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Richard Scott, a consultant team planner for Carver County Health Partner-ship, also spoke to Victoria councilmem-bers. "This initiative was born from par-ents," he said. "It allows us to approach governmental bodies more readily. Focusing on after school time, I believe, is smart. There is a tremendous need for a place for kids this age to call their own after school."
He said 24 parents have already signed up and dozens of others have ex-pressed interest.
"This would be a place to go that's fun, with their peers," said Mr. Scott. "It's an alternative for kids not involved in sports. It's only four to five blocks from the Middle Schools. At this point we've secured transportation from the schools to the Youth Center and hopefully parents would swing by and pick up their children after work."
Stated Councilmember Tieden, "I think this is very much needed and I'd hope something like this becomes avail-able out to the west, like in Waconia. I think it's wonderful and I certainly sup-port it."
Councilmember Kim Roden stated, "I want to understand how this would affect our budget, especially if it's going to be an ongoing expense. Needs are going to go up, not down."
Stated Mayor Bohn, "I suggest Coun-cil consider this."
FLOYD'S GETS ITS COVERED PATIO
WITH A SPLIT 3-2 VICTORIA COUNCIL
After one more long evening of dis-cussion and debate on March 23rd, Victoria Councilmembers finally gave approval for Rick and Lois Plocher to construct a covered shelter on their downtown property for their downtown business at Floyd's Bar.
Victoria councilmembers voted 3-2. In favor: Mary Thun, Richard Tieden, and Mayor Jerry Bohn. Against: Kim Roden and Terry Bishop.
The three-season shelter will be con-structed next to the existing patio at Floyd's. The approval came with several conditions: They will pave their existing parking lot. They will solicit, in writing, use of an additional 16 (not 23) parking spaces from other businesses in town. They will not convert the structure to a four-season enclosure without providing additional permanent parking spaces. They will stay in conversation with the post office and dentist about a joint paving and striping project for the combined parking lots behind their facilities. They can get occupancy of the shelter prior to paving of the parking lot this summer.
City Planner Eric Zweber reported, "Every indication is that all parties are in-terested in getting the entire parking lot paved. They see value in paving it and that it will be better for business."
City Engineer Carra Geheren said it would probably cost around $100,000 to pave the whole parking lot, including curb and gutter and stormwater, "the whole picture."
Lois Plocher asked councilmembers for permission to use the covered patio prior to getting the parking lot paved. "Since we are working with everyone - the city and the other property owners," she said, "and we will comply with all or-dinances - if we could get a certain amount of time to get it all ready with the parking lot, we'd like to get this building going now and get our occupancy, maybe being granted occupancy if paving is done later this summer. The additional revenue would pay for the entire parking lot."
Some of the conversation over the next few hours went as follows …
Councilmember Richard Tieden: "One of our goals in the city is to improve customer service culture. There is not one thing Rick and Lois have ever done to not live up to their word. There's nothing to indicate Rick and Lois wouldn't deliver. When are we going to deliver? That's where the rubber meets the road …
"I don't believe this will cause one perceptible problem. These folks have done everything possible to meet our de-mands."
Councilmember Mary Thun: "We worked with parking for Tom Abts at Deer Run. The long and the short of it is that we gave Deer Run a dispensation. The Victoria Business Development Com-mittee will be coming forward soon to make a recommendation for lesser park-ing restrictions …
"We went through every [parking] hoop to get Kid Talk here …
"I have talked to business owners. I believe they support what Rick and Lois are asking for. They have allowed the city to use their parking lot for every event. I believe we need to take into con-sideration that Rick and Lois have been good citizens."
Mayor Jerry Bohn: "Ninety per-cent of our businesses don't provide any of their own parking."
Kim Roden: "I'm guessing this is going to be very expensive. Have they considered how much this is going to cost, meeting all these city and state codes?
"I'm not convinced that other business owners are happy with this. And I want them to find 23 more parking stalls, not 16. There already is a parking shortage. Terry Hartman says there is. This doesn't feel done to me …
"Governments are not always fast. Two more weeks to work things out wouldn't hurt anything and then I'd be willing to vote for it."
Terry Bishop: "I want to first see written permission from others for park-ing use, and for 23 parking spaces, not 16. We have a Planning Commission that rec-ommends 23. This is something new brought up tonight. I'm not voting for this …
"There may be some residents who are not as concerned about the downtown businesses as others. Businesses come to us and they do get help. I am not anti-business. Right now I don't believe this is in the best interests of the city."
Before the vote was cast, Jennifer Chapman, Director of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce, also spoke: "I've listened to this issue for the last four coun-cil meetings that I've attended," she said. "The city's parking problem was not caused by Floyd's. The city's parking problem is not Floyd's problem. Floyd's is a great company here in Victoria. We take one step forward and four steps backward."
The vote to move forward was 3-2.
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