07-06-2020 Regular CCMMeeting of the Elk River City Council
Held at the Elk River City Hall
Monday, July 6, 2020
Members Present: Mayor John Dietz, Councilmembers Garrett Christianson, Nate
Ovall, Matt Westgaard, and Jennifer Wagner
Members Absent: None
Staff Present: City Administrator Calvin Portner, Planning Manager Zack Carlton,
Planner Chris Leeseberg, Economic Development Director Amanda
Othoudt, Parks and Recreation Director Michael Hecker, Street and
Park Maintenance Manager Tim Sevcik, and City Clerk Tina Allard
I . Call Meeting to Order
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the meeting of the Elk River City Council
was called to order at 6:35 p.m. by Mayor Dietz.
2. Pledge of Allegiance
Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
3. Consider Agenda
Moved by Councilmember Westgaard and seconded by Councilmember
Christianson to approve the agenda. Motion carried 5-0.
4. Consent Agenda
Moved by Councimember Wagner and seconded by Councilmember
Westgaard to approve:
4.1 Check register as outlined in the staff report.
4.2 COVID-19 Preparedness Plan for City of Elk River.
4.3 Pay increase for part-time cable caster as outlined in the staff report.
4.4 Wind Energy Easement Agreement 20-20, with Elk River Municipal
Utilities.
4.5 Schedule a public hearing to review preliminary layout for the 169
Redefine project.
4.6 Hire Justin Ende as park maintenance worker effective July 7, 2020 as
outlined in the staff report.
4.7 Adopt Resolution 20-35 finding parcel is occupied by structurally
substandard buildings.
4.8 Position description and pay for liquor store delivery driver/clerk
position.
City Council Minutes
July 6, 2020
Motion carried 5-0.
S. Open Forum
No one appeared for Open Forum.
6.1 Proclamation: Phil Barsody Day
Mr. Sevcik discussed Mr. Barsody's history with the city. He commented Mr.
Barsody is a valuable resource and will be a big loss to the city.
Mr. Barsody commented it was a pleasure to work for the city and thanked the
Council.
Mayor Dietz read and presented the proclamation.
6.2 Recognize Franklin Outdoor Advertising/ Chris Barta TEL
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Councilmember Wagner presented this item. She provided an update on the
Together Elk River campaign. She stated the Together Elk River Committee would
like to recognize Franklin Outdoor Advertising for their generous contribution to
advertise this program.
Mayor Dietz read the proclamation.
7.1 CommonBond Elk River Housing Limited Partnership
a. Land Use Amendment: Highway Business to High Density Residential
b. Conditional Use Permit to Establish a Planned Unit Development
c. Preliminary Plat: 60 Unit, 3 Story Apartment Building, Elk Ridge Center
Sixth Addition
d. Easement Vacation
Mr. Carlton presented the staff report.
Mayor Dietz opened the public hearing for all items.
Andrew Hughes, Director of Acquisition & Development for CommonBond,
discussed history company success. He discussed the following about his company
and this project:
E Construct quality buildings and are a well -know and credible company.
■ Self -manage properties and are directly accountable for them. Long-term
ownership in their properties and therefore are highly invested.
■ Employees and training programs.
■ The city's housing study highlights the need for affordable housing.
■ Earned wages in Elk River are below levels paid for rent in the community and
this type of housing is highly desire in this community.
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■ Proximately to nearby amenities.
■ Vast majority of residents will come from the community/neighboring
communities and tend to be retired or have professions like teaching.
■ Biggest misunderstanding is perception this is Section 8 Housing, but it is
workforce housing.
■ Reviewed building design/layout and neighborhood comparability.
■ Reviewed community engagement efforts prior to this meeting and the low
turnout. All shopping tenants were also notified.
■ Property has been vacant for over 10 years.
■ TH169 reconfiguration will not benefit this property to be more desirable for
commercial use.
