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11/27/1963 - 00023012�,te� ��_.s;�> �- . - ° . Wolke stated it was hds feeling the City Council should be the ones that should be sitting down and listening instead of a Committee. Covncilman Sherzdan re- plied this committee could gather the facts to�ether and the City Council would evaluate them, Mayor Nee stated.that in talking this over with Mr. Minder, he thought they should not sign the contract but didn'ti feel they should withdraw from the meeting. Mayor Nee suggested to the City Council this committee be formed and if a good proposal were arrived at with everyone's best intereets, they covld eon- sider it. Councilman Wolke suggested that perhaps they should request that the N.S.S.S,D, withhold the withdrawal untll Fridley hae this chance to eval- uate this proposal. Mayor Nee stated it would have to be done i�ithin thirty days or they would go ahead with the contract and the N.S.S.S.D. had agreed to hold this until the end of the contract and the reque�t for withdrawal had been xeferred to the attorney for the N.S,S.S.➢.� Mr. Andy Kohlan. City Attorn�y Smith explained that s date is set in the petition for Fridley and that the withdrawal has le�al value� as stated� Dut it doesn't prevent negotiat�on to take place. - Councilman Sheridan inquired ii the motion should be amended to lnclude that the proposal should be drawn within thirty days. Motion by Sheridan to amend original motion to include that the proposal shall be drawn within thlrty days. Secanded by Johanson. Upon a voice vote� there being no nays� the motion carried unanimously. Mr. Les Knutson of the consulting engineering firm of Comstock and Davis, Inc. stated he wished to present a matter that had been called to their attention this day by Darrell Clark� engineering assistant at Fridley, and it was a pro- posal to add some additional construction to Water and Sewer Improvement �61 which is under contract and being constructed. It was mentioned there is an old plat that has not been accepted by the city at this time. Motion`_by Johanson to approve Change Order #1-1963 sub,7ect to the approval of the City Manager when it is presented. Seconded by Sheridan. Upon a voice vote� there being no nays� the motion carried unanimously. The City Manager stated he wished to acquaint the City Council that a Notice of Electzon Conte�t had been served on the City Clerk� the contest being between Elmer Johnson and Howard Crabtree. City Attorney Smith explained thie saas a judicial proceeding and required no action by the City Council. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business� Mayor Nee declared the meeting ad,7ourned. Respectfully Submitted; . , _ � � ' ,%%' �.�e.P% -�T-�-�s�-�-� �'t��M.ti - r�ue Miskowic - MEIYOR - W J. Nee Secretary to the Council SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING - WEDNESDAY� NOVEMBER 27, i963 - 7:3o P.M. A Special Meet�ng of the City Council of the City of Fridley was called to order by Mayor Nee at 7:50 P.M, ROLL CALL; Members Preeent: Nee� Sheridan� Johanson� Brook arrieved ai, 8.15 P.M. Members Absent: Wolke • rrEw Busrn�ss: OF POSSIBLE RELOCATION OF UTILITIBS PRESENTLY LOCATFD �.� Mayor Nee announced the item under conslderation was the possible relocation of - utilities presently located between T. H. y'�47 and Main Street extended from T. H. �694 to 57th Avenue Northeast. The City Manager.explained it was proposed to put a crossover in and run it to lines that are installed, also to have the gas � line moved out of the right-of-way. It was explained the Minneapolis Gas Com- � paRy has its own private easement� also� that the utilities �re to be relocated � at the expense of the Minnesota State Highway Department. The Clty Manager fur- —' ther explained the point under consideration had arisen when this property was originally owned by Franklin Traasformer and then by Studebaker Corporation. IIe stated the A. D. Strong Compang�� realtors� has a prospect for the sale of this property which would be about 209060 square Feet of warehousing space and would employ approximately 250 people� that it would be a good thin� Por the City of Fridley. He further explained he had talked to the State FIighway Department and they would Ue willing to relocate their crossover so it would be possible for the City of Fridley to use Main Street. The approximate cost of moving v7as discussed and 3t was explained Fridley would get the assurance of the department that they could and would do this and take the service across the right-of-way