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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEditionEdinaNovember2016NOVEMBER 2016 Volume 3, Issue 11 Edi tion: Visit the ‘Up North’ Holiday Gift Gallery Each year, the Edina Art Center transforms itself into an art-filled winter wonderland during the “Up North” Holiday Gift Gallery event. The gallery features one-of- a-kind handmade gifts created by 47 regional artists. This year’s Up North event began Nov. 17 and will be held through Dec. 28 during the Edina Art Center’s regular business hours. “This sale, previously known as ‘Gifts, Gifts, Gifts!,’ has been held for over 20 years,” said Edina Art Center General Manager Michael Frey. “It’s all focused on handmade and handcrafted items. We try to have a variety of items, including jewelry, pottery, paintings, re-purposed cashmere and wool items, handcrafted wood cutting boards and one-of-a-kind wood items from some of the favorite artists each year.” Artists are all from the Midwest and are selected annually by a committee. Artists and their artwork are selected to fit the show’s price points and to ensure that the items are handmade and unique to the show. “Every year, we bring in around 10 new artists who have not previously exhibited here. And then we always bring back several of the favorites,” said Pottery Studio Manager Sandra Shaughnessy. “One thing that is really different about our show is that we really focus on handmade, artist-designed gifts. Artists are in that fine craft or fine art field.” Shaughnessy is also a featured artist in the show. “Another thing we’re doing new this year is that we’re going to be open between Christmas and New Year’s. So, we’ll be open for those very last- minute shoppers,” said Frey, who encourages visitors to shop early and often. New items will be restocked as needed throughout the season. The gallery is open to all and will have a range of price points to fit any budget, from $5 to $250. For more information, contact Frey at 952-903-5729 or mfrey@EdinaMN.gov. City of Edina Video Production Coordinator Scott Denfeld holds an Emmy won for “Public Art Profiles,” an Edina TV show that features artists whose work is on display in Edina’s public spaces. This is the second consecutive year “Public Art Profiles” has won a Regional Emmy. The award was presented by the Upper Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Oct. 29 at the Radisson Blu in Bloomington. And the Emmy Goes To …Photo by Dietrich Nissen4801 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 Voters chose Mary Brindle to serve her third term on the Edina City Council and added newcomer Mike Fischer in the Tuesday, Nov. 8, General Election. Fischer received 33 percent of the votes for the two open “at-large” seats on the five-member Council. Brindle got 28 percent, edging out Jennifer Janovy, who received 26 percent of the votes. “To have over 11,000 people show up for the purpose of coloring the oval next to your name is truly a humbling thought,” Brindle said. “I thank everyone for their support.” “I’m so excited,” said Fischer, who spent the morning after the election picking up his campaign signs. “I am joining a really good City Council.” Fischer thanked Ann Swenson, who is stepping down from City Council, for seeking him out to run for her seat. “Those are big shoes to fill,” Fischer said. “She’s been a great City Council member for a long time.” Fischer, an architect and urban planner, ran primarily because he thought his knowledge and experience could help the City as it develops the 2018 Comprehensive Plan. The plan, required by law, lays out the vision for the next 20 years. “What I’ve done for the last 30 years is help cities figure out and plan for their futures,” Fischer said. “Right now is the time I can add a lot of value.” Brindle also stressed the importance of community involvement in the Comprehensive Plan. Her other priorities are affordable housing, transportation alternatives and ensuring Edina is an inclusive community to all, goals that Fischer shares. “This is a wonderful community, and I’m very proud of Edina,” Brindle said. “The challenges we have are things that will improve our community. “ Reach Brindle at mbrindle@EdinaMN.gov and Fischer at mike@fischerforedina.com. Election Results Edina City Council At-Large The top two vote-getters in the Tuesday, Nov. 8, election won Council seats. • Michael A. Fisher – 13,729 • Mary Brindle – 11,962 • Jennifer Janovy – 11,161 • Donna Callender – 4,985 Source: Minnesota Secretary of State Office Brindle, Fischer Win City Council Seats Mary Brindle Mike Fischer The master planning process to turn the former Fred Richards Golf Course into the City of Edina’s newest park gem is under way. On Oct. 18, the City Council approved a $70,000 contract for the Minneapolis firm Confluence to assist in a community process that will culminate in the final plan for the 43-acre site in the Lake Edina area. The future Fred Richards Park will be roughly the size of Highlands or Walnut Ridge park and almost double the size of Centennial Lakes Park. “A property this size doesn’t come available that often,” said Director of Parks & Recreation Ann Kattreh. “It