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04-20-06 Worksession CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Richfield, Minnesota Special Worksession April 20, 2006 The meeting was called to order by Mayor Kirsch at 7:03 p.m. Members Present: Martin Kirsch, Mayor; Susan Rosenberg; Bill Kilian; Sue Sandahl; and Fred Wroge. City Hall Task Force 1/ Members Present: Rick Jabs, Chair; John Bjostad; Jennifer Verbrugge; Tom Rublein; Deb Erickson; Scott Heddle; and Gary Ness (Community Services Commission representative) . Staff Present: Steven Devich, City Manager; Brad Sveum, Fire Services Director; Dan Scott, Public Safety Director; Pam Dmytrenko, Assistant to City Manager; Dave Conrads, Building Maintenance Supervisor; and Cheryl Krumholz, Recording Secretary . Item # I City Manager Devich stated tonight's City Council Worksession with the City Hall Task Force II was scheduled at the City Council's March 28 request regarding a proposed new City Hall. The discussion addresses the follow up direction provided by the City Council: staff should work with Tushie Montgomery Architects to get a baseline cost comparison for similar City Hall facilities, including Police and Fire, on five sites . schedule a Special City Council Worksession of possibly three hours with no time constrains . Worksession be scheduled when all City Council Members can be present . an impartial facilitator should lead the Worksession . as many task force members as possible be encouraged to attend . suggested a Thursday evening for the Worksession since the task force is used to meeting on that day . requested the Worksession begin at 7:00 p.m. Aimee Gourlay, Mediation Center for Dispute Resolution, served as the impartial facilitator to provide a structured conversation. Prior to this Worksession, she spoke with Council Members Wroge and Kilian and Chair Jabs to get a sense of an agenda. There is agreement that a new City Hall is needed. Goals tonight include review of the task force's process and criteria to reach their site recommendation and review of the five sites with added technical information to the criteria. Special Worksession Minutes -2- April 20, 2006 Rick Jabs, City Hall Task Force II (CHAT II) Chair, said he felt the City Council believed the task force was blindered in their approach and might have missed something in the process. He added he has the sense the City Council believes the current site was determined to be the best location before the process started. Tom Rublein, CHAT II member, stated that he sensed this all comes down to Council Member Kilian's objection to the task force recommendation of the current site. Ms. Gourlay asked the City Council and task force what the end goal was of that conversation. Mr. Jabs reviewed the task force assignments and that no financial data was considered or requested because they didn't want to spend any money. The City Council was kept informed throughout the process. The task force was objective in their decision and questioned why what was already thought to be a good site should be changed. Ms. Gourlay asked the City Council and task force about their thoughts on tonight's outcome. Jennifer Verbrugge, CHAT II member, stated it appears the City Council and task force are in different places. A compromise is needed. It will need to be determined if the task force continues to make the site selection since more data is available. Ms. Gourlay asked if only one site is needed or if there could be a second site option. Council Member Wroge said the City Council should let the City Council do their job and vote. He said it was inappropriate to have Gary Tushie, architect, present information because Mr. Tushie stated at a task force meeting that he would bid on the project. Mr. Rublein said Council Member Wroge was the City Council liaison and voting member on the task force. The City Council could have asked Mr. Wroge any questions so they could be relayed to the task force. He continued that it is his perception that the current site is believed not to be imaginative enough and it doesn't meet someone's vision. John Bjostad, CHAT II member, said he would like to review the additional data on the five sites. Ms. Verbrugge said the task force decision could be stronger if it is revisited with the additional data. Deb Erickson, CHAT II member, asked the City Council if the task force guiding principles met their vision. Council Member Kilian stated he wants to step back so everyone can say the sites were reviewed objectively. This site is not off his list but other sites are still on his list. Cost, quality and delivery need to be considered. There could be some significant cost differences that are not part of the criteria. Council Member Kilian questioned the use of parkland related to swapping acreage or to not being touched. Mr. Jabs said cost was a principal factor and is always an issue. The current site was the least costly and the least inconvenient. Now when the recommendation is before the City Council, it appears suddenly cost