HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Information Memorandum 12-15-2000Dummy
DECEMBER 15, 2000
1. COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE:
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 5:30 PM SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING,
TOPIC: CONTINUE DISCUSSION OF FIRE
DEPARTMENT TASK FORCE REPORT,
Council Chambers
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 7: 00 PM
TUESDAY, JANUARYS, 7: 00 PM
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING,
Council Chambers
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING,
Council Chambers
2. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION, Council
Chambers. Agenda is attached. (M-2)
3. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21
4. MONDAY, DECEMBER 25
5. MONDAY, JANUARY], 2001
6. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 7:00 PM
7. THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 7:00 PM
HANUKKAH BEGINS AT SUNSET
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY
City Offices closed
NEW YEAR HOLIDAY
City Offices closed
PLANNING COMMISSION,
Council Chambers
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION,
Medicine Lake Room
8. A List of future Regular Council Meeting agenda items is attached. (M-8)
9. November, December, and January Calendars are attached. (M-9)
CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION MEMO
December 15, 2000
Page 2
1. NEWS ARTICLES, RELEASES, PUBLICATIONS, ETC.
a) Notice of a December 20 forum at Plymouth Creek Center, sponsored by
Northwest Hennepin Human Services Council, to discuss human services needs of
Plymouth residents. (I -1a)
b) Notice to residents regarding a rezoning request from the Town and Country
Homes "Harvest Hills" development. (I -1b)
c) Notice of the League of Minnesota Cities Conference for Newly Elected Officials
and the 2001 Leadership Conference for Experienced Officials. Please contact
Sandy (763/509-5080) if you are interested in attending. (I -1c)
d) Robbinsdale School District 281 newsletter article noting an achievement award
made to District Employee Jackie Fraedrich. Jackie is also a Plymouth Human
Rights Commissioner. (I -1d)
e) Plymouth Civic League notice of plans for the 2001 "Music in Plymouth" event.
(I -I e)
Agenda items and minutes from the I-494 Corridor Commission meeting,
submitted by Mayor Tierney. (I-1fi
S) Metropolitan Council notice of reductions in the wholesale wastewater rate
charged to cities. (I -1g)
2. STAFF REPORTS
a) Hennepin County Adult Correctional Facility Population Report. (I -2a)
3. CORRESPONDENCE
a) Letter from Mayor Tierney to Joel Lindquist regarding the effects of big business
on agriculture. A copy of Mr. Lindquist's original letter is also attached. (I -3a)
4. LEGISLATIVE ITEMS
a) Municipal Legislative Commission MLC Update. (I -4a)
b) Association of Metropolitan Municipalities AMM FAX News. (I --4b)
PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA A
®
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2000
WHERE: CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Plymouth City Center
3400 Plymouth Boulevard
Plymouth, MN 55447
CONSENT AGENDA
All items listed with an asterisk (*) are considered to be routine by the Planning Commission and will be
enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Commissioner,
citizen or petitioner so requests, in which event the item will be removed from the consent agenda and
considered in normal sequence on the agenda.
1. CALL TO ORDER - 7:00 P.M.
2. PUBLIC FORUM
3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
5. CONSENT AGENDA*
A. City of Plymouth/Rottlund Homes, Inc. Approve finding that the sale of City right-of-way located
west of I-494 and south of Begin Oaks is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. (20092)
B. Francis and Mary Einarson. Approve variance to allow 41 percent impervious surface area coverage
for the addition of a swimming pool located at 13915 60`h Avenue North. (20169)
C. Dan and Sue Strom. Approve a variance to allow a 6.76 foot side yard setback where 15 feet is
specified, for construction of a two stall garage addition for property located at 16320 9`h Avenue North.
(20175)
D. City of Plymouth. Approve finding that adoption of an amendment to the Plymouth City Code relating
to official maps and adopting an official map of the Highway 55/West Medicine Lake Frontage Road
located north of Highway 55 and east of West Medicine Lake Drive is consistent with the
Comprehensive Plan. (20179)
6. PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. City of Plymouth. Reguide Area E-1 from C (Commercial) to CO (Commercial Office) and Area E-2
from LA -1 (Living Area 1) to CO (Commercial Office). The property is part of Study Area E located
north of Highway 55 at or near the intersection of Old Rockford Road and Peony Lane. (20043)
B. City of Plymouth. Rezoning from C-4 (Community Commercial) to RMF -4 (Multiple Family 4) for
one parcel of land located north of Bass Lake Road, west of the future extension of Northwest
Boulevard, and east of Quinwood Lane. (20181)
7. NEW BUSINESS
8. ADJOURNMENT
M' 8
Tentative Schedule for
City Council Non -Consent Agenda Items
January 9
• Oaths Of Office for Joy Tierney, Mayor; Sandy Hewitt, Councilmember Ward 1; Bob
Stein, Councilmember Ward 1; Judy Johnson, Councilmember at -Large
• Oath of Office to six firefighters (City Clerk Sandy Paulson)
• Study Area E
• Public Hearing for liquor license application for RT Minneapolis Franchise LLC,
d/b/a Ruby Tuesday
• Consider Board and Commission recognition event, Ward Meetings, and Goal and
Objective session.
January 23
• Oath of Office to Steven Thomas, Police Officer
M -I
OFFICIAL CITY MEETINGS
December 2000
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Jan 2001
1
2
Nov 2000
S M T W T F S
S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4 5 6
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
26 27 28 29 30
28 29 30 31
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
7:00 PM TRUTH
IN TAXATION
7:00 PM
CHARTER
17-00PM PACT -
Bass Lake Room
7:00 PM
HUMAN
HEARING,
COMMISSION,
RIGHTS
Council
Chambers
Bass Lake
Room
7:00 PM
PLANNING
COMMISSION,
Council
COMMISSION -
Medicine Lake
Room
Chambers
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
7:00 PM
YOUTH
ADVISORY
COUNCIL,
5:30 PM SPECIAL
COUNCIL MEETI NG TO
REVIEW FIRE DEPT.
TASK FORCE REPORT,
Council Chambers
5:30 PM
CELEBRATING
PARTNERSHIPS
2000, Ply. Creek
Center
6.30 PM MEDICINE
LAKE WATERSHED
(EOC
MROMMITTEE,
Medicine Lake Room
17 00Cha b rs Council
Chambers
0 PM PUBLIC
FETY ADVISORY
pARD,Public Safety
Medicine Lake
Room
7:00 PM SPECIAL
OUNCIL MEETING TO
INTERVIEW
BOARD/COMMISSION
CANDIDATES, Lunch
7:00 PM EOC,
Council
Chambers
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
SPECIAL
OUNCIL MEETING;
O
CUNC
TOPIC:scon fFir
Discussion of Fire Task
Force Report, Council
hambers
7:00 PM
PLANNING
COMMISSION,
Council
Hanukkah
begins at sunset
9
7:00 PM REGULAR
OUNCIL MEETING,
Council Chambers
Chambers
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
CHRISTMAS
HOLIDAY - City
Offices closed
31
modified on 12/15/2000
OFFICIAL CITY MEETINGS
January 2001
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
3
4
5
6
NEW YEAR'S
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
DAY - City
PLANNING
HUMAN
Offices Closed
COMMISSION,
RIGHTS
Council
COMMISSION -
Chambers
Medicine Lake
Room
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:00 PM EQC,
7:00 PM PRAC,
YOUTH
REGULAR
Council
Council
ADVISORY
COUNCIL
Chambers
Chambers
COUNCIL,
MEETING,
Medicine Lake
Council
Room
Chambers
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
MARTIN
LUTHER KING
JR. BIRTHDAY
(Observed) -
City Offices
Closed
7:00 PM
PLANNING
COMMISSION,
Council
Chambers
7:00 PM HRA -
Medicine Lake
Room
7:00 PM PUBLIC
SAFETY
ADVISORY
BOARD, Public
Safety Library
5:30 PM
EMPLOYEE
HOLIDAY
PARTY, Medina
Entertainment
Center
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
7:00 PM
YOUTH
ADVISORY
COUNCIL,
Medicine Lake
Room
7:30 AM LOCAL
BUSINESS
COUNCIL,
Radisson Hotel
7:00 PM
REGULAR
COUNCIL
MEETING,
Council
Chambers
7:00 PM PACT -
Bass Lake
Room
28
29
30
31
Dec 2000
Feb 2001
S M T W T F S
S M T W T F S
1 2
1 2 3
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
25 26 27 28
31
modified on 12/15/2000
OFFICIAL CITY MEETINGS
February 2001
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
3
Jan 2001
S M T W T F S
Mar 2001
S M T W T F S
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
6:3NE
LAKE WATERS ED
(EOc)
SUBCOMMITTEE,
Bass Lake Room
(This meeting only)
2:00 PM - 7:00
PM FIRE &ICE
FESTIVAL,
Parkers Lake
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
roo PM HUMAN
RIGHTS
COMMISSION -
Medicine Lake Room
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:00 PM PRAC,
YOUTH
PLANNING
Council
ADVISORY
COMMISSION,
Chambers
COUNCIL,
Council
Medicine Lake
Chambers
Room
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
7:00 PM
REGULAR
COUNCIL
7:00 PM EQC,
Council
Chambers
7:00 PM HRA -
Medicine Lake
Room
MEETING,
7:00 PM PUBLIC
Council
Chambers
SAFETY
ADVISORY
BOARD, Public
Safety Library
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
PRESIDENTS
7:00 PM
6:30 PM
DAY - City
PLANNING
MEDICINE
Offices Closed
COMMISSION,
LAKE
Council
WATERSHED
Chambers
(EQC)
UB -COMMITTEE
Medicine Lake
Room
25
26
27
28
7:30 AM LOCAL
BUSINESS
COUNCIL,
Radisson Hotel
7:00 PM PACT -
Bass Lake
Room
7:00 PM
REGULAR
COUNCIL
MEETING,
Council
_
Chambers
modified on 12/15/2000
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NORTHWEST HENNEPIN HUMAN SERVICES COUNCIL
Research, Planning, and Coordination of Human Services
What are the most vital human services
needs in Plymouth today- what will they
be in the future?