has the potential to impact residents throughout the whole city.” That’s also why the roughly year-long process to develop a park plan will include extensive public input and extended comment time to ensure snowbirds will be back to offer their thoughts. The City of Edina gathered a lot of ideas from people in a 2014 Fred Richards Vision Master Plan for the golf course property. The principles from that are part of this next wave of planning. “We don’t want to lose the work we did,” Kattreh said. “We want to build on it.” Some of those ideas included a playground, open areas for activities like walking or snowshoeing and another area for sports fields. The goal is to give the park a wide array of features so it offers a multitude of activities for all ages and as many interests as possible, Kattreh said. The project has its challenges. As a former golf course, the land is long and narrow. It is dotted with wetlands areas. The park area is surrounded by houses, apartments and businesses, so the planning will include parking, minimizing traffic through surrounding neighborhoods and adding access points, including those for people who are walking or riding bicycles. A section of the Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail already runs through the property. After the research and initial public input is gathered, preliminary designs for the park will be drawn up. Community input will be sought on those. From there, a preferred plan will be developed to put before the Park Board and City Council for final approval. Then begins development of a funding source and eventually the physical work to transform the land from a golf course into a destination park for everyone. To keep up to date on the developing Fred Richards Park or see the 2014 vision plan, visit EdinaMN.gov/ fredrichardspark. Questions regarding the master plan process should be directed to Kattreh at akattreh@EdinaMN.gov or 952-826-0430. Planning Under Way for New Fred Richards Park What else should be built with the new Southdale Library? That’s the question Hennepin County is looking to answer. In the next three to five years, the Southdale Library will be rebuilt on the site, but there is room for more, such as housing, offices or retail. The County is working with the City to hold two community meetings to gather public input on redeveloping the 8-acre site. The meetings will be held at the Southdale Library, 7001 York Ave., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5, and 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13. “The Southdale Regional Center site no longer meets the needs and expectations of Hennepin County residents. The space layout does not support County services and the building needs multi-million-dollar repairs,” said Hennepin County Board Chair Jan Callison. “The County Board has identified better ways to provide service center and courthouse services for residents in this portion of Hennepin County. Moving those services off the York Avenue site creates a major opportunity for creative redevelopment in conjunction with the new library.” In May 2016, the Hennepin County Service Center relocated to Southdale Center. The Court facilities are anticipated to relocate to Bloomington in 2019. “As with many other aging facilities in the greater Southdale area, the Hennepin County site has an overabundance of surface parking lots,” said Bill Neuendorf, Edina’s Economic Development Manager. “The changing role and services of public libraries presents a unique opportunity to reconsider the needs of a public library, while incorporating private uses elsewhere on the site.” Based on the shared interest in the site and the eventual need for rezoning, a preliminary planning exercise is warranted before any proposals for development are received. The Edina Housing & Redevelopment Authority (HRA) is leading the process, supervising three consultants. HRA will lead the public engagement process and prepare preliminary site concepts. Maxfield Research will conduct a preliminary market analysis. Braun Intertec will conduct a preliminary environmental assessment. Hennepin County will reim- burse the HRA for staff and consultant time. Public input from the community meetings in December will be used to shape a request for proposals that will eventually be issued to the real estate development community. Neuendorf said that formal proposals will most likely be collected in the spring and forwarded to the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners to make a final selection in summer 2017. Meetings to discuss library programs and design are planned to take place in 2018. For more information, contact Neuendorf at 952-826-0407 or visit EdinaMN.gov/southdalelibrarysite. To share your ideas, visit SpeakUpEdina.org and participate in the discussion. Southdale Library Site to Be Redeveloped In the next three to five years, the Southdale Library will be rebuilt on the same site it is now located, but there is room for more, such as housing, offices or retail.Submitted Photo NOVEMBER 2016 For information on Edina’s Health Division, visit EdinaMN.gov/Health. • Photos by Lauren Siebenaler December 2016 Events Thursday, Nov. 24 Thanksgiving, City Hall Closed Friday, Nov. 25 City Hall Closed Sunday, Dec. 4, 7 p.m. Minneapolis Police Band, Edinborough Park Tuesday, Dec. 6, 7 p.m. City Council, Edina City Hall Thursday, Dec. 8, 7 p.m. Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall Thursday, Dec. 8, 7 p.m. Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall Friday, Dec. 9, 6:30 p.m. Family Movie Night, Edinborough Park Family Movie Night will feature ‘Finding Dory.’ Saturday, Dec. 10, 9 a.m. Breakfast with Santa, Braemar Golf Course Enjoy a fun-filled morning with Santa in a casual environment. Visit with Santa by the fireplace. A buffet- style breakfast with be served. Bring your camera! Space is limited. Monday, Dec. 12, 6:30 p.m. Community Health Commission, Edina City Hall Tuesday, Dec. 13, 7 p.m. Park Board, Edina City Hall Tuesday, Dec. 13, 7 p.m. Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall Wednesday, Dec. 14, 7 p.m. Planning Commission, Edina City Hall Thursday, Dec. 15, 4:30 p.m. Arts & Culture Commission, Studio 14, Edina Art Center Thursday, Dec. 15, 6 p.m. Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall Saturday, Dec. 17, 9 a.m. Walk with the Mayor, Braemar Arena Saturday, Dec. 17, 10:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Santa Land, Braemar Arena Bring the kids to Braemar Arena for a fun Santa event. Mrs. Claus will capture the memory with a photo to take home. Santa Land features a craft station, cookie- decorating station, open skating and a visit from Santa and his helper. Open skate with skate rentals available 10:40-11:40 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20, 7 p.m. City Council, Edina City Hall Monday, Dec. 26 City Hall Closed An Inspection of Numbers in the Health Division 3 Number of staff in the City of Edina’s Health Division 350 Number of free Max Air compost buckets available for Edina residents to pick up 75 The percentage of waste the State of Minnesota wants to see recycled or composted by 2030 in Hennepin County. Number of establishments inspected a minimum of twice a year 28 The number of Health Departments in Minnesota 177 89 6 Food Pools Lodging To help residents better understand their water usage, the City has changed the way it measures water consumption. The City has completed a city-wide conversion on water and sewer bills from 100 cubic feet to 1,000 gallons as the unit of measurement. Assistant Finance Director Kyle Sawyer says the reason behind the change is that most people have an idea what a gallon is, but struggle to visualize a cubic foot. “We all buy products in gallons. We don’t buy milk in cubic feet, for example, so it’s hard for people to understand that unit of measurement,” he said. Local Government Information Systems Association (LOGIS) worked with the City to convert the unit of measurement. LOGIS is a consortium of more than 70 cities in Minnesota. According to LOGIS, 20 member cities are currently utilizing their utility billing application. Pamela Kummer, Senior Support Analyst at LOGIS, said switching units of measurement involves an intensive testing process of the utility billing system to ensure it’s in working order. The conversion was completed in phases throughout the year. The first customers to see the new unit of measurement received their bills earlier this month. For more information, contact Sawyer at 952-826-0420 or ksawyer@EdinaMN.gov. There are several ways residents can pay their water bill: • by cash, check or credit card at City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St. • by mailing a payment stub with check to City Hall. • signing up for the automatic payment plan for recurring bank account or debit/credit card payments. City Changes Way Water Consumption Is Measured Braemar Field Kicks Off Expanded ‘Tot Time’ Program Do you know someone who has made significant contributions to the Edina community in the advancement of human rights? The City of Edina’s Human Rights & Relations Commission (HRRC) seeks nominations for the 2017 Tom Oye Human Rights Award. Oye helped found the HRRC in 1970 and served on it for more than 30 years. Anyone who lives, studies or works in Edina or who has made significant human rights contributions to the community is eligible for nomination. The commission will evaluate nominees based on their efforts to foster respect and dignity for others, model courage and/or compassion in the advancement of human rights, and demonstrate leadership by example for improving human relations or advancing human rights. The 2016 winner of the Tom Oye Award was Lauren Morse- Wendt, who helped lead a campaign to develop housing opportunities for homeless young adults in the community. With the help of her diligence, construction is under way on 66 West Apartments, which will offer 39 units of supportive housing. The apartment building is scheduled to open in the summer 2017. The issue of human rights was deeply personal to Oye, a second-generation Japanese American. He was a Nisei soldier in World War II, serving in the 100th Infantry Battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team at a time when more than 100,000 other Japanese Americans were forced into internment camps. In 