Minutes Long Range Pl 2 19 03PRESENT:
LONG RANGE PLANNING ADVISORY COMMISSION
Wednesday, February t9, 2003
7:00 P,M.
Auditorium, Camegie Stout Library
360 W. 11th Street, Dubuque, Iowa
Chairperson David Rusk; Commissioners Mary Lynn Neumeister, Mike Portzen, Floyd
Schneider, Roy Buol, Charles Winterwood and Rick Stein; Staff Member Laura
Carstens.
ABSENT: None.
CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m.
CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE: Staff presented an Affidavit of Compliance verifying that the
meeting was being held in compliance with the Iowa Open Meetings Law.
MINUTES: Motion by Winterwood, seconded by Buol, to approve the minutes of November 20,
2002, as submitted. The motion carried unanimously.
ACTION ITEM
FY 2004-2008 Recommended ClP: Commissioners discussed the City Manager's recommended
Capital Improvement Program budget for Fiscal Years 2004-2008. They noted that the ClP budget is
tight this year. Motion by Winterwcod, seconded by Neumeister that the FY 2004-2008
Recommended CIP is in conformance with the 2002 comprehensive Plan. Motion carried by a vote
of 7to0.
LIAISON/SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS:
Joint City/County Planninq Committee: Commissioner Neumeister reported that information will be
forthcoming from City staff for a series of meetings with the Joint City/County Planning Committee.
Downtown Planninq Committee: Chairperson Rusk reported that Leland Consulting Group, URS,
Durrant Group, and MSA met with Committee members and City staff on January 13. They
agreed on a schedule, process steps, initial data gathering, and a public open house on March
10 from 5-7 p.m. at Five Flags Civic Center.
Enterprise Zone Commission: No report.
Stormwater Utility Committee: Commissioner Portzen reported that the Stormwater Utility
Committee has completed their work, and has presented their consensus items to the City Council.
He also reported that the Chamber of Commerce asked him to attend a meeting on February 24,
2003 with the Mayor, Dan Walsh of the Chamber, Jim Collins from Loras College, and one other
person to determine the Chamber's position on the stormwater utility. Commissioner Buol expressed
cencem with how the City Council's input is being requested by asking one member, rather than all
Council members to attend.
Bee Branch Stormwater Committee: Commissioner Winterwood reported that the draft Request for
Proposals (RFP) for the Bee Branch alignment study on the north end would be finalized the week of
February 24, 2003. He said it will be sent out by the end of February.
Minutes - Long Range Planning Advisory Commission
February 19, 2003
Page 2
ITEMS FROM THE PUBLIC:
Commissioners discussed a November 27, 2002 letter from the Community Development
Commission related to the Wal-Mart rezoning request. Motion by Stein, seconded byWinterwood, to
respond with a letter to the Community Development Commission explaining that the Long Range
Planning Advisory Commission did not meet until February, so their letter had just come to the
Commission's attention and their comments were appreciated. Motion carried by a vote of 7 to 0.
Chairperson Rusk questioned why the letter had not been sent sooner. Staff Member Carstens said
that the letter had not been distributed eadier because the Commission had not met since November
20, and because in the past the Long Range Planning Advisory Commission had indicated that it
would not take a position on rezonings. Chairperson Rusk asked that in the future if letters are
addressed to the Chairperson's attention they be sent to the Chairperson separately. Staff agreed.
ITEMS FROM COMMISSION:
Commissioners expressed their appreciation for receipt of the 2002 Comprehensive Plan and
Proposed Land Use Maps.
Commissioners asked for several corrections to the roster and meeting schedule. Staff agreed.
FY04 Budqet Requests: Chairperson Rusk reviewed theFY04 budget requests for the Planning
Services Department for the addition of one full-time Associate Planner and to update the Zoning
Ordinance and the Subdivision Ordinance. He said that he will be making presentations on both
these budget requests at the February 20 public hearing. He noted support has been obtained
from the Zoning Advisory Commission,Zoning Board of Adjustment and Historic Preservation
Commission for the budget requests.
New U.S. 20 Bridqe Design: Chairperson Rusk distributed information about the new U.S 20
bridge design process, reviewed his issues with the design process, what he saw as the
Commission's role relative to the new bridge design, and its long-term implications to the
community.
The Commission discussed the process for the new U.S 20 bridge design, and then referred to
the City Council's priorities and long-range goals and objectives for direction.
The Commission noted that the new U.S 20 bridge design process included opportunities for
recommendations from a study group and for public input. The Commission also reviewed that
the study group's recommendations and the public input in favor of the replica bridge design was
apparently discounted in a decision matrix developed by the project engineers~
The Commission discussed that the relative safety ratings and engineering integrity of the tied-
arch and replica bridges are comparable, with both designs having made their way through a
design process that began with 11 alternatives.
Commissioners also noted that the differences in construction cost and long-term maintenance
cost are within the margin of error for these estimates that makes them essentially
inconsequential. Commissioners felt that the design issue should reflect the City's
Comprehensive Plan and other goals and priorities. Commissioners referred to two items in their
packets that related to this item.
Minutes - Long Range Planning Advisory Commission
February 19, 2003
Page 3
The'first was the City Manager's memo On the Fiscal Year 2004 budget policy guidelines.
Chairperson Rusk noted that in these guidelines, the City Council has established the new U.S.
20 bridge plan and design as one of the Management Priorities for Fiscal Year 2004.
Commissioner VVinterwood read from the 2002 Comprehensive Plan, the following objective
number 2.5 in the Transportation Element: Plan for aesthetically appealing streets and highways,
with particular focus on gateway opportunities.
Motion by Winterwood, seconded by Stein, to request that the City Council ask that the process
for the new U.S 20 bridge design be revisited, and that the replica bridge design be supported for
the following reasons:
The selected alternative for the new U.S 20 bddge design of a tied-arch bridge is not
consistent with the Comprehensive Plan because it is not the most aesthetically
appropriate gateway feature when constructed next to the existing cantilevered bridge.
The preferred alternative is the replica bridge, which is consistent with the
Comprehensive Plan. The replica bridge is a physical design that is compatible with the
existing bridge, and is more aesthetically appropriate as a gateway feature.
Motion carried by a vote of 7 to 0.
ADJOURNMENT: Motion by Portzen, seconded by Buol to adjoum the meeting passed
unanimously. Motion carded by a vote of 7 to 0. The meeting was adjourned at 8:11 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
Adopted