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CITY OF
SHOREWOOD
5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD. SHOREWOOD, MINNESOTA 55331-8927. (952) 474-3236
FAX (952) 474-0128. www,cLshorewood,mn,us . cityhall@cLshorewood,mn.us
MEMORANDUM
TO: City Council
FROM:
Craig W. Dawson, City Administrator
Larry Brown, Director of Public Works
uP
DATE: May 5, 2005
SUBJECT: Public Works - Potential Relationship with Excelsior (Work Session Item)
Excelsior staff approached us a few weeks ago about to have some exploratory discussion about
opportunities for Excelsior and Shorewood public works that collaboration among our departments
could be more formalized, and perhaps integrated. As we understand it, Excelsior is also exploring
similar possibilities with other Deephaven and Tonka Bay. These opportunities are timely for
Excelsior as its public works superintendent has just retired, and another long-time public works
employee is likely to retire within a year.
After this initial round of exploration, Excelsior at this time apparently would prefer a more gradual
approach; and identify what areas of operations could be promising as first steps.
About four years ago, a working group of councilmembers, public works directors, and city managers
of Shorewood and Excelsior met for about four months to identify whether there were advantages to
formalizing cooperation or merging the cities' public works departments. One of the basic principles
in those discussions was that no public works positions would be eliminated (although through
/ attrition over time, there maybe workforce reduction). Rather, ways that services could be enhanced
and economies gained in equipment purchases were the yardsticks to be used. Several memoranda
from that process are attached.
Further progress fizzled away, due to a wane in interest from Excelsior, and circumstances have
changed among the departments (e.g., Shorewood utilities are now entirely in-house, and a utilities
division exists within our Public Works Department). However, we believe that the advantages
identified in that study process still generally apply. While a large degree of informal sharing of staff
and equipment between the two cities, some functions - notably utilities - would be improved by
formally combining staff in those areas.
.J+- '
:fr' (;L
#.
~.1 PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
Shorewood - Excelsior Public Works Collaboration
May 9,2005, City Council Work Session
Page 2
Among the benefits identified:
. Savings in purchases of capital equipment by sharing and avoiding duplication
. More effective use of personnel, and better customer service; e.g.
o Faster and more frequent park maintenance
o Faster snow removal
o Street maintenance
. Benefits for staff; e.g.,
o Fewer weeks/weekends of on-call status
o Greater work variety
o Perhaps more opportunities for advancement
. More efficient coordination of capital improvements or major maintenance projects
Of course, there would be several practical matters to work through, mostly on the labor side, but
they do not appear to be insurmountable. (A May 1 PioneerPress editorial, attached, shows that
these issues are not uncommon.) They would, however, take time, the involvement of the directly-
affected staffs, and the participation of the city councils.
While the cities and staffs admittedly have a lot on their plates, opportunities are not predictable in
terms of timing. Given the potential benefits of more formal collaboration or integration of our
public works departments, it is worthwhile to continue to exploratory discussions and develop
potential proposals.
SlrltJ-r P%At... rl\)~fa.a; 1>~$
i\)'\"Th14A1.., MJrvj \. Zb&>b
Suburban fire
'merger teacheS.,
. civics lesson
As Ramsey County and St. Paulcon~;
tinue to thumb-wrestle over who"
should control what everyone agrees.
should be a combined 911 emergency
. ' ' ,'I
call center, two other communities are,
making slow but steady progress on~
just such a merger.
. ,
Some critics would argue West St. Paul and:
South St Paul have become. bogged down in
. , their efforts to merge their two professional,.
full-time:lire departments. That's a fair criticism..
. Like many municipal mergers, the two cities are'
. slowed by issues such as labor contracts, includ-
ing benefits and pensions. And some critics note;
the two municipalities, which spend a combined'
$3.9 million, agreed more than two years ago:
that merging w~ in everyone's best interest So;
what's the hold up? . :
"They're not operational issues/' said West'
St. Paul Mayor John Zanmiller. "They're more.
questions like 'What do we call it?' What type of'
breathing apparatus do we use?'" . ~
Those are fair questions. We also agree with,
West St. Paul City Councilman David Wright.
who said the merger is "a far ~ore complicated'
business" than he'd suspected
What's encouraging - and should be a les-.
son for St. Paul and Ramsey County - is the fact.
there's no debate over the merger.
''It's pretty universal," Zanmiller said of the,
sentiment in both communities that merging the.
two departments is the right thing to do. ''We're'
seeking the common good for both communi-;
ties." '.'
We wish we could say the same for RamseY7
County and ,St. Paul. While there are strong.
arguments from both camps in favor of merging:
911 services, and it's encouraging Maplewood
has come into the fold, there also are voices say~ ~
ing it's all but a dead deal, mainly because of.
political strife. Surely some of this is bargaining
tacticS, as the two principals fight over who will-
control a combined advisory board. But looking.
at how the two mergers are being handled, it's~
fair to say South and West St. Paul are 'eons '
ahead of the city and county.
"It's pretty historic," said Rollin H. Crawford, ~
the foI'nier West St; Paul mayor whose law firm .
is representing both cities in the merger negoti-
ations. "These two city councils have a different
character. They are less parochial and more cos- .
mopolitan."
We wish .we could say the same for St. Paul
and Ramsey County.
,
"j
01.17.01
Ideas/Opportunities for Public Works Collaborations, Shorewood and Excelsior
Sanitary Sewer
. Shorewood to contract with Excelsior for sewer maintenance services
. Lift station monitoring, adjustments, immediate repairs/servicing
. Cleaning (rodding) of sewer lines
. Arrange for televising of lines
. Shorewood & Excelsior staffs to cross-train; develop practices, policies, and schedules to
service/maintain their own and each other's systems
. New practices/arrangements to be in place by January 1,2003, at end of Shorewood's contract
with Munitech
Water Svstem
. Interconnect Shorewood and Excelsior systems (an insurance measure for water capacity
emergencies)
. Shorewood & Excelsior staffs to cross-train; develop practices, policies, and schedules to
service/maintain their own and each other's systems
. New practices/arrangements to be in place by January 1, 2003, at end of Shorewood's contract
with Munitech
. Develop plan for Excelsior to increase water treatment capacity to provide water for Shorewood
(& Greenwood)
. Coordinate purchasing of water treatment supplies when cost savings will result
Facilities
. Consider transforming Excelsior public works site to become a large water treatment plant; move
Excelsior streets/parks to Shorewood public works
. Consider municipal facilities campus concept (w/fire and/or police)
. Combine salt storage facilities; standardize sand-to-salt mixtures
. Consider standardizing specifications for infrastructure (e.g., streets, catch basins, retaining
walls)
. Coordinate capital improvement program planning
10.17.01
Page 2
Equipment
. Shorewood to buy a share of sewer rodder/vactor
. Develop a coordinated capital equipment program; identify equipment that can be shared, and
schedule acquisition to optimize life of equipment and affordability for each city
. Shorewood to continue to arrange for maintenance of civil defense sirens
. Shorewood to provide maintenance (or cherry-picker[?]) for Opticon devices and traffic signals
Materials
. Continue joint purchasing of seal coat supplies
. Coordinate purchasing of supplies, generally, if cost savings may result
Emdneering
. Explore opportunities for sharing of Shorewood engineering technician position (& save $$
compared to services ofWSB & Associates)
. Roadway reconstruction design
. Review of videotapes of sanitary sewer lines
. Annual update of pavement condition assessment
. Preparation of routine bids/specifications
. Etc. .. .
