HomeMy WebLinkAboutEditionEdinaJanuary20164801 W. 50th St.
Edina, MN 55424
952-927-8861
mail@EdinaMN.gov
EdinaMN.gov
The City of Edina
Legend of 2016-2017 Priorities:
Focused Redevelopment
Planning for the Future
Intergovernmental Relations
Transportation & Infrastructure
Enterprise Facilities
Minnesota Wild Defenseman Matt Dumba stops to take a selfie with fans after the team’s outdoor
practice Dec. 29 at Braemar Arena’s Backyard Rink. Hundreds of spectators gathered to watch the hour-
long practice that ended with a four-on-four game, followed by a shoot-out. After the practice, players
stuck around to sign autographs and take pictures with the fans. The 20-degree weather made perfect
practicing conditions as the Wild prepare to head outdoors for the upcoming 2016 Coors Light NHL
Stadium Series at TCF Stadium against the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 21.
Speak Up, Edina!
JANUARY 2016
Volume 3, Issue 1
Edi tion:
The City’s next online discussion is now
available at SpeakUpEdina.org. The discussion,
which focuses on volunteerism, is available until
March 7.
In addition to those who volunteer on Edina’s
boards and commissions, the City often relies
on community volunteers for a variety of
needs to augment staff. Many service and
volunteer clubs and organizations exist
throughout the community, offering residents
ways to get involved.
In the discussion, the City asks whether
residents volunteer any of their time and why,
in what capacity they volunteer, what volunteer
opportunities they’d like to participate in that
don’t currently exist in Edina, and if they would
volunteer for the City once a formal volunteer
program is in place. Feedback from this
discussion will be compiled and presented to
the City Council March 15.
This month, the City has been gathering
feedback on outdoor ice rinks. Questions
asked include whether residents use the
seasonal outdoor ice rinks in Edina’s parks,
what they think about the quality of rink setup
and maintenance, what their favorite ice activity
is and whether more structured programming
should be considered for the rinks. The
discussion is open until Feb. 8. Feedback from
this discussion will be compiled and presented
to the City Council Feb. 16.
To weigh in on a discussion, visit
SpeakUpEdina.org.
According to Meteorologist Paul Douglas,
December 2015 was the third warmest December
on record for the Twin Cities with an average
temperature of 30 degrees. While this delayed the
opening of many neighborhood skating rinks, the
City has been able to save more than $400,000 so
far this season in snow removal and maintenance
costs because of the warmer-than-normal weather.
“$80,000 of that $400,000 is a savings in fuel
costs alone,” said Public Works Director Brian
Olson, who also said Public Works crews were
able to sweep streets into the third week of
December, a big change from last year. “We had
about two weeks last year from when the leaves fell
to when the first snow followed. It wasn’t enough
time to get our streets properly cleaned and
cleared for winter, but we had more than enough
time this year.”
The $400,000 also included savings on salt usage
and overtime staff costs.
When the Public Works Department wasn’t
sweeping the streets, they were trimming trees on
City property, clearing buckthorn in parks, doing
some interior remodeling work at Braemar Arena
and working to get ahead on sign fabrication.
“Not that our guys haven’t enjoyed getting ahead
on projects – they would just rather be out plowing
snow,” said Olson. “It’s their bread and butter.
They take a lot of pride in the job they do and
enjoy the interaction with the community.”
By Jan. 2, the weather finally cooperated enough
for the City to open all 12 of its outdoor rinks. Rinks
typically open the middle of December. However,
staff wasn’t able to open Centennial Lakes Park
for skating until mid-January, which resulted in a
loss of $34,148 in operating revenue for the Park
in December compared to previous Decembers.
Despite the setback, the Park still managed to
come out ahead by more than $60,000 last year in
operating revenue, because of the nice weather
throughout the rest of the year.
“The loss was mostly from lack of skate rental
and concession revenues,” said Assistant Parks &
Recreation Director Susan Faus. “But with the Park
and neighborhood rinks finally open, we’re going
to keep them open as long as we can this season,
weather permitting.”
For more information about the outdoor skating
rinks, visit EdinaParks.com.
Mild Weather
Saves City Money
Wild About Hockey
This year, Edina residents may have a choice when it
comes to cable television.
On Dec. 15, the City Council unanimously approved
a franchise agreement with CenturyLink that will give
Edina residents an alternative to Comcast, which has
been Edina’s only cable provider for years.
