Dear Editor,
In response to the article in the October 9, 2007, Quad Community Press titled “Eminent domain concerns may be unfounded”, we question the word “may” because we know, and the city knows, these concerns also may be very real. Reading the proposal’s fine print, it states if voluntary agreements are not reached the City will initiate eminent domain. Then the City can deem the property blighted or obsolete and the property in question can be taken involuntarily.
While the City Council and the Beard Group may not have a concrete plan, we do know which homes will be affected; all of the downtown Centerville area. We are losing our small, hometown neighborhood to multifamily, high-density, three story buildings, duplicates of which we are seeing unoccupied and being foreclosed upon everywhere in the metro area and beyond.
Our family has been through this all before. Our beautiful home and farm on George Watch Lake was taken forcefully from us by eminent domain thirty years ago. We were compensated according to an Anoka County appraiser’s recommendations and were helpless to receive what the land was really worth.
Margaret has lived in this neighborhood for all of her 86 years, except for the 3½ years she spent in the Air Force, and she hates what this development will do to the little city that she has lived in and loved for so long. This development plan will destroy one of the oldest little communities in Minnesota and changing it into just another nightmare of row upon row of multifamily, non-interactive housing.
At this stage in our lives, we had not planned on being uprooted and sent off to find another place to live, like old kitchen appliances that no longer fit in the modern kitchen. It may be called progress, but we call it heartless.
Leo and Margaret Hensel
Centerville Citizens
Since this was published in the Quad Press, Leo has passed away. Our condolences to Margaret and her family.
Centerville Property Owners Concerned About Eminent Domain
City Says Seizures Possible, But Not Preferred Course
By Aaron Rupar
CENTERVILLE - Just months aft er the question of whether the city of Hugo would use eminent domain to acquire downtown properties became a source of friction between the city and concerned property owners, residents and business owners in Centerville are dealing with similar anxieties as the Beard Group begins its quest to acquire downtown properties included in phase one of the city's downtown redevelopment plan.
The city held an open house to inform residents about the downtown redevelopment plan on September 6, and many downtown property owners in attendance expressed concern about the possibility of being forced to sell their land.
Summarizing the mood of the evening, Council Member Linda Broussard Vickers said that "the overall air was not positive."
"There was a lot of distrust [from downtown property owners] towards the city and Beard," she said.
One of the people in attendance at the open house was attorney Lisa Dahlquist, attorney at Larkin Hoffman. Dahlquist said she'll be representing some of the downtown property owners as the Beard Group attempts to purchase their land.
"[The Beard Group] has been attempting to negotiate a direct purchase from willing sellers, but there are willing sellers who feel that the amount of money they are being offered isn't fair-market value," Dahlquist said in a later interview. Dahlquist said that some owners are fearful that if they can't reach a purchase agreement with Beard, the city will use eminent domain to seize properties against the will of the owners.
Recent changes in state statute dictate the limited circumstances under which cities can acquire properties through eminent domain. According to City Administrator Dallas Larson, the city would only be able to seize properties in the redevelopment area that are slated to be converted to public uses, such as roads or parking lots.
Larson acknowledges that eminent domain is a possibility, but he said that the city's hope is that any sort of land seizure can be avoided.
"No decisions have been made. [Eminent domain] is possible in some cases but it's the city's hope that we won't have to go down that route, and we'll have negotiated sales," he said.
Ron Mehl of the Beard Group also said that the company hopes eminent domain can be avoided.
"We would never want to force anyone out of their home; we're in the business of developing property," said Mehl, who added that any decisions about whether to pursue eminent domain will ultimately be the prerogative of the city.
One of the people Dahlquist will be representing is downtown property owner Margaret Lee, who has held neighborhood meetings with other area property owners at her home.
Lee said that she doesn't know of any downtown property owners who aren't willing to work with the city, but she's frustrated by the fact that the rezoning of downtown has precluded her from adding-on to her home.
"Almost everybody I've spoken to, including me, were willing to sell our houses," she said. "What's frustrating is that we don't have a right to live in our house the way we want to [right now] because they've written it into the zoning code . they've basically taken our property for their redevelopment plan."
While the redevelopment project is undoubtedly causing hardship for some residents, City Administrator Larson pointed out that there are other property owners in the area that are eager to sell. Additionally, he said that he believes the public remains supportive of the city's larger goal of revitalizing downtown.
Mehl said that the Beard Group would be sending out "letters of intent" to all property owners within the phase one area before the end of October. These letters will outline the terms of sale that the Beard Group would be amenable to.
If the process proceeds in accordance with the Beard Group's plan, those non-binding letters will be turned into binding purchase agreements, setting the stage for construction to begin with next spring's thaw.
However, Council Member Broussard Vickers said that it was her impression that some property owners will be unwilling to sell regardless of the terms. "Some will not go quietly into the night, that's for sure," she said.
The first phase of the downtown redevelopment plan involves clearing and demolition of properties adjacent to Centerville Road and Main Street and the subsequent reconstruction of commercial and residential buildings, and a similar overhaul for some downtown properties east of Progress Road.
The Beard Group's long-term plan for phase one includes the construction of 14,000 square feet of retail/office space and a 41-unit apartment building.
