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110921 CAC Agenda PacketIf you are unable to attend the meeting, please contact Susan Rader at 763-531-5152 or srader@newhopemn.gov Citizen Advisory Commission Meeting City Hall, 4401 Xylon Avenue North November 9, 2021 7 p.m. 1. Call to Order. 2. Roll Call. 3. Approval of August 10, 2021 minutes. 4. Budget Update with Kirk McDonald, City Manager, and Vicki Holthaus and Blake Torbeck, Abdo Financial Solutions. 5. Discuss December Agenda and 2022 topics. 6. Discuss 2022 City-Wide Garage Sale. 7. Brainstorming – Ideas to bring attention to New Hope. 8. Parks and Recreation project updates. 9. Other business. 10. Adjournment. CITY OF NEW HOPE 4401 XYLON AVENUE NORTH NEW HOPE, MINNESOTA 55428 Citizen Advisory Commission Regular Meeting August 10, 2021 New Hope City Hall, 7 p.m. CALL TO ORDER Chair Herman called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Absent: Staff Present: Commissioners Randy Herman, Jill Kaufman, Scott Kulzer, Carrie Neuburger, Rick Riley, Bill Wills Mike Terres Susan Rader, Staff Liaison Jeff Sargent, Director of Community Development APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Wills made a motion to approve the minutes of the July 13, 2021 meeting. Commissioner Riley seconded the motion. Voting in favor: Commissioners Herman, Kaufman, Kulzer, Neuburger, Riley, Wills. Opposed: None. Absent: Commissioner Terres. Motion carried. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT UPDATE Jeff Sargent, Director of Community Development, addressed the commissioners and conducted a PowerPoint presentation. He referred to a memo that had been included in the commissioners’ packets, and briefly reviewed the 2019 amendment to the conditional use permit at Cooper High School for expanded use of their outdoor stadium area. He explained that prior to that amendment, the stadium could only be used by the school or rented to those closely affiliated with the school. He reported that the city council had approved the amendment on a one-year trial basis, which allowed outside groups to rent that facility. He added that in 2020 the city council had approved a two-year extension to the trial period, and commented that staff had not received any complaints regarding the additional use of that stadium. Mr. Sargent also reviewed the conditional use permit for Pocket Square Microdistillery in the former Mountain Mudd location, and noted that the business had opened in the spring of 2021. Mr. Sargent briefly reviewed the Windsor Ridge development located north of the ice arena, and noted that 20 of the 32 homes scheduled for construction had already sold. He stated that the developer had originally anticipated sales prices between $350,000 and $400,000, but noted that the actual average sales price was around $420,000. He reported that the development included a mixture of two-story, split level and rambler style homes. Commissioner Riley wondered whether the different home styles were a requirement. New Hope Citizen Advisory Commission August 10, 2021 Page 2 Mr. Sargent replied yes. He then displayed exterior photos of a few of the homes, as well as interior photos of a model split level home. The new HyVee Aisle On-Line kiosk was then discussed. Mr. Sargent reported that representatives from HyVee had approached the city a few years ago to request the expansion of their drive-up service. He displayed a map of the parking lot and noted that four different aisles had been identified to the south of a kiosk building. He displayed a schematic drawing and explained that groceries from the store would be stored inside that kiosk until pick-up. He anticipated that construction would begin soon. Mr. Sargent reported that the city council had recently approved the conditional use permit for Escuela Exitos, a Spanish Immersion school located at 47th and Boone avenues. He stated that approximately $1 million had been spent on renovations, and noted that an entrance had been constructed off of Boone Avenue. He reported that the facility would serve around 165 students for the upcoming school year, with maximum enrollment projection of around 390 students for the 2023-24 school year. Mr. Sargent reported that P&C Family Daycare had recently been approved for the former Family Video business located at 7700 42nd Avenue. He explained that this facility would be licensed by the state and would serve approximately 53 students. He added that outdoor space was required for the state licensure. Commissioner Riley wondered where the outdoor space would be located. Mr. Sargent replied that an area on the north side of the building would be fenced and play equipment would be added. Mr. Sargent then discussed the scattered site housing program and reported that the city sometimes purchased distressed properties for renovation or redevelopment. He explained that in the case of redevelopment, the city would handle the demolition and site preparation, then sell the lot to a developer through a bidding process. He added that lots were sometimes large enough to be divided, and noted that 25 new lots had been created in recent years. Mayor Hemken requested the floor and reported that the Windsor Ridge development would add approximately $13 million to the city’s tax base. Mr. Sargent reported that the scattered site housing program had increased the city’s tax base by about $5.5 million, but noted that each project had been completed at a loss to the city. Commissioner Riley wondered how long it would take to recoup that loss through the increased tax base. Mr. Sargent replied that it would take approximately 30 years. New Hope Citizen Advisory Commission August 10, 2021 Page 3 Commissioner Riley mentioned the inflated home prices in the metro area and wondered whether that had affected the scattered site housing program. Mr. Sargent replied yes, and felt that the city was limited by both budget and availability of housing stock. Commissioner Riley inquired about renovation projects and stated that he was aware of two homes that the city had