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02-25-13 Reg Mtg MinCITY OF SHOREWOOD 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING COUNCIL CHAMBERS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013 7:00 P.M. MINUTES 1. CONVENE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING Mayor Zerby called the meeting to order at 7:01 P.M. A. Roll Call Present. Mayor Zerby; Councilmembers Hotvet, Siakel, and Sundberg; Attorney Keane; Finance Director DeJong; Planning Director Nielsen; Director of Public Works Brown; and, Interim City Engineer Hornby Absent: Councilmember Woodruff, Administrator Joynes B. Review Agenda Sundberg moved, Siakel seconded, approving the agenda as presented. Motion passed 4/0. ,,W.1, A. City Council Work Session Minutes, February 11, 2013 Siakel moved, Hotvet seconded, Approving the City Council Work Session Minutes of February 11, 2013, as presented. Motion passed 4/0. B. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes, February 11, 2013 Siakel moved, Sundberg seconded, Approving the City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of February 11, 2013, as presented. Motion passed 4/0 MENINEW11M 01 Lim Z "010 1171 Mayor Zerby reviewed the items on the Consent Agenda. Siakel moved, Hotvet seconded, Approving the Motions Contained on the Consent Agenda. A. Approval of the Verified Claims List B. Shorewood Yacht Club Multiple Dock Facility License Motion passed 4/0. 4. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR There were no matters from the floor presented this evening. CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES February 25, 2013 Page 2 of 13 5. PUBLIC FEARING C. Consideration of Watermain Assessment and Authorize Plans and Specifications for the Valleywood Lane / Valleywood Circle Improvement Project, City Project 13 -01 Mayor Zerby opened the Public Hearing at 7:04 P.M. Interim Engineer Hornby noted the meeting packet contains a copy of a memorandum authored by him regarding the Valleywood Circle and Valleywood Lane Improvement Project. The packet also includes: an Executive Summary of the Feasibility Report for the Project which Council accepted during its January 28, 2013, meeting; the improvement presentation provided at the two resident workshops; a summary of the discussion during both workshops; a copy of the survey information about the possible extension of municipal watermain in conjunction with the Project that Council asked be conducted (a similar survey was conducted in October or November of 201.2); copies of additional correspondence from residents; a copy of resolution with several options ordering the improvement for Council to consider; and, a list of the properties that would be assessed for the watermain extension portion of the project should Council decide to move forward with that. He asked Council if it had any questions about any of the information included in the packet. Hornby explained the total cost for the street improvements total $743,284. Of that: $587,944 would be paid out of the Street Improvement Fund; $131,802 out of the Storm Water Fund; and, $23,538 out of the Sanitary Sewer Fund. The total cost for the watermain extension portion of the project is $148,129. Each of the thirteen benefitting properties would be assessed an estimated amount of $11,395. Hornby noted the watermain extension improvements described in the Feasibility Report are necessary, cost effective and feasible and will result in benefit to the properties proposed to be assessed should Council decide to order the watermain extension as part of the Project. Hornby displayed a copy of the Project schedule. It is the same as the schedule presented during the January 28th Council meeting. He stated the plan is to have another resident workshop midway through the design of the project to review preliminary design findings and answer general construction questions. The goal is to present the plans and specifications to the Council during its March 25 "' meeting. Hornby explained the street is proposed to be designed according to the City's standard. It would be bituminous pavement with an aggregate base and sand sub -base. It would be 14.33 feet from the center of the Valleywood Lane to the back of the curb from Eureka Road just past where Valleywood Lane intersects with Valleywood Circle. It is proposed to be the same for Valleywood Circle. The portion of the Valleywood Lane west of Valleywood Circle would be widened to a uniform 20 foot width from back of curb to back of curb for approximately 325 feet. As stated in the Feasibility Report, watermain would be extended. from Eureka Road along Valleywood Lane to the west end. Service stubs would be also be provided for the lots in the out -lot area. Watermain is proposed to go through the island area on Valleywood Circle. There would be a loop to avoid disturbance of the vegetation in the island area. Homby stated after the resident workshop there was correspondence about a rural roadway, noting that is not a Shorewood standard. He displayed a graphic of the characteristics of a rural roadway. He explained it would have a 24- foot -wide surface with a three- foot -wide aggregate shoulder to protect the edge of