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09/26/2005 - 00026969CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY OF FRIDLEY SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 The City Council meeting for the City of Fridley was called to order by Mayor Lund at 7:33 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Lund led the Council and audience in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL: MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Lund Councilmember-at-Large Barnette Councilmember Wolfe Councilmember Bolkcom MEMBERS ABSENT: Councilmember Billings OTHERS PRESENT: William Burns, City Manager Fritz Knaak, City Attorney Scott Hickok, Community Development Director Layne Otteson, Assistant Public Works Director Richard D. Pribyl, Finance Director/Treasurer Don Abbott, Director of Public Safety PRESENTATION REGARDING STORM: Don Abbott, Director of Public Safety, stated the storm hit at approximately 7 p.m., Wednesday, evening, September 2L Most of the damage in the City occurred within the first 45 minutes. Rainfall continued for several hours with more than three inches being the total estimated by the National Weather Service. The National Weather Service conducted a survey which concluded the damage in Fridley occurred both from a downburst and also from basically a large rotational storm, not specifically referring to a tornado. Tornadoes can be spawned out of those storms, but there is no indication of traumatic activity having occurred in the City that night. Wind speed estimated by the National Weather Service was 50 to 70 m.p.h. Director Abbott stated storm damage included power loss to the City at approximately 7:12. That is the time the clock stopped at City Ha1L Many power lines were downed by falling trees. They estimate that they lost approximately 95 percent of power within the City and most of that remained down for the first 12 hours. The City also suffered approximately 15 gas line ruptures during the storm. The storm damage included street flooding which stalled several cars. The worst area was under the bridge on Mississippi Street near the railroad tracks. There was approximately 12 to 15 feet of water in that area on Wednesday evening, and a substantial FRIDLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 PAGE 2 amount remained at 11:00 a.m. Thursday morning. They did have a report of one semi-truck southbound on Highway 65, north of 694, which was blown over by the wind during the storm. Streets were also blocked by downed or low-hanging power lines. All semaphores/stoplights in the City were inoperable due to power outage. It has since been estimated that approximately 300 homes were damaged in some way mainly by falling trees, rather than direct wind damage. Director Abbott stated the City responded with its Emergency Operation Center (EOC) at 8 p.m., Wednesday, September 21. Police, Fire, and Public Works established a unified command to coordinate the response of all police, fire and public works staff. They concluded that there were two primary damaged corridors through the City; both traveling from northwest to southeast. The northerly damage slot initiated around the 7800/7900 block of Alden Way and traveled to the southeast, leaving the City of Fridley at approximately 73rd and Stinson. The southern damaged slot was a bit wider, north of Mississippi Street at the river, and then traveled southeast, moving into New Brighton in the area of Totino-Grace High School. Damage was more widespread outside those areas. Director Abbott stated City Hall lost all of its telephone lines and computer network They were operating on generated power only. It was used for emergency analog telephone lines into the Emergency Operations Center. All 911 calls continued to be handled through the Anoka County 911 dispatch center in Anoka. Additional staff were called in for Police, Fire, and Public Works. They prioritized life safety issues first, such as downed and sparking power lines, motorists trapped in flooded cars, and any types of accidents or injuries. They had some medical calls, but there were determined not to be a direct result of the storm. They then worked on hazard issues which were additional downed power lines and the semaphores which could become life safety issues. Finally, they worked on security issues with the City out of power for the evening. Priority was placed on clearing streets for emergency and recovery access. Street, sewer, and water crews worked throughout the night. Director Abbott stated Police and Fire responded to 117 calls for service in the first four hours after the storm. A couple of specific calls included one child on dialysis that had approximately eight hours to survive without power. They took him to a relative's house where power was available. The Fire Department responded to three calls to assist people who were on home oxygen. Throughout the storm they had reports of volunteers or community emergency response team volunteers and residents assisting with clearing storm sewers and traffic control during the storms, as well as removing debris and trees from the streets. Temporary stop signs were erected at all controlled intersections. The Fire Department responded to one call of a small fire on Wednesday evening in a home caused by a candle that was used for illumination. Fridley Police arranged for the Red Cross assistance