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Home My WebLink AboutCouncil Information Memorandum 10-25-1996A OCTOBER 25,1996 UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS 1. COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE: OCTOBER 29 5:30 P.M. SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING Consider the proposed zoning ordinance amendments concerning RV parking, including draft ordinance sections 211105.11 & 21135.06 Council Chambers NOVEMBER 6 6:20 P.M. SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING Consider Salary Adjustment for City Manager Medicine Lake Room NOVEMBER 6 7:00 P.M. REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers NOVEMBER 20 7:00 P.M. REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers 2. CITY OPENHOUSF./FIRE DEPARTMENT OPENHOUSE, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 10 A.M. - NOON, City Hall. The Fire Department Open House runs from noon to 3 p.m. at Fire Station #3, 3300 Dunkirk Lane. 3. ZONING ORDINANCE PUBLIC MEETING — OC7OBER 29, 7: 00 P.M., Parkers Lake Pavilion, 15205 County Road 6. 4. ELECTION DAX TUESDAY, NOYFMBER S. Polls will be open from 7:00 AM. until 8:00 P.M. 5. HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, THURSDAY, NOYF.AOER 7, 7:30 P.M., Medicine Lake Room. 6. MEETING CALENDARS — The October, November, and December meeting calendars are attached. (M-6) A CITY COUNCIL INFORMA77ONMEMO October 25, 19916 Page 2 1. COUNCIL MEETING ITEMS a Update from the Planning Department regarding discussion at the October 29 Special Council Meeting on revisions requested for the proposed Zoning Ordinance. (I -la) b. Draft agenda for the Regular Council Meeting of November 6, 1996. (I-1 b) 2. MEETING MINUTES a Plymouth Park and Recreation Advisory Commission meeting of October 10, 1996. a- b. Plymouth Advisory Committee on Transit meeting of September 25, 1996. (I -2b) 3. NEWS ARTICLES, RELEASES, PUBLICATIONS, ETC, a The Plymouth City Council Candidates Forum will be replayed on NWCT Channel 12. Attached is a replay schedule. (I -3a) b. Reprint of an article in the August, 1996 issue of Governing, which may provide ideas for the speeding issue on Peony Lane ant 19'h Avenue, and also provide ideas for the City's 1997 Zachary Lane Project. a -3b) c- Notice from the Metropolitan Council of public forums and hearings to be held in October and November regarding the Council's proposed regional growth management plan. (I -3c) d October 18, 1996 Star Tribune news article about the increase in Twin Cities area property taxes. (I -3d) e. October 18, 1996 Star Tribune news article about the winning of the Federal Duck Stamp Contest by Plymouth resident Bob Hautman, the third Hautman brother to win the contest. a -3e) f. Municipal Legislative Commission Update, October 15, 1996. a -3,i 4. CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS POLICY- CORRESPONDENCE a Letter to Robert Binish from Public Works Director Fred Moore responding to comments on the speed bumps installed onl9th Avenue/Peony Lane. Binish's original letter is included. (I -4a) b. Letter to Henry Willegalle, President of the East Parkers Lake Improvement Association from Park Director Enc Blank, responding to concerns over recreational use of Parkers Lake. The original letter from the Association is attached. a 4b) c. Letter to Tracie Wollman from Eric Blank responding to comments about excluding children under the age of three from the recreational facilities pools. Wollman's original letter is attached. (I -4c) CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION MEMO October 25, 1996 Page 3 d Letter to the Mayor and Council from Pattie Lillibridge and Glenn Flekke, expressing concerns about assessments for road improvement. The letter has been forwarded to Finance Director Dale Hahn and Public Works Director Fred Moore for a response. a - 4d) e. Transcript of Internet e-mail from Patrick McKee with inquiries about the Mission Bills neighborhood. park. The item was forwarded to Park Director Eric Blank for a response. A status report on the most recent correspondence is attached. (1-4) 5. CORRESPONDENCE a. Letter to Members of the Charter Commission from Manager Dwight Johnson acknowledging steps to be taken in assist to the Charter Commission in establishing staggered terms. Also attached is a copy of the letter to Plymouth legislators asking for assistance in possible legislation relating to the staggered terms a -5a) A Letter from Hennepin County Commissioner Sandra Hillary to Mayor Tierney with an update on County action to adopt housing policies designed to compliment and support city housing activities. a -5b) c. Letter from Tom Scott in the City Attorney's office with information regarding )Etna Life Insurance Company's request for a hearing in the case of 1Ftna Life Insurance Company vs Hennepin County and the City of Plymouth. a -5c) . d Letter to the City form Glen and Dorothy Hanson praising work on the West Medicine Lake Park. a -5d) 6. GENERAL ELECTION UPDATE — We have processed 1269 absentee ballots to date for the November 5 General Election. City Hall is open for absentee balloting during all regular business hours, as well as the following extended hours: Saturday, Oct. 26 10 a.m. to Noon (During Open House) Saturday, Nov. 2 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voter registration for the election closed on October 15. Individuals who are not registered and wishing to vote on November 5 can be instructed to bring to their polling place a drivers license or Minnesota ID card with their current address, or a registered voter from their precinct to vouch for their residence. Residents should be instructed to call City Hall (509- 5000) for additional registration options, absentee voting information, and to determine their polling location. zi, zz N m-6 w •.r,.Rt w •attA �F. ^SttA �a •aAR zF TA -=MR -max I°° I1-4 IN CN ON 0^ PC a V rY M.. 6 1 N O aaa &F' ".•.Ax b � H N �3 •aAa Ti -Mtn p• SAA a O u � a a^s- M $ 81 it nog E. -=%a � Ca •�za -9 0 U o U h a v E g8 sS $zz N Q b M O O ~ 00 N N 1 N O 4L.O.Ia Recreational Vehicle Parking Due to overwhelming citizen demand, Community Development staff will be recommending that the Planning Commission delete the language from the proposed zoning ordinance that would: • limit the number of recreational vehicles; • set a 72 -hour limit on storage; • require that they be parked in a side or rear yard; and • add screening requirements. Copies of the two pages affected, showing the deleted language crossed out, are attached. We will further recommend that if the City Council sees a need to consider any restrictions on RV parking in the future, that they establish a task force including citizen members to discuss this issue beginning sometime in early 1997. Thanks for your patience and comments on this issue. Community Development Department job City of Plymouth (612) 509-5400 FAX 509-5407 OCT -24-1996 1048 NAC 612 595 9837 P.02iO3 DRAFT ZONING ORDINANCE - PLYMOUM 1"00I a 104 materials stored outside in violation of the City Ordinances are considered refuse or junk and shall be disposed of pursuant to City regulations. (b) Any accumulation of refuse not stored in containers which comply with City Code, or any accumulation of refuse including car parts which has remained on a property for more than one (1) week is hereby declared to be a nuisance and may be abated by order of the Zoning Administrator, as provided by Minnesota Statutes and Section 2010 of the City Code. The cost of abatement shall be recovered in accordance with the applicable provisions of Section 2010 of the City Code. Subd. 2. Residential Zoning Districts. (a) Exceptions. All personal property shall be stored within a building or fully screened so as not to be visible from adjoining properties and public streets, except for the following: (1) Play and recreational facilities. (2) Stacked firewood for the burning supply of the property resident. (3) Construction and landscaping materials or equipment, if these are used or intended for use on the premises within a period of twelve (12) months. (4) Agricultural equipment and materials, if these are used or intended for use on the premises within a period of twelve (12) months. (5) Off-street parking of licensed passenger automobiles and personal or commercial vehicles of less than twelve thousand (12,000) pounds gross weight in designated driveway or parking area, surfaced in compliance with Section 21135.07, Subd. I. of this Chapter. (b) Recreational Vehicle and Equipment Storage. AdMW9tmWf dMM8h OR Wmi"istmtWe use permit, not more ftn two (2), Recreational vehicles, as defined by Section 21005 of this Chapter, may be parked or stored on a residential site when used by the family residing in the dwelling on such site. Such vehicles or equipment shall have affixed thereto current registration or license plates as required by law and shall be stored so as to comply with accessory building setback requirements of the residential section of this Chapter and such parking or storage shall otherwise meet all other .requirements of any other City ordinances and any state laws. No parked or stored vehicles or items shall be connected to any water or sewage disposal system on said property where same is so parked or stored. Y Subd. 3. Business and Industrial Zoning Districts. 21105-4 OCT -24-1996 10:49 NAC 612(595 9837 P.03/03 DRAFT ZONING ORDINANCE - PLYMOUTH �+'_ f a 130 21135.06. OFT -STREET PARKING RESTRICTIONS: Subd. -21. Except where otherwise allowed as exterior storage or in a zoning district, trucks of more than twelve thousand (12,000) pounds in gross vehicle weight or greater than thirty (30) feet in length, and contracting or excavating equipment may not be parked, stored or otherwise located on any property within the City unless being used in conjunction with a temporary service benefiting the premises. Subd. 32. Junked or inoperable vehicles may not be parked, stored or otherwise located on any property within the City for a period greater than seventy-two (72) hours unless placed completely within an enclosed building or garage or screened in accordance with the provisions of Section 21130 of this Chapter. Said regulations shall also apply to race cars. Subd. 43. No motor vehicle repair work of any kind shall be permitted in conjunction with exposed off-street parking facilities, except for minor repairs of vehicles owned by the occupant or resident of the principal use for which the parking space is intended. No exterior storage of car parts are allowed at any time. 21135.07. PARKING AREA DESIGN: Subd. 1. Construction. (a) Except in the FRD District, all exposed parking areas and driveways shall be surfaced with material such as asphalt or concrete. Equivalent surfacing materials and porous pavement options may be allowed upon approval by the Zoning Administrator. (b) Except as may be required or exempted by the Zoning Administrator, drive aisles and parking stalls shall be constructed in accordance with the following minimum tonnage standards: (1) Drive aisles - seven (7) ton. (2) Parking stalls - five (5) ton. Subd. 2. Striping and Curbing. All parking areas where four (4) or more spaces are required shall be marked by durable painted stripes designating the parking spaces. A 21135-3 TOTAL P.03 lemed otherwise on tesidenfW pfoperty valeas pleeed eempletely in the fear- .21 10S. 12 of this Ghapw-. for a yard or side period gfftWr ywd ef said then wv" prepefty and two we se -M) h"fe, eme Subd. -21. Except where otherwise allowed as exterior storage or in a zoning district, trucks of more than twelve thousand (12,000) pounds in gross vehicle weight or greater than thirty (30) feet in length, and contracting or excavating equipment may not be parked, stored or otherwise located on any property within the City unless being used in conjunction with a temporary service benefiting the premises. Subd. 32. Junked or inoperable vehicles may not be parked, stored or otherwise located on any property within the City for a period greater than seventy-two (72) hours unless placed completely within an enclosed building or garage or screened in accordance with the provisions of Section 21130 of this Chapter. Said regulations shall also apply to race cars. Subd. 43. No motor vehicle repair work of any kind shall be permitted in conjunction with exposed off-street parking facilities, except for minor repairs of vehicles owned by the occupant or resident of the principal use for which the parking space is intended. No exterior storage of car parts are allowed at any time. 21135.07. PARKING AREA DESIGN: Subd. 1. Construction. (a) Except in the FRD District, all exposed parking areas and driveways shall be surfaced with material such as asphalt or concrete. Equivalent surfacing materials and porous pavement options may be allowed upon approval by the Zoning Administrator. (b) Except as may be required or exempted by the Zoning Administrator, drive aisles and parking stalls shall be constructed in accordance with the following minimum tonnage standards: (1) Drive aisles - seven (7) ton. (2) Parking stalls - five (5) ton. Subd. 2. Striping and Curbing. All parking areas where four (4) or more spaces are required shall be marked by durable painted stripes designating the parking spaces. A 21135-3 TOTAL P.03 CITY OF PLYMOUTH AGENDA REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING NOVEMBER 6, 19% 1. