WORK BEGINS AT HIGHWAY 7 INTERSECTION
ANTICIPATING NO ROAD CLOSURES
City Engineer Jack Griffin reported on April 11th that MnDOT could possibly begin work on the intersection at Hwy 7 and Rolling Acres Road in Victoria by June, 2002. 
MnDOT received bids on March 29th, 2002, for the Hwy 7 construction project from east of St. Boni to Hwy 41.  The contract has been awarded to Ames Construction.  Work began on this $7 million project on April 20th and is pro-jected to be completed by November 1st, 2002.
The work will include resurfacing and widening of shoulders, realigning, and replacing bridges and culverts. 
For Victoria residents, the construc-tion work will begin with traffic control setup and reclaiming the gravel shoulders.  It is expected that the work will proceed at the Smithtown/Rolling Acres Road Intersection at Hwy 7.  The intersection work will likely start in late May or early June. MnDOT plans to set up the field office on MnDOT right of way in the vicinity of this intersection.
Construction work along Hwy 7 will continue through November, 2002.  There are no roadway closures anticipated.
Residents can monitor the traffic con-ditions, impacts, and roadway closures during this project at MnDOT's website at www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/construction.
On April 28th City Engineer Jack Griffin reported that MnDOT needs to acquire 946 feet of the city park located at the northeast corner of Smithtown Road and Hwy 7, and that MnDOT offered to pay $3,500 for the tiny piece which amounts to roughly $3.70 per square foot.
Said Jack, "This amount is consistent with the amounts used by the city for ac-quisition of property in this area."
In conjunction with the Hwy 7 recon-struction project, MnDOT is proposing to construct a new frontage road to Bayview Drive from the Smithtown intersection.  This will eliminate the Hwy 7 access from Iris, and Iris will be converted to a dead-end residential street. 
In this regard, a permanent roadway easement needed to be acquired by the City of Victoria.  This easement required the taking of 1,092 square feet of private land.  Council authorized payment of $1,200 to John and Mary Siegfried for the permanent roadway easement parcel.  The Siegfrieds' vacant land parcel in that area will now be just under 10,000 square feet.

CONSISTENCY AT KELZER'S POND
REGARDING SAFETY AND CITY ORDINANCE
Council reacted on April 11th to a petition from five families in the Kelzer Pond neighborhood, asking the City of Victoria to amend a part of its ordinances that govern waterways and traffic on its lakes.  According to City Planner Mark Kaltsas, the petition was brought forward in response to the new Watermark devel-opment planned to occur around Kelzer's Pond. 
Council voted 5-0 to not change city ordinances.  According to City Attorney Lori Miller, "It seems the city's existing ordinances address all of their concerns."  The concerns centered on the operation of snowmobiles, ATV's, and other motor-ized vehicles on Kelzer's Pond or on the land surrounding the pond, which is owned by the City of Victoria.
It was also pointed out by Council-member Gordon Simanton that the city has "already made many concessions to those residents." 
Councilmember Dave Lindgren add-ed that one of the signers of the petition has a son who almost got run over in the neighborhood on his motorized scooter and the sheriff had to be called.  "Their concerns about safety don't seem very consistent," said Dave.

OTHER NEWS FROM APRIL, 2002
MORATORIUM EXTENDED UP TO SIX MONTHS
*Councilmembers extended its devel-opment moratorium for a period not to ex-ceed six months.  It was passed by ordi-nance approximately one year ago with the intent to allow the city time to develop an updated fiscal plan, comprehensive sewer and water plan, and to complete several planning studies.  According to City Planner Mark Kaltsas, "Staff is in the final stages of completing the tasks estab-lished at the commencement of the mora-torium."
*The city's 2001 audited financial statements, as prepared by Auditor Steve McDonald of Abdo Abdo & Eick in con-junction with Jylan Johnson, the city's finance director, were presented to coun-cilmembers at a workshop on April 25th.  Council has two weeks to review the information and formally respond to it.
*County auditors reported there were 104 residential sales in Victoria last year with an average sale increase of about 14% and an overall increase of 11%.  Council action on the market value of three Victoria properties, as questioned by the property owners at the April 25th Board of Review, will be considered on May 9th.
*Council approved a resolution set-ting new fees and charges for business licenses, permits, and services.  The base level of the Water Core Facility Charge will be $4,500 applicable to all new con-struction even if platted prior to the March 1st, 1999, date that established the new water core fee schedule.
*Councilmembers proclaimed May 13th, as Arbor Day in the City of Victoria.  Boy Scout Troop #337 will begin handing out white pine and white spruce seedlings at 7 p.m. in front of the Acorn House at Diethelm Park on that Monday evening.
*The city received three bids on the barn demolition at Diethelm Park.  On April 25th councilmembers awarded the contract to Wickenhauser Excavating with the low bid of $2,950. 
*Councilmembers approved a resolu-tion providing for the issuance and sale of $525,000 in General Obligation Tax In-crement Bonds to finance the city's 2002 Stieger Lake Land Bridge and Street Re-construction projects.  Paul Donna, vice president of Juran and Moody, the city's financial consultant, said the city's "all inclusive interest rate" will be 5.28%.  The city hopes to receive grant money from the state to pay most of the cost of constructing the bridge.
*Bill Schwanke, who joined Victoria city staff on March 25th, was introduced as the new full time building inspector.  Seven candidates were interviewed.

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