Some items of interest from the Shorewood council meeting:
– Flock ALPR camera audit discussion
– Mill Street water main issues
– Excelsior Fire District report
Some items of interest from the Shorewood council meeting:
– Deer Management Program approval
– Police Joint Powers Conflict
– Fire Chief Hiring Timeline
Some items of interest from the Shorewood council meeting:
– Concern raised over utility bill increases
– Water Connection Program launch
– New hire process discussion
Some items from the Shorewood council meeting:
– 4th of July fireworks
– Annual deer harvest discussion
– Comprehensive Plan survey
The Shorewood council had some tough decisions to make at the Apr. 13 council meeting:
– Whether to build an $813k Mill Street water main serving only 25 homes.
-Whether to revoke an operating license for a massage business.
We watch so you don’t have to. Fresh eyes on every meeting, sharper reporting, and fast analysis—plus the links you actually need when you want to dig deeper.
Here are the simplified highlights of the council actions.
March 9, 2026 Shorewood council meeting.
We watch so you don’t have to. Fresh eyes on every meeting, sharper reporting, and fast analysis—plus the links you actually need when you want to dig deeper.
The bulk of the discussion at this meeting was to determine whether to approve an Environmental Assessment Worksheet for the proposed Watten Ponds 2nd Addition subdivision.
An EAW is designed to evaluate potential environmental impacts and identify corrective measures before any final approvals.
SCA attends every City Council meeting so you don’t have to. Don’t be fooled by the appearance of a “routine” agenda. There are always surprises…
Here are the simplified highlights of the council actions.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is in Shorewood.
At a recent city council meeting, a resident described in breathtaking detail, their harrowing experience as ICE surrounded a neighboring house: knocking, peering into windows and photographing license plates.
SCA attends every City Council meeting so you don’t have to.
The agenda this week seemed routine. As it turns out, matters from the floor was “zoom bombed” by three different men not shy about sharing racial epithets and other vitriol that shocked everyone present.
Jan 12, 2026 Shorewood council meeting.
We watch so you don’t have to. Fresh eyes on every meeting, sharper reporting, and fast analysis—plus the links you actually need when you want to dig deeper.
Some items of interest from the Shorewood council meeting:
– Flock ALPR camera audit discussion
– Mill Street water main issues
– Excelsior Fire District report
Some items of interest from the Shorewood council meeting:
– Deer Management Program approval
– Police Joint Powers Conflict
– Fire Chief Hiring Timeline
Some items of interest from the Shorewood council meeting:
– Concern raised over utility bill increases
– Water Connection Program launch
– New hire process discussion
Some items from the Shorewood council meeting:
– 4th of July fireworks
– Annual deer harvest discussion
– Comprehensive Plan survey
The Shorewood council had some tough decisions to make at the Apr. 13 council meeting:
– Whether to build an $813k Mill Street water main serving only 25 homes.
-Whether to revoke an operating license for a massage business.
We watch so you don’t have to. Fresh eyes on every meeting, sharper reporting, and fast analysis—plus the links you actually need when you want to dig deeper.
Here are the simplified highlights of the council actions.
March 9, 2026 Shorewood council meeting.
We watch so you don’t have to. Fresh eyes on every meeting, sharper reporting, and fast analysis—plus the links you actually need when you want to dig deeper.
The bulk of the discussion at this meeting was to determine whether to approve an Environmental Assessment Worksheet for the proposed Watten Ponds 2nd Addition subdivision.
An EAW is designed to evaluate potential environmental impacts and identify corrective measures before any final approvals.
SCA attends every City Council meeting so you don’t have to. Don’t be fooled by the appearance of a “routine” agenda. There are always surprises…
Here are the simplified highlights of the council actions.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is in Shorewood.
At a recent city council meeting, a resident described in breathtaking detail, their harrowing experience as ICE surrounded a neighboring house: knocking, peering into windows and photographing license plates.
‘Tis the season. Here are some conversational topics to keep things light, to learn and to share some humor.
