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December 2008 Shore ReportO 03 O �1 V 4� `Iv O w O THE IN THIS ISSUE December 2008 Park and Planning Commission Openings P OSITIONS ON THE PARK AND PLANNING COMMISSIONS are open for application to Interested 1 Shorewood residents. Both Park and Planning Commission appointments are for three -year terms beginning March 1, 2009 through February 29, 2012. Both commissions act as advisory boards to the City Council. The Planning Commission meets the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7 PM. The Park Commission meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7 PM; occasionally additional meetings may be needed. Questions about the role of a commissioner may be answered by calling City Hall at 952.474.3236. If you are interested in serving a three -year term on either Commission, please submit a letter of interest and/or a resume by January 16, 2009 to: Brian Heck, City Administrator City of Shorewood, 5755 Country Club Road. Shorewood, MN 55331 Fax: 952.474.0128; Email cityhall @ci.shorewood.mn.us Interviews will be scheduled during late January and February, 2009. Food and Toy Collections at City Hall N UNFORTUNATE CONSEQUENCE of the current economic downturn is that demands to local food shelves and holiday gift resource centers are high, yet giving to these organizations has remained at a steady or lower level. The City of Shorewood is again serving as a drop -off site for toys to be given to the Hopkins- Minnetonka Family Resource Center. The Toy Chest Drive provides toys to low- income children up to age 18. Items for teens are especially needed each year. Volunteers for sorting, counting and assisting with distribution are also needed. For information on volunteering, call the Resource Center at 952.988.5350. Toys may be dropped off at City Hall during business hours through Friday, December 5, 2008. The city will also serve as a drop -off site for the ICA Food Shelf Non - perishable food items may be dropped off at City Hall through Friday, December 5, 2008, and will be delivered to the ICA Food Shelf. If you would prefer to make a cash donation, contact ICA at 952.938.0729. Arctic Fever: A Winter Celebration Saturday, January 17, 2009 T hE THIRD ARCTIC FEVER CELEBRATION, a celectration of winter in Shorewood, Tonka Bay and Excelsior, is just around the corner, and volunteers have been hard at work making this event the best yet! Not only will there again be human bowling on ice, rescue dog demonstrations, and horse drawn wagon rides, this year will also include the FS North 2009 Pond Hockey North American Championship, dog sled rides, and much more! Volunteers for the event are still needed. Please contact the City of Shorewood if you are interested in volunteer activities. There are so many activities, and most events are free! For up -to -date event information, go to the Arctic Fever web site, wwwarcticfever..net. To find out more about the pond hockey championship, including how to register a team, go to www.pondhockeynae.com. Meets nC' s and Recycling .................. 2 Water Tower ................3 Construction Update ....... 3 Snowplow Safety........... 3 Coucni) Activities ........... 3 Community Events ......... 4 City Budget ................ 5 Planning ...................6 Holiday Recycling Sched..... 6 Go GREEN! Help Shorewood go green! Sign -up to receive your Shorewood newsletter by email! To register your email, contact City Hall at cityhall@ ci.shorewood.mn.us, or call 952.474.3236. You will receive your newsletter as a pdf file. 12/1 7:00 m Truth -in- Taxation Hearing 1212 7.00 Pm Planning Comm. Meeting 1218 7 :00 Pm City Council Meeting 12/9 7:00 Pm Park Comm. Meeting 12/13 8 -10 Am Coffee w /Mayor (see pg 6) 12/16 7.00 Pm Planning Comm. Meeting, 12/24 HOLIDAY -City Offices Close at Noon 12/25 -26 HOLIDAY -City Offices Closed 1/1109 HOLIDAY -City Offices Closed Meetings are being held at Southshore