is not an issue. Mr. Jabs continued that parkland is very important. Citizens have said to not use park, business or home property. He said he resented the statement that cost was not considered when the bottom line is the cost to taxpayers. Ms. Gourlay said cost might mean something different to others. Council Member Rosenberg stated this is not the task force against the City Council. She clarified that some City Council Members agree with the task force recommendation. Special Worksession Minutes -3- April 20, 2006 Gary Ness, CHAT II member, said more parkland cannot be lost. A land swap option is done in little increments. Even if City Hall is built on the current site, minimal land at Heredia Park should be lost. Council Member Wroge said the task force did not just consider monetary factors but also the most non-controversial. Cost includes more than money but possibly losing support of the residents. Council Member Sandahl stated she would like City Council consensus so everyone supports the project. Mayor Kirsch agreed that the City Council needs to be on the same page or the project may not happen. Gary Tushie, Tushie Montgomery Architects, discussed the Richfield City Municipal Services Campus building program assumptions used as a baseline to evaluate the five sites. A base of 450 square feet per employee located in City Hall was used. City Manager Devich said the City did not spend a lot of money to get this data and it should not be considered a thorough exam of metropolitan city halls but rather a baseline. The City Council can engage another firm for a more thorough discussion if they wish. Mr. Tushie reviewed the site plan assumptions, acquisition considerations and site layout considerations for the five sites: existing City Hall, City garage, K-Mart, Veterans Park east side, Veterans Park west side and Augsburg Park. Council Member Wrage asked about the current employee parking. City Manager Devich stated employees park mostly in the upper lot with limited spaces in the lower lot. There is no side street parking. He added there needs to be space for the public for Deputy Registrar and inspections services. Large meetings are not held here due to limited parking. Mr. Tushie said a number of stalls needs to be determined that would work during the year. Building Maintenance Supervisor Conrads said there are 43 spaces in the lower lot, mostly for police vehicles, and 96 spaces in the top lot. Mr. Ness discussed the 66th Street/Portland Avenue roundabout and the possibility of Metro Transit using part of the pool/arena parking lot for a transit stop. City Manager Devich added that when the pool is open and during hockey games, the lot is full. Mr. Rublein said during construction at the current City Hall site, employees could park at the pool/arena and the City would pay for a shuttle to City Hall. Council Member Wroge said a new City Hall would have the police squads parked underground. Mr. Rublein said it was a task force predication that Fire Services would stay at the current site. Mr. Tushie stated he was asked to consider Police, Fire and City administration in his data. Public Safety Director Scott clarified that no impounded or stored vehicles are on the current site and there would be little need on a new site. Council Member Wrage stated City staff informed the task force to avoid the current garage and K-Mart sites because of development opportunities. Council Member Kilian said the configurations can be mixed/matched but tonight's discussion is to get basic questions answered and not design a building. Council Member Wroge agreed that the discussion is regarding site components and impacts. Special Worksession Minutes -4- April 20, 2006 Mr. Tushie referenced a memo from Jim Topitzhofer, Recreation Services Director, regarding discussions with the DNR related to conversion restrictions at Veterans Park and no restrictions at Heredia Park. Council Member Wroge asked about fire response times from the different sites. Fire Services Director Sveum explained the response time impacts from 70th StreetlNicollet Avenue, existing garage site and Veterans Park. Council Member Kilian asked about the number of runs per day. Fire Services Director Sveum stated there are approximately ten between the two stations. Mr. Rublein asked about the need to keep Station #2 if Station #1 is moved to 70th StreetlNicollet Avenue. Fire Services Director Sveum stated that was a City Council decision. He added that if there is one station, it would need to be larger for garage space and response times would be impacted. Fire Services Director Sveum discussed the apron driveway for backing in the fire vehicles at the current site and the proposed drive-through option for a new site. Mr. Jabs stated the Fire Department location was considered in the site selection process. Mr. Tushie clarified the site selection review of costs and impacts is an analysis of the five sites related to specific costs associated with selecting each site. A building is not included in this