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The Victoria City Council approved a preliminary development agreement on March 14 calling for possible construction of a multi-level apartment complex in downtown Victoria.

“Victoria has been very fortunate to attract developers who see potential in locating business ventures here,” stated Mayor Deb McMillan, after the meeting. “Victoria has energy and a vibrancy that isn’t found everywhere. We have a responsibility to protect that as best we can and are always grateful to those who are interested and invested in our community.”

Marty Doll, Victoria Community and Economic Development director, emphasized that there are currently no construction plans, adding that those plans would be available within 90 days.

“The agreement (with Monarch Development Partners) memorializes that the city will work with the developer and have plans in 90 days,” Doll said, adding that the agreement precludes the city from selling the parking lot to some other entity.

Preliminary construction plans call for a mixed-use development project on property at 7928 Quamoclit (city parking lot) and 7492 Quamoclit (Gannon building).

If approved, the development is anticipated to include: 60-80 units of market-rate multi-family apartments (4-5 stories), amenities and private resident parking; commercial shell spaces totaling up to 6,000 square feet; and structured public parking of approximately 50-75 spaces.

Downtown parking needs has been a repeated topic of conversation as the city and its business district has grown.

“The developer wants to expand parking,” Doll said. “If it’s parking neutral or less, I’m not sure that the city council would be in favor of that. It will come down to what will they be able to build on the site?”

“I think their idea, if they can make it work, is to go underground; below grade one or two levels,” he added. “The developers will have to work with architect and engineer and see what fits and go to the city with their ideas.”

The agreement also indicates that the developer is seeking to negotiate financial assistance for the project, as well as proposing the city-owned property be sold to the developer at $1, with the intention that the public parking component would be turned back over to the city upon completion.

It also calls for the developer to pay up to $5,000 in city administrative/legal/engineering related to this feasibility/negotiation period; as well as cover the city’s costs for surveying and TIF analysis, according to city records.

FIRE STATION

In another matter at the March 14 meeting, the council approved solicitation of bids for the fire station mezzanine construction project, which calls for a build-out of the upper level of the fire station to include additional office space, collaboration areas, and improved storage.

The preliminary cost estimate in the 2022 budget was $370,000, but current construction estimates are $468,857, not including furnishings, fixtures, equipment, and architectural fees. The remodeled area would include 3,788 square feet.

Name/age: Greg Evansky, 56.

Address: 8048 Savanna Valley Way, Victoria.

Family: Carolann Senese, spouse.

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Employment: Senior Vice President-Residential Mortgage Trading, U.S. Bank, National Association.

Education: Master of Business Administration, Loyola University Chicago, 1993; Certificate in Executive Leadership, University of Washington, 2018.

Hobbies/interests: Woodworking.

Previous experience: 2021-current: Vice-Chair, City of Victoria Planning Commission, 2009-2019: Committee Member, City of Victoria Finance Committee.

Contact info: [email protected]

Why do you want to serve on the city council?

I’m seeking a role on Victoria’s City Council to expand my contribution to the community from experiences gained during my long-standing history of volunteering in our local government.

What are the top three items facing the city, in your view, and how would you address them?

1. To approach the issue of downtown development/parking, my suggestion will be to assemble council members, city staff and downtown business owners using a workshop to level-set the issues facing this very important part of the community.

2. The growth of Victoria has been substantial over the past several years and getting the right balance of public safety needs is crucial. Using the knowledge gained during my time on the city’s Finance Committee will help in guiding Victoria’s excellent staff to continue to protect our residents.

3. Maintaining the fiscal strength of the city will face challenges that have not been experienced in quite some time. My professional and educational background coupled with a long history on the city’s Finance Committee will allow me to guide council and staff in making important decisions of balancing the level of taxation with the need to deliver city services in a cost-effective manner while providing for future needs.

How do you propose the city balance new developments while preserving the original appeal of the community?

In order to balance the opportunities that new development brings with the existing charm of Victoria, my approach would be to leverage the time I’ve spent on the Planning Commission and suggest that council members conduct regular reviews of all active and proposed projects to ensure they are in alignment with the Comprehensive Plan; and invite local business leaders and residents to the discussions. This approach will help the community to prepare for the future by giving stakeholders visibility and transparency to minimize the possibility of working on projects that are not quite right for Victoria.

Describe your leadership style:

My leadership style centers primarily around leading by example. When others can see your dedication and commitment, it helps build an environment where people want to achieve excellence. Beyond this, I also seek to build effective teams by establishing trust, respecting viewpoints of others and striving for consensus.

