. 10. 11.- 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. DATE: October 17, 1997 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Dwight D. Johnson, City Manager SUBJECT: Summary of Events Mann theaters. The theaters are somewhat behind their original optimistic schedule. They had wanted to be done by Thanksgiving. Their current plan is to have six of the twelve theaters open on December 19'. They have told staff that they appreciate the City's role in bringing them to Plymouth, and would like to have a grand opening event in which they turn over the finished half of the theater to the City on December 18`' for a special event. We could plan almost anything we wish. Even if only half the theaters are complete, over 1,000 people could participate. Any ideas? Any council members want to join a staff committee to consider this? Our first thoughts might be to have a community charitable cause tied into this somehow. Life Time Fitness. Bahram and his finance manager met with Eric and myself on Wednesday. Their cost overrun on Life Time is actually more significant than our cost on the Ice Center, about $1.3 million. The Council has previously approved an agreement to use special assessments at 7% interest over 10 years to collect what Life Time owes for its portion of the parking lot improvements under our master agreement. On June 26, 1997, I wrote a memo to the Council indicating that Life Time requested that "an additional amount of $400,000 be assessed, for a total of $800,000 in consideration of `tenant improvements' they have made in the Club -Pool complex." This additional assessment was to be in consideration for additions and improvements they made to the project above and beyond the scope of our agreement, including the size of the indoor pool area, the size of the outdoor pool deck, and the degree of finish in the walkway between the buildings. Life Time strongly feels that Eric and I misunderstood the discussion last June and that the real discussion was about assessing $800,000 above and beyond the parking lot assessments, not just an additional $400,000 as I wrote to you in June. Life Time has made commitments to other projects and ventures, based upon their belief that the City DATE: October 17, 1997 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Dwight D. Johnson, City Manager SUBJECT: Summary of Events Mann theaters. The theaters are somewhat behind their original optimistic schedule. They had wanted to be done by Thanksgiving. Their current plan is to have six of the twelve theaters open on December 19'. They have told staff that they appreciate the City's role in bringing them to Plymouth, and would like to have a grand opening event in which they turn over the finished half of the theater to the City on December 18`' for a special event. We could plan almost anything we wish. Even if only half the theaters are complete, over 1,000 people could participate. Any ideas? Any council members want to join a staff committee to consider this? Our first thoughts might be to have a community charitable cause tied into this somehow. Life Time Fitness. Bahram and his finance manager met with Eric and myself on Wednesday. Their cost overrun on Life Time is actually more significant than our cost on the Ice Center, about $1.3 million. The Council has previously approved an agreement to use special assessments at 7% interest over 10 years to collect what Life Time owes for its portion of the parking lot improvements under our master agreement. On June 26, 1997, I wrote a memo to the Council indicating that Life Time requested that "an additional amount of $400,000 be assessed, for a total of $800,000 in consideration of `tenant improvements' they have made in the Club -Pool complex." This additional assessment was to be in consideration for additions and improvements they made to the project above and beyond the scope of our agreement, including the size of the indoor pool area, the size of the outdoor pool deck, and the degree of finish in the walkway between the buildings. Life Time strongly feels that Eric and I misunderstood the discussion last June and that the real discussion was about assessing $800,000 above and beyond the parking lot assessments, not just an additional $400,000 as I wrote to you in June. Life Time has made commitments to other projects and ventures, based upon their belief that the City would finance $800,000 above the parking lot costs. While that is not necessarily the City's problem, especially since the Council was never presented with and never agreed to any amount yet over the original parking lot costs, we discussed what could be done with the agreement to get value received for the additional financing. Life Time is willing to commit to any or all of the following items in return for $800,000 of loan financing beyond the parking lot costs: • City employees get access to Life Time at daily fee rates, regardless of residency in Plymouth. Employees have shown considerable interest in gaining more access to Life Time. • A summer pool pass system for the outdoor pool, similar to what New Hope has, would be implemented no later than the summer of 1999. The current contract says it will be implemented when the club reaches 10,000 members. • Life Time will increase the interest rate it pays to 8% from the original 7%. This differential equates to a difference in future value of about $245,000 over the ten years. • When compared with our current investment rate of about 6%, the differential is about $471,000 over ten years. • Life Time will implement special senior citizen initiation fees of $90 with a renewal fee of only $45 for those, such as snow birds, who would wish to freeze their membership for several months a year. This could be especially helpful if we build an Activity Center in the area. • Life Time would agree to immediately pay the outstanding balance of these obligations if a public offering is made by the company which raises at least $20 million. All of the assessments/loans would be backed up by the main agreement, which provides that if Life Time defaults on its commitments, the City can take over Life Time's Plymouth Club and its equity by acquiring Life Time's mortgage debt on this club. The estimate that the City could net about $471,000 from the transaction, and the items to benefit our citizens and employees noted above, seem to offer both enough public purpose and compensation for our additional financing. The City would likely use utility funds for these purposes. Eric and I indicated to Bahram that we would propose placing this matter on your November 12' Study Session. Any thoughts or questions would be welcome. Council TV monitor. At the last Council meeting, you may have noticed a new monitor on the left as we sit at the Council table. This monitor shows what is actually being broadcast, which our monitors in front of us often do not show. I have been interested in doing this for some time, and recently, Council member Wold expressed strong interest in it. One council member thought the monitor was a little distracting, but we both noted how the color of the sample roof material for Gramercy looked much redder on the TV monitor than in person. Let me know if you like the monitor or not. It was not hard to