10-16-85 Council as WholeOCTOBER 16, 1985 COUNCIL OF THE WHOLE 3:30 PM
Mayor McDowell, Councilmen Saverud, Ruiz, Palmer, Schindler, Springer,
Manning, Grainger, and Nystul. City Atorney Neier, Clerk/Treasurer Halver,
CDD Ed Gallagher, DPW Ken Hammer, PC Marty Stefanie, Ed Kennedy, Jay
Billmeyer, Mike Fraser, and Roger Hopkins.
Mayor McDowell called the meeting to order and handed the chair to Wayne
Saverud. He reported the meeting was called to consider two topics, mall
offsite improvements, and consideration of how much Tax Increment money to
designate for the 5th Ave West Project.
At Councilman Saverud's request, Ed Gallagher reviewed the terms of the UDAG
drawdown procedures and the.loan repayment conditions. The loan payments can
be reused within the district.
C. Ruiz asked if the developer is responsible for any offsite improvements
and general discussion followed on 200,000 budgeted in the UDAG grant. He
referred to the minutes of the June 22, 1984 special council meeting.
• It was felt this was an allowance for providing land for the widening of
Center Street. Several people questioned why this land was not deeded to the
city.
C. Grainger asked who authorized the closing of Depot Loop and is it offsite
improvements or Tax Increment Fundable.
A long discussion ensued over whether we wanted a traffic light one block
north of Center on Main, and who authorized it. Ed Gallagher said the
original grant called for right turns in and out only. He stated if other
access is necessary, then a light would be required.
C. Ruiz read from a letter from the developer stating they would study
traffic for a couple years before deciding if they needed a light.
The Mayor and others pointed out the Council closed The Depot Loop Road
because the Highway Department would not allow it to be open if a traffic
light were to be installed for the mall entrance off Main Street.
C. Saverud and Ruiz talked about the offsite improvements budget as addressed
in the minutes of June 22, 1984, November 19, 1984, and Resolutions 3547
and 3535. These records show a set aside of 631,000, a budget by resolution
of 578,000 and an upper limit to expand to of 800,000. The list of offsite
improvements proposed in the resolution did not include anything east of the
a mall.
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City Attorney Neier reported the mall access permit with the Highway
Department called for right turn access in and out only.
The next question was who is responsible for removing the abandoned tracks
from the streets. Ken Hammer says it is not a city responsibility and the
Highway Department is on record that they are not obligated to remove them.
C. Ruiz returned to discussion of the 12 foot easement for widening of Center
Street and read from a letter from the developer stating they would not give
the city a 12 foot easement.
Discussion went back to the traffic light. Councilman Nystul summarized the
points leading to the closing of Depot Loop and suggested the mall developers
should pay for any street widening or improvements just like any other
developer in other areas of the city would be responsible for.
C. Saverud reviewed correspondence between the Mayor and the developer
concerning specific improvement projects, including who will bear the costs
. of track removal and installing the light. They would be willing to pay the
27,000 now if we would be willing to repay them from the 15% proceeds. He
stated the developers' position is they are responsible only for work within
the 20 acre boundary of the mall site.
C. Ruiz felt we didn't want a traffic light at the mall entrance and we don't
want to remove the tracks.
Mayor McDowell volunteered to research all the correspondance we may have
concerning a traffic signal at the Main Street entrance to the Mall.
DPW Hammer said he needed to know if the city was going to pay for a light
and he was told it couldn't be decided at this meeting but should be decided
at the next Council Meeting.
C. Ruiz asked if B. N. had been asked for permission to park on the north
side of the Depot. They will be asked when they are here on the 18th.
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