– Winter Solstice
– Marcescent Trees
– A Little Humor
Dec. 8, 2025 Shorewood council meeting.
We watch so you don’t have to. Fresh eyes on every meeting, sharper reporting, and fast analysis—plus the links you actually need when you want to dig deeper.
To increase transparency and resident education, below is a quick summary of the Shorewood City Council meeting of November 24, 2025
Here are 3 new articles for Thanksgiving week.
• Xcel Energy Leaves Shorewood with Redevelopment Options
• E-bike shopping? Buyer Beware
• Shoreline Fire District: Firestorm Resolved
To increase transparency and resident education, below is a quick summary of the Shorewood City Council meeting of November 10, 2025
Here are three new, quick and informative articles for readers this week.
• Are Woolly Bears Winter Predictors?
• Hennepin County Plans North Arm Access Improvements
• A Facelift for the Lake Minnetonka Regional Trail
• A Full Moon
• $450,000 park proposal
• The LRT in winter
To increase transparency and resident education, below is a quick summary of the Shorewood City Council meeting of October 27, 2025
To increase transparency and resident education, below is a quick summary of the Shorewood City Council meeting of October 14, 2025
Dale and Karan Newberg attended the September 22, 2025 Shorewood City Council meeting.
Here are the observations and comments of that meeting they shared in an email with the City Council.
MnDOT has developed a comprehensive website to keep the public informed and engaged as it progresses with the Hwy 7 Corridor Study.
It includes public feedback gathered via an online study of design alternatives, pop-up events, an online public meeting and online survey.
To increase transparency and resident education, below is a quick summary of the Shorewood City Council meeting of September 22, 2025.
‘Tis the season. Here are some conversational topics to keep things light, to learn and to share some humor.
– Winter Solstice
– Marcescent Trees
– A Little Humor
Dec. 8, 2025 Shorewood council meeting.
We watch so you don’t have to. Fresh eyes on every meeting, sharper reporting, and fast analysis—plus the links you actually need when you want to dig deeper.
To increase transparency and resident education, below is a quick summary of the Shorewood City Council meeting of November 24, 2025
Here are 3 new articles for Thanksgiving week.
• Xcel Energy Leaves Shorewood with Redevelopment Options
• E-bike shopping? Buyer Beware
• Shoreline Fire District: Firestorm Resolved
To increase transparency and resident education, below is a quick summary of the Shorewood City Council meeting of November 10, 2025
Here are three new, quick and informative articles for readers this week.
• Are Woolly Bears Winter Predictors?
• Hennepin County Plans North Arm Access Improvements
• A Facelift for the Lake Minnetonka Regional Trail
• A Full Moon
• $450,000 park proposal
• The LRT in winter
To increase transparency and resident education, below is a quick summary of the Shorewood City Council meeting of October 27, 2025
To increase transparency and resident education, below is a quick summary of the Shorewood City Council meeting of October 14, 2025
Dale and Karan Newberg attended the September 22, 2025 Shorewood City Council meeting.
Here are the observations and comments of that meeting they shared in an email with the City Council.
It’s Time to Focus on Our Natural Areas!
A walk through Freeman Park’s woodland is heartbreaking. Decades of buckthorn have ravaged the hardwoods and other native plants. Massive stands of ash and elm trees are in rapid decline.
Shorewood is experiencing a 2+ decades decline in its natural spaces, trails and woodlands. Invasive species litter our parks. Trails need critical repairs and the growing number of dead or diseased trees desperately need removal.
The blame falls on city leaders, from the top down.
Here is a summary of the May 28th Shorewood City Council Meeting. This included a presentation regarding Freeman Park and consideration of several controversial proposals.
By Barry Brown, Freeman Park Advocate —
Freeman Park has 30 acres of ball fields for baseball, soccer and a variety of events, but there’s also 30 wooded acres that until now, has been neglected for decades. Now that 20+ acres of buckthorn has been removed, what do we do with the wooded areas and walking trails? Many people have contributed to a vision for the wooded areas, but City officials would not allow me to share this vision with City Council. So, I am sharing it broadly with the SCA readers. Our modest vision for 2024 improvements is affordable and realistic.
