Just West of Waconia on Hwy 5

952-442-5000

Sebenaler Chiropractic Center

Chaska  *  952-448-9908

CORNERSTONE Insurance Agency

David Barsness * 952-448-5028

8661 Deer Run Dr. * Victoria

952-443-2351

MACKENTHUN’S MEAT & DELI

St. Bonifacius  *  952-446-1234

Dine in Downtown Victoria * 952-443-2858

952-442-4411

“Trees Are Our Roots”

8099 Bavaria Rd * Victoria * 952-443-2990

Island View Dining

Waconia.  952-442-2956
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Notes and

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The Scoop

at City Hall

         Senator Ortman: “There’s no connection between the mandates and the infrastructure plan.  I’m a big fan of Craig Peterson but there’s a very serious problem with the Metropolitan Council.  There’s no way to sustain their budget.  I don’t know what their oversight is.  There’s no election.  I think it’ll take a group of strong cities to help fix it.  The big issues like this get under the rug.  They have to think about this on a much grander scale.”

         Victoria Councilman Tom O’Connor:  “How are we going to get thousands of people, with your required densities, in and out of the community without roads?”

         Victoria Councilman Jim Paulsen: “I think we have too much social engineering and not enough science ... and in particular GIS data as well as real world examples that what you are mandating has been done successfully somewhere else.”

       #4) To what extent does the Met Council staff review comprehensive plan requirements, ranging from affordable housing to storm water management, and the fiscal costs of its implementation?  Does the Met Council have the resources in place to provide support to the City to meet these requirements?

         Met Councilman Peterson:  “We don’t provide a lot of other physical structures than the sewer system.”

         Mayor Thun:  “We want you to take this to your staff and get a written response for us.”

         Met Councilman Peterson:  “Infrastructure outside the sewer is your responsibility.  Each governor approaches the relationship differently.  We want to mandate only the things we have to do.”

         Senator Ortman: “I’d like a copy and follow-up with the answers to that question.”

         Mayor Thun: “I believe the Comprehensive Plan is a guide.  I don’t go home and pull my hair out over that plan.  It’s not my Bible, but a guide.  We spent 18 months on our Comp Plan.  What do you believe it is?”

         Met Council Peterson: “I believe very passionately it is a guide also.  I think ultimately the market conditions will take care of it.  It is a guide.  The market will define how Victoria and other communities will grow.”

         Victoria Councilman Tim Amundsen:  “I believe the government is now our market guide.  I love the thought.”

         Rep. Kohls:  “This is not an attempt to sound partisan ... The State of Minnesota is now the largest employer in the State of Minnesota.  It’s a massive bureaucracy and I’m not sure how we crack that nut.”

       #5) The Metropolitan Council affordable housing guidelines recommend that Victoria construct 975 affordable units by 2020.  This would equate to about 1/3 of Victoria’s anticipated growth to be in affordable housing products and almost 100 units per year in the next 10 years.  How do you propose the City of Victoria will achieve this while needing to maintain its tax base?

         EDITOR’S NOTE: Affordable housing was alluded to in Questions #3 and #4.

         #6) With the reduction in permit activity in Victoria from a peak of about 19,000 in 2003 to less than 3,000 in 2009, how has the Metropolitan Council’s growth projections been revised to reflect this and the impact on the Capital Budget?

         Met Councilman Peterson:  “We have our demographer.  If we don’t do it now, we may have sewer issues in our homes.  We’ve had to drop projects.  We’ve made multiple cuts and continue to make cuts as best we can.”

         #7) Phase One of the MCES sewer project was very disruptive to the Smithtown neighborhood of Victoria due to significant construction delays and other issues.  What has the Met Council learned from this and what policy changes will occur as a result?

         Met Councilman Peterson:  “We’ve talked about this quite a bit.  What I saw is that we forgot who the client was.  We gave contractors too much authority without enough oversight.  It was a hard lesson.  Oversight and vetting has improved and communication.  We thank you for making it better.  This project in Victoria is making the Met Council better.  I think things have changed.”

         Victoria Councilmember Roden:  “I see the improvements that have been attempted.  I’m still disappointed that we have residents whose claims are not addressed.  I look at those homeowners and I’d like to see the Metropolitan Council step up and look at things like you’ve never done before.

         “The homeowners don’t call any of you.  They call us.  I do think there’s a solution if the Metropolitan Council wants to do the right thing.  At the end of the day, the project caused damage.  Let’s not put up the Berlin Wall.”

 

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City Scoop Continued

November 2009