the pavement. With a rural roadway two -foot ditches would be graded in to convey stormwater runoff away from the roadway to a point where it could flow into the wetlands on either side of the roadway. Mayor Zerby opened the Public Testimony portion of the Public Hearing at 7:13 P.M. CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES February 25, 2013 Page 3 of 13 Mayor Zerby reiterated the City has hosted two resident workshops and that there has been quite a bit of correspondence through email and mail. He thanked the property owners for showing up at the workshops and providing their perspectives, and for coming this evening. Kerry Johl, 5490 Valleywood Circle, stated with regard to the proposed roadway width for Valleywood Circle she preferred to keep the width to a minimum as do some of the other property owners. She noted that she appreciates the need for emergency vehicles to be able to traverse the roadway. But, she has lived there for more than 20 years and she has not found that to be a problem to date. She asked Council to consider minimizing as much as possible the width of the roadway so the green space in the island area can be maintained. She stated the children who live in the area use the island area for a play area. The green space is valuable to those who live in the area. She asked that it be preserved. Pete Davis, 5495 Valleywood Circle, stated he thought the cost to do the Project is way too high. He noted the property owners have suggested an alternative to keep the costs down. If that were done the City would be able to use some of the funds allocated for this Project on other areas that need improvements more. He stated the alternative as presented is pretty much not what the property owners want. Todd White, 25725 ValleMood Lane, stated he did not think the width of the roadway needs to be widened. He noted that he is completely against installing what is being called curb and gutter. He stated he has been driving around the City a long time and from his perspective there are numerous roadways that need improvements more. He then stated that although he is not an engineer, from his perspective the roadway is not in dire need of repair. He noted that residents from thirteen houses drive down it. He commented that maybe the roadway would come up again in a year or two for consideration for improvements. He stated from his perspective the roadway does not need to be repaired this year. He then stated if the roadway is going to be repaired he agreed it would make sense that everything involved with repairing a roadway be done (e.g., water). Angel Erickson, 5425 Valleywood Circle, stated she has lived in her home for nineteen years. She noted what drew her and her husband to the area was the space. She stated all of the properties in the area have hills on the front and the back of them. There is no place for children to, for example, toss a football around other than the island area. She noted they have two children who attend school in the Minnetonka School District. She expressed concern about the cost. She stated if the City is concerned about the impact on the roadway she suggested limiting the number of refuse haulers. She stated she is currently on disability and if her property were to be assessed for the watermain extension that could be the final thing to force her and her family out of their home. Mayor Zerby asked three times if there were any other members of the public who wanted to comment on the Project. Mayor Zerby closed the Public Testimony portion of the Public Hearing at 7:20 P.M. Mayor Zerby read some text included in the Staff memorandum. It is as follows. Options: The City Council has previously accepted the Feasibility Report and can order the improvement as defined in the report or reduce, but not increase the extent of the improvement as stated in the notice of hearing. CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES February 25, 2013 Page 4 of 13 City Council may want to consider the following in ordering the public improvements: 1. Order the improvements as stated in the Feasibility Report. 2. Order the improvements as stated in the Feasibility Report, except for the watermain improvements. 3. Order the improvements as stated in the Feasibility Report, except for the watermain improvements and adjusting the roadway width(s) other than the proposed City standard as: a. Reduce Valleywood Lane to 26 feet (back to back of curb) similar in width to Meadowview Lane between Eureka Road and Valleywood Circle. b. Reduce the width of Valleywood Circle through the turnaround lane to 22 feet with the remainder of the width to be the same as Valleywood Lane. c. Other considerations of the Council. 