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Council Information Memorandum 03-24-2000
MARCH 249 2000 1. COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE. NOTE: Ward 1 Councilmember Tim Bildsoe meets with residents and receives their comments in the Administration Library, beginning at 6:00 PM before each Regular Council meeting. THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 7: 00 PM TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 7: 00 PM TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 7: 00 PM WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 7:30 AM TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 7:00 PM 2. TUESDAY, MARCH 28 7: 30 AM 3. TUESDAY, M4RCH28 7:00 PM 4. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 7: 00 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE ON BASSETT CREEK WATERSHED, Council Chambers REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, Council Chambers SPEC)AL COUNCIL MEETING: POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT UPDATES AND COUNCIL SALARIES, Public Safety Training Room SPECJAL COUNCIL MEETING: PLYMOUTH AMPHITHEATER STAGE, Medicine Lake Room REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, Council Chambers TWINWEST—PLYMOUTH COFFEE BREAK, Council Chambers SPECJAL HRA MEETING, Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, Room 106, 5005 NW Blvd. PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING ON COMP. PLAN UPDATES, Council Chambers 5. THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 7: 00 PM CHARTER COMMISSION, Lunch Room, lower level CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION MEMO MARCH24, 2000 6. SUNDAY, APRIL 2 7. MONDAY, APRIL 3, 7:00 PM 8. WEDNESDAY, APRIL S, 7:00 PM 9. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 7:00 PM 10. THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 7: 00 PM Page 2 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS BEGINS, set clocks ahead one hour YOUTHADVISORY COUNCIL, Medicine Lake Room ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE, Medicine Lake Room PLANNING COMMISSION, Council Chambers HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, Medicine Lake Room 11. A List of future Regular Council Meeting agenda items is attached. (M-11) 12. March, April, and May calendars are attached. (M-12) 1. NEWSARTICLES, RELEASES, PUBLICATIONS, ETC. a) Information from the City of Lakeville regarding that city's "Smart Growth" resolution." (I -]q) b) Star Tribune news story reporting on the Metropolitan Council's agreement to notify suburbs in the metro fringe that development may occur in the outlying areas. (I -1b) c) News release from Representative Rich Stanek summarizing findings in a survey of constituents in his district. Submitted here by Councilmember Johnson. (I -1c) d) News release from Representative Rich Stanek explaining his support for the so-called "Katie's Law" in the Legislature. (I -1d) e) Notice from the Metropolitan Council of an informational meeting regarding development of a sub—plan to meet future wastewater treatment needs in the northwest communities. (I -le) Notice of a May 18 event recognizing Sunny Hollow Elementary Schools receipt of the Minnesota Elementary School Principals' Association School of Excellence Award. (I -1f g) Invitation to the board and commission appreciation dinner on Monday, April 24, at the Plymouth Creek Center. (I -1g) h) Letter to Plymouth middle and high school social studies instructors encouraging attendance at the April 27 Youth Town Forum. (I -1h) i) City news release announcing the 1999 Fire Department service awards. (1-1i) CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION MEMO MARCH 24, 2000 Page 3 j) Notice to lawn service businesses of the City's lawn fertilizer application control ordinance. (I -1j) k) City news release announcing watermain flushing schedule for April and May. (I -1k) 1) City news release announcing the purchase of the first Millennium Garden brick. (I--11) 2 MINUTES a) I-494 Corridor Commission/JTO January 19 meeting. (I --2a) 3. CORRESPONDENCE a) Letter from Wayzata Public Schools Family Education Coordinator Carol Vannelli requesting further consideration of the age limit policy for Dial -A -Ride use. (I -3a) b) Correspondence between Park Director Eric Blank and Robert Videen concerning use of the Luce Line Trail by snowmobiles. (1-3b) c) E–mail communication between Finance Director Dale Hahn and Mitch Marks regarding the new water rate structure. (1-3c) d) Correspondence between Park Director Eric Blank and the Medicine Lake Sailing Club's Larry Leistiko regarding the use of Medicine Lake for sailboat races. (I -3d) e) Regarding the Highway 101 Project: 1) From Dick Salonek. (I -3e-1) 2) From Peg Konkler. (I -3e-2) 3) From Cindy Behrens. (I -3e-3) 4) Disclosure information from Lundgren Brothers. (I -3e-4) 4. CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS POLICY—CORRESPONDENCE a) Correspondence between City staff and Stanislaw Skrowaczewski regarding assessments for the Ferndale Road improvements. Part of the correspondence was inadvertently deleted from last week's Council Information Memo. (I --4a) b) Letter to Scott Mehus from Park Director Eric Blank regarding skate parks in Plymouth. A copy of Scott's original letter is attached. (I --4b) A status report on the most recent correspondence is attached. (I--4) S. LEGISLATIVE ITEMS a) Association of Metropolitan Municipalities AMMFAXNews. (I--Sa) b) League of Minnesota Cities Friday Fax. (I -Sb) PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA ® WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 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* 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. City of Plymouth. Comprehensive Plan Update including the 2000-2004 Capital Improvements Program (CIP). (98025) 7. NEW BUSINESS 8. ADJOURNMENT MAI Tentative Schedule for City Council Non -Consent Agenda Items April 11 Public Safety Report on Alcohol Compliance Violation Penalties Update on Environmental Fair on April 17 Recognize retirement of John Sweeney Consider Sketch Plan for three 71 -unit apartment buildings to be known as "Shadow Hills Apartments" for property located on the northwest corner of 45th Avenue and State Highway 169 frontage road (Park Land Company) Appointment to West Suburban Mediation Board April 25 Comprehensive Plan - approve for submission to Metropolitan Council Hearing on the proposed Vacation of a part of a drainage easement for ponding in Lot 5, Block 1, Inverness Addition (Steven Jantzen) Project Hearing for 2000 Street Reconstruction Project (9901) Vacation of Drainage and Utility Easements on Lots 2 and 3, Block 1, Plymouth Technology Park Reliance Development's Site Plan and Conditional Use Permit for a proposed development at the northwest corner of Highway 55 and Peony Lane May 9 Hearing on amending Tax Increment Districts 7-2, 7-3, and 7-4 May 23 Cl) (D Z � uj uj � � F— a � � _ LL LL 0 M, p/ ,p/ b i ) f � � OIL oZE k ; $ ZZ z 4 O ; q7w A± O� 6 3 \ =g > � o ƒ k L � \ � 2 �\ � o � � � � � Q 3�O & cc 2 LL n 3 \ 3 ` ZZ, \ LLJ Cz iE CL £ �if ;fi,e } = k �f )eL /I (� §2 >°§ � �0® w) <IUJ a °§� 00. en «§ zz zLLJ / $ / $} OL )\@ � m b ±E 2 2E / I) f m \ �) 00 CD:E / -.0::, \ §k ~- q _ m - �� k � ) e �_��2 §» r- < �) �� AA -® - _ = 2 0 0 _ s eesa C4 c, �--rj QK 2 I t- 2 � 3 � b i ) f � � oZE k ; ZZ z 4 q7w A± O� 3 =g > o ƒ k L - � 2 �\ � o � � � A § z W w 2 J Q V LL U. 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ODY pL rU� M rU p r viLLU N 00 c c C w. �$$yss N U {Q MO^^NM O0 Ur 0 �¢ l: 7Na„�i O c N zU ZU u _ �om C D\^NOM d ZZ g0 zz �O Or "r w� r Q� Qm— Wr=a'E Q: ., No ^�•--ANN w C) CLU) �0 �(/i� ain N MLS .sem �z a O 20a a3 0 IX aa H�9 <01 zow a� -T Oy �ZQCL O0 O2� OOL O�� OOr R�8 SO °w 9.OwLLA OWLL� IhJ I�UCi N rnUU r�ai r a f�J �iOr kn .r N v-ooN -x Zee U Z n M�^NM SL) OmmU a,ZN mE OO a m Z'6<Zm Q�yj grm JLL•m•0 aUV� 00 ND\�N� cm W'mU Awa WLUE am as=C m �Wa Q9 Wim 0 cod RJV -d cmc Ow WcJU L7 V1NQ� 0� �Z Lm �(,j- gz Er LUQ ^NN aWW `mE gw.J mL CLZ Q�`-' aOW mmDC QZ az0 gO o _ t��UCi O�ON �n^'U 1�C)U ,o^oma NN £ E v1��N m(X KK Oy H8 U E» O Zm LL'm l0 Oo (L wU Q.a' O O m o2 `°Z`y: E o� QZZ onto CO G >— MOF- m Y� mnz, 15 LLLrJwMU aZ a:0o O 80p r w0J :1 gO 800 E?!, r tD T v a r C =s m4 m L �E m m0 E!5 N nUt m w 0 O O 0 N V N 0 N O O Cl) � � � LLI LLI m � � � � � LL 0 � M .-I-�— j 0 ca }\ � cc 7{ CC en e4 :tt« R 2 2 LL 3 A < 2 $ ) /gdo o \! {J :3® {E ) !Rmi I) / °` q\ ~° 0 tn ® ) z0 / W I z. Zz k} am k }k w - J �) � ) 'Eo CL Of k §\/§§ ® n � 4 0 = 6 \ @ �.0 oma, e LLI , a !; . E 0! % \F§ 2 j o t / cr ° of (w /E ) m w ! 0 M !2 a »! gz.r, ,@ ,a ,, ) LLJ) m =M � m o «wo A � � _ \ 0 D � § D 0 o � az s q � § � Q � 3 j 0 ca }\ � From the desk of Robert A. Erickson March 21, 2000 Dwight: At the recent NLC Congressional Conference, Lakeville Council Member David Luicd an opportunity to meet Council Members Judy Johnson and Tim Bild oeGerowth. discussion centered around smart Please forward the encloseCCOPY f Lakeville's Smart Growth resolution Lakeyi((e January 5, 2000 The Honorable Governor Jesse Ventura 130 State Capitol St. Paul, MN 55155 Dear Governor Ventura: As we begin the new millennium, the Lakeville City Council wishes to express its commitment to meeting the future needs of the community and the region through "Smart Growth" strategies. This commitment will ensure that we can achieve our Comprehensive 2020 Land Use goals and objectives. Our community will play an important role in the growth of the region because approximately one of every 15 new homes built in the metropolitan area in the next 20 years is expected to be in Lakeville. In the enclosed resolution, the City of Lakeville declares its support for regional "Smart Growth" initiatives pertaining to affordable and livable housing, enhanced transit services and transportation infrastructure improvements. We would welcome the opportunity to engage in a meaningful dialogue with appropriate state officials regarding the resolution's content. It is titled "Resolution Supporting Regional Efforts to Provide Transit Services and Transportation Infrastructure to Encourage "Smart Growth" within the Metropolitan Twin Cities Area." Thank you for your consideration of our request. Sincerely, Duane Zaun Mayor 6 City of Lakeville 20195 Holyoke Avenue • Lakeville, MN 55044 • (612) 985-4400 • EAX 985-4499 Re", /ed rasp- vre ink c: State Senator Pat Pariseau, District 37 State Senator Dave Knutson, District 36 State Representative Mary Liz Holberg, District 37B State Representative Chris Gerlach, District 36A Michael Turner, Chair, Dakota County Board of Commissioners Dallas Bohnsack, Chair, Scott County Board of Commissioners Ted Mondale, Chair, Metropolitan Council Elwyn Tinklenberg,Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Transportation Donn Wiski, Chair, Transportation Advisory Board Jon Olson, Chair, Technical Advisory Board Fred Corrigan, Ex. Vice President, Minnesota Transportation Alliance RESOLUTION DATE December 20, 1999 RESOLUTIONNO. 99-303 MOTION BY Luick SECONDED BY Mulvihill RESOLUTION SUPPORTING REGIONAL EFFORTS TO PROVIDE TRANSIT SERVICES AND TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE TO ENCOURAGE "SMART GROWTH" WITHIN THE METROPOLITAN TWIN CITIES AREA WHEREAS, the City of Lakeville does not equate "Smart Growth" with "no growth," but rather supports a coordinated approach to providing balanced opportunities for residential, commercial, industrial and retail development with concern fortransit, transportation, community and environmental needs; and WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council, the Minnesota Department ofTransportation and the State ofMinnesota are promoting "Smart Growth" strategies aimed atmakingthe metropolitan Twin Cities area a competitive and fiscally strong region; and WHEREAS, the City of Lakeville is actively involved in planning for the future needs of its community and the region as a whole by proactively developing policies that respond to the need for livable and affordable housing, enhanced and competitive transit services and employment linkages, and roadway infrastructure that supports altematives to single -occupant vehicles (SOVs) and congestion; and WHEREAS, the City ofLakeville has taken a leadership role in the promotion of"Smart Growth" strategies within the metropolitan area by adopting a moratorium on the approval ofnew single and multifamily residential plats in order to allow the City time to conform with its Comprehensive 2020 Land Use Plan approved by the Metropolitan Council; and WHEREAS, the City ofLakeville consistently supports a multi -modal transportation system approach to exploring initiatives that might benefit the region as a whole, such as the State's Commuter Rail Study, and continues to actively participate as a member ofmultiple jurisdictioncorridorplanninggroups,suchastheI-35WSolutionsAlliancethatseek long-term funding solutions for important regional roadways; and WHEREAS, the City ofLakeville demonstrates its commitment to funding projects and services that will benefit its residents, citizens ofthe region, employers and those seeking jobs which pay a living wage within the community; and WHEREAS, the City of Lakeville and Dakota County, in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, have partnered togetherto maintain on an ongoing basis, highway and transit facilities such as the park - and -pool lots nearthe interchange ofCounty Road 46 and I-35 in Lakeville forthe current and future needs ofregional commuters in avoiding congested roadways; and WHEREAS, the C ity of Lakeville has partnered with Dakota County to apply for STP funding to assist with expanding the park -and -pool lot at County Road 70 and I-35, as part of the proposed County Road 70 bridge reconstruction/access management project; and -la WHEREAS, through partnership with the Dakota County Collaborative, DARTS, the Metropolitan Council and Lakeville employers, the City of Lakeville has financially supported new transportation services thatare designedto provide door-to-door linkages encouraging MFIP (Minnesota Family Investment Program) clientele and others searching for livable wage jobs in and around Lakeville to find safe, affordable and convenient transportation to and from work, and WHEREAS, the City of Lakeville will participate with Dakota County in constructing apark-and-pool facility adjacent to Airlake Industrial Park as partofa2000-2001 projectto reconstruct CedarAvenue from Dodd Boulevard south to County Road 70; and WHEREAS, to demonstrate its commitmentto regional transit services and facilities, the City ofLakeville has financially supported the construction ofthe Minnesota Valley Transit Authority's park-and-ride facility located on Cedar Avenue just north ofthe City's northern boundary; and WHEREAS, the CityofLakevi Ile supports aproposed projectto construct apark-and-pool facility nearLakeville's northern border as part ofaprojectto reconstruct Pilot Knob Road between County Road 58 in Lakeville and CSAH 42 in Apple Valley; and WHEREAS, the City ofLakeville and Dakota County, in response to the County Road 42 Corridor Study, are pursuing a study to determine the need for a future principal arterial at either County Road 60 or County Road 70 in Lakeville to relieve traffic congestion on County Road 42; and WHEREAS, the City ofLakeville conducts a