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February 2003 Shore ReportFEBRUARY 2003 Shorewood Receives Finance Award is • THE O O O oi 43 w I ° I �v LOD 14k INSIDE Recycling News ............. 2 Senior Corner ............. .2' City Code Review ........ 2 Community Events........ . _3 Pedestrian Safety .......... 4th of July ................ Council Activities ......... Park /Trail Talk ...............% Early Sho.rewood............ 5` Planning Commission ...... .5 T HE CERTIFICATE OF AC HIEVEMENT for Excellence in Financial Reporting has been awarded to the City of Shorewood by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management. An Award of Financial Reporting Achievement has been awarded to the individual(s), department or agency designated by the government as primarily responsible for preparing the award - winning Park Open House Public Safety Build T HE S HOREWOOD CITY Council selected exterior colors for the new Public Safety Building to be located on Highway 19. To keep with the civic architecture, it was decided that a classic red brick exterior HE PARK COMMISSION held an open house on January 14 for residents to get information on trail options along Smithtown Road west of the LRT to Victoria. A number of residents attended, gathering information and sharing comments with staff and Park Commissioners. Further information has been submitted on comment sheets to City Hall. Staff is now organizing resident comments. The Park Commission will present the results at the February City Council meeting. ,, -NOTICE - Due to the recent acquisition of Waste Technology by Waste Management, the following are the only remaining residential waste haulers licensed in Shorewood. BFI: (952) 941 -5174 WasteMgmt: 1(800) 450 -9378 ing Update with a light colored roof would work the best. Construction of the facility continues to be ahead of schedule due to the mild weather we experienced in December and early January. The bid opening for the remianing work on the Smithtown Road building is scheduled for March 3. Construction of the Shorewood facility is currently scheduled for completion in late fall, 2003. The east location, located in Deephaven, is expected to break ground in May. & Upcom City and Events 2/4 7 :00 Planning Commission Meeting 2/30 7;00 City Council Meeting 2/11 7;00 Park Commission MeeCng 2/17 Holiday., Offices Closed 2/18 7:09 Planning Commission Meeting 2124 7 :00 City Council Meeting 2/25 6:30 Sports Organization /Park Commission Meeting See inside for Council Cable Schedule. Meeting (Minutes and Agendas are available on the City Weis site, ww Lshorewood.mn.us after they are approved, Cathy Elke, Senior Accountant (left) and Bonnie Burton, Finance Director (right) THE .SHORE REPORT / February 2003 Recycling News Free Digital Thermometer Available to Residents ENNEPIN COUNTY DROP -OFF facilities in Brooklyn Park and Bloomington are offering a free digital thermometer in exchange for one or more mercury fever thermometers brought in by residents. Mercury fever thermometers are made of glass, the size of a straw, with a silvery liquid inside. This liquid is mercury. Fever thermometers can break easily and release liquid mercury. If a broken mercury thermometer is not cleaned up and disposed of properly, mercury can get into the air and pose a health risk. Mercury can damage human health because it is toxic to the nervous system - the brain and spinal cord - particularly the developing nervous system of a fetus or young child. Mercury also accumulates in the environment, building up in human and animal tissues. Even small amounts of mercury in lake water can contaminate fish, making them unfit to eat on a regular basis and resulting in fish - consumption advisories. In the metro area, mercury thermometers can be exchanged for a free digital thermometer at a county household hazardous waste site. Guidelines for exchange: • Transport thermometer in a sealed container to avoid breakage. • Limit one digital thermometer per household. • This exchange will continue while digital thermometer supplies last. Hennepin County provides two drop -off facilities for households only, to safely dispose of mercury- containing items and other household hazardous wastes. For locations and hours visit the Hennepin County Environmental Services web site at http: / /www.co.hennepin.mn.us/ environmentall or call 612-348-3777. ES To receive more information or to register for any of thefollowing events please call the Southshore Center at (952) 474 -7635 "Chasing Away The Winter Blahs ", a Minnesota Nice Afternoon, will be held on Wednesday, February 19. The event will feature a Noon lunch followed by a fun program featuring comedian and singer Dean Johnson. Dean is a comedian and singer from the Scott Hansen Comedy Gallery. Cost for this event is only $6.50 and includes lunch, beverage and entertainment. Reservations are needed by Friday, February 14. A Valentines Day Luncheon and Party will be held on Friday, February 14 at Noon. Entertainment