1988-09-06 Council Workshop minutesPage 1
September 6, 1988
CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
Minutes of the Pre-Council Meeting
Held Tuesday, September 6, 1988
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the pre-Council
meeting was convened at 6:34 P.M. in the Engineering
Conference Room. The following members were present: Mayor
Mertensotto, Councilmembers Biesener, Cummins, Hartmann and
Witt.
PLANNING Mr. Walter Bonfe indicated that he had
COMMISSION lived in Mendota Heights for
INTERVIEWS approximately seven years. He is a
graduate of Cretin High School and the
WALTER BONFE University of Minnesota, and the St. Paul
AVTI. Bonfe indicated that he previously
owned a plumbing and heating company in
St. Paul, and has since sold it to Gover
Plumbing in Minneapolis, for whom he now
works. His brother, Roger Bonfe, is a
long-time resident of the Curley Addition
and owns Bonfe Auto Repair in St. Paul.
Bonfe said he was concerned with Mendota
Heights' welfare. He felt it was a
unique area with unique neighborhoods.
He said he was also concerned about
helping to guide the future of commercial
development.
Bonfe has served on the Mend-Eagan Hockey
Policy Committee, which he said
demonstrates his concern with the welfare
of the children of the community.
Councilmember Biesener questioned whether
there was any particular issue that had
piqued his interest in serving on the
Planning Commission. He indicated that
the recent articles on the 110/Lexington
area shopping center interested him and
he would like to see it blend into the
residential areas. Bonfe said he would
have no problem attending the Planning
Commission meetings on the 4th Tuesday of
each month.
Finally, he added that he would like to
see the community's parks improved.
APPLICANT BOB
EMERY
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September 6, 1988
Mr. Emery, 1183 Dodd Road, indicated that
he had lived in his current home for 16
1/2 years. He added that his family ties
in the area go back to the 1930's, and he
is a 1962 graduate of Henry Sibley High
School. Emery attended the University of
Minnesota for two years.
After working in retail sales for Sears,
Emery has been an insurance agent for the
past several years, writing property,
casualty and life coverage. He said that
he is active in youth events in the
community, including soccer coaching with
Mend-Eagan Athletic Association. He felt
that this means he has gotten to know a
lot of people in Mendota Heights.
Emery said his interests were growth, but
"planned growth". He feels that Mendota
Heights is a wonderful place to live, and
wants to make sure that we don't have
unchecked growth in the future. He added
that he wished Mendota Heights had a
sports complex for the youth, something
like is in West St. Paul.
Emery said he would also like for young
people to be able to stay in Mendota
Heights, and would prefer to see the City
not exasperate the problem of housing
prices that are out of the reach of young
families. Emery said he has two
children, one in Sibley and one in
Somerset.
Mayor Mertensotto asked him what prompted
his application. Emery responded that he
is friends with Planning Commissioner
Ultan Duggan, and they had discussed
planning issues in the City. In addition
to his concern about not getting more
accomplished with parks, Emery said he
thought there was a problem with very
large homes being built on lots that are
too small. He added that he was also
concerned about the Mendota Plaza
shopping center being anchored by a
packaged liquor store, and would prefer
to have seen another use.
Emery said that he did not think a
Planning Commission was a dictatorial
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September 6, 1988
body, but mostly just provided input to
the planning process.
Emery said he had lived in Los Angeles
for a while during the 1950's, and hated
the way it was allowed to develop. He
would not like to see the same thing
happen in the Twin Cities metropolitan
area.
Councilmember Hartmann asked what single
item Emery would bring to the Commission
in terms of qualifications. Emery
responded that he felt he was articulate,
and able to communicate, and could ask
the appropriate questions.
APPLICANT MICHAEL Michael Dwyer indicated that he moved to
DWYER Mendota Heights in April of 1987, when he
and his family purchased a home in the
Copperfield 1st Addition. He said that
they plan to remain in the area for a
long time.
Dwyer was raised in Shoreview, and
attended the University of Minnesota
where he obtained degrees in journalism
and went to law school. He is currently
a partner in a Minneapolis law firm,
specializing in personal injury and
commercial litigation.
Dwyer said that he had a deep vested
interest in the future of the community.
He added that the demographics of his
family, he felt, would closely parallel
those of other young families moving into
the growing area. Dwyer said he thought
growth in Mendota Heights was inevitable,
but that the growth should be balanced
with protecting the quality of life in
the community.
Dwyer said that he did not have any other
outside enterprises, other than his law
practice, which would preclude him from
serving on the Planning Commission. He
added that the development of the
Copperfield Phase IV (Weed property) was
what piqued his interest in planning
issues, and that he was pleased with the
outcome of the deliberations on that
subject.
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September 6, 1988
Councilmember Cummins questioned whether
Dwyer had any other issues of concern.
Dwyer responded that the airport noise
was always a concern, that some growth of
light industry in the community would be
good, and that the 494 freeway was going
to obviously have an impact on growth.
Councilmember Biesener asked what Dwyer's
views were on protecting the quality of
the environment. He responded that he
and his family had selected Mendota
Heights for their new home, after looking
at the northern suburbs where he was
raised. He said that the trees, open
fields, and nice mix of commerce made
Mendota Heights an appealing community.
Councilmember Cummins indicated that
Brent Coatney had left a message on his
answering machine that he was withdrawing
from candidacy for the position.
There was a concensus of the Council that
they would hold off on formally
considering appointment to the position
until their meeting of September 20.
ADJOURN The meeting was adjourned at 7:20 P.M.
----Kevin D. Frazell a
City Administrator
ATTEST:
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Charles E. Mertensotto
Mayor