You have been identified as a community leader by someone in Plymouth who
believes that you are aware of the human services needs of the community. This is a
personal invitation to you to join us in a discussion about the human services needs of
Plymouth. This event is sponsored by Northwest Hennepin Human Services Council, the
research, planning and coordination agency for the 15 cities of NW Hennepin County.
This community gathering of city and school personnel, senior service providers, youth
workers, childcare providers, faith community representatives and other community
leaders is meant to engage Plymouth leaders in a dialogue about the human services
needs of their community.
Similar dialogues will be taking place in the other 14 cities served by Northwest
Hennepin Human Services Council. This dialogue is one step towards gathering a
collection of information that will be used to determine the direction for future human
services initiatives and assist the individual cities in meeting the needs of their residents.
PURPOSE: This event brings together different leaders in the Plymouth community to
discuss the question "What do you think the human services needs of
Plymouth will be three to five years from now?"
WHO: Educators, senior service providers, youth workers, childcare providers,
police, faith community representatives and other community leaders.
WHEN: Wednesday, December 20, 2000
9:00 - 11:00 am (light breakfast will be served)
WHERE: Plymouth Creek Center,
14800 34th Avenue North, Plymouth (West of Fernbrook Lane, East of
Plymouth Boulevard and City Hall)
RSVP: Call or e-mail Bruce Hoheisel by Monday, December 18, 2000 at
(763) 493-2802 or bruceC@nwhhsc.org
Light breakfast will be served
Please join us in our quest for identifying the
human services needs in Plymouth.
Brooklyn Center • Brooklyn Park • Champlin • Corcoran *Crystal • Dayton -Golden Valley
Hanover • Hassan • Maple Grove - New Hope • Osseo - Plymouth • Robbinsdale - Rogers
7601 Kentucky Avenue North - Brooklyn Park, MN 55428-1284 - (763) 493-2802 - Fax (763) 493-2713
December 11, 2000
Dear Resident/Land Owner:
CITY CoF
PLYMOUTFls
The City has recently received an application from Town & Country Homes, under File No.
20182, for a rezoning from FRD (Future Restricted Development) to RMF -2 (Multiple Family
2), variance, preliminary plat and site plan for 209 townhome units on 40.44 acres located east of
Peony Lane and north of the Canadian Pacific Railroad. A map indicating the location of the
area is provided below.
This letter is being mailed to all landowners within 750 feet of the site in order to provide notice
and information about the application — in advance of the official notice that will be sent out
prior to the Planning Commission's public hearing on the matter. The City will send out another
letter notifying you of the Planning Commission public hearing date, not less than ten days prior
to the hearing date. The purpose of the public hearing is to allow neighboring property owners to
appear in front of the Planning Commission to ask questions and make comments relating to the
application. You may also submit comments in writing. All written comments will become part
of the public record.
If you have any questions or comments concerning this application or the review procedures,
please call Kendra Lindahl, Senior Planner, at (763) 509-5453.
In addition, you may review information relating to this application at City Hall during regular
office hours. Office hours at City Hall are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays
through Fridays, and 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, except holidays. Plymouth City Hall is
located at 3400 Plymouth Boulevard. i .i —
Sincerely,
Barbara G. Senness
Planning Supervisor
notices/2000/20182 first notice.doc
Location Map - 20182
Town 8 Country Homes/ lend use casae Plan
Harvest Hills C. Cananaraal
Request !ora (R2/PP/SPNAR) CO. ti I ar
IP, Plsnned 4Mastne
, i,'i 9 Mea 1
U-1, living Mea 2
LA -3.living Mea 3
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Ciry of un, tivirg Area- rturoi
Plymouth, Min to P -i. Pudk�semi-Puaulnatin,l wl
PLYMOUTH A Beau ti� of Pface 'To Live
3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD a PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 a TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000
vr�vvl.c�.plyrnoutn.rrr..�s
145 University Avenue West, St. Paul, MN 55103-2044
Phone: (651) 281-1200 • (800) 925-1122
TDD (651) 281-1290
LLeagueta Cities LMC Fax: (651) 281-1299 • LMCIT Fax: (651) 281-1298
xcel enc¢
Wel Site: http://www.lmne.org
December 1, 2000
Dear City Clerk:
It's time to again for the League of Minnesota Cities' 2001 Conference for Newly Elected Officials.
After November's election, perhaps your city has a new mayor, council member or other elected
official who would benefit from the expertise and practical training offered at our conferences.
For more than 10 years new community leaders have attended the conference to prepare for their
new role, learning the basics of city government. The two-day Conference for Newly Elected
Officials offers excellent skill -building sessions and opportunities to network with other officials. The
Conference for Newly Elected Officials will occur in three Minnesota cities — Fairmont, January 12-
13; Grand Rapids, January 26-27; and St. Louis Park, February 16-17.
Again this year, LMC is adding an outstanding opportunity for experienced city officials — the 2001
Leadership Conference for Experienced Officials. If your mayor or council members are not new
to office, this conference is a terrific opportunity to hone their municipal leadership skills, learn new
ones and revive their commitment to public service. This year's two-day Leadership Conference
topic focus is Integrity in Public Service and will be held at two sites: Grand Rapids, January 26-27;
and St. Louis Park, February 16-17.
Enclosed are materials for conference registration:
• A letter to your Newly Elected Official(s)
• A letter to your Experienced Official(s)
• A Registration flyer for each of the two conferences
• LMCIT's brochure, What is LMCIT?
Please duplicate and distribute materials to each of your city's elected officials and encourage their
participation. These conferences are unique training opportunities designed specifically for
Minnesota elected city officials.
Please don't hesitate to call me at 651/281-1251 anytime I can answer questions or concerns. I'm
looking forward to seeing your city's delegates at this year's conferences!
Sincerely,
Joie Tooley, Manager
Conferences and Training
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
LMC
League of Minnesota Cities
Cities promoting excellence
December 1, 2000
Dear Newly Elected Official:
145 University Avenue West, St. Paul, MN 55103-2044
Phone: (651) 281-1200 • (800) 925-1122
TDD (651) 281-1290
LMC Fax: (651) 281-1299 • LMCIT Fax: (651) 281-1298
Web Site: http://www.Imnc.org
So you made it through the campaign and celebrated your success. Congratulations!