Center during City Mall construction. For directions, contact the city at 952.474.3236. THE SHORE REPORT I DECEMBER 2008 I F` (ell (d I (gu el t o Change a Light D AYLIGHT SAVING TIME endedNovember Le 2, which means more hours with the lights on. If you haven't made the switch to compact fluorescent light (CFL) �11n1 at home, now is a great 2009 time. Recycling Pays G A"AGE HAULERS IN S HOREWOOD charge a volume based rate for residential garbage collection. Because your recycling is contracted through the city, households are charged a flat -rate fee no matter how much they recycle. The more you recycle, the less garbage you produce, and the smaller your garbage container can be. To reduce your garbage container size and to save money, simply contact your garbage hauler and select a smaller size container. In case of the occasionally heavy garbage week, haulers will pick up a separate bag of garbage and charge a small one -time fee. You can save a considerable sum of money over course of the year, and you will benefit your local environment. Recycling not only reduces the amount of landfill space used, it also reduces the amount of raw materials needed to produce new products. One recycled aluminum can saves the equivalent of 6 oz. of gasoline. Recycling a four -foot stack of newspaper produces as much paper pulp as a 40 -foot pine tree. Holiday Recycling: Save Resources A , YPICAL MINNESOTAN CREATES six pounds of waste a day. But from Thanksgiving o 'household waste increases by more than 25 percent. Added food waste, shopping bags, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons — it all adds up to an additional one million tons a week into the nation's landfills. The top five things you can do: 1. Give gifts that conserve natural resources. Give an experience, like tickets to a concert, instead of an item. Look for greener gifts, such as reusable cloth napkins or a gift basket of non -toxic household cleaners. 2. Use reusable tableware and send invites to parties via email. Make sure recycling containers are readily available at parties. 3. Buy LED lights. Holiday lights can add up to $50 to your November and December energy bill. Invest in LED lights. They use significantly less energy than standard holiday lights. Although they cost more up front, LED lights pay for themselves in just one season of reduced energy bills. 4. Recycle gift boxes, cardboard boxes and holiday cards. 5. Reuse wrapping paper, ribbon and bows, or have your wrapping be part of the gift. A reusable grocery bag can make a great gift bag! By simply thinking ahead, your family can keep its holiday waste to a minimum. Try to make your recycling bin the only container that overflows this holiday season! Curbside by 7 Ann R ECYCLING IS EASY TO DO, and the market for recyclables continues to grow. At the current time, demand for used paper exceeds supply. All cans, glass, and plastic bottles can be co- mingled and placed in a container curbside. Put mixed paper and boxboard (such as cereal boxes) in a separate container or in paper grocery bags; corrugated cardboard should be flattened and bundled in stacks no larger than 3 -feet long and 3 -feet wide. The cardboard can be set next to the other recycling. If you have more recyclables than fits in your standard recycling container, you may use any type of container or box. Recycling must be curbside by 7 AM on recycling day in order to guarantee pick -up. Lighting accounts for about 20 percent of the average } home's electric bill. An Energy Star qualified CFL lk produces the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb, but uses about 75 percent less energy and lasts up to 10 times longer. Using a CFL bulb saves an average of $30 in electricity costs over its lifetime and will prevent the release of more than 450 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. Because CFL bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, they must be recycled