Every Friday (well, almost every Friday) I prepare a report for the City Council that I call the Friday Report. Yes, I know, not a very imaginative name. I’ve prepared these kinds of weekly reports in every city that I have worked in. I have found them to be helpful to busy elected officials, as well as for the employees who work for the city. I have paper versions of this report delivered each week to the City Councilmembers. I also e-mail it to all City employees and post it on our intranet. It helps spread common information to all parts of the organization. Believe me, that’s easier said than done.
Here’s what I had to say in my July 8, 2004 Friday Report:
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Office of the City Manager
Memorandum #2004-045
DATE: July 9, 2004
TO: Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Scott H. Neal, City Manager
RE: Friday Report for July 9, 2004
1. August 3, 2004 – I am talking with staff about the possibility of canceling the regular Council meeting scheduled for August 3, 2004. In lieu of the City Council meeting, the Council could attend the dedication of the Miller Spring improvements and then spend the rest of the evening participating in the National Night Out events. We should make this decision by the end of next week.
2. Employee News – Our new Communications Manager will be Mr. Pat Brink. Pat starts his new job on Monday, July 12th. Kevin Cassady, a field supervisor in our Utilities Division, has left us to become the new Public Works Supervisor in Baxter. Danette Moore in our Planning Division will start her new job as the Planning Coordinator for the City of Prior Lake next week. Ron Henke, a former EP Park Ranger, started his new job as a Police Officer for us on July 7th. Communications Coordinator Jodi Hoag’s last day with us will be July 23rd.
3. Communications Division Changes – We are in the midst of consolidating our Communications Division employees into closer proximity with each other. Stephanie Grant will be relocating from her current office in the Police Department to a new office near Dave Lindahl’s cube. Pat Brink’s office will be adjacent to Stephanie’s office. Tanya Whitsitt will be the new Administrative Assistant in Communications. We will construct a new cube for her right outside Stephanie�?s office. I believe that this office space work will be completed by the end of July.
4. Facilities Division Changes – The Facilities Division staff at City Center are moving downstairs into the area recently vacated by Familink. There is a small office remodeling project going on in this space right now. Paul Sticha and Marc Thielman should be moving into this space during the next two weeks.
5. Mall Space Dedication – The City’s new office space at the Eden Prairie Center is done. Our Housing & Human Services staff has moved in. The Police staff has moved in too. We have scheduled an open house & dedication event at the new office space for Thursday, July 15th from 2:30-4:30 p.m.
6. Clean Indoor Air Program – Molly Koivumaki and I met with Deborah Plumb this week to discuss her concerns about the perceived direction of the City’s Clean Indoor Air Program. We had an amicable meeting. I believe that we were able to mitigate her concerns through a more thorough explanation of our intent and plans.
7. Round Lake Ice Rink Proposal – Bob Lambert, Janet Jeremiah, and I met last week with Michael Rush and his associates from the Eden Prairie Hockey Association to discuss their proposal to construct a new two-sheet indoor ice arena in Round Lake Park. We provided them with the general information they will need to provide us in order for the City to begin analyzing the feasibility of their project. We had a frank and honest discussion. The ball is in their court to bring us a proposal.
8. Twin Cities Curling Club – City staff have had a series of meetings with representatives fro the Twin Cities Curling Club (TCCA). The TCCA desires to construct a curling club in the west metro area. They have a preferred site in Miller Park. They are working on development plans and fund-raising activities. The concept they are working on is to design an indoor curling club that could also operate as a large (400+ person capacity) park shelter facility during the non-curling season.
9. Rink #1 – The Council has awarded the contract for the removal of the concrete floor of Rink #1 at the Community Center. Although we are working diligently to design and complete a new ice rink floor for that rink for the upcoming indoor ice season, it is very likely that the project will not be ready before November 1st. We will be as innovative as we can be, within the law, and agree to pay premium prices in order to advance the project faster than normal. We are keeping ice users informed of the progress on this project.
10. Fire Relief Association Pension Agreement – Chief Esbensen, Sue Kotchevar, and I have been working with the Chair of the Eden Prairie Fire Relief Association Board, Mr. Kurt Schendel, to develop a long-term pension funding proposal. We agreed that a long term proposal that includes increases in pension benefits must also includes safeguards to the pension system’s funding viability for the City’s budget in order to be mutually acceptable. Our working group reached an agreement on a plan last month and presented it to the Fire Relief Board of Directors this week. They reviewed and endorsed the plan. The plan will now be recommended to the full membership of the Relief Association at their September 2004 quarterly business meeting. If the full membership endorses the plan, it will be presented to the City Council for final approval in October 2004.
11. Chief Carlson’s Weblog – Police Chief Dan Carlson has started his own weblog. It is very good. You can check it out at the City’s website at: www.edenprairie.org.
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That’s it. Very simple. A little bit about a lot of things. But people like it. They ask me where it is when they don’t see it for some reason. That’s a good sign.