■ Disagree with staff recommendation about parking stalls, which they were only
made aware of recently. The market determined the number of stalls proposed is
accurate. He further reviewed parking requirements in other communities. Other
communities work with them on parking requirements.
■ The project never had a planned access on Irving Street.
■ The trips per day would be less than a commercial business.
■ Property value misconception as it relates to affordable housing are unfounded.
He reviewed his company's last two projects and its affects to surrounding
property values.
■ Leases with tenants are structured to reduce problem tenants.
Matt Finn, Senior Architect, LHP Architect, 4111 One North Avenue South,
Minneapolis discussed the following:
■ Site plan layout.
o Buffering on south side with 40 trees, 6-foot cedar fence for privacy.
o A 10-foot elevation change. Vegetation is visible over the top of the
building
Exterior materials. Height of wainscoting can be adjusted.
Building scale in relation to surrounding neighborhood.
Steven Casey, 19453 Irving Circle, thanked Council for taking his calls. He
expressed opposition to the project for the following reasons:
■ Additional traffic and noise. Residential traffic will be 24/7 versus daytime retail
traffic.
■ Not enough parking.
■ Number of additional vehicles the project would bring to his cul-de-sac.
■ Declining property values.
■ Increased crime.
■ Safety for local children who play in the street.
■ Not opposed to affordable housing but it must fit in with surrounding
neighborhood aesthetics.
Gary Tonsager, 19576 Holt Street, Pearl Vision owner and resident, expressed the
following concerns:
■ Area aesthetics and compatibility.
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o His business had to follow strict architectural standards and this complex
must comply within the same standards. The complex will dramatically
change the look and feel of the surrounding neighborhood.
o He reviewed a to -scale model of how the building will look with the retail
center and didn't feel it would fit in.
• Elimination of developable commercial land. He felt there was opportunity to
grow the commercial development.
o Eliminate chances for other businesses to locate near them.
o Concern for value of his building.
o He has put time and money into his business and was told the area would
be a retail center.
■ Access and parking issues between the complex and local businesses.
o Snow removal: where are vehicles from the complex going to park during
snow removal, fearing the business lot will be utilized.
o One-third of the parking stalls will be occupied by snow during winter
thus taking away some parking.
o Congestion at both ends of the street. He reviewed what he believed the
traffic patterns would be once completed.
• Current property owner (Hempel Companies) has not put effort into selling the
land, noting dilapidated existing signage.
• No privacy for nearby homes.
Robin Roberts, The Noble Quilter, 19570 Holt Street, expressed concerns as
follows:
• Privacy for quilters utilizing the classroom.
• Area aesthetics and compatibility.
o He reviewed satellite images of the area and felt the scale of the complex
out of proportion for the neighborhood.
o Elevation changes and affected views for nearby homeowners.
■ Traffic congestion.
■ Concern for cars stacking up at the apartment building.
■ Garbage removal.
Tom Halbakken, 11744 194t' Avenue, expressed the following:
■ Compatibility with the neighborhood.
• Council should adhere to current zoning regulations for commercial use.
■ Concern with grade of TH 169.
Ben Krsnak, Hempel Companies outlined the history of trying to sell this property
as follows:
• Been marketing it since 2003. Trying for 17 years.
• Professional in-house marketing, website, emails, brochures, targeting retailers,
postcards, external brokers.
■ Approximately 20,000 people have been contacted about this property.
■ Same techniques used to market all projects and have sold others with success.
• Most businesses find land online, he discussed the hits on this particular
property. Spent significant amount of money online.
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■ Member of MN Commercial Association of Realtors and this property has been
seen by everyone.
■ Reviewed case studies as noted in his presentation. They are capable and
successful at selling/marketing property but can't create demand if it's not
wanted in an area.
■ Land has been improved: fire hydrant/utilities/curb & gutter. New TH169
highway design will not help for commercial use. Selling land to CommonBond
for very little money.
• Will stimulate some viability for the retail center with more clientele.
■ Lot of commercial sites available in Elk River that have been sitting for many
years and it is not the only community we are competing against.
