Updated – Misuse of City Resources by Shorewood Mayor – Again!
Update April 25, 2024 On April 8, 2024, the City of Shorewood sent an email with the title “Message from the Mayor-April 2024”. The mundane content of this email was more appropriate for the monthly ShoreReport newsletter. This once again appears to be a blatant misuse of city resources for shameless self-promotion by Jennifer Labadie. Also included in this ‘message” was a link to “State of the City” video by Labadie. This grandiose video is not required by statute, unnecessary and to our knowledge, never approved by the City Council. No other elected council member has been allowed to use city resources to publish thinly veiled promotional materials. Neither should the Mayor. Recently, some residents received an email from the City of Shorewood with a holiday message from Mayor Jennifer Labadie (see here). Although sent out from an official City of Shorewood email account, the content seem to be a
Hummingbirds, Cicadas & Cicada Killer Wasps
Update: Reader RA, of Chaska, reported seeing a hummingbird looking for a feeder, in his yard, on April 14. Spring is here and so is news on some of our favorite–and possibly less favorite–natural neighbors. According to UpNorthNews, hummingbirds are on their way north, expected to reach Minnesota and Wisconsin in another week (approx. April 20), depending on warm southerly winds. As of April 12, they were seen as far north as Des Moines and Chicago. Hummingbird and nectar feeders should be put out by May 1st because they may be visited by warblers as well as early-returning hummingbirds and Baltimore orioles. Learn more about safely attracting hummingbirds. By now, you have heard about “Cicada-geddon,” so called because the natural happening this summer will be the convergence of several cyclical hatchings of the hissing insect. The 13-year cicadas, called Brood XIX, will emerge in Georgia and the Southeast. The 17-year
Shorewood City Water Report: “Forever Chemicals”
Note: Water quality, testing and standards are complicated. SCA recommends you contact any of the sources in this article for more clarity. Private wells are not tested by the City. Learn more about how to test your private well. The EPA just announced a first-ever National Drinking Water Standard to protect 100M people from PFAS pollution. This comes with $1B in funding for mitigation. Overview: Shorewood was notified by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) in Oct. 2022 that the Amesbury well (eastern Shorewood) was tested for PFAS as part of the Statewide Monitoring Project. The results were not posted to the city website until Dec. 2023, fourteen months after the testing. Shorewood received notice of two nationwide, class action settlements of various claims against DuPont and 3M for the proliferation of PFAS in public water systems. Shorewood is an eligible claimant to join those suits, based on sampling results by
STAND-OFF: Government v. Process
At the Monday, April 8th Shorewood Council meeting, the 3 attending members, (Labadie, Zerby and Callies*), without discussion, voted to approve the blanket spraying of Freeman and Manor Park soccer fields with an unspecified weedkiller. The recommendation by the contractor was for 6 applications per year, for up to 2 years. *All three are up for re-election this Fall. See it all here in the meeting video. Resident Greg Larson came to Matters from the Floor (MFTF) and asked the Council to name the herbicide. They could not. Labadie reminded him that questions are not answered at MFTF. Mr. Larson persisted. The Council refused to answer any questions or “debate” the matter. After some cringe-worthy moments, Labadie directed Larson’s question to Matt Morreim, who would not answer the question: what chemicals are being used. He asked Mr. Larson to contact him the next day for the information. Larson was dismissed
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 for! Watch council meetings on Zoom. See them in action. Budgeting: Understand and actively participate in the budgeting process, including allocating funds to various departments and projects, regular clear reporting to the public; Provide ongoing monitoring and study of the city’s financial health and expenditures. Oversight: Effective council representatives Provide transparent oversight of city departments and contractual obligations to ensure that the public is being effectively served; Diligently require city staff to provide detailed, understandable information for public understanding; Expect equitable enforcement of applicable laws and governing
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 to apply for this funding could significantly benefit the community by making resources available for testing and remediation. Having financial assistance available for eligible households could make a big difference in addressing high levels of contaminants. This grant requires no matching funds from the city. The safety of private well water is a priority, and taking advantage of opportunities to improve its quality and safeguard your health is essential. Don’t miss out on this chance to voice your support to the City Council and potentially
Policy Changes Without Process
When Policy Changes Without Process Someone, at City Hall, may have made a few changes in right-of-way enforcement policy without a public process. Read the SeeClickFix thread below. Warning: It’s long as it covers two years from the initial submission. City website states these exact situations should be reported to SeeClickFix. The final response is from Shorewood Citizen Advocates, asking for an explanation. Share your examples in the comments below. Watch for updates!