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. ROLL CALL 3. PLYMOUTH FORUM - Individuals may address the Council about any item not contained on the regular agenda. A maximum of IS minutes is allotted for the Forum. If the full 15 minutes are not needed for the Forum, the City Council will continue with the agenda. The City Council will take no official action on items discussed at the Forum, with the exception of referral to staff or commission for future repon. 4. PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION ANNOUNCEMMZ* 8 I" S. APPROVE AGENDA - Councilmembers may add items to the agenda including items contained in the Council Information Memorandum for discussion purposes or staff direction only. The Council will not nornally take official action on items added to the agenda. 6. CONSENT AGENDA - These items are considered to be routine and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Councilmember or citizen so requests, in which event the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and placed elsewhere on the agenda. A. Approve City Council Minutes * Items require 5 aFffimwdve votes of the City Council for appmval. DRAFT 10/25/96 12:53 PM 7:00 P.M. REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING November 6,1996 Page 2 1.0 C. Approve Disbursements t.- ib Canvass and Certify results from November 5 General Election D. Deny a Lot Division to create two parcels and Variances for reduced lot size for property located at 12305A 30th Avenue North. Ali Mahabadi (95041) *E. Approve Site Plan, Conditional Use Permit and Variances to allow construction of a daycare facility and office use building southwest of Harbor Lane and north of Highway 55. Goldridge Group (96125) *F. Approve a Conditional Use Permit for outside storage of a waste oil tank and related fence to be located at the rear of the building for property located at 9605 36th Avenue North. Sinclair Oil Corporation (96123) *G. Conditional Use Permits for limited retail sales by Allied Fireside, Inc., and Cal Spas of Minnesota in the Industrial District located at the northeast quadrant of I-494 and Carlson Parkway. Carlson Real Estate (96133) (96134) H. Declaration of Restrictive Covenant for LifeTime Fitness and Ice Arena. I. Approve Continued City Participation in Metropolitan Livable Communities Act Programs for 1997 (95137) L Approve Final Plat for Evergreen Knoll located south of County Road 6, west of Urbandale Lane North. Fazen&n Brothers, Inc. (96041) K. Approve Naming of Plymouth/LifeTime Recreation facilities L. Adopt Guidelines for low-income access to Life Time Fitness M. Plymouth Ice Rink: * Items require 5 gffirmative votes of the City Council for approval. REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING November 6, 19% Page 3 1. Reapprove State Ice Grant 2. Establish Hourly Use Rates 3. Establish Priority Use Policy 4. Approve Contract for Pop Sales N. Approve application of Oakwood Elementary School PTO for Exemption from Lawful Gambling License for event on January 25, 1997 O. Order Updated Traffic Study for Signal Installation at West Medicine Lake Road and Northwest Blvd. P. Amend Fees for Licenses and Permits Q. Consider Hollydale and Elm Creek Golf Course Assessments R. Establish Subcommittee to consider Street Reconstruction Policy S. Consider amendment to Travel Policy T. Approve 1996-1997 Dues Payment to League of Minnesota Cities *U. Approve Rezoning and Preliminary Plat for Ferndale Place Addition located at 1220 Ferndale Road. Roger Anderson Engineering, Inc. (96038) V. Approve payment of Insurance Deductible for Defense Costs W. Approve Site Plan Amendment for 25 additional parking spaces to be located on the west side of the building at 625 Xenium Lane North. Olympic Steel, Inc. (96142) X. Approve Site Improvement Performance Agreement Reductions: 1) Caliber Development for property located at 2950 Xemum Lane North (95131) 2) Caliber Development for property located at 9850 51" Avenue North (95131) * Items require 5 gffirmative votes of the City Council for approval. REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING ib November 6, 1996 Page 4 3) Four Seasons II, L.L.C. for property located at 4200 Lancaster Lane North (96111) Y. Approve Final Plat for Home Depot and two pad sites located at the northeast quadrant of I-494 and County Road 6. Belgarde Enterprises. (96153) Z. Consider sending a copy of County Staff Handwritten Calculations to Hennepin County Commissioners. 7. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. 8. GENERAL BUSINESS A. Discussion of Proposed Noise Ordinance. City of Plymouth (96094) B. Written request by Mayor Tierney to exceed one-third budget limit on conference expenditures for National League of Cities Conference C. Accept Senior Citizen Needs Analysis Report D. East Medicine Lake Trail Concept Plan B. Consider establishing Task Force to study Regulations for Ourtdoor Storage and Parking in Residential Zoning District. *F. Order Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) for 348 -Unit Cornerstone Retirement Community and three industrial buildings. Elim Care,Inc. (96137) 9. REPORTS AND STAFF RECOIVMMI)ATIONS A. Report on draft noise ordinance B. Third Quarter Financial Report * Items require 5 affirmative votes of the City Council for approval. REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING November 6, 19% Page S C. Report on Peony Lane/19" Avenue Speed Humps 10. ADJOURNNaM * Items require 5 affirmative votes of the City Council for approval. 1-ze Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting October 10, 1996 Page 43 Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Fiemann, Priebe, and Willegalle, (Commissioners Thompson and Wahl arrived later); Planning Commissioner Bildsoe; staff Abel, Bisek, Blank and Sankey (City Manager Johnson arrived later). Absent: Commissioner Johnson 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Anderson called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. in the Mooney Lake Conference Room. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made by Commissioner Fiemann and seconded by Commissioner Priebe to approve the minutes of the meeting as presented. The motion carried with all ayes. 3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS a. Athletic Associations. None were present. b. Staff. Mary Bisek announced that the Art Fair was a success. Attendance was about 1200, and the number of vendors and artists was up from last year. The parent organization New Hope/Plymouth Athletic Association is disbanding. However, the individual sports organizations are continuing to function as usual. At some time in the future, the City may have to be more involved. The City will be hosting an Open House on October 26 featuring many displays and activities for visitors. Staff will be receiving software training in December for the new department software. The new software contains a very strong scheduling package which will be very helpful. There will also be a phone-in registration option added in the future. It will be a lot of work to convert to the new system, but it should be well worth while. Commissioner Willegale mentioned that an artist is working on a model of the log cabin. The life size reproduction is being constructed in Ely and will be moved to Parkers Lake. c. Others. 4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION a. Maple Creek Proiect. Director Blank reported that a group in favor of installing a basketball court in the Maple Creek Park had appeared at the Council meeting. PRAC Minutes/October 1996 Page 44 Z -Z'J Marion Barber spoke very eloquently and convincingly on the subject. Mary Bisek added that he works with disadvantaged children. The Council is referring the project back to PRAC. Director Blank believes he has a workable solution which he will bring back to the Commission in November. Commissioner Willegalle asked about this. Eric said it would be right in the middle of the park. They would have to move two trees and move the trail, but it would be further away from the homes and should be a good compromise. Chair Anderson commented that the people in the neighborhood seemed to be most worried about noise and attracting problems. The general feeling was that there wouldn't be that many problem youth attracted to the basketball court, but that the woods would be a more attractive feature. Eric said he would try to have it staked out before the next meeting. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Ice arena comolex. The project continues to progress. Director Blank said that some bids have been awarded, some rejected, and some had no bidders. Next Monday at 2:00 bids will be opened again. If the weather holds out for 14 more days, the curb, gutter, and blacktop should be completed. This will really make the weather less of a factor because equipment and workers can get in and out of the project so much easier. It looks like an ice sheet will be started around February 13, but March is the realistic opening date. Lifetime may be about one month behind the ice arena in opening. Director Blank said that staff members had also been discussing the issue of naming the complex. He handed out a sample of a sign which could be erected on 34 Avenue at the main entrance. The name would be "Plymouth/Lifetime Recreational Center! The name over the door for the ice arena would be "Plymouth Ice Center". Lifetime Fitness would have their own sign. The proposed activity building would be "Plymouth Activity Center." This would fall in line with the Council's action of renaming the downtown Plymouth area "Plymouth City Center." Commissioner Willegalle commented that he liked the plan, and Commissioner Priebe agreed. COMMISSIONER ANDERSON MOVED TO CALL THE ICE ARENA PLYMOUTH ICE CENTER AND TO CALL THE TOTAL PROJECT THE PLYMOUTH LIFETIME RECREATIONAL CENTER. COMMISSIONER WILLEGALLE SECONDED THE MOTION. AYES ALL. b. West Medicine Lake Park update. Director Blank reported that the concrete bridge arrived. The new road will open between November 1 and November 10. Traffic will be diverted at that time. The old road will be milled off and seeded over, and then Phase 1 will be complete. Phase 2 is out for bid. This includes beach dredging, the pedestrian bridge over the creek, and removal of culverts. This could start yet late this fall. Phase 3 will be discussed this winter. At that time we will know how much money is available in the budget which can be PRAC Minutes/October 1996 Page 45 spent on the finishing touches. According to an 1887 document, an Indian burial ground may be under the old roadway. The State Archeologist and Indian Affairs Council will do radar tests and soil testing to determine whether it still exists. Sewer, a house, and the road have all gone through the area, so the burial ground may not be there. If the testing does find it, we may have to redesign a small part of the park. Commissioner Priebe asked when the park would be operational. Director Blank said it will still be under construction with the last phase next summer. There will need to be fencing and signs around the construction area for safety and liability concerns. Mary Bisek commented that the beach has not been officially open for at least five years, although some individuals.do swim there on their own. Eric said that the rest of the project is relatively easy and should be completed by next fall. The big issue is the burial mounds and how they will affect the plans. Tim Flugaur, 12023 23rd Avenue N. He questioned why the footbridge needs to go in and why the culverts need to be removed. He felt that since the DNR did not allow the creek to be dredged for canoeing, the bridge was unnecessary. We could just leave the culverts in place, which