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Council Information Memorandum 04-22-2005
CITY OF PLYMC Dummy COUNCIL INFO A April 22, 2005 UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS Youth Advisory Council April 25 meeting agenda............................................................... Page 3 Plymouth Advisory Committee on Transit (PACT) April 27 meeting agenda ..................... Page 4 April, May, and June Official City Meeting Calendars........................................................ Page 5 Tentative list of agenda items for future City Council meetings ........................................ Page 11 FOR INFORMATION ... News Articles, Releases, Publications, etc. City news releases: Police Department help available for planning National Night Out events ............ Page 12 2005 plans for treatment of curlyleaf pondweed in Medicine Lake ....................... Page 13 Notice of Greenwood Elementary School Environmental Quality Fair ................. Page 14 Star Tribune Plymouth—related articles from the Wednesday "West Edition": How Metro Transit service cuts will affect west suburban communities ............... Page 15 Medina's approval of plans to construct a retail complex at Highways 55 and101.................................................................................................................... Page 17 Star Tribune stories related to changes in housing construction trends: Story reporting an increase in condominium construction ...................................... Page 18 Story profiling suburban condominium projects .................................................... Page 21 Storyon "lifestyle housing».................................................................................... Page 23 Notice of a Prevention Forum on understanding the emotional health of adolescents.......................................................................................................................... Page 26 City—produced brochure that will go out in utility billings to residents explaining the new outdoor water restrictions...................................................................................... Page 27 Correspondence Letter from Senator Norm Coleman thanking Mayor Johnson for her comments regarding budgeting for the Community Development Block Grants(CDBG) Program.................................................................................................... Page 29 CITY COUNCIL INFORMA TION MEMO April 22, 2005 Page 2 Letter to residents regarding a request for rezoning and preliminary plat for Executive Homesites, LLC (2005020)............................................................................... Page 31 Other Items Communities in Collaboration Council (CICC) April 14 meeting packet (submitted by Councilmember Hewitt).............................................................................. Page 32 Legislative Items League of Minnesota Cities Friday Fax............................................................................. Page 47 YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL APRIL 25, 2005 6:45 PM COUNCIL CHAMBERS Time Allotment 1. Approvals: 6:45-6:50 a) Agenda b) April 11 meeting minutes 2. Special Items and Guest Speakers: a) Finalize Youth Service Awards Event Planning 6:50-7:10 3. COMMITTEE UPDATES: a) Youth Town Forum Committee b) Ad hoc Web planning Committee 7:10-7:15 4. Future agenda items 7:15-7:20 a) Summer meeting plans b) S. Adjournment 7:20 6. Additional Materials: a) Event To Do list b) April, May, and June 2005 Official City Meeting Calendars AGENDA PLYMOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT Medicine Lake Room (upper level of City Hall) Wednesday, April 27, 2005 7:00 p.m. 1. Approval of agenda. 2. Approval of minutes for the March 23, 2005 PACT meeting (attached). 3. Review of complaint log. 4. Identification of areas of concern and/or recommendations. 5. Discussion of cell phone usage. 6. Discussion of Metro Transit service cuts. 7. City Council study session on PACT scheduled for May 3, 2005. 8. Continuing promotional discussion (see attached homeowners association list). Note: Please call Pat Qvale at 763-509-5052, if you are unable to attend. OFFICIAL CITY MEETINGS April 2005 Sunday Monday Tuesday I Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 Mar 2005 May 2005 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 27 28 29 30 31 29 30 31 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS F-7 00 PM BOARD OF EQUALIZATION, Council Chambarm 7:00 PM PLANNING 7:00 PM HUMAN RIGHTS COMMENCES- set clocks ahead 1 hour SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING (Immediately following ed. or Equaliut-): CITY MANAGER QUARTERLY UPDATE, Council Chambarm COMMISSION, Council Chambers COMMISSION - Medicine Lake Room 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 6:45 PM YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, Council Chambers 6:00 PM SPECIAL HRA MEETING, Medicine Lake Room 7:00 PM ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE (EQC), Council Chambers 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, Council Chambers 17 18 .19 20 21 22 23 9:00AM-1:00 PM HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION STUDENT WORKSHOP, Prymourh ma C-,, 7:00 PM PLANNING 7:00 PM HOUSING & REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AUTHORITY (HRA), Medicine Lake Room 9:00 AM CITY AUCTION, City Maintenance Garage, 1490023rd AVen e T:OD PM BOARD OF Council Chambers PASSOVER EQUALIZATION (RECONVENED)TION ncll Chamban BEGINS AT (FOLLOWING e00F EQUALIZMION) SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING: CONSIDER VARIOUS PROPERTIES PROPOSALS, CouncilCh.- SUNSET 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 6:45 PM YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, Council 6:00 PM YOUTH SERVICE AWARDS, Council Chambers 7:00 PM PLYMOUTH ADVISORY Chambers COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT (PACT) - Medicine Lake Room 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, Council Chambers modified on 4/21/2005 OFFICIAL CITY MEETINGS May 2005 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 6:30 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING- INTERVIEW YOUTH APPLICANTS; DISCUSS EXPANSION OF PACT MISSION; DISCUSS ZONING TEXT CHANGES; Lunchroom 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION, Council Chambers 7:00 PM HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - Medicine Lake Room 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 6:45 PM YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, Council Chambers 6:00 PM SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING: MEDIAN BARRIER FUNDING, Lunch Room 7:00 PM ENVIRONMENTAL OU(EQC)COuunMcl'it chambers 7:00 PM PARK & REG ADVISORY COMMISSION PRAC , Council ( ) Chambers 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, Council Chambers 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION, Council Chambers 7:00 PM HOUSING & REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (HRA), Medicine Lake Room 9:00 AM -3:30 PM PLYMOUTH CLEAN-UP DAY, Public Works 7:00 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING: DISCUSS VARIOUS Maintenance ISSUES; Facility Lunchroom 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 6:45 PM YOUTH 45AMPLYMOUTH BUSINESS COUNCIL, Sh..I.n 7;00 PM ADVISORY COUNCIL, Council MIO..Pou.W..uaz01 Ridp•d•I.O .Mi ... — PLYMOUTH ADVISORY Chambers COMMITTEE ON 500 PM 430 PM SPECIAL TRANSIT (PACT) - COUNCIL MEETING :YOUTH TOWN FORUM, Ply, -h Medicine Lake C—kC.m., ]:00 PM REGUTAR COUNCIL MEETING, C•.n•II C1-1, Room 29 30 31 Jun 2005 Apr 2005 MEMORIAL DAY S M T W T F S S M T W T F S (Observed) - City Offices Closed 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 26 27 28 29 30 modified on 4/21/2005 OFFICIAL CITY MEETINGS June 2005 Sunday I Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION, 2 7:00 PM HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - 3 4 May 2005 S M T W T F S Jul 2005 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Council Chambers Medicine Lake Room 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 29 30 31 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 6:45 PM YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, Council Chambers 7:00 PM SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING: BUDGET 7:00 PM ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE (EQC), Council chambers 7:00 PM PARK & REC ADVISORY COMMISSION (FRAC), Council PRIORITIES; Chambers Lunch Room 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 6:00 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING: CONSIDER ZONING AMENDMENTS TO ALLOW RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION, 4:30 PM ANNUAL PARK TOUR depart from City Hall IN INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS; Lunchroom Council Chambers 7:00 PM HOUSING $ REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (HRA), Medicine Lake Room 7:OOPM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, Council Chambers Flag Day 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 6:45 PM YOUTH 7:00 PM ADVISORY PLYMOUTH COUNCIL, Council ADVISORY Chambers COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT (PACT) - Medicine Lake Room 26 27 28 29 30 7:00 PM 7:00 PM REGULAR PLNG COUNCIL COION, MEETING, Council Coumbers Chambers modified on 4/21/2005 Tentative Schedule for City Council Agenda Items May 3, Special, 6:30 p.m., Lunchroom • Interview youth candidates for boards and commissions • Discuss whether to expand mission of Plymouth Advisory Committee on Transit (PACT) to include transportation • Consider Zoning Ordinance text amendment to change allowable uses in the C-1 (Convenience Commercial), C-2 (Neighborhood Commercial), and C-4 (Community Commercial) districts. City of Plymouth. (2004057) (Postponed from March 29) • Set future study sessions May 10, Special, 6:00 p.m., Lunchroom • Meeting with representative of Senator Dayton's office to discuss median barrier funding May 10, Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers • Consider Rezoning of property from FRD (Future Restricted Development) to RMF -1 (Multiple Family 1), and for a Preliminary Plat, Site Plan and Conditional Use Permit to allow a residential development containing 43 townhome units on 11.25 acres located at 3735 & 3855 County Road 101. Perl Development. (2005001) (Postponed from April 12) • Announcement of "Kids Day Plymouth" on May 10, Taylor Hieb from Kids Day America May 17, Special, 6:30 p.m., Lunchroom • Discuss prosecution philosophy with respect to City Attorney services • Discuss uses of 10% Gambling Fund • Consider use of bio -diesel • Set future study sessions May 24, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers • Presentation on 50th Anniversary/Arbor Day Planting June 7, Special, 7:00 p.m., Lunchroom • Meeting with Jim Rice, volunteer consultant, on budget priorities June 14, Special, 6:00 p.m., Lunchroom • Consider Zoning Amendments to allow religious institutions in industrial districts • Set future study sessions June 14, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers June 28, Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers • Announcement of Music in Plymouth on July 6 Note: Special Meeting topics have been set by Council; all other topics are tentative. News Release City of Plymouth For Immediate Release April 19, 2005 Contact: Sara Lynn Cwayna 763-509-5198 Police Department Offers Neighborhoods Help Planning for National Night Out Plymouth residents who want some help planning for their neighborhood's gathering for National Night Out (NNO) on Tues., Aug. 2 should plan to attend National Night Out planning meetings. The Police Department will host planning meetings on May 23, June 21, and July 26, 7-8 p.m., at Fire Station III, 3300 Dunkirk Ln. Attendance for organizers at the first two meetings is optional. One representative from each party is required to attend the final meeting. The planning meetings provide neighbors with the chance to gather ideas and resources, ask questions, and learn about successful events that have been held in other neighborhoods. Attendees will also get information about upcoming summer programs, the File -of -Life medical alert program, the City's free gunlock program, and reduced cost anti -vehicle theft locks. At the close of each meeting firefighters will provide the opportunity for organizers to use a fire extinguisher, which has become a popular NNO activity. National Night Out is an annual event in which neighborhoods organize block parties to get to know one another and show their commitment to preventing crime in their neighborhood. The gatherings are often centered around a cookout, potluck, dessert buffet or children's games. Neighborhoods are encouraged to register their event with the Police Department. NNO registration forms can