The fastest train doesn't stop at all

Pioneer Press Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:29:52 -0700
An argument for more light-rail stations along University Avenue

"Extra St. Paul stops along the proposed Central Corridor light-rail line will add $5.5 million per station and won't add ridership to justify the expense" was the lead sentence in reporter Tim Nelson's article about the Dec. 12 Central Corridor Management Committee meeting. Met Council staff reported that if the light-rail proposal included stations at Western, Victoria and Hamline, the "Cost Effectiveness Index" would weaken, and they implied that the Central Corridor light-rail proposal would be dead on arrival. ... At the heart of the differing recommendations is the pivotal question of what principles should be applied to major decisions about the scope of the project. The Met Council has proposed that the Cost-Effectiveness Index (CEI) should be the primary measure, along with safety and security. Advertisement The District Councils Collaborative, other community groups and some Central Corridor Management Committee members contend that use of the CEI as the primary measurement for local decision-making is too narrow. The CEI is a federal measure that relies on ridership forecasts generated by a regional transportation model. According to many transportation researchers, regional models are notorious for underestimating transit ridership. Designed to forecast vehicle trips, they do a poor job of estimating transit, walking and bicycle trips. Federal Transportation Administration staff, Met Council Chair Peter Bell and Central Corridor project staff have all recognized problems with the regional model. Given these shortcomings, it is not unreasonable for us to question the Met Council's reasoning against additional stations.

[[keywords: PublicWorks;Living;Metro;]]

Free speech zones

Pioneer Press 06/03/2008 04:16:33 AM GMT
Board forum a soapbox for anyone but us, teachers say

At each of its monthly meetings, the St. Paul school board stops whatever it's doing, usually at 6:30 p.m., and opens the floor to the public. It's an opportunity for people to take concerns directly to the district's ultimate decision-makers, without administrative filtering. ... "It's a public forum for anyone who wants to come to speak to the board of education," she said. The latest incident was at the May Advertisement 20 board meeting. Four employees were scheduled to speak on health and physical education programming. Three dropped out. Word came from chief academic officer Valeria Silva that it wasn't the right forum, according to Liz Parr-Smestad, PE facilitator for the district and one of the four employees. "Valeria Silva has raised concern that the public comment period of the board meeting is not an appropriate avenue for addressing the board and the administration about concerns and advocacy for the physical education and health programs," read an e-mail sent by John Olson, program manager for science, health and physical education, to Parr-Smestad and another staff member. He also was set to speak. "The public comment period is designed for citizens to address the board directly since they normally do not have avenues of input that staff members have," Olson continued. "In your role as a citizen of St. Paul, you have a right to participate in the public comment period. In my role, I am going to decline to participate." Parr-Smestad sees the episode as "our First Amendment rights being squelched."

[[keywords: Schools;Officials;Metro;]]

Ripples

Pioneer Press Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:33:18 -0600
Metro Region / Cities adopting hiring freezes

When homeowners and businesses tighten their belts, so do cities. ... Eagan Mayor Mike Maguire last month announced a hiring freeze. The only exceptions are for seasonal staff and critical positions, such as police officers, said Tom Garrison, the city's communications director. Maguire said at the time that the city was figuring out ways to rein in spending, given the state budget forecast and slow real estate market. He also warned that city services and programs might be affected in the future. "Residents need to know that we always protect vital city services, but that there could indeed be painful decisions ahead," he said. Cottage Grove is looking ahead, too. Potential revenue shortfalls are more of a concern in the future than 2009, said Ryan Schroeder, city administrator. "We're planning on things not turning around," he said.

