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Home My WebLink AboutCouncil Information Memorandum 08-29-200317p) DuMMY August 29, 2003 Planning Commission September 3 Meeting Agenda...................................................................... Page 2 Official Meeting Calendars for September, October, and November, 2003 .................................... Page 3 Tentative list of agenda items for future City Council meetings...................................................... Page 9 NEWSARTICLES, RELEASES, PUBLICATIONS, ETC. St. Paul Pioneer Press column featuring Councilmember Ginny Black's recycling efforts at the Minnesota State Fair................................................................................................... Page 10 State Department of Health and Human Services invitation to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Open House/Media Day, September 5 ..................................... Page 11 Invitation to the Citizens Independent Bank—Plymouth branch September 9 Open House to note its second anniversary............................................................................................. Page 14 City news release announcing the availability of the "Plymouth Pacesetter" safe drivingbumper decals.................................................................................................................... Page 15 State Department of Health Waterline newsletter........................................................................... Page 17 CORRESPONDENCE Letter from Golden Valley Mayor Linda Loomis to Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Stenglein regarding a proposed ad valorem tax by the Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission.............................................................................................................. Page 25 Internet communique from New Hope Mayor Peter Enck to Hennepin County Commissioners commenting on Mayor Loomis's letter about the proposed ad valorem tax .................................. Page 27 Letter from Linda Norha to the Mayor and City Council regarding the City's street reconstructionpolicy...................................................................................................................... Page 28 PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2003 WHERE: CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS Plymouth City Hall 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, MN 55447 CONSENT AGENDA All items listed on the consent agenda* 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. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. PUBLIC FORUM 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 6. CONSENT AGENDA* A. First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. Approve a site plan amendment to allow changes to the drive aisle and parking areas to accommodate a new entrance drive on property at 10205 -51St Avenue North. (2003069) 7. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. Family Hope Services. Land use guide plan amendment, rezoning, preliminary plat, site plan, and conditional use permit for a 4,839 square foot building at the southeast corner of County Road 101 and 40th Avenue North. (2003002 & 2003003) B. Dean Johnson Homes. Rezoning from FRD (Future Restricted Development) to RMF -2 (Multiple Family), a preliminary plat, conditional use permit, and site plan for 56 townhome units and 13 single-family units for "Wynfield Place" located west of Northwest Boulevard and north of West Medicine Lake Drive. (2003081) C. Three Rivers Park District. Interim use permit for wetland mitigation work near Rockford Road and Northwest Boulevard in Clifton E. French Regional Park. (2003092) 8. NEW BUSINESS 0§01 t 0111,11061515 �� OFFICIAL CITY MEETINGS September 2003 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 LABOR DAY - City I. PM SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING: STREET 7:00 PM Offices Closed RECONSTRUCTION POLICY, C-11awm.. PLANNING COMMISSION, CITY COUNCIL BUDGET STUDY SESSION IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING, Public SMMy Tmfty Roan Council Chambers 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, Council 7:00 PM EVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE 7:00 PM HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, Medic ne Lake Room Chambers (EQC), Plymouth Creek Center 7:00 PM PARK & REC ADVISORY COMMISSION (PRAC), Council Chambers 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 7:30 PM YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, Council Chambers 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION, Council Chambers 7:00 PM HOUSING & REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (HRA), Medicine Lake Room `� 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM, PLYMOUTH CLEAN-UP DAY, Public Works Maintenance Facility 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 11:45 AM PLYMOUTH-MTKA BUSINESS COUNCIL, BORN Conference Room, 301 Carlson Parkway, 4th floor 7:00 PM PLYMOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT (PACT) - Medicine Lake Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset Room 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, Council Chambers 28 29 7:30 PCOUNCIL, M YOUTH ADVISORY Council Chambers 30 Aug 2003 Oct 200:1 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 1 2 3 4 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 26 27 28 29 30 31 31 modified on 8/29/2003 OFFICIAL CITY MEETINGS October 2003 Sunday Monday I Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sep 2003 S M T W T F S Noy 2003 S M T W T F S 1 1 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION, 2 3 4 1:00 PM PLYMOUTH ON PARADE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Council Chambers 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 28 29 30 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Yom Kippur begins at sunset 7:00 PM ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE (EQC), Council Chambers 7:00 PM PARK & REC ADVISORY COMMISSION (FRAC), Council Chambers 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 7:30 PM YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, Council Chambers 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, Council Chambers 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION, Council Chambers 7:00 PM HOUSING & REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (HRA), Medicine Lake Room COLUMBUS DAY (OBSERVED), Public Works Division closed 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 7:00 PM 7:00 PM HUMAN PLYMOUTH RIGHTS ADVISORY COMMISSION COMMITTEE ON MEETING, TRANSIT (PACT) - Wayzata Central Medicine Lake Middle School, 305 Room Vicksburg 26 27 28 29 30 31 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS ENDS- set docks back 1 7:30 PM YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, Council Chambers 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL hour MEETING, Council Chambers modified on 8/28/2003 OFFICIAL CITY MEETINGS November 2003 Sunday Monday Tuesday --77 Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Oct 2003 Dec 2003 1 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 