Minutes - Council - 09/16/2003 - Special

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Councihnember Strommen stated that because the parks are so critical she wanted to make sure that the parks are there to be used when development starts. Mr. Engen replied that as part of the commitment to the City, they plan on starting the construction of' the parks as soon as possible, which would most likely be the spring of 2004, and completed in 2005. Councilmember Elvig stated that he thought the special service district provided the City a pretty good "hook", but the 90-day requirement did concern him somewhat because it is a monumental task. That being said he believed that the City would probably relax the 90 days if they seem to be moving forward with a plan. He noted that he appreciated the comments made by Mr. Engen because it emphasizes how great the plan really is. Mr. Engen stated that they would like as much citizen comment as possible as it relates to the parks. Councihnember Pearson stated that once the project starts to move forward and they start grading the site they will probably see the green area emerge, which will give them a pretty good idea as to how big of an area the park space will be. Mayor Gamec inquired if it was the general consensus of the Council for the developer to proceed with a more passive park concept. Councilmember Cook stated that he thought that would be an issue that should go back to the Park Commission. Mayor Gamec replied that he thought the Council should be providing the Park Commission with some direction as to what they would like to see. Assistant Director of Public Works Olson stated that there will be 8,000 new residents in the area and they have to have some place to go and do some recreational activities. Councilmelnber Elvig stated that when he spent the time on the Town Center Task Force he heard some of what the developer was planning for the park area and they have excellent professionals working on the issue. He would like to have the developer take the swing on a plan instead of having the City develop park. Councihnember Strommen recommended that the City Council hold a joint meeting with the Park Commission and the developer to discuss the park plans. City Attorney Goodrich noted that in section 4.7, language was included that would prohibit the City from amending ordinances relating to the Town Center for a period of 12 years unless both parties agree with the change as allowed by State Statute. Tom Bray, the City's lead attorney for the development agreement, has indicted that was a common standard. City Council Special Meeting/September 16, 2003 Page 9 of 11