<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102992405290977075</id><updated>2009-07-16T14:21:45.999-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Byron MN Blog</title><subtitle type='html'></subtitle><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/'/><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/atom.xml'/><author><name>Alan De Keyrel</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17708837698187860489</uri><email>alan@dekeyrel.com</email></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>13</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102992405290977075.post-4334482920850468151</id><published>2009-07-16T14:17:00.005-05:00</published><updated>2009-07-16T14:21:46.009-05:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='fireworks'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='volunteers'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='good neighbor days'/><title type='text'>Volunteers Needed on Friday</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/uploaded_images/fireworks-710513.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="http://www.byronmnblog.com/uploaded_images/fireworks-710507.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Have you ever thought it would be cool to be near the launchpad for a fireworks show?  The Byron Good Neighbor Days committee is looking for a couple volunteers to help "secure" the shooting area on Friday, July 17th.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Your volunteer shift would start just before the fireworks (9:30pm) and end shortly after the show concludes (10:30pm).  If you're 18 years of age or older and want to experience something exciting this weekend, please contact Greg Rud at &lt;a href="GRud@ci.byron.mn.us"&gt;GRud@ci.byron.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.  Please forward this to your friends so that we can get the needed volunteers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disclaimer: Articles posted on &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/"&gt;ByronMNBlog.com&lt;/a&gt; are the opinions of Councilman Alan De Keyrel only and do not reflect the opinion of the Byron City Council or the City of Byron. The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be deemed accurate until verified.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Was this information forwarded to you by a friend?  &lt;a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub&amp;amp;publisher=348017"&gt;Subscribe Here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6102992405290977075-4334482920850468151?l=www.byronmnblog.com'/&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/4334482920850468151/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/07/volunteers-needed-on-friday.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/4334482920850468151'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/4334482920850468151'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/07/volunteers-needed-on-friday.html' title='Volunteers Needed on Friday'/><author><name>Alan De Keyrel</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17708837698187860489</uri><email>alan@dekeyrel.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='12163610633773726833'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102992405290977075.post-2988008880558083794</id><published>2009-07-14T08:44:00.004-05:00</published><updated>2009-07-14T08:56:49.918-05:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='sewer usage'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='water rates'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='billing'/><title type='text'>Sewer Rates Cause Confusion</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/uploaded_images/lawn-sprinklers-4241.0174410-709254.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://www.byronmnblog.com/uploaded_images/lawn-sprinklers-4241.0174410-709252.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Sewer rates were discussed at the last Council Meeting as some residents were concerned over the new averaging process.  As you may know, an average of the winter months (Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, April, May) sewer usage is being used this summer in order to reduce sewer charges for those resident who sprinkler their lawn. This change was implemented in July of 2008 when &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/resolution2008-15.pdf"&gt;Resolution 2008-15&lt;/a&gt; was approved by Council as a solution to our &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/Water_Sewer%20rates.xls"&gt;high water rates&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As we now see, it has caused an issue with some residents when their winter usage is higher than their summer usage.  For example, Satin and Silks is only open four months out of the year and is being billed an average for sewer when no actual water is being used.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We’re looking into some possible solutions at this time, such as only applying the average if it is less than the actual usage in the summer.  However, government moves slow and it will probably be next summer before another change can be implemented.  This topic will need to be debated by council and then after a decision is made we must give 30 days notice to the public.  Finally, we’ll need to implement new programming calculations into our billing software.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This topic will be addressed in the near future at council.  I encourage you to watch the agenda for this topic and attend the meeting to offer your input as to a possible solution.  On the flip side, we're also interested in hearing your thoughts on water conservation policies in order to keep usage low.  High usage and a growing city can lead to the need for additional infrastructure (water towers, pumps, etc)... and that could lead to higher rates again.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6102992405290977075-2988008880558083794?l=www.byronmnblog.com'/&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/2988008880558083794/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/07/sewer-rates-cause-confusion.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/2988008880558083794'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/2988008880558083794'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/07/sewer-rates-cause-confusion.html' title='Sewer Rates Cause Confusion'/><author><name>Alan De Keyrel</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17708837698187860489</uri><email>alan@dekeyrel.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='12163610633773726833'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102992405290977075.post-6434732687491299958</id><published>2009-06-23T13:58:00.006-05:00</published><updated>2009-06-23T14:37:11.280-05:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='personnel committee'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='liquor'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='acoustical panels'/><title type='text'>Council Agenda for 6/24/09</title><content type='html'>A reminder that Byron City council will be meeting tomorrow night at 6pm.  This week, several items of interest are up for discussion:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1.  Liquor Ordinance-  Council is discussing revisions to this ordinance so that additional licenses could be issued.  Mexican Tacos has been interested in the ability to serve margaritas, but there are currently no intoxicating liquor licenses available for issue. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;2.  Acoustical panels-  Council will discuss the installation of acoustical panels in the Council Chambers to help solve the sound problem.  Cost would vary from $3,362 to $8,089 depending on the number of tiles and the method of installation.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;3.  