biennial community survey which in 1999 demonstrated an increase in the interest of Lakeville residents in alternatives to driving on congested roadways throughout the region; and WHEREAS, the community survey also identified 13 percent of Lakeville residents as having home-based businesses, with two-thirds using some form oftelecommuting, which eliminates additional ADTs (average daily trips) on I-35; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Lakeville hereby declares support for regional "Smart Growth" initiatives pertaining to affordable and livable housing, enhanced transit services and transportation infrastructure improvements; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council ofthe City ofLakeville requests to have representation on aregional level at any discussions relating to the development and deployment of"Smart Growth" strategies; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Governor of the State of Minnesota, State Senator District 37 Pat Pariseau, State Senator District 36 David Knutson, State Representative District 37B Mary Liz Holberg, State Representative District 36A Chris Gerlach, the Chair of the Transportation Advisory Board, the Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee, the Chair of the Metropolitan Council, the Commissioner ofthe Minnesota Department ofTransportation, the Minnesota Transportation Alliance, the Chairof the Dakota County Board ofCommissioners and the Chairofthe Scott County Board of Commissioners. Passed and duly adopted by the City Council ofthe City of Lakeville this 2 ay;eZ December, 1999. BY; Dua,Mayor ATTEST: harlene Friedses,CityCle -2- art.com- beyond!160M 77w Sofhvarr Superstore word's Largest &*WQatlery- AIFAffiliate Member METROEG 10 G Published Thursday, March 23, 2000 -” Met Council will formally give cities more room to grow David Peterson / Star Tribune startrbm.corn Metro The Metropolitan Council agreed Wednesday to notify suburbs on the metro fringe that they can let developers build on land being held in reserve for use five to 10 years from now. The council was responding to an urgent plea from homebuilders, who have pointed to fast -rising land prices as a sign that not enough land is available for the area's galloping growth. While council officials have spoken to communities about developing in five-year stages, they say they never meant the strategy to be as restrictive as some have assumed. "The letters will go out soon," said Tom McElveen, the council's development director, "and they will carry a significant message for many of those communities." In Lakeville, 21 -year City Council Member Betty Sindt said she doesn't expect an immediate impact. "We need to put in all the utilities, developers need to get ready, so it won't happen tomorrow," she said. Met Council officials said it isn't clear how much land is in question. Some communities hold off on development for their own reasons, such as their ability to provide schools and other services. The letter will be aimed at suburbs in which local officials believe that the Met Council either doesn't want or doesn't allow growth beyond a five-year boundary. Dan Hunt, chairman of the public -policy committee for the Builders Association of the Twin Cities, said after the meeting that his group is pleased that the letters will go out but is waiting to see what happens. "The problem is very real," he said, "and change needs to come sooner rather than later. We have to keep making the case that the land supply isn't there. Land speculators and homeowners are being enriched by [the runup in land value], but it's hitting the people on the lowest rungs," such as first-time home buyers. Council Chairman Ted Mondale said he's willing to ease the land supply but wants that to be coupled with changes in development practices. The council has sought higher -density, mixed-use development that lends itself to mass transit rather than relying on the automobile. "What were getting now is not what we want," he said. Even farther? McElveen repeated an earlier pledge that the Met Council will consider whether to tell communities they can go out even farther, to land beyond the growth line for 2010 but within the line drawn for 2020. One way the Met Council regulates growth is through its oversight of the regional sewage treatment system, and McElveen stressed that only communities with sufficient sewer capacity can open more land to development. Some, such as those in parts of Washington County, are close to their limit. Page 1 1, b In response to another plea from the homebuilders, the council also pledged Wednesday to do a better job of monitoring how cities really develop, rather than relying on the plans they put on paper. �I ztartrlbwe.com Metro ® Copyright 2000 Star Tribune. All rights reserved. Page 2 Ic, From: Rich Stanek <rep.rich.stanek@house.leg.state.mn.us> Date: Monday, March 20, 2000 1:14 PM Subject: thought you might be interested... REP. STANEK RELEASES SURVEY RESULTS (ST. PAUL) — Tax relief continues to be the top priority of residents of House District 3313, according to Rep. Rich Stanek's "2000 Session" constituent questionnaire. Over 1000 people responded to the survey, which asked for opinions on issues likely to be discussed in the current legislative session. Respondents to the survey favored sending the budget surplus back to taxpayers in the form of a rebate or permanent tax cut over spending it on other programs. They also favored more local control and flexibility in education decisions, and they said that building more roads is the best way to address the growing transportation needs of the northwest suburbs. "I'm very pleased with the tremendous response we received from the survey," said Rep. Stanek. "If these responses are accurate, residents of Maple Grove and Plymouth have good reason to be excited about what's happening this year in the Legislature. Last year we passed the largest tax cut in state history, but that was only the first step. More tax relief should be on the way this year. Our goal is to get Minnesota out of the `Top 10' in every tax category." Other responses to the survey included the following: 84 percent supported "Woman's Right to Know" legislation, which would guarantee a woman receives necessary health information from her physician before receiving an abortion. 36 percent said their top health care concern was the cost of health insurance; 26 percent said it was being able to choose their provider; 22 percent said it was prescription drug costs; and 13 percent said privacy of medical records was their top concern. 40 percent favored using the budget surplus for a tax rebate and permanent income tax cuts; 22 percent wanted the entire surplus returned in a tax rebate; 18 percent said the surplus should be used for a rebate and road construction; 17 percent favored a rebate and additional education spending. Respondents were evenly split on the best way to curb juvenile crime, with 27 percent believing boot camps are the best answer; 25 percent want them prosecuted as adults; 25 percent supporting mandatory punishments for gun violations; and 20 percent believe in instituting evening curfews. Regarding the Profile of Learning, only 18 percent of those responding believe the state should "stay the course" and continue with the Profile as it exists; 36 percent want to allow local school districts greater flexibility in curriculum decisions; 24 percent want minor modifications of the Profile; and 22 percent believe the program should be repealed entirely. "Combined with my town meetings and the mail I receive from folks throughout the year, this legislative survey gives me a good idea how best to represent the people in District 33B," said Rep. Stanek. "I want to thank everyone for taking the time to let their voices be heard." Stanek News Release Page 2 Rich Stanek represents House District 33B in the Minnesota House of Representatives and serves as chairman of the House Crime Prevention Committee. To contact him with questions or concerns, write him at 543 State Office Building, 100 Constitution Ave., St. Paul, MN 55155, or call 651-296-5502. Rich Stanek State Representative (651) 296-5502 From: Rich Stanek <rep.rich.stanek@house. leg.state.mn.us> 11 Date: Monday, March 20, 2000 1:28 PM L a Subject: Republican Crime Bill Passes House�C, NEWS RELEASE TOUGH GOP CRIME PREVENTION BILL UNANIMOUSLY ENDORSED (ST. PAUL) — Keeping with their commitment to get tough on repeat offenders and * * * * * * predators, Minnesota House Republicans today delivered a crime prevention package that gives law enforcement officers vital tools to effectively track Minnesota criminals. The bill received unanimous support by the Minnesota House of Representatives. The legislation will create an integrated criminal justice information system to connect law enforcement agencies across the state and crack down on sex criminal offenders with tougher registration requirements and enhanced penalties. The dual—feature bill is known as "Katie's Law," after 19—year— old Katie Poirier who was abducted last year from a Moose Lake convenience store. "This law will have the two—fold effect of making life tougher for sex offenders, while making it easier for law enforcement to identify and keep a step ahead of them," said House Crime Prevention Chairman Rich Stanek (R—Maple Grove), author of the bill. In the private sector, computer technology has progressed at a rapid pace over the past 10 years. However, government's use of that technology has not quite kept up, due in part to limited budgets and the lack of a clear blueprint to guide the thousands of separate government systems to a uniform organization, Stanek said. "In Minnesota, connecting criminal justice databases statewide is a vital link that needs to be made for the safety of our youth and others who would be vulnerable to predatory criminals," he said. Currently, the state has about 1,100 different agencies and departments that access criminal records. Because most of their computer systems were developed independently, systems are incompatible with each other and little information is shared between individual departments on repeat offenders, added House Judiciary Finance Chair Sherry Broecker (R—Little Canada), House sponsor of the crime package. The House crime package also incorporates recommendations from the Katie Poirier Abduction Task Force regarding the tracking of sex offenders. "Katie's Law" proposals will enforce and build on current sex offender registration requirements by: • increasing penalties for failing to register; • bringing new offenders under the registration law; • restricting felons' name changes; • building a DNA database of known offenders; • requiring lifetime registration for violent or predatory sex offenders; • allowing flexibility in the statute of limitations for prosecutors; and, • posting information about Level III sex offenders on the Department of Corrections website. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has been building a DNA database for several years. As sex offenders are forced to register, the number of samples matching evidence left at the scene of crimes will increase and more information will be useable in the statewide database. Stanek News Release I Page 2 The integrated information network has received widespread support from Minnesota law enforcement agencies, business leaders and legal experts, Stanek said. The bill has strong bipartisan support, and although Gov. Jesse Ventura says he supports the idea of the improved information sharing, he has admonished legislators who are seeking any funding for items not on his own agenda. Stanek, whose House Crime Prevention Committee carefully crafted both measures, has challenged the Governor that the failure to fund such a vital public need would be irresponsible. "Good information is the foundation of any effective criminal justice system," Stanek, a 16—year Minneapolis police officer, said. "Without it, law enforcement officers have one hand tied behind them." Critics of the bill have questioned its funding, but Broecker stresses that the package addresses law officers' vital needs immediately and stays within the Department of Public Safety and BCA's limits on what can reasonably be accomplished this year. "The bill goes a long way toward making Minnesota safer for our families." The Minnesota Senate has yet to pass their companion bill, and differences between the House and Senate will likely fuel debate in a conference committee later in the legislative session. Rich Stanek State Representative (651) 296-5502 Metropotan Council �-- �- I Working for the Region. Planning for the Future March 17, 2000 Joy Tierney, N1avor City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Blvd Plymouth N1N 55447-1482 Dear Mayor Tierney: In January you were invited to an informational meeting to discuss development of a sub - regional plan to meet future wastewater treatment needs of communities in northwestern Hennepin County. At that meeting, interest was expressed in development of an Elln Creek Interceptor Task Force. To begin that process, a meeting has been scheduled for: Thursday, March 30, 2000, 6 p.m. -8 p.m. Corcoran City Hall 8200 County Road 116 Corcoran, MN 55340-9303 At this meeting we would like to discuss a tentative work plan and mission statement for this task force, as well as identify a meeting time and location that would work for all participants. Time permitting, discussions could also begin about how this task force and project relate to local comprehensive plans currently under review. It is our hope that the task force can develop a coordinated, subregional growth management plan that incorporates both local and regional needs as they relate to land use, transportation and wastewater treatment. The Metropolitan Council continues to seek the commitment of local staff resources in this partnership. Therefore, we ask that you also come prepared to identify the staff member(s) from your municipality who will be able to serve as task force members. The Council looks forward to meeting with you on March 30. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the Elm Creek Interceptor Task Force, please contact Tom Caswell at 651/602-1319 or Don Bluhm at 651/602-1116. Sincerely Eli Cooper, Oector Planning and Growth Management Department 2:.30 East Fifth Street St. Paul. Minnesota 55101-1634 (612) 291-6359 Fax 291-6550 TDD/ -M'291-0904 Dlerro Tufo Linc 229-3: Nu An Equu! Opfwn;my Emnloii— March 15, 2000 Sunny Hollow Elementary School Kathryn Nouse principal Mayor Joy Tierney City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Blvd. Plymouth, NIN 55447 Dear Mayor Tierney: O DIMICT 481 oM1. c ROD 01Q5D�LE area sc,, cols Our school, Sunny Hollow Elementary, has been chosen as a recipient of the 1999-2000 MESPA School of Excellence Award. The award is presented annually by the Minnesota Elementary School Principals' Association to schools whose principals, staffs and communities undertake and complete a thorough program assessment, develop a total quality improvement plan, and successfully implement this plan at a high level. In short, our school has demonstrated a total commitment to excellence and quality education, and MESPA has included it as one of five award-winning schools in Minnesota this year. To commemorate this honor, the parents and staff of our school are creating a week-long celebration culminating in a program at which the award will be presented to members of the school community. Because you are a leader dedicated to educational excellence, we are inviting you to be a part of our school -wide ceremony on Thursday, Nfay 18. The evening's events will include our annual Ice Cream Social, beginning at 5:00 PM, and a special program and award presentation at 6:30 PM. We would be honored to recognize you as one of the evening's special guests. Although a formal invitation will be mailed to you as event time nears, we wanted to provide you with early notice in consideration of your busy schedule. Winning the School of Excellence award is Sunny Hollow's most exciting moment in the school's history, and your presence will make this important evening a very special event for our parents, staff, and students. Please RSVP at your earliest convenience to Cheryl Biery, our school secretary at (763)504-7503. .. r Sincerely, y / Sl- Susan°{ Lundquist, Presiden i Sunny Hollow PTSO Sunny Hollow Elementary School 9 8808 Medicine Lake Road 0 New Hope MN 55427 • (612) 504 7500 • Fax (612) 504 7509 0 Yee PlyMCutk Ci�y CMKCI[ hvite5 you AwJ A 2,ue5� tO AK Afff-C&IAOK dimer Of IMCtM�ffS 0 Jti,'zCVt �OArdS Avtd �ov�v�i55i�v�5. !