Along with telephone and high-speed internet,
CenturyLink will soon be adding its cable service,
PRISM TV, to its list of offerings. CenturyLink’s goal is
to reach 15 percent of the city with PRISM TV within the
next two years.
CenturyLink will provide public and education channels
in a mosaic format on channel 26. Edina residents will
find the channels grouped together on one menu-
style channel along with other metro area public and
education channels. The City’s government channel
will have its own channel number – 236 – that will be
grouped along with other news providers such as CNN.
“The mosaic channel works like a selectable menu that
shows several channels on one screen. This will allow
residents to easily find the public and education channel
content that they would be most interested in,” said City
of Edina Video Production Coordinator Scott Denfeld.
At the end of Edina’s five-year franchise agreement
with CenturyLink, the City can assess the progress
of CenturyLink’s system buildout to ensure that
CenturyLink has met the requirements of the State
Cable Act, which requires the company to have its cable
system substantially complete within a five-year period.
The City can also revisit its agreement with CenturyLink
at the end of its term and extend it another five years if
CenturyLink has satisfied the build-out requirements.
The CenturyLink franchise is written to closely match
the Comcast franchise, so the City can regulate them
both in a similar manner. The City will receive 5 percent
of CenturyLink’s revenue from its cable services as a
franchise fee to allow the company to use the City’s
right-of-ways. The City will also receive 60 cents per
living unit or subscriber.
“I believe the Council expects that with the approval
of CenturyLink to be a cable franchise operator in our
community, we will see, over time, market conditions that
create lower pricing and improved quality from the cable
operators as they compete with each other for the cable
business of Edina residents,” said Mayor James Hovland.
At press time, CenturyLink had not announced a target
date for offering PRISM TV in Edina.
For more information on the new franchise agreement,
contact the Communications & Technology Department
at 952-826-0359.
CenturyLink to Enter the Edina Cable Market Photo by Mia VacantiDue to the successful turnout at last year’s event, the
City of Edina’s Parks & Recreation Department will host
its second-annual Winter Warm-Up Weekend.
The activity-packed weekend begins Friday, Feb. 5 and
goes through Sunday, Feb. 7, with events held at various
facilities throughout Edina.
“We have a lot of events in the summer and fall months,
but not a lot of events in the winter,” said Recreation
Supervisor Amanda Clarke. “We wanted to provide an
event we could have each winter so that families can
get out of the house and participate in different fun
activities.”
Beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, Edinborough
Park will host Family Movie Night with a screening of
“Enchanted.” General admission fees to the park apply.
From 8 to 9:30 p.m., Braemar Arena will host free open
skating at the Backyard Rink.
The activities continue on Saturday, Feb. 6, with events
occurring all day throughout the city. From 10 a.m.
to noon, Pamela Park will have free open skating, hot
chocolate and s’mores around the fire pit. The Edina Art
Center will host a “create a snow sculpture” event from
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the Braemar Golf Dome will have a
drive, chip and putt competition from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For those interested in indoor fun, Edinborough Park
has planned its “Trot Around the Track” event for kids,
with prizes awarded to participants. General admission
fees to the park apply.
The night of Saturday, Feb. 6, features two events at
Braemar Field, including free family night from 6:30
to 8:30 p.m. Families can play with provided sporting
equipment, walk the track or use the batting cages.
Night games for teens will be held 8:30 to 10 p.m. at
Braemar Field.
Two final events will be held the evening of Sunday,
Feb. 7. The first is a free Nordic walking pole
demonstration at 3 p.m. at the Edina Senior Center.
Following that, from 5 to 8 p.m., there will be free open
skating, glow gear and popcorn at Centennial Lakes
Park. Skate rental fees apply.
“This event is a great way to showcase the facilities that
we have here in Edina,” said Parks & Recreation Director
Ann Kattreh.
“We made sure to spread out the events so that people
can attend multiple if they want to,” said Clarke. “We
hope to have even more participants this year than we
did the last.”
The Parks & Recreation Department will collect new
or gently used children’s books at all Winter Warm-Up
locations throughout the weekend. The books will be
used to replenish the lending libraries located in City
facilities, such as Edinborough Park.
For more information on Winter Warm-Up Weekend,
contact Clarke at 952-826-0433 or aclarke@EdinaMN.gov.