Benefits of Blending Excelsior and Shorewood Pubiic Works
Immediate
. More comprehensive service -- Ability to focus staff & equipment resources to get jobs done
(especially important when scheduling with employees out sick or on vacation)
. Quicker service -- Complete these jobs in shorter time periods, thus leaving public
works/parks infrastrQ,cture available to users without disruption by City crews
. Cross-training of staffs (a benefit whether experiment is successful or not)
. Assistance and coordination during disruption of Highway 7 projects in 2001
. Shorewood has in-house vehicle certification (benefit for Excelsior)
. Shorewood can provide some engineering services and consultant management services to
Excelsior, thus lessening reliance on and having additional monitoring of consultants
Intermediate
. More efficient use of e~h site for storage of materials and equipment (more things can be
stockpiled at Shorewood; the very-visible Excelsior site would be cleaner)
. Sharing of facilities, e.g.:
. Shorewood's salt storage shed (environmental benefit)
. Shorewood's mechanic's bay (Excelsior can perform more mechanical repairs, or more
safely)
. Excelsior's water testing lab
. Greater variety of work for employees
. job enrichment
. career path opportunities
. Shorewood's water and sewer systems can be run with municipal, rather than contract, staff
. greater likelihood of job security for current water/sewer employees
. Economies of scale on (re )construction projects, supply/materials purchases
Long-term
. Excelsior & Shorewood existing equipment fleets complement each other very well
. Coordinate capital equipment purchases
. Probable reduction in the number or possible redundancy of vehicles/pieces of equipment
. Opportunity to acquire needed specialized pieces of equipment
. Improved quality and array of services with existing level of financial commitments
. Possibility of saving $$ or slowing the rate of increase for public works costs
Tangible Benefits
. Work completed sooner
. Snow removed from downtown Excelsior
. Preparing or cleaning up The Commons and Freeman Park
. Hydrant flushing
. Sewer cleaning
. Dock installation/removal
-- 2 --
Tangible Benefits (continued)
. Better use & acquisition of equipment
. Both cities having in-house utilities staff
. Better level and quality of public works services and, possibly, a greater array of public works
services for the same level of expenditure
Intangible Benefits
. Sense that each city's residents and businesses are receiving better services
. Sense for each city's residents and businesses that they are receiving better services because
of the combination of Excelsior and Shorewood public works resources
. Sense of the value and importance of the greater South Lake community
. Greater leverage in dealing with Hennepin County or State of Minnesota due to larger
population being served
. Greater sense of teamwork among public works staffs
Areas for Measurement or Assessment
. $ saving in combining capital equipment programs (CEPs) .
. ability to acquire other needed pieces of equipment with little if any increase in total for
planned capital outlay
. $ saving in joint purchasing of supplies
. Amount of time (# days or hours) to do time-consuming routine tasks, e.g.:
. Prepping/cleaning up The Commons and Freeman Park
. Days needed for crack sealing, preparation for seal coating
. Removing snow from downtown Excelsior
. Frequency of certain tasks (increased. frequency shows increased level of service)
. (presumably) Additional preventive maintenance that can be performed on Shorewood's
water system
. Public feedback
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Mayors and City Council Members
for the Cities of Excelsior and Shorewood
FROM: .
Larry Brown, City of Shorewood Director of Public Works
Les Plath, City of Excelsior Director of Public Works
DATE:
January 31,2001
RE:
Discussion of Joint Public Works Venture
At the last meeting conducted on January 17th, it was discussed that a joint operation of the Public Works
Departments of the Cities of Excelsior and Shorewood should be investigated further, to determine if such
a venture is of benefit for both municipalities.. As such, Les Plath and Larry Brown were to put together
ideas as to why this type of venture can be a benefit to both cities.
While not intended to be an all-encompassing list, the following is a listing of areas where immediate
benefit can be perceived.
I. Equipment
One of the larger tasks each municipality is faced with within the Department of Public Works, is
balancing equipment needs with maintaining the ability to perform duties as efficiently and safely as
possible. The following is listing of the known equipment efficiencies that would occur under a joint
operation.
Excelsior's Sewer yac Truck (& Tonka Bay): Each municipality will benefit, Shorewood's being able
to utilize the truck, with payment for one third of the vehicle to Excelsior's and Tonka Bay's Equipment
Replacemel;lt Funds.
Shorewood's Tractor Backhoe: Not available in Excelsior's current fleet. This machine is necessary
for all excavations, ditch maintenance, and utility repairs.
Shorewood's Water Truck: Not available in Excelsior's current fleet. Excelsior currently uses portable
tank placed inside of a "dump body." Joint use of tanker will not only provide better equipment for
Excelsior, but will "free up" one dump truck.
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Mayors and City Council Members
Discussion of Joint Venture Public Works
January 31, 2001
Page 5 ofS
Having stated the above, the authors oftrus report have routinely shared services and equipment over the
past five years. As such, the sharing of personnel and resources have insured that projects are completed
in a safe and efficient manner. Therefore, to expand the existing practice to a joint Public Works
organization is recommended. As mentioned earlier, this can be implemented on a trial basis with little
risk to either qlunicipality.
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Mayors and City Councils of Excelsior and Shorewood
Craig Dawson, City Administrator - Shorewood
FROM:
Lany Brown, Director of Public Works
Les Plath, Superintendent of Public Works
DATE:
March 1,2001
RE:
Alliance of Excelsior and Shorewood Public Works Departments
. At the previous Public Works Alliance meeting, it was discussed how the Cities of Excelsior and
the Shorewood Public Works Department could continue to work cooperatively. The direction
given to Les Plath and Larry Brown was to come back to the next meting with an idea as to how the
departments would operate as a joint partnership.
