League of Women Voters

Jane McWilliams, LWV Observer

Councilor Jon Denison was absent.

Land Development Code: Tracy Davis, Chair, Steve Rohl, Richard Schulte and Jim Herreid, members of the Planning Commission, joined the Council at the table, along with City Administrator Joel Walinski, Community Development Director Brian O’Connell and City Planner Dan Olson.  Under consideration was a section of the LDC providing regulations for yet to be developed residential areas of the city, some of which are still outside city limits. (To see map,   http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/assets/p/Packet167.pdf , page 6.). Davis noted that certain principles found in the Comprehensive Plan are reflected in this concept – primarily lower impact residential and small-scale commercial areas not in competition with downtown. This section of the LDC provides for a variety of uses (for example, multi-family residential, live-work homes, convenience stores and limited service restaurants) and sets forth specific standards for each.  In response to public comments, the design standards are “anti-monotony” according to Davis, minimizing visibility of garages and “getting away from cheap construction". Council members raised questions about the overall design. Councilor Betsey Buckheit said that architectural styles are less important for her than orientation to the street, keeping the streets narrow, and maintaining density. Council Erica Zweifel agreed. She said she didn’t want to “recreate old Northfield” design, but was looking more for a grid system, density, and pedestrian scale. She also urged inclusion of a greenway corridor.  Over all, the area would foster narrow frontages, but would provide a variety of lot depths which would allow for flexible design of elements like several garages, a concern of Councilor Rhonda Pownell.

Adopt a Park Program: TJ Heinricy, Street and Parks Supervisor, explained the proposal for allowing volunteers to “aid in beautification, identify safety hazards, and help maintain” the city’s parks system.  The program would achieve the goals of using volunteers’ expertise, encouraging citizen connection with community, and relieve city staff of some responsibilities. Councilor Pownell was a catalyst for this idea and was part of a work group including several citizens: Pat Allen, Judy Code and Lynn Vincent, members of the Northfield in Bloom Committee. The Parks and Recreation Board approved the program in May. There is precedent for this kind of relationship:  for example, neighbors around Central Park who routinely maintain plantings there. The new program would formally incorporate and recognize already established volunteer groups, and foster commitment of other groups in other parks.  The council will take action on this proposal at their June 15 meeting. The backup material explains the program, suggests tasks, and lists city parks, offers safety tips, and contains Terms and Conditions of the program.

2011 Budget Development Process: The goal of the discussion was to agree on 5 or 6 key policies, which will help frame future budget decisions.  Staff noted several areas for consideration:  Classification of city services in order to make choices for reduction; possible revenue sources; maintaining parity among employee groups; making structural changes in the organization.

There was agreement that the city needs to wean itself from dependence on local government aid.  Councilor Zweifel suggested that they should “build a budget from the bottom up instead of looking at what we have and what we need to cut.”  Councilor Buckheit objected to the implication that they would cut more from the 4th tier (services provided by the city which could be offered by another organization) in the classification of services). Instead, if services there aren’t provided elsewhere, the city should stretch out other things to preserve these.  Councilor Pownell stated that services for those citizens which have the greatest need should be protected.

In considering major budget outlays, Walinski explained the city’s $200,000 subsidy for the Northfield Community Resource Center. (Questions about the reason for this have been raised in community conversations.) It is a buyout of the capital investment of the school district, Community Action Center, Senior Center and Three Rivers Community Action, Inc. in the 1999 construction of the center.

There was a strong sentiment among  the council for getting broad public suggestions for budget reductions.  Mayor Mary Rossing asked, “What does that look like and how do we know if we’re successful?” She suggested a scientific survey “to go deeper than the usual suspects” in getting input. Walinski said he would bring more information about survey possibilities. (It remains to be seen whether he gleaned the policy direction he sought from the discussion.) All agreed that the budget process must be moved up, with earlier public hearings than previously scheduled.

Facilities Funding Preview: There will be a public hearing on June 15,  7:00 p.m. at city hall in preparation for the council’s decision whether to fund the public safety facilities with capital improvement bonds in an amount not to exceed $14,400,000. (The council will vote on that matter that evening.) The timing of the hearing and decision is necessitated by the possibility there will be a public initiative for a reverse referendum to be held as part of the November 2 election.

The city levies funds for a range of purposes including Economic Development, Housing Redevelopment Authority, general fund, bonds for street construction, and existing debt (NCRC, for example). City Finance Director Kathleen McBride provided information about the projected property tax levy with the addition of new bonds for public safety facilities and library expansion projects.  McBride also provided a graph illustrating the levy before new facilities debt is added, and another with public safety facilities included and a third with public safety and library projects added.  Charts illustrating the impact on various properties of city taxes from 2011 through 2016 were included in the packet as well. She noted that if the decision were made to issue CIP bonds, there would need to be a strategy for providing information supporting the decision to counter the reverse referendum. McBride said she would develop a simplified version of tonight’s information for presentation at the hearing.

The staff has provided a great deal of information for the council and the public in various places on the city’s web site.  A notice on the front page (http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/whatsnew/admin/2010/09/01/public_hearing__facilities_financing) invites readers to consult the council page and the one set up for the public facilities ( http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/assets/p/projects/SafetyCenter_2010/index.html).   For information about the library expansion: ( http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/library/longrangeplanning)  It requires persistence to ferret adequate information and thoughtful deliberation to digest it!

GreenStep Cities follow-up discussion: This program is a possible tool for implementing the council’s sustainability goal. On May 24, Philipp Muessig explained the program at a public meeting. Information about this program is available at:   http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org/greensteps/best-practices. It could provide a framework for the city for best practices focusing on greenhouse gas reduction.  According to Walinski, the city does not yet have a full analysis of the financial implications on city resources of this program. However, he and members of the council agree that it would provide voluntary goals and a method for measuring achievement.  Some of the requirements are already part of the city’s practices. Others could be implemented as opportunities present themselves.

Walinski reminded the council of the June 21, 2010 meeting with Waterford Township, and said that there would need to be a special meeting on the Mayo Clinic Radiation Oncology facility issue on June 29, 2010..

The meeting adjourned at 10:12.