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January 2003 Shore ReportJANUARY 200` Progress on Public Safety Building Budget Update ............ Council Activities ......... . Park/TrailTalk .............. Cnty Rd 19 Project ........ . Identity Theft .............. Community Events......... Early Shorewood.......... . Planning Commission ...... Vision Wrap -Up ........ Insq LESSED BY UNEXPECTED December warmth, contractors have been able to make steady progress on the new EFD West /SLMPD Station. Concrete pours for footings and 'k' ' 1' foundations were started during the A first week of the month. The current schedule calls for all of the Phase I work — excavation, site utilities, and foundation and retaining walls — to be done by mid - March. Bid documents should be released in late January for the remainder of k� the work, with award of bids occurring in late February or early March. Park and Planning Visioning Project Commission Openings T HE CITY COUNCIL WILL make Park and Planning Commission appointments in January, 2003. Interested Shorewood residents may apply for these volunteer positions. Both the Park and Planning Commission appointments will be for a three -year term running from February 1, 2003 through January 31, 2006. Both Commissions act as advisory board to the City Council, making recommendations on planning and zoning issues or park and recreational needs of the City. The Planning Commission meets the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7 PM. The Park Commission meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 pm. Occasionally additional meetings are needed. Questions about the role of a Commissioner can be answered by calling City Hall at (952) 474 -3236. Any resident of Shorewood that is interested in applying for one of these volunteer positions should submit a letter of interest by Monday, January 6 to: Craig W. Dawson, City Administrator City of Shorewood 5755 Country Club Road Shorewood, MN 55331 You may also fax your letter to (952) 474- 0128, or e -mail to cityhall &i.shorewood. mn. us. 0 Complete L ATE IN 2001, THE SHOREWOOD City Council began the development of a community vision, and invited other South Lake Minnetonka cities to participate in developing a collaborative vision. The City of Excelsior decided to join this effort. During the next nine months, Shorewood and Excelsior residents, businesses, city council and advisory commission members articulated what they believed should be the elements of a broad community vision. They also identified strategies the cities could pursue individually and cooperatively to address the vision. rision ... continued on page 4 Up c om ing City Meetings and Everts 11/1 Holiday- Office5 Closed 1/7 7:00 Planning Commission Meeting 1/13 7.00 City Council Meeting 1/14 5:30- Park Open House 1 /20 Holiday: Offices Closed 1/21 7.09 Planning Commission Meeting 1127 7:00 City Council Meeting ' See inside for Council Cable Schedule. Meeting Minutes and Agendas are available on the City Web site, www.ci.sherewood.mmus after they are approved, THE .SHORE {DEPORT gall uary 2003 Recycling News E -Z Recycling R ESIDENTS OF SHOREWOOD use a two -sort or co- mingle system for recycled materials. This means you can set out your recycling container with two bags, usually paper grocery bags: • one containing glass and metal food or beverage containers and all plastic containers with a neck; • one containing all paper fibers, including newsprint, office paper, junk mail, magazines and boxboard. Uncontaminated corrugated cardboard must still be separate and tied in bundles no larger than Y X 3'X 16 ". Highlights • Set out your recycled materials at the curbside by 7 AM on Wednesday for the Mainland and Thursday for the Islands. • Boxboard includes such things as cereal, cracker, cake and pop boxes made of wood fiber. • Glass, metal and plastic food and beverage containers need only be rinsed of residue. You do not need to hand wash or run these items through the dishwasher. Paper fiber can include the glossy inserts in newspapers and junk mail. Plastic recycables include food and beverage containers with a neck. Do not bundle with plastic bags. If you have any questions, please call E -Z Recycling at (651) 644 -6577, or the City of Shorewood, (952) 474 -3236. Recycle Your Christmas Cards END THE FRONT SECTION of your Christmas Cards to St. Jude's Ranch for Children for recycling. They turn the old cards into new cards for the public to purchase. St. Jude's Ranch for Children 10 St. Jude's Street Box 60100 Boulder City, NV 89005 January 6 —Easy Does It Exercise and Stretch and Flex Exercise classes, taught by Linda Matthias. Call the center for the schedule. January 21 and 22, 1- 5 pm, Driver Imppovement Class, AAA will offer both the 4 and 8 -hour driver improvement classes. Those needing the 4 -hour refresher class will only need to attend class on January 21. To register call AAA toll free at 1- 888 - 234 -1294. Trips are being offered to visit Krispy Kreme and Joe's Crab Shack in Maple Grove on Thursday, January 23. A trip to Grand Casino in Hinckley will be offered on Friday, February 28. Call the center for more information. Don't forget to purchase a 52 -Week Sweepstakes Ticket to help support the Southshore Center. $100 is given away each week and 4 quarterly drawings are held for $250. The ticket cost is $52 and only 200 tickets are sold. The deadline for ticket sales is Tuesday, January 7, 2003 at Noon. The Southshore Center is located at 5735 Country Club Road, Shorewood The Center is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4 PM. For information call 474 -7635. www.ci.shorewood.mn.us 2 Budget Notes 2003 Budget and Tax Levy T HE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED the 2003 Budget and the property tax levy to support it on December 16, 2002. Highlights of the budget appeared in last month's issue of The Shore Report. There is ar. increase — essentially inflationary — in the City's operating tax levy, consistent with the State's levy limit law that affects cities. There is also a new special City levy of $305,000 in 2003 for the construction of new fire and police facilities, as agreed to by all four of the other cities in the South Lake Minnetonka area. Detailed budget information is available at City Hall. Summary information is available on the City's Web site, wwwci.shorewood.mn.us, or call City Hall at (952) 474 -3236. Issues in the Legislature Minnesota's 83rd Legislature will be seated in early January. We expect there will be a lot of discussion about what the State should be doing when it distributes State dollars to cities. Fortunately, Shorewood receives relatively little in State aid for its operating budget. Local government aid, which is mostly a needs -based formula, totals less than $9,000 for Shorewood. The market value homestead credit, which varies with property valuation and is capped at $304 on the total property tax bill, was $96,000 for the City in 2002. At risk, then, is about $105,000 of the City's $3.72 million General Fund operating budget. ED Council on Cable City Council meetings are broadcast on Cable Channel 8 at: December 16 Meeting THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 9:30 AM WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 5:30 PM FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 1:30 PM January 13 Meeting TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 9:30 AM THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 9:30 PM WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1:30 PM FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 5:30 PM January 27 Meeting TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 9:30 PM THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 9:30 AM Council Activities Since the last newsletter the City Council: Held a Truth -in- Taxation hearing regarding 2003 proposed budgets and tax levy for the City. Approved Sanitary Sewer and Water rate changes for 2003. Council last reviewed sanitary sewer and water rates in 1999, with no increased cost to residents since that time. Economic factors for various associated agencies influenced the need for increased rates in sewer and water services, as well as recycling and stormwater management services for residents. Accepted the Parks Master Plan. This comprehensive document reviewed features, as well as recommendations for changes or planned growth of each City park, and will be included in the Comprehensive Plan used for guiding future plans and growth for the City. Approved a Park Use Priority Policy among organizational park users within the City parks. Approved a Revised Site Plan for a Conditional Use Permit for Shorewood Village Shopping Center, 23800 Highway 7. This request was for revision to a water storage tank needed to maintain adequate fire flow to the site in an emergency. Options continue to be explored regarding providing municipal water service to the property. Should municipal water service become available, there would be no need for a water storage tank on the site of any size. Received a $4,500 check from the Shorewood Park Foundation as part of the proceeds from the Annual Shorewood Arts and Crafts Fair. Proceeds go toward retirement of debt assumed in the construction of Eddy Station. Council thanked members of the community for continued dedication and spirit of volunteerism displayed in this first fundraiser of the Shorewood Park Foundation. C3 THE SHORE REPORT /JANUARY 2003 Park /Trail Talk Winding up a year in Shorewood Parks A T THE BEGINNING