All Articles
A Few ‘Loud’ Voices
Concerns about Flock license plate reading cameras’ targeting capabilities and data use are mounting.
Flock uses license-plate–reading cameras and AI at intersections in Excelsior, Greenwood and Shorewood to collect data on every passing vehicle. This includes your vehicle, or your teen’s vehicle.
Shorewood’s “Planning Dept.” Aberration!
Why is Shorewood’s Planning Department similar in size to Victoria’s?
Victoria does approximately 15x the volume of zoning permits and 10x the volume of new build applications as Shorewood.
Surprisingly, Victoria’s budget is even less than Shorewood’s!
City Council Fails To Act on State Law
Minnesota’s Paid Family and Medical Leave law provides paid leave for medical needs or family care funded by an employee/employer payroll tax.
On December 8, Council members learned that a staff-run benefits committee voted not to tax themselves, so the .88% PFML tax will be paid 100% by taxpayers.
Three Things to Start 2026
– Ride in a Snow Plow!
– January is Planting Time
– Superior, Our Inland Sea
Toxins in Drinking Water: Not a Dry Subject
Is your drinking water actually safe—or just marketed that way?
PFAS chemicals are infiltrating municipal systems at unsettling rates, while cities offer reassurance that doesn’t always match reality.
The truth is blunt: even the smallest amount of PFAS is too much.
Three Things
Here are three new, quick and informative articles for readers this week.
• Keeping Flock on the Radar
• 14 Lake Area Mayors Consider a Lobbyist
• Talking Turkey
Broadband Service: A Tangle of Options
The long-awaited broadband has come to town.
In its wake is a tangle of questions, confusing options and contracts, who has what service, at what cost, when and for how long.
Flock Surveillance Cameras: What You Should Know
Most South Lake residents don’t know that the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department uses automated license-plate-reader across all four Joint Powers Agreement cities: Shorewood, Excelsior, Greenwood, and Tonka Bay.
Learn more about the uses, questions and concerns surrounding this technology.
A Call for Clear Communication in Shorewood
Editor’s Note: On November 3, 2025, the City of Shorewood sent an email to subscribers regarding Hwy 7 improvements.
In response, Shorewood resident Alan Yelsey sent the following email to all city council members, City Administrator Marc Nevinski and City Planner Jake Griffiths.
