1988-01-12 Joint Council-Parks Comm minutesJanuary 12, 1988
Joint Meeting
CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
DAKOTA COUNTY
STATE OF MINNESOTA
Minutes of the Joint Meeting
Held Tuesday, January 12, 1988
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the joint meeting of
the City Council and Parks Commission was held at 7:30
o'clock P.M. at City Hall, 750 South Plaza Drive, Mendota
Heights, Minnesota.
Members present included Mayor Mertensotto, Councilmembers
Blesener, Cummins, Hartmann and Witt, Parks Chair Jim Stein,
Commissioners Leffert, Katz, Lachenmayer, and Damberg.
The City Council and Parks Commission met for a joint
working session on the upcoming parks bond referendum. The
session began with City Administrator Frazell giving a brief
overview of the proposed improvements in the park bond
program. He indicated that 1988 updated costs for the
approximate 17 mile bike trail system would be about $773,
269, and for the neighborhood park improvements $110,000. He
reported that the City has an agreement with Centex
Corporation to sell the City 40 acres in the southeast area
of the City for an athletic complex for a specified amount of
$750,000. Frazell then added that parks consultant Barton
Aschman's estimated cost for the improvements to develop that
complex is $1,250,000. Total for all improvements is
$2,883,269.
City Treasurer Larry Shaughnessy reported that the park
development fund has a cash balance of $308,000, and
receivables of $68,700. He went over an analysis of the tax
implications of paying off a bond issue in an amount
sufficient to carry out the improvements as outlined by
Frazell. A copy of Shaughnessy's analysis is attached to
these minutes and made a part hereof.
Mayor Mertensotto said that he would like to get the
total amount of the bond referendum down to around $2.3
million. School District 197 Board member Judith Pendergrass
reported that the School District would probably be looking
at an excess levy referendum in October, 1988. Frazell noted
that Shaughnessy's estimates of tax implications are based on
current property tax law, and that everyone is expecting the
1988 legislature will make some major revisions to the state
property tax system.
Frazell reported on the option under State law to do a
mailed ballot, instead of operating standard voting polling
precincts. After some discussion of the pros and cons, and
because of the lack of experience with mailed ballots in the
metropolitan area, it was decided that a regular polled
January 12, 1988
Joint Meeting
election would be conducted. Tentatively scheduled date is
Tuesday, May 3, 1988, and the City will operate the same
precincts as usual at the standard hours of 7 A.M. to 8 P.M.
Mayor Mertensotto questioned the need for the additional
tennis courts.
Bernard Friel asked why the development costs in the
latest Barton Aschman analysis are so much higher than the
approximate $660,000 that was estimated in their June memo
for their recommended layout of the park.
James Losleben indicated that
parks bond issue, and at that time
City had to get the amount down to
to get started on a parks program.
program should be scaled back.
he had worked on the 1971
it was concluded that the
the minimal amount needed
He suggested that the
There was some discussion about how the number of
playfields and other facilities had been determined. There
was a review of the fact that the original Barton Aschman
Needs Analysis Study had looked at needs both in the year
2000, and at an ultimate population of 14,000 for the City.
City Administrator Frazell reported that consultant
Barry Warner felt that the development costs for the athletic
complex could be reduced $250 to $300,000, if it were scaled
back to complete only three softball fields, a baseball
field, and parking.
Parks Chair Stein said that he didn't think the City
should sell the project short, or people would reject it at
the polls as an inadequate facility.
Commissioner Lachenmayer questioned whether there would
be one question on the ballot, or would it be split. After
some discussion, Mayor Mertensotto, and Councilmembers
Cummins and Hartmann indicated that they felt there should be
one question covering all the improvements in the total
amount of the bond issue. Councilmember Blesener felt there
should be two questions, separating the neighborhood park
improvements and bike trail system from the community
athletic complex.
The discussion then returned to the amount of the bond
issue. Commissioner Leffert suggested that if all of the
facilities are needed, perhaps they should be done at once.
Chair Stein suggested that a subcommittee be appointed to
meet with the Barton Aschman consultant, to determine just
what is needed. Ultan Duggan, Planning Commissioner,
suggested that he felt the extra $22.00 annual tax on the
average value home in Mendota Heights could be sold to the
voters.
January 12, 1988
Joint Meeting
Commissioner Damberg said that she thought people first
wanted the trail system, and she also felt the neighborhood
parks are not in very good shape, and those two things
together would persuade a lot of people to vote for the
issue.
After some discussion, there was a concensus that some
type of steering committee to head up the marketing effort
should be put together.
City Administrator. Frazell was directed to compare the
original Barton Aschman cost estimate for the southeast area
park, with the update concept, to determine why there was
such a discrepancy in the cost. It was agreed that Frazell
would have a report on the City Council agenda for next
Tuesday evening, and that the Council would begin to take
some action on the parks bond issue at that meeting.
ADJOURN Meeting was adjourned at 9:50 P.M.
ATTEST:
OL-4
Charles E. Mertensotto
Mayor
Kevin D. Frazell
City Administrator
LIST OF CONTRACTORS TO BE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL
ON FEBRUARY 16, 1988
Masonry Licenses:
A. Deutsch Masonry, Inc.
Carlson Masonry
Dalco Concrete & Masonry, Inc.
Eiklenborg Construction
Gresser, Inc.
H.W. Cook & Sons
M. F. Fleischhacker
Excavating Licenses:
DLR Construction Company
Glen Rehbein Excavating
Lakeside Sewer & Water
Zdrazil Excavating
Gas Piping Licenses:
Benke Heating
Dakota Plumbin7 & Heating
Jim Murr Plumbing & Heating
Merit HVAC, Inc.
Midwestern Mechanical
Riccar Heating
Ron's Mechanical, Inc.
Spartan Mechanical, Inc.
Standard Heating & Air Conditioning
General Contractors Licenses:
Centraire, Inc.
Christ Construction, Inc.
Dwyane Lau Construction Company
Eagle Fire Protection
LeGran Homes, Inc.
S & L P Builders, Inc.
Summit Energy, Inc.
Heating & Air Conditioning Licenses:
Cedar Valley Heating & Air Conditioning
FredricksonHeating
Merit HVAC, Inc.
Riccar Heating
Spartan Mechanical, Inc.
Plastering/Stucco License:
Housley Construction, Inc.
1988 Rubbish Haulers:
Action Disposal-BFI
Triangle Rubbish