4. Continue the Public Hearing to a later date S. Take no action at this time (Council has 6 months after the date of public hearing to adopt the Resolution ordering the improvement). Zerby stated he thought it prudent for the members of the audience and the public to know that Council has a number of options to choose from. Councilmember Sundberg asked Staff if it has had a chance to review the proposal Council and Staff received from the property owners. Interim Engineer Hornby stated that proposal would be doable. Interim Engineer Hornby explained that one advantage with a rural section roadway is there would not be any storm sewer installed. There is no defined ditch along Valleywood Lane today. There is a shallow depression on the south side of the roadway. If a rural section were built a ditch would also be created to move the stormwater away from the roadway and the subgrade next to the roadway. If the stormwater sat stagnant along the roadway it would eventually cause deterioration of the roadway. There also would need to be a longitudinal grade in order to get the stormwater to where it should go. When the curb alternative and the ditch alternative are compared, the curb would be located at the edge of where a ditch would go. More area would likely be disturbed if ditches were put in. He commented property owners are currently maintaining the right -of -way (ROW) as part of their front yard. He explained if there is not the longitudinal grade needed for the stormwater to flow to a low point, rain gardens could possibly be created. The stormwater would sit in the gardens until it is absorbed by the ground. It would provide some amount of filtration. Councilmember Sundberg stated if the City does nothing she asked how many years it would take for the roadways to deteriorate down to the next level. Interim. Engineer Homby explained the roadways will continue to deteriorate to the point where it is not prudent for the City to perform periodic maintenance (e.g., patching and sealcoating). He then explained when the City updates its 20 -Year Pavement Management Plan (PMP) an attempt is made to assess how far down a roadway has deteriorated. It is then placed in the schedule at a place where improvements can be accommodated by the Capital Improvement Program budget. He noted that when a roadway continually requires a lot of patching it will not be sealcoated anymore. It starts to cost the City more to maintain it over time than it would to reconstruct it. Councilmember Sundberg asked if heavily used roadways are rated differently than lesser used roadways. Interim Engineer Hormy stated traffic volume is not typically factored into the rating. It is the condition that factors into the rating. CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES February 25, 2013 Page 5 of 13 Interim Engineer Homby explained that when the PMP is prepared it is best to work from the interior roadways outward. That is to try a avoid driving a heavy construction truck on a roadway that was reconstructed two years ago in order to get to a roadway that is in the interior street system. He noted that in the City's PMP once a roadway is rated less than four it is included in the schedule for reconstruction where it makes the most sense. He stated Staff understands the two roadways are lesser traveled ones and that there may be other roadways that are in worse shape. But, the two roadways are interior roadways and those are the ones that scheduled for reconstruction first. Director Brown explained the City stated rating its roadway system back in 2005. The ratings of Valleywood Lane and Valleywood Circle have hovered around a three or four for a number of years. Brand new pavement is rated a ten and it does not take much to maintain it. It deteriorates fairly slowly. After a roadway has deteriorated to a rating of three or four its rate of deterioration speeds up. Stormwater starts to pond on the roadway's surface and that starts to create larger potholes. If the City keeps patching that it extends the life of the roadway a little longer. That can't always be done and if it is it costs the City more. Valleywood Lane and Valleywood Circle are going to deteriorate more rapidly than in the past because of their condition. Councilmember Sundberg stated if Council decides not to extend watermain as part of this project she asked how far out it would preclude future property owners from being able to have access to municipal water in that area. Director Brown explained traditionally engineers metro wide say a roadway has a service life of 20 years. He noted the majority of the roadways in the City were constructed between 1970 and 1972 when the sanitary sewer system was installed. Many have well exceeded their expected service life. That is in part because some of the roads are not heavily traveled. He stated deterioration actually accounts for traffic volumes. Councilmember Siakel stated it does not seem like watermain extension is a feasible option for many property owners who would benefit from that extension. She noted there are options that can be pursued in the future. She recommended not moving forward with watermain extension at this time. She stated she thought it prudent to have more discussion about the roadway improvements. She noted she has two concerns regarding the roadways — safety and the environment. She stated although there has not been a major emergency in the area yet there is a possibility that there could be and the City has a responsibility to ensure an emergency vehicle can travel down the roadway easily. She asked how wide the roadway would have to be to accommodate a fire truck and a City snowplow truck. Director Brown explained