■ People don't have to choose Elk River when they have the whole country to
choose locations.
■ Sent letter recently with zero response or interest expressed.
■ He discussed the additional signage on the property.
■ Kids will not be driving so they don't need parking stalls at the apartment.
■ There has been no interest in the property, and they need to consider other
opportunities.
■ They will continue to pursue the other lots.
Jacob Peterson, 19468 Dodge Street, stated the city is lucky to have CommonBond
working on this project and noted there is nothing available in the city for affordable
housing. He stated he is in support of this project and felt a lot of people his age
would support it.
Cecile Bedor, CommonBond, 1080 Montreal Ave., St Paul, discussed the following
regarding the fears expressed at this meeting.
■ There is no data for increased crime with workforce housing. They perform
criminal history checks on applicants. Complete staff training also makes sure
there is not crime.
• Their residents will be the first to contact them when there are snow and
garbage issues.
■ Willing to make additional design improvements. Want everyone to be proud
of their business.
■ If required to put in covered parking they would have to raise rent and then
this project wouldn't be affordable. Confident the city parking requirement is
not needed based on history.
■ Property values do not decline when you build affordable housing.
■ City housing study shows need for an additional 177 affordable housing
units. Residents have demanded the housing. CommonBond is the tool to
meet city goals.
■ In 2019 asked Council about support for the zone change before spending a
significant amount of money on this project.
Perry Beise, Planning Commissioner, stated the commission liked the project but
didn't feel the location was appropriate because of the commercial zoning. He
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further stated they didn't feel it was a good time to change the zoning before the
Comprehensive Plan review scheduled this year.
Mayor Dietz closed the public hearing.
There was some initial discussion about various components of the project, such as
parking requirements, but Councilmember Westgaard suggested ruling on the land
use amendment first as the rest of the items may not matter if the amendment fails
to pass.
Councilmember Westgaard stated in 2019 Council made the decision to support this
project when they approved the letter of support because they weren't sure the 169
Redefine would change anything to make this property more marketable for
commercial use. He stated there will be less traffic with this project versus
commercial business traffic, which has been determined from many previous studies.
He supports the project noting the property has been on the market for many years
and sympathizes with the fact that this property has been hard to sell. He noted there
is a need for affordable housing and the applicant is not asking for financial support.
He stated many of the arguments discussed are based on fear and not fact. He noted
there a many young people or displaced families who need an affordable place to
live. He further commented the applicant will be required to follow the architectural
design standards if this project is passed.
Councilmember Ovall concurred and thanked residents for their thoughtful
presentations. He stated he doesn't see this project as low-income housing, but
rather workforce housing for people from the community. He struggles when area
residents and businesses speak against the project. He stated there is single family
housing on large lots in the surrounding neighborhood and this would be a high -
density project in the same area, which he struggles with whether it will work.
Councilmember Christianson expressed two issues: one, after all the community
engagement efforts, the public still has the same concerns that have not been
resolved; and two, a lot of responses he received feel the Council should follow the
Comprehensive Plan, which guides the property as highway business commercial. He
didn't feel it had been vetted to explore other areas in the city already zoned for high
density residential. He stated he is not in support of going against the Planning
Commission recommendation and the Comprehensive Plan.
Councilmember Wagner stated this is a difficult decision, noting the city has a
Comprehensive Plan for a reason. She questioned if it is right to follow the plan in
this case. She discussed how people ask her many times to do something for the tax
base of the city and this is a good project for it. She stated there is a need for
workforce housing and it has been discussed many times throughout the community.
She believes it is a good project but questioned if it is right for the area. She stated
both sides have their merit.
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■ Councilmember Ovall reviewed previous discussions from the Planning Commission
meetings. He discussed mixing residential with business and unintended
consequences, which can be good or bad dependent upon the situation.