26 27 28 29 30 31 28 29 30 31 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION, 6:00 PM VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION EVENT, Plymouth Creek Center Council Chambers 7:00 PM HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - Medicine Lake Room 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, Council Chambers VETERANS DAY (OBSERVED), City Offices Closed 7:00 PM QUALITY COMMITTEE (Eoc), Council Chambers 7:00 PM PARK & REC ADVISORY COMMISSION (PRAC), Council Chambers 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION, Council Chambers 7:00 PM HOUSING & REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (HRA), Medicine Lake Room 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 7:30 PM YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, Council Chambers 11.45 AM PLYMOUTH-MTKA BUSINESS COUNCIL, BORN Conference Room, 301 Carlson Parkmy, 4th Boor 7:00 PM PLYMOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT (PACT) - THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY - City Center Offices Closed THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY -City Center Offices Closed Medicine Lake 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, Council Chsmbam Roam 30 modified on 8/28/2003 n* Tentative Schedule for City Council Agenda Items Sept. 9 Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers • Hearing on 2003 delinquent water, sewer, recycling, surface water fee and street lighting service charges • Approve Preliminary 2004 Budgets, Tax Levies, and set Truth in Taxation dates • Comprehensive plan amendment to reguide property from IP (Planned Industrial) to C (Commercial), and a PUD (Planned Unit Development) sketch plan. The proposal would allow redevelopment of the Dana Spicer site located at 15905 State Highway 55 with 260,800 square feet of retail commercial uses. CSM Corporation. (2003076) • Select architect for public safety building expansion project • Select architect for third ice sheet • Lease agreement with School District 284 for use of voting equipment • Recognition of retiring firefighters Tony Scharlau and Dwan Elliott • Approve 2002 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) and Notice of Annual Citizens' Participation Meeting. • Approve conditional use permit to allow 60% office use in the I-2 (General Industrial) Zoning District for property located at 2600 Fernbrook Lane North. Sentinel Property Management. (2003086) • Approve interim use permit for grading related to wetland mitigation work near Rockford Road and Northwest Boulevard in Clifton E. French Regional Park. Three Rivers Park District. (2003092) • Select consultant for City Manager selection process • Approve plans and specifications and set bid date for Well 14 • Consider initiating study on changing Vicksburg Lane to three lanes Sept. 23 Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers • Presentation by I-494 Corridor Commission • Presentation by Roger Scherer, Met Council representative • Approve schematic design and cost estimate for finishing lower level of the Plymouth Creek Center • Approve tobacco license for Yang Corporation, d/b/a Four Seasons Liquors 4, 4232 Lancaster Lane • Hearing on off—sale liquor license application for Yang Corporation, d/b/a Four Seasons Liquors 4, 4232 Lancaster Lane • Proclamation for Plymouth Women of Today • Commendation for resident who assisted with police incident • Call for a public hearing establishing a Tax Increment Financing Redevelopment District for the CSM redevelopment project (if necessary) • Approve site plan for Family Hope Services 9 Note: Special Meeting topics have been set by Council; all other topics are tentative. ST. 1,kVL PIONEE$'P wr.« I Environmental experts loop for ways to recycle and compost more of .the vast quantities of garbage generated at the Fair. BY DENNIS LIEN Pioneer Press Believing you can't refine the art of compost- ing too much,. Ginny Black has been_ sifting. through some pretty: sloppy huff lately ;: i Stuff like coffee grounds,,:oils,`and fried food mixed with paper, plastic and: wooden sticks Stuff that contributes to the great garbage get-together- . that piles up during each Minnesota State Farr. a Black, organics recycling specialist -for. the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance,' - , fi and a few colleagues began meticulously sorting through garbage and compost in the courtyard of the Fair's Food Building last week .. Wearing aprons, they took building vendors' garbage bags, opened them and spilled the con- tents onto a table, separating the garbage into different categories such as food, paper and plas- tics. Then they weighed the different piles, before throwing them into appropriate Dumpsters. When they're done later this week, they'll have _ a better idea what types of items those vendors throw away every day. Then, after the vendors get CHRIS POLYDOROFF, PIONEER PRESS report cards, they'll know what they can do to Ginny Black, organics recycling specialist for reduce the volume of garbage they throw away. the Minnesota Office of Environmental "That'll give us a long-term ability to look at Assistance, schleps State Fair garbage Tuesday as what (materials) can be replaced," Black said. "It she and colleagues studied the composition of would be our trope, eventually, that we could the trash, all with the intent of increasing the work with the Fair staff and expand this." portion that's recycled or composted. The effort is just the latest wrinkle in a trend toward more recycling and composting at the But he said that material, which he calls "fair - Fair, where 65 tons of trash typically is hauled to lg significant," gets tougher to sort at busy the Newport waste-to-energy,';plant:each day. moments, when items are smaller or become Another 10 to 12 tons of corrugated cardboard contaminated, and when recyclable and non - and food waste are mixed with manure'each day recyclable materials come mixed together. and hauled to a commercial composting site. Davis estimated he might throw away 20 But that ratio is a little better this year, pounds of potential compost a day, but doesn't according to Brian Laven, event manager for feel particularly bad about it. Waste Management Inc. "Twenty pounds for the effort just wouldn't be "Our recycling is up this year and our trash is practical," Davis said. down," he said. "We have already hauled double What would be productive, he said, is getting the cardboard we normally do. It's been really, the 1.7 minion people who visit the Fair to prac- clean this year. Vendors have been doing a real lice more composting and recy4*u .good job of sorting it out." Black said she hopes the time vtiU come when Each year, the Fair tries to make things less the Fair can recapture almost all of the materials wasteful, requiring vendors in the Food Building used there. But a lot of changes, such as replac- this year to separate their waste, throwing com- ing plastics with paper, would have to occur first, post in one Dumpster and garbage in the other. she said. Bill Davis, -co-ownerof a business that sells "It'll take a long time," she predicted. "This is walleye -on -a -stick, isn't sure how much improve- not something that's going to