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The Victoria GAZETTE |
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"How many people do you serve?" asked Mayor Thun. Minnesota Valley replied it serves 34,000 households. Xcel said it serves 1.3 million customers in Minnesota. Said City Administrator Don Uram, "I spend a lot of time with both companies. I'd say it's important for them to continue maintenance. We will continue to have discussions. Most of Victoria's growth area is coming in with Minnesota Valley." Saiid Mayor Thun. "It's always good to see our service providers."
VICTORIA FINANCIALS REMAIN IN ORDER COMPLIMENTS OF CITY’S FINANCE DEPARTMENT Councilmembers approved the audited financial report for the year ended December 31, 2010. Aaron Nielsen, the city's auditor with MMKR, presented a review of the audit on April 24th. Some of his notes: There was a decrease of $6,000 in property taxes payable in 2010 (compared to 2009). The primary dollar source (83%) for the general fund is taxes. There was an increase in the general fund balance, which may decrease in 2011 Asked Councilmember Kim Roden, "Where do you see Victoria in compared to other cities that you audit?" Replied Mr. Nielsen, "Victoria does a very good job assembling information, and we get answers quickly." Stated Administrator Don Uram, "I want to congratulate Jylan Johnson. I'm convinced the city is doing well because the financials are in order. Jylan and Kelly do a great job for us." Jylan is the Victoria Finance Director. Kelly Grinnell is her assistant.
HIGH PRIORITY: A NEW PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING AND GOING TO CITY MANAGER FORM OF GOVT. On April 11th, councilmembers and staff discussed at length the city's goals and sub-goals that were identified at a February strategic planning session, as well as their shared values and beliefs. "We're fiscally responsible," said Administrator Don Uram, who continued that the Council is also action oriented, innovative, deliberate and is going to look at opportunities. In regard to a Public Works facility he said, "We're currently in a 8,000 square foot building. We need 33,000 square feet. We need to acquire seven to ten acres for that." Agreed Mayor Mary Thun, "Our Public Works building is so substantial it's hard to call it a Public Works building. For me, this is starting to be quite a priority. I'd like staff to put some horsepower behind this." Stated Councilmember Tom O'Connor, "I've long felt that way. It's almost dangerous. We need a new Public Works facility. You can't bring it to fruition quick enough for me." Said Councilmember Tom Strigel, "I would expect productivity improvement also, because that would help to pay for the facility." Said Councilmember Kim Roden, "We should probably deal with Public Works before City Offices. One is urgent; one is important." She asked if there is a possibility that Victoria could partner with one of the surrounding communities for Public Works needs. "We may not get the Public Works building we'll have in 15 to 20 years, like with a home," said Mayor Thun. "We may have to give up something for now that we really want." Agreed Councilmember O'Connor, "We don't have a federal reserve where we can just print money. We have to be very cognizant of our needs, what we really, really need." As for innovation, efficiencies, and outcomes, said Administrator Uram, "We need to keep our eyes and ears open like we did with the City of Minnetrista to provide building inspection services." "And we shouldn't assume we need anything," said Councilmember O'Connor. "A challenging mentality is appropriate." "I think we should be asking that on a regular basis: Should we still be doing it?" said Councilmember Tom Strigel. Administrator Uram stated, "Past councils deserve some credit. We partner with the Sheriff's Office, for example, which provides a significant savings from in-house police services. And Carver County does our assessments. Some cities do that in-house. A lot of cities are having problems because of service creep." As for being deliberate, said Mr. Uram, "By this we mean being cautiously optimistic. We also need to be encouraging people to do business in Victoria. Development and growth drive us." *** Six sub-goals were identified as part of Victoria's 2011 Strategic Plan. Some were deemed critical -- like a new Public Works building, a Street Maintenance Plan, Infrastructure Investments, and probably a City Manager rather than a City Administrator form of government. Not so critical: a Citizen's Academy and a Sports Dome.
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Sue’s Album A symphony of photos and fewer than a thousand words at www.VictoriaGazette.com |
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May 2011 |