and shelter of one person. Police and Fire have responded to more than 345 calls since the storm hit. Normally in this period of time they would have responded to approximately 160 calls. Director Abbott stated Mayor Lund conducted an aerial survey of the damage in a State Patrol helicopter on Thursday morning. Following that he declared a State of Emergency in the City at approximately 1 p.m. on Thursday and that was for 72 hours. FRIDLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 PAGE 3 Director Abbott stated City staff volunteered to deliver ice to residents in the more affected areas until they ran out, and that was donated by Arctic Glacier Company from North St. Paul. Interstate Power Systems out of Minneapolis donated the truck and the driver. Director Abbott stated at the time this presentation was prepared late this afternoon, power was back to all but 1,400 customers in the City which would be 90 percent. Since that time, updates indicate the number of customers without power has decreased even more. As of late this afternoon, major areas remaining without power, were Melody Manor, portions of Sylvan Hills, and the Locke Lake neighborhood. Information was that all those areas have had power restored. It does not mean that every single house and block in those areas have power. There are still some isolated power outages and there probably will be for another day or two. As far as they know all streets are passable and most have been cleared almost entirely. All of the semaphores are operating. The Police Department is continuing e�tra staffing for security in areas without power, and they have only had one burglary reported during the power outage. They expect no federal disaster declaration. Director Abbott stated what worries them at this point is that more injuries typically occur in the cleanup or recovery from a storm than it does from the storm itself. They have actually seen that borne out here as they had no injuries reported during the storm, but two tree trimming injuries requiring medical transport have been reported since the storm. He would like to remind people not to work on, around, or near any downed power lines. They may become active again at any time without any warning at all. Stay away from power lines until Excel Energy has repaired, replaced, or controlled them. Exercise caution working with chain saws, on ladders, on your roof, or near any other power equipment. Use caution if still cooking on camp stoves or grills indoors and with alternative lighting such as candles. Finally, they would recommend that people turn off their generators before fueling them. Layne Otteson, Assistant Public Works Director, stated they have been really busy. They had three wells, two pressure boosters, and one supply booster under generator power. The sewer system operated under generator power also which included 13 sanitary lift stations (3 of those are stationary generating units). Two mobile units operated 10 different lift stations. Both mobile units were behind a pickup, and they would go from lift station to lift station throughout the night and throughout the day, continuing a rotation. There were a lot of trees down and road closures. They began clearing the streets at about 8 p.m. They did the main line roads first. They assisted Fire and rescue operations and barricaded downed power lines and closed streets. They had some flooding due to the rain intensity and the debris blocking the street drains. Mr. Otteson stated they did e�tend their work hours. They have been operating on generators 24/7 from the time of the storm. Personnel came in at 8 p.m. They were on-call immediately and worked until 2 a.m. on Thursday morning and then most of them went home Sunday. Currently the Public Works staff is working from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. All Streets and Parks personnel are working on tree cleanup. Water and Sewer personnel are back to normal operations. The water supply did not have any contamination. The water supply system has 100 percent power. They do have two lift stations that are still running on generators, and they have personnel who are continuing to monitor those 24/7. They have looked into renting equipment for their loaders, and should get some equipment this week to assist and help FRIDLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 PAGE 4 keep costs down. They have also hired two tree contractors to assist with tree removal and boulevard cleaning. Mr. Otteson stated they are going to do a tree disposal program which will include the pickup of logs and branches at the curb. They will be picking up trees that are in the public and private areas. Residents can also take tree debris to the north end of the parking lot at Columbia Arena. They are partnering with Columbia Heights and Spring Lake Park, and making that area available to the residents of those three cities. The pile will be chipped and hauled out by a contractor. The disposal site at Columbia Arena will be staffed from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. They will be securing the entrance and exit. There will be a perimeter fence around it and barricades, and a disposal permit will be required. The disposal permits will be available at Columbia lce Arena and also City Hall. They will be available for residents of the three cities. Residents will need to show proof of residency