Accountability to the City Councils
Of special concern are ~ccountabi1ity to each City Council, and the day to day management of the
department. Les Plath and Larry Brown are proposing the following:
Les Plath will direct the operations of the department on a day to day basis. Larry Brown will assist
Les and oversee the department as a whole. Both Les Plath and Larry Brown should be able to
address issues within either municipality.
As part of this challenge, costs and budgets need to be accounted for by each entity during the trial
period. Costs of labor and equipment will be tracked for each city. As the trial.period commences,
capital expenditures for major equipment purchases will budget for by each city and purchased
jointly.
Balancing the labor costs for each municipality is also key to this alliance. Les and Larry have
reviewed the duties of each team, and have reallocated duties according the crews strengths and
weaknesses such that the costs should remain similar to the costs that are in affect today.
Mayors and City Councils of
Excelsior and Shorewood
Public Works Alliance
March 1,2001
Page 2 of3
Structure of Management and Labor Pool
As indicated above, Les Plath will oversee the day to day operations of the department. Larry
brown will assist Les and be accountable for the department as a whole. Other duties in the
department were reviewed to hone in on strengths and leadership abilities for each department task.
Aprelimin8.1Y charting of that analysis is shown on the following page.
The labor allocation appears to keep a good balance for each municipality. This will be discussed in
greater detail at the Public Works Alliance meeting.
Facilities
It is recommended that the Shorewood Public Works Facility be the base station for both
municipalities. Les Plath will operate out of the Shorewood facility as the base. The City of
Excelsior Public Works Facility will function as a wastewater and water support facility.
With the Shorewood facility becoming the base station, the equipment most utilized would be
stored at the Shorewood facility. The remainder of the equipment would be dispersed between the
facilities.
~
It is the goal of Les Plath and Larry Brown to keep costs in line with what is being paid out now.
While this is the goal, their needs to be a vehicle where each municipality can balance out any
excesses that occur. This can be as simple as invoicing each other for overages that occur. This
will certainly be a topic of the Public Works Alliance meeting as well.
Certainly, there are many facets to this operation. T~s memorandum is not meant to be all-
inclusive, but only a framework to commence the discussions.
Larry Brown (S)
(E) City of Excelsior Employee City Engineer &
(S) City of Shorewood Employee Public Works Administrator
Les Plath (E)
Director of
Public Works
,
I
Larry Niccum (S)
Foreman
Wastewater and Water Roadways Parks Equipment Maintenance
Charlie Vickstrom (E) . Dennis Johnson. (S) Charlie Davis (S) Brad Mason (S)
Dave Ninow (E) Joe Lugowski (S) Chris Pounder (S) Bob Wiest (E)
Bob Wiest (E) Leroy Berg (E) Dave Ninow (E)
Dan Randall (S) Frank Feltl (E)
B}.uce Stark (S) Bruce Stark (S)
PERSONNEL FLOWCHART
PUBLIC WORKS ALLIANCE OF THE
CITIES OF EXCELSIOR AND SHOREWOOD
.
CITY OF
SHOREWOOD
5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD · SHOREWOOD, MINNESOTA 55331-8927 · (952) 474-3236
FAX (952) 474-0128. www.cLshorewood.mn.us. cityhall@cLshorewood.mn.us
MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
City Council
Craig W. Dawson, City Administrator /l "'-
May 5,2005 Vy
Updates on Human Resources Matters (Work Session Item)
City Council has requested an update on the status of several items related to the human resources
area, as well as a discussi<?l1 regarding the City's education reimbursement program.
Overall Overhaul of HR System
The update ofthe human resources system has been designed to the greatest extent possible to have
the participation of every employee. Pursuit of this goal has led to a longer-than-anticipated process
when we started in the latter part of last year, and when reviewed as part of the 2005 work program.
Position Descriptions: Key to the project is the update of position descriptions. All employees
completed questionnaires regarding the work they do and are responsible for, their work/environment
conditions, the education and skills required and desirable, etc. These questionnaires were reviewed
by department directors and then by the city administrator before being sent to the consultant, Labor
Relations Associates (LRA). Draft position descriptions were developed by LRA and returned for
review by employees, department directors, and the city administrator. They have been reviewed and
sent to LRA.
