HomeMy WebLinkAboutEditionEdina_July2015This is the second year Elizabeth Bellas has
organized the Night to Unite party for the Strachauer
Neighborhood.
“Getting to know your neighbors is the biggest and
easiest way to really improve neighborhood safety and
your quality of life,” said Bellas, who’s expecting around
150 to attend this year’s block party. “It makes the
community much more interesting, vibrant and safe.”
Every year, the State of Minnesota joins together to
celebrate Night to Unite the first Tuesday of August.
Whether it’s attending an organized party or just
spending the evening with a few neighbors, the Edina
Police Department encourages residents to lock their
doors, turn on outside lights and spend the evening
outside with neighbors Aug. 4.
“Part of what makes Edina a great community is the
fact that we have very strong neighborhoods,” said Sgt.
Brian Hubbard. “This evening is a great opportunity
for neighbors to interact with each other and law
enforcement, get questions answered and just have
a positive experience with their local Police and Fire
departments.”
Last year, more than 50 Night to Unite block parties
were registered with the City of Edina. The Police and
Fire-Rescue & Inspections departments try their best
to attend parties around the community to answer
questions and visit with neighbors.
“If you want to improve the quality of life, get out and
meet your neighbors,” said Bellas.
Night to Unite was created to promote neighborhood
spirit, increase awareness in crime prevention and build
a stronger partnership between the Police Department
and community members.
To find out if there’s a party in your neighborhood, call
the Edina Police Department at 952-826-1610.
4801 W. 50th St.
Edina, MN 55424
952-927-8861
mail@EdinaMN.gov
www.EdinaMN.gov
The City of Edina
Speak Up, Edina!
JULY 2015
Volume 2, Issue 7
Legend:
Infrastructure
Commercial and Mixed-Use Redevelopment
Workforce
Communication and Engagement
Community Vision
Aviation Noise
Edi tion:
The City’s next online discussion is now available
at www.SpeakUpEdina.org. The discussion,
which focuses on how residents interact with
elected officials, is available until Sept. 1.
Edina’s elected officials make decisions based
on staff recommendations and on resident
feedback. Their goal is to represent the
residents of Edina. In order to understand
community sentiment, they often rely on
feedback they receive from the community.
The Mayor and City Council interact with
the public through “Community Comment”
and public hearings during meetings; other
public meetings, open houses and events;
“Walk with the Mayor” events; written
communications, including letters and emails;
www.SpeakUpEdina.org; and others.
In this discussion, the City asks how often
residents contact their elected officials, how they
prefer to interact or express their opinions to
them, and what other opportunities they would
prefer to see for interaction with the Council. The
feedback from this discussion will be compiled
and presented to the City Council Sept. 16.
This month, the City has been gathering
feedback on the City’s transportation network.
Questions asked include whether or not
residents think there are enough transportation
options, what they use to travel other than
driving, and their favorite part of Edina’s
transportation network. The discussion is open
until Aug. 3. Feedback will be compiled and
presented to the City Council Aug. 18.
To weigh in on a discussion,
visit www.SpeakUpEdina.org.
As a part of the Edina Police
Department’s monthly
“Focus In” campaign,
officers will “Focus In” on
child safety and seat belt use
in August.
“Often the requirements,
use and proper installation
of a child passenger restraint system are not
clearly understood by those transporting
children,” said Sgt. Nate Mendel.
Edina Police Department will enforce the use of
seatbelts and encourage residents to properly
install children’s car and booster seats.
“It’s simple. Seat belts save lives,” said Mendel.
Each month, patrol officers focus police efforts
on a specific statutory violation in order to
educate the public and gain compliance.
Education includes a warning to those who
violate the statutes or codes. In extenuating
circumstances, a citation may be issued. The
violations the Police Department “Focus In” on
have seasonal relevance, affect the quality of
life in Edina or pose safety risks to residents. All
statutes are enforced year-round, but additional
attention is paid to the focus of the month.
Last August, 28 verbal or written warnings were
given out for child safety and seat belt use.