and will be able to dispose of logs and branches for free. Contractors will need a city license from Fridley, Spring Lake Park, or Columbia Heights. They will also need a copy of the contract from the resident they are working for. There will also be a per dump fee for contractors. For a pickup-sized vehicle, it will be $25; vehicles bigger than that, the fee will be $50. Mr. Otteson stated the curbside pickup will begin in the hardest hit areas. They are going to start with the major arterials so that they can get them opened sooner and will then go into the neighborhoods. It will probably take a couple of months to get everyone taken care of. They would like to ask the residents to place their logs and branches behind the curb and cut the logs into 4-foot lengths. They will also be taking the stumps after they are finished with the logs and branches. He also said they wanted to thank the Fridley residents for helping. Mayor Lund asked residents not to leave any of the debris on any of the streets. He asked about the tree stumps. Mr. Otteson stated the first stumps they will remove are those in the right-of-way. If they are on private property, residents can move the stumps, put them on the boulevard, and the City will pick them up. Residents can also take them to the Anoka County facility. Stumps will be removed separately. Mayor Lund asked about any cost estimates. Mr. Otteson replied it is really tough to estimate as they do not know how many people will be using their services. It could be $200,000 to $300,000. Councilmember Bolkcom asked about the disposal permit. She also heard that logs/branches had to be 8 feet. Councilmember Wolfe commented that he originally heard it was 6 feet. Mr. Otteson stated the 8-foot length came from the County. Depending on the type of equipment they will be using, they can handle 4-feet without a problem. If they start getting the 8-footer lengths and they have some 30-inch diameter logs, they are going to have trouble FRIDLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 PAGE 5 picking them up and will have to look at specialized equipment. If the logs are smaller in diameter, they can handle 8-foot lengths. Councilmember Bolkcom stated she was just concerned because a lot of people did call into the City and were told 8-feet. Now they are going to have to undo their piles. She also commented she thinks it is wonderful they are doing this. Mr. Otteson clarified it is 4 feet. If someone has an 8-foot log and Public Works cannot handle it, they can cut it up quick If there are a bunch that are 8, 10, 12 feet long, they will address that issue. He thinks they can take care of a lot of that but he wanted the information to go out now that 4 feet is what they can handle. Mayor Lund stated the County has said they will do a curbside pickup but, from what he is hearing, they have plenty of area to cover, and they will be slow in getting to us. To expedite this, the City is taking the initiative by starting to do a cleanup. Councilmember Bolkcom inquired about the Anoka County Compost site. Mr. Otteson stated the compost site memorandum came out this afternoon and they are going to e�tend it another week It will be open until ne�t Monday, October 3. They are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and he believed on Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. He suggested people contact the County to check on the hours. Councilmember Barnette asked Mr. Otteson to state where it is located. Mr. Otteson stated from the City of Fridley, take Highway 47 or 65 north and join with US 10 goin�u northwest. E�t on Hanson Boulevard and go north about three miles. Take a right at 133r . It is clearly marked. Councilmember Bolkcom asked if there was any benefit to having volunteers on the weekend to help people unload their stuff quicker. Mr. Otteson replied they anticipate on Saturday it will be very busy and on Sunday it will be somewhat busy also. They have looked at staffing and think they are going to need about four, maybe five, people on Saturday. They can have some people on standby to be called in to help. They could consider volunteers, but there may be some liability issues. All the information will be on the website. William Burns, City Manager, commented regarding the disposal permit, they are sharing this responsibility with Columbia Heights and Spring Lake Park. While they are trying to separate the three cities, the disposal permit will help them to allocate costs among the three cities. They are also billing the contractors using the site. They will not be collecting money at the site. Councilmember Bolkcom asked about the possibility of any State funds. Mr. Otteson replied possibly if the State decides to provide some recovery. FRIDLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 PAGE 6 Councilmember Bolkcom commended the City staff. She said as usual, they arose to the occasion and she has only heard good, positive things about people. Mayor Lund commented how he was very pleased to see how the citizens have really lived up to the virtue of patience, and they have shown it very well in this big storm. There are many instances of how citizens have been very helpful and reached out to others, and he wanted to comment on a couple of them. Dan Gillette, an employee of Cummins knew there was an apartment building with heavy damage across the street from their