Why should residents vote for you?

Residents will find in me a candidate whose qualifications can bring positive benefits to the City of Victoria through the ability to reason critically and lead effectively. As someone who has volunteered alongside two of the city’s current council members, I’ll be able to quickly acclimate in building a cohesive team that bridges Victoria’s rich past with its bright future.

In the past 10 years, have you been convicted of a gross misdemeanor or higher or been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy or foreclosure?

None of the above.

Ready for an astounding adventure? Try flying to Zimbabwe to see Victoria Falls.

Recently, the Post Bulletin published my article and my husband’s pictures about our safari to Kenya. After our safari, we flew from Nairobi to Victoria Falls. Our travel was arranged by Friendly Planet Travel, Inc.

Victoria Falls is spectacular. It is the largest waterfall in the world — one mile wide and twice as high as Niagara Falls. The mist and spray can be seen 30 miles away.

We saw the Falls in February, when there was heavy water flow. We could see the mist as we flew in. The roar can be heard about 24 miles away. Local tribes call it "The smoke that thunders." Victoria Falls Tourism says it is one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

The best way to get a sense of the power and size of the falls is to take a helicopter ride. (We considered it money well spent.) You see the Zambezi River as a broad, placid river until the huge curtain of water plunges into the gorge. You see the vast power.

But get up close, too. Take the walking tour. Hear the thunderous roar, get wet with the spray (they give you raincoats), feel its might. Walk the bridge between Zimbabwe and Zambia and get up close to one end of the Falls.

Take a leisurely sunset cruise on the wide, quiet Zambezi River. (It is the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.) See groups of hippos in the river, Nile crocodiles, egrets, vervet monkeys, bushbucks, and Egyptian geese. In the distance, see the spray and mist, marking the chasm.

While there, take a tour to Botswana to Chobe National Park. See lions, giraffes, elephants, kudus, impalas, Nile crocodiles and water monitors. Our rarest treat was seeing four endangered African painted dogs (also known as African wild dogs) on our way to Botswana. We saw four of only 7,000 left in all of Africa.

Our great "thrill" for the day was touring in an open-sided, no-windshield jeep. Close to the end of the tour, the rains started (the guide gave us ponchos). Needless to say, we arrived back at our hotel dripping. All part of the adventure!

Enjoy the culture in Zimbabwe. There were drummers, singers and dancers at the entrance to the walking tour of Victoria Falls, at our boat cruise, as we ate dinner in our lodge, and at the airport as we left.

Our best cultural experience was attending a "boma" — a traditional Zimbabwean song, dance and drumming performance — with exotic food. Warthog steak, ostrich, eland meatballs, crocodile. We tried them all.

If you are in Kenya or Tanzania or within reasonable range of Zimbabwe, extend your trip to Victoria Falls. The awesomeness and beauty will stay with you a lifetime.

• Protect your camera and phone from spray and mist.

• Choose the time to visit carefully. Victoria Falls Tourism says the peak flow is in April at the end of the rainy season. The lowest flow is in October and early November at the end of the dry season. Try not to have too much water or too little.

• Be alert to aggressive souvenir sellers. Be kind, but firm. They are just trying to earn a little money.

• Tip the performers. Zimbabwe is a poor country.

The Meyers say after they let their dogs outside on Wednesday, only one returned.

For a long time, it was Hugo and Hurley, the inseparable four-legged duo in the Meyer household.

"Hurley was a Golden Doodle and this is a Norwich Terrier," Doug Meyer said, petting Hugo who was snuggled up next to him.

However, since Hurley's disappearance on Wednesday, Doug and Stephanie said Hugo hasn't been himself.

Stephanie said she came home from work on Wednesday and let her dogs out as usual in their backyard. She explained the two dogs usually take a few seconds to do their business before they sit on the deck, waiting to be let inside.

"When I opened the door, only one dog was there," Stephanie said. "We called for him, we yelled for him. It was unlike for him to be missing."

She said she and her oldest son immediately went searching when they came across coyote tracks.

"Looking at the tracks, it seemed like a coyote or two had come five to seven feet of the deck," Stephanie explained.

As developments pop up in areas that were once rural, DNR spokesperson Harland Hiemstra said it's inevitable that once in a while, humans and wildlife may come head-to-head.

