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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Information Memorandum 12-16-2011CITY OF PLYMOUTH rp) COUNCIL INFO MEMO December 16, 2011 UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS Aquatic Invasive Species Meetings 01/18/12 & 02/08/12................................................................... Page 2 December 2011 and January & February 2012 Official City Meeting Calendars .............................. Page 3 Tentative List of Agenda Items for Future City Council Meetings ..................................................... Page 6 INFORMATION News Articles, Releases, Publications, Etc ... STEAM magnet school to open at Golden Valley site in 2012, Sun Sailor ........................................ Page 7 Final approval received for a new Sheriff's Office 911 Emergency Communications Center, News Release, Henn. Cty. Sheriff's Office.................................................................................... Page 9 The world's schoolmaster, submitted by Councilmember Willis........................................................ Page 11 MEETING MINUTES EQC Minutes 11/09/11...................................................................................................................... Page 13 CORRESPONDENCE Property Notice RE: Terra Vista Plan for GWS Land Development (2011095) ............................... Page 15 ATTACHMENTS Proposed Hollydale 115 Kilovolt transmission line rebuild project information .............................. Page 16 From: Terrie Christian [mailto:terriepc@msn.com] Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2011 3:20 PM To: Dave Haas; 'Gary Nelson (Home)'; Larry Mcgough; Lee Keeley; Mike McLaughlin; Christian Dahlberg; Pat Wulff; Brad (RBC Wealth Mgmt) Spencer; Joe Baker; Dick Osgood; Travis Theiss; John Barten; George Schneider Cc: 'Alex Gehrig'; Lois Sinn Lindquist; Molly Zins; bill.wfs@comcast.net; Diane Hulke; Gary Holter; Holly Martin; Jim Goetz; julierumsey@comcast.net; Karen Berge; Kevin Christian; Kip Leonard; Teri Haberman; Tom Gallagher; Eric Evenson; Ted & Dale Hoshal; Ginny Black; Karen Jaeger; Amy Herbert; Council Members; Mary Anne Young Subject: Re: W. METRO AREA LAKES MEETINGS SCHEDULED Two Meetings have been scheduled to address Aquatic Invasive Species concerns of West Metro Area Lakes. These meetings are being hosted by the Association of Medicine Lake Area Citizens (AMLAC). Meeting 1 is scheduled just for the lake association members to plan for the next meeting with Three Rivers Parks District, the Cities and the watersheds. Date: January 18, 2012 Time: 7 to 9 p.m. Place: City Hall, Plymouth, Medicine Lake Room Meeting 2 is scheduled for lake associations to meet with Three Rivers Parks District, your respective watershed commissioners or district board members and the city councils. Date: February 8, 2012 Time: 7 to 9 p.m. Place: Plymouth City Hall. Medicine Lake Room If you have not already communicated with me with the number from your respective organization planning to attend, please do so for our planning purposes. This is not a COLA, but two meetings to come together to figure out policies and funding solutions that work to protect our water resources. There is no cost for these meetings. Terrie Christian President Association of Medicine Lake Area Citizens www.amlac.org Page 2 City of Plymouth Adding Quality to Life December 2011 Modified on 12116111 Page 3 1 2 3 4 2:00-5:00 PM 5 6 7 7:00 PM 8 7:00 PM 9 10 OLD FASHIONED PLANNING PARK Et REC CHRISTMAS COMMISSION ADVISORY Plymouth Historical MEETING COMMISSION Society Building Council Chambers (PRAC) MEETING Council Chambers 11 12 13 6:00 PM 14 7:00 PM 15 16 17 SPECIAL COUNCIL ENVIRONMENTAL MEETING QUALITY City Manager COMMITTEE (EQC) Evaluation MEETING Medicine Lake Room Council Chambers 7:00 PM 7:00 PM CHARTER REGULAR COUNCIL COMMISSION MEETING ANNUAL MEETING Council Chambers Medicine Lake Room 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 CANCELLED HRA MEETING Medicine Lake Room Chanukah CHRISTMAS EVE Begins at Sunset 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 CITY OFFICES NEW YEAR'S EVE CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY Modified on 12116111 Page 3 r�Plymouth Adding Quality to Life January 2012 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 6:00 PM 7:00 PM NEW YEAR'S DAY SPECIAL COUNCIL PLANNING Observed MEETING NEW YEAR'S DAY Discuss Proposals for COMMISSION Peony Lane/Lawndale MEETING CITY OFFICES Lane Project Council Chambers CLOSED Medicine Lake Room 8 9 10 5:30 PM 11 12 13 14 7:00 PM 7:00 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL ENVIRONMENTAL PARK $ REC MEETING* QUALITY ADVISORY Medicine Lake Room COMMITTEE COMMISSION 7:00 PM (EQC) MEETING (PRAC) MEETING REGULAR COUNCIL Council Chambers Council Chambers MEETING Council Chambers 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 6:00 PM 7:00 PM 5:00 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL PLANNING SKATE WITH