so that Frid- ley could reach lines. Mr. Comstock� consulting engineer, stated the approxim�te cost;of moving and relocating the sewer and water lines would be $55,000.00. The City Manager stated he had talked.with the representative from the A. ➢. Strong Company� who had called the person responsible at the Studebaker Corporation and it had been said they would not pay for 3dy of the relocation of lines� but want them relocated. The representative from the A. D. Strong Company, had said he eould get Studebaker to pick up a portion of it. The City Manager explalned that, regardless of this� they had the Minneapnlis Gas Company problem and its relocation and expense in �ame. �1lternatives in relocatin� setaer �nd water ]ines were discussed and tne City Manager explained the decision to re]ocate could be authorized thzs evenin� and I i the lines could be re�.bcated and it could be paid as a betterment ln a certaln E amount, Councilman Sheridan sug�eeted the Council could relocate the crossin� � a� Main Str�t and pick up a portion of the tab which would be approximately $13�200.00. The City Manager sugge;;ted �,kiis right-of-way be put in and it could be abandonned the following year as the Minnesota State FIighway Department had to know immediately the decision on i,he crossovers. Councilman Johanson inquired if the City Manager hadareconmendaL�on. The City Manager replled the crossover should be re�ocated and�telt the City of Fridley could come to a declsion with 1,he Studebaker Corporation and the Minneapalis Gas Company so the taorli could begin. Councilman Johanson inquired iihat F�ould hoppen if the Council authorized the L�orl; and dealt with Studebaker Corporat�on later. The City Manager replied tihat, per- haps� he might still be able to �egotiate wlth them, Councilman Johaneon stated this work would have to be authorized but in�uirtd how it would be paid for. Mayor Nee replied i,hey would possibly have to r�ise the sewer rates regardless as he had talked to the Finance Ofi'icer on the Seaer Fund. Councilman Sheridan explained that if the Council authorized Lhe crossing at Main Street and spent monies for sewer and water now� in the future, tt�ey ml�;hi,ta�nt to relocate the line from the center to Main Street and the City would pick up -the �13,000.00 expense, The City Manager sLated the StudebaY,er Corporation treas- urer ha& said they didn't want to pick up the tab. The City Manager further stated - that he felt if the City went into this pro,7ect and if within one year thls pro- perty was sold the Studebaker Corporatlon �ould be told they had to pick up the tab� if not, they could be given a twenty year spread. It was explained they could also be charged lateral charges and there can be some �ustificntlon in picli- � ing up at least a part of this. Mayor Nee stated they didn't know that the pro- I, perty would be used as a �ahole unit, City Attorney Smith inquired lf�this pro- i— perty had ever been charged for laterals. The City Manager replied they hadn't had time to check that but assumed they were not. It was er.plained this facility eould serve both stdee of Main Street and a portion of the monies could be d�rived t'rom an overall basis. Mayor Nee inquired if the Water Fund could be charged. The City Manager replied the way the bookkeeping ie set up, a11 the utility monies �' go into one fund. Councilman Sheridan stated he felt they would get the roentloned �13�000.00 back and it could be justified� that if� before the services are put in� they would want them relocated, this crossover could be �bandonned. � 1 4 t ti. �Y. The City Manager stated to the City Council t}»t all he Yiad to give the Minn- esota StaL-e Highzaay Department was the dec�sion on Zahether or not they N�ant the crossover and he could tell them to proceed on the assumption they will put this crossover in. He further stated he would get in touch with Stude- baker Corporation and the Minneapolis Gas Comp�ny with City Attorney Smith. Councilman Sheridan stated he didn't feel the Minneapolis Gas Company was .of any concern at this time. The City Manager replied he merely wanted to inform them oY any decisions. Mayor Nee stated,if Fridley abandonned ats aasement on the property� they stlll had their own easement. City Attorney Smith explained the City Council should tell the Minneapolis Gas Company they expect them to move their installation. Mr. Comstock, consulting engineer� inquired if there were any structures in the vicinity that were using the facilities. When told there were not, he re- plied if that were