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Home My WebLink AboutCitySlick_June_2013CITYSLICK p1 A newsletter for the City Council and employees of the City of Edina by Jordan Gilgenbach, Communications Coordinator The City of Edina mourns the loss of former Mayor Jim Van Valkenburg, who died May 25 at age 87. Serving as ﬁrst mayor after the Village of Edina became a city, Van Valkenburg worked tirelessly to shape Edina into what it has become today. Van Valkenburg was born in Minneapolis is 1925. He served in the U.S. Army in WWII and graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School before moving to Edina in 1952. He practiced private sector law for more than 50 years and taught business law at the U of M for 30 years. While he had a long, successful law career, his public service is equally as impressive. Van Valkenburg served as a Village Trustee (what we now call “Council Member”) from 1960 to 1974 and served as a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals from 1966 to 1973. He was elected Mayor of Edina in 1975 and served until 1980. “It seems as though Jim was everyplace,” said former Edina Mayor Denny Maetzold. “Jim was very involved. He is truly going to be missed in this community.” “He was a great mentor, for the mayors that are still living; Denny Maetzold, Fred Richards, me,” said Mayor Jim Hovland. “He wasn’t a preachy person. He wasn’t a person who was going to tell you how to do your job, but if you wanted a little guidance from him based on all those years of experience, he was going to give it.” “He would always come to the employee Christmas party, and it was a standing joke, we would always ask him to come up for a speech at the parties,” said former City Manager Gordon Hughes. “People in the audience would groan, thinking ‘what are you thinking asking the Mayor to give a speech?’ Every year was the same thing. He would come up and say ‘Merry Christmas and Happy New Year’ and then sit back down,” Hughes said with a chuckle. Van Valkenburg was a charter Board Member of the Edina Community Foundation in 1977, serving as both president and treasurer. He was also a founder of the Edina Crime Prevention Fund, having led it for 40 years. “The ﬁrst thing that is obvious about Jim is that, when you are in a meeting with him, he deeply cared about the community,” said Dick Crockett, Executive Director of the Edina Community Foundation. “I got to know Jim well through the Edina Foundation,” said Executive Assistant Susan Howl. “He had a great sense of humor. Right away when I met him, he felt like a friend and that I knew him a long time. We later found out we shared a birthday, which brought us even closer.” Additionally, Van Valkenburg was instrumental in bringing the Jaycees to Edina, and served as president in the 1950s. He also served on the South Hennepin Human Services Planning Board in 1973. INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2 Around The Water Cooler 3 Staff Notes 4 Techy Tidbits 6 Letter Bag City Remembers Mayor Van Valkenburg 6|7|2013 Continued on Page 3 ... June 7, Karen, Administration June 7, Cary, Community Development June 8, Larry, Public Works June 9, Tom, Edina Liquor June 10, Thomas, Engineering June 11, Julie, Police June 11, Jeff, Police June 11, Debra, South Metro Public Safety Training Faciltiy June 14, Joy, Police June 17, Terri, Human Resources June 21, Josh, Public Works June 22, Jason, Braemar Arena June 24, Adam, Public Works June 24, Eric, Parks & Recreation June 29, John, Public Works June 30, Robert, Public Works CITYSLICK p2 Communications & Technology Services The City’s WiFi networks have been expanded to Fire Stations No. 1 and 2 and the Terrace Room and greenhouse at Arneson Acres Park. Within the next few weeks, the networks will also be available at the Edina Aquatic Center. Fire – Rescue & Building Inspections Department Responds To House Fire No one was injured as a result of a large ﬁre that caused signiﬁcant damage to a home in southwest Edina at 10:30 p.m. Monday, June 3. The Edina Fire Department was called to the house ﬁre in the 6600 block of Kenney Place. The ﬁrst ﬁre crews on-scene found a working ﬁre with ﬂames shooting from the roof. The homeowners were present at the time of the ﬁre and evacuated the home safely. No injuries were reported. A third alarm was called, bringing mutual aid from surrounding communities. During ﬁre crews’ exterior attack on the ﬁre, part of the home’s roof collapsed, largely over the garage. Fireﬁghters brought the ﬁre under control in about an hour, followed by interior attack of small ﬁres and hot spots. The home has signiﬁcant damage and may be a total loss. Initial reports show the ﬁre may have started in the garage; however, the exact cause of the ﬁre is currently under investigation. Task Force Helps With St. Paul Rescue Members of the Minnesota Task Force One responded to a mudslide that buried four fourth-grade students in Lilydale Regional Park in St. Paul on May 23. The Task Force responded the ﬁrst day for rescue efforts. Within hours of responding, crews rescued two children and recovered the body of another child. When night