He said that if work on the Parks Plan is to become part of the mutually agreed 20 hours per week for which he's been hired as a consultant to the City of Vic-toria, "Council would have to prioritize some of the things they want done."
Stated Councilmember Kim Roden, "I thought some of this work was going to be part of Mark's 20 hours per week.  Is this over and above the 20 hours?  I don't know what else in the city Mark is work-ing on."  In approving the motion, she asked that Mark use part of the 20 hours as possible to develop the Master Plan for Victoria Parks.
Councilmember Richard Tieden said, "My understanding is that this [Parks Master Plan] was to be totally separate from his 20 hours and it was supposed to be on a fast track for this year."
City Administrator Steve Sarvi point-ed out that Mark could start immediately on the Plan and get it done faster than anyone else, but if council desired, the city could "wait down the road."
Councilmember Terry Bishop said, "I think Mark has a history of the city and his work will be of high quality.  I think he will be honest and if it costs less than $14,000 we will be the beneficiaries of that."
Mark's proposal, based on 170 hours of his time, was approved.  It also pro-vides for successful implementation of the Park Master Plan once complete.

VICTORIA IS NOT BLACK AND WHITE
COMMUNICATING WITH THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL
Looking at Relationships

City Planner Eric Zweber reported on January 13^th that the Metropolitan Council has concerns in three areas regarding the City of Victoria:  density, affordability, and transportation. 
Councilmember Kim Roden pointed out that the Met Council wants higher density and more affordable homes in Victoria, which will add even more pressure to transportation and congested traffic.  She asked that everyone be aware of the relationships among these concerns.
Kim said that Victoria must be sure to communicate to and educate the Met Council, considering the fact they were under the erroneous impression that Marsh Lake Road was a four-lane high-way when in fact it's barely a two-lane gravel road.
Planner Zweber said that the City of Victoria will be given approval for 1,050 new homes between now and the year 2010.  This number includes 250 RECs that are available today plus 800 more being allowed by the year 2010.  One REC equals one home or, as City Admin-istrator Steve Sarvi explained, one REC is the average flow and strength of one home; this is in reference to sewer capacity.  It stands for Residential Equiva-lent Connection.
This number (1,050) does not include the amount of lots currently platted and undeveloped in the City of Victoria, which amount to approximately 350.
The planner also informed council-members that for every sump pump and drain the city can locate and get disconnected from dumping into the Metropolitan Sewer System, the City of Victoria will receive permission to plat an additional three RECs.  Planning Consul-tant Mark Kaltsas predicts the city will find at least 50 illegal connections, which means an extra 150 more units/homes allowed for Victoria.
Planner Zweber stated that the City of Victoria will be meeting with the Commu-nity Development Commission (CDC) of the Met Council on February 7^th, and with the full membership of that Council on February 23^rd.  He also said the entire scenario will be revisited with the Met Council in the year 2008.

Victoria city councilmembers and city staff met for almost three hours in a workshop setting on Monday evening, January 24^th, that continued discussion in preparation for the upcoming February meetings with the Met Council.  The city's planning department remains in contact with requirements and workings of the Met Council.

Comprehensive Plan
The Comprehensive Plan for the City of Victoria is a changing document be-cause the city and the times change.  Ac-cording to City Planner Eric Zweber, the current document is "good" until the year 2020. 
The Plan must be acceptable to the Metropolitan Council, which is respon-sible for providing sewer capacity for the population in the metropolitan Twin City area.  Growing cities need growing sewer capacities.  Sewer capacities are phased into areas over time.
Stated Eric at the council workshop, "The year 2020 is what we're calling the phasing.  It is essentially the life of the Plan, but we're always getting new num-bers.  Victoria is doing everything we said we'd do.  If the Met Council doesn't have enough lift stations, that's their deficien-cy." 
He continued, "Basically, they're telling us that our Plan does work, that what we've done makes sense.  They saw that the way we are thinking makes sense."
Planning Consultant Mark Kaltsas stated, "The Met Council plans in black and white, in high and medium and low density [population].  We explained to them that within our low density areas, we allow for pockets of high density.  We had to convince them that the best plan for us is a flexible plan … and that we let the developers and the market be determining factors."
Mark pointed out that even though the City of Victoria does not follow the black and white designation of the Met Council, the city still meets the goals of the Met Council.  "Now they are saying they understand our methodology," said Mark.
One of the goals of the Met Council is to achieve an overall urban residential density of 3 to 5 units per net developable acre.  That amount of density makes pos-sible the lowest cost and highest efficien-cy for maintaining and extending the regional sewer system, according to the Met Council. 
According to the Victoria city plan-ners, the goal has been meet in the City of Victoria with an overall projected density of 3.11 units per acre for undeveloped residential land.
Stated Mayor Jerry Bohn, "I have to commend Eric and Mark.  I applaud your efforts in convincing the Met Council that we have a good plan.  In 1998 we fought their MUSA designation and asked them to let us help decide where that line will be.  We see they've changed their pos-ture."
Eric said the city's Plan retains the good things about Victoria - "the parks, lakes, trails, the texture and feel of the neighborhoods."

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