"We co-exist with wildlife and most of the times it works out well," Hiemstra said. "Sometimes it creates problems for us just as we create problems for wildlife."

While coyote attacks are uncommon, Hiemstra said they do happen, bringing heartache.

"We'll have to figure out what life looks like with just one," Stephanie said.

Both Doug and Stephanie added that they are still thankful for the 11 years they got to spend with their small Golden Doodle, Hurley. They said they hope others who have chosen to live close to nature will take extra caution.

"Simply want to put the warning out there, 'hey this happened to us, I don't want it to happen to anyone else,'" Doug said. "Please be cautious I don't want this to happen to other pets and kids."

The DNR says it's crucial not to leave any potential food sources out in the wild for coyotes to get to. If you do come face-to-face with a coyote, you can make loud noises or do other things to scare them from coming back.

You can find more coyote tips on their website.

A Victoria City Council dispute has reached the highest level of the state’s judicial branch, the Minnesota Supreme Court.

The court could decide if open meeting law violations are enough to legally force councilors Tom Strigel and James Crowley out of office for the remainder of their terms, which expire at the end of this year.

The six justices questioned attorneys on both sides about what constitutes an open meeting law violation; if councilors should have a chance to rectify the violations before they are removed from office; and if removal is an appropriate remedy.

A couple dozen people showed up to the Monday morning hearing as justices listened and questioned arguments for about an hour.

Those in the audience included current Mayor Tom Funk, one of the original plaintiffs, and Tom O’Connor, a former mayor and defendant in the case.

The litigation dates back to a 2016 Carver County District Court decision that found four members of the council, including current councilors Crowley and Strigel, violated the open meeting law.

Judge Janet Barke Cain found O’Connor and Crowley liable for 11 violations, each were fined $2,250; Strigel was fined $2,100 for 10 violations, and former councilor Lani Basa was fined $1,200 for six violations.

Appellants had argued in the Minnesota Court of Appeals that District Court erred in consolidating multiple violations into a single legal case. Therefore, the offending councilors couldn’t be removed from office — which takes three open meeting law violations under state law.

Last November, the Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court decision. This resulted in the continuing court battle now at the state Supreme Court.

EXTREME

Removal from public office is an extreme remedy, under the statue, argued attorney Janel Dressen, who represents the defendants. Those in Victoria acted in good faith, she said.

However, justices questioned why the situation should not be considered extreme.

“These decisions to have closed council meetings and unnoticed council meetings and unrecorded council meetings – I mean, I appreciate the legal points that you’re making, but from an equitable standpoint, this does look pretty extreme,” Justice David Lillehaug said.

Dressen said the councilors took steps to remedy the situation.

“The closed meetings were not tape recorded, but every single closed meeting had a stenographer in place that took down every word that was said. That was then made available,” Dressen responded. “There was a record of it, it was just not a tape recorder. As soon as that provision was brought to the city’s attention, they immediately went out and bought a tape recorder. And have been tape recording every meeting since.”

VIOLATIONS

The justices questioned attorneys representing both sides at length regarding if each open meeting law violation should be counted individually, or if violations should be lumped together, at a district court’s discretion.

Justices asked what should be tallied as a strike against a councilor, such as the number of lawsuits filed against that person; if each improperly noticed meeting should be counted as a strike; and if the number of topics covered at the meeting should be counted as individual strikes.

The justices also questioned at length if public officials should have the opportunity to correct their actions before they are given their third and final strike.

Attorney Alan Kildow, who represents the plaintiffs, argued that each violation should be counted on its own. In each meeting, councilors spoke of different projects and that could amass to more than one violation each time, Kildow said.

Justice Anne McKeig asked Kildow about the multiple lawsuits filed against the Victoria councilors. Each were nearly identical when they were filed, she noted. They were later amended to be different, but contained many of the same qualms.

McKeig questioned whether they would be “wading into some dangerous territory” if individual lawsuits were counted as strikes to remove someone from office.

“Wouldn’t that be a dangerous path to trek down,” she asked.

Regarding if each topic discussed at a meeting should be counted as individual strikes, Justice Lillehaug asked Kildow: “My question to you is if we treat this violation as a single violation. In other words, there were four things discussed, we treat that as one violation. Can you get to three separate violations using that formula for counting?”

“Absolutely for every one of the defendants,” Kildow said.

The justices did not specify when an opinion will be issued on the matter.

“We’ll issue an opinion in due course,” said Chief Justice Lorie Gildea at the end of the hearing.