Parks & Recreation To Host Second-Annual Winter Warm-Up Weekend
JANUARY 2016
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, Feb. 2, 7 p.m.
City Council Meeting, Edina City Hall.
Friday, Feb. 5, 6:30 p.m.
Family Movie Night, “Enchanted,”
Edinborough Park.
Friday, Feb. 5, 8-9:30 p.m.
Winter Warm-Up, free open skating,
Braemar Arena’s Backyard Rink.
Saturday, Feb. 6, 10 a.m.-noon Winter Warm-Up, open skating, Pamela Park.
Saturday, Feb. 6, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Winter Warm-Up, snow sculpture making,
Edina Art Center.
Sunday, Feb. 7, 3 p.m.
Winter Warm-Up, Nordic walking,
Edina Senior Center.
Sunday, Feb. 7, 5-8 p.m.
Winter Warm-Up, open skating,
Centennial Lakes Park.
Monday, Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m. Community Health Commission Meeting, Edina City Hall.
Tuesday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m.
Heritage Preservation Board Meeting,
Edina City Hall.
Tuesday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m.
Park Board Meeting,
Edina City Hall.
Wednesday, Feb. 10, 4-6 p.m.
MnDOT public open house regarding
Highway 169, Hopkins High School.
Wednesday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m. Planning Commission Meeting, Edina City Hall.
Thursday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m.
Energy & Environment Commission Meeting,
Edina City Hall.
Monday, Feb. 15
Presidents Day, City Hall Closed.
Wednesday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m.
City Council Meeting,
Edina City Hall.
Thursday, Feb. 18, 6 p.m.
Transportation Commission Meeting,
Edina City Hall.
Saturday, Feb. 20, 9 a.m.
Walk With The Mayor, Galleria Edina.
Saturday, Feb. 20, 5:30 p.m.
Dinner & A Movie, “Cinderella,”
Braemar Golf Course.
Tuesday, Feb. 23, 7 p.m.
Human Rights & Relations Commission
Meeting, Edina City Hall.
Wednesday, Feb. 24, 11:30 a.m.
State of the Community,
Interlachen Country Club.
Wednesday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m. Planning Commission Meeting, Edina City Hall.
Thursday, Feb. 25, 4:30 p.m.
Arts & Culture Commission Meeting,
Edina City Hall.
Five members have been appointed to a task force that
will take a look at and make recommendations to improve
Edina’s municipal liquor operation, Edina Liquor.
“Everyone has a stake in this – not just the liquor store and
City staff,” said City Manager Scott Neal. “The better the
stores do, the less residents pay in taxes and the more the
City can do.”
Following a call for task force volunteers in late 2015,
Neal said a large number of residents showed interest in
serving. “It’s very exciting and uplifting to get that sort of
response,” Neal said.
David Burley, Ed Cracraft, Mike Lynch, Nick Pahl and Birdy
Rand were selected for their vast and varying experience
in hospitality, retail or marketing. The volunteer task force
will look at all aspects of Edina Liquor, from the customer
experience, pricing structure, and services and products
offered, to operating costs, marketing plans and store
management.
“Edina Liquor is still profitable; however, we want to
get back to a higher level of profitability seen in recent
years,” Neal said. “With the task force, we’ll get a fresh
perspective on operations and on what we can do
differently to continue to make Edina Liquor succeed.”
While still profitable, Edina Liquor’s profitability
has decreased due to increased competition in the
marketplace. In response to this change and decreased
profit, the City has taken measures to entice customers
and increase sales, such as growing marketing efforts,
remodeling stores, providing customer service training for
staff and decreasing profit margins on products.
Neal will ask the task force to study and resolve the
following questions:
• How can the City increase the profits of its municipal
liquor operations without compromising its commitment
to restricting access to non-adults?
• What operational practices can the City adopt to control
its operating costs, while not diminishing its profitability
and quality of the customer experience?
• What operational practices can the City adopt to
improve the overall retail experience to our consumers
without decreasing profits or increasing net operating
costs?
• What marketing strategies can the City adopt that will
increase sales and market share?
• What management practices and structures can the
City adopt that will better inform city management
and elected officials of the municipal liquor system’s
operating performance?
