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SUBJECT: Turtles

I am writing to say that I strongly disagree with the explanation for this

problem that has been given in the EP News and on channel 9. I have lived in

Eden Prairie for many years, and I have NEVER seen anything like this

year’s turtle problem. I would suggest that further research might

disclose a different cause for the turtle trouble.

This year, I have observed turtles crossing 169, 494 and Anderson Lakes

Parkway (and getting creamed in the process). The crossings that I observed

had one thing in common-the turtles were moving AWAY from the lake that

had been drained last year. On 169, the turtles were dying on the

southbound lane-they had no chance to make it onto the northbound lane.

The same phenomenon happened on 494. I couldn’t believe that turtles were

getting onto the eastbound lanes-and dying there.

I know that there was a reason that the lake was drained. However, I think

the turtles were unintended victims, but victims all the same. If, in the

future, plans are made to drain any other lakes, I do hope that the effect

on the turtles is considered and mitigated as future plans are made

SUBJECT: Water Consumption

I think the answer to your questions on why less water is being used are a

combo of all the reasons you listed. I know I,m using my sprinkler system

less this year.

SUBJECT: LGA and State Budget Cuts

I enjoy reading your blog. Thanks for writing it. I especially appreciated

your insights into the Homestead Credit and how the state doesn’t actually

always pay the cities.

I do have a question maybe you have an insight that you would care to

share. It concerns Local Government Aid. I do not think Eden Prairie gets

any so LGA cuts mean little or nothing to the EP budget. Here is my

question; how could a person in a similar position to yourself in another

city in Minnesota ever think it would be a good thing to have 40 or 70% of

their city budget paid for using LGA? I believe Wilmar is an example at 40%

and Duluth is the poster child for LGA-based budgeting at 70%. In my mind,

there is something basically wrong with having such a large city budget

without have the local taxpayers pick up the vast majority of the cost.

Thanks and keep up the good work!

SUBJECT: Speaking at Eden Prairie High School

I just wanted to thank you for the spontaneous and enjoyable visit to our

4th hour Government class with Mr. Bray. It was really cool to get an inside

scoop on how our city works and how crucial your position is to keep things

moving. I was also particularly glad to hear you speak about volunteer

opportunities such as Volunteer Firefighting. I have been interested in

volunteering for Eden Prairie since my father was a firefighter in Eden

Prairie a few years ago (he currently works full time for St. Paul Fire).

After hearing you speak, I felt inclined to apply for any position I could

find in Eden Prairie. Currently, there is an opening for a volunteer

firefighter (recruiting in Spring 2010) and another position at the

Community Center. I would love to be a part of either facility, and will be

keeping my fingers crossed. Again, thank you for taking time out of your

busy schedule to speak to our class. We all learned a lot in a short time.

Good luck with the “Downtown” project!

SUBJECT: Poor Street Maintenance

When repaving streets, why are we lazy (or cheap) when we don’t reset them?

Our main thoroughfare street, Cumberland, has several in the north lane that

are HORRIBLE…like a huge permanent pothole. And one is tough to dodge

without crossing over into the other lane of traffic. I appreciate a

response. Thank You.

SUBJECT: Franlo Road

After 10 years of living in Eden Prairie, nobody I’ve asked seems to know

why we have two Franlo Roads. One between Prairie Center Drive and Preserve

Boulevard; one between Anderson Lakes Parkway and Normandy Crest. We live

on Meade Lane (near the second one) and always have to caution people to

take the second Franlo to our home instead of the first.

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That’s it for today.

If you’re interested in learning more about the City’s Therapeutic Recreation programs - click here: TR Programs. If you’re interested in promoting TR in Eden Prairie or anywhere else, here are thirty one ideas to do that, c/o the National Recreation and Park Association:

1. Have your mayor and governor proclaim July 13-19, 2003 as National Therapeutic Recreation Week. Go to www.nrpa.org to get a sample proclamation.

