We are all blessed to live in Eden Prairie! We have excellent schools, parks, bike and walking trails, recreation programs and a beautifully remodeled community center. We also have many fine restaurants, shopping locations and access to everything we need to live. Eden Prairie has a great variety of fine homes, condos and apartments and beautiful neighborhoods with good access to transportation. We have a very safe community thanks to our involved citizens and our innovative professional Police and Fire Departments. Our community has about 64,000 residents, 2200 businesses and 36 square miles of land. Our City is financially sound and we have a Moody's Financial AAA rating. We have been ranked by U.S. News & World Report in 2008 and Money Magazine in 2006 as among the best cities in the entire nation, which is a reflection on our wonderful residents and the great care with which we treat our resources. Below are issues of concern that you have shared with me:
Taxes remain an issue of concern, especially in these financially-challenging times. Wise, responsible budgeting of taxpayers' dollars is a key component of a well-run city, and my voting record reflects fiscal responsibility. In 2005, I requested that staff provide options that reflect a 3%, 4% and 5% increase without cutting essential services, so we could evaluate the effects on our residents and services. I explained that an annual increase of 7% in our budget will double the budget in 10 years (by 2015), and with a population nearing its capacity, this rate of increase is neither justified nor sustainable. During my tenure on the Council, we have approved reasonable increases in our city's budget, and I have been proactive in seeking innovative, cost-effective ways to meet our needs and alternative sources of funding to keep property taxes reasonable. In these financially-challenging times, it is critical that we continue our present course of smart, responsible planning.
This week, residents received a deceptive ad on taxes from an opponent. See my response to that ad below.
An open, transparent budget process with citizen input is an essential aspect of good government. Our budget process has been refined and made even more transparent with more citizen involvement through the formation of the Budget Advisory Commission in 2007. As a champion for this change, I commend this group of dedicated residents in helping us analyze our budget, operations and capital improvement plans to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Combining the best uses of public, private and corporate funding has allowed us to create and maintain many of our city's amenities. I will continue to strive to find cost-effective improvements in our budget, and be a strong advocate for protecting taxpayers' dollars.
Maintaining financial stability by continuing to qualify for the highest bond rating possible is a priority -- we currently have the highest rating possible (Moody's AAA rating), an elite distinction which we share with only six other Minnesota cities.
Good Stewardship of our resources is also our responsibility. Our 20/40/15 Initiative calls for a 20% energy improvement, a 40% reduction in fuel use by our vehicles, all by 2015, and includes guaranteed cost-savings for our city.
Transportation issues and access, and alleviation of congestion, are major concerns especially as the outer ring develops around us exerting more pressure on our roadways. In the past four years, we have seen tremendous improvements to our infrastructure. Repair and maintenance of our internal roadways remain a priority and are second-to-none. Completions of Highway 312 and the I-494 expansion have alleviated major bottlenecks. I would like to continue my work as a member of the I-494 Corridor Commission, where we are working with MNDOT to resolve the I-494 / 169 interchange congestion. Although a resolution was originally scheduled for 2020 at a cost of $120 million, we have offered an alternative that accomplishes 90% of the functionality at an estimated cost of $60 million which could be implemented by 2010-2012. We have also worked to find the best route for Light Rail Transit (LRT) if/when it comes to Eden Prairie -- one with the least disruption to our residential areas, while providing services for our businesses and residents.
Parks, Trails and Amenities must be maintained, improved and expanded. In the past 4 years we have beautifully renovated our 25-year old Community Center, re-opened Round Lake and expanded our trails. We will soon add a barrier-free play-structure at Miller Park, a Veteran's Memorial, and an Art Center and Observatory through private funding. Supporting our Senior Center is also a priority. These amenities and others, including our historical properties, help keep us mentally and physically healthy, connected as a community, and appreciative of our history. It is crucial that we maintain and expand our public-private partnerships to keep our amenities affordable.
Development and more importantly redevelopment issues are a large part of the City Council's work. As we are about 98% developed, it is critical that the remaining development be planned properly to accommodate the needs of the current residents as well as new developments. The Major Center Area plan will help to guide business and private enterprise to revitalize the "Downtown" area into a compact walk-able area with the services and products that the community desires. The Golden Triangle area between Shady Oak Road, Highway 169 and Highway 62 also needs planning and help from the City to encourage redevelopment. This is already happening and will continue to retool this area into the kind of properties and facilities needed by the businesses of today and tomorrow.