Now what? Come January, you'll be looked to as a community leader who provides guidance for your
neighbors and community members. In the first months, you'll be introduced to concepts like tax
increment financing and open meeting laws. You'll find yourself wading through state statutes and
requirements, all the while trying to keep your focus on good governance and broad community
priorities.
The League of Minnesota Cities has created a conference to help you adjust to your new role in the
community and learn the basics of local government. The League's two-day Conference for Newly
Elected Officials offers you excellent skill -building sessions, opportunities to network with your new
peers in city government, and ultimately, help you serve your citizens more effectively.
The conference also serves as a great introduction to the services offered by the League to member
cities like yours. For more than 85 years Minnesota city officials have counted on the League to
provide them with an array of valuable education and advocacy services, including research, training,
insurance, and legal resources. Here are just a few examples of how the League can help you:
• Our research team and attorneys are available via phone or email to answer your questions,
from Minnesota data practices requirements to examples of model ordinances.
• The League's Personnel Management services guide cities in the complex arena of employment
policies and laws, employee discipline, pay equity reporting, compensation issues and hiring
practices.
• Our legislative team represents city interests at the Capitol on critical public policy issues such
as telecommunications restructuring, electric energy restructuring, land -use matters, and more.
For over 10 years, thousands of elected officials have taken advantage of this training conference and
continue to look to the League for ongoing research assistance, training opportunities, and updates on
important municipal and legislative issues through our Web site, magazine and newsletter.
The 2001 Conference for Newly Elected Officials will be held in three Minnesota cities — Fairmont,
January 12-13; Grand Rapids, January 26-27; and St. Louis Park, February 16-17. Enclosed are
materials you'll need to register. Or visit our Website at www.imnc.org and register online!
Make plans now to attend the Conference for Newly Elected Officials to ensure you'll have the skills
needed to serve your city. We look forward to helping you prepare for your new leadership role in your
community.
Sincerely,
0q1 t Z
Jodie Tooley, Manager
Conferences and Training
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFF[PMATTVE ACTION EMPLOYER
J J Q,
League of Minnesota Cities presents:
for Conference
Newly Elected
Officials
Prepare for your new leadership role
by learning the basics of local government
Get a strong start by attending this two-day conference offering
skill -building sessions and opportunities to network with your
new peers in city government. Learn the fundamental and key
requirements of your new job to ensure you have the skills needed
to serve your city—register today!
Conference agenda:
Friday
1:00 p.m. Welcome
1:15
The Big Picture for
Newly Elected Officials
3:15
What City Councils
Can and Cannot Do
5:15
Social Hour/Networking
6:00
Dinner and Recognition
of Leaders
7:00
Government as a Team
Saturday
8:00 a.m. Host Mayor Greeting
8:15 Finance Fundamentals
for the Newly Elected Official
9:30 From Open Meeting Law
to Data Privacy
10:45 From Conflict of Interest
to Personal Liability
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Strategic Decision -Making
2:30 Connecting with Citizens
4:00 Adjourn
Registration Form
LConference for Newly Elected Officials • Registration fee: $210
lel Indicate which location you will attend:
2t! ❑ Jan. 12-13, Fairmont ❑ Jan. 26-27, Grand Rapids
❑ Feb. 16-17, St. Louis Park
City
C6ntact person
Telephone number
Registrant's name
Title
Address
City
State Zip
Method of payment:
❑ Check or PO enclosed ❑ Please bill the city ❑ I already registered online
(make checks payable to or via fax and I'm enclosing
League of Minnesota Cities) my payment
Mail this form with payment to:
League of Minnesota Cities, 145 University Avenue West, St. Paul, MN 55103-2044
Fax to: (651) 281-1296
Don't miss this valuable
learning opportunity
for new mayors,
councilmembers, and
appointed officials
Jan. 12-13, 2001
Fairmont
Holiday Inn
(800) 785-4066
Additional housing available
at these Fairmont hotels:
Comfort Inn
(888) 570-5444
Super 8
(888) 750-9444
Jan. 26-27, 2001
Grand Rapids
Ruttger's Sugar Lake Lodge
(800) 450-4555
Feb. 16-17, 2001
St. Louis Park
DoubleTree Park
Place Hotel
(800) 222-8733
Registration fee: $210
How to Register: Complete the
Registration Form or register
online anytime: -,vww.lmnc.
org (online registrations will
be billed).
Housing: To make reservations
for overnight accommodations,
call each hotel directly.
Cancellation Policy: All cancel-
lation requests must be in
writing, faxed or postmarked
7 days prior to the Conference,
and are subject to a $30
handling fee. All unpaid
registrations not cancelled
7 days prior will be billed at
the full conference rate; no
refunds will be made.
Questions? Call Jodie Tooley
(651) 281-1251, Cathy Dovidio
(651)281-1250 or Rebecca
Erickson (651) 281-1222.
'register online anytime:
www.imnc.org
LMC
League o%Minnesota Cities
Cities promoting excel%nce
December 1, 2000
Dear Experienced City Official:
145 University Avenue West, St. Paul, MN 55103-2044
Phone: (651) 281-1200 • (800) 925-1122
TDD (651) 281-1290
LMC Fax: (651) 281-1299 • LMCIT Fax: (651) 281-1298
Web Site: http://www.Imnc.org
As a leader in your community, you know how difficult it is to juggle citizen requests,
plan budgets and care for the dynamic business of running a city. Dealing with current
challenges of your city-- while planning for its future, is demanding.
The League of Minnesota Cities provides you an opportunity to hone your municipal
leadership skills, learn new ones and revive your commitment to public service. The
Leadership Conference for Experienced Officials is a terrific two-day opportunity to
participate in advanced training with your peers from across the state. This year's focus
is Integrity in Public Service, and featured presenters are Carl Neu, popular keynoter
for the Conference for Newly Elected Officials, and Jane Calabria McPeak, of Hamline
University. You'll appreciate their practical messages and entertaining styles.
The two-day conference will be presented in two Minnesota cities — Grand Rapids,
January 26-27; and St. Louis Park, February 16-17. While the Leadership
Conference for Experienced Officials is presented concurrently with the League's
Conference for Newly Elected Officials, it has a separate agenda and provides plenty of
time for your specific questions of the keynote speakers.
Enclosed are materials you'll need to register for the Leadership Conference for
Experienced Officials' Conference and to make hotel arrangements.
Better yet, just go to www.Imnc.org and register online!
I invite you to join other elected officials in an inspiring and informative experience, and
look forward to seeing you at the Leadership Conference for Experienced Officials.
Sincerely,
904E
Jodie Tooley, Manager
Conferences and Training
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
Leadership
Conference
for Experienced
Officials
Sharpen your municipal leadership
skills, learn new ones, and revive your
commitment to public service
Plan now to join other elected officials at this event
designed to inspire, refresh, and skill -build.
It's a great way to start your year!
Conference Agenda:
Friday
Saturday
3:00 p.m. Welcome
8:00 a.m.
3:15
The Changing Big Picture
8:15
for Experienced Officials
4:15
Integrity in Public Service
9:30
5:15
Social Hour/
Networking
6:00
Dinner and
Recognition of Leaders
10:30
7:00
Essentials for Ethical
10:45
Decision -Making
12:00
Cc
City
Contact person
Telephone number_
Registrants name _
Title
Address
: January 26-27, 2001
Grand Rapids, MN
Ruttger's Sugar Lake Lodge
(800) 450-4555
February 16.17, 2001
St. Louis Park, MN
• DoubleTree Park Place Hotel
(800) 222-8733
This year's conference focus:
Integrity in Public Service
• Featured presenters:
: Carl Neu— Back by popular demand!
Jane Calabria McPeak— Dean, Hamline
University Graduate School of Public
Administration and Management
Host Mayor Greeting
Integrity in Public
Service, cont'd
Ethical Decision -
Making: Tension, ;
Competition and
Conflict
Break '
Ethical Decision -
Making, cont'd ;
Adjourn ;
Registration fee: $150
How to Register: Register online anytime
at www.lmnc.org (online registrations will
be billed).
Housing: To make reservations for overnight
accommodations, call each hotel directly.
Cancellation Policy: All cancellation requests
must be in writing, faxed or postmarked 7 days
prior to the conference, and are subject to a
$20 handling fee. All unpaid registrations
not cancelled 7 days prior will be billed at the
full conference rate; no refunds will be made.