facility on 73rd. They went over there to give the residents lunch, and quickly ascertained there was a much greater need than just feeding them. All of the 18 units had to be vacated and a number of employees over at Cummins spent the entire day on Thursday until dark, helping the residents move out of the apartment building. He wanted to thank Cummins, Dan and the other employees for their much- needed help. A resident contacted him Saturday morning and alerted him to a concern that he felt was related to the health and safety at Norwood Square which has a number of senior residents. They did not have power and needed electricity. Staff then was very quick to get a generator over there. Mayor Lund stated he felt there are many instances and he wanted to commend the Police Department, the Fire Department, and all of the City staff. They have done an outstanding job. Councilmember Barnette stated the thing he noticed the most was how patient and understanding people were. It is no fun to say to people, your power might be out up to five days but they would understand. This is a tribute to the resiliency of people, when emergencies occur, and how quickly they are to help one another. He saw that all over. He is very proud to live in Fridley. Councilmember Wolfe asked people to be please be patient. They are up and down the poles in the dark, working hard 24 hours a day, and he was really impressed. PROCLAMATIONS: • Fire Prevention Week: October 9-15, 2005 • Toastmasters Month: October, 2005 APPROVAL OF PROPOSED CONSENT AGENDA: APPROVAL OF MINUTES: City Council Meeting of September 12, 2005. APPROVED. NEW BUSINESS: FRIDLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 PAGE 7 1. Receive the Minutes from the Planning Commission Meeting of September 7, 2005. MINUTES RECEIVED. 2. Comprehensive Sign Plan for Pawn America, Generally Located at 785 — 53rd Avenue N.E. (Ward 1) Dr. Burns stated the sign meets the City's criteria for signage of a multi-tenant building, and they are recommending Council's approval. APPROVED. 3. Resolution in Support of an Application for a Minnesota Lawful Gambling Premise Permit for Fridley VFW, Post 363. Dr. Burns, City Manager, stated the VFW's current permit expires on February 28, 2006. The new permit would run between March 1, 2006, and February 28, 2008. Staff is recommending Council's approval. Mayor Lund asked if there was a timeline when an application comes before them for a lawful gambling permit. Mr. Pribyl, Finance Director, stated the VFW was late in getting there application in the last time and did not have a permit for a week or two. After the application is approved by Council, there is a review process at the State level. The VFW just wanted to make sure they got the application in early enough. ADOPTED RESOLUTION NO. 2005-46. 4. Resolution Designating Time and Number of City Council Meetings for 2006. ADOPTED RESOLUTION NO. 2005-47. 5. Appointment — City Employee Dr. Burns, City Manager, stated they are recommending the appointment of Cynthia Bobick to replace Tammy Christiansen at the front desk The position is officially named "Accounting/Data Processing Clerk-Cashier." Cynthia has been employed at the Fridley Liquor Store, has performed there capably, and staff is recommending Council's approval. APPOINTMENT APPROVED. FRIDLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 PAGE 8 6. Claims (123305-123480). APPROVED. 7. Licenses. APPROVED AS SUBMITTED AND AS ON FILE. MOTION by Councilmember Barnette to approve the consent agenda as presented. Seconded by Councilmember Wolfe. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, MAYOR LUND DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. ADOPTION OF AGENDA: MOTION by Councilmember Bolkcom to approve the agenda with the addition of an ordinance claiming a State of Emergency within the City. Seconded by Councilmember Wolfe. Mayor Lund stated he would place the Ordinance on as Item 9A. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, MAYOR LUND DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. OPEN FORUM (VISITORS): Jason Arth, 5629 North Danube Road, stated he was approaching the Council this evening in regards to the neighborhood of Totino-Grace--specifically their students and teachers--about not stopping at the stop sign in the neighborhood of North Innsbruck, North Danube, and Harbor Streets. All it takes is one child to get hit. He has lived in the neighborhood for six years, and has been in touch with the Fridley Police Department. He has seen a few patrols in the neighborhood and saw them hand out a few a tickets but the problem is still there. Mayor Lund acknowledged that Mr. Arth had sent a letter previously to them and they had a conversation the night before. The letter was brought up before Council and they did discuss it. Since his conversation with Mr. Arth, he did place a call to Totino-Grace to talk to them. He will let Mr. Arth know the result. Mr. Arth stated it is frustrating, and it's almost impossible for him to pull out of his driveway in the morning to go to work. Councilmember Bolkcom asked there should be some type of neighborhood meeting with Totino-Grace. FRIDLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 PAGE 9 Mayor Lund stated he has spoken with Brother Milton Barker in the past and he was going to ask him what his solutions or remedies were. Councilmember Wolfe stated he