[[keywords: Staff;Living;Metro;]]

Executive talent

Star Tribune Fri, 25 Apr 2008 04:45:52 GMT
Blaine's future bright, new city manager says

Diversity is one of its strong points, he says, far outweighing loss of a future Vikings stadium. ... Q: What about this job intrigued you? A: I would classify Blaine as a gateway city. By that, I mean a city that has infrastructure and 15- to 20-minute proximity to the heart of the metro area, but also has available land. There are only a handful of these cities: Maple Grove, Woodbury, Lakeville. I would not have left Bloomington, except for a handful of communities in the metro area. I wasn't looking for a job. There's a city manager's checklist when you're looking at communities. Is it solid financially? Is there a growth corridor? Is there inexpensive and available land? Does it have an excellent community, excellent civic leadership and staff? Good schools? Are there significant events to plan around? Blaine meets all the criteria. How could I not be interested? [emphasis added]

[[keywords: Staff;Metro;]]

Northfield edges back toward normal

Star Tribune Fri, 04 Jan 2008 06:02:40 GMT
Mayor's son drops suit against Northfield

The suit claimed city officials and staff members violated public-records and open-meetings laws in discussions about family business interests. Northfield Mayor Lee Lansing's son has dropped a lawsuit that he and his father brought this fall against the city, its administrator and three City Council members. The suit, filed in October by the mayor and his son, David, claimed city officials and staff members violated public-records and open-meetings laws in discussions about family business interests. Two weeks later, the mayor withdrew as a plaintiff, and David's wife, Heidi, added her name to the suit. This week, the couple agreed to dismiss the case, much of which dealt with documents and council discussions about property owned by David Lansing that the city had eyed as the new site of a municipal liquor store. "It was getting long and protracted and expensive," said Gregg Corwin, the Lansings' attorney, who added that unfavorable publicity about the suit also contributed to the decision.

[[keywords: Legal;Metro;]]

Another Taxpayers League success story

Star Tribune Wed, 12 Dec 2007 06:05:02 GMT
White Bear Lake schools chief to retire on high note

Ted Blaesing's 15-year tenure as White Bear Lake's superintendent was capped by last month's voter approval of more tax money. Ted Blaesing, 58, is retiring after 15 years as superintendent of the White Bear Lake school district. Blaesing informed the school board and district staff on Monday that he will step down when his contract expires on June 30. In a letter to staff, he said the "constant and repetitive need to conduct finance campaigns" had sapped his energy and taken him away from the other functions of the job.

[[keywords: Schools;Officials;Ramsey;]]

WiFi and solar power

Star Tribune Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:20:21 GMT
St. Louis Park sues provider of Wi-Fi system

The city says Arinc's often-delayed solar-powered system doesn't work well. The company says it has met its obligations. ... In late 2006, St. Louis Park selected Arinc to build its much-heralded, long-researched Wi-Fi network -- largely because Arinc, the low bidder, had proposed making it solar-powered. ... With or without Arinc's help, the city will begin removing the network's solar panels and radios this month, said City Manager Tom Harmening. Dealing with the 490 poles that hold up that equipment will be trickier, he said. "It's not a simple matter of just pulling them out," Harmening said. "They're buried in concrete for a reason." A month after directing staff in January to abandon the radios, solar panels and poles erected for the network, the City Council decided to pause before making any decisions about Wi-Fi in the future. In testing what Arinc had built, the city found that small portions of the network provided reliable, high-speed connections. But other, larger portions did not. City staff have said they believe the technology can work -- that the problem was in the implementation. But some council members are concerned, still, about whether solar power is realistic. "They felt they needed to take a step back, gain some perspective and, in about a year, discuss it again with fresh eyes," Harmening said. "What will happen next winter? I don't know."

In a related story, Minneapolis learned that the solar collectors on trees can interfere with wifi networks.
[[keywords: Living;Metro;]]

Maybe we can just stand on the street and admire it

Pioneer Press Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:51:16 -0700
Stillwater / Library cuts hours to save money

The Stillwater Public Library will be closed on Sundays beginning in January to save money, library officials said Wednesday. "We love to be open, and we love to be able to serve the public, but our budget does have to be balanced," director Lynne Bertalmio said. "Any closing is not going to be popular." The cut in hours - along with reductions in staff and materials acquisition - comes a little more than a year after completion of the library's $11.5 million renovation and expansion. The library reopened in September 2006 with an addition that more than tripled space to 40,000 square feet and includes a roof terrace and meeting rooms. Bertalmio said half-day shifts - the library is open from 1 to 5 p.m. on non-summer Sundays - are expensive to staff. She also said health insurance rates are going up 22 percent, other costs are rising and revenues are not increasing as quickly as expected. The Stillwater City Council, which is expected to finalize its 2008 budget Tuesday, plans to give the library $1.028 million in 2008, up from $1.009 million in 2007. ... "It's so heavily used," [Mayor] Harycki said. "We spent many millions of dollars building a first-rate facility, and it seems a shame to close it."