Mehl said that the Beard Group intends to make fair offers to the downtown property owners.
"We want to be good neighbors," he said, adding that if the company is unable to acquire properties within phase one the overall redevelopment plan would have to be modified.
While acknowledging the increasing anxiety level of downtown land owners, Council Member Broussard Vickers said that she believes the Beard Group will deal fairly while trying to acquire properties within phase one.
"[The city] feels that [Beard] will be an above-board developer and will make fair offers," she said.
As of November negotiations have halted. The residents are not allowed to make any type of improvement to their existing property. The area has been zoned "mixed use" which makes any sale nearly impossible, without a developer. Why are these citizens being held hostage, while Beard has been allowed to step back? Given the current economic state, it may be time for Council to reassess the scope of the project, yet again!
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.
Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Where Has Professionalism and Accountability Gone?
Why do the City Administrator, Finance Director and Public Works Director have City email accounts, yet the Mayor and Council members do not? Could it be a matter of not wanting to answer questions or be held accountable for their actions? Numerous emails have remained ignored and/or not responded to by our elected officials. When prompted by a citizen, here is what the Mayor had to say regarding their lack of any timely, professional or responsible response;
From: Dan and Mary Capra
Date: 8/22/2008 3:40 P.M.
Dear XXXX,
Regarding email I have staff looking into the cost of adding city email addresses for all council members with an automatic response. We all have our home email addresses listed on the website and I know several of the council members have had problems with their home email, servers and computers (myself included). If this change takes place you will see it on the website.
Sincerely,
Mary Capra
This is not rocket science. If you are having a problem, fix it! The answer should not be "If this change takes place you will see it on the website". It should be, When this change takes place. Whoever manages the website can set up email addresses for everyone in about three minutes. There is no additional charge for this service and no reason to spend money “looking into it”. In fact, the citizen offered to set up the professional email accounts (with auto responders) for free. This response smells like an excuse to anyone that has ever managed a website or tried to get a response from our elected officials.
Election is just around the corner. The Mayor is up for reelection as are two council seats this November. Remember, we deserve the government we elect!
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.
Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
From: Dan and Mary Capra
Date: 8/22/2008 3:40 P.M.
Dear XXXX,
Regarding email I have staff looking into the cost of adding city email addresses for all council members with an automatic response. We all have our home email addresses listed on the website and I know several of the council members have had problems with their home email, servers and computers (myself included). If this change takes place you will see it on the website.
Sincerely,
Mary Capra
This is not rocket science. If you are having a problem, fix it! The answer should not be "If this change takes place you will see it on the website". It should be, When this change takes place. Whoever manages the website can set up email addresses for everyone in about three minutes. There is no additional charge for this service and no reason to spend money “looking into it”. In fact, the citizen offered to set up the professional email accounts (with auto responders) for free. This response smells like an excuse to anyone that has ever managed a website or tried to get a response from our elected officials.
Election is just around the corner. The Mayor is up for reelection as are two council seats this November. Remember, we deserve the government we elect!
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.
Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Contact Us!
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.
Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
County 14 Additional Spending By City Officials
This is an email response from the Anoka County Commissioner, Rhonda Sivarajah regarding the county road 14 budget and how our officials chose to increase spending. It may be time to call for a State audit to see exactly what else they have been up to. We wish to extend a thank you to Rhonda for her assistance!
Sent: Monday, August 18, 2008 10:31 PM
Subject: Re: Centerville Budget--additional information
I also wanted to pass along this information regarding the County Rd.14 Main Street project. As you can see in the article below, the administrator seems to be trying to put blame on the County Rd. 14 project for large tax increases. This is not an accurate statement. In fact, if you look at the information provided by our highway dept. at the bottom of the page, you can see that for the entire road project, they actually have very little cost after taking into account the federal dollars and the $125,000 they will be reimbursed for the trail after completion. The greatest costs they are incurring are costs that the county is not requiring as part of the project, but rather are a city decision to add streetscaping to the project. If you look at the dollars being spent you can see that Centerville's costs that are required are just a small fraction of what they are choosing to spend. Here is the article from the Citizen printed in June 2008 Extra Tax Burden Of Project Considered Every home in the city will face an extra $364 on its annual tax bill if a scaled-down version of the 2009 street improvement project goes ahead. That was the result of analysis done by city staff on the tax burden facing residents next year if a smaller project, costing $4.5 million in total, is given the go-ahead by the Centerville City Council. The findings were presented to the council at its May 28 meeting. The figure of $364.11 is calculated for a typical $250,000 property and is made up of $148.20 for the shared, city portion of the street improvement project, $107.95 for the city's share of the CSAH-14project and $107.95 for the city's share of the Backage Road project. Citizens face having to pay the CSAH-14 and Backage Road portions of the total regardless of whether the council orders the 2009 street improvement project. Below is a breakdown of expenses related to the road project as outlined by our highway dept. Below is a summary of Centerville's costs associated with items required for the reconstruction of Main St. (CSAH 14).
