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By Tracy Davis, on March 8, 2010, 8:38 am
 The “Friday Memo,” written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department heads and other City staff, summarizes the staff and department activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of the City Administrator’s web page.
This week’s memo contains the usual department reports, plus Joel’s thoughts on his long-range goals, and a link to the Minnesota State Auditor’s 2008 Analysis of Municipal Liquor Stores.
Since it’s the first week of the month, we also have the monthly Boards & Commissions report. I was amused to find that my contribution had been censored (or edited, depending upon your point of view). My original phrase describing the Planning Commission’s weekly meetings as “grueling” and “brain-sucking” was, um, amended to “arduous”.
You can find both documents here on the memo web page for the week.
There is a City Council work session this week. You can view all upcoming City meetings on the City calendar.
By Tracy Davis, on February 28, 2010, 11:49 am
The “Friday Memo,” written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department heads and other City staff, summarizes the staff and department activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of the City Administrator’s web page. This is the memo page for the week.
This week’s memo consisted mostly of business as usual (ongoing projects, etc.) Engineering gave a heads-up about construction at the intersection of 4th and Division which will take place this spring.
There is a special closed meeting for review of the City Administrator will start at 6:00p, with a regular City Council meeting to follow. You can view all upcoming City meetings on the City calendar.
By Tracy Davis, on February 21, 2010, 11:46 am
The “Friday Memo,” written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department heads and other City staff, summarizes the staff and department activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of the City Administrator’s web page.
Here’s an excerpt from this week’s memo:
Given what is anticipated for 2010 and 2011, the reductions in expenditures for 2010 and 2011 will need to be sustainable over time and will have implications on the service delivery to residents and businesses. The Finance Department has provided more information below on the levy limit requested by the Governor.
Continue reading City Administrator’s Friday Memo of Feb. 19, 2010
By Tracy Davis, on February 11, 2010, 2:45 pm
 I know that Griff usually has a corner on the fluff department, but I have two college-age daughters and occasionally I have to throw them a sop. They called my attention to the fact that local boy Justin Plank, bass player for Gospel Gossip, was named by VitaMN as “Male Hotness” winner. (If you haven’t heard Gospel Gossip, you may have seen Justin hanging out on on his motorcycle in front of Goodbye Blue Monday.)
This has been a public service announcement brought to you by the Committee for the Beautification of Northfield, a self-delegated, un-official subcommittee of the Streetscape Task Force.
By Tracy Davis, on February 8, 2010, 7:24 am
 The “Friday Memo,” written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department heads and other City staff, summarizes the staff and department activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of the City Administrator’s web page.
Since it’s the first week of the month, Friday’s memo also includes the monthly Boards & Commissions report. Additional items of note this week include:
You can find all the above on the memo page for the week.
There will be a City Council meeting and work session on Tuesday, Feb. 9. You can view all upcoming City meetings on the City calendar.
By Tracy Davis, on January 31, 2010, 12:30 pm
The “Friday Memo,” written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department heads and other City staff, summarizes the staff and department activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of the City Administrator’s web page. This week’s memo and attachments can be found on the memo page for the week.
NO CITY COUNCIL MEETING next Tuesday, Feb. 2: It’s caucus night! (You can find info about your precinct caucuses on the MN Secretary of State website.)
You can view all upcoming City meetings on the City calendar.
By Tracy Davis, on January 23, 2010, 7:43 am
The “Friday Memo,” written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department heads and other City staff, summarizes the staff and department activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of the City Administrator’s web page.
Friday’s memo can be found on the memo page for the week. There are some interesting tidbits this week, like the fact that the City needs to spend down the monies available for streetscape enhancements (we have some good people working on recommendations ), and information about the new Cooperative Facilities Bonding Bill being introduced at this year’s MN legislative session; if passed, the bill could provide a significant incentive for regional cooperation, and be a source of funding for facilities.
The City Council is having a “goals meeting” in the board room of the Northfield Hospital on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 5:00pm. At the time of this writing there is no further information available about the meeting.
You can view all upcoming City meetings on the City calendar.
By Tracy Davis, on January 18, 2010, 4:16 pm
 There’s been another local fracas recently referencing Minnesota’s Open Meeting Law. I thought I’d take a crack at offering some relevant links, all in one place, to help make sense of it all.
The text of the law itself is found in Minn. Stat. §13D.01. However, as often happens, what people think the law says may not be the way the OML has been interpreted by the Minnesota courts, and court interpretations form precedent that is used in applying the law to other cases. People should be cautioned against making declarative statements about whether the OML was violated in a particular situation based only on their own reading of the law.