could serve as bridges for pedestrian traffic. Director Blank stated that this design was approved by the Council over a year ago. It will be an important feature for the park to be used for fishing and foot traffic. Commissioner Fiemann asked Mr. Flugaur about his reason for concern. Mr. Flugaur responded that he was against the park from the beginning. He feels the cost is too high, and why take out the road to put in a new bridge? He is also concerned about traffic, grading, losing trees, and the affect of the walking paths on the wildlife areas. He is also concerned about deer and plantings along the roadway and their affect on safety and visibility. He has been attending the informational meetings. Chair Anderson pointed out that this park represented about ten years of work and numerous public meetings. Director Blank stated that the plan we are showing is a concept plan, and it can still be changed to some degree. Forestry can listen to requests regarding planting along the roadway. However, the park has all been approved and is on its way. Commissioner Fiemann asked if a historical marker could be placed at the site of the burial mounds. Director Blank said that was possible, and he could meet with the necessary agencies. Mary Bisek said that our Historical Society has been discussing the installation of kiosks in the park which would highlight the history of the area. c. Ooen Soaces update. Director Blank reported that the Johnson Brothers land purchase is on the Council agenda Wednesday, October 16. This purchase will deplete the $2 million budget for open space acquisition. There are two parcels left from the original plan yet to be purchased. The Council will have to decide whether or not to budget money for this. PRAC Minutes/October 1996 Page 46 y.0243 d. Elm Creek Playflield update. The playfield has been seeded, the light poles are going up, and work is substantially done for this fall. Teams will be kept off until the spring of 1998. Bids on fencing and the building were rejected. We will wait until January to rebid. Chair Anderson asked if the football stadium would be built. Director Blank replied that the committee is working on it, but no decision has been made. The School District is most concerned at the present time with getting the building project completed on time. Commissioner Fiemann asked how the bridge was coming. Eric said that it is moving along. The road is nearly done, and the bridge should be completed next summer. Commissioner Fiemann also asked about the parking lots. Eric said the large west parking lot is complete. The southerly lot was about to be paved and should be finished very soon. Director Blank reported that City Forester Paul Buck had done a rice planting with some high school students in some of the run-off ponds at the new high school site. He had an Indian Medicine Man at the planting to do a blessing. It was an enriching experience for all involved. e. Senior Citizens needs analysis. Director Blank presented the Senior Citizen Needs Study report to the commission. He explained that the Youth Sports Task Force had met for about a year, when the seniors asked to get involved to have their needs met, too. The City Council appointed a committee which consisted of representatives from the Plymouth senior population, the Park and Recreation Department, the Park and Recreation Advisory commission, Senior Community Serves and School Districts 281 and 284. The community will see a rapid growth in its senior population. Their health, transportation, housing, and food needs are all of concern. Senior Community Services provides our part-time Senior Coordinator, Sara Mittelstaedt. They are funded by United Way and by the cities which participate. Several other cities in the area participate, too, and it works well. For every dollar the City puts into it, we receive back $2 in services. The report shows what the seniors would like to see in a facility, including things such as a 100 -cup coffee pot and a self-cleaning oven. They would like to have programs scheduled Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The structure could be used for other programs and age groups at other times. Also, the generations could be mixed in certain programs. Seniors love to mingle. The budget should include a full time coordinator, plus a receptionist and a part time clerical person. The seniors see the building as a multi -generational building that they would use as their focal point. Director Blank stated that the Youth Sports Task Force reviewed the report last night and received it well. They suggested that the Council authorize some preliminary work to develop costs and ideas. Commissioner Priebe commented PRAC Minutes/October 1996 Page. 47 If - 1,a that he liked the idea that the center could be heavily used by seniors, but also be used by the entire community. Director Blank added that, New Brighton has a building called a "Family Center" which works much like this, although the name gives it a little more limited focus. Commissioner Willegalle added that there had been a suggestion that a second story be added to the building, and that perhaps Lifetime Fitness would move their corporate offices there. They would pay rent, which could help fund the operational costs. Commissioner Priebe asked if the facility in Minnetonka was similar. Chair Anderson said that the Minnetonka facility would be a good one to look at to aid in planning the building. Commissioner Willegalle added that we should get the costs. tied down, and that doing two floors at once would be less expensive than adding one later. Chair Anderson asked what type of activities would happen in the building. Director Blank said they would consist of non -athletic activities such as art classes, choirs, bands, etc. COMMISSIONER PRIEBE MOVED TO FORWARD THE SENIOR CITIZENS FUTURE NEEDS STUDY TO THE COUNCIL WITH A RECOMMENDATION THAT A STUDY BE DONE TO LOOK AT USE NEEDS FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. COMMISSIONER WILLEGALLE SECONDED. AYES ALL. Commissioner Willegalle noted that this study made use of data from State and County agencies in its preparation. Planning Commissioner Bildsoe pointed out that there is a proposal before the Planning Commission for an Elam Care Community Living project with over 100 units for seniors. City Manager Johnson added that a proposal just came for a senior housing project on Highway 55. f. Continuina Golf Course discussion. Director Blank said that there was nothing new to report on the golf courses, although we could possibly hire a consultant in the future. Tim Flugauer asked about the issue. Eric said that the Commission is trying to anticipate possible development of the three golf course properties and would like to prevent the City from losing them all. g. East Medicine Lake Regional Trail uodate. Director Blank has been working with the Hennepin County Park District on this project. The real issues at this point are focused on the south end of the lake. Commissioner Thompson asked if any consensus had been reached at the meetings. Eric replied that in general, they have agreed that a trail is needed, but the exact layout has not been decided. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. 1997-2001 CIP. Director Blank stated that the only real change was on Elm Creek Play field which was changed from $100,000 to $265,000. Trail money in 1999 is earmarked for County Road 9 at the 494 Bridge. Birchview Elementary has asked for $25,000, and Pilgrim Lane has asked for $15,000. Staff has a recommendation to revise the school playground policy. The change says that in no case would over 50% of the total capital cost, with a maximum of $25,000, PRAC Minutes/October 1996 Page 48 :3E- za be donated by the City. These schools are substituting for a neighborhood park in the area. We would be spending 100°x6 of the cost, or approximately $75,000 if the school wasn't there. The $25,000 amount is about 1/3 of the total cost of a playground, which is equivalent to the old policy. A gym facility at Wayzata High School is shown. A possible gym project at Armstrong High School has also been discussed. Funding for the Activity Center is still fluid; several possibilities exist. Director Blank said that the Commission needs to prioritize the projects at this level of planning. The Council and financial planners would need to determine funding later. Also, we must remember that once we build a capital improvement, it becomes part of the operating budget the next year. Commissioner Fiemann asked what our involvement is at West Lutheran High School. Director Blank explained that we have added a baseball field upon which we would have first priority during the summer and second priority during the school year. Because of the work already completed by the school, we were able to add the ball field for only $30,000. Commissioner Fiemann asked if it was important to put updating of school playgrounds on the CIP. Eric stated that he would prefer to wait until a project is requested. Commissioner Wahl asked if any other parks needed updating. Eric said there were two shown right now which needed updating due to safety issues or because they were wom out. Commissioner Willegalle asked how we would shelter the land for the 1 e playfield if we don't show all the money for it, and when would we be addressing it? Director Blank explained that the property would probably cost between $10,000 and $12,000 per acre for the 80 acres. The owner, Sherber, may be willing to hold a contract for deed. A down payment could be paid in 1999. Commissioner Wahl noticed that there was a discrepancy of $200,000 between the total at the end of 1999 and the start of 2000. Director Blank agreed that there seemed to be an error, and it would need to be checked out. Commissioner Thompson expressed concern for the Baseball and Softball Association on field development, especially the Ess land. She said they were counting on this project. Director Blank responded that right now, working on the old Wayzata High School and the Greenwood sites seemed to be the most economical. An analysis of the number of teams anticipated could be done to determine what types of fields are needed. The CIP could be adjusted a year from now, adjusted now, or approved and passed on to the Council with a note about this perceived weakness. Commissioner Fiemann .stated that all of these projects have such a high priority. He wants the Council to understand this. Commissioner Thompson again expressed concern for the playflelds. CHAIR ANDERSON MOVED TO ACCEPT THE CIP AS SHOWN BUT THE COUNCIL IS TO BE AWARE OF ITEMS A -F TO BE ATTACHED TO THE MOTION. COMMISSIONER FIEMANN SECONDED. AYES ALL. COMMISSIONER WILLEGALLE MOVED TO ACCEPT THE SCHOOL PLAYGROUND IMPROVEMENT POLICY AS REVISED FOR NOVEMBER 1996. COMMISSIONER WAHL SECONDED. AYES ALL. PRAC Minutes/October 1996 Page 49 b. Review policies on ice arena. Bill Abel presented his reports on policies for the ice arena. 1) Priority ranking. Bill suggested that the usage ranking be as follows: City sponsored programs, High School hockey, Wayzata youth hockey, other youth programs, Plymouth adult programs, other outside community youth groups, private rentals. Director Blank said that this was pretty typical. Most scheduling would have to work around high school games. Giving Wayzata youth hockey priority over other youth hockey is in response to their contribution to the project. They are also the largest association. We do have to walk a fine line on this issue. We will have the option to schedule open skating and skating lessons at reasonable times. 