A Citizen’s Guide to Becoming a Candidate
Running for local office requires dedication, effective communication, and a genuine commitment to serving the community. Running for local office involves a series of steps and considerations. Here’s a general overview of what is typically involved:
On May 13th Council approved the sign ordinance on a 4-1 vote.
This includes clear rules for placing campaign signs during the election season.
Some turf experts are warning about the downside of taking a crucial month off from lawn care for “No-Mow May.” The concept of No-Mow May spread widely in recent years. The idea was to encourage people to stop cutting their grass for the month, to help the environment and boost pollinator habitat. An academic study supporting the theory that a month off from mowing helps bees was retracted in 2022. Some experts say the one-month mowing hiatus doesn’t help bees all that much. The Star Tribune recently reported that Rosemount, Roseville, New Brighton, and Columbia Heights now officially advocate for “Mow Less May.” Letting your lawn go for a month at a time of year
State Rep. Heather Edelson (Edina) defeated Marisa Simonetti in the special election held May 14th to decide who finishes the term in a now-vacant District 6 seat on the Hennepin County Board. Read more here .
It’s the Shorewood/Excelsior Lift Station L20 Project The narrow lanes on Hwy 19 entering Excelsior from the west, are the result of Metro Council constructing a new regional gravity sewer pipe between sewer lift stations (pumping stations) L19 and L20. Work will also include decommissioning the old lift station. Meanwhile, drive skillfully, or try to avoid the area completely. The final phase, now in progress, is along Oak Street going west to Beehrle Avenue and L19. Expectations are that the project will wrap up this spring. Landscape restorations will be completed in fall, 2024. For more information: info@excelsiorL20project.org or call 952.737.4681. For a deeper dive go to Excelsior Shorewood Lift Station project.
View the full meeting here. (Links to video of each discussion for a deeper dive.) There were 11 items on the Consent agenda-9 passed without verbal identification by the mayor, or discussion by the Council. Matters from the Floor included presentations on Requesting support for SoHi Community Park, Buckthorn project at Freeman Park, and Failure by the city to provide statutory notice for discussion of an ordinance revision and two-vote Council approval of “blanket” herbicide spraying on soccer fields. Presentation and approval of the Park Commission’s 2024 work plan. A variance was approved for new home construction at 25955 Wild Rose Lane. Northwest Asphalt was awarded the bid for mill and overlay and drainage improvement
Two massive volunteer clean-up efforts took place in April and May, making significant headway in the removal of the buckthorn debris. 60+ residents volunteered to remove buckthorn fragments left behind by the deforestation equipment. Volunteers worked primarily in Area 1 (see map) and completed approximately 90% debris cleanup. Members of Scout troops 409 and 424 were part of the team. City workers have been chipping the piles as the next phase of the project. Volunteer feedback will be shared with the Parks Commission. Overall, feedback for the events was positive, but suggested there should be more focus on organization, instruction and community outreach for future projects. “…it was good, well organized, etc. Maybe widen the
The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) oversees the “control” of the nuisances in the metro area. MMCD is funded through a line item on our property tax bills. We all pay for it.
The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) has been conducting surveillance and treatment activities in your community to reduce the risk of disease and annoyance in an environmentally-sensitive manner.
Read the full article, including MMCD contact information for comments.
Once again, what should have been a routine, informative email from the City of Shorewood, was delivered to residents under the heading “Message from the Mayor – July 2024”. This included a banner that had all the appearance of an election campaign sign, replete with Jennifer Labadie’s smiling headshot.
The Shorewood City Council will begin working on the 2025 budget in late August. The department heads are now putting together numbers for their next year’s activities.
Residents can have an influence.
Hoping to feel some relief from the high speed bicycles on trails, sidewalks and streets?
Read this update and draw your own conclusion.
Shorewood Citizen Advocates (SCA) started as a concept four years ago. After three years of incubation, SCA went live in summer 2023. The goals were to provide service to residents focusing on accountability, transparency, environmental stewardship, and education. Flash forward to the SCA one-year anniversary.