Continue reading Open Meeting Law: What it means, what it doesn’t mean, what it might mean
By Tracy Davis, on January 17, 2010, 8:39 am
The “Friday Memo,” written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department heads and other City staff, summarizes the staff and department activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of the City Administrator’s web page.
Friday’s memo can be found on the memo page for the week. (This week’s memo has already been mentioned in the LoGro discussion, “The fight with Waterford township“) Items of note include:
- At Joel Walinkski’s request, City Attorney Chris Hood wrote this memo on Open Meeting Law and the allegations reported in the Northfield News, concluding that the conduct of the City Administrator and the City Councillors in this particular situation did not violate the Open Meeting law.
By Tracy Davis, on January 10, 2010, 10:42 am
The “Friday Memo,” written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department heads and other City staff, summarizes the staff activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of the City Administrator’s web page. The first memo of each month usually includes an update on the actions and activities of the City’s Boards and Commissions.
Friday’s memo can be found on the memo page for the week. Items of note include:
Continue reading City Administrator Joel Walinski’s first Friday Memo of 2010
By Tracy Davis, on January 10, 2010, 10:25 am
To avoid frequent government closures on Federal holidays, many of which fall on Mondays, the City Council has changed their regular meeting dates to the 1st and 3rd TUESDAY of each month.
In the interests of streamlining processes between the Planning Commission and the Council, PCZBA meetings will now be held on the 2nd and 4th 1st and 3rd THURSDAY of each month.
These changes had a domino effect on a couple of other meeting dates/times, so be sure to check the City calendar for a current, updated list of meetings. You can also subscribe to the City’s Meeting RSS feed.
By Tracy Davis, on December 19, 2009, 12:59 pm
The “Friday Memo,” written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department heads and other City staff, summarizes the staff activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of the City Administrator’s web page. The first memo of each month usually includes an update on the actions and activities of the City’s Boards and Commissions.
Friday’s memo can be found on the memo page for the week. Items of note include:
Continue reading City Administrator’s Friday Memo of Dec. 18
By Tracy Davis, on December 14, 2009, 8:45 am
 The New York Times Magazine posted their ninth annual “Year of Ideas” issue. The above two items caught my eye; ideas like this are gaining traction. Read more here.
By Tracy Davis, on December 12, 2009, 12:35 pm
The “Friday Memo,” written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department heads and other City staff, summarizes the staff activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of the City Administrator’s web page. The first memo of each month usually includes an update on the actions and activities of the City’s Boards and Commissions.
Friday’s memo, as well as the Boards & Commissions report for November, can be found on the memo page for the week. Items of note include:
Continue reading City Administrator’s Friday Memo of Dec. 11
By Tracy Davis, on December 7, 2009, 6:07 pm
The “Friday Memo,” written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department heads and other City staff, summarizes the staff activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of the City Administrator’s web page. The first memo of each month also includes an update on the actions and activities of the City’s Boards and Commissions.
Friday’s memo can be found on the memo page for the week. Items of note include:
Continue reading City Administrator’s Friday Memo of Dec. 4
By Tracy Davis, on December 1, 2009, 12:23 pm
Somehow, word of this got missed, so I’ll start at the end and work back to the beginning: There is an open house today (Tuesday) and tomorrow (Wednesday) from 4:00-6:00pm at Community Resource Bank, 1605 Heritage Drive. The purpose of the open house is to get reaction to each day’s work on design/concept charrettes drafted by HKG with input from the steering committee. The charrettes are very much works in process. I’ll add details to this post as I can over the next couple of hours (I’m between meetings). But for now – please plan to attend the open house and give feedback on the concepts being considered.
Continue reading Public Input Wanted on Concepts for Potential Business Campus
By Tracy Davis, on November 24, 2009, 1:00 pm
 Application to serve on one of the city’s Boards and Commissions. Take your pick, there’s something for everybody, and we need fresh meat.
Continue reading Come one, come all, step right up and get yer….
By Tracy Davis, on November 16, 2009, 9:04 am
The Friday Memo, written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department directors, managers, and supervisors, summarizes many of the staff activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of Joel Walinski’s web page. Friday’s memo can be found on the memo page for the week. The first memo of each month also includes the Boards & Commissions update on the actions and activities of the preceding month.
Items of note include:
- Last stage of organizing the grant application for Mill Towns Trail (many shows of suport, including the City of Dundas, which passed a resolution of support including a commitment of up to $10,000.)
- A Heritage Preservation Commission meeting to be held on Thursday to discuss demolition of the Community resource bank building on Bridge Square.