THE MARTIN LUTHER MEETING COMMISSION MAYOR KING JR. Discuss Council Goals MEETING Parkers Lake BIRTHDAY and Legislative Priorities for 2012 Council Chambers Observed Medicine Lake Room CITY OFFICES CLOSED 22 23 24 5:30 PM 25 26 27 28 7.00 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL PLYMOUTH 7:00 PM MEETING ADVISORY HRA MEETING Discuss Private Utilities COMMITTEE ON Medicine Lake Room for Silverthorn Medicine Lake Room TRANSIT (PACT) STUDY SESSION 7:00 PM Medicine Lake Room REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers 29 30 31 *Receive update from ,the Citv's prosecutor Modified on 12116111 CHANGES ARE NOTED IN RED Page 4 r�Plymouth Adding Quality to Life February 2012 Modified on 12116111 Page 5 1 2 3 4 7:00 PM 6:00 PM PLANNING BOARD AND 2:00 PM COMMISSION COMMISSION FIRE 8 ICE MEETING RECOGNITION FESTIVAL Council Chambers EVENT Parkers Lake Plymouth City Hall 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM PRECINCT ENVIRONMENTAL PARK It REC CAUCUSES QUALITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE COMMISSION (EQC) MEETING (PRAC) MEETING Council Chambers Council Chambers 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL PLANNING HUMAN RIGHTS MEETING COMMISSION COMMITTEE Council Chambers MEETING MEETING Council Chambers Medicine Lake Room 19 20 21 2 2 7:00 PM 23 7:00 PM 24 25 6:00 PM POLICE DEPT. SPECIAL COUNCIL PLYMOUTH ANNUAL PRESIDENTS MEETING ADVISORY RECOGNITION DAY Discuss Fire Study COMMITTEE ON EVENT Medicine Lake Room TRANSIT (PACT) Plymouth Creek MEETING Center CITY OFFICES Medicine Lake Room 7:00 PM CLOSED HRA MEETING Medicine Lake Room 26 27 28 29 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers Modified on 12116111 Page 5 Tentative Schedule for City Council Agenda Items January 3, Special, 6:00 p.m., Medicine Lake Room • Review proposals for Peony Lane/Lawndale Lane extension project (10015) January 10, Special, 5:30 p.m., Medicine Lake Room • Receive update from City's prosecutor January 10, Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers • Appoint 2012 Health Officer • Appoint 2012 City Council Secretary • Appoint 2012 Official Depositories • Designate 2012 Official Newspaper • Adopt amended Policy Regulating the Use of City Facilities • Planned Unit Development amendment for improvements to Plymouth Station Auto Center at 16825 County Road 24 (2011072) (Tabled from December 13, 2011) January 17, Special, 6:00 p.m., Medicine Lake Room • Discuss Council goals and legislative priorities for 2012 January 24, Special, 5:30 p.m., Medicine Lake Room • Discuss private utilities for Silverthorne January 24, Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers • Approve 2012 Liquor License Renewals • Announce Fire and Ice Festival, February 4 at Parkers Lake Park February 2, Special, 6:00 p.m., Medicine Lake Room and Council Chambers • Board and Commission Recognition Event February 14, Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers February 21, 6:00 p.m., Medicine Lake Room • Discuss Fire Study February 28, Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers March 13, Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers • Announce Environmental Quality Fair on March 22 at Kimberly Lane Elementary School March 27, Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers Note: Special Meeting topics have been set by Council; all other topics are tentative. Page 6 Page 1 of 2 New Hope > News STEAM magnet school to open at Golden Valley site I Print Page in 2012 By Sue Webber - Sun newspapers Published: Thursday, December 15, 2011 10:00 AM CST A new $2.1 million STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) magnet program will open in the fall of 2012 at Olson School, 1751 Kelly Drive, Golden Valley. The Robbinsdale District 281 School Board approved the new magnet program Dec. 5, after months of study. The Olson building was closed as an elementary school in 1980 due to declining enrollment, and since has housed a variety of programs on an interim basis. A district committee studying Robbinsdale Area Schools' facilities earlier recommended that the Olson building be retained. Lori Simon, the district's executive director for educational services, said the STEAM magnet program is a response to the district's efforts to enhance revenue by increasing enrollment or developing a magnet program. One-third of the enrolling students are expected to be nonresidents. The $2.17 million expenditure would be partially offset by $1.25 million in open -enrollment revenue. "We charged our superintendent with making us a district of choice in the metro area," Board Chair Barb Van Heel said. "We hope eventually those who open enroll might move into the community." Potential grants could offset start-up costs, Simon said. STEM schools have become popular across the country, but the addition of the arts element is less common. "There is a growing body of interest and work in how the arts can integrate with STEM," Simon said. In addition to slowing declining enrollment