Victoria Gazette - The Scoop at City Hall

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DIFFERENT VIEWS, OPINIONS, AND FACTS

PARTLY BECAUSE TIF IS NOT UNDERSTOOD

Nearly all 90 minutes of the Victoria City Council meeting on Monday evening, September 24th, centered on the former grocery store in downtown Victoria which is opening in October as an entertainment center, Victoria Burrow, which includes a restaurant and bar.

Tom Wartman of Shorewood is the property owner and developer of the grocery store, who suffered its closing twice, its vacancy, and who has now re-developed the building into the Victoria Burrow.

The agenda item began with questioning the intent of the original developer's agreement, contradictory statements in regard to Tax Increment Financing and who's paying the taxes, and a call by Mayor Funk to spend taxpayer dollars on independent counsel to review the original developer's agreement between the City of Victoria and Tom Wartman.

There is question as to whether the original agreement stipulated that the building could only house a grocery store in order to be eligible for reimbursement of TIF payments. The agenda item that evening moved into a strong rebuttal by Tom Wartman and a heated exchange between Mr. Wartman and Mayor Funk. It drew to a close after an accurate exposition of Tax Increment Financing by Councilmember Tom Strigel

DIFFICULTIES IN VICTORIA CITY GOVERNMENT

MIGHT PERSIST AFTER THE UPCOMING ELECTION

Council held a workshop on September 24th with representatives from the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust who served as moderators. Said one moderator, "We're not here to make all of you friends. Things might change after the election, but I heard things that are going to persist after the election. It's how you interact with each other that causes the difficulties. People don't like to be told what to do. It's not good to blind-side people. There's a lot of defensiveness in this room. Tone of voice matters. Tonight I've seen talking over each other, lack of respect, insults, no eye contact."

ONE DOCK PER RESIDENTIAL LOT

ON LAKE MINNETONKA’S SHORELINE IN VICTORIA

Council agreed that a city ordinance regulating docks should be rewritten and clarified by city staff and brought back to council for review. As Community Development Director Patrick Smith asked of the current ordinance, "What is the intent? And can you provide some direction?" Replied Mayor Funk, "I don't believe the intent is to have a residential lot with more than one dock. They can't rent their docks to someone else for a fee. I don't think there should be any commercial docks unless it's a commercial property and approved as such."

MAINTAINING VICTORIA’S STORMWATER POND

BEGINNING MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS, DREDGING

Improvements to the St. Moritz Pond at the Swiss Mountain neighborhood were completed at a cost of $53,224 by New Look Contracting out of Rogers. It was financed from the Stormwater Utility Fund and the 2017 Street Improvement Fund.

VICTORIA EYES WOODED SLOPES ORDINANCE

WHICH IS DETRIMENTAL TO PROPERTY OWNERS

At the end of some discussion and citizen input on September 10th, Council unanimously agreed to make no move to change city code regarding wooded slopes in the City of Victoria. Stated Councilmember Tom Strigel, "We're affecting people's property values when we do this. I'm sensitive to that balance. We're not trying to preserve slopes. We're trying to preserve trees. We have a Tree Preservation Ordinance."

100-FOOT REAR YARD SETBACK REDUCED

ON LAKE MINNETONKA LOTS IN VICTORIA

Council voted 5-0 on September 10th to approve an ordinance reducing a 100-foot rear yard setback requirement for lakeshore lots on Lake Minnetonka to 30 feet. Said Senior Planner Paul Moretto, "One hundred foot setbacks affect a lot of properties there and makes them nonconforming. Allowing 30-foot setbacks reduces conflicts.”

COUNCIL ADOPTS PRELIMINARY

2019 CITY OF VICTORIA BUDGET AND TAX LEVY

The decision was to either reduce the 2019 preliminary tax levy or keep the tax rate flat from 2018 to 2019. Council voted 3-2 to keep the tax rate flat. Keeping the tax rate flat generates an additional $80,000 for insurance contingencies, ADA sidewalks, crosswalk improvements or parking. In favor: Mayor Funk and Councilmembers Tom Vogt and Tom Gregory.

Councilmembers Jim Crowley and Tom Strigel wanted to "split the difference" -- generating $40,000 for above named expenses and cut the tax levy by $40,000. Victoria's tax rate is therefore projected to be 32.71% in 2019 which is pretty much flat. In 2018 it was 32.75%.

$537,648 IN LEGAL FEES ACCUMULATED

DUE TO OML VIOLATIONS, LAWSUITS, APPEALS

In response to a request in August from Councilmember Tom Strigel, Finance Director Kelly Grinnell presented information in September that identified the amount of dollars the City of Victoria spent on legal fees from 2015 through June of 2018.

COMPLETE CITY SCOOP IN PAPER EDITION OF THE GAZETTE.

The Victoria Fire Department

City of Victoria 952-443-2771

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