[[keywords: Living;PropertyTax;Metro;]]

Consultant accountability

Star Tribune Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:49:53 GMT
Consultant sued over Red Lake shootings

Families and former school employees say the firm's crisis management plan didn't work. The families of people killed or injured in the 2005 Red Lake shootings are suing a Bloomington-based environmental consulting firm that sold the school district a crisis management plan. Lawyers for the nearly two dozen families said Tuesday that MacNeil Environmental Inc. failed to create a safe school environment and to properly train students, staff and law enforcement about what to do in a crisis situation. They claim that the Red Lake district gave MacNeil thousands of dollars in taxpayers' money to prepare for emergencies such as the March 21, 2005, shootings that left 10 dead -- including the teenage gunman. "MacNeil sold a security plan that didn't work," said Elliot Olsen, a Minneapolis attorney who represents Steve Cobenais, one of the most severely injured students. "We intend to show that had MacNeil done its job, these deaths and injuries would have been prevented."

[[keywords: Legal;Metro;]]

Gowing pains

Star Tribune Tue, 22 Jan 2008 22:59:58 GMT
Proposed psych facility draws fire from other hospitals

East metro hospitals oppose the plan for a new psychiatric hospital in Woodbury, saying Minnesota doesn't even have enough psychiatrists to staff existing beds. A Catholic health care organization's desire to build an 144-bed psychiatric hospital in Woodbury is drawing opposition from other east-metro hospitals, including the company that owns Woodwinds Hospital in Woodbury. Allowing Prairie St. John's to open such a hospital would hurt mental health care in Minnesota for the elderly, disabled and poor, and invite competition for a small number of available psychiatrists and chemical dependency counselors, the chief executive officer of St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul said in a letter to state health officials.

[[keywords: PublicSafety;Living;Metro;]]

Elections have many outcomes

Pioneer Press Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:08:34 -0700
Hudson, Wis., names 3 police chief finalists

Three finalists have been named in the search for Hudson's next police chief - the fourth in less than two years. A new chief is expected to be hired by mid-February. The three remaining candidates interviewing for the job Feb. 12 are: Hudson police Sgt. Marty Jensen, Kohler Police Chief William Rutten and Glencoe, Minn., Police Chief Jeff Cummins.

[[keywords: PublicSafety;Staff;Metro;]]

That time of year

Pioneer Press Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:17:47 -0700
West St. Paul city manager resigns to pursue jobs in other cities

The city of West St. Paul is once again looking for a manager. ... Since 1996, the first-ring St. Paul suburb has gone through four city managers, three of whom were either fired or forced out. City Attorney Kori Land said she received the separation agreement Thursday from Hairston's attorney, Phil Villaume, of Minneapolis. She said the departure was not a surprise. ... But the tenure was not without controversy. In November 2005, revelations surfaced that he allegedly sold securities without proper registration in Illinois. The case involved five-year-old loans for businesses that went bankrupt. Hairston had repaid the $7,000 loans earlier that year and entered into a consent order with the state of Illinois in which he did not admit the allegations.

[[keywords: Staff;Metro;]]

No one goes there, it's too busy

Star Tribune Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:43:36 GMT
Apple Valley: Cedar Avenue plan garners serious opposition

