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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995 03-20 CCP Work Session CITY COUNCIL AGENDA CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER MARCH 20, 1995 !' 7 p.m. Work Session 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Executive Session (45 minutes) - City Manager Evaluation Report - Discussion of L.E.L.S. Contract Arbitration 4. Update on 6637 Humboldt Avenue North (Brad Hoffman) (15 minutes) 5. Consideration of Acquisition of Single Family Home Locate (15 minutes) at 7216 Brooklyn Boulevard (Tom Bublitz) 6. Discussion of Upcoming Public Hearings Related to (30 minutes) Woodbine Neighborhood (Diane Spector) 7. Discussion of Leadership.and Goal Setting Workshop (15 minutes) Proposal by Don Salverda & Associates 8. Other Business 9. Adjournment: 9 p.m. 0 � �� MEMORANDUM Date: March 17, 1995 To: Honorable Mayor and City Council / From: Tom Bublitz, Community Development Specialist ' Subject: Consideration of Acquisition of 7216 Brooklyn Boulevard The City Council authorized staff to obtain an appraisal on the single - family property located at 7216 Brooklyn Boulevard for the purposes of acquisition and demolition of the property. As the Council may recall, the primary purpose for the acquisition of this parcel is to facilitate the implementation of the portion of the Brooklyn Boulevard redevelopment plan which proposes a "gateway concept" for the major entrances to the city. Staff is also aware that the Council has had some concerns with regard to this property as to whether or not this is the appropriate site for a "gateway". Staff has obtained an appraisal on the property which came in at $67,000. An additional factor affecting this acquisition is the proposed street improvements for the Woodbine neighborhood, which includes Wingard Lane, which extends to the property at 7216 Brooklyn Boulevard. The 7216 Brooklyn Boulevard property fronts on Brooklyn Boulevard, but the side yard of the property abuts Wingard Lane. Presently, Wingard Lane ends in a dead end "hammerhead" at Brooklyn Boulevard. If the City were to acquire the property at 7216 Brooklyn Boulevard, a cul-de -sac could be built on Wingard Lane and the "hammerhead" would be eliminated. Additionally, the owner of the property at 7216 Brooklyn Boulevard intends to move from this residence and build a new house in another city. This leaves us with the possibility of having another rental property along Brooklyn Boulevard. Since there appears to be several issues relative to the acquisition of this property, staff would like to discuss this informally with the Council at the work session and get some direction with regard to this particular site. 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IrlriMumma �� _�j� �►`.: .� .. ii" : � 1111 �Ir ��,Illrer' == VIII►/ ��• ..V� :. 111 11■ 11111111 Council Meeting Date 3/20/95 . 31 City of Brooklyn Center Agenda Item Number Request For Council Consideration Item Description: DISCUSSION OF UPCOMING PUBLIC HEARINGS RELATED TO THE WOODBINE NEIGHBORHOOD Department Approval: Diane Spector, Director c�f Public Services Manager's Review /Recommendation: No comments to supplement this report Comments below /attached i Recommended City Council Action: Summary Explanation: (supporting documentation attached Yes ) We have now conducted two informational meetings with the residents of the Woodbine Neighborhood, have received comments on two survey forms, and have spent considerable time discussing the proposed project one on one with the neighbors in person and by phone. At tonight's meeting I will be prepared to discuss some of the specific concerns the neighborhood has, and the types of questions and comments which may be expressed at the March 27, 1995 hearings on the project and the assessments. The attachment is a listing of the most frequently asked general questions, and our response. We are contemplating sending out this document to the neighborhood prior to the March 27 hearings; I would appreciate your thoughts on this. I QUESTIONS MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED ABOUT THE WOODBINE NEIGHBORHOOD PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS QUESTION 1: What is being proposed for our neighborhood? ANSWER: Reconstruction of all streets in the neighborhood (except Noble, which will be overlaid), with installation of concrete curb and gutter. Replacement of some sanitary sewer and construction of new storm sewer and water treatment ponds. Replacement of street lights, addition of signs, landscaping, and other beautification. QUESTION 2: My street looks fine. Why do we need new streets and do we have to have curb and gutter? ANSWER: In general, the streets appear fine because we have spent substantial amounts of money patching and sealcoating. This maintenance is a "band- aid," fixing small problems, and stretching out the life of the streets. We could continue to patch and sealcoat. However, the cost of this maintenance continues to rise, and as the streets get older we have to patch more of the street and sealcoat more often. Most of the residential streets in Brooklyn Center were built without curb and gutter. Because the streets are very flat, and there is no curb and gutter to improve drainage, water tends to pond on the edges of