�(duotiday, Affll ?.k, MOO E-BY.iM. � W ly�++oulln Creek Cetiler I kS 00 5A Ave - if. ymvt w will �e idoed �� A lour q tke thew PI vuou-��t geek �ev��eT. Ple�,Se �Z5 P �y Afril 15,At 1-63-509-5O- PIeASe let us kKow i� you leve 5 feci Al diet-afy vteed5. 1 ti.�h CITY OF PLYMOUTI+ March 20, 2000 Dear Educator, The City of Plymouth, through its Youth Advisory Council, is sponsoring its first ever Youth Town Forton. The Plymouth Youth Town Forum is a venue for young Plymouth residents (in grades 8-12) to learn about and express their opinions on current and future city initiatives. The Forum will be held on the evening of Thursday, April 27, 2000, from 5-7:30 PM. This event was created to expose young Plymouth residents to the workings of city government. Nearly 30% of Plymouth's population is comprised of people under the age of 19. The Forum is one of Plymouth's many steps toward including young people in the dialogue that occurs before all city actions. In fact, in 1998, the Plymouth City Council formed the Youth Advisory Council recognizing that the community would benefit from an added youth perspective. The City of Plymouth is sponsoring this event in hopes of bringing even more young people to the table. The Plymouth Youth Advisory Council would like your assistance in the promotion of this event. If at all possible, inform your students or other teachers about the Forum. We understand that your days are quite busy, so any time you take to discuss this event with others is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, would like more brochures, or have any comments, please feel free to contact Nnennia Ejebe at (763) 509-5064 or at Nejebe@ci.plymouth.mn.us. Because the Forum will take place during the evening, we will be providing dinner to all participants. Therefore, to ensure that there will be enough food, we need all people interested in participating in the Youth Town Forton to register by Wednesday, April 19, 2000. They may mail in the form provided in the brochure, or e—mail the information to Nnennia Ejebe. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, The Plymouth Youth Advisory Council Paul Lenhardt, Chair, At—Large Sam Kelner, Ward 4 Nnennia Ejebe, Vice—Chair, Ward 1 Trent Eisenberg, At—Large Laura Marofsky, Ward 2 Dev Jadhav, At—Large Amelia Anderson, Ward 3 Jameson Johnson, At—Large PLYMOUTH A Beautiful Pface To Live 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000 ®,�,.*,,,w. www.ci.plymouth.mn.us CITY O� News Release PLYMOUTFF For Immediate Release Contact: Rick Kline, 509-5121, March 21, 2000 Plymouth Fire Department recognizes outstanding service The Plymouth Fire Department recognized several firefighters for their commitment and dedication in providing fire protection services to the citizens of Plymouth on March 11. Recognized for 1999 achievements were: Thomas Evenson Leadership Award Rodney Berg Firefighter of the Year David Fossum Rookie of the Year Ken Carlson Station I Firefighter Susan Magy Station II Firefighter Steven Farnsworth Station III Firefighter Kevin Leuer Dedicated Service Award "Firefighters join the department because they want to make a difference. They want to give something back to the community. Our annual recognition event allows us to recognize firefighters for just that, for making a difference," said Fire Chief Rick Kline. "We are committed to providing the best fire suppression, life safety and rescue service possible," said Kline. To do so, 70 members serve on the fire department and they work out of three fire stations. Plymouth Firefighters protect the lives and property in Plymouth from the adverse effects of fire, motor vehicle accidents, industrial accidents, hazardous material incidents or exposure to dangerous conditions. They also bring fire prevention education into school classrooms, neighborhoods, and businesses. In 1999, the department responded to 1,215 calls for fire and rescue service, and delivered nearly 753 hours of fire safety education to the community. In 1998, the Fire Department radically modernized the delivery of fire service in Plymouth with the innovation of the Duty Crew Program. At the recognition event, Kline noted that 1999 was the first complete year that the Duty Crew Program was in operation. While the Department still responds to evening and weekend calls using the traditional on-call page -out system, the Duty Crew Program offers another way that firefighters can respond to calls during the daytime. Firefighters work and train on shifts that they schedule in advance for themselves. Operational Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., the Duty Crew Program has replaced the once "on call" randomness of the profession with predictability. No longer driven by the page - out system, firefighting has become a predictable part-time job, according to Kline. Citizens of Plymouth who may be interested in becoming paid -on-call firefighters are encouraged to call 509-5120 for more information. The department anticipates hiring an additional group of firefighters by late summer. -30- PLYMOUTH A Beautifu(P(ace To Live 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000 ®p�a-,Mp. www.ci.plymouth.mn.us March 6, 2000 FirstName» « LastName» «Company» Address 1» Address2» «City», «State» « PostalCode» CITY OF PLYMOUTF+ SUBJECT: CITY OF PLYMOUTH LAWN FERTILIZERS APPLICATION CONTROL Dear «LastName»: Last April the Plymouth City Council adopted a Lawn Fertilizer Application Control Ordinance which prohibits the use of any lawn fertilizer containing phosphorus. The City Council adopted this ordinance in a move to protect our local water quality. Various local studies have shown that up to 97% of Plymouth lawns tested, have phosphorous concentration higher than those levels recommended by the University of Minnesota Extension Office. Like other pollutants, excess phosphorous from fertilizer is washed away from lawns by rain water run- off and through our storm sewer systems is carried to our local lakes and streams. In streams and lakes, phosphorous acts as fertilizers. It promotes algae growth and it severely degrades water resources. The ordinances applies both to the commercial applicators (persons engaged in the business of applying fertilizers for hire) and homeowners or renters. A copy of the of the ordinance is included for your review. In general the ordinance makes the following provisions: • All commercial applicators are required to have a license from the city, • No one can apply phosphorous containing fertilizers within the City of Plymouth, except where a soil test has been conducted to show that phosphorus is required, or in the first growing season of a new lawn. • No one shall apply fertilizers and pesticide to buffer zones (as established by the City's Wetland Protection Ordinance), below Ordinary High Water (OHW) line (as established by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources), or within 10 feet of any wetland or water course. • And, no one shall apply fertilizers to impervious surface, when the ground is frozen, or when conditions exist which will promote or create runoff. We realize that an ordinance in itself is not sufficient to protect our water quality. It requires the participation of all parties involved, including businesses such as yours. As a service to our residents, we are planning to promote all those businesses that offer phosphorous free fertilizers to Plymouth residents. You may either fax (763/509-5510) or e-mail me (smissagh@ci.plymouth.mn.us), with the name and phone number of your business, if you would like to be included in this list. Thank you for your cooperation and please call me at 612/509-5527 if you have any questions. Sincerely, Shane Missaghi Water Resources Engineer cc: Fred Moore, Director Dan Faulkner, City Engineer N \pw\Engineering\wTRRESRC\EDUCATIO\95-99\phfreerewiLdoc PLYMOUTH A Beautijul Place ,ro Live 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000 www.ci.plymouth.mn.us Woody Woody's Hardware 4188 Lancaster Lane N Plymouth, MN 55441 Charlie HAMEL BUILDING CENTER 18710 Highway 55 Plymouth, MN 55446 Lawn Coordinator DAVEY TREE & LAWN CARE 2500 Fembrook Lane North Plymouth, MN 55447 Brad Holter YARD SERVICES 14510 Gleason Lake Drive Plymouth, MN 55447-4408 Tim Target Stores 4175 Vinewood Lane N Plymouth, MN 55442 Curt HOME DEPOT 1705 Annapolis Lane N. Plymouth, MN 55441 Brad BENNIS FEED 13008 Minnetonka Blvd. Minnetonka, MN 55305 John YARDS PER POUND 7263 - 181th Avenue NW Anoka, MN 55303 Randy Franks Nursery and Crafts 4190 Vinewood Lane Plymouth, MN 55442 Information Counter BACHMAN'S 10050 - 6th Avenue North Plymouth, MN 55441 Bruce HENNEPIN CO-OP 8175 Lewis Road Golden Valley, MN 55427 News Release For Immediate Release Ciry OF PLYMOUTR Contact: Greg Cook, 509-5992 Watermain Flushing Set for April and May in Plymouth Plymouth City sewer and water crews will flush watermains in April and May. The schedule is as follows: • Industrial areas, both sides of 1-494, south of Hwy. 55: April 10, 11, and 12; • Residential areas, west of 1-494, except the Camelot area: April 17 through April 28; and • Residential areas, east of 1-494 and the Camelot area: May 1 through May 12. Discolored water is possible throughout this schedule, but it is more likely on the day crews flush lines in your area. Please avoid doing laundry on that day. If you have discolored water, let your outdoor water spigot run until the water is clear. 31. To find out the exact day your area will be flushed, please call 509-5950 after March -30- PLYMOUTH A Beautifu(Place To Live 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000 ®ommo, www.d.plymouth.mn.us CITY OF PLYMOUTFF News Release For Immediate Release March 24, 2000 Contact: Eric Blank, 763-509-5201 Plymouth resident Kathleen Thompson was the first person to support the Millennium Garden through the Buy a Brick Program. She purchased the brick at a recent Plymouth City Council meeting. Proceeds from the sale of bricks will be used to fund the development of the garden. The Millennium Garden will be next to the new activity center and field house, Plymouth Creek Center, 14800 — 34`h Ave. N. The garden is expected to open in the summer of 2001. Bricks purchased through the Buy a Brick Program will be built into the walkway at the garden. Bricks cost $50 each and will be engraved with an inscription specified by the buyer. "We expect that many people will want their names engraved on the bricks or to use bricks as memorials for loved ones," said Park and Recreation Director Eric Blank. Thompson told the City Council that when she and her family moved to the Twin Cities area, the quality of Plymouth's parks and recreation programs played an important role in determining where to live. Thompson saw the Millennium Garden's Buy a Brick program as a way to give back to the community. "When I heard about the garden, I thought what a wonderful opportunity for the Thompson family to say thank you and leave a reminder for the many future generations that will live and enjoy Plymouth as we have," she said. Brochures, which include Buy a Brick order forms, are being mailed with residential utility bills in March and April. Forms also are available on the City Web site at www.ci.plymouth.mn.us and will be inside the front cover of the spring issue of the Plymouth Leisure Times, the city recreation catalog. The Leisure Times will be mailed during the first week of April. Contributions to the garden are tax deductible. -30- PLYMOUTH A Beautiful Place 7o Live 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000 ®tea-�pw www.d.plymouth.mn.us I-494 Corridor Commission/JPO Meeting Minutes of Wednesday, January 19, 2000 �IWapproved) I. Call to Order. The meeting was called to order at 8:45 a.m. by Chair Ross Thorfinnson at Southwest Metro Transit Commission's transit hub. Those in attendance were: Ross Thorfinnson, City of Eden Prairie Barb Senness, City of Plymouth Jim Hovland, City of Edina Mike Opatz, City of Maple Grove Larry Lee, City of Bloomington Tom Foley, City of Richfield Clarence Shallbetter, Metropolitan Council Lisa Raduenz, LJR, Inc. David Lindahl, City of Eden Prairie Russ Susag, City of Richfield Curt Gutoske, City of Minnetonka Alisa Omat, City of Bloomington Patty Carlson, Metro Commuter Services Joy Tierney, City of Plymouth II. Review of Minutes. Review of minutes from December 8, 1999 meeting. Motion made to approve minutes by Opatz. Ornat seconded the motion. Motion passed. III. Other Business. Thorfinnson reported on the Legislative Hearing held in Eden Prairie on December 6, 1999. The meeting was called by a joint transportation legislative committee and lasted about two and one-half hours. As part of the meeting, Thorfinnson presented the I-494 Corridor Commission's "case", but mostly metro area members were in attendance, few from outstate Minnesota in the room. Thorfinnson indicated that the meeting was mostly a "fact- finding" meeting and that "nothing new" was really presented. Raduenz updated the Commission's members on the Transit Providers' Subcommittee meeting held on December 17, 1999. She reported that all of the region's providers, including the Opt - Outs were in attendance for a holiday luncheon sponsored by the Corridor Commission. As part of the ongoing activities of the group, the next several meetings will be dedicated to finalizing the transit plan for the corridor, including eliminating "service overlaps" planned for the future, and identification of transit facilities and locations that will be necessary to provide more complete transit service in the corridor. This information will also include cost estimates and be included within the Commission's Congressional funding request later this year. Thorfinnson reported on the Legislative Briefing and Breakfast held on January 40, at Woody's Grill in Eden Prairie. According to Thorfinnson, about fourteen local legislators and Met Council members were in attendance, which was considered a very good showing. At the meeting, Raduenz presented an overview of the Corridor Commission's transit plan, with MnDOT and Met Council staff presenting regional information about 494 to educate