be downloaded from the City's web site, www.ci.plymouth.mn.us. Police and fire units will be scheduled to visit gatherings based upon the dates that the registration forms are received. "National Night Out is one of the best nights of the year. Strong neighborhoods add to the quality of life and make for a safe community. Last year, 117 neighborhoods participated in NNO. It was the City's largest celebration," said Police Chief Mike Goldstein,. For information on other summer public safety programs, visit the City web site. . City of Plymouth News Release For Immediate Release Date April 20, 2005 Contact: Margie Vigoren, 763-509-5507 Year two treatment for curlyleaf pondweed in Medicine Lake began on April 19 — almost a full month earlier than the first year's program. "Nature doesn't always follow our calendar," said Shane Missaghi, Plymouth's water resources engineer. "We have been watching the water temperature and monitoring the growth of the plant. We had to begin treatment when the conditions were just right." The right conditions for treating curlyleaf are water temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit and plants that are at least six to eight inches tall. Since curlyleaf begins to grow earlier than other aquatic plants, this is the time when the treatment can be effective without harming beneficial plants. The curlyleaf program is part of the Aquatic Vegetation Plan developed by the Cities of Plymouth and Medicine Lake, along with Three Rivers Parks and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Curlyleaf pondweed is an invasive aquatic plant that overtakes native vegetation and spreads throughout a lake. It interferes with recreation and damages water quality when it dies back, releasing large amounts of phosphorus that feeds algae. The goal is not to free Medicine Lake of aquatic plants. The three-year program is part of a plan to encourage a healthy eco -system that will support a variety of native plants. This kind of balance would also support fish and wildlife as well as a source for enjoyment for people. -30- 13 City of Plymouth News Release For Immediate Release Date April 22, 2005 Contact: Margie Vigoren, 763-509-5507 Minnesota's State Bird and New Quarter Introduced to Greenwood Elementary School Kindergarten Students Kindergarten students at Greenwood Elementary School were among the first to celebrate the minting of the Minnesota quarter at an April 21 presentation by Jan Walsh, Project Wild director for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. At the same time, students learned what makes Minnesota's state bird — the loon — special, and why the birds depend on clean water to live. Walsh dressed a City of Plymouth staffer as a loon, explaining how each part of the costume represented the birds' unique adaptation for survival. Walsh developed the presentation and costume to celebrate the new Minnesota quarter, which features the state bird along with other state symbols. Wildlife, ecology and water quality are among the topics Greenwood students are studying this year as they prepare for the May 17 Environmental Quality Fair. The fair, billed as, "The Environment: Write and Read All About It!" is co-sponsored by the school and the City of Plymouth. The whole community is invited to the event, where they can visit twenty-five exhibitors to build a birdhouse, hear live music, search for aquatic insects, pet a snake and more. Each Greenwood student will have a book of their own on display at the fair, representing what they've learned about the environment. The event will be held at Greenwood Elementary School from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17. The fair is free and open to the public. -30- startribune.com Close window Last update: April 17, 2005 at 3:52 PM Transit cuts may hinder mobility Ben Steverman Star Tribune Published April 20, 2005 Dominic Walker, who is paralyzed from the chest down and uses a wheelchair, believes he has two choices if proposed cuts to Metro Transit service are approved: Either move out of Minnetonka or quit his full-time job at an Eden Prairie financial services company. Walker, who relies on a small Metro Mobility bus to take him to and from work, is one of many west suburban residents who would be cut off from the program, which provides door-to-door transportation for disabled people. To make up a $60 million financial shortfall over the next two years, Metro Transit has proposed cutting 10 percent of its regular bus service, raising fares and shrinking the area served by Metro Mobility. The Metropolitan Council, the state agency that runs Metro Transit, says the cuts are necessary because of higher fuel and insurance costs combined with a decline in the transit system's main source of revenue -- taxes on motor vehicle sales. Under the proposal, Metro Mobility would be pulled out of most of Maple Grove, Plymouth, Orono, Shorewood and Minnetonka. Currently, the service is offered in all areas of those cities. But federal rules only require that transportation services for the disabled be offered within .75 miles of a regular bus route. The Metro Transit cuts would limit Metro Mobility service to within 1 mile of any regular bus routes; proposed cuts also would eliminate many regular bus routes, further cutting back on the service. The result would be large pockets of west suburban cities with no Metro Mobility service. 'Cut off That would include Minnetonka Heights, an apartment complex in southwest Minnetonka where Walker lives and where many others, such as recent immigrants, elderly residents and disabled people, rely on transit. The 612 bus line serves the complex, but that would be eliminated under the Met Council's proposal. "Essentially, we would be cut off," said Jeanne Kerans, a resident of the complex who has multiple scleroisis and relies on both the bus and Metro Mobility to get around. Though Walker's job is just a few miles away, a handicapped -accessible taxi would cost $20 each way because it's costly to call a cab out to the suburbs, he said. After spending $40 on taxis and making $13.50 per hour, Walker said, "I'm barely making any money that day." At peak times, Metro Mobility costs $3, a fare that would increase to $3.50 for those still eligible for the service. Met Council spokesman Steven Dornfeld said the agency is trying to find other savings in the Metro Mobility program by renegotiating contracts with the private companies that provide the service. That might allow the council to alleviate some of the Metro Mobility fare increases and service cuts, he said. Fewer routes In addition to cuts to Metro Mobility, the Met Council is considering eliminating or scaling back many of the bus routes that serve western suburbs. In making cuts, Metro Transit chose routes with low ridership, such as the 604 and 605 in St. Louis Park, which have been marked for elimination. The routes were offered in the past few years to provide north -south connections in the city. Now, the buses connect the city's Excelsior & Grand development with other commercial and residential areas in St. Louis Park and neighboring Hopkins. Though the city has tried to attract more riders, the routes' ridership has remained low, said Judie Erickson, St. Louis Park planning coordinator. Those who tend to use the buses are the elderly, the disabled or those who can't afford cars. "You're impacting people the most who are dependent on transit," Erickson said. She called it a "travesty" that the state was "balancing the budget on the people who are most vulnerable." Cuts in Metro Mobility and bus service are likely to increase the demand for local dial -a -ride service. Dial -a -ride, usually run by municipalities, provides door-to-door transportation service similar to Metro Mobility, but it tends to be available only at limited times and usually won't pass city limits. Pat Qvale, the transit administrator in Plymouth, said the cut in Metro Mobility will increase demand on her city's dial -a -ride service. At the same time, the city's transit service, Plymouth Metrolink, is experiencing many of the same financial pressures as Metro Transit. Plymouth, Maple Grove and the southwest suburbs of Eden Prairie, Chanhassen and Chaska run their own bus systems, which are funded the same way as Metro Transit -- taxes on auto sales, which have declined. As such, Plymouth Metrolink and SouthWest Metro Transit both say they also may have to consider route cuts later this year. Maple Grove Transit doesn't plan cuts but may not proceed with adding new services. The Metropolitan Council will consider the service cuts and fare increases in mid-May. The fare increases would go into effect on July 1, and service cuts would occur in the fall. Contact the writer at 612-673-7168 or bstevermanA5tartribune.com. 0 Copyright 2005 Star Tribune. All rights reserved. startribune.com Close window Last update: April 18, 2005 at 1:25 PM Medina will allow Target complex, but with conditions Published April 20, 2005 THE TARGET: Medina will allow a developer to build a large retail complex, including a Target store, in the largely rural community. But the council is attaching more than 60 conditions to its approval of the project. THE PROPOSAL: Ryan Companies had proposed building a 124,000 -square -foot Target store as part of a retail complex on the northwest corner of County Rd. 101 and Hwy. 55. A bank, restaurants and other outlets would be included in the development. THE CITY: Medina, population 4,300, has until now resisted the development that has swept Plymouth, its neighbor to the east. Long-range city plans, however, call for allowing some commercial development along Hwy. 55 and other transportation corridors, while leaving much of the interior of Medina rural and undeveloped. Ryan Companies' proposal was met with some skepticism by neighbors and city officials, and the developer changed its proposal several times to try to please the city. THE CONDITIONS: The city's 60 conditions required when it approved the project this month include more landscaping, retaining walls made of more decorative materials, changes to the driveways through the site, limits on the height of buildings and light poles, and the inclusion of bike racks and trash enclosures. WHAT'S NEXT: The City Council was expected to further discuss those conditions at a meeting this week. It's not yet clear if Ryan Companies will be able to meet the city's conditions and build the project. Ben Steverman O Copyright 2005 Star Tribune. All rights reserved. I _� startribune.com Close window Last update: April 18, 2005 at 8:59 AM Mondo Condos: Some fear return of boom -bust cycle Terry Fiedler Star Tribune Published April 17, 2005 Ayla Recel is only 31, but she's busy shopping for her retirement nest egg. For several months Recel has been scouting downtown Minneapolis condos in the $200,000 to $400,000 range to buy as a long-term investment. Recel, a sales manager for a medical company who has a house in southwest Minneapolis, bought her first condominium shortly after college. It nearly tripled in value in five years. "That's what made it really click," Recel said of her condo investing plan. "It was like ... 