happen in a year or ment is practical for businesses. He said he and two or maybe 10. But it can happen." his employees already break out easily and m obvi- ously recyclable or corap3s'able items, such as ously n Denids Lien can be 1•_ached at 0 fond nils and rardhnard_ d1ien(@ninnvernrrss.rom or 651-22R-55RR_ at Lose up to in so BE Gain the il lose the w New Day We Managemeni is a community and respectful,, cians, nurses, ni practitioners, d fitness trainers behavior theral have helped th. of men and wo succeed in lost weight and ket it off. • Dose up to 2 - every % -7 day • Physician recomment • The most etf( appetite sui avaiNhlp ,, umGJ., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 5 National Center for Health Statistics 6525 Belcrest Road Hyattsville, Maryland 20782 August 25, 2003 The Honorable Judy Johnson City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Blvd Plymouth, MN 55447 Dear The Honorable Ms Johnson: We wish to invite you to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) Open House/Media Day, which will be held at our Mobile Examination Center on Friday, September 5, 2003 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon. The Mobile Exam Center is located on the Macomb Community College campus at 225 Third Avenue South, (under the Shed Pavillion), Minneapolis, MN 55401. This survey is being conducted in Hennepin County by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, and teaches us about the health and diet of people in the United States. This Open House/Media Day is an opportunity for local officials and media to tour our operations and view active exams. I hope to see you there. If you would like additional information, or have any questions, please contact me at 1-800-398-1394. Thank you, t/`�\ Pat Francis Study Manager Enclosures National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Vo - anes The NHANES Mobile Examination Center (MEC) consists of four, white semi -trailers parked side-by-side under_ the Shed Pavillion at "The Depot" in downtown Minneapolis at the corner of Washington Avenue & 225 3 d Avenue South. Should you have any problems finding the MEC, please call 1-800-398-1394. TRAVELING FROM Hwy 394 INTO DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS • Take 394 North following signs for the "Downtown Exits" • Stay in the left-hand lane and take the Washington Ave/3rd Street Exit to the right. • Turn Right on Washington Ave. & travel down several blocks to South 5`h Ave. • Turn Left on South 5`h Ave & then make an immediate left into the parking lot of the Marriott Residence Inn & The Depot. • The Depot is on the left and the trailers will be underneath the Shed. • Parking tickets will be validated inside of the MEC before your departure. TRAVELING 35W NORTH INTO DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS • Take 35W North into downtown Minneapolis • Travel in the left-hand lanes as the right hand lanes go to HWY 94. • Keep to the left & follow the signs for Downtown Exits/5`h Avenue • Exiting off of the freeway will go directly onto a one-way street, which is 5 1 Ave. • Stay straight on 5`h Avenue South all the way down to Washington Avenue. • Stay in the right hand lane because the left 2 lanes on 5th Ave. South will make you turn left onto Washington Ave. • Cross Washington Ave. and make an immediate left into the parking lot of The Depot and the Marriott Residence Inn. • The Depot is on the left and the trailers will be underneath the Shed. • Parking tickets will be validated inside of the MEC before your departure. SAFER- HEALTHIER- PEOPLE' DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS m COLOR -ART, INC. -:003-Fdin- K*V-, _-WV 7:30 — 9:00 a.m. ��. Tuesday, September 9, 20030� 15650 36th Avenue North, Plymouth 763-550-9191 Come and go as your schedule allows. We hope to see you there! I+ City of Plymouth News Release For Immediate Release August 27, 2003 Contact: Carla Stueve, 763-509-5535 Model good driving: Become a Pacesetter Tired of people speeding in your neighborhood, rolling through stop signs and not signaling turns or lane changes? You can do something to help educate others. Become a Plymouth Pacesetter, a new offshoot of the Engineering Division's Traffic Calming program. The Pacesetter program is recruiting Plymouth residents who want to model good driving behavior for others. As part of the Pacesetter program, you will make a commitment to drive the speed limit and follow traffic laws in your neighborhood and others. Becoming a Pacesetter is easy. Call Traffic Engineer Carla Stueve at 763-509-5535. Stueve will mail you additional information and a static decal for the rear window of your car. The decal says "Plymouth Pacesetter — Leading by Example, Respecting Traffic Laws." A Plymouth company, Decals Minnesota, donated the decals. "Pacesetter decals will raise awareness and remind all motorists that they can make a difference in the safety and quality of life of their own neighborhood and others by following speed limits and other traffic laws," said Stueve. Stueve offers the following tips for safe and courteous driving. • Know the speed limit. Under state law, the speed limit on residential roads is 30 miles per hour unless posted otherwise. • Be on the lookout for children and pets. iS • Do not use residential neighborhood streets as cut -through routes as you travel to and from your destination. Collector and arterial roads are better designed to handle higher traffic volumes. • When driving in a residential area, be courteous. Keep your speed and the volume of your radio down. • Always stop completely for stop signs. 1� Groundbreaking for New MDH Building Upcoming Certification Exam Dates September 12, St. Cloud October 7, Aurora October 16, Marshall October 21, Apple Valley October 29, Collegeville October 31, Owatonna December 4, Crookston See calendar on back page for more details St. Paul. Mayor Randy Kelly, Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Commissioner Dianne Mandernach, Governor Tim Pawlenty, Jane Freeman, and Mike Freeman scoop the first shovels of dirt for construction of the Orville Freeman Office Building, which will house the state's drinking water program beginning in 2005 and be connected to a new laboratory. The laboratory building will have 178,000 square feet distributed between three floors and a mechanical penthouse. It will be designed to better accommodate water systems dropping off samples. The map below on the left shows the laboratory to the south of the new MDH building (which will also house the Department of Agriculture). The map on the right -indicating the same area in 1903—shows what was on the lab site 100 years ago: a baseball park that was used by the St. Paul Saints minor league team from 1903 to 1909. Fall 2003 S Volume Eleven/2 Inside: Schools for Aspiring Water Operators Consumer Confidence Reports Contest Winners [ Vulnerability Assessment Workshops 1 Compliance Corner: New.Monitoring Reanirementc s CETu EifNAIL OtfICF ¢. 