[Mpls] 17 Nov. Park Board meeting report, part 2

[Chris Johnson]

Part 2

5:52pm

* Regular Meeting is reconvened by Olson.

Olson asks for approval of the minutes of the August 18 meeting.

Mason wants the minutes held until missing comments by commissioners late in 
the meeting can be added.  In particular, she is referring to Walt Dziedzic's 
threatening remarks [transcript http://www.mplsparkwatch.org/node/view/146#22 
and transcript and Quicktime video http://www.chaska.com/threat.html].

Hauser feigns complete ignorance of what Mason is talking about even though 
she was at the meeting in question and was sitting next to Dziedic when he 
lashed out.

There is motion and Olson calls the voice vote.  He says it carries, but then 
Young asks for a roll call vote.

Roll call vote to approve the Minutes for August 18 As Is With Missing Comments:

Berry Graves:  No
Dziedzic:  Yes
Erwin:  No
Fine:  Yes
Hauser:  Yes
Kummer:  Yes
Mason:  No
Young:  No
Olson:  Yes

Motion passes 5 to 4, in a classic "Gang of Five" 
[http://www.mail-archive.com/mpls@mnforum.org/msg25254.html] maneuver.  [Tony 
Scallon accuses me of using that phrase, yet as the link to the Issues List 
archive shows, it was actually Mark Snyder.]

5:55pm

* Reports of Officers

Interim superintendent Jon Gurban says he is available for any questions on 
his report from earlier in the month when he was not able to be present.

Assistant superintendent Mike Schmidt reports on the youth football program.

Erwin asks about coaching levels?  Schmidt answers they were ok, it was a good 
year.

Dziedzic comments that soccer is more popular than football and continues to grow.

Assistant superintendent Judd Rietkerk says Cirque de Soliel is in town 
looking for sites and have expressed interest in B. F. Nelson and Parade 
stadium.  He says Park staff has discouraged them due to parking problems at 
those locations but are working on a 2005 Parade show, and that Park staff 
wants to get an every other year agreement.

Assistant superintendent Don Siggelkow reports that labor negotiations have 
started.

* Consent Business

Items 2.1 and 2.2 are moved by Mason, seconded by Fine and Passes.

* Reports of Standing Committees

** Planning Committee

Fine moves item 4.1, seconded by Young, Passes.

* Agreements

Hauser moves 7.1, it is seconded, and Passes.

Kummer comments that the county will hold a community meeting regarding this 
trail construction.

"7.2  That the board authorize staff to NEGOTIATE a purchase agreement with 
the Columbia Development LP (formerly Lucky Club LLC) for the former Fuji Ya 
site."

Hauser moves 7.2.

Someone seconds 7.2.

Mason amends motion to include wording which dedicates the proceeds of this 
land sale to the Land Acquisition Fund.

Hauser accepts amendment to her motion.

Erwin seconds amended motion.  He supports the project but has a question.  He 
says there are no park amenities for a long stretch of the West River Road in 
this area.  He suggests deducting the value of one unit from the price to hold 
that unit for MPRB future use as restaurant, rest rooms and/or other amenities.

Young wants to amend Mason's amendment to dedicate the proceeds to purchasing 
land on the Mississippi.  She has concerns over the Columbia Mill ruins 
tunnels, is it a liability?  She also has concerns about parking, particularly 
for handicapped, and would like to see a "green" roof on the building, which 
might actually be a selling point with the neighbors who will look down on the 
proposed building.

Siggelkow says they would need a motion to not use the tunnels for hydro power.

Dziedzic thanks Mason for getting more money for Northeast and Southeast sides 
of Minneapolis to buy land along the river.  Then he talks about how his wife 
expects him to work on getting a restaurant in that location.  Supports 
Erwin's idea.

Hauser asks if the bottom level that the Park Board would lease for parking 
will have power and water.

Siggelkow says yes, power and water, and plan is to sacrifice a few parking 
stalls to put restrooms in.

Fine comments on the price of what they are selling the land for ($2.5 million 
minus $750,000 for parking area gives a real price of $1.75 million), and 
thinks that Erwin's idea is interesting and supports Erwin and Dziedzic in 
pursuing it.

Young has one other green idea -- reserving a couple of parking stalls for 
hybrid-powered cars.

Olson wants a clarification on what the motion actually says at this point. 
There is some disagreement on just what Erwin has proposed.

Hauser accepts amendment to dedicate money to Land Acquisition Fund with 
dedication to buying Mississippi River front property.

Olson says that opening a restaurant in Minneapolis "is a nightmare" due to 
all the red tape.  He wants that idea to be a separate motion and will oppose it.

The developer (Jeff Arandell? / Columbia Development) is present and says 
there are restaurants at the Mill City Museum, which is nearby, and (will be) 
at the Guthrie, when it is built.  He also says that the price of one unit in 
his development will be $1.5 million plus  [which makes it sound like there is 
no way the Park Board can deduct that price from the sale price of $1.75 
million -- but the negotiated sale could value it at any agreed upon price, 
since the developer stands to lose a lot more if he does not get the property 
at all.]

Erwin says he suggestion is no requirement to reserve a unit, just that doing 
so be part of the negotiation of the sale.

Dziedzic says he will contact preeminent restaurant consultant Mr. Amarcik 
[I'm sure I've butchered the name completely] to get the real low down on 
putting a restaurant there.

Developer Arandell says he has already talked to Mr. Amarcik[?} earlier this 
year and that his recommendation was against it!

Erwin remarks that the Mill City Museum restaurant closes at 5pm, and is only 
accessible by going inside and up 2 floors, which makes it less usable by 
river front visitors.

Berry Graves says they should vote on this being a discussion between 
Siggelkow and the developer.

Asst. super. Siggelkow drops the bomb!  He says this approval is the FINAL 
approval by the board for selling the land to the developer.

Confusion breaks out.  Several members of the board remark that the agenda 
clearly states NEGOTIATE, not FINAL sale.

Mason suggests that a restaurant is not part of the core mission of the Park 
Board, and is therefore opposed to working on bringing one into this project. 
  She says that when the Guthrie opens, the competition will result in the 
Mill City Museum Cafe extending its hours.

Hauser supports Mason.  She reiterates her point about putting some sort of 
food amenity in the parking area.

Young says a restaurant is not the best use of the space, and reverses her 
support.  She says the Park Board's priorities are to take care of the land 
and to take care of the kids; enough new projects.

Kummer supports Mason and Hauser.

Asst. super. Rietkerk talks about the Master Plan, and the Palisade Mill near 
the Guthrie being identified as restaurant space.  He also says the Post 
Office site is a better choice for a restaurant.

Erwin asks about the Post Office site and withdraws his motion.

Olson reads motion as it now stands to dedicate the proceeds of the sale of 
the Fuji Ya site to land acquisition along the Mississippi River.

Young adds an amendment to encourage (not require) the developer to consider a 
green roof.  Amendment accepted by Hauser.

7.2, motion to sell land, etc. PASSES.

* Unfinished Business

Resolutions 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3 for assessments to pay cost of removal of 
diseased elms are moved by Young and seconded by Fine.  All PASS unanimously 
on a roll call vote.

6:35pm

* Discussion

** Superintendent Search Update presented by HR director Mary Page

Page says the search is on schedule and briefly outlines the remaining steps. 
  She notifies the commissioners that one of the three finalists, Dirk 
Richwine has withdrawn.

Page says interview with candidate Cristofer Gears will be at 5pm on November 
30, and interview with candidate Jon Gurban will be at 6pm on November 30. 
These interviews are open to the public.

End part 2 of 3.

Reported by Chris Johnson, Fulton.