The Blog from City Hall

It’s a tough spot to go last in the rotation of Scott Neal’s City employee guest bloggers, since my peers have all done an exceptional job with their entries over the past few weeks, but I will try to do my best.

I actually got a chance to be Scott’s first-ever guest blogger back in January 2005, just after my beloved Packers lost to the Vikings in the NFL playoffs. In my guest blog offering in 2005, I congratulated the Vikings and their fans on their victory over Green Bay, and then gave my best wishes to all Viking fans in their pursuit of their first Super Bowl title (my Packers have three). It wasn’t to be for the Vikes, as they lost the following week to Philadelphia.

As the Assistant to the City Manager, I get to work on a wide variety of projects, with most of the projects having a city-wide scope to them. I have been with the City since 1992, and started as an intern in Human Resources and worked for ten years in that area, primarily doing staffing and benefits administration. The last five years have been in my current position, so I have seen a lot of change throughout my tenure.

So for this Guest Blog ‘go-around’ I want to share some information on one aspect of my work that is kind of one big project, but a project that has many distinct aspects to it. I am referring to the City’s strategic plan, or the Eden Prairie Promise, as we are calling it now.

This is a project that has evolved over the past few years. It began a few years ago with an initiative from Scott Neal for all departments and divisions to provide “Department Work Plans” that were combined into a one document called the “City Work Plan.” Before Scott’s arrival as City Manager, departments would create their own work plans, but we didn’t look at them together on a city-wide basis, and we didn’t have any accountability for approval and review of those work plans. Department work plans give departments and divisions a chance to describe ongoing work commitments and new work initiatives they are undertaking each year, and then be held responsible for it.

There are formal Operational Reviews held twice per year for each department in front of the City Manager and Department Directors, one early in the year that looks back at the previous year and also looks forward to the upcoming year; and then a second review near the middle of the year as a ‘check-in’ on progress. Accountability for work planned and accomplished is real for division and department managers, but is done in an effective and colloquial manner. City employees are asked to make commitments to sustain and improve all aspects of City operations. We will continue to work on Department and City work plans going forward.

In late 2006, we conducted our first community-wide survey, our first full-fledged survey of residents on all subjects in about 12 years. We also have tried (for this first time this year) to link the Department work plans with the City’s two-year budget cycle, so far with good success.

From all these elements (department work plans, overall city work plan, community survey, two-year budget cycle) coalescing over the past few months and years, the City’s strategic plan has emerged and grown. The strategic plan, now called the Eden Prairie Promise, is our way of beginning to connect our work to the public more strategically.

Our City Vision is “Eden Prairie is a vibrant city characterized by the thoughtful integration of natural beauty and physical development that creates a highly desirable place for its residents and businesses.”

Our City Mission is “Eden Prairie’s city government will foster respect for the past, plan for the future, and deliver high quality public services that contribute to a strong sense of community.”

We have had these Vision and Mission statements for many, many years. They are words that we believe in deeply and adhere to daily as City employees.

Generally, our charge as a local government in the state of Minnesota is fixed by law and statute; but how we accomplish our mission - our strategy - is not fixed. In the emerging Eden Prairie Promise, we have created a set of Key Results to articulate our desire to accomplish our City’s Vision and Mission. In turn, these Key Results have supporting Strategic Objectives and over 30 associated Performance Measures that will help us track our performance and accountability. We intend to demonstrate the value of City services we provide in measurable outcomes. And for evaluating our measures, we are looking to verify and validate our performance by using 3rd party evaluation criteria, not our own evaluation criteria, whenever possible, to document progress.

Both the ongoing department work plans and the emerging Eden Prairie Promise are but two facets of our commitment to the public to do our best and produce true and effective results for the community. We want to look hard at ourselves to make sure we have measures that can truly be used to evaluate and then communicate our performance.

We believe the Eden Prairie Promise will promote strategic thought and action, improve decision-making, and enhance performance by all City staff. By shifting the focus from activities to performance and results, we live up to our City’s Vision and Mission statements by promising to be good stewards of public assets; by promising to give exceptional public service; by promising that we will be innovative and creative in how we provide our high quality services; and by promising to continue to build a community where residents are proud to live, work, and dream.

