3/12/12
So when is Brian Heck leaving Shorewood? The agenda for tonight's council meeting doesn't have anything about this. So, what is Lizee and buddies waiting for? Even the Insider isn't sure.
Also, a reader asked what Heck's leaving will cost the City. Well, it's not 100% clear, but it will include up to 6 months' pay (in Heck's contract), his unused vacation, and the City will have to pay unemployment benefits so long as Heck remains unemployed and for up to whatever the current number of months of unemployment are in force in Minnesota. In dollars, the total will be well above $50,000. In other terms, this is 1% of the entire budget for 2012.
Where do you suppose Lizee and buddies are going to find the 1%? What will they cut?
Happy Reading!
The Insider
Monday, March 12, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
More Information About City Water Plan
3/7/12
See the previous blog about the proposed city-wide water plan.
Readers have asked for more information about this draft water plan, including the schedule for their street. This may be found in the packet for the 2/27 council work session at: http://weblink.ci.shorewood.mn.us/weblink8/0/doc/158583/Page1.aspx. The Insider suggests reading the whole memo preceding the cost and schedule tables that start on page 6. The memo explains the terms used and how the table works. The general strategy is to tie the water installs to road work already planned in the City's 20-Year Road Plan.
Happy Reading!
The Insider
Happy Reading!
The Insider
See the previous blog about the proposed city-wide water plan.
Readers have asked for more information about this draft water plan, including the schedule for their street. This may be found in the packet for the 2/27 council work session at: http://weblink.ci.shorewood.mn.us/weblink8/0/doc/158583/Page1.aspx. The Insider suggests reading the whole memo preceding the cost and schedule tables that start on page 6. The memo explains the terms used and how the table works. The general strategy is to tie the water installs to road work already planned in the City's 20-Year Road Plan.
Happy Reading!
The Insider
Happy Reading!
The Insider
City Administrator Leaving
3/7/12
Brian Heck, City Administrator of Shorewood, told his staff yesterday that he was leaving. Seems the council has lost confidence in him. Council met Monday night in executive session to discuss Heck's performance and this is apparently the result of that meeting (executive sessions are not public so, no details are available).
Heck was hired about three and one half years ago after the departure, under similar circumstances, of then Administrator Craig Dawson. Heck has appeared to have developed a base of supporters, but also detractors. The detractors seem to have won out. Details about the departure are forthcoming.
Of note, earlier this year the Insider predicted Heck would be fired and replaced by ex-Administrator Dawson. The first half of the prediction is now fact. It remains to be seen if Mayor Lizee makes the second part come true. Dawson was reportedly just hired as a project manager for the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District.
Happy Reading!
The Insider
Brian Heck, City Administrator of Shorewood, told his staff yesterday that he was leaving. Seems the council has lost confidence in him. Council met Monday night in executive session to discuss Heck's performance and this is apparently the result of that meeting (executive sessions are not public so, no details are available).
Heck was hired about three and one half years ago after the departure, under similar circumstances, of then Administrator Craig Dawson. Heck has appeared to have developed a base of supporters, but also detractors. The detractors seem to have won out. Details about the departure are forthcoming.
Of note, earlier this year the Insider predicted Heck would be fired and replaced by ex-Administrator Dawson. The first half of the prediction is now fact. It remains to be seen if Mayor Lizee makes the second part come true. Dawson was reportedly just hired as a project manager for the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District.
Happy Reading!
The Insider
Monday, March 5, 2012
Water, Water - Everywhere?
3/5/12
Have a private well and no city water available to your property? More than half of Shorewood properties are in this situation. Mayor Lizee and her three council buddies have embarked once again on a quest to put city water down every street in Shorewood (well, not every one as can be seen later in this posting).
