MORE VICTORIA NEWS FROM MAY
GREENHOUSE AT THE HARTMAN TREE FARM
*Jeff Hartman received a conditional use permit to allow a 26 by 70-foot commercial greenhouse at Hartman Tree Farm on Bavaria Road in Victoria.  There will also be some retail space with plenty of parking space available.
*City staff was directed by unani-mous vote to negotiate franchise fees with private utilities in the public right of way.  Stated Mayor Thun, "Victoria should get a cut.  They come through our right of way, and maybe they'll let us know ahead of time!"  Such private utilities include cable television, electricity, natural gas, and telephone.
*Tim Amundsen asked that staff check prices for six scheduled city com-puter purchases direct from Dell rather than through intermediary sources.
*Council authorized an expenditure of $6,000 for outside accounting services to assist the city finance director with sev-eral projects through 12/31/07. 
. *Council accepted donations of $200 each from Cabin Fever Sporting Goods, Hi-5 Market and Liquor, ABC Family Chiropractic, Re/MAX, and Hartman Communities for the Concert in the Park Series to be held this summer in Victoria.
*Council accepted donations of $200 each from the Victoria Lions, Wayzata Children's Clinic, Power Systems, Carl-ston Real Estate & Land Development, Victoria Rose Floral, KleinBank, and Floyd's for the city's Concerts in the Park Series, as well as $100 from MN Rusco and $50 from Ken and Mary Erickson.
*City Engineer Cara Geheren report-ed on May 10^th that the city received eight bids for the Smithtown Road and utility improvements.  The bids ranged from $1.1 million to $1.2 million, which were all below the engineer's estimate.  "Con-tractors are looking for work," she said.
Low bidder at $1,090,145 was Kusske Construction.  The City of Victoria will pay $603,000 toward the project.  It's a state aid road.
*Individual homeowners on private streets will be notified by letter about agreements for maintenance or non-maintenance. 
*In planning for sanitary sewer ser-vice to the proposed future Corporate Campus Area as identified in Victoria's Comprehensive Plan, Victoria City Councilmembers voted May 10^th to keep all options open, including routes through Chaska or through Victoria.  Said Jim Paulsen, "This is a very very big deal and we've got to get it right."
*Jim Paulsen questioned $2,696 worth of oil changes for city vehicles in payment of bills on May 24^th.  The pertinent bills were set aside for review.
*Tim Amundsen noted that grass and leaf clippings blown into the streets from lawnmowers are a major cause of storm-water pollution.
*Council asked that Carver County include a library in Victoria as part of their five-year plan and prepare a needs assessment at the appropriate time.
*Jim Paulsen asked staff to determine if the city is getting good value for money spent on engineering services.  He will continue to seek a method of checks and balances for engineering costs.
*Council adopted an ordinance with Downtown Design Standards.  Prior to the ordinance, the city had established guide-lines.
*Council approved a variance for Richard McConnell for a deck with a re-duced shoreline setback on Smithtown Bay of Lake Minnetonka
*Council held a first reading of a liquor licensing ordinance that includes possible reasons for denial.  "A license is not a right; it is a privilege."
*Jim Paulsen complimented the city engineering staff but added, "We don't have checks and  balances when it comes to the engineer.  I'd like to have Mr. Urbia check this out.  There's no economic com-pulsion in our system.  This is something different for a city our size to be paying out these kind of bills."
*The Public Works Department will continue to mow the city's public lawns and hire two part time seasonal employees this summer.  It was learned that contract- ing with an outside service would be much more expensive.  Also, city workers will multi-task while, said Tim, "contract people will only do what they've contract-ed for."
*Council authorized two summer hires for city lawnmowing, Tim Amund-sen Jr. and Justin Burg.  Fifteen applica-tions were received.
*Holly Kreft will prepare the pre-application for the Livable Communities Act Grant, which could be used "for the trail the city is required to build, if nothing else."  Said Mayor Thun, "I have seen more grant things from Holly than anyone else in the last five years that I've been on the council.  Thank you, Holly."