true, a shorter distance of relocating facilities could be determined and the MZnnesota State Highway Department could do es i.hey v�ished. $e explained that� possibly the right-of-F�ay line from 57th Avenue Northeast cauld be used but it would have to have some study. The City Manager.inquired if they wouldn't want to provide service for both sides of the street. Mr. Comstock explained the service could be run up Main Street and it would be shallow work. '1'his cauld be done providing there are no services on 57th Ave- nUe. Mr. Comstock explained to the City Council this would delay the decision even though if might cost a few more dollars. The Cit� Manager suggested the C3ty Council could authorize this work subject to a feasibility report on the possibility of an engineering determination. He iltrther suggested they could authorize him to advise the Minnesota State Highway Department they want the mentioned facility tut previous to this he ehould be authorized to investigate the new possibility Mr. ComstocY. had men- tioned and if the consulting engineers and the City Engineer relay that they feel this can be done� he should not relate this information to the State High- way Department. Motion by Johanson to euthorize and direct the City Man�ger to advise the Minne- sota State Highway Department that the City Council of Fridley �ishes to have the proposed cross-over of Trunk Highway �k694 moved westward to the Main Street right-of-way, this direction sub,7ect to a determination by the City Manager, con- sultin� engineer and city engineer that a proposal to relocate these utilities on the East edge of the mentioned property is not more feasible. Seconded by Sheridan. Upon a voice vote� there beln� no nays, the motion carried unanimouely. CONSID�RATION OF RENTAL OF OFPICE SPACE OR PURCH1aSE OF ADDITIONAL PROPERTY: Mayor Nee announced the item in questlon was the consideration of purchase oi' addit�ional property or rental of office space. The City Manager explained to the City Council that e¢eryone was talking about buying the house on the addi- tional property ior purchase and it was not the coneideration� that the City Council had talked in the last two to three years oT purchasing the property and the house was incidental. He further explained that if i,he City of Fridley is planning on purchasing this property, they might not �ei� a better prlce later and it might� possibly� chan�e hands. He stated he had talked to the Finance Officer and he felt payment for the exponding of the i'ire station could be changed� that the property could be paid for and they,could defer, the �50000.00 for the fire station which could be paid for out of the liquor funds. The City Manager stated that because a house is on the property they could put the draft- ing and civil defense and the assessor's office there and it would be�saving to the Qi�y and the library could be left at its present location and they would be picking up a saving in rental in the use of the house. The City Manager stated the consideration at hand ic whether or not to purchase � the land� at this time� for $25�000.00 and the City Council would have to in- _; form Mr. Oman before December lst� 1963. Councilman Sheridan stated he could not see the saving in the January lst moving of $3,000.00. Councilman Johan� inquired if Mr. Oman had-said he would sell the property in June� also� there was one major point to be cleared up at the present and that was the question i? this Czty Council had decided this was where the Civic Center would be built, The City Manager stated he had talked to different people and they w�re not in- terested in the �+ 1�2 acres that the City Hall was located on add the only other answer would be another urban renewal of the area. "G�� Councilman Brook arrived at 8.15 P. M. Councilman Johanson inquired what they were going to do with L-he present oifices rented,if;they did not take possesaion of the Oman property in June. Councilman Sheridan explained to ,the City Council that when he noticed the consideration he had asked,the City Manager to have the�C3ty Assessor check the Natlonal Tea pro- perty� that he had heard from a reliable source and was lnclined to believe that the Natiottal Tea Company was not in the best position because of poor business. Councilman Sheridan stated the City Assessor had giv,en size of lot, square foot- i age of building� facilities� etc; that further, he felt it would be �aorthwhile � i looking into and perhaps the preeent lessee m�ght 6e interested in gettang out �I and some terms mzght