legislators. Most of the discussion was positive, according to Thorfinnson, although a great deal of time was spent in discussing light rail transit plans for the metro area, which is something that Thorfinnson indicated he did not want to do. The purpose of the meeting was to "alert legislators to 494 needs and issues before the legislative session begins in February", according to Thorfinnson. He indicated that legislators are expecting periodic "updates" from the Commission during the A session, and that the goal of the Commission is to provide a "balanced approach" to 494 transportation issues. Ornat asked about the types of questions that were asked about LRT? Thorfinnson responded that the questions were "pretty much the same" as had been asked previously by legislators—cost overruns, questions on regional investment priorities, etc. Vice Chair Hovland reported on the Edina Chamber "Eye -Opener" Breakfast held on January 11, 2000. The invited speaker was Ted Mondale, Chair of the Met Council, who spoke about 494 transportation issues. Both Hovland and Thorfinnson were also in attendance, with Thorfinnson speaking immediately following Mondale. Hovland said he thought Mondale did a "good job", but that Thorfinnson really did the job of "alarming" the business community properly. Raduenz reported on the continued progress of the Golden Triangle Demonstration Project planning. At this point, the committee has identified approximately 1400 businesses within the project's boundaries, and have obtained several mailing lists that are in the process of being culled down for study purposes and reliability. The next steps for the project include writing a job description for the Executive Director position, finalizing market research plans, and setting up a Board of Directors for the Golden Triangle Transportation Management Association (TMA). At this point in the meeting, Thorfinnson introduced Patty Carlson, the Manager of Metro Commuter Services, and explained her agency's role in the Golden Triangle project. All cities have paid 2000 YR dues to the Corridor Commission from the statements mailed to them in December 1999 with the exception of Richfield and Plymouth. Tierney and Foley/Susag agreed to go back internally and check on the payments due, although the due date for statements was listed for January 31, 2000, so there is still time available to get payments in to the City of Minnetonka. Raduenz passed out a new 494 Corridor Commission membership roster and asked each listed participant to make additional changes on the sheet to include cell phone and home phone numbers. Commission members were asked to return these additions to Raduenz, who will again update the sheet and bring a finalized copy to the next Commission meeting in February. A 494 Corridor Commission construction and needs presentation that was developed jointly by MnDOT and Raduenz was e-mailed to each member of the Commission prior to the meeting time, according to Raduenz. She updated the presentation as was requested at the December 1999 Commission meeting in order to allow any members of the Commission to present the outline as necessary to outside groups. She mentioned that she was available to present the outline or to technically assist any Commission member who needed help. If any members are unable to open the Powerpoint presentation, they should check with city staff (who most likely can open the presentation), or call Raduenz and she will print out a hard copy of the presentation for overhead usage. Raduenz distributed materials that relate to the Governor's 2000 Transportation Plan and also that address MnDOT's Interregional Corridor Study proposed by the agency in the late fall of 1999. As part of these materials, MnDOT's 2000 Legislative Request was also included. Lindahl asked if the 494 Commission had a strategy related to the request for 494 funding? 2 Thorfinnson responded that the Commission was going to have to be "pretty active" over the legislative session, monitoring bills and presenting its case, but that the main problem would be to make sure that current funding plans were not disrupted. Thorfinnson relayed to Commission members the importance of supporting the Governor's initial transportation proposal, as it was a "good start" and did increase transportation system funding, both for transit and roads. He also indicated that changes in Senate leadership for transportation policy and funding committees could also provide badly needed funds this year, where they have been unable to do so for the past nine sessions because the governor's office would not support the increased funding for transportation. Tierney remarked that she had viewed a copy of Washington County Commissioner Myra Peterson's map showing per capita infrastructure investments within the metro area and outstate Minnesota for local and county roads, and that she found it "very enlightening". Thorfinnson asked local officials to "stand by" during the session in case they were needed to assist with testimony at the State Capitol. Susag distributed a copy of the I -494/35W Interchange Study to each Commission member and reported that it had been presented to legislators on January 10, 2000 and also to the Board of the I -35W Solutions Alliance last Wednesday. Shallbetter questioned whether all of the HOV advantages within the interchange were finalized, included those on the "flyover" bridges in each direction? Foley indicated that the City of Richfield had included as many HOV advantages as were possible in the plans before turning them over to MnDOT. Raduenz added that she had had other conversations with MnDOT staff about finalizing the plan's HOV advantages through the 494 Transit Providers' Committee as it meets in the next several weeks. Foley reported that Mike Eastling, the City of Richfield Public Works Director, was trying to line up a meeting with Dick Stehr of MnDOT to explore MnDOT's "commitment" to the project's future funding. Tierney said that she was at a meeting in December with the Executive Director of the Twin West Chamber of Commerce who was "surprised" to hear some of the 494 Corridor Commission's issues. Raduenz responded that Jason Grev, the Chamber's legislative liaison, was in attendance at the Legislative Briefing on January 6', and that Twin West has not attended or been represented at the last three 494 -Chamber of Commerce breakfast meetings for unknown reasons (they had been invited). She encouraged all Commission members to push the local Chamber Executives to stay informed on 494 transportation issues. Lee indicated that the January -February edition of "Talking Business", the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce's widely -distributed magazine, carried a three-page article written by Raduenz about the 494 corridor, and that it gave the Commisson a lot of exposure. Hovland brought up an issue that had been reported to the Edina City Council about a lot of freeway traffic being diverted onto local streets in West Edina, with the apparent traffic source being the tenants and visitors from the Opus complex near the interchange of Highways 69 and 62. He asked that Metro Commuter Services and Raduenz explore the potential of working with employers in that area to lessen traffic to and from the site. Raduenz and Carlson will determine whether surveys and other information already exist from employers in the area, and what efforts have already been done at the site by Metro Commuter Services, if any, as follow-up to Hovland's concerns. Opatz asked if anyone knew how the rankings were going for the regional bonding process and for CMAQ and STP applications? Carlson indicated that she had viewed a preliminary list and 3 Independent School District 284 Early Childhood Family Education ' 305 Vicksburg'Lane Plymouth, MN 55447 a -�3 612.745.5292 Fax: 612.745.5291 March 16, 2000 Dear Mayor Tierney and Plymouth City Council Members, We are writing to you to request further consideration for the use of Dial -A -Ride in transporting some of the four and five year olds from at -risk families in Plymouth. As manager of the Learning Readiness program, Judy's job is to place four and five year olds in preschool. She continues to try desperately to find ways to transport children to and from Learning Readiness preschools. During this 1999-2000 school year, we have explored the following options: • Judy asked parents in the program to help drive preschoolers to school and home; however, not all of them are willing to assist with this. • We contacted Tom Burr, supervisor of Wayzata School District transportation; he cannot transport the children unless they live in the attendance area of a district school with a preschool in it. Also, the start and stop times don't match. • We met with Brian Hubbard, YMCA outreach manager, who has a YMCA van available on specific days, but no driver to transport them. • Judy asked the CONECT coordinator for assistance with the CONECT van but parents haven't been available to drive it. • Judy checked into taxi services, most of which would not transport a preschooler. The one who agreed to transport them would cost $20.00 per child per day. Our budget cannot afford that. In spite of these attempts to find transportation, there are still preschoolers who cannot attend school regularly because of lack of transportation. Our program currently has enrolled 6 four and five year olds who would benefit from Dial -A -Ride service. In June, we may need service for our summer school program, Barefoot in the Grass. Dial -A -Ride is a safe way to transport children who are four and five years old. Buses have seatbelts, pick up children at their door and drop them at the preschool's door. Please reconsider this decision in favor of these at -risk families! Sincerely, Judy O'Regan Learning Readiness Manager �p" VPV"& Carol Vannelli Family Education Coordinator March 22, 2000 CITY OF PLYMOUTR Robert Videen 1151 Kingsview Lane N Plymouth, MN 55447 Dear Robert: Thank you for the copy of the letter you sent to Mayor Tierney regarding the Luce Line trail and snowmobiles. I believe all of your observations about snowmobile violations are coorect. I intend to send a copy of your letter over to Hennepin Parks, for their review also. I believe you are aware that this portion of the trail has been placed under the jurisdiction of the County at this time. They have a law enforcement branch that is probably better suited to deal with the situation than the City's police department. The course of action we recommend to citizens is to get a license number from the snowmobile and to call either the parks department or the police department with that number. We will then follow up with the individual to try and curb the illegal behavior. Thank you for calling this to our attention. Sincerely, e5lt'. 1, e Eric J. Blank, Director Parks and Recreation EB/np Cc: CAig Gerdes 1 City Council Karen Bowen, Hennepin Parks PLYMOUTH A Beauti}u[4'fate To Live 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000 ®;,ti,..xr.... www.d.plymouth.mn.us i March 9, 2000 Robert A Videen 1151 Kingsview Lane North Plymouth, MN 55447 Joy Tierney, Mayor City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, MN 55447-1482 RE: Snowmobile Violations -3 19 It was rather disheartening to recently walk the Luce Line Trail along the south side of Parker Lake and witness the damage caused by snowmobiles during this recent, short winter. On numerous occasions during the winter, I had encountered ATV's and snowmobiles both on the trail and within the park (not on the lake). Not only did I consider this a safety hazard to persons on foot, but also a hazard to the environment and to the taxpayers investment in the park and the recently repaved Luce Line Trail. On more than one occasion I notified the Plymouth Police of snowmobile tracks that had carved trails through the wooded undergrowth in the park, often directly from their yards (south of Parker's Lake), to the Lake. Because of the shallow snow depth this winter, their path still remains long after the snow melted. The Luce Line Trail, which was repaved less than 6 months ago, is already scarred permanently by snowmobile studs. It is my understanding that snowmobiles are only allowable on the lake surface and on dedicated trails within the City. As anyone who has ever walked Parker's Lake Park or the Luce Line after a snowfall can attest, this has hardly been the case. Many snowmobiles are using the Park and Luce Line Trail for their recreational pursuits. In discussing this matter with the Plymouth Police, it is obvious that enforcing the snowmobile laws in Plymouth is not very effective due to their mobility and speed. The Police Department mentioned that they have to call in the Sheriffs office to catch violators. I suggest the City consider either banning snowmobiles entirely from the City or coming up with an effective method of enforcement. In the mean time, I suggest additional signs be posted at all entrances to the Luce Line and parks indicating "No Motorized Vehicles." According to the Police, the ususual response when they confront snowmobilers' is ignorance of the law. The destruction of public property for the recreational pursuit of a few individuals should not be tolerated. Your attention to this matter prior to next winter would be appreciated. Thank you. Sincerely, Bob Videen Copy:. Eric Blank, Director of Parks Mark Peterson, Supt. of Parks Craig Gerdes, Director of Public Safety Kelli Slavik, Ward 2 Councilperson Dale Hahn To: holmarks@winternet.com Cc: judyinplym@lynxus.com; sharstad@excite.com; Dwight Johnson Subject: Water rates I am responding to the e-mail you sent to Councilmembers Judy Johnson and Scott Harstad regarding the City's tiered water rate structure. The City's water rates have not been increased since 1987, and increased rates were necessary to keep up with increased production and distribution costs. The new tiered water rate structure was implemented to encourage water conservation, and to more equitably charge users for the cost of providing excess water production and distribution capacity. During the Winter months, the average household uses less than 12,500 gallons per two month period. In the Summer months, the water usage increases to the point that having adequate water pressure and water availability for firefighting efforts becomes a concern. In addition to the firefighting efforts, the City's water supply, which is the Jordan Aquifer, is being drawn down. The City has had to lower its well pipes deeper into the earth to continue to pump water at the levels demanded by users. The water usage for the entire City runs about 6.5 million gallons per day during the Winter months, and reaches as high as 25 million gallons per day during the Summer months. Lowering the well pipes and drilling additional wells to provide this excess Summer capacity is a very costly process. The tiered water rates were designed to establish rates that more equitably charge the high volume users for these excess costs. I have calculated what your water billings will potentially be with the new tiered water rates compared to the current rates. Based upon a two month usage of 60,000 gallons, your billing would be $68.13 compared to the current billing of $48.88, and based upon 80,000 gallons, it would be $98.13 compared to the current billing of $63.88. The proposed water rates will