Total Project Construction Cost
- $13,485,213.49
Centerville's Total Responsibilities
- $1,211,496.49 (8.98% of Const. Cost)
Federal Funds Prorated/Credited to Centerville
- $272,410.00
Centerville's Cost for Upgraded Utilities
- $163,700.82
Centerville's Cost for Streetscaping
-$517,007.80
Centerville's Cost due to County Project
$258,377.87 (1.92% of Const. Cost)
Of the $96,919.72 we will charge the city for engineering & administration of the contract that is in addition to these construction costs, $54,456.69 is due to the city's enhanced utility work and streetscaping. Note too that the trail and sidewalk costs are included in the city's> costs due to the road construction (not identified as a city option), and they will be reimbursed $125,000 for a portion of the trail costs via the Metro Trail grant program after the trail is completed which will further reduce the city's total obligation towards the project.
Sincerely,
Rhonda Sivarajah
Anoka County Commissioner
763-274-4213
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
Sent: Monday, August 18, 2008 10:31 PM
Subject: Re: Centerville Budget--additional information
I also wanted to pass along this information regarding the County Rd.14 Main Street project. As you can see in the article below, the administrator seems to be trying to put blame on the County Rd. 14 project for large tax increases. This is not an accurate statement. In fact, if you look at the information provided by our highway dept. at the bottom of the page, you can see that for the entire road project, they actually have very little cost after taking into account the federal dollars and the $125,000 they will be reimbursed for the trail after completion. The greatest costs they are incurring are costs that the county is not requiring as part of the project, but rather are a city decision to add streetscaping to the project. If you look at the dollars being spent you can see that Centerville's costs that are required are just a small fraction of what they are choosing to spend. Here is the article from the Citizen printed in June 2008 Extra Tax Burden Of Project Considered Every home in the city will face an extra $364 on its annual tax bill if a scaled-down version of the 2009 street improvement project goes ahead. That was the result of analysis done by city staff on the tax burden facing residents next year if a smaller project, costing $4.5 million in total, is given the go-ahead by the Centerville City Council. The findings were presented to the council at its May 28 meeting. The figure of $364.11 is calculated for a typical $250,000 property and is made up of $148.20 for the shared, city portion of the street improvement project, $107.95 for the city's share of the CSAH-14project and $107.95 for the city's share of the Backage Road project. Citizens face having to pay the CSAH-14 and Backage Road portions of the total regardless of whether the council orders the 2009 street improvement project. Below is a breakdown of expenses related to the road project as outlined by our highway dept. Below is a summary of Centerville's costs associated with items required for the reconstruction of Main St. (CSAH 14).
Total Project Construction Cost
- $13,485,213.49
Centerville's Total Responsibilities
- $1,211,496.49 (8.98% of Const. Cost)
Federal Funds Prorated/Credited to Centerville
- $272,410.00
Centerville's Cost for Upgraded Utilities
- $163,700.82
Centerville's Cost for Streetscaping
-$517,007.80
Centerville's Cost due to County Project
$258,377.87 (1.92% of Const. Cost)
Of the $96,919.72 we will charge the city for engineering & administration of the contract that is in addition to these construction costs, $54,456.69 is due to the city's enhanced utility work and streetscaping. Note too that the trail and sidewalk costs are included in the city's> costs due to the road construction (not identified as a city option), and they will be reimbursed $125,000 for a portion of the trail costs via the Metro Trail grant program after the trail is completed which will further reduce the city's total obligation towards the project.
Sincerely,
Rhonda Sivarajah
Anoka County Commissioner
763-274-4213
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
8/18/2008 Open Forum Gets Testy
Residents concerned over communication with city leaders
Aug 19, 2008 - 09:47:44 CDT.
by Loretta Harding Contributing Writer
Quad Press
CENTERVILLE — At their Aug. 13 meeting, Centerville City Council members exchanged curt remarks with two residents who took the podium to address their displeasure with the council's communication methods stemming from the 2009 Street Improvement Project. Mayor Mary Capra cut short resident Julie Riemen's comments about her conversations and e-mails with council member Tom Lee, in which she said that professionalism needed to be addressed.
"You're getting personal. This is done," Capra told Riemen.
A group of five people attending the meeting called out for the mayor to let Riemen speak.After council members Lee and Jeff Paar responded that Riemen could continue, Capra gave Riemen and any speakers following her two minutes to complete their address.
When Riemen continued her remarks, she said that the council had not responded to her e-mails until the day of the meeting and that she felt unwelcome to speak. She further noted that if citizens inspected government data, they'd find that the City of Centerville carried a long-term debt of more than $8 million.Riemen recommended that residents become informed by visiting a Web site, Centerville Citizens for Ethical Taxation and Representation, at http://www.centervillemn.blogspot.com/. The next speaker, Laura Powers, called attention to a petition that started what she called a "power struggle." The petition was signed by more than 500 citizens and called for the city to step back and reassess the scope of the 2009 road project. She objected to allegations by at least one council member that the petition was invalid and called for the council to apologize. As a former Centerville council member, Powers said that the council was elected to serve, and that service comes with a responsibility to listen and display demeanor. The council heard out Powers and Riemen and resumed the meeting without further comment
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
Aug 19, 2008 - 09:47:44 CDT.
by Loretta Harding Contributing Writer
Quad Press
CENTERVILLE — At their Aug. 13 meeting, Centerville City Council members exchanged curt remarks with two residents who took the podium to address their displeasure with the council's communication methods stemming from the 2009 Street Improvement Project. Mayor Mary Capra cut short resident Julie Riemen's comments about her conversations and e-mails with council member Tom Lee, in which she said that professionalism needed to be addressed.