for this length of roadway the absolute minimum is a 20 foot wide driving surface (the black asphalt) and the edge control (curb and gutter) is in addition. to that. Brown noted that he does not recommend that for the main portion of Valleywood Circle. Councilmember Siakel stated she understands the roadway around the island area to be the main concern for the property owners. Brown explained to meet fire access requirements that section of the roadway does need to have a 20- foot -wide driving surface. Brown noted that could be narrowed a little if that circular roadway were to be designated one -way. He expressed concern that although the roadway could be designated one -way it is unlikely it would be used as a one -way. Therefore, he cautions against designating it as a one -way roadway. It needs to have a 20- foot -wide driving surface. He noted there is a section of public ROW that is being used as a private driveway; a use approved by a council some time ago. He recommended that area be a 20 -foot- wide roadway to meet fire code. Mr. White asked if he could ask a question. Mayor Zerby responded that although the Public Testimony period has been closed he will give him an opportunity in a short while. CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES February 25, 2013 Page G of 13 Councilmember Hotvet thanked the residents for being engaged in this project and for attending the workshops and this meeting. She noted that she understands what it is like to be heard as a resident. She stated based on feedback from the property owners she agrees that the City should forego watermain extension as part of this project. Mr. White stated during the three years he has lived along Valleywood Lane he has not seen a lot of maintenance being done to that roadway in his area. He then stated the roadway should be connected to doing some of the things the City has in its plans. Therefore, the decision is not to do part of what's in the plans, it is about doing all of it. He went on to state the residents in that area do not need a new roadway at this time. He noted that to make the roadway 20 feet wide or 25 feet wide would take land away from all of the property owners. He stated that drivers don't appear to have a problem driving by another vehicle on a day -to -day basis. It appears that Public Works personnel don't have a problem plowing the roadway. The snowplow trucks haven't hit his mail box. Mayor Zerby stated the City has received a petition from Sue Davis on behalf of the Valleywood Family Neighbors summarizing the scope of the roadway improvements the neighbors feel are necessary to rebuild the roadway. He asked Staff to speak to the pros and cons of their proposal. Interim Engineer Homby stated it's his understanding that the property owners are proposing a 24 -foot- wide rural section roadway for most of Valleywood Lane. It would be a 24- foot -wide paved surface without any edge control (i.e., curb and gutter). He noted there would have to be ditches to convey stormwater on either side. Hornby then explained when there is a 50- foot -wide ROW it becomes more difficult to create a ditch that meets design guidelines on either side of the narrow ROW. He stated there may be an opportunity to have a combined urban and rural roadway. Curb and gutter would be constructed. only where it is truly needed. He noted the Davis' have indicated that they would allow a rain garden (which they will maintain) to be installed on the back of their property as well as a drainage ditch along the south property line (if necessary). He stated if there is no edge control there needs to be something to protect the edge of the roadway. Refuse and recycling haulers drive along that edge to pick up and empty the bins. A shoulder would help protect the edge as would curb and gutter or a ribbon curb. He explained a ribbon curb is a flat concrete piece that serves as a shoulder that stormwater can run over the top of. He stated his concern with a rural section roadway is how to convey the stormwater away from the roadway and convey it longitudinally alongside of the roadway to the low points and then on to the discharge point. A ditch is how that is done. He noted a rural section roadway is a good alternative to consider. He also noted that the City does not have a design standard for a rural section roadway. Mayor Zerby expressed his appreciation to the residents for their working with the City on this. He stated the project area is a unique part of the City. That warrants the attention this is getting from the residents and Council. He stated he would prefer the City support the residents' proposal to keep the roadway a minimum width. He then stated it is Council's responsibility to have a long -term vision of the roadway system and the City. Keeping the roadway the same may work for now, but Council owes it to current and future property owners in that area to have a safe and properly maintained roadway. He went on to state he does think watermain extension is off of the table. He noted that he personally would like to see more people connected to the City's water system. He stated he thought the price to do so is reasonable considering the escalating cost