still be among the lowest in the Metro area. You may also wish to consider turning a portion of your lot into a wildlife -nature setting to reduce the portion needing ongoing sprinkling efforts. I realize this does not solve your concerns, but I hope this gives you a clearer understanding of why the tiered rates were implemented. Please feel free to call me at 612-509-5301 if you wish to discuss this further. Sincerely, Dale Hahn Finance Director Dale Hahn From: Judy Johnson [judyinplym@lynxus.com] Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2000 7:26 PM To: dhahn@ci.plymouth.mn.us Cc: Dwight Johnson Subject: Fw: Water Rates Dale, Attached is an email from an unhappy resident with concerns about our new water rate tiered system. Based on the information he provides, is he accurate in his presumption of expected billing? Will you please respond to him and copy me? THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. Judy ----Original Message --- From: Mitch Marks/Mel Holm <holmarks@winternet.com> To: judyinplym@lynxus.com <judyinplym@lynxus.com> Date: Sunday, March 19, 2000 5:35 PM Subject: Water Rates >Dear Council Member Johnson: >1 am writing to advise you of my displeasure with the new city water >pricing plan. This water plan will cause my water rate to double in the >Summer months. While I average under 12,500 during the winter months, my >summer bills range from 60,000 to 80,000 gallons, depending on how dry >the summer is. >1 recognize that I live in one of the older neighborhoods in Plymouth >which has large yards. A few years ago, I installed an automatic >sprinkler system to manage my water usage more effectively. But with >over 1/2 acre to water, it is not possible for me or many others to keep >the usage down to the levels considered "typical' in the Plymouth news >letter. These levels may work for people in areas with smaller lots, >but do not work for many of us in the older sections of Plymouth. >A more fair rate structure would have higher rates in the winter months >and lower rates in the summer months. Plymouth is a beautiful city and >it is that way because we care for our homes and lawns. I moved her a >number of years ago from Montana. Because water rates got exorbitantly >high, many people there did not water their lawns which caused the town >to become dry and dirty looking. Please reconsider your rate structure >to keep our city beautiful. >Thanks, >Mitch Marks >12125 Sunset Trail >Plymouth, MN 55441-5806 >763-541-1327 Dale Hahn From: Scott Harstad [Sharstad@excite.com] Sent: Monday, March 20, 2000 10:28 AM To: dhahn@ci.plymouth.mn.us Subject: Fwd: Water Rates FYI- Comments? Scott (763) 509-5005 --- Original Message ---- > Message -ID: <38D5640A.13103849@winternet.com> > Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2000 17:34:35 -0600 > From: Mitch Marks/Mel Holm <holmarks@winternet.com> > To: sharstad@mailexcite.com > Subject: Water Rates > Dear Council Member Harstad: > I am writing to advise you of my displeasure with the new city water > pricing plan. This water plan will cause my water rate to double in the > Summer months. While I average under 12,500 during the winter months, my > Summer bills range from 60,000 to 80,000 gallons, depending on how dry > the Summer is. > I recognize that I live in one of the older neighborhoods in Plymouth > which has large yards. A few years ago, I installed an automatic > sprinkler system to manage my water usage more effectively. But with > over 1/2 acre to water, it is not possible for me or many others to keep > the usage down to the levels considered "typical' in the Plymouth news > letter. These levels may work for people in areas with smaller lots, > but do not work for many of us in the older sections of Plymouth. > A more fair rate structure would have higher rates in the winter months > and lower rates in the summer months. Plymouth is a beautiful city and > it is that way because we care for our homes and lawns. I moved her a > number of years ago from Montana. Because water rates got exorbitantly > high, many people there did not water their lawns which caused the town > to become dry and dirty looking. Please reconsider your rate structure > to keep our city beautiful. > Thanks, > Mitch Marks > 12125 Sunset Trail > Plymouth, MN 55441-5806 > 763-541-1327 Thanks- Scott Harstad HP (612) 593-5279 Get 100% FREE Internet Access powered by Excite Visit http://freelane.excite.com/freeisp CITY OF March 22, 2000 PLYMOUTR Larry Leistiko Medicine Lake Sailing Club PO Box 41301 Plymouth, MN 55441 Dear Larry: This letter is in response to your request to hold sailboat races on Medicine Lake during the 2000 summer season. The City of Plymouth has no objection to your use of the lake for this purpose. We' appreciate your commitment to conduct your training sessions and races in a safe manner, and your willingness to assist others on the lake who may be in trouble. Keep up the great work and have a successful, safe and fun season! Sincerely, �/rLL Eric J. Blank, Director Parks and Recreation EB/np cc: City Manager Director of Public Safety Risk Management Coordinator PLYMOUTH A Beautifu[Place To Live 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000 www.d.plymouth.mn.us 341 ,it cl'Vledicine `Calle sailing Club P.O. Box 41301 Plymouth, Minnesota 55441 March 20, 2000 Mr. Eric Blank Director of Parks and Recreation City of Plymouth Plymouth, Minnesota 55447 Dear Mr. Blank, The purpose of this letter is to request the City's permission to hold sail boat races on Medicine Lake during the summer of 2000. As you are aware, the Medicine Lake Sailing Club has been conducting sailboat races on Medicine Lake since 1977. We are planning our racing season and need to obtain a permit from the Hennepin County Sheriff. In order to get a permit from the Sheriff, it is necessary for us to obtain written permission from the City of Plymouth. The City of Plymouth has given us permission to run these races since this procedure was established in 1985. In all our years of operation we have never has a significant safety incident, as we stress proper safety in all our training sessions and operating procedures. We have a committee boat on the lake during races to assist any sailor that may capsize or be in need of assistance. Naturally, we also render emergency assistance to others on the lake that may require it as well. As in the past we will be carrying liability insurance from the United States Yacht Racing Union in the amount of $1,000,000. We have attached our racing schedule for the 2000 season for your review. We will be inserting temporary buoys in the water at approximately one hour before the races begin. They will be removed every day at the end of the races. The races will be held in accordance with the rules of the United States Sailing Association, a nationally recognized yacht racing organization. We anticipate that there will be between 15 and 20 boats participating in each race. Additionally, we have scheduled safety events as part of our racing curriculum this year. Also inclosed is a Liability release for the city of Plymouth. The city is not expected nor requested to take any active part in the organization or conduct of the races. The County Sheriff, and not the City of Plymouth, issues the permit. Additionally, before individuals are permitted to race, they must sign an application, which clearly states that the participant waves any liability on the part of the City of Plymouth. A copy of this application is also enclosed. Please forward your written permission, on behalf of the City of Plymouth, to me so that I can include it in our 2000 application for a permit from the Hennepin County Sheriff. Thank you very much for your assistance. Please call me if you have any questions Cordiall L Leistiko Commodore Medicine Lake Sailing Club Attachments: Racing Schedule for the 2000 Season. Liability Release for the City of Plymouth. MSLC Racing Application Form. March 17, 2000 City Council Plymouth City Hall 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, MN 55447-1482 To the Women and Men of the City Council: I support the proposal to repair and expand Highway 101 between County Road 24 and Highway 55. 1 drive on this road each and every day, since I live in the Amberwoods neighborhood just off of CR 24 on Urbandale LN N. Currently, this section of Hwy 101 is inadequate for the traffic that uses the road daily, and it is creating a very unsafe situation. This is especially concerning with the high number of young, inexperienced drivers that drive on this road daily since the opening of the Wayzata High School on Peony Lane. Please speak out for safety for all of us and support this proposal. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, cwt' Dick Salonek, CMA 3335 Urbandale LN N Plymouth, MN 55447 dicksalonek@ultramc. com a 'ta`L' SW 7 03/24/34 14:49 S 612 545 6227 BARROW RESEARCH 02 Ward 3 Council Member: Brad Brown March 16, 2000 Council Member ,brown, I residc in Ward 3 so 1 have will address my concerns with you, but hope you Ip ss shit letter along to all of the City enCouncil Members a5 well as Mayor Ticrncy. seen anything of late regarding the County Road 101 Project the city is planning with Hennepin County. The last I saw on city council meetings was about 2-15-2000. At this meeting it was stated that a public meeting would be planned, then the final Y project presented by the count and the city council would give the project a final vote. I'm sure that since I live in another ward within the city 1 would not be notified of any public meeting, so I've decided to address you with a letter. I have many friends that live in this arca and have lived there for a number of years. I drive on this area of roadway, maybe not as extensively as otltcrs do, but I do know of the bad conditions this roadway is in. l do recall when the new Wayzata High go, this roadway was brought to the city's attention at School was opened a few years a marry residents of this area would want this that time. I would think that many, section of roadway expanded and repaired as the project states. The newer developments along this area of roadway such. as Heather Run, Boulder Crest, and The Orchards I'm sure were disclosed the fact tbatr this roadway was going to be improved, not to mention the development currently being buil on Medina Rd. and 101. Wouldn't current building, not just in Plymouth but Maple Grove and other cities to the northwest contribute to the increased traffic volume of this two lane roadway? Commuters tend to take the roads with �� lusts one urstop sign.bcr Of stNow, nada to all of the 55 to County Road 6 there are no stop signals, ) commuters the high school students, wcll over 2,000 cars I would assume, and 1 would bet this area is overdue to be expanded to a four lane stretch of roadway. At the council meeting televised on 2-15-2000 Mr. Harstad stated a couple of issues i would like to address; 1. To build from County Rd 6 north to County Rd 24 first. This does make sense, however with all of the new building especially the newest senior development this section needs to be rebuilt first. South of County Rd 24 there is no place more to build, so for that section to wait another year or two would be fine. Oct this part done while building is going on anyway. 2. The money issue. This should not matter at all since no matter when This s cant it,sbegicOto seems high, n other ith inflation the cost will just bo up. project projects due to the fact that this roadway has to be rcdug down to 6 - 8 fcut below the road surface and be rebuilt back to the surface. This is what 1 undcrstan anldf the rebuillato and I don't recall thearing of a goi g to beay much having moretobe redug than other projects. the surface, so of course he cost 03Z24i34 14:50 $ 612 545 6227 BARLOW RESEARCH 03 Please don't let this project get over looked. Many people use this roadway, as well as students driving and buses full of children. Remember the fog we had a couple of weeks ago? 1 heard trying to turn off of Medina onto 101 was nearly impossible because a person could not see anything. This is a project that when completed will make driving this roadway safer for all, commuters as well as residents. In closing I would like to say that I was told about a website www,stop101.org, so i went to the site and would like to say I don't think anyone on the council has shown a Personal agenda as stated. Also, it looks as though people plan on threatening with future votes the council members decisions. It also states something needs to be done to 101, but what else has been suggested? This road has too many cars already traveling on it to stay a two lane road. Personally, I think if this roadway is fixed now and then the city and county come back in 5 years to expand it, then the public will be upset. That would be a waste of taxpayers money. Lastly you are the people we elected into office to be our representatives, not our servants, there is a difference. Thank you all for being our public representatives. Peg Konkler _559-5424 March 9, 2000 i J Kelli Slavik, I live in your ward and hope you pass this letter along to the mayor and all other city council members. I live south of County Road 24 and have been following the proposed project of County Road 101 between Highway 55 and 24. My husband and I have three teenage sons who drive this roadway regularly, and I want you to know that there are families out here that feel the roadway as it is, is very unsafe to travel on. The section of roadway between Hwy 55 and 24 is very bumpy and a mess in general, it also needs to be a 4 lane roadway to accommodate the number of cars traveling on it daily. I travel to Wayzata High School daily to work, so I know of the need here first hand. I don't like to think of the number of students that travel this road daily in the condition it is in. Most months of the year this road is an icy, bumpy mess and would hate to think of a young driver loosing control on this stretch of highway and having an accident. This has been a concern since the high school was built. Also with the current building of the football field and stadium many, many more people will be using this road for upcoming events at the high school. I realize a few people have been outspoken against the project going through, but remember that this roadway will be used by many more than the outspoken few. This portion of roadway to 394 is already serving more people daily than it can support in it's current state of disrepair and only being two lanes. Please help us get this project passed so we can finish the project south of 24 to County Rd 6 in 2003. Sincerely, X112q-V "/)(" Cindy Beherns 2720 Olive Lane Plymouth, MN 55447 763-476-2352 FXHIBIT J i INFORMATION ABOUT PHASE I OF HEATHER RUN City Parks and Trails An approximately 8 -acre neighborhood park will be developed by the City of Plymouth in Outlot B, which is on the east side of Heather Run. The City may complete this park in 1994, since the cost of doing so is included in the first draft of the City's capital improvements plan, which is to be acted on by the City Council in December 1993. The Plymouth Parks Department has not formulated a specific improvement plan for the park, because the budget awaits City Council approval of the Capital Improvement Plan as noted above. Typical improvements for a neighborhood park of this size may include a