will be Musical Memories with Margie. Reservations are needed by Tuesday, February 11. The cost is $4 and includes the meal, beverages and entertainment. Tax Aide, free tax preparation assistance for seniors and low- income individuals will be offered at the center on the first and third Tuesdays of the month beginning February 18 through April 15. Trained Tax -Aide counselors will be available from 8: 30 AM to 1: 30 PM. Call the center to schedule an appointment. AAA will offer a 4 -hour senior driving class on Wednesday, February 5 from 9 AM to I PM. To register call toll free 1- 888- 234 -1294. City Code Review General Health & Safety Provisions T HE CITY RECEIYEs numerous phone calls each week from residents with questions about the storage of various items on private property. These items vary greatly, but include such things as boats, old cars, appliances, etc. According to Chapter 501 of the City code, ". . . No owner, agent, or occupant of any privately owned lands or premises shall place upon or permit upon his premises any abandoned, discarded or unused objects or equipment such as nonoperative vehicles of all kinds, motor vehicles not displaying a current State license, furniture, stoves, refrigerators, freezers, lumber, trash, debris, junk containers, machinery, implements, equipment which is no longer safely usable for the purpose for which it was manufactured, noxious weeds as defined in Minnesota Statutes, fallen trees, fallen tree limbs, dead trees, dead tree limbs, garbage (except in authorized containers), ashes, yard cleanings or any other foul or unhealthy material. Composting of leaves, grass clippings, and easily biodegradable, nonpoisonous garbage may be permitted, however, as provided in Section 507.02, subd. 3 * *, of this Code. If a property owner is found in violation of Chapter 501, they are given notice describing the matter to be removed and require the removal within ten (10) days, including weekends. If the property owner does not comply, the City can arrange for the violation to be taken care of and the property owner will be charged accordingly. For information on the disposal of special waste items, please call the City at (952) 474 -3236, or contact the Hennepin County Environmental Services at (612) 348 -3777. M " MNStatutes can befo and online at www.. leg. state. mn. us/ leg/statues or at City Hall. "The City Code can be found online at www.ci.shorewood.mn.us, or at City Hall. www.ci.shorewood.mmus 2 Community Events Parent Fair Saturday, February 8, 8AM -12:30 Pm MHS: Use West Entrance P ARENTS OF CHILDREN in Kindergarten through 12th grade are invited to a morning of education, information and connection. Topics include: understanding behavior; communication; bullying; tobacco, alcohol and drug use and prevention; helping kids succeed in school; single parenting; and much more. Presenters are professionals and experts who work directly with youth and families. This program is FREE and there is no pre - registration required. Free childcare is available for children ages 3 -12 at KinderCare, 17701 Excelsior Blvd. Reserve childcare by February 4 at (952) 474 -9592. Questions? Contact Minnetonka Parent Education at (952) 401 - 6814.& Presidents' Day Program Monday, February 17, 2 Pm Excelsior Library J OIN sINGER/MusiciAN Ross Sutter on this national holiday as he sings and plays music that is part of America's rich cultural heritage. Accompanying himself on guitar, button accordion, dulcimer, and limber jack (dancing doll,) Ross Sutter presents songs of Ireland, Scotland, Scandinavia, Germany and America. For school age children. Council on Cable City Council meetings are broadcast on Cable Channel 8 at: January 27 Meeting ` WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 5:30 PM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1:30 PM February 10 Meeting TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 9 :30 AM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 9:30 PM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1:30 PM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 5:30 PM February 24 Meeting TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 9:30 PM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 9:30 AM THE SHORE REPORT/FEBRUARY 2003 Pedestrian Safety on Local Roads E LIVE IN A MOTORIZED society where being a pedestrian can be risky. According to Crash Facts, published by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, nearly three- and -one- half percent of pedestrian crashes result in death, compared to about one -half percent of all other crashes. The number one contributing factor cited in pedestrian crashes is driver inattention or distraction, with failure to yield right -of -way to the pedestrian cited as a close second. In 1996 Minnesota made it a little easier to be a pedestrian by passing a law requiring drivers to stop and yield right -of -way to pedestrians in a crosswalk, marked or unmarked, where there are no traffic control