agrees. It happens at intersection near his house every day. Mr. Arth stated it is frustrating. When Totino-Grace had their first home football game of the season, there were non-stop cars going through. He said to try driving down Arthur Street behind Totino-Grace when there is a football game when cars are parked on both sides. You can only get one vehicle at a time down the street. He asked what would happen if there was a fire. Councilmember Wolfe commented he thought they were not supposed to park on both sides of the street. Mr. Arth stated they can, after school hours. Councilmember Wolfe stated he would think that would be dangerous even after hours. Mr. Arth stated the signs all up and down Arthur Street state No Parking Between the Hours of 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. After that they are free to park there. Councilmember Wolfe stated it would be tough to try and get a fire truck down there. Karen Engler, 5202 Pierce Street NE, stated she has watched the Council meetings for a long time and she knows many times they are blamed for a lot of things. She said on Saturday she was very impressed when Mr. Hickok's daughter came to her door and asked if she needed water and if she was okay. She thinks that was pretty great. She thought somebody should come before them and acknowledge that and she thanked them. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 8. Consideration of an Ordinance Amending Chapter 205 of the Fridley City Code Pertaining to Temporary Outdoor Storage Containers (Zoning Text Amendment, ZTA #05-01, by the City of Fridley). MOTION by Councilmember Wolfe to waive the reading and open the public hearing. Seconded by Councilmember Bolkcom. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, MAYOR LUND DECLARED THE PUBLIC HEARING OPENED AT 8:27 P.M. Scott Hickok, Community Development Director, stated this request resulted from a question in the counciUcommission survey. They have had a few businesses contact the City over the years requesting the ability to have outdoor storage by way of using temporary seasonal outdoor storage regulations. The current zone regulations do not permit this type of storage in the City, and the council/commission survey showed much support for this code change. Regarding which districts—this is something that has been discussed, and it would not be the G1 District FRIDLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 PAGE 10 because the lots are generally too small to provide or allow enough space for proper screening. The G1 districts are the neighborhood commercial districts, and they have a lot size of 2,000 square feet. Mr. Hickok stated the procedure for the permit would be similar to a temporary outdoor sales permit. There would be a maximum duration of 90 days, a fee of $75 with a$300 refundable deposit. A business would submit drawings showing how they can meet all of the requirements on the site. The reason they need a permit and a pay a fee is because anything that has enforcement about it has a cost attached to it, and this has been determined to be the appropriate fee to cover costs of administration. The $300 would go back to the operator, owner of the site, or tenant, in the event they remove the container in a timely fashion. Otherwise the $300 would be used by the City to have arrangements made to remove the container. Mr. Hickok stated the container needs to be on a paved surface. It needs to be screened from the right-of-way, residential areas, and parks. It needs to have architecturally-compatible screening so it does not jump out and look inappropriate or like it is not part of the plan for that complex. They need to have adequate parking and safe circulation. There is a maximum of one use per year and 90 days for that use. There is a three-permit limit on a multi-tenant building; much like they do on the temporary signs and multi-tenant buildings. There would be three available in this case, and it would be up to the owner of the complex to sign off on those three. Finally, they would have to comply with all State fire and safety codes and ordinances in the City. Mr. Hickok stated the Planning Commission held a public hearing on September 7. No one appeared to speak for or against such modification of the ordinance, and a motion was approved unanimously after some discussion. There has been a minor change since the hearing that he would like to point out. The Planning Commission, in their motion, included the G1 district which was erroneous. Staff also discovered that besides the outdoor storage, the accessory use sections of the C-2 and C-3 zoning should be amended so that it is easier to understand. The ordinance draft in Council's packet clarifies this proposed change. Staff concurs with the recommendations of the Planning Commission but proposes additional language changes as mentioned for the C-2 and C-3 districts. Staff further recommends using the newly-created permit application form that appeared in Council's packet. For anyone who is interested, they would be glad to show them the changes and talk to them. The ne�t step is the first reading of the ordinance, which will occur at the October 3, 2005, City Council meeting. Councilmember Wolfe asked, since this is a temporary permit, why screening needed to be architecturally compatible. Mr. Hickok stated for the types of businesses that have requested this, it is