1 �yra ARMORY Fall 2003 S Volume Eleven/2 Inside: Schools for Aspiring Water Operators Consumer Confidence Reports Contest Winners [ Vulnerability Assessment Workshops 1 Compliance Corner: New.Monitoring Reanirementc Recordkeeping Requirements for Community Water Systems Here is a list of records that.conununity water systems must maintain along with the length of time that the records must be kept: • Coliform Bacteria Results .................................................................................................. 5 Years • Chemical Results...................................................................... ........................................ 10 Years • Sanitary Surveys............................................................................................................... 10 Years • Lead/Copper Results........................................................................................................ Corrosion Control Studies 12 Years Lead Public Education Program MDH Specification of Water Quality Parameters • Consumer Confidence Reports .............................. ............................................................ 3 Years • Turbidity Results...................................... ........................................................................... 3 Years • Public Notices..........................................:. ..................................................:...................... 3 Years • Fluoride Quarterly Results and Monthly Reports (Recommended) ..................................... 1 Year IvvaLtve ireaiment Methods for Arsenic Removal Systems with arsenic greater than the upcoming maximum contaminant level of 10 parts per billion (ppb) have several options to choose from to reduce their levels. Some systems have been able to locate new wells that are low in arsenic while others have limited the use of the high -arsenic well or constructed an interconnection to purchase water from another system. Activated alumina, adsorptive media, anion exchange, coagulation/filtration, membrane processes, lime softening. and iron/manganese filtration are all effective methods for removing arsenic from drinking water. Several water systems in Minnesota are looking at innovative methods for arsenic removal. The city of Hanley Falls has relatively low iron in its water (0.094 parts per nullion) and arsenic concentrations between 21 and 29 ppb. Due to the quality of their raw water, their filter media does not require chemical addition prior to filtration, and the media is replaced once it has reached adsorptive capacity. Arsenic attaches to the iron -based granular adsorptive media, making it an effective and relatively inexpensive treatment option. The city of Climax has somewhat higher iron (0.61 parts per million) and arsenic concentrations of 29 to 41 ppb. Due to the elevated iron concentrations, iron removal becomes necessary for effective arsenic removal. As part of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ar- senic treatment demonstration project. the city is installing a coagulation/filtration treatment plant later this year. The coagulation/filtration process includes pre -oxidation with chlorine, contact time, and pressure filtration with a ceramic media. The city has the additional benefit of iron removal, as arsenic adsorbs onto the oxidized iron and is removed during the filtration process. 2 c� Trivia Time 1. What is the only Alfred Hitchcock movie with nudity? a. Family Plot b. Fie►►w C. Topaz d. Bambi 2. Which Minnesota Twins pitcher was nicknamed Shorty? a. Frank Viola b. Bill Pleis c. Bert Blyleven d. Ron Davis I What happened in Minnesota on July 27, 1972? a. Jesse Ventura got his General Education Degree (GED). b. The Vikings acquired Fran Tarkenton in a trade. c. Virginia Piper was kidnapped. Answers on page 6 PWS Profile: Robyn Bruggeman Robyn Bruggeman is the district engineer in the West Metro district in the Drinking Water Protection Section. She collects drinking water samples and performs inspections on drinking water facilities. She is from San Francisco and got her Master's degree in civil/environmental engineering at San Jose State University. Robyn worked on the Yosemite National Park Sanitary Survey during her last semester, collecting water samples from backcountry locations, a job - that entailed a lot of hiking and backpacking, her two favorite activities. She also worked as a design engineer for three years for California Water Service Company. Robyn has been married for a year -and -a -half (her husband's name is Dan) and has a snowshoe cat. Wiley. Consumer Confidence Reports More than 95 percent of the Consumer Confidence Reports for 2002 were received by MDH by the July 1 deadline. The compliance staff continues to work on receiving the remainder. Since the 1998 report, the first that community water supplies were required to produce and distribute to their customers, Minnesota has had better than a 99 -percent compliance rate each year. Many of the reports received have been outstanding, according to Pat McKasy, the senior compliance officer for the MDH drinking water program. They were entered into a contest to determine the best Consumer Confidence Report. The winners from each of the six districts in the Minnesota Section of American Water Works Association (AW«:4) are: Central ---City of Ortonville Northwest—City of Fergus Falls Metro—City of Bloomington Southeast—City of Waseca Northeast—Hibbing Public Utilities Southwest—City of Mankato The overall award winner will be announced during the Minnesota Section AWWA Annual Conference in October. Past overall winners are Edina for 2001, Woodbury for 2000, Richfield for 1999, and Worthington for 1998. COMPLIANCE CORNER New Monitoring Requirements By Patricia McKasy, Senior Compliance Officer Disinfection of drinking water is one of the major public health advances of the 2011' century. However, the disinfectants themselves can react with naturally occurring materials in the water to form unintended byproducts that may pose a health risk. A major challenge for water suppliers is balancing the risks from microbial pathogens and from disinfection byproducts. The Stage l Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (DBPR) and the Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule together address these risks. Chlorine and chloramines (formed when ammonia is added during chlorination) are widely used and highly effective disinfectants. Under the DBPR, the EPA has set the maximum residual disinfectant level (MRDL) at 4.0 milligrams per liter (mg/1) for both chlorine (measured as free chlorine) and chloramines (measured as combined total chlorine). Beginning January 1, 2004, a specific component of the DBPR requires Community. Water Supplies and Nontransient Noncommunity Water Supplies that use disinfectant to measure and record the disinfectant residual level at the same points and the same time as the monthly or quarterly total coliform samples are collected, and report the levels to the primacy agency (MDH). A system is in compliance with the MRDL when the running annual average of monthly averages of all samples, or the annual average of four quarterly samples, is less than or equal to 4.0 mg/l. However, despite the 4.0 mg/1 MRDL, operators may increase the residual chlorine levels in the distribution system to a level greater than 4.0 mg/I for a time if necessary to protect the public health in addressing specific microbiological