'I've had money in stocks for almost 10 years and theyve barely moved $1,000.' "It'll never go away," she said of the condo's value. Minneapolis developer Michael Lander is one of the builders profiting from buyers like Recel. He can't escape feeling, "here we go again." "I call it the 'dot -condo' phenomenon," said Lander, who has developed condo buildings such as the Essex on the Park in downtown St. Paul and 301 Kenwood Parkway in Minneapolis. "It used to be that people talked at cocktail parties about the stock market. Now they talk about the [quick] $50,000 they made on a condo sale." When stocks were peaking five years ago, the condo market barely existed in the Twin Cities. Now condos are the hot properties to own, here and nationwide. Condos accounted for about 11 percent of new construction in the metro area in 2004, up from 1 percent in 2001, and their average price per square foot has risen nearly 50 percent over the past 4'/2 years. Median condo prices leaped 22 percent in downtown Minneapolis between 2003 and 2004, to an average of $267,000. Fritz Kroll, an Edina Realty agent who specializes in the downtown Minneapolis market, calls 2004 "an unbelievable year." The National Association of Realtors pegged the nationwide median resale price of condos at $193,600 in 2004, up 17 percent, while the resale price of single-family homes increased 8.3 percent to $184,100. Last year was the fourth consecutive year that condos have appreciated faster than single-family homes. Condos are not only transforming the real estate market, but they also are changing the look and feel of parts of the Twin Cities, especially Minneapolis, as the new residents spur the addition of stores and services. Market watchers believe demand will stay elevated, because demographic changes are producing smaller households. But many builders and real estate agents agree that the pace of this building boom is taking the Twin Cities condo market into uncharted territory, and some of them worry about a repeat of the boom/bust cycle last seen in the 1980s. But there's no end in sight to the construction. At least seven new condo towers of 20 stories or more are envisioned for downtown Minneapolis. At least 6,200 units could hit the downtown market in the next few years, according to the research and urban planning firm Dahlgren Shardlow and Uban (DSU). That's more than six times the number of new condos sold in the city last year, and about 15 times the pace of sales in the years before 2004. Add in the rest of the metro area, and an "unprecedented" 11,000 condos will come to market in the next few years, according to DSU. And DSU didn't take into account conversions of apartment buildings, which will add hundreds more units to the market. "I think we could be sitting on the edge of some problems," said George Karvel, a real estate professor at the University of St. Thomas. Riding the buzz Bragging rights don't last long when markets get this hot. The Carlyle, a 39 -story condo tower at 100 3rd Av. S., near the renovated mill buildings along the Mississippi River, was celebrated at its groundbreaking last fall as the tallest new residential building in the Midwest outside of Chicago. Soon after, an investor group said it planned to break ground on a 48 -story condo tower on the Nicollet Mall at 10th Street this year. I� The proposed 360 -unit project, to be called the Nicollet, will cost an estimated $100 million and will be home to up to 1,500 people. The developers promise striking views of Loring Park and Lake Calhoun and tout proximity to Orchestra Hall and Peavey Plaza. Prices will start at $300,000. Jeff McDonell, principal in the Minneapolis architectural firm of Barbour LaDouceur, is part of the investor group behind the Nicollet. He acknowledges that there already may be overbuilding of some types of condos in the Twin Cities. "I wouldn't want to be the owner of renovated warehouse [condo] space," he said. But McDonell said he's unconcerned about the competition, whether from lofts or towers. "We have a unique location and superior design." The Carlyle, the Nicollet and the Opus -built Grant Park have done more than bring a glamour to the condo market that it hasn't had before. They've also inspired other developers to draw up their own condo plans in the hope of imitating the scene last summer, when people camped out in line for a chance to buy into the Carlyle. The hundreds who assembled at the site were given handouts warning them that prices were "subject to change without notice and are likely to do so quickly at any time" during the process. As customers met with Carlyle sales representatives, they could see unit prices spike by tens of thousand of dollars in real time on the reps' computer screens as buyers bid up the contracts. About 80 percent of the 283 -unit building quickly was under contract. Soon, stories were circulating of $50,000 and even $100,000 gains realized within weeks or months through resales, and the stories weren't limited to the Carlyle. The idea of the condo as cool home/hot investment took hold and helped spur quick sales elsewhere, too. Ahmet Akal is one of the buyers who has taken to trading in and out of condos like stocks. Akal, who recently sold a two-bedroom condo in the new Grant Park Tower for about 20 percent more than he paid for it after just a few weeks, said he's hoping to parlay his return into a nicer suburban house for his wife and kids. "I've done better in the stock market, but that was a few years ago, and I haven't seen anything like that after 2000," he said. Mary Bujold, president of the Minneapolis real estate research firm Maxfield Research, said she's not concerned that people will stop wanting to buy condos. She is concerned that the success of some buildings will drive developers to bring on too many big projects. "Absorption will still be strong, but you are trying to sell out 300 vs. 30 [before], and it's going to take longer," she said. Michael Noonan, vice president of David Bernard Builders, a unit of Rottlund Homes, said it might be the best thing for the market if some of the big projects now envisioned go away. "If there are projects on the drawing board in Minneapolis for 6,000 units and demand is only 700, what's going to happen?" Noonan asked. "Not every one will get built." Towering plans The condo boom reflects major sociological changes, but it's also reflects the needs of commercial builders. Opus, for example, has long been known for office skyscrapers and other commercial work. The office market has been dead for several years now, which led the Minnetonka -based development giant to take up condo construction as a way to fill its project pipeline. Other developers have made similar shifts. Jeffrey Laux bought the Ivy Tower site in 2000, planning to develop a small hotel and an office building. When the office market went into steep decline, he came up with a new plan, calling for a 24 -story condo tower with 70 units, in addition to a 17 -story, 136 -room boutique hotel. The condos would have access to the hotel's services and would be connected to the skyway, a rarity. Prices will range from the mid -$200,000s to more than $1 million, and about 80 percent of the units have purchase agreements. Other condo projects featuring towers of 20 or more stores include the Skyscape in Elliot Park, the Eclipse at 258 Hennepin Av. S. and 1010 Park in Elliot Park. Apartment owners also have caught the fever. And they can bring their units on the market as condos within weeks, forgoing the four - or five-year gestation period of a new development. Conversions, such as the 400 -unit Riverwest apartment complex on the river at 401 S. 1st St., "will challenge the market," said Minneapolis Council Member Lisa Goodman, who represents the downtown area. Opus, which helped lead the charge into condo building, has become one of the first to pull back, at least for now. Last year, the company was expected to go ahead with a 40 -story condo tower on the old Powers department store site at Nicollet Mall and 5th St. Not anymore. 9 "We're always looking for sites, but we're not pursing other developments," said Bob Lux, a principal at Apex Asset Management, which was a partner on Grant Park and the Carlyle with Opus. "In our mind the market can't absorb the [condos] that are being talked about." If the market softens because of overbuilding, higher interest rates or other factors, the effects could be felt quickly. Some buyers, especially those who bought strictly for investment, might either refuse to close on sales or put units up for sale in buildings where the developers haven't completed initial sales. "I would always rather deal with folks who [will] live" in the building, said Bob Cunningham of TOLD Development, which developed the Excelsior & Grand condo project. "Theyre just much more reliable when it comes to closing." Not my building Almost everyone agrees that the trends driving demand for condos -- smaller households, more entry-level and retirement -age buyers, the desire to end long commutes -- will remain in place for years. Developers also agree that some of the planned condo projects will run into trouble, but not their own. Abe Appert of Fransen Appert Real Estate Group in Bloomington thinks converted apartments that trail other properties in amenities and design are "going to be the first susceptible to problems in resale." He also thinks demand for some types of condos is sated. "Lofts, that's the area that's most susceptible," Appert said. "I don't know how many more lofts we need." Lander said there is still a shortage of "Park Avenue" style units, which explains why so many tower plans are arising. Tom Melchior, who analyzes the multifamily market for the consulting firm Larson, Allen, Weishair & Co., contends that many of the proposed units won't materialize or will be delayed. "My biggest concern is that people will go ahead without significant presale, like the Reserve [in Minneapolis], where two units sold and then nothing happened." Goodman doesn't foresee a repeat of the bust that followed the'80s condo boom. But she's worked with enough developers to know that whatever they think about the building down the street, they're always sure that their project will be a hit. "There's a mentality that their project is the best and their design is the best and their location is the best," she said. Staff writer Jim Buchta contributed to this report. Terry Fiedler is at tfiedler(iWartribune.cons. © Copyright 2005 Star Tribune. All rights reserved. Z0 startribune.com Close window Last update: April 18, 2005 at 10:14 AM Condos find a home out in suburbs Jim Buchta Star Tribune Published April 18, 2005 Long an icon of city life, condominiums are also coming to the suburbs, the stronghold of the oversize lot and the cul-de-sac. More than 4,100 condo units were planned in the Twin Cities area outside of the downtown cores as of late 2004, according to Tom O'Neil, director of market research at DSU Research Inc., equal to about 40 percent of the total. More suburban projects have been announced since then. The buildings aren't of the same scale as the towers that have commanded the attention of the Minneapolis market, but most market watchers see that as a plus because the smaller scale of the suburban development makes it less likely that any area will become glutted. Condo buyers have been turning out in force for what's available in the 'burbs so far. In Hopkins, only about 15 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, the Cornerstone Group quickly sold all 48 units in its Marketplace Lofts project. Phase II, which has yet to be built, has a waiting list. Cornerstone also is building the Mist, a 120 -unit luxury condo project on Lake Minnetonka, where the units are priced from $400,000 to more than $1 million. Sales have been brisk. "We sold all of our highest -priced units," said Colleen Carey, Cornerstone's president and founder. "I wish I had more expensive ones." Laurence Harmon, who has worked for Twin Cities developers since 1990 in both marketing and research, describes the building activity in the suburbs as frenetic. "Downtown had the initial success and developers said, 'Hey! Why can't we do this in the suburbs?'" said Tom Melchior, a real estate analyst for Larson, Allen, Weishair & Co. in Minneapolis. The southwest suburbs have been the most active suburban condo market, in large part because of city revitalization efforts and the projects' proximity to workplaces and downtown amenities. More than 500 condo units were planned for that area in 2004. Cities such as Minnetonka, Edina and Bloomington have become condo magnets because the communities are trying to retain residents by providing a range of housing options. Richfield projects "What a family was when our houses were built in the 1950s and 1960s isn't what a family is today, and we're trying to respond to the marketplace today," said John Stark, assistant director of community development for the city of Richfield, which has seen five or six new condo and townhouse projects in the past few years. Stark said that more than a third of all new residents in these projects came from Richfield, mostly empty nesters moving out of single-family houses. "We retain them and they have an empty single-family house that a family with kids in the district could purchase," he said. "We want to make sure that we have housing for people in all aspects of their life." Stark said that adding high-density housing in these fully developed suburbs is an opportunity to make them more socially and economically diverse. And the timing couldn't be better. "Every survey that comes out about what [Twin Cities -area residents] don't like, traffic is like No. 1," Stark said. A cost differential Who are the suburban buyers? They are much the same as the people buying downtown condos. Both groups want to watch the leaves turn and the snow fall without feeling compelled to grab a rake or a shovel. And they fall at both ends of the age scale, with busy young professionals on one side and empty nesters ready to cash in equity in their homes and simplify their lives on the other. But there are differences. The suburban buyer, by choice or necessity, is more likely to be price -conscious. Between 2002 and the third quarter of 2004, the average sale price of a downtown Minneapolis condominium was $271 a square foot, d,' but in the southwest suburbs the average was $168 a square foot, according to researcher O'Neil. The Twin Cities average was $222 a square foot. For some, even the cost of owning a parking space in downtown condo projects can be an issue, sales agent Faith McGown said. Parking spaces