and attracting nonresident students, officials believe the magnet will create more choices for families and more professional opportunities for the current district staff, as well as generating revenue, encouraging community partnerships and addressing space needs in its elementary buildings. Administration's "paramount concern," Supt. Aldo Sicoli said earlier, is that the student body may not reflect the diversity in the district. Every third-, fourth- and fifth -grade teacher in the district currently is receiving STEM training, Sicoli said. "That's pretty amazing," he said. "Most schools can't say their teachers have received that kind of training." Page 7 http://www.mnsun.com/articles/2011/12/16/new—hope/news/rs I 5steam.prt 12/16/2011 Page 2 of 2 The in-depth training is yearlong, according to Gayle Walkowiak, District 281's executive director for teaching and learning. It requires the teachers to meet 16 times during the year to plan and omplement in the classroom. "At the state level, engineering has been embedded into the K-12 curriculum," Walkowiak said. "We never used to think about that as a K-12 program." The new STEAM magnet school will provide "an incubator where they'll be four or five steps ahead of us," Walkowiak said. The Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley is an existing example of how arts can be integrated into the curriculum, Walkowiak said. "They infuse art into everything," she said. "They have figured out some nice processes that can be transferred to the elementary level." Sicoli said district officials would be monitoring the STEAM school's development very closely. In the meantime, Sicoli said, the timeline is short. The School Board will be asked to approve an enrollment policy for the school in January, and a parent information night will be scheduled in mid-February, he said. Boardmember Sherry Tyrrell said she is excited about the opportunity to offer a STEAM school. "It comes down to choices that our community is asking for," Tyrrell said. "This program is different from our other schools, but that doesn't mean it's better." The STEAM magnet program will not be a traditional neighborhood school, however, as Boardmember Helen Bassett pointed out. "I think there's a real synergy between science and the arts," Boardmember Tom Walsh said. Copyright© 2011 -Sun Newspapers [x] Close Window Page 8 http://www.mnsun.com/articles/2011/12/16/new—hope/news/rs I 5steam.prt 12/16/2011 HENNEPIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE News Release Final approval received for a new Sheriffs Office 911 Emergency Communications Center Media Contact: Lisa Kiava (612)919-5918 December 13, 2011— Today, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office received the final approval needed to begin construction on a new Sheriff's Office 911 Emergency Communications Facility. The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners voted to approve the schematic design. "When you call 911, our dispatching system must send emergency services without delay," said Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, "This is a critical service and we must have the needed infrastructure in order to provide this service in a way that is always reliable and uninterrupted." The new Sheriff's Office 911 Emergency Communications Facility will be located in Plymouth on county -owned land adjacent to the Hennepin County Adult Correctional Facility. Ground breaking will take place later next year -- with occupancy expected in 2014. "This is an important project for our own police and fire departments that rely on consistent emergency communications service from the Sheriff's Office each and every day," said Plymouth Mayor Kelli Slavik, in reference to a council resolution passed on April 12, 2011. At its current 911 facility in Golden Valley, the Sheriff's Office operates one of the largest consolidated public safety answering points in the Upper Midwest. Sheriff's Office personnel dispatch for 19 fire departments and 23 police agencies in 36 communities. (MORE) Page 9 There is an urgent need to replace the Golden Valley facility because the building cannot support the infrastructure and technology requirements of providing uninterrupted public safety communications in the future. The Sheriff's Office facility in Golden Valley is 64 -years -old. Consideration and planning for the new facility has been taking place over the past seven years and the project has received widespread support. State legislators have recognized that this is a regional project with statewide significance. As a result, legislators agreed to contribute $4.7 million in state bonding. Resolutions of support were adopted by thirty-four city councils, in cities that receive Sheriff's Office dispatch services, including Plymouth. The new Sheriff's Office 911 Emergency Communications Facility in Plymouth will be 59,200 square feet and it is budgeted at $33.75 million. Besides a 911 dispatch center, the facility will also include space