This year, Police have already focused on
obstructed vision, failure to signal, unsafe
equipment, failure to display headlights, bike
safety, following too close and pedestrian
safety. In the coming months, police will “Focus
In” on distracted driving, speeding in school
zones, night and snow parking, and the “move
over” law.
For more information, contact the Edina Police
Department at 952-826-1610.
Police to Focus In on Child Safety, Seat Belts
Residents Gear Up for Night to Unite
Lisa Schaefer was promoted to Assistant
City Manager in June after Karen Kurt
resigned to become the City Manager
of Platteville, Wisconsin.
Schaefer has over a decade of
experience, but her familiarity with
local government runs deeper. Local
government and public service
isn’t something Schaefer has only
encountered in her profession; it’s
always been a part of her life.
“My family has always been active in
local government,” said Schaefer, whose
father was Mayor as well as a volunteer
firefighter along with her grandfather
and brother in Rockville, Minnesota,
where she was raised.
Passionate about the services provided by local
government and being a responsible, strategic and
fiscally prudent public servant, Schaefer is excited for
this opportunity.
“It’s about improving how we provide services to the
public. In local government, you can directly see the results
of that very quickly,” she said. “You can see the parks that
people are using, the clean water that they’re drinking and
the emergency services that are critical to the public.”
Schaefer was hired by the City in August 2011
as Director of Human Resources (HR) where she
oversaw recruitment, compensation, benefits, payroll,
employment policies, risk management and leadership
development. Prior to working for the City of Edina,
Schaefer worked for the League of Minnesota Cities and
the City of Eden Prairie.
Though her experience is primarily in the realm of HR,
Schaefer says she’s always been excited about both HR
and administration of local government.
“My career path to this point has been
more focused on HR,” she said. “What
I’m really excited about is being able
to take a bigger-picture look at the
operations within the City and how to
make that more efficient and effective.”
“Because [Lisa’s] core discipline is
Human Resources, she has had in-
depth exposure to all aspects of city
government operations, and it’s her
operational management where I
expect her to make her initial mark with
the City of Edina,” said City Manager
Scott Neal. “I’ve worked with Lisa for
the past four years. We know each other
well. She has complementary strengths to my own.
I am confident that we are going to be a good team.”
As Assistant City Manager, one of Schaefer’s goals
is to better align departments with one another to
increase efficiency. Another of her core initiatives will be
technology and how to better incorporate it into every
department’s daily tasks.
Schaefer holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science
and Psychology from St. Cloud State University and a
master’s of business administration from the University
of St. Thomas.
Schaefer assumed her new duties as Assistant City
Manager on Monday, June 8, but will continue the
transition from HR through the summer as the City
completes the hiring process for a new HR Director.
The City hopes to have a candidate selected by the end
of August.
For more information, contact the Administration
Department at 952-826-0364.
The leaders of Edina’s Engineering
Department have crossed paths many
times in their careers.
Carter Schulze recently joined the
City staff as Assistant City Engineer.
A Wisconsin native, Schulze attended
the University of Minnesota with
Engineering Director Chad Millner.
Both have bachelor’s degrees in Civil
Engineering.
Schulze began his career with Granite
Construction, working as a Quality
Control Engineer on the Hiawatha Light
Rail, now known as the METRO Blue
Line. After, Schulze worked for Short
Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH) for seven years; both
Schulze and Millner were employed by the consulting
firm. It was in this position that Schulze became
acquainted with the City of Edina.
“Some of our clients were cities around the metro area,
one being Edina,” said Schulze. “I met a lot of Edina staff
when working on neighborhood projects for the City.”
Schulze served as Senior Project Engineer for the City
of Eden Prairie before being contacted by Millner about
an open position with Edina. Schulze succeeds Patrick
Wrase as Assistant City Engineer.
“I think we will be able to use Carter’s
varied background to improve
processes specifically related to
our Capital Improvement Plans,”
Millner said. “He has experience in
the construction industry, a private
engineering firm and in the public
sector. I look forward to seeing how
our CIP projects can be successfully
implemented under Carter’s direction.”
“It was a natural progression. The City of
Edina offered the ‘next step’ up for me,”
said Schulze. “I look forward to working
with the staff. I can already tell they are
energetic, work hard and are intelligent.”
