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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-04-06 City Council Town Hall MeetingMINUTES OF THE TOWN HALL MEETING OF THE EDINA CITY COUNCIL HELD AT BRAEMAR GOLF COURSE APRIL 6, 2019 10:00 A.M. TO 12:00 NOON CALL TO ORDER Mayor Hovland called the meeting to order at 10:14 a.m. Councilmembers present: Brindle, Anderson, Staunton, Fischer and Mayor Hovland. Staff present: Scott Neal, City Manager; MJ Lamon, Community Engagement Coordinator; and Sharon Allison, City Clerk. The Mayor explained the purpose of the town hall meeting was to allow a free flow of questions between residents and Council. Approximately 40 residents attended the meeting and asked a variety of questions that included the following: 1. Ms. Brooks said she had a 33 percent tax increase while friends in other parts of the City had a 2-3 percent increase. She explained that 50 percent seemed to be to Richfield School District and the remaining to Southdale Tax Increment Financing (TIF). She asked if this was permanent and for an explanation for such a huge increase. Taxes are divided among the school district, county and the city, and total tax paid by property owners would be the same amount regardless of an existing TIF district. Valuation of properties done by the Assessing Department every 4-5 years affects property taxes along with any referendum by the Richfield School District. Contacting Assessing staff was recommended to understand the increase and how to appeal the increase if necessary. Manager Neal offered to meet with Ms. Brooks. 2. Are there Estelle-style buildings planned for the Southdale area? Would a park be feasible for part of Southdale? There are no 24-story buildings being proposed at this time. The Guitar Center, a I9-story building, which was approved last year, has yet to submit their plans for approval. As Southdale evolves, green space would be developed as part of the Southdale Small Area Plan. 3. If one does not need or would not use organic recycling, why does one have to pay for it? Hennepin County requires cities to participate in organics recycling by 2022. Hennepin County subsidized the costs which was passed on to residents, and a volatile revenue stream helps to offset the cost of curbside recycling thru recycling commodity purchases. Residents were encouraged to participate in organics recycling. A resident suggested eliminating yard waste paper bags because they do not hold up in rain and recyclable plastic bags were available. Another resident suggested allowing two neighbors to share one trash can because of costs. Councilmember Fischer noted that trash hauling could be streamlined to prevent damage to roadway, but residents liked picking their own hauler. A recent ordinance revision changed where garbage cans can be located. 4. Public realm would benefit from better structure: recommendation that public realm be on City property, not privately-owned property, or be part of an existing City program such as warming houses, citywide celebrations, or school programs. Also, gather input from residents by asking neighborhood associations to periodically conduct surveys. The use of TIF is defined in statute, along with the process that must be followed when funds are used for public benefit. Residents may disagree with Council's decision, but good faith effort were made when deciding on TIF. Engaging with neighborhood associations to educate residents on the complexities of TIF would be helpful. Warming houses and other infrastructures need replacement funding while the City grapples with an alternative funding source to special assessments for street improvements. A public forum to generate ideas for alternative funding sources to special assessments was suggested. 5. Please clarify how TIF affects the school district. Was the district held harmless when TIF districts were created? The taxes that would be generated in the TIF district goes directly to TIF expenditures; however, because the school district has several funding options, it was held harmless for the period of the TIF district. TIF districts were generally created to improve blighted areas and property values increases dramatically over the life of the TIF district -- this benefits the school district and the City. The Southdale TIF money was being used for the Southdale area; however, it is scheduled for expiration in 2019, and the City has asked the legislators for an extension. When the district expires, the money would go back to the Southdale area in the form of higher property valuation. Improving Edina's TIF webpage was suggested. 6. The presentation by Hazel Reinhardt was excellent, as was the write-up in Edition:Edina. Is a more complete transcript of her remarks and the charts she presented available on the website? TIF extension, what can individual residents do to assist in getting the proposed extension of the use of Southdale TIF to 2021 approved by the state senate? Mr. Brown was informed that both the meeting video and Ms. Reinhardt's presentation were available on the City's website. Councilmember Staunton said he was surprised to learn from the presentation that single-family homes generated most of the new students for the school district. Because of this, he said the Council is looking at housing holistically and Manager Neal would be putting together a housing taskforce. Manager Neal added that the report from Ms. Reinhardt was just received and will be available online soon. Ms. Patzloff noted it was interesting to learn that it was not the high-rise apartments that generated the students, but it was instead single-family homes, especially teardown/rebuilds and that it was a slow, steady growth. Ms. Bremer was concerned with teardown/rebuilds because it impacts diversity and it was important to preserve single-family homes and not only apartments. Mr. Frenkel was concerned with the percentage of students in the district receiving free or reduced lunch. 7. Safety on Normandale Road. Council and staff were thanked for the new crosswalk at 66th Street. The following improvements were requested because of speeding and visibility: • Flashing speed sign at Ridgeview Drive/Tracy/66th • Sidewalk on 66th Street, west of Highway 100 • Stop sign on eastbound 66th Street • Narrowing Normandale Road at Payton Court and at 69th Street at CPC Requests would be referred to the appropriate department. Improvements were needed to the regional systems to minimize peal< AM/PM traffic on local roads. 8. I'm interested in learning how decisions are made about public benefits and TIF. What measures are used? How are residents, the public, involved in the decision process? If there are disagreements, how are they resolved? Residents can participate at the HRA and Council meetings or email Council and staff. Additionally, staff was starting the process of updating the TIF policy that guides Council decisions and feedback was being sought from the public. 9. MJ Lamon, Community Engagement Coordinator, explained the City' new engagement platform, BetterTogetherEdina. She said in mid-April staff would be using the platform to gather feedback on updating the TIF policy. She encouraged residents to sign up and share their feedback on the Comprehensive Plan Update. tt , / Sharon Allison, City Clerk Minutes approved by Edina City Council, April 16, 2019. 14 N.)11 ames B. Hovland, Mayor Councilmember Staunton asked the audience to share their feedback on the town hall meeting format. The Mayor thanked everyone for attending. The Mayor adjourned the meeting at 12:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted,