Victoria MN Newspaper-City Scoop

CLIMATE CHANGE CONTINUED

Stated Leslie Yetka, "More rain is falling more quickly. There has been a 45% increase in severe storms in the Midwest. Different land uses affect water runoff. We're predicting larger storm events more frequently, not necessarily more rain total. Our four-inch rain in 24 hours today could become in mid-century a 10" rain in 24 hours."

She presented options for a city to help prepare for a 10" rain in 24 hours. They included increasing stormsewer pipe size, low impact development, the creation of flood storage, protecting open space, and installing green infrastructure.

"In Victoria, no significant infrastructure damage is predicted, even in a worst case scenario," she said, "but there will be some surface flooding in low lying areas ... There are strategies for communities that involve the stakeholders and identify funding sources."

It was pointed out that this study of two very different cities in the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, was funded through a grant from NOAA, which stands for National Oceanic Atmospheric Association SARP program.

According to google information SARP stands for Sectoral Applications Research Program. SARP supports research to understand climate change and help decision makers understand vulnerabilities that come with climate change. It includes preparing for droughts as well as floods.

Asked Mayor Tom O'Connor, "Would we have a mitigated disaster with a 10" rain storm or just some inconvenience in Victoria? Which option gives us the most bang for the buck?"

Replied Cara Geheren, a resident of Apple Valley, "Every time there's a lot of rain in Victoria, I either drive out here or call Public Works and ask where the flooding is, and there really isn't any in Victoria. We have so much water out here already and buffers and the lakes. We're not building homes right next to the lakes. There are good setbacks. A lot of flooding happens in the outlots, but there are some exceptions."

Leslie Yetka reported that two areas of Victoria that would be adversely affected by a 10" rain storm in 24 hours include Victoria Drive at the downtown intersection with Hwy 5 and also Lions Park.

Stated Mayor O'Connor, "Continuing to do what we're doing, seems to be the thing to do."

Said Cara, "Our design standards will be increased if we're going to be putting a building in Lions Park. We'd want to see where it might be best located."

Asked Councilmember Joe Pavelko, "What will happen to our lakes in a 10" rain?"

Cara said that the city's stormwater ponds are built for 100-year events, but the rainfall event has been increased. "On a catastrophic basis, it's hard to answer that," she said. "There's still a place for stormwater ponds. I'd rather clean sediment out of a stormwater pond than a lake, but we have to maintain the ponds [so that they continue to work]."

Asked Councilmember Joe Pavelko, "Are wetlands being drained through development?"

Replied Cara, "We typically don't see wetlands getting filled in by development. Wetlands are being protected. I think it's our requirement and it's expensive for developers."

NEW SNOWPLOW FOR VICTORIA

PUBLIC WORKS NEEDS THE EFFICIENCY

Council voted 5-0 on October 14th to purchase new snowplow equipment from Towmaster of Litchfield at a cost of $33,978. "It's for one of our larger five-ton trucks," said Ann Mahnke, Public Works Director. "We've looked at several different options."

"This was brought to my attention earlier this year," said City Manager Don Uram, who told of poor plow design on the city's current equipment.

"With every snow event, we have to take two passes of the same route," said Ann. She added that the driver's ability to see conflicts with the location of the wing. The problem is that the snow plow, which weighs 4,000 pounds, is attached too far out from the truck front, and drivers must keep a full load of salt in the box in order to plow snow and get up even the smallest incline. Said Ann, "Ten years ago someone made a bad purchase."

"We want to operate as efficiently as possible," said Mr. Uram. "Public Works typically under spends. I recommend we move forward with this because of our understaffing and operating efficiency."

"We're spending over $30,000 that we didn't plan on spending. It's an unbudgeted item," stated Councilmember Jim Crowley, but moved to approve the purchase.

Said Mr. Uram, who had offered to defer the purchase to 2014, "I wish budgeting was more of a science than the art that it is. I thought it wise to do this before the snow season."

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