Staffhas expressed a preference for the City's current format regarding duties and responsibilities,
/ and we will be modifying them based on additions and deletions identified through the process thus
far. The rest of the individual descriptions drafted by LRA will be included as they are necessary for
legal compliance.
The position descriptions are, essential for determining job points and what adjustments may be
necessary to comply with pay equity (the internal wage structure), and for an external market survey
of comparable cities. LRA is performing these two tasks at present.
Wage Structure: The City's current wage structure is a simple step system with increases occurring
regularly over about four years, at which time the maximum (considered to be "market") pay is
reached. "Stability pay" of 1-2 percent above the top step starts after ten years of employment. This
system does not provide incentives for or rewards for above-average performance. We will be
developing a new pay structure to reward consistent high performance for Council's consideration
and approval. LRA will also be providing examples of performance evaluation instruments to be
used in following a new pay system. n
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Updates on Human Resources Matters
May 9,2005, City Council Work Session
Page 2
Emplovee Handbook
The Employee Handbook has been in existence and essentially unchanged since 1986, with a few
additions due to policies adopted by the Council over the years. It functions as the City's personnel
policy, as there is no record of a personnel ordinance or resolution. Care is needed in developing an
employee handbook, as. it is intended to be explanatory and not construed as contractual.
An employee committee worked on several changes and proposals in 1999, and it subsequently
disbanded. Since then, the deputy clerk, fmance director, and city administrator have reviewed the
various drafts and also looked to the City of Shoreview employee handbook as a model for what
should be included.
The handbook committee will be reconvened. To make its work more efficient, the City Attorney's
Office has been involved in order to identify what personnel practices and policies are now required
by law or regulation, what items have become City practice, what areas have flexibility and, where
possible, the necessary wording. Early this year, the drafts and notes were sent to the City Attorney's
office for review and comment, and Beth Papasec, one of Tim Keane's associates, has done this
work. Jean Panchyshyn and I have been reviewing her comments and suggestions, and will shortly
be forwarding ite~s to her for clarification. After these items have been reviewed, the handbook
committee will be able to make its proposals and recommendations to the City Council.
The employee-involvement process is an important component of building success into the new,
updated human resources system. While it has been slow in coming, there is now good progress
being made in the HR overhaul and the Employee Handbook, and a commitment to finishing them as
quickly as possible. This is important to follow, in order to have an effective, credible process that is
not a top-down one.
Benefits Committee
While it was planned to be convened this year, an employee Benefits Committee was formed a few
months earlier than expected, due confusion among employees about insurance benefits that had been
secured for 2005.
The eight employees on the Benefits Committee come from all departments and all levels of the City
organization. It is a bottom-up approach to identify benefits to be offered. The Benefits Committee
is doing a thorough review of employee benefits made by the City. The result of its work will be a
package and priority of benefits that it would like to be offered, and be fair to employees and the City
alike. All ofthe committee members have expressed appreciation for the competitive package of
benefits and the City's contribution.
Updates on Human Resources Matters
May 9,2005, City Council Work Session
Page 2
The Benefits Committee has met three times and is becoming knowledgeable of the benefits offered
by the City and by other employers. At its meeting on April 28, a benefits attorney made available
through the League of Minnesota Cities spoke with the Committee about Health Reimbursement
Accounts (HRAs), Health Savings Accounts (high-deductible HSAs), and their impacts on the City's
Section 125 pre-tax Flexible Reimbursement Plan. There appears to be much interest in evaluating
these plans further. While the Committee is working toward finishing in mid-June, the interest in
HRAs and HSAs (and understanding whether an HSA option is likely to be made available for a
small employee group) may need to extend the time needed to develop final recommendations.
I plan to have the Benefits Committee be a standing employee committee, one which will have a
strong voice and review benefit offerings and changes each year.
Education Reimbursement Pro2:ram
The policy in the 1986 Employee Handbook is as follows:
"Section 14. EDUCATION
"It is the policy of the City to encourage all forms of in-service training in order to improve
the qualifications of employees in their positions and to prepare them for advancement in the
City Service. - In order to effectuate this policy, the City will reimburse any regular full-time
employee the tuition cost for any successfully completed approved class in any accredited
college, vocational school, or correspondence school curriculum. Prior written approval of
the course must be given by the City Administrator. Successful completion means that the
employee receive [sic] a satisfactory grade or certificate of competency from the Course
Administrator. Special fees, activity fees, book fees, and the cost of supplies will not be
reimbursed by the City. No more than five credit hours will be approved during any quarter
or semester. Employees are required to take the courses outside of their normal work
schedules. This policy is subject to the availability of funds."