"You're getting personal. This is done," Capra told Riemen.
A group of five people attending the meeting called out for the mayor to let Riemen speak.After council members Lee and Jeff Paar responded that Riemen could continue, Capra gave Riemen and any speakers following her two minutes to complete their address.
When Riemen continued her remarks, she said that the council had not responded to her e-mails until the day of the meeting and that she felt unwelcome to speak. She further noted that if citizens inspected government data, they'd find that the City of Centerville carried a long-term debt of more than $8 million.Riemen recommended that residents become informed by visiting a Web site, Centerville Citizens for Ethical Taxation and Representation, at http://www.centervillemn.blogspot.com/. The next speaker, Laura Powers, called attention to a petition that started what she called a "power struggle." The petition was signed by more than 500 citizens and called for the city to step back and reassess the scope of the 2009 road project. She objected to allegations by at least one council member that the petition was invalid and called for the council to apologize. As a former Centerville council member, Powers said that the council was elected to serve, and that service comes with a responsibility to listen and display demeanor. The council heard out Powers and Riemen and resumed the meeting without further comment
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
Is it The Fault of Others or Just Miscommunication?
A recent comment left by a citizen. There seems to be a pattern of behavior coming from elected officials.
Hello All, I live in the older neighborhood (behind Kelly's) that is slated to be torn down in phase two. I have had to deal with Dallas on a continuous basis. One story I would like to share. My property along with my neighbors is now the home for the additional power lines for the new downtown development. We were given a notice on our doors that all of our trees would have to be trimmed or come down completely (I would have had the most trees lost completely) in our backyard. These trees give us some privacy from the Chauncey Barett Gardens. I ask Xcel energy what easement do you have to take down 6 of my trees? Some of my neighbors had already given the ok but I held out as I knew that I would lose more property value. Xcel told me this, and I quote, "The city told us they [City] already owned all these properties." I told him that I own this house and until I see an easement bought by the city or Xcel, they are not going to get my signature to take my trees. Xcel immediately said they were not touching anything until the city deals with the home owners. I sent an email to Mayor Capra and she forwarded it on to Dallas (I also copied all the news stations and newspapers). Dallas called me ASAP and left a message that this was a miss-communication and it was Xcel that was in a hurry. This was curious because Xcel had no stake in the increase power needed at this time. Unfortunately, Xcel had already taken down trees in an elderly couples yard. Then, Xcel couldn't drive the truck over her neighbors yards (neighbors said no) and so they left the mess for the couple to clean up. The increase power lines now reside in our front yards. Xcel did some trimming but nothing like what it would have been had they run it in the back yard.My elderly neighbor lost the most in the entire ordeal. My question to Mayor Capra is, who is the advocate for the citizens? She never responded to any my questions.
Thanks for the outlet to speak our minds!
Margaret Lee
August 20, 2008 9:06 PM
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
Hello All, I live in the older neighborhood (behind Kelly's) that is slated to be torn down in phase two. I have had to deal with Dallas on a continuous basis. One story I would like to share. My property along with my neighbors is now the home for the additional power lines for the new downtown development. We were given a notice on our doors that all of our trees would have to be trimmed or come down completely (I would have had the most trees lost completely) in our backyard. These trees give us some privacy from the Chauncey Barett Gardens. I ask Xcel energy what easement do you have to take down 6 of my trees? Some of my neighbors had already given the ok but I held out as I knew that I would lose more property value. Xcel told me this, and I quote, "The city told us they [City] already owned all these properties." I told him that I own this house and until I see an easement bought by the city or Xcel, they are not going to get my signature to take my trees. Xcel immediately said they were not touching anything until the city deals with the home owners. I sent an email to Mayor Capra and she forwarded it on to Dallas (I also copied all the news stations and newspapers). Dallas called me ASAP and left a message that this was a miss-communication and it was Xcel that was in a hurry. This was curious because Xcel had no stake in the increase power needed at this time. Unfortunately, Xcel had already taken down trees in an elderly couples yard. Then, Xcel couldn't drive the truck over her neighbors yards (neighbors said no) and so they left the mess for the couple to clean up. The increase power lines now reside in our front yards. Xcel did some trimming but nothing like what it would have been had they run it in the back yard.My elderly neighbor lost the most in the entire ordeal. My question to Mayor Capra is, who is the advocate for the citizens? She never responded to any my questions.
Thanks for the outlet to speak our minds!
Margaret Lee
August 20, 2008 9:06 PM
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
Friday, August 15, 2008
Are You Up For The Challenge?
AFFIDAVITS OF CANDIDACY MUST BE TURNED IN BETWEEN AUGUST 26 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2008 By 5 PM at Centerville City Hall.
Mayor —2 year Term
Council Seats (2) —Both 4 year Terms.
The filing fee is $2 or a nominating petition filed on behalf of a candidate for office signed by eligible voters who reside in the election district.
