Prior Lake is blessed with some of the most beautiful natural topography in the Twin City area. ( I may be just a little bit biased). At the same time as a popular place to live Prior Lake must keep up with the increasing demands for athletic facilities. Given the cost of land, playfields and buildings how does the city address each of these needs without dramatically impacting taxes?

The answer, whenever possible is donations.

The Park Athletics and Recreation Task Force had as it’s first priority recommendation: squeeze the most out of existing facilities. The city council is doing just that by soliciting bids for the lighting of four baseball/softball fields at Ryan Park so that more games can be played each night. Since the development of Ryan already cost over $3 million this is a great example of improving the productivity of an existing high demand facility. The estimated lighting cost of $550,000 is being donated by the Prior Lake Athletics for Youth, PLAY  (who by the way now office at the new city hall) and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.

Similarily, the Prior Lake Savage Hockey Association needs more indoor ice. The Prior Lake Savage School Board have already loaned the land subject to certain conditions for a two rink facility at the middle school campus. The hockey association will be raising $2 million of the estimated $8 million total cost.

The city has been asked to provide conduit bond financing in the amount of $6 million to assist this effort. By using city bonding authority the association increases the attractiveness of the bonds to investors and lowers the interest rate and therefore cost to themselves. These bonds DO NOT put the taxpayer or city at risk in the event of default. On the other hand because of other city demands, only $6 million on bonds is available and only in 2008. This will affort the association the time to prepare their plans and specifications and the raise the $2 million downstroke.

At the same time the city continues to work with the SMSC to see if they will build an additional indoor rink. The two projects are not mutually exclusive but support on another to provide the the 3 tio 4 rinks the PAR Task Force said would be needed in the next decade.

Preservation of nature is not being ignored either. In fact two efforts are under way which could preserve 40 plus acres. The thirty acre Pavlisch property on Pike Lake has been appraised at $1.8 million. The city council has committed $500,000 to this purchase with the understanding that the remainder be raised by the Trust for Public Land from state and federal grant money. According to Trust representatives, the city’s commitment of this significant amount greatly improves the likihood of sucess according to the Trust Center.

The Jeffers Foundation and Paul Oberg have proposed another means of preserving mother nature and a means of building a nature center building. They have offered the city $200,000 for agreeing to place an 8 acre property next to Five Hawks School into conservatancy. The parcel has little development potential and is already being used as part of the outdoor learning center.  The $200,000 is intended to be used to help build the interpretive center building at Jeffers Pond.

Jeffers Foundation has also offered a challenge grant of $500,000 to further facilitate the building of the nature center building at Jeffers Pond. The city and school district would be challenged to raise a matching $500,000 by March 2008. All told, if the $200,000 is added to the $500,000 already provided to the city as part of the platting of the property at total of $700,000 would be available. Then if the challenge grant were successful an additional $1 million would be available bringing the total to $1.7 million. A committee consisting of a wide variety of stakeholders have estimated the building costs at $1.5 million.

This wonderful opportunity raises some very important questions about whether the city or school district should be responsible for the operating costs and general administration of the facility and associated property. I am confident that we can address this important issue together. I would also like to tie the Pike Lake proposal to the Jeffers Pond proposal financially to assure both become reality. Stay tuned on that.

Our 2030 Vision and Strategic Plan emphasizes the preservation of natural areas while addressing athletic needs and that is exactly what your city council is doing with a focus on the use of donations to the maximum extent possible.

Until Next Time.

Frank

On Tuesday, February 20, 2007 we dedicated the new city hall and police station. Thanks to all of you who were there. We hope you enjoyed the festivities and the momento of the event, a sandstone coaster in the shape of the city’s logo. For those of you who could not be present, here is what you would have heard.

Drowning out everything else were the two words THANK YOU!

For thirteen years we have worked to address other more pressing building needs including fire station 1, the maintenance center and library/ resource center. And 24 months ago it became time for the new city hall and police station. Given the fact that at least one detainee escaped from the old police facilities for lack of any form of secure rooms coupled with the regular winter furnance failures which affected everyone, the new buildings became reality none to soon.

The new police station has short term holding facilities and hard and soft interview rooms and even a garage to house the vehicles that contain the lifesaving equipment that must be kept warm to function properly.

