COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATES UNENDING
COSTING VICTORIA THOUSANDS O DOLLARS

Regarding large budget expenditures for the various components of the various studies required by the Metropolitan Council for the Comprehensive Plan, Mayor Mary Thun said, "I have trouble with this.  We want to think and we want staff to think."
Holly Kreft, the city's Director of Planning, said the updates need to include projections to the year 2030 and that "if it doesn't meet Met Council requirements, it won't be considered."
The Transportation Plan Update alone, which is the current mandate, is estimated to cost the City of Victoria $33,600.  Councilmember Jim Paulsen said it's important to do well in getting the job done, "but we don't need to be at the head of the class ... Let's each council-member look at the past Comp Plan of 1997 and see what's changed."
Councilmember Tim Amundsen agreed, "Roads haven't changed out here except for that big one, and that one's not in Victoria ... The Comp Plan payments will be here longer than us."
The request for authorization to do the Transportation Update was tabled.  It was "ditto" for the contract for the Water Resources Plan Update in the estimated amount of $33,300. 

RECOMMENDING BIG INCREASE
IN 2008 POLICE CONTRACT

Three members of the Carver County Sheriff's Department attended the May 24^th Victoria City Workshop, including Sheriff Bud Olson, Commander Jeff Enevold, and Victoria Town Cop Erick Boder.  Their purpose was to talk about the upcoming police contract for 2008 and make some recommendations about staff-ing for the City of Victoria.
Said Commander Enevold, "My goal is not to dictate or mandate but to recom-mend.  We appreciate the partnerships over the years."
Victoria's police contract for service in 2007 amounted to $281,000.  It was pointed out this is roughly equal to $94,000 per FTE, or one full time equivalent employee.  The contract being proposed for Victoria by the Sheriff's Department in 2008 would cost the city $393,183, including $11,000 for a CSO.  Mayor Mary Thun stated that the amount "will be a very important part of our budget discussion."
He said the response time for emer-gencies in Victoria is 3.3 minutes.  It's 2 minutes in Chanhassen, where they're paying for more deputies.  "It's a level of service you choose," said Commander Enevold.
Number of calls for service in Vic-toria in 2005 was 2,878.  The number re-flects criminal and non-criminal activities such as traffic stops.  The total increased to 3,502 in 2006.  There were 110 accidents in Victoria in 2006.
Currently Victoria contracts for 2.5 deputies plus a Community Service Offic-er at 7 hours per week.  The Sheriff's De-partment is recommending 1.5 additional deputies plus a Liaison Corporal for a total of 5 deputies.  This latter position communicates and coordinates issues with the deputies and the city.
Sheriff Bud Olson stated that a com-munity's population is no longer the only driving force in making recommenda-tions.  "We also look at other factors," he said, "like miles of tar, multi-family homes, types of businesses, if there are schools or hospitals."
"We'd like to get to the point where you have no gaps in coverage," said the Sheriff.  "We back up with patrol cars what you support.  It takes quite a bit of support to cover an accident, for exam-ple."
Councilmember Jim Paulsen said, "I'm not sure traffic calls and citations are the risks to our citizens.  I'm more worried about gangs, meth, drugs, things we don't see that can jump up and get us."
Replied Sheriff Olson, "It is not our goal to ticket everyone in the community.  But the community raises its value on the issue of citations.  You will see a different type of visitor and traffic pattern once the Highway (212) opens up."
Councilmember Richard Tieden, who pointed out he has been a probation offic-er for 36 years, agreed, "Traffic control puts the police in the position of seeing new people.  It can tremendously reduce the other types of problems.  It puts the police on the street and shows that they're looking things over.  Traffic control is a tremendous benefit to the community."
Mayor Mary Thun stated, "I get calls that people are getting ticketed left and right.  I kind of wonder if we're really working on the right thing.  There is also some feeling that a police officer needs to be a little more customer service pleasant.  That's from residents ... I think it's ex-tremely important that you're pleasant.  Flagrantly violating the law is another thing of course ... The citizens of this town still want the friendly cop on the corner and a true partnership."
Commander Enevold reported that 46% of the people being stopped are not getting citations, but warnings. 
Stated Sheriff Olson, "This is a con-tract.  What would you like to see?  What are your priorities for 2008?  We'll go get them."
He also reported, "The Carver Coun-ty Sheriff's Mounted Posse would like to do a little  extra patrolling in your com-munity.  It would be another layer of visi-bility, other sets of eyes and ears.  They are just wonderful folks."  The Posse is largely a volunteer organization, often seen on horseback at large public gatherings in various counties.
Replied Councilmember Paulsen, "It's a great innovation!  My word is give it a go.  Snowmobiles, bikes, horses, bring 'em on!"
Councilmembers will give their feed-back and comments about the proposed Sheriff's Contract to City Administrator Dave Urbia.

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