OF 2002, the Park Commission outlined five goals to be accomplished by the end of the year. Commission goals for 2002 included: • Master Plan for City parks; • Concessions at Eddy Station; • Closure of Hwy 7 access to Freeman Park; • Park management; and . • Pedestrian space along Lake Linden Drive. Parks Master Plan The 2002 plan involved a site visit to each park, an assessment of the existing facilities and groups served, an analysis of deficiencies, meetings with targeted neighborhoods, a written survey and an open house for Shorewood residents. This collection of data resulted in affirmation of the existing facilities, and recommendations for some changes and partnerships. Eddy Station in Freeman Park Eddy Station opened concession operations in June 2002. Results from this first year of operation were mixed. The Park Commission continues to support this endeavor, believing it is a good service to the park users, and has potential for generating revenue. Hwy 7 Entrance to Freeman Park The closure of the south entrance to Freeman Park off of Hwy 7 has generated considerable discussion. The State of Minnesota (MnDOT) has mandated that the City close the access. The City has negotiated a $70,000 settlement with MnDOT to offset costs. The Park Commission recommended this money to be used to pave the south parking lot. Park Management Many organizations, teams and observers, compressed into 3 -4 hours a night, equal traffic flow and parking problems, facility damage from over- use and random parking, and flaring tempers. A study conducted in Spring 2002 indicated that Freeman Park is the victim of its own success. The study recommended better management of the park. As a result, the City will now do its own field scheduling. The City will not schedule actual teams to specific fields, but will allocate blocks of time to organizations that can then schedule their games on those fields. This will allow for spacing between games, assure adequate parking, and will factor in resting time for the turf on some of the heavily -used fields. The 2003 season will be the first for this process. A subtask of the development of a park management plan has been the creation of a Park Priority Scheduling Policy. This policy, to be implemented in 2003, will integrate a numbers -based formula, along with other criteria, for scheduling various organizations that are competing for limited field space. Lake Linden Drive Trail The Park Commission has been working with consulting engineers and City staff on the design of a pedestrian walkway along Lake Linden Drive. This process started late in 2001, at the request of residents. Since that time, the Cub Foods store has been approved. Cub has agreed to pay for the full cost of building the walkway. A concept design is expected in January, and a meeting will be scheduled with the neighbors to get their comments. These goals would not have been met without the dedication and thoughtful discourse of the 2002 Commission members, Howard Young (Vice- Chair), Mary Lou Meyer, Nancy Palesch, Sue Davis, Scott Bartlett, Paula Callies and former commissioner Dan Puzak. The Park Commission welcomes anyone to attend our meetings on the second Tuesday of the month at 7 PM, or to contact us through City Hall at (952) 474 -3236. IN Pat Arnst Park Commission Chair U www.ci.shorewood.mn.us THE SHORE DEPORT I JANUARY 2003 County Rd 19 Intersection Project T HE PROJECT FOR THE redesign and construction of the County Road 19 /Smithtown Road /Country Club Road intersection continues to proceed. For the project to move forward, three units of government must approve the final design and layout plans — Hennepin County, the City of Shorewood, and the City of Tonka Bay. At press time, the incoming ownership group for Smithtown Crossing shopping center (which is in Tonka Bay) is seeking some revisions to the design, and the City of Tonka Bay has not settled with Hennepin County on the value of its Tonka Bay Liquors (which would be razed for the new intersection). Discussions continue so that the project may begin in the 2003 construction season. ED Licensed Refuse Collectors T HE FOLLOWING LICENSES for refuse collection were approved by the City Council for the year 2003: Regular Service *BFI Waste Systems, (952) 941 -5174 Waste Technology, (763) 315 -1955 Waste Management, (800) 450 -9378 Roll -off Container Service Blackowiak & Son, (952) 472 -3398 Haugen's Haulers, (763) 477 -4120 Randy's Sanitation, (763) 972 -3335 Ray Anderson & Sons (651) 774 -2550 Veit Container Corp., (763) 428 -2242 Waconia Roll -Off, (952) 442 -4848 *services the Islands and Mainland Don't Be a Victim of Identity Theft O HELP PREVENT IDENTITY theft, the South I.,ake Minnetonka Police Department encourages you to be very careful about what types