HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil_Connection_7_17_2012Council reviews YTD financials, work plan progress
The Council reviewed the City’s
year-to-date financials and pro-gress made on its work plan at a
work session prior to its regular
meeting.
General Fund revenues total about
$14.3 million through June 30,
2012. This amount represents 47.5 percent of total budgeted
revenues for all of 2012, which is
slightly lower compared to 48 per-
cent a year ago at the same time.
However, license and permit reve-
nue increased $204,380 from last
year due to increased permit activi-ty during the first quarter. Permit
revenue for the second quarter of
2012 was very similar to the se-cond quarter of 2011. Through six
months, the City is on pace to
collect more permit revenue than
was budgeted for 2012.
Total General Fund expenditures
are 47 percent of budget so far
this year, which is higher than the 44 percent rate from a year ago.
Generally, the City spends 25 per-
cent of its budget each quarter.
The Council previously developed a
“work plan,” identifying six themes
for the 2012-13 biennial budget to guide staff in identifying projects
and prioritizing work in support of
the City’s mission and vision. Addi-tionally, City leadership identified
six themes for the biennial budget
related to internal City operations.
Staff reported several accomplish-
ments related to the work plan,
including completion of the GrandView development frame-
work and Southdale redevelop-
ment agreement, adoption of uni-fied bylaws for boards and com-
missions and reorganization of City
staff. Other successes include the
launch of a new City website, hiring
of several key positions, and work
on various do.town efforts.
The Council plans to hold quarterly
business meetings to review finan-
cials and work plan progress. The
next such meeting will be held in
October.
Council turns down
redevelopment project The Council did not support plans
for a new retail and medical build-
ing on France Avenue.
Mount Properties proposed tearing
down the existing office buildings
at 4005 W. 65th St. and 6500 France Ave. to build a new six-
story, 81-foot tall, 102,406-square-
foot medical office and retail build-ing with a detached five-level park-
ing ramp. The project is proposed
to be developed in two phases. The
first phase would be the construc-tion of a four-story, 69,456-square-
foot medical office with a three-
level detached parking ramp. The second phase would add two lev-
els to each structure.
The first floor of the new building
would contain 7,000 square feet of
retail space including a coffee
shop, barber shop and medical supplies. The next four levels
would contain 62,310 square feet
of medical office.
Several Council members indicat-
ed concerns with the proposed
height of the building. The Council
directed staff to prepare findings
for denial to be presented at its
next meeting.
Council approves construction
of Hornets Nest The City Council approved the
construction of the “Hornets Nest”
at Braemar Arena.
The two-story expansion will in-
clude new locker rooms and asso-
ciated space for the Edina High School boys and girls hockey
teams. The Hornets Nest will also
include a General Sports retail store and Velocity dryland training
facility.
Private donations are making the project possible. Approval of the
$3 million project was contingent
on the “Drive for the Hive” advo-cates raising nearly $800,000 in
A summary of the July 17 Edina City Council meeting
July 20, 2012
Volume 14, Issue 13 Council Connection
Upcoming meetings:
Human Rights & Relations
Commission, 7 p.m. July 24
Planning Commission,
7 p.m. July 25
Art Center Board,
4:30 p.m. July 26
Public Art Committee, 4 p.m.
Aug. 2
City Council, 7 p.m. Aug. 6
City Contacts
City Manager
Scott Neal 952-826-0401
Assistant City Manager Karen Kurt 952-826-0415
City Clerk Debra Mangen 952-826-0408
Community Development Director Cary Teague 952-826-0460
Braemar Arena General Manager
Susie Miller 952-833-9502 Senior Recreation Facility Manager
Susan Faus 952-833-9542
We’d like to hear from you …
If you have any comments, call Communications & Technology Services Director Jennifer Bennerotte at 952-833-
9520. The text of this publication will be
available online at www.EdinaMN.gov.
www.EdinaMN.gov
private contributions. Edina Public
Schools will cover expenses asso-
ciated with operating the locker
rooms and the Edina Hockey Asso-
ciation and Braemar-City of Lakes
Figure Skating Club will pay a $20 annual surcharge for each of their
participants for 20 years. Those
sources, along with lease revenue for the training facility and retail
area, are meant to cover the costs
of the project.
The addition is expected to be
complete by Dec. 1.
Council finds ways to improve
cost recovery at Edinborough
Because Edinborough Park oper-ates in the red, the City Council
approved some changes to im-
prove cost recovery there.
Edinborough’s featured amenities
-- including Adventure Peak, swim-
ming pool, fitness facilities, Birth-day Party Plateau and Great Hall --
will remain intact, but most of the
park’s trees will be removed. Once the trees are removed, horticultur-
al staffing will be reduced and the
lighting replaced with a more ener-
gy-efficient system. The lower level of the grotto will be filled in to
create a larger and more usable
and accessible space.
All park user fees, including ad-
missions, birthday parties and
pool rental, will be increased.
The changes will result in cost
recovery of 80 percent or more, which is a significant increase over
the park’s current cost recovery of
about 70 percent.
To better market the swimming
pool and fitness facilities, the
Council will consider renovating
and expanding the locker rooms if
agreements with area homeown-
ers and businesses can be extend-ed. The current agreements, which
require them to pay fees to help
with park upkeep in exchange for
use of the facilities, expire in a few
years.