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Home My WebLink About2020 01-13 CCM Work SessionMINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL/ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPIN AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA WORK SESSION JANUARY 13, 2020 CITY HALL — COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER The Brooklyn Center City Council/Economic Development Authority (EDA) met in Work Session called to order by Mayor/President Mike Elliott at 9:07 p.m. L31T�hCN:\0l 61 Mayor/President Mike Elliott and Councilmembers/Commissioners Marquita Butler, April Graves, Kris Lawrence -Anderson, and Dan Ryan. Also present were City Manager Curt Boganey, Deputy City Manager Reggie Edwards, Community Development Director Meg Beekman, City Engineer Doran Cote, City Clerk Barb Suciu, and City Attorney Troy Gilchrist. FREEWAY PARK — MOUND CEMETERY MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING City Engineer Doran Cote reviewed a proposed Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Brooklyn Center and the Mound Cemetery Association. He added the City entered into a 75-year lease for a 4-acre portion of Mound Cemetery in 1971 for use as a park. The Cemetery Association, after discussions with City Staff, is requesting that the lease be vacated, and property transitioned back to Mound Cemetery. City Staff was concerned about the importance of maintaining a City park, and a consulting firm, ISG Landscaping, was retained to assist with this issue. Mr. Cote stated an Open House was held in February 2019 during a Park and Recreation Commission meeting at West Palmer Lake Park. He added ISG consultants presented three options for consideration, and the Park and Recreation Commission recommended Option 1. He noted the potential park plan in Option 1 is a future 1-acre parcel with open space, trail adjustment, and a landscape barrier between the park and the cemetery. Mr. Cote stated Option 2 was a 2-acre park with larger open space, and Option 3 included a joint -use facility building to be shared by the cemetery and the park. Mr. Cote stated City Staff met with the Mound Cemetery Association, and they agreed to donate 1 acre for Option 1. He added City Staff had prepared a Memorandum of Understanding related to this agreement, with terms for the donation of 1 acre, with retention of the current ballpark and trail. With the formal lease termination, the City is free to re -name the park subject to City Council/EDA approval. The City would pay all costs associated with the donation and would 01/13/20 -1- construct a fence between the City -owned park and the cemetery that would be maintained by the Cemetery Association. The City would restore the land formerly used as a park back to its original state for use by the Cemetery Association. Mr. Cote requested City Council/EDA feedback and comment on this issue. Councilmember/Commissioner Graves asked whether the ballfield is a baseball diamond. Mr. Cote stated it is a baseball diamond, but there is no programming in the park. He added space is used for practice and play, and open space activities. He said the open space is too small for a full soccer field. Mayor/President Elliott stated he supports the inclusion of open space for multi -use activities. Councilmember/Commissioner Graves agreed, adding she supports Option 1. Councilmember/Commissioner Lawrence -Anderson agreed, noting there are other parks nearby, including West Palmer Park, Willow Lane Park, and Centennial Park. City Manager Curt Boganey stated, regarding Option 1, the agreement with the Cemetery Association is not related to the type of recreational uses in the proposed design, but rather the Association's acceptance of the amount of land that would be preserved for City use. A representative of the Mound Cemetery Association, a volunteer board dedicated to meeting the needs of grieving families as well as providing end of life services, stated the cemetery has had a good relationship with the City and hopes to continue to work together. He added the Association supports Option 1. Mayor/President Elliott stressed the importance of considering the types of activities that will go into the park, and to look at options for multi -use spaces. Mr. Boganey stated there had been in discussions with the ISG consultant regarding the best uses for the park space. He added the design for Option 1 was the result of quite a bit of deliberation. Mr. Boganey stated City Staff would prepare the MOU for formal adoption by the City Council/EDA at an upcoming meeting. CURBSIDE RESIDENTIAL ORGANICS RECYCLING OPTIONS Tim Pratt, Brooklyn Park Recycling Manager, reviewed a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA), administered by the Hennepin Recycling Group (HRG), of which he is the Administrator. He added a recent Ordinance passed by Hennepin County requires that cities will provide residents with the opportunity to have curbside organic materials recycling by January 2022. He noted organic materials are items that are not appropriate for backyard composting, and for which there 