1990-06-11 Council workshop Air NoiseCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP - AIR NOISE
MINUTES, JUNE 11, 1990
The special air noise workshop meeting of the Mendota Heights City
Council was held on Monday, July 11, 1990, in the City Hall
Conference Room, 1101 Victoria Curve. Mayor Mertensotto called the
meeting to order at 8:05 o'clock P.M. The following Council
members were present: Mayor Mertensotto, Councilmembers Anderson,
Blesener, Cummins, and Hartmann. Staff members present were: City
Administrator Lawell, city Treasurer Shaughnessy, and
Administrative Assistant Batchelder. Also present were residents
Phyllis Miller, Mike Gannon, David Sloan and Ginny Dwyer, all
members of Mendota Heights' Citizens for Quieter Skies.
INTRODUCTIONS
City Administrator introduced the issues to be
discussed and conducted a round table introduction
for everyone. Lawell indentified the issues as the
Mendota Heights Corridor proposal being discussed
in MAC's Blue Ribbon Task Force, the MAC's recently
announced airport expansion plans, and the new
airport proposals.
CORRIDOR PROPOSAL
City Administrator Lawell described our corridor
proposal made to the Metropolitan Airport
Commission's subcommittee for noise issue, the
Metropolitan Airport Sound Abatement Council
(MASAC). Lawell described how the corridor test
proposal had been shifted from the MASAC forum to a
newly formed blue ribbon task force to consider the
proposal made by Mendota Heights. He stated that
the blue ribbon task force consisted of Eagan
officials, Mendota Heights officials, Nigel Finney
and Steve Vecchi of MAC, Metropolitan Council
officials, MPCA officials, Scott Bunin of MASAC and
officials of the FAA.
Lawell stated that three blue ribbon meetings had
been held. Lawell stated that the first meeting
consisted of organizing the process and groundrules
for the committee. Lawell stated the second
meeting was a presentation of data by the MAC and
that the third meeting was an opportunity for both
Mendota Heights and Eagan to present their
viewpoints. Lawell described the data presented by
the MAC as extensive, that it consisted of tapes of
over 150 hours of the control tower giving heading
assignments for departing aircraft. He stated this
data provided a distribution of use between the two
June 11, 1990
Page 3
airport. Lawell stated that the decision on the
expansion plans by MAC will be made this year. He
stated that the MAC would have to make a
recommendation to the state legislature on long
term capital improvements and that this would have
to include their expansion plans.
NEW AIRPORT
Mayor Mertensotto described the dual track
approach. Councilmember Anderson inquired if the
City of Mendota Heights had a formal policy
established on the question of moving the airport
to a new location. Mayor Mertensotto responded
that the City had endorsed the dual track approach
and that we are attempting to work within the
system to make MSP a more viable urban airport.
Mike Gannon inquired about the City's policy on
expansion of the current airport. Mayor
Mertensotto responded that the capacity at MSP will
have -to be expanded. He stated that maybe the
increases are too big of a detriment and that the
solution might be: not so much hubbing, not as
much corporate and military use, and that MSP may
have to live with its limitations. Councilmember
Cummins stated that the issues of two airports had
been looked at in the dual track approach study and
that everyone involved in that study had felt that
the concurrent operation of two airports was not
feasible. He stated that the MAC would need to
close the current airport and sell the land to pay
for the new airport.
Councilmember Anderson stated that he felt some
concern about the residential nature of Mendota
Heights being more important than the industrial
tax base. He stated that the industrial park could
be built before the airport move and that there
might be a painful transitional period but that new
tenants would come. He stated that we have many
locational advantages besides the airport for
economic development. Anderson stated that it is a
matter of ' economic tradeoffs. City Administrator
Lawell stated that Mendota Heights does have
locational advantages and good highway access which
would remain even if the airport were to move.
Councilmember Anderson stated that the airport can
not continue because of the limitations on the
size.
The dual track approach, Northwest Airlines
committment and the proposed maintenance base were
discussed. Councilmember Blesener inquired about
the timing of the dual track. City Administrator
June 11, 1990
Page 5
Councilmember Blesener stated that the City needed
a strategy for addressing the goals identified that
she summarized as: 1) noise controls; 2)
opposition to northern third parallel; 3) corridor
changes and 4) stronger representation on MAC and
in the legislature. She inquired about what the
best approach to achieve thes goals would be. The
City's 1991 budget was discussed. Treasurer
Shaughnessy stated that there wasn't additional
money in the budget for consultants or extra staff
on air noise. Ginny Dwyer stated that the
resources available to the City, with staff, the
CQS, some consulting and Council committment could
produce a workable strategy group.
Mike Gannon described Airport Neighborhoods United
(ANU) that had as its members South Minneapolis,
St. Louis Park, St. Paul, Eagan, Mendota Heights
and Mpls. Park Lovers. He stated that ANU was
looking for a high profile speaker to work on
moving the airport and also a speaker from Austin,
TX to talk about the economics of not moving the
airport. Mr. Gannon described the CQS's current
activities and the questionnaire they are
designing. Councilmember Cummins suggested that
the results could be published in the Heights
Highlites.
Councilmember Blesener suggested that staff and the
CQS draw up a proposal to address the structure of
a strategy group. The CQS suggested that a
strategy group could consist of two CQS members,
two staff members and one Councilmember. There was
consensus on this suggestion. Councilmember
Cummins suggested that the City consider an intern
to assist with this group. He stated that this
strategy group could work well with minimum impact
on the budget and that the City could convene the
first strategy group session to discuss a job
description for an intern.
ADJOURN There being no further business, the workshop
adjourned at 10:00 o'clock p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Kevin Batchelder
Administrative Assist &