OTHER VICTORIA NEWS FROM FEBRUARY
SUMMER CONCERT NIGHTS GETTING LINED UP
*Several groups have been signed up to perform at the City of Victoria's 2007 Summer Concert in the Park Series.  At this time they include Bob and the Beach-combers, the Teddy Bear Band, Mike Edward and Southwind Band, Diane Mar-tinson Music Inc., and the Barbary Coast Dixieland Band.
*The City of Victoria entered into an agreement with Icabod Productions for a rental stage for the city's Summer Concert in the Park Series.  Charge to the city is $600.  Other quotes for this service were $1,800 and $2,300. 
*Councilmembers adopted a resolu-tion supporting comprehensive road and transit funding in 2007 at the state level and encouraging local representatives to take action to acquire trunk highway funds for the upgrade of Trunk Hwy 5.
*Councilmembers approved a letter to the Metropolitan Council asking that a sewer interceptor being proposed to serve Chaska's future growth, be designed to also accommodate Victoria's future growth in that area near County Road 10.
*Councilmembers appointed Bud Hiivala, a member of the Victoria Plan-ning Commission, to the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Rules Making Task Force.
*The City of Victoria purchased a tarp for the Lions Park baseball field reno-vation project at a cost of $695.  Wind-weighted tarps eliminate the need for sandbags to hold them down.
*The City of Victoria purchased bleachers for the Lions Park baseball field for $12,684.  They include ten rows, each 27 feet long.
*Councilmembers adopted an ordi-nance that defines impervious surface as "any material that substantially reduces or prevents the infiltration of stormwater."  Certain percentages of property must re-main open for the proper runoff or reten-tion of rainwater.
*In determining exactly what is a per-vious or impervious surface in the City of Victoria, especially as regards an outdoor swimming pool, Tim Amundsen asked, "Isn't a swimming pool like the obvious impervious surface?"
*Councilmembers approved plans and specifications for the 2007 street and drainage improvement project and the ordering of advertisement for bids.  The 2007 project includes areas at Woodstone in Deer Run and also Smithtown Court.
*Roy and Joalta Geidel donated $50 to the Victoria Fire Department in appre-ciation for their services.
*The 2007 Victoria City Council voted unanimously on February 8^th to hire an interim Director for the Victoria Field House for a period of six to twelve months.  At the same time, Victoria will be pursuing a dual option for a long term, if not permanent, partnership with the City of Victoria in the operation of the Victoria Field House.
*Council directed staff to pursue options on the 93.5 city-owned farmland acreage in Laketown Township. 
*Verbatim minutes of city meetings will no longer be required of TimeSavers Secretarial Services because of televised meetings.  It will be a significant cost savings for the City of Victoria.
*Snap Fitness is a new tenant that has moved into space at the Kidtalk Building.  An ordinance amendment related to parking will be needed to accommodate the 24-hour fitness center.
*Council authorized advertisement for bids for the 2007 street sealcoating project at a cost of $76,600.  It includes several streets in Victoria.  An expensive polymer material will be tried as an experiment on some of the cul de sacs in order to address some neighborhood con-cerns.
*At a goal setting workshop on Janu-ary 22^nd, councilmembers set top priority goals for 2007:  1) Continue to develop the existing downtown and expand the Central Business District by developing newly acquired land west of the current downtown area.  2) Resolve Field House operational and management issues.  3) Diversify city revenues and tax base.  4) Complete the Comprehensive Land Use Plan Update.  5) Continue to create a Service Delivery Culture of Excellence.  6) Improve transportation and transit.
*Residents at South Lake Virginia Shores challenged City of Victoria assess-ments on road reconstruction, went to district court, and lost.  They have 60 days to appeal.  The city is entitled to recover costs of preparation and attorney fees in-volved in the lawsuit..