be arrived at with the ouiner of the property. Councllman Sher3dan suggested this might be something th�t could be used ior a City fIall and it has 14�400 square feet� is-heated and air-conditioned but appraisals would be necessary. Councilman Sheridan stated that one vast expanse is heated and air- conditionyd but when it would be partitioned oPf� it might have tio be repiped and in the mechanics they would Ue losing the air conditioning and heating. Council- man Sheridan stated there could be movable partitions and �he heating and air con- ditioning,could be utili2ed. He further stated that in discussing a building such as this ope with people� the init3al construction cast of the building itself was about $6,00 or $7.00 a square ioot and the City Counci,l would be talking about a building under $10',00 a square foot and the C�ty would have its offices within the close proximity, �Councilman Johanson stated that some day they should have a Civic Center. Councilman Sheridan replied they were talking about a half million dollars �nd this City cannot afford it._ Counc�;lman Johanson stated this was true, and if so, they could continue to plan on the present site and pick up another third of an acre and they had already co�itted themselves to an addition on the Fire Department. Couneilman Brook stated it was to his sorrow they had authorized the addition to the Fire�Department that� as he had previously stated, he felt the City Council should look at a pyece oi' property in that it is worth to the Cit,y of Fridley, not to the Fixe Depmrtment. He 1'urther stated that some peo�le feel this is the area for the neta Civic Center but he did not, that everyone knows a City has a main etreet and he didn't feel a main street should be decorated with a City Hall, � a iire department and a police station as these are always built a block or two `! off of the main ctreet, Councilm�n Brook stated the Cljy Hall property is valuable from a businees standpoint� that if this p¢ece c,i' property had a shopping center on it, it would be an 3ncome to the City of Fridley and the City would be bene- i'iting. He further etate�i if a Civic Center were built on the preeent site the property would be dead s�tock and of no benefit to the City and he wished to see the City Hall in another area. Councilman Brook asserted that as for putting the Fire Department building on University Avenue, he had voted for it but, to his sorrow, as it should have been located on Mississippi Street where no U turns would have been necessary. It was explained by him that the revenue from the present property would more than off set the loss that they would undertake. Councilman Brook stated if the City Council were to authorize a Fire Station on Mississippi Street� he believed they could erect that etation for the same price that the Hastings Fire Department did without any problem and the fire department would be located on a street that goes across from East to Weet wlthout any turns. Councilman Brook stated there was a section of land on Mississippi Owned by the Riedels and it had been stated they couldn't build there because of peet and he would rather see the City FIa11 built there or on some other property. Councilman Brook further stated that as for the land, they should be able to sell the present pro- perty owned by the City and malte a proi'it, that owning property on the main street for a City is wrong as they could be to�o blocks ataay or more and residents could find it and th�y could be deriving benefits from it. Councilman Johanson inquired of Councilman Brook the t�eason for voting for the flre sLation addition. Council- man Brook replied they had had an immediate need for space for new Fire trucks, ' that previously� he had asked Council consideration for placing �he Fire ➢epart- i ment on Mississippi Street. Councilman Johanson stated the people of Fridley wouldn`t go for a revenue bond issue, The City Manager explained to Councilman Brook that he was saying that Mississippi Street is not a main s�reet and it is and in a few years� University Avenue would be less of a main street that Mi�s- iss3ppi Street. Mayor Nee stated the item would be tabled for iurther consideration at which timc it would come up as old bueiness. Councilman Brook inquired of the City Manager if he had ever contacted Mrs. Riedel. The City Manager replied that he had and � �� `� �he wanted about $165,000.00 for the property with a different amount per acre depending on the frontage on Mississippi Street and other parts of it� that he had reported same