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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEditionEdinaFebruary2017Fire Marshal Promoted to Assistant Chief Siems Heads Fire Department Operations A veteran of the Fire-Rescue & Inspections Department has been promoted to the position of Assistant Fire Chief of Operations. Jeff Siems joined the department in April 1992 as a Paramedic/ Firefighter. In 1998, he was promoted to Lieutenant. He has worked as Fire Marshal since 2012 and was named Assistant Fire Chief of Operations Feb. 4. Siems has taken on significant responsibilities as the new Assistant Fire Chief of Operations, but he is no stranger to the pressure of a demanding role in the Fire Department. Now, he oversees daily operations and activities of the department, delegates assignments to shift captains, oversees equipment maintenance, responds to emergency incidents and much more. “We’re very happy to have Jeff move into the position of Chief of Operations,” said Fire Chief Tom Schmitz. “Jeff brings to the department over 24 years of experience; he’s been very involved in other fire-related type of work throughout the country. He’s active at a national level working with federal response teams and emergency response teams.” Siems will work alongside Assistant Fire Chief of Training and Safety, Craig Essig, and Schmitz. He is excited to take on a different role within the department and become more active in helping the community when they are in tough situations. “I’m really excited and I feel very privileged to be given this opportunity. I’ve been working hard for the opportunity to come and I’m excited for our future,” said Siems. Siems succeeds Darrell Todd in the position. Todd retired in late 2016. The City is currently working to fill the position of Fire Marshal. For more information about the Edina Fire-Rescue & Inspections Department, visit EdinaMN.gov/Fire. Edina Liquor Supports VEAP ‘A Toast to VEAP’ Set for March 3 To support the local food shelf, Edina Liquor will be part of the fourth-annual “A Toast to VEAP.” A Toast to VEAP is a fundraiser supporting the Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP) March Food and Fund drive. It will be held 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 3 at VEAP’s warehouse and distribution area, 9600 Aldrich Ave. S., Bloomington. Edina Liquor, through its distributors, will feature wines from around the world at various price points, as well as beer from five local craft breweries for tasting. The breweries are Bent Paddle Brewing Co., Bauhuas Brew Labs, Fulton Brewing, Summit Brewing Company and August Schell Brewing Company. There will also be food to enjoy from local restaurants. The March Food & Fund drive is important to VEAP because its pantry shelf gets bare in February and March. “After all the giving at the end of the year, donations really slow down,” said Patty Schultz, VEAP Advancement Director. The VEAP Food and Fund drive is part of a statewide campaign to refill pantries across the state. VEAP’s goal is to raise $130,000 and 100,000 pounds of food from Feb. 24 to April 2. “It’s a nice way for us to give back to the community,” said Steve Grausam, Manager of Edina Liquor – 50th & France. “It’s a great way to sample some wine and local beers and try different foods in the area while supporting a good cause.” Advance tickets can be purchased at veap.org for $30 by March 2; admission at the door is $35. Donations may also be made online. For more information, contact VEAP at 952-888-9616 or visit veap.org. Edition: Edina 2017-2018 PRIORITIES FEBRUARY 2017 Focused Redevelopment Planning for the Future Intergovernmental Relations Transportation & Infrastructure Enterprise Facilities Volume 4, Issue 2 4801 W. 50th St. Edina, MN 55424 | 952-927-8861 | mail@EdinaMN.govCity of Edina EdinaMN.gov New Race & Equity Task Force Developed Kingston, Pierce to Co-Chair Group The City of Edina recently completed the selection process for the new Race & Equity Task Force charged with making recommendations on policies, practices and strategies to identify and eliminate race-based disparities in City facilities, services and institutions. “This year will be a year when we are part of a larger community initiative to take a deeper look at race and equity in Edina. We are going to examine whether or not our City government policies, practices and operations create disparate outcomes for peoples of differing racial groups,” said City Manager Scott Neal. “If we are creating disparate outcomes, we are committed to discover why and what can be done to correct that.” Appointed to the Task Force by the City Council Feb. 7 were Katherine Bass, Leonel Dorvil, Thuy Anh Fox, Phil Godinez, Ramla Hasanali, Jessica Kingston, James Pierce and Christina Smith. Pierce and Kingston were named co-chairs. The Task Force serves as a steering committee comprised of