Agenda - Council - 05/14/2019 - Laserfiche WebLink

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It was the consensus of the Council to allow the Recreation Specialist to supplement in the Administrative Intern position as described, as long as the activity remains within the approved budget for that position. 2.03: Review Options for Cleanup Project Cost Share for River Walk Village; Case of Village Bank Community Development Director Gladhill reviewed the staff report. Councilmember Kuzma asked if there is flexibility for the developer to go to 12 lots rather than 14 lots. He also asked if the bank would be willing to cost -share. Don Kveton, Village Bank, replied that they will still lose funds on this project either way and therefore they need the 14 lots. He stated that thus far they have lost $700,000 on the project over the years. He stated that if this project does not move forward, they will not attempt another project. He commented that they believe the residential product would be a better fit over industrial. He stated that they would not be interested in cost sharing further. Councilmember Musgrove asked for details on the contamination. Wade Carlson provided details on the contamination on site and how that will be removed and how the site will be treated. He stated that although the site is contaminated, with these improvements the site could meet a restricted residential standard. Councilmember Shryock stated that it would be beneficial for consideration that this property is next to the Mississippi River. She stated that the residents in that area have expressed concern with the number of lots and therefore she would support reducing to 12 lots. She stated that she agrees that the lot needs to be cleaned up. She stated that she would like to see the cleanup costs shared between different entities, such as the City, County and State. She cautioned against the City spending the funds to cleanup the site solely. Councilmember Riley applauded the effort of the applicant and agreed that applying for grants would be a good route. He stated that the Council already agreed to some lenience in the number of lots, allowing possibly up to 14. He stated that he would not support the dollar match for the grants coming from the City. Councilmember Musgrove stated that it is her belief that this is an appropriate use for the Anoka County Housing Redevelopment Authority (ACHRA) funds. City Administrator Ulrich stated that it is fairly common for cities to become involved with the cleanup of a contaminated site and therefore it is not an unusual activity. Mayor LeTourneau stated that this project would be doing a good duty in cleaning up the site. He applauded the applicant's ability to identify the grants, as that seems to be a good solution. He agreed that the ACHRA account would be an appropriate source of funding that he would City Council Work Session / April 23, 2019 Page 5 of 6