In a greatly expanding, dynamic and outstanding community, safety will always comes first. The City of Eden Prairie has continued to include the very essential responsibility of keeping its public as well as its staff as safe and sound as possible. Several years ago when I accepted a position within the City of Eden Prairie’s Utility Division, I would become a part of something so essential to running a City which has been rated one of the top communities in the country. Not only do I find great pride in serving my home town community through my work as a utility operator, I also greatly appreciate the opportunity to be a part of various other facets to my job as a public steward. One of which allows me to attempt to positively affect the community in a way which may hopefully save time, loss and cost associated with asset loss, personal injury and god forbid, death! This particular facet I am speaking of is the City of Eden Prairie’s management and employee safety committee.

All successful organizations should include some form of safety program designed to positively affect personal wellbeing. In my particular line of service as a Utility operator, I tell you this truth rings true. Much of us who work for the City, do so in what I call an inherently dangerous atmosphere. Whether it be work for the Fire or Police departments, Utilities, Streets, Fleet service, Parks and Recreation, even administrative staff, we all may potentially be exposed to potentially hazardous conditions at any point in our day. My fellow utility staff and I routinely work near or in roadway traffic, within what are called “confined spaces”, around hazardous machinery and often times, with potentially harmful substances such as chlorine, fluoride, hydrogen sulfide gas and other things which may not necessarily agree with proper human biology. Equally as important to our staffs’ safety, is of course our city’s residents, and visitors’ safety. The public who we serve drives on the roads we pave, walks the trails we cut, uses the facilities we build and drinks the water we provide. To not attempt to create both a safe working environment as well as a safe living environment would be a great injustice to the wonderful city that I call my hometown.

Our city’s Management and Employee Safety Committee is currently comprised of 15 highly qualified and outstanding individuals representing the various areas and departments within our organization. Each of us brings our expertise and insight regarding safety based on our personal area of business. The committee is headed by Wayne Estenson who is in charge of the city’s risk management and does an exquisite job of it. The committee was established in April of 1989 and meets every month according to a planned schedule. Although this meeting is intended to surely be effective and very structured, a casual atmosphere is desired, leaving the forum open for discussion on any topic regarding safety at most any point.

We usually begin by opening with questions or concerns anyone may have regarding workplace and community safety and various related topics, much of which stems from issues outside of our community. We often talk about stories seen in the news. Unfortunately, we routinely see on television and hear on radio horrible stories of trapped miners, wild fires, vehicle accidents, fatal falls, and bridge collapses all too often. We understand the utmost importance of learning from misfortunes which happen elsewhere in order to avoid the same or similar fate here at home. In fact, our organization feels so deeply for neighboring communities misfortunes, we have recently sent one of my fellow staffers south to Rushford Minnesota to assist their community in regaining Water service to its residents. Hats off to Andy Allmann for his selfless act of humanity to our fellow Minnesotans!

We also review recent accidents within our community involving personal injury, auto accidents/incidents, and public property incidents. Fortunately we’ve faired well since I’ve been on board. I can personally state that our safety record is excellent considering our communities size, amount of city assets and number of staff. The safety programs, training and competency of our employees are second to none!

Our program includes safety audits of most of our City facilities and grounds every year. During these audits our committee tours these facilities and grounds such as the community center, water plant, public works office, fire stations, city hall, and liquor stores to name a few. While conducting such audits one of our key assets to the committee is our members who serve in our fire and police departments. Fire officials such as Chuck Shaitberger, Rick Hammershidt, Fred Ziebol and Tim Peltier give vital insight and recommendations regarding fire code and fire safety. Sergeant David Becker of the Eden Prairie Police department has a keen eye for public safety and facility security during our audits as well.

With organizations such as OSHA maintaining a vigilant eye and post 9/11 security threat issues looming, this gives us even more reason to “run a tight ship” so to speak. When auditing facilities including my personal favorite, the water plant, the street/fleets/parks main facility, liquor stores and city hall, others on the committee such as my self give reference to particular potential workplace hazards involving materials, equipment, work practices and ergonomics. All inconsistencies and hazards are immediately noted and dealt with appropriately.

