City Council Minutes 2024 03 19 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Meeting Minutes March 19, 2024 Page 9 of 14 Scott Deborski, Louisville, pooling time with spouse, stated not all restaurants support the closure. There has not been enough research done about if it will help the restaurants increase sales and how much it will impact residents. This closure takes away the character of downtown. He suggested doing other things to make downtown inviting such as lighting or flowers. He urged a no vote. Randy Caranci, Louisville Business Owner, suggested making Main Street and Front Street each one way to circulate traffic in the area. Robert Zoss, Louisville, stated he supports the closure to make it a destination for people on bikes and for families. Christina Metcalf, Louisville, stated she supports the closure to have a traffic free space for kids. She feels it brings a great sense of community. Mike Deborski, Louisville, stated the neighbors' concerns need to be taken into consideration. The buses and delivery trucks are a big impact on the street and the people of La Farge did not sign up for this. He suggested establishing permit parking for Old Town. He suggested putting it on hold until these issues can be addressed. Tamar Krantz, Louisville, stated she does not remember this being a Council work plan item and feels it should not be added now. Mayor Leh thanked everyone for their comments. He noted there are strong feelings on both sides of this issue, but everyone agrees that downtown is struggling. He stated it is undisputed that there are impacts to those that live adjacent to Main Street including parking and the bus traffic. He stated we need to be careful not to pit the neighborhood against the businesses or vice versa. Everyone wants to find a solution that benefits all. Councilmember Hoefner asked Chief Willson to address turning radii on Main Street. Chief Willson stated he and his staff are working with Public Works to make sure whatever is placed for a closure would not impact the ability of the fire trucks to turn. Councilmember Hoefner asked Mayor Leh to address the question about the work plan timing. Councilmember Leh stated the Council revisited the work plan early in the year and that was when this item was added. Councilmember Kern asked Chief Willson if a closure would increase response times for the Fire Department. Chief Willson stated they would use different routes if needed and it shouldn't impact times too much. Members took a few minutes to discuss how to address the rest of the agenda given the hour. They continued all items except the utility rate resolution to the April 2 meeting.