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062804 CC WS AgP CITY-OF SHOREWOOD 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD. SHOREWOOD, MINNESOTA 55331-8927. (952) 474-3236 FAX (952) 474-0128 . www.ci.shorewood.mn.us · cityhall@cLshorewood.mn.us MEMORANDUM FROM: Mayor and City Council Craig Dawson, City Administrator Larry Brown, Director of Public Works ~ ,,/ TO: DATE: June 24, 2004 RE: Stormwater Issues and PoJices Over the past six wet weeks, Staff has be~n inundated with drainage complaints. These have ranged from minor concerns, to some very dramatic issues. A sampling of only a few of these issues has been included for the City Councils reference. Again, for brevity, Staff is including a proposed outline of subjects to be discussed at Monday's Work . Session. It is imperative that while a number of the photos included in the packet are dramatic, the questions has to be asked, should these type of events be the cause for setting new policy, direction,-or stormwater improvements? . Suggested Outline: I. Significant,Drainage Issues A. Shorewood Oaks B. Minnetonka Country Club C. Minnetonka Drive II. Storm Events vs Improvements A. Private Drainage B. Public Drainage m. Capitallmprqvement Program A. Rating Criteria for City Action B. Comprehensive Storm AnalysislImprovements? C. Capital Improvement Program Policies Staff will present these items for the Councils consideration at the work session on Monday night. *~ ft \.~ PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER To: Shorewood City Mayor and Council Members Date: 19 June 2004 From: Concerned Shorewood Oaks Homeowners Subject: Invasive storm water into the Shorewood Oaks Dr. Neighborhood From: 1) Shorewood Ponds Development 2) Freeman Park Parking lot 3) Freeman Park Ball fields # 1 and #2. Dear Shorewood, Minnesota Mayor Love and City Council members, On 14 June 2004, we addressed the City Council on "Matters of the Floor" regarding the above subject. We want our concerns to be on the agenda for the 28 June 2004 Council Meeting, which was confirmed on the 14 June meeting~ Once ag(;1in, our concerns that need immediate attention are outlined below. We as Shorewood Oaks neighbors have an immediate concern in stopping the raging river of water that continues to invade our neighborhood on the east side of Shorewood Oaks. The raging water occurs every time we get a down pour ofa large amount (1"+) of rain in a short period of time. This was witnessed by Mayor Love and Engineer Brown on Friday, 11 June 2004 approximately 6:00pm! This same problem happened on the 9th of June 2004, on the 30th of May 2004, as well as numerous times since the Shorewood Pond Development was built in 2001! We have an "Impressive" DVD video of this event on 11 June 2004! We have supporting documents of this continuing drainage problem, present and historical if needed, including a newspaper article that states a resolution to a similar problem in another Shorewood neighborhood. Our fear is that all this water we're dealing with, that comes from the Shorewood Ponds Development, Freeman parking lot and ball fields, could damage our homes and diminish the property values of ours and other Shorewood Oaks development homes, if this problem isn't solved soon! We are aware the Shorewood Oaks neighborhood has a high water table and drainage was designed to handle it, but any additional water on top of that further raises the table. You may recall, on 14 May 2001, we addressed this same council about the exact same concerns. Since May of 200 1, we have been in contact on and off numerous times with the Mayor, Woody Love and City Engineer, Larry Brown for resolution of these water issues, looking for remedies that have not stopped the additional storm water from coming from the Shorewood Ponds Development and Freeman Park! Those solutions were: In the Summer of2003, the city re-graded the Freeman field #1 & #2 parking lot, " to ensure the water slopes to the east end of the lot into heavy duty storm drains of ~horewood Ponds (because the city plan to pave, add storm drains, and slope water to the -east were scrubbed due to budget constraints in July 2002-What is the status of that plan by the way?). But it appears the parking lot has not been maintained as promised. In'fact, the parking lot was enlarged southerly towards the Osha property that provides an even greater flat surface and actually slopes dramatically downward that