to the City Council; that� Purther� there had been an appraisal on the property for about $48�000.00 by the City and� following presentation� there was no further recommenflataon. Councilman Brook statad he still felt the City of Fridley should take the Riedel property under condemnation ' if they had to in order to obtain it and it would still be less money� that the Riedel property should be invest3gated and if there is a chance to scquire more property� they should. Councilman Sheridan stated he felt this was the time to talk this over. Mayor Nee suggested that Councilman Brook cheek the files when all this had been anallzed as it had all been presented to the City Council at one time and it was then they had abandonned the idea of the Riedel property. Councilman Brook stated it was a known fact the present Ci�y property would be a revenue to the City and commercial businesses would build there and the City Hall eould be constructed off oi a maan street. Councilman Sheridan 3nquired ii Councilman Brook knew the Riedel family. Councilman Brook xeplied he had known them many years previous but felt they should negotiate with them and if Mrs. Riedel doesn't want to negotiate� the land should be taken under condemnation� other than this determ3nation� he stated the National Tea property would also be wise to eonsider. Mr. Gardner, County Librarian, was present and stated� upon inquiry, that the Library locataon on Mississippi Street was more desirable for location, street lighting, parking space� etc. Mayor Nee replied they would not recommend moving the library. The City Mana�er stated his suggestion was to move the assessor's office� civil deiense and engineer's office and they could save ;72820.0(7 in rental. � Councllman Brook stated the entire item should be returned to the Coordinating Committee. Councilman Sheridan inquired if one of the recoimnendations of the Coor-dinating Comm3ttee hadn't been the suggestion of a more desarable site, The City Manager replied they had started with this recommendation. Couneilman Sheridan suggested to Councilman Brook that he contact the Riedel property owners before the next re�ular meeting, that the deeision was whether the City Council authorize the purchase of the Oman property but only at the appraisal price and as far as the Riedels would be concerned, arrangements could be made �hat they could certainly live there at the site and that could be a part of the consideration that the house remaln there until they would be gone. Councilman Sheridan stated the determination with the Oman property had to be made within a period of time and it would be advantage�us to the City to own it but felt if they were not going to use the present site� they should not buy it. There was no action taken. ADJOURN: There being no further business� Mayor Nee declared the special ' couneil meeting of November 27, 1963, adjourned. q FI � r� e3 Respectftizlly submitted� � ��_..` i' -. i � } �p�' / . ' �l.C�l� c l-R -�'� �� `r^� , .1'lJ �}�.°'(�°��''LG'� _ �� �" 4�'� -� � Su� Miskowic ✓ ayor - Wm. J. F3¢e � Secretary to the Council �� J � SECOND SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA - WEDNESDAY� NOVEMBER 27� 1963 - 8;30 P.M. A second special meeting of theCity Counc�l of the City eaf Fridley was called to order by Mayor Nee at 9:30 P.M. ROLL CALL: Members Present: Nee� Sheridan, Johanson, Brook Members Absent: Wolke NEW BUSINESS: CONSSDERATION OF NOR'£H SUBURBAN SANITARY SEWER DISTRICT vcmTmTnTrc+. Mayor Nee announced the problem of the N,S.S.S.D, withdrawal petitions had come at a meeting he had attended the previous n�ght of the North Suburban Sanitary Sewer District, that Andrew Kohlan� attorney for the N.S.S.S.D,� in a letter had advised the Board of the N.S.S.S.D. � that since the action of the petitions from Fridley apparently passed the resolution requesting detachment was done on November llth� a legal holiday� this action would not be valid unless it was demonstrated to be unnecessary action and the petition didn't demonstrate that it was necessary in any event. The Board� it was explained� would be derelict if they acted on this petition because there is the poss3blity of someone pursuing it to the con�rary. Mayor Nee stated that rather than argue it with the Board, he had thought the City Council of Fridley could possibly go 6ack and put a new date on their petition� but if Fridley did abandon the petition now� they might be in a worse position eoncerning the liability of the construction contract, Mayor Plee further st�ted he wasn`t sure if