2. Organize a disability awareness event.

3. Organize a Senior Olympics Day. Have events such as speed walking, softball throw, golf putt, Frisbee toss, basketball shoot-out, card toss, etc.

4. Organize an intergenerational program for seniors and children, such as story time, reading programs to encourage reading or other programs that might enhance academic performance.

5. Organize a presentation to co-workers on the benefits of therapeutic recreation.

6. Organize a basketball tournament or other sports event involving persons with disabilities.

7. Produce and distribute handouts with leisure education activities to co-workers.

8. Organize a lip-sync contest. Make it a rule that the songs must incorporate a leisure activity.

9. Organize an open house and workshop on therapeutic recreation for health care professionals in your area.

10. Outfit your staff in therapeutic recreation apparel. See www.nrpa.org.

11. Hold a workshop for coaches on inclusion and the benefits of sports for kids with disabilities.

12. Create a fact sheet on therapeutic recreation.

13. Organize a community “Buddy Walk” for persons with disabilities and a community partner. Promote inclusion and health lifestyles.

14. Organize an event at which people who have benefited from therapeutic recreation share their success stories.

15. Promote mental health fitness through activities.

16. Organize a barrier-fall day to promote removing barriers for people with disabilities from participating.

17. Organize a question-and-answer session with government officials to educate them on therapeutic recreation.

18. Organize a benefits custom day in which participants’ dress highlight the benefits of therapeutic recreation.

19. Take the “About Therapeutic Recreation” brochure to your doctor on your next visit to promote education. (The brochure can be purchased from NRPA at www.nrpa.org.)

20. Submit an article or press release on National Therapeutic Recreation Week to your local newspapers.

21. Invite news reporters and television news to one of your special events to educate your local community.

22. Speak at your next city council meeting about the accessibility needs of your community.

23. Write letters to and visit local businesses about being accessible to persons with disabilities.

24. In your facility, organize an ice cream social, a barbeque, Hawaiian luau, comedy/magic show, volleyball tournament, talent show, table games tournament or family game nights.

25. Feature adapted equipment and explain simple modifications that can enhance program accessibility.

26. Develop a raised garden in your facility. Have community members choose items to grow.

27. Partner with community mental health professionals to hold a month-long leisure-education class.

28. Have participants and residents write stories of how therapeutic recreation has affected them. Post these and their pictures.

29. Invite community parks and recreation staff to an open discussion on inclusion and what it means.

30. Place the definition of therapeutic recreation on your e-mail signature as a way to market what therapeutic recreation is.

31. Place the definition of therapeutic recreation on your business card.

Start spreading the word today!

It’s a short article. Well worth the read.

Every summer our Water Treatment Plant, and all guys who work there, come under great stress as average daily water consumption explodes from 7-8 million gallons of water per day to 21-23 million gallons per day. The tripling of consumption stresses our equipment and our water supply, not to mention the stress it puts on the employees to produce the same quality of product — only three times as much of it.

Why does Eden Prairie’s water demand triple in the summer months? Two words: outdoor watering. The increase in the demand for water of 14-15 millions gallons of water per day is solely attributable to the amount of water that we put onto outdoor plants and lawns. It’s a big deal.

However, this summer has been different. We had a couple of 20 MGD days in May, but we haven’t had another one in over a month — and we’re creeping into early July already. Typically, by this time of the summer, we’ve been talking about outdoor water limitations or outright bans. This year, not the case. And, we have a new well (#16 in Pheasant Woods Park) that will be coming on line in mid-August.

So, knock on wood, things are looking pretty good at the water plant this summer. Our question around City Hall is: Why? Are residents consuming less water in order to lower their water bills? Are residents more concerned with conservation? Is there less grass or outdoor plants to be watered? Has the weather been friendlier this summer? We’re looking into this a bit. What do you think?