The city hall features large hallways which are really meeting rooms to conduct receptions, art shows, program registrations and community celebrations. The new council chambers provides a better location to conduct government business and then to convey it via television and internet to the community. Numerous conference and community rooms are included in the building which are available for the public to use at no charge.

The buildings remained downtown to support a vibrant downtown community gathering place. An additional parking lot was added to the downtown for use by businesses and shoppers while city employees park at the Holy Trinity United Methodist church through a cooperative agreement that benefits both.

The police station and city hall dedication is a historic event that will not be seen for another 40 years. We would love to give you a tour of one or both buildings when it meets your schedule so that we can personally thank you for making them possible. Rest assured that we will use both buildings to serve you better.

Until next time.

Frank.

One cannot help but to be impacted by at least some of our news headlines. We are in a society which has a name for every malady (and looking for more) and a stereotype for most everything.

Of course there is a stereotype for public employees. More often than not that stereotype is less than positive. Unfortunatly there are more than enough examples of public servants gone bad in some way to keep the stereotype alive and well. We have found one example to be all to true here in Prior Lake of late.

But believe it or not, most public employees are not in government because they could not make it in the private sector. To the contrary, many of us have been successful in the private sector at one time or another in our careers and likely will again once our public careers are over.  And while the public sector boasts a greater number of holidays annually than the private sector, I don’t think that is why we are in government either.

I believe every one of us in government is just idealistic enough to want to make a positive difference in society at one or more levels. We get a kick out of saying when it is a good thing we worked for, ”That happened on my watch.”  Public service is a noble profession. It is a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week responsiblity and I for one am proud to be one. Where else is one entity — government — held accountable for society’s response to everything from natural and manmade cataclysms to day-to-day maintenance of public assets? We taxpayers, you and me, are very fortunate in Prior Lake to have an organization which boasts so many outstanding public servants.It is these people quietly doing their jobs daily who have a tremendous impact upon what Prior Lake is today and will become tomorrow.

What an outstanding weekend it has been at Lakefront Park!

Yesterday was the Winter Blast. (Let me apologize to Councilmemeber Hedberg right here because I erroneously told him it was the Arctic Blast which, as you know, is something else altogether. Unfortunately Ken used my inaccurate event name at a council meeting to promote the event. My bad. Sorry Ken.)

But back to my topic. Yesterday the Winter Blast flourished because of sunshine, moderate winter temperatures and six or so inches of snow on the ground. Families and kids of all ages enjoyed a multitude of events sponsored by the city’s park and recreation department. Hay wagon and pony rides, open skating, hockey, slap shot contest, sledding, and bon fires were enjoyed by many.  Probably the single most popular event was kids climbing a mountain of snow strategically dumped by our maintenence department. Indoors there was painting, presentations, games and snacks including donuts, hot chocolate and coffee.

And while there was a cool breeze moms and dads and kids flocked to the park and enjoyed the sunshine outdoors for hours. I know because I enjoyed the opportunity to be the goalie at the slap shot contest. Despite the weather and especially the wind I never felt the cold. I was like a kid again- unaffected by the chill- my only focus was outdoor fun.

It was great because so many of the shooters were five, six and seven year olds who, with their parents, were trying to decide whether hockey might be a sport for them. Since Saturday was Hockey Day in Minnesota this seemed particularily appropriate. Even more important from my bias perspective many of the shooters were girls and I am a promoter of girls hockey. I did my best to share with them and their parents the many wonderful experiences that hockey has made possible for everyone in my family.

This year’s Winter Blast was truly a success. In addition to many Prior Lakers, some Savage residents participated as well. We were glad to have them join us.

But the fun is not over at Lakefront. At noon today I took a walk through the park. My activity was solitary but as the tracks in the snow showed, many others had aready made their trek along the park paths. As I walked toward the park the sounds of kids and adults having fun became more and more pronounced. As I approached the park I was gratified to see the tennis court parking lot on Ridgemont filled to capacity. At least fifty people of all ages and sizes occupied the sliding hill, some sliding down, others walking up and many watching the action and awaiting their turn. By the same token the two hockey rinks and pleasure rink were in vigorous use by many individuals and hockey teams.