contamination problems (e.g., including distribution line breaks, storm run-off events, source water contamination, or cross -connections). The EPA believes that the MRDL of 4.0 mg/I for chlorine and chloramines is appropriate to control potential health effects from chlorine, while high enough to allow for control of pathogens under a variety of conditions. The EPA also believes that compliance based on a running annual average is sufficient tc allow systems to increase residual chlorite levels in the distribution system to a level and for a time necessary to protect the public health as well as to address specific micro- Oiological contamination problems and still maintain compliance. IQ 3 Failure to monitor for disinfectant residuals and/or failure to report to MDH the results of the required monthly or quarterly total coliform samples is a monitoring violation. When compliance is based on a running annual average of monthly averages, or the average of four quarterly samples, the system's failure to monitor makes it impossible to determine compliance with the MRDL: thus, this failure to monitor will be treated as a violation and reported to the EPA. Sometime near the end of 2003, MDH will send letters to all the affected systems, reminding them of this additional monitoring and reporting requirement. The laboratory reporting forms used by both the larger systems that submit monthly total coliform samples and the smaller systems that submit total coliform samples quarterly are in the process of being revised to allow space for reporting the disinfectant residual levels. Revised forms will be provided to the systems and/or to the certified laboratories used by the water supplies to analyze their samples. Systems that submit monthly samples should speak to their laboratory to determine the best way for reporting the disinfectant residual levels so that they will be reported to the state along with the results of the total coliform samples. If you have any questions regarding this new requirement, please contact me at 6517215-07-59. Anti -Bottled Water Web Site A web site devoted to debunking bottled water and providing "information on consumer actions against bottled water companies that we believe are duping customers into paying for what they could get straight from the tap" is at http://www.bottledwaterfraud.conVindex.html. "During the dramatic rise in bottled water consumption in the last ten years, some bottting companies have stretched their original water sources so thin they began to use common groundwater and wells near hazardous contamination, all the while touting their bottled water as naturally pure and pristine," the web site notes. addino information on a national class-action lawsuit against the makers of Poland Spring water. claiming that the bottles are improperly labeled as spring water. Water quality and supply issues attract attention around the world and around the country, whether the news focuses on the need to repair water treatment facilities in Iraq following the war or to ease a drought in the western United States. Most parts of Minnesota are in better shape, although aging infra- structure and other concerns are frequently mentioned as threats to our continued supply of safe drinking water. Often overlooked is the impact of a lack of qualified personnel to operate water and wastewater treatment facilities. Only two schools in the state offer courses related to this profession. St. Cloud Technical College has a Water Environment Technologies pro- gram led by instructors Keith Redmond and Bill Spain. In Ely, Steve Kleist is the instructor for the Water Resources Program at Vermilion Community College. Teaching the Trade St. Cloud Technical College students Carol Kelzer (foreground) and Sue Fish in the mechanical lab. Steve Kleist "There's not a burni ng pool of people who think about getting into water," says Kleist. "Most people here like the environment or ecology but don't have water specifically in mind. Once they get in, they love it and see the opportunity." Ryan Frisk is a Vermilion student who learned of the water courses while searching different schools on the internet. He had worked in maintenance at a nursing home that was going through layoffs. He decided to return to school since, he said, "It's tough finding a job without training." He was attracted to this program because of the conservation aspect of the profession. "Water is a stable field," he added. Kevin Beadles is a student in the program at St. Cloud Technical College. He plans to work in water or wastewater treatment when he graduates and hopes to find a job in the Zimmerman area, where he lives. "I've always been an environmentalist, but I wasn't interested in science," said Beadles, explaining his decision to enroll in this program. "When I found out about this, I thought it sounded pretty good." ..Many of the students in the water technologies programs live in Greater Minnesota and want to find a job outside of the Minneapolis -St. Paul metropolitan area when they finish school, leaving water and wastewater facilities in the most populated region in the state with special challenges in recruiting workers. For this reason, St. Cloud Technical College began offering its course in the Twin Cities, at the Eden Prairie Water Plant. "The hope is that students in Eden Prairie will be more comfortable staying in that area," says Redmond, adding that they are see- ing an older group of students in Eden Prairie, many of whom are switching careers. While the water/wastewater program on the St. Cloud campus has more students coming directly out of high school, it also has its share of those returning to school after having worked in other professions. A member of the latter group ?s Sue Fish, a self - described "college dropout from the 1980s." Fish had been a biology major at Anoka -Ramsey Community College in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. After leav- ing college, she worked as a machinist for several years and then as a delivery V3 4 specialist for Fingerhut in St. Cloud. Fish saw layoffs coming to Fingerhut and got out ahead of them, only to be laid off from her next job, at New Flyer USA. Through a dislocated workers program, she was able to go to school and was happy to find that her credits from Anoka -Ramsey would transfer to St. Cloud. Beyond the transfer of credits, what she had learned at the community college also helped her. "I had a lot of chemistry and math at Anoka -Ramsey," she said, "It's important to have a good grasp of algebra." . She said her love of being outside is one of the things that has attracted her to the water profession as well as working with both her hands and her mind. "This is a job where you're not stuck." Kevin Beadles prepares bottles for a biochemical oxygen demand test. The schools in Ely and St. Cloud both have laboratories and offer a mix of scientific and mechanical courses. Water and wastewater treatment, sampling and lab analysis, and maintenance and operation of equipment are the key parts of the curriculum at both schools. All students complete their course work by taking an exam to receive a Class D water operators license. Continued on page 5 Continued from page 4 Kleist' notes