Mayor Dietz stated his issue is with the zone change. He stated the residents in this
area were resistant when they were told the land around them would be zoned for
commercial development and now Council is considering changing the use on them
again. He believes the service road off TH 169 will generate more traffic for the area.
He questioned the amount of commercial land available in the city. He noted this is a
good project and knows CommonBond is a reputable company. He stated this
project will alter the landscape of the neighborhood and he will not support it.
Moved by Councilmember Christianson and seconded by Mayor Dietz to
direct staff to prepare a resolution making findings of fact denying the land
use amendment to change the underlying land use from Highway Business to
High Density Residential as the city has limited developable commercial land
available.
Councilmember Ovall stated this is an opportunity for the city and for
CommonBond and expressed concerns over the limited number of these types of
applications that get scored and funding from the state. He commented he is truly
torn and can't dismiss all the calls he has received in opposition of the project.
Motion fails 3-2. Councilmember Westgaard, Wagner, and Ovall opposed.
Moved by Councilmember Westgaard and seconded by Councilmember
Wagner to approve the land use amendment. Motion passes 3-2. Mayor Dietz
and Councilmember Christianson opposed.
• Conditional Use Permit to Establish a Planned Unit Development
• Preliminary Plat: 60 Unit, 3 Story Apartment Building, Elk Ridge Center
Sixth Addition
■ Easement Vacation
Councilmember Westgaard questioned if the architectural standards have been met.
Mr. Leeseberg stated staff would like to see more work completed on if.
Councilmember Westgaard stated he would support the request if the architectural
elements the rest of the development had to comply with are met. He also stated he
would support it if the parking and traffic flow does not have ingress/egress via the
retail center lot to the north. He stated snow removal must be managed on their own
site. He noted the city has received the most pushback about its parking
requirements in recent history. He understands the city requires one covered parking
stall per unit; however, it could be why the city doesn't have affordable housing as
this drives the costs high and beyond a certain demographic and price point. He
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stated he wouldn't require covered parking if the parking standard can be met or
proof of parking can be met.
Councilmember Ovall felt covered parking kept rents expensive and prevented other
developments from occurring. He is unsure what would be needed for parking stalls.
Mayor Dietz suggested a compromise where the applicant must require 150 parking
spots, but they don't need to be covered.
Councilmember Westgaard expressed concerns for the neighboring retail center lot
being used for overflow parking and suggested a reconfiguration of the apartment
lot.
Mr. Hughes stated with the current configuration it would be difficult to get 30 more
stalls, but they could possibly work with Hempel Properties for additional property.
He didn't feel it was necessary to have the additional stalls and would ask for the
condition to be temporary if they could prove it was not needed over a reasonable
period of time.
Josh Krsnak stated his company will not profit from this project and they are selling
the land to move it off their inventory. He stated they have a lot of excess land and
they would be willing to donate the land to CommonBond for additional parking to
make the project work.
Councilmember Westgaard stated this would be a fallback plan for him because he
would like to preserve the lot for potential commercial use. He stated he would like
to see what the applicant can do with a redesign of the lot to get as close as they can
to 150 stalls.
Mr. Krsnak stated his organization owns over 220 parking facilities throughout the
United States and parking movements differ between residential and commercial
uses. He further commented there is never a need for all the stalls to be used at the
same tune.
Mr. Beck stated the Planned Unit Development Agreement could be amended to
add a proof of parking condition on the Oudot for a certain number of years.
Councilmember Wagner stated she would like a sidewalk to Holt street.
Councilmember Westgaard stated he is not sure how this would affect the adjacent
lot noting the applicant doesn't own it so they can't develop on it.
Josh Krsnak stated if they own the lot it won't be an issue to help the applicant out.
Mr. Leeseberg stated a condition could be added to require a sidewalk to the
property line.
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Moved by Councilmember Wagner and seconded by Councilmember
Westgaard to approve Conditional Use Permit, Case No. CU 20-07 with the
following conditions:
1. Approval of a Comprehensive Plan Amendment changing the land use
for the subject property from Highway Commercial to Residential.