That’s when it came back to me, as I worked at the Winter Blast slap shot event a woman took the time to say thanks for making Winter Blast event possible. I acknowledged her thanks and told her that it is we the city employees who are grateful to her. We know that ,in fact, it is the Prior Lake taxpayer who makes these parks and recreation events possible both through annual tax payments and  event participation. Without both forms of support the events do not happen. So on behalf of the Prior Lake city staff thanks to you for making park facilities like Lakefront Park, The Winter Blast and our many other community events possible! I hope these facilities and programs help you to be a kid again too, even if only for a moment.

Until Next Time.

Frank.

By now you have read in our press release or in the newspapers about the expenditure of funds for unauthorized purposes by our former fire chief. And so you may wonder, “what does the city do to protect public money?”

Every year every one of our 24 fund accounts is audited by an independent auditing firm. That firm the prepares a written report of their findings including both the results of their investigation and recommendations for strengthening our financial controls. Both reports are provided to the city council annually at a council meeting and a copy is shared with the state auditors office.

One a daily basis financial oversight is excercised as well. The city has a written purchasing policy which provides guidelines for virtually every expenditure of public funds. Those guidelines are based upon and exceed in many cases state statutory requirements.

The funds controlled by the firefighter relief fund are also audited annually. There are suppose to be only two funds. The pension or special fund and the general fund used for incidential purchases like flowers or meals after fires or training and the like. Both are independently audited annually and both are subject to daily oversight by a bonded treasurer and a board of trustees.

The checkbook which the fire chief had access to has been closed and all the funds from that account have been placed in the relief association general fund which as I said above is annually audited, administered by a bonded treasurer and a board of trustees.

These steps are taken to assure that public funds are appropriately cared for. In the coming months we will be reviewing our financial system to see if other controls are advisable. We will also be looking at our personnel policy to assure that ethics and financial controls are effectively administered in Prior Lake.

Until Next Time.

Frank

It is a fact of life– two people can look at the same situation and draw conclusions which are polar opposite.

For example since the 2030 Vision and Strategic Plan was adopted in 2002, Prior Lake has made record breaking progress in addressing it’s key challenge: development related issues and in upgrading public infrastructure.

A few samples should suffice: Spring Lake Township Annexation Agreement, Downtown Streetscape and Facade Improvement Program, sale of surplus city parcels to build two new office-retail buildings,platting of Jeffers Waterfront property to assure Nature Preserve and Interpretive Center, Purchase of 39 acres for Community Playfield purposes, financial support for Presbyterian Homes to make 140 more senior housing units available, construction of the new Police Station and City Hall after 13 years of planning, referendum approved funding for a second fire station and aerial platform fire truck, and planning for a new water treatment plant to be built in 2007 and 2008.

Looking at this impressive list will draw prideful comments from some and criticism from others. Some will say why so much so fast? Others will say it is about time.

 I do not pretent to know which is the “right” answer. I only know that the actions we have taken and anticipate taking in the future have been planned for many years. With very few exceptions our actions are charted well before the shovel hits the ground and involve considerable opportunity for public input along the way.

More important each construction project is planned for financially well into the future. The capital improvement program aligns funding with projects five, ten and sometimes fifteen years hence. We make a point of keeping our development fees reflective of our actual costs so that development pays for itself to the extent possible. Collected funds are accounted for in individual accounts in accordance with generally accepted accounting principals and spent only for the purpose they were collected.  To the extent possible we work to leverage other funds ( grants, donations,and land) and cooperation to lighten the burden on the property taxpayer. Perhaps most important of all from a financial perspective, we seek to keep our bond rating as high as possible so that when we sell bonds, as well do every year, the interest cost to you and I as taxpayers is minimized.

In my 13 plus years at Prior Lake every city council I have worked for has placed a top priority on financial prudence. I am confident that this will not change in the years to come. This single fact bodes well for the pocketbook for the Prior Lake taxpayer and assures that our community will continue to make the investments we need to develop and enbrace our 2030 Vision.

You can help to determine how we proceed in the development process by taking part in updating the 2030 Vision and Strategic Plan which is scheduled within the next 90 days. Watch city publications, the newspapers and our website for more information. We want your input!

Until Next Time.

