February 2012
Prepared and paid for by the City of Victoria
Vol. 3 - No. 4
V IC T O R I A
25th An
Victoria Firefi nual ghters Association’s ’ Relief
Fishing Conte
st
Sunday, Febr Steiger Lake 12uary 5, 2012 :30-2:30 p.m.
PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
www.ci.victoria.mn.us
PERMIT NO. 65 CHANHASSEN, MN
POSTAL CUSTOMER ECRWSS
SPIRIT The Year in Review – By Don Uram, City Administrator
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n looking back to 2011, the City Council, staff and I had several accomplishments that the community can be proud of and that helped make Victoria a great place to live and do business. Although we all continue to deal with the current economic difficulties as part of our daily lives, Victoria had a good year. We continued a course of action that will provide long-term benefits to you the resident and taxpayer while maintaining Victoria’s image of a City of Lakes and Parks.
Safe Community Victoria continues to be a safe community to live, work and play. • The Victoria Firefighters responded to over 200 calls for service last year. • Proactive policing by the Carver County Sheriff ’s Office. • The Victoria Senior Commission hosted a Car-Fit program that offered adults the opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles fit them.
Community Development
Recreation and Fitness
• A joint project between the City and downtown business owners was completed to add the Rose Street public parking lot.
• A trail along 86th Street was constructed to provide connectivity to the City trail system between Kochia Lane and County Road 11.
• The City grew with the annexation of 500 acres from Laketown Township.
• New Skate Park equipment was installed at Diethelm Park.
• Krey Lakes 3rd Addition was approved and will add 24 new single-family lots to the City.
• A new hockey rink and pleasure rink was installed at Lions Park.
• Building permits were issued for 68 new homes adding over $18 million in permit value to the City’s tax base.
Infrastructure • 86th Street was upgraded to meet City standards for a collector road by replacing the existing failing pavement and providing safety along the corridor. • In anticipation of Highway 5 detours in the summer of 2012, the City completed an overlay of existing pavement on Steiger Lake Lane to welcome the additional traffic f low through the downtown area.
• The Soccer Field reconstruction was completed at Diethlem Park.
Financial Health • Reduced 2012 General Fund tax levy by $56,058 over the 2011 tax levy. • Refunded $3.8 million in bonds saving over $130,000 in future interest payments. • Maintained our S & P bond rating of AA+ with a stable outlook. • Continued our goal of fiscal stability with the on-going development of a Long-term Financial Plan (LTFP) to help the City Council align resources
with needs while minimizing taxpayer impacts. Looking forward to 2012, it is going to be a challenging year for our communit y with the Hwy 5 reconstruction project. The City Council, staff and I have been working closely with Mn/DOT, Carver County, and our neighboring cities on the Hwy 5 planning and design scheduled to be completed in 2012. During construction when portions of Hwy 5 are re-routed next summer, it will be an inconvenience for everyone. But through communication and partnership between the City, staff, residents, businesses and visitors
we hope to minimize the inconveniences it will cause, and, when it is over, have open roads to more opportunities for the community in the near future. As with the City Council and staff, I welcome residents, business and visitors to contact me with any questions or comments. You are welcome to stop in at City Hall, email me at duram@ci.victoria.mn.us or call me at 952-443-4210.
Grants available for water-friendly landscaping
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ant to help protect clean water as you plan to beautify your yard this spring? The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) can help. The MCWD offers grants for projects that protect water resources in a variety of ways, whether or not you live on a lake or stream. The MCWD encourages using stormwater best management practices (BMPs) that catch polluted stormwater before it enters sewers or water bodies. The District is also ready to pay for up to half of the cost and help you plan what’s best for you. • Eligible projects for the Stormwater BMP Cost Share grant funding include rain gardens (planted depressions that fi lter stormwater), pervious pavers (hard surfaces which allow water to pass through) and other innovative BMPs that capture and filter stormwater.
Victoria City Council Mary Hershberger Thun, Mayor Kim Roden, Council Member Tom O’Connor, Council Member Jim Crowley, Council Member Tom Strigel, Council Member
Contact Us City of Victoria 7951 Rose Street, P.O. Box 36 Victoria, MN 55386 Phone: (952) 443-4210 Fax: (952) 443-2110 Web site: www.ci.victoria.mn.us E-mail: info@ci.victoria.mn.us Victoria Recreation Center 8475 Kochia Lane Victoria, MN 55386 Phone: (952) 443-4255
Grants are available for improvements to private property including residential, business and private schools. Shoreline and Streambank Cost Share grants also are available to public entities. For more information, contact Joe Barten, MCWD Cost Share Specialist, at (952) 641-4523 or jbarten@minnehahacreek. org or visit http://minnehahacreek.org/ grants/cost-share-programs
Wellness Challenge a success The 2011 Victoria Wellness Challenge was a huge success! Grand prize winner of the Challenge was Kevin Webb and runner-up was Debbie Foss.
Victoria needs you!
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You will have helped other voters exercise their right to vote.
An election judge plays an important role in the electoral process by staffing Victoria’s polling places, administering election procedures, and ensuring that the rights of voters are protected on Election Day. Serving as an election judge provides you an opportunity to learn about the elections process and is a great service to our community. Without election judges, there would be no elections!
You will have provided a service to the great residents of Victoria, State of Minnesota, United States of America.
nterested in being involved in the 2012 Elections? Sign up now to become an election judge.
What is an election judge?
Election judges receive training prior to election days and report approximately one hour before the polls open and serve until all duties are completed after the polls close. Here are some reasons for considering being an election judge: You will be paid.
Please Recycle
• Eligible projects for the Shoreline and Streambank Stabilization Cost Share grant funding use native plants to reduce erosion along lakes and streams. The roots of native plants anchor the soil, filter and absorb polluted runoff, and beautify the shoreline or streambank. Their natural height and density also discourage geese, which are attracted to turf adjacent to water.
You will have an increased appreciation for the democratic process.
2012 Election Dates: Aug. 14, 2012 – Primary Election Nov. 6, 2012 – General Election
How do I become an election judge? Applications are available on the City’s website at www.ci.victoria. mn.us or to request an application or additional information, please call Jennifer Kretsch, City Clerk at 952-443-4212 or email at jkretsch@ c i.v ic tor ia . mn.us
Hwy 5 project on the horizon
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he Hwy 5 project will be starting this spring. MnDOT opened bids for the project on January 27. Activity will start in May and the closure for the bridge replacement and soil corrections will start after Memorial Day weekend. Residents can still access downtown and businesses along Hwy 5. Last year the City Council approved a marketing plan to help the business community through this challenging time. This plan includes billboards, directional signs, banners, print ads and postcards. A key component of the plan is the one-stop shop website – w w w.victoriadetour.org. This
site has construction updates, event details and a business directory. To get everyone ready for the construction, plan to attend the second annual Discover Victoria Day celebration on Saturday, May 12 at the Victoria Recreation Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can learn more about the project, including customized maps for your alternate routes, as well as learn more about what businesses and activities are available in Victoria. If you are a home-based business and would like to participate, please contact Holly Kreft, Community Development Director, at (952) 443-4218.