During the 2/27 council work session Lizee, Siakel and Zerby discussed the first blush of a plan to put water throughout Shorewood over a 20 year period. Hotvet and Woodruff were absent. Readers can view the meeting at: http://lmcc.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=439
Staff has done an excellent job of presenting a plan with associated costs. With some inflation in the costs, and over 20 years, the plan costs nearly $30 million (yes million). The average cost is about $15,000 per property and costs of over $100,000 per property are shown.
Just to put $30 million into perspective, the City's whole tax levy per year is just under $5 million. So where is the money coming from?
Well, Zerby and Siakel want a consultant. Siakel wants to focus on the first 3 to 5 years. Zerby thinks a City subsidy might be in order so as to lower the cost to property owners. The Insider doesn't see any leadership from the three at the meeting as to how to fund and what policy might need to be adopted. The only thing they want is to have meetings with residents to discuss the plan (what plan?). I guess Lizee expects someone else, once again, to tell her what to do.
The Islands? They're not part of the plan or the costs.
Keep watching this blog and messages from the City about meetings over the next two or three months.
Happy Reading!
The Insider
Have a private well and no city water available to your property? More than half of Shorewood properties are in this situation. Mayor Lizee and her three council buddies have embarked once again on a quest to put city water down every street in Shorewood (well, not every one as can be seen later in this posting).
During the 2/27 council work session Lizee, Siakel and Zerby discussed the first blush of a plan to put water throughout Shorewood over a 20 year period. Hotvet and Woodruff were absent. Readers can view the meeting at: http://lmcc.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=439
Staff has done an excellent job of presenting a plan with associated costs. With some inflation in the costs, and over 20 years, the plan costs nearly $30 million (yes million). The average cost is about $15,000 per property and costs of over $100,000 per property are shown.
Just to put $30 million into perspective, the City's whole tax levy per year is just under $5 million. So where is the money coming from?
Well, Zerby and Siakel want a consultant. Siakel wants to focus on the first 3 to 5 years. Zerby thinks a City subsidy might be in order so as to lower the cost to property owners. The Insider doesn't see any leadership from the three at the meeting as to how to fund and what policy might need to be adopted. The only thing they want is to have meetings with residents to discuss the plan (what plan?). I guess Lizee expects someone else, once again, to tell her what to do.
The Islands? They're not part of the plan or the costs.
Keep watching this blog and messages from the City about meetings over the next two or three months.
Happy Reading!
The Insider
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Prevent AIS - Use Permitted Service Providers
3/1/12
Reminder. Ice out is coming and it's up to everyone using MN lakes and waters to help prevent the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species.
The Legislature passed law last year requiring all service providers that place boats, equipment and other items into our lakes and streams to have training on AIS identification and prevention measures. All of us should insist that the service providers we use have the proper training.
It's easy to do. Just demand to see the providers DNR sticker (yellow sticker should be on their vehicles) or their training paperwork. All providers should have received notice of the requirement to be trained and have had opportunities to get trained. So, no excuses. No documentation? Just say no to using them.
Tell your friends and neighbors!
Reminder. Ice out is coming and it's up to everyone using MN lakes and waters to help prevent the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species.
The Legislature passed law last year requiring all service providers that place boats, equipment and other items into our lakes and streams to have training on AIS identification and prevention measures. All of us should insist that the service providers we use have the proper training.
It's easy to do. Just demand to see the providers DNR sticker (yellow sticker should be on their vehicles) or their training paperwork. All providers should have received notice of the requirement to be trained and have had opportunities to get trained. So, no excuses. No documentation? Just say no to using them.
Tell your friends and neighbors!
You can verify a provider’s certification status by contacting the MN DNR at www.dnr.state.mn.us/lsp or 651-259-5100
Happy Reading!
The Insider
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Trails - Epidemic of Common Sense
2/25/12
Seems Mayor Lizee and council members Hotvet, Siakel and Zerby have been infected with common sense regarding the cost of implementing the Trail Plan. View the meeting of 2/13 at http://weblink.ci.shorewood.mn.us/weblink8/0/doc/158583/Page1.aspx for the details.
