Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout5K -Snowmobile Task Force tjo~ p~ f.-, ? U ~ ~ 4646 Dakota Street S.E. Prior Lake, MN 55372-1714 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT MEETING DATE: AGENDA #: PREPARED BY: AGENDA ITEM: CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A SOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE SNOWMOBILE TASK FORCE AND THE FUTURE OF SNOWMOBILING IN SCOTT COUNTY. DISCUSSION: Introduction The purpose of this agenda item is to comply with the Council's direction to prepare a resolution regarding snowmobile issues before the Snowmobile Club meets with Scott County on the issue. Historv Last fall the City Council commissioned a Snowmobile Task Force to investigate the issues of snowmobiling in Prior Lake as a growing suburb. The Task Force included City representatives from police, public works and City Council, residents, representatives of the local snowmobiling clubs and Scott County. Prior to the snowmobile season, the Task Force studied road reconstruction issues which created challenges to snowmobilers, signage issues, enforcement, park and ride lots and information dissemination. The Task Force made recommendations to the City Council in each of these areas and then monitored the results of their recommendations and conducted a follow-up meeting of the Task Force and interested citizens this spring. The conclusions were that the effort was a success which helped snowmobiling remain a responsible family sport for the Prior Lake area despite the urbanization taking place around us. Current Circumstances At the June 2, 2008 City Council meeting, the Council adopted the following motion (a complete text of the June 2, 2008 minutes are attached): "motion by LeMair, seconded by Erickson to accept the report and direct staff to draft a resolution that: 1) offers support of the activities and success of the task force over the past year, 2) continues the task force, 3) acknowledges the desire of the task force to send a message to the County that they want to perpetuate snowmobiling in the Prior Lake and Scott County area, 4) states the City does not agree that snowmobiles should be banned from the right of way on County roads in incorporated areas, and 5) invites the County to establish someone to join the task force to create effective communication between the County and the task force to support the task force agendas." www.cityofpriorlake.com ~4aii.9iffit5g?'fCax 952.447.4245 Conclusion The Council should determine if it wishes to adopt the attached resolution as part of the Consent Agenda. ISSUES: The issues have been considered by the Council in its direction. FINANCIAL Financial impacts of the resolution are negligible. IMPACT: ALTERNATIVES: 1. Adopt the resolution. 2. Take no action. RECOMMENDED Alternative #1 MOTION: r'.1.'C (] U NC i L \/"..(:; c,) [;A. 4646 Dakota Street S.E. Prior Lake, MN 55372-1714 RESOLUTION OS-xxx A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE SNOWMOBILING TASK FORCE AND THE FUTURE OF SNOWMOBILING IN SCOTT COUNTY. Motion By: Second By: WHEREAS, The 2030 Vision and Strategic Plan celebrate Prior Lake as a community where recrea- tional opportunities are preserved; and WHEREAS, Numerous snowmobile trails throughout Prior Lake and Scott County allow families to enjoy snowmobiling safely both in urbanized and rural areas of the County; and WHEREAS, The Prior Lake City Council commissioned a Snowmobile Task Force consisting of City staff, County staff, snowmobile club representatives and Prior Lake citizens to investi- gate and report on the following: . Snowmobile trails on new road construction (CR 21 and CR 82), . Signage, . Park and ride lots, . Communication, . Enforcement; and WHEREAS, The Task Force reported its recommendations to the City Council, and the recommen- dations were implemented and evaluated following the snowmobile season; and WHEREAS The recommendations of the Task Force and the partnership formed between the citi- zens, snowmobile clubs and the City represent successfully supporting safe and re- sponsible snowmobiling in Prior Lake; and WHEREAS The City Council supports the continued efforts of the Snowmobile Task Force to as- sure that snowmobiling may continue as a recreational pursuit in Scott County. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PRIOR LAKE, MIN- NESOTA as follows: 1. The recitals set forth above are incorporated herein. 2. The Snowmobile Task Force and each of its members are hereby commended for the fine work they have completed. 3. The Snowmobile Task Force is hereby extended to continue to address issues in order that snow- mobiling can remain available to Scott County residents. 4. The City Council agrees that snowmobiles should not be banned from County road right-of-ways within incorporated areas and encourages the Task Force and its members to assure that the County Comprehensive Plan adequately and safely accommodates the continuation of snowmobi- ling. www.cityofpriorlake.com SflfPH6~~r.9~~47.9800 / Fax 952.447.4245 5. That The City Council encourages that a member of the Scott County Board join the Scott County staff member on the Task Force to facilitate effective ongoing communication on this topic. PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS 16th DAY OF JUNE 2008. YES NO I Haugen I Erickson I Hedberg I LeMair I Millar Haugen Erickson Hedberg LeMair Millar Frank Boyles, City Manager M:\COUNCIL\RESOLUTI\2008\061608 Snowmobiling.DOC City Council Meeting Minutes June 2, 2008 DRAFT waiving their right to appeal their portion of the assessed cost. Such action could save the City money and allow people who want their street to be repaired to get it done. Albrecht: Agreed the Council could consider that and noted these streets are a few years out so there is time to develop a system to do that. Haugen: Planning Commission has reviewed and supported the plan and the Council discussed it at a workshop. Will support. MOTION BY HEDBERG, SECONDED BY MILLAR TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 08-080 APPROVING THE 2009-2013 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. VOTE: Ayes by Haugen, Erickson, Hedberg, LeMair and Millar. The motion carried. OLD BUSINESS Consider Approval of the 2007.2008 Snowmobile Task Force Report. Public Works Director Albrecht reviewed the report from the Snowmobile Task Force. Twenty residents attended the public meeting and