signals in place. (An unmarked crosswalk is defined by the area falling within the boundary of lateral lines if you were to extend the sidewalks across the street or highway.) The driver must remain stopped until the pedestrian has passed the lane in which the vehicle is stopped. The following are some tips to help keep pedestrians safe: • Make sure that motorists can see you. Wear fluorescent colored clothing during daylight hours and, if walking when it's dark, make sure you have a flashlight and wear reflective material. • Walk against the flow of traffic. This enables you to see any oncoming traffic. Walking in the same direction as traffic forces you to rely only on your hearing to warn you of approaching vehicles. This also makes you slightly less visible to drivers. • Joggers are pedestrians too. Joggers should run on sidewalks or pathways; it is considered illegal to run on roadway pavement if alternatives are available. When no alternative is available, joggers should run facing traffic. For more information about pedestrian safety contact the Minnesota Safety Council at (651) 291 -9150. Minnesota Safety Council Gearing Up for 4th of July, 2003 HE F OURTH OF JULY 2003 marks the 227th birthday of our nation and the 150th anniversary of Excelsior's founding. This year's celebration at The Commons promises to be the best yet! The celebration will include the 27th Annual Firecracker Run, a Kids' Patriotic Parade, the popular Sand Castle Building Contest and the Kids' Fishing Contest. Of course there will be lots of food and music, including music by the Minnesota Pipes and Drums Corps and the Minnesota Orchestra. Naturally, the finale will be the spectacular fireworks display we have all come to expect and love! Fundraising has already started for this great event. Proceeds from the Excelsior Boat Show in May are earmarked for fireworks. A number of local businesses have agreed to help underwrite the Minnesota Orchestra, but more help is needed. Again this year the Excelsior Area Chamber of Commerce is challenging every family who enjoys the Lake Minnetonka Fourth of July Celebration to please contribute just $1 per family member. Contributions made payable to the Excelsior Area Chamber of Commerce can be mailed to: P.O. Box 32, Excelsior, MN 55331. Please make a notation "4th of July 2003" in the memo portion of your check. These contributions are tax deductible. Donations over $50 will be acknowledged in an ad in the Sun Newspapers. If you have any questions about the 4th of July 2003 celebration, please contact the Chamber at (952) 474- 6461. a �3 www.ci.shorewood.mn.us I HE SHORE REPORT / FEBRUARY 2003 Park /Trail Talk Striking a balance betwee I F THERE'S ANYTHING that becomes quickly apparent to a park commissioner, it is that for a relatively small city, Shorewood has a beautiful park system, and next, that those parks come with a hefty price tag. The City's rapid development experienced in the late 1980s and 1990s has placed an increased demand for park facilities on local government. Not just grass to romp on, but improved facilities that include high - quality ball fields with irrigation systems and top -notch turf. How improvements were made: In 1990 the Shorewood Park Commission recommended to the City Council that an impact fee be charged each time a lot was subdivided, and a building permit for a new home was constructed. That fee was $1,000 per lot and would go into the Park Capital Improvement Fund. Recently, it was increased to $1,500 per lot. During the high construction years, as much as $15,000 could be raised toward capital improvements in the parks. Now, with Shorewood nearly fully developed, that amount has dropped significantly each year, and will eventually taper off to nearly nothing. Sports organizations have also historically taken an interest in improving the facilities that they use. Baseball, softball, soccer and football organizations have installed and donated facilities to the City for their particular activities. Likewise, up until 2001, each organization was asked to make a voluntary cash contribution to the City for its exclusive use of fields. The cast of maintaining: Maintaining the facilities is an expensive proposition. The 2002 City budget included approximately $173,000.00 for park maintenance. In 1998 and 1999 the Park Commission tackled the issue of how to offset some of these costs. They directed city staff n Quality and Cost to calculate the "base costs" in a park, which include general turf care, trash pickup, and playground equipment. Next, staff determined "above base costs" which included: dragging/ grooming fields, equipment specific to ballfields, fencing and fence repairs, irrigation costs, making ice, warming houses and toilet facilities. The numbers were enlightening. For example: the cost of maintaining just the ice rink at Badger Park, in '1998, was $7,770; baseball fields in Freeman ranged from $3,210 to $6,390 each; softball fields cost the city over $7,900 each, to maintain