The "Insider" January recap

2/2/2011

January 3rd - Mayor holds special council meeting to have new members sworn in and to make appointments to committees and boards. On a 4 to 1 vote, Council Member Dick Woodruff is removed from the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District Board even though he has one year left on a three year term. An unnamed "resident" is to be appointed. Unfortunately, it's overlooked that now, nobody will represent Shorewood at January LMCD meetings. On January 24th, new Council Member Siakel is appointed as interim. Kind of de ja vu as her husband was not reappointed to the same position two years ago.

 Also on January 3rd, Mayor Lizee moves to authorize removal of Kennedy and Graven as City Attorney and to rehire Tim Keane. No justification given despite it being pointed out that K&G has one year left on a three year contract and there are no issues with the services that have been provided.

January 10th Council Meeting - Tim Keane rehired (four to one vote, Woodruff dissenting) as City Attorney at a $4200 per year cost increase over what was paid to K&G and for same services. "Sun Sailor" documents that Keane had been removed from this job twice before. Is the third time the "charm?" No competitive bids, no reference checks although Council Member Zerby did say he was a reference as he'd worked with Keane before.

January 15th - Arctic Fever held. Smashing success, including great turn-out for the new Ice Princess Tea. Congratulations to the mother of AF, Sue Davis, and the rest of the people who made it happen.

January 24th Council Meeting - Shorewood Yacht Club is granted a permanent CUP to have 56 power boats, up from 35 granted three years ago, on a 4 to 1 vote, Woodruff dissenting. This makes permanent the reversal of the City's 2004 decision that the SYC was to be sailboats only, a decision that resulted in a MN Supreme Court fight with the prior SYC owner. Why was this necessary? According to the current owners, the sailing business doesn't support the SYC financially and power boats are needed to make money. One Timber Lane lakeshore resident pointed out that SYC benefits while he endures the results in the lake in front of his home. Council Member Woodruff called into question the effects of more powerboats on stirring up the toxic sludge on the bottom of the bay (this was the outlet of the old Excelsior sewage plant). Other council members ignored this.

Also, Mayor Lizee announces a 1/31 facilitated discussion between the neighboring cities in which ways to "cooperate" would be discussed. This is the first time this date was known, officially, to the Council. Mayor Lizee was admonished last year by the prior council to provide adequate notice of special meetings to the Council. Apparently, she's ignoring this.

January 31 - Facilitated meeting to discuss "cooperation" held with neighboring cities at Southshore Center. Attended by Lizee, Zerby, Siakel and Hotvet plus staff from Shorewood; Tonka Bay Mayor and Excelsior Mayor and a few of their council members and some staff. Council Member Woodruff of Shorewood absent due to being out of town. Curiously, Deephaven and Greenwood were not invited to participate. Maybe they're no longer "neighbors?" A few residents attended (not surprisingly only a few given the short notice and no external publicity). Information generated at the meeting was collected for future consideration and a second meeting scheduled for 2/24 at 6:30pm at Shouthshore Center. The 24th meeting is open to the public and everyone who lives in the area and has interest in how the cities might do more to work together should attend. Even Deephaven and Greenwood residents should show up.

Observation: the cooperation discussions appear to be similar to the "Visioning" sessions former Mayor Love and then Council Members Lizee and Zerby held some years ago. Shorewood spent over $30,000 on these sessions, getting very little in results. Cooperation seems a good idea, but at what price to Shorewood? Excelsior and Tonka Bay have not been asked to chip in on the cost of these new meetings. The Insider thinks they should share and cooperate here too.