the street. Without curb and gutter, this water seeps under the street. As we go through freeze and thaw cycles, the freezing and melting water under the edges of the streets results in cracks and breaks in the edges of the pavement. The pavement becomes brittle, and when driven over, breaks off. With curb and gutter, the water flows to a collection point and is piped away. The cost of concrete curb and gutter is relatively small compared to its value. In some parts of the project area, the digging required for utility repair and replacement will remove most of the street and the subsurface. When we restore the street after replacing the utilities, a complete replacement with concrete curb and gutter will extend the life of the streets and improve or eliminate the small drainage problems (such as the "birdbaths" at the ends of some people's driveways). QUESTION 3: Can't we just patch and sealcoat the streets like we have been doing in the past? ANSWER: Yes, in the short -term this is an option. However, we believe that in the long- term it will be much more expensive to continue to patch and sealcoat than the "proactive," investment approach we have recommended. eng\pmJea \woo&ine\goation Page Woodbine Neighborhood Questions Spring, 1995 It is similar to the roof on a house. It is possible to continue to replace shingles indefinitely. But, over time, the appearance of a house with a patched roof reduces the value of the house, and there is an increase in the risk of additional damage because of leakage. At some point, the most cost - effective solution is to reshingle the house. QUESTION 4: What kind of water and sanitary sewer improvements are being proposed? And can you guarantee that utility mains not being replaced won't need replacement in a few years, meaning you'll have to dig up the new street? ANSWER: The water main in this area is in fairly good shape, and we can reasonably expect another 30 to 40 years of life from it, compared to a street life of 20 to 30 years. In general, water main won't be replaced as a part of this proposed project except where trenching for sanitary or storm sewer might disturb the compaction around the water main. We've found in the past that disturbed cast iron water mains are more likely to have future water main breaks, so we automatically replace disturbed main. We have televised all the sanitary sewers in this area, and have found a number of areas which have moderate to severe root infiltration in both the main and in the sanitary sewer services from the main to the house. Most of these mains and services were constructed of three or four foot sections of clay tile pipe, with no gaskets at the_ joints. Undisturbed, such pipe can have a useful life of 75 to 100 years. However, once the mains and services are infiltrated with roots, substantial and time - consuming maintenance is required to keep them operating efficiently. Under this project the sanitary sewer main in several areas would be replaced, along with services from the main to the property line. Property owners who have continued problems with the services between the property line and the house might want to consider this an opportunity to have that part of the service replaced. Some property owners have made arrangements with the City's contractor to have this done. There is no definitive guarantee that there will never be an instance when a utility problem won't require the new street to be dug up. However, we will replace as much of the utilities as we think is necessary to minimize the likelihood of this happening. Private utilities such as Minnegasco would also take this opportunity to do needed repairs or replacements. QUESTION 5: What kind of storm drainage improvements will be made to our neighborhood? ANSWER: There are no severe flooding problems in this neighborhood, although there are localized problem areas. In general, the streets drain poorly because of a combination of flat grades, no storm sewer, and lack of curb and gutter. Page 2 Woodbine Neighborhood Questions Spring, 1995 A new state requirement is that cities are no longer allowed to discharge storm water untreated into our lakes, streams, and rivers. The storm water in this area flows to the north directly to Shingle Creek, and to the south to a single storm sewer trunk line that discharges into Palmer Lake. This trunk line is over capacity, and its outlet is not treated. Additional storm sewer and catch basins would be installed in critical areas of this neighborhood, and the flow would be directed to two new storm water treatment ponds. The pond to the north would be just over the Brooklyn Park border, north of 73rd and Halifax. The pond to the south would be located somewhere in the area between the Edina Realty building and St. Alphonsus' play fields. QUESTION 6: How much will my assessments be and what is the Assessment Stabilization Program? ANSWER: Special assessments would be levied for the street improvements, and except for the properties on Noble and Wingard, for the storm drainage improvements. Street special assessments are a per property charge, $1,700 for those streets proposed to be reconstructed, and $500 for Noble Avenue, which is proposed to be overlaid. Storm drainage assessments are proposed to be $725 per property. Regarding the assessment stabilization