for one season. Remember, these are 1998 numbers! How do we pay for this? Increased demand and expectations, and shrinking revenue lead to one thing: a crunch. After 18 months of research, the Park Commission recommended that a "user fee" be implemented in 2000. This fee would be charged to sports organizations for their privilege to reserve facilities for exclusive use. The current fee is $10 per player, per sport per season. For example, if the football roster has 100 players, at $10 per player for a total of the organization would pay $1000 paid to the City, as a user fee, for the entire football season. Some parents have contacted the City with concern that they are being charged a fee for each time their child plays in a Shorewood park. That is not accurate. The City authorized charge is one -time per season, to be paid by the organization. Shorewood is not unique in charging a user fee. For example, Shakopee charges $17 per player as a user fee. In 2002, user fees generated $16,455 in revenue to offset the maintenance cost of Shorewood park facilities. The Park Commission, City Council and residents alike agree that the Park/Trail Talk continued on page 6 Council Activities Since the last newsletter, the City Council: • Welcomed re- elected Mayor Love and Councilmembers Lizee and Zerby at the January 13, 2003, regular City Council Meeting. • Held a work session to review the draft form of the Capital Improvement Plan for Years 2003 - 2007. This plan outlines how projects and funding will take place in the City over the course of the next five years. Individual projects need to be approved by Council as part of the implementation process. • Interviewed candidates for appointment to both the Park and Planning Commissions, and MCES and LMCD Baords. Appointments are expected to be made at the January 27 City Council meeting. • Appointed John Garfunkel as Acting Mayor and the Sun Sailor as the Legal Newspaper for 2003. Public hearing notices will also be published in the Laker. • Approved a Revised Request for Zoning Text Amendment and Conditional Use Permit for St. John the Baptist Church representing the cemetery at 5555 Covington Road. M Licensed Tree Trimmers HE FOLLOWING tree trimmers are licensed to work within the City for the year 2003: Aaspen Tree Service, (952) 938 -7708 Amberwood, Inc., (952) 472 -3431 Davey Tree, (763) 553 -9740 Four Seasons Tree, (952) 938 -7708 Ostvig Tree, Inc., (952) 473 -0534 Rainbow Tree Co., (952) 922 -3810 Shorewood Tree, (952) 955 -3018 Treecare, Inc., (612) 719 -8733 Viking Land Tree Care (763) 477 -6633 www.ci.shorewood.mn.us 4 THE SHOREREVORT /February 2003 Early Shorewood The First Year . D URING ITS FIRST months, the Shorewood City Council was made up of Mayor W.D. Kendrick, Herbert Schmidt, Robert Fayfield, and George Dongoksc, Trustees; and Elsa Wiltsey, Clerk. Much of their time was spent creating ordinances and developing the new village. According to early minutes, the first order of business was to establish Minnetonka School as the official meeting place for the Shorewood Village Council. Meetings were quite similar to what we see now — residents requesting building and zoning approvals and variances, businesses requesting provisions for signs and construction, the development of ordinances and resolutions and bills being paid. In September of 1956, the Village Council was presented with the first assessed valuation for real property in the Village -- $1,365,914. The first Village election took place on November 6, 1956. According to Village minutes, over 1,100 people voted in this election. Mr. George Dongoske was elected trustee. Also elected were the Clerk, a Justice of Peace, an additional Constable (police officer) and an Assessor. In December of 1956, after the first Village election, the Council decided that the Village should be divided into two precincts for future elections. They also gave authority to set up voter registration to Ms. Wiltsey, the City Clerk. The first election was conducted without registration due to the timeframe of the election and the incorporation of Shorewood. More on the Shorewood Name In previous Early Shorewood articles the naming ofShorewood was discussed. Bob Fayfield, son of Robert Fayfield, a charter trustee for Shorewood, called and said that as he understood it, the name Greenwood was selected for our Village, but the current Greenwood beat us to it with their incorporation of the name. Shorewood was then selected. Cub Foods The new Cub Foods store will be at the center of these changes. After many months of behind the scenes work, Cub is close to receiving all of the permits required to allow it to break ground. Plans for the new store involve demolishing the old Driskill's store, which has been closed for several months, and building on that site and to the west. The rest of the shopping center will remain unchanged, except for some possible rearrangement of existing tenants. A massive underground storm water management system will be installed