of documents you throw into your trash or recycling. Pre - approved credit card applications, statements and receipts that are no longer needed, and anything that contains personal information (especially your social security or driver's license number) should be thoroughly shredded. www.ci.shorewood.mn.us Identity thieves pick through trash cans or recycle bins looking for information that can be used to open fraudulent accounts or purchase merchandise at your expense. Paper shredders are highly recommended and are available at a reasonable cost at most discount and office supply stores. l David Hohertz, Communitv Service Officer/ Crime Prevention Specialist L Community Events Excelsior Library Jerry Blue tells Stories in Honor of 11artin Luther Kin Jr. Day Monday, January 20, 2 PM OIN WELL - KNOWN, local storyteller Jerry Blue as he tells all sorts of tales, including some African American tales, fun and silly children's rhymes, and those good- old - folklore - favorites in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Sponsored by the Friends of the Excelsior Library. E) Chocolate +Love + Valentine 's Day Tuesday, February 4, 7:30 Pm OW ABOUT CELEBRATING Valentine's Day with chocolate? Come join us for: Chocolate cooking demonstration, Chocolate recipes, Chocolate poems, Chocolate stories and Chocolate food. Bring your favorite chocolate recipes or ideas to swap and join us for food, fun and prizes with chocolate. ED MN Landscape Ar'bor'etum Sense Sational Sundays January 26, 12 -3 PM F AMILIES CAN BAKE garlic toast in the Harvest Kitchen, then plant some garlic in the Garden Shed to take home, create a wind chime, and visit the scent station to see if they can guess what their nose is smelling. Free with paid admission. O Vsion ... Continued from page I A community vision is the result of a qualitative process to identify important values or features to preserve, pursue, or enhance. They represent a guide or framework within which to consider actions or develop plans. Included in this issue of the Shore Report is a summary brochure of this visioning report. You may read the full report at City Hall, or on the City's Web site, wwmcishorewood.n ? n.us Early Shorewood In the eginning .. . A CCORDING TO FORMER long -time resident Eleanor Goodman, Shorewood became a village due to an emergency. In an undated letter sent several years ago to the Shorewood City Council, Mrs. Goodman said that she and her husband were present when a committee of Excelsior Township residents metwiththe ... the committee Township liked the name Attorney, F r a n k Shorewood and K e l l y, the new village and the was born. Chairman of the Town Board, Dudley Kendrick, to choose a name and prepare for a Township vote on the incorporation of the area which is now Shorewood. The emergency she referred to was the need to incorporate immediately the bits and pieces of township remaining after Tonka Bay, Deephaven, Woodland and other areas were incorporated. The only property left was what was to become Greenwood and Shorewood. This had to be done to preserve what was left of Excelsior Township. This incorporation of leftover properties explains the odd boundaries of Shorewood. Mixed information exists regarding the name Shorewood. Some sources credit Shorewood's first mayor Dud Kendrick with the name; Mrs. Goodman credits Mr. Ray Walker, a resident and member of the committee. Either way, the committee liked the name and the new village was born. Mrs. Goodman went on to explain the growing pains experienced by early Shorewood. There were lots of disagreements among different areas, but thanks to good guidance from Dud Kendrick and the trustees, they were able to bring together all of the diverse socio- economic groups of the area to work for the welfare of the entire village. N THE SHORE REPORT/January 2003 Planning Commission Notes T HIS TIME of YEAR march inexorably higher is typically a slow many smaller, cheaper period for the Planning homes are being torn down Commission. The onset of and replaced by larger, more winter brings a slowdown expensive homes. The Trust in construction activit' y a could provide a means to and, hence, the need to act non- intrusively preserve on requests by developers more affordable homes ir or homeowners. At its most the City. recent meeting, however, Metro Transit Opt -Out Option the Commission did hear two interesting presentations that could be the basis for additional action in the future. Affordable Housing Jan Callison, from the West Hennepin Affordable Housing Land Trust, discussed the operation of her program. The Trust is a non -profit corporation established to provide permanently affordable home ownership opportunities to low- to moderate - income people in the western suburbs. The underlying