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Open Forum Statement the Mayor Tried to Stop
During the open forum of the August 13, 2008 council meeting one citizen attempted to make a statement. A few sentences into it the Mayor tried to stop her. That is until others in the room started shouting to let her speak. The resident became so flustered that she did not read her statement in it's entirety.
Mayor Capra and Council Members
This brief statement is intended to offer a suggestion regarding how the City officials might improve communication as it pertains to dealing with the citizens of Centerville.
To provide some background of my perspective:
I contacted council member Tom Lee on June 9th in regard to a right of way issue involving my property. As a citizen of Centerville I felt it was proper to contact a person who should be representing me. Never did I imagine this simple act would turn into such a fiasco. The comments and dissatisfaction expressed to me by other residents about Mr. Lee’s actions since this date have been extremely distressing for me.
Going forward, I find it startling that emails go unanswered and simple questions are not responded to by the very people offering suggestions and making decisions for the City. I believe the issue of professionalism needs to be addressed. To cite specific examples for you:
August 8th I contacted Jim Meyer, the City Finance Director, copied Dallas Larson and Teresa Bender regarding the City Debt, as I could not find the dollar amount myself.
This information is public record and according to Minnesota Statute, Access to Government Data 13.03, subdivision 2,
Upon request to a responsible authority, a person shall be permitted to inspect and copy public government data at reasonable times and places, and, upon request, shall be informed of the data's meaning.
There had been no response from anyone until this afternoon, hours before the open forum. The reply I received was from Mr. Meyer. Were two sentences with no explanation. He stated The City of Centerville has $8,055,596 in long term debt. Call with any questions. What I was looking for was some formal documentation.
July 23rd multiple emails were forwarded to the Mayor regarding some statements made by Mr. Lee in respect to the Letter of Concern, the people involved and myself. The Mayor chose to finally acknowledge my email on August 12, 2008. One day before this open forum. I do understand that she has recently attempted to broker some sort of “off the record” meeting with all the individuals involved, which should include me. However, I have learned that I am not welcomed to speak in this meeting. Apparently it is a private, non city business, off the record affair, yet the City Attorney will be present. The meeting is scheduled to immediately follow this evening’s Council session.
To expand, in my opinion, this is not a private issue. This is a matter of a sitting council member disparaging the hard work of the citizens of Centerville. Upon reading the email history which the Mayor and Council have already received, one must conclude that some of Lee’s written statements were hostile, condescending and completely out of line for that of a city representative. I find this attitude alarming as do many other citizens that I have spoken with and who have accessed the new citizens’ blog. If you are interested, it is.
Centerville Citizens for Ethical Taxation and Representation at http://www.centervillemn.blogspot.com/
Please feel free to contribute any thoughts or facts regarding the City.
One last example, on July 17th Emails were sent to members on the Park and Recreation Committee regarding the July 9th memo in which they recommended a 10 foot trail to Mill Road be reintroduced. The ONLY person that responded was Mr. Haiden, he did so the next day. Since he could not answer specific questions regarding the safety issues on Mill Road, he assured me that he would forward it on to Suzanne Seeley, the Chair Person of Park and Recreation. Mr. Haiden may not have known that she had already received the same email. As of today, no one else has responded, or even acknowledged the questions regarding the grant monies and usage I would like to extend a thank you to Mr. Haiden for taking his position seriously. His professionalism sets an example for others and is greatly appreciated.
In closing, such deficient behavior from our elected officials should be addressed. An automated email response would be a good start, to inform citizens their email has been received, with some protocol set in place for returning messages in a timely and polite manner. To avoid future conflict, interpersonal skills training might be a step in the right direction for some council members and would be beneficial for our Community.
This concludes my statement.
Thank You.
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
Mayor Capra and Council Members
This brief statement is intended to offer a suggestion regarding how the City officials might improve communication as it pertains to dealing with the citizens of Centerville.
To provide some background of my perspective:
I contacted council member Tom Lee on June 9th in regard to a right of way issue involving my property. As a citizen of Centerville I felt it was proper to contact a person who should be representing me. Never did I imagine this simple act would turn into such a fiasco. The comments and dissatisfaction expressed to me by other residents about Mr. Lee’s actions since this date have been extremely distressing for me.
Going forward, I find it startling that emails go unanswered and simple questions are not responded to by the very people offering suggestions and making decisions for the City. I believe the issue of professionalism needs to be addressed. To cite specific examples for you:
August 8th I contacted Jim Meyer, the City Finance Director, copied Dallas Larson and Teresa Bender regarding the City Debt, as I could not find the dollar amount myself.
This information is public record and according to Minnesota Statute, Access to Government Data 13.03, subdivision 2,
Upon request to a responsible authority, a person shall be permitted to inspect and copy public government data at reasonable times and places, and, upon request, shall be informed of the data's meaning.
There had been no response from anyone until this afternoon, hours before the open forum. The reply I received was from Mr. Meyer. Were two sentences with no explanation. He stated The City of Centerville has $8,055,596 in long term debt. Call with any questions. What I was looking for was some formal documentation.
July 23rd multiple emails were forwarded to the Mayor regarding some statements made by Mr. Lee in respect to the Letter of Concern, the people involved and myself. The Mayor chose to finally acknowledge my email on August 12, 2008. One day before this open forum. I do understand that she has recently attempted to broker some sort of “off the record” meeting with all the individuals involved, which should include me. However, I have learned that I am not welcomed to speak in this meeting. Apparently it is a private, non city business, off the record affair, yet the City Attorney will be present. The meeting is scheduled to immediately follow this evening’s Council session.