Zerby now says spending $1.8 million for trails is "ludicrous", Hotvet thinks the costs are the "scariest" issue, Lizee says the $1.8 million is not committed and Siakel is now disturbed by the idea of spending $1.8 million.
This is the same group of folks who voted in favor of the 2012 capital budget that earmarked $1.8 million for the trails despite hearing council member Woodruff raise the same issues during budget approval discussions that these four have now belatedly discovered.
So, what's next?
Watching the meeting, one gets the impression of watching someone with their hair on fire. Lizee and buddies seem to be frantically searching for someone to give them the answer to the conrundrum of having an approved a plan that they now think they cannot fund. Lizee wants to send the mess to the Trail Committee or the Parks Commission. The Insider thinks these groups have done their jobs. They analyzed the needs (so to speak) and told the Council what they recommended. Council can't dump the lack of funding back on the commissions. Funding and strategy are council's responsibility.
Stay tuned as Lizee and buddies have to decide how much trails are worth.
Happy Reading!
The Insider
Seems Mayor Lizee and council members Hotvet, Siakel and Zerby have been infected with common sense regarding the cost of implementing the Trail Plan. View the meeting of 2/13 at http://weblink.ci.shorewood.mn.us/weblink8/0/doc/158583/Page1.aspx for the details.
Zerby now says spending $1.8 million for trails is "ludicrous", Hotvet thinks the costs are the "scariest" issue, Lizee says the $1.8 million is not committed and Siakel is now disturbed by the idea of spending $1.8 million.
This is the same group of folks who voted in favor of the 2012 capital budget that earmarked $1.8 million for the trails despite hearing council member Woodruff raise the same issues during budget approval discussions that these four have now belatedly discovered.
So, what's next?
Watching the meeting, one gets the impression of watching someone with their hair on fire. Lizee and buddies seem to be frantically searching for someone to give them the answer to the conrundrum of having an approved a plan that they now think they cannot fund. Lizee wants to send the mess to the Trail Committee or the Parks Commission. The Insider thinks these groups have done their jobs. They analyzed the needs (so to speak) and told the Council what they recommended. Council can't dump the lack of funding back on the commissions. Funding and strategy are council's responsibility.
Stay tuned as Lizee and buddies have to decide how much trails are worth.
Happy Reading!
The Insider
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
AIS - Shorewood's Next Steps?
2/22/12
The issue of AIS control at Christmas Lake boat ramp continues to be discussed at City Hall. Seems Mayor Lizee and Council Member Zerby have appointed themselves as a council committee and are holding meetings with the Watershed and others. The Mayor's approach to government continues to be for her to decide what to do and present a take it or leave it conclusion to council for prefunctry approval after the fact.
Most recently, the Mayor announced that SLMPD would train its Community Service Officers on AIS identification and enforcement of state law. This is good, but what about the rest of the SLMPD officers? They're the ones on the streets seeing boats, trailers, boatlifts and other equipment being transported through Shorewood.
To the insider, the CSO training is just lip service. Of course, Mayor Lizee and Chief Litsey can point to it as their being committed (but not too committed).
Happy Reading!
The Insider
The issue of AIS control at Christmas Lake boat ramp continues to be discussed at City Hall. Seems Mayor Lizee and Council Member Zerby have appointed themselves as a council committee and are holding meetings with the Watershed and others. The Mayor's approach to government continues to be for her to decide what to do and present a take it or leave it conclusion to council for prefunctry approval after the fact.
Most recently, the Mayor announced that SLMPD would train its Community Service Officers on AIS identification and enforcement of state law. This is good, but what about the rest of the SLMPD officers? They're the ones on the streets seeing boats, trailers, boatlifts and other equipment being transported through Shorewood.
To the insider, the CSO training is just lip service. Of course, Mayor Lizee and Chief Litsey can point to it as their being committed (but not too committed).
Happy Reading!
The Insider
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