2) Ice rental rates. Bill suggested that the prime time rate would be $31.25 for % hour or $125 per hour. Non -prime rates would be $27.50 per % hour or $110 per hour. Prime time is defined as 2:30-11:00 p.m. on schooldays and 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on weekends and non -school days. Commissioner Thompson asked if the difference between the rates was large enough. Bill said that no matter what the difference, people still want the prime time. Commissioner Willegalle asked what other arenas do. Bill said that we are somewhat on the low end because Chanhassen is charging $140 (they have only one sheet), Brooklyn Park is charging $135 and $110, and New Hope is charging $135 and $100. Commissioner Willegalle said that it had been his observation that the late night times are not heavily used. Bill noted that a determination would have to be made of whether it would be worth staying open late nights if usage was low. He also added that daytime hours can work out very well with noon hockey and mom & tot programs. Bill presented a chart of fees for various skate sharpening and rental rates. He said that these rates are very reasonable for our public. City Manger Johnson asked if sales tax is included. Bill said that yes, it was. Commissioner Thompson recommended the fees be changed to $130 and $90. Bill pointed out that surrounding communities are using higher rates than we are, and that $5 per hour is $20,000 per year. Planning Commissioner Bildsoe wondered if the suggested rates would be the break even point. Director Blank stated that it would be better than that. He also said that we would have two ice sheets, which makes it much easier to cover costs, and that we don't want to over- charge our citizens. Commissioner Willegalle noted that there are a lot of new ice sheets in the area, which means a lot of competition. Commissioner Wahl wondered how many hours would go to Wayzata. Bill answered that they would like to have 2000, but will probably get 1500. Director Blank pointed out that the first year will be difficult because we are missing the two busiest hockey months, January and February. City PRAC Minutes/October 1996 Page 50 1--za Manager Johnson wondered it we would show a loss in 1997. Bill said that yes, it would probably be around $40,000460,000. Bill stated that it will take about one year to smooth out. Commissioner Willegalle was sure that Wayzata will say the rates are too high. Bill said that actually they had commented that they sounded low. Chair Anderson suggested the prime rate should be $130. Commissioner Willegalle had seen some free standing sharpening machines that people could use, and he wondered how Bill felt about these vending machines. Bill said that we would always have someone on staff, and that he had seen some problems with the sharpener machines. Commissioner Wahl asked if concessions would be run by the City. Bill answered that yes they would. CHAIR ANDERSON MOVED THAT THE ICE RENTAL AND PRIORTY FACILITY USAGE REPORT AND THE PUBLIC SKATING FEES BE ACCEPTED, BUT THE PRIME TIME RATE WOULD BE CHANGED TO $130 INSTEAD OF $125. COMMISSIONER THOMPSON SECONDED. AYES ALL. CHAIR ANDERSON MOVED THAT THE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT RENTAL RATES BE ACCEPTED EXCEPT THAT THE RATE BE RAISED FROM $125 TO $130. COMMISSIONER THOMPSON SECONDED. AYES ALL. 3) Advertising policies. There are too many questions yet on advertising policies. This will be studied and brought back to the Commission at a later date. c. Review draft urogram for low income individuals' access to Lifetime Fitness Center. Mary Bisek presented her report on this issue. She said that we have a system in place, using federal guidelines, for determining who qualifies for assistance. She studied our history in 1995 and 1996 to see age ranges and usage. Her concern is the adult ticket limit. Since childless adults and seniors can apply for these tickets, and adults must accompany children to the facility, we could run out of adult tickets. People will pay 1/3 of the daily fee. We could use the income from this to fund the purchase of additional adult tickets if necessary. She also suggested limiting people to four tickets per year. This is just a guess on what will be necessary because of the unpredictability of participation. She had consulted with LaDonna Hoye of Interfaith Outreach, who had commented that people might be hesitant to use these tickets at first, because of not have the right clothes, confidence, etc. Demand may grow slowly, but it is very hard to predict. Senior Coordinator Sara Mittelstaedt thought some of the seniors might be interested. PRAC Minutes/October 1996 Page 51 Commissioner Thompson asked what children under 13 would do at the facility. Mary replied that there are gym activities, a leisure pool, and a child care area with activities. They could not use the weight area. Commissioner Willegalle commented that Lifetime Fitness does promote more family activities than most fitness centers. He thinks Mary's suggested plan is a good one which could be adjusted later if necessary. Commissioner Thompson felt that a four ticket limit per year was a good start. Mary commented that it may become necessary to print an expiration date of about two weeks on the tickets so that the first people in would not be able to wipe out the supply. Commissioner Wahl thought the idea of an expiration date could be good, but perhaps it should be a month. Commissioner Willegalle agreed. COMMISSIONER WAHL MOVED TO APPROVE THE PROPOSAL ON LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS' ACCESS TO LIFETIME FITNESS WITH THE AMENDED EXPIRATION DATE OF 4 WEEKS INSTEAD OF 2 WEEKS. COMMISSIONER WILLEGALLE SECONDED. AYES ALL. 7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION None. 8. STAFF COMMUNICATION None. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 9:36 p.m. S -, 706 PLYMOUTH ADVISORY COIVIlVIITTTE ON TRANSIT September 25, 1996 PRESENT Herb Miller, Barb Roberts and Joe Edwards Representing MCTO - Hugh Hudson, Sheri Gingench and Dana Rude Representing National School Bus Company - Dave Johnson Representing the City of Plymouth - John Sweeney Consultant for Plymouth Metrolink - George Bentley LSA Design, Inc. - Stuart Krahn Committee Secretary - Patty Hillstrom L MEETING MINUTES The minutes for the August 28, 1996 meeting were approved as written. H. RIDERSHIP INFORMATION 1992 - 19% AND REVIEW OF RIDERSHIP STATISTICS FOR JULY, 1996 George Bentley's Comments Bentley distributed charts showing current ridership calculated in the same manner as it has been calculated in the past. He has added an average per month total on the right side near the top which should be of more assistance in showing where we are in comparison to prior years. Dial A Ride - The July total ridership shows that the special promotion is working. He believes the August numbers will be positive also. Plymouth Metrolink - Route 91A, B, C & D Has the highest total ever for the month of July and overall for Metrolink we are up substantially per month from previous years. The passengers per day indicate that the 1996 figures are in good shape and up from last year. Plymouth Metrolink - Route 92 - Is slightly below last year at this point but Bentley anticipates that it will go up fairly substantially towards the end of the year. These figures include all of the Route 92's. Plymouth Metrolink - Route 93 - Ridership is up substantially on the Route 93. MINUTES - PLYMOUTH ADVISORY COW -Ar TBE ON TRANSIT September 25, 1996 T- Z b Page 2 System Cost Summary Reports - Bentley has changed the subsidy numbers to reflect what the current subsidy target numbers are. The goal for Dial -A -Ride is $5.85 or less and the average to date is $9.46 which exceeds the goal. Metrolink is currently at $3.65 with a goal of $3.78. The Route 91 is at $4.34 and the goal is $3.78. Route 92 is at $3.31 which is below subsidy. Route 93 is at $3.32 which is below subsidy as well. These are all under the old ridership calculation system. Bentley then distributed the charts with the revised ridership numbers for 1996 only. The previous years numbers show the prior method of calculation. There is a substantial increase in the ridership. We are 4.5 % to the good on the budget in terms of expenditures and its getting better each month. Overall, its been a positive summer and we have not seen the usual summer drop in ridership. If we hold steady we'll be ahead of last year simply because of the big drop in October due to the strike. III. PRESENTATION REGARDING THE FIICED ROUTE CIRCULATOR - BY STUART GRAM, ISA DESIGN, INC. Kuhn introduced himself and explained his work with city staff and National School Bus Company regarding the fixed mute circulator. The fixed mute circulator is an established mute in the City that will follow regular schedulm..This mute will provide additional service to the City by servicing previously unserved transit destinations and will expand the service hours into the midday. Krahn went over the process they went through for the routing of these buses. The first thing they did was to use the 1996 Riders Survey(Dial-A-Ride portion) for origin and destination that passengers indicated and then created a dot map to identify hot spots and dense area of use. Clustering of pickups and dmpoffs were in the areas south of Four Seasons Mall along Lancaster Lane in the apartment area, southeast corner by Nathan Lane, the Shelard Parkway area, Ridgedale, Plymouth Road Transit Center, County Road 6 and County Road 101 area and also Wayzata East Junior High The next step was to overlay the dots onto land use categories to look at it from a land use planning perspective and the general categories picked were multi -family residential, service business and shopping center business areas. What they found was that greater than 50% of the stops were in or directly adjacent to these two broad categories of land use. They identified those two land use categories as our service target areas. O V9KXrRAM9rMACM ff4UrES%-2SMQi.DW MINUTES - PLYMOUTH ADVISORY COMMrrrEE ON TRANSIT September 25, 1996 Page 3 Z b They then tried to service as much of the city of Plymouth as possible with this circulator and service as many of these activity centers and population concentrations as possible. The concept they came up with to cover the greatest area in the city of Plymouth was a dual circulator concept. Both of these circulators travel in a clockwise direction and roughly in a circular pattern and they meet at Ridgedale in the south and Target Greatland in the north for time transfer connections between them. This allows all passengers to reach both Ridgedale and Target without having to transfer and allows people to make cross town trips by originating on one route and transferring to the other to travel all the way across the City in a east or west direction. In the muting, all of the high density and most of the medium density areas are served. Route 90A(Yellow Line) would originate at Ridgedale on Ridgedale Drive then north on Plymouth Road stopping at the Plymouth Road Transit Center then travel along the frontage road past the business supply and Toys R Us stores and across Hwy. 494 traveling up Carlson Parkway to Gleason Lake Drive and going west to Wayzata Senior High School. Then north on Vicksburg to 18* Ave. by the Parkers Lake housing development across 18* Ave. Then south on Dunkirk out Co. Rd. 6 to Plymouth Plaza. Then proceed past Co. Rd. 101 to Olive, south on Olive to le and around, the block, then head back north on Co. Rd. 101 and east to Co. Rd. 24 up to 36'" Ave. to Cub Foods and then pulling into the parking lot and allowing passengers to get on -and off at Cub Foods. Then north to 37m and across to 37* and Plymouth Blvd. at the Plymouth Towne Square senior housing development and south to Plymouth Blvd. across on 30 past the high density areas on 3e & Harbor go north on Ferndale to Co. Rd. 9 and cross Co. Rd. 9 to Vinewood. Then north to Target Greatland/Rainbow Foods area in by Franks Nursery and swing around the front of Rainbow Foods and go over to Target Greatland where it would meet up with Route 90B(Blue Line). From there it would head south on Xenium past the high density area turning on Campus Drive past WestHealth then go down to 2e Ave. head east then go south on W. Medicine Lake Drive across Hwy. 55 and then back NE to Co. Rd. 15 to Pineview. Then south on Pineview and across on Sunset Trail which brings it close to Sunset Elementary School and Wayzata East Junior High School and heads over to Zachary Lane then south on Zachary Lane past the Co. Rd. 73 north park and ride and the Co. Rd. 73 south park and ride and finally returning to Ridgedale along the south frontage road. Route 90B(Blue Line) starts out at Ridgedale and goes north past Plymouth Road Transit Center up Xenium to Co. Rd. 6, west to Fernbrook, north to 19* Ave. and out to Shenandoah up Vicksburg heads east a little ways to on 27* and makes it way up to 28". Goes on Medina Road for a brief stretch and then heads north on Niagara to Plymouth Blvd. past City Hall up past the under construction Lifetime Fitness out to Cub Foods and again pulls into the lot by Cub Foods and the library. Heads north to 37* and back out to Rockford Road and continues along Rockford Road and winds its o:%Exrn ?.AtUn ACrM MrEM9-M iB(=C MINUTES - PLYMOUTH ADVISORY CONDVM'M ON TRANSIT September 25, 1996 Z b Page 4 way up to Fernbrook to Schmidt Lake Road across to Northwest Blvd. and then back down to Target