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Home My WebLink AboutCouncil_Connection_081611Council begins 2012 budget talks The Council began discussing the 2012-2013 budget at a work ses- sion prior to its regular meeting. Staff presented the Council with two options for the 2012-2013 General Fund. The first option was a proposal that extends current City service levels into 2012 and 2013 with estimated changes in employ-ee compensation, energy costs, equipment upgrades and other miscellaneous costs. The scenario would increase the tax levy by 2.8 percent. The other option included increas- es in staff, service levels, new pro- grams and other new ideas recom- mended by department heads. Scenario 2 would increase the City’s tax levy by 6.7 percent. Generally, the Council members indicated support for a preliminary tax levy ranging from 2.75 to 3.5 percent. City Manager Scott Neal will work to prepare a 2012 budget proposal that attempts to balance input and feedback from Council Members and department heads. The proposal will be presented at the Sept. 6 Council meeting, when the Council is expected to set the preliminary tax levy for 2012. Council honors photographers Six photographs and five photogra-phers were honored by the Council as winners of the City of Edina’s eighth-annual “Images of Edina” photo contest. Contest winners were chosen by a panel of judges from among 140 submitted photographs. Judges chose winning photographs in five categories that represent the City’s vision statement, which proclaims Edina as “the preeminent place for living, learning, raising families and doing business.” The winners of the 2011 Images of Edina Contest were Rebecca Schmoll, winner of the “Doing Busi- ness” and “Learning” categories; Matthew Casey, “Living: People;” Martin Freeman, “Living: Plants/ Wildlife;” Lindsey Koch, “Raising Families;” and Britt Rogers, “Readers’ Choice.” One of Schmoll’s photos was selected as “Best in Show.” Winning photos will be framed and hung in the Finance Department at City Hall, along with the winners of the 2010 contest. Council grants preliminary plat approval The Council approved a new subdi- vision on Brookview Avenue. Kirby Herman requested prelimi-nary plat approval with variances for lot width and lot area variances for his property at 5829 Brookview Ave. Herman plans to split the property, raze the existing home and build two new homes on the new lots. To create the subdivision, lot width variances are needed for what would be 50-foot lots, as well as lot area variances. The lots would measure 6,703 and 6,703 square feet. Because the majority of the parcels on the block and in the neighborhood are made up of 50- foot wide lots and because the variances will not alter the essen- tial character of the neighborhood, the Council approved the prelimi- nary plat with variances. City to consider local PACE program The Council directed staff to devel- op a program for financing energy efficiency investments. Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) is a method of financing energy efficiency investments through special property tax as- sessments. Minnesota State law allows cities to establish such a program with 11 program require- ments, including establishing fi- nancing terms that do not exceed the useful life of the project or 20 years; completing an energy audit or feasibility study and an inspec- tion and performance verification of at least 10 percent of the energy improvements; and disclosing to borrowers the risks involved in A summary of the Aug. 16 Edina City Council & HRA meeting Aug. 19, 2011 Volume 13, Issue 15 Council Connection Upcoming meetings: • Human Rights & Relations Commission, 7 p.m. Aug. 23 • Art Center Board, 4:30 p.m. Aug. 25 • City Council & Park Board, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 30 • Planning Commission, 7 p.m. Aug. 31 • City Council & HRA, 7 p.m. Sept. 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 Finance Director John Wallin 952-826-0410 Planning Director Cary Teague 952-826-0460 Utility Engineer Jesse Struve 952-903-5713 We’d like to hear from you … If you have any comments, call Communications & Marketing Director Jennifer Bennerotte at 952-833-9520. The text of this publication will be availa- ble online at www.CityofEdina.com. www.CityofEdina.com borrowing, including risk of foreclo-sure if taxes are not paid. The City can use a third-party lend- ing institution or act as the lender by issuing bonds. Staff will develop a local PACE program proposal and present it to the Energy & Environment Com- mission for members’ review and comment. Then, it will advance to the City Council for final review and consideration later this year. Council moves forward with solar panel project The Council voted to continue to move forward with a solar panel project for one of the City’s public buildings. The Energy & Environment Com-mission worked with staff to pro- cure a grant from the Department of Energy in 2010. City staff hired the consulting firm of McKinstry earlier this year to develop a re-quest for proposal (RFP) for the solar project and develop a prelimi- nary cost breakdown. Because the overall project’s rate of return could not exceed financ-ing terms, McKinstry investigated various City facilities for energy- saving measures. These projects were bundled into an energy effi- ciency package, which included the solar panels. Even with the bundling, it did not look as if the project would be economically feasible due to the low energy rates paid for City Hall. However, after the July Commis- sion meeting, staff was ap- proached by the solar supplier and installer stating that the product had decreased in price. McKinstry quickly put together another RFP with updated bidding require- ments. Prices were substantially lower than the previous bid. After applying the Local Government Renewable Energy Grant and ener-gy rebates, the low bid will result in no out-of-pocket costs for the City and a positive cash flow of about $1,450 per year.