4.4. SR 01-18-2000':ity of
MEMORANDUM
Item #4.4.
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
Mayor & City Council
Pat Klaers, City Ad~rator
January 18,2000 "~'~"~'~
Consider School District Request to Enforce No-
Parking Restrictions at Oak Knoll Parking Lot -
Joint Powers Agreement
Over the past few years, the school district and the City Council have had to
deal with a number of senior high student parking issues. These issues
include not allowing students to park in the Lions Park parking lot, stopping
students from parking in residential neighborhoods, responding to the request
from Mr. Morrell for a temporary 1999-2000 parking lot, and, most recently,
approving the school district's request for a temporary expansion of its existing
parking lot. The permanent expansion of the school district senior high
parking lot is part of the bond referendum proposal and, accordingly, funds are
not yet available for this project.
The temporary expansion of the school district parking lot was approved by the
City Council to help address the problem of students parking in the school
district's Oak Knoll parking lot and then crossing County Road 1 during a very
busy time. The school district, who owns this Oak Knoll parking lot by the
varsity field off of County Road 1, has requested that the police department
enforce some no parking restrictions in order to ensure that students will not
be using this parking lot. The city attorney has advised us that this would
amount to essentially having the city enforce parking restrictions for an
individual property owner. The best way for the city to assist the school
district from a legal point of view is to enter into a joint powers agreement in
which the school district requests and authorizes the city to go onto their
property and ticket violators of their parking restrictions. This is certainly an
unusual situation and we would not want to do parking enforcement in the
senior high parking lot or for other property owners such as Target or Cub.
However, I believe it is in everyone's best interest to make an exception in this
13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 * TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425
case and to work cooperatively with the school district (another local unit of
government) on this issue, as public safety is everyone's concern.
It is uncertain as to whether or not a draft joint powers agreement will be
available for our review at the meeting or if it will have been reviewed by the
city attorney by Monday evening. The school district's attorney has been
authorized to work on this document and the school district requested city
action on this issue at its January 11, 2000, board meeting. If nothing is
available for the City Council to review, then this issue can be continued to the
January 24, 2000, meeting or the City Council can authorize entering into a
joint powers agreement for parking lot enforcement at Oak Knoll subject to the
city attorney's review of this document.