One of our key tools in promoting employee participation with safety, a side from the employee and management safety committee itself, is our safety incentive program. This safety incentive program allows employees to conveniently report a potentially harmful situation. The employee will also conceive a remedy to attempt to avoid accidents, injuries or loss. In return, all safety suggestions will be documented, acted upon to allow for a proper correction and a physical reward is given based on a point value determined by the committee. Once the safety suggestions are submitted, the safety committee comes together four times annually and votes on all submissions during the regular committee meetings.

Safety committee members will vote on each individual submission and award a point value based on the individuals remedy for originality, ease of implementation, how well it might be received by those affected, the number of people potentially affected (both employees and/or residents of EP), related accident history and an overall evaluation of the employees remedy to the potentially unsafe situation. Prizes awarded to participating staffers include eight hours added to his/her personal leave amount (1st place), a sixty dollar gift value (2nd place), a forty dollar gift value (3rd place), and a ten dollar gift value for 4th place. Given the potential savings that this program allows related to time lost by employees and medical expenses due to injury, the safety incentive program can greatly increase safety, employee safety awareness, and organizational effectiveness. Ultimately, this allows for just one person to make a huge difference in a big community, help others stay safe and avoid disaster!

As you see safety really is essential to operating a city effectively, efficiently and economically. Our organization takes outstanding measures to ensure the wellbeing of not only its staff but also its citizens and visitors. People are the key to our existence. We value our customers who include our residents, visitors and staff very much. Without all of these important individuals, we might not be able to stake our claim as one of the nation’s best places to live. Live, Work, Dream…Safely. Eden Prairie!

Jeffrey Campbell
City of Eden Prairie
Utility Division

Hello my name is Steve Pitkanen. If you do not know me already I have a wife (Michelle), 5 children, and 5 grandchildren and have lived in Watertown for the past 20 years. I coached basketball for 29 years, with 4 of those years as the LHS Varsity Girls Head Coach. I have served on the school board, Chair of the Community Ed Advisory Council; Early Childhood Family Education Advisory Council; and as the Girls Booster Basketball Director and Coordinator.

I am the current City of Eden Prairie Water Treatment Plant Supervisor. I have had the privilege to be employed by the city for the past 20-and-a-half years, all in the water treatment plant. I served as the first Union co-chair for the Labor Management Committee and served on the Safety Committee. I have had the opportunity to watch the city grow and expand as well as participate in two plant expansions.

Two of the things that I have heard repeatedly over the years, in person and from letters to the editor, is that

1. the tax dollars were spent on the new water plant or the utility workers or new wells or new towers, etc.; and
2. the city should have done a better job of planning and drilled more wells, so that we could get by with no watering restrictions, surcharges, etc.

I would like to talk about these two items today. I feel there is a lot of misinformation out there and a lot of misunderstanding.

The Utility Division has a Treatment staff and a Field Operations staff. The treatment staff operates and maintains the treatment facility and the wells, and the field staff takes care of the water distribution, sewer collection, and storm water systems. The Utility Division performs many services, with the field operations staff more visible and more involved with our residents on a daily basis than our treatment staff. They install water meters, investigate complaints with water pressure and tastes or odors, clean sewer lines, flush fire hydrants, inspect new construction projects, locate underground water and sewer utilities for people who need to dig into the ground, and unplug storm drains or storm ponds, as well as performing many other services. They are also on call 24/7.

The treatment staff is more unseen. They are responsible for treating the water and providing a good safe product to your home. They monitor the wells and the reservoirs (towers) and do their best to keep the system at a safe level to provide adequate system pressure and fire protection. They are on duty around the clock treating, monitoring, adjusting, and testing the water for you. The Utility Division also works together in many ways to provide other services, such as testing the water system routinely. Together they provide valuable services to the residents. We do not operate using tax dollars or general fund dollars; instead it is an enterprise funded operation. What that means, is that our services are funded from permit fees, water and sewer access fees, and utility bills. We try to budget as close to what our expenses will be to be good stewards of public funds and to be accountable to our residents and community while still trying to allow a little financial flexibility for unplanned emergencies (main breaks, equipment failure, etc.).

