Chanhassen Villager - City Politics - Comments

Mayor Tom Furlong and City

FAdams — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:23:37 -0500

Mayor Tom Furlong and City Manager Todd Gerhardt, along with Jean Mancini

Lee Scholder and Shirley

FAdams — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:39:13 -0500

Lee Scholder and Shirley McGee

Monica Paul

FAdams — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:08:22 -0500

Monica Paul

Janes said he is leaving the

FAdams — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:30:18 -0500

Janes said he is leaving the City after almost 11 years on May 9 and going into the private sector. He plans to remain in the water and wastewater industry.

"I have been working for Cities both in Minnesota and Illinois for 25 years and I am ready for a change and different challenges," he noted in e-mail correspondence.

"It will surely be strange to not be in "emergency mode" or "tactical mode" after so many years, but the thought of sleeping through a nighttime storm really sounds pretty good," he continued.

"I don't think I'll miss all-night water main breaks or repairs on Christmas, Thanksgiving or the Kids' birthdays. I leave behind a talented staff with a solid plan for the future, and I am proud of what we accomplished in the "whirlwind" 11 years that I was part of that."

Ater some vacation time, he's off to the next chapter in his journey.

More well news City

FAdams — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:06:12 -0500

More well news

City councilors Monday night approved the redevelopment of one well and the rehabilitation of another.

Well 3 had problems last summer because of the high demand. The well pump yield had to be decreased about 250 gallons per minute, due to sand from the aquifer getting sucked into the well pump. The sand was displaced because of the high water demand and heavy draw-down of the aquifer.

The project that councilors approved will cost the city about $34,175. It will result in redevelopment of the well open hole and removal of approximately 50 cubic yards of sand. The pump is also proposed to be lowered 40 feet deeper into the aquifer to potentially gain more yield from the well.

Well 7 is on the rotation to be serviced. There is no empirical evidence that would lead city staff to believe there's anything wrong with it, but well pumps are recommended to be serviced approximately every 8 years to extend the life of the pumps and motors. This well has not had major service completed on it for more than 8 years. This work will cost the city about $24,335.

Read about the current

FAdams — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:59:49 -0500

Read about the current status of this and two new wells in this week's print edition of the Chanhassen Villager.

Should the government be

olddog1800 — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:06:19 -0500

Should the government be involved regulating the private sector providing these services?
Here is a quote from FAdams Blog last week.
“Ronald Reagan had something to say about this.
"We who live in free market societies believe that growth, prosperity and ultimately human fulfillment, are created from the bottom up, not the government down. Only when the human spirit is allowed to invent and create, only when individuals are given a personal stake in deciding economic policies and benefiting from their success -- only then can societies remain economically alive, dynamic, progressive, and free. Trust the people. This is the one irrefutable lesson of the entire postwar period contradicting the notion that rigid government controls are essential to economic development.”
Many would say the government should not be involved with so many ventures. Many people think it should be the private sector providing these services. This, they say, is for the simple reason that the private sector is accountable to the market and shareholders.
Government has responsibilities, but the question of what they are, or should be, is debatable. All the while, the government just keeps growing.”
We need to remember that Ronald Reagan, and his party received a lot of money in campaign contributions from the private sector that was providing services like these. These parties wanted less regulation on their industries by government. That is what they paid for, that is what we have.

See some photos and hear a

FAdams — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:37:50 -0500

See some photos and hear a portion of my interview with Mrs. Voehl in the 'other news' category.

It's titled "cellular tower angst."

What a shame! I feel for the

Lisa — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 07:30:58 -0500

What a shame!

I feel for the Voehls...

The sad truth is that this is happening to our citizens all over the country. This has nothing to do with a "public service"...this is all about the "money" for these wireless providers. If it were for emergency services, it could be accomplished without the destruction of our neighborhoods and landscapes.

Balance MUST be demanded...these should not be allowed to destroy the beauty of our rural, pastoral, and historic landscapes... Alternatives must be used and/or developed but, no one is making the providers...no one.

And, with the high-dollar lobbyists working for these companies? We don't stand a chance! Our Congress, unfortunately, has very few who are willing to stand up for our rights on this issue...and they usually stand alone.

Sad...

The city council approved a

FAdams — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:11:21 -0600

The city council approved a bid and a construction contract on Jan. 14 in the amount of $1,261,950 for work to be performed on the construction of wells 12 and 13.

Wells 12 and 13 are intended to replace the production capacity that was lost last summer when wells 5 and 6 failed. The city wants to have wells 12 and 13 on line before this summer.

Well 12 is located near existing Lift Station No. 12 in South Lotus Lake Park. Well 13 is getting installed now in Chanhassen Estates Park.

The purchase price for the

FAdams — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:04:55 -0600

The purchase price for the strip of land is $29,019. Funding for the project is from both the Parks Department (Park Dedication Fund) and the project budget for Well No. 13 improvements (Water Utility Fund).

Funding is proposed as $7,500 from the Parks Dedication Fund and $21,519 from the Water Utility Fund. The Parks Department is planning to construct a small parking lot in the future with access to Lake Drive East from the property.

City Manager Todd Gerhardt

FAdams — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:14:08 -0600

City Manager Todd Gerhardt said test wells are used to search for the aquifer.

McDonald is a private,

FAdams — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:51:05 -0600

McDonald is a private, general practice attorney practicing in the areas of business, contracts, criminal, estate planning, family and real estate. He has done this since November 2002.

He has lived in Chanhassen for 23 years. He is on the Chanhassen Rotary club, the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, the Minnesota Bar Association and the First District Bar Association. He has been chairman of the planning commission since 2006.

State Representative Paul

FAdams — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:45:40 -0600

State Representative Paul Kohls said it would be an uphill battle for a Republican presidential candidate to win Minnesota's electoral votes, but he thinks the state is still in play. What do you think?

Obama vs. McCain or Clinton vs. McCain.
Obama vs. Huckabee or Clinton vs. Huckabee.

Look for a follow-up story

FAdams — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:56:49 -0600

Look for a follow-up story in next week's newspaper with reactions from local Republican leaders to Gov. Romney suspending his presidential campaign.