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Mr. Hopko said that for a 400 square foot by 400 square foot area, which allows two big side-by-side fields, the soil cost is nearly $1 per square foot or roughly $150,000. On top of that is $30,000 to $50,000 for drain tile. The existing irrigation might be partly or wholly salvageable. And then there’s the grading. “The approximate cost is $200,000?” asked Councilmember O’Connor. “Yes,” replied Mr. Hopko, “for a field second to none.” “So who pays for this?” asked Councilmember Kim Roden. “We haven’t concluded that,” replied the city administrator. “I’d say that a minimum of $78,000 would be the School District’s cost, and anything above that would be the city’s cost.” Mr. Hopko recommended 8” of topsoil rather than 6”, and said in that regard, “That field could be dropped significantly before we brought in the 8 inches.” Stated Councilmember Tim Amundsen, “It’s apparent to me that we failed. The buck stops here. The fields aren’t in use. It’s a shame. If it’s going to cost $180,000, where are we going to get it? The [Diethelm] Park is a jewel and a necessity as important in the city as snowplowing. There were significant failures. This has to be in the budget for the City of Victoria. It’s our oversight. It’s our field.” Councilmember Amundsen asked that the Park and Rec Committee take another look at the issue, now that dollar amounts are known, and make a recommendation. He said that other cities looked at the dollars over time and chose the best. “We’ve got a nice big parking lot and nobody out there. We have to find a way to make it work,” he added. Said Councilmember Roden, “I want to believe we can have something in the middle. We don’t have to be the shining city on the hill nor a quonset hut. These are big, big dollars.” Stated Mr. Hopko, “Those other cities went through the same agonizing decisions. I learned a long time ago, you’ve got to do it right. You’ve got to spend close to $100,000 regardless, and you can spend more to get a better field.” “The bottom line,” said Mayor Thun, “is that we’re tired of this topic and not having it done right. How much might another party help contribute to this?” Replied Mr. Uram, “There’s a lot of data. We need to make intelligent decisions so would need some engineering work done.” He earlier stated, “The School District has been very cooperative in getting the right people here.” “I would encourage you to get the best you can find,” said Mayor Thun. “I’d like somebody to come back with a more wholistic look, not just the 400 by 400 area but all the fields,” said Councilmember O’Connor. In conclusion, Mr. Hopko remarked on his work and his company. “I am not one to waste money. I am also the 60-year old guy out on the tractor.”
IT’S A CARROT, NOT A STICK FOR CITIES TO SET AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOALS Councilmembers voted to continue participating in the Local Housing Incentives Account Program under the Metropolitan Livable Communities Act for the next ten years. As such, the City of Victoria agreed to set goals to acquire more affordable housing units as well as life-cycle housing goals to 2020. Stated Holly Kreft, Victoria’s Community Development Director, “The city has participated in this program since it was enacted in 1995, except for one year. There are no sanctions if the does not meet the goals. It’s a carrot, not a stick. They’ve had success with this as a voluntary program. Staff recommends approval to continue.” Councilmember Jim Paulsen questioned if the Metropolitan Council, some time down the road, might levy penalties for not meeting goals. He added, “If we’re serious about this, let’s talk like we’re serious about this.” For these past years, Victoria aimed to meet a goal of 950 affordable ownership units and 151 rental units. According to Holly, “Through the land trust program, Victoria obtained seven lots for affordable housing.” New goals must now be set to 2020. The Victoria Planning Commission said it would be difficult for Victoria to meet goals without the assistance of grant programs to subsidize land costs. In that regard, Councilmember Tim Amundsen stated, “I’d like to say, ‘Show me the money. We haven’t received anything that has allowed us to make a significant difference in all these years.” Explained Holly, “It’s a matter of applying for the money. And you have to have a project to apply for funds for it.” Commented Councilmember Roden, “We’ve been down that road many times with senior housing.” Senior housing remains a real and identified need in Victoria.
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September 2010 |
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City Scoop Continued |