to protect the environment. It is illegal to place fluorescent light bulbs in the trash. Easy and convenient recycling options are available to households for CFL bulbs. Home Depot, Menards, and Ikea s - offer free recycling of unbroken CFL bulbs. Hennepin County also accepts all types of fluorescent, high intensity discharge, and neon bulbs free of charge (up to 25 light bulbs) from households at drop -off facilities located at 1400 W. 96th St., Bloomington; and 8100 Jefferson Highway, Brooklyn Park. For more information, call 612.348.3777, or visit the A to Z How -to- Get - Rid -of -It Guide at www.hennepin.us, keyword search: A to Z. Promoting energy conservation is making Hennepin a Cool County. Learn more at wwwhennepin.us/coolcounty. Ke eU d A i ta F�U n IDS THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL age can find valuable .environmental information, and some fun games, on the EPA Kids web site, www.epa.gov /kids. The site includes career information, art projects, games, contests and much more! This informative and entertaining site also contains a section for teachers curriculum and grant information. There is something for everyone! www.ci.shorewood.mn. us East Water Tower Complete T HE WATER TOWER at Highway 7 and Old Market Road has completed it's face lift, and dons a fresh coat of paint and a shiny logo. Work took almost 2 months, and the refreshed water tower is in top condition. It provides a grand entrance to Shorewood from the east! Construction Update C ITY HALL CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES, despite the forces of Mother Nature. The roof is on the new council chambers, and the interior walls are under construction. The siding and stonework is on one side of the building, and windows will soon be in place. Once the Council Chambers is complete, city staff will move offices into that portion of the building so construction on staff offices can be completed. City Staff would like to thank residents for their patience during this project. Not everyone has had an easy time accessing City Hall, but there have been few complaints and eventually everyone seems to find their way! The project is expected to be completed in late March. Watch the city web site for up -to -date construction information. If you have problems getting into City Hall for any reason, please call City Hall, 952.474.3236, and we can make arrangements to assist you. Snowplow Safety S NOWPLOWS TRAVEL MUCH SLOWER than the posted speeds. As in most large trucks, the driver's field of vision is severely restricted to the immediate rear from the cab of the truck. The driver must rely on mirrors to see to the rear and to the side. Mn/DOT offers these safe driving tips for travelers negotiating roadways during snow storms: • Turn on your headlights and turn off your cruise control. • Slow down, allow at least an eight- second interval between your vehicle and a snowplow. • Snowplows travel much slower than the posted speed. • Stay behind the snowplow. The road behind a snowplow will be safer to drive on. Also, snowplows turn or exit frequently and often with little warning. • Never drive into a snow cloud. • Test the road surface frequently throughout your trip by tapping your brakes. Black ice is invisible and may be present in some areas, but not others. • In 2005 -2006, there were 75 crashes involving snow plows and motor vehicles that resulted in five injuries. In the same time period, there were 34 crashes involving plows and motor vehicles in the metro and three injuries. All of the injured were primarily motorists, not plow drivers. • Call 511 or visit www.511mn.org to get current information on road conditions. THE SHORE REPORT I DECEMBER 2008 Council Activities Since the last newsletter the City Council: • Held a work session to review of the enterprise budgets; to discuss the "Going Out of Business -Sale"' ordinance; and'discuss the city owned property at 5795 Country