amplifies storm water rushing around the Field #1 outfield perimeter and into the "pool". In the fall of2003, the city added very inadeq~ate drains that can't handle the volume of water flowingbetween the Healy and Siverts homes and have failed miserably to send water into the street storm drains. Many of us have been in our homes 10 years plus and rarely had our sump pumps run or never had water in our basements until the year the Shorewood Ponds development was built. The trend is that once this water pools between 26030 and 26040, our sumps begin running! When there is no pooling, the sumps don't run!!! East Shorewood Oaks neighbors affected have been: Aslesen, Healy, Tiede, Morin, Siverts, Mulholand, Lantz, all closest to the pooling of water between Healy and Siverts homes! Here's the heartburn, since the Shorewood Ponds Development came into being three years ago, we've had nothing but trouble with storm water heading west, not east, from their development! We observe that a very substantial storm drain system was developed for Shorewood Ponds to keep them high and dry, while we're getting water from: Shorewood Ponds Park Lane, heading west to the park, through a now downward sloping parking lot that isn't being maintained as promised, and then we suffer from water coming off the ball field, pooling thousands of gallons of water in our yards and sumps run for hours as the pooled water is absorbed into the ground water. Then the sump pumps shut off until the next deluge!! ! We will, and have taken responsibility for what storm water lands naturally in our yards, but we shouldn't tolerate additional water from the Shorewood Ponds Development, Freeman Parking Lot and ball fields. Basically, the Shorewood Ponds Development was taken care of, but we have had to fend for ourselves and have lost thousands of dollars from damaged carpet and furniture, carpet removal, investments in larger sump pumps that insurance won't take care of anymore because of high deductibles, not to mention the psychological and physical pain, as we become hostage in our homes and fear every time it rains! We continue to have thousands of gallons of storm water moving from the Shorewood Ponds Development through to the Freeman Park parking lot, ball fields, and then into our neighborhood that pools between the Healy (26040) and Siverts (26030) homes and is absorbed into the ground. When this extra water settles into the ground water, which the neighborhood system isn't designed to handle, it takes 5 plus hours to pump out an estimated 100,000+ gallons of water from our sumps into the street. That shouldn't be our responsibility! The City of Shorewood should take on that responsibilitYHas stated in their mission statement. We also believe the city needs to provide us with an understanding of how our drainage system is set up, from what type of drain tile is around the houses, how it drains in the storm sewer, the street drains, where it goes, what direction and volumes it can handle. Ifwe had a wish list to resolve this issue, we would propose to the city of Shorewood a plan developed in the next 30 days, and implemented by the end of the summer of2004, so we don't have to put up with this in 2005! We would like to have the small ineffective existing drain between Healy and Siverts homes replaced with adequate storm water drainage like that of the Shorewood Ponds Development, with large culverts/drains. Also, please reconsider the shelved plan to pave the parking lot with storm drains. If that cannot be accomplished, continually maintain the parking lot North, West, and South sides, so it slopes and water runs to the east. So far we have been very patient on this issue. We believe that if each Council member had this high volume of water invading your property, you wouldn't be very happy about this either. We want to work this out peaceably and do expect immediate action to this problem. We are willing to consider legal action if all concerns are not addressed. Sincerely, Shorewood Oaks Neighbors ~ 6 i o .~ Q ~ o ~ ~ 2 .8 ~ ~ ~ ~ 1 o ('f) o 1,,0 ~ l;I) o g ..c: ! .s 5 ! o .,t::J 6 ~ ~ ~ ~ l;I) i9 . This is the pooling that occurs even with threesrnall drains. It is evident that they are not properly moving the water to the underground culverts. These are the drains ftomthe Shorewood Ponds development, which we feel is necessary for drainage in Shorewood Oaks. This photo is of the Freeman Park parking lot. Clearly there is a downward slope to.the west towards the Shorewood Oaks development. 