Greatland/Rainbow Foods area where it meets up with Route 90A(Yellow Line). Follows Co. Rd. 9 to Larch Lane north to Schmidt Lake across to Nathan Lane down past the multi -family housing areas to Holiday Plus and down to Four Seasons Mall where there is currently a park and ride facility. Then down Lancaster and west on 36' past Armstrong High School down on Zachary past Missions Inc. then down Medicine Ridge Road going east on 26* and south on Kilmer along the Hwy. 169 frontage road and then jogs over on 13* to Nathan south to Hwy. 10. Then across to Hwy. 55 from there traveling southeast to Waterford Plaza and into Waterford Plaza by the Rainbow Foods. Then crosses Hwy. 55 and heads south on Nathan down to the movie theater and then goes south on Shelard and travels across the north frontage road and then south past the Cty. Rd. 73 north and south park and ride lots and then back to Ridgedale. Passengers can get a transfer when they board that is good for three hours from the time of boarding on either the Route 90A(YeUow Line) or Route 90B(Blue Line). Transfers are provided for MCTO routes upon passenger request. The initial fare for this mute is $1.00. The key points that the schedule provides are that it connects with the MCTO Route 75 westbound at 12:50 at the Plymouth Road Transit Center and there are also Metrolink shuttles that arrive at that point for demand drop service from the city of Minneapolis. It also connects with the approximately 2:00 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. MCTO mutes for afternoon work shifts into downtown Minneapolis. IV. IDENTIFICATION OF AREAS OF CONCERN AND/OR RECOMMENDATIONS Herb Miller's Comments • Miller received comments from riders that the 71D out of downtown at 4:35 p.m. did not come by on the 9* of September. Barb Roberts was waiting on 9* and was sure she saw the 71D. There was also the same problem on September 23 with the 71D. Hugh Hudson willlook into it and report back. • A passenger expressed concern that on a recent morning the 6:35 a.m. shuttle that meets a Route 74 at the transit center did not arrive. The passenger was not told by the supervisor that it would not arrive until it was too late to catch another bus. 0-%940VrRA=MAC MR;VrEF4-29MJ oc MINUTES - PLYMOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT September 25, 1996 -1"212 2 12 • This is a complaint about that same mornings second run of the Route 91A shuttle. There were only three seats available and he thought perhaps there was a new driver taking the wrong mute. • Miller also inquired about the schedules. Dave Johnson stated that he would get them out to the drivers. Joe Edward's Comments • Edwards stated that the 93B has been running late for the several mornings. Dave Johnson said that the driver has been verbally warned and has received written warnings and basically given one more chance. The last time Edwards was aware of it was approximately two weeks ago and there hasn't been a problem since. • Passengers riding the 93B and 93C at the Four Seasons Mall are wondering if the shuttles are going be able to stay there and wait for the next bus when the weather gets cold. Dave Johnson stated that he would make sure that this would happen. • In the past six weeks the drivers will match the time points in Plymouth and zip down Hwy. 169 and Hwy. 394. Once they hit 12°i Street they will slow down to pace themselves for the end of the schedule. What this is doing is causing about half a dozen riders to miss connection routes. One person has said it is becoming a problem because it is causing them to be late for work. Hugh Hudson will resolve this problem as soon as possible. . Barb Robert's Comments • Roberts inquired about absence of a certain driver. She commented on his kindness, politeness and that he was best driver they have ever had. She will get his name and number so that something can be put in his file. • There is a new 8:00 a.m. bus driver and Tuesday the 20 the bus did not show and was early on Wednesday at the Amoco Station on Plymouth Boulevard causing Roberts to miss the bus. Hugh Hudson stated that Bruce was pulled off Metrolink the last couple mornings for a special project and will be back to make sure the drivers are doing it properly. • Commented that it appeared someone was trying to sell marijuana on the 91C. • Roberts inquired about the policy regarding a rider who refuses to pay the fare. Hudson said they should not ride if they don't pay the fare. MINUTES - PLYMOUTH ADVISORY COMaVIITTEE ON TRANSIT September 25, 1996 Page 6 • Roberts felt that more people are needed for the transit committee and asked how we could recruit new members. Sweeney said that something could be put in the newsletter, cable TV and perhaps a special notice on the buses. V. DIAI<A RIDE SUMMER MARKETING PROGRAM John Sweeney's Comments • Sweeney stated that he felt the summer marketing program has been a success because the numbers for August indicate that ridership was way up. The report is not complete because they have not received the August figures from MCTO yet. VI. TRANSIT SUMMIT MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 11, 1996 George Bentley's Comments • There have been two meetings with the transportation providers in Plymouth including the non -profits and also people from National and Metro Mobility. Unfortunately, the representative from MCTO could not make the last meeting. Both meetings have been very good and Bentley felt that they have hit, upon something very positive in the community. It is extremely important to start identifying unmet needs, particularly with seniors in the community and people that cannot otherwise get around. His hope is that the circulator will help meet some of those needs. The people from the non profits are very excited about the circulator. • The next meeting has not been scheduled but will probably be later in October. 1 Well V;ISI' I ulkil��Mh. John Sweeney's Comments • John Sweeney informed the group of the upcoming Job Fair to be held in the spring of 1997. Since the Radisson Hotel has volunteered their facilities for this event they will be setting the date at a later time. The steering committee meets on a monthly basis and are now working on the nature of the businesses that they are trying to target such as manufacturing, electronics, assembly, service industry, hotels and those with entry level positions providing benefits. a:�ta�riut+smr ooc MINUTES - PLYMOUTH ADVISORY CON drrrEE ON TRANSIT September 25, 1996 Page 7 Gingerich asked for an explanation of the transit summit. Bentley explained that concern had been expressed by one of the larger non-profit providers of transportation in Plymouth about inability of Plymouth Metrolink to meet some of the needs that needed to be met. The Northwest Hennepin Human Resources Council started holding a consolidation of resources process and this sort of fit into that in the sense that maybe not so much a consolidation but a coordination of resources. The non-profit organizations do not have the resources to do what needs to be done in terms of transportation. Perhaps there is something Plymouth Metrolink can do that fits within the framework of public transportation that will help them free up some of their resources to do some of the other things that aren't being met. Some time next year Plymouth will be getting a new 5310 Grant vehicle that can be used to alleviate some of these concerns. Although there are many strings attached to this grant vehicle, this group will help us figure out the best use for the vehicle. Elder Express is going to get out of the transportation business sometime next year and the question is who's going to fill the void. There really isn't anybody around who is available to do that at the present time. Joe Edwards thanked Hugh Hudson and Steve Jaeger for being with the group for the last couple of years helping to resolve a number of our problems and getting us to the quality of service that we are at. Next meeting will be held on October 23, 1996 at 7:00 p.m. in the Engineering Conference Room (Hadley Lake Room) on the lower level of Plymouth City Hall. Respectfully, Patty Hillstrom Committee Secretary 0 V940TrRANSnVAClV+ V8n%F0-2%MJ= 0 �1 1 � 1 F I 1 presents. PI W8919 1 1 1 CIffcovNciI Cvwvrvc - 1 1 1 1 Thursday, October 31 1 8:30pm 1 Friday, November 1 1 10.3000am 1 . Saturday, November 2 � 12:30am 1 1 CHANNEL 12 i 1 � 533-8196 1 1 1 1 Program Scheduling & Tape Dubs 1 1 533-1710 � 1 Viewer Response Line j 1 Cable 12 is seen in the 1 1 communities of Brooldyn Cable. 12 1 Center, Brooklyn Parr is a service of 1 1 1 Corcoran, Crystal, Golden 1 1 1 Valley, Hanover, Maple 1 1 Grove, Medicine Lake, New T� 1 1 Hope, Osseo, Plymouth, 1 Robbinsdale, and Rogers. 0 TRANSPORTATION T,.3!) C m inTraffia For decades, traffic engineers have worked to make neighborhood streets more efficient. Now, to slow down cars and restore neighborhood quality, they're working to make some streets less efficient. BY DOUG LEMOV .................................................. eadowbrook Avenue, which runs east -west between 12th and 16th streets near downtown Phoenix, is the site of one of the city's most successful recent road - improvement projects. A popular short- cut for commuters, it had inadequate curbing and was too narrow to carry the more than 1,500 vehicles that used it daily. Rather than widening, striping and re- paving the street, however, the city brought Meadowbrook up to speed by slowing it down. After discussing the options with residents, Phoenix s Neigh- borhood Traffic Management installed a "diagonal diverter" a ner of Meadowbrook and 14th Place. The diverter connects the curbs on the southwest and northeast comers of the intersection with a barrier that restricts pas- sage from one side to the other and results in two reflecting 90-d� turns. Effectively, it shuts down the street to commuter traffic. Program : the cor- That may have annoyed commuters, but the neighborhood is delighted. Before the diverter was put in, recalls Herb Kanter, president of the Meadow- brook eadowbrook Neighborhood Association, motorists roared down the unlined street at twice the posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour. Parents were reluctant to allow their children to walk to neighbor- hood schools. Soon after it was installed last year, the diverter had decreased the daily number of vehicles using Meadow- brook eadowbrook by 63 percent on the east side of the diverter and by 87 percent on the west side. The solution cost the city next to noth- ing—some meetings with residents, a temporary barrier, a few days of testing— especially compared with the cost of repaving or widening. And since the city does not pay for permanent neighbor- hood traffic fixtures, the price tag for the structure that will replace the temporary barrier—$15,000 to $20,000, including the cost of the permanent barrier's desert -style landscaping—will be bome by Meadowbrook residents. Kanter says the community is applying for a commu- nity block grant to fund the project. If traffic problems like Meadowbrook's are old news, the solution reflects a new brand of thinking, known generally as Traffic calming in theory and in practice: a two-lane angled slow point (a variation on the choker), as designed and in use in a Florida neighborhood..' .................................................................:.............. "traffic calming," that is gaining influence among traffic engineers and urban plan- ners. Increasingly, traffic problems are being eased by making some roadways less efficient, especially for commuter traffic. In a sense, traffic calming reverses decades of work toward maximizing the speed and efficiency of urban and subur- ban roadways. While it may seem to some like a sys- tematic program for messing up perfectly good streets, urban planners increasingly see traffic calming as a long-term way to redirect traffic to more efficient thor- oughfares and, in the bargain, restore a bit of neighborhood quality to residential areas that have become high-speed com- muter speedways. In a larger sense, interest in traffic calming comes in the wake of the realiza- tion that building ones way out of traffic problems can be an unreachable goal. "For years, we genuinely believed that if i�inMmmhR nw./.im..