1987-02-24 Joint Council-Plng Comm minutesCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
MINUTES, FEBRUARY 24, 1987
JOINT MEETING WITH PLANNING COMMISSION & CITY COUNCIL
The special workshop meeting with the City Council and
Planning Commission was held at 7:00 P.M. in the Engineering
Conference Room, on Tuesday, February 24, 1987. The
following members were present: Mayor Mertensotto,
Councilmembers Blesener, Cummins, Hartmann and Witt.
Planning Commissioners present were Chair Morson,
Commissioners Henning, Anderson, McMonigal, Duggan, and
Krebsbach. Burke had notified the Commission that he would
be unable to attend.
Mayor Mertensotto began by stating his feeling that
important issues in planning cases should be aired and
thoroughly discussed at the Planning Commission level, rather
than at the Council level. He said that he thought there
were too many people who ignored the Planning Commission,
because they felt that the real decisions were made at the
Council level.
Councilmember Cummins suggested that public hearing
notices advise the reader in bold face print when the only
public hearing will be at the Planning Commission level.
Mayor Mertensotto said the Planning Commission should
feel free to attach conditions or state concerns in making
its approvals, so that the Council has benefit of that
thinking when it is called upon to make a final decision. It
was also agreed among all present that the Planning
Commission should feel free to take an extra month to iron
out problems, rather than sending items on to the Council
with unresolved issues.
Planning Commissioner Henning said that if the
Commission feels that the Council is going to re-plan the
work that is already done, it is difficult for them to know
when a project has ever gotten to the point of "perfection".
Planning Chair Jerry Morson added that the Commission could
never pre-determine what the Council would want.
Councilmember Cummins suggested that aesthetics was one
area where the Planning Commission and the Council had been
somewhat out of sync, and there was an agreement that even at
the staff level, more emphasis should be put on aesthetic
concerns. City Administrator Frazell cautioned everyone to
remember that aesthetics is a subjective thing, and that even
if the staff and Planning Commission begin to put more
emphasis on that area, the Council is still going to have its
own ideas and preferences when the planning items come to
their agenda.
Mayor Mertensotto then raised a concern that had been
expressed to him about the fact that the City is proceeding
with a parks bond issue, prior to amending its Comprehensive
Plan to delete the designation for a community park in the
southeast area of the City. It was agreed that prior to
successful passage of the referendum and an agreement with
the School District for the Henry Sibley complex, it would be
■ ) premature to amend the Comprehensive Plan. However, it was
agreed that the Council could pass a resolution of intent to
redesignate the property for single family development when
the bond issue is passed.
Meeting was adjourned at 7:35 o'clock P.M.
ATTEST:
Charles E. Mertensotto
Mayor
Kevin D. Frazell
City Administrator