of private wells. He clarified the property assessment for watermain extension does not have to be paid in one lump sum. There is low -rate financing available from the City to pay it over a number of years. CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES February 25, 2013 Page 7 of 13 Councilmember Siakel asked if the roadway width along the circular portion of Valleywood Circle could be 22 feet. She then asked if it has to be posted as one -way if it is only 22 feet wide. Director Brown responded it would not have to be one -way. Mayor Zerby stated the petition from the residents specified they would like the width of Valleywood Circle to be a maximum width of 20 feet and 24 feet for Valleywood Lane. A member of the audience stated she would prefer to designate the circular portion of Valleywood Circle one -way if that would minimize the width of that portion of the roadway. She thought the five households along that section of the roadway could adhere to one -way. Another member of the audience stated it is very rare that emergency vehicles come to that area. In response to a question from Councilmember Siakel, Director Brown explained it is possible to have the maximum width of 20 feet for Valleywood Circle. Councilmember Sundberg agreed watermain extension is off the table. She asked if Staff and the property owners could continue discussions about the roadway issues. She stated she is not comfortable making a decision on roadway specifies this evening. She then stated because there are so few properties along the circular potion of Valleywood Circle, she thought designating it one -way would be workable. Mayor Zerby stated he has served on police and fire boards and he always has a worst case emergency incident in the back of his mind. He does not want to have a resident asking him why something serious happened when it happened because an emergency vehicle could not get to where it needed to quick enough. He commented that a roadway's width does change because of snow storage. He noted that he has seen that affect an emergency response and cause serious repercussions. Interim Engineer Hornby clarified the only reason for having this Public Hearing is for the potential extension of watermain which is assessable. He explained if Council decides to forego watermain extension it can close the Public Hearing and continue the roadway improvement portion of the discussion to a future meeting. Staff could identify other options with pros and cons and discuss them in a workshop. He noted that doing that additional work is not in the scope of work for the engineering consultant. There would be an additional cost. Councilmember Hotvet stated she thought reworking some options is a prudent thing to do. There was Council consensus to forego extending watermain in conjunction with roadway improvements to Valleywood Circle and Valleywood Lane. There was also consensus to have Staff to identify other roadway improvement options along with the pros and cons. Mayor Zerby closed the Public Hearing at 7:47 P.M. 6. DEPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS A. Presentation on Watershed. Association Initiative program by Alex Gehrig Alex Gehrig, with the Freshwater Society, stated he is present this evening because Councilmember Hotvet saw something about a program he manages on the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District's (MCWD) website. She had written the administrator at the MCWD a note, so he decided to contact CI'T'Y OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES February 25, 2013 Page 8 of 13 Hotvet. After discussion they decided it would be beneficial for him to come and tell Council about what he is doing in the MCWD community and more specifically in this area. Mr. Gehrig explained the Freshwater Society (the Society) is a non- profit organization. The Society used to do scientific, water quality analysis. Currently its focus is more about engaging with residents on non - point source pollution on water quality. It's the pollution that cannot be regulated by the Clean Water Act. The Society is very concerned about what land owners can to do protect water quality. The Society puts on a road salt symposium where it talks about chlorides and how they get into the water. It publishes best management practices (BMPs) dealing with winter management. It's engaging with the agricultural community in Rice County and Martin County looking for ways to get BMPs out in the field. Mr. Gehrig then explained that as an employee of the Society he has a contract with the MCWD to manage the Watershed Association Initiative (WAI). The WAI has been going on for about seven years. It originally started as a partnership with Minnesota Waters, another organization he worked for, which was dissolved last spring. The WAI made a seamless transition to the Society. The WAI is essentially about building capacity of citizen groups to take positive action on behalf of water resources. Education is a component of what he does, but his central theme is building capacity. He is mandated to help build new associations such as lake associations, homeowners associations and creek groups. The WAI provides resources for those