•:ww mnnn• n�/: /nryinn InrFmn Knrrinr Anw/in /n^_ Ainnlnrl Anrncl 1996 6 0 V E R N 1 N G 25 rrrEASECM slaw FM we built adequate roadway space, it would alleviate our congestion problems," says Cynthia Hoyle, a consultant for the American Planning Association. "We built roads 20 years ago with the promise that they would keep tragic running smoothly into the next century, but they were filled to rapacity within a few years." With more roads encouraging more traffic, says Hoyle, and studies showing that higher speeds do not always mean greater carrying capacity, planners began to focus on building roads that encouraged sustainable use and appro- priate driver behavior. "Liveable traffic" is the term used by Walter Kulash, a principal at an Orlando, Florida, plan- ning firm whose projects have calmed streets in Florida, California and Minnesota. There are a lot of ways to create "liveable traffic," and not all of them brook's diverter does. In fact, the dose -it - down approach is a contentious one among traffic calmers. Kulash suggests that it's more efficient to keep most roads open, with the caveat that "they can drive the way we want in neighborhoods or take � the bigger roads. It's behavior we re after." Changing driver behavior "means changing perceptions of space," says David Sucher, a Seattle urban planning expert. "People respond to design, even if they're not aware of what they're doing." Engineers who built residential streets long, wide and smooth in the interest of safety and then posted speed limits of 25 mph were sending mixed messages to ivers. Even cautious drivers "read" ch streets and think highway, says Sucher. "If a road is originally designed for 45 miles per hour and marked for 30, people pick up on the contradic- tion and they drive 45." Traffic calmers, by contrast, try to encourage slow driving with an environmental approach. To create that environment, tragic engineers have come up with a vari- ety of tools. They include relatively w devices, with such names as the hokee and the "curb -bulb"; variations more familiar ideas, such as speed umps" (redesigned and subtler ver - ms of the speed bumps that have rat- ued tail pipes in shopping -center parking lots for decades); and even banks of well- placed trees. Retrofitting existing roads to calm traf- fic most often involves changing the dn- vees path from the straight, and fastest, line between points. Methods of vehicle control are divided into vertical and hori- zontal categories. Vertical devices include speed tables (raised crosswalks that cars pass over comfortably at 25 mph but jar- ringly at 35), speed humps (now designed with a curvature gentle at slow speeds but exponentially disruptive at higher speeds), and a variety of naturalistic tech- niques. A series of three or four hill crests, ordinarily removed from a roadbed during con- struction, can be used to slow traffic and soothe drivers naturally, says Kulash, breaking up long sight lines that fos. ter disengagement from the roadway environ- ment and diffuse sensa- tions of speed. Simi- larly, a change in pavement texture, such as bricking over a cross- walk, can signal drivers to slow down in anticipation of pedestrians. Speed humps can be installed for as little as $1,500 each and include little maintenance cost other than periodic repainting. In fact, says C. Edward Wal- ter, chief of the traffic engineering divi- sion in Howard County, Maryland, up to 30 percent of the cost associated with installing speed humps comes from the signs necessary to advise drivers of their presence; once speed humps are on a street and "signed," the additional cost of more humps is lessened. Z3b The affordability of speed humps, however, can lead to their over -use. To be effective in reducing speed, says Wal- ter, speed humps must be spaced regu- larly on a roadway surface, and this, ironi- cally, can work to make drivers more aggressive. "We don't like to see more than one or two at a time," says Kulash. They have a hostile, aggressive connota- tion for drivers," and an angry driver is more likely to be a problem driver. For that reason, says Kulash, many calmers would rather employ horizontal approaches, which offer more design flex- ibility and subtlety. A favorite horizontal technique for Kulash is the "mid block diverter," which adds a landscaped obstacle in the middle of a residential street, forcing cars to divert around it and signaling them to slow. "It deflects a driver's course, breaks up the long street view and creates pro- tected on -street parking and public green space," he says. What's more, the mid - block diverter can most often be installed without widening streets or rebuilding drainage systems. Diverters can be used at intersections as well as mid -block, steering cars into designated turning patterns—picture small versions of the traffic circle—and creating enough of a detour to force dri- vers passing through the intersection to slow down, in some cases just enough to SNOLUAgE SIM P rlr allow municipalities to do away with net- tlesome four -gray stop signs. That can make streets more efficient even while lowering speeds, and it can help cut back on the excessive use of stop signs as speed -control devices, a practice traffic engineers frown on because it fosters general disrespect for traffic signals and leads some drivers to speed up between signs to make up for lost time. Cities such as Seattle and Portland, Oregon, have made such mini -traffic circles mainstays of their residential traffic systems, result- ing not only in successful tragic manage- ment but in a system of attractively soaped neighborhood markers. A horizontal design that Sucher is the curb bulb, which benefits and protects pedestrians while slowing cars. The curb bulb enlarges pedestrian waiting areas at corners, pushing the sidewalk further into the street, often to the far edge of parking lanes. Not only does it narrow the amount of street pedestrians have to cross, it also slows driver speeds at cro intersections by reducing turnint and preventing comer -cutting. A version of the curb bulb can r used mid -block, where its known "pedestrian peninsula," and where it often works in concert with a "slow point" or "choker," an area where the coed bed is narrowed (and often angled) enough to force drivers to slow at pedes- trian crossings. In some cases, a choker will narrow the road bed enough to allow only one car to pass. at a time, forcing oncoming cars to yield While this may seem like a recipe for head-on collisions, calmers say the opposite is true. The sin- gle -lane choker reduces accidents by slowing drivers and forcing them to acknowledge and interact with other vehicles on the roadway. Such interac- tions "demand eye contact from drivers, and are personal and rarely hostile," says Kulash `Its the kind of thing that's gone on from time immemorial on neighbor- hood streets where there's parking and only one car can get by" ven traffic calmem agree that, for it to work in the long run, making the slow slower has to be balanced by malting the fast faster. "We want to make lord roads slower and major roads more efficient," says Michael Frisbie, a traffic engineer for the city of Phoenix who runs the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program, "so we also look at commuter botdenecks, left -turn phases, light timing. They go hand in hand" The problem is that not everyone agrees on where to draw the line between collector road and residential street. In Montgomery County, Maryland, for example, a traffic calming program has installed more than 500 speed humps since July 1994, many of them on roads once frequented by commuters. The county will consider taking action if test- ing shows there to be more than 600 cars per day on a given street; otherwise, says Scott Wainwright, the program's director, "it's just notjustified for the money." Phoenix uses 1,000 vehicles per day as a criteria, and if Meadowbrook Avenue were in Montgomery County, its western half (tested at 574 vehicles per day) would still be nearly eligible for addi- tional calming—moven after the diverter s installation. Some jurisdictions are more interested in measuring speed of traffic than volume of cars. Howard County relies heavily on 24 -•how mechanical speed counters: If 15 percent of the drivers are traveling at more than 10 miles per hour over the posted limit, the county will take action. That is, if that's what the neighborhood wants. "We go to the community and let Even traffic calmers agree that, for it to work in the long run, making the slow slower has to be balanced by mak- ing the fast faster. 1-o-3 b rte for or against it," says Walter. iuire 60 percent approval of those ually vote.- Montgomery ote "Montgomery County focuses its community approval process on specific problem areas. A petition must be signed by two- thirds of the houses on the affected block (as opposed to" the whole neighborhood, which Howard County's procedure considers), and then endorsed ocal civic association. Howard County, Phoenix polls neighborhoods, and although gen- consensus is usually not hard for mities, the procedure sometiwes ....._ local anger to be localized to a few vocal residents. Along Phoenix s Lakeside Boulevard, forexample, a survey was dis- tributed to 760 households in response to the complaints of about 30 residents proposing restrictions to the heavily trav- eled thoroughfare. The, survey, Frisbie says, revealed "huge opposition to dras- tic restrictions on Lakeside. Speed humps and enhanced police enforcement were employed instead. The choices available to the residents along Lakeside Boulevard illustrate traffic calming s flexibility—fiscal and otherwise. " 1bere's a lot of bang for the bucks," says Kulash. Since many approaches to calming can be installed cheaply, he adds, "you can proceed in tiny increments, five thousand dollars at a time." That provides plenty of room for trial and error. The Meadowbrook project, for example, began with a temporary struc- ture. If it had turned out to have been a mistake, the city could have removed it and cut its losses immediately. The big thing is, you can experiment," says Sucher. `Try one intersection and maybe it'll work. It doesn't have to be a region - wide policy. You can put one idea in and see what happens." One thing that happens, of course, is that commuters lose some of their favorite shortcuts. While that may ratchet up their level of aggravation, it may even offer something for them as well. Sucher suggests that traffic calming provides enough structure to automobile traffic to allow it to continue to be a part of cities without overrunning them. A lot of new urbanists are antiwar," he says, "but that scares ordinary citizens. Traffic calming is a compromise that people can accept." M Antastt116 GOVERNING 27 to 4 a October 18, 1996 Robert Binish 2110 Xanthus Lane Plymouth, MN 55447 CITY OF PLYMOU?I-F SUBJECT: PEONY LANE/19'H AVENUE SPEED HUMPS Dear Mr. Binish: The City has heard both positive and negative comments on the speed humps installed on 196 Avenue/Peony Lane approximately one month ago. Because of the traffic safety issues along this city street which needed to be corrected, the speed humps were installed to decrease speeding traffic. To correct some comments in my statements to your wife which may have been misunderstood, the 856 percentile speed of traffic before installation of the speed humps was 38 m.p.h. This is the speed at which 85 percent of the drivers are traveling at or below. This measure is used by traffic engineers as the effective speed of motorists on a road irregardless of what the posted speed limit is. The average speed was 30 m.p.h. This is the speed taking into consideration all motorists measured in the speed study. Since the posted speed limit on this road is 30 m.p.h., the 856 percentile speed should be between 28 and 32 m.p.h. As can be seen, it far exceeds what would be expected as reasonable for the street. The main negative comments that the City has heard on the speed humps is the noise disturbance to the adjacent properties. We have also received comments such as from yourself that they are an inconvenience to the motorists using the street. The City is open to suggestions on how to have motorists comply with the posted speed limit. The City Council will again consider this matter at their Council meeting on November 6, 1996. The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. As of this time a staff report has not been prepared for the meeting but will be available on Monday, November 4 for City Council's further consideration of this matter. I would suggest that you attend the Council meeting and your comment can be made part of the discussion. If there are any further questions, please contact me. Sincerely,. Fred G. Moore, P.E. a'°7 Director of Public Works cc: ✓Kathy Lueckert, Assistant City Manager C/R 