2003, Oye received the Prize for Humanity from the Immortal Chaplains Foundation. Nominations for the Tom Oye Award can include up to four essays or letters of support. They are due by Jan. 13, 2017. People who were nominated before can be nominated again for their past and current work. The application materials must be submitted again and updated, if necessary. The HRRC will review nominations in January and select the winner at its February meeting. The award will be presented in mid-spring. The nomination form and more details are available online at EdinaMN.gov/humanrights. To request a paper copy of the form or for more information, contact Project Coordinator MJ Lamon at 952-826-0360 or mlamon@EdinaMN.gov. Nominations Sought for Tom Oye Human Rights Award December Edina TV Broadcast Schedule Edina TV is available to Comcast subscribers on Channels 813 (high definition) and 16 (standard definition). Edina TV is available to CenturyLink Prism subscribers on Channels 1236 (high definition) and 236 (standard definition). Edina City Council (shown until the next scheduled meeting) • Sundays – 3 a.m., 11 a.m. • Tuesdays – 7 p.m. (live broadcast on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month) • Wednesdays – 3 a.m., 11 a.m. • Saturdays – 7 p.m. Planning Commission (shown until the next scheduled meeting) • Wednesdays – 7 p.m. (live broadcast on 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month) • Thursdays – 3 a.m., 11 a.m. • Fridays – 7 p.m. • Saturdays – 3 a.m., 11 a.m. Park Board (shown through Dec. 5) • Mondays – 7 p.m. • Tuesdays – 3 a.m., 11 a.m. • Thursdays – 10 p.m. • Fridays – 6 a.m., 2 p.m. Human Rights & Relations Commission (shown from Dec. 8 through Jan. 11) • Mondays – 10 p.m. • Tuesdays – 6 a.m., 2 p.m. • Thursdays – 7 p.m. • Fridays – 3 a.m., 11 a.m. Agenda: Edina (new episode on the 1st and 15th of each month) • Daily at 2:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 6:30 p.m. Beyond the Badge (new episode on the 1st of each month) • Daily at 2 a.m., 10 a.m., 6 p.m. Enterprise Edina (new episode produced periodically) • Daily at 2:15 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 6:15 p.m. On The Job (new episode on the 15th of each month) • Daily at 1:45 a.m., 9:45 a.m., 5:45 p.m.Photo by Dawn WillsResidents can read their meters by shining a flashlight directly on the meter to show their water readings. Utility customers will now see the conversion from cubic feet to gallons on their bills. Part of the Police Department, Edina’s Health Division is responsible for issuing health-related licenses, making inspections, investigating food complaints and reports of food and waterborne illnesses, responding to disasters, tracking “Freedom to Breathe” complaints, reviewing blueprints and completing construction inspections. In addition, the Division responds to general and public health nuisance complaints and housing code violations. Kids are encouraged to run off their wiggles and work out their giggles at Braemar Field. “We’ve had a lot of interest in the Tot Time program,” said Chelsea Swiggum, Program Coordinator for Braemar Arena and Field. “A lot of parents have been stopping in and calling us to find out more about it. I’m hoping for a really good turnout.” Tot Time kicked off Nov. 9. It is held at Braemar Field, 7509 Ikola Way, 9 to 11 a.m. every Monday and Wednesday. Kids are encouraged to bring their favorite toys to play with on the field. “As a parent, I absolutely love the idea of Tot Time,” said Chad Eischens, General Manager of Braemar Arena and Field. “I can’t think of a better way for young kids to burn off some energy in the winter months than in a climate-controlled dome.” “I’m taking Tot Time to another level this year. We’re going to provide more equipment for the kids so they have some climbing apparatuses and tubes to crawl through. We would like to add more sensory items soon. Parents don’t always have to bring in equipment, but it’s encouraged,” said Swiggum. The suggested age range for this program is up to 6 years old. Cost is $4 per child per visit. Parents should keep an eye out for buy one, get one coupons in ValPak or in their utility bills so kids can bring a friend or sibling along with them for free. “We are growing the program, so I encourage parents to bring in items for their kids to play with like baseballs and footballs. We have a basketball hoop and a couple other items for kids to play with. We’re open to hearing ideas from parents and kids on how we can improve the program and provide better experiences for the kids and their families,” said Swiggum. Tot Time will run while the dome is inflated, through April 26. There a few days when the program will be cancelled due to special events being scheduled at the field, such as during spring break. “Kids have the chance to be active and socialize with other children – two of the keys to a healthy lifestyle. The City of Edina is invested in healthy living and quality recreational opportunities. We hope to grow that by providing additional equipment and keeping the cost affordable to all families,” said Eischens. For more information, visit BraemarField.com or call Swiggum at 952-833-9599.