for several emergency communications services that the Sheriff's Office provides to residents and first responders: • Sheriff's Radio Systems Operations and Technical Services: The unit maintains the communications equipment in police, fire, emergency medical, and public works vehicles for agencies throughout the county. • Critical Infrastructure Radio and Data Network Center: The center is one of six sites in Minnesota which hosts the statewide ARMER radio system and it is an important component in the overall statewide emergency radio network. For media questions, contact PIO Lisa Kiava at 612-919-5918 or lisa.kiavagco.hennepin.mn.us See attachment for the schematic design. Page 10 G� HOW A GERMAN SCIENTIST is using 9T%QAC test data to revolutionize global learning �Y THE WORLD'S SCHOOLMASTER ARLIER THIS YEAR, delegations from 16 countries and regions met at the Hilton New York for an unprecedent- ed exchange of ideas and angst: an off-the-record summit on how to improve teach- ing. For nearly 10 hours, the educa- tion ministers of places ranging from Hong Kong to the United Kingdom sat beside their teachers -union leaders and haltingly traded stories of successes and failures. Even the Japanese delegation made it, despite the 9.0 earthquake that had racked their country less than a week be- fore. (They had slept in their offices to ensure they'd make their flights) One person at the table, however, was not representing any country: Andreas Schleicher, quietly tapping notes into his computer, was there on behalf of children everywhere—or at least on behalf of thein data. And without him, the meeting never would have happened. A rail -thin man with blue eyes, white hair, and a brown Alex Trebek mustache, Schleicher works for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Devel- opment, a bureaucrat without portfolio. And in recent years, he has become the most influential education expert you've never heard of. Arne Duncan, President Obama's secretary of education, consults with Schleicher and uses his work to compel change at the federal and state levels. "He understands the global issues and challenges as well as or better than anyone I've met," Duncan said to me. "And he tells me the truth." This year, U.K. Education Secretary Michael Gove called Schle- icher "the most important man in English education"—never By AMANDA RIPLEY mind that Schleicher is German and lives in France. The story of how an introverted German scientist came to judge and counsel schools around the world is an improbable one. As a mediocre student in Hamburg, Schleicher did not particularly care about his class- es—to the distress of his father, who was a professor of education. Later, at an alternative high school, teach- ers encouraged Schleicher's fascina- tion with science and math, and his grades improved, He finished at the top of his class, even winning a na- tional science prize. At the Univer- sity of Hamburg; Schleicher studied physics. He had no interest in his father's field, considering it too soft. Then, out of curiosity, he sat in on a lecture by Thomas Neville Postleth- waite, who called himself an "educational scientist" Schle- icher was captivated. Here was a man who claimed he could analyze a soft subject in a hard way, much the way a physicist might study schools. At the time, 1986, the education estab- lishment was dominated by tradition, theories, and ideology. "You had people dealing with every subject," Schleicher tells me, "except looking at reality," Schleicher's father did not approve. "His feeling was that you can't measure what counts in education—the human qualities." But Schleicher began collaborating with Postle- thwaite anyway, creating the first international reading test. Back then, countries subjected only small numbers of select students to such tests—or abstained from sampling altogether. "I remember everyone telling you, 'We have the best educa- tion system in the world,"' Schleicher says. To his data -driven mind, this was madness. How can everyone be the best? Andreas Schleicher is the most influential education expert you've never heard of. THE ATLANTIC JULY/AUGUST 2011 109 Page 11 In April 1996, after Schleicher had joined the OECD, he and his colleagues pitched the idea of designing a smarter, more ambitious test than any that had preceded it—a way to shift the OECD frons measuring inputs (like spending on schools) to outputs (how much kids learn). Many education ministers were skeptical, but Thomas Alexander, Schlei- cher's boss, convinced them that their countries could not remain economically* competitive unless they could measure what their students actually knew. Ultimately, in the spring of 2000, nearly all 30 OECD members signed on, plus several other countries: 15 -year- olds from 32 countries took the Prograrmne for International Student Assessment (PISA). The exam tested more same -aged students in more developed countries than any other. And it measured not students' retention of facts, but their readiness