downtown can cost as much as $20,000, she said, nearly double what you'd pay in some suburban projects. "I think there are a lot of people who are looking for the lifestyle of a condominium who don't necessarily want to live downtown," Carey said. Deborah Randolph is one of them. Most mornings, Randolph takes a walk to her favorite coffee shop, where she chats with the workers and mixes with other morning people. After just a few weeks in her new condo, she's already met the guy next door and a few other neighbors. It's the kind of life she had when she lived in a big house in southwest Minneapolis, but she's living in St. Louis Park now. "I am a downtown person," said Randolph, a 60 -something attorney whose one -bedroom condominium is in the Excelsior & Grand condo and retail complex. "It's so close to what I know. I'm five minutes from Uptown. I can walk to Lake Calhoun. My gas consumption has gone down because I can walk to the grocery and to everything that you really need." Justin Stach is also looking forward to an urban lifestyle without the downtown ZIP code. His 12th -floor condo in the Reflections complex along Interstate Hwy. 494 in Bloomington will give him skyline views and floor -to -ceiling windows. McGough Companies plans to build 1,100 condos there in several phases. Stach, 21, plans to live there a year or two and then cash in his equity and move to something bigger. So far, so good, because his unit has appreciated $30,000 since he signed for it. "I feel pretty confident in the investment or I wouldn't have made it," he said. Stach isn't the only one who's been impressed by the project. Since the groundbreaking, 220 people have signed up to buy the first 267 units. One of Stach's neighbors will be Chris Conway, a computer specialist with a three-bedroom house in Edina who is eager to downsize. "All I have to do is walk out the door to get on the [light] rail and go to the airport or downtown and I don't have to worry about parking," Conway said. Like many suburban condo buyers, Randolph shopped the downtown market and several Minneapolis and St. Paul neighborhoods before settling on Excelsior & Grand, but she didn't find what she wanted in her sub -$300,000 range. Having lived in a traditional, Colonial -style house, she also wasn't fond of the raw open spaces in some of the "hard loft" projects. Not follow -the -leader Market watchers are hard-pressed so say how long the condo boom will last, but many believe the suburbs are less susceptible to overbuilding than the downtowns because the projects are smaller and more evenly spread out. "I think the downtown market is more volatile, partly because there's so much product being proposed," Carey said. "In Hopkins, we're not proposing thousands of units and these are not such large projects." Harmon, who is working with McGough on the Reflections project, said he also is more confident about the suburban market than Minneapolis, which he sees as beset by a "certain follow -the -leader phenomenon." "With such an overabundance in the downtown market, the suburban markets will be able to float above that for a very long time ... there won't be the same level of overbuilding," he said. Carey said that because many of the suburban projects don't have the same level of amenities as the new downtown structures, location could play a bigger role in their prospects than supply. "I think that in the foreseeable future it will be more important for developers to have great locations. In a hot market people are not as discriminating about location, but as buyers have more choices and as there are fewer buyers around, the emphasis will be on the really great sites," Carey said. Jim Buchta is at ihucirta astartrihune.com. G Copvright 2005 Star Tribune. All rights reserved. tP— startribune.com Close window Last update: April 18, 2005 at 10:01 AM Making the most of 'lifestyle housing' Terry Fiedler Star Tribune Published April 18, 2005 Jayme Arezzo doesn't seem to have much in common with Paul Lerdal. Arezzo, 24, is at the beginning of his career, single and about to make his first real estate buy. Lerdal, 54, and his wife, Joan, are empty nesters making what they expect will be one of their last home purchases. Together, they represent what the National Association of Realtors calls "the bookends" of the resurgent demand for condominium living. Arezzo and the Lerdals both recently bought condos in downtown Minneapolis. "This works for me now. I'm young, single, working downtown and I travel a lot," said Arezzo, who scouts store sites for Target Corp. He's looking forward to big changes in his life when his unit in the 720 Lofts development on N. 4th Street is ready by the end of the year. No more 45 -minute commutes from Plymouth to his office. Vikings and Timberwolves games will be an easy walk away, and winter parking will be in a heated underground garage. It's a different life for the Lerdals, too, after decades in traditional homes. "Some of our friends think we are crazy, but Joan runs into people all the time who are jealous of our lifestyle," Paul Lerdal said. Between 1970 and 2000, the percentage of traditional families -- married couples with children -- among U.S. households dropped from 43 to 24 percent. According to the research firm Dahlgren Shardlow, these childless households are signaling the rise of urban, low -maintenance "lifestyle housing," such as condos. In Minneapolis, the trend is responsible for the first significant migration of residents back to the city core since suburban flight started a steep decline from the 1960 downtown area population of 34,338. The city's downtown population, which stood at 19,035 in 1980 and 21,158 in 1990, is now believed to be approaching 29,000. The six core neighborhoods are Downtown East, Downtown West, Elliot Park, Loring Park, Stevens Square and the North Loop. Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said that if trends continue, the city could be one of a few in the country to regain all the population lost in the post-war suburban sprawl. In the meantime, he said, "As people move back, it makes it more of place to live and work. Other downtowns are just overgrown shopping centers and office parks." It's important to keep the growth in perspective: Even at 29,000, the downtown population is still smaller than the suburb of Richfield (about 35,000 residents), and 29,000 people equals about 1 percent of the metro -area population of 2.7 million. Still, the reversal of years of suburban flight and downtown's growing population compares favorably with many other urban areas -- it's smaller than Chicago's, for example, but bigger than Dallas' and Denver's downtown populations combined. Many market observers see the condo phenomenon as early in its life cycle, with some optimistic estimates putting the number of Twin Cities residents switching to an urban lifestyle growing by perhaps another 5,000 or 6,000 in the next five years. "The more the downtown gets built up, the more desirable it becomes. You've got Lunds putting up two grocery stores. Three to four years from now, this will be a hot place," said Fritz Kroll, an Edina Realty agent who specializes in downtown Minneapolis. New digs, new life While the condo boom is foremost a real estate story, it carries wide-ranging ramifications for the way some Minnesotans will live and interact, for the future of some city neighborhoods and for the health of the city's finances. For buyers, condominium living can mean freedom from frustrating commutes, proximity to downtown entertainment and ownership without all the chores of a single-family home. But it also can mean a substantial, even difficult, transition for people who have never lived in an urban area, never lived in multifamily housing or in spaces quite this small. "It will be interesting to see how Minnesotans adapt to living in an association environment," said Tom Reid, executive director of Elliot Park Neighborhood Inc. The neighborhood is home to the Grant Park development and several other condo towers. "Historically, there have not been a lot of big condo associations. [Condo owners] will have to adapt to a situation in which some decisions are made apart from them by a board." �_3 Still, many people seem ready to embrace the change. Mary Hickey, senior designer for Gabberts Furniture and Design Studio, said most of her condo clients are consciously closing a chapter of their lives and opening a new one. Many are so eager to chuck everything from their former homes that Hickey frequently has to talk them into keeping at least a few pieces. "It's a huge transition, and to make a successful transition and a move without remorse, they have to bring some of the history with them," she said. Lois Bollman figures that she and her husband, Lynn, probably got rid of 80 percent of what they owned when they moved about a year and a half ago from a home near Lake Harriet in south Minneapolis to the Humboldt Lofts, a condo next door to the new Guthrie Theater in the flour -milling district. The Bollmans -- she's an administrator, he's a teacher at Minneapolis Community College -- had been contemplating the move for years, but they waited until their two children were out of college. "We were just ready to try something very different," she said. "We moved from a lot of house care to freedom." Their new home has less space than the house they moved from, about 2,000 square feet, but Lynn Bollman said he likes the other trade-offs. "I don't miss the shoveling, mowing, raking and trying to make grass grow under huge oak trees," he said. He also enjoys the contrasts of the city. "The really nice times are when it's quiet on Sunday morning, and the opposite, when there is a football game and tailgaters or it's the Fourth of July." As for the Lerdals, they live in about 1,500 square feet now, down from the 2,500 they once had. "That's been an adjustment," Paul Lerdal admitted. "Material possessions have gotten to be a lot less important." Paul, a clinic manager, now commutes once a week to St. Cloud and telecommutes the rest of the time. Joan works in the Minnetonka Public Schools as a speech pathology teacher. "We were surprised by how much we liked it," Paul Lerdal said of their new life. "We walk to just about everything, to Williams Arena for a Gophers game, to Target Center and to the Metrodome, to Theatre de la Jeune Lune. I'm shedding pounds." Jody Kern, a Wells Fargo mortgage broker, said that many clients she has worked with have a condo in the city and a cabin elsewhere, so they can keep their gardening habit. She's considering the same thing now that she's bought a condo. Kern, who lives in a 4,500 -square -foot home in Bloomington with her son, has bought a 21 st-story unit in the Carlyle project near the Mississippi River. It will be ready in late 2006. "I have a great house for a family, with a pool and a hot tub," she said in talking about why she's moving. "The dog has his own floor, and my son, when he is home from college, has his own floor." Kern was impressed with the Carlyle and bought in early to secure her unit. She likes the idea of little maintenance and a "walking lifestyle," with downtown, the river and the Near North Side close by. She's excited about making the move, and as someone in the real estate business, she plans to keep an eye both on how the downtown condo market performs and how Minnesotans adapt to the condo lifestyle. "This is really new to this marketplace," she said. "It's not like it is in Chicago." Benefits for the city Some city neighborhoods, such as Elliot Park, are taking on a new feel as condo buildings are finished. "A lot of good things come with more density," Reid said. Elliot Park "was a neighborhood that was trending toward the poverty line. Now it has a chance to really be a mixed -income neighborhood. [Along with the condos] we have some high-quality, low-income housing that is locked into the neighborhood with tax credits." One small indication that the neighborhood is on the upswing: "Grant Park allowed dogs from the start, and that made a difference for street traffic," Reid said. "You see a lot of people walking their dogs." For Minneapolis as a whole, an influx of downtown residents is welcome because it means a bigger residential tax base (most of the condo projects received no city subsidies). It also brings a bigger commercial tax base generated by new businesses serving the residents, and a generally higher activity level, which increases safety and attracts more entertainment options. "It makes [downtown] a more interesting place to go to," Rybak said. "There are now two or three new grocery stores. There are more interesting shops and restaurants. It's also important in a period of increasing gridlock. Every person who moves into a downtown condo and walks to work is one less person in front of you in traffic." .ZL� However, not everyone moving to the downtown represents a new taxpayer. Reid noted that many of the people he's met from Grant Park moved to the tower from elsewhere in Minneapolis. Mortgage banker Kern said many of her condo buyers are moving from older downtown condos to newer ones. Arezzo is pragmatic about his upcoming move. While he's eager to make the change, he knows he'll miss some aspects of life in Plymouth, such as the Luce Line bike trail and nearby parks. He doesn't necessarily see condo living as a forever proposition. "If I get married, I don't think I want to try to raise kids in a one -bedroom condo downtown." Terry Fiedler is at tfiedlerAstartribuxe.com. Ccs Copyright 2005 Star Tribune. All rights reserved. ,71" TrSp�,4 PRESORTED FIRST CLASS Hennepin County (10 o ' U.S. POSTAGE Health Services Building (MC -1_983) a JX41. / •��r�aarc! t �, r.11APL9`.;'1u1N 525 Portland Ave. S. 114 tr Minneapolis, MN 55415-1569 F-_ 000G�Ss� s GF C 90 O U- MAILED FROM ZIP CODE 55487 Ctty of,Plymouth Judy Johnson �X, 3400 Plymouth Blvd mouth, MN 55447-5447 +titp w `b Es r roq .N 55447+i462_0 t�1�` �!