2. A Planned Unit Development Agreement shall be developed and
signed by both parties prior to issuance of a building permit.
3. Construct a six-foot tall opaque fence along the south property line.
4. Staff approval of an updated landscape plan.
5. Staff approval of architectural plans/designs consistent with the
design standards for Elk Ridge Center.
6. A concrete sidewalk be constructed parallel to the internal private drive
out to Holt Street.
7. Proof of parking for 30 stalls, on an adjacent lot, for a period of two
years after occupancy shall be outlined in the PUD agreement. During
that time, if a developer were to develop the adjacent lot, it would have
to include the 30 proof of parking spaces, along with its own parking
requirements. After the two-year time, if it shown the 120 spaces are
adequate, and agreed by the city, the requirement can be removed.
Motion carried 4-1. Mayor Dietz opposed.
Moved by Councilmember Westgaard and seconded by Councilmember Ovall
to approve Preliminary Plat, Case No. P 20-05. Motion carried 3-2. Mayor
Dietz and Councilmember Christianson opposed.
Mr. Beck stated the easement is consistent with the preliminary plat and there are no
issues with approving it tonight.
Moved by Councilmember Westgaard and seconded by Councilmember Ovall
to approve Easement Vacation, Case No. EV 20-03. Motion carries 3-2. Mayor
Dietz and Councilmember Christianson opposed.
8.1 Easement Vacation: Twin Lakes Road & 175' Avenue Community
Housing
Mr. Carlton presented the staff report.
Councilmember Ovall questioned if the Council is setting itself up with parking
requirement issues based on the previous agenda item.
Mr. Carlton stated this plan is conceptual but requires a site plan review and the
applicant would be required to meet the ordinance standards when seeking approval
in the future.
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Moved by Councilmember Wagner and seconded by Councilmember Ovall to
direct staff to bring back a resolution on July 20, 2020, approving the
easement vacation. Motion carried 5-0.
8.2 Letter of Support: Community Housing Development Corporation
Mr. Carlton presented the staff report.
Councilmember Ovall expressed concerns with approving letters of support for an
applicant who then spends time and money on a non -binding project.
Councilmember Christianson expressed concerns with giving support when he
doesn't have enough information about the project.
Mayor Dietz stated he doesn't like the color of the building. He further stated he is
not in favor of utilizing Tax increment Financing (TIF) for residential projects. He
stated TIF is more appropriate for bringing business and jobs to the community.
Councilmember Christianson concurred further commenting he would also like to
see TIF used for blighted properties.
Councilmember Westgaard noted housing can be more challenging regarding TIF
and he agrees with the Mayor's comments, but he would like to know more about
how the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) felt about the request.
Councilmember Ovall stated it is interesting how applications are presented to the
HRA because it's not really a philosophical conversation of does/doesn't deserve
TIF, it's more about whether these applications meet the criteria of the
policy/program. He questioned what project you ever see that doesn't meet the
but/for test, which is a joke. He sated for the HRA it's about meeting policy and
state law and not a focus on whether to use TIF for various types of projects. He
stated the HRA has been more focused and engaged on redevelopment.
Councilmember Westgaard stated he would like more direction from HRA in the
future on their vision, intent, purpose.
Councilmember Ovall stated much of this is how the applications are presented by
staff with a focus on policy.
Councilmember Westgaard stated he would approve a letter of support for some
financing but can't support TIF without having more information from the
application and the HRA.
Councilmember Ovall further noted it's presented as little risk to the city whenever
its pay as you go.
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Mayor Dietz commented it is more appropriate for Council to take the philosophical
approach and for the HRA to be more mechanical.
Councilmember Ovall stated the HRA did ask for more Council direction on what
they want to see.
Ms. Othoudt outlined the request by the applicant. She stated it's typical to ask for
TIF because it's costly to develop affordable housing.
Councihmember Wagner asked for more clarification about the joint finance
committee meeting where it was questioned whether TIF would be needed if the
applicant increased the annual rental rates up to 60% AMI. She further noted the
consultant said no.