Questions?
Call Jodie Tooley (65 1) 281-1251,
Cathy Dovidio (651) 281-1250,
or Rebecca Erickson (651) 281-1222.
Registration Form
Leadership. Conference for Experienced Officials • Registration fee: $150
Indicate which location you will attend: ❑ Jan. 26-27, Grand Rapids ❑ Feb. 16-17, St. Louis Park
City State Zip
Mail this form with payment to:
League of Minnesota Cities, 145 University Avenue West, St. Paul, MN 55103-2044
Fax to: (651) 281-1296
Method of payment:
❑ Check or PO enclosed
(make checks payable to League
of Minnesota citi-)
❑ Please bill the city
❑ I already registered online
or via fax and I'm enclosing
my payment
register online
anytime:
www.imnc.org
WHAT IS LMCIT?
LEAGUE OF MINNESOTA CITIES INSURANCE TRUST
For over 20 years, Minnesota cities have relied upon the
League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT) for
their property, liability, workers' compensation, and
employee benefits needs. We are a member -driven
organization that exists solely to meet the risk management
and insurance needs of Minnesota cities.
LMCIT is a cooperative joint -powers organization
formed by Minnesota cities in 1980 — one of the first
municipal self-insurance pools in the country. Cities
contribute premiums into a jointly -owned fund rather
� than paying premiums to buy insurance from an insurance
`« company. The money in that fund is then used to pay for
member cities' claims, losses, and expenses.
City participation varies by program.
LMCIT's property/casualty and workers' compensation
:'. programs each have over 750 member cities and city
organizations.
r The restructured LMCIT employee benefits program
continues to grow with approximately 200 member
cities.
Y
t.. Each rear, LMCIT collects nearly $50 million in
premium for all our programs combined.
The private insurance market runs in cycles. Sometimes insurance is relatively cheap and easy to get. At other times, as in the late
1970s and again in the mid- and late -1980s, insurance can become very expensive and hard to obtain. In a "hard" cycle, if
insurance companies view cities as undesirable or unpredictable risks, cities may not be able to find insurance at all. In the late
1980s, this happened to cities in many parts of the country in regard to property casualty coverage, and to smaller cities in regard to
health insurance. Because LMCIT exists, Minnesota cities know they will have a stable source of insurance coverage — regardless of
private insurance industry cycles.
Furthermore, cities have some unique needs that private industry's insurance doesn't address very well. LMCIT's coverages are
specifically designed for cities. As new needs or problems develop, LNICIT modifies coverage or develops new programs to meet those
needs, such as health coverage for early retirees, or coverage for benefits mandated by the state for peace officers suffering from post-
traumatic stress syndrome.
LMCIT IS DIFFERENT FROM AN INSURANCE C
In some ways, LMCIT functions much like an insurance company. Cities pay a premium to LMCIT and
losses on the city's behalf. However, there are a couple of very important differences.
LMCIT is owned and controlled by the member cities themselves. Its purpose is to meet cities' coverage,,,
— not to make a profit by selling insurance. And in the property/casualty and workers' compensati(
income.from premiums and investments is more than what is needed for losses and expenses, the extra
member cities. From 1987 to 2000, LMCIT has retumed $140 million in dividends to cities!
LMCIT IS SAFE AND SECURE
To ensure that LMCIT is able to meet its responsibility to pay cities' claims, LMCIT's Trustees see it as abs
organization be strong and financially stable. A conservative approach to rates and reserves, a solid rein,
of the strongest reinsurers in the world, and regular actuarial reviews all help ensure that LMCIT will rei
conventional insurance industry measures, LMCIT is strongerfinancially than most insurance compani
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES LEADS LMCIT
Five city officials make up the Board of Trustees and govern LMCIT on behalf of all member cities. LMC]
the League's Board of Directors. Currently, the five Trustees are:
• Jim Antonen, Moorhead City Manager and Chair of the Board of Trustees;
• Karen Anderson, Mayor of Minnetonka;
• Les Heitke, Mayor of Willmar;
• Todd Prafke, St. Peter City Administrator, and
• Jim Miller, LMC Executive Director.
THE LOCAL AGENT ROLE
),MPANY
by
LMCIT requires cities to use the services of a local agent for the property/casualty program, but the choice of the agent is entirely up
to the city Most cities also use an agent's services for workers' compensation and may choose to have an agent for employee benefits.
The agent's role in LMCIT is not so much to act as a salesperson for LMCIT, but rather to assist and advise the city. LMCIT strongly
encourages cities and agents to discuss services an agent might provide and the appropriate compensation for those services.
COVERAGE FOR CITY NEEDS
•operty/casualty, workers' compensation and employee benefits insurance programs that meet cities needs.
RO P E RTY/CAS UALTY program provides a broad package of liability, property, and auto coverages.
ability coverage is very broad, and provides the equivalent of general and law enforcement liability, and public
tls' errors and omissions. It also includes other liability coverages that most cities need, such as land use and
)pment coverage, and extraordinary expense coverage, designed to address a wide variety of unanticipated and
)rdinary expenses that no other coverage would cover.
The property/c
S
•
Ai
• FyA
ogram has a wide variety of deductible options and optional coverages such as:
Open meeting lq%defense
• Public officials bond
Liquor,Iiability Underground tank coverage
�}
t Machinery breakdown to supplement the Petrofund
No-fault sewer backup
Tlie W O RKE RS"C O M P E N SAT ION program covers city employees, with deductible, retro -rated and
managed care coverage options. It also offers optional volunteer accident coverage, which protects individuals who are injured while providing volunteer services to the city.
LMCIT's workers' compensation. coverage also picks up some related risks that standardworkers' compensation insurance
policies don't cover. Some eXAR" p' les of LMCIT coverages specially designed for cities are .
JK
• Diagnostic tests for city employees exposed to infectious diseases, and t :.
• State`` andated benefi for peace officers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
4_
.• WP
EMPLOY Eli , LMCIT provides cities total employee benefits. imagement, offering a
*' = comprehensrve' ac e o beneii and services. = -'
Health and denfahbenefits ro are now fully-ifid ed by HealthPartners, with LMCIT retaining a portion of the risk to
continue overseen the rate set and renewal process on behalf of our membersvlefnber cities continue to benefit from
pooling, simplified administrative process and reduced overall administrative costs.
The Employee -Choice program allows each city employee a choice from among several distinctly different HealthPartners
health and dental plan options encompassing the full range of options available in the marketplace. Cities may develop
unique coverages best suited to employee profiles.
Additionally, LMCIT offers programs for life and short- and long-term disability insurances, which are available for
purcb ase by both employer and employee, so that a city might provide baseline coverage and allow employees to add
coverages individually.
Finally, LMCIT offers the ultimate in comprehensive benefits — Flexible Spending Account administration. You can
offer your employees competitive, unique, and individualized coverages while streamlining your city's administrative
process to boot.
1 Q'
LMCIT EMPHASIZES LOSS CONTROL TO SAVE MONEY
Remember, the money LMCIT uses to pay claims belongs to the cities themselves. Every loss that is avoided saves money.
LMCIT's loss control seminars, the Loss Control Quarterly and other publications, and city visits by LMCIT's loss control representatives,
all have the purpose of helping cities minimize risks and avoid losses.
Our experience in the past few years with claims related to
employment shows how well this can work. In the early 1990s, the
number of claims for wrongful termination, sexual harassment,
discrimination, and other employment-related matters, were rising
dramatically. Cities had close to 150 of these types of claims in 1993
that together cost just under $2 million. In response, LMCIT placed a
great deal of emphasis on helping cities improve their personnel
practices. Since then, as this chart shows, cities have been able to
substantially reduce the number and cost of these types of claims.
EMPI.OYbiI'NT-RIsI.A'I'I:U CIJIIMS
Nundl r of claims tw vnar
1793 19gi 11*4 IIF; 1109, 199' I1Yk9 PTY)
Another example of LMCIT's loss control philosophy is the introduction of managed care and health risk management in the
employee benefits program, which can help cities control health claims cost and have a positive effect on health claim trends.
WE'D LIKE TO HEARYOUR COMMENTS OR
SUGGESTIONS
If you have a comment regarding service from LMCIT — whether it be service from staff or from any of our contract service providers
— we want to hear about it. We'd also like to hear your suggestions for how LMCIT could serve you better.