►i �, #� s�l��l��,IJl,h,ili��f�llff P R E V E N T I O N F O R U M Empowering Adolescents Toward Healthy Maturity ecent school events are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to comprehending the actions of some adolescents. Using video and ecture, this session focuses on understanding the emotional health of adolescents. We will discuss how to help adolescents overcome unhealthy male and female socialization messages. Also discussed will be the importance of same -gender support groups and healthy mentoring. The need for engaged parents, invested community members and positive role models in adolescents' lives also will be addressed. Presenter: Dr. Michael Obsatz presents workshops on bullying, shame, male and female socialization issues, and emotional development throughout the United States. He is an associate professor of sociology at Macalester College, where he has taught for 38 years. Dr. Obsatz also teaches for the continuing education program at the University of St. Thomas. He is a mentor to 30 young men; author of "Raising Nonviolent Children in a Violent World" (which won the 1999 Minnesota Book Award); and producer of the movie about bullying called "That's Enough," which has been shown around the world. 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U :9 O 3 o ) — (b (,I. -) � U .0 tm a 2 o o NORM COLEMAN MINNESOTA Unitcd tatc,n �45cnatc WASHINGTON, DC 20510-2307 April 7, 2005 The Honorable Judy Johnson City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Blvd Plymouth, Minnesota 55447 Dear Honorable Johnson: COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS CHAIRMAN PERMANENT SURCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS CHAIRMAN SUBCOMMITTEE ON WES-AN HEMISPHERE, PEACE CORPS, AND NARCOTICS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP Thank you for taking the time to contact me concerning the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. I appreciate your strong support. As you may know, on February 7, President Bush submitted his annual budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006_to Congress. The President proposed to eliminate 18 community and economic development related programs, including CDBG, and to combine them into one single block grant called the Strengthening America's Communities program. This program would be funded through the Department of Commerce. In addition, the President asked for $3.7 billion for his proposed block grant program although Congress funded CDBG alone at $4.9 billion last year. In response to the President's proposal, I led a bipartisan coalition of 57 senators in strongly urging the Senate Budget Committee to maintain full funding for CDBG program and to reject the other proposed changes. Unfortunately, on March 11, 2005 when the Senate Budget Committee reported its budget resolution to the full Senate, it assumed the President's cuts and modifications to CDBG. In response, I offered an amendment to the Senate Budget resolution to maintain full funding for CDBG, as well as for Rural Housing and Economic Development, Community Service Block Grants, EDA Assistance, the Rural Community Advancement Program, Empowerment Zones, Brownfield Redevelopment, Community Development Loan Guarantees, and Community Development Financial Institutions along with eight other community development programs within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. I am pleased to report that my amendment passed the Senate with broad bipartisan support on a vote of 68 to 31. Like you, I know firsthand how important CDBG is to helping American communities prosper. For instance, while Mayor of St. Paul, I used CDBG to help fund the Main Street Program which enabled us to revitalize downtown St. Paul, create thousands of jobs and bring people back to the city. CDBG is the centerpiece of the Federal government's effort to help states and localities meet priority needs. Since its creation, CDBG has helped revitalize thousands of American communities, large and small, creating over 2 million jobs, $50 billion of additional family income, and has helped contribute $130 billion to the nation's Gross Domestic Product. In short, CDBG works! It promotes economic development and means jobs and I am proud to have restored full funding for this critical program. Yet, while the adoption of my amendment represents a victory for both Minnesota's rural and urban HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING 2550 UNIVERSITY AVENUE WEST SUITE 320 ..a. SUITE 100N WASHINGTON, DC 20510-2307 n\// /. Sr. PAUL, MN 55114-1098 TEL: 120 2) 224-5641 TEL: (651) 645-0323 FAX: (202) 224-1152 http:Ucoleman.senite.gov FAX: (651) 645-3110 communities, please know that much work remains to ensure full funding for CDBG in the final Budget as well as in this years appropriations bill. Thank you once again for contacting me. I very much appreciate your strong support and I value your advice. If I may be of further assistance to you in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me again. Sincerely, Norm Coleman United States Senate P.S. Due to increased security precautions, mail delivery to the U.S. Senate may be unpredictably delayed by days or weeks. I apologize for the delay in receiving and responding to your letter. 56 SUBJECT: REZONING AND PRELIMINARY PLAT FOR EXECUTIVE HOMESITES, LLC (2005020) Dear Property Owner: Pursuant to the provisions of the Plymouth Zoning Ordinance, this letter is to inform you of a request by Executive Homesites, LLC., under File No. 2005020, for a rezoning of three properties from RSF-1 (Single Family 1) to RSF-2 (Single Family 2) and a preliminary plat and variance for 15 lots on properties located at 405, 415, and 425 Harbor Lane North. Hennepin County records indicate your property is within 750 feet of the site of this proposal. You are hereby notified of, and cordially invited to attend a Public Hearing to be held by the Plymouth Planning Commission at 7:00 p.m., on Wednesday, May 4, 2005 in the Council Chambers at the Plymouth City Hall, 3400 Plymouth Boulevard. The public will be invited to offer questions and comments concerning this application at that time, or feel free to call the City Planning Department at (763) 509-5450 for more information. INFORMATION relating to this request may be examined at the Community Development Information Counter (lower level), on Mondays and Wednesday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Tuesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., except holidays. Sincerely, Barbara G. Senness, AICP Planning Manager 2005020propnotice F -3 )1 PLYMOUTH Addig Quality to Life 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD a PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE (763) 509-5000 AGENDA CICC MEETING APRIL 14, 2005 3:30 PM — 5:00 PM ROOM A 413 3:30 Call to Order and Welcome Kim Erickson-Heiar 3:3 5 Approve March Minutes 3:45 Nominations for CICC Board 3:50 LCTS Funding Priorities 3:50 — 4:00: Overview by Kim Erickson-Heiar �0- Jr, 4:00 — 4:30: Small Group Discussions, - $ 4:30 — 5:00: Reports to Large Group — each Consensus 5:00 Adjourn Next Meeting MAY 12, 2005 3:30 PM — 5:00 PM DATES TO REMEMBER: o Dr. Mel Levine "Getting to Know Your Child's Kind of Mind", Thursday, April 21, 7:00 — 9:00 PM, Wayzata Community Church, 125 E Wayzata Blvd. Free. Sponsored by Orono PTAs. o Spread Your Wings — Saturday, April 23, 6 PM, Providence Academy, $125/person. Contact Jill Kohler at ikohler@a,iocp.org or 952-473-2436 for more information o Mother's Day Tea — Saturday, May 7, 2005,11:30 AM, Kids' Care Connection Fundraiser at Messiah United Methodist Church. Tickets $10. Everyone invited! RSVP to Sarah at 763-473-6968. At 12:30 PM. Karla Heeter, a nationally known motivational speaker will present "If You're Too Busy to Laugh, You're Too Busy." PLEASE REVIEW ATTACHED UPDATE FOR OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND UPCOMING EVENTS n,\Ace0cf- (alert- F. // - /,� 3j- CICC APRIL 14, 2005 UPDATE Alliance for Children and Families in Hennepin County • LCTS — Most of the conversation at the Alliance Council continues to be focused on the proposed changes to federal regulations that may result in up to a 90% decrease in LCTS funding. Like the CICC, the Alliance is working to establish the process and the priorities that will be used to cut the funding for the countywide programs that are currently funded through LCTS. The March Alliance meeting was devoted to a review of all currently funded initiatives: Leadership Action Group for Children's Health Primary Project Family School Coordinators Public Health Task Force Ready to Read and Succeed Pre -Literacy Skills Latina Home Visiting Project School Attendance Initiative School Health Services: Chronic Disease and Illness Allies for Change/ Kids' Stability What's Up Hotline Community Courts Project Transition School/Extended Day Treatment Allies for Change/Parent Involvement So far in April, the collaborative coordinators and the Alliance Executive Committee have met to develop the process and priorities that will be used at the April 21 Alliance Council meeting to cut these budgets. The collaborative coordinators have recommended that future Alliance (countywide) funding focus on: Primary Project Family School Coordinator Positions Juvenile Screening & Assessment Focused planning and countywide work on early childhood intervention Reducing the achievement gap The Executive Committee of the Alliance has recommended that funding decisions be based on: The criteria set forth in state legislation for LCTS. The ability to replicate best practices. Programs that can be leveraged with our resources. Programs that promote systems change. Have a countywide scope. Also at the Executive Committee this month, District 287 presented their LCTS funding plan for 2005- 06. (See attachment.) The April 21 Alliance Council meeting will be devoted to the development of the final set of priorities that will be used to determine how cuts will be made, using the above stated recommendations as a starting point for the discussion. All are invited to attend. 