As for planning, the City of Eden Prairie does a Comprehensive Plan that includes all historical data and projections for all of the City of Eden Prairie’s operations. The Comprehensive Plan is approved by the City Council, and then submitted to the Metropolitan Council for review. This along with the Water Emergency and Conservation Plan that is submitted to the DNR every 10 years will determine whether we will be allowed to add any additional wells. This plan includes historical data about population and water demands. It also includes information about capital improvements, cooperative agreements with surrounding communities, conservation programs, and projections for the next couple of decades for population and water demands. It takes a lot work by many people to gather the data needed for this report.

The DNR reviews the report and determines from the report if it will grant any requests for additional appropriation permits for wells. They also will receive a recommendation from the Metropolitan Council. The current projections for population exceed the original projections by about 12,000 people, which are addressed in the plan requesting more additional wells. The DNR’s role is to make sure that our aquifers are not over taxed and run dry. They monitor how many wells are in each aquifer and issue appropriation permits which limit how much water each user can withdraw from each well.

(Click the image on the right to enlarge. © 2003 Metropolitan Council.)

We currently have 14 wells in the Prairie du Chein-Jordan aquifer. I know a lot of residents are unhappy with a surcharge fee for excess water use. Did you know that the City also has to pay a summer surcharge in addition to a regular fee? Our regular fee for last year was $7.50 per million gallons or about $23,000.00. The summer surcharge is figured out by subtracting January’s total from each of the peak summer months of June, July, and August, and multiplying that amount of water by $20.00 (for an additional cost of about $18,000.00 dollars).

The DNR also looks to see if the community has a water conservation program, because without one, it is more difficult to get approval of more wells. It is hard to get more wells approved if they are just going to be used to water lawns in the summer. I looked around the state and out of state and found it very interesting that some communities allow even numbered addresses to water 2 days a week, odd addresses 2 days a week, and businesses 2 days a week with no watering by anyone 1 day a week. Most communities have an odd/even watering schedule with a daily no watering time that varies from town to town. I firmly believe if everyone followed the current odd/even schedule and did no watering between 12:00pm and 5:00pm that we would be fine. Unfortunately, not everybody does. When our towers get low or empty, we have no water for fire protection, we experience very low system pressure, and the possibility of contamination to our potable water supply becomes an urgent concern.

When you water, horticulturists recommend watering your lawn deep and infrequently to promote a strong root system. Frequent watering promotes a shallow root system. It is also recommended to water in the early morning or late afternoon when evaporation and wind are usually at their lowest. On a warm sunny day, up to 30% can evaporate just from the sun. Sprinklers that use smaller drops or mist the water often cause the water to evaporate before it reaches the ground. Sprinklers that have big drops and are closer to the ground work best. The City provides a safe, quality product for $1.55 per 1000 gallons, which is one of the lower rates in the metro area, and the water is softened from about 320ppm (17.1 grains per gallon) to about 90ppm (5 grains per gallon). I hope some of this information is helpful.

Here are some web sites to visit for information regarding our water resource:

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/water/index.html; http://water.usgs.gov ;

http://www.metrocouncil.org/environment/Water/index.htm ;

You also can do a Google search for water conservation, aquifers, or just about anything else related to water.

There are probably many people out there who don’t think the City of Eden Prairie is the most exciting place to work. Sure, Police and Fire have their share of adventures, but what could possibly be exciting and thrilling about working in communications? In our small division, consisting of three full-time staff and a handful of part-timers and interns, we spend our days writing news releases, updating the City Web site and creating promotional materials for various events and programs. For the most part, our days are uneventful and life is fairly predictable behind the cubicle walls.

But peppering the ordinary are moments of extraordinary excitement and adventure. Throughout the past 18 months I have done things I never thought I would do and seen things I never imagined I would see. From fighting fires to photographing the President of the United States, my year-and-a-half in Eden Prairie has been one incredible ride!

It all began in the spring of 2006 when I was wrapping up my senior year at the University of Minnesota. A budding young journalist, I was looking forward to graduating and venturing out into the world of small market television news. For the previous seven months I had been interning at KARE 11 news on the morning show. During that time I had the privilege of working with a very inspirational reporter, Rena Sargianiopolous. Rena was working part-time at KARE 11 and full-time at the City of Eden Prairie in its Communications Division. She told me about the monthly television show the City produced called Life in the Prairie and how they were looking for an intern. I was really excited by the chance to produce television stories that would air live on TV. I immediately applied for the position and was hired in April of 2006.