There is a City Council meeting and work session Monday at 7:00p. You can view all City meetings on the City calendar.
By Tracy Davis, on November 9, 2009, 8:47 am
The Friday Memo, written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department directors, managers, and supervisors, summarizes many of the staff activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of Joel Walinski’s web page. Friday’s memo can be found on the memo page for the week. The first memo of each month also includes the Boards & Commissions update on the actions and activities of the preceding month.
There is a City Council work session tonight at 7:00p. You can view all City meetings on the City calendar.
By Tracy Davis, on October 5, 2009, 12:09 pm
The Friday Memo, written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department directors, managers, and supervisors, summarizes many of the staff activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of Joel Walinski’s web page. Friday’s memo can be found on the memo page for the week. The first memo of each month also includes the Boards & Commissions update on the actions and activities of the preceding month. (The Planning Commission has been too busy reviewing details in the proposed Land Development Code to have any time to write up a summary for the monthly report.  )
Some items of interest in this week’s memo include information on a Rental Board of Appeals hearing, and details on the grant the Library’s Teen Advisory Board received from the Healthy Community Initiative.
There is a closed City Council meeting tonight at 6:30, and a regular meeting and work session afterwards at 7:00p. You can view all City meetings on the City calendar.
By Tracy Davis, on September 27, 2009, 2:28 pm
The Friday Memo, written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department directors, managers, and supervisors, summarizes many of the staff activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of Joel Walinski’s web page. Friday’s memo can be found on the memo page for the week.
Some items of interest in this week’s memo include:
- Information on a quote for an electronic document management system for the City. According to the City Clerk, “Professionals spend 5-15 % of their time reading information but up to 50% looking for it.” I’m assuming the professionals referred to are public employees, because in the private sector if it took 50% of people’s time finding already existing information, they’d be fired.
- Another item perhaps of interest: There are rumblings that another restaurant will be locating in the space held by Sweet Lou’s Waffle Bar.
- The memo also contains various street and budget updates which didn’t catch my interest when I read the memo, but are probably more important than the above.
No City Council meeting this Monday. You can view all City meetings on the City calendar.
By Tracy Davis, on September 21, 2009, 9:20 am
The Friday Memo, written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department directors, managers, and supervisors, summarizes many of the staff activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of Joel Walinski’s web page. Friday’s memo can be found on the memo page for the week.
Some items of interest in this week’s memo include information from the police department about a new drop box for unwanted prescriptions, a mobile camera system for monitoring areas with possible suspicious activity such as property damage or graffiti tagging, and various construction updates including the First Street and Riverside Trail projects.
NOTE: There will be a City Council meeting and work session on Monday, beginning with a closed session at 6:30 to discuss a performance evaluation of the city administrator, and a regular meeting at 7:15p.
You can view all City meetings on the City calendar.
By Tracy Davis, on September 14, 2009, 2:29 am
The Friday Memo, written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department directors, managers, and supervisors, summarizes many of the staff activities for the week. The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of Joel Walinski’s web page. Friday’s memo can be found on the memo page for the week. This week’s memo also includes the monthly Board & Commission update.
Some items of interest in this week’s memo include various engineering/infrastructure updates, timeline for the business park(s) master plan, work with the MPCA on remediation of the underground storage tank at the Safety Center, and lighting options for the Riverside Trail.
NOTE: There will be a City Council meeting tonight, beginning with a closed session at 6:30 to discuss litigation against the City, and a regular meeting at 7:15p.
You can view all City meetings on the City calendar.
By Tracy Davis, on August 16, 2009, 8:18 pm
The Friday Memo, written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department directors, managers, and supervisors, summarizes many of the staff activities for the week.
The BIG NEWS in this week’s memo is something Griff and I have been bitching about for years… City Hall now has wireless internet! (Thanks to Melissa Reeder and others at City Hall who made this happen.)
The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of Joel Walinski’s web page. Friday’s memo can be found on the memo page for the week.
NOTE: There will be a City Council meeting on Monday and a community meeting about the new zoning ordinance draft on Tuesday. You can view all City meetings here on the City calendar.
By Tracy Davis, on August 8, 2009, 3:41 pm
The Friday Memo, written by Northfield City Administrator Joel Walinski and various department directors, managers, and supervisors, summarizes many of the staff activities for the week.
This week’s memo includes an update on the foreclosure and status of The Crossings project as well as the monthly Boards & Commissions report.
The Friday memos are published and archived in PDF form at the bottom of Joel Walinski’s web page. Friday’s memo can be found on the memo page for the week.
NOTE: There will be a City Council work session on Monday. You can view all City meetings here on the City calendar.
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