5.a 2 Draft minutes of the 10-4-17 Work Session
October 4, 2017
The City Council conducted a Work Session on the above date. The following were present:
Mayor Christine Maefsky, Council members Steve Kronmiller, Chris Ness and Jim Schneider.
Absent: Council member Bob Hegland. Staff present: City Administrator Neil Soltis and Deputy
Clerk Brenda Eklund. City Engineer Ryan Goodman was also present.
Mayor Maefsky called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Mayor Maefsky announced two additions to the agenda:
2.a) Discussion on filling Planning Commission vacancy
2.b) Discussion on Gammelgarden request
Schneider, seconded by Ness, moved to approve the agenda as amended. The motion
carried 4-0.
PLANNING COMMISSION VACANCY
Administrator Soltis reported that Walt Anderson will be moving to North Branch and stepping
down from his position on the Planning Commission. Ness, seconded by Kronmiller, moved
to direct staff to solicit applications for the Planning Commission vacancy for review at the
October 17th Council meeting. The motion carried 4-0.
GAMMELGARDEN MUSEUM REQUEST FOR DECORATING LAMPPOSTS
Mayor Maefsky explained that Lynne Moratzka, director of the Gammelgarden Museum, has
requested permission to decorate the lampposts in the Village Area with seasonal décor. Council
member Kronmiller asked about the city’s liability for this activity. Administrator Soltis will
have the volunteers sign the volunteer log and waiver that was adopted with the city’s volunteer
policy in May 2017. Ness, seconded by Kronmiller, moved to approve Gammelgarden’s
request to decorate the city’s lampposts. The motion carried 4-0.
DISCUSSION ON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE
Jane Kansier, Bolton & Menk consultant for the city’s comprehensive plan update, led the
presentation on the process of developing the city’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan up to this point.
Public input has been gathered at 2 pop-up meetings and through a community survey mailed to
all Scandia residents. Three focus groups representing youth, business and agriculture, and age
group 55+ met to identify the city’s strengths, weaknesses and future needs. The Comprehensive
Steering Committee completed three meetings and evaluated the survey results to craft the
visions and goals for the elements of the final comp plan.
Kansier said Scandia’s rural and open space was commonly identified as strengths, while poor
internet service and lack of younger families was found as weaknesses. Results indicated the top
priorities to be residential and commercial growth, walking/biking/horseback riding trails, and
life stage housing.
October 4, 2017
Scandia City Council
Page 2 of 2
Kansier explained the Met Council’s community designation for Scandia as Diversified Rural,
with an option as a Rural Center having a mix of housing densities surrounded by agricultural
lands. As Scandia’s projected 2040 population is expected to be 4,950 (currently 3,954), the
land use plan must provide available land to meet this forecasted growth, estimated at 594
housing units. Kansier noted that Scandia’s current land use can accommodate 1,594 future
units, three times what is required. However, Kansier explained that the committee is looking to
concentrate development in 2 key areas as Rural Center (3-5 units per acre), while protecting
rural spaces with the Diversified Rural designation (4 per 40 acre density).
Kansier had the Council members work on a map exercise to identify the Rural Center areas,
primarily centered around the Village Area and along the west side of Big Marine Lake, while
agreeing that commercial development along Highways 95 and 97 as undesirable. The need for
community or city sewer systems to support greater densities was identified as a necessary
component to growth. Potential for future expansion of Forest Lake’s sewer lines was noted to
be beneficial to support growth on the west side of Big Marine Lake.
Kansier presented the vision statement and the four overall goals that will guide development of
the plan. The discussion ended with a review of the goals and policies for the elements of the
comp plan covering land use, natural resources, water resources, housing, economic
development, parks and trails, and transportation. A few edits were made in preparation of the
draft plan. A timeline was presented, with an open house scheduled for October 24th, a public
hearing before the Planning Commission in the spring of 2018, with adoption by the Council in
May 2018. Surrounding jurisdictions and the Met Council have 6 months to complete their
reviews, ending with final adoption by the Council in early 2019.
FUTURE WORK SESSION AGENDA ITEMS
November 1st will be budget related including fire department staffing
Discussion of wetland setback to provide direction to the Planning Commission
Park fees, past and future
ADJOURNMENT
Ness, seconded by Kronmiller, moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried 4-0.
The meeting adjourned at 8:42 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Brenda Eklund
Deputy Clerk