fell, darkness and dangerous conditions called off search efforts. The Task Force responded again on the second day, when they recovered the body of a second child. The students were fossil hunting when the ground, saturated from several days of rain, gave way. The park is closed indeﬁnitely. Richﬁeld Assists With Edina’s Inspections As the number of new projects in Edina grows, so do the demands on the City’s Building Inspections staff. The City has contracted with the City of Richﬁeld for additional assistance from a mechanical inspector. The Richﬁeld inspector is called as needed for various projects, so Edina’s staff does not become overwhelmed. Though one-sided, the partnership has been beneﬁcial so far. Edina inspectors would also help the City of Richﬁeld if it was to request assistance. Human Resources City Offers New Employee Assistance Program The Human Resources Department is excited to announce the City’s partnership with The Oasis Group to provide additional resources as part of an Employee Assistance Program. The Oasis Group is a worksite-based group of services and programs designed to help all employees (full time, part time and seasonal) and their family members cope with personal difﬁculties, ﬁnd resources that are helpful and to search out solutions to complicated living and/or work- related problems. Here are some of the many reasons employees and their families seek help from an Employee Assistance Program: tMild or severe stress tBalancing work and family tFinancial problems tMarital problems tAlcohol or drug abuse tLoss of someone close tFamily problems and life’s transitions tDepression and anxiety tEmotional and physical abuse tProblems at work The Oasis Group has more than 30 years of experience and is committed to providing services to help the City’s employees function more effectively in all areas of life – personal, family and work. Counselors are available to discuss your situation in person or by phone day or night. You will always be able to reach them in the event of a crisis. We encourage our employees to contact The Oasis Group for free and conﬁdential help at AROUND THE WATER COOLER Following is a summary of some of the projects of some departments, divisions and facilities. Other areas of the City will be featured in upcoming issues. CITYSLICK p3 His service to the City continued, even after his term as mayor ended. He was a major supporter of the Edina Art Center and was appointed to the Board in 1982, serving for 27 years. He chaired the Board in 2009. Van Valkenburg was also a member of the Edina Centennial Commission in 1988, which commemorated the City’s 100th anniversary. “He was a man of few words, but what he said was always listened to,” said Solvei Wilmot, Recycling Coordinator, who worked with Van Valkenburg when she worked in the Parks & Recreation Department. In 1979, Van Valkenburg helped create and organize the City’s ﬁrst volunteer recognition event in 1979. He was later given the Mayor’s Special Commendation in 1981 for outstanding volunteer service to the City while in an elected or appointed position. He was also the recipient of the Mayor’s Individual Service Commendation in 2000 for outstanding and exceptional volunteer service to the community at large. Because of all his service to the City of Edina, Van Valkenburg Park was name in his honor in September 1985. Van Valkenburg was preceded in death by his wife, Pat. He is survived by his four children. Mayor Van Valkenburg Continued from Page 1 ... 952-841-6814 or 877-730-7074. Contact the Human Resources Department if you have questions. City In Compliance With Pay Equity State law requires all public jurisdictions, such as cities, counties and school districts, to eliminate any sex-based wage and compensation inequities and submit a Pay Equity Report every three years to determine compliance. The Human Resources Department has completed the report and has been found in compliance. This means that our jobs are evaluated and given points/pay according to the level of knowledge and responsibility required to do the job, regardless of the gender of the employees in the job. The Pay Equity Report is just one of the many things for which we will use our newly completed job classiﬁcation and evaluation system. Police You’re going to start seeing some new squads around town with a new design! However, the design isn’t as new as you might think. If you were around anytime between 1947 and 1990, you’ll notice that the new design is reminiscent of the simple black-and-white design from that time when just the patch was detailed on the door. Not only did the Police Department choose to go with this design as a nod to the past, but because Ford recently discontinued the Crown Victoria with two white doors and a white roof, which meant the City would have to wrap those with expensive white vinyl. By the end of 2013, we should see two squads replaced with Ford’s new Police Utility Vehicle, similar to a Ford Explorer without the third row of seats. The squads will be phased in along with the new design. Eric Boettcher began work as Recreation Supervisor May 12. Boettcher comes from the