Ms. Othoudt confirmed this is correct.
Councilmember Wagner stated she is not in support of this project for TIF funds.
Moved by Councilmember Westgaard and seconded by Councilmember
Wagner to adopt Resolution 20-36 Supporting the Tax Credit Application for
Proposed Community Housing Development Corporation Multiple Family
Housing Project and Recognizing that the Project Would Help Meet
Identified Housing Needs. Motion carried 5-0.
Patricia Downey, 10407 175" Avenue, stated when she moved into her house
everything in the area was zoned residential but has since recently changed. She
expressed opposition to the project for the following reasons:
■ Neighbors are on large acre lots in a quiet neighborhood.
■ South side is high density, but north side is low density residential.
■ Not easy for trucks to navigate the roundabout.
■ Not enough parking.
■ There are enough apartments on the south side of town.
■ No one uses the train and high density is not needed.
■ Zoning is wrong for this location.
■ Concern she will be required to hook up to city sewer to sell her house.
Councilmember Westgaard explained the Focus Area Study and how areas near a
transportation hub are guided and expected to have higher density.
8.3 Multipurpose Facility Advisory Commission Interviews
Council interviewed multiple candidates.
Councilmember Christianson stated he received a text message from Joy Goodwin
_ informing him she rescinded her application.
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Moved by Councilmember Wagner and seconded by Councilmember
Westgaard to appoint Greg Loidolt to the commission as the turf use member
to February 28, 2021, and Dave Williams to the commission as the turf use
member to February 28, 2023. Motion carried 5-0.
Moved by Councilmember Wagner and seconded by Councilmember
Christianson to appoint Mike Cunningham to the commission as the ISD 728
member to February 28, 2022. Motion carried 5-0.
Moved by Councilmember Wagner and seconded by Councilmember
Christianson to appoint Matt Westgaard to the commission as the City
Council designee to February 28, 2022. Motion carried 5-0.
Moved by Councilmember Wagner and seconded by Mayor Dietz to appoint
Karla Walker to the commission as the ice use member to February 28, 2022,
and Michael Westgaard to the commission as the ice use member to February
28, 2023. Motion carried 5-0.
Moved by Mayor Dietz and seconded by Councilmember Westgaard to
appoint Jim Hecker to the commission as the senior center member to
February 28, 2021. Motion carried 5-0.
Moved by Councilmember Westgaard and seconded by Councilmember
Christianson to appoint Jack Lorge to the commission as the at -large member
to February 28, 2021. Motion carried 5-0.
Moved by Councilmember Westgaard and seconded by Councilmember Ovall
to appoint Jacob Peterson to the commission as the at -large member to
February 28, 2023. Motion carried 5-0.
8.4 Minnesota Municipal Power Association Wind Turbine Easement
Mr. Hecker presented the staff report.
Moved by Councilmember Westgaard and seconded by Councilmember
Wagner to approve Wind Turbine Easement Agreement 20-21. Motion carried
5-0.
8.5 Call Special Meetings
Moved by Councilmember Westgaard and seconded by Councilmember
Wagner to schedule the following special meetings:
• Monday, July 27, 2020, 5:00 p.m., 2021 budget discussion.
■ Monday, August 10, 2020, 5:00 p.m., 2021 budget discussion.
■ Wednesday, August 12, 2020, 4:00 p.m., joint meeting with Planning
Commission to discuss Comprehensive Plan.
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Motion carried 5-0.
8.6 Council Goals/Mission/Vision
Mr. Portner presented the staff report.
Moved by Councilmember Wagner and seconded by Councilmember
Westgaard to approve the 2020 Council goals, mission and vision. Motion
carried 5-0.
8.7 Discuss Work Session Items
Mr. Portner presented the staff report.
Mayor Dietz added consideration of cultural tolerance and understanding.
9. Council Liaison Updates
This item was removed from the agenda.