program, this is a program designed to reduce the special assessments for property owners whose family income is in the "very low" or "lower" income limits as defined by HUD. Property owners who qualify for the program are assessed the same amount as everyone else, but they receive a grant to reduce the amount of the assessment. The amount of the grant is based on family size and income. If, for example, your family size is two, and your annual income is less than $10,200 your special assessment would be $0 - these improvements would be done at no cost to you. If your family size is two and your income is between $10,200 and $26,150, your special assessment would be reduced. If you would like more information, please contact engineering staff members in person or call 569 -3340. QUESTION 7: Why do the proposed improvements have to cost me anything? Why am I being assessed? And why do we have to pay before the project begins if we want to avoid paying interest? ANSWER: The part of the improvements which property owners would be specially assessed for is the street improvements and the storm drainage improvements. All costs for water system and sanitary sewer improvements would be paid by the utility funds —which are available because the City's utility rates have been set to anticipate the need to eventually repair or replace sewer and water mains. Page 3 W oodbine Neighborhood Questions Sp ring, 1995 The reasons storm drainage improvements are proposed to be assessed are twofold. First, the City only recently implemented its storm drainage utility. There is a substantial amount of storm sewer and water quality work to be done, and the fund is not adequate to fully fund all the costs of all the required improvements. Second, when storm sewers were originally installed in parts of the City twenty to thirty years ago, property owners were assessed 100 percent of the cost of storm sewer improvements. Current storm drainage projects also are assessed because it would be unfair to the property owners who paid their fair share in the past to provide these improvements now for free. There are very few alternatives for paying for street improvements. One is by referendum, where taxpayers vote to sell bonds to pay for street improvements. State laws do allow cities to sell bonds to pay for street improvements without a referendum, but only if a portion of the costs of those improvements are specially assessed. The special assessments reflect the fact that property owners receive some direct benefit from the improvements: drainage is improved, the drivability and ridability of the streets is better, and the neighborhood is more attractive, all of which increase property values. About 35 percent of the cost of the street improvements would be assessed - the rest would be paid for by bonds. Another alternative would be to levy additional property taxes to create an "Infrastructure Replacement Fund." However, to meet the needs of our aging street system, we would have to levy at least an additional $1 million per year for the next 20 years. This compares to our current levy of about $6.3 million, or a 16 percent increase in property taxes. Special assessment hearings are generally held at the time of the project hearing so that the City Council can be assured before it enters into a construction contract and before it sells improvement bonds that there will be special assessments available to help pay off those bonds. The 30 day period where no interest is charged is established by state law. QUESTION 8: Why are you picking on our neighborhood? We can't have the worst streets in the City. ANSWER: Looking at each of the areas (streets, drainage, utilities) separately, no, your neighborhood is not the worst in the City for any of them. However, it is the combination of things that has caused your neighborhood to rise up the priority list. We have put a high priority on improving water quality in Palmer Lake. Since much of your neighborhood drains south to a trunkline that discharges directly into the lake, treating that storm water before it enters the trunk line will have a major impact on the quality of the discharge. The redevelopment to the south will also be required to treat storm water, through its own pond or set of ponds, including possibly expanding the pond which would be constructed on the south side of this proposed project. Page 4 Woodbine Neighborhood Questions Spring, 1995 QUESTION 9: Why haven't we been better informed about this proposed project? ANSWER: On September 28, 1994 we sent letters to all residents in the neighborhood (except those on Grimes Avenue) informing them that the City Council was considering improvements to the neighborhood. The Brooklyn Center Post and Northwest News have each done several articles over the past several months about the proposed project. On February 22, 1995 we sent a letter briefly describing findings and inviting residents to informational meetings, and on March 10, 1995 we sent the Notice of Public Hearing. The City Council has also discussed the topic several times at their regular meetings, which are televised on cable TV. QUESTION 10: We don't want additional street lighting. Do we have to have it? ANSWER: No. However, we will be replacing the existing street lights with shoebox type lights on fiberglass