Minutes - Council Work Session - 09/27/2016

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Councilmember Shryock stated that perhaps the item was on the radar because Ramsey has been more vocal. She stated that since there have not been complaints she would not see a reason for the wall. She also questioned the permanency of the neighborhood as it was her belief that if a home is damaged beyond repair the home is simply being removed from the site. She stated that the wall would not only hide the neighborhood but could also increase the risk of crime because the wall would create a hidden area. Councilmember LeTourneau stated that to some degree perhaps it would be worthy of a conversation with the neighborhood to gauge their reaction as well before making the decision. Councilmember Shryock stated that her concern would be with safety as that wall would segregate the neighborhood further. She suggested speaking with the police and fire department prior to engaging the residents in that neighborhood to determine their input as well. Mayor Strommen stated that if a discussion is brought forward that may bring forward a large dialogue of issues that could come forward. She stated that from a community building perspective she is unsure that building a wall would be the best option. She noted that vegetation could provide a buffer alternative. She commented that this seems like a solution in search of a problem. She stated that if MnDOT has $400,000 to spend in this corridor there are a lot of needs in the corridor that could be addressed and perhaps that question could be put back to MnDOT. City Administrator Ulrich stated that there was a significant outreach to the neighborhood at Night to Unite and noted that noise was not a concern brought forth at that time. 2.04: Update on LRRWMO Adoption of Resolution No. 2016-03 Recognizing the City of Anoka as the Sole Owner of the Anoka Dam City Engineer Westby reviewed the staff report. Councilmember Kuzma noted that this designates the responsibility of the dam to Anoka, with the exception of water quality issues which would be the responsibility of the LRRWMO and would be split between the member cities. Councilmember LeTourneau asked if the dam could be causing water quality issues. City Engineer Westby stated that the primary function of the dam would be to act as a settling basin, which then requires that settling area to be cleaned from time to time. City Administrator Ulrich stated that this dam is designed with the gates at the bottom to control water levels, which may have water quality impacts further down the river and into the Mississippi River. He noted that water quality elements may come into play more with a reconstructed model of the dam. He stated that the LRRWMO will soon begin work on their Fourth Generation Plan which would better identify water quality goals. City Council Work Session / September 27, 2016 Page 4 of 6