96-44 PLYMOUTH A Beautifu[Place lro .Circ c`UMMERAUL INMM C 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE ':512) 509-50G: 4. TOO# 4a r see�?t, //4/9,717 Dear Madame, I am writing to protest the installation of speed bumps at the entrance to Imperial Hills on Peony Lane. The installation on a main thorofare which is the major entrance to the development seems to be ridiculous, especially considering the manner in which it was done and the placement of the offending bumps. In the Brat place, they were installed somewhat secretly, that is, with almost no input from the community except for a fortunate few who live in close proximity. Is it noteworthy that the installation is close to the mayor's home? Secondly, there seems to be dubious data used to determine the need My wife called and asked the basis for the installation. She was told that "15% of the drivers were over 38mph and all were over the speed limit" by Mr Fred Moore. When pressed, he checked the computer data, and changed his story, that " half the drivers were over 30 mph" It seems that the data says what one wants it to say, depending on how gullible the public is. If the average speed is 30, which is the speed limit; then I question whether the need has been established, except in the minds of a few people who want to unreasonably control. We have enough inane rules in this country now— we don't need morel l With the speed bumps, we now have sign pollution There are signs for a bike path, a 30 mph limit sign, a roaming about the speed bump, a sign at the speed bump, two signs for pedestrian crossings, inaddition to street signs, etc. Ibis can be highly distracting to someone coming into a new neighborhood Finally, I contend that these bumps are dangerous. The first one is within a block of the entrance to the developmert, and noone will be up to the 30mph speed limit before he or she has to slow down precipitously for the first bump, The second one is installed on a curve, and will have the tendency to cause a skid in wet or slippery weather. This was poor judgement by the city council in approving the installation without knowing more about the situation I believe the cound was poorly advised by the staff who recommended the installation. Please advise me what action I can take to correct this dangerous situation. Do you need petitions fion residents? How many signatures? Please have someone get to me as soon as possible. A�Rzdber4t 2110 Xanthus La 473-9556 Z,_ 4.b October 21, 1996 C'.y OF PIYMOUTR Henry Willegalle, President Fast Parkers Lake Improvement Assoc. 1525 Juneau Lane Plymouth, MN 55447 'Thank you for your letter of October 3 with regard to issues at Parkers Labe. Attached is a memo. from Chief Gerdes to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Water Patrol requesting additional patrol at Parkers Lake. In your letter you discussed trash along the shoreline, which you believe is left behind by fishermen. By way of this memo, I will be requesting that the Park Maintenance Dept beef up their patrol along the shoreline to assure that trash does not become a problem. If necessary, we will consider signage to inform the anglers of our desire to keep the lake shore clean. Drinking in the park is prohibited at all times, and if a violation is spotted, a call to 911 would be appropriate. I also discussed with Chief Gerdes the problem of surface water violations. If residents observe what they believe to be surface water violations, they should call 911 and ask for an officer to come to the lake and talk to the boater in. question. Please identify the specific boat and the observed violation when you make the call. Based on time availability, an officer will respond to this situation. They will attempt to engage the person involved in the alleged violation in an effort to rectify the situation. Your final observation had to do with the parking lot. The parking lot is sized to meet the DNR regulations with regard to public access on a lake. The City is committed to continuing to maintain a safe and well managed public access on Parkers Lake. If the East Parkers Lake Improvement Association wishes to engage the DNR in a discussion with regard to trailers carrying multiple boats, our staff would be happy to participate in such discussions. Henry, thank you and the rest of the Association for your time and interest in keeping Parkers Lake a fun and safe place for all the residents of Plymouth. Sincerely, ate Eric J. Blank, Director Parks and Recreation U= -I111 c City, Council, PRAC Director of Public Safety Mark Peterson We Listen • We Solve • We Care 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447 • TELEPHONE (612) 550-5000 October 3, 1996 Dwight Johnson - City Manager Craig Gerdes Public Safety Director EAST PARKERS LAKE IMPROVEIIIENTASSOCIATION Eric Blank Director, Parks and Recreation Re: Parkers Lake Enforcement City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Blvd. Plymouth, MN 55447 The Board of the East Parkers Lake Improvement Association would like the City to address some of the problems that are occurring with the increased use of Parkers Lake Park and the lake. Our broad concern is that the city has been extremely successful in its effort to attract people to the area. However, it seems that enforcement has not kept pace with the increase in use. For example, we've seen day time alcohol consumption by the people fishing on the shoreline: Unfortunately, this type of problem can only be spotted by shoreline or on -the - water patrols. Persons fishing on -the shoreline also tend to add a large amount of unsightly trash behind. It would be nice if, in exchange for the privilege of fishing from anywhere around the lake, there was some way to require responsibility. Perhaps fishing organizations would be interested in regular clean-ups. If they're not interested, one option might be to restrict fishing to designated areas with easily accessible trash containers. Incidentally, it seems very likely that many of those causing the problems are not Plymouth residents, making it difficult to remedy the problem by local educational efforts. Another problem area is water surface use violations. Water-ski spotter violations and violations of the 100 -foot slow, no wake law are regular occurrences. Plymouth may need to explore enforcement options. Some of these could include: getting a boat for regular Page 2 patrol, or working with Hennepin County Water Patrol to increase patrol of the lake at peak times. Sometimes it seems that although we pay Hennepin County taxes, we do not get a proportionate share of the water patrol services. Overcrowding represents another area of concern. The DNR authorized the five parking stalls for safety reasons. At a minimum the city needs to enforce the five trailer limit total parking in any of the park lots. Perhaps the City and the East Parkers Lake Improvement Association could work with the DNR to review the five -stall policy, as that was set before so many watercraft came two to a trailer or could be hauled without a trailer. While enforcement of these existing regulations is difficult at times, there may also be a need for additional limits. The speeds that can be observed many times appear to be excessive. A specific limit on a small lake like Parkers would make sense. The enforcement difficulties along with the over -crowding and lack of speed limits are a dangerous combination. Hopefully, we can work together to improve these conditions. Sincerely, 1 East ParkersLake Improvement Association Board: Henry Willegalle, President Jim Helseth, Vice-president Marsha Videen, Secretary -Treasurer Jim Howard, Member -at -Large George Waldow, Member -at -Large October 21, 1996 Tracie Wollman 17705 24th Avenue N Plymouth, MN 55447 Dear Ms. Wollman: fib CIN OF PLYMOU'fl-F 1-0jico I apologize for the delay in responding to your letter dated August 15, with regard to the Life Tune Fitness pool. In our discussions with the Life Time Fitness Corporation, we did talk about the access to the pool by various age groups, and it was determined that the age limit of three years was appropriate. This is the corporate policy of Life Time Fitness, and we, upon review, concur with this. If a young child has an accident in the pool, the time and effort it takes to completely drain that pool, which is what is required, is quite time consuming and expensive. To drain a pool of this size, refill it and reheat the water, would be an extraordinary burden on any. organization. Also, the rest of the citizens of the community would not be able to enjoy the pool during the time it would take to bring it back to normal. This is, of course, a private pool, for which the City has no operating responsibility. However, if it was a public pool, I would venture to say that the same policy would be in place if the City owned and operated the facility. I will be sending a copy of your letter and my response to the President of Life Time Fitness, so he is aware of your concern. Thank you for taking the time to express your feelings in writing. If I may be of further assistance to you, I can be reached at 509-5201. Sincerely, Eric J. Blank, Director Parks and Recreation EB/np cc: City Manager Bahram Akradi, Life Time Fitness Bob West, Life Time Fitness We Listen - We Solve - We Care 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD - PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447 - TELEPHONE (612) 550-5000 TRACIE WOLLMAN 17705 24th AVENUE NORTH PLYMOUTH, MN 55447 10 612-476-2711 August 15,1996 Eric Blank; Director of Parkes and Recreation G:r,-:,: Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, MN 55447 Dear Eric, I am writing to you regarding a policy of the Lifetime Fitness Center. The policy at issue is their exclusion of dull ren under 3 years old from the pool facilities. It was not until I read this in our Plymouth Update that I knew ofthis policy. Had I known of this policy, I most surely would have voted differently. I see no justification for this policy for reasons of "health concens". I have never heard of any health threat specifically related to the age of the swimmer. True, babies and toddlers do not have control of their bodily functions, but I know of at least two incidents where an older child has defecated in a pool. The only difference was that these children were not wearing diapers. I doubt it stops there either. Surely, everyone has known a child who would not stop what they're doing to go to the bathroom. Why would a public r col be any different? Further, it would seem to me that the chemical treatments used to "keep us safe from biological pathogens" (which would include various communicable dieases as well as AIDS) might themselves be harmful to me. So we strive for halance. I would lice to make the point that there is no shortage of babies being born in this suburb. Why I have to stand in line at 6:00 AM just to get into an Early Childhood Family Education class! Why, in a city such as Plymouth where families are such a big part of the population, are you excluding a substantial number of users from this long overdue farW,Where are the substantiated facts that point to a "health threat" above and beyond the "health threat" to the babies and toddles from the older swimmers? I would appreciate your response to these questions, as I find this policy unwarranted as well as unrealistic. Srint Trade Wolhmen TW: tw H f Objection Memo Data 10/19/95 Ta Mayor Joy Tierney & Council Members Rata Glenn Flekke & Patti Ullibridge 3495 Pilgrim Lane RL Road improvement assessment and meeting of 10116196 We are writing to express our concern regarding the assessment on our property. We understand that the assessment will amass $222,000 more than actual costs incurred to complete this project. We do not mind paying for the improvements, however, we do not like paying towards a kitty that will be used for some unknown project or pocket. Please re -assess the profess by which this dollar amount is determined. We understand that the Engineering estimate was much closer to the actual costs. Perhaps this is a way to be more equitable in determining assessments. Finally, we are dismayed by the way the final speaker to this issue was treated. We are only citizens who want to be taxed fairly... Internet Contact 4 To: patrick mckee Subject: RE: Mission Hills Neighborhood Park Mr. McKee Thanks for visiting the City of Plymouth Web site. 1 have forwarded your e-mail with your concerns about soccer at Mission Hills Park to Park and Recreation Director Eric Blank. He will be getting back to you with more information. If