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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-07-2025 City Council Work Session Minutes CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION Mayor Amáda Márquez Simula Councilmembers Connie Buesgens Rachel James Justice Spriggs Laurel Deneen City Manager Aaron Chirpich City Hall—Shared Vision Room, 3989 Central Ave NE Monday, April 07, 2025 6:00 PM MINUTES CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order by Mayor Márquez Simula at 6:05pm. Present: Mayor Márquez Simula, Councilmember Buesgens, Councilmember Deneen, Councilmember James. Councilmember Spriggs. Also Present: Aaron Chirpich, City Manager; Mitch Forney, Community Development Director; Sara Ion, City Clerk; Jesse Hauff, IT Director; Kevin Hansen, Public Works Director; Joe Kloiber, Finance Director; Dirk Schmitz, Planning Commissioner; Ruth Nelsen, Hill Top City Clerk -Treasurer; Stacey Kvilvang, Ehlers; Chris Bower, MNDOT; Jerry Auge, Anoka County; Tracey Fosmore, Metro Transit: Frank Alarcon, Metro Transit; Tim Lamkin, Bolton and Menk; Kyle Brasser, Lincoln Projects. WORK SESSION ITEMS 1. Ice Breaker: What is a skill you would love to learn? Mayor Márquez Simula led the group in an ice breaker. 2. MnDOT Layout Recommendations for Central Avenue. Chris Bower of MNDOT lead a presentation and status update /check in regarding the upcoming Central Avenue project. He clarified the intent of the presentation is to give more in-depth information to stakeholders prior to when there needs to be a vote regarding municipal consent. Bower stated that MNDOT’s recommendation for Central Avenue is single lane in each direction south of 49th. The impactful information from previous work sessions and community engagement meetings was that safety was the top priority. Reducing fatal accidents on Central is why MNDOT is bringing forward the recommendations that are being presented for review and eventually voted on to move the project forward. Bower clarified that MNDOT has also evaluated the impact on travel time. Traffic modeling indicates that there would be an additional 30 seconds of travel time during rush hour if traffic volumes remain consistent. Bower also clarified that there are concerns regarding how road maintenance and bus traffic will be impacted. He indicated that there are considerations regarding how road maintenance would be completed on this stretch of road as there is limited ability to detour traffic. MNDOT attempted to quantify the times that the road would be closed and a detour made to University Avenue. In MDDOT’s estimates it is like that this would be up to six times a year, in addition to any needed utility or maintenance work conducted by the City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 07, 2025 City Council Work Session Page 2 City. Bower explained that a positive impact on costs related to road closures could be made by purchasing and utilizing digital signage in the corridor to warn of closings and detours. Bower additionally touched on the concern related to in-lane bus stops and the traffic delays that may occur. He clarified that one of the advantages regarding the F line is that there is a reduced amount of time stopping in the travel lane. F line buses take about 7 seconds to onboard riders, and the main line buses would still utilize pull offs so as to not impact traffic. Councilmember Deneen and James were concerned about the number of users who are disabled who use the bus lines in the City and how this would slow down onboarding of passengers and negatively impact traffic. Public Works Director Kevin Hansen stated his concerns relating to left turn lanes and how a single lane in both directions would impact businesses on Central, and force traffic to University Avenue. Additionally, he cited concerns related to the East / West traffic diverting from Central. Director Hansen is concerned about the city and state utility work that would need to be done on this stretch of road, and the increased costs associated with this work because of hiring the contractor who helps the city with road closures. He further clarified that the City must pay for the expense of road closures. Hansen stated that he is still supportive of the North bound lane having a dedicated bus line, or regular driving lane. Frank Alarcon from Metro Transit discussed the investment in the F line project, and needing a north-bound bus lane to make transit more reliable and to attract additional riders. Jerry Auge from Anoka County brought forward concerns related to the state aid rules that need to be followed regarding how much traffic a two-lane road can handle versus a four- lane road. He voiced concerns related to people using side roads instead of Central if the lanes were decreased. Ruth Nelsen from the City of Hilltop stated that the City of Hilltop has concerns related to moving from 4 to 2 lanes as well Councilmember Buesgens stated that she feels that the residents of Columbia Heights should get preference on the design of Central and not commuters. Because of this she is supporting moving to the two-lane option. She is concerned about people using the bus lane to pass if they were to move forward with this option, as well as the increased time to cross the street. She feels that we need to move forward with the two-lane suggestion, although she was also concerned about having a multi-use trail, and that there would not be space for seating on the sidewalk for businesses. Councilmember James stated that what she has heard from the community is that they are concerned about pedestrian safety. She is interested in both the single and multilane City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 07, 2025 City Council Work Session Page 3 options. She wanted to clarify that the city is still responsible for clearing the pedestrian trail of snow. Bowers wanted to address concerns related to pedestrian safety / signaling. He stated that there are not a lot of great options, and the overall concern is that there is not a way to make pedestrians follow the traffic signals. Bower stated that in moving two lanes they are trying to make the road safer for the pedestrians by slowing down traffic. Bower would like to have an additional conversation at a future meeting to discuss pedestrian crossing locations once there is confirmation on how many lanes Central Avenue will be. Councilmember Spriggs noted that there will likely be frustration with two lane options, but this is something that we need to change the perspective to make this pedestrian friendly. He feels that overall, the more we condense the lanes the slower people are going to travel, and this will positively