How have things gone?
It’s Time to Focus on Our Natural Areas!
A walk through Freeman Park’s woodland is heartbreaking. Decades of buckthorn have ravaged the hardwoods and other native plants. Massive stands of ash and elm trees are in rapid decline.
Shorewood is experiencing a 2+ decades decline in its natural spaces, trails and woodlands. Invasive species litter our parks. Trails need critical repairs and the growing number of dead or diseased trees desperately need removal.
The blame falls on city leaders, from the top down.
Here is a summary of the May 28th Shorewood City Council Meeting. This included a presentation regarding Freeman Park and consideration of several controversial proposals.
By Barry Brown, Freeman Park Advocate —
Freeman Park has 30 acres of ball fields for baseball, soccer and a variety of events, but there’s also 30 wooded acres that until now, has been neglected for decades. Now that 20+ acres of buckthorn has been removed, what do we do with the wooded areas and walking trails? Many people have contributed to a vision for the wooded areas, but City officials would not allow me to share this vision with City Council. So, I am sharing it broadly with the SCA readers. Our modest vision for 2024 improvements is affordable and realistic.
A Citizen’s Guide to Becoming a Candidate
Running for local office requires dedication, effective communication, and a genuine commitment to serving the community. Running for local office involves a series of steps and considerations. Here’s a general overview of what is typically involved:
On May 13th Council approved the sign ordinance on a 4-1 vote.
This includes clear rules for placing campaign signs during the election season.
Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority and Three Rivers Park District have proposed a change to the trail crossing at as part of the Strawberry Lane road project in Shorewood. A bike “radius” has been designed on each side of the crossing to slow bicycle traffic to 15 mph. Once through the radius, riders will cross the road at a 90 degree angle.The proposal suggests “yield” signs at the crossing, rather than “stop,” as most riders do not stop. However, in the short term, a “stop” sign will remain in place. Minnesota’s new “Idaho Stop” law could make management of any type of rider etiquette at street crossings more difficult. See the map below and read
UPDATE as of 11.17.23. Final grading along new trails is nearly complete. See photos in comments below. The paved trails are being reconstructed in tandem with the creation of a trailhead by Three Rivers Park District. A proposal was first introduced to the Council in August, 2022 and approved on 5.09.23. The estimated cost of the project as of May 9 date was $743,000. The City’s share is approximately $478,000. The balance is being funded by Three Rivers. View the Council meeting wherein the project was approved for bids on 5.9.23. Read the Engineer’s memo here, starting at Page 44. All asphalt segments will be replaced except for Segment “B”. Currently, this segment goes through the
“Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future.” – Buddha UPDATE 11.15.23: The next neighborhood meeting is scheduled for 11.30.23 at 5:30. City Hall 10.11.23: The Council discussed the 9.21 meeting, the feedback received from the Eureka Road website, and a more format for the next community meeting with the residents. See the full discussion here. The words chosen in the cloud above are not random. They were voiced, often repeated, by frustrated neighbors, wanting to be heard at the City Hall open house on September 21. The subject discussed was the planned 2025 revision of Eureka Road North. Emotions ran high. The format of the meeting took a quick turn from
Cathcart Park Playground Cathcart post-weeding Freeman Park Volleyball Court South Rim of the New Pond in Freeman Park Update 9.19.23: Progress has been made on the Cathcart Playground Freeman Park volleyball court. See photos above. 9.1.23: Invasive plant species and EAB (Emerald Ash Borer) are flourishing on City property. In December 2021 a resident alerted the Council that it had approved payments for harmful chemicals to control invasive plants in the Parks. This contradicted the Bee Safe Resolution* of 2014. Since learning that the policy was not being followed, the Council has had vigorous debates about IPM (Integrated Pest Management) and the wording of the Resolution. The result has been $6,000 in consultant expenditures to analyze
Update 9.19.23: Mowing has occurred along the edge of Grant Street Pond. See photos below 9.1.23: Two city projects: Smithtown Ponds and Grant Street Pond are complete. See the photos of Grant Street Pond, one year after completion. A ClickFix ticket was recently submitted for the weeds. Canada thistle and invasive burdock have gone to seed, two ash trees have fallen into the pond, and three of the replacement trees are severely stressed. Smithtown Ponds, completed in June 2023, does not have any identifiable plan for ongoing maintenance. It appears to be a haven for wildlife. After a few months, the south rim of the pond, within Freeman Park, has a healthy crop of thistles and other undesirable
Read full story. Special Election: Tuesday, May 14, 2024 Primary for Special Election (assuming more than two candidate:Tuesday, April 30. Filing dates: Jan 30-Feb 13 (Feb 15 deadline for candidate to withdraw) This vacancy is the result of the resignation of Commissioner Chris LaTondresse who announced his intention to depart the County Board effective September 21, 2023.