01/13/20 -2- are abundant local markets for the production of anaerobic digestion which produces and harvests methane. Mr. Pratt stated two program models, organized collection and open market, are under consideration. He added organized collection, similar to traditional recycling, which is provided for all residents and can involve a patented blue bag that is placed in a trash container for collecting and delivery to a composting facility. He noted open market requires residents to contract with a service individually for their organics recycling. Mr. Pratt stated the HRG Board is recommending an update of licensing requirements that will require haulers to offer organics recycling, which would take less staff time and fewer resources. He added the Board proposes reducing the cost of the first year of service through the use of funding from the Hennepin County Organics Recycling Fund. He noted the cities of New Hope and Crystal are amenable to this proposal, and if Brooklyn Center City Council/EDA agrees, the HRG Board will move forward with updating definitions and hauling license applications. Mayor/President Elliott asked how much the first year of service will cost, with financial assistance from the Hennepin County Recycling Fund. Mr. Pratt stated it would depend upon the number of residents that receive the funding. He added the annual fee for organics recycling is $69.95. Councilmember/Commissioner Ryan asked whether residents would have the option to subscribe to organics recycling that is offered by their hauler. Mr. Pratt confirmed this. Councilmember/Commissioner Lawrence -Anderson stated she supports the open enrollment option, where organic recycling should be encouraged, but not mandated for residents to comply. She noted she would support a requirement that all garbage haulers must offer organics recycling to their customers. Mayor/President Elliott asked whether the City mandates recycling. Mr. Pratt stated traditional recycling is a State requirement, but residents are not required to participate. He added the rate of participation for traditional recycling is approximately 90%. Mayor/President Elliott asked whether any of Brooklyn Center's haulers can offer organics recycling. Mr. Pratt stated Randy's Sanitation is the only hauler offering the service, although the HRG Board has had discussions with other haulers as well. He added many haulers have commercial recycling, but residential organics recycling would be a new facet to their business. Mayor/President Elliott asked whether there will be accommodations or grant opportunities for residents who want to do organics recycling but can't afford it. Mr. Pratt stated the County has a free drop-off location, and the Board has discussed adding more drop-off locations but decided not to pursue that possibility. Councilmember/Commissioner Graves expressed interest in the anaerobic digestion process that produces methane. Mr. Pratt stated a request for qualifications for this method was submitted to Hennepin County but was not considered due to the high costs of owning and operating such a facility. O1/13/20 -3- Mayor/President Elliott stated there is an economic component to this agreement. He requested consideration of ways to provide financial support for this environmentally friendly program for residents who want to participate but are not able to afford it. Councilmember/Commissioner Lawrence -Anderson stated she fully supports the open enrollment option and asked why the recycling hauler would not coordinate organics recycling. Mr. Pratt said Brooklyn Center's traditional recycling is a City-wide contract, which would have to be amended. Mr. Boganey stated no action is required on this item. He added City Staff would prepare changes to the current Ordinance for presentation to the City Council/EDA at an upcoming meeting, to put this change into effect. Mayor/President Elliott stated the remaining Work Session Agenda items should be tabled to another meeting due to the late hour. Councilmember/Commissioner Lawrence -Anderson requested that the group that has been waiting should be first on the agenda for the next Work Session. ADJOURNMENT Councilmember/Commissioner Graves moved, and Councilmember/Commissioner Lawrence - Anderson seconded adjournment of the City Council/Economic Development Authority Work Session at-10:00 p.m. Motion passed unanimously. 01/13/20 -4- STATE OF MINNESOTA) COUNTY OF HENNEPIN) ss. Certification of Minutes CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER) The undersigned, being the duly qualified and appointed City Clerk of the City of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, certifies: That attached hereto is a full, true, and complete transcript of the minutes of a Work Session of the City Council of the City of Brooklyn Center held on January 13, 2020. 2. That said meeting was held pursuant to due call and notice thereof and was duly held at Brooklyn Center City Hall. 3. That the City Council adopted said minutes at its January 27, 2020, Regular Session. Barbara Suciu, City Clerk () i/ T--'�fike Elliott, Mayor O1/13/20 -5-