Council has requested that a condition be added to this policy regarding some length of continued
service to the City after receiving some type of post-secondary degree, with some sliding scale of
repayment by the employee if he/she were to leave the City before that time. It is planned that such a
provision would be added with the update ofthe Employee Handbook.
It is not uncommon for organizations to have terms for repayment of education reimbursement. It
should be mentioned that a potential result of such a policy, however, may be to remove an incentive
to pursue educational opportunities that will benefit both the employee and employer.
Past City practice has been to pay for all coursework associated with a post-secondary degree. In
1999 and 2000, three City employees terminated their employment shortly after earning college/post-
graduate degrees. One current employee completed an associate's degree a few years ago. At
present, no City employees are pursuing post-secondary degrees and seeking City reimbursement.
CITY OF
SHOREWOOD
5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD · SH<?REWOOD, MINNESOTA 55331-8927. (952) 474-3236
FAX (952) 474-0128. www.cJ.shorewood.mn.us. cityhall@ci.shorewood.mn.us
MEMORANDUM
DATE:
May 4, 2005
TO:
Mayor and City Council Members
Craig W. Dawson, City Administrator/Clerk
Jean Panchyshyn, Deputy Clerk qt~
CAT REGULATIONS
FROM:
RE:
The City receives several phone calls during the year, mostly in the spring and summer months,
from residents complaining about stray cats and inquiring if the City has a cat ordinance.
Residents are informed that the City does not license or regulate cats. Most of the complaints are
about cats defecating on personal property and cats hunting birds. A recent complaint has
prompted Staff to revisit this issue.
This topic was. discussed by Council in June 1999. Council directed Staff to monitor the cat
complaint calls for a periodofsix months. In a one-month period of July 1999, six cat
complaints and/or calls in favor of a cat ordinance were logged. No further complaints were
logged, and no further action was taken on this topic. A copy of the August 1999 Shore Report
newsletter article, "Cat Containment", is attached for Council information.
Staff recently contacted the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department (SLMPD) to inquire
about the number of cat complaints received. The SLMPD indicated they get very few cat
complaints. The SLMPD reviewed a sampling of the animal complaint reports, noting that cat
complaints are quite low, and only a small percentage of animal complaints are about cats.
The Orono Animal Control officer also indicated they do not get many complaints about cats,
very few, ifany. If they do get complaints, they suggest the option of setting a live trap to
capture the cat, which the resident can then take to the humane society.
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Cat Regulations
May 3,2005
Page Two
Neighboring cities were contacted to inquire about their cat regulations. The following table
outlines these responses:
Cat Ordinance Cats Licensed Cats Impounded
Chanhassen Yes Yes - annual Animal Control response on a
$1.50 ifspayed or complaint basis and will pick up
neutered; $3.00 if not strays if found
Excelsior Yes No Animal Control responds on a
complaint basis; but there are not
many complaints
Mound Yes Yes - 2-year license - Animal Control response on a
fee is $25 complaint basis and will pick up
strays if found
Orono Kennel More than 4 cats requires a They rarely pick up strays (they
Ordinance kennel license - fee is $25 are difficult to capture) if
captured, they would take it to
the impound facility
Tonka Bay No No No
Victoria Animal No It is unlawful for animals
Ordinance (including cats) to run at-large; if
picked up, animals are
impounded; no impound fee is
charged to the animal's owner
Wayzata No No If they do pick up a stray cat,
they take it to their impound
facility, just as they would a
stray dog
Staff would like direction from Council on how to proceed with this issue. Some ideas/
suggestions on how to proceed with this issue include:
1) Staff could log cat complaints through the August, and report back on this topic in
September;
2) We could solicit, through the newsletter, residents' opinions on the licensing and
impounding of cats;
3) We could include an article in the newsletter on how to be a responsible pet owner by
spaying! neutering pets and keeping pets on their property;
4) Council may decide there are not enough complaints to warrant any action at this time.