LMCIT Staff Phone E-mail
Pete Tritz, Administrator (651) 281-1265 ptritz@lmnc.org
Tom Grundhoefer, Associate Administrator (651) 281-1266 tgrundho@hnnc.org
Doug Gronli, Claims Manager (p/c and work comp) (651) 281-1279 dgronli@lmnc.org
Ann Gergen, Employee Benefits Program Manager (651) 281-1291 agergen@lmnc.org
Ellen Longfellow, Loss Control Attorney (651) 281-1269 elongfel@lmnc.org
LMC
League of Minnesota Cities
Cities promoting excellence
League of \linnesota Cites Insurance Trust
145 University Avenue West
St. Paul, Minnesota 55103-2044
Phone: (651) 281-1200 or toll free (800) 925-:122
fax (651) 281-1298/TDD (651) 281-1290
«uvvlmcit.lmnc.org
i
Jackie Fraedrich Honored with
Lifetime Achievement Award
Jackie Fraedrich, Lead Associate for Student Service Programs, recently
received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Minnesota Indian Education
Association. Fraedrich, a nationally -known Indian advocate, was given the
award for her years of dedication to Indian education and for her strong
advocacy on behalf of all students. Fraedrich received her Lifetime Achieve-
ment Award Nov. 2 at the 151' Annual Minnesota Indian Education Associa-
tion Conference in Mahnomen, Minn. A member of the Bad River Band of the
Lake Superior Ojibwe, Fraedrich has worked for Robbinsdale Area Schools for
20 years.
Af,- I e.,
The Plymouth Civic hea�ue
3400 Plymouth Boulevard
Plymouth. Minnesota 55447
Dear Friend:
On behalf of the Plymouth Civic League, we would like to thank the business community for its generous
contributions that helped make the 2000 Music In Plymouth concert an overwhelming success. The 2000 summer
concert was attended by over 10,000 people who enjoyed a wonderful summer evening of great entertainment,
good food and outstanding fireworks. The 2001 event will be held on Thursday, July 5.
The feature performer will once again be the Minnesota Orchestra. As usual, there will be many activities and
fun for the kids.
A great deal of time and effort goes into the planning for each year's concert. The Board of Directors are
committed to making the 29' Annual Concert the very best ever. This can only be made possible through the
continued generosity of contributors like you.
A special thank you to the 2000 Platinum Guarantors:
Platinum Guarantors
US West Foundation
City of Plymouth
US Bank
Anchor Bank
Holiday Companies
Honeywell, Inc.
Prudential
North Tec, Inc.
Wells Fargo
Omega Lithograph, Inc.
Plymouth Tire & Auto Center
McQuay, Inc.
SRF Consulting
Target Stores
Caliber Development Corp
Precision Graphics, Inc.
Turck, Inc.
Upshere Smith Laboratories
The Plymouth Civic League accepts tax-deductible cash and material contributions in five categories:
Platinum Guarantors
Golden Guarantors
Guarantors
Sponsors
Contributors
$1,000.00
and
over
$500.00
to
$999.99
$250.00
to
$499.99
$100.00
to
$249.99
$25.00
to
$99.99
Checks payable to the Plymouth Civic League may be sent to our League Treasurer, Sue Jackson at Food Engineering Corp., 2765
Niagara Lane, Plymouth, MN 55447. All contributions are acknowledged in the concert program. To ensure inclusion of your firm's
name in the program, your check should be received by May 1, 2000. Invoice/receipts will be sent upon request. 100% of the
contributions go toward the cost of the event.
We look forward to receiving your contribution to support Music in Plymouth and thank you in advance for,yQur �,
support. If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 763-383-4710.
Sincerely,
Kris St. Martin
Chair - Finance Committee _
BLOOMINGTON • EDEN PRAIRIE • EDINA • MAPLE GROVE • MINNETON" • PLi<MOVTN • RICHFIELD
1-494 CORRIDOR COMMISSION
8080 MddwJ Road • Eden Prairie MN 55344 • (614)699.4248 • FAX 690-4044
MEETING AGENDA
I494 Corridor Commission/JPO
Wednesday, December 13, 2000
8:30 -10:30 am
***Hilton Garden Inn, Eden Prairie***
(south of Hwy. 62/Shady Oak Road interchange)
***Hot buffet breakfast will be served,• please invite your City Manager and Mayor to this meeting***
I. Call to Order (Chair Thorfinnson)
II. Review of Minutes of Last Meeting (Chair)
A. November 15, 2000
III. Other Business:
♦ 494 Engineers' Meeting Update
Golden Triangle TDM Demonstration Project Update
♦ Bloomington Chamber of Commerce "Chamber Break" (11-15-00; Marien)
Commuter First Aid Kit
♦ TDM Ordinance Study Project- Met Council Update
♦ Legislative meetings (Thorfinnson)
♦ City of Bloomington letter to I494 Corridor Commission
♦ 2001-2002 Work Plan, LJR Contract Renewal Process
Other Business
IV. Long -Term 494 Corridor Commission Issues and Strategies Discussion
V. Treasurer's Report (Raduenz)
VI. Next Meeting/Adjournment
■ Scheduled for Wednesday, January 17,2001 - 8:30 A.M at Southwest Metro Transit Hub
I-494 Corridor Commission/JPO
Meeting Minutes of
Wednesday, November 15, 2000
(Unapproved)
I. Call to Order. The meeting was called to order at 8:40 a.m. by Chair Ross Thorfinnson at
Southwest Metro Transit in Eden Prairie. Those in attendance were:
Ross Thorfinnson, City of Eden Prairie
Barb Senness, City of Plymouth
Suzanne Zutter, Southwest Metro
Russ Susag, City of Richfield
Clarence Shallbetter, Metropolitan Council
Perry Thorvig, City of Richfield
Dick Allendorf, City of Minnetonka
Lisa Raduenz, LJR, Inc.
Randy Newton, City of Eden Prairie
Larry Lee, City of Bloomington
Bob Burlingame, City of Maple Grove
Bob Streetar, City of Minnetonka
Joy Tierney, City of Plymouth
Mike Fossum, City of Bloomington
II. Review of Minutes. Review of minutes from October 11, 2000 meeting. Motion made to
approve minutes by Susag. Senness seconded the motion. Motion passed.
1H.Other Business. Raduenz reported on the "Business of Moving Business" seminar held at the
downtown Minneapolis Radisson Hotel on November 8, 2000. She indicated that several 494
Corridor Commission members were in attendance that day, as well as the Bloomington Chamber
Executive Director, Ron Marten. The event was organized to draw attention to the fact that
businesses are not well represented at the Legislature and in Congress as transportation funding
"advocates", and several business owners were spotlighted at the event to tell personal stories
about why transportation funding is important to them. Congressman Oberstar also attended the
event (held a day after the elections) and he gave his "global marketplace" speech, according to
Raduenz.
Raduenz also reported on the ongoing activities of the 494 Transit Providers' and Engineers'
groups. The 494 Transit Providers met in October and will probably not meet again for the
remainder of 2000. The 494 Engineers' group is holding its next meeting on Monday, November
20, 2000 at 2:30 p.m. at the Southwest Metro Transit upstairs conference room. Raduenz
reported that the Engineers will be reviewing a map that has been made by Hennepin County
which shows projects that are necessary to "link" parallel arterials roadways along I-494 in all 494
communities.
Newton and Raduenz reported on the ongoing activities of the Golden Triangle TMA and
Demonstration Project. Raduenz reported that Irene Wright, TMA Director, has signed up about
seven or eight businesses as paying members, and that initial market research activities (focus
groups) have been held in the area over the past several weeks. Newton reported that the traffic
study for the area is essentially completed, aside from several minor changes to the document.
The report will be ready early next year, and the market research activities will be continuing over
the next one or two months, according to Raduenz.
1
Raduenz and Thorfinnson will be presenting the latest MnDOT reconstruction plans at the
Bloomington Chamber of Commerce offices at 11:30 a.m. today (following the 494 Board
Meeting) as part of the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce's "Bloomington Break" series. The
Corridor Commission is sponsoring lunch for those businesses interested in attending the
lunchtime event at the Chamber offices, and all 494 Corridor Commission members are welcome
to attend.
