10-13-2003 CC MIN - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Minutes Page October 13, 2003 ............................. Commissioner Kragness stated that there is a study of interest as to how you document and interview people, what kind of questions, how to ferret out the changes that are being brought to the community and it would be fun to investigate that in the Elk River area. Downtown Revitalization Project Mr. Rohlf stated that the HPC has made a recommendation to the HRA on the historic significance of the buildings included in the study area for the Downtown Revitalization Project with the recommendation based on context study and local significance. The HPC has also provided comments and proposed language regarding the Downtown Area in the City's Comprehensive Plan. Mayor Klinzing stated that there are some very strong opinions and we need to listen to all of those and the HPC is in a unique position to advise Council. The City ordinance talks about the HPC purpose under Section 2-213 of the City Code. The HPC was established to review and make recommendations to the City Council on issues pertaining to the historical, archaeological, engineering, and cultural heritage of the City. The commission shall participate in the preservation and acquisition of the City's heritage and historical sites. But then when you look into the powers and duties, that word "participate" doesn't really follow through in the way that is being stated in the purpose. It also doesn't get to the question if participate goes beyond the actual point of recommendation. If your duty is to look at the issues that we are dealing with in the City of Elk River from a heritage perspective and then recommend to the City, is that your participation and is that where it ends unless the City Council comes back to you and says we understand your stance on this and this is an area where we would like to see your participation or possibly acquisition? She asked for feedback from the commissioners as to how they see their relationship. Commissioner Kragness stated that we have made recommendations and those are the only formal procedures that are followed and from his viewpoint there is nothing more we can do as the HPC. He wishes there was more they could do. He feels the downtown plans have changed and they haven't had the opportunity to review and recommend based on revisions of the revitalization project. Mayor Klinzing asked if the HPC has indicated that they want to do that? (No, they haven't.) She suggested that they could make an addendum to their recommendation and present that to Council. Mr. Rohlf feels that there is a misunderstanding on Council's part; the HPC has made recommendations. As individual members, he can't say how they feel. Mayor Klinzing asked how they see their role if there is another citizen group advocating for some things for downtown that were not being supported by City Council but which the HPC supports. What would you do? How do you see your role with that group? Commissioner Kragness stated he could answer for himself. He wants to make it clear that he does not advocate other than in a formal recommendation. To his knowledge the HPC hasn't made any other recommendations other than what is outlined here. Commissioner Gongoll stated that he sees it as a commission to serve the Council and we have an ordinance that gives them the ability to do what they do. In the scenario presented, he would suggest that if you decline and there's another group out there advocating he would think that we would discuss again but that is not to suggest that we would be the ones out there to voice to Council that we are right and they are wrong. We would not be adversarial. We may say it's not worth fighting and say to move on.