More than 20 Apple Valley business owners say the proposed transit plans for the thoroughfare could prove lethal to commerce. Leading figures in the business community along Cedar Avenue pleaded Wednesday with top city officials in Apple Valley to head off a disaster when it comes to plans for that congested corridor. "This plan will shut down our center," said Shelli Krueth, property manager for a firm that owns a strip mall near the intersection with County Rd. 42. "Five of our seven leases are up next year, and our tenants will not renew if they lose access." "This street was never designed to be a freeway," said Jim Paul, owner of Valley Pontiac Buick GMC. "But they're trying to turn it into one." ... City Council Member Tom Goodwin said he perceives the scenarios prepared by county planners thus far as "staff driven," with an overemphasis on slowdowns that occur two to three hours per day, versus the needs of the remainder of the day. Traffic engineers have "one purpose in life," he said, "and that's to move traffic as quick as possible." Spikes in transportation funding, including the quarter-cent sales tax that will apply in much of the metro, have pushed forward projects that planners didn't think would happen for many years, heightening tensions, he said. "Suddenly," Goodwin said, "you have many millions in play that no one had ever heard of till two or three months ago."

[[keywords: LandUse;PublicWorks;Metro;]]

A different view of motivation

Star Tribune Sun, 09 Dec 2007 05:28:17 GMT
Money may entice New Hope's workers to move there

State law bars residency as a condition of employment, but extra cash might persuade New Hope's city workers to live there. ... Laura Kushner, director of human resources and benefits for the League of Minnesota Cities, talked to New Hope officials about their proposal. While the league doesn't keep track of cities that offer residency incentives, she said she doesn't think there are any other cities in the state doing anything similar. Kushner encouraged New Hope officials to consider several factors as they worked on drafting a plan. The initial proposal included awarding hiring preference points to prospective employees who live in the city, but that was taken out after concerns were raised about the program affecting equal employment opportunities. The revised plan also includes employees who rent as well as own homes. New Hope is setting aside $10,000 for the program in its 2008 budget, but Kushner said there are state regulations about how city money can be spent. "They need to make sure they identify what is the public purpose associated with this," she said.

[[keywords: Staff;Metro;]]

How the other half lives

Star Tribune Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:36:46 GMT
Bridge opening to reunite North St. Paul

The Margaret Street bridge over Hwy. 36 will open in July, finally linking the high school side of the highway with the downtown side. The principal at North High School in North St. Paul has been watching with anticipation as workers hit the final stretch of construction of the Margaret Street bridge over Hwy. 36. "North High School is smiling," said Greg Nelson, noting that the bridge will allow his students, staff and hundreds of other residents to zip directly into downtown. "We've been patient, but we'll be glad when it's finally open." If all goes as planned, the Margaret Street bridge will open in July, linking the north and south sides of North St. Paul with a safe and quick connection over Hwy. 36 for the first time. Previously there was a road-level intersection across Hwy. 36 that was often a safety hazard, in particular for children and seniors, said Wally Wysopal, North St. Paul city manager. And it had a long red light for cars waiting to cross to the other side of the city, he said. The bridge is one of the final phases of the Hwy. 36 construction project, and the most important for North St. Paul, Wysopal said. "This is about connecting our community," Wysopal said. "Margaret Street is at the dead center of our city."

[[keywords: Living;Metro;]]

Undercurrents

Star Tribune Fri, 02 May 2008 03:07:52 GMT
Stop talking about fire or face losing your jobs, Oak Grove administrator warns

Oak Grove hits city officials -- including the fire department -- with a gag order after a fatal March 5 fire. ... Referring directly to the March 5 fire and criticism of the department discussed at City Council meetings Monday and April 14, the memo states: "All Employees, including Paid on-call Fire Department personnel, City Council members and City staff need to immediately stop talking about or commenting, publicly or privately, on tactical responses, opinions about employment matters or observations about the same." The memo further states that a pending investigation "will severely be compromised by continued comment and attempts to influence others with public comment." It says employees who fail to follow the directive not to talk "shall be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.''

