City News, Reports and Projects
2010 Budget with 0% Tax Levy Increase
On December 7, the Shorewood City Council approved the 2010 budget funded with a zero percent (0%) tax levy increase. The council and staff worked hard to hold the line on property taxes, while providing the same level of services. The preliminary budget approved in September was $100,000 higher than the final adopted budget. To achieve the reduction in the final adopted budget, city employees will forego wage increases in 2010; some capital transfers were reduced or removed; and most every department found savings in the operating budgets.
The City of Shorewood retains approximately $ .23 of each property tax dollar. The remaining 77% goes to Hennepin County, school districts, and other taxing districts such as the watershed district. The municipal portion of your tax dollar is used by the City to provide police and fire service, parks and recreation, road maintenance, election administration, snow plowing, newsletters, city web site, ball field maintenance, ice rinks, and a host of other services.
Although homeowners should see no increase in their property taxes due to city budgets, individual home taxes may increase slightly due to changes in home valuation. Residents should know that home values are based on the 2009 assessment, as determined by the Hennepin County Assessor. Any questions about your valuation should be directed to the Assessor's Office, 612.348.3046.
View the 2010 budget presentation. Questions regarding the city budget may be directed to the Finance Department, 952.960.7903.
GIDEON GLEN UPDATE – What’s Growing On?
In the year 2000, the City of Shorewood and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) joined forces to purchase approximately six acres of land located on the west side of County Road 19, between Smithtown Road and Glen Road, to be set aside as conservation open space. At that time the land was vacant. The front third of the site was previously occupied by an old homestead that was long ago demolished. A degraded wetland basin was situated in the middle third of the property, and the westerly third of the site consisted of old-growth maple/basswood forest, a remnant of Minnesota’s “Big Woods”. The site drained approximately 88 acres of surrounding land, which then drained directly to Lake Minnetonka, 1300 feet away. Prior to its purchase, the land had the potential to be developed for as many as 36 residential units or some mixture of commercial and residential use.
The City and MCWD developed an ambitious plan to restore and improve the site, addressing four basic elements: 1) water quality; 2) wetland restoration and preservation; 3) tree preservation; and 4) public education. With respect to water quality, a drainage structure was placed on the east end of the site to intercept storm water runoff from County Road 19 and the commercial area to the east. From there, storm water is conducted to a treatment pond, then into the wetland area in the middle of the property. Having been badly degraded over many years, this wetland was restored to a more natural condition. Areas adjacent to the pond and wetland area were replanted with a variety of native plant species. Where reed canary grass had come to dominate the basin, a diversity of native plants is now taking hold.
While a number of trees were removed in the process of building the pond and restoring the wetland, the westerly third or so of the site remained untouched, preserving the large maples and basswoods. MCWD commissioned a landscape design firm to prepare a plan for restoring the areas adjacent to the pond and wetland. They have expanded on their initial landscaping obligation and are now working on the upland areas of the site, including the removal of buckthorn and other upland invasive plants. That is why much of the site currently appears dead. It has been treated to kill off undesirable plants in favor of a variety of prairie grasses. People need to know that some of the restoration efforts, including some burning, have to extend over more than one growing season, until the native plants can overcome the invasives. Once a variety of vegetation has established itself, maintenance of the site will be minimal. And how about those pesky blue tubes? No, they are not some kind of naturalist’s art project gone awry – they serve an important function in keeping critters away from the new trees planted on the site. We are told that most of the tubes will be removed by next spring.
We encourage people to visit the site and take a closer look at how the drainage system works, and see the variety of plants that have been reintroduced to the property. A short interpretive trail has been constructed as part of the educational component of the project. A series of three kiosks explains how Gideon Glen functions. At the end of the trail, sit for a while on the new memorial bench that was recently installed by Miles DelBusso and fellow Boy Scouts as part of Miles’ Eagle Scout project. The bench will be dedicated later this month in a brief ceremony to the Thomas Simms family, who sold the property to the City back in 2000. As you sit, overlooking the restored wetland area at the “Big Woods”, notice the small landscape plot planted by the Scouts. Many of the plants used here were donated by the Brandhorsts at Twin Orchards, a Shorewood nursery. For this, and for all the folks who have contributed to the project, the City is grateful.
As conservation open space projects go, Gideon Glen is relatively small. Yet, much is being done there that exemplifies Shorewood’s commitment to the natural environment. Take a little time to visit the site – bring your kids!