10.1 Activity Center Facility Uses
I Mr. Portner presented the staff report.
Craig Prange, 14312 215'h Court, representing Glory of Christ Fellowship, reviewed
a presentation and provided a history of their organization and why they are looking
for a permanent location for their ministry. He explained how the Activity Center
would be a good fit.
Tina Meeker, reviewed her presentation and discussed how the arts are good for a
community. She discussed how they would like to use the Activity Center.
Barry Hohlen, 19331 Rush Court, reviewed his presentation and explained his
groups vision to serve youth in the community.
Councilmember Westgaard asked Mr. Hohlen if he has given any thought in trying
to make the new multipurpose facility work for their needs. He outlined the
opportunities in the space noting it is within a much safer walking distance for kids.
Mr. Hohlen stated the accessibility is fantastic but had concern about 24-hour, 365
accessibility and competing with needs of other facility users.
Todd Roskaft, 22068 Brook Road, stated he believes the activity center is a great
asset to the community and there are a lot of use opportunities. He doesn't want to
see it sold, but rather it should be utilized by non-profit groups. He further stated the
Mason's would like the building too.
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Mayor Dietz noted Council has had previous discussions about the center and has an
interest in selling the property because they no longer want to maintain it. He stated
it should be put up for bid. He stated there are other groups interested who should
also get an opportunity to bid on the property. He stated the city has vested close to
$1 million in the center and needs an overhaul.
Mr. Portner reviewed ERA survey statistics previously asked of residents about what
they would like the city to do with the property.
Councilmember Ovall stated more staff and maintenance is required to maintain
more buildings and the city is looking to streamline operations to run as lean as it
can. He noted this property is a burden and Council must prioritize dollars.
Council consensus was to engage a broker.
Councilmember Westgaard requested disclosure to the broker about the needed
repairs to the center.
10.2 Riverfront Concert Series
Mr. Hecker presented the staff report. He reviewed the City of Ramsey and Maple
Grove process related to a COVID-19 plan and limiting concert ticket sales.
Mr. Portner noted the multipurpose facility would be restricted to 250 people. He
further reviewed products that act as flooring over ice.
Councilmember Wagner stated she would be okay using Rivers Edge Commons
Park with a COVID-19 plan in place and understanding about 175 people would be
able to attend. She stated she is not interested in rushing into purchasing a floor for
the arena.
Councilmember Ovall questioned average concert attendance during a non-covid
year. He felt the city would have three times the overhead for barely any people
having opportunity to watch a concert.
Councilmember Wagner understood but felt people want to get back to a sense of
normalcy. She stated it would benefit area restaurants.
Councilmember Ovall expressed concerns with Elk River being a hot spot 14 days
later.
Councilmember Wagner stated it would be difficult to prove an outbreak happened
from the concerts.
Councilmember Christianson questioned the liability.
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Councilmember Westgaard said there will be staff at the event to ensure social
distancing but noted outside the park property will be out of city control.
Councilmember Wagner stated other cities are doing it and have had no issues so
Elk River should be able to do it
Mr. Hecker said the other communities are not getting a lot of attendance. He
further expressed concern with loss of staff to manage concert attendees by end of
summer. He noted costs would be about $18,000.
Mayor Dietz suggested trying the process once to see how it goes.
Councilmember Christianson stated everyone needs to make decisions about their
own personal risks.
Councilmember Ovall questioned if any staff expressed concerns with working the
event.
Mr. Hecker stated yes.
Mr. Portner stated the biggest concern is protecting employees.
Councilmember Christianson asked if volunteers could work the event instead.
Mr. Portner noted the city would still be liable for volunteers.
Councilmember Ovall commented again about the amount of work with staff time,
resources and materials produced for very little benefit.
Council consensus was to try a concert and see how it goes.
II. Adjournment
There being no further business, Mayor Dietz adjourned the meeting of the Elk
River City Council at 11:48 p.m.
Tina Allard, City Clerk
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