Club Road. Reviewed the applications received for the City Attorney position, conducted interviews and appointed Kennedy and Graven to provide legal services, with Mary Tietjen serving as the City Attorney, effective January 1, 2009. • Reviewed a tennis court reservation policy; Council directed the Park Commission to further discuss and report back to council on the specifics for prioritizing and reserving the use of tennis courts. • Approved employee recognition awards based on employee's years of service. • Reviewed the City Administrator performance assessment form and scheduled his performance review for December. • Approved the certification of delinquent utility charges to the property tax rolls. • Discussed and decided to defer further action on conducting a residential survey to 2009. • Approved a street light request for the Virginia Cove and Smithtown Road intersection. Election Results T HE CITY OF SHOREWOOD had a 90% turnout for the General Election. Chris Lizee will serve as Mayor for two - years; Dick Woodruff and Scott Zerby will serve four -year at -large council terms; and, Jeff Bailey and Laura Turgeon will serve two -year at -large council terms. For complete election results, see the city web site, www.ci.shorewood.mn.us. www.ci.shorewood.mn.us THE SHORE REPORT/ DECEMBER 2008 (Coo 1-N--yo j o- ft, - v 1 v7emm, --t Music Association of Minnetonka Holiday Concerts N OW IN ITS 35TH YEAR, the Music Association of Minnetonka (MAM) provides enriching musical experiences for people of all ages and abilities. All concerts are free unless otherwise indicated. Donations are gratefully accepted. Call 952/401 -5954 for information. Songs of the Season Minnetonka Symphony Chorus, Choral Reflections of Minnetonka, Chamber Choir, Concert Choir Friday, December 5, 7:30 PM Zion Lutheran Church of Hopkins 241 Fifth Ave., Hopkins Friday, December 12, 7:30 PM Minnetonka United Methodist Church Cty. Rd. 101 & Lake St. Ext., Minnetonka 29th Annual Messiah Community Sing -Along Minnetonka Chamber Orchestra Soloists: Wendy Lukaszewski, Soprano; Suzanne Kennedy, Alto; LeanneKampfe,Alto; DavidNordli, Tenor; Gregory Douma, Bass Saturday, December 13, 3:30 p.m. Ridgewood Church 4420 Cty. Rd. 101 South, Minnetonka Sounds of Youth Minnetonka Youth Choirs: Cappella, Concert and Chamber choirs Saturday, December 13, 7:30 p.m. Mount Calvary Lutheran Church 301 Cty. Rd. 19, Excelsior A Child's Christmas: Mtka Youth Concert, Chamber Choirs & Guests Sunday, December 14,3:30 p.m. Wayzata Community Church 125 E. Wayzata Blvd., Wayzata Kids Free Movie: Kung Fu Panda (PG) Sat., December 6; 9:30 am Dock Theater, Excelsior XCELSIOR FIRE DISTRICT invites you to celebrate the 37th Annual Kid's Free Movie sponsored by Excelsior Real Estate. Kids will receive surprises after the movie and Santa and Sparky will arrive to greet the kids at 11:15 AM in a North Pole Edition Fire Truck. Admission is a non - perishable food, health and/or beauty item; cash donations to ICA will also be accepted. Doors open at 8:45 AM. Excelsior's Holiday Concert Sat., Dec. 6; 4 -5:30 p.m. Excelsior Elementary School F EATURING THE TWIN Cities Community Gospel Choir, Santa & Rudolph, Minnetonka High School Choral Choir, Three Musical Numbers from Minnetonka Theatre's production of "Scrooge", & more. Tickets available by calling 952.474.6461 Tickets In advance: $8 Adults; $5 Students; Free for 3 & under. At the door: $10 Adults; $6 Students; Free for 3 & under. Mtka Community Theater Scrooge: A Musical December 18,19,20; 7:30 pm December 20,21; 1 pm Juletide Minnetonka Symphony Orchestra Sunday, December 14, 7:30 p.m. Gethsemane Lutheran Church 715 Minnetonka Mills Rd., Hopkins Sunday, December 21,330 p.m. Immanuel Lutheran Church 16515 Luther Way, Eden Prairie Toast to the Holidays: Food and Fun with the Choral Reflections of Minnetonka By reservation only. Tickets: $20; 9521401 -5954. Saturday, December 20, 7 p.m. Minnetonka Community Center 