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Home My WebLink About20091221 - VI-08MEM~R..Ae.NI~UM December 15, 2449 TO: The City Council FROM: Paul Hicks, Mayor RE: Appointments to the Citizen Advisory Committee -Red Rock Corridor The next phase of the Red Rock Corridor's process of securing funding and approval for commuter service between Hastings and St. Paul and Minneapolis is the Station Area Study. An important partner in the study will be the Citizen Advisory Committee. The CAC will consist of two citizens from each corridor city and four or five at-large members representing the corridor counties and the board. Their role wall be reviewing and commenting on the planning work by Hay Dobbs, as well as bringing the process and the potential of commuter service home to their communities. Please see the attached letter from the Red Rock Corridor Commission. Two Citizens with considerable experience, knowledge of the community and commitment to commoter service have agreed to serve as Hastings representatives. Please join me appointing them to the CAC. Lynrn Moratzka 1161 Southview Drive Community representative Ronald Toppin 409 7~' Street W. Business representative ~ O (~ Myra Peterson, Washington County Barb Hallenbeck '~ RegianalRai]roadAuthoriiy City ofl3astings Joe Harris, Dakota County aim Kekler Regional Railroad Authority penmark Township Jim McDonough, Ramsey County Myron Bailey Regional Railroad AuWarity City of Cottage Grave ~ Q Mazk Stenglein, Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority Carhin Hopkins City of Newport Bohn Hunziker City of St. Paul Park l.ee Helgen City of St. Paul Cam Gordan City of Minneapolis November 23, 2009 John Grossman EDRA Director City of Hastings i 01 4th Street East, Hastings, MN 55033 Re; Opportunity to appoint Citizen Advisory Committee members--Red Roek Station Area and Site faster Planning Study Dear John; The Red Rock Corridor Calnmission {RRCC) is advancing into next phase of transit planning by initiating the process of selecting transit station locations, preparing design plans for each station and developing land-use plans for guiding future development witbin larger areas surrounding the stations. Community and Public participation will be a major component of this important planning and design effort. Request As discussed at our last Project Management Team meeting, we are asking for your community's assistance by appointing two Citizens Advisory Committee {CAC) members representing your community who will help lead acorridor-wide public involvement process involving key stakeholders and other community residents as the important decisions are made in each community. These decisions are expected to significantly impact future development within a diameter ofone-quarter to one-half mile around each of station. Recent Activities As you know, the RRCC has recently completed a Bus Feasibility Study and an Alternatives Analysis that evaluated each farm of transit service and then provided recommendations for the Red Rock Corridor. The Analysis concluded that Commuter Rail service between Hastings and St.Paul/Minneapolis would ultimately be the preferred choice. However, before rail service can be provided we need to develop a strong ridership base in the Corridor that supports its infrastructure and service cast. To build ridership and generate support for commuter rail a 11660 Myeron Road Nnrth -Stillwater, Minnesota 55082-9573 J?hvne: G51-~3Q-d300 • Fax: 651-=430-~4~50 •TTY: 651-~4.~0-624G www,redrockrail. org Equal Employment apportunitylAffn7native Action Page 2 of 3 CAC Appointment Leifer November 23, 2009 phased implementation plan has been established that focuses on expanded bus service and bus facilities in the interim and planning for the transition to commuter rail service in the future. Earlier, the Alternatives Analysis recommended that a Station be provided in Hastings at the current Depot site, in Cottage Grove at one of two passible locations, in Newport at one of three possible sites and at the existing Lower Afton Road Park-and-Ride site in St. Paul. To assist the RRCC in completing this work, Hay Dobbs P.A., a Minneapolis based Architecture and Planning firm has been selected to lead a team of design, engineering, planning and communications specialists who have a wealth of experience in designing and building transit facilities. Their process is expected to take approximately IS months. Appointment of CAD members A comprehensive program of public meetings, open hawses, visioning sessions and meetings with City Councils and Planning Commissions has bean included in the process of site selection, station design and land-use planning. To assist in communicating locally and providing community liaison, the RRCC is forming the CAC to participate as representatives of those communities recommended for a station in the Alternatives Analysis. We are asking far the appointment of two representatives; one from a business organization and one representing the "broader" community. In addition, the RRCC will be appointing "at large" members who will represent the entire Red Rock Corridor. Role of the CAD and its members At this point, we anticipate that the CAC will be asked to attend a monthly two hour Committee meeting. Once appointed, we will be sending a questionnaire asking each member to indicate the week, day and time that works best for them. From a staff standpoint, either day-time or evening meetings are fine. During these meetings, Project staff and consultants will be presenting workpIans, schedules, progress of on-going work, findings, and recommendations regarding all aspects of public involvement, transit ir~arketing, site selection, environmental analysis, market assessment, station design, and station area planning. In addition to attending the monthly Committee meetings, we suggest the following: * As informed sources of Project information, each member will be asked to communicate and distribute the information, and the work of the CAC, within the Corridor and their respective communities. * The Committee, following an approved work-program, will interface on a dual track with the Project Management Team (PMT) consisting of 1?Ianning, Engineering or Administrative staff from each community. Is expected that the CAC will request Project information from the PMT, seek clarif cations, and pravidelreceive recommendations, * CAC members will be viewed as "Community Liaisons" enabling two-way communications between the project and the community. Members will be asked to consistently attend the CAC meetings as representatives of their community or organizations. 11560 Myeran Road North, Stillwater, Minnesota 55082-9573 Phone: 651-430-4300 • Pax: 651-430-4350 • TTY: 551-430-6246 wvvw.redraCkcorridar.com Equal Employment Opportunity / AfFrmative Action Page 3 of 3 CAC Appointment Letter November 23, 2009 * The CAC should provide a forum for the identification of issues and potential solutions and for the development of recommendations for consideration by the RRCC Project Manager, the PMT and the RRCC. * CAC members will be encouraged to attend and participate in public meetings, open- houses, and transit marketing initiatives and may participate in making presentations, answering questions, and having one-one-one discussions with members of the public. * CAC members will be asked to seek opportunities within their communities to meet with key Stakeholders and local organizations (e.g. civic/business organizations, media and elected officials). * CAC members will be asked to participation for the duration of the planning/design process--scheduled for 18 months. Members needing to resign should be replaced by their appointing authority as soon as is possible. We hope that each of the four communities will give priority to making these appointments and will furnish the names and contact information for their appointees to Andy Gitzlaff, Project Manager for the RRCC, by December 31, 2009. Mr. Gitzlaff can be reached at 651-430-4338 or A~id~_.Gitzlaff~ r co.Washington.mn.us Thank you for your assistance in helping to ensure that this planning/design process will be very successful. Sincerely i Andy Gitzlaff Red Rock Corridor Project Manager CC: Red Rock Corridor Commission Members R:1T[egional Rail AuihorirylRed Rock CorridurlStation Area Master PlaaninglSAP CAC request letter - Nastiu~.docx 11660 Myeron Road Nort1~, Stillwater, Minnesota 55082-9573 Phorte: 651-430-4300 • Fax: 651-430-4350 TTY; 65I-430-b246 www.redrockcorridor,com Equa! Employm~~3t Opportunity /Affirmative Action