impact pedestrian safety. He would also like to see some cost analysis related to road closures, and digital signage. Councilmember Deneen stated that she is concerned about the F line and feels that a bus lane would be beneficial. She is concerned that people will be frustrated with the buses blocking traffic and that the traffic will reroute through the neighborhood streets. Mayor Márquez Simula shared the concerns of Councilmember Deneen but stated that she needs to see more information about creating a safer road. She also inquired about the additional rounds of community outreach that will occur before a municipal consent vote. Bowers additionally discussed concerns related to pedestrians at roundabouts. MNDOT will commit to flashing lights at every roundabout, there is a potential for raised cross walks and partnering with State Services for the Blind to find accessibility improvements. MNDOT will commit to also doing education related to roundabouts as well as attending community events to discuss this information. Overall, the council was very satisfied with the proposed roundabouts and asked Bower to bring back further information from MNDOT to streamline the conversation related to two lanes vs. the benefit of a North bound bus line. The council would also like more information on how to make the F Line as successful as possible. The next item reviewed by Bower was the MNDOT recommended a bicycle facility / shared use path. MNDOT would defer to the local agencies on how this would be executed. Councilmember Deneen was interested to learn how a shared use path could be differentiated for pedestrians and bicycles. Bower stated that this is a conversation for the future, and that there are more details that would be needed. City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 07, 2025 City Council Work Session Page 4 Councilmember James stated that the shared use path would be designed like 37th and this is the best way to utilize the space. She understands Councilmember Buesgens concerns related to wanting space for sidewalk cafes, but this is an item that would make a two-lane road possible. Bower also addressed options related to closing access to Reservoir Blvd. from Central Ave. at 37th Avenue. Councilmember James stated that she would like more information related to public safety access on Reservoir. The consensus of the Council was to limit northbound traffic, if approved by the Fire Chief. Bower informed the Council that he would like to meet at the monthly work session to continue this conversation for the next several months. He wants to use the time at work session as an opportunity to bring together a plan with the council and address issues brough up during engagement opportunities, so the community feels that they are being listened to. Mayor Márquez Simula would like to have an animation of the ideas that have been brought to the council to demonstrate what has changed after each presentation to the Council to show the work that has been done by MNDOT to incorporate the ideas that were brought forward. 3. Medtronic Site Presentation from Lincoln Avenue Communities. Kyle Brasser with Lincoln Avene Communities started the presentation by giving information and background information regarding the updates that have made to the current proposed site plan. One of the biggest items that they have taken on is discussing a for sale option for townhomes. Brasser explained that they are continuing to negotiate for both market rate apartments and townhomes within the project. Next steps in the process of Lincoln Avenue Communities purchasing the Medtronic site will be related to conducting environmental studies. Councilmember James inquired about the apartments to the north of the project site. She and Councilmember Buesgens feel that it is important to use this space for the townhomes. Additionally, Councilmember James inquired about the mixed-use retail space. Brasser clarified that they would be able to utilize some of this space to the north for market rate townhomes. In an ideal circumstance Lincoln Avenue would build out the space as a pad ready to be built for the town homes because currently they do not have any developers wanting to outright purchase the property. Currently he feels that market rate high density projects are not pushing forward in the current environment, and developers are struggling to enter the phase of this project. He would like to focus on the Stage 1 development plans. City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 07, 2025 City Council Work Session Page 5 Councilmember Buesgens stated that she would like to see the market rate portions and phases of the project obligations put into writing as a commitment for master development plans. Councilmember Deneen and Spriggs expressed their appreciation to Lincoln Avenue Communities for continuing to work on bringing the plans for this site to fruition. The consensus from the Council was that they appreciated the forward movement and that there is enough to move forward with conversations on the project, noting that there is still a lot of refinement and work to be done regarding tax increment financing for the site. City Manager Chirpich stated that Lincoln Avenue Communities has completed an application for land use that will need to be approved by the Council in the month of June as there is a deadline for bond applications in July. This would give the remainder of the year to complete streamlining the project site. There will be a lot of conversations between now and July. Mayor Márquez Simula would like to make sure that we engage the Cities various boards and commissions related to this project. She stated that this item should be on the next Park and Recreation Commission agenda. Councilmember Deneen inquired about what the process looks like for making assurances in the agreement to protect the city. Councilmember Buesgens stated that there are risks, and she wants to make sure that there are protective provisions in writing. Stacey Kvilvang from Ehlers clarified that she would like to see what the contract will be like so she can further advise the council. She feels that there is a level of confidence in the discussions they are having with partners, and that things are proceeding positively. City Manager Chirpich stated that Staff is of the opinion that we do need to see this plan evolve, to see if it is viable and that Lincoln Avenue Communities will be attending future work sessions as the site plan continues to develop. 