14600 Mtka. Blvd., Minnetonka DELIGHTFUL MUSICAL adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel "A Christmas Carol" which tells the story of Scrooge and his spirits on Christmas Eve, starring Jim Cada as Ebenezer Scrooge. A holiday classic for the whole family! Performances at Arts Center on 7 located at Minnetonka High School. Tickets $18, Adults; $12, Seniors; $10, Students. Call the theater box office at 952/401 -5898, or order online, www.minnetonkatheatre.com. www.d.shorewood.mmus 4 Gift of a Friend N EED A HOLIDAY gift idea? Friends of the Library memberships are a bargain and make a great gift! Memberships start at $5. Members receive one free express check -out, free Omnitheater tickets, fun events, and more! Go to www.hclib.org and click support your library, or call 952.847.5450 for information. Senior Notes The following events are at the Southshore Center in Shorewood. For more information go to www southshore- center.org, or call 952.474.7635. Medicare Part D Monday, December 1; 1 pm Learn about Medicare Part D and get your questions answered. Free. Trip to Gillespie Center Thursday, December 4; 10 am Take a bus trip to the Gillespie Center Christmas Boutique. $4 for round trip bus. Children's Santa Party Sat., December 13; 11 am -2 pm Join Gonzo the Clown and Santa for food and fun! Christmas Dinner Tuesday, December 16; 11:45 am Menu and prices to be announced. Entertainment by Chan -o- laires. Let's Skate! I T'S TIME TO SHARPEN those skate blades and get ready to get out on the rinks and burn that bottled up winter energy! The Shorewood Public Works Department is ready for a few days of below- freezing temperatures so they can begin the task of preparing the Shorewood ice rinks for skaters. Once the ice is ready, warming houses will open at Cathcart, Badger and Manor Parks. Warming House Schedule: Monday- Friday 3:30 PM — 9 PM Sunday Noon — 9 PM Saturday I I AM — 9 PM Holidays 10 AM — 9 PM Closing times may vary slightly if rink is not in use or an attendant is not available. Warming houses will be posted when closed. Note to Parents: Please make sure that arrangements are made for picking your skater up before closing times. Telephones are not available at the warming houses. THE SHORE REPORT/ DECEMBER 2008 DOG LICENSE CITY OF APPLICATION SHOREWOOD 5755 Country Club Road • Shorewood, Minnesota 55331 • (952) 474 -3236 Date: RENEWALS ARE DUE BY JANUARY 31ST A dog license is required for all dogs OVER 6 MONTHS of age. For each dog, mail or bring in the Rabies Certificate, the completed Application Form and the Total Amount Due to the City of Shorewood. An additional kennel license is required for owners with more than 2 dogs. This can be obtained at City Hall, or on the City's web site at www.ci.shorewood.mn.us. Please complete the following information: Last Name: Address: Phone: Veterinarian/Clinic: Description of Dog(s): Name of Dog: Color: Rabies Tag # Name of Dog: Color: Rabies Tag # Age: Sex: Male Expiration Date: Breed: First Name: Phone City Tag # Age: Sex: Male Expiration Date: Total Number of Dogs in Household: X$10= Total Number of Dogs in Household: X .55 = Total Number of Dogs in Household: X$5 = Lost Tag: X$1 = Total Amount Due = $ City Tag # Female Female License Fee Mailing Fee Late Fee (after Jan. 31) (License, Mailing and Late Fees) THE DOG TAG SHALL BE SECURELY ATTACHED AROUND THE DOG'S NECK AT ALL TIMES DURING THE LICENSE PERIOD. Expires December 31. Alternate Phone Breed: www.ci.shorewood.mmus THE .SHORE REPORT / DECEMBER 2008 City of Shorewood 2009 City Budget CITY PROPERTY TAXES PAY FOR SERVICE POLICE AND FIRE PROTECTION REMAINS OUR TOP PRIORITY. DEMANDS FOR THESE SERVICES CONTINUE TO INCREASE. OVER 35 PERCENT OF THE TAX LEVY IS ALLOCATED TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE SOUTH LAKE MINNETONKA POLICE DEPARTMENT, EX- CELSIOR FIRE DISTRICT, AND MOUND FIRE DEPARTMENT. Parka 4'% PUBLIC WORKS IS ANOTHER HIGH PRIORITY. NEARLY 17 