To expand, in my opinion, this is not a private issue. This is a matter of a sitting council member disparaging the hard work of the citizens of Centerville. Upon reading the email history which the Mayor and Council have already received, one must conclude that some of Lee’s written statements were hostile, condescending and completely out of line for that of a city representative. I find this attitude alarming as do many other citizens that I have spoken with and who have accessed the new citizens’ blog. If you are interested, it is.
Centerville Citizens for Ethical Taxation and Representation at http://www.centervillemn.blogspot.com/
Please feel free to contribute any thoughts or facts regarding the City.
One last example, on July 17th Emails were sent to members on the Park and Recreation Committee regarding the July 9th memo in which they recommended a 10 foot trail to Mill Road be reintroduced. The ONLY person that responded was Mr. Haiden, he did so the next day. Since he could not answer specific questions regarding the safety issues on Mill Road, he assured me that he would forward it on to Suzanne Seeley, the Chair Person of Park and Recreation. Mr. Haiden may not have known that she had already received the same email. As of today, no one else has responded, or even acknowledged the questions regarding the grant monies and usage I would like to extend a thank you to Mr. Haiden for taking his position seriously. His professionalism sets an example for others and is greatly appreciated.
In closing, such deficient behavior from our elected officials should be addressed. An automated email response would be a good start, to inform citizens their email has been received, with some protocol set in place for returning messages in a timely and polite manner. To avoid future conflict, interpersonal skills training might be a step in the right direction for some council members and would be beneficial for our Community.
This concludes my statement.
Thank You.
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
What Is The Accurate Tax Rank For Centerville?
Let's address some information which the City has sent to the local paper regarding our tax rank within Minnesota. In this prepared information sheet they state :
For City taxes, Centerville ranks 16 among metro cities over 2000 population.
For this statistic, they cite The Citizens league
2007 Taxes by Level of Government on Average Value Homes in 117 Metropolitan Communities
Although somewhat correct, once everything is factored in, Centerville actually ranked 4th for 2007.
When you look at
Comparing Property Taxes on Average Value Homes in 113 Metropolitan Communities, 2006-2007
Centerville ranked 1st in 2006 and 3rd in 2007.
Click the links to read the information for yourself and see which conclusion you draw.
Here is the letter Council sent to the Press...
Communication and Accurate Information:
The City of Centerville is fiscally sound; your City drinking water is safe and in a recent survey, your police department scored some of the highest customer satisfaction rating scores within the State of Minnesota. Communication and accurate information is very important not only in our personal lives, but also in knowing how your City is managed. I would like to share these facts:
Budget: For City taxes, Centerville ranks 16 among metro cities over 2000 population(*1). Our budget expenses for 2007 are about $2.2 million allocated as follows: 45% Public Safety, 24% General Government, 13% Public Works, 8% General Fund Debit Service, 5% Capital Outlay, 4% Culture & Recreational, 1% Advertising & Promotion.
Downtown Redevelopment: In 2005 the City applied for and was award a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for redevelopment planning for the downtown area. A consultant was hired to work with a group of Committee Members, business owners, Council Members and City Staff on a design plan. Many public input and hearings were held and a final design was approved January 11, 2006. Subsequently the City solicited a development partner and began applying for grant funds to assist with the project costs. The City has been awarded a total of $2,144,000 in grant money over the past three years towards the redevelopment of our downtown. We are working with the Beard Group to implement the Downtown Redevelopment Plan. Since our plan calls for a mixed-use redevelopment, the housing downturn has slowed our progress. We remain optimistic that our plan is good and given reasonable time, our vision can be achieved.
Road Projects: In 2003 the City approved the completion of a Pavement Management Study of our streets. Its purpose was to better manage our road projects and associated costs. In 2004 the first phase of that project was completed and the City is currently in the planning stage for phase two scheduled for 2009.
Public Works: In 2004 the Council established a Capital Revenue Fund to finance a future Public Works building. By 2007 that fund balance was $415,000. Last year the City was approached by the owner of Centerville Redi-Mix inquiring if the City would be interested in purchasing his unfinished building as a new Public Works site. The timing of this purchase came sooner than anticipated, but this was a costeffective option that would meet the City’s needs well into the future. The funds from the Capital Revenue and Enterprise Funds allowed the $1.4 million dollar purchase. An internal loan was made that will be repaid upon the sale of the 20th Avenue site, which was appraised at a commercial market value of $435,000. The City will be hosting an open house of both the old site and the new site in the near future.
Hidden Spring Park: In 1998 the City was one of two communities within the State of Minnesota selected to participate in the Minnesota Design Team Project. Town meetings were held and a vision for our community arose by the final day of the five-day visit. One of the goals within the final plan was to obtain and develop lakeshore parkland within our community. Since that time the City has been putting “Park Dedication Fees” (paid by developers instead of a parkland dedication) away towards the purchase of lake property. These “Park Dedication Fees” can only be spent on Capital park projects. The parkland purchase was made with $385,000 Park Dedication Fees and an award of a grant from the DNR totaling $150,000.