children's play area; trail system with 8 -foot asphalt paths on "solid" ground and floating boardwalks.over wetlands; a field for games; half court basketball; trees and possibly a picnic shelter. Also, a public parking facility for approximately 12 cars in the northwest corner of Outlot B and one or more portable sanitary facilities are likely. There will also be public pedestrian trails in the following locations: in Outlot F, which is along County Road 101: in Outlots A and B, which are along the eastern border of Heather Run between the neighborhood park and County Road 24; and between Olive Lane North and County Road 101 in the future development area, which is Outlot G. For more information about public parks and trails, call Eric Blank, Parks Director, City of Plymouth at (612) 550-5131. Protected Wetlands All wetland areas at Heather Run are protected by the State of Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act of 1993 and other statutes and regulations, including municipal ordinances which prohibit filling or obstructing drainage easements. Article III, Section 6 of the Declaration of Covenants for Heather Run imposes additional restrictions over the rear portions of 29 lots in Heather Run. The Buyers of each of the 29 lots will receive a Protected Wetland Supplement to their purchase agreement. For more information about the Wetlands Conservation Act of 1993, call Fred Moore, Director of Public Works, City of Plymouth at (612) 550-5000. For information on private restrictions, pertaining to the wetlands, refer to Article III, Section 6 of the Declaration of Covenant for the subdivision. HMM\LBC\HE.I1HER\IHF0RM.7 111194 1 r Improvements Outside of Heather Run Countv Road 101 is classified by the City of Plymouth as a "minor arterial". This highway is scheduled for improvement by Hennepin County in 1997 in accordance with the County's five year Capital Improvement Plan approved December 8, 1992. It is likely that the improvements will include widening of County Road 101 to four lanes past -Heather Run, from County Road 6 to State Highway 55. This segment abuts Outlot F, Heather Run, which is a trailway owned by the City. For more information, call Steve Theis, Department of Public Works, Hennepin County at (612) 930-2528. Countv Road 24 is classified by the City of Plymouth as a "minor arterial". It is likely to be widened to four lanes adjacent to Heather Run running from Highway 55 to County Road 101. A timetable for this improvement has not been set by either the County or the City. County Road 24 is in the process of being upgraded to four lane status at the present time from Highway 55 to 32nd Avenue North, a project which will be completed in 1994. For more information, call Dan Faulkner, City Engineer, City of Plymouth at (612) 550-5071. County Road 24 and Countv Road 101 Intersection. This intersection is scheduled to have a traffic light installed in accordance with the.City of Plymouth's Capital Improvement Plan approved December 21, 1992. This project is likely to occur in 1994. For more information call Dan Faulkner, City Engineer, City of Plymouth at (612) 550-5071. Undeveloped Land North of Medina Road The undeveloped land lying directly north of Heather Run across Medina Road has -a designation of "Planned Industrial" on the City of Plymouth's Land Use Guide Plan. However, designated uses under the Land Use Guide Plan are subject to change depending on City Council action on specific development proposals. For more information on the allowable uses in industrial districts and any other questions concerning this land, call Anne Hurlburt, Director of Community Development, City of Plymouth at (612) 550-5059. 2 INFORM:'1 1/7/94 Light from Greenhouses Northwest of Heather Run, at 4045 County Road 101, there are a number of commercial greenhouses owned and operated by Len Busch Roses, Inc. From mid-September to mid-April every night for varying periods between 9:00 p.m and 9:00 a.m., Len Busch Roses, Inc. illuminates most of the greenhouses to accelerate the growth of roses and other plants. The lamps emit an amber -colored light, which escapes from the greenhouses horizontally and vertically and sometimes illuminates low clouds overhead. For more information on the greenhouse illumination, call Anne Hurlburt, Director of Community Development, City of Plymouth at (612) 550-5059 or Len Busch Roses, Inc. at (612) 4.78-6077. New Home Offerings. At this time, Lundgren Bros. intends to offer homes in both its TRADITIONS and AMERICAN CLASSICS collections at Heather Run. TRADITIONS Homes are currently base priced in the range of approximately $140,000 to $220,000 including lots. AMERICAN CLASSICS Homes are currently base priced in the range of approximately $175,000 to $350,000 including lots. The TRADITIONS Homes generally will be located on the lots backing up to County Road 101 and Medina Road, but may be offered on other lots in the neighborhood. These product offerings and prices can change without notice and will change from time to time. For more information on new homes, call a Lundgren Bros. sales representative who is selling in the area. The Heather Run model home phone number is (612) 476-7359, and the Lundgren Bros. general office -number is (612) 473-1231. Easements on House Lots Each house lot in the subdivision has utility and drainage easements, 6 to 10 feet wide, on the perimeter the lot. Some lots may also have a utility easement which crosses a portion of the lot, and lots which"'abut wetlands or ponds may have more extensive drainage easements. Nothing can be done in the easement areas to impair drainage or interfere with utility lines. Some lots are also subject to special easements for subdivision entrance improvements, pond equipment and perimeter landscaping. The lots affected by special easements are identified on the easement plat, which is an exhibit to each purchase agreement for a new home. The developer and the homeowners association have the right, but not the obligation, to plant trees in the boulevard of the street which adjoins each lot and in the portion of the lot which is 3 HMM\L2C\H:.aTHVR\INFORM .D 1/1/94 within 15 feet of the boulevard. The owner of the lot is responsible for maintaining the trees and replacing any such trees that die. The respective rights and obligations of the lot owners, the developer and the homeowners association with respect to special easements are set forth in Article III of the declaration of covenants for the subdivision. common Areas Heather Run Homeowners Association, Inc. will own and maintain the common areas reserved for it, namely Outlots C, D, E, and H. These common areas include the following: A private park, which Lundgren Bros. will build on part of Outlot C. The planned facilities include two tennis courts, a children's play area, landscaping and benches. Wetlands or marsh areas in Outlots C, D, E, and H. Entrance improvements in Outlots D and E at the southern entrance to the neighborhood. The homeowners association also maintains the kiosk in the median of the southern entrance to the neighborhood and landscaping islands in the center of certain cul-de-sacs, all of which are in public road rights-of-way. For more information, read Article III of the declaration of covenants for the subdivision. Homeowners Association Heather Run Homeowners Association, Inc. is a non-profit corporation organized under the laws of the State of Minnesota. The Association is governed by a Board of Directors of five persons, who are elected by the membership. Each lot owner automatically becomes a member of the Association. The Association has two classes of voting membership, Class A and Class B. Class A members are the purchasers of each lot, and. each lot has one vote in the Association. The Developer is the Class B member, and it has three votes for each lot it owns. On the earlier of the date on which 75% of all lots have been sold, or December 31, 2001, the Developer's voting rights are reduced to one vote per lot. The Association may annex additional property, and make it subject to the Declaration of Covenants for Heather Run ("Declaration"), upon approval of 75% of each class of the members. The Developer has the right, until December 31, 2001, 4 HHH\L9C\HEATHER\INFOP.M.0 1/7/94 Li sctos<<re -tv 1-7� — L,cn�j"'Age05. EXHIBIT F INFORMATION ABOUT HEATHER RUN (ALL PHASES) Parks and Trails in Heather Run Lundgren Bros. Construction, Inc. has built a private neighborhood park on part of Outlot C, HEATHER RUN. This park is owned, operated and maintained by Heather Run Homeowners Association, Inc., for the exclusive use of HEATHER RUN families and their accompanied guests. The -City of Plymouth developed a neighborhood public park called Heather Ponds Park in Outlot B, HEATHER RUN and adjoining land in SEVEN PONDS FOURTH ADDITION. There are public pedestrian trails in the following locations: in Outlot F, HEATHER RUN, which is along County Road 101; in Outlots A and B, HEATHER RUN, which are along the eastern border of HEATHER RUN between Heather Ponds Park and County Road 24; and in Outlot B, HEATHER RUN 2ND ADDITION between Olive Lane North and County Road 101. For more information about public parks and trails, call Eric Blank, Parks Director, City of Plymouth at (612) 550-5131. Protected Wetlands All wetland areas in all phases of HEATHER RUN are protected by Minnesota's Wetland Conservation Act of 1993 and other statutes and regulations, including municipal ordinances which prohibit filling or obstructing drainage easements. Article III, Section 6 of the Declaration of Covenants for Heather Run imposes additional restrictions over the rear portions of certain lots. The Buyers of those lots will receive Protected Wetland Supplements to their purchase agreements. For more information about the Wetlands Conservation Act of 1993, call Fred Moore, Director of Public Works, City of Plymouth at (612) 550-5000. For information on private restrictions pertaining to the wetlands, refer to Article III, Section 6 of the Declaration of Covenants for Heather Run, as amended. Improvements Outside of Heather Run County Road 101 is classified by the City of Plymouth as a "minor arterial". This road is scheduled for improvement by Hennepin County in 1997 in accordance with the County's five year Capital Improvement Plan approved December 8, 1992. It is likely that the improvements will include 1< widening of County Road 101 to four lanes past Outlot F, HEATHER RUN, which is a trailway owned by the City. For more information, call Steve Theis, Department of Public Works, Hennepin County at (612) 930-2528. County Road 24 and County Road 101 Intersection. This intersection is scheduled to have a traffic light installed sometime in the future, according to the City of Plymouth's Capital k Improvement Plan approved December 21, 1992. For more information call Dan Faulkner, City Engineer, City of Plymouth at (612) 550-5071. Undeveloped Land North of Medina Road. Directly north of HEATHER RUN across Medina Road is undeveloped land that has a designation of "Planned Industrial" on the City of Plymouth's Land Use Guide Plan. However, designated uses under the Land Use Guide Plan are subject to change, depending on City Council action on specific development proposals. For more information on the allowable uses in industrial districts and any other questions concerning this land, call Anne Hurlburt, Director of Community Development, City of Plymouth at (612) 550-5059. Office/Warehouse Project. The Plymouth City Council recently approved the final plat/plat and development contract for a project northeast of HEATHER RUN at the intersections of County Road 24 with Highway 55 and Medina Road. The project will consist of four single story officetwarehouse buildings to be constructed in three consecutive phases beginning in 1995. A copy of the site plan is attached hereto. For further information, you should call the developer, Moen Leuer Construction, Inc., at 550-1961. 9/6/95 353493.1 1 " Licht from Greenhouses. Northwest of HEATHER RUN, at 4045 County Road 101, there are a number of commercial greenhouses owned and operated by Len Busch Roses, Inc. From mid- September to mid-April every night for varying periods between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m., Len Busch Roses, Inc. illuminates most of the greenhouses to accelerate the growth of roses and other plants. The lamps emit an amber -colored light, which escapes from the greenhouses horizontally and vertically and sometimes illuminates low clouds overhead. For more information on the greenhouse illumination, call Anne Hurlburt, Director of Community Development, City of Plymouth at (612) 550-5059 or Len Busch Roses, Inc. at (612) 478-6077. New Home Offerings 1 At this time, Lundgren Bros. intends to offer homes which have base prices in the range of approximately $175,000 to $400,000 including lots. The less expensive homes generally will be located on the lots backing up to County Road 101 and Medina Road, but they may be offered on other lots in the neighborhood. These product offerings and prices can change without notice and will change from time to time. For more information on new homes, call a Lundgren Bros. sales representative who is selling in the area. The Heather Run model home phone number is (612) 476- 7359, and the Lundgren Bros. general office number is (612) 473-1231. Easements on House Lots Each house lot in the subdivision has utility and drainage easements, 6 to 10 feet wide, on the perimeter of the lot. Some lots may also have a utility easement which crosses a portion of the lot. Lots which abut wetlands or ponds may have more extensive drainage easements. Nothing can be done in these easement areas to impair drainage or interfere with utility lines. Some lots are also subject to special easements for subdivision entrance improvements, pond equipment and perimeter landscaping. The lots affected by special easements are identified on the easement plat, which is an exhibit to each purchase agreement. The developer and the homeowners association have the right, but not the obligation, to plant trees in the boulevard of the street which adjoins each lot and in the portion of the lot which is within 15 feet of the boulevard. The owner of the lot is responsible for maintaining the trees and replacing any such trees that die. The respective rights and obligations of the lot owners, the developer and the homeowners association with respect to special easements are set forth in Article III of the declaration of covenants for the subdivision. Common Areas Heather Run Homeowners Association, Inc. will own and maintain the common areas reserved for it in the Declaration of Covenants as amended. These common areas include the following: • The private park, which Lundgren Bros. has built on part of Outlot C, HEATHER RUN. • Wetlands or marsh areas in Outlots C, D, E, and H, HEATHER RUN. • Entrance improvements at the intersection of County Road 24 and Olive Lane and the intersection of Medina Road and Lawndale Lane. • Subdivision monuments at the corner of Highway 101 and County Road 24 and built at the corner of Highway 101 and Medina Road. The homeowners association also maintains the kiosk in the median of the southern entrance to the neighborhood and landscaping islands in the center of certain cul-de-sacs, all of which are in public road rights-of-way. For more information about common areas, read Article III of the Declaration of Covenants. 