City of Roseville where he held the same position since 2004. Prior to working for the City of Roseville, he was a Recreation Manager at the City of Northﬁeld and an Aquatic Manager at Green Bay Parks, Recreation and Forestry. Boettcher holds a bachelor’s degree in Parks Recreation and Leisure from the University of Minnesota. STAFF NOTES The Communications & Technology Services Department welcomed a new Communications Intern June 4. Katie Lofrano, a senior at St. Cloud State University, writes for and maintains the university’s Campus Recreation Newsletter website. She has also worked at a photography studio and interned at the Delano Herald Journal. Lofrano will graduate next year with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications/Jounalism-Public Relations. City Manager Scott Neal was appointed May 3 as a board member of the Minnesota City/County Management Association (MCMA). Appointed management of cities and counties in Minnesota are members of MCMA, which is afﬁliated with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The group is dedicated to increasing management proﬁciency, strengthening the quality of local government through professional management, maintaining high ethical standards and educating citizens about the advantages of professional local government management. Neal will serve a two- year term. CITYSLICK p4 TECHY TIDBITS by Nick Lovejoy, I.T. Specialist Is your PowerPoint too large to email? PowerPoint has a built-in feature to compress the resolution of pictures to make the ﬁle size more For more information, write to helpdesk@EdinaMN.gov or leave a message at 952-903-5711. manageable. This feature can be very helpful when attempting to email a presentation, saving space when the presentation is only going to be viewed digitally or printed for handouts. Here’s how to do it: 1. Select the picture by clicking in it. 2. Click on the “Format” tab. 3. Select “Compress Pictures” from the toolbar. From here, there are some options: tYou can select the individual image you chose or all of the images to compress. tIn PowerPoint, you have the ability to crop a picture and also to restore the picture back to its original state. The “Delete cropped areas of pictures” checkbox gives you the ability to remove the cropped data to further decrease the size of your PowerPoint. tLast, but not least, choose your resolution. The majority of the time, “E-mail” quality will sufﬁce. Wellness Corner Braemar Golf Employees who present their City ID can hit a small bucket of range balls at Braemar Golf Course for free 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, June 14. During that time, employees can purchase a turkey sandwich or grilled chicken sandwich for $5 at the grill. Refuse to be a victim! Attend the Wellness Committee’s “Take a Break to Educate” to learn more about personal safety. Molly Anderson and Tom Draper from the Edina Police Department will present tricks and tips to keep you safe. Both sessions will have the same information. Don’t forget your punch card! Yorktown Park Pilot Community Garden Braemar Golf Course Business Manager Amy Smith and Appraiser Shelagh Stoerzinger planted the Wellness Committees’ plot at the Yorktown Community Garden on a windy day. Produce from the garden will be used for the Wellness Committee’s summer BBQ. Excess produce will be donated to the Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People food shelf. Interested in helping to keep the garden watered and weed-free? Keep an eye out for an email to sign-up for a time slot! COMMIT TEEWellness EDINA EMPLOYEE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Accumulate a punch for e v e r y W e l l n e s s e v e n t you attend. Collect 10 punches and receive a $15 gift card to a local re s t a u r a n t ! Name Noon-12:40 p.m. Wednesday, June 19 Community Room of Edina City Hall 12:30-1:10 p.m. Thursday, June 20 Community Room of Edina City Hall CITYSLICK p5 Edina Police Sgt. Kevin Roﬁdal continues to write his own story and just added another chapter. He was recently named 9th Coast Guard District’s Reserve Enlisted Person of the Year. Roﬁdal, a maritime enforcement specialist stationed at the Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit in Duluth, was presented the award along with a Coast Guard Achievement Medal at a May 18 ceremony in Duluth, Minn. “Petty Ofﬁcer Roﬁdal, through his exemplary commitment to Coast Guard missions and servant leadership, really exempliﬁes our service’s core values,” said Cmdr. Kenneth Bryan, commanding ofﬁcer of Duluth’s Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit. “His individual contribution, and those of the entire Reserve cadre throughout the 9th Coast Guard District, is absolutely critical to team Coast Guard meeting missions and serving the public.” A member of the Coast Guard for nearly 14 years, Roﬁdal was called to duty in 2007 for the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, in 2008 for Hurricane Ike in Houston and in 2010 for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in Louisiana. Roﬁdal, who said he joined the Coast Guard because he felt drawn toward military