community members who will lead three working groups to review practices and procedures in the areas of City services, City facilities and City institutions. “The City Services Working Group will look at things like access to government services such as law enforcement, paramedic services or public works services like plowing snow. The Facilities group will assess whether parks and public buildings are equally welcoming and available for all members of the community. And the Institutional group really focuses on the procedures and policies of the City,” explained Assistant City Manager Lisa Schaefer. “That’s where we look at questions like how do we recruit more diversity in employment and boards and commissions? How do we ensure that when we’re looking for input and involvement that we’re hearing from all demographics within the city? A lot of things can have an adverse impact on minority groups, though it may not be readily apparent. These working groups will look into these concerns.” Concurrently, Edina will participate in a program offered by the Government Alliance on Race & Equity (GARE) and the League of Minnesota Cities. The program will explore race and equity issues from a policy perspective, in collaboration with several other cities that are participating in GARE. “Bloomington, Hopkins and St. Louis Park went through this program in 2016 with 11 other cities. We’re part of the second group going through this,” Schaefer said. “It is intensive and will involve three Human Rights & Relations Commission members, two City Council members, three community members from the Race & Equity Task Force and four Edina staff members, including myself.” Everyone serving on the Race & Equity Task Force will serve in a leadership position on either GARE or one of the three working groups. The remaining working group members are community members with a specific interest in the working group area of emphasis. The Task Force’s review process is expected to be completed by March 2018. GARE will require 66 hours of training in addition to homework between sessions. After the review process is completed, Schaefer expects to enact recommendations fairly quickly. “If the policies are operational, staff can just implement those. If it requires an ordinance or policy change at the Council level, then we’ll bring those to the Council for approval,” she said. “It’s also a matter of building the City’s racial equity competency. Having racial equity competency is a trait that will be looked for in new leaders. So, staff who go through the training and became a liaison will be more likely to be rewarded and promoted because of that experience they’ll bring.” “This will affect every department in the City. This will give us the chance to have the skills and resources to be able to look at decision making through a race and equity lens and to help people understand why this important and to care about it,” said Schaefer. For more information, contact Schaefer at 952-826-0416 or LSchaefer@EdinaMN.gov. Striking Success Chad Peterson celebrates after sending the ball down the lane at Brunswick Eden Prairie Lanes on Saturday, Feb. 4. Peterson is a member of the Winter Bowling Club, a program of the Adaptive Recreation & Learning Exchange. The partnership among the cities of Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina and Richfield offers several recreation and leisure programs to people with disabilities. “We are going to examine whether or not our City government policies, practices and operations create disparate outcomes for peoples of differing racial groups.” Photo by Debbie Townsend File Photo BY THE NUMBERS Minnesota Task Force 1 For more information on Minnesota Task Force 1, contact Administrator Pete Fisher, pfisher@EdinaMN.gov. Putting out fires isn’t the only thing these firefighters know how to do. Minnesota Task Force 1 is the state’s emergency technical rescue team. Edition: Edi na FEBRUARY 2017 4801 W. 50th St. Edina, MN 55424 | 952-927-8861 | mail@EdinaMN.govCity of Edina EdinaMN.gov Upcoming Events Thursday, Feb. 23, 4:30 p.m. Arts & Culture Commission, Edina Art Center Tuesday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m. Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall Tuesday, March 7, 7 p.m. City Council, Edina City Hall Wednesday, March 8, 7 p.m. Planning Commission, Edina City Hall Thursday, March 9, 7 p.m. Energy & Environment Commission, Edina City Hall Friday, March 10, 6:30 p.m. Family Movie Night, Edinborough Park “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” Monday, March 13, 6:30 p.m. Community Health Commission, Edina City Hall Tuesday, March 14, 7 p.m. Park Board, Edina City Hall Tuesday, March 14, 7 p.m. Heritage Preservation Board, Edina City Hall Thursday, March 16, 6 p.m. Transportation Commission, Edina City Hall Saturday, March 18, 9 a.m. Walk With The Mayor, Southdale Center Tuesday, March 21, 7 p.m. City Council, Edina City Hall Wednesday, March 22, 7 p.m. Planning Commission, Edina City Hall Thursday, March 23, 4:30 p.m. Arts & Culture Commission, Edina Art Center Tuesday, March 28, 7 p.m. Human Rights & Relations Commission, Edina City Hall Time Is Right for Businesses To Make Energy Reductions Owners Encouraged to Take Energy Survey For business owners who have been thinking about making significant changes to reduce their energy consumption, now is the time to act. Xcel Energy is offering half off its Turn Key for Edina businesses that sign up by May 31. An energy auditor will come to the business, evaluate possible upgrades and work with the owner to determine which changes will fit into the business’ budget. Some projects are eligible for a 30 percent rebate if done within a year of the audit. Owners interested in that program or those who just want to learn about available resources are encouraged to take the Edina Energy Survey. The process takes about 10 minutes. From the results, Edina Sustainability Coordinator Tara Brown will follow up with businesses. “We want to help businesses save money and lower their energy costs,” Brown said. The survey and more resources available to businesses are online at EdinaMN.gov/green_business. Owners aren’t the only ones who can make a difference. Office employees can make a few simple changes to reduce energy consumption: • Turn off computers before leaving the office or business. • Use the power-saving settings on computers and monitors to put them in sleep mode when away from the desks. • Swap out the coffee pot that’s always on for a carafe or switch to a Keurig-style machine that uses energy only when making a cup of coffee or tea. • Centralize printers and other shared equipment to limit the number of machines drawing power around the office. For more tips or information on energy use reduction, contact Brown at 952-826-1621 or tbrown@EdinaMN.gov. Nominations Sought for Edina Mayor’s Annual Volunteer Awards Hovland to Present Six Commendations in April Nominations are now being accepted for the annual Mayor’s Commendation Awards, given to those who have made significant volunteer contributions to the community. Edina Mayor Jim Hovland will hand out six awards at the 38th- annual Volunteer Recognition Reception on Monday, April 3, at Braemar Golf Course, 6364 John Harris Drive. “In Edina, we have an extraordinary number of residents who are exceptional philanthropists with their time, volunteering for causes they love or simply responding with great kindness to helping meet fundamental human needs,” Hovland said. “We cherish all of them and the work that they do day after day, year after year, to make Edina, and Minnesota, one of the finest places on this Earth to live.” Nominations are sought in these categories: • Mayor’s Service Club Commendation: Awarded to an organization that has made outstanding contributions to the community at large. • Mayor’s Individual Service Commendation: Awarded to an individual for outstanding and exceptional volunteer service to the community at large. • Mayor’s Outstanding Senior Commendation: Awarded to a senior citizen for outstanding volunteer service within the community. • Mayor’s Youth Commendation: Awarded to a young person who has demonstrated a commitment to improving the quality of life in the community. • Mayor’s Commendation for Service to Youth: Awarded to an individual or organization making a positive impact on the lives of Edina youth. • Mayor’s Community Involvement Commendation: Awarded to a City employee for outstanding volunteer service to the community above and beyond his or her position with the City. Nominations are due 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 1. Winners will receive a glass award, certificate and recognition in a future City publication. They will be honored at the April 3 event. To nominate someone, complete a nomination form at EdinaMN.gov/ form_mayorcommendation. Service clubs and organizations may also recognize their outstanding volunteers at the event. For more information, contact Executive Assistant Sulekha Mohamed at 952-826-0403 or smohamed@EdinaMN.gov. File photoGuled Said, who founded the Black Student Union at Edina High School and is a passionate advocate for social justice, was honored with the 2016 Mayor’s Youth Commendation. “In Edina, we have an extraordinary number of residents who are exceptional philanthropists with their time.” Minutes it takes the Task Force team to get ready to deploy in the metro area, greater Minnesota and overnight 80 5 | 30 | 120 400 Miles away the task force could be deployed to in Minnesota Hours Task Force members train on technical rescue in one year Edina firefighters involved in Minnesota Task Force 1 21 To sign up for the discount, visit turnkeydiscount.com and enter the promo code “Edina” to qualify for half off.