PERCENT OF THE TAX LEVY PAYS FOR ROAD MAINTENANCE, SNOW AND ICE REMOVAL, AND REHABILITATING CITY STREETS. THE CITY PLANS TO PLACE MORE FINANCIAL RESOURCES IN ITS STREET SEALING AND OVER LAY PROJECTS IN 2009 (WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THE "TRANSFER TO CAPITAL FUNDS' CAT- Public Work! 17°/ EGORY). PARKS AND RECREATION ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 4 PERCENT OF CITY PROPERTY TAXES. MOST PARK PROGRAMS ARE FEE - SUPPORTED. GENERAL GOVERNMENT /OTHER CONSIST OF ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES, SEVERAL CON- TRACTUAL SERVICES, CITY PLANNING AND ZONING ADMINISTRATION, ELECTIONS, BUILDING MAINTENANCE, AND OTHER DAY - TODAY BUSINESS ITEMS. Gen Govt/ Other 27% Other 9% Oolice /Fire 15% PROPERTY TAXES MAKE UP ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF THE REVENUES TO THE GENERAL Schools FUND. 33% THE CITY ALSO PROVIDES SEVERAL SERVICES AS UTILITIES: WATER, SANITARY SEWER, STORM- Shorewood WATER MANAGEMENT, AND RECYCLING. THESE SERVICES ARE PAID BY USER FEES; NO TAX 23% DOLLARS ARE PLACED IN THESE ENTERPRISES. PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS AT WO RK our p roperty tax dollar g oes to the City of \` Hennepin Less than one - fourth of Y p p Y 9 Y ��, County 35 % Shorewood. YOUR 2009 PROPERTY TAX NOTICE T HE. CrrN AC'COUN'TS for less receive does not distinguish between the the amounts on your proposed tax than one - fourth of your total tax components of an increase or decrease. notice. These are the maximum taxes bill. The proposed tax notice you Your actual taxes may be lower than that can be levied. Your actual tax statement will arrive in the spring. T.u dge t H ear i ng s CITN or S10RENVOO D Monday. December 1, 7 r i Southshore Center 5735 Country Club Road Shorewood. MN 55331 (952) 474 - 3236 MINNF ONI :A Sc hoot: Dis - rrrrc - r ##276 1acsday. December 9, 7 vv Coal IT) Lill ity 1Z0011 District Service Center 5621 Co, ltd 101 S Minnetonka, MN 55345 (952) 401 -5024 IIE.NNr:YIN COUNT Thursday, December 4, 5:30 Tai Commissioners' Board [Zoom A -2400 Government Center Minneapolis, MN 55438 (612) 348 -5433 '4 vSroNK'k Pvin'Ic: Scllool s No budget hearing reyuircd this vear. For more information contact V,%estonka t'uhlic Schools at (752) 491 -8021 _ S c000000000000 IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET OR ABOUT YOUR PROPERTY TAXES, PLEASE CONTACT THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AT (952) 474 -3236. www.ci.shorewood.mn.us Transfer to Capital Funds CITY OF SHOREWOOD m o � 0 "§ o V M ri 5 o > o 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD SHOREWOOD, MIN 55331 (952)474.3236 FAX (952)474.0128 Monday-Friday 8 AM to 4:30 PM l qll plp� PRESORTED STANDARD U.S.POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #30681 MINNEAPOLIS, MN Council Members Christine Wee, Mayor; Richard Woodruff, Ward 1; Laura Turgeon, Ward 2; Jeff Bailey, Ward 3; Martin Wellens, Ward 4 City Administrator: Brian Heck; Newsletter Editor: Julie Moore SAVE PAPER AND MAILING COSTS! City of Shorewood Ward Map W1 PI: Ward 1, Precinct 1 X Polling Place WI P2: Ward 1, Precinct 2 Public Safety W2P1: Ward 2, Precinct 1 Building W3P1: Ward 3, Precinct 1 W4P1: Ward 4, Precinct 1 *50 t Z h 5 [hshore Center W2P1 Planning Map There were no new applications received for the December 2, 2008 Planning Commission meeting Holiday Recycling Schedule R ECYCLING COLLECTION will be delayed by one day during Christmas and New Year's weeks for Island residents; Mainland recycling remains unchanged. Recycling for the island will be on Friday, December 26, and January 2. Please have all recycling curbside by 7 AM to guarantee pick -up. Talk With Mayor 2nd Saturday Cofree Tour MAYOR CHRIS LIZtE for coffee and �J conversation every second Saturday of the month at the Shorewood Caribou Coffee (Hwy 7 and 41) from 8 to 10 AM. She's looking forward to seeing you Saturday, December 13. THE SHORE REPORT I DECEMBER 2008