Citizen: “We live on Gould Road. If you travel about 100 feet east from the east

edge of our lot you will find one of the EP recreational trails that goes

north to Pioneer Park. Today, a big cottonwood limb fell on that path and

now blocks it. Someone with a truck and a couple chainsaws might want to

investigate. Thanks.”

Dear (________),

Thank you for your email regarding the tree branch blocking the trail in Pioneer Park. I’ve passed the information onto our park maintenance crew and they will be out to the park to open up that path.

We appreciate you informing us of items like this. Feel free to call or email with any concerns you see in your neighborhood park.

Thanks.

Brenda Uting

Administrative Assistant

Parks and Recreation

City of Eden Prairie

Brenda is really good with citizen requests like this, both online and on the phone. Providing good customer service is important to Brenda. She’ll follow this action from beginning to end to make sure it gets done and the resident gets the information.

Nice job Brenda.

There were a couple of things that I founded interesting about the article. First, I think it would surprise residents how many of these bogus “tips” or accusations we have to respond to in city government. It’s a lot more than you’d think. In Eden Prairie it’s stories like the city spent $20,000,000 on the new Community Center (not true); the city is secretly plotting with the MAC to expand the airport (nope); or that the city is responsible for “bringing in” the thousands of Somali residents that now call Eden Prairie home (also not true).

That’s just to name a few. Why should you care? Well, if you’re a taxpayer in Eden Prairie, your tax dollars are spent on the staff time and legal services that we incur to respond to bogus tips and accusations. It’s money, I’d argue, that could be saved or spent on other more worthwhile causes.

The second thing that I thought was interesting about the article was that Steve Brandt took the time to investigate. Too many times - waaay too many times - the media conspires with the bogus tipsters and allegators to perpetuate the volume of misinformation in the public sphere. Brandt’s story is a great example of a media member taking time to make a few calls to investigate and clear up a false lead. Citizens don’t see enough stories like this that show a government worker caring enough to make a prudent decision and taking a reasonable course of action. I see hundreds of examples of that each week and rarely examples of the contrary.

Thanks Steve Brandt for taking the time to write this story today. It’s much appreciated.

I think it’s sad to see dead turtles on the shoulders of our roads. Unlike deer, rabbits, squirrels and other more fleet-of-foot animals, the turtle has got little chance on the road. Once they start their crossing, they only make it if drivers are attentive and courteous enough to dodge them. I would not want my life to be dependent on the attentiveness and courtesy of drivers. Would you?

City staff have been working with staff from the Minnesota DNR and the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District on some solutions for this problem. The following is a story from the local FOX News affiliate’s website: http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/must_read/Turtles_Run_Over_by_Drivers_in_Eden_Prairie_july_02_2009

One correction: the turtle fence was installed by the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District. We appreciate their willingness to do it.

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It’s a long day with something for everyone. Good weather on Saturday would be much appreciated.

City looking to keep levy flat for next two years

Submitted by Leah Shaffer on June 24, 2009 - 1:27pm.

For the city of Eden Prairie, the rainy day has arrived. That means this fall, as staff and council members gear up for the next two-year budget cycle, it may be the time when the city taps into its rainy day fund.

City Manager Scott Neal said that the goal is to keep the tax levy flat into 2010 and 2011. To make that feasible, the city would keep employee wages flat in 2010 and tap into its reserve - more formally known as the budget stabilization fund, which currently has approximately $5 million in it.

Neal said both of those actions are appropriate given the purpose of the reserves, which was to cover the city in downturns and also given the fact that employee wages are flattening throughout the private sector economy so it’s not unreasonable for them to be flattened in the public sector economy.

The city typically operates under a two-year budget planning cycle, which starts up again this fall. Last year, in light of the economic downturn, the council took the step of amending the 2009 levy to keep city taxes flat from 2008. A wrinkle in that plan came about this spring when it became apparent that the city faced an unprecedented lag in revenue that typically comes through building development.

