03-25-1991 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD MARCH 25, 1991 ($12)HIGaV ?AY 12 CORRIDOR RECOMMENDATION CONTINUED necessary for us to take a stand against a certain highway design. We are not design engineers, such a recommendation may lead us into a fight with MNDOT over design, and. at this point we do not know what MNDOT is going to propose. I am not sure that including a recommendation regarding the type of road ..we would like, will yield the results we want. Perhaps it would be more appropriate for Council to indicate gnat we agree with the recommendation, particularly in regard to the corridor location and the necessity to not have any a3ditional east /,vest access, and those items which more directly relate to the location of the corridor. We could then work on a draft to send to PINDOT. I do not feel that we are pressed at this point to get this to MNDOT, and some of the things we will be saying will give them an opportunity to divert our attention.' Goetten believed that the recommendation, as presented by the Planning Commission, provides the City with a negotiating tool. Callahan stated that the point of negotiating has not been reached yet, because MNDOT has not taken a position. He said, "However, once we send this document, we will be making them aware of our position, and yet we have not take_Z a precise position on design. We have narrowed PINDOT's choices. I would vote in favor of accepting the recommendation, even though I may not come to the same conclusions regarding the gray areas of design. I would figure that as the plan develops from our point of view that we could adjust it as things begin to happen. If I were adopting this -recommendation, :based solely on what the .City would like to do, I would have no problem with that." Jabbour suggested, in light of Goetten's and Callahan's concerns, that it may be appropriate for Council's motion to include adoption of the recommendation only, and reserve the time frame for sending it to MND,.)T at a. later. Butler stated that obviously the document before them would not be stuffed into an envelope and Mailed to MND.:)T tomorrow. She said, "A cover letter will have to be drafted explaining our position. When working with the County Highway Department on County Road 15, they had taken a position that the road had to be upgraded to a four -lane. The three Cities got together and provided them with a position that they could do anything within.the existing right -of -way, and that we wanted the road paved and striped in accordance with its usage. The County officials were pleased to have had that direction and proceeded to do exactly what we had asked them to do." Goetten agreed with Jabbour that a cover letter could be drafted and presented at the April 8, 1991 Council meeting prior to sending the recommendation to MNDOT. She stated that the newspapers will publish the City's recommendation, so the citizens will know. Butler noted that her motion was to accept the recommendation and send it to . MNDOT, but did not include a specific time for sending it. Mayor Peterson recognized Maureen Bellows. - 27 -