From day one, my internship was off to an interesting start. Right away two of the three full-time employees left the City to pursue other opportunities. Then, my boss was hospitalized and it was down to just me. For three weeks I was the entire City of Eden Prairie Communications Division. Overall it was an incredible challenge and awesome experience where for the first time I was able to explore my full potential.

After proving myself as a communications professional I was hired as an official City employee last September. Since being hired I have had the opportunity to experience some pretty cool things.

Last fall I had an opportunity to serve as the City’s primary media contact during a bomb threat. Our police and fire evacuated the area and I was able to communicate with the local media outlets and set up interviews between reporters and City staff. It was my first experience with crisis communications and I was able to stay calm and composed despite the chaotic situation around me.

Then, this past June I was able to participate in the Women’s Fire Expo, a one-day training event where women have the opportunity to learn that they can become fire fighters. I put on the full gear, oxygen mask and all, crawled into a fire simulation tower and put out an actual fire.

Recently, I had the opportunity to accompany our police officers on their official presidential detail. A few weeks ago President Bush attended a fundraiser in Eden Prairie and I was able to go behind the barricade to photograph our officers and the motorcade as it drove by. I even got a glimpse of the man himself!

It was exactly 18 months ago today that I started my employment here at the City and looking back it’s hard to believe I’ve experienced so much in such a short amount of time. From my trial by fire as an intern to handling crisis communications as a communications professional my work here at the City of Eden Prairie has really been an amazing journey. And if anyone says that working for the City is not exciting, then I would beg to differ!

My name is Lorene McWaters and I am City Manager Scott Neal’s executive assistant. I’ve worked for the City for nearly 8 years, which means Scott inherited me when he joined the City 5+ years ago.

I think we make a pretty good team - in a ying-yang way. Scott comes in whistling at 7:00 a.m., certain this is going to be another great day. I yawn my way to my desk about an hour later, steeling myself for whatever fires will need to be extinguished before the sun sets.

I like my job for a number of reasons (in addition to the paycheck that comes every two weeks).

I get to serve the public in the town I also live, attend church, and send my daughter to school in. (Along the way I’ve learned to avoid getting into traffic arguments in Eden Prairie. The guy who just cut me off on Prairie Center Drive is likely to be my pastor, my daughter’s math teacher or the mayor.)

I know a lot about what is happening in the community as it happens. (I’ve also learned to avoid discussing my job at my daughter’s soccer games. I’ve had a team mate’s parent corner me and demand to know why the road in front of his house needs to be widened by the City.)

My job includes a lot of variety. Twice a month I prepare the City Council meeting agenda and supporting materials. This packet can include up to 100 separate documents and run 400 or more pages. After all of the materials have been gathered and formatted, they are converted into one big electronic file that is e-mailed to the City Council and staff and posted on the City’s web site.

I help maintain the City Manager’s calendar, which often includes half a dozen meetings in just one day and last minute pleas for “just a couple of minutes” of his attention.

One of my most important duties involves what we call “phone triage.” I answer the main Office of the City Manager phone line as well as the City Manager’s direct line (when he is in meetings or away from his desk).

People call our office for a number of reasons:

• They may not know who to call with a question or request. After seven years on the job I can almost always point them in the right direction.
• The caller may already have spoken to someone else at the City but is not satisfied with the response they received. In these cases, I can help clarify our policies, redirect the caller to another staff member, lend a sympathetic ear (which is often all a person needs) and/or put them in direct contact with the City Manager.

When meetings and calls slow down a bit, I turn my attention to the dreaded records management. As the City Clerk reminds me on a weekly basis, a number of state statutes govern the retention and maintenance of data, which includes everything from phone messages, to e-mails, to book length reports. I print, sort and file thousands of documents generated by and for the City Council and City Manager each year.

The rest of what I do is covered by the last line of most job descriptions: “Other projects, as necessary.” I pitch in and do whatever needs to be done when there is a city, state or federal election. I’m also on an event planning committee. And last, but not least, I proof Scott Neal’s memos and letters. He is a very good writer, but we’ve got a couple of unresolved issues. I’ve tried and tried to get him to stop using the word “that” so much and to not arbitrarily make up words by converting perfectly respectable nouns into can’t-be-found-in the-dictionary verbs.