Strawberry Lane construction is complete and speed concerns have been reported. Below is an excerpt from SeeClickFix.com regarding the results of a speed study done by the City.
Scott Zerby was sworn in on July 10 to fill a vacancy on the City Council. He previously served as mayor for eight years. Research indicates he ran unopposed for those terms. Read more in the July 13 SunSailor article covering his background, reason for applying and the interesting Council discussion in support or opposition to his appointment. Read about the process to select Zerby here: Candidate interviews, Appointment of ex-mayor to the City Council A review of the July Shorewood Planning Commission minutes showed that not everyone was impressed with the selection process. Commissioner Eggenberger had something to say.
Sec. 32-2. – Driving on sidewalks. (a) No person shall ride or operate any bicycle, motor scooter, skateboard, or in-line skates upon any sidewalk carelessly or heedlessly in disregard of the rights of others or in any manner that endangers or is likely to endanger any person. (b) No person shall ride or operate a bicycle, skateboard, or in-line skates, roller skates, motor scooter, or motorized bicycle on the sidewalks of Water Street from George Street to Lake Street. (c) No person shall ride or operate a bicycle, skateboard, or in-line skates, roller skates, motor scooter, or motorized bicycle on the sidewalks of Lake Street from Water Street on the northerly sidewalk to 603 Lake
Resident Nancy Westman spoke to the Council on 9.25.23. Watch it here starting at minute 9.11 Read below a SeeClickFix* submitted by resident Barry Brown: Quick summary: A resident submitted a SeeClickFix regarding needed trail maintenance at Freeman Park. A second resident posted the city code regarding trail “standards.” The original submitter was able to follow up when the job was not done correctly by asking for accountability in meeting community expectations. *Sign up for SeeClickFix and stay in touch with resident “tickets” and how the City responds. See the thread:
Roads, intersections, sidewalks and trails are slowly disappearing due to creeping vegetation and low hanging tree limbs. Some trimming was done in Fall and early winter 2023-24.
So why has it taken so long? It can’t be staffing.
Watch the council meeting video of the appointment discussion. Shorewood council member Patrick Johnson resigned in May. Because the remaining term was less than two years, the city council chose to appoint to fill the seat leading to an application and interview process completed on 6.26.23. Seven residents were interviewed for the opening. Former Mayor Scott Zerby was appointed to the open seat. Background on Zerby: He served as Mayor from 2012-2020. Two 2-year terms and one 4-year term, all unopposed. Source: MN Secretary of State. In 2014 he led the Council to change the Mayor’s term from two to four years, making his final term four years. City staff determined that some online applications were lost
The City has a responsibility to manage snow and ice
First: The Lake Minnetonka Regional Trail Crossing at Strawberry Lane
At the Dec. 11, 2023 City Council meeting a number
AGENDA and packet for Jan. 26, 2024 Retreat At the
Takeaways from the meeting: About 50 residents attended to hear
In June, 2022, a Shorewood-led report was released on Safe
During the City Council meeting of 11.27.2003, one of the
The Lake Park Villas development project, (former Truffle Hill property)
In 2016, Alex and Elena Ugorets requested a permit to
The Shorewood Council discussed a contract for removal at Freeman
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