Budget Setting Time Again

I’m anxiously waiting for my preliminary budget package to take with me to the Reno National League of Cities Conference next week (Dec 4 through 10). I’m hoping that I’ll be so busy looking at all those numbers that I’ll be able to stay away from the casino (rather get a poke in the eye with a sharp stick than gamble).

We plan to do our final deliberations starting Tuesday afternoon, Dec 12, at 3:30 and will continue for the next three days if needed.. You are invited. I’d love to hear from any of you who have concerns about our taxes that I should know about – beforehand would be nice.

I haven’t heard or seen anything of concern to date. We’re expecting $600,000 less of a cut in LGA (Local Government Aid) so that will be of some help this year. The projects we’ve been discussing for the last year that will need funding for aren’t too dramatic so I think we’ll not have a big major tax hit this year.

Questions I always ask when making decisions is, “How does this benefit the citizens of Rochester? What does this do for the folks who have to pay the bill?” This not only includes each and every individual resident but all the businesses as well.

What I need from you is some kind of direction … some feeling … some help. Are you and I on the same track when it comes to our expectations as residents of this community? When we talk about “the greater good” do we both mean the same thing? When we look at requests for funding that includes quality of life issues versus the absolute necessities – where do you stand? Bike paths, library funds, art center, civic music, civic theater, diversity education, rebuilding and revitalization of neighborhoods, swimming pools … what do you want us to do?

Cut back? OK. Glad to. Tell me where and why. It’s easy to say “our taxes are too high – cut back!” -- as a retiree and taxpayer I’ll be glad to help here but tell me what you're willing to give up if I do this.

Anyway, as always, would love to hear from any of you who’d like to share input into the process.

Sewer Rates to Go Up Again?

At our COW (Committee of the Whole) meeting last Monday, Nov. 13, we listened to several reports on long-term planning needs and efforts to maintain effective sewer service for the next 20 years. Much of the discussion centered on finances and the effect on your sewer rates.

The Rochester Public Utility operation is financed by user charges (sewer rates) and not by tax dollars. Much effort has gone in to address growth (our current $74 million expansion) and maintenance of aging infrastructure by balancing new attachment fees with current user rates to hold our rates to a minimum increase year to year and yet fund these needs.

We recognized that we need to do a better job of planning for the future beyond the 5 years we had in plan earlier this year. We spent almost all the time talking about projections out 20 years – with allowances for adjustments on a timely basis. We would prefer to increase rates if necessary in smaller increments rather than hold fees static and then impose a larger rate increase to pay for the new project.

This effort to plan for the future and set ourselves up to meet our needs with a reserve so as to keep us from having big jumps in rates gets complicated and I was impressed by the level of detail and work that went into Monday’s presentation by our Public Works staff and their consultants.

The Post Bulletin had a good summary of the meeting in their November 14 article by Mike Dougherty. Check it out.

As always, if you have any further questions or whatever give me a call.

Thanks for Your Support

I'd like to thank you for your patience and support during this last election. I am very proud to have been elected to represent you once again on the city council.

Your support and confidence in me is important as I continue in this area of community service. I promise to continue to do my best for the Rochester community and to listen to all sides of an issue before taking any action. I will continue to poll my constituency on controversial issues and to the best of my ability represent the views of the 5th Ward.

Occasionally I will send notices to sections of the ward that may be affected by some action or occurrence in that area. I maintain an e-mail address list of ward contacts and if you received this then you are on it. If you have any friends or neighbors who don't get this please give them my e-mail address and ask them to send me a note to be included.

Remember to join me every Friday morning from 7 to 8:30 am at Grandma's Kitchen. You bring the problems and questions -- I buy the coffee.

For 5th Ward Information I maintain the blog site: http://fifthwardinfo.blogspot.com/

If at any time I can be of service to you please don’t hesitate to contact me by phone at home: (507) 285-0295 or cell: (507) 951-7677 or by email: bobnow@charter.net

New Traffic Calming Help

The most frequent concern I hear from you has to do with drivers speeding in your neighborhood. This is extremely important to you and me because it affects our personal safety and the safety of our loved ones. It's also one of the most frustrating problems I (and the rest of the council) face.

SOoooo what can we do? A couple of years ago I announced a program which would be a collaboration between you and the police -- Traffic Tamers. The idea is that you and a couple of friends get to use a police radar gun to measure speed, log the time, speed, location, and vehicle tag number and turn all this in to Crime Prevention. They would then send a nicely worded letter (depends on your point of view) to the offender "warning " them that they have been observed driving at such and such speed in your neighborhood etc.

We think this is especially helpful when caring parents get the letter as the registered owner about the driving habits of their beloved teen. I'd think twice or three times before speeding through a certain neighborhood if I got one of these letters -- but that's me (and too many of you know what I look like!).

Traffic tamers has always depended on resident volunteers (YOU) to do the work --- until now. Don't get me wrong. We'd still like you to put some skin into the game but the problems continue, interest in doing something is expressed , but there it stops! Those of you who've tried to get your neighbors to volunteer know what I mean.

The Police have two very fine volunteer groups who are willing to help you with the Traffic Tamer program. VIPS (Volunteers In Public Safety) http://www.ci.rochester.mn.us/departments/police/crimeprevention/vips.asp and TRIAD http://www.ci.rochester.mn.us/departments/police/crimeprevention/triad.asp

What you need to do is to contact Officer Ken Plummer 281-6045 Police Department Crime Prevention/Traffic Tamer coordinator or, better yet, let the PD know about your traffic concern via the form on the city's home page. Go to http://www.rochestermn.gov/departments/police/forms/trafficconcerns.asp .

For the last 2 years I'd had a standing offer to volunteer with you if and when you're willing to try this traffic calming idea. Ball's in your court.

Bob Nowicki
bobnow@charter.net