as part of the construction of the 60,000 square -foot store. Last summer, the Commission worked with Cub to develop a store considerably smaller than the initial plans had indicated and more esthetically attractive. High Pointe Development To the east, on the large hill overlooking the shopping center, will be constructed the High Pointe development. The existing properties are to be combined and then subdivided into three buildable lots, with the possibility of one or two more buildable lots being created in the future. Access and terrain present challenges to the developer, who has proposed a private cul -de -sac extending north off of the existing service road along Highway 7. The property has significant amounts of woods, hills, and wetlands. The developer has wisely devised a development plan 5 fission Notes that respects those natural features by minimizing site alteration and creating several "outlots," which are legally- separate pieces of property within a subdivision on which the developer does not intend to build structures. The developer will grant a conservation easement to the City on one outlot and another, containing wetlands, will be deeded the land to the City. Linden Hills Development To the north of the shopping center, several parcels of land along Yellowstone Trail have also been combined and then subdivided to create the Linden Hills development. The property contains 12 acres in total, which includes Lake Linden. Three homes currently exist on the property and the most easterly two will be torn down, with the home on the western part remaining. The developer plans to create 12 buildable lots (although two of those lots may be combined), with a cul -de -sac running through the center of the development. Unlike the High Pointe development, Linden Hills will require considerable site alteration (particularly given the property's steep terrain) and tree removal, necessitating a careful review of drainage and reforestation plans. In many, ways, these two residential developments represent the likely path of future Shorewood growth. Most parcels of open land in the City have been developed, yet many larg-, residential lots to the west still exist, occupied by relatively older, smaller homes. Developers (or the owners of the property themselves) may be interested in combining propertie, and then subdividing them to create additional buildable lots for new home construction. Jeff Bailey Planning Commissioner www. ci. sh orewood. m m us Map Descriptions The following item is on the February 4 Planning Commission agenda. 1. Capestone Builders is requesting approval of an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan and rezoning from R -IA, Single- family residential to P.U.D., Planned Unit Development, for property located at 20775 Manor Road including adjacent parcels (Carmichael's site). Their proposal is to build 12 twin -homes (24 dwelling units), plus one single- family home on the properties which total approximately 11 acres. A public hearing will be held at 7:00 P.M. 2. Strategic Holdings, Inc. proposes to divide the property at 25110 Yellowstone 'Nail into two lots (one additional building site). A public hearing is scheduled at 7:15 P.M. 3. The property owner of 5965 Chaska Road is requesting a side -yard setback variance for a proposed garage addition to his home. A public hearing is scheduled for 7:30 P.M. History Needed! INDING INFORMATION ABOUT Shorewood beginnings is a challenge. Early minutes provide a glimpse of what was happening, but property is generally referred to by the owners name rather than an address. Members of the Excelsior -Lake Minnetonka Historical Society are working very hard to develop a good record of early Shorewood history. If you have any information or early photos of Shorewood, contact the Historical Society at (952) 221 - 4766.. ParkfTrail Talk continued from page 3 parks are a terrific investment in the infrastructure of our city. No one wants to see the quality slip, and no one wants to make them unaffordable to use. Declining impact fees mean less money into the Park Capital Improvement Fund. Tight budgets constrain the general maintenance fund. As steward of the parks, the Park Commission is cognizant that it must balance the cost of maintaining and improving the parks with affordability and fairness for all users. The Commission will continue to study means of generating revenue that meet that criteria. Questions? Contact City Hall: (952). 474 -3236. Pat Arnst Park Commissioner CITY OF SHOREWOOD PRESORTED .. "� 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD STANDARD What's Happening in the City? SHOREWOOD, MN 55331 (952)474.3236 FAX (952)474.0128 Monday - Friday 8 AM to 4:30 ana DELIVER TO: City Council Members: Woody Love, Mayor John Garfunkel Christine Liz& Laura Turgeon Scott Zerby Editor:Julie Moore THE SHORE REPORT / FEBRUARY 2003 U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #128 EXCELSIOR,MN 55331 This newsletter is printed on recycled paper.