groups that are just starting up. There is some grant funding available to get the groups going. He does a lot of program planning with groups. As a facilitator he helps groups put together an action plan that looks at the group's resources and interests and develops something that allows a group to take action on behalf of their local water resources. He noted that he is a conduit to develop connections between groups as well as between groups and local government, watershed districts, and state agencies as a group starts to develop. Mr. Gehrig stated workshops are a part of what he does. There are about four each year. He works with residents to ask them what they would like to hear about. He then stated on March 6t" there will be a forum called Rundown on Runoff which will be about the history of stormwater runoff and the role local municipalities play in managing that. A woman from the MCWD will lead that discussion. Some of the other topics that have been discussed include Zebra mussels, shoreline landscaping, and what lake and river impairments mean. Mr. Gehrig explained that once a year he conducts a big networking event called the Metro Summit for Lake and River Groups. The last one was held during November 2012. He noted that Mayor Zerby attended that Summit. He stated the event includes dinner and a concerted effort is made to promote connections. It's also an opportunity to get some great information. Mr. Gehrig stated he has facilitated lake management planning for a few groups. That is a more intensive process. It is about identifying what a group's resources are and what actions the group intends to take. There are grant monies available. Mr. Gehrig noted there are 15 -20 groups in the MCWD. The individual groups want to find a common larger voice to help guide legislation. Therefore, they are developing coalitions. A Minnehaha Creek Waters Coalition was formed consisting of more than nine lake associations and one creek association. Representatives from each group meet to talk about what they have in common and to come up with an action plan to deal with what they see as challenges. The Minnehaha Creek Waters Coalition is particularly interested in aquatic invasive species (AIS). Mr. Gehrig stated within Shorewood he works with some people from the Christmas Lake area. He noted Joe Schneider is the president of the Minnehaha Creek Waters Coalition. He stated he met with owners of CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES February 25, 2013 Page 9 of 13 properties that front Lake Mary about a year ago. Those property owners had concerns about plant growth in the Lake and were interested in fish stocking with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. He has had conversations with owners of properties that front Lake William. He started talking with them in 2010 but has not spoken with them for a while. Mr. Gehrig displayed a map showing the locations of the lake and river groups in the MCWD area. He noted there are 120 lakes located in the MCWD. He stated the MCWD and the Freshwater Society both really appreciate and understand the role residents play in managing water resources. There is no way to do that without engaging them. He stated he works throughout the State of Minnesota and there are not a lot of watershed organizations that are as proactive as the MCWD. He explained when residents are engaged in the right way the resources to build their capacity can do some wonderful things. For example, the Friends of Diamond Lake in south Minneapolis got $225,000 to implement some BMPs for stormwater management. The Wassermann Lake Association near the City of Victoria is in a positive relationship with its local city about lakeside development issues. Citizens for the Minnehaha Creek Corridor are working with the MCWD to add amenities to the Creek so people know where the accesses are and to let them know where they are in the Creek. Councilmember Sundberg asked Mr. Gehrig if his focus is more on lakes and creeks than on wetlands. Mr. Gehrig stated his focus ends up being wherever he can find interested parties that want to move forward. They tend to be on the more attractive waterways with higher priced property values. He noted that Diamond Lake is located near the intersection of Highway 35W and Highway 62; it is essentially a wetland that is seven feet deep. Councilmember Hotvet noted there have been several issues with the smaller lakes in Shorewood and getting people what they need. She suggested putting Mr. Gehrig's contact information and some of the slides from his presentation on the City's website. That may help lakefront property owners on smaller lakes feel they have some tools available to them. Mayor Zerby thanked Mr. Gehrig for coming this evening. 7. PARKS A. Report on the February 12, 2013, Park Commission Meeting Director Nielsen reported on matters considered and actions taken at the February 12, 2013, Park Commission meeting (as detailed in the minutes of that meeting). Councilmember Siakel stated during the meeting there was discussion about possibly having community gardens in Freeman Park. She explained properties in the Shorewood Ponds development abut Freeman Park. She stated she thought it would be nice to offer residents in the Ponds better access to community gardens. 