MAKING PROGRESS ON LAND SWAP
BETWEEN VICTORIA AND THREE RIVERS
City Attorney Mike Norton reported on December 22^nd about the possible land swap between the City of Victoria and Three Rivers Park District. 
The two parcels are the city-owned piece on Lake Auburn and the park-owned piece near the Dairy Queen.  Swapping the parcels, each roughly 20 acres in size, would give the park more lake property and would give the city more Central Business District (CBD) property.
"I think the main issues are pretty much getting resolved," said the attorney.  "We need to get a firm sense of where the road is going to be.  We need a sense of what it might cost.  We need that bound-ary established."
The boundary in question would be separating the expanded Victoria CBD from adjacent park property on Stieger Lake.  The road, in fact, is proposed to become the actual property line.
"We need a legal description in order to transfer deed," said Planning Consul-tant Mark Kaltsas.  "We need an align-ment to set the boundary.  It would be just under $3,000 for this work.  There don't seem to be major issues.'
Council approved a horizontal align-ment and road cross sections at a cost not to exceed $3,000.  Three Rivers Park meetings -- their committee and board members --  are scheduled for February.

OTHER NEWS FROM DECEMBER
CITY OF VICTORIA TAXES DECREASING IN 2006
*Council approved the final tax levy for the City of Victoria for collection in 2006 totaling $3,107,083 and adopted the 2006 General Fund Operating Budget.  The budget's total is identical to that in the proposed budget, with revenues and expenditures at $3,297,455.  For a closer look at the budget, check the October edition of the Gazette online in the Archives at www.VictoriaGazette.com.
*No residents attended the Truth in Taxation Hearing for the City of Victoria held on Wednesday, November 30^th.
*The Lake Minnetonka Conservation District has recommended that the Metro-politan Council approve "Layout B" for the culvert between Lake Minnetonka and Lake Virginia in the Smithtown Bay area of Victoria.  According to the LMCD, this layout does not introduce additional public safety and navigation concerns.  It does not create additional traffic in a nar-row and shallow channel.  The LMCD has a concern that water in that channel does not freeze very thick and that snow-mobiles would be vulnerable to breaking through the ice at the channel.
  *Council approved the final plat for Phase One of Krey Lakes as proposed by Pemtom Land Company and Hartman Communities.
*Councilmembers approved an in-crease in sewer rates from $51 to $54 per quarter to help offset increased operating costs.  Effective January, 2006, the in-crease will be seen on the April bill.
*Councilmembers approved the ani-mal control contract with Country Kennels for 2006 at a cost of $3,500 plus fees for impounding and boarding.  Mary Thun pointed out that last year there were 15 animals that required the Kennels at a Victoria taxpayer cost of $233 per animal.  Animal owners pay $3 to license their dogs in Victoria.
*Councilmembers will hold their annual goal setting session on Saturday, January 28^th, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon at the MN Landscape Arboretum. 
*Town Cop Mike Kerber has been re-assigned to Laketown Township as an "east-west rover." New Victoria Town Cop is Erick Boder.
*City Planner Eric Zweber was ad-vised to check the city's sign permit ordinance to keep problem billboards and lawsuits at bay.  The city attorney reported there's a fellow going around who attacks weaknesses in various city sign ordinances and creates havoc through lawsuits, which are lucrative for the culprit.
*Garden Path, a 70-unit townhome development near the Field House, re-quested that part of its city-owned outlots be transferred to the ownership of their homeowners association, since the associ-ation maintains those outlots.  Council ap-proved the request on December 22^nd.  Stated Mayor Bohn, "We're not really giving away land."  Stated Mary Thun, "The public will be getting some benefit through increased value of land and prop-erty taxes."
*Council approved the request of Savanna Valley to have the city accept ownership and maintenance of the neigh-borhood's common elements such as streets and sidewalks.  They were pre-viously maintained by the homeowners association.
*Council approved a two-year win-dow for Waterbrooke Fellowship to build a paved parking lot at the church's property on Lake Wasserman and County Road 43.  Pastor Bill Bonner said that bids for the new church came in $75,000 higher than expected and the new parking lots will cost $75,000.  Waterbrooke has been generous to the city in many ways including donating a site for a lift station.
*Council accepted a major mainten-ance and repair plan for the eight tennis courts at Holy Family Catholic High School.  The City of Victoria helped pay for construction of the tennis courts which are open for use to Victoria residents.
*Council rehired Timesaver Off-Site Secretarial service to take minutes at city meetings.  The City of Victoria budgets approximately $12,000 for this service.
*Council approved staff request to hire a consultant to provide a telecommu-nications solution for the city, evaluate city needs, review RFPs, and be part of implementation and installation.  Cost of the consultant is approximately $5,000.
*Councilmembers sold two acres of the city-owned "Montgomery property" in Laketown Township to Carver County for $17,400.  The county wanted this land for a permanent easement for right of way for construction of County Road 10.  The city purchased 96 acres from the Montgom-ery's in 1999 for future city needs, perhaps a park.
*Councilmembers approved the hir-ing of Jackie Coffman as City of Victoria Finance Clerk.  She reports to Jylan John-son, the city's Finance Director.