Agenda - Planning Commission - 12/04/2003

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City Administrator Norman explained that the recently approved development agreement with the Ramsey Town Center, LLC defined the creation of a Town Center Review Board. The Review Board is also discussed in the Town Center Zoning Ordinances as a necessary step in the planning process for all Town Center development project approval. Article t.2 of the Development Agreement states that the City will appoint members of the Town Center Review within 90 days of the signing of the Development Agreement, which was September 17, 2003. The topic was discussed between the City Council and staff during a work session held November 3rd. The primary fbcus of the discussion dealt with the size of the Review Board and appointment to the new recommending board. There was a consensus of the Council to have the Mayor make recommendations to the Council for the appointment of individual members. Following the Council work session, a suggestion was made to further define the duties, responsibilities, and process of the Review Board. The City Council could request that the Planning Commission and Town Center Task Force make recommendations on duties, responsibilities, authority and process for Council consideration. Motion by Mayor Gamec, seconded by Councilmember Elvig, to appoint Mayor Gamec, Councilmember Strommen, Planning Chairperson Michael Nixt, Planning Cmmnissioner David Jeffrey, Town Center Task Force Member Bonnie Thomson, and Town Center Task Force Member Mary Jo Olson to the Town Center Review Board, in addition to the appointment of a member from Ramsey Town Center, LLC. Further Discussion: Councilmember Elvig expressed concern that. they are selecting people before they have a mission outlined for the Review Board. He inquired if the members of the Review Board should be moving forward with the mission or should the Council. Councilmember Strommen replied that she personally felt that the Council should be providing some direction to the. Board. She felt that the Council should discuss the mission of the Review Board before they make an appointment. City Administrator Norman noted that a suggestion was made to have the Town Center Task Force and Planning Commission make recormnendations as tO the tasks of the Review Board. Councitmember Elvig noted that he did not have a problem with who was being recommended for the Board, but he did want to identify and outline the mission and goals of the board. Mayor Gamec stated that he was concerned with delaying the process. He felt that they should get the group formed and then work with the members of the Board on establishing the duties and responsibilities. Councilmember Cook stated that he would prefer that they do not have any Councilmembers serve on the Board and that a member of the residential and commercial areas within the Town Center fill those positions. Mayor Gamec replied that right now they are looking at starting the committee and as the Town Center grows they can look at adding those additional members. Councilmember Cook stated that they should add the five people to the Board and allow them to begin working with City staff and the Council. The reason he is saying no Councilmernbers is because when there is two members from Council people tend to stay quite because they make the final decision anyway. Councilmember Kurak stated that she felt that the Review Board should be created without Councilmembers otherwise the Council's work is redundant. Councilmember Elvig stated that he would agree with adding liaisons from inside the development, but he cautioned against doing that too early. The Town Center Task Force put a lot of time into architectural standards along with the developer and he wanted to caution that they don't give the committee too much authority to change some of those things. City Administrator Norman requested that the motion be withdrawn. It was pointed out to him that if the Council is going to P42 City Council/November 10, 2003 Page 6 of 9