[[keywords: Legal;Officials;Metro;]]

Best laid plans

Pioneer Press Sat, 09 Feb 2008 20:10:05 -0700
East Metro / Suburban downtown projects suffering

Office and retail spaces are staying vacant in the suburbs. Many plans for condos have been scaled back to apartments. Developers have deserted or downsized projects. Quaint, pedestrian-friendly city centers that seemed like a good idea five years ago run the risk of tanking along with the real estate market. From Burnsville to Lino Lakes, suburban downtowns are costing some cities millions of dollars, hundreds of hours in staff time and ramped-up voter scrutiny. Critics say city leaders are too attached to their projects to abandon them. But when should cities walk away from a struggling project in a bad market? "Sometimes governments do it, pull it off, and it works well," said Gary Krueger, professor and chairman of the economics department at Macalester College in St. Paul. "It's really a lottery." ... When Gustafson ran for City Council four years ago, he campaigned with the message that he would support building a performing arts center in Burnsville, he said. When he runs for re-election, he plans to point out that he accomplished that goal. "If someone wants to slam me for getting the job done that I said I would get done, I'd say: 'What do you want in an elected official?' " Gustafson said. "It's unfortunate the economy shifted in the last 90 to 100 days, but it did."

Professor Krueger's comment seems to discount the affect of decision-makers on outcomes. If this is true, why do we bother to vote, screen employees, and act in other ways to improve the quality of decision making? Stephan
[[keywords: LandUse;PropertyTax;Metro;]]

Tight market

Star Tribune Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:35:08 GMT
Brooklyn Park expected to approve new city manager

Brooklyn Park is close to having a new city manager. James Verbrugge, who is currently the Rosemount city administrator, received an offer from the city earlier this week. The City Council is expected to officially approve Verbrugge's contract at its meeting Monday. The city has been looking for a replacement for City Manager Doug Reeder, whose last day is March 31. If approved, Verbrugge would start in Brooklyn Park on April 21. His salary, which is still under negotiation, would be $144,700 a year. He has been in his position in Rosemount since 2003. Previously he worked for the city of Eagan as assistant city administrator. He has a bachelor's degree in history and political science from St. Cloud State University and a master's degree in public administration from Hamline University.

[[keywords: Staff;Metro;]]

Affordable housing

Pioneer Press Sat, 01 Dec 2007 23:07:22 -0700
Spirit of Brandtjen Farms: Selling big homes in a shrinking market

The 15-year project, which broke ground in 2004, was supposed to give a $650 million boost to the local economy. It was supposed to build 2,100 homes and generate about 2,000 jobs. ... Finally, the builders adjusted. Cudd cut the floor space in one town home by 11 percent, dropped the 12-foot ceilings by two feet, and slashed the price by $100,000. Schmidt Construction dropped the price of a four-bedroom home by $60,000, to $474,000. Tradition even brought in new builders - and challenged them to redesign their houses for the brutal new market. One new builder was Hartman Homes of Hudson, Wis. At a meeting in October, the sales staff and home designers dissected Hartman's homes, piece by piece, to find the right features for the right price. "Buyers want three bedrooms, two stories and a three-car garage, maybe double-deep. They like high ceilings in the great room," Gergen said. He applauded Hartman's clever touches that weren't costly - such as the appliance pantry, or the river rock in a shower floor. He warned them against "creeping elegance." That's a tendency among builders to cram in luxury features that buyers won't pay for - such as heated floors in the basement of a $450,000 home. Don't underestimate the mudroom, Gergen said. "The mud room is the linchpin for the whole house," he said. "If that fails, the house fails." By listening to buyers, he said, builders can learn what trade-offs to make - such as slightly smaller rooms for a two-story fireplace in a great room. Hartman homes came with about $20,000 in extras, including wider trim, solid three-panel doors, a $2,600 appliance allowance and a cedar front porch. ... Instead of working with someone else's floor plan, the couple created their own. They shrank the size of some rooms, then saved $18,000 by choosing a cheaper lot - which allowed them to have a catwalk over the entryway, and a two-story stone fireplace in the great room.

[[keywords: LandUse;PropertyTax;Metro;]]

Smooth ice

Star Tribune Wed, 28 May 2008 05:16:48 GMT
New Hope City Council to speak on dog parks

Dogs in New Hope could soon have a new place to run, bark and play off their leashes. The City Council has expressed support for a one-year trial of an off-leash dog park and will likely make the decision in June after hearing from residents. At a council work session last week, city staff brought up the idea of converting three hockey rinks into pet areas during spring, summer and fall. The hockey rinks are located in Civic Center Park, Lions Park and Liberty Park

[[keywords: Parks;Metro;]]