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: Mayor and City Council Craig Dawson, City Administrator FROM: Larry Brown, Director of Public Wodes DATE: June 24, 2004 RE: Minnetonka Country Club Photos Mr. Bo Witrak, Owner the Minnetonka Country Club, submitted these photos. o PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER p ~ ,... \'!" jr f f'~::;; \ ~ ~ >1;, ~.it; , ,s, , ... O"V ~lh' " .....f.. ~;{"'. .. ','( ........ " r let."",",,, ,~ .,/1 ~ ~1lr. .", ~ ~ . ,\/'; '".", ~; $ ......., ,- ... ..,',; ,., ....... '.-.'- -> ,":/:y.;,"':. .,.... ',- " . .... '."- '. . ',." ,i,-'i ''''.'' ,.... ,';i:'~,: ' ..,........,.'.... ...." ."......::- :.:' ;' "" . -',':.,""'...'..... ' ., ".; ....,... . ".,..> " "'.':,,'. .....>,:..>:'.: :..,.." -,. ...... ..". "":',-';:".." :.-.-;.;' '. 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T:,'~;: .,..i.", "":;';" :,,"\,,',:;";'. .,,,,.,,,..,.;,; " ...,.....,',';::',;'.'. .;;:.. "." .....: i i~ ;:, :'." .:''-..: " '. ..r.t': ....; : i:"'.:!. .. "'..:'.)'.)~ ':'L35~'; ":,'/'~ " '.'" . ",'., '.'<i. " .~'- :.' e,,'; ....:);.::!;.:'., "":" .:' . ,.... .~(t.......... ........ , ," "',' , ':'~:,:::':. :....0". , , .', re.,':', ,~. .". .... ., "~ ':lj '-. '". """:' ' ..:. " .' 'i': ..,:: . "!- . .~, ;-' . ,,,:;- . ..... .; .",,", .,',....1 . '.: fl'~ .' . . .... "" .' . ....j :,:'.' .:.;:.. ,"",;,,-#,:-' ,.....,' .. :;:<'T 't{~:'.;..;".. i':.,> . '. .......... .......... <:;,~j~ ~..,d i,;,~ - ";, }. ., y ~ " ; ..... "...,}i;. ;0.,Y"..~f;;;C"ii'~';'; " d. \ ~ r \ ~\ '\ ~:t '. J..... ... ..~s~" ...... 'At.;:~{ :.~.,.~ /~..6 ~~~~ :"~4 ::-'~'P~: ", :4 ,,' - .'*~. fiti ) CITY OF SHOREWOOD 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD · SHOREWOOD, MINNESOTA 55331-8927 · (952) 474-3236 FAX (952) 474-0128 · www.ci.shorewood.mn.us · cityhall@ci.shorewood.mn.us . MEMORANDUM TO: City Council Craig W. Dawson, City Administrator ~ CJ? ." Bonnie Burton, Director of Finance ~ June 24, 2004 FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Approach to 2005 City Budget - Work Session Discussion Staff members have been considering items to include in the budget proposals and will soon start preparing them on budget sheets.for initial review by the City Administrator and Finance Director. As we go forward, there m:e some.areas where preliminary direction from Council would be helpful. Staff plans to follow the customary schedule of developing the tax-supported portion of the budget fIrst, so that Council can establish the proposed.(i.e., not-to-exceed) property tax levy for 2005 by September 15, as required by statute. The enterprise budgets would be ready for Council consideration in late October. The truth-in-taxation process, covering the whole City budget and property tax levy, would take place as soon after Thanksgiving as possible. The Council must certify the 2005 tax by Christmas. Le2islative Issues: ... The Legislature was nice enough to let City officials be accountable for their tax and budget decisions for 2005, and decided not enact levy limits for next year. This presents the Council the opportunity to act responsibly in one of two ways: to levy what is needed just for 2005, or to levy in a manner that.increases the base for future years if levy limits were to be re-established by.the Legislature. This is a key policy decision for the City Council. The inaction of the 2004 Legislature also results in the restoring the City's full Market Value Homestead Credit (MVHC) from the State in 2005. Shorewood's 2003 amount was approximately $85,000. The League of Minnesota Cities and Association of Metropolitan Municipalities are cautioning cities about MVHCrevenues in 2005. They note that the State will likely have a shortfall of $400 million to $1 billion for the 2006-07 biennium (which begins July 1,2004) and, as happened when the State addressed its budget imbalance in the 2003 session, everything will be on the table to be taken back by the State. ft '-.1 PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER #3 Preliminary 2005 Budget Discussion June 28, 2004, City Council Work Session Page 2 Citv's Fund Balance: As you will have heard in the City Auditor's report, Shorewood's General Fund balance is very robust. If one were to believe the standards promulgated by the State Auditor, the City's fund balance should be in the 50-55 percent