Raduenz reported that she has contacted Nacho Diaz of the Metropolitan Council to determine
the status of the TDM Ordinance Study project that has been reported on during the past several
meetings. She indicated that Diaz has not returned the phone call to update her on the Met
Council's decisions with regard to the study progression or funding and that he promised to do so
when she last contacted him a week earlier. Senness commented that it is very important that the
494 Corridor Commission continue to put pressure on the Met Council to implement the study, as
it has been delayed many months since first mentioned. Raduenz responded that she would put
together a letter for the Chair's signature to raise the issue through the appropriate channels.
A copy of the second letter sent to the City of Richfield with regard to the Best Buy Final
Environmental Impact Statement or FEIS was mailed in time for the November 13, 2000 deadline
according to Raduenz. She drafted the letter, which relayed the final two concerns of the
Corridor Commission—an insufficient amount of preferential parking onsite and a lack of
corporate funding for carpooling and vanpooling subsidies—at the request of the Chair of the I-
494 Corridor Commission after a meeting that was held between the Commission and Best Buy
officials the previous week. Raduenz and Thorfinnson had reviewed the revised TDM Plan for
the site and still have serious concerns about the adequacy of the plan and the commitment of the
employer to promote ridesharing through carpools and vanpools. The letter sent to the City of
Richfield identifies these concerns. A copy of the letter was distributed to all persons in
attendance at the meeting.
Thorfinnson reported on the two-day visit to Washington, D.C. earlier in the week which was
made by he and Raduenz. They met with staff from Congressman Oberstar's office (Chief of
Staff Bill Richards), Senator Wellstone's office (Sarah Neimeyer, Transportation), Congressman
Sabo's office (Marjorie Duske, Transportation) and Congressman Ramstad's office (David Fisher,
Transportation and Congressman Ramstad). At the meetings the two asked for advice on how
best to advance projects along the corridor, both programmed and unprogrammed. Richards
advised the two to work with Sabo's staff and office to look for a direct appropriation for 494
projects; Neimeyer requested that 494 staff determine why MnDOT has not spent additional
funding dollars that they have received on the state and federal levels on more projects along 494;
and Duske agreed to work with Corridor Commission staff to assist in whatever ways possible.
Raduenz and Thorfinnson shared their concerns that without continued pressure on legislators
locally and in Washington, 494 project funding would be left behind. Thorfinnson stated that the
Hwy. 610 group had successfully secured $10 million during the 2000 Congressional session for
their project, and the way in which they did it was Something that would have to be "modeled
after" by the 494 Corridor Commission. He suggested that the Commission gather together as
many elected officials as possible next March during the League of Cities conference and
"barnstorm" the appropriate offices looking for help. He has also decided that he will make
2
personal visits to all of the 494 legislators before the end of his term (December 31, 2000) to
impress upon them the importance of increased funding for the corridor.
Raduenz indicated that at the last meeting the Commission directed her to prepare materials
related to the 2001-2002 work plan and a proposal for LJR staffing support during the two-year
period. She was unable to prepare these materials prior to the meeting, but will be sending them
under separate cover to members of the subcommittee appointed by Thorfinnson at the last
meeting to discuss the proposal (Lee, Senness, Hovland and Larsen). She also indicated that she
had sent Year 2001 dues to each of the seven cities in the past week and that they were addressed
to the staff member contact of each city. The numbers Raduenz used for billing were taken from
the Metropolitan Council's 2000 estimates of city population as is the practice of the Commission.
Under "Other Business", Susag reported that he heard a "rumor" that MnDOT had reneged on its
promise to provide approximately $6 million in funding for the new Penn Avenue bridge project.
Thorvig confirmed that this was not a rumor but rather the truth, and that Dick Stehr, MnDOT
Metro District Engineer, had told Richfield staff that he was "unable" to fund their request in
meetings held the previous few days. Raduenz indicated that she had heard the same thing from
the MnDOT 494 Project Manager at lunch last week. Susag also reported that he had a
conversation with Carl Ohm of the Metropolitan Council last week at the Metropolitan Council's
Transportation Plan Open House and tha Ohm had indicated that the plans for the intechange of
I-494 and I -35W included a rebuilding with an HOV lane in the middle of the freeway. Senness
reported that she too had heard the same thing. Raduenz responded that to her knowledge there
was twelve feet reserved in the middle of the freeway for "future lane expansion" but that it was
not designated specifically for HOVs. She will try to determine exactly what the Metropolitan
Council's plan says about this in the next week.
IV. Long -Term 494 Corridor Commission Issues and Strategies Discussion. This item was
deferred by Chair Thorfinnson after the October 2000 meeting until after face-to-face meetings
have been held with the City of Eden Prairie and Richfield, as have been done with other 494
Commission cities. Those meetings have not yet been held.
V.Treasurer's Report. Raduenz provided a balance sheet composed by the Minnetonka
Treasurer which showed cash and investments in the amount of approximately $5,300.00. There
are significant outstanding monies due the Corridor Commission by the Metropolitan Council for
reimbursements of Golden Triangle project payments made to date. These monies have been
requested by the Corridor Commission Treasurer to the Metropolitan Council, but are being held
up due to difficulties in reading invoice copies. Raduenz agreed to meet with Shallbetter after the
meeting to try and speed up the reimbursement process. She also asked the Commission for
additional expense account dollars, as there currently is about $60 available to pay incoming costs
related to Corridor Commission marketing and website initiatives. Members agreed, with a
motion being made by Lee and a second by Burlingame. Motion passed.
VI. Next Meeting/Adjournment. Motion was made to adjourn the meeting at 9:50 a.m. by
Burlingame with a second by Tierney. Motion approved unanimously. The next meeting of the I-
494 Corridor Commission will be on Wednesday, December 13, 2000, at 8:30 a.m, at a place
to be announced in the next few weeks. The meeting will be a breakfast meeting for the
holiday season.
4
Metropolitan Council
Improve regional competitiveness in a global economy
Environmental Services
December 12, 2000
Dear City Administrator:
Good News! MCES has followed through on its commitment to reduce $20 million from our base
1998 budget and correspondingly reduce the wastewater rate you pay to us. The rate for your January
bill is based on $118 per hundred thousand gallons. This is the third decrease since 1998 when the rate
was $135—a cumulative decrease of 12.6 percent.
MCES has worked hard to cut its budget and reduce wholesale rates over the last three years. This has
moved us closer to our goal of being in the top five in the nation among wastewater treatment
operations of similar size and treatment requirements when comparing rates, cost of service, and
overall value. Since competitive utility costs are important to maintaining the economic vitality of a
region, we will continue our efforts to assure that our region remains one of the best places to live,
work, raise a family and do business. More information on how your community charges compare
within the region and how the region compares nationally is available in the Study of 2000 Municipal
Wastewater Rates report sent last week to your finance director. Additional copies of this report are
available by calling our Data Center at (651) 602-1140.
We will begin planning for 2002 early next year and invite you to participate by calling me at
651-602-1106 or attending one of our Budget and Planning Breakfast meetings in March. Our focus
for 2002 includes prudent fiscal management in response to rapidly rising financial pressures and
emerging environmental issues within the context of smart growth principles. We look forward to
receiving your input and concerns.
Si
ncerely,
Helen Boyer,
MCES Division Director
cc: City Finance Directors
www.metrocouncil.org
1
s -
230 East Fifth Street • St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-1626 • (651) 602-1005 • Fax 602-1138 TTY 229-3760
An Equal Opportunity Employer
Info Line 602-1888
C (M
DATE: December 11, 2000
TO: Dwight Johnson, City Manager
FROM: Anne Hurl Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Hennepin County Adult Correctional Facility (HCACF) Population Report
Hennepin County Community Corrections staff has submitted their monthly report on average
daily population for the month of November 2000.
The average daily population reported for the Plymouth facility in November was 576, less
than the occupancy limit of 601 set by the Conditional Use Permit.
The chart below shows the average monthly population since we began receiving reports in
June of 1998.