concept of the Trust is simple. It purchases single - family properties and then resells the homes on the properties to qualifying families, while retaining ownership of the land. By owning the land, the effective cost of the home is significantly reduced. The homeowner shares in any appreciation in the home's value over time. When the home is ultimately sold, the homeowner must sell to another qualifying family. The Trust targets homes selling for around $190,000 (the median sale price of a Twin Cities home in 2002, according to Ms. Callison) and values the land at $70,000, making the cost of the home to qualifying families $120,000. The Commission has long had an interest in maintaining a diverse housing stock in Shorewood. As housing values Lisa Raduenz, from LJR Inc., outlined her firm's forthcoming study of the City's opportunity to "opt -out" of the metre transit system. In 2000, Shorewood and.. Minnetonka were given the option tc leave the transit system and participate in a replacement program (as other southwestern metro cities, such as Eder Prairie, Chanhassen and Plymouth, have done). Shorewood residents currently pay into the metro transit system, as do othei residents of other communities that have not opted out, through their state taxes. Yet the transit services provided to oui. residents are relatively smaller (and more inflexible) per dollar spent compared to what residents of communities closer to Minneapolis have available. By opting out, Shorewood could have its funds, which are currently appropriated to Metro Transit, directed to an alternative transit operation. Minnetonka has already elected for a "partial opt -out" that enhances its ability to custom design its relationship with Metro Transit. LJR will be conducting a consulting study for the City that will consider a cost - benefit analysis of the alternatives available to Shorewood. The City has until June 2003 to make a decision. ED Jeff Bailey Planning Commission Chair Historical Information Needed The Excelsior -Lake Minnetonka Historical Society represents the City of Shorewood and its history. Unfortunately, the history of Shorewood is somewhat scant, and the members of the Historical Society are eager to fill the files! If you have lived in Shorewood for many years and know some history you are willing to share in an interview, please contact ELMHS at (952) 221 -4766. 5 www.ci.shorewood.mn.us What's Happening in the City? Public Safety +7 A But [ding Site wI Say hs h i , oft " shore Center a #- '. ,.ad Map Descriptions The following item is on the fanuary 7 Planning Commission agenda: 1 Shorewood Auto Sales is requesting a conditional use permit to locate their business to 19245 Highway 7, replacing the former tenant, Pelican Auto Sales. They propose to operate under the same terms and conditions. A public hearing will be held at 7:00 P.M. Thank You for Toys HANK YOU TO RESIDENTS who dropped off toys at City Hall for the 2002 Toys for Tots campaign. A volunteer from the Shorewood Public Works Department delivered a full truck of toys on Thursday, December 19. Warming House Hours T he skating season is now in full swing. There are warming houses at Badger Park, Cathcart Park and Manor Park (see park identifications on the City map). Warming houses are open the following hours: Monday - Friday 3:30 PM — 9 PM Sunday 12 PM — 9 PM Saturday 11 AM —9 PM School break 9 AM — 9 PM If the warming houses are closed due to poor ice conditions, signs are posted on the warming house. If you have any questions or comments about the ice rinks, please call City Hall at (952) 474 -3236. Open House T HE PARK CoMMISSIo -, and City Council continue to discuss the merits of a pedestrian walkway along Smithtown Road west of the LRT to the Victoria border. It is hoped that project would be completed in conjunction with the reclamation of Smithtown Road, expected to take place in the Summer of 2003. The concept, developed over the last four years through feedback from residents and a right -of -way study, is ready for review. An open house /information session is scheduled at the Southshore Center, January 14, 5:30 — 7 PM. Interested individuals are encouraged to attend. O CITY OF SHOREWOOD 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD SHOREWOOD, MN 55331 AA - ~ (952)474.3236 FAX (952)474.0128 g , Monday - Friday 8 AM to 4:30 PM DELIVER TO: City Council Members: Woody Love, Mayor John Garfunkel Christine Lizee Laura Turgeon Scott Zerby Editor: Julie Moore THE SHORE REPORT / J ANUARY 2003 B= Badger Park C= Cathcart Park M =Manor Park M a , Stst0 �l9h v A Q l� Smithtown Trail srrAmovm B PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #128 EXCELSIOR, MN 55331 WE NEED YOUIIII See page 7 for commission openings! This newsletter is printed on recycled paper.