analysis. Mr. Tushie stated the current building is 26,000 square feet. Council Member Wroge said smaller city halls are being built because of the growth in technology. He added that he has a hard time understanding why a new City Hall would not fit on the south end of the current site. Employees could part on the street for ten months and the current building could continue to provide services. Mr. Tushie said the residential impact would need to be studied. He continued that there would need to be space for construction equipment as well as construction workers' parking and public parking for continued access to the building. Building or parking on the Heredia Park ballfield would impact relocation costs. Mr. Jabs said the task force had creative ways to address issues to reduce funds for this site. City Manager Devich said the City is counting on $1.5 million from the current garage site to build a new facility. To build a new City Hall there would put a financial hole in the garage project. Council Member Kilian said the same applies to the current City Hall site or building a park in trade. Mr. Tushie stated selling property is not included in the analysis. Mr. Tushie said the K-Mart site may not work for security reasons if Police and Fire were included in a new City Hall project. Mixed-use redevelopment should be a consideration for this redevelopment area, which has worked with city halls in some other metro areas. Council Member Kilian said the Veterans Park site should remain on the table and a more definitive response regarding restrictions on the parkland should be obtained. Council Member Kilian expressed concern regarding replacing the current Community Center if the Augsburg Park site is selected. There is a big obligation to replace the center with more than what is currently there. Ms. Verbrugge said the same is true with the current garage site. A new building must be built. Special Worksession Minutes -5- April 20, 2006 Council Member Kilian said the Community Center could stay at their current site if Fire stayed at 67th Street/Portland Avenue. He added this was all good information and a good starting point even if not all agreed. Ms. Gourlay asked about information to be taken off the table. Ms. Verbrugge said the data puts numbers to the task force's presumptions that were accurate. Mr. Jabs stated appreciation for this effort and now sees on paper what was considered by the task force for each site. Mr. Tushie said there is compromise with every site and the City Council needs to make decisions on costs offsetting functions of the location. The consensus was to eliminate consideration of the City Garage site and K-Mart site. Consensus was to request a letter from the DNR legally clarifying the Veterans Park east and west sites. City Manager Devich said the Veterans Park west site may not be completely eliminated if parkland is not encroached. Council Member Wroge requested clarification of the need for a new Fire station and if costs increase if it's separate. Mr. Tushie said, in his opinion, a drive through is needed for the Fire vehicles. Fire Services Director Sveum explained the joint-metro operations surrounding Richfield provides good service without expensive vehicles and extra storage space. City Manager Devich discussed the Metropolitan Council 20-year projection for Richfield is a population growth to 44,000 by 2025. Council Member Wroge stated the City Hall size is not based on a population but on increased use of technology and digital storage. Ms. Verbrugge discussed the importance of employee interaction when designing a city hall. Council Member Kilian continued that working at home schemes does not work because employee communication is lacking. It would be tragic if 15 years down the pike a building addition could not be done because it's already at its maximum. Mr. Tushie explained the building foundation is not much different for a two or three story but it does impact employees during construction. Mr. Tushie stated all the plans presented tonight included Police on one level and administration on second story. The preferred plan for city halls is one level but two levels will work. Mr. Rublein said Richfield does not have the luxury of building out, but rather needs to build up. Council Member Wroge added if that is good enough for the private sector, it's good enough for City employees. Mr. Tushie said the public interaction is different. Ms. Gourlay asked about the helpfulness to the City Council of any task force additional work. Council Member Wroge said it is a City Council decision regarding the acceptability on taking parkland. Cost is a factor - not just financial but public acceptance. Mr. Jabs added the issue was not taking businesses, residential or parkland but rather having minimal impacts. Special Worksession Minutes -6- April 20, 2006 Ms. Gourlay said it appears the task force arrived at their recommendation of the current site with these considerations. It is public policy to decide on the use of parkland, other assets of the