HCACF Monthly Population Report
700
600
500
Cj 400
m
300
d
a 200
100
0_
00
rn
00
rn
00
rn
M rn rn rn o 0 0
rn rn rn rn o 0 0
C
Q
U
Q U
U)
0
U) 0 U)
Month/Year
[:]CUP Limit
E Average Count
.l—
CITY OF
PLYMOUTH -
December 8, 2000
Joel Lindquist
12827 15` Avenue North
Plymouth, MN 55441
Dear Joel:
Thank you for your letter regarding the effects of big business on farmers, specifically the coffee
industry. I was unaware of Fair Trade coffee until reading your letter.
While your suggestions for City involvement in this issue are innovative, I do not believe we
have the necessary structure or authority to pursue it. Cities in Minnesota are only allowed to
license businesses for regulatory purposes. We do not issue general business licenses in
Plymouth, and the vast majority of businesses, including the coffee shops, do not require any
license from the City to begin business. Liquor and tobacco are two exceptions due to the
enforcement and regulatory issues involved. It is very doubtful that the City would have the
authority to impose trade restrictions on businesses.
I am sharing your letter with the City Council so that they are aware of your concerns and
proposed solutions. Your letter was interesting and the web link you provided was also
informative. Thank you for writing.
Sincerely
Joy Tierney
Mayor
PLYMOUTH A Beautifu[P[ace 7o Live
3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000
®oma«gyp. www.d.plymouth.mmus
Mayor Joy Tierney
Members of the City Council
City of Plymouth
3400 Plymouth Blvd.
Plymouth, MN. 55447-1482
Dear members of the City Council:
November 27, 2000
Joel Lindquist
1282715 1h Ave No.
Plymouth MN, 55441
e-mail: lindjoel @aol.com
Hello, my name is Joel Lindquist, I'm a senior at Wayzata High School, and I am
concerned about the effects of big businesses on farmers who live in rural communities in
some of the poorest countries in the world. I'm interested in working with my community
to improve these conditions.
One of these big businesses is the coffee industry. Coffee is a huge business; it is
the second most traded commodity in the world, under plutonium. The U.S. is one of the
biggest consumers of coffee in the world. According to the International Coffee
Organization, the US imported 2.64 billion pounds of coffee in 1998 (26% of world
imports). In the U.S. alone, over 130 million consumers are coffee drinkers. Specialty and
gourmet coffee has become a cultural necessity. Since the coffee business is so big, many
people have made big bucks on selling coffee. However, the producers of coffee aren't as
fortunate. Small coffee growers in Central and South America as well as other countries
in the world make as little as a couple dollars a day, while their buyers make millions.
Due to this small income, many families are forced to send their children to work in the
coffee fields as well, some only 6-8 years old. Families usually bring in around $600-
$1000 a year; this little amount is nowhere near the costs of a steady education for two or
three kids, healthy living conditions or food year-round. The buyers themselves try and
pay the growers as little as possible (since the less they pay, the more they get).
However, there are alternatives to buying coffee from industries who exploit their
suppliers; there are organizations such as Fair Trade Coffee which give the growers of
coffee a larger share of their income. Fair Trade guarantees its suppliers a fair price for
their coffee: $1.26 per pound (depending on quality). The whole idea behind Fair Trade
Coffee is to buy coffee from farmers for a fair price; ensuring the farmers healthy living
conditions, an education for themselves and their children. It ensures that a parent can
support their family without the pressure of sending their children to work in the coffee
fields. It also means that the farmers will have an incentive to produce the best coffee
possible, for then they will make more money. This means higher quality coffee for
consumers in the US. Fair Trade also allows the farmers to grow organic and shade
grown coffee. This is not only a concern for many environmentalists in the US, but it also
means a lot to environmentalists in the countries where coffee is grown. Shade grown and
organic coffee means that farmers can grow coffee in the tropical forests, in the shade of
all the trees, without cutting the forest down. Though this means harsher working
conditions for the farmers, it also means higher pay.
In the past year, Starbucks Coffee has realized the benefit of Fair Trade Coffee
and now they offer Fair Trade coffee in many of their stores. But this isn't enough; I am
proposing a way to let coffee shops continue their market but only with one minor
change: the option of selling Fair Trade Coffee to their customers. It might make a
difference if coffee shops were to be informed of Fair Trade Coffee as an alternative to
regular coffee. If they could be informed of Starbucks' selling of Fair Trade and if they
could be informed of where a local Fair Trade distributor is, I feel that many businesses
would see the need to offer Fair Trade as an alternative. There is already a branch of Fair
Trade Coffee in Minneapolis, its called Peace Coffee. If a there were to be a law (or a
strong suggestion) stating that in order to receive a license to start up a coffee shop, Fair
Trade Coffee could be offered as an optional coffee. Then, I think, a big difference may
take place in the countries where the coffee is produced, and our example might spread to
other cities. The quality of coffee would rise while the prices would remain around the
same. Here is the address for Fair Trade online: http://www.globalexchange.org (Global
Exchange is the organization in Europe, which organizes organizations all around the
world, Fair Trade being in the U.S.). If there were any way that this could come about, it
would make a world of difference!
Thank you for your time, I hope something can result from this letter. If a
response could be made within two weeks, preferably before December 8h, that would be
great! Thank You!
Sincerely,
Joel Lindquist
ilL(MUNICIPAL
LEGISLATIC7E
COMMISSIOP
T, 4a
7 -up
111- .
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C01
ATE -
UPDATE 2000-10
MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2000
MLC 2000 REGIONAL BREAKFASTS A SUCCESS
For the fourth consecutive year, the Municipal Legislative Commission hosted three Regional
Legislative Breakfast Meetings in order to foster communication and cooperation between
city officials and the MLC legislative delegation.
More than 80 people attended the three breakfasts, including 13 MLC legislators and five
District Representatives of the Metropolitan Council. Informational packets were distributed at
the meeting and have been mailed to legislators who were unable to attend.
The primary focus of the Breakfast Meetings was to provide MLC city council members and
legislators with a first look at the MLC's 2001 Legislative Program. Highlights of the 2001
Legislative Program, as well as charts that help to illustrate some of the concepts, are
included below:
PROPERTY TAX REFORM
Although the Legislature has taken some needed steps to enact property tax reform
initiatives, the current system continues a known policy of regressivity — a policy that should
be amended in order to develop a property tax system that is fair and equitable.
The MLC supports the changes in the property tax system made by the Legislature during the
past several sessions, particularly the reduction in the property tax rate for homes valued
over $76,000 from 2.0% to 1.85% for taxes payable in 1998, to 1.7% for taxes payable in
1999, and to 1.65% for payable 2000 and 2001. The MLC supports continued compression
in classification rates, known as "Phase 3." Phase 3 would reduce the classification rate on
high -valued homes from 1.65% to 1.5%, on apartments from 2.4% to 2.0%, and on
commercial -industrial property from 2.4% to 2.0% on the first $150,000 of value and from
3.4% to 3.0% on the excess. The policy of compressing classification rates will reduce the
disparities in the property tax system between income received and property taxes paid.
The MLC Update is prepared by Robert G. Renner, Jr. and Elizabeth J. Shields
Messerli 8 Kramer P.A., 145 University Avenue West, Suite 450, St. Paul, MN 55103
Telephone (651) 228-9757 Fax (651) 228-9787
STATE TAKEOVER OF GENERAL EDUCATION COSTS
The Governor has proposed that the State of Minnesota pay a significantly higher percentage
of K-12 education costs. This would remove a large amount of property tax levy from some
taxpayers, especially apartment owners, business owners and owners of high -valued homes.
Currently, the state pays 72% of K-12 education costs. The Governor's proposal would
increase the state's percentage to approximately 85%. This additional property tax relief
would cost the state approximately $884 million. To fund this additional relief, the
Administration has been considering several options, including broadening the sales tax base
and imposing a statewide business property tax. The Administration is also considering a
reduction in homestead agricultural credit aid and/or local government aid for cities whose
property taxpayers receive substantial tax relief due to the education buydown. The MLC
believes that this, or any other major proposal that re-examines our current property tax and
transfer payment system, merits serious consideration by the Legislature.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AID
To achieve increased equity in the transfer payment system, the local government aid (LGA)
formula needs to be revised. Since residents of each city contribute to the transfer payment
system through sales and income taxes paid, the LGA formula should be altered to provide
for a method of equitable redistribution. The MLC strongly emphasizes that the current LGA
formula needs a serious overhaul. The MLC will work with the Legislature and Administration
to develop a new formula that is more understandable, equitable and balanced.