9/6/95 353493.1 2 Homeowners Association I eather Run Homeowners Association, Inc. is a non-profit corporation organized under the laws of the State of Minnesota. Each lot owner automatically becomes a member of the Association. The Association has two classes of members. Class A members are the purchasers of lots, and each lot has one vote in the Association. The Developer is the Class B member, and it has three votes for each lot it owns. On the earlier of the date on which 75% of all lots have been sold, or December 31, 2001, the Developer's voting rights will be reduced to ope vote per lot. An annual general assessment will be charged each homeowner for the Association's maintenance activities described above. In addition to the general assessment, the Association also has the right to levy special assessments for maintenance, repair or capital improvements to the common areas. The Association has the authority to charge 8% per annum interest on any assessment not paid within 15 days after the due date. The Association also has the authority to foreclose the lien against the property on which an assessment has been unpaid. The annual general assessment for each homeowner's lot for 1995 is $300.00. The Association is not responsible for any repairs and maintenance of homes or lots, except for portions of certain lots in the Declaration upon which entrance monuments, berms, or fences are constructed. No improvements shall be commenced upon any lot, nor shall the exterior color, style, and materials of an approved structure on a lot be altered, without the prior written approval of the Architectural Control Committee appointed by the Board of Directors of the Association. The developer is exempt from this requirement. For details about Heather Run Homeowners Association, Inc., please read the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws of the Association and the Declaration of Covenants for Heather Run. LUNDG R . ONSTRUCTION, I C. (� By: ' Date: q � Q Peter Pflaum, Presid n The undersigned Buyer hereby acknowledges that Buyer has read and understands this Information about Heather Run. BUYER: Date: Date: 3 9/6/95 333493.1 March 16, 2000 STANISLAW SKROWACZEWSKI P.O. Box 700 1120 Ferndale Road North Wayzata, MN 55391 SUBJECT: FERNDALE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS CITY PROJECT NO. 6007 Dear Stanislaw: Your letter of March 13, 2000, addressed to me, and your previous letters addressed to the City Clerk or City Council have all been given to the City Council for their information. This is automatically done whenever any correspondence is received by the City addressed to the City Council. Sincerely, Fred G. Moore, P.E. Director of Public Works cc: V�ayor and City Council Sandy Paulson, City Clerk C/R 2000-21 N:`pw\Engineering\PROJECTS\6007\LTRS\SKRO WACZE WS KI-3-16.doc PLYMOUTH A Beauti/uf Pface To Line 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000 www.d.plymouth.mn.us Stanislaw Skrowaczewski P.O. Box 700 1120 Ferndale Rd. North Wayzata, MN 553911. Mr. Frederick Moore March 13th,2400 Director of Public Warks City of Plymouth Ferndale Rd. North Improvements Re: Assessments Dear Mr. Moore, I was surprised to hear from you, not from the City Clerk, nor the City Council to whom our letters were addressed more than 6 months ago. You are not correct in stating that our appeal concerning the Ferndale Rd. North improvements was filed too 'late. I quote from the letter we received informing us of C:he City Council meeting on October 5, 1999: 11 You may appeal any assessment to the District Court pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 429.081 by serving notice of the appeal upon the Mayor, or the City Clerk WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER THE ADOPTION OF THE ASSESS14ENT..." We filed a letter of appeal on October 8, three days after the meeting of the Councii.The letter also states : " Following the hearing, the Council will decide whether any adjustments to the roll are necessary and will by resolution adopt the roll I work often abroad and was out of town. Was I supposed to it guess " what the resolution was ? We were never notified. We did consult our legal adviser and this is what he said: it is a violation of our rights as taxpayers and residents of Plymouth to have our formal assessment appeal ignored by the city Council. It is a violation op our rights as taxpayers to charge us in terest on the amount of the assessmentron our property tax, without ever informing us of the decision about our appeal. As taxpayers and residents of Plymouth we have a'ri,ght to free and unobstructed access to the street on which we live and to a safe driving condition of that street. The above are our rights, not priviledges granted us by the City of Plymouth. The terrible,and unsafe condition of Ferndale Rd. North was the subject of complaints of residents for the past 20 years, even a subject of several newspaper articles. The improvements were a necessity for safety reasons. For 4 months, during the process of repairs, the exit to the Mr. Frederick Moore City of Plymouth Z4a page 2 street was closed for hours, several. times a month,without a warning, we lost irreplareble large trees due to careless exca- vation and root. damage,, our fence was damaged, although later corrected, the curb was installed 5 feet off center, causing another closing of our exit to the street, we are still removing large debris which the workmen left on our property. All this can hardly be called an " inconvenience " . Since our appeal WAS FILED ON TIME,we have the right to transfer this matter to the District Court however I dont have the time, nor the disposition to " fight with the City Hall ". We will pay the assessment, but by this letter we are expressing our objection ,and strong disapproval of the manner in which we were treated,as residents of Plymouth for over 35 years. You state in your letter that" there had previously been no assess- ments to the properties for any street improvements ". There were. NO IMPROVEMENTS ( you cannot call filling foot deep potholes with a shoveifull of blacktop -"improvements"). Del:_very trucks refused to enter our driveway due to the fact that they could not turn into the driveway; several potholes rade the turn im- possible. I could write volumes on this subject, we suffered long enough. We had the right to appeal the amount of the asseMment and the City Council had a right to reject our appeal, but it had NO RIGHT to IGNORE it. Sincerely Stanislaw Skrowaczewski cc. Sandra Paulson, City Clerk Joy Tierney, Mayor of Plymouth r� !March 8, 2000 STANISLAW SKROWACZEWSKI P.O. Box 700 1120 Ferndale Road North Wayzata, MN 55391 CITY OF PLYMOUTR SUBJECT: FERNDALE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS ADOPTION OF ASSESSMENTS CITY PROJECT NO. 6007 Dear Stanislaw: I am responding to your letter concerning the adoption of the special assessments for the Ferndale Road Improvements. As you state in your letters, you did receive a copy of the notice of the public hearing on the special assessments which was held by the City Council on October 5, 1999. You state that you were out of the country and unable to attend the hearing. At the hearing, the City Council received one written objection to the assessments. Your written objection was not received by the City until about one week after the hearing; and therefore, it was not a part of the hearing records. After considering the assessments at the public hearing, the City Council determined that the assessments were in accordance with the benefit derived from the improvement project. Only those properties which use Ferndale Road for their direct driveway access were assessed for this improvement. There had previously been no assessments to the properties for any street improvements on Ferndale Lane. Although there had been no previous assessments, the City Council considered the assessments and the benefit to the properties receiving direct access in accordance with our Street Reconstruction Assessment Policy; and therefore, the properties are only assessed approximately 30% of the cost of making the improvements. Since your property only has direct access to Ferndale Road, it was necessary for you to continue to use Ferndale Road during the construction of the project. At times this access was difficult, but the contractor was required to maintain access to your property. We apologize for the inconvenience which was necessary during the construction. N pw,Engmccnng%PROJECTS'bWTLTRS',SKROWACZEWSKI-3 3.doc PLYMOUTH :1 Beauti/ul'P!ace -ry Live 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • °LYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447.1482 • TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000 www.ci.plymouth.mn.us STANISLAW SKROW'. ZEWSKI Page 2 r Since your written objection was not presented to the City Council before or at the hearing, you are unable to appeal your assessment to the District Court. This is in accordance with the state statutes governing special assessments made by cities. If you have any question on this, you should contact your legal advisor. If there are any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Fred G. Moore, P.E. Director of Public Works cc: Sandy Paulson, City Clerk N:'pw�Engineering%PROJECTS\bWTLTRSNSKROWACZEWSKI-S _I dM STANISLAW SKROWAC'ZEWSK! P. O. Bax 700 1120 P'£RNDALE ROAD NORTH WAYZATA, MINNESOTA 95391 March 3, 2000 Sandra Paulson, City Clerk City Council City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Bldv. Plymouth, MN 55447 We are still gaiting for a reply from the City Council regarding our objection to the proposed assessment of our proprty after the Ferndale Rd. North improvements. We filed our objection letter according to the instructions and on time. So far we have no answer from the City Council. Enclosed are copies of our former 'Letters. Please contact us as soon as possible. Tel. nr. 612-473-8536, Fax. 612-473-7384, 4 enclosures Kr -.vi ry 1a P. O. Box.. 700, Wayzata, City Council City of Plymouth 3404 Plymouth Blvd. Plymouth, MN 15447 5kniwaizewsb i I I 2O Ferndale Road, N. Mirinesota 55391 -C` November 27, 1999 on October. Seth 1999 we delivered a letter , ( copy enclosed ) regarding the propc?sed assessment after the Ferndale Rd. North im- provements. We objected to the arriount of t.tze assessment of our property and so far rere4ved no comment , or reply frvm. the City Cf:�uncil. As the Holidays approach and. we w.1.11. be dwqa/, we, and other residents of this area would Like to hear about the decini.ons of the City Cotuicil regarding the assessments, STANISl-QW SKRCWACZEWSKI ` aGx 7C;O ,12.0 r5ANDALE ROAi: NORTH WAYZATA, MIMNE'SOTA sa3d�t e`T" October 8, 1999 Sandra p&ulson, City Clerk City Council, City of plymouth 3440 plymouth blvd. plymouth, MN 55447 Re: proposed assessment., Ferndale Rd. North improvements residence at 1120 Ferndale Rd. North As we were out of the country at the time of the hearing regarding assessments, we could not voice our objections he amount of assessment applied to our property. as t0 t As far he we knew, residents of the Orono side of the road bear no assessment of any kind and r_esi.dent$ of our area; have assessments much lower than our s. The damageto our proprty caused by the construction was not taken into consideration; we dost sand had to remove two large pine trees injured by the read excavation, roots cut and lack of water for over 4 months, our fence was damaged, rocks and constrmction debris thrown over aur fence are still there and because Of the faulty installation of the curia at the end of Our driveway, cdamage used by having to jump over a high cement step in order to exit into the street etc. The only advantage of the rand reconstruction( whichwe share with all residents of this area ) is the fact that thle city street is finally safe to drive on. we find the assessment of our property excessive. ,� Page TkA,o THIS IS THE ONLY NOTICE YOU WILL RECEIVE FOR THIS ASSESSMENT, YOU WILL NOT BE BILLED. _ FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE CITY COUNCIE' DECISION ON'PHIS ASSESSIMENTs �A�L $09-5 22 or 509-5531: Yourray�ani as, vsSrttent to the district Court pursuant to Niirutesoui Statutes Section '9.081 9.08 b servin notice .Yf tier appeal u o�tt e ✓ta nor a: Lie City C�lerl+v_} r„�, days after the_ adoption c;r the assessment ro11 and film; such ttoti�;e syr t.re Clerk of District Court witrsin tern (10) days after service upon the Mayor or City Clerk, No such appeal as to the amount of ar. assessment as to a specific parcel of land may be made urdess the owner has either filed a signed writter. abjection to that assessment with the C"ty Clerk prior to the heaxing or has presented the written o iection to the presiding officer at the hearing,. " � e,-"t�Q, 6&",--- K-Edr'a Fain i n�n, City C.ler YOUR TOTAL ASSESSMENT IS: Concrete Curb and Gutter Street Reconstruction DATED: September 20, 1999 TOTAL ASSESSMENT: 1,782,50 1,028.{0 $2,$10.50 2 { a • V,pw!Engin=1 q\PR0ZC1'St6W71'PuhlioH:ag'•.Ko�icetfe'Skr'"M'4' March 22, 2000 Scott Mehus 3660 Yuma Lane Plymouth, MN 55446 Dear Scott: CITY OF PLYMOUTFt Mayor Tierney has forwarded your letter to me regarding your interest in aggressive inline skating in Plymouth. I know that you and many other kids are greatly interested in having inline skating facilities to use other than the streets and storefronts. As I have stated in previous letters to you, this is the reason the City made the concrete slab behind the Plymouth Ice Center available for inline skating. You may start using it this summer, but keep in mind it is just a flat surface with no equipment at this time. It is our understanding that the cities of Maple Grove, Brooklyn Park and Hopkins will all have inline skating parks available this summer. Call them for information on their hours, etc. The Park and Recreation Advisory Commission, the City Council, and the staff will continue to monitor the situation of an inline skate park in Plymouth. It is our hope that something positive will happen in the near future. I am sorry that I cannot give you any more definite answers at this time. Sincerely, 94t" 44< Eric J. Blank, Director Parks and Recreation EB/np cc: Zity Council Bill Abel, Ice Center Manager PLYMOUTH A Beautif u!Place To Live 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000 www.d.plymouth.mn.us Scott Mehus 3660 Yuma Lane N Plymouth, `lN155446 Dear mayor, Hi my name is Scott, I'm twelve years old, and I skate. I heard you were going to «.: i:! a skate park behind Lifetime Fitress, But didn't. I stili don't know why you haven't built the sl.,} e park yet. Maple Grove built one and I think the city of Plymouth needs one, It would improve this city a lot. Kids need a nice safe place to skate, other than the streets and stores. ;\!-,,d stores are starting to put up no skating signs. That is why I think it is a very good idea to build a skate p: rk up behind Lifetime Fitness. And if you did I would be happy to organize tournaments and other things there. Thank you for your time. Please mail me back Sincerely, Scott Mehus w O U O Cd C C > O c C U O U CC U p vvi t7 UOU NV C D> OCO U 'fl O UCA-0 � � ,ct N , O C x —U�O 3 u OrA � ^11 �.