that at Vermilion Community College, "Northeast Minne- sota is our lab. _It's all part of the Ely adventure." Students often do sampling of the boundary waters and conclude their school year with a canoe trip. Vermilion graduates receive a two-year degree that is designed to transfer to many schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin. "This dovetails nicely into Environmental Sciences," Kleist notes. However, many students choose to take immediate advantage of job opportunities and enter the water field. In addition to her courses at St. Cloud Technical College, Fish is a part-time student worker at the Cold Spring Wastewater Plant, where she is involved in routine daily operations, such as sampling and performing tests in the laboratory. She looks ahead to entering the field full-time after graduation. "I'm tired of getting laid off," Fish says, who sees the stability in her new career. "No matter how bad the economy gets, people are still going to have to be able to drink water and flush toilets." Keith Redmond with Sue Fish at St. Cloud Technical College. Hands-on Basic Training for Water Operators at Vermilion Community College In addition to providing courses for aspiring water operators, Vermilion Community College in Ely has a new training center and is offering hands-on basic water operations training to public water systems serving fewer than 3,300 people. The two-day hands-on training course, Class E or D certification application and license fees, one college credit, meals, and two nights lodging in Ely will be free to qualifying systems. (Other systems or individuals may attend this training for a separate fee.) This program is supported and funded to Vermilion Community College until 2009 through a Minnesota Department of Health Operator Certification Grant. This effort to provide water industry personnel with quality on-site and hands-on training will ensure that operators have the knowledge and skills to supply safe drinking water to all individuals served by public water systems. The first two training courses were held in August. Dates and topics of upcoming training are: October 13-14,2003—Groundwater March 9-10, 2004—Surface Water Space is limited, and advance registration is required. For more information, contact: Vermilion Community College Attn: Continuing Education 1900 Camp Street Ely, Minnesota 55731 1/800/657-3609 or 218/365-7200 E-mail: smallwaterinfo@vcc.edu Drinking Water Institute for Teachers Includes Cave Tour Twenty-four teachers attended the 2003 Drinking Water Institute, held in Roches- ter in June, the third Institute conducted by the Minnesota Section Ameri- can Water Works Associa- tion Education Committee and done in conjunction with the Science Museum of Minnesota. The Institutes are designed to teach science teachers about drinking water and how to teach it in their classrooms. The teachers will develop action plans on how to introduce drinking -water education into their existing science curriculum and will return for a Teachers make their way to Rise of the Lost River where Calvin Alexander (below) explains the features of a spring. 1,5 follow-up session in October to report on how they have used the material. The teachers who attended the 200; Institute will be reaching approxirnatelY 3,000 middle -school students in each of the coming school years. This year's Institute included a trip to Fillmore County to explore karst formations in the Spring Valley Caverns. a tour led by University of Minnesota professor Calvin Alexander, who also took the �1 group to an alluviated spring at the Rise of the Lost River, where he explained the resurgence of water flowing through the caverns. Training News See page 7 for registration information Northwest School November 6 Teleconference The 2003 Northwest District Water Operators School will be held at the Northland Inn in Crookston from Tuesday, December 2 to Thursday, December 4. Registration for the school is $95 ($120 after November 19 or at the door). A block of guest rooms is being held until November 11 at a special rate of $65 plus tax per room. Call the Northland Inn at 218/281-5210 and mention American Water Works Association to get the special rate. Participants will receive 16 credit hours for their participation. A tentative agenda for the school is below. Tuesday, December 2 9:00 -noon • Security and Vulnerability Assessments • Youth Education Program or • Exam Prep—Math 1:00-4:00 • Source Water Protection or • Exam Prep—General Operations Wednesday, December 3 8:15 -noon Operator Breakfast District Business Meeting—Chad Troitte, Chair Professional Development Workshop 1:00-4:00 Product Exposition and Hands-on Training Operator Interface Thursday, December 4 8:00 -noon • On -Line Instrumentation • Arsenic • Tower Cleaning • Safety • ,1licrobiology or • CertiTcation Exams (at 10:00) Trivia Answers 1. b --Frenzy. (Although Psycho had a shower scene, you couldn't see anything good. In Bambi, the deer was naked, but this wasn't a Hitchcock movie.) 2. b—Bill Pleis, who pitched from 1961 to 1966. 3. c—Virginia Piper was kidnapped. I— 6 This fall's American Water Works Association Satellite Teleconference, Utility Case Studies: Facing Everyday Challenges, will be held Thursday, November 6 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (with registration beginning at 10:30). Downlink locations are Hennepin County Technical College in Brooklyn Park, the Minnesota Department of Health in St. Paul, Memorial Union Hall on the campus of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, Lake Superior College in Duluth, and South Central Technical College in North Mankato. Participants will receive 4 contact hours. Registration will be $6.5 by October 30 and $85 after October 31, or at the door ($55/$75 in North Mankato). Other Schools A number of one -day schools are being held around the state this fall. They include: • Southwest Water Operators School, Marshall. Thursday, October 16 (with an exam prep in Mankato on October 7 and in Marshall on October 9). • Suburban Superintendents School, Tuesday, October 21. • Central Water Operators School, St. John's University, Collegeville, Wednesday, October 29. • Southeast Water Operators School, 0-watonna, Friday, October 31. Vulnerability Assessment Workshops The Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Rural Water Association (MRWA) have been collaborating on a series of half-day workshops on water system security and vulnerability assessments. These have been geared toward systems serving populations up to 10,000 and focus .on the Security Vulnerability Self -Assessment Guide that is available on the MDH Drinking Water web site at http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water and at the MRWA site at http://www.mrwa.com. These workshops will be held at the Minnesota Section American Water Works Association (AWWA) schools in Marshall on October 16 and in Crookston on December 2 as well as at a November 5 MRWA workshop in Fergus Falls. For larger systems, Minnesota AWWA and the Minnesota Public Works Association have conducted a pair of workshops using the Vulnerability Self -Assessment Tool software available from the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies. This or other training aimed at systems serving populations between 10.000 and .50,000 may be offered again in 2004. Systems serving a population of 50,000 or more but fewer than 100,000 must complete their assessments by December 31, 2003. Systems serving a population of greater. than 3,300 but fewer than 50,000 must have their assess- ments in by June 30, 2004. Minnesota has 12 systems be- tween 50,000 and 99,999 and 136 between 3,301 and 49,999. Waterline Published quarterly by the Drinking Water Protection Section, Minnesota Department of Health Editor, Stew Thornley Staff. Dick Clark Jeanette Boothe Noel Hansen To request this document in another format, ca/16511215-0700; TDD 651/215-0707 or toll-free through the Minnesota Relay Service, 1%800/627.