FISCAL DISPARITIES
The metro area's fiscal disparities program causes a number of concerns for some MLC
members. Many of the arguments used in support of the original fiscal disparities law in the
early 1970s are no longer valid. Therefore, the Legislature should re-examine the need for
the fiscal disparities program. If the program is not repealed, the Legislature should, at a
minimum, change the way the program operates. The MLC supports the following:
• Legislation that would set a maximum contribution level for
fiscal disparities purposes at fifteen percent (15%) of a city's total tax
capacity. This proposal would not reduce the current distribution
amount to any city. It would simply freeze a city's contribution
amount until its tax base increased to the level where the city would
once again begin contributing more than was contributed the
previous year. A contribution of over fifteen percent of tax capacity is
excessive and onerous.
• Legislation that would amend the current fiscal disparities law
to allow cities to retain increases in fiscal disparities due to
inflationary growth. Cities could use this new source of revenue to
provide or maintain affordable housing, and to develop other related
programs such as improved transit.
7
• Legislation that would bring the fiscal disparities program in
conformance with the region's growth policies. The current fiscal
disparities program rewards development in outlying areas and
provides a disincentive for development in areas of higher density.
At the same time, the seven county metropolitan region's growth
policy encourages higher density development and attempts to
restrict development outside the Metropolitan Urban Service Area
(MUSA). These two policies are in conflict. The MLC believes that
the Legislature should develop a mechanism to make the fiscal
disparities policy consistent with the region's growth policies.
The chart on the following page illustrates the impact that the Metropolitan Fiscal Disparities
Program has on MLC cities as well as St. Paul and Minneapolis.
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OPPOSE RESIDENTIAL TAX -BASE SHARING
The MLC strongly opposes additional fiscal disparities policies mandated by the Legislature,
specifically tax -base sharing on higher -valued homes. Residential tax -base sharing is an
ineffective tax policy for the following reasons:
Residential tax -base sharing would increase barriers to affordable
housing by significantly increasing residential property taxes in many
MLC cities.
Residential tax -base sharing does not consider a household's ability
to pay. For example, low income residents in one city would have
property tax increases, while wealthy homeowners in another city
would experience decreases in their taxes.
Residential tax -base sharing would encourage leapfrogging outside
the seven -county area.
REPEAL THE SALES TAX ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT PURCHASES
The MLC strongly supports a legislative repeal of the sales tax on local government
purchases. The Legislature should permanently eliminate this unwise tax policy of requiring
political subdivisions to raise taxes to pay another unit of government. If the Legislature fails
to repeal this unwise tax policy, it should, in the alternative, require the truth in taxation
statement to indicate its effect.
SUPPORT EXCLUDING LOCAL GOVERNMENT PURCHASES FROM THE
SALES TAX ON SERVICES
The MLC is neutral on the Governor's initiative to tax professional services. However, should
this tax be imposed, the MLC would oppose imposing this tax on professional services
provided to local units of government. Few argue that the sales tax on local government
purchases is good tax policy. It would be unadvisable to extend an already unwise tax to
additional local government purchases. Local units of government are prudent to contract for
services such as legal, auditing, engineering and computer programming because in many
instances, in-house professional services are less cost-effective. To impose a sales tax on
contract services would discourage fiscally responsible decisions by cities, and would simply
shift the burden from the state to the property taxpayer.
The chart on the following two pages illustrates the revenue that would be raised with the
imposition of a 6.5% sales tax on professional services.
5
�, - Aa
FISCAL IMPACTS OF SALES TAX ON SERVICES
One of the revenue streams identified as a possible funding source for the Big Plan K-12
funding takeover is an extension of the sales tax to professional services. When the sales tax
was enacted in 1967, some services were taxable, including local telephone service, gas and
electric service, and preparing and serving meals. In 1987 the tax was extended to a number
of services including: long distance telephone service; parking; laundry and dry cleaning;
building and residential cleaning, maintenance and exterminating; detective and security
services; pet grooming; and lawn and garden services. The tax was- extended to pet
boarding and private communication services in 1991. The chart below illustrates the fiscal
impacts of taxation of professional services in FY02-FY03.
SERVICE
FY02
(000)
FY03
(000)
BIENNIAL TOTAL
PERSONAL SERVICES
Beauty shops
$25,200
$25,900
$51,100
Barber shops
3,000
3,100
6,100
Shoe repair
1,300
1,400
2,700
Funeral services
7,900
8,400
16,300
Tax preparation
2,900
3,000
5,900
Misc. Personal Services
4,400
4,600
9,000
TOTAL PERSONAL
$44,700
$46,400
$91,100
BUSINESS SERVICES
Advertising agencies
$57,200
$61,500
$118,700
Direct mail advertising
16,100
17,300
33,400
Consumer credit reporting,
mercantile reporting,
adjustment, and collection
agencies
21,900
23,500
45,400
Secretarial services
2,700
2,900
5,600
Computer and data
processing services
180,700
194,500
$375,200
Other business services
87,400
94,100
181,500
TOTAL BUSINESS
$366,000
$393,800
$759,800
Legal Services
153,900
160,300
314,200
Engineering, Architectural,
and Surveying Services
82,300
85,700
168,000
Accounting Services
61,500
64,000
125,500
Research, Development and
Testing Services
23,900
24,900
48,800
9
Management and Public
Relations Services
102,900
107,100
210,000
Scientific Consulting Services
7,800
8,100
15,900
Automotive Repair and
Maintenance Services
113,600
120,800
234,400
Misc. Repair Services
49,700
51,200
100,900
GRAND TOTAL
$1,006,300
$1,062,300
$2,068,600
For more information on any of the topics covered in this edition of MLC Update, please
contact Bob Renner or Liz Shields at 651/228-9757 or via e-mail at rrenner _mandklaw.com
or eshields(cD-mandklaw.com.
7
Dec 14 2888 14:18:ZZ Via Fax ->
AMM FAX
NEWS
December 1 1-15, 2000
61Z+589+5868 Laurie Ahrens Page 801 Of 881
Association of
Metropolitan
Municipalities
Sales Taxon Local Government Purchases
As part of the 'Big Plan'
property tax reform initia-
tives, the Revenue De-
partment has discussed re -
exempting local governments
from paying sales tax on their
purchases.
However, since this is an
annual cost to the state budget of
nearly $100 million, they also
suggest reducing the levy limit
revenue base (general levy and
LGA and HACA not including
bonded debt or special levy) by a
like amount to ensure property
tax reduction. Cities account for
about two-thirds or nearly $60
million per year in sales tax on
local purchases and enterprises.
If the revenue base is reduced
by the total sales tax amount
AMM is concerned that many
cities could loose general oper-
ating funds. The concern is
based on the assumption that
much of the sales tax is paid
from other city funds such as
capital projects and enterprise
AAAI Nemi Fax is faxed to off AMAI city
managers and administrators, legislative
contacts and Board members. Pleaseshore
Ihir fox, ith yournrohurs, councilmemberx
and staff to keep them abreast of impor-
tont metro city issues.
145 University Avenue West
St. Poul, AIN 55103-2044
Phone: (651) 215-4000
Fox. (651) 281-1249
E-mail: omm@amnt145.org
funds that do not have a general
tax levy as a revenue source.
The AMM made the Commis-
sioner aware of the assumption
but he needs to be convinced. To
develop information regarding
the sales tax paid by cities we
need your help.
To the best of your ability,
please estimate the amount of
sales tax your city pays for pur-
chases that fall within your gen-
eral levy that is subject to levy
limits and the amount that is
outside the general levy (i.e.
enterprise activity, bonded
projects paid through special
levy, or major capitol purchases
that may be bonded). Fill in the
blanks below with any comments
and fax this form back to us.
Legislative treatment of local
sales tax exemption is very
important if levy limits are in
place, which may be entirely
possible in 2002 based on
expected property tax reform
initiatives.
City
Sales tax estimated for year 1999
Sales tax paid within general levy base
Sales tax paid outside general levy base
Sales tax estimated for year 2000
Sales tax paid within general levy base
Sales tax paid outside general levy base
Example of projects funded outside base
Comments'
PLEASE FAX TO AMM Attn: Roger at (651) 281-1299