CC Minutes 11-14-05
City Council Meeting – November 14, 2005
h. Environmental Excellence Awards: Approval of Recommendations.
i. Environmental Commission: Appointment to Fill Vacancy.
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j. Troy & Virginia Kakacek: Request for Hard Surface Cover Variance, 380 West 86
Street, Planning Case 05-18.
l. City’s Health Insurance Provider: Approval of Joint Powers Agreement with the
Appletree Institute.
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 5 to 0.
VISITOR PRESENTATIONS:
Mayor Furlong: We do have tonight Senator Julianne Ortman is here. Good evening Senator.
Julianne Ortman: Hello Mr. Mayor, members of the council. Always a pleasure to be back in
the City Council. I’m really here as a citizen. I’m happy to be here. I’m excited about what’s
going to be happening at the State Capitol over the next year. I’m probably the first one to say
that to you, but one of the issues that we are talking about at the State Capitol are issues that
you’re talking about here in the city and I wanted to begin the dialogue tonight which would
involve…Kelo case. Kelo versus New London…and it talks about eminent domain and under
what circumstances the city may condemn property for uses within the city, and these are very
controversial issues to be sure. The City of Watertown actually has already adopted a resolution
heading off circumstances under which they would take property from residents. Things they
would not do so despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, unless there were a public purpose
that were clearly enunciated. At the State Capitol there surely are many discussions going on
about where we go as a State with this. I think there were a lot of people in Minnesota that were
very surprised by that decision and I think you’ll see quite a bit of, a number of proposals,
including one that I’m looking at myself working on. And so I wanted to come to the council
and ask you for your help. We shouldn’t be passing legislation or the possibility of a
Constitutional amendment without discussing these issues with our cities and so I ask you to
please keep me in mind when you have discussions about these things and if we couldn’t perhaps
put together a work session or something so that we can talk about it on a bigger level than I
normally get to talk about these issues. We talk about them at the State Capitol but I’d surely
like to have some bigger discussions with members of the community, with members of the
council. Perhaps some kind of task force is in order that would help advise me about how best to
serve the city and my district when I go back to the Capitol and work on this very important
issue. It will come up on the next legislative session so we’ve got about 3 months to get better
informed and plan our strategy for what’s coming up. And I think that there is no more
fundamental issue when it comes to government than talking about the rights of private property
owners and here in Chanhassen I know that’s a critical issue. People buy property here so that
they can enjoy and use that property and government shouldn’t interfere with that unless they are
very clearly articulated reasons, in my opinion. I think most Minnesotans, most residents in
Chanhassen would agree with that premise. Secondly, I want to announce that on Thursday at
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