Frank

I can hardly believe it has been over six months since I last blogged.  My apologies to those of you who have taken the time to read my musings. One of my new year’s resolutions is to be more consistent in this effort. Time will tell if I am successful.

I want to end 2006 and begin 2007 with a big thank you to every citizen of Prior Lake for the new Police Station and City Hall facilities. I can assure you that every city employee joins me in thanks and in our commitment that we will use these new assets to better serve you.

 I am confidant that these 40 year investments will serve our community well. They have been thirteen years in the planning! We undertook need studies three times over that period to be sure the buildings would be large enough but not too large to meet our needs over the 40 year period. While no one can guaranty such a thing, I believe our diligence will pay off in the long run.

Our owner’s representative who has been in the construction business for three decades indicates that this $14 million project would be almost $2 million dollars or 14% more if we started today just because of material cost increases over the last two years.  Whats more, the debt service for this project as well as the first year operating costs for the new buildings is incorporated in the 2007 approved budget.  I am pleased we were able to include these funds in the budget and still have a city tax increase that parallels the cost of living increase at about 3.55%.

To properly dedicate both buildings a celebration is planned for Tuesday, February 20, 2007 from 3pm to 6pm.  Tours and food will be available from 3 to 6pm and at 6pm a formal dedication ceromony is planned.  A momento of the occasion will be available to each adult. We hope you will bring the whole family to the dedication so you can feel at home in your new building.  And if you stick around, the mayor will be making his state of the city presentation as part of the city council meeting just after 6pm.

City hall is your building and we encourage you to use its conference rooms to fill you meeting room needs. To find out more just call or stop by and see Alice at the reception desk at 952-447-9800 Monday through Friday from 8am. to 4:30pm.  

Happy New Year to You and Your Family!

Until Next Time.

Frank.

I can’t help but feel guilty on the fourth of July. For I am enjoying something I have had little hand creating or preserving.

I know that the holiday I enjoy and this way of life has been bequeathed to me on the backs of others beginning long ago and continuing today. Everyday I see them on the news risking their lives in hostile lands.

And I know there are so many more of them working quietly and without recognition to maintain our freedoms. They are virtually everywhere on earth. They are men and women young and not so young who risk themselves every day on our behalf. Moms and dads, sons and daughters who have left so much to do their duty. 

To each of you who give and have given so much let me offer my heartfelt thanks to you and your families. I pray that you are safe, well and home soon.

God bless each of you.

Until Next Time.

Frank

The commercial begins by talking about how fast, sleek and dymanic their new car is.  Then to demonstrate the car’s speed a fire is ignited which the car races to the end along a multimile track.  It  occurs to me as I watch the commercial that we are in a similar race with fire safety and service in Prior Lake.

 Only our race has to do with providing all important fire and rescue services to our citizens as our community develops.  Everyone knows that Prior Lake has been capabably served since 1929 by a paid on call (volunteer) fire department. Its 38 members receive $10 per hour for fire calls and a lump sum retirement benefit if they serve at least 10 years on the department subject to participation minimums. 

 The volunteer fire department costs a fraction of its full time bretheren saving Prior Lake taxpayers an estimated $1.5 million dollars each year. More important the department meets our community’s needs as documented though the numerous testimonials I regularily receive from people like you and I whom they serve.

The department is a personification of our small town values. Think about it. Twenty four hours a day and seven days a week they are responsible for responding to any fire or serious rescue call in their 60 square mile service area.

 Such calls do not occur only from 8 am to 5 pm. Rather they are more likely late at night or early in the morning. A typical firefighter responds an average of three times daily for 10  years or more. Through their selfless actions they give back to our Prior Lake community.  Their commitment is so ingrained that it is not uncommon for father,son and grandson or father and daughter serve on our department.

A new fire station and aerial platform fire truck are needed by our fire department to allow them to provide fire safety and service to our community.

Consider that since 1997we have added 3000 dwelling units, 2 square miles, 10,200 people an $54 million in commercial industrial valuation. As important is the fact that we are not a single family home city any more. Townhomes and multifamily buildings together with very large single family dwellings have taken a more dominent position in our landscape.

