Victoria Gazette - The Scoop at City Hall

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VICTORIA HIGHLY DYSFUNCTIONAL AND TOXIC

NOT HELPFUL IN GETTING A NEW CITY MANAGER

A special council workshop was held on December 28th, during the holidays between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Nobody attended except city councilmembers and city staff, and also Richard Fursman, president of Huelife, the firm hired to help in the search process for a new City Manager, and his wife Irina Fursman.

According to minutes recorded from the city workshop, "Richard posed the question to the Council of 'What should we do?' A contentious discussion took place and Richard stated this is a highly dysfunctional group. He stated he cannot write a positive profile for this position, as adding a City Manager to this toxic environment would not be advantageous and not a good use of taxpayer dollars.

TRYING TO DETERMINE VICTORIA CULPABILITY

WITH A FLOODING ISSUE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY

Once again, on January 8th, Council tabled the letter of demand from Chandler and Terri Carlson in which they ask for a reimbursement of $90,250 spent in correcting a flooding issue on their residential property located north of Hwy 7.

Carlsons contend there was no water problem on their property until the City of Victoria's 2009 street and drainage improvement project in their neighborhood. Carlsons spent their own dollars to resolve the flooding. They also appeared before Council on October 9th and December 11th asking for reimbursement.

LAKE ZUMBRA RESIDENTS SUGGEST SOLUTION

VICTORIA TO HELP WITH RISING WATER LEVELS

After discussion January 8th, there was a consensus among the four city councilmembers (Mayor Funk was absent), that it would be good for the City of Victoria to partner with Lake Zumbra residents and others, including experts they have consulted, to improve flooding issues in their neighborhood. Past heavy rains, especially in 2014, meant sandbagging and hours of work by Victoria firefighters to help home owners in protecting their properties as the lake level continued to rise.

VICTORIA DOESN’T WANT THE DUMP SITE

SHOULD BE LOCATED WEST — IN THE COUNTRY

Council consensus on January 8th (Mayor Funk absent) was for the City of Victoria to send a letter to Carver County opposing the location of a Brush and Yard Waste Disposal Site on Bavaria Road in Victoria. The intersection at that location is comprised of three residential neighborhoods and a gravel road.

CLOSER TO DEVELOPING THE 13.5 ACRES?

VICTORIA PRIME FOR SENIOR HOUSING AND GROCERIES

On January 8th, councilmembers received a preliminary design map of possible infrastructure improvements to the city-owned 13.5 acres. City Engineer Cara Geheren showed where streets, including the extension of Stieger Lake Lane, water, stormwater, trail, roundabout, turn lanes and accesses might be located if the property was developed.

ACCOUNTING AWARDS FOR CITY OF VICTORIA

THANK YOU, FINANCE DIRECTOR KELLY GRINNELL

"One of the most important things a city does is take care of the money," said Interim City Manager Doug Reeder on January 8th. "Victoria has had some outstanding work from your staff. Not all cities get this." Mr. Reeder was referring to the CAFR (Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting) and the PAFR (Popular Annual Financial Report) -- each of which are awarded by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). City staff most responsible for this annual award that the City of Victoria has come to receive each year, is Finance Director Kelly Grinnell.

VICTORIA LOOKS AHEAD TO THE YEAR 2040

GET INVOLVED IF YOU WANT A VOICE

Council held a joint workshop January 25th with members of the Planning Commission, Park & Rec Committee, Steering Committee, and others interested in the city's 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Not all members of each group were in attendance. Most of the talking that evening came from Britt Palmberg (project manager) and Bryan Harjes (vice president), a consultant team of the Hoisington Koegler Group.

Basically, the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Victoria to the year 2040 will cover most of the undeveloped property in Victoria, some of it not yet annexed into the City of Victoria. As pointed out that evening by Mr. Palmberg, "A comprehensive plan is a guide, not a law."

THE FULL SCOOP APPEARS IN THE PAPER EDITION.

The Victoria Fire Department

City of Victoria 952-443-2771

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