To fill the projected shortfall, the city tapped $500,000 from the budget stabilization fund, $200,000 saved in the operations budget and $300,000 in personnel reductions, which eliminated 10 employee positions. Four of the positions were unfilled, while six full-time city employees were let go. Neal noted that since cutting the six employees, one was rehired to another position.

Neal said that the city reduced the number of employees in areas where the workload was decreasing, primarily related to building development. Another position was cut because it was a case where the city could redistribute the work from that position among existing staff members.

Unless the economy changes drastically, Neal does not plan on proposing additional layoffs for this year, or into 2010-11.
If the economy takes another downturn, all bets are off, he noted, but “right now we’re not projecting additional decreases in staffing levels.”

Though facing tight budgets and layoffs, Eden Prairie finds itself in a far better position than many cities, which may soon bear the brunt of impacts from cuts in state aid.

The legislative session adjourned with an approximately $2.7 million gap in the budget. The gap is being addressed through the unallotment process. According to the Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s office, the unallotment reductions will include a $200 million cut to local aids and credits to cities and townships.

Eden Prairie receives money from the state in two forms: aid to police and firefighter pensions (which will likely be unaffected this session) and through the Market Value Homestead Credit. As part of the cuts proposed by the governor, Eden Prairie will not be receiving its Market Value Homestead Credit reimbursement from the state for 2010 and 2011. According to Neal’s blog on the subject, the state owes the city $456,419 in 2010 and $511,416 in 2011.

The MVHC program requires that cities provide a tax break for residents and then the state reimburses cities for the lost revenue. Neal has previously written about the problems with the program. In a recent blog entry on the subject, he wrote, “While the MVHC program may be a noble program established out of noble sentiment, the state operates it is as (almost) a scam.”

In an interview, Neal noted that Eden Prairie did not receive its MVHC reimbursement in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. In 2008, the city received half the fund and then the governor unallotted the second half, while no reimbursement will be forthcoming in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Neal noted that the city gives a tax break, but then the state decides not to reimburse cities because it can’t afford it.

“It’s disingenuous and it’s not transparent,” he said about the program.

It’s also a program that Eden Prairie doesn’t count on. Neal noted that some cities budget for MVHC as an operating revenue in their general funds.

But, for a number of years Eden Prairie has funneled this fluctuating revenue source into capital improvements. City operations are not dependent on the credit.

While Eden Prairie is not dependent on state aid, other cities who set their budgets based on Local Government Aid (LGA) will feel the pinch. Eden Prairie does not receive LGA.

“I think in some cities it’s going to be devastating,” said Neal, noting that in Northfield where he was previously a city manager, 30 percent of the city’s general fund revenue came from LGA. Neal said the city that will face the biggest struggle is probably going to be St. Paul, which is dependent on LGA and the fiscal disparities program.

While LGA will be cut, the funds for fiscal disparities are tied to the commercial real estate base, noted Neal.

When it comes to Eden Prairie, “we’re fortunate on three fronts, really,” Neal said
He said Eden Prairie is fortunate that it is not depending on state financial aid, and that city leaders in past decades were able to put money away.

When growth shot up in the ’90s, “those city leaders recognized that it wasn’t always going to be like that and they established some reserve funds for just this kind of time.”

Thirdly, Neal noted that Eden Prairie has a lot of good people here on its council and staff who are going to figure out ways to fulfill the city’s mission with the same or fewer resources.

“We have smart people here and we’re going to figure out how to keep doing what needs to be done.”

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The tennis courts were in rough shape. The City is engaged in a project right now to reconstruct them. We hired a construction company to remove the old courts, reshape the soil, and to build new courts and fencing. There were eight courts in the past. There will be eight courts in the future.

The cost of the project is around $400,000. We had $500,000 in our budget, so the current economic situation seams to have produced a good project cost for us. The City and the School District are splitting the cost of this project 50%-50%. We use the tennis courts for our programming and for general public use. The School District uses the courts for its athletic programs. It’s a fair way to split the costs.

They’re gone, but they’ll be back — hopefully by the start of September. Perhaps the end of August.