for "knowledge worker" jobs—their ability to think critically and solve real-world problems. The results were so stunning that international news- papers leaked the rankings. The United States rang in somewhere above Greece and below Canada, a middling performance we've repeated every round since. To the as- tonishment of the Germans, wvho had believed their system among the best in the world, Germany ranked even lower. U.S. officials defended their schools—blaming poor per- formance on the relative prevalence of immigrant families in the United States. But Schleicher and his colleagues noted that native-born Americans performed just as unimpressive- ly. In fact, worldwide, the share of children from immigrant backgrounds explains only 3 percent of the variance between countries. A country's wealth does not predict success, either. Gross domestic product per capita predicts only 6 percent of the difference in scores. Schleicher also noticed, however, that in the US. in particular, poverty was destiny. Low-in- come American students did (and still do) much worse than high-income ones on PISA. But poor kids in Finland and Canada do far better relative to their more privileged peers, despite their disadvantages. In Germany, the test became a household name and in- spired a prime -time TV quiz showy, The Purr Show. Even Schle- icher's father began taking his work more seriously. Mean- while, Schleicher visited dozens of schools and pored over the data. He concluded that the best school systems became great after undergoing a series of crucial changes. They made their teacher -training schools much more rigorous and selec- tive; they put developing high-quality principals and teach- ers above efforts like reducing class size or equipping sports teams; and once they had these well-trained professionals in place, they found ways to hold the teachers accountable for results while allowing creativity in their methods. Notably, in every case, these school systems devoted equal or more resources to the schools with the poorest kids. These days, Schleicher travels the world with a Power- Point presentation detailing his findings. It seems to have more data points embedded in its scatter plots than our gal- axy has stars. When his audiences get distracted by the tribal disputes that plague education, he returns to the facts with a polite smile, like C-31`0 with a slight German accent. He likes to end his presentation with a slide that reads, in a con- tinuously scrolling ticker, "Without data, you are just another 110 .IULYJAUGUST 2011 THE ATLANTIC person with an opinion,.. Without data, you are j ust another person with an opinion..." Still, on almost evert continent, Schleicher and PISA pro- voke a chords of critics. In the U.S., Mark Schneider, a vice president at the American Institutes for Research and a for- mer member of PISA's governing board, calls Schleicher "a remarkably good salesman," but says the test's U.S. sample of 5,233 students in 165 schools is too small—and that the OECD should just collect data, not overreach by making policy rec- ommendations too, But Schleicher's willingness to convert data into prag- matic advice is precisely what has made frim so influential. "Andreas's knowledge is more comprehensive, more relevant, more actionable than the kind of data you'll hear from many researchers," says Jon Schnur, who co-founded the U.S. re- form group New Leaders for New Schools, and who has worked closely with the Obama administration. Oregon, Ja- pan, and Germany now include PISA questions on their own standardized tests. Steven Paine, who until this year was West Virginia's superintendent of schools, redesigned his state's curriculum to make it more demanding—based in part on PISA findings. "We had set the bar too low," Paine says. Today, 70 countries collectively give PISA to representa- tive samples of more than 500,000 15-vear-olds every three ,years. A longitudinal study of 30,000 Canadian students re- cently found PISA scores to be more accurate than report - card grades in predicting which kids will go to college. The latest results came out in 2010, and for the first time the test included Shanghai—which trounced every single country. Schleicher credits Shanghai's success in part to a policy of rotating the best teachers into the region's worst -performing schools (the opposite of what tends to happen in the U.S.). The Shanghai delegation came to the New York summit to share its secrets, much to Schleicher's satisfaction. "You could see, when the minister from Shanghai was speaking, everybody started to write notes," he told me afterward. "It was incredible! Ten years ago, you knows, everybody would've said,'We are unique. We have a specific culture,' And now we understand that culture is created by what we do " That may be wishful thinking. Most Americans still be- lieve that the interplay of schools and culture is a complex and hard -to -untangle knot. But Schleicher hopes to change their minds, partly by creating a test that