+ S.yr -by .a • •� C+i�U"w O E E y P O , ic•C. c 3 n -cvC Eb�A U o O o 0 0 0 O 0 cn O O O N O (^ O M O M O M O O O O O O O O O O O O O 0 O N O O O O O C) O O O OO O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O I N O i O O CO N N N O O O M O O O O O y O 0 o 0 O 0 o c 0 O 0 O 0 o 0 0 4 N aR C) O O O O O O O o U c U O O o c . awn a yo V U Qn z p U N CJ 00 +i" Cn rfl rn 4 r N i R3V) Cd mC U Cd U y c4 U O U N U En U Ri O U x snr O sr M_ O Q O U U �U3U O O� � �U w �- N � N -o U x c 3 u U U Q� m�arr cn C O b b O O O tl? y O O O 0 O i w From: AMM To: Laurie Ahrens AMM FAX NEWS March 20-24, 2000 (page 1 of 2) Date: 3122100 Time: 5:51:38 PM Page 2 of 3 l� 5z Association of Metropolitan Municipalities Tax, appropriation bills wrap up Legislature gears up for conference committees The House and Senate are in the process of approving tax and appropriation bills. It is probable that all bills will be in conference committees next week. A summary of the issues follows: LEVY LIMITS The House Tax Bill continues levy limits for one additional year. The levy limit base calcula- tion is modified to permit a city in the metro area other than a first class city to use the C/I growth factor of the county it is in if it chooses. The Senate bill does not extend levy limits. Both bills will be formally introduced this week and will be assigned bill num- bers. AMAI News Far is fared to all Ab1Af city managers and administrators, legislative contacts and Board members. Please share this jar with your mayors, councilmembers and staff to keep them abreast of impor- tant metro city issues. ©Copyright 2000 AMM 145 University Avenue West St. Pau4 AIN 55103-2044 Phone: (651) 215-4000 Fax: (651) 281-1299 E-mail. amm@amm145.org REVERSE REFERENDUM The House bill provides that cities and counties over 2,500 population are subject to a reverse referendum by petition of five percent of registered voters within 14 days of levy adoption if levy increase is greater than (1) two percent or (2) combined inflation plus homestead adjustments. Bonded debt levy increase is not included in the calculation. The Senate bill does not have a similar provision. TRANSIT PROPERTY TAX LEVY The House Tax Bill eliminates the tax levy for regional transit including the opt -out providers. In calendar year 2001 and subsequent years the state through the general fund would assume the operations and debt levies. The total appropriation, which is the sum of the current gen- eral fund transit subsidy and the property tax levy, would ap- proximate $335.0 million a biennium. The tax bill also does not permit the issuance of regional general obligation bonds to finance capital improvements and equipment replacement. TAX INCREMENT FINANCING (TIF) Both tax bills include modifica- tions to the Tax Increment Fi- nancing (TIF) Act. The House bill modifications include a consolida- tion of the reporting require- ments, the authority to use increment outside of a district for housing, the elimination of the 11 - year rule for the duration of economic development districts and the tax capacity inflator, and clarification of the housing district definition. The TIF amendment also limits economic development TIF districts to eight years and elimi- nates the ability to waive the first year of increment. The Senate bill does not in- clude the housing district defini- tion and the economic develop- ment district changes. The Sen- ate bill includes the reporting changes, as well as several general and special law changes related to housing and TIF. Tax Bills ♦ See Page 2 From: AMM To: Laurie Ahrens Date: 3122/00 Time: 5:51:38 PM Page 3 of 3 March 20-24, 2000 ♦ AMM News Fax ♦ Page 2 of 2 Tax Bills/Levy limit provision will need to be ironed out in commitee From Page 9... TAX ABATEMENT The House bill amends the Tax Abatement Law to allow a 15 - year duration for an abatement if only two local governments approve the abatement request. There is no similar provision in the Senate bill. BUSINESS SUBSIDY The House version (HF 3057) has been folded into the Omni- bus Tax Bill. The Senate bill (HF 2893) is on the Senate floor. Among the differences between the bills are the subsidy thresh- old amount and the content of the city's wage policy. The House bill has a $100,000 threshold while the Senate exempts business loans of $75,000 or less from the provi- sions of the act. The Senate bill also requires a specific wage amount in the city's policy. PUBLIC CORPORATIONS The House bill (HF 2673) has been amended into the House Tax Bill while the Senate bill (SF 2521) is on the floor. There are, at this time, no major differ- ences between the two bills. TRANSPORTATION FUNDING SF 3793 provides $145 million from the general fund to the highway user tax distribution fund, plus $200 million trunk highway bonds. It also transfers $10 million non -highway uses to the general fund, which also provides $12 million for the Wakota bridge, $44 million for local bridges, $20 million for bus garages, $10 million for bus transitways and $3.7 million for metro transit operations. $40 million per year metro transit capital bond is authorized. $119.6 million is transferred to a multimodal fund on 6/30/2001. HF 2891 provides $201 million for metro bottlenecks, $201 for outstate interregional corridors, $20 million for the revolving loan fund and $3.7 million for metro transit operations. It disables LRT including Hiawatha and requires MN/DOT to pay for LRT -caused utility relocation instead of the utility company. A major projects commission is created with legislators to re- view major projects before they are built. CAPITAL PROJECTS The House Omnibus Capital Investment Bill (HF 4078) should be discussed on the House floor this week. The Senate bill is still in committee. The House bill recommends $494.0 million in projects. Of the total $391.0 million are the proceeds of state general obligation bonds. The House bill includes $5.0 million for regional parks, $0.5 million for acquisition of land for Lake Minnetonka public access on Gray's Bay, $0.5 million for regional greenways and natural areas and $11.0 million for flood hazard mitigation grants, which includes three metro cities that are eligible for the grants. METROPOLITAN COUNCIL BILLS The Sewer Availability Charge (SAC) and housekeeping bills have passed the Senate. In the House the housekeeping bill has been amended to include the task force study. The House bill is on the floor. Mar 17 Z888 17:44:19 Via Fax -> 62+589+5868 Administrator Page 881 Of 88Z LMC Learn Of MIMNMOb CUM CONI P—tiwq ..ctiii..a. , , --T -0 r Sic/a/a, y -,_page ed/t/oh FRIDAYFAx Number 7 A weekly legislative update from the League of Minnesota Cities March 17, 2000 Tax debate taking shape House and Senate mark-ups next week The Senate Property Tax and Local Government Budget Division passed its proposal for the prop- erty tax provisions of the Senate's omnibus tax bill on Wednesday. The sales and income tax provi- sions will be released today. The full Tax Committee will mark up the omnibus tax bill (i.e., consider amendments) on Tuesday. The bill includes a class rate reduction for apartments from 2.4 percent to 1.95 percent, and increases HAGA by $30 million to mitigate shifts of taxes onto other properties. The bill increases the education agricultural credit from 50 percent to 88.5 percent of the general education levy. The bill does not extend levy limits. The bill includes a $6.7 million two- year increase in LGA for cities under 5,000 population if they are currently receiving aid that is less than 64 percent of their pure formula aid and meet certain tax base requirements. This provision is intended to help cities that would receive a substantially higher LGA distribution it the entire LGA pool were distributed through the formula. The bill includes an increase in low-income housing aid for cities that have lost a large portion of their tax base from the reclassification, of apartment property to the new 4 (d) class rate. The bill also includes $20 million in increases in county criminal justice aid and charity care aid. The bill will exempt local govern- ments that increase their levies less than 1 percent from the TNT hearing requirements. Local governments that increase their levies below the rate of inflation and post budget data on the Internet would be exempt from the hearing requirements. The House bill contrasts sharply with the Senate version. The House bill contains ambitious property tax class rate compression with in- creases in the Education Home- stead Credit and the Education Agriculture Credit. The bill extends levy limits on cities over 2,500 population and on all counties for taxes levied in 2000, payable in 2001. The bill also modifies the current limited market value provi- sion in law for homesteads, agricul- tural homesteads, and cabins by reducing the annual increase from 8.5 percent of market value to 7 percent. The House Tax Commit- tee plans to review the bill on Monday, take public testimony on Tuesday, and mark up the bill on Wednesday. The governor has proposed no major changes to the property tax system this year, although he does advocate an extension of levy limits. The governor's staff is work- ing on a proposal to overhaul the tax system for consideration in the 2001 legislative session. It appears that the House and Senate propos- als will use most of the available resources that the governor would like to reserve. Without these reserved funds, the governor will have less flexibility in implementing his reform plan in 2001. Property rights Congress passed the Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2000 yesterday by a vote of 226-182. The bill, H.R. 2372, allows property owners to bypass state courts and go straight to federal courts to litigate land use disputes, and provides for a variety of new land use cases to be brought in the federal court system. Developers F MINNESOTA CITIES INSURANCE TRUST !!! vx xn r!! Z. ,,, RMtn xrO "!,'!!'!. !lSafet and loss Control Workshops !! N!. '!!. ll. !!I N. ,! G VIlIII.NI ill �NyNN/ Vl �JN TheLMCITannualspringSafetyandLossControlWorkshopsoffertralningformunicipalstaffandwillbe %Cqpresented throughout the state. This one-dayworkshop focuses on practical steps titles can laketoreduce t o A R losses, including the cost of losses thatdo occur. visit our Web site for more information: www.imnc.org 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 Mar 17 ZOOS 17:45:18 Via Fax -> 62+509+5060 Administrator Page HE FRIDAYF,4x MARCH 17, 2000 —PAGE 2 and builders primarily are promot- ing the bill. Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R -NY) said, "This bill disempowers citizens and their towns, cities, and counties and skews local zoning rules to give developers the upper hand." Rep. Boehlert offered an amendment to exempt local governments from the bill. but the amendment failed 234-179. Rep. Gutknecht (R -Rochester) was the only member of Minnesota's congressional delegation to vote for the bill. Congressman Vento (D -St. Paul) abstained from voting. The remainder voted against the bill. It is nearly certain the President will veto the bill in the unlikely event it manages to pass the Senate. The League of Minnesota Cities thanks Congressmen Minge (D -Montevideo), Ramstad (R -Bloomington), Sabo (D -Minne- apolis), Luther (D -Brooklyn Park), Peterson (D -Detroit Lakes), and Oberstar (D -Duluth) for opposing this bill and for their support of local decision-making. 1 Design -build prohibition A provision that would prohibit municipalities from using the design -build method of project development and construction appeared as Section 45 in the House state government finance bill on Tuesday. In the bill, the term "design -build" refers to "a project delivery system in which a single contractor is responsible for both the design and construction of the project and in which the design and construction are bid together." The state is also prohibited from using design -build. The state auditor has taken the position that municipalities do not have the authority under current law to use design -build. The language in the bill would codify the state auditor's position. Some cities have disagreed with the state auditor and have argued that they have implied authority to use design -build. The courts have not ruled directly on this issue, but have found that municipalities may not use design -build to circumvent the competitive bidding law. If you have concerns with the prohibition language, please contact your legislators immediately. MINNESOTA CITIES: Building Quality Communitu League of Minnesota Citi Annual Conference: LMC's 87" Annual Confc Junc 13-16, 2000 St. Cloud, Minncsota Mark your calendar nc and plan to join us for LMC's premier conference event! Attending LMC's Annual Conference 2000 is a sma way to collect strategies ar information, renew your enthusiasm, investigate ne products and services, anc spend time with colleague who will remind you of yc commitment to outstandir leadership. Plan now to join us in St. Cloud, and we'll warmly welcome you there: See future issues of Cities Bulletin and the April issL of Minnesota Cities magaz for more information on to register for this event, download the housing an( registration forms from our Web site: ., ww1mnc.org. V T Dummy MEMO CITY OF PLYMOUTH 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD, PLYMOUTH, MN 55447 DATE: March 24, 2000 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Dwight D. Johnson, City Manager SUBJECT: Summary of Events The Minnesota Wild professional hockey team has not included Plymouth in its list of finalists for practice facilities. Woodbury, Eagan, and Richfield are the finalists. Those three cities are all closer to the airport and to their new facility in St. Paul, although we have not been given any reasons for the selections made. Wayzata High School has had drinking water tests in recent weeks that are above the "action level" for copper. Tests show that the City water coming into the facility is well below the standard, but that copper in the pipes within the school is apparently leaching out into water. Our water supervisor, Greg Cook, has been working closely with school officials, and Fred and I have been in contact with the Principal. Mr. Cook informs me that it would take many years of high consumption of copper to create any actual health effects. The principal indicates that the County/State Health Department officials have been informed. The school has identified some solutions for the problem and is working to implement them. Legislation has been proposed that would remove Metro transit from property tax funding by reducing or eliminating HACA state aid to metro cities. In effect, the state sales and income tax that provides HACA to Plymouth would be re -directed to provide state funding for Metro Transit. In this scenario, Plymouth would likely lose all $1.8 million of HACA funding, but Plymouth taxpayers might be relieved of over $3 million in property tax levy from the Met Council. It is assumed that cities would raise their own levies proportionally, and existing levy limit laws would allow this. So, this proposal might be good for our taxpayers, but the City government would appear to be raising taxes. Some transit supporters are concerned that transit funding would be left to the whim of the Legislature from year to year. Our lobbyists do not think this proposal will pass, but its dramatic impact is worth noting. HACA funding represents about 11 % of our General Fund expenditures.