I’ve written before about a report I prepare each Friday for my City Council which I call the Friday Report. Yes, I know. Not a very creative title. Maybe that’s because it’s not really all that creative of a report. I’ll be there are lots of city managers that produce something akin to a Friday Report. I write my Friday Report for the City Council, but I also post it internally on our intranet so that employees can see what I’m telling the Council about on a weekly basis. I believe it’s important to share the Friday Report with city employees because it gives them insight into what I believe is notable enough to share with the City Council and because it shares information with them about what’s going on throughout our organization. So please enjoy my Friday Report from last Friday, January 26, 2007.
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Office of the City Manager | Friday Report
DATE: January 26, 2007
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Scott H. Neal, City Manager
RE: Friday Report for January 26, 2007
1. Comcast – Staff have noticed a recent spike in the number of complaints we are receiving from citizens concerning the recent transition from Time Warner Cable to Comcast. Councilmembers are likely to hear these complaints as well. Most of the complaints we are receiving concern the rate increase and the realignment of channels. Unfortunately, these two subjects are outside our local regulatory control. I have included in today’s FYI Packet a letter from the attorney that advises the City on cable television regulation. The letter explains what Comcast services the City can and cannot regulate at the local level. If you have any other questions about the Comcast transition, please let me know.
2. Liquor Store Remodeling Project – The Den Road Liquor Store Project is underway. The new cash register area has been installed. The project has renovated the portion of the building that we took back from Hollywood Video. You can get a sense now of what the entire store will look like upon completion of the project. It is going to be beautiful. We are expecting the project to be completed by the end of February.
3. Exits – I have completed four exit interviews over the past few weeks. Denny Nesbitt (Building Inspections) retired after 27 years of service. Christina Larson (Utility/Finance Clerk) left in order to give birth to twins (any day now) and then to stay home with them after they arrive. Tim Langenfeld (Police Patrol Officer) left to become the Chief Deputy of the McCleod County Sheriff’s Department. Chief of Police Dan Carlson retired today after 25 years of service to our Police Department.
4. Office of Housing and Community Services – I have approved a request to rename our Office of Housing & Human Services. The new name for this division will be the Office of Housing & Community Services. The name change is a good idea because it helps to clarify the activities of this City work group from the activities of similarly named employees and work groups that are parts of County and State governments. The change will be effective January 1, 2007.
5. Wells Fargo Gift -Wells Fargo has authorized a $100,000 gift for the Community Center Improvement Project. Bob Lambert and I, along with representatives of the Eden Prairie Hockey Association, finalized discussions about the gift last Friday. This gift put the Hockey Association over the $1,000,000 mark for private contributions to the Community Center project.
6. State of the City – We are planning to run the video of the January 18 State of the City address on Channel 16 in February. I will be giving the City’s portion of the State of the City address to employee groups at various times and places over the next three weeks.
7. Leadership Academy for Elected Officials – I have included with today’s FYI Packet a brochure for a leadership academy for elected officials designed by Councilmember Butcher in her professional capacity at Anoka Ramsey Community College. If you have interest in or questions about the academy, please feel welcome to contact Councilmember Butcher.
8. Planning for Closed Landfills – City Planner Mike Franzen will be representing the City on a focus group process coordinated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency that is studying future land uses for closed landfills.
9. Chamber Government Committee – Economic Development Manager David Lindahl has been appointed to the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce’s Government Committee. His first meeting on the Government Committee will be February 21.
10. MLC Regional Breakfast – Just a reminder that our MLC Regional Breakfast is scheduled for one week from today, Friday, February 2, at the Executive Meeting & Event Center at the Mall of America. It starts at 7:30 am. We are expecting a good turnout of legislators.
11. Director of Parks & Recreation – The deadline to express interest in becoming our new Director of Parks & Recreation is Wednesday, January 31.
12. February 6 Workshop – There has been a change of subject matter for the February 6 Council Workshop. On your original schedule we had planned a discussion of the results of the 2006 Community Survey. That presentation has been postponed until March. The new subject is a presentation on the City’s management of Camp Eden Wood and our relationship with Friendship Ventures.
13. Citizen Budget Task Force – Just a reminder that this subject was raised by the Mayor at the January 16 Council meeting with the plan to discuss it in more depth at the February 6 Council meeting. If anyone has comments, questions, concerns or ideas about how this task force might be organized or implemented, and you’d like to talk with me about it, please give me a call.
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