indiw4dual schools can use to compare themselves with students worldwide; a pilot project is planned to launch next school year in 50 to 100 U.S. schools. Ironically, Schleicher's own three children currently attend public school in France, a country that houses the OECD's headquarters but, according to PISA, has solidly mediocre schools. "It was a difficult decision. I don't think the French school system is great;' Schleicher says, his voice trailing off. "You never really know whether that was the right decision," he says., sounding suddenly like many Ameri- can parents—worried about his children's school but hoping for the best. Amanda Ripley is a Bernard L. Schwartz Felloiv at the Nein America Foundation, and the author of the forthcoming book The Smart Kids Club: flow Other Countries Saved Their Schools (And Taught Their Kids to Think), Page 12 Approved Minutes Environmental Quality Committee (EQC) November 9, 2011 MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Kathy Osborne, Committee Members Katie Kendrick, Andy Polzin, Tawnia Johnson, Ken Zieska and Student Member Joanne Kuria MEMBERS ABSENT: Committee Member Carlos Gutierrez STAFF PRESENT: Water Resources Manager Derek Asche OTHERS PRESENT: Students from a Maple Grove Senior High School Civics class 1. Call to Order - 7:00 P.M. 2. Public Forum 3. Approval of Agenda The agenda for the November 9, 2011, EQC meeting was approved with the addition of the Metro City Environmental Roundtable. 4. Public Information Announcements A. FALL LEAF PICK-UP Water Resources Manager Asche reported that the fall leaf pick-up is currently in progress by City staff and includes main roads and residential streets that are near lakes. He explained that the leaf pick-up program is different than the regular street sweeping that occurs in residential neighborhoods. 5. Consent Agenda A. APPROVAL OF OCTOBER 12, 2011, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES B. APPROVE COMPOSTING GRANT PROGRAM Motion by Committee Member Kendrick, seconded by Committee Member Polzin, recommending approval of the October 12, 2011, Environmental Quality Committee consent agenda that included the above items. With all members voting in favor, the motion carried. 6. Public Hearing 7. General Business Page 13 Environmental Quality Committee Minutes November 9, 2011 Page 2 A. SHINGLE CREEK WATERSHED 3RD GENERATION MANAGEMENT PLAN PRESENTATION Motion by Committee Member Polzin, seconded by Committee Member Zieska, recommending that the Shingle Creek Watershed 3rd Generation Management Plan presentation be tabled until the December 14, 2011, EQC meeting, With all members voting in favor, the motion carried. B. 2012 WORK PLAN Water Resources Manager Asche referred to the 2012 Work Plan and stated that all the EQC's recommendations have been incorporated. The EQC reviewed the work plan. Chair Osborne requested a presentation about the new recycling program. Water Resources Manager Asche pointed out that the email sent to the EQC members contained all of the information about the new recycling program and referred anyone with questions or comments to the Director of Public Works, Doran Cote. He also noted that a presentation will be held by Solid Waste Coordinator Sarah Hellekson in April and the EQC could inquire about the new program at that time. Chair Osborne reported that Councilmember Ginny Black agreed to offer a composting workshop at the Yard & Garden Expo. Water Resources Manager Asche reported that the City Council approved the proposed budget with no changes and will make a final approval in December. He said the proposed budget included the EQC's composting program. Water Resources Manager Asche will present the complete 2011 Annual Report and 2012 Work Plan to the EQC at their December meeting for approval. C. METRO CITY ENVIRONMENTAL ROUNDTABLE Committee Member Polzin stated that he received a call from a representative of the roundtable encouraging EQC members to attend. Committee Member Polzin said the topic is Green Step Cities and that he is tentatively planning on attending if anyone is interested. He said the roundtable consists of metro -wide groups like the EQC and the meeting is being held at the Roseville Civic Center. 8. Reports and Staff Recommendations 9. Future Meetings - December 14, 2011 10. Adjournment With no objection, the meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m. Page 14 1,2P City of P lymouth IN t: Adding Quality to Life December 13, 2011 Dear Resident/Land Owner: The city has recently received an application from GWS Land Development of Plymouth, LLC., under File No. 2011095, requesting approval of the following items for a proposed plat to be called "Terra Vista" for the roughly 60 -acre property located at the southeast corner of Dunkirk Lane and County Road 47: 1) a rezoning from FRD (future restricted development) to RSF-3 (single family detached 3) and 2) a preliminary plat to create 128 single-family lots. A map showing the location of the subject property is