Minutes - Environmental Policy Board - 01/07/2008

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Board Member Bentz questioned if the comp plan could be denied once submitted to the Met Council. Council Liaison Strommen replied that it could be, as it has previously been done in Lake Elmo. Associate Planner DaInes stated that the Met Council has information for the cities, such as population growth, and they also have their own plans for sewer, parks, transportation, and the airport. She advised that they are looking to make sure that the transportation, land use and sewer plan all use the same numbers. She explained that they also have specific ways of doing formulas. She explained that the Met Council would compare Ramsey's plan to those regional plans and if they conflict that is where a problem may arise. She stated that they know what to expect, but at the policy level the Met Council may have sticking points that you can't predict. She advised that they do what is best for Ramsey and what the residents have said and if it is rejected they will have to reanalyze. Board Member Freeburg questioned how often updates are done to the comp plan. Associate Planner DaInes stated that updates to the plan are done every 10 years. She reminded the Board that the plan is a short and long-term document and any other additions that they have would be great. Environmental Coordinator Anderson stated that the Board had an option to review the plan tonight, but they also have another week to more thoroughly review it and provide input at the meeting on January 16th if they have additional feedback. Case #3: Potential Funding for Feasibility Study and Public Opinion Survey Environmental Coordinator Anderson summarized that at the December EPB meeting, Staff had updated the Board with regard to the November 20, 2007 Council work session discussion concerning a possible community survey. The general consensus of Council at that meeting was for the Board to continue to pursue a survey focusing on open space and to seek funding for such a survey. Pursuant to that, the Board directed Staff to submit assistance requests to Embrace Open Space (EOS) for technical and financial assistance with both a feasibility study and a public opinion survey. Environmental Coordinator Anderson stated that there are three required components for an assistance request: a Technical Assistance Letter, a completed Request for Funding Assistance form, and a Resolution of Support from the City. Staff submitted the requests on December 7, 2007 for consideration at a December 13, 2007 EOS meeting and informed EOS that a resolution would be considered at the December 11, 2007 City Council meeting. Staff placed the resolution on the consent agenda for that Council meeting, as it really was just affirming the general consensus of Council at the November 20,2007 work session. Environmental Coordinator Anderson stated that at the December 11, 2007 Council meeting, the resolution was pulled from the consent agenda and discussed as a separate case. There was some discussion by Council regarding what the actual direction or consensus of the November 20, 2007 work session was. Furthermore, there was some uncertainty about the status or result of an abstention vote, and more specifically, whether it in fact constituted a 'yes' vote. Due to this Environmental Policy Board / January 7, 2008 Page 4 of 10