Personnel Committee-  Mayor Diercks is requesting removal from the Personnel Committee and appointment of myself, Alan De Keyrel, for the remainder of 2009.  Due to her increasing obligations and my Human Resource experience in owning a business, she felt this may be appropriate.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Full details of these items (and all of the items to be discussed) are available for download in the &lt;a href="http://byronmn.com/vertical/Sites/%7BAB4DA627-110F-4DDB-A83D-A27638C29D9A%7D/uploads/%7BDDD163D9-7162-44EB-BA03-2E0896BBB9B4%7D.PDF"&gt;council packet&lt;/a&gt;.  I encourage you to attend your local council meetings and offer your input.  If you are unable to attend personally, you can &lt;a href="http://www.ustream.tv/channel/Byron-MN-Live"&gt;listen/watch the meetings&lt;/a&gt; online.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disclaimer: Articles posted on &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/"&gt;ByronMNBlog.com&lt;/a&gt; are the opinions of Councilman Alan De Keyrel only and do not reflect the opinion of the Byron City Council or the City of Byron. The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be deemed accurate until verified.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Was this information forwarded to you by a friend?  &lt;a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub&amp;amp;publisher=348017"&gt;Subscribe Here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6102992405290977075-6434732687491299958?l=www.byronmnblog.com'/&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/6434732687491299958/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/06/council-agenda-for-62409.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/6434732687491299958'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/6434732687491299958'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/06/council-agenda-for-62409.html' title='Council Agenda for 6/24/09'/><author><name>Alan De Keyrel</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17708837698187860489</uri><email>alan@dekeyrel.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='12163610633773726833'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102992405290977075.post-7378270002428760557</id><published>2009-06-02T08:47:00.004-05:00</published><updated>2009-06-02T08:47:00.912-05:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='2009'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='street project'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='video streaming'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='transparency'/><title type='text'>Watch Council Meetings Live!</title><content type='html'>Last week, I completed a test of streaming the council meeting live via the Internet.  I did this using my laptop, which I use during meetings to review information in the &lt;a href="http://byronmn.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&amp;SEC={38A26785-6725-4820-8DBC-64ED98C50452}"&gt;council packets&lt;/a&gt;.  In the future, you'll be able to listen and watch the the council meetings live at my website, &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com"&gt;http://www.ByronMNBlog.com&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To watch, simply click on the "&lt;a href="http://www.ustream.tv/channel/Byron-MN-Live"&gt;Live! Council Meetings&lt;/a&gt;" link on the right column starting at 6pm.  My hope is that you'll find this method convenient and tune in as time allows on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month.  Please note this is NOT an official stream by the City of Byron, and is only a reflection of my own quest for &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/03/government-transparency-in-byron-mn.html"&gt;government transparency&lt;/a&gt; in Byron.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight:bold;"&gt;Street Project Bids Awarded&lt;span style="font-style:italic;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As the last meeting, Council members approved the winning bids for the &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/05/council-approves-2009-street-project.html"&gt;2009 street project&lt;/a&gt;. They were as follows:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;• $7,511 to Rochester Service Company for crack sealing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;• $17,392 to Bob Braaten Construction for catch basin replacement.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;• $600,916 to Rochester Sand and Gravel for overlay and seal coat. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As you may recall from my &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/05/council-approves-2009-street-project.html"&gt;previous post&lt;/a&gt;, we had estimated these repairs to cost $755,000.  Due to a drop in asphalt prices, the bids came in about $130,000 less than expected.  Bill Angerman (engineer from WHKS Co.) and Greg Rud (Public Works Superintendent) have been challenged to see if we should take advantage of the low bids to repair additional roads (such as doing some repair work to the frontage road) or if we reduce the overall project cost.  My feeling is that we'll ultimately see a combination of both.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Road construction in Byron will begin later this month.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disclaimer: Articles posted on &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/"&gt;ByronMNBlog.com&lt;/a&gt; are the opinions of Councilman Alan De Keyrel only and do not reflect the opinion of the Byron City Council or the City of Byron. The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be deemed accurate until verified.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Was this information forwarded to you by a friend?  &lt;a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub&amp;amp;publisher=348017"&gt;Subscribe Here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6102992405290977075-7378270002428760557?l=www.byronmnblog.com'/&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/7378270002428760557/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/06/watch-council-meetings-live.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/7378270002428760557'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/7378270002428760557'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/06/watch-council-meetings-live.html' title='Watch Council Meetings Live!'/><author><name>Alan De Keyrel</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17708837698187860489</uri><email>alan@dekeyrel.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='12163610633773726833'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102992405290977075.post-7450475136731381159</id><published>2009-05-09T16:09:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2009-05-09T16:10:30.299-05:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='street improvements'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='bonds'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='street project'/><title type='text'>Council Approves 2009 Street Project</title><content type='html'>At the previous meeting, Council Members unanimously approved a motion to proceed with the 2009 Street Maintenance Project.  This vote occurred after we received feedback from residents at two separate Public Hearings on 4/20/09 and 4/21/09.  At these Public Hearings, a &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/PowerPoint-Council_042209.rev.pdf"&gt;detailed presentation&lt;/a&gt; was made by William Angerman from &lt;a href="http://www.whks.com"&gt;WHKS &amp; Co&lt;/a&gt; and questions from those in attendance were answered.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Based on the Public Hearings, some confusion surrounded which roads will be improved this summer and why 20% of the cost is being assessed to affected homeowners.  This post will aim to answer those questions.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight:bold;"