provided below. This letter is being mailed to all landowners within 750 feet of the site in order to provide notice and information about the application — in advance of the official notice that will be sent out prior to the Planning Commission's public hearing on the matter. The city will send out another letter notifying you of the Planning Commission public hearing date, not less than ten days prior to the hearing date. The purpose of the public hearing is to allow neighboring property owners to appear in front of the Planning Commission to ask questions and make comments relating to the application. You may also submit comments in writing. All written comments will become part of the public record. If you have any questions or comments concerning this application or the review procedures, please call Marie Darling, Senior Planner, at (763) 509-5457. INFORMATION relating to this request may be examined at the community development information counter (lower level of City Hall), on Mondays and Wednesday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on Tuesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., except holidays." INapieG nve — Sincerely, Barbara G. Thomson, AICP Planning Manager GAPLAMNOTICESTM20I1\2011095 first-nalice.docx 3400 Plymouth Blvd • Plymouth, Minnesota 55447.1482 • Tel: 763-509-5000 • www.ci.plymouth.mn.us Page 15 QIP Energy Facility Permitting rDE� INNESOTA DEC � s Z�1�1 85 7th Place East, Suite 500 PARTMENT OF 5t. Paul, Minnesota 55101-2198 8` �Ci]MMERCE 651.296.4026 1 fax 651.297.7891 www.energyfacilities.puc.state.mn.us December 8, 2011 Dear Landowner, You are receiving this letter because your property may be directly or indirectly affected by route alternatives for the proposed Hollydale 115 kilovolt (kV) transmission line rebuild project. The 13 route alternatives suggested during the scoping process will be evaluated in an environmental assessment (EA), which is being prepared by the Minnesota Department of Commerce Energy Facility Permitting staff (EFP). This letter provides you with information on the transmission line project, the route permitting process, and future opportunities to participate in the process. I. encourage you to familiarize yourself with the proposed project, sign up for the project mailing list, and participate in the route permitting process. Project Overview A high-voltage transmission line route permit application (RPA) for the project was filed by the applicants on June 30, 2011, and was accepted by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (Commission) on August 25, 2011. The route permit will be reviewed under the alternative review process, pursuant to Minnesota Statues 216E (Power Plant Siting Act) and Minnesota Rules 7850.2800 to 7850.3900. Under the alternative permitting process the Commission has six months from the date the application was accepted as complete to make a decision on the route permit. The Commission may extend this time limit up to three months for just cause or upon agreement of the applicant (Minnesota Rule 7850.3900, subpart 1). As described in the RPA, Xcel Energy and Great River Energy (applicants) are proposing a rebuild of 8 miles of the existing Great River Energy (GRE) 69 kV transmission line to a 115 kV transmission line, constructing approximately 0.8 miles of new 115 kV transmission line, constructing a new 115 kV substation and modifying associated facilities. The applicants are requesting a 200 foot route width where the transmission line is to be rebuilt along the existing 69 kV transmission line route, which extends from the existing Medina substation located southwest of the intersection of Willow Drive and County State Aid Highway 24 to the intersection of GRE's existing 115 kV transmission line just north of Fernbrook Lane in the city of Plymouth. A 400 foot route width is being requested for the 0.8 miles of new 115 kV transmission that would run from the intersection of the existing GRE 115 kV transmission line and follow along the north side of the Canadian Pacific Railway east to Cheshire Lane, then south along Cheshire Lane, and cast along Schmidt Lake Road to the proposed location of Substation Site A. Page 1 of 3 Page 16 The proposed transmission line will require a right-of-way of 75 feet (37.5 feet on either side of centerline). The proposed project includes a rebuild of approximately 8 miles of existing 69 kV transmission line that has a current right-of-way between 70 to 100 feet depending on the location. The applicants indicate in the RPA that the project can be designed to fit within these existing easements, thereby requiring little to no new right-of-way while still satisfying the needs of the project. Review Process The first step in the environmental review process is developing the scope of the EA for the project. The scoping process, which has already been completed, has two primary purposes: (1) to identify issues that are important to communities along the proposed routes for study in the EA, and (2) to solicit suggestions for route alternatives, beyond those proposed by the applicants, to study in the EA. EFP staff held a public information and scoping meeting on October 26, 2011, to gather public input on the proposed project and routes. At these meetings, the public had the opportunity to propose route alternatives for consideration in the EA scoping decision. Letters and emails were also accepted during the comment period that closed on November 9, 2011. EFP staff received 450 comments during the continent period. As part of this public comment process, several alternative routes described in the RPA were suggested, as well as new alternative routes developed and submitted by the advisory task force and public citizens. Property records indicate you are located near, or own property on, one or more of these new alternative routes. These new alternative routes, which will be evaluated in the EA, can be found in the EA scoping decision for this project at: http://energyfacilities.puc.state.mn.us/documents/32121/ATF Notice of Mectings.pdf, In addition to these public meetings, there will be a public hearing conducted in the area of the proposed project in early 2012. The hearing will be conducted by an administrative law judge from the Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings. Anyone may speak at the public hearings, present evidence, ask questions of the applicants and EFP staff, and submit comments on the proposed project. The administrative law judge will make a recommendation on a route permit to the Commission. A decision on the route permit by the Commission is not expected before February 2012. Participation Information about this project and the route permitting process is available on the Commission's website: http://energyfaciIities.puc.state.nui.us/Docket,litml?Id-32121, and on the Department of Commerce's eDockets website: littos://www.edockets.state.mn.us/EFiling/search.isp (enter the docket number year "11" and number "152"). Project Mailing List. Notice of the public hearing will be published in local newspapers and mailed to persons who register their names on the Department of Commerce project mailing list. Persons interested in adding their names to the mailing list for this project should contact the EFP state permit manager or public advisor, or register online at: http://www.energyfaciIitics.puc.state.mn.us/#mailing. Page 2 of 3 Page 17 • Maps. Maps of the applicants' proposed routes and of the alternative routes identified during the scoping process are available on the Commission's website: http://energyfacilities.puc.state.mn.us/documents/32121 /11 - 152 11- 152 EA Scoping Decision webversion. df. Alternative routes included for further evaluation in the EA are described scoping decision document dated December 7, 2011. If you have questions or if you would like further information about this project please contact: Scott Ek, State Permit Manager Energy Facility Permitting 85 7th Place East, Suite 500 St. Paul, MN 55101-2198 (651) 296-8813 scott.ekAstate.mn.us Sincerely, Scott Ek, State Permit Manager Raymond Kirsch, Public Advisor Energy Facility Permitting 85 7th Place East, Suite 500 St. Paul, MN 55101-2198 (651)296-7588 raymond.kirschastate.mn.us Page 3 of 3 Page 18 Page 19 MINNESOTA INNESOTA STATE OF MINNESOTA PARTMENT OF Energy Facility Permitting #�ix`` Issued: December 7, 2011 NOTICE OF SCOPING DECISION AND INTENT TO PREPARE AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT In the Matter of the Route Permit Application for the Hollydale 115 kV Transmission Line Project in the Cities of Plymouth and Medina, Hennepin County PUC Docket No. E002/TL-11-152 PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Energy Facility Permitting (EFP) announces the release of the scoping decision and notice of intent to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) for Xcel Energy's and Great River Energy's proposed Hollydale 115 kV transmission line rebuild project. Electronic versions of the EA scoping decision, route permit application and other documents relevant to this matter are available on the Public Utilities Commission's EFP website: http://energyfacilities.puc.state.mii.us/Docket.html'?Id-32121, and on the Department of Commerce eDockets website: https://www.edockets.state.mn.us/EFiling/searcii.im (enter the Docket Number Year "I V and Number "152"). The scoping decision identifies the issues and alternative routes that the deputy commission of the Department of Commerce has determined are appropriate for inclusion in the EA. The scoping decision also identifies certain issues that will not be included in the EA. The EA is anticipated to be complete and available in February 2012. If you have any questions about this project or would like more information, please contact the EFP state permit manager: Scott Ek, 85 7'h Place East, Suite 500, St. Paul, MN 55101; Tel: 651.296.8813, e-mail: scott.ek@state.mn.us. Page 20 Page 21 r. 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