When he has time off from engineering duties, Schulze
fights fires. Schulze has served the Eden Prairie Fire
Department for over three years on a volunteer basis.
“Every kid dreams of being a part of the Fire Department;
it’s a new challenge and hobby,” said Schulze.
Schulze currently resides in Eden Prairie with his wife and
two children, spending free time up north at their cabin.
For more information on the Engineering Department,
call 952-826-0371 or visit www.EdinaMN.gov/Engineering.
HR Director Promoted to Assistant City Manager
Assistant City Engineer Begins Work
Human Resources Director Lisa
Schaefer was promoted to the
position of Assistant City Manager
in June.
Carter Schulze recently began
work as Assistant City Engineer.
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Fire Chief Tom Schmitz poses with a young girl dressed in Edina
Fire gear at a Night to Unite party last year.
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JULY 2015
Upcoming Events
While work on Highway 100 is nearing its halfway point
in St. Louis Park, work through Edina is just beginning.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)
has begun a two-year road-and-bridge repair project
on the highway between Interstate Highway 494 in
Bloomington and West 36th Street in St. Louis Park.
During the project, lanes and ramps will periodically
close to allow for the work to be done on the road
surface and bridges. Sections of the highway will also
close completely several weekends this year.
“This section of the highway is heavily utilized and the
pavement is currently in poor condition,” said Bobbie
Dahlke of MnDOT. “The repairs to the road and the
ramps will make the road smoother and replacing the
guardrails will improve the safety of the road.”
For the rest of 2015, the project will focus on the
southern portion of Highway 100 between American
Boulevard in Bloomington and Benton Avenue in Edina.
Work on the highway north of Minnesota Highway 62
to 36th Street is anticipated to occur in 2016. Most
immediately, MnDOT expects the following traffic
impacts through late August:
• Both directions reduced to two lanes between
West 70th Street and Highway 62.
• Eastbound West 66th Street over Highway 100 to
close for up to 10 days.
• Short-term, off-peak closures of West 70th Street at
Highway 100.
• Short-term, off-peak closures of Highway 62 under
Highway 100.
• Benton Avenue over Highway 100 to close for two
consecutive days.
The entire project is anticipated to be complete in
late 2016.
For more information about the project, visit
www.mndot.gov/metro/projects/hwy100slp.
Friday, July 31, 6:30 p.m.
Music in Edina concert featuring Alex Rossi,
Rosland Park
Tuesday, Aug. 4
Night to Unite
Tuesday, Aug. 4, 6:45 p.m.
”Evening with Kasy Lansdale” lecture and
concert, Edina Art Center
Wednesday, Aug. 5, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Battle of the Badges Blood Drive,
Edina City Hall
Wednesday, Aug. 5, 7 p.m.
City Council Meeting, Edina City Hall
Sunday, Aug. 9, 6 p.m.
Lighthouse Night, Centennial Lakes Park
Tuesday, Aug. 9, 7 p.m.
Stroll n’ Roll, activities along France Avenue
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 7 p.m.
Heritage Preservation Board Meeting,
Edina City Hall
Wednesday, Aug. 12, 7 p.m.
Planning Commission Meeting, Edina City Hall
Thursday, Aug. 13, 7 p.m.
Energy & Environment Commission Meeting,
Edina City Hall
Tuesday, Aug. 18, 7 p.m.
City Council Meeting, Edina City Hall
Thursday, Aug. 20, 6:30 p.m.
Walk With the Mayor, Yorktown Park; meet at
the Community Garden
Tuesday, Aug. 25, 7 p.m.
Human Rights & Relations Commission
Meeting, Edina City Hall
Wednesday, Aug. 26, 7 p.m.
Planning Commission Meeting, Edina City Hall
Thursday, Aug. 27, 4:30 p.m.
Arts & Culture Commission Meeting,
Edina City Hall
It takes exactly 20 turns with a two- or three-
foot wrench to access water from the 1,876 fire
hydrants in Edina, and it’s important each and
every one of them is accessible to responding
firefighters hastily attempting to attach a hose
to battle a fire.
