ARE YOU LIVING ON A PRIVATE STREETS?
PROBABLY A CONCESSION TO A VICTORAI DEVELOPER
Council voted unanimously on February 22^nd to direct staff to do further research and hold more discussions with homeowners associations or representa-tive bodies of Victoria neighborhoods in regard to the private streets in Victoria. 
The City of Victoria has allowed some developers, in some instances, in relatively new neighborhoods, to build roads and homes that don't meet city standards in one way or another.  Some-times the city allowed a developer to not meet road widths or home setbacks, for example, and thereby increase density not to mention profitability of the develop-ment. 
In other words, concessions were made to developers.  In those cases, a homeowners association was often formed to provide for the care of streets and other issues in a private versus public manner.
But after the neighborhood is com-pleted, its residents come to question why some city services, such as snowplowing or street maintenance, are being withheld from them, "the taxpayers of Victoria," or, in other cases, that they are receiving maintenance and therefore it must be a public street and not a private street.
Said resident Tom Vogt, a resident on Deer Run Drive and member of their Sunny Meade Townhome Association, "Our streets were built in 2000.  They've been sealcoated twice.  They've been snowplowed each time it snows for the past six years.  The city has been servicing the road completely - until within weeks ago."
City Administrator Dave Urbia said that after the city did an inventory of streets and determined which of them were public and which were private, the city stopped snowplowing the private streets.  There are questions related to liability and safety, whether the road is private or public.
Stated Councilmember Kim Roden, "I wouldn't want to drop this on people without any dialogue.  I'm disturbed that we just stopped plowing these streets a few weeks ago.  I wouldn't want this to happen to me as a resident."  She spoke about the need to follow a correct process in resolving the situation.
Councilmember Tim Amundsen made a motion to direct staff to enter into maintenance agreements, in particular with three private streets - at Zumbra Ridge, Kings Road, and a cul de sac at Deer Run - for a period of time not to extend beyond 2007.  Staff was also directed to come back to Council with a proposal for future maintenance of private streets and signage for those streets.  The motion passed 5-0.
Some of the other private streets in Victoria are located at Baycliffe, Virginia Shores, Foxglove, Savanna Valley, Gar-den Path, Greencrest, and Pointe Vista.

PREPARING FOR MORE RENTAL UNITS
AS VICTORIA INCREASES IN POPULATION
Tom Gray, Building Official for the City of Victoria, asked for direction from Council on February 22^nd regarding a rental housing code.  Rental housing is ex-pected to increase as the city grows.  The direction he received:  "Do some addition-al research.  Bring us more.  Thank you for looking ahead."
"The current code was written in 1997 and is based on complaints," said Tom.  "Someone has to complain and then we go and assess the situation.  I've been here seven years and we've had two com-plaints in that time - one from a renter and the other from a renter's neighbor."
He said an alternative is a license and inspection program.  "In Chaska, all rental housing is licensed yearly.  In Chanhassen it's licensed and inspected every two years.  In Shorewood it's licensed and in-spected every three years and also when a rental building is sold.  I'm just looking for some guidance," he said.
Although some cities have a full time marshal on staff to assist with inspections, "it would not necessarily mean more staff" for Victoria, said Tom.  Inspections could occur in the less busy winter months and alternate years."
Stated Councilmember Jim Paulsen, "Once we have knowledge, we have liability.  If you start this, there's no place to stop.  This can be a political thing ... I think we should let this sit for a while."
Councilmember Kim Roden stated, "I agree with Jim that it affects everything else that you do.  I would need to under-stand the whole picture.  I suggest bring-ing it back as a package."
Councilmember Richard Tieden said that a building should be inspected every couple of years.  "It's a pubic safety issue.  A string of apartments is a business ... We do things for the safety of residents, so people stay alive.  We're on our way to becoming the largest city in Carver County."
Stated Mayor Mary Thun, "I'm sort of hot and cold on this.  I don't like gov-ernment getting into everything.  This is going to cost us dollars.  Fees would have to be set high enough so we can recover our costs."
Councilmember Tim Amundsen said, "I don't know if inspections and fees in-curred are worth it ... We need a little more detail and also the line item.  What does it cost?  I don't want to incur the cost of a full time marshal with a population of only 5,000."

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