This job is interesting, challenging and (often times) fun. I hope to have the opportunity to keep doing it for a long while.

I came to work in Eden Prairie on October 3rd, 1978 as an appraiser and I was appointed the City Assessor in 1984. My education background includes a BS in Business Administration with Finance Concentration from Mankato State. As the City Assessor my job is to make sure the annual assessment for property tax purposes is completed correctly and on time. Every year the Assessing Division values all of the property in the City for property tax purposes.

I came here because I sensed opportunity and room for personal growth. What I found was a City poised to accept rapid growth and change. I also discovered that although at first glance it seemed that Eden Prairie was being developed with a random shotgun pattern there was indeed a Comprehensive Plan for housing, business development, sewer and water expansion, transportation, parks and open spaces.

The issues that stand out from that time were highway congestion, taxes, the Flying Cloud Landfill, the gas shortage, inflation, and did I mention Taxes? But, despite all of these things the development of Eden Prairie chugged along as 1,000’s of housing units were built, the City’s office and industrial parks came into their own, and Eden Prairie steadily moved towards what it is today.

Today Eden Prairie is in many ways a top ten city. The park and open space plan has been mostly implemented. The Eden Prairie Schools are top-notch. There are many places for residents to work and shop. The City, private developers, Hennepin County, and the State of Minnesota have invested millions into improving transportation including Hwy 169 and the Bloomington Ferry Bridge and the road that many didn’t think would ever be built, the new Hwy 212/312 Freeway through Eden Prairie to Carver.

Along this journey of development it wasn’t always straight ahead, sometimes it was two steps forward and one step back. The debate over the proposed expansion of the Flying Cloud Landfill filled many meeting hours. The question of making Hwy 212/312 a toll-road made for some interesting discussions and meetings. The proposed expansion of the Flying Cloud Airport has had its share of meeting and discussions. Oh, did I mention taxes, the debate over wants and needs and who should pay for them has waxed and waned every since I came here.

The Eden Prairie City Councils have made a lot of good choices over the last 40 years, City staff has done an excellent job of following through and implementing these choices and our growth cycle was phenomenal.

Now most of our residential and commercial/industrial neighborhoods are in a stable period in their life cycles and some are ready for redevelopment. So looking forward the City is reviewing the Comprehensive Plans, setting a framework for redevelopment of the Major Center Area and the Golden Triangle Area, and generally fine-tuning the “Plan”.

What do these musings have to do with the City Assessor? As Scott Neal has said numerous times “the Assessor reports the news, he doesn’t make it” well everything I’ve talked about effects market values and how values change over time. In 1980 we had 9,000 parcels (1/2 of them vacant land) and the estimated market value of the City was $528 million as compared to 2007 with 22,285 parcels worth $9.97 billion with a tremendous diversity of rental and ownership housing types, very successful office and industrial parks, and tremendous shopping areas.

Of course no place and no time is perfect, we still have traffic issues, people are concerned about home values, gas prices are sky high and the stock market and retirement accounts are in turmoil.

As I look ahead I’m confident that the current and future City Council members will also make good decisions and Eden Prairie will continue on the path of excellence and that it will continue to be an interesting and challenging place to be the City Assessor and continue as a top-ten city. Oh, and did I mention Taxes?

My phone is wireless, my pager is wireless, and so is this shiny new macbook I am typing on…so why not 18,000 outdated water meters? As it turns out there was no reason at all water meters couldn’t be wireless. Matter of fact, the benefits and cost savings were so significant we had no choice! So began the rather long & arduous task of changing out some 18,000 water meters to AMR (automatic meter reading). Here we are 17,996 meters later (Aug 2007) and Eden Prairie’s AMR program is in full swing!

What exactly is AMR you ask?

Well, at a basic level AMR technology enables accurate and timely meter reading with blinding efficiency. Translation: It’s fast!

But how does that benefit:

• The Customer?
• The Sewer & Water Utility?
• The City?