range, not 65 percent of annual budgeted expenditures as it is now. One major strategy to cope with the levy limit (actually, reduction) in place for 2004 was to reduce the transfers to the City's tax-supported capital funds (e.g., the local roadway fund). Shorewood has been fortunate to be in a pay-as-you-go mode (i.e., saving in advance) for capital activities. This approach saves money by earning interest (which has been a good thing until the past few years) while accumulating funds, and not paying interest it would otherwise need to if the City issued debt. For 2005, we may resume transfers to capital funds; staff suggests that for 2005, funding be returned to ~'normal." As a strategy for 2005, if the "excess" balance in the General Fund were to be used to restore transfers to the capital funds, then the goal for the 2005 tax levy would be to limit it to an inflationary mcrease. General Approach: We would expect the 2005 tax-supported budget to be a general continuation of the array and levels of service that the City has been providing. A few major areas to note: . CPI: The latest data available for the Twin Cities consumer price index was an increase of 2.0 percent from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2003. . Continued commitment for investments in technology, particularly in information technologies. . Consider options to assist the City Engineer in handling project backlogs and mandatory reporting requirements. Some of these options may involve funding from enterprise operations. . Plan to restore the economic adjustments for employee compensation to prior years' levels. (Many employees are at or nearing the top steps under the City's current non-union pay plan, and overall pay adjustments are expected to lessen. · Include some level of funding for more focused planning and professional services regarding a larger city hall. Public Safety Issues: The EFD is looking at an increase in its operating and building lease budgets of approximately2.0 percent. Required levels of funding for the SLMPD "basic" or "enhanced" services have not yet been estimated. ~ 06/28/04 07/15/04 07/23/04 07/26/04 08/09/04 08/20/04 08/23/04 09/13/04 09/15/04 10/25/04 CITY OF SHOREWOOD Year 2005 Budget Schedule Descriotion Budget work-session (Council and Staff) Budget worksheets distributed to staff and department heads. Completed budget worksheets due from staff. CIP Budget work-session (Council and Staff) General Fund Operating Budget draft work session (Council and Staff) Preliminary budget completed. Regular City Council meeting. Budget work-sessiont if necessary. Regular city council meeting. Council adopts 2005 preliminary budget and levy. Proposed budget and levy must be adopted and certified to County Auditor by this date. State form Payable 2005 PT Form 280 also to be submitted. Enterprise fund budget work-session (Council and staff) 11/20-11/24 Counties to mail Notice of Proposed Property Tax by this date. 11/24/04 12/06/04 12/13/04 12/13/04 12/29/04 Budget hearing advertisement published in the official newspaper. City initial budget truth-in-taxation hearing. If required, the continuation budget truth-in-taxation hearing to be held on this date. Regular city council meeting. Final budget and levy to be adopted. Final levy and budget must be certified to the County Auditor by this date. State forms Payable 2005 Property Tax Levy Report and PT Form TNT2005 also due. . 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 SUBJECT: Proposed PoliciesIProcesses regarding Acceptance of Conservation Easements - Work Session Item One of the strong recommendations from the Land Conservation and Environment Committee was for the City to encourage property owners in Shorewood to playe conservation easements on their properties. One of the follow-up items on the to-do list has been the development of policies and processes for the City's involvement in conservation easements. After gathering information from other cities, the Minnesota Land Trust, and the Trust for Public Land, Planning Director Brad Nielsen and I have prepared a proposed document to guide this process in Shorewood. The proposed policies set expectations and give the City flexibility within them for individual cases. We believe they are consistent.with the" recommendations of the LCEC. . Council comments are appreciated. Revisions will be made accordingly, and a fmal version can be placed on an upcoming City