City Seeks Your Thoughts on Changes to the Tobacco Ordinance
The Shorewood City Council will consider adoption of an ordinance re-
garding the sale and possession of tobacco products and licensing re-
quirements at their regular meeting to be held August 23,1999. Acopy of the
draft ordinance is available for review at City Hall or on our web site. Poten-
tial retailers of tobacco products have received notice.
The draft ordinance also establishes an annual licensing fee to cover the cost
of licensing, inspections, and enforcement. This fee would be comparable to
other cities in Hennepin County and other counties in Minnesota.
The State law does not impose a specific penalty for violations by minors
for the purchase, use or possession of tobacco products. Rather the law re-
quires licensing authorities to consult with interested educators, parents, chil-
dren and representatives of the court system to develop appropriate penalties.
Possible penalties include:
+ requiring minor to attend tobacco-free education programs;
+ participation in a court diversion program; or
+ notification of minor's school andlor parent or guardian.
Any written comments by retailers or the general public should be received
by NOON, August 16. Testimony will also be taken during the meeting on Au-
gust 23. The City is particularly interested in what parents feel is an appropri-
ate penalty. Please contact us with comments or questions.
Send a Letter: City of Shorewood
5755 Country Club Road
Shorewood, MN 55331
Oil E-mail: cityhall@cLshorewood.mn.us
OR
OR
Call: 612-474-3236
Fax: 612-474-0128
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Dogs Who Bite and the Fences That Secure Them
The Shorewood City Council was recently asked to address the is-
sue of dog containment in cases of dogs with a history of biting.
The problem arises where such dogs are confmed in a one-way contain-
ment system, which controls 'only the ailimal wearing a radio receiver
on its collar-and it's not always guaranteed to work for that. Also, this
type of fencing which is commonly known as "invisible," does not pro-
vide protection from intruders for that confined animal, nor does it pro-
tect persons or animals that may wander within the fence boundaries.
The Council has discussed the problem of dogs with a biting his-
tory and considered possible remedies such as:
+ Informing residents of the limited safety of electronic fence sys
tems-
. Reminding owners of biting dogs about their liability risk
. Looking at a change to the current pet ordinance to include s -
cific requirements for biting dogs
Given the fact that State Statute 347.50-54 already requires th
dangerous dog or potentially dangerous dog be securely confined'
proper enclosure, an ordinance at the local level may be redundant.
this point, the City wishes to make residents aware of the limitations f
the underground, electronic fencing, especially for confining an a -
gressive dog and for ensuring the safety of any person or animal th
enters a "fenced" area. Also, owners of dogs with a biting history are
obligated by State Statute to contain such dogs in a solid enclosure.
THE SHORE REPORT / AUGUST 1999 2
In response to a recent request, the City
Council considered whether an ordinance govern-
ing cats and requiring them to be licensed should be
adopted. They decided to monitor the situation for
a six month period, after which they would revisit
the issue to see if an ordinance is warranted.
Currently the City Code does not require cats to
be licensed or contained indoors. Because of this,
our Animal Control Officer cannot pick up stray cats.
Periodically the City receives complaints about cats
causing damage to property or being a nuisance.
Cat owners are urged to be responsible pet owners
by keeping their cats indoors as much as possible.
Also, it's a good idea to have them wear a collar and
. dentification so the cat can be returned if captured.
Trail (and Park) Talk
The Park Commission has again met
with residents along Vine Hill and
Covington Roads to review trail plans
and ask for feedback. There are some
design details being discussed, but the
overall response from neighbors has been
very positive. The Commission has au-
thorized staff to order feasibility studies
and a survey for the project and hopes to
put it out for bids in the next 4 to 6 months.
The Commission continues to work on
questions and trail design options for a
segment along Smithtown Road from the
crossing of the LRT trail going west to
the Victoria border. The City hopes to
address drainage issues, street conditions
and safety concerns in the course of the
design process, while also working with
the needs of residents who live adjacent
"to Smithtown Road. All of these consid-
erations will take more time than hoped,
but the Commission considers this trail
segment to have equal importance be-
cause of the strong citizen interest.. '0
In the past, the Commission has heard
requests for trails from residents on En-
chanted Island. They planned a neighbor-
hood walk for July 24 for theo purpose of
familiarizing themselves with the unique
character of the islands. Meanwhile, the
Commission has asked the Council to
approve a concept plan for the multi-use
building for Freeman Park and to t~ke a
leadership role in building a skate. park
for area youth. The City Council has
joined the Commission in their past two
meetings and brainstormed together some
. ways to bring,all of these projects along.