During the winter months, snow-capped
hydrants can hinder firefighters. Edina’s Adopt-
A-Hydrant program educates residents how
to claim responsibility for the accessibility of a
hydrant, benefitting firefighters who need to
quickly access it in an emergency. Caring for
the hydrant consists of keeping it clear of snow
after snowfalls.
Residents can sign up at www.EdinaMN.gov/
adopt-a-hydrant to receive email reminders
after large snowstorms to shovel out a hydrant
in their neighborhood.
“The biggest thing we would like is to have
residents keep hydrants clear for emergency
use,” said Public Works Coordinator Dave
Goergen. “There are over 1,800 hydrants in the
city, and there is no way in terms of manpower
we can undergo this on our own.”
Residents looking to spruce up their yard
sometimes attempt to camouflage the hydrant
behind decorative landscaping or flowers to
make their yards look more attractive; however,
this may hinder attempts to access the utility. Fire
Code requires a clear three-foot radius around
a fire hydrant, allowing responders to easily
approach the critical resource in an emergency.
Fire Marshal Jeff Siems emphasized the
importance of keeping hydrants clear.
“It is essential for our firefighters to quickly
locate nearby hydrants; it’s a crucial resource,”
said Siems. “When residents adopt a hydrant,
they aren’t just taking care of a hydrant – they
could be saving a life. And it’s because of the
valuable time they are saving by having the fire
hydrant ready for firefighters when they arrive.”
In addition to individual residents, many
community organizations such as church
groups, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, service clubs
and athletic teams adopt hydrants, too.
Residents can also aid firefighters and the
Public Works Department by volunteering
to paint hydrants. Only one-third of all City
hydrants are painted each year. Public Works
will provide paint to anyone willing to re-paint
a hydrant – a simple task, requiring only one
can of fire-hydrant-red spray paint, which
can be picked up at the Public Works & Park
Maintenance Facility, 7450 Metro Blvd.
For more information, call the Edina Public
Works Department at 952-826-0376 or the Edina
Fire Department at 952-826-0330.
MnDOT Begins Work in Edina on
Highway 100
City Asks Residents
to Aid Firefighters by
Adopting Hydrants
Construction is well under way at Braemar Golf Course to
renovate the driving range and create a Par 3 course. The
driving range and former executive course closed on July
6, when construction began.
“The Driving Range expansion and the Executive
Course renovation will make Braemar one
of the premier practice and short course
facilities in the Twin Cities,” said General
Manager Joe Abood. “To do that, we had
to expand the range into the executive
course” and convert it to a Par 3 course.
The grass area of the driving range will
nearly double to 300 yards long and will
accommodate up to 58 golfers at a time.
Golfers who wish to practice while the driving
range is under construction are able to use the
Braemar Golf Dome, 7420 Braemar Blvd., which is normally
closed until October. The Golf Dome is open 9 a.m. to 9
p.m. daily.
To make room for the new layout of the driving range,
the executive course will be reworked as a Par 3 course.
The Par 3 has been designed to be more welcoming to all
players and incorporates features golfers liked about the
now-closed Fred Richards Executive Golf Course.
“The driving range is being expanded to increase its
capacity and to enhance turf conditions to provide the
best practice experience for its patrons,” Abood said.
“Similar to the Fred Richards course, the updated Par 3
course will have larger greens and fewer forced carries,
which will make the new course much more playable for
golfers of all ages and abilities.”
For golfers who want to play an executive
length course, extra tee boxes have been
added to the Clunie 9. The Silver Player’s
Card can also be used on the Clunie
Executive for the remainder of 2015.
Additionally, cart specials are available to
assist golfers with the longer green to tee
walks.
“I’m very excited for the improved Par 3
and driving range,” said Pacy Erck, who is part
of Braemar’s 18-hole women’s league and who
worked at Braemar when it first opened. “It’s been 50
years, and the new improvements will be sensational. I’m
most excited for the Par 3 in that all ages and abilitities can
play on it. It’s making it for all levels to feel good about
playing golf and to have fun.”
The $1.8 million in upgrades are expected to be
completed as early as late spring of 2016.
For more information, contact Abood at 952-903-5754 or
jabood@EdinaMN.gov, or visit www.BraemarGolf.com.
