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Get Smarter: “Off the Table for this year” Minnesota’s Missing Middle Housing Bill
UPDATE: MinnPost, has done an in-depth series of how this proposed legislation came to be, and why it never came to a vote. Pushback from citizens and local government was too much for the bills to survive the session. There were a series of bills with strong bipartisan support that would have drastically changed the way local government regulates multi-family housing. On March 25 the bill
Take the Poll: The Effective City Council Member
Candidate filing for office in Shorewood is July 30, 2024 until August 13, 2024 at 5 pm. You will vote for three expiring terms: Labadie, Callies and Zerby. City council members represent their constituents. A council member must be honest, transparent and accountable to the public when making responsible decisions that are in alignment with codes, statutes and best practices. Know who you are voting
Is The “Tree City” Managing its Urban Forest?
This article will explain the history of a taxpayer-funded Urban Forest Management Plan process for Shorewood, and how it has evolved to current day. In 2024, the City seems to be facing the “perfect storm” for tree management on its properties: Emerald Ash Borer, oak wilt, lingering Dutch elm, buckthorn and other woody invasives, several years of drought and a winter without enough snow to blanket
The Fire Lane Discussion Fizzles Out
Update: As of March 31st, 2024, there has been no public discussion for implementing the commissions’ recommendations. Shorewood’s fire lanes are public-owned property currently intended to provide an opportunity for residents to access Lake Minnetonka for passive use. Fire lanes are an amenity for residents who do not have the privilege of owning lakeshore property. In a city with extremely limited access to Lake Minnetonka
Get Smarter: Watch Your Council Members in Action
One of the best ways to see if a council member earned your vote is to watch them in action. Zoom has added another level of “observation.” History shows this method was endangered in 2022. All Shorewood Council meetings and work sessions are recorded by the Lake Minnetonka Cable Commission and posted to their website by approximately noon the next day. Watch recorded meetings here.
Where Is Shorewood’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Plan?
The backstory: The City adopted Bee Safe Resolution #14-066 in 2014. The resolution supported “bee safe” policies and procedures when using chemicals on public park land. In 2021, the City Council learned, from a resident (starting at p. 3), that then Public Works Director, Larry Brown, was not following the parameters set out by the Resolution. In short, he was using dangerous herbicides in the
Is Your Well Water Safe for Drinking?
The Minnesota Department of Health is offering funding to address private well water quality issues in Shorewood and other municipalities in the state. Arsenic and other contaminants in well water can pose health risks. Levels have been on the rise in drinking water throughout the state. This opportunity to educate private well owners and provide financial assistance for remediation is crucial. Encouraging the City Council
Deer Management: How it Works in Shorewood
Do you know how Shorewood’s deer management plan works? The ongoing plan was discussed at the May 22, 2023 Council meeting (start at min. 46:50) See the report from the planning director, and hear the representative from Minnesota Bow Hunters (MBI). MBI manages and conducts the hunt. In 2011 the Planning Commission studied the feasibility of a professional hunt. The Council passed an ordinance prohibiting
Something to Talk About: 12 Random Rules to Know in Shorewood NEW: Barking Dogs
Barking Dogs and Nuisance: (Shorewood Ordinance 701.02 & 701.11). This ordinance includes, but is not limited to, “barking, whining, howling, baying, crying, or making other noise excessively, such that the creation of the noise by any single or combination of dogs can be heard by any person, including a law enforcement officer or animal control officer, from a location outside of the building or premises