Thinking ahead to 2030, even more significant changes will take place. The city’s geographic footprint will increase by 5.5 square miles, the population by19,500, dwelling units by 8000 and commercial industrial valuation by more than $75 million.

For the volunteer fire department be effective three things are needed. First an adaquate number of well trained and available firefighters must be recruited and retained. Next fire stations need to be strategically located so that firefighters can respond from them in a fashion which enhances response times.  Finally the mobile equipment the department uses must meet the needs of the changing service area. It should come as no surprise that addressing the last two  helps to assure successful completion of the first.

A new fire station of 11,000 square feet is being proposed to be built at County Road 21 and Fountain Hills Drive in the Jeffers Waterfront. The land was donated by Wensmann as part of the platting of the property.  The fire station is estimated to cost $2.8 million and together with the existing fire station 1 will facilitate three to five minute response times for the vast majority of Prior Lake.

A new aerial platform fire truck is also needed to replace a 21 year old ladder truck. The new truck allows the department to safely serve both existing and new buildings as well as many areas below grade. The cost for this 20 year replacement vehicle is estimated to be $900,000.

Together the cost of the new station and aerial platform fire truck is estimated at $3.7 million.  The impact upon a residential property valued at $300,000 over the next 25 years is estimated at $30 a year or $2.50 month. The cost will go down as the years go by and new people move into the area to pay their fair share.

Firefighters strongly support these expenditures. I do to. This is a quality of life issue. Personally I want to know that I and my family will receive the fastest and most competent attention in their time of need. As city manager I wish the same for our citizens for today and tomorrow.

I also want to assure that we retain our volunteer fire department and the money savings and small town values that it personifies.

Whatever your position be sure to vote on this important issue in the primary election scheduled for Tuesday, September 12, 2006 from 7 am to 8 pm.

If you have questions we encourage you to call 952-447-4230.

Until next time.

Frank.

The older I get the more I recognize them. Fingerprints. They are all over me. I fancy myself to be self - made but like everyone else I am the product of a whole host of people who - one by one - has helped me to be what I am today. As today is Father’s Day I thought I would share some thoughts and some thanks.

Mom and dad, Fred and Elayne, played a critical role in my formative years giving me values, tenacity and moral fiber and a whole host of others things I cannot enumerate here.  I am fortunate to have grown up with both, not something that everyone can say anymore.

My father in law and mother in law, Jerry and Darlene Anderson, have had tremendous impacts on me as well acting as friends and role models at a time when I needed both badly.

My wife Judy has had the greatest influence for these last 30 plus years rounding my many rough edges day after day making me a better person than the day before. And finally, as my kids, Ben, Sam, Jessica and Alyssa get older, the four of them each in their own unique twenty something way leave their fingerprints on me regularily.

Others in my profession and particularily a city manager by the name of James G. Willis have made all the difference in the world by giving me my first career job and acting as my mentor.  The members of the many city councils I have had the privilage to serve have acted as terrific role models for me and taught me countless useful life lessons. Likewise my employees have always taught me more than I could ever teach them. 

 For the last decade I have tried to leave some positive fingerprints of my own.  Yes, I would like to believe that in the daily conduct of my job that I leave an occasional postive fingerprint. And I am proud to be associated with the Prior Lake Rotary and the many good deeds they do and fingerprints they leave.

 I am fortunate that my job provides me with the opportunity to leave the office occasionally to teach.  So I have annually taught a ten week Personal Economics course through Junior Achievement for 9th and 10th graders in the Prior Lake-Savage School District. The central message of the course is: your career is a significant determiner of the quality of your life; choose it well.

 The class provides students with resources to identify what they are good at; what career families are available; those careers that are growing and declining; how to analyze a job ad and how to fill out an application. The interview process receives considerable attention and students get first hand experience while the others look on to critique their behavior and responses.

I am one of the fortunate. Even as a junior at the University of Minnesota, I had no clue about my career. Then one day a professor of International Politics said, “they need good people in local government”. That was all I needed. That and some fingerprints and here I am.

I know you will agree that my career choice process was not ideal. Since I still believe that all schools struggle to provide career planning this is my way to leave at least a few positive fingerprints.  I hope that one or two kids in my classes look back and see a positive fingerprint or two which helped them plan for their career future.

Until Next Time.

Frank