0� Z .3 The May Alliance Council meeting will focus on how the Alliance can continue to do its work in light of the loss of LCTS funds. Most agree that the important work of breaking down barriers and creating seamless systems of care for families and children must continue whether or not LCTS funds are available. Note: The Minnesota Association of County Social Service Administrators has written a letter (see attachment) to the Administration for Children and Families in Washington DC to express concern over the reduction in services that will result due to the proposed changes in the Title IV -E Federal guidelines. • Juvenile Justice Task Force Grant and Mental Health Grant from Hennepin County: Relate Counseling, under the guidance of Dr. Christie Matschke, has begun implementation of the West Hennepin Mental and Chemical Health Assessment Project. Youth involved in drug or alcohol use are referred by local police departments and school chemical health coordinators to Relate Counseling for 1 to 3 sessions of assessment. Referrals are starting out a little slow, but it is expected that this will pick up soon. Judy Hanson, Wayzata's Chemical Health Coordinator, has already made several referrals. Following assessment, if a youth is determined to be in need of treatment, additional funds from the mental health grant from Hennepin County will be available, on a sliding scale basis, for further counseling at Relate. Literacy Tutoring This week (April I I-15) is the last week of the pilot literacy program --- although a few volunteers have asked to continue with their students through the end of the school year. Charlene Barghini organized luncheons at each school (Oakwood, Birchview and Sunset Hill) for all of the volunteers, principals, Nancy McCoy (District Reading Specialist) and LaDonna Hoy. This time was used to obtain feedback from the volunteers about their experience. In general, the volunteers agreed the program went very well --- and most indicated their willingness to continue next year. Charlene also administered surveys to each volunteer to assess their impressions of the training they received, the materials they were give, their connection with their student, their sense of the progress their student made, etc. In addition, Nancy McCoy is in the process of administering a second Basic Reading Inventory test (also given before the program began) to determine the progress each child has made in reading. This information will be provided to LaDonna Hoy for the evaluations that are required by the Pohlad Family Foundation grant that IOCP received to fund this pilot phase of the literacy program. A number of Cargill employees were also involved in the program this year. Due to their positive experience, Cargill asked Charlene to submit a proposal for a grant to expand the Literacy Tutoring program next year. We should hear back from them soon! Urban Learner Framework Training — Cultural Proficiency 16 volunteers have now completed the first phase of "The Urban Learner Framework" training conducted by Hamline University faculty. We are in the process of working with Jane Sigford and Hamline to finalize the details for the additional "train the trainer" training that will be conducted for volunteers who participated in the first phase so that this model can be replicated for all volunteers who work with students in the Wayzata School District. Parenting with Vision / Parenting Forum Planning has begun for the 2005-06 parenting forum and evening lectures. The Parent Involvement funds that have been used to supplement these programs over the years have now been depleted. All Wayzata PTA/Os have agreed to increase their annual support for these programs from $400 to $530. In addition, instead of publishing a separate Parenting Forum brochure, we are contemplating the possibility of incorporating the 32 VZ LL brochure information into the January issue of the Communicator. This would mean that 25,000 households, as opposed to the current 8,000 households, would receive this information --- and we would save a considerable amount of funds! Partners in Prevention - 2004 Minnesota Student Survey On April 6, Partners in Prevention hosted a community meeting to share the most recent trends identified through the results of the 2004 Minnesota Student Survey. Approximately 40 people were in attendance. Judy Hanson, Wayzata Schools' Chemical Health Coordinator, and Lois Robbins, Director of Assessment and Evaluation for Wayzata Schools, presented the information. The PowerPoint presentation is on the district's web site under Curriculum and Assessment, then click on Assessment, then click on MN Student Survey at: http://www.w4yzata.kl2.mn.us/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE user op=view page&PAGE id=199 &MMNsposition=162:7:56 Putting Family First Putting Family First Night H will take place on Monday, March 6, 2006! Wayzata Community Clinic The Wayzata Community Clinic provides barrier -free medical care to children in our school community every Wednesday afternoon from 1 — 5 PM at the Wayzata Medical Building, thanks to the Park Nicollet Foundation. No appointment necessary. The Pohlad Family Foundation has donated $3.5 million to the Park Nicollet Foundation in support of the Health Community Fund and care for the uninsured and underinsured (including community clinics like the Wayzata Community Clinic), eating disorders care, and diabetes research. IOCP Updates • IOCP's board has approved a budget for the 2005-06 fiscal year of $2.9 million. • Spread Your Wings will take place April 23, 2005 at Providence Academy. Tickets are $125/person. Contact Jill at ikohler@ioc.org for more information. • National Honor Society students from WHS will sponsor a 5 K run for IOCP on April 30. Start time is 9 AM. • The annual plant sale will take place May 18-21. Contact Jill for specific details. • Empty Bowls will take place at Wayzata High School on May 26. • IOCP is in the midst of its strategic planning process. 70 people, including representatives from IOCP staff, board, community partners, and professionals in related fields are serving on 15 committees to review all of the areas of IOCP (including housing, transportation, child care, etc.) . Each committee will make recommendations to IOCP's full board in May regarding the short and long term steps that must be taken to address each of these issues effectively. • The final strategic plan will be presented at IOCP's Annual Meeting which will take place at 7:30 AM on May 25 at Wayzata Community Church. All community partners are invited. Wayzata Partners Representatives from the Plymouth Community Foundation have agreed to participate in the monthly Wayzata Partner meetings, sponsored by the CICC. These meetings bring together many of the nonprofits in the community (including Park Nicollet, Hammer, the YMCA, ICOP, the Lions, the Wayzata Area Community Foundation, the Wayzata Area Public School Foundation, etc,) to review and, where possible, partner on fundraising strategies. q3 5 Jr' s °' 0 .. o —Cd 4-4 bAVa)N v 0 -O � Z4 • Ts e •�°dCA Cd cd U oo° o +r 'C Gn 8�� CO �� C1 0d "� Q tip by gyp+ Q O O 0 O° N O O' t4 td aad b C, rn Cd °s�� o rn b' 1 9)u a Ro w o N O y U O p N �i N p cd a.- p corm; d v' oCd Q O0.= N N L V Q\ 0 0 -(D > M -5 'CJ r+ N b t� U O y at U cd V V • • A c to o O -. N +�- ° cn �O\ Cd ° Cto 3t� -04a � •CCL O H � Cc � C,3: SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS PROCESS In the next half hour: 1. Designate a group recorder and group reporter. 2. Review mandated funding criteria below. 3. Within your group, collectively rank your recommendations for issue # 1 and issue #2 MANDATED LCTS FUNDING CRITERIA • Early intervention or prevention • Does not go directly back to earning entity (Must be distributed through a collaborative that represents the whole community --- the money cannot go directly back to the school district.) • Does not supplant (It is not supplanting if funding is no longer available for a program or service due to unallotments, budget cuts, termination of grants, etc. Supplanting refers to replacing or redirecting funds that are specifically intended and still available for that particular program. In other words, no inappropriate shifting or shuffling of funds.) • Supports prevention and out -of -home placement • Enhances family support and children's physical and mental health services • Supports seamless delivery services • Strengthens local community based services • Mandated partners at the table (County, Schools, Corrections, Public Health, Mental Health, Community Action, Head Start) • 5% Admin adhered to • No capital outlay ISSUE #1 How should the remaining LCTS funds be allocated in our community?: 1. Should we continue funding projects, as usual, until the money is expended? 2. Should we try to make the money stretch out as long as possible (while still following the federal mandate that it be spent within 24 months)? 3. Should we use some combination of these approaches? . - ISSUE #2 Are there additional funding priorities that should be established in our community, in light of the reduction in LCTS? If so, what would those priorities be: 1. Programs that focus on low-income children and families? 2. Programs that focus on a certain age group? (Early childhood, elementary, middle, high?) Pro rams hat_focus on issues that directly a ��t4chool success? t 4. Prstgrams that,focus o— n breaking down barriers and creati seamsdelive of services? _ _! Program t at are scie - roduce measurable outcomes? b. Funding to mainfain the process of collabora ion. 7. Leave the establishment of priotes up to the LCTS Grant Committee? 8. Other criteria unique to our needs in the Wayzata School District? 6 3-� LCTS GRANTS AWARDED DECEMBER 2003, MAY 2004, and DECEMBER 2004 Project Description LCTS . Grant Approved December 2003 Kids' Care Connection Tuition subsidies for low/middle income working families in need of $20,000 quality, affordable, consistent, value centered childcare for children ages 6 weeks through S years old who live in Plymouth and the west metro area. Sojourner Comprehensive advocacy and support services to victims of domestic $2,500 violence as well as educational outreach services to youth and families in the City of Wayzata and the areas of Minnetonka included in the Wayzata School District. School Based Mental Partnership between the Wayzata School District and Relate $185675 Health Services Counseling Center to provide mental health services to WHS students and their families. Attention Deficits 24-hour Help Line available to youth and their parents seeking help, $5,000 Support Service intervention and professional strategies, resources, and referral recommendations for dealing with the emotional and academic impacts of living with those who have attention deficit and attention deficit hyperactive disorders. Home Base Scholarship funds for families in need of child care through Wayzata $20,000 Home Base, CONECT Plus Project enhancementpiloted at Plymouth Colony Apartment that will $15,000 offer all of the linkages and services already in place via CONECT and to provide a new service dimension with emphasis on housing, family, employment, and school stability. Approved May 2004 Learning Link Bus transportation to Learning Link programs at local preschools $8,000 for children from high risk families. Child and Family Support and intervention services for young children and their $49,361 Support Program families. Identified children have behavioral, emotional or social concerns but are not eligible for special education services. Ridgedale YMCA & Safe, supervised activities for middle school youth at Central, East $36,000 Wayzata Middle and West Middle Schools. Schools' After -School Drop -In Program Camp CONECT Summer Camp for children who live in the six apartment complexes $10,000 in Plymouth served by CONECT. Grant Teens Alone Free, confidential counseling and crisis services to pre -teens, teens $4,000 Connection and their families. CICC Program support. $10,000 The Family Support Intensive, in-home counseling to assist and support children and $22,000 Program — The families who are at risk of out -of -home placement. Storefront Group City of Wayzata and the areas of Minnetonka included in the Wayzata TOTAL School District, $2209536 LCTS GRANTS AWARDED DECEMBER 9, 2004 Funds Available: $160,850 Approved 12/09/04 Project Description LCTS Grant Kids' Care Tuition subsidies for low/middle income working families in need of quality, $20,000 Connection affordable, consistent value centered childcare for children ages 6 weeks through5 ears old who live in Plymouth and the west metro area. Sojourner Comprehensive advocacy and support services to victims of domestic $ 5,000 violence as well as educational outreach services to youth and families in the City of Wayzata and the areas of Minnetonka included in the Wayzata School District, School Based Partnership between the Wayzata School District and Relate Counseling $18,060 Mental Health Center to provide barrier -free mental health services to WHS students and Services their families. New this year will be access to psychiatric consultation services, as well as counseling. Family Literacy A pilot project to provide a comprehensive Family Literacy Program $31,730 Project (including adult basic beginning English instruction, parenting education, child developmental activities for pre-schoolers, and childcare while parents are in English instruction) to be provided on-site at Lakeview Commons in Pl mouth. TOTAL $74,790 ALLOCATED Reserved for $86,060 May 2005 Grant Distribution Period March 24. 