CITY OF VICTORIA APPROVES COUPONS
TO DISPOSE OF NATURAL AND HAZARDOUS WASTE
Marcus Zbinden of Carver County Environmental Services contacted the City of Victoria about a coupon program that residents could use to help them get rid of compost material and household hazardous waste materials and appliances.
Each year the city receives around $4,500 through a county grant program for recycling purposes.  Victoria has used the money to fund the annual spring and fall cleanup Saturdays whereby residents dispose of grass clippings, leaves, and brush at the city's Public Works Building on Stieger Lake Lane.
On December 23^rd, councilmembers approved a motion to keep both options open and available to Victoria residents.  The coupon program for the Carver County Environmental Center and the past program of depositing yard waste at the site of the Victoria Public Works Garage were both approved.
It was City Administrator Steve Sarvi's suggestion to at least give the coupon program a trial run in Victoria to determine if there's a benefit to the com-munity, but also retain the compost site in Victoria because that program is familiar and growing, and residents have come to depend on it.
The coupon program requires Vic-toria residents to haul their stuff to the County Environmental Center on Peavey Road in Chaska, which is four to five miles from Victoria.
Mr. Zbinden said the Center opened in July of 2002 and it receives "pretty much everything that garbage haulers don't take."  The coupon program currently has about 1,500 participants per month, most of them from Chaska.  Chanhassen also uses the program.
Victoria residents will get a $10 coupon good toward a quantity of drop-off material.  Said Mr. Zbinden regarding fall leaves.  "We charge $1 per bag."
Councilmember Mary Thun pointed out that the Environmental Center is open many hours during the week and the coupon program spreads out grant money to everyone.  Residents will be getting additional information and details about how the coupon program works.

CITY APPROVES DESIGN STANDARDS
A GUIDE FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS
Council adopted a design and con-struction manual for private developments in the City of Victoria.  Subdivisions and their infrastructures are required to meet or exceed the intent of the engineering de-sign and construction standards.  Stated City Engineer Jack Griffin, "This is an important document for com-munity development.  It's a manual we use as our guide.  It's a book we can hand to developers' engineers."  He said it will be given to builders and developers as part of their initial show package.

PLANNING COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED
BUT NOT IN A VERY PUBLIC FORUM
At least ten people applied to fill three seats that are up for appointment on the Victoria Planning Commission, which is a five-member board plus liaison city council representative.  At a council workshop in December, councilmembers moved to make those appointments to the Planning Commis-sion.  But on January 3^rd, City Adminis-trator Steve Sarvi said he was uncomfort-able that the appointments did not occur at a regularly scheduled city council meeting.  He therefore hesitated to release the names of the people that the council appointed.  Steve said he would be contacting councilmembers and advising them to remake the motion and the reappointments in a more public forum.
Almost every Victoria City Council meeting, which normally begin at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays, is preceded by a Victoria City Council workshop, which normally begin at 5:00 p.m. without cameras and sometimes without reporters when not well publi-cized.

THE GALLERY AT VICTORIA
BRINGING 34 NEW UPSCALE HOMES TO TOWN
On December 23^rd councilmembers approved the a new subdivision to be called The Gallery at Victoria.  Located south of County Road 43 between Deer Run and Watermark, the 27-acres brings 34 new single family homes to Victoria, to be priced in the range of $650,000 to $750,000.  The subdivision was proposed by Platinum Development, a company working out of Eden Prairie.
According to Planner Mark Kaltsas, the southern part of the Gallery will be developed as a PUD because there is an extensive wetland located in that section.  There is a different set of standards for the north part and the south part.  Lots in the north must be a minimum of 17,500 square feet, or just under a half acre.  Lots in the south part must be a minimum of 15,000 square feet.
Stated Mark, "Flexibility provides us a good opportunity.  It works the way our ordinance is laid out."  There will be two accesses to The Gallery at Victoria.  One will be directly across from a Watermark access; another will be directly across from a Kelzer Pond access.  A road through the Gallery may or may not be extended one day further south.  There will be a minimum height of 10-foot berm along Co Rd. 43. 
Sidewalks will be constructed on both sides of the split entry one-way streets.  Each of two cul de sacs will be less than 1,000 feet in length.
A little Outlot C in the south part will be available for a tot lot or playground or open space.  In addition, Plantinum De-development will fork over to the City of Victoria $208,000 in Park Dedication Fees and also $78,000 in Recreational Equipment and Facilities Fees.

HOLIDAY STATION TO FIX UP BUILDING
ACCORDING TO VICTORIA'S DESIGN STANDARDS
Following recommendations of the Victoria Planning Commission, the Holi-day Station on Highway 5 in Victoria will improve and upgrade the exterior of the building it recently purchased from Mid-County Cenex Coop.  Stated City Planner Mark Kaltsas on December 23^rd, "That building was built before Victoria had design standards in materials, color palette, and lighting.  This will be bringing the building in more of a compliance.  They are adding masonry brick, blocking in the overhead doors, adding brick and concrete columns, stucco material, and they're painting the entire building, all around.  They put a nicer package together than what we have there today."  Exterior lighting and outdoor sign were approved as well.  The interior is also undergoing considerable renovation.
Stated Mayor Jerry Bohn, "It'll be a nice addition to the downtown."
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