poles, with underground electric service. If the proposed project should be approved, we will contact the residents in the areas we think could benefit from additional lighting, and ask the residents to vote. Majority will rule. QUESTION 11: We have no storm drainage (flooding) problems. ANSWER: Agreed, there are no major flooding problems in this neighborhood. However, a number of you have said that you have smaller drainage problems - "birdbaths," "potholes," etc. These minor problems contribute to the deterioration of the street, and increase maintenance costs. Solving the lesser drainage problems by adjusting the street grade and installing curb and gutter will lengthen the life of the street. QUESTION 12: Why do I have to pay interest on my assessment? Why 9 %? The City would sell bonds (borrow money) to finance the street improvements. Current interest rates are about 6 percent. The City charges an additional 2 -2 percent to cover financing costs and the cost of uncollectible assessments. It is a state law that you may pay your special assessment in full without interest up to 30 days after the assessment is certified. Page 5 Donald Salverda & Associates Roseville Professional Center • Suite 511 • 2233 N. Hamlin Avenue • Roseville, MN 55113 (612) 484 -1335 March 7, 1995 Mr. Jerry Splinter City Manager City of Brooklyn Center 6301 Shingle Creek Parkway Brooklyn Center, MN 55430 Dear Jerry: Thank you for your and the city's interest in scheduling a "Leadership and Goal Setting Workshop" for the city council and department heads in the near future. The Workshop is a logical follow -up to the "Leadership Development Workshop" held for the management team last November. Over the years, I have led a number of retreats, seminars, and workshops for a variety of organizations in the public and private sectors, always receiving favorable feedback, so I feel comfortable with the assignment should you choose to use my services. Enclosed is a Proposal for a "Leadership and Goal Setting Workshop" that you and the council might react to. I trust the content and format are in line with your thinking; if not, we can alter accordingly. Enclosed, also, is biographic and support information. Should you use my services, I pledge you my best efforts to provide a workshop that makes your objectives, is educational, and enjoyable. Thank you for your interest. I look forward to hearing from, and hopefully working with you again. Sincerely yours, Don Salverda Consultant/Facilitator Encl. Donald Salverda & Associ Roseville Professional Center • Suite 511 • 2233 N. Hamline Avenue • Roseville, MN 55113 (612) 484 -1335 A PROPOSAL TO THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER FOR A CITY COUNCIL - DEPARTMENT HEAD LEADERSHIP AND GOAL SETTING WORKSHOP Proposal To Mr. Jerry Splinter City Manager Proposed by Don Salverda Cons ultant/FaciIitator - WHY HAVE A LEADERSHIP AND GOAL SETTING WORKSHOP 1) ORGANIZATIONS NEED TO PERIODICALLY ASSESS THEIR PROGRESS, RE- ESTABLISH DIRECTION, AND ENHANCE TEAM SPIRIT 2) HOW WELL THE CITY COUNCIL AND DEPARTMENT HEADS COMMUNICATE AND WORK TOGETHER IS KEY TO THE CITY'S EFFECTIVENESS 3) IT'S EASIER TO DEVELOP CONSENSUS ON ISSUES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND GOALS IN AN OFF -SITE, RELAXED ENVIRONMENT RATHER THAN THE FORMALITY OF THE NORMAL WORK ENVIRONMENT 4) A LEADERSHIP RETREAT IS AN EXCELLENT WAY TO INTEGRATE NEW MEMBERS ONTO THE LEADERSHIP TEAM CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER CITY COUNCIL AND DEPARTMENT HEAD 1995 - LEADERSHIP AND GOAL SETTING WORKSHOP I PRIMARY OBJECTIVES 1) To review and build on results of the management team's Leadership Development Workshop 2) To enhance communication and develop renewed team spirit among participants 3) To develop consensus on major issues and opportunities facing the city 4) To develop an Updated Goals Program for the city 5) To review and clarify roles of the city's leadership team 6) To be an education and enjoyable experience 7) Other II FORMAT OF THE WORKSHOP The sessions will include a mixture of lecturettes, group participation and discussion, and individual activities Seating Arrangements: Tables (preferably round), seating five participants per table Audio- visual Needs: Two large, standing, metal easels and pads for the easels III TIMING AND LOCATION Timing: To be determined - either March 20th or April 17th Location: To be determined IV PARTICIPANT MATERIALS Each participant will receive a comprehensive outline and related supplemental materials. V INVESTMENT Pre - Workshop Planning and Preparation $400 On -Site Workshop $800 Post- Workshop Report Writing $400 Additional expenses incurred with the engagement such as duplication of materials, easel pads, etc. CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER CITY COUNCIL AND DEPARTMENT HEAD 1995 - LEADERSHIP AND GOAL SETTING WORKSHOP TENTATIVE AGENDA 5:30 - 6:00 BOX DINNERS 6:00 - 6:05 OPENING REMARKS - CITY MANAGER 6:05 - 7:00 SESSION 1 - "INTRODUCTION -THE CHALLENGE BEFORE US - REVIEW OF THE MANAGEMENT TEAM'S WORKSHOP" 7:00 - 7:15 BREAK 7:15 - 8:20 SESSION 2 - "IDENTIFYING MAJOR ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES FACING THE CITY" 8:20 - 8:30 BREAK 8:30 - 9:15 SESSION 3 -"RE-EXAMINING AND CLARIFYING ROLES" 9:15 - 9:30 SUMMARY AND CLOSING COMMENTS