August 24, 2026 Shorewood Council Meeting 5 Minute Recap

Edited Aug. 28, 2026

NOTE: Relevant links are at the end of this article

Worth knowing from Monday’s Shorewood City Council meeting:

Attending: Council–DiGruttolo, Gorham, Sanschagrin, Labadie, Maddy
Staff–Nevinski, Morreim, Schmuck, Thone; Staff not attending: Griffiths

Agenda item 2: Claims List

Expenditures of interest:

Payroll $163,722
Bolton & Menk $ 43,911
Magney Water Treatment $ 29,628
Campbell Knutson Attys $ 7,855
ISG-SCEC study (partial) $ 6,577

Total expenditures this period: $540,366

________________________________________________________________________

Matters from the Floor

David Cooley, Smithtown Road, spoke about a neighbor dispute involving a barking dog and comments a neighbor allegedly made that city employees had discussed with him/his wife, arguing that city staff were improperly discussing residents. He attempted to speak again later in the meeting about the SCEC (see below). The mayor told him the “rules” did not allow a second turn at the mic. He became extremely confrontational. The meeting was recessed for approximately five minutes. Later in the meeting, after reviewing the council’s rules for Matters from the Floor, DiGruttolo called out Labadie for misinforming. Cooley. She noted that nothing in the rules prohibits a resident from speaking more than once, contradicting how Cooley had been told (by Labadie) that he could not have the floor a second time. DiGruttolo suggested the council owed Cooley an apology for how he was treated as a result. Labadie flatly refused, saying “No, I will not do that.”

Shorewood Community & Event Center: A large number of residents spoke in support of preserving and investing in the community center:

• Broad community value: Speakers stressed the center isn’t just for seniors, hosting weddings, funerals, Scout troops, HOA meetings, tax help (AARP, 250+ residents), veterans’ lunches, elections, fitness classes, and more, and warned that once lost, “it’s gone forever.”
• Funding & marketing: Multiple speakers (including current volunteers, instructors, and board members) argued the building is an underused “diamond” that needs better marketing, kitchen upgrades, and adequate staffing, especially since South Shore Senior Partners dissolves at the end of 2026, creating a potential service gap starting January 1.
• Personal testimony: Several residents shared how the center supported them directly through a dementia support group, senior fitness/coffee groups, and multi-generational programming, and urged the council to protect “core” civic amenities in the 2027 budget. The Mayor noted a task force studying the center’s future will report at the September 14 council meeting. No formal council discussion or action was taken.

_______________________________________________________________________

SLMPD Coordinating Committee & the Greenwood Mayor’s Dual Role

The dispute between the SLMPD Coordinating Committee and Greenwood Mayor Tom Fletcher continues. DiGruttolo pressed hard for a concrete justification for the disagreement. Labadie said that having Greenwood’s mayor sit both on the police operating committee and the Coordinating Committee undermines transparency, good governance and accountability, particularly given his presumed influence over the police chief. She reminded the council that they like to “preach” transparency. Labadie undercut her own transparency argument later by acknowledging that even City Administrator Nevinski, who does attend the operating committee, could only tell DiGruttolo “as much as he’s allowed to tell you,” a limitation DiGruttolo immediately flagged as itself a transparency problem.

DiGruttolo repeated her request to name a specific incident, something “untoward, illegal, or unethical,” rather than relying on a vague sense that something “felt wrong,” arguing that if this has been a known issue for years, there should be a documented reason rather than just “impression.” She further asked:

• Whether other member cities’ full councils had actually voted approval on the matter;
• What the added cost to Shorewood would be if Greenwood withdrew;
• Why Shorewood’s own council had never taken a formal position.

Labadie said the administrators, the chief, and the mayors involved all take the issue seriously, then argued that having a mayor on two committees, one of which doesn’t report back to the councils [Operating Committee], is not transparent.

Labadie claimed the transparency concern had been “recognized and addressed” for “almost two years,” while also saying it was first raised by herself and the Mayor of Tonka Bay “four or five years ago,” presenting two different timelines. She also said the previous Greenwood mayor [Deb Kind] had a better sense of conflict of interest and removed herself from discussions when appropriate.

Further supporting the transparency argument, DiGruttollo said she was not getting information from Labadie on what happens at the meetings and did not know what other cities were saying or doing. Labadie again suggested DiGruttolo attend the meetings herself to get a feeling for the tension.

Labadie did not directly answer DiGruttolo’s question about whether a specific improper act had occurred. Instead, she again referred to “good governance” and general “tension in the room” at Coordinating Committee meetings. She repeated DiGruttolo should attend to feel the dynamic firsthand. She reminded DiGruttolo that as a non-member, she wouldn’t be allowed to speak. Labadie also acknowledged she didn’t actually know whether other cities’ full councils had formally voted on the issue, contradicting her earlier claim that “the other councils are unanimous.”

Labadie told DiGruttolo she could attend a meeting “instead of sitting there, rolling your eyes.”

Later, when DiGruttolo said directly that there had been “unprofessional behavior” by several council members, Labadie responded simply, “maybe look in the mirror yourself.”

• No formal council vote or action was taken. Nevinski noted the League of Minnesota Cities agreed to facilitate a resolution at no cost.
• As a result of the disagreement, on September 3 the Greenwood council will discuss leaving SLMPD and joining Deephaven’s police department.

View this discussion starting at min. 01:28:00

____________________________________________________________________________

Also from this meeting:

• Primary turnout was strong at 34% (2,093 voters). A recount has been officially requested in the Governor/Lieutenant Governor race. Early voting for the general begins October 16th.
• The city issued its second lower-potency hemp retail registration (Holiday on Highway 7). Separately, a cannabis dispensary received preliminary state approval at 19215 Highway 7. Staff noted this was the only parcel meeting zoning code for this use.
• The Lake Minnetonka Cable Commission (LMCC) budget was approved. It’s running ~$18,000 short with ~$710,000 in reserves. Council agreed a broader strategic conversation about its future is needed.
• Deephaven’s proposed Fire Department JPA amendments were reviewed, no action was taken. Council reserved the right to revisit later. Staff is also interviewing for an interim, part-time administrative consultant to help with HR and budget issues for the fire department.
• Ash tree removal is nearly complete, with another contract coming. Midco’s fiber deployment continues but likely won’t finish by year-end. Public Works Supervisor Chris Heitz is leaving September 4th for Mound fire department job.

Sources:
Meeting background packet
Watch @ LMCC-TV.org
Dispute: One Mayor Two Committees