an ongoing situation for them. It is an annual situation where they have a block of time, a quarter of the year, when that they need to use the container. For that purpose, the screening requirements should stand. It is their belief that containers can be unsightly and could be positioned in areas that are within sight of adjacent properties and impact them. There are a number of different solutions for screening. FRIDLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 PAGE 11 Councilmember Barnette asked Mr. Hickok for an example of a business that might use it for a 30-day period and then one that might use it for 90 days. Mr. Hickok stated there are certain retailers that have Christmas demands and they start bringing in Christmas products in late October, early November, and then have them throughout the holiday season. That will probably be one of the primary candidates for the 90 days. It allows a business to get through the season without having to build additional building space to accommodate that 3-month period. He knows certain retail businesses that have an incredible Mother's Day demand where they have about a month window of time where they have Mother's Day products from early April until Mother's Day but they would not use it beyond that. Dr. Burns asked if this could include a situation where maybe a person was remodeling and they had to bring new product out of the store for a short period of time. Mr. Hickok stated that is another good example. Although when they have permits, oftentimes storage containers are already permitted. Because of a catastrophe such as a fire or storm, they might have merchandise or store fi�tures that they need to set aside while they make repairs. Councilmember Bolkcom asked if it was for storage. Mr. Hickok replied, yes. Councilmember Bolkcom said it was only for storage. They can have storage behind their business and bring the product into their store, but it is not to be used as an additional place to sell flowers or meat, etc. Mr. Hickok said it was only for storage. No other purpose. There are special use permits for other demands that they might have. Councilmember Bolkcom asked if they had any idea how many permits they were looking at. Mr. Hickok stated he could think of two businesses that were waiting for them. Beyond that, he does not see right now the City being flooded with applications. Dr. Burns commented this legislation came about as a response to requests from the business community. Mr. Hickok stated this is a direct response to people who had spoken with staff. MOTION by Councilmember Barnette to close the public hearing. Seconded by Councilmember Bolkcom. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, MAYOR LUND DECLARED THE PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED AT 8:42 P.M. FRIDLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 PAGE 12 9. Consideration of an Ordinance Amending Chapter 205 of the Fridley City Code Pertaining to Commercial Parking Stall Requirements (Zoning Text Amendment, ZTA #05-02, by the City of Fridley). MOTION by Councilmember Wolfe to waive the reading and open the public hearing. Seconded by Councilmember Bolkcom. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, MAYOR LUND DECLARED THE PUBLIC HEARING OPENED AT 8:42 P.M. Scott Hickok, Community Development Director, stated as part of the Target Superstore and the CVS Pharmacy projects, they talked about parking space and the City Code requirement for the number of parking spaces. It was evident through those development projects and also in the cases of Wal-Mart, Walgreens, and Home Depot that the City requires too much parking. This ordinance amendment would reduce the amount of parking they require relative to the building size. Currently in the G 1, C-2, and C-3 commercial districts they require that all building areas have the relationship of 150 square feet of building area for every stall that is provided outside which calculates out to 6.7 stalls per 1,000 square feet. They found out from Target's recently presented research data that on their busiest day, they needed 3.8 stalls per 1,000 square feet. They also checked other cities to compare. They did find there was more parking demand in Fridley than in the communities they checked. The range is from 2.5 in the inter-city up to 6.7. The first-ring suburbs have generally begun to reduce their parking requirements. Golden Valley is the only community that they found matches Fridley. This changes the parking stall ratio of 1 to 250 or 4 per 1,000. It would remove the optional speculative parking ratio of 1 to 200 for those in the G1 through C-3 Districts. Speculative ratios generally apply to multi-tenant buildings where the owner or developer is building a building but not knowing which kind of parking demands they are going to have because they do not know who the tenants are who will fill the space. Staff is allowing them a bit of a break there with the 1 to 200 ratio. As they now revisit this and look at a 1 to 250 ratio, that would remove the speculative parking ratio. They also removed the optional office space ratio of 1 to 250 because it would not exactly match what they are recommending. In essence, it makes it much simpler for the development community and it matches what their studies show they should be doing. They are not suggesting in their recommendation that they do anything with the parking stall width. That is at 10 feet in Fridley and nothing is being proposed to modify that. Mr. Hickok stated this really would afford more opportunity for green space, it would lessen the storm water runoff impact from a site, and it would reduce the heat island effect. Less variance requests will come as a result of this, and more efficient use of commercial properties could result from this modification. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on September 7. No one from the public appeared to speak either for or against this. A motion was made and passed unanimously to approve ZTA #OS-02 as proposed. The recommendation for Council this evening is to hold the public hearing and take public comments. MOTION by Councilmember Barnette to close the public hearing. Seconded by Councilmember Wolfe. FRIDLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 PAGE 13 UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, MAYOR LUND DECLARED THE PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED AT 8:48 P.M. 9A. Ordinance No. 1207 of the City of Fridley Declaring the Existence of a State of Emergency within the City and Ratifying Certain Actions. Richard Pribyl, Finance Director, stated on September 22, 2005, the Mayor for the City of Fridley declared that a State of Emergency existed in the City within the meaning of applicable Minnesota and Federal law. The City Council of the City of Fridley wishes to acknowledge, ratify, and e�tend the State of Emergency declared by the Mayor until such time as the conditions endangering the public in the City are found by the Mayor and public safety officials to have passed. MOTION to waive the reading of the ordinance and adopt the ordinance. Seconded by Councilmember Wolfe. Councilmember Bolkcom asked how long the ordinance would last. Mayor Lund replied there are certain conditions that allow the Police Department to take action immediately. It also helps keep them in compliance with State and Federal assistance if it should become available. Councilmember Bolkcom asked who would decide how much further this would go. Mr. Pribyl stated the statute itself actually allows the Mayor by this public declaration to end it when it appears that the public safety officials, the Public Safety Department, the Public Works Department feel that the safety of the public is well within hand, that power has been restored, and all the services are back in order again. He thought that what would happen is their recommendations would come to the Mayor and Council and a recommendation would be made that the public declaration take place ending the State of Emergency. Mayor Lund stated he would assume most likely they will get an update from City staff, and they will bring it to the Council in one week when they have another Council meeting and, at that time, they can declare the emergency need is over. Layne Otteson, Assistant Public Works Director, stated that he concurs with everything that has been said. It provides for an expedited process of allowing and providing for utility crews to enter onto or across private properties to restore utilities for the greater good of the neighborhood. They are beyond the 90 percent point, so they are very close to the end. Mayor Lund commented that they are following the guidelines under FEMA and Homeland Security. Dr. Burns, City Manager, stated they are also following recommendations of the State Department of Public Safety as well. FRIDLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 PAGE 14 Councilmember Bolkcom asked if they could get some type of estimated cost. Dr. Burns said they could. Mayor Lund said staff has been speaking with neighboring communities about sharing costs. Councilmember Bolkcom asked if they could contact the Governor and ask for some funding. Dr. Burns said as soon as they have a better handle on the costs. They had a nice response from our State Representatives, Connie Bernardy and Barbara Goodwin, who came to the City and were very emphatic about wanting to help. 10. Informal Status Reports Councilmember Barnette said the Fire Department will be having an open house on Saturday, October 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mayor Lund stated the Senior Safety Camp is back by popular demand. It will be held Wednesday, September 28, from 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The cost is $5 and does include lunch. Dr. Burns wanted to again thank the department managers for their fine cooperation following the storm. They are always very team-oriented but in this case, they went above and beyond. The level of cooperation from staff has been fantastic. He wanted to thank them for all of their hard work. Councilmember Barnette stated the City will be holding a Recycling Drop-Off Day on Saturday, October 8, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., behind Columbia lce Arena. They will take up to 10 fluorescent bulbs free. Electronics, appliances, air conditioners, and other things can be dropped off although there will be a charge for some of those items. For information, ca11763-572-3607. ADJOURN: MOTION by Councilmember Barnette, seconded by Councilmember Wolfe, to adjourn. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, MAYOR LUND DECLARED THE MEETING ADJOURNED AT 8:59 P.M. Respectfully submitted by, ��� �� Denise M. Johnson Scot�J. Lund Recording Secretary Mayor