offered comments on how to improve things. Noted there were few com- plaints about snowmobiling this year and suggested the cooperation of the snowmobile club contributed to that. Spoke about the County's draft 2030 Comprehensive Plan to eliminate snowmobile trails from County right-of-ways in incorporated areas. The Task Force wants to see if that draft is adopted before proposing new trails that could be eliminated. The Task Force believes that Prior Lake should be on record for how it perceives snowmobiling in the future. Comments: Erickson: Agreed this was the most amiable year for snowmobiling in a long time and attributed that to communication. Stated that Police Chief O'Rourke did a great job of conducting the meetings and brought the enforcement that the snowmobile clubs wanted as they want to be perceived as a responsible group. Believes that component of the County's draft 2030 Comprehensive Plan was initiated by Scott County Commissioners due to an accident in Shakopee. O'Rourke: Added that the cooperative effort with Sno-Trails and Prior Lake Snowmobile Clubs is why it was such a good year. Described responses to complaints received and commented that the clubs are highly motivated to continue snowmobiling. Millar: Stated this is a big success story and thanked Erickson for bringing this topic forward. Hedberg: Agreed this is a great example of partnership and thanked the parties involved. Asked about the long-term direction of the County's 2030 Comprehensive Plan believing that it calls for active develop- ment along Hwy 169 and Hwy 35, but that the south-central part of the County will remain more rural. Albrecht: Replied that the Hwy 35 corridor has sewer capacity issues, but believes the area west of TH 13 might be more urbanized and the area east and south of TH 13 might be more rural. Hedberg: Stated the City should be on record that snowmobiling should be retained to the south to use the rural areas. LeMair: Agreed this is a success story. Believes many people settled here because of the ability to snow- mobile and does not think the County should eliminate it. Supports keeping it here and giving them access to rural areas, and supports sending a letter to the County that Prior Lake would like to see snowmobiling remain. Haugen: Stated he would like to see snowmobiling remain in Prior Lake as long as possible and it could continue in the open environment to south and east. Believes it is important to have an ongoing relation- ship with city and snowmobile clubs, and the task force should be ongoing with the County invited to par- ticipate in it. 5 City Council Meeting Minutes June 2, 2008 DRAFT to rural areas, and supports sending a letter to the County that Prior Lake would like to see snowmobiling remain. Haugen: Stated he would like to see snowmobiling remain in Prior Lake as long as possible and it could continue in the open environment to south and east. Believes it is important to have an ongoing relation- ship with city and snowmobile clubs, and the task force should be ongoing with the County invited to par- ticipate in it. Boyles: Described three possible actions as: 1) approve the report, 2) encourage the task force members to write a letter to the effect that there is a concern that snowmobiling be preserved to the extent possible, and 3) have the Council adopt a resolution which would encourage the same thing. Haugen: Recommended having a resolution that incorporates the expectation of having a long-term task force and invite a County Commissioner to be a part of the task force. Erickson: Stated that County staff was involved as part of the task force. Haugen: Noted the City has elected representation as part of the task force and the County should be in- vited to do so as well. leMair: Stated that Councilors have all expressed a desire to have snowmobiling continue and believes the Council should send such a communication to the County. Haugen: Concurred. Hedberg: Clarified that the suggestion is for the task force to continue and prepare recommendations for snowmobiling to continue. Believes the task force should reconvene before the next season to recommend any changes. Agrees that elected representation from the County could be invited to join the task force and that would create the forum for discussion on this long term issue. Erickson: Believes the current issue is not having the task force meet and make a recommendation, but rather that the County is discussing this topic in its workshops and wants input from the City. The County is drawing up resolutions and one of them is to outlaw snowmobiles on trails next to county roads. If the City wants to give the County input that they are not in support of that, it should be done now as it will be too late in the fall. Hedberg: Asked if there was time to approve a letter for the next Council meeting. Albrecht: Agreed that staff could draft a letter with a resolution for the next meeting and poll the task force for its opinion. O'Rourke: The task force would want the Council to let the County know the City is not in favor of the plan as stated in the 2030 draft to outlaw snowmobiling in county right of ways in incorporated areas. Haugen: Suggested a resolution be drafted to offer support of the activities and success of the task force over the past year, that the task force continue, acknowledge the desire of the task force to send a mes- sage to the County that they want to perpetuate snowmobiling in the Prior Lake and Scott County area, and invite the County to establish someone to join the task force to create effective communication between the County and the task force to support the task force agendas. MOTION BY LEMAIR, SECONDED BY ERICKSON TO ACCEPT THE REPORT AND DIRECT STAFF TO DRAFT A RESOLUTION THAT: 1) OFFERS SUPPORT OF THE ACTIVITIES AND SUCCESS OF THE TASK FORCE OVER THE PAST YEAR, 2) CONTINUES THE TASK FORCE, 3) ACKNOWLEDGES THE DESIRE OF THE TASK FORCE TO SEND A MESSAGE TO THE COUNTY THAT THEY WANT TO PER- PETUATE SNOWMOBILING IN THE PRIOR LAKE AND SCOTT COUNTY AREA, 4) STATES THE CITY DOES NOT AGREE THAT SNOWMOBILES SHOULD BE BANNED FROM THE RIGHT OF WAY ON COUNTY ROADS IN INCORPORATED AREAS, AND 5) INVITES THE COUNTY TO ESTABLISH SOME- ONE TO JOIN THE TASK FORCE TO CREATE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE TASK FORCE TO SUPPORT THE TASK FORCE AGENDAS. VOTE: Ayes by Haugen, Erickson, Hedberg, LeMair and Millar. The motion carried. 6