put up, and would not be hard to take down. would finance $800,000 above the parking lot costs. While that is not necessarily the City's problem, especially since the Council was never presented with and never agreed to any amount yet over the original parking lot costs, we discussed what could be done with the agreement to get value received for the additional financing. Life Time is willing to commit to any or all of the following items in return for $800,000 of loan financing beyond the parking lot costs: • City employees get access to Life Time at daily fee rates, regardless of residency in Plymouth. Employees have shown considerable interest in gaining more access to Life Time. • A summer pool pass system for the outdoor pool, similar to what New Hope has, would be implemented no later than the summer of 1999. The current contract says it will be implemented when the club reaches 10,000 members. • Life Time will increase the interest rate it pays to 8% from the original 7%. This differential equates to a difference in future value of about $245,000 over the ten years. • When compared with our current investment rate of about 6%, the differential is about $471,000 over ten years. • Life Time will implement special senior citizen initiation fees of $90 with a renewal fee of only $45 for those, such as snow birds, who would wish to freeze their membership for several months a year. This could be especially helpful if we build an Activity Center in the area. • Life Time would agree to immediately pay the outstanding balance of these obligations if a public offering is made by the company which raises at least $20 million. All of the assessments/loans would be backed up by the main agreement, which provides that if Life Time defaults on its commitments, the City can take over Life Time's Plymouth Club and its equity by acquiring Life Time's mortgage debt on this club. The estimate that the City could net about $471,000 from the transaction, and the items to benefit our citizens and employees noted above, seem to offer both enough public purpose and compensation for our additional financing. The City would likely use utility funds for these purposes. Eric and I indicated to Bahram that we would propose placing this matter on your November 12' Study Session. Any thoughts or questions would be welcome. Council TV monitor. At the last Council meeting, you may have noticed a new monitor on the left as we sit at the Council table. This monitor shows what is actually being broadcast, which our monitors in front of us often do not show. I have been interested in doing this for some time, and recently, Council member Wold expressed strong interest in it. One council member thought the monitor was a little distracting, but we both noted how the color of the sample roof material for Gramercy looked much redder on the TV monitor than in person. Let me know if you like the monitor or not. It was not hard to put up, and would not be hard to take down. MEMO CITY OF PLYMOUTH 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD, PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447 DATE: October 17, 1997 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Laurie Ahrens it Clerk SUBJECT: KSTP Story A few months ago, WCCO ran a story about felons who voted in the 1996 elections. Although it was quite interesting, the end result was that the violation of law did not appear to be intentional or the felony classification was not accurate. Most of the individuals who were interviewed said that they thought they were eligible to vote because their probation period had ended. In some situations, there was a delay in receiving the notice that their civil rights were restored. Plymouth was not included in this investigation. Out of our 42,000 registered voters, there is currently only one person who is ineligible to vote due to felony conviction. KSTP is now working on a similar story regarding double voting by individuals. They were here yesterday to view materials from the 1996 General Election. They have been to many other metro cities as well. They reviewed the 1996 voting record of four Plymouth residents. Three of the situations are women who were registered voters, but because of a name change had to re -register on election day. The County gave voting credit (an indication that the individual voted on a particular date) under both the former name and the new name. The fourth situation is an unusual name. It appears that the spelling of the voter's name could not be clearly read on the new registration card. The County key punched in the name from the voter registration card and from the signed precinct roster with two slightly different spellings, and gave each name voting credit. I indicated to the KSTP interviewer that I saw no evidence of double voting by these four individuals. Rather, the County made a minimal number of errors in data entry out of the 4,800 new voter registrations and 30,000 ballots cast in Plymouth in the November 1996 election. I'm unsure if KSTP will be contacting these voters, but I would appreciate knowing if you hear that they do so. Thanks. MEMO CITY OF PLYMOUTH 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD, PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447 DATE: October 17, 1997 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Laurie Ahrens it Clerk SUBJECT: KSTP Story A few months ago, WCCO ran a story about felons who voted in the 1996 elections. Although it was quite interesting, the end result was that the violation of law did not appear to be intentional or the felony classification was not accurate. Most of the individuals who were interviewed said that they thought they were eligible to vote because their probation period had ended. In some situations, there was a delay in receiving the notice that their civil rights were restored. Plymouth was not included in this investigation. Out of our 42,000 registered voters, there is currently only one person who is ineligible to vote due to felony conviction. KSTP is now working on a similar story regarding double voting by individuals. They were here yesterday to view materials from the 1996 General Election. They have been to many other metro cities as well. They reviewed the 1996 voting record of four Plymouth residents. Three of the situations are women who were registered voters, but because of a name change had to re -register on election day. The County gave voting credit (an indication that the individual voted on a particular date) under both the former name and the new name. The fourth situation is an unusual name. It appears that the spelling of the voter's name could not be clearly read on the new registration card. The County key punched in the name from the voter registration card and from the signed precinct roster with two slightly different spellings, and gave each name voting credit. I indicated to the KSTP interviewer that I saw no evidence of double voting by these four individuals. Rather, the County made a minimal number of errors in data entry out of the 4,800 new voter registrations and 30,000 ballots cast in Plymouth in the November 1996 election. I'm unsure if KSTP will be contacting these voters, but I would appreciate knowing if you hear that they do so. Thanks.