City Council Workshop

10801 Town Square Dr. City of Blaine Blaine MN 55449 Anoka County, Minnesota Minutes - Final City Council Workshop *While this is a public meeting where interested persons are welcome to attend, it is a work session for Council and staff to discuss issues before them. It is not for the purpose of receiving public input. Thursday, April 17, 2014 6:30 PM Cloverleaf Farm Room A Meeting Number 14-22 NOTICE OF WORKSHOP MEETING Present: 7 - Mayor Ryan, Councilmember Hovland, Councilmember Swanson, Councilmember Clark, Councilmember Bourke, Councilmember Kolb, and Councilmember Herbst 1 Call to Order The meeting was called to order by Mayor Ryan at 6:32 p.m. 2 Roll Call Quorum Present. ALSO PRESENT: Clark Arneson, City Manager; Bryan Schafer, Planning and Community Development Director; Bob Therres, Public Services Manager; Dan Szykulski, Police Captain; Jean Keely, City Engineer; Roark Haver, Communications Technician; Thomas Sweeney, City Attorney; Jane M. Cross, City Clerk; and Recording Secretary Amanda Staple. Present: 5 - Mayor Ryan, Councilmember Hovland, Councilmember Swanson, Councilmember Clark, and Councilmember Herbst Absent: 2 - Councilmember Bourke, and Councilmember Kolb 3 New Business City of Blaine Page 1 City Council Workshop Minutes - Final April 17, 2014 3.1 Steve Markuson - TC Gateway Annual Update Steve Markuson, representing TC Gateway, reviewed some of the benefits of tourism including generation of revenue and jobs, noting that 67 percent of Minnesota’s tourism spending occurs in the Metro area. He explained that economic development follows tourism and advised that tourism dollars flow throughout the community including lodging, food, recreation, retail, transportation, among other aspects. He reviewed the rates of occupancy, daily rates, revenue per available rooms, and lodging tax receipt information for TCG hotels. He provided information regarding website performance, mobile device applications, and eBlasts. He reviewed the strategic objectives for 2014 which are to generate overnight travel into TCG cities; stimulate tourism related economic impacts; target leisure, sports, conferences, events; focus on online marketing and drive web traffic; reach geo-targeted primary markets of origin; enhance website visitor engagement; and increase shoulder season occupancy. He provided examples of local marketing, print advertisements, online banners, as well as a fall season multi-media campaign, which will take place in Winnipeg. He noted that TCG also provides online advertising of each special event that takes place within member cities, such as World Fest in Blaine. Grants are given each year to member cities and Blaine will receive a grant of $7,080 in 2014. He reported that thus far in 2014, TCG has already generated over $1,000,000 in marketing and promotion alone and noted that the 2014 budget for TCG is $785,000, while administrative costs account for only 13 % of that budget. He believed that this is a very good return on Blaine’s investment. Mayor Ryan advised the City has also received $3,900 from Metropolitan Artists Council for World Fest. Mr. Markuson noted that Councilmember Swanson, along with a representative from the Blaine Super 8, represent Blaine on the TCG Board. Councilmember Swanson stated that a new hotel would need to be built in Blaine in order to generate additional revenue. Mr. Markuson agreed that other than room rate increases, an additional hotel would be needed to generate revenue; although he was unsure that additional revenue would be necessary. City of Blaine Page 2 City Council Workshop Minutes - Final April 17, 2014 3.2 WS 14-13 125TH AVENUE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT UPDATE Sponsors: Therres Attachments: 125th Avenue Issues Map 032114.pdf 125th Avenue Project Schedule 032114.pdf Mark Dierling, SEH, identified the project area and briefly summarized the improvement proposed for the project including a ten-foot multi-use trail that would continue east from Radisson Road. He advised that there would be some relocation of utilities and discussed plans for better management of storm water and runoff. He continued to highlight aspects of the project including additional left turn lanes, trail connections, a possible shared ponding opportunity, Councilmember Herbst referenced the Xylite intersection and asked for additional information. Curt Kobilarcsik, Anoka County Engineering Program Manager, stated that the developer was aware that the area would be restricted to right in/right out. He stated that had been removed temporarily because there was not a U-turn option available but noted that with this project the development would once again become a right in/right out. Mr. Dierling continued to review aspects of the project noting that previous driveways that existed prior to The Lakes development will be closed. He highlighted another possible ponding location and the intersection plans at Harpers Street. Public Services Manager Therres advised that at Harpers Street there would be plans for a sidewalk on the east side and trail on the west side of the roadway. Mr. Dierling believed that the project could occur adjacent to traffic, noting that traffic would be shifted to the opposite side of the road from where the work occurs. He reviewed the project timeline and believed that the plans and specifications would be complete late this year with bidding to occur in early 2015. Mr. Kobilarcsik stated the County will come to the City in the next two to three months with a Joint Powers Agreement. OTHER BUSINESS None. City of Blaine Page 3 City Council Workshop Minutes - Final April 17, 2014 ADJOURN The workshop was adjourned at 7:10 p.m. City of Blaine Page 4