other sites and weighting the task force recommendation. Council Member Wroge questioned if the American Legion or Nilsen Mortuary had been asked regarding the availability of their property. If they say no, he questioned the use of eminent domain. Council Member Kilian discussed the American Legion being currently zoned single family residential. The Nilsen Mortuary is zoned commercial. Many things the City may not want could go in there if one or both properties were sold. In the long run, if the property became available, the City would purchase it anyway and have the cost. Mr. Rublein stated the original timeframe to build a new City Hall is two to four years, unless the City Council wishes to reconsider. He said the Veterans Park east site was not acceptable to him because it does not enhance the park the way he envisions. The Veterans Park west site may have some possibilities. The Augsburg Park site does not enhance the community to improve the quality of life. The public would like the park untouched as much as possible. Mr. Ness said Nilsen Mortuary made clear to the Transportation Commission during the 66th Street/Portland Avenue roundabout discussions they were not looking to sell. Ms. Gourlay stated it appears the City Council is not asking the task force to do any additional work on site selection. She added the City Council needs to decide how to move forward. Ms. Verbrugge said the Veterans Park east and west sites were considered as future recreation visions rather than a government complex. Council Member Sandahl stated that no matter what is done, the park will be impacted. Council Member Wroge said Heredia Park could be made better. Mr. Rublein said the community is accustomed to current City Hall services at this site. Some components cannot be quantified but considered subjectively and acceptable to the community. Council Member Kilian stated that the point at which enough money is on the table that the hurdle cannot be overcome needs to be determined. Mr. Ness said the Community Services Commission refers to the Augsburg Park as Richfield's premier park. Mr. Jabs said the task force considerations have been reviewed, including envisioning what Richfield would look like in 20-50 years. All things need to be considered such as tax value, asset to the community, palatable, not destroying Augsburg Park sliding hill. The task force is biased in selecting a site because they are Richfield citizens. Council Member Wroge stated the residents' calls he receives say Augsburg Park and Legion Park are "their" parks and have a long Richfield history. Council Member Wroge suggested a first-right-to-refusal contract should be signed with the American Legion. He can see a recreation center in that area but not a government building because of the controversy. Mr. Rublein said he believes if the task force were to review the sites again, they would come to the same conclusion to recommend the current City Hall site. Ms. Gourlay stated the City Council may wish to have additional discussions. She said site selection would be first with design to follow, and it appears the next step for the task force is on hold. City Manager Devich clarified the follow-up items requested by the City Council: definitive use regarding parkland at Veterans Park east site and at Veterans Park west site if a two-story building exclusive of the use of the American Legion and Fire Department stayed at the current location. Special Worksession Minutes -7~ April 20, 2006 Council Member Wroge questioned the cost if the Fire Department was at a separate location. Mr. Tushie stated there would be minimal differences unless the site had additional costs. Council Member Sandahl requested another Special City Council Worksession for one hour for the City Council to reach a consensus and have a unified front on a site selection without being before cameras. Council Member Wroge disagreed with a Worksession because the decision is at the point of being at a City Council meeting in front of the residents. Council Member Rosenberg said another meeting will not help and she is ready to vote now. Council Member Wroge said it comes down to determining if parkland should be used or not. Mayor Kirsch and Council Member Kilian expressed support for another Worksession. Council Member Sandahl added the Worksession is open to the public. The City Council scheduled a Special Worksession for May 15 at 5:30 p.m. prior to the HRA meeting. Mayor Kirsch requested the City Council contact the City Manager if there are additional questions. Council Member Sandahl questioned the additional cost to build a second story. Mr. Tushie explained there is a minimal increase but is also an inconvenience for those working there. The structure could be extended to have a second story added if it's to be a future consideration. (Tushie Mongtomery Architects materials in City Clerk's File No. C-416.) The meeting was adjourned by unanimous consent at 10:05 p.m. Date Approved: Mav 9. 2006 ~~ " '/ 'A /}"Vl Cheryl Kr holz ~ Recording Secretary