Okay, besides the obvious benefits like; no more walking house to house in three feet of snow, no more jumping fences, no more crawling around dark spaces with giant spiders lurking about, no more stepping in doo-doo, and no more frozen fingers that can barely grip a pencil let alone write out a 9 digit number.

Yes, besides all these wonderful aforementioned benefits here now are the top 10:

Top Ten Benefits of an AMR system:

1. Less People with Fewer Vehicles: We used to send out 2 to 3 vehicles sometimes 4. We worked in 2 person teams. Given the right conditions just one of those meter readers– on foot– can typically read 200 to 300 meters during an eight-hour shift. Today, just one reader in one vehicle can read thousands of meters in an outing–in any condition!
2. Safety: Lower incidence of injuries due to slips and falls, climbing over fences, the occasional mean dog/s, crawling into small spaces, have I told you about the spiders? Today, meters can be safely read–hands off–from the vehicle as we drive by. I did spill hot coffee in my lap last time out!?
3. Reduced error rate: The results are in. A computer is thousands of times faster than a human and has a 0% error rate– if properly inputted. The readings are gathered by a wireless mobile unit that is hard wired into the vehicle, which in turn triangulates with 10 satellites. This data (readings) zapped from sometimes blocks away is later downloaded into another computer that spits out the bills. Welllllll…….there is more to it than that; but you get the general idea.
4. Less Intrusion on our Customers: You know, in today’s post 911 World, it is just not safe to be snooping around people’s window’s looking for meter readings. Every year we hear stories about how criminals– posing as meter readers– gain entry into a home supposedly looking for meter readings. AMR systems give our customers an added measure of safety knowing that in Eden Prairie our meters are wirelessly read. With AMR, once our staff installs a meter, we typically will not need access to that home for several years. From that point on we will get all our readings without stepping foot onto the property! Note: My apologies to those people who had more than one visit during the meter change-out process. We had some issues with a third party installer that was hired in an effort to save time and money. What can I say? Sometimes you get exactly what you pay for. That contractor was of courselet go and City Staff took over all change-outs.
5. Revenue: By the time a City is considering an AMR system the existing meters are usually outdated and running slow. Several studies show that meters in the 10-15 year range operate at 80% efficiency. That means for every dollar of water used we were only collecting .80 cents! Now, I understand we are a “not for profit entity” but we still need dollars to run the business that is water. There is no greater satisfaction than increasing margins by employing good old fashion bootstrapping!
6. No more Spiders: Crawling around with a flashlight in my mouth while brushing away spider webs every bit as strong as dental floss creeps me out!
7. Shortened reading cycle: AMR gives us the option to shorten the reading cycle (i.e. monthly billing). Mind you, this initiative would take considerably more resources than we have at the moment: but it is nice to have the option. Lets face it a 30.00 monthly bill is easier to handle than a 90.00 quarterly bill. An additional benefit is that we can use the bills to communicate important information– like conservation efforts.
8. Upgradable: Because of some good choices as to which AMR technology Eden Prairie would invest in we have been able to grow lock step with certain advances in AMR technology. For instance: The ERTs (end point radio transmitters) that are currently being installed have a battery life equal to the life expectancy of most meters. When it comes time to replace the battery it will be time to replace the meter.
9. Conservation: With Eden Prairie still growing, our water supplies shrinking, and regulatory bodies insisting that a City be accountable for every gallon of water produced (and disposed) the job of running a water/sewer utility is getting tougher. Who would of thought that AMR technology and the little old water meter would play a key role in meeting these new challenges? Eden Prairie did! Simply put, an AMR system enables us to more accurately track where the water is going. When the data shows that a certain area, or individual customer, has abnormally high readings, we can send someone to find out exactly what is going on. Many times, the high usage is a leak that the customer was unaware of. A trained Meter-Tech can then take steps to lessen excessive usage by (deep breath) retrofitting, repairing, reprogramming, educating, regulating or offering conservation incentives. One more thing, we will soon be joining other Cities that will use the AMR system to catch sprinkling violators. A bit Orwellian I know; but our/your wells are dangerously close to sucking nothing but air. Scares me more than spiders!