4. Franchise Fee’s for Gas and Electric Utilities. City Manager Chirpich introduced and gave an overview of the status of Gas and Electric Utilities Franchise Fees. He stated that currently the City is at a competitive disadvantage, not leveraging this as a option. What is being proposed would be a monthly fee of approximately eight dollars per month across the two utilities. This could be a revenue source of around $700,000 for the City. It is an opportunity to expand our pools of resources, and these funds could be brought in line with the 2026 City Budget. The council consensus was that they want to move forward with this, but to have a focus on getting more information related to how this would impact businesses. Mayor Márquez City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 07, 2025 City Council Work Session Page 6 Simula and Councilmember Buesgens want to make sure that the council is deciding directly what these fees are being used for. Kvilvang stated that Ehlers would do some modeling of the impacts of franchise fees on business. Additionally, she clarified that cities that are successful in utilizing the fees have a specific policy for the funds to be used. Kvilvang informed the council that there would be a process for passing an Ordinance related to the Franchise Fees and then the Utilities impacted would accept the proposal. This process can take three to six months, and the timeline will be considered as part of the 2026 budget. City Manager Chirpich expects that we will refine and get more information in the next few months on how the council would like to use the funds so it can be implemented for the 2026 budget. 5. Rental Density Cap Discussion. Community Development Director Forney introduced the item and the current status of the Rental Density Cap program. Clarifying that now that we are two years into the program there is a need to further refine the process. The feedback from the council is that they would like a formal policy to be put into place for staff to handle exemptions with an administrative review process and appeals is needed. Additionally, Forney stated that Staff would recommend extending the exemption process period from three months to six months. Councilmember James thanked staff for bringing forward the changes she was hoping to see. She is in favor of all the staff recommendations outlined in the memo. Mayor Márquez Simula stated that she would like to see additional movement made with rental licensing and property maintenance as well. Council consensus was to move forward with the Staff recommendations outlined in the council memo. There was also agreement that this would not need to be discussed at another work session, and that going forward staff would place items meeting the criteria for exemption on the consent agenda until the formal policy is approved by the council. 6. Fiber Internet Provider USI. IT Director Jesse Hauf gave an overview of the history of USI and the relationship that has been established by the IT Department since 2023. USI has plans to establish city wide fiber internet and they are offering symmetrical upload / download speeds that meet residents’ expectations. The project will start in the Southeast section of the city as the fiber is being brought in from New Brighton. There will be directional boring that will occur in the right of way, and USI will be directed to stay one to three feet from the curb. USI is also connecting / interconnecting cities facilities at a nominal cost. Additionally there will be discounted plans offered for those meeting income requirements. City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 07, 2025 City Council Work Session Page 7 Director Hansen stated that Public Works will manage the permitting process. There will be notification sent to the neighborhoods where this work is being conducted and residents that it will be implemented in. Council consensus was that they were excited for USI to begin the process. 7. Review of Jamboree Costs City Manager Chirpich introduced the topic, stating that the council asked for a more detailed explanation of the expenses related to the jamboree and parade. Chirpich stated that there are a lot of benefits to the community, but also substantial costs. The overall analysis is that the city is spending between $55,000 and $65,000 on the event. Mayor Márquez Simula stated that she appreciated the analysis, and that she was concerned related to the human cost of staff working overtime and extra shifts to execute the event. She would like the Lions to share their ledger related to the event in the way that the city has to increase transparency. Councilmember Buesgens stated that she appreciates the transparency of the discussion. She inquired about sponsorship of the event that the Lions Club is utilizing. Councilmember James is curious about billing the Lions club for the city staff time and costs related to the beer garden. Director Hansen stated that they do bill back some items to the Lions, but this is related to traffic control. Mayor Márquez Simula would like to see what the cost to the city are for any group to have a similar event with these facilities. 8. Council Corner. Quarterly Council Open House / Town Hall with Residents. Council would like to have an annual open house meeting and quarterly smaller town hall events. Councilmember Spriggs stated that he will do further research and this can be talked about at the Kern goal setting meeting that is coming up at the end of April. Council Liaison of CH Sports Boosters. Councilmember Spriggs stated that the Sports Boosters contribute a lot to the City, and that it might be nice to have a councilmember attend the meetings. It was further discussed that this could be assigned to a Park and Recreation Commissioner to attend. Discuss Desire for Permanent Soccer Field in a City Park. The consensus of the Council is that this is a priority, and that they would like to hire a consultant to see where the most viable location is. This topic will be discussed in greater detail at the upcoming goal setting meeting. City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 07, 2025 City Council Work Session Page 8 Monthly Calendar Sharing, Event Notification, Attendance and Past Event Updates. Mayor Márquez Simula reviewed her upcoming April calendar in detail with the Council to coordinate event attendance and upcoming meetings. Monthly Proclamations and Meeting Guests. Autism Awareness / Earth Day / Arbor Day were proposed for the April 14, 2025 meeting. Additionally Councilmember Deneen would like to have a Foster Family proclamation at the April 28, 2025 meeting. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Márquez Simula adjourned the meeting at approximately 10:21pm. Respectfully Submitted, ______________________________________ Sara Ion, City Clerk/Council Secretary