Victoria MN Newspaper

Floor to Ceiling

VICTORIA COUNCILMEMBERS

AND NEW CITY MANAGER LAURIE HOKKANEN

City Manager Laurie Hokkanen began her first day of work for the City of Victoria on Monday, November 10th. She follows in the footsteps of Interim City Manager Ed Shukle, who will stay on through November, and longtime City Manager Don Uram who moved on to the City of Wayzata this past July.

Laurie conducted her first council meeting in Victoria that very Monday evening. No stranger to the area, she was Assistant City Manager of Chanhassen since 2006 and is a resident of Chaska. "Thank you for the warm reception," she said on November 24th.

From left to right: Councilmember Tom Strigel, Councilmember Jim Crowley, Mayor Tom O'Connor, Councilmember Lani Basa, Councilmember Joe Pavelko, and City Manager Laurie Hokkanen.

HAWKES POINTE & CHEVALLE 17TH

WILL NOT GET VICTORIA MAILING ADDRESSES

Council approved the preliminary plat for Hawkes Pointe on November 24th as submitted by Charles Cudd De Novo. The property consists of 21.43 acres located north of Hwy 7 on Lake Minnetonka between Thornberry and Bayview.

Said Interim City Planner Ben Gozola, "This is straight zoning, no variances, and it's not a PUD." He said there will be 13 single family lots rather than 15 as originally proposed, mainly because of bluffs on the property. Individual wells will be drilled, and a municipal water line is also nearby. Both the Planning Commission and staff recommended approval.

Mayor Tom O'Connor commented that the residents of Hawkes Pointe will have Excelsior mailing addresses, although located in the City of Victoria. He said the 43 new lots in Chevalle 17th Addition that are located in the City of Victoria, will have Chaska mailing addresses.

"Are we really without recourse?" asked the mayor. "Who makes the rules? I'd like to change them. It's maddening."

Replied City Manager Laurie Hokkanen, "It would take an Act of Congress to change the rules. It's not only smaller communities that have this issue. It's all over."

ANOTHER WATER TANK FOR VICTORIA

UNDERGROUND IN AMBERGATE NEIGHBORHOOD

Council approved construction plans and specifications and ordered the advertisement for bids on a 750,000 gallon underground water storage tank to be located adjacent to Rhapsody Park (north of the ballfield), in the Ambergate neighborhood.

Bids will be received on December 18th with contract awarded in mid Januaray 2015. Construction is proposed to begin in March and be completed in February 2016.

Stated City Engineer Cara Geheren, "It's a one-year project. The reservoir will be completely buried. A slope above the reservoir provides for winter sledding -- not an elaborate sledding hill but one for little kids."

Cara said the budget for the tank is $3 million, which is the same as cited in the preliminary design. A new well is budgeted for 2016. The new tank, however, can operate with the city's existing storage facilities at Holy Family and the Water Treatment Plant.

Stated Councilmember Jim Crowley, "This is putting into play a whole new set of homes in Victoria."

Victoria Finance Manager Kelly Grinnel said the new underground tank does not call for a raise in the city's water rates.

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