remodeled. Mr. Sargent replied that renovation could be a viable option due to inflationary constraints, but noted that renovation projects tended to be more time-intensive. He reviewed the recent renovation project at 3924 Utah Avenue and commented that the home had been sold by the city without the assistance of a realtor. He also displayed photos of some of the more recent single-family development projects. Mr. Sargent reported on the renovation project at 8720 47th Avenue and noted that Habitat for Humanity had purchased the property and was in the process of completing renovations. He explained that this project had been made possible through Community Development Block Grant funding received through Hennepin County and earmarked by the city for Habitat for Humanity. He added that the renovated home would be sold to an income - qualified individual or family. Mr. Sargent briefly reviewed the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program, and noted that New Hope was one of the higher rated cities in the entire state. He explained that the goal of this program was to improve energy efficiency and follow best practices whenever possible. Commissioner Wills wondered if the new city hall and pool complex had provided some benefit. Mr. Sargent replied yes, and noted that new construction offered many energy efficiencies. He noted however, that the new building was considerably larger than the old one, which had not resulted in a savings on utility costs. Commissioner Kaufman wondered whether any environmentally-friendly assets, such as solar panels, had been incorporated into any of the new single- family homes. Mr. Sargent replied that the city did not currently require those types of elements, but noted that all building code requirements must be met. Mr. Sargent discussed the RAVE Award program and noted that it was designed to recognize properties with exceptional landscaping and interior and exterior improvements. He reported that judging had recently been completed for 2021 and winners would be announced at the council meeting on August 23. New Hope Citizen Advisory Commission August 10, 2021 Page 4 Mr. Sargent informed the commissioners that staff had created a Property Maintenance Reference Guide in 2020 to help property owners identify minimum maintenance requirements. As part of that process, staff had discovered several areas where ordinance amendments were required. Mr. Sargent reported on the recent outdoor dining ordinance amendment, which allowed restaurants to increase their outdoor dining space. He noted that Pub 42 had recently increased its outdoor dining space following this change. Commissioner Riley wondered whether parking requirements had been decreased in order to accommodate the additional outdoor dining space. Mr. Sargent replied that businesses were able to expand their outdoor space as long as their minimum parking requirements were still being met. Mr. Sargent also discussed ways in which his department had been affected by COVID, including the change to virtual meetings. He stated that while in- person meetings had resumed, he felt it was more efficient to run some meetings in a virtual format. He also mentioned that rental housing inspections had been postponed during the pandemic, but had since resumed. Mr. Sargent also reported on staffing changes to his department, including a new Office Specialist, Building Official, and General Inspector. Commissioner Kaufman referred to the Windsor Ridge development and wondered whether there had been any communication with the school district regarding busing or enrollment. Mr. Sargent replied that he had not had any direct contact with the school district, although they were aware of the development and the addition of new families. Commissioner Kaufman referred to the new Spanish Immersion school and wondered if New Hope Church still owned the property. Mr. Sargent replied that New Hope Church had sold the property and noted that Escuela Exitos would lease the property from the new owner. Commissioner Kaufman inquired about urban planning in relation to single- family homes versus multi-family, and wondered how the city of New Hope viewed this issue. Mr. Sargent felt that New Hope consisted of a great mixture of housing opportunities, but added that staff would always be willing to consider any proposal that was brought before them. Commissioner Kaufman also wondered whether consideration would be New Hope Citizen Advisory Commission August 10, 2021 Page 5 given to the style and property values of existing homes when redevelopment occurred. Mr. Sargent replied that those decisions were typically left up to the developer, unless special circumstances existed. He informed the commissioners that in a prior development project staff had discovered a long-standing covenant which prohibited the construction of two-story homes. Commissioner Kulzer referred to the scattered site housing program and wondered how it was funded. Mr. Sargent replied that it was funded through the Economic Development Authority via a separate levy. Commissioner Riley wondered what percentage of community development staff were currently working remotely. Mr. Sargent replied that his department was fully staffed at city hall. Commissioner Riley inquired about the rental housing licensing requirement within the city. Mr. Sargent replied that a rental license was required of those who rented out their home while living elsewhere. He added that this licensure included biannual inspections for single-family homes and inspections every three years for multi-family properties. Commissioner Riley wondered what percentage of housing was rental property. Mr. Sargent replied that approximately 53% of New Hope’s housing was rental property, but noted that this figure included nursing homes. He added that without nursing homes the figure would be closer to 35%, which was comparable to neighboring cities. Commissioner Riley wondered whether there was a limit to the number of single-family homes that could be converted to rental. Mr. Sargent replied no. Mayor