2005 Kathleen McHugh, Director Division of Policy — Children's Bureau Administration on Children, Youth and Families Administration for Children and Families 330 C Street S.W. Washington, D.C. 20447 Dear Ms. McHugh: On behalf of the 87 county human service agencies that comprise our organization, I am writing to submit our written comments pertaining to the proposed rule changes as published on January 31, 2005 in the Federal Register, Volume 70, Number 19. The proposed rule changes pertain to Title IV -E administrative costs and eligibility determinations and redeterminations for foster care recipients and candidates. We are specifically concerned about the proposed new language that would require that we (a) conduct Title IV -E foster care candidacy re -determinations every six months, (b) document those re -determinations and (c) allow only the State Agency (as a state supervised, county administered public human service system this authority would be granted to our counties) to determine Title IV -E candidacy. In the past 10 years, Minnesota's human service agencies have done an excellent job of coordinating and integrating services with our schools, public health and corrections on behalf of children and families in need. As a result, our human service's delivery system has greatly expanded services to "at risk" children. In 2004, 367,906 persons were served by programs such as co -located school-based mental health programs, universal home visiting programs, and truancy intervention services. In addition, Minnesota's efforts have: ■ Promoted goals highlighted by the President's No Child Left Behind Initiative ■ Implemented services consistent with the six goal areas as outlined in the President's Freedom Mental Health Commission Report ■ Measureably reduced out -of -home placement in MN. A significant portion of these expanded, child -focused services have been funded by Title IV -E funds. The proposed rules, we believe, will require our state and local service delivery systems to develop an automated tracking system and new reporting procedures. We anticipate that the additional administrative costs in creating such a system will not be eligible for Title IV -E administrative claiming. Consequently, the rule changes will increase administratative costs while concurrently decreasing funds needed to continue our expanded and integrated services for children at risk. We ask that you reconsider implementation of these rule changes. Increasing administrative oversight at the risk of significantly reducing much needed services is not in the best interest of the children and families we are serving. Thank your for your time and consideration. n2SA;)�""sD0- Z) Y, D� COt1�tJ 5�.� C�''✓� f`��W1�Y��S�atai-C /�,f1 F LCTS AD HOC COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS to ALLIANCE April 08, 2005 The projected LCTS fund balance for Intermediate District 287 is $815,000 as of August 31, 2005. The AD HOC Committee, comprised of representatives from 287 member districts, the Local Coordinating Council (LCC), Hennepin County and the Alliance have made the following RECOMMENDATIONS with respect to the distribution of available LCTS funds for the 2005-2006 school year. Committee members unanimously approved these recommendations. Vote taken March 18, 2005 PROPOSED District 287 Project Allocations: Family School Coordinator (Direct flow through to District 287) Various ALC/EBD Sites. ($25,000 reduction for direct flow) Volunteers of America (DHH leadership Groups) Various DHH Sites Reach for Resources (DCD Skill Groups) Strive Programs District 287 Consultation fund. All sites ($20,000 reduction) MN LINC (animal assisted interventions) Various EBD sites ($30,000 reduction) L.P. diagnosis & direct service -clerical support and data collection Storefront MH & CD therapists, District 287 ALC sites ($25,000 reduction) Storefront Chemical Health Support, District 287 EBD & ALC sites (Grant matched) $50,000 $53,000 $11,000 $40,000 $30,000 $81,000 $50,000 $100,000 Sub total $415,000 Intermediate District 287 projects which do not require additional funding, due to available carryover funds for the 2005-2006 school year: Health Partners- psychiatric support Generations -individual & family mental health support at Explore Experiential Learning The Ad Hoc committee recommended that, if current financial projections are low, any additional earned monies could be directed to restore projects that experienced fund allocation reduction or that lost funding. Proposed FAMILY SCHOOL COORDINATOR Allocations: Member District Family School Coordinator Projects $400,000 Alliance for Families & Children contribution - yet to be determined. $140,000 (Suggested 35% x $400,000=$140,000) 287LCTS Sub total $815.000 (Alliance contribution?) $140,000 TOTAL $955,000 v �+ CHILDCARE ALERT If you're one of the early childhood advocates who has been waiting to reach one of the critical points in the legislative session to raise your voice for the young children in our state NOW IS THE TIME! Thank you in advance for your speedy attention to this very time - sensitive issue. Tuesday night, the -House Ways and Means Committee passed a resolution that designates how much each House committee is assigned to either spend or cut from its budget for the next biennium. This is a crucial decision-making point in the session, as it provides the framework for committee chairs to design their committee's budgets. The Jobs committee, which oversees child care programs, has the largest amount assigned to be cut from their budget - either $72 million or $57 million, depending upon whether the House passes a Racino bill, which would garner $200 million towards the budget deficit. Last week, the Department of Human Services sent a memo to the legislature, letting them know that there is $18 million of federal child care funds that has accumulated and could be spent on child care programs in whatever manner the legislature designates. Increasing eligibility and lowering parent co -pays are examples of how the money could be spent. Yet - even though these funds are specifically designated for child care, the House intends to use that money to go towards the deficit. To recap: - in 2003, the legislature cut $86 million from fiscal years 2004-05 from child care funds through a series of devastating program changes that has rendered the Child Care Assistance Program inaccessible and unworkable for the families it is meant to serve; - also during that session, the legislature cut $51 million from fiscal years 2006-07 through the same program changes; - this session, the Governor has proposed a child care reimbursement rate freeze, totaling a $70 million cut to child care funds; - the House now proposes an ADDITIONAL cut of AT LEAST $18 million of federal child care funds - which thus far remain unused primarily because of the massive programmatic changes made in 2003 - i.e. eligibility set too low and co -payments set too high, so that families are not able to access help paying for child care. In short, since 2003, the legislature has proposed cuts of $225 million to child care funds - $88 million of which are on the table right now, and the rest of which has already been taken away. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH - IT IS TIME TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! Three calls are requested, but if you can only make one or two calls, please make them in the order below. It does not matter if you are not a constituent of any of these House members, as they are in leadership positions and making decisions for the entire state. However, if you happen to be a constituent, be sure to mention that when you call. 1. Representative Jim Knoblach (R -St. Cloud), Chair of the Ways and Means Committee which sets the budget targets - 651-296-6316 or 800- 683-0886 2. Representative Bob Gunther (R -Fairmont), Chair of the Job's committee which oversees child care issues - 651-296-3240 or 800-684- 4598 - note that sometimes he does answer his own phone! 3. House Speaker Steve Sviggum (R -Kenyon), Speaker of the House - 651- 296-2273 MESSAGES: 1. The House's intent to use federal child care funds to pay for the state's deficit is simply wrong - those funds are sent to Minnesota by the federal government to help low-income working parents with young children stay in the workforce and help their children get ready for school. 2. Child care funding has been under attack since 2003 - enough is enough. Stop shifting the state's budget problems to low-income working families. Minnesota needs to do better for our children and families. REQUEST: Please email back to this address (ann@childcareworks.org) and let Ann know who you've called so we can keep track. If you have any additional feedback regarding your calls to share, the information would be much appreciated. Also - please share this alert with a friend or two! 1, r. �. M a r c7 n� v, f+ 'ID mpw w�K -CD m , b yO Fsj p (D 1p4 O !O ry r► ►.... A R. *. 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Rolnick Senior Vice President and Director of Research Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Cost: $25 per person Please make reservations by May 6, 2005, through your local branch office, or by calling YMCA Association Services at 612-371-8700. VEGETARIAN MENU OPTION: You MUST notify us when you make your reservation if you would prefer a vegetarian meal: /C— jIe—' Dr. Mel Levine "Getting to Know Your Child's Kind of Mind" Dr. Levine is the best known education expert & pediatrician in America today) He is a nationally renowned speaker on children's learning styles. Frequent guest on Oprah, NBC The Today Show PBS, Nightlinel Founder of All Kinds of Minds, an Institute for the study of differences in learning. #1 national best sellers "A Mind at a Time" & "The Myth of Laziness" His newest book "Ready or Not, Here Life Comes" Dr. Levine will speak about his ground -breaking research and framework that defines the many different brain functions. He explains how these brain functions operate in different kinds of minds and affect success in childhood and career launches. He will discuss preparing our children for life after school. Dr. Levine's insights are helpful to teachers and parents of children of all ages (PreK to College). Dr. Mel Levine "Getting to Know Your Child's Kind of Mind" FREE Admission Thursday, April 21, 2005 7:00 pm — 9:00 pm Doors Open at 6:15 p.m. Wayzata Community Church 125 East Wayzata Blvd, Wayzata d AIMINT' IT1ME ! ! :_ Event sponsored by Orono PTO, OMSPA, St. David's Child Development & Family Services, Wayzata Community Church, and The Bookcase of Wayzata. Apr 15 2005 17;00:34 Via Fax -> 763 509 5060 Plymouth Page 001 Of 006 LMC -Freda Fax- Y c;U.."r'y't :Qf°�",ii.,'n; A weekly legislative update from the League ofMrnnesota Cities ��,,, April 15, 2005 Page 1 Property tax freeze, turbocharged Impaired waters bill improved for truth in taxation, and levy limits—all cities in one day Three state -imposed levy restriction bills will be considered in the full House Tax Committee this Thursday, April 21 at 10:15 a.m. in Room 200 SOB. The bills on the agenda include the property tax freeze bill, HF 785 (Krinkie, R - Shoreview), the Governor's taxpayer satisfaction bill, HF 1660 (Krinkie, R - Shoreview) and permanent levy limits, I-I.F ..197 (Vandeveer, R -Forest Lake). Earlier this year, city officials, as well as staff from the League, testified against the Senate's companion bills on the property tax freeze and Governor's taxpayer satisfaction survey. The companion to HF 2197, the levy limit bill, has not been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate. Let your representative know your opposition to these bills—even non -tax committee members. These types of bills are generally laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus tax bill and therefore, we believe the committee will hear the bills but not take any final votes. Nonetheless, the House Tax Committee will be compiling its omnibus bill in the next several weeks and voicing your concerns would be timely_ For more information on the proposals, contact Jennifer O'Rourke at 651.281.1261 or carc�acrkr?