Cat Containment
.
CITY OF
SHOREWOOD
5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD. SHOREWOOD, MINNESOTA 55331-8927 · (952) 474-3236
FAX (952) 474-0128' www.cLshorewood.mn.us' cityhall@cLshorewood.mn.us
MEMORANDUM
TO: City Council
Craig W. Dawson, City Administrator cD
FROM:
DATE: May 5, 2005
SUBJECT: Shorewood's 50th Anniversary (Work Session Item)
Time has a way of sneaking up. Shorewood was incorporated in May 1956. So next year is
Shorewood's 50th anniversary as a village/city.
At this time, staff is bringing this half-centennial celebration opportunity to Council's attention and
seeking direction about whether and to what extent Council may wish to observe this anniversary
next year. Cities usually have some committee organize the celebration - volunteers, advisory
commission members, council members, and staff are typically involved. A simple way for staffto
recognize the anniversary is to place messages in City communications (e.g., stickers on letterhead or
envelopes, tag lines in City newsletter and web site ) for the year. Members of some. type of
committee could provide a wealth of other ideas. Funding could come from sponsors and/or the City.
Again, staff is seeking direction from Council whether the City should be involved. Staff can
develop additional ideas (including those that Council may mention at the work session) for
subsequent Council review.
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CITY OF
SHOREWOOD
5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD. SHOREWOOD, MINNESOTA 55331-8927. (952) 474-3236
. FAX (952) 474-0128' www.cLshorewood.mn.us' cityhall@cLshorewood.mn.us
MEMORANDUM
TO: City Council
FROM: Craig W. D~wson, City Administrator 0.D
DATE: May 5,2005
.- SUBJECT: Review of Ward System (Work Session Item)
On January 24,2005, the City Council received a letter (attached) from the "Ad Hoc Committee to
Review Wards". The Committee asked the Council to reconsider whether the issue of whether the
members of the Council should be elected on an at-large basis or from wards, and to giveit a high
priority on the Council's 2005 work program. This item was subsequently placed on the Council's
work program with a goal of completing a review by Qctober 2005.
Staff is seeking direction about how the Council wishes to proceed. If Council prefers to sponsor a
committee process, it should discuss who should be on the committee and what the Council's
expectations would be for discussion with the wider Shorewood public. Staff would then develop a
schedule for Council's review.
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January 24, 2005
Honorable members of the Shorewood City Council: .
Shorewood is currently engaged in an intriguing civics experiment, centered on the following question:
Does electing representatives from separate wards within the community enhance the government of a
small city such as ours? On a split vote in 2002, the City Council determined that the answer was "Yes,"
and put into place a ward system effective for the 2004 elections.
We are a group of past and present City Council, Planning Commission and Park Commission
members, who are concerned as to whether this was the right course of action. While we do not
question the intentions of those Council members who supported this approach, we continue to have
serious doubts about its effect on the political process in Shorewood.
The adoption of a ward system was one of the most important issues acted upon by the past Council.
Yet despite the magnitude of the issue, the Council did little to engage residents in public discussion
before the fundamental composition of the city was changed, at least with respect to the electoral
procesS. With virtually no fanfare, only two public hearings were held, occurring just weeks before the
Council's final vote. Only a handful of Shorewood residents attended those meetings. We believe that
the amount of public education and comment that took place prior to the Council's decision was
inadequate.
With the term of the new Council just beginning, we ask you to reconsider the issue of whether the
members should be elected on an at-large basis or from wards. We ask you to give the matter high
priority on your 2005 work plan. A progressive, open government should not be afraid to question past
decisions. We are confident that you will see the wisdom of reopening this important issue for further
research and most importantly, public discussion. Thank you.
Park Commissioners:
AfL r!Jtun1J
Sue Davis, Chair (474-2470)
5495 Valleywoo Cir
Steve Dz k (Past)
19570 Vine Ridge
PaJ~
Paula Berndt (Past)
55 Smitht oad (474-2677)
d"
at Arnst (Past)
~emp:;~~
Planning Commissioners
Jeff Bailey, Chair (474-3827)
60 eetwater Curve
Q~.
DonnaVVoodruff(Pas~
~nted Cove (470.: 832)
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