(The Short Version)

In 1950 the Shakopee City Council created a public utility commission with broad authority under Minnesota state law to run the local water and electric company in the public interest and outside the reach of politics and political interference.

Since 1950 that decision creating the public utilities commission has served us well. Over the years the commission has been made up of many respected community leaders in good standing serving in a united effort to provide non-partisan utility services for all the citizens of Shakopee.

But now certain political interests are trying to take over the utility to serve their own agendas and most likely at your expense. We can't let that happen.

Of course, this is a compicated issue and I've just presented the short version of the story. However, for those who want to know the whole story, I happily present...

(The Long Version)

What started out as a simple policy disagreement has now become a hostile takeover.

The policy of the water and power utility has always been, and still is, to provide expanded water and electrical service: water lines, water towers, pump stations, wells, electrical lines, power substation, transformers, and whatever else might be needed to provide quality water and electric services to new developments as they come long under the logical premise the new utility customers would be paying for all this additional utility infrastructure and not require YOU, the current rate payers to carry the burden for them.

The city council majority (as stated at the August 18 2020 meeting) wants these utility costs on these new developments to be lower, presumably subsidized by the existing water and electric users (that would be YOU) consistent with the city having existing property taxpayers paying for city services to TIF and abatement household projects (Old City Hall, Riverfront, Canterbury, and others). 

In December of 2019, certain interests in the city government tried to change state legislation to allow the city to take over the utility by a simple majority of the city council without a voter petition. This was evident from a public memo from Utilities Manager John Crooks, which you can read here.

Since that effort failed, those certain interests mentioned above have gone on the offensive making wild claims of unsafe water quality, lack of transparency, refusal to subsidize new development, violating state wage laws, not putting all documents in public packets, and false reporting. Let's address these 1 at a time.

Water quality: The utility water quality is NOT UNSAFE, the state requires 36 annual water tests. In fact our utility does 211 tests each year as you can see from this link. (august 17 2020 utility meeting documents)

As you could read the utility water quality passed all government mandated levels of health concern.   But as a backup safeguard the utility maintains a fund to be used should any additional treatments be required.

Brooklyn Center Minnesota went down this change-the-water-utility path and their water customers were not very happy at all with the results, as you can read in this article in the Sun Post online from 2016. If you read it carefully you might recognize the name of someone quoted in that article.

Lack of transparency/communications: Good catch phrase, you hear it all the time these days. All government entities strive for transparency, some more and some less. So I ask, where was that transparency when certain Shakopee interests sought to accomplish their goal through legislative changes. Why did they think they needed to change state law to do it?

Not subsidizing new development: The utility already gives the city almost 24% of water sales and almost 3% of electric sales adding up to $2-million per year, more or less (depending upon usage). Might I remind you this $2-million, more or less, is coming from YOU, the rate payers. What are they doing with this money they are already getting, you might ask. And while you're asking this, ask yourself where do you suppose any additional moneys will come from to lower the utility costs for new development. Hmmm?

Violating state wage laws: Clearly the interpretation of the wage law was viewed as exclusive of vacation and sick pay. Upon clarification of the law, a payroll restructuring, and payback schedule is forth coming. Many laws are misinterpreted or viewed differently by individuals. Here's a good example:

Back in June of 2019 our city council attorney told us the council could initiate the abolishment of the utility commission without a voter petition. He added the transfer of commission authority to the city could would require a voter petiton to the council.  On August 18, 2020 the council moved to abolish the utility commission via ballot question without a petition from the voters.. Here’s the law. Note “Subdivision 2.”  As I read the law a petiton from the people IS required before the council can put abolishment on the ballot. In my opinion abolishing the utility commission would result in a defacto transfer, and the city attorney has agreed in this memo that the state law does require a petition for transfer of authority. What’s your opinion?

Not putting all documents in the public packets: At the same August 18, 2020 City Council meeting, a document was missing from both the public packet and council members packets. The applicant had concerns with items listed on the missing document and stated those concerns at the meeting.  Now, in all fairness, staff did email the missing document to us and updated the public packet at 4:00pm the day of the meeting.

These things do happen without nefarious intent. Many times I see slideshows at council meetings for the very first time, I repeatedly ask these presentations be included in the packets so time can be spent studying and pondering what it being presented and asked of me. The public should also have enough time to study the information prior to it being presented at public meetings.,

False reporting: Wrong! That accusation was investigated and the charge was found to be bogus.

Our Minnesota Metropolitan Council is a perfect example of why basic services like sewer, water, electric, natural gas, etc. are best kept away from political bodies; these basic services should transcend political whims.