8. PLANNING A. Smithtown Road (West) Trail Update by Steve Gurney and Penny Rolf with WSB & Associates Director Nielsen explained Staff and representatives from WSB & Associates have met numerous times to update the schedule for the Smithtown Road (west) Trail / Sidewalk Project. The Feasibility Report for the project contained a copy of what was called a milestone schedule. The meeting packet contains a copy CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES February 25, 2013 Page 10 of 13 of an updated schedule which includes activities associated with certain milestones. It also indicates when there is action required by Council. Two additional neighborhood meetings that will be held Minnewashta Elementary School were added to the schedule. One is scheduled for March 13t" and the other is scheduled for May 21St. Two celebratory events were added to the schedule pending Council's approval — a ground breaking ceremony on June l Oth and a ribbon cutting ceremony on November 1 St Nielsen noted Staff has met with Michael Condon (the Supervisor for Buildings and Grounds for the Minnetonka School District) and Cindy Andress (the Principal of the Minnewashta Elementary School) to discuss the impacts of construction. Hopefully they can be avoided by constructing during the summer months. He explained should construction have to continue into the 2013 school year they discussed the possibility of compressing the daily construction schedule to avoid the morning and afternoon rushes. Nielsen stated Steve Gurney and Penny Rolf, both with WSB, are present this evening. Mr. Gurney to address questions related to the engineering aspects of the project. Ms. Rolf to answer questions related to the easement / right -of -way (ROW) acquisition process. Councilmember Hotvet thanked Director Nielsen and representatives from WSB for updating the timeline. She stated she was pleased the schedule includes more public involvement and the two celebratory events. Director Nielsen explained there are only eight easements that have to be acquired by the City. It was originally anticipated there would be thirteen to fifteen of them. Because of either prescriptive rights the City already has or because of engineering approaches the number was reduced. Councilmember Hotvet asked if those are still being negotiated with property owners. Nielsen explained that last week WSB sent out two letters. One let people know the survey crews would be out this week and informing property owners a meeting will be schedule them this week to explain how their property would be impacted. The second letter was sent to those property owners who received the early notification letter about easement / ROW acquisitions where that will not be needed. Copies of each letter are included in the meeting packet. Attorney Keane stated during the meeting with Minnewashta Elementary School leadership, they made it clear they preferred the project be completed in 2013, noting that he heard that from Director Nielsen. In response to a comment from Mayor Zerby, Ms. Rolf explained the staking of the properties will occur on February 27t", a day before meetings with property owners on February 28t" or March 1St. She noted that the longer the stakes are out the more chance there is that they will disappear. Mayor Zerby stated the City and he personally have received a lot of feedback from residents about landscaping. He suggested City representatives be able to explain what the City's tree policy is and have pictures of trees residents could select from. Director Nielsen stated the City's policy has been not to replace trees that are located in City ROW. He asked Council if it is its intent to replace those trees that have to be removed. Mayor Zerby stated he would like to have the City make that effort if possible. Councilmember Siakel stated in 2012 the City participated in the City of Minnetonka's tree purchase program. She asked if there is something the City can do for this project. Director Nielsen stated if Minnetonka is offering that program this year he assumed the City would participate in again. CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES February 25, 2013 Page 11 of 13 Mayor Zerby acknowledged he liked the addition of the celebratory events. He thanked Staff and WSB representatives for revising the project schedule. Director Nielsen noted that at the dais this evening Council was provided a copy of a corrected resolution for consideration. The date in Item 7 was changed to July 31, 2013, to make it consistent with the project schedule and a typo was corrected. Sundberg moved, Hotvet seconded, Adopting RESOLUTION NO. 13 -015, "A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Shorewood Authorizing Acquisition of Real Property in Accordance with Minn. State. § 117.042, Smithtown Road Trail / Sidewalk Project." Motion passed 4/0. Director Nielsen noted that it was Attorney Keane's suggestion to add two more neighborhood meetings to the project schedule. None. 10. GENERAL, /NEW BUSINESS A. Park Commission Appointments Mayor Zerby stated just prior to this meeting Council interviewed