Flying Cloud Airport is an important concern. The Final Agreement between the MAC and the City regarding Flying Cloud Airport was signed in 2002, two years before I was elected to office. The Agreement set the terms for future airport improvements, which included the lengthening of the runways, leasing excess MAC land for new City parks and establishing the voluntary noise mitigation guidelines. The Final Agreement also prevents the City from opposing the MAC's expansion, as well as supporting third party groups that oppose the expansion plans. The Final Agreement brought an end to a long conflict with the MAC that had cost the taxpayers of Eden Prairie over One Million Dollars in legal fees. I “inherited” the Agreement when I took office in 2005 and have honored it as I am required to do. I have been pro-active in advocating for the City and citizens regarding the Airport. I and this Council held the first public community meeting about the 2002 Final Agreement, reinstituted the Flying Cloud Airport Advisory Commission, and opened discussions with the FAA regarding night-time flights and noise. I am committed to working on behalf of the citizens and the City of Eden Prairie to ensure that we benefit from the Agreement in terms of the airport’s security, aesthetics and environmental protection.
Recently an untruthful accusational ad was placed in The Eden Prairie News and the City Manager responded with a Commentary
CITY MANAGER SCOTT NEAL RESPONDS TO SMEAR
Commentary: Scott Neal Responds to Questions About Airport Decision
By Scott Neal
Normally I do my utmost to stay out of the local newspapers, especially during election campaign season. As a city staff person it's difficult to contribute to the discussion of political issues during the run-up to an election without it being interpreted as favorable or unfavorable to a particular political viewpoint. But when someone uses my name in a political advertisement in order to slander a candidate they don't care for, well then I have no choice but to speak out. The ad in last week's Eden Prairie News raises an old issue in attempt to discredit Council Member Brad Aho.
In December 2002, the City Council -- which included Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Sherry Butcher, Ron Case, Jan Mosman and the late David Luse -- approved the Final Agreement with the MAC regarding Flying Cloud Airport. The Agreement set the terms for future airport improvements including lengthening the runways, leasing excess MAC land for new city parks and establishing the voluntary noise mitigation guidelines. The Final Agreement also includes a provision that prevents the city from opposing the MAC's expansion plan and from supporting third party groups who oppose the expansion plans. The Final Agreement brought an end to the long conflict with the MAC about the future of Flying Cloud Airport that had cost the Eden Prairie taxpayers over $1,000,000 in legal fees.
The issue raised by the ad is whether or not the City Council or city staff advocated to the federal government to expand Flying Cloud Airport. The questions raised by the ad is what role the council members had in the formation of an official city position statement about the airport that a city delegation (which consisted of Fire Chief George Esbensen, Council Member Butcher and me, but not Council Member Aho) shared with elected officials in Washington DC in March 2007. It also questions what role Council Member Aho in particular played in allegedly changing the city's policy toward the expansion of the airport.
The ad from last week's paper selectively displayed two e-mails from a multiple e-mail exchange I had with a representative from the MAC. Among the discussion points in the exchange, I sought input from the MAC regarding what it would like to see in the city's official airport statement. I accepted the MAC's input, but that input did not make it into the airport statement which was approved by the City Council and shared with federal officials in Washington. What's more, our delegation's discussions with federal officials about the airport were short and limited to our advocacy for improvements o the airport's security, aesthetics, and environmental protection. I am certain that Council Member Butcher and Fire Chief Esbensen can attest to these facts.
To be perfectly clear, Council Member Aho had no role in the e-mail exchange between me and the MAC. He was not informed of it when it occurred, and neither were the rest of the council members. Also, Council Member Aho was not involved in the preparation of the 2007 airport position statement. His involvement with the position statement was limited to his vote to approve it at the February 6, 2007 council meeting where it was unanimously approved.
When objections were raised about the city's airport statement after we returned home from Washington, there was an active dialogue between city officials and residents concerned about the airport regarding what they believed was a material change in the city's position on the airport. Council Member Aho was one of the leading voices on the council to clarify the official statement in response to residents' concerns. The council approved a modified statement which was sent to our elected officials in Washington clarifying that the improvements the city council supported at the airport were improvements to its security, aesthetics, and environmental protection.
I thought this issue had been resolved over a year ago until last week when it was revived in the form of a personal attack on Council Member Aho's character: What was stated and implied about him in the ad last week is not true. Council Member Aho is an honest and honorable elected official. The allegation that he has been involved in changing the city's position on the Final Agreement is false. I hope that Eden Prairie residents will understand the ad for what it was and vote for the candidate of their choice based on facts, not unfair partisan smears.
Smith-Douglas-More House (Dunn Bros.) is currently being leased to a private, for-profit business which allows this beautiful and historic property, which is owned by the city, to stay open to the public. I will continue to be an advocate for the best possible use of this property, which keeps it open and available to the public for the same or similar use, while balancing the city's and residents' concerns. A previous Council renovated this property at a cost of over $700,000 with a plan to lease the property and recover this expenditure for the taxpayers in a 10-year period. Unfortunately, the lease-agreement was not followed and as a result, the City has only recovered approximately half of its investment. I and other council members have met with the current lessee, and we are working toward a resolution in the best interests of our residents. Please continue to contact me with your input regarding this issue.
