SENDING STAFF ON LEARNING TRIPS
AND THE BUDGET COST OF KNOWLEDGE
City Planner Mark Kaltsas received per-mission to attend a spring meeting of the Urban Land Institute in Baltimore.  A fall meeting of the Institute is also anticipated, along with additional continuing educa-tion and training of city staff.
Stated Mayor Jerry Bohn, "I'm not against training, but I'd suggest only one out-of-town session per person per year."  Jerry referred to the cost of sending city staff on such trips and city budget con-straints, including the loss of $80,000 in Local Government Aid
However, Councilmember Richard Tieden countered, "I think these are major needs.  I don't share a desire to put a re-striction on this ... We need to be know-ledgeable about what's going on in the country."  About the $80,000 shortfall, Richard said it was not very much.  "It's only 2% of the city budget."
Stated Councilmember Dave Lind-gren about approving the motion to pay for two city staff people to attend the Baltimore conference, "I'm going to vote for it, but I think $80,000 is a lot of money."
Councilmember Mary Thun asked why two city staff people have to attend this conference.  Replied Administrator Sarvi, "We each bring a different angle to the issue -- a city administrator plus a planner and landscape architect."
Spring conference dates are May 7th through May 9th.
Stated Steve, "We've got the extra funds, but we understand if the budget deteriorates."  The Urban Land Institute is a leading authority on issues relating to growth and development.

HOTDOGS AND POPCORN AT VICTORIA FIELD HOUSE
ALSO BRATS, PIZZA, BAGELS, AND ICE CREAM
On April 10th council unanimously approved the expenditure of $1,160 for the purchase of a popcorn popper for the Victoria Field House.  Also, the motion included the purchase of a hotdog roller on a rebate program whereby the city purchases vendor hotdogs and invoices are traded for rebates until the roller is paid for.
Other menu items will include pop, juice, coffee, milk, pizza, pretzels with cheese, nachos with cheese, hotdogs, brats, granola bars, bagels with cream cheese, candy, chips, cheese and crackers, ice cream, and yogurt. 
Stated Tammy Abrahamson, the city's Parks and Recreation Director, "I'm seeing this as a first phase to get it up and running."  She said the hotdog roller, which will also hold brats, polish sausage, and cheddar wurst, has a cost of about $700.  She said the coffee will be Star-bucks through Berry Coffee.
Councilmember Richard Tieden took exception with the limited menu.  "This is a health facility," he said, "but the menu does not go along with a health club."  He proposed the addition of turkey sandwich-es on nine-grain bread.
"We put millions of dollars into a health-type facility," said Richard, "and we should be able to sell to adults and children alike.  Frankly, it costs very little.  We can control our own destiny with what we put into $1,000 to $2,000 refrigerator unit for the fresh sandwiches.  What it provides the community would be pheno-menal.  We can have the other things, but this too."
Replied Councilmember Dave Lind-gren, "I'm not against sandwiches, but I don't know where we're going to get the people to buy those things every day."  Dave said he's been working out at the field house every day over the lunch hour and the population is rather sparse during that eating time.
"We still can't buy a good cup of coffee in Victoria," said Richard.  "We could have a menu like nobody else has.  This is an opportunity.  This is a small thing to ask.  What's a $1,000 item?"
"This is a field house, not a restau-rant," said Mayor Bohn.
Tammy repeated that her proposal for the popcorn popper and hotdog roller is only phase one for concessions at the Victoria Field House, and that a survey of visitors will be taken to determine what might be brought in for phase two.

IMPROVING STREETS AT ZUMBRA RIDGE
FOR ONLY $2,500 PER HOMEOWNER
On April 10th Council adopted an ordinance that established the Zumbra Ridge Housing Improvement Area, which allows for improvement of the private streets in the Zumbra Ridge neighbor-hood.  In simple language, it is a way to improve streets without meeting city standards.  This window of opportunity as provided by the state statute sunsets in 2004.
On April 24th City Finance Director Jylan Johnson reported that total cost of street improvements at Zumbra, including administrative costs, will be $125,000.  This amounts to $2,500 per homeowner.  Total number of housing units in Zumbra Ridge is 50.
The residents now have 45 days in which to vote down the fees or the project.  If not prepaid, costs associated with these improvements will be placed onto the property taxes of the benefiting property owners.

ESTIMATED MARKET VALUE UP 12%
INCLUDING NEW VICTORIA CONSTRUCTION
Not one resident attended the annual Board of Review, held on April 24th this year.  County Assessor Angie Johnson at-tended the meeting and presented some Victoria market valuation tabulations to Mayor Jerry Bohn, however.
Her handout showed a total 2003 Estimated Market Valuation for the City of Victoria of $604,347,000.  This figure includes residential, commercial, and new construction.  Last year that number was $531,225,700.  The increase in this EMV was, therefore, 12.1%.  New construction alone in 2003 amounted to $42,350,400.
Of the total 2003 amount, residential EMV (95% of total) is $572,971,000.  The commercial industrial EMV (2% of total) is $11,721,000.  Apartment EMV is $2,981,100.  "Other" is $16,673,90

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