Council agenda for formal adoption. :#-Lf o PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER 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 LAND CONSERVATION EASEMENTS GIFTS OF LAND TO THE CITY OF SHOREWOOD POLICIES AND "PROCESSES FOR ACCEPTANCE BY THE CITY Pumose: The City of Shorewood is a community that is fortunate to have an abundance of natural amenities. Lakes, ponds, wetlands, woods, and open landscapes are found throughout Shorewood. These elements of natural landscape are important to the character of Shorewood, and the City encourages landowners to protect the natural heritage in our community. " In 2000, the City established a Land Conservation imd Environment Committee, and charged it with identifying significant, undeveloped natural areas. In its final report, the LCEC underscored the bene:fits of the natural landscape regardless of its status as developed or not. It recommended that the City Council encourage private landowners to grant conservation easements or to make gifts of land to the City. Such easements or gifts likely will be portions of properties, rather than entire parcels. Policies and processes are described below to evaluate the suitability of land to be accepted by the CitY through easement or gift. Site Characteristics: The land to be considered must protect, or enhance the protection of, water features, landforms, wildlife habitat, plant communities, scenic landscapes, or public properties. These lands include: . Lakes, ponds, and" streams . Wetlands . Steep slopes . Erodible soils . Wooded areas . Open meadows . Natural habitats . Vistas of undeveloped land . Lands adjacent to City parks, publicly-owned or -protected open spaces o PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER City of Shorewood Acceptance of Land Conservation Easements and Gifts of Land Policies and Processes Page 2 Conservation Easement: A conservation easement is a set of restrictions a landowner voluntarily places on his/her property in order to preserve its conservation values. The conservation values of the property and the restrictions created to preserve those values, along with the rights reserved by the landowner, are detailed in a legal document known as a conservation easement. The City is qualified to hold and enforce a conservation easement. The City will consider acceptance of a conservation easement with the following conditions: . The easement area has at least one of the site characteristics described above. . The minimum dimension of the easement averages at least 25 feet, or has a coverage of at least 2,500 square feet (approximately 0.05 acre) . The easement area does not result in a deficiency on the property in terms of conformance to the City's development and zoning regulations. . The easement area does not render the property undevelopable in terms of conformance to the City's development and zoning regulations. . The easement area is clear of financial and tax liens. . The easement area is clear of or has an acceptable presence of hazardous materials. . Activities that might interfere with the conservation purpose of the easement are appropriately limited and identified. . The easement is consistent with the goals and policies set forth in the Conservation Open Space Plan for the City of Shorewood (the most recent being dated March 2003). . The easement is perpetual. Depending on circumstances and available funds, the City may undertake and pay for the environmental review and land survey of the site, the preparation of legal documents, and the recordation of the easement. Gifts of Land: A landowner may wish to convey property to the City as a gift. The City, of course, must agree to accept such a gift, and will consider acceptance with the following conditions: . The property has at least one of the site characteristics described above. . The property is an entire parcel. . A property boundary survey, title search, and environmental hazard assessment are performed. . The land is clear of financial and tax liens. . The City has the capacity to manage and maintain the property. . Public ownership of the property and any conditions in the gift are consistent with the City's Comprehensive Guide Plan designation for it. Depending on circumstances and available funds, the City may undertake and pay for the environmental review and land survey of the site, the preparation of legal documents, and the recordation of the property deed.