Hemken requested the floor and asked Mr. Sargent to share information regarding the number of single-family homes that had converted to rentals, as well as the number that had converted back. Mr. Sargent replied that he did not have those figures, which were tracked on a monthly basis, but commented that in 2020, more rental housing had converted back to owner-occupied than the other way around. He added that to date in 2021, more properties had been converted to rentals while fewer rentals had converted back to owner-occupied. New Hope Citizen Advisory Commission August 10, 2021 Page 6 Ms. Rader added that those figures were usually published in the Friday Update. The commissioners thanked Mr. Sargent for his presentation. He excused himself from the meeting at 7:54 p.m. DISCUSS OCTOBER AGENDA Commissioner Kaufman reminded the commissioners that the director of the Seven Dreams Foundation had expressed interest in giving a short presentation to the Citizen Advisory Commission. Following a brief discussion, the commissioners agreed to invite the director to give a brief presentation at the October meeting. Commissioner Kaufman stated that she would follow up. Chair Herman mentioned the pumpkin painting event in October. Ms. Rader stated that volunteers were still needed for the Trick or Trot event scheduled for Saturday, October 9 from 5:30-7 p.m. She explained that the event would consist of multiple activities including trick-or-treating on the trail, face painting, pumpkin decorating, a DJ with music, costume contest and carnival games. She added that there would be a charge for this event. She also mentioned that the movie, Hotel Transylvania would be shown at the performance center beginning around 7:30 p.m. There would be no charge to attend the movie. Ms. Rader reminded the commissioners to rsvp for the bus tour on September 9. She stated that there would be no regular meeting in September, but noted that the annual dialog with the City Council had been scheduled for September 20. Ms. Rader reported that City Day would be held on Saturday, October 9 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. A section of Xylon Avenue would be closed for the event. She added that West Metro Fire would be hosting an open house and waffle breakfast during that time. She also mentioned that in the past, the Citizen Advisory Commission had staffed a table at this event. Several commissioners offered to participate in City Day. BRAINSTORMING – IDEAS TO BRING ATTENTION TO NEW HOPE No new ideas were brought forward. PARKS AND RECREATION PROJECT UPDATES Ms. Rader made the following announcements:  Play equipment had been installed at Corner Park. Final restoration work would probably occur in September.  The basketball court and hoops had been installed at Little Acre Park. Painting of the court and final restoration work would occur soon.  The trail at Liberty Park had been installed. Final restoration work was New Hope Citizen Advisory Commission August 10, 2021 Page 7 still needed.  A new air conditioning unit and furnace had been installed at the golf course.  Installation of the skylight at the ice arena had been pushed back to September 7.  New course layout signs would be installed at the disc golf course at Sunnyside Park as time allowed.  Portable enclosures and park benches would be installed at Civic Center Park as time allowed. Commissioner Wills suggested that the commissioners schedule another Liberty Park cleanup before the end of the year. Commissioner Neuburger wondered whether residents could pick the fruit on the trees at Little Acre Park. Ms. Rader replied yes. OTHER BUSINESS Ms. Rader made the following announcements:  Music in the Park would be held on August 11 at 7 p.m. and would feature bluegrass music.  The next Movie in the Park, Black Panther would be held on August 19, beginning around 8:30 p.m.  Music in the Park would be held on September 15 from 11:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m., and would feature the Fridley City Band.  Vehicle Fair would be held on September 18 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Crystal Community Center.  Movie in the Park featuring Toy Story 4 would be shown on September 25 at approximately 7 p.m.  Food Truck Fridays would continue through September 3.  Farmer’s Market would continue through September 25. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Wills made a motion to adjourn the regular meeting of the Citizen Advisory Commission. Commissioner Neuburger seconded the motion. All present voted in favor. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 8:17 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Penny Spitzer Recording Secretary CAC AGENDA ITEMS FOR 2021-2022 AS OF 11/1/21 The following is a tentative listing of major agenda items that have either been assigned to CAC, a CAC member has asked that the item be discussed, or city staff has asked that the item be discussed by CAC. *Regular Meetings: December 14 – possible Legislative Update (Susan to work w/Mayor Hemken) January 11 – Discussion with Emily Wallace-Jackson, Seven Dreams Foundation February 8 – March 8 – April 12 – May 10 – June 14 – July 12 – August 9 – No meeting due to Primary Election September 13 – No Regular Meeting  Sept xx – Commissioner Bus Tour  Sept 19 – Annual Dialogue with Council October 11 – Budget Discussion November 8 – No meeting due to General Election December 13 – *Note: A meeting may be cancelled if there are no agenda items. On-going  Continue to sponsor Snowman Contest, City-wide Garage Sale  Ideas to bring attention to New Hope  Promotion of existing City programs: In Focus, RAVE, Outstanding Business  Volunteering at P&R/City events Updates  Park/Facility Projects Possible Future Topics for 2022  Liberty Park clean-up x2  CD Projects incl St. Therese Renovation  PW Projects incl Meadow Lake Drawdown  Organics and HRG Reimbursements, Curbside Cleanup and Load Limits  Police Department – Joint Community Police Partnership  Emerald Ash Borer Update  P&R Update  Plant flower pots along Boone Ave