-3529 (ask for 651/215-0700). - Past issues of the Waterline (in PDF format) are available at: http✓/www.health.state.mn. us/divs/eh/water/newsletters.htm REGISTRATION FORM FOR TELECONFERENCE AND FALL SCHOOLS You may combine fees on one check if more than one person is attending a school; however. please make a copy of this form for each person. Questions regarding certification, contact Cindy Cook at 651/215-0751. Questions regarding registration, contact Jeanette Boothe at 651/215-1321. FjAWWA Teleconference: Utiliq• Case Studies: Facing Everyday Challenges. November 6, 2003. Fee: $65 ($85 after October 30 or at the door) for Brooklyn Park, Grand Forks. and Duluth sites; $55 (S75 after October 30 or at the door) for North Mankato (no lunch served at this site). Check location you wish to attend: Minnesota Department of Health Distance Learning Center, Metro Square Annex, St. Paul, Minnesota Hennepin County Technical College, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota Lake Superior College, Duluth, Minnesota South Central Technical College, North Mankato. Minnesota F] Southwest School, October 16, 2003, Marshall. Fee: $20 ($25 at the door). nNorthwest School, December 2-4. 2003, Northland Inn, Crookston. Fee: S95 (S 12,0 after November 19 or at the door). Check here if you would like to receive an exam application. (Applications must be submitted at least 15 days prior to the exam.) Check here if you would like to receive an exam study guide. Name _ Address_ City Emplo�,7er Zip Day Phone Please enclose the appropriate fee. Make check payable to Minnesota A11111.'A. Mail this form and fee to Public Water Supply Unit, Minnesota Department of Health, 121 East Seventh Place, Suite 220, P. O. Box 64975. St. Paul. Minnesota 5516=4-0975. Registration for the following schools must be directed to the person listed: October 21, 2003, Suburban Utilities Superintendents School, Apple Valley. Fee: S25. Send to: Carol Blommel. City of Apple Valley, 7100 West 147,h Street, Apple Valley, Minnesota 55124 (checks payable to SUSA). October 29, 2003, Central Water Operators School, St. John's University, Collegeville. Contact Bill Spain, 320/654-5952. October 31, 2003 Southeast Water Operators School, Owatonna. Contact Paul Halvorson, 507/292-5193. n Minnesota Section, American Water Works Association Annual Conference, October 1-3, Moorhead, Contact Jon Eaton, 952/563-4501. *October 1.6, Southwest Water Operators School, Marshall. Contact John Blomme, 507/537-7308. *October 29, Central Water Operators School, St. John's University, Collegeville: Contact Bill Spain, - 320/654-5952. *October . 31, Southeast Water Operators School, Owatonna. Contact Paul Halvorson, 507/292-5193. *December 2-4, Northwest Water Op- erators School, Northland Inn, Crookston. Contact Stew Thornley, 651/215-0771. Water Cperator Training American Water Works Association Teleconference November 6, Utility Case Studies: Facing Everyday Challenges, Brook- lyn Park, St. Paul, Duluth, North Mankato, and Grand Forks. Contact Stew Thornley, 651/215-0771. *Suburban Superintendents School October 21, Apple Valley. Contact Carol Blommel, 952/953-2441. Minnesota Municipal. Utilities Association, Contact Kevin Thompson, 763/551-1230. October 8-9, Water/Wastewater Workshop, Marshall. November 5-6, Preventive Mainte- nance, Marshall. Exam Prep October 7, Mankato, Contact Mark Sweers, 507/389-5561. October.9, Marshall, Contact John Blomme, 507/537-7308. Hands -On Basic Training for Water Operators Vermilion Community College, Contact 1/800/657-3609 or 218/365-7200.. October 13-14—Groundwater *Schools/meetings marked with an asterisk include a water certification exam. To be eligible to take a certification exam, applicants must have hands-on operations_ experience at a drinking water system. For an up-to-date list of events, see the training calendar on the MDH web site at: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water/training.htm Minnesota Rural Water Association Contact Kyle Kedrowski, 1/800/367-6792. .September 10, Operation & Maintenance, Chatfield *September 10-12, Certification Exam Prep, St. Cloud September 18, Operation & Maintenance, Isle *October 7, Operation & Maintenance, Aurora October 8, Securing Financing for Small Systems, Willmar October 9, Securing Financing for Small Systems, St. Cloud October 28, Operation & Maintenance, Wood Lake November 5, Water System Security and Operation & Maintenance, Fergus Falls December 10, Winterizing Your Water System, Bemidji December 11, Winterizing Your Water System, St. Cloud MRWA Training for Non -Municipal Systems Minnesota Rural Water Association September 24, Waconia October 8, Aurora MDH Drinking Water Protection web page.http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water WAT'�:Iv Minnesota Department of Health 121 E. 7th Place Suite 220 P. O. Box 64975 St_ Paul, Minnesota 55164-0975 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED d% PRST STRD US POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 171 St. Paul, MN If III IIIJtti11171111tt11111ilffllf9111 TS P1 FOR AADC 553 C/O Mi;. Sandy Paulsoft. Clerk 1•fl;-rr.-Jut1't City Council Pl;,mouth City Hall 3400 Plymouth Blvd Plymouth MN 55447-1448 t WWW. ci.golden-valley. mn. us August 22, 2003 � ;olden V0 Road Commissioner Mark Stenglein `0 jagq MN 554274588 Hennepin County Board of Commissioners .3-593400 A-2400 Hennepin County Gov't Center ;3-593-8109 (fu) 300 S 6th Street ;3-593-3968 (TDD) Minneapolis MN 55487-0240 Caynr and Council 0-593-80% Dear Commissioner Stenglein: ity ger L5 93-M 002 The City of Golden Valley understands that the Board of Commissioners is currently contemplating an Ad Valorem tax for water quality projects iblic tea' proposed to be undertaken by the Bassett Creek Water Management a► 763-593-8079 Commission (BCWMC). The City Council wishes to express its objection n 763-593-8055 X3-$93-8098 (fax) to this Ad Valorem tax. b]icWo& As the BCWMC has developed its Second Generation Plan, the member 3-593-8030 cities were consulted about how the projects set forth in the Capital i)-593-3988 (fax) Improvement Program should be funded. While the City of Golden Valley supports water quality improvements, the City Council is concerned about =s the Ad Valorem tax for the following reasons: 6593 3997 (fa.) Comr Vehicle Licensing 1. The Council believes that this tax will be levied with very little 101 opportunity for citizen participation, notification or input. 