you have not heard from Eric or someone from the Park and Recreation staff by Nov. 5, please let me know either via e-mail or by calling me at 509-5090. Thank you for sharing your concern with us. Helen LaFave Communications Coordinator From: Patrick mckee[sMTP:skywayoskypoiat.comi Sme Saturday, October 19, 1996 5:45 PM To: contact Subject: Mission Wills Neighborhood Park Hello, I hope you can help me with some information. I am a resident in Mission Hills with property that backs up to the Mission Hills Park off of Zachary Lane. My concern is that this park has always been a neighborhood park and just this past summer it began being used as a playfield for several soccer leagues and goal post were erected and some bench seating was installed. I know that there are many soccer fields available for use and I can not figure out why this has occurred. My concern arises from the fad that none of the residents whose property adjoins the park were notified of this new use and the noise and the interruption are a little annoying. I understand that soccer programs for children are very important, however, I am concerned that this beautiful small park may become just another scarred and abused playfield and directly impact the quality of life that we were enjoying prior to the decision to provide the park to whichever league is currently being granted rights to play there. I would like to know who I can contact and whether or not this actually Is going to be a new use for the park. If the park is going to be re-classified, I would like to know the time and place of any meetings that I can attend in order to put forth a petition to prevent this small park from being used in a manner that interferes with the residents continued enjoyment of this once quiet and peaceful small park where neighborhood children could play a little game of baseball, or enjoy the playground without the loud, Page 1 cheering fans of pre -teen soccer screaming at the top of their lungs. I know 1 may have painted a vivid picture, however, I am merely concerned for preserving the quality of life we have enjoyed here In Mission Hills. Thank You for your help in this matter. Patrick James McKee 3955 Arrowood Lane Plymouth ph. 577-0109 (home) 339-0313 ext. 341 (work) Page 2 i- 4 F IN O 0 0 0 O O ON Ch �c �o OO O OO O N O M O M O M O �p eq eq •• Q�� p�� O O O O O O t {: a g O O O O O OHO O N C •0•i"% V .0 y cd rAcd 4.0 bc Cd ~� a°a�a�a� •q � as V..., aU�U o op oUQ4.n� o�"•y o U �U3 ou a� a U ,� U M 0 QQ �l '� ►'�; ,�ba •a 'o a 0 `d a -0 2 tD4x 0e i- 4 October 18, 1996 Plymouth Charter Commission c% Virgil Schneider, Chair Dear Commission Members: � ary of PLYMOUTFF I Go Ta The Plymouth City Council has taken action to request your assistance with establishing staggered terms for the City's Charter Commission members. As you know, the terms of the Charter Commission members are not currently staggered due to an unusual circumstance in Plymouth not contemplated by existing statutes. Research by staff and the City Attorney shows that Plymouth originally had a charter commission appointed in 1968. It met for several years and then became inactive. The original commission was appointed to staggered terms by the District Judge as provided by law ( Minnesota Statutes 410.05, Subdivision 2). The original charter commission was never officially abolished. In 1991, the Charter Commission was reactivated with new appointments. Because the' pointments in 1991 were not "initial" appointments, the all-new commission in 1991 was appointed to four year terms. Commissioners were then reappointed in 1995. With no change in law, no charter commission members terms will expire in 1997. Except for three members appointed to fill unexpired terms, the members of the charter commission will all depart in 1999 since there is a two term limit in the statutes. The clear intention of the statutes is that charter commissions should be created with and maintain staggered terms. In Plymouth's unusual else, the clear intention was not achieved. The City Council asks for your help in considering methods that would restore staggered terms to the Charter Commission. The City Attorney has identified special legislation as one possible way to accomplish this. It may also be possible for the Charter Commission to request an order from the Chief Judge to remedy the . situation. The Charter Commission may be able to devise other solutions. City staff and the City Attorney will be happy to work with you to consider the options. Thank you for your consideration of the City Council's request. Sincerely, ,� . U Dwigh D. Jo n City Manager PLYMOUTH A Bcautifurp&" To Live 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000 Y� 5047 CITY OF u October 18, 1996 PLYMOUTR Representative Ron Abrams Representative Peggy Leppik Representative Richard Stanek Representative Todd Van Dellen Senator Gen Olson Senator Martha Robertson Senator Warren Zimmer Dear Plymouth legislators: The Plymouth City Council has asked that you be informed about a possible need for your assistance with special legislation relating to creating staggered terms for the City's Charter Commission members. The terms of the Charter Commission members are not currently staggered due to an unusual circumstance in Plymouth not contemplated by existing statutes. Plymouth originally had a charter commission appointed in 1968. It met for several years and then became inactive. The original commission was appointed to staggered terms by the District Judge as provided by law ( Minnesota Statutes 410.05, Subdivision 2). The original charter commission was never officially abolished. In 1991, the Charter Commission was reactivated with new appointments. Because the appointments in 1991 were not "initial" appointments, the all-new commission in 1991 was appointed to four year terms. All commissioners were then reappointed in 1995. With no change in law, no charter commission members terms will expire in 1997. acept for three members appointed to fill unexpired terms, the charter commission members will all depart in 1999 since there is a two term limit in the statutes. The clear intention of the statutes is that charter commissions should be created with and maintain staggered terms. In Plymouth's unusual case, the clear intention was not achieved. The City Council is seeking to work with the Charter Commission to remedy the situation. The Chief Judge of the Hennepin County District Court maybe able to restore staggered terms in cooperation with the Charter Commission. However, it is not legally certain that the Chief Judge can do this. At this point, we simply want to inform you of this issue and the eventual possible need for legislation that would restore staggered terms to the Charter Commission. We will keep you informed in the coming weeks before the session begins. If you have any questions, please call me at 550-5051. PLYMOUTH ABeautifulPfau?o Live 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000 Thank you for your consideration and attention. Sincerely, Ca" A-VPOO" Dwight D. Johnson City Manager BOARD OF October 16, 1996 (EPI ; ,? LINTY JO GOVE"N411 ALIS, MINNE n S Z_15b COMMISSIONERS Joy Tierney Mayor 8 City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, 55447 Dear Ma ey: Last January, nnepin County Commissioners held several meetings with suburban officials to hear about the needs and challenges that municipalities face in addressing affordable housing and maintaining quality communities. Municipal representatives suggested a number of ways the county could assist communities in these efforts. Foremost among these was the needed for greater technical and financial assistance for the rehabilitation of aging housing stock (both rental and ownership). Following these meetings, and based�on the municipal input they provided, the County Board and Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HCHRA) Board adopted housing policies designed to complement and support city housing activities and achieve greater results. N The purpose of this letter is to provide you with a brief update on the progress Hennepin County has made in implementing these policies. Establishment of Rental Rehabilitation Program: In April, the county board allocated $350,000 in HOME funds to establish a rental rehabilitation loan program. Maximum loans are $150,000, having a ten-year term and bearing simple interest. The loan funds may fund up to 80 percent of the rehabilitation costs. Properties must be affordable and owners may not refuse to lease to individuals receiving tenant assistance. It's already become apparent that funding will be exhausted quickly. County staff is working with the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA) to leverage county HOME funds with state funding to the greatest extent possible. Additional Resources for the Rehabilitation of Single -Family Homes: This morning, the Hennepin County Board provided the necessary funding to enable the Hennepin County HRA to expand single-family rehabilitation programs available to homeowners in suburban Hennepin County. This action will significantly add to the existing $1 million allocated annually to single-family rehabilitation loan programs in suburban Hennepin County. It will also allow communities to access state rehabilitation funds for targeted neighborhoods. D Potential for Expanding Home Ownership Opportunities: In recognition of the importance of Home ownership for maintaining viable communities, the HRA will be working with municipalities to expand the amount of mortgage funds utilized by first-time home buyers in suburban Hennepin County. The HRA is pursuing an application for the MITA Minnesota Mortgage Program to enable us to utilize all state mortgage assistance funds that are available to Hennepin County residents but not fully utilized at the present time. Communities would have the option of applying individually or be part of the HRA application. We hope that we'll able to announce later this year the significant expansion of first-time home buyer assistance and its accessibility to all suburban residents. Members of the Hennepin County and HRA Boards are pleased with these accomplishments. They have strengthened our relationships with suburban communities and promise to help us achieve ' important, mutual housing objectives. In this and many other ways we are putting our communities fust. We look forward to continuing to work with you in implementing these programs and developing additional innovative approaches for addressing critical housing and community development needs. Sincerely, Peter McLaughlin Chair, Hennepin County Board of Commissioners Sandra Hilary Chair, Hennepin County Housing and, Redevelopment Authority cc: City Manager/Administrator Thomas J. Campbell Roger N. Knutson Thomas M. Scott Gary G. Fuchs James R. Walston Elliott B. Knetsch Suesan Lea Pace CAMPBELL, KNUTSON, SCOTT & FUCHS, P.A. Attorneys at Law (612) 452-5000 Fax (612) 452-5550 ,2, 1996 Andrea McDowell Poehler Matthew K. Brokl* John F. Kelly Marguerite M. McCarron George T. Stephenson *Alai licensed in Wisamsin Mr. Dale Hahn 0 Finance Director , City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Blvd. Plymouth, MN 55447-1482 Re: AETNA We Insurance Company v. City of Plymouth Tax Court Nos. 20062 (93), 21114 (94), 23119 (95), 23791 (95) Dear Mr. Hahn: The State Supreme Court has denied Aetna's request to reconsider its previous Order dismissing Aetna's appeal. The matter is finally and officially concluded. If you have any questions, please call. Best regards, CAMPBELL, KNUTSON, SCOTT & FUCHS' P.A. B : t: .. ,— A-,�. Thomas M. Scott TMS jlh cc: Nancy Bye, Assessor Dwight Johnson, City Manager 43622 Suite 317 * Eagandale Office Center 9 1380 Corporate Center Curve 0 Eagan, MN 55121 October 21, 1996 Dear City of Plymouth, v5d It's my strong conviction that if one whines, one should equally thank. So here's a big thank you for responding so quickly to my request that the unwanted porta-potty be moved from across the street from our house. God bless you for your prompt action. We are excited about our street and the W.MedLake Park coming to closure. Glen and I believe that you've worked very hard to keep us the park neighbors happy, while at the same time, addressing the larger issues of the city's needs. Sincerely, ✓��' ' , Glen & Dorothy Hansen & family t P.S. We're still waiting to hear from the appraiser I mentioned in my last letter. Our out-of-town guests had a wonderful time. They really thought it was beautiful here. Thanks for ordering up that great Oct. weather, too. r