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Home My WebLink AboutEditionEdina_April20144801 W. 50th St. Edina, MN 55424 952-927-8861 mail@EdinaMN.gov www.EdinaMN.gov City Hosts Monthly Discussion The City’s next online discussion has been set up at www.SpeakUpEdina.org. The discussion, which focuses on the future of the Edina Senior Center, is available until May 31. In the discussion, the City will ask whether or not residents are Senior Center members, or if they would join the Senior Center when they become of eligible age; what they think the future of the Senior Center is and what kind of recreation opportunities should be offered to seniors. In April, the City gathered feedback on bee keeping. Questions were centered on whether or not residents support bee keeping. In addition, the City asked where on a property residents think hives should be kept, whether or not permitting should be required, how to handle complaints and how to address potential health hazards, such as bee-related allergies. Feedback from the April discussion will be presented to the City Council later in May. To weigh in on this month’s discussion, visit www.SpeakUpEdina.org. Paper feedback forms will also be available at the Edina Senior Center, 5280 Grandview Square. The City of Edina Legend: Speak Up, Edina! APRIL 2014 Volume 1, Issue 4 Edi tion: Infrastructure Commercial and Mixed-Use Redevelopment Workforce Communication and Engagement Community Vision Aviation Noise Construction Begins on France Avenue The City hopes to make it easier to get up and down France Avenue by making improvements at three key intersections along the corridor – at 66th, 70th and 76th streets. “This area of France Avenue in the Southdale area is very difﬁ cult for pedestrians and bikers to navigate,” said Chad Millner, the City’s Engineering Director. “More than 30,000 vehicles travel this road every day. Between the high trafﬁ c volume, speed and lane width, trying to walk across France Avenue is very intimidating.” At the intersections, improvements such as ADA- compliant accommodations, pedestrian-level lighting and planters, and median refuge islands – the space between the northbound and southbound lanes where pedestrians may need to wait – will be installed. In addition, the project will provide missing sidewalk connections on the east side of France Avenue, ensuring that all areas on both sides of France Avenue have an opportunity to access one of the planned crossing locations. To allow for these improvements, driving lanes will be narrowed and free right-turn islands removed. “The goal is to make it safer and more efﬁ cient for pedestrians and bicyclists to get from point A to point B in the greater Southdale area,” Millner said. “ By making these improvements, traveling by foot or bike will be easier.” Construction on the intersections will be done in three phases: in the area between Gallagher Drive and 69th Street, followed by the area between 66th and 69th streets, and ﬁ nishing with the area between Gallagher Drive and 76th Street. At times during construction, France Avenue will be reduced to two lanes. The City encourages drivers to use alternate routes when possible to avoid delays. The $4.09 million project is expected to wrap up in October. For more information, visit www.EdinaMN.gov/ FranceAvenue or call the France Avenue construction hotline at 952-826-0394. Upcoming Events Thursday, May 1, 4 p.m. Public Art Working Group meeting, Edina City Hall Tuesday, May 6, 6:30 p.m. Community Health Commission meeting, Edina City Hall Tuesday, May 6, 7 p.m. City Council meeting, Edina City Hall Thursday, May 8, 7 p.m. Energy & Environment Commission meeting, Edina City Hall Tuesday, May 13, 7 p.m. Heritage Preservation Board meeting, Edina City Hall Tuesday, May 13, 7 p.m. Park Board meeting, Edina City Hall Wednesday, May 14, 7 p.m. Planning Commission meeting, Edina City Hall Thursday, May 15, 6 p.m. Transportation Commission meeting, Edina City Hall Friday, May 16, 7 p.m. Environmental Film Series, “Bag It,” Edina City Hall Saturday, May 17, 9 a.m. Walk with the Mayor, Rosland Park Walk and talk with Mayor Jim Hovland on a route of approximately two miles. Meet at the Rosland Park shelter. Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m.-noon National Kids to Parks Day, Rosland Park The City of Edina is joining cities across the country in celebrating National Kids to Parks Day. Numerous children nationwide will take part in the movement to discover America’s parks through outdoor activity on Saturday, May 17, to celebrate National Park Trust’s (NPT) fourth-annual National Kids to Parks Day. This year’s event will take place at Rosland Park, 4300 W. 66th Street. Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Public Works Open House, Public Works & Park Maintenance Facility Join the Public Works Department on Saturday, May 17 for its 2014 open house. See big trucks up close and learn more about each division – Streets (Bituminous and Concrete), Utilities, Electrical and Fleet Maintenance – to see what work is done to keep the City of Edina running efﬁ ciently when it comes to roadways, water mains and more. The event will be held at the Public Works & Park Maintenance Facility, 7450 Metro Blvd. Tuesday, May 20, 7 p.m. City Council meeting, Edina City Hall Thursday, May 22, 4:30 p.m. Arts & Culture Commission meeting, Edina City Hall Tuesday, May 27, 7 p.m. Human Rights & Relations Commission meeting, Edina City Hall Wednesday, May 28, 7 p.m. Planning Commission meeting, Edina City Hall Exciting Changes Slated for Braemar Golf Course Last month, the City Council approved a six-point plan to improve City golf operations over the next several years. That plan included investing in improvements at Braemar Golf Course, modifying prices and discounts, outsourcing ancillary services, expanding marketing and improving customer services. Parks & Recreation Director Ann Kattreh wasted no time getting started. “Our goal going into this was to try to ﬁ gure out how to make our golf enterprise pay for itself. Our six-step strategy is what we feel is going to achieve our goal the fastest and in the most efﬁ cient manner,” she explained. The ﬁ rst step in the process is investing in renovations to the Braemar Golf Course driving range and the conversion of the Executive Course to a par three. The Department retained the services of a golf course architecture group, Herfort Norby. Their task is to develop concept plans, cost estimates and determine project scope. “We [plan to] add an all-season tee area to the back of the driving range and improve irrigation for better turf recovery. We’re also going in and reconﬁ guring the Executive Course to create a course that is more enjoyable and more playable for a wider variety of people. We really want to create something that people are really going to ﬁ nd fun and really want to use,” explained Project Architect Kevin Norby. Herfort Norby is located in Chaska, Minn., and specializes exclusively in the design and renovation of golf courses. Norby is a registered landscape architect and most recently completed projects at Minikahda Club and Bunker Hills Golf Course. “My hope is to … restore the quality of the practice experience [at Braemar]. I think it will also attract people from around the area. I have no doubt that this will be the premiere practice facility in the Twin Cities,” said Norby. The process of converting the Executive Course to a par three course is a critical point in the renovation of Braemar and something the Department hopes will help entice new patrons. Parks & Recreation Assistant Director Susan Faus is serving as Interim General Manager for Braemar and her goal is to improve customer service, offer new programming options and attract new golfers. “We’re working on continuing to make sure that we’re growing our junior golf. We have the largest program in the state and we’d like to continue to grow that and get kids to golf at a younger age,” said Faus. “There are some challenging holes currently on the Executive Course. We feel that after some of the renovations are done, it’ll be an easier course for seniors and juniors.” Faus emphasized, “We want to serve our current golfers, but we also want to attract younger golfers and female golfers. We want to try to make it a place for everyone.” For more information, contact Kattreh at 952-826-0430 or akattreh@EdinaMN.gov. Police ‘Focus In’ on Bike Safety As a part of the 2014 “Focus In” campaign, Edina patrol ofﬁ cers will focus efforts on bike safety during the month of May. Interest in biking as an alternative means of transportation and recreational sport continues to gain traction. With this interest, there is a growing need to educate cyclists of all ages on the laws and ordinances for biking on public streets, where cyclists are required to obey the same laws as motorized vehicles. Education will include a warning to those who violate the statutes or codes. In extenuating circumstances, a citation may be issued. Last May, 17 verbal or written warnings were given out. The Police Department will “Focus In” on violations that have seasonal relevance, affect the quality of life in Edina or pose safety risks to residents. All statutes will be enforced year-round, but additional attention will be paid to the focus of the month. The goal of the program is to educate the public and gain compliance. This year, Police have already focused on obstructed vision, failure to signal, unsafe equipment and failure to display headlights. For the following months, police will “Focus In” on use of a phone or texting while driving, pedestrian safety, child and seatbelt safety, distracted driving, speed in school zones, night and snow parking and the “move over” law. For more information, contact the Edina Police Department at 952-826-1610. APRIL 2014 May Broadcast Schedule Edina City Council (shown