2. The cities of Golden Valley, Plymouth, Robbinsdale advised the AandZoning BCWMC that they are opposed to the Ad Valorem tax. When IN -1 3 , evaluating the Commission on a land area, tax capacity and population basis, these communities account for over 75% of the 13 watershed area. Therefore, the majority of the watershed area is opposed to this tax. 3. The Council is concerned that local governments will lose their 020 ability to properly manage the water quality projects. 'nd,Recrearion 4. The Ad Valorem tax is being recommended to the County Board „ . . by a group of individuals who are appointed by member cities, but pltlenWc),MN5542&1364 are not elected by voters. K3 -512-2M43%8 (TDD) (M`) 763 -593 - For the reasons set forth above, the Golden Valley Council asks that you .3968 vote in opposition to the t3GwMc;'s request Tor an Ha valorem iax. GABassett Creek\Correspondence\Stenglein Oppose Tax.doc Commissioner Mark Stenglein August 22, 2003 Page 2 Thank you for your consideration of this matter. Please contact me at 763-593-3990 if you have questions. Sincerely, Linda R. Loomis Mayor C: Council Members David Hanson, Golden Valley Commissioner, BCWMC John O'Toole, Chair, BCWMC Thomas Burt, City Manager Jeannine Clancy, Director of Public Works Judy Johnson, Mayor, City of Plymouth Dwight Johnson, City Manager, City of Plymouth GABassett Creek\Correspondence\Stenglein oppose Tax.doc 16 From: Donahue Dan [mailto:ddonahue@ci.new-hope.mn.us] Sent: Friday, August 29, 2003 12:12 PM To: mile.opat@co.hennepin.mn.us; Mark Stenglein; gail.dor&nan@co.hennepin.mn.us; Penny Steele; linda.koblick@co.hennepin.mn.us Subject: Bassett Creek Water Management Organization request for County ad valorem tax Dear Hennepin County Commissioners: On behalf of the New Hope City Council, I would like to take this opportunity to comment on the recent letter sent to you by my colleague, Mayor Linda Loomis of Golden Valley. While I greatly admire Mayor Loomis and her efforts on behalf of the Bassett Creek Water Management Organization (BCWMO), the council and I respectfully disagree on several points she raises and wish to make note of those differences. In Mayor Loomis' letter of August 22, 2003 to Commissioner Stenglein, she set out in several points reasons why the Hennepin County Commissioners should not consider and agree to use the County ad valorem tax to fund authorized BCWMO capital projects. The Council and I ask the Hennepin county Board of Commissioners to consider the following: 1. The BCWMO is made up of nine member communities all with an equal voice. Voting on any matter before the Commission is based on membership, not land area, tax capacity, or population. The Commission earlier this year re -affirmed its commitment to this voting structure. 2. As the BCWMO sets out to define and approve the Second Generation Plan, many of the high priority capital projects have a water quality component. Without the ad valorem tax, we believe many of the projects may not be accomplished due to local partisanship and issues. All BCWMO members we believe want to do the "right thing" regarding water quality and it often takes a very wide view to accomplish the tasks at hand. The ad valorem tax authority of the County can assist in reaching just that end. 3. Local governments are often severely constrained in their ability to raise revenues for projects. While each community is different with differing abilities in the funding area, the majority of the BCWMO have expressed an inability to raise funding themselves using their State controlled taxing authority. The County's ad valorem taxing authority is the only way New Hope can participate in paying for the capital projects. 4. The BCWMO is comprised of members appointed by elected officials in accordance with state law. The nine members of BCWMO are all local governments as defined by state law and based on a "representative governance model" with an elected body speaking and making decision on behalf of the citizens. This model of governance has many safeguards and many avenues open for public participation. We especially believe that there is ample opportunity for all to participate in the BCWMO process at all levels including the ad valorem tax process at the county level. 5. Appointed commissioners are accountable. Each and every commissioner appointed to the BCWMO is done so through a public process (as defined by state law) by elected officials who are accountable to the electorate. The notion that there is something wrong with the decision making process at any level is just not right and is misleading. 6. Six of nine members of the BCWMO have voted to ask the county to undertake the funding as allowed in Minn. Stat. 103B251. There is no standing for the issuance of a Minority Report that runs contrary to the request by the BCWMO for this tax proposal. 7. We respectfully request that you honor the request of the BCWMO to fund the proposed capital projects before you through a county ad valorem tax levy. Thank you for considering the views of the New Hope City Council and as a member of the BCWMO. W. Peter Enck Mayor New Hope August 27, 2003 JMayor Johnson and Plymouth City Council Members City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Blvd. Plymouth, MN 55447 Re: District 78 Road Reconstruction From: Linda Norha 605 Queensland Lane Plymouth, MN 55447 Mayor Johnson and City Council Members: It would be an understatement to say that I am disappointed with the lack of leadership and lack of a policy in determining a fair and equitable plan for street reconstruction. It would seem to be common sense that the worst streets would be a higher priority. I have lived at 605 Queensland Lane for thirty years and have seen our streets deteriorate over the years. It doesn't surprise me that our district has the designation for having the worst street conditions in the city of Plymouth. Last night as I sat at the council meeting, I heard a lot of concern on your part for wanting to have fair and equitable policies in place for everyone. I certainly don't feel that we, who signed the petition, were treated fairly last night. It's unfortunate that the council is so swayed by the "squeaky wheel" syndrome. Even though much time and effort was given to gather signatures for our petition, it only seemed to matter who was there to complain the loudest. Well, I was at the meeting and I did write a letter prior to the meeting and was disappointed when no mention was made of it, especially after Council Black's comment that she didn't have any input from the petitioners. I didn't fill out a blue slip because I am very uncomfortable speaking in front of a group of people. Had I known that was a "requirement", I would have done so. We on Queensland Lane have no other way to or from our property other than 8`f' Avenue and I feel like we are being held hostage by their wishes. The 8"' Ave. people want the street to be "a country lane", but it is now a "tacky and unsafe" street. I request that you, "the leaders", set a policy for street reconstruction based upon need, and stop all the bickering amongst neighbors. Please respond to my letter as to what can be done so I will know how to proceed with this issue. Sincerely, Linda Norha 2-b