The many amenities available to golfers at Braemar
Golf Course are not only designed and sustained for
performance, but environmental quality.
“A lot of people view [golf courses] as environmentally
unfriendly, and [Braemar Golf Course] wanted to prove
to people we are [environmentally friendly],” said
Maintenance Operations Coordinator Bob Atol. “We have
a variety of projects that enhance this effort.”
With an eye toward being more “green,” Braemar staff
focuses on wildlife and habitat management, chemical
use and reduction, growing a strong outreach and
education program, water conservation and water quality
management, among other things.
Efforts to maintain high standards of environmental
quality have led to Braemar retaining status as a
“Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” through
its continued commitment to enhance wildlife habitat
and protect environmental quality. “Certified Audubon
Cooperative Sanctuary” status is awarded to golf courses
by Audubon International for preserving the natural
heritage of golf through improving natural areas and
wildlife habitats, improving efficiency and minimizing
potentially harmful impacts of golf course operations.
“Braemar Golf Course has shown a strong commitment to
its environmental program. They are to be commended for
preserving the natural heritage of the area by protecting
the local watershed and providing a sanctuary for wildlife
on the golf course property,” said Director of Cooperative
Sanctuary Programs at Audubon International Tara
Pepperman.
Atol spearheaded Braemar’s environmental efforts.
“It’s been 100 percent Bob’s project since day one. It was
his initiative and his efforts,” said Superintendent Tom
Swenson. “It’s more of a personal goal and an effort on
behalf of the City for Bob.”
The Audubon International recertification process occurs
every three years. Braemar Golf Course was last granted
“Sanctuary” status in 2004 and is currently one of 907
courses in the world with the certification.
For more information on the course and its features
and upcoming events, call 952-903-5750 or visit
www.BraemarGolf.com .
A judge recently affirmed Edina’s zoning ordinances and
residential redevelopment practices when it ruled in favor
of the City in a lawsuit.
A lawsuit filed in the Hennepin County Fourth Judicial
District Court claimed redevelopment and grading of
Edina properties near a City-owned lot at 4236 Crocker
Ave. created excessive water run-off, damaging the
petitioners’ property.
In December 2014, the petitioners sought a writ of
mandamus, or an order for the City to “correct an abuse
of discretion,” by “initiat[ing] condemnation proceedings
under Chapter 117 of the Minnesota statutes,” according
to the court’s memorandum.
In Minnesota, inverse condemnation can be used against a
municipality to compensate for both taking and damaging
property. In order to receive compensation, the petitioner
must sue the City.
The petitioners claimed that by approving the
development plans of the surrounding properties, the
City adopted elevation changes that caused water run-off
to be directed to their property. The court found that the
City is not liable because it approved the development
plan. The court said in a footnote that action could be
taken against the neighboring property owners who
actually caused the alleged harm, but not against the City
as a permitting agency.
The court holds that a private landowner may reasonably
divert run-off from their property, even at the detriment to
another; however, there is no municipal easement located
on or near the involved properties. Therefore, since public
land is not involved, the City is not held liable.
The petitioner also argued that the City should also be
liable for all drainage problems within the drainage system
since the property is located within the city, which has
a “complex and comprehensively managed drainage
system.” The City pointed out that, given those facts, it
would be like “making the City liable for every drop of
rain that falls within the city’s borders,” according to the
memorandum.
The court’s opinion states the petitioners’ arguments do
not support their claim to “seek inverse condemnation
damages against the City where the alleged water
drainage damages do not arise from actions by the City
on property under its ownership or control.”
“Residential redevelopment projects can be frustrating
experiences for nearby neighbors,” said City Manager
Scott Neal. “The City’s management of residential
redevelopment is guided by City Code and State and
federal laws and regulations. We do our best in our
enforcement of those regulations to respect the rights
of all parties. Overall, I think the court reaffirmed those
decisions.”
For more information, contact the City’s Administration
Department at 952-826-0364.
Construction Begins at Braemar Golf Course
Braemar Retains ‘Audubon Sanctuary’ Status
Lawsuit Concludes in City’s Favor