The task force will begin meeting in February and is
anticipated to continue its work through July, when it
will prepare a report with recommendations. During
the process, the task force may engage with residents
and lead community outreach efforts. Neal will review
the recommendations and tentatively plans to share the
report with the City Council in August.
Those who wish to express an idea or comment about the
process can contact Assistant City Manager Lisa Schaefer
at lschaefer@EdinaMN.gov. For more information, contact
the Administration Department at 952-826-0364.
Following the completion
of construction projects
on Minnesota Highway
100 through Edina and St.
Louis Park in late 2016, the
Minnesota Department of
Transportation (MnDOT)
plans to begin work on
U.S. Highway 169 between
Highways 62 and 55.
All are invited to attend
an open house from 4
to 6 p.m. Wednesday,
Feb. 10, at Hopkins High
School, 2400 Lindbergh
Drive, Minnetonka, to
learn more about the
project and planned
improvements. Once
complete, safety and
accessibility will be improved and drivers will enjoy a
smoother road surface and a longer-lasting, safer bridge
that spans Nine Mile Creek.
As part of the project, the southbound entrance and exit
ramps to West 16th Street will close, ramps at Cedar Lake
Road will be lengthened to increase safety, and the bridge
over Nine Mile Creek (between Bren Road and Lincoln
Drive) will be replaced and pavement will be repaired. The
project includes other repairs and improvements as well.
MnDOT expects the
project to cause major
impacts to traffic as the
highway will be closed
for one year at the bridge
replacement location
to allow for removal
and replacement of the
existing bridge. Additional
lane closures are expected
throughout the project’s
duration.
The existing bridge
is 3,000 feet long. Its
current condition, which
has deteriorated due to
drainage problems and
age, requires the bridge
be replaced by 2020.
The bridge will also be
constructed to accommodate any future expansion of
Highway 169.
According to MnDOT, consolidating all planned projects
on Highway 169 during a full closure reduces the
construction impacts from three years to one year. The
project’s timeline will also ensure that alternate routes are
not affected by construction.
For more information on this project, visit mndot.gov/
metro/projects/hwy169hopkins.
The City Council rejected proposed plans in
November for a new Bank of America at 6868
France Ave. As part of the proposal, the existing
3,098-square-foot former Think Bank building
would be razed.
Developers have proposed a one-story,
7,190-square-foot, LEED-certified building with
a drive-up ATM. Merrill Lynch would also be a
tenant in the building, but each business would
have a separate, dedicated entrance.
The 21.8-acre site is zoned as a Planned Office
District and currently includes an eight-story
office building and attached restaurant. The new
building would use existing shared site access
and parking. Storm water ponding areas are also
included in the proposal.
At its Nov. 4 meeting, the City Council voted to
deny the project as proposed. The City Council
expressed concerns over the development’s site
layout, building materials and location of the
drive-up ATM. Bank of America representatives
asked the City Council at its Nov. 10 meeting to
not take final action on the denial of the project so
they can address the Council’s concerns.
“The developers are taking the City Council’s
comments and concerns seriously and want to
make this project in Edina work for this flagship
location,” said Community Development Director
Cary Teague. “They have hired local architecture
firm DJR Architecture to redesign and rework the
building and site layout.”
Bank of America expects to be back before the
City Council at its Feb. 2 meeting.
For more information, contact the Planning
Division at 952-826-0369.
MnDOT to Host Highway 169 Open House
City Appoints Five to Liquor Task Force
Photo by Jordan GilgenbachSubmitted RenderingThe public is invited to an informational open house Feb. 10 to
learn about construction planned for Highway 169. As part of the
project, a portion of the highway will close for a year.
The City Council denied this plan of a new Bank of America
building. A new plan will be proposed next month.
Council Rejects
Bank Plans
HR Leads Recruitments
The City of Edina’s Human Resources Department was especially busy in 2015. Here are some stats for the year:
11 Retirements
389 Interviews scheduled for full-time jobs
During the interview process, candidates are asked questions related to
the City’s organizational values of integrity, quality and service.
342
Part-time or seasonal positions
filled
2,918
Applicants
Dick Johns, center, retired from Edinborough Park in November after
working at the indoor park for 28 years.
Kay McAloney was
hired as Human
Resources Director
and began work in
October.
36 Full-time positions filled
For more information on the City’s Human
Resources Department, call 952-826-0364.Photo by Mia VacantiFile Photo