+'ct%Irrztzc. org, or Gary Carlson at 651.281.1255 oror . To locate contact information for your representatives, go to tivww The Clean Water Legacy Act, HF, 826, Rep. Dennis Ozment (R -Rosemount) was heard in the House Environment and Agriculture Finance Division this week. Portions of the bill related to cities were changed in several ways. The new Phosphorus Reduction grants program that pays up to 75% of the cost of new phosphorus treatment infrastructure was amended so that any community that has built new phosphorous treatment since March 28, 2000 would be eligible for the grant, regardless of whether that is a new requirement for the facility or not. Previously, 186 facilities having this requirement imposed for the first time were eligible for the grant program, but facilities that were required to treat their wastewater for phosphorus prior to that date were not. The Small Community Wastewater Treatment program was amended so that it is no longer only a loan program. The program can provide up to 50% grants to small communities for the costs of replacing failed ISTS systems with community wastewater or cluster systems. Finally, the fee structure for generating revenue for the state's impaired water and TMDL program through sewer and septic fees was removed. The committee will return to discuss how to generate revenue for the Clean Water Legacy Act after they have completed work on the budget. Questions? Contact Craig Johnson at 651.281.1259 or at crvhrcrcrz z%lrnnc.o;- For more information on city legislative issues, contact any member of the League of Minnesota Cities Intergovernmental Relations team. 651.281.1200 or 800.925.1122 Apr 15 2005 17:01:15 Via Fax -> 763 509 5060 Plymouth Page 002 Of 006 F a -Freda x- �.M� y A weekly legislative update from the League of Minnesota Cities April 15, 2005 Page 2 Court decision likely to reignite gun amend the D'\TR bill because it allowed the debate controversial measure to avert -the committee Earlier this week, an appellate court upheld a 2004 ruling that overturned the 2003 Citizens Personal Protection Act, also known as conceal and carry. Supporters of the 2003 law will challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court in the coming months; however, the Legislature may re -pass the law before the court can rule. A new version of the law was introduced in the Legislature on Thursday, with a one -word change from the original language. SF 222:1 (Pariseau, R-Farmington)/I-IF�Y4; Apr 15 2005 17:01:59 Via Fax -> 763 509 5060 Plymouth LMC Lvauea o/,4linuesnla Citic; -Friday F ax - A weekly legislative update from the League of Minnesota Cities Rep. Keith Ellison (DFL -Minneapolis) that would fully -fund the LGA formula by adding $82 million to the system and requiring the additional funds to be dedicated to police and public safety purposes. The committee also considered I-I.F 2059 offered by Rep. Greg Davids (R -Preston) also known as the One Minnesota Act and :l:l.:l 1182 a bill authored by Rep. Dan Severson (R -Sauk Rapids) that would expand the regional center aid provision to cities that have recently eclipsed the 10,000 population threshold. The One Minnesota Act would eliminate the transit levy takeover enacted in 2001, replace the funding with a metropolitan 1/z cent sales tax and use the savings from the transit aid elimination to increase funding for education by $75 million and funding for local government aid by $60 million. Owatonna Mayor Tom Kuntz representing the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities and Renville Administrator Paul McLaughlin representing the Minnesota Association of Small Cities testified on behalf of the bill. The bill was also supported by Education Minnesota and Schools for Equity in Education. Concerns about the legislation were expressed by the Minnesota Inter -County Association and the Association of Metropolitan Municipalities. Representative Dan Severson's bill would modify the regional center aid available to cities that had a 2000 population in excess of 10,000 population by providing the additional aid to city's that have recently exceeded that threshold. Under current law, this additional aid is only available to cities outside the metropolitan area that had a 2000 population in excess of 10,000. Several cities have either recently eclipsed this threshold or will likely Paye 003 Of 006 April 15, 2005 Page 3 exceed the threshold in the near future but would not otherwise be eligible for the increased LGA. The League's 2005 legislative policies oppose adding other revenue sources to the LGA formula and therefore support the Rukavina proposal to eliminate taconite aid from the LGA formula. The five bills were all laid over for further consideration and possible inclusion in the House Omnibus Tax Bill. Questions? Contact Gary Carlson at 651.281.1255 or at -,c. sorz'r .im.rz.c:.cir House adopts committee targets As the Legislature begins the countdown toward the end of the 2005 regular legislative session, the House of Representatives this week adopted targets for their committees. The targets are developed as a method to control the overall state budget by requiring that all of the pieces of the budget add up to a predefined maximum state budget level. On Wednesday afternoon, the House majority unveiled their committee targets and rather than prescribe a single set of maximum committee targets, the recommendation included an "Option A" and "Option B" alternative, the latter assuming the passage of a casino or racino hybrid that would apparently result in $210 million in additional revenue for the 2006-2007 biennium. Both targets set the maximum state general fund budget at $29.8 billion. During a contentious Ways and Means Committee hearing on Wednesday evening, committee chair Rep. Jim Knoblach (R -St. Cloud) described the targets and their impact For more information on city legislative issues, contact any member of the League of Minnesota Cities Intergovernmental Relations team. 651.281.1200 or 800.925.1122 W� Apr 15 2005 17:02:42 Via Fax -> 763 509 5060 Plymouth Paye 004 Of 006 F a -Freda x- I�MC y A weekly legislative update from the League ofMinnesota Cities Fn, , April 15, 2005 Page 4 on various areas of the state budget. Of concern Option B would rely on money from proposals to cities is the fact that the targets indicate that to expand gambling. the Tax Committee will have to find $79 million in additional spending reductions or $79 million in revenue increases or some combination of spending cuts and revenue increases that total $79 million. City aids and credits are funded from that target. The governor's recommendations would already reduce funding for cities by extending the MVHC cuts for two years, saving the state nearly $40 million. When asked about the reduced tax target, Chair Knoblach stated that LGA would not be cut and he indicated that as much as half of the target could be attained through a new tax compliance effort that the House is considering for the Department of Revenue. Tax compliance has been discussed extensively over the past several years as the state has faced continual budget deficits and as reports about the amount of uncollected taxes have been released by the Department of Revenue. Several amendments were proposed by DFL members that would have drawn down the state's $350 million cash flow account and used the revenues to increase the committee targets for the Education Finance Committee, the Tax Committee and the Health Policy Finance Committee. All of the amendments were either defeated or withdrawn and the resolution was sent to the House floor. On Thursday, the full House considered and approved the targets on a 69 to 66 party line vote. Many of the DFL members who spoke against the resolution indicated that they opposed the plan largely due to the fact that education was not adequately funded under either option and also due to the fact that Questions? Contact Gary Carlson at 651.281.1255 or at Ycarlsc�Jz:'i' .lm.rzc.carc7 Building inspector certification bill advances to the Senate floor A bill introduced by the Association of Minnesota Building Officials (AMBO) to require certification of building inspectors is on its way to the Senate floor. This legislation, T. -IF 1929/SF 1819, cleared a second House committee last month and passed out of the Senate State & Local Government Operations Committee on Monday evening. Sen. Mee Moua (DFL -St. Paul) is the chief sponsor of the proposal in the Senate. Rep. Karen Klinzing (R -Woodbury) is carrying the House companion. Under this proposal, all construction code inspectors who start employment after July 1, 2007 would, within a year of hire, be required to meet certain competency criteria established by the commissioner of administration. The bill requires the commissioner to adopt rules specifying these new requirements, which must include certifications developed or administered by any nationally recognized agencies that are relevant to the building, mechanical, and plumbing codes adopted in Minnesota. HF 1929/SF 1819 would also allow the commissioner to adopt rules providing continuing education programs for construction code inspectors. The Senate committee amended the bill to exempt persons with a valid state plumbing or mechanical license, or a mechanical certificate For more information on city legislative issues, contact any member of the League of Minnesota Cities Intergovernmental Relations team. 651.281.1200 or 800.925.1122 ��D Apr 15 2005 17:03:24 Via Fax -> 763 509 5060 Plymouth Page 005 Of 006 0 Lmc -Fri dayF..... - �;�;,..,,.,,,,�;.,�.,n..„„ A weekly legislative update from the League ofMinnesota Cities April 15, 2005 Page 5 of competency issued by a first-class city, from Require operators to stay on the right shoulder these new requirements. of roadways; and AMBO is proposing this bill as an alternative to several legislative proposals, including bills that would impose onerous reporting requirements, require excessive and costly continuing education requirements for building inspectors, increase municipal liability, and privatize inspections for certain residential buildings. Questions? Contact Laura Offerdahl at 651. 281.1260 or at lo,%rdahl, .N7n..n.c. or Scooter bills zip through committees Bills that would define and regulate motorized scooters have advanced through the committee process in both the House and Senate. HF 912 (Beard, R-Shakopee)/SF SOS (Murphy, DFL -Red Wing) defines "motorized foot scooter” as "a device with no more than two ten -inch or smaller diameter wheels that has handlebars, is designed to be stood or sat upon by the operator, and is powered by an internal combustion engine or electric motor that is capable of propelling the device with or without human propulsion." The legislation would: Prohibit use of motorized scooters on sidewalks; Prohibit carrying of passengers; Require that a scooter operator be at least 12 years old; Require helmets for minors operating scooters; Require scooters to have headlights and tail lights; Allow local units of government to restrict operation of scooters on trails. At this time, it is unclear whether the bills will be heard independently on the floors of the House and Senate, or whether they will be rolled into omnibus transportation policy bills. Questions? ContactAnne Finn at 651.281.1263 or at ajnTz&vlmnc:.org Meth bill up on the floor Tuesday The House is expected to take up the omnibus meth bill, f:1F 572 (Johnson, R -Plymouth), on the floor for a vote on Tuesday. Important for cities, the bill contains $500,000 in a revolving loan fund for cities and counties who get stuck with meth lab clean-up. On the issue of regulating precursor drugs, the bill places meth precursor drugs, those containing ephedrine or pseudophedrine, on Controlled Substance Schedule 5—meaning there are tight restrictions on how and where it can be sold. The bill currently has language in it preempting cities and counties on any ordinances or regulations governing the sale of precursor drugs. Proponents of the bill believe it is important to have strong restrictions on the precursor drugs in order to keep local meth labs at a minimum, as these sites end up costing cities and counties in terms of public safety time and energy, as well as clean-up. Questions? Contact Jenn O'Rourke at 651.281.1261 or at c�rourke eMw For more information on city legislative issues, contact any member of the League of Minnesota Cities Intergovernmental Relations team. 651.281.1200 or 800.925.1122 �j j Apr 15 2005 17:04:03 Via Fax —> 763 509 5060 Plymouth ' - Si• 1 ii1 L - Mc -Frida F ax- ZahlltliJ l�t�lllllla'S.>(U C91ia`i -4 weekly legislative update from the League of Minnesota Cities April 15, 2005 Page 6 Meth mini -grants available The schedules for the week will be full of Minnesota cities that are creatively working to reduce the meth problem in their community should consider applying for a mini -grant from the MN Pharmacists Foundation. Interested cities should check _wws.ria:isrtrae��.7ta�.rr�etlawatc:.li..c:.c.�:rra for the one- page application, and more information. An application must be postmarked by April 22, 2005 for consideration. Programs should be aimed toward reducing meth use through partnering with local law enforcement, business entities, elected officials and state agencies; and improving communication with, and educating community retailers and their employees with the Meth Watch materials on how to identify meth users and related suspicious activity throughout the state. Questions? Contact Jenn O'Rourke at 651.281.1261 or at iorour°Tcxs,%!%I;vnnc . or f' Third deadline April 22nd Budget committees will be busy over the next week assembling their omnibus bills with Friday as the third deadline. This is the date by which the committee has to vote out any major appropriation or finance bill. omnibus bill hearings, with time for public testimony. Legislators and capitol watchers will be scouring the policy sections of these bills as these are often vehicles for amendments. The most up-to-date agendas and schedules can be found at wwwlesr..mn Questions? Contact Jenn O'Rourke at 651.281.1261 or at 'caro�:rrk'e'rr>.Itranc:.or�a' Legislative meetings in your city District and town hall meetings are a great chance to meet with your legislators and tell your city story close to home. Upcoming meetings in a city near you include: April 20 in Rosemount (Rosemount Community Center, 7pm) with Sen. Chris Gerlach, Reps. Lloyd Cybart and Dennis Ozment To receive e-mail notification of upcoming town hall meetings near you, subscribe online at n�r.list.as -: For more information on city legislative issues, contact any member of the League of Minnesota Cities Intergovernmental Relations team. 651.281.1200 or 800.925.1122