Closing:
One of the best things any Council can do for the future of a community is to have an effective Staff in place. As a Council, we greatly appreciate our Staff’s dedication to the community and the Council. Our current Staff has been very successful in applying for and being awarded over $2,000,000 in grant dollars over the past three years. This is an historic amount of money for our City to be awarded. Receipt of these funds would not have been possible without the professionalism and dedication of our Staff.
*1 Citizens League 2007 Property Tax Review
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
For City taxes, Centerville ranks 16 among metro cities over 2000 population.
For this statistic, they cite The Citizens league
2007 Taxes by Level of Government on Average Value Homes in 117 Metropolitan Communities
Although somewhat correct, once everything is factored in, Centerville actually ranked 4th for 2007.
When you look at
Comparing Property Taxes on Average Value Homes in 113 Metropolitan Communities, 2006-2007
Centerville ranked 1st in 2006 and 3rd in 2007.
Click the links to read the information for yourself and see which conclusion you draw.
Here is the letter Council sent to the Press...
Communication and Accurate Information:
The City of Centerville is fiscally sound; your City drinking water is safe and in a recent survey, your police department scored some of the highest customer satisfaction rating scores within the State of Minnesota. Communication and accurate information is very important not only in our personal lives, but also in knowing how your City is managed. I would like to share these facts:
Budget: For City taxes, Centerville ranks 16 among metro cities over 2000 population(*1). Our budget expenses for 2007 are about $2.2 million allocated as follows: 45% Public Safety, 24% General Government, 13% Public Works, 8% General Fund Debit Service, 5% Capital Outlay, 4% Culture & Recreational, 1% Advertising & Promotion.
Downtown Redevelopment: In 2005 the City applied for and was award a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for redevelopment planning for the downtown area. A consultant was hired to work with a group of Committee Members, business owners, Council Members and City Staff on a design plan. Many public input and hearings were held and a final design was approved January 11, 2006. Subsequently the City solicited a development partner and began applying for grant funds to assist with the project costs. The City has been awarded a total of $2,144,000 in grant money over the past three years towards the redevelopment of our downtown. We are working with the Beard Group to implement the Downtown Redevelopment Plan. Since our plan calls for a mixed-use redevelopment, the housing downturn has slowed our progress. We remain optimistic that our plan is good and given reasonable time, our vision can be achieved.
Road Projects: In 2003 the City approved the completion of a Pavement Management Study of our streets. Its purpose was to better manage our road projects and associated costs. In 2004 the first phase of that project was completed and the City is currently in the planning stage for phase two scheduled for 2009.
Public Works: In 2004 the Council established a Capital Revenue Fund to finance a future Public Works building. By 2007 that fund balance was $415,000. Last year the City was approached by the owner of Centerville Redi-Mix inquiring if the City would be interested in purchasing his unfinished building as a new Public Works site. The timing of this purchase came sooner than anticipated, but this was a costeffective option that would meet the City’s needs well into the future. The funds from the Capital Revenue and Enterprise Funds allowed the $1.4 million dollar purchase. An internal loan was made that will be repaid upon the sale of the 20th Avenue site, which was appraised at a commercial market value of $435,000. The City will be hosting an open house of both the old site and the new site in the near future.
Hidden Spring Park: In 1998 the City was one of two communities within the State of Minnesota selected to participate in the Minnesota Design Team Project. Town meetings were held and a vision for our community arose by the final day of the five-day visit. One of the goals within the final plan was to obtain and develop lakeshore parkland within our community. Since that time the City has been putting “Park Dedication Fees” (paid by developers instead of a parkland dedication) away towards the purchase of lake property. These “Park Dedication Fees” can only be spent on Capital park projects. The parkland purchase was made with $385,000 Park Dedication Fees and an award of a grant from the DNR totaling $150,000.
Closing:
One of the best things any Council can do for the future of a community is to have an effective Staff in place. As a Council, we greatly appreciate our Staff’s dedication to the community and the Council. Our current Staff has been very successful in applying for and being awarded over $2,000,000 in grant dollars over the past three years. This is an historic amount of money for our City to be awarded. Receipt of these funds would not have been possible without the professionalism and dedication of our Staff.
*1 Citizens League 2007 Property Tax Review
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
Monday, August 11, 2008
Duties of Centerville City Council
Amended 8/9/2006
Duties of Council
The Council, including the Mayor sitting as presiding officer of the Council, shall exercise all powers and perform all duties conferred and imposed upon its members by ordinances of the City and laws of the State. Consistent with the responsibilities to accept considerable leadership over the general conduct of City affairs, the members shall study the operations of the City government and recommend desirable changes and improvements to the Council. To that end the members must perform all of the duties of office including but not limited to attendance at all regular and special meetings to the Council and all attendant and supporting duties such as service on or liaison to committees of City government or City services, serving as Public Representatives of the City, and by generally educating themselves about the affairs of government by listening and responding to members of the community.