two applicants for vacancies on the Park Commission. Hotvet moved, Siakel seconded, Adopting RESOLUTION NO 13 -016 "A Resolution Making the Appointments of Steve Dietz (March 1, 2013 - February 29, 2016) and Linda Gooch Hartmann (March 1, 2013 - February 29, 2016) to the City of Shorewood Park Commission." Mayor Zerby stated the City is very fortunate to have such high caliber people offer to serve the public. He noted he is pleased to have these two individuals on the Park Commission. Motion passed 4/0. None. A. Administrator and Staff Councilmember Hotvet thanked Public Works personnel for keeping the running trail in the City cleared. Segments located in other municipalities are not. She also thanked them for keeping the streets plowed. Director Brown stated the crew is very dedicated to that task. Director DeJong stated good progress is being made on wrapping up the 2012 year -end financial activities. There should be good information available on that for the next Council meeting. He then stated the long -range financial information will be updated prior to the Council and staff retreat scheduled for March 23r`'. CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES February 25, 2413 Page 12 of 13 Mayor Zerby asked if there is anything to report on potentially new financial software. Director DeJong stated there has been one demonstration and a couple of others are scheduled. B. Mayor and City Council Councilmember Sundberg stated she attended the Southshore Sizzle event on February 23rd and she thought it was a great success. It was well attended and orchestrated. There was a nice mix of age groups and genders. Councilmember Siakel stated on February 13th she attended an orientation session conducted by Excelsior Fire District (EFD) Chief Gerber for new EFD Board members on February 13d'. It included an overview of the Excelsior Fire District and a tour of Station 1. Mayor Zerby echoed Councilmember Sundberg's comments about the Southshore Sizzle. He noted the Mayor of Deephaven attended the event. He stated it was nice that local restaurants participated in the event. Mayor Zerby stated on February 191x' he attended a Lake Minnetonka mayors meeting hosted by Hennepin County Commissioner Jan Callison. He learned that the City of Wayzata's Lake Affect initiative is moving forward. One of Wayzata's projects is to work with other cities to create a loop of trails around the Lake. He asked staff if it would research possible ways Shorewood could support such an effort. He also learned the City of Orono has started to experiment with pre - treating its roadways with brine before inclement weather hits. Orono's experience with that has been good and it was relatively inexpensive to test. He encouraged the Public Works Department to consider doing that. He stated Hennepin County is doing that also. He then stated he is hearing more concerns about using salt (chloride) on roadways. He noted that chloride does not deteriorate once it gets into the lake. He asked Public Works persomlel to research how to reduce the amount of salt used during the winter months. Councilmember Siakel asked what the brine treatment is made of. Director Brown noted that the City of Deephaven started pre - treating its roadways about four years ago. He explained the recent focus has been to reduce the amount of chloride used on roadways for de- icing. The challenge is to minimize the amount while continuing to de -ice roadways. He stated he is often asked why the City plowed the roadways when there was not a snowfall of three or more inches. He explained most metro communities have a policy (forwarded by the League of Minnesota Insurance Trust) stating after two inches of snow the roadways need to be plowed to keep them safe. More often than not roadway conditions dictate when plows will be activated to put down de -icing products. Brown stated he recently had a conversation with Alex Gehrig from the Freshwater Institute about the fact that many agencies around Shorewood have switched to putting down pure salt products. They don't put down a salt -sand mixture. The City has continued to use a salt -sand mixture to minimize the amount of salt. He stated people started to hear about more chloride entering the receiving waters once agencies switched to pure chloride. He related that Mr. Gehrig indicated that agencies will likely have to go back to using a salt -sand mixture. Mayor Zerby stated the brine mixture was touted as a way to reduce the icing beneath the snow. CITY OF SHOREWOOD REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES February 25, 2013 Page 13 of 13 Director Brown noted that Hennepin County is using salt as well as magnesium chloride on its roadways. Magnesium chloride will stay active until moisture activates it. Before the last storm the County sprayed that on roadways the day before the storm. ICKI�11J -J Sundberg moved, Siakel seconded, Adjourning the City Council Regular Meeting of February 25, 2013, at 8:25 P.M. Motion passed 4/0. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, Christine Freeman, Recorder ,.. _..._.�..r�_.m_A.. Mr Scott Zcrby; May r • C��U..' Y `.f �(.d6i Y V6d`1t,1 =� Y „V Mean Panchyshyn, Cit Cle / /'r00//1