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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCCM-06-11-90 CARMEL CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES JUNE 11, 1990 7:00 P.M. CARMEL CITY MEE TING HALL A special meeting of the Carmel City Council for the purpose of summarizing the retreat was called to order by Mayor Dorothy J. Hancock. Councilors in attendance were Minnie Doane, Lee Lonzo, David Adams, Frank Fleming and Tom Irvin. Clerk-Treasurer Susan W. Jones was also in attendance. Graham S. Toft, Facilitator of the retreat gave an oral report and submitted a written summary. ( A copy is on file with the Clerk- Treasurers office.) A written report from each department head was also submitted for review and consideration. (A copy is on file with the Clerk- Treasurers office.) The key issues discussed were the kind of elements of strategy needed for planning and what kind of planning process will be used to accomplish the visions discussed. Councilor Irvin stated he felt the entire township should be included in the planning efforts. Councilor Adams discussed conflicting goals in the community, citing transportation as an example. There are those who wish to keep Carmel a small and quiet city while others want the city to provide quick and efficient transportation. It was the consensus that over-all community-wide planning is needed rather than just limiting planning for the future to the City alone. Mr. Toft said it was possible to do that kind of planning but it would take a lot of effort, time and work. He said the Council would have to consider an additional six to nine more months of hard work in order to accomplish that goal. It was Mr. Toft's opinion that Carmel couldn't afford that kind of time right now. Mr. Toft asked the Council to begin with the immediate needs of Carmel but to keep long range planning goals in mind. Mr. Toft kept suggesting the Council only focus on two or three of the most important visions. Councilor Doane said she has changed her mind on parks and feels it is now an issue of great importance to this community. Councilor Adams also felt the needs were parks, traffic and zoning. Councilor Doane asked why we didn't have a park board. Mayor Hancock stated the previous administration did not want one so none was ever created. The Mayor went on to explain how one could be created. Councilor Doane said she had been reading the feature Streetalk in the Carmel Ledger and noted where they had been talking with new residents of Carmel and with their young families needed a park. Doane stated that progress and development was a part of Carmel's future and it seemed to her that people who have lived in Carmel just a short time, like seven to ten years, are the ones who keep trying to stop growth and development. Councilor Lonzo supported Doane's comments and said growth was a part of Carmel's future and it was the responsibility of the Council to guide and manage that growth. Councilor Irvin stated people are saying they want parks but not in their areas. They are afraid they won't be kept up and they will end up with a real problem. Councilor Adams said the same problem and concerns of the residents with parks spills over into traffic issues. The taxpayers want nice big highways but not in their front yards. Councilor Adams stated that as an elected official he is concerned about being forced, through the pressure of opposition groups to make a bad vote rather than for what is good for the entire community. Mayor Hancock wanted to include environmental concerns and re cycling as a priority item. Mr. Toft stated it wasn't normally a high priority item but perhaps in this type of a community it may very well be a hot topic. Mr. Toft said Carmel does have a growth management problem and it will be the number one issue of the l990's. The Council eventually narrowed the two key issues down to traffic and parks. The Council and Mr. Toft then discussed the need for a mechanism to know how to identify all the needs of all the parties concerned when beginning a major project. The Council was concerned about pulling in all of the players early on so there wouldn't be a lack of communication. Councilor Lonzo felt he has had a problem with communication or lack of communication from all of the players. Again, citing 116th Street as an example. Lonzo said he was disturbed to learn the Mayor had, for example, met with Fishers and with Hamilton County officials about the 116th Street deal and he had no idea of what took place at that meeting. Councilor Fleming said he felt it was unfair for the Mayor to be taking so much blame for this 116th Street project just because Carmel took the lead. Councilor Irvin said he was hearing rumors of opposition to the 116th Street project by the Fishers residents as well. Mr. Toft said he could tell through the department head's reports there was a lack of communication especially in regard to traffic, transportation problems and road and street projects. The idea of a specific person or an entire traffic department being created was then discussed. Mr. Toft stated he would check with the departments involved to see what he could determine to be the actual problem. He would report back to the Council with his findings. Councilor Lonzo requested minutes of the Comprehensive Plan Up-Date committee meetings. Councilor Irvin said he has never received minutes of the Plan Commission and that he has no idea of what goes on until it comes before the Council. Councilor Adams questioned Mr. Toft on how to get the public to buy into these type of major projects when there is so much opposition. Mr. Toft stressed that early communication between the public and the government is the key. Mr. Toft said that often you simply can't get the public to buy into a project and that opposition was grass roots democracy at its finest. Mr. Toft suggested, the area of parks, that the Council adopt formal and informal planning meetings with the public. He suggested using models, charts and videos in order to inform the public so you can get feedback and in-put on their ideas and what they would like to see happen with parks. Mayor Hancock stated she was already doing this with the parks. She said she had met with the Dad's Club, the county, schools, township and the Council and was appointing a representative of each one of those individual groups to serve on a committee. Mayor Hancock said she felt the next hurdle for the parks is getting the word out to the taxpayers so they too, could buy into the concept. Land acquisition, placement of the parks and funding are also issues that will need to be addressed. Mr. Toft said it sounded as if the planning was very complete on parks and asked if the Council felt comfortable with what was taking place. Councilor Adams felt it was going okay, unlike the traffic concerns. The idea of land trusts was suggested by Toft along with the idea of private donations to support the park project. Toft spoke of forming a private foundation for this purpose. Mayor Hancock said she had already done that. Councilor Lonzo stated his concern about receiving broad-base in put from the public on the parks before the "nimbies" come out on this one too. Lonzo called for a quicker and tighter action plan on parks. Mr. Toft asked the Council to capture a vision statement such as West Lafayette's "A Pragmatic Dream." Mr. Toft said it was needed in order to complete the draft for a strategic plan. Councilor Lonzo and other Councilors wanted to break away from the stereotype of being a bedroom community. The Council wants Carmel to be seen as not only a place to live but a place to work. It was the definite opinion of the Council to keep a small town atmosphere and a definite sense of community. Councilor Lonzo said he wants Carmel to be known as a community on the cutting edge and a leader. Lonzo wants Carmel to be known for their quality of life and especially for being able to manage growth. Councilor Doane questioned the word "town" being used rather than "city." Mr. Toft stated he would return at a future date with a draft of the strategic plan. APPROVED: Dorothy J. Hancock, Mayor ATTEST: Susan W. Jones, Clerk-Treasurer