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
Duties of Council
The Council, including the Mayor sitting as presiding officer of the Council, shall exercise all powers and perform all duties conferred and imposed upon its members by ordinances of the City and laws of the State. Consistent with the responsibilities to accept considerable leadership over the general conduct of City affairs, the members shall study the operations of the City government and recommend desirable changes and improvements to the Council. To that end the members must perform all of the duties of office including but not limited to attendance at all regular and special meetings to the Council and all attendant and supporting duties such as service on or liaison to committees of City government or City services, serving as Public Representatives of the City, and by generally educating themselves about the affairs of government by listening and responding to members of the community.
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Tom Lee Council Member Response to Resident
Tom Lee Says:
May 8, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Ms XXXX,I’m not a politician, so I won’t speak to you like one. I’ll address your comments in the same tone as they are presented.
"Nobody was paid to be at the May 1, 2008 meeting, nobody that is except the city council. The rest of us were there because we care. Care about our city, our neighborhood and our neighbors".
If you think anyone sits on Council for the money, you have no idea the time it takes away from your family. All of us have a “day job”. All of us could make better “part time” money doing just about anything. The last meeting, the public hearing is the only meeting we are required to have. As you may recall, we have had at least three other meetings with those effected by this project. Those meetings I wasn’t “paid” to attend. I was there because I care what they have to say.Four times we asked for constructive input. Four times we got hostility and insult. The city does NOT pay me for that. I am only on Council because I care about this town. My family lives here, a lot of my friends live. I want Centerville to thrive.Many citizens spoke about concerns they have about the proposed road project. I heard people agreeing that portions of the proposed project needs to be done, but not one citizen that spoke agreed with city council that the entire scope of the project needs to be done at this time. I have spoke with NUMEROUS citizens that want the road project. Many of them were sitting in the audience that night. Privately they have told me they want the majority of the project to go forward, but they will not state so publically as they don’t want to face the anger of their neighbors. Somehow, I can understand that.This project is as big as it is in an effort to get the most for our money. Eventually all this work will likely NEED to be done. It cost less if we do it all at once.Some issues that I can recall that were not addressed are:
1. What is city council doing to bring in more business to the city?Have you not heard about the down town revitalization project?
I’ve been working on that for 5 years. I have hundreds, maybe even a thousand hours of MY time in it. Above and beyond what is required of me.
What is city council doing to keep the businesses that we have?The backage road was built in an effort to keep KEY businesses here while the County rebuild Main Street. We formed the Economic Development Authority to INVENT ways to assist current and hopefully current business. We have sought out county, state and federal business assistance programs, one other local officials don’t even know exist. And I personally go MILES out of my way to spend any money I can at our local businesses, even if I can get it cheaper somewhere else.
2. Why does Mill Road need a bike path at this time?
Because it will never be less expensive later. It IS a safety issue and I for one will not wait until someone is hurt or killed to fix a problem I KNOW exists. Mill Road is a collector street. It should have has a bike path on it years ago.
3. Why does Brian Way need a sidewalk?
It may not. Brian Way is not a collector street, though it is the accepted practice according to the Comp Plan to interconnect trails and sidewalks when possible.
4. Does everybody have to hook up to city water/sewer right away or can they wait? Does the word everybody mean everybody or just the unfortunate people selected?
Every one that has city water available will be required to hook up to city water.If you are referring to Council Member Vickers, she will not be included in this project as she lives on a COUNTY road, which is not part of this project. BUT, when the County road is done, the city SHOULD make water available to her property and since she owns…..140 plus acres, she WILL pay an incredible amount. Unfortunately, I will not be on Council to to weigh in on the matter. (though I suspect she may).
5. If the road project cost goes up then why will my assessment also go up?
Once we declare what your assessment will be, it can not go up without your approval. Our only choice would be to remove your portion from this project.
6. How can the increase in property value be associated with the cost of the project?
When I repair a problem at my house, my house does not increase in value by the full cost of material and labor. Many times there is not an increase in value at all.If your roof leaks, the repair does not add value to your home. However if you chose NOT to repair the roof, your value will decrease. But the availability of city water does improve property value, the county assessor says so. So does having a new road, sidewalk, bike trail system, etc. That is what we MUST go by.
7. What source or sources are being using to determine the amount my property value will increase due to the proposed road construction?
We have had an appraiser look at various houses in each part of the project. Which is more than some cities will do. Our valuations are ASSUMED to be correct in a court of law. The burden to prove otherwise is on the homeowner.
My actions may not have been the calmest in the audience, but as Council Member Jeff Paar motioned to bring it on, we responded to his jester and brought it on.
I am not Jeff Paar.
We hope that the citizen’s voices have been heard and you respect our voices and change the scope of the project to include only the necessary improvements and to remove the ‘luxury’ portions of the project such as sidewalks and bike paths.
Infrastructure is not a luxury. Ignore it and it will go away, until it becomes ridiculously expensive to replace. Look at the I35 bridge collapse. It was ignored, it wwent away and now it is 10 -15 more expensive to replace then it could have been.Certainly portions of this project COULD be removed, though the net effect to the cost would not be substantial. If the “niceties” aren’t added now, they will NEVER be added.
Respectfully,
Tom Lee
Why has Council been ignoring a road maintenance budget?
Contact us privately with City information, news and personal stories. All contact information will be kept private and not posted on the blog unless requested.Email Centervilleblog@yahoo.com
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