service, was humbled to receive the award. “I look at this opportunity to remember the sacriﬁces of those that came before me, who paid a much greater price and got much less recognition,” he said. A historian for the Police Department, Roﬁdal put his skills to use researching and honoring fallen Coast Guardsmen from the past. Having dug through records at the National Archives, Coast Guard Historians Ofﬁce and his local Unit in Duluth, Roﬁdal unearthed fascinating stories of shipmates who lost their lives “I look at this opportunity to remember the sacri ces of those that came before me ... ’ attempting to save others. Roﬁdal is proud of that research. “When I accepted the award, I challenged the rest of the crew to go ﬁnd someone in their family or neighborhood from the ‘Greatest Generation’ and record their history – it’s never been more important,” said Roﬁdal. Since joining the Edina Police Department in 2007, Roﬁdal has brought the Department’s K-9 program back to life, been a member of the SWAT team for more than a decade and was promoted to Sergeant this past January. CAUGHT IN THE ACT Ofﬁce Aide Lisa Sta. Maria was recognized at Opportunity Partners’ 60th-anniversary gala May 4. Sta. Maria and her supervisor, Lynette Biunno, attended the gala where Sta. Maria was put in the spotlight as a person who loves to work and has been independently employed at community jobs since 1997, currently with the City of Edina. At the gala, Sta. Maria and her friend Stein met Meteorologist Keith Marler of Fox 9 (left). POLICE SERGEANT NAMED‘RESERVE ENLISTED PERSON OF THE YEAR’ by Kaylin Martin, Communications Coordinator CITYSLICK p6 Selected letters are printed in City Slick to let you know what residents and businesses think of your services. “After watching the Council meeting online today, I walked the Promenade from my townhome at 802 Coventry Place to Target to pick up a few things and was feeling very grateful that the City Council accepted the proposal for the new mixed living development for Byerly’s. We are constantly ‘on foot’ for many trips to shop, eat and exercise … let alone enjoy Centennial Park! “We feel this will make our neighborhood more desirable. We walk to Southdale, Galleria, Target and Yorktown all the time without the headache of trafﬁc and parking. “We appreciate all you do to make Edina a better place to live! Both my husband and I have been raised here … raised our family here and now continue to enjoy it each day! “Thanks again.” – Mark and Sue Dixon “Thank you for the excellent article about our son Steve and the Steve Rummler Hope Foundation in this month’s About Town magazine. The article contains important information about our country’s epidemic of prescription drug overdose deaths. Someone dies every 15 minutes from this epidemic, and Steve was tragically one of its victims. The article will increase awareness among Edina’s residents of the important work of our Foundation. We are changing and saving lives by providing hope for those with chronic pain and the disease of addiction. “We are grateful for your interest and look forward to keeping in touch. “Thank you very much!” – Bill Rummler, Chairman Judy Rummler, President Steve Rummler Hope Foundation LETTER BAGMY FIRST JOB Brian Olson What was your ﬁrst job? My ﬁrst job was as a seasonal Parks employee with the City of Marshﬁeld, Wis. I mowed and dragged athletic ﬁelds for two summers while I was going to high school. Do you remember how much you were paid? $3.25 per hour If you could do it all over again, would you still take that job? Absolutely! I was introduced to public service and realized all that needs to be done to keep city parks clean and well kept. What did you learn on the job that you have carried with you into your career? I learned the value of an education and that hard work pays off. Public Works and Parks servants have a wide variety of responsibilities that vary from manual labor to administration. I worked hard to get my college degree so that I could focus my career on leadership of such a diverse workforce. Brian Olson began in May 2012 as Public Works Director. A 1992 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he holds a bachelor’s degree in civil science and environmental engineering with an emphasis in transportation/surveying. He has been a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Minnesota since 1997. Olson began working for the City of New Brighton as an Engineering Intern in 1992 and was promoted to Civil Engineer. He then transitioned to the City of Ramsey in 2000 as City Engineer and moved up the ranks until he was named Public Works Director/Principal City Engineer in 2006. t “My First Job” is a feature of City Slick compiled by Lynette Biunno meant to give employees a glimpse of each other’s professional beginnings. EMPLOYEE MILESTONES Nick Lovejoy, Communications & Technology Services, 5 years. (June 17, 2008) Greg Messetler, Communications & Technology Services, 5 years. (June 16, 2008) Jason Schueller, Public Works, 5 years. (June 9, 2008) Doug Bauman, Braemar Arena, 15 years. (June 10, 1998) Peter Lucht, Public Works, 30 years. (June 27, 1983)