until the next scheduled meeting – generally two weeks): • Saturdays – 7 p.m. • 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. Planning Commission (shown until the next scheduled meeting – generally two weeks): • 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. Transportation Commission (airs through May 15) • Sundays – 7 p.m. • Mondays – 3 a.m., 11 a.m. • Wednesdays – 10 p.m. • Thursdays – 6 a.m., 2 p.m. Park Board (airs from May 13 to June 10) • Mondays – 7 p.m. • Tuesdays – 3 a.m., 11 a.m. • Thursdays – 10 p.m. • Fridays – 6 a.m., 2 p.m. 2014 Environmental Forum (airs through May 26) • Sundays – 11 p.m. • Mondays – 7 a.m., 3 p.m. • Thursdays – 8 p.m. • Fridays – 4 a.m., noon 2014 LeagueAires Community Concert (airs through May 27) • Sundays – 10 p.m. • Mondays – 6 a.m., 2 p.m. • Thursdays – 7 p.m. • Fridays – 3 a.m., 11 a.m. Edina Volunteer Recognition Reception (airs through May 27) • Mondays – 10 p.m. • Tuesdays – 6 a.m., 2 p.m. • Fridays – 10 p.m. • Saturdays – 6 a.m., 2 p.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 on the 15th of each month): • Daily at 2:15 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 6:15 p.m. Rotary Club of Edina Meetings (new episode weekly): • Daily at 1 a.m., 9 a.m., 5 p.m. Local Lodging Tax to Fund Explore Edina The Edina Chamber of Commerce is laying the groundwork for a new destination marketing organization, Explore Edina. Many cities have convention and visitors’ bureaus to compete for tourism business and market the community. The Chamber of Commerce asked the City to impose a 3 percent tax to fund the new organization. Explore Edina would be an independent subsidiary of the Chamber and would engage in marketing and tourism activities under the direction of Chamber staff. “We get hundreds of calls a year from individuals who are coming into the Twin Cities for sporting events or shopping. They’ve heard about Edina and its great restaurants and shopping areas, but they need more information,” said Chamber of Commerce President Lori Syverson. “Right now, we can give them individual websites, but it is not a one-stop-shop. Explore Edina will allow us to provide them all of the information in one place.” In late April, the City Council approved an ordinance establishing the local lodging tax of 3 percent. The local lodging tax is expected to generate several hundred thousand dollars each year to fund the operations of Explore Edina. Beginning July 1, the operators of the two hotels in Edina – Marriott Residence Inn and Westin Galleria Edina – will collect the taxes and send them to the City each month. The City will process the taxes and turn the money, less administrative expenses, over to Explore Edina. Any new hotels would also pay the tax. City Manager Scott Neal and Mayor Jim Hovland will serve on Explore Edina’s Board of Directors. The Chamber is now working on the legal documents to establish Explore Edina and will then begin work on branding and a website. Syverson hopes to have a new staff member for Explore Edina in place by the fall. For more information, contact the Chamber of Commerce, 952-806-9060. Council Appoints Board and Commission Members Arts & Culture Commission Hafed Bouassida, Chair Kandace Ellis Barbara La Valleur Dana Lappin Ray Meifert Anne Miller Sophia Munic, Student Member Kitty O’Dea Paul Peterson Thomas Raeuchle Jack Ready, Student Member Steven Suckow Board of Appeal & Equalization Ron Anderson Michael Friedberg Jeffrey Johnson Scott Smith Alex Slichter Construction Board of Appeals Scott Busyn Tim Cross Douglas Hall Kip Peterson Edina Community Health Commission Kumar G. Belani Melinda Bothun-Hurley Kristen Conner Tone Deinema, Student Member Matt Doscotch Nadia Martyn Aditya Mittal, Student Member Ginny Ogle Alison Pence Michael Sackett Joel Stegner Edina Housing Foundation Jeff Hugget Douglas Mayo Mary Kay McNee James Nelson Jack Rice Energy & Environment Commission Sarah Bale, Student Member William Glahn Bob Gubrud John Heer, Chair John Howard Keith Kostuch Dianne Plunkett Latham Tim Rudnicki Bill Sierks Elana Sokol, Student Member Paul Thompson Louann Waddick Sarah Zarrin Heritage Preservation Board Andrew Brandt, Student Member Jennifer Christiaansen Nathan Johnson, Student Member Connie McDermott Bruce McLellan Joyce Mellom Robert Moore, Chair Tim O’Brien Peter Sussman Ryan Weber Human Rights & Relations Commission Arnold Bigbee Derek Carter John Cashmore Laura Davis Molly Haeg, Student Member Paige Harrington, Student Member Ellen Kennedy Tiffany Sanders Janet Seidman, Chair Stephen Winnick Park Board David L. Deeds Thomas Downing Daniel Gieseke, Chair Sarah Good, Student Member Gerard Greene Susan Jacobson Julie Johnson, Student Member Ellen Jones Brenda McCormick Louise M. Segreto Keeya Steel Planning Commission Claudia Carr Arlene Forrest JoAnn Olsen Taylor Halva, Student Member Benjamin Kilberg, Student Member Michael Platteter Susan Lee Ken Potts Nancy Nyrop Scherer Michael