5.3. SR 09-04-2007REQUEST FOR ACTION
To Item Number
Ci Council 5.3.
Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by
Administration Se tember 4, 2007 Lori ohnson, City Administrator
Item Description Reviewed by
Discuss CouncIl Worksession Agendas
Reviewed by
Action Requested
Review the proposed worksession agendas and let staff now if there axe changes or additions
needed.
2. Discuss future worksession topics.
Background/Discussion
On the first Council meeting of each month the City Council reviews the worksession agendas fox future
meetings.
Proposed agendas are as follows:
2008 Budget and Tax Levy
A. Resolution Authorizing the
Proposed Property Tax Levy fox
Collection in 2008
B. Resolution Approving the Housing
and Redevelopment Authority 2008
Tax Levy
C. Resolution Approving the 2008 Tax
Levy for Economic Development
Purposes fox the Elk River
Economic Development Authority
D. Motion Calling for Troth in
Taxation Hearing (and Continuation
Date)
Parks Capital Improvement Plan
• Mahnstrom Terms
• Community Development Items
A. Energy City Three-Year Plan and
Expo Update
B. Gravel Mining Hours of Operation
C. Discussion on Planning
Government Buildings Capital Improvement Plan
Snow Plow Policy
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Commission Meeting Schedule
D. Direction on Rezoning of
Commercial Reserve Axea
E. Direction on Lifting Sign
Moratorium
F. Consider Changes to
Comprehensive Plan Map System
G. Framework Questions
Financial Impact
n~a
Attachments
None
Action Motion by Second by Vote
Follow Up
5:\Council\Lnri\2007\Workscssion Agrnda lliscussion.doc
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Potential Retreat/ Work-session Questions
A. IMAGE - A basic community development principle is that the image of a city
reflects its economic viability and community health. At this point, the City has an
opportunity to confirm and/or reinvent the framework that defines the future
image. Identifying this image is critical for the Community Development
Department, and its commissions, to partner with the Council, to ensure that our
collective actions establish our community's highest ideals.
L Gatewayi Northstaz - Is the Council willing to impose design standards on
private property owners and a land use vision which may not be ready for today's
market; with an understanding that the market may absorb these uses at a much
slower rate?
2. Highway 10 corridor -Does the Council view Hwy 10 as a gateway to the
community and does this gateway reflect the vision the Council has for the
community? If not, does the Council desire to dedicate its resources (financial,
time, etc.) to radically redefine this corridor?
3. Components -Are there components of other cities that you would like to see
incorporated into Ells River's planning and redevelopment efforts?
4. Commercial Resen~e -Does the Council see maintaining a hazd-line approach
against temporary land uses in the commercial reserve area as a necessary and
important policy in order to successfully develop this azea in the future?
5. Large scale, intense land uses -Does the Council feel that the large scale land
uses (Mining, Land Fill, Peaking plant) impact the image of the community?
Does the Council desire staff to take a more in-depth re~riew of these proposals
and their potential impacts to both surrounding properties and the community at
large?
6. Entrances - Do the entrances (Land Fi11, Great River Energy, A11ina, etc.)
adequately express the Council's image of the City of Elk River, and if not,
should improvements be made (public and private) to redefine or redirect this
image?
7. Fairgrounds -Does the Council feel that it is advantageous to initiate the
planning and proactively guide the County fairground property?
8. ConunerciaU Industrial -Has the Council identified any major market
components that are not currently in the City (office park, corporate campus,
higher valued manufacturing) and, if so, is the City willing to secure property,
and/or protect the property from development of projects inconsistent with this
vision?
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B. REVITALIZATION - As a community ages, a city must decide what role they
are going to play in this process: lead and anficipate these changes, or to allow the
private market to guide these changes.
1. Neighborhood Reinvestment -Does the Council agree that neighborhoods
create the foundation of the community? As the City ages, does the Council view
it necessary to play a role in supporting our neighborhoods in their efforts to
maintain themselves in relation to safety, reinvestment, and overall sustainability?
2. Marginalized Uses -Does the CitS~ feel that marginalized or inconsistent uses
have an impact on the community at lazge in addition to their understood impacts
on the immediate area? Does the Council agree that the sum total of every
decision (code enforcement, land use, signage, variances, eta), establishes the
ultimate image for our community? If yes, what should be the City's role to
ensure that our collective actions move us toward our desired image?
C. ENVIRONMENT -Environmental character is unique to our community and
we have an opportunity to fully protect, and/or enhance these features. Every
action the City takes affects these environmental features in some fashion and it is
critical that the City establishes for itself the level of importance of the environment.
1. What level of importance does the Council place on preserving and/ or
enhancing the natural environment? In halancing the interaction between the
environment and private market demands, how aggressive should the City be in
it's role as a steward of the environment in the face of this development pressure?
D. ENFORCEMENT - As a city ages, the necessity of code enforcement becomes
more identi£~able. Issues that surround this question include overall property
maintenance and value, building and personal safety & the community image this
reflects.
1. Does the City Council f el that as its' commercial, residential, and retail
neighborhoods age, increased code enforcement (property and building inventory)
becomes both necessazy and unavoidable? Assuming that the level of
enforcement will need to increase, and that a highly aggressive level of
enforcement is neither desired nor effective, does the Council agree that the City
should start a gradual level of enforcement and programs to prevent the need for
drastic enforcement efforts at a future date?
E. RELATIONSHIPS - Traditionally, the function of a city's boards and
commissions is to serve a variety of functions including development review, idea
generation, resident interaction and participation, and partnering with the City
Council to achieve the community's overall vision.
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1. Does the City Council agree that its relationshigs to boards and commission
are critical and beneficial to the city's overall decision making process? In what
way can the City's commissions and boards better serve the City Council in their
decision making process?
2. Does the Council agree with the established core mission statements of each of
the commissions, and if not, what should be changed?
F. EXPECTATIONS- In order to effectively communicate a city's objectives, it is
imperative that the Council and staff have an equal understanding of our desired
outcomes. It is critical that the Council and staff have the same understanding in
order to better advise property owners, applicants, and the general public toward
these expectations.
1. Does the Council agree with the perception that different development
standards and expectations apply to different areas of the community (Hwy 10,
Downtown, H~~r 169)?
2. How can the staff better understand and support the Council's expectation for
the different areas of the community?
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