   And finally (David Letterman top ten drum-roll) the number one benefit of an AMR system (but is numbered ten)
   

10. Did I mention no more spiders? Those big brown ones (?) you know the ones (?) they’re very fast and flit around just out of sight. They look remarkably similar to the poisonous “Fiddle Back” aka the “Brown Recluse.” Just got one last thing to say: “Goodbye, my furry eight-legged friends!”

Well there you have it, my top 10 benefits of wireless AMR systems.

PS: Did you know you are three times more likely to be killed by a flying Champagne cork than you are to be killed by the bite of a venomous spider? Heard that from the Science Channel. Somehow I do not feel any better!

A City Employee for 16 years Andrew was born and raised in Eden Prairie. Andrew works as a Meter Tech in the Utilities Division asullivan@edenprairie.org Andrew also spent 5 years in the tech sector during the height of the internet boom and has a truck load of worthless company stock options to prove it!

Some of my friends are interning in Washington D.C. this summer. They are working for congressmen, senators, various departments and lobbying firms. They were called to make the voyage half-way across the nation in hopes of impacting public policy in some substantive way. Perhaps they have. They ask me what I am doing and I launch into stories of protesters to blog entries, budgets to geese, finite details to impact reports, they just roll their eyes. As I prepare to conclude my summer on the Prairie as Scott Neal’s intern, it behooves me to at least say a few words about my experience. You see, things have been interesting to say the least.

“Not in my backyard” or “NIMBY” is a popular term I have spent a great deal of time learning about. It describes a feeling people have about a policy that would derogate their life in some way. I think it is a sense of disdain towards government employees who aren’t supposed to care about the people they are affecting. But things have been different around here. I have worked with residents over the course of the summer and listened to countless conversations with city staff about how to best limit the negative externalities on the lives of residents in Eden Prairie. It is evident that active stewardship is very alive among the staff. I think it is something that my friends in D.C. miss out on because they don’t see their constituents in the grocery store or in church on Sunday morning.

That is what makes local government so exciting. It epitomizes accountability. While it may be easy to pass an omnibus tax bill or cut a department hundreds of miles away from your constituency, it is much more challenging to raise taxes or lower services in a community in which you know your neighbor. The debate which follows policy proposals is had out in backyards, coffee shops and at athletic games. The impacts of each governmental decision are very real. Groups organize and dissolve and the factions James Madison spoke of flourish. Each community becomes an incubator of this whole notion of a democratic republic.

Local government seems to require a careful hand and a tendency towards a nuanced policy making position. The “good life” isn’t as definable as a black and white response which we have all become accustomed to. I have liked that part and what it has meant for Eden Prairie during my time here. It has been great to be mentored by a professional staff that has consistently worked to improve the community. This summer has shown me that local government is the place where the action happens-it isn’t in D.C. I am thankful that Scott Neal, City Staff and the City Council were willing to give me a chance.

Hi, my name is Brenda Uting. I am the Administrative Assistant for the Parks and Recreation Department. My number one job is customer service. I’m usually the first point of contact when you call our office or stop by. I receive a variety of phone calls ranging from questions about trees to where is the closest tennis court. Over the years I’ve learned just enough general information to know when to provide a general answer or when to pass the caller onto someone with more information. It’s that variety that keeps my job very interesting.

Tuesday, August 21 is the first day for fall program registration, so I’m receiving many phone calls regarding recreation programs and services. I also answer the ‘live help’ instant messaging communications from people who need some assistance on eConnect, our online registration system. Most of the calls or messages are requests for a family account number and personal identification number. These numbers are used to identify the participant when they register online or via the automated phone system.

I receive a few calls that are beyond my scope of Parks and Recreation. Last week someone wanted to know if I knew of any good resorts in northern Minnesota; and about twice a year I get asked if we have a citywide garage sale (by the way, we don’t - but a lot of neighborhoods hold big sales.)

Occasionally I get the “angry caller”. You might think that would ruin my day, but I know those angry callers are upset with the situation, not with me. I also find that they can be nice folks to talk with once we get to the point of the conversation where we can determine what needs to be done to address their concerns, or at least have their concerns heard.

If you need some assistance in the Parks and Recreation Department, give me a call (952-949-8442) or send me an email (parks@edenprairie.org). I’ll be happy to help you - with all of your questions, concerns, comments.