Schroeder Kevin Staunton, Chair Transportation Commission Katherine Bass, Chair Emily Boettge Jennifer Janovy Tom LaForce Surya Iyer Paul Nelson Larry Olson Caroline Sierks, Student Member Dawn Spanhake Jackson VanDyke, Student Member Courtney Whited The Edina City Council recently made its annual appointments to its advisory boards and commissions. Current membership includes: For more information on Edina’s advisory boards and commissions, contact Project Coordinator MJ Lamon, 952-826-0360 or mlamon@EdinaMN.gov. Programs can be watched on cable Channels 16 (standard deﬁ nition) or 813 (high deﬁ nition). All content is also streamed online at www.EdinaMN.gov and www.youtube.com/EdinaChannel16. New Project Coordinator Making an Impact on Edina Neighborhoods According to the Pew Research Center, 29 percent of Americans only know a few of their neighbors and, more alarmingly, 28 percent of people don’t know any of their neighbors. These statistics are ones that drive new City of Edina Project Coordinator MJ Lamon in her efforts to increase the number of City recognized neighborhood associations. She believes that more connected neighborhoods will lead to less crime and more communication. “People move in and move out, and sometimes neighbors never really get engaged. Neighborhood associations can play a key role by communicating with residents about development, community engagement opportunities and crime,” explained Lamon. She aims to help more neighborhoods within Edina get more connected. City-recognized neighborhood associations are relatively new to the City of Edina. The Neighborhood Identiﬁ cation Steering Committee was created in 2012 to develop a community engagement process for establishing neighborhood boundaries and names for Edina neighborhoods. The City Council approved a Neighborhood Association Policy and the boundary map a year ago. Through a resident- input process called “Name Your Neighborhood,” 45 distinct neighborhoods were identiﬁ ed. Three of those neighborhoods have completed the process to be recognized by the City. Those include Morningside, Concord and Countryside. In order to be recognized, a neighborhood is required to adopt the neighborhood boundaries as deﬁ ned by the City, hold at least one annual meeting with notice to all residents of the neighborhood and adopt bylaws. “Forming a neighborhood [association] is something that the residents need to want to do,” said Morningside Neighborhood Association Organizer Jennifer Janovy. “Forming an association is step one and step two is deciding if you want to become a City-recognized neighborhood association.” Many residents are excited for the chance to form recognized neighborhoods. They create a sense of place and provide a historical context for the area and the City at large. “They get to be on the front end of projects and initiatives that are happening. So, when we do small area plans, they can get involved earlier. [For example], if we’re looking for an advisory council [on a] plan that is happening in a neighborhood, [we ask if they] have some players who might want to get involved,” said Lamon. Janovy encourages residents to start getting involved and contacting the City. The more people involved, the more useful neighborhood associations can be. “There will be more feedback there – more two-way communication. Over time, [it will be] a part of the culture to utilize neighborhood groups in positive ways by getting their feedback well in advance of a decision-making point so that people can really participate in the process,” she said. For more information about establishing your neighborhood as a City-recognized Neighborhood Association, contact Lamon at 952-826-0360 or send an email to mlamon@EdinaMN.gov. For additional details, visit www.EdinaMN.gov/Neighborhoods. Get Your Neighborhood Involved Nearly 60 percent of people only know a few of their neighbors or don’t know any at all. Help keep Edina connected by getting your neighborhood involved as a City of Edina Neighborhood Association. The City hopes to increase communication between residents and City staff and ofﬁ cials, foster interaction between neighbors and build a better community through cooperative action. Be the link in your community! “[All it takes is] a group of residents who are motivated and have energy to start getting their community engaged,” explained Project Coordinator MJ Lamon. If that sounds like you, attend the second-annual neighborhood workshop to learn the basics of the City’s Neighborhood Association Policy and how to start organizing your neighborhood! Saturday, May 17 9:30-10:30 a.m. Session 1: Neighborhood Association 101 Steps to organizing, recognition process and online communication tools: 10:45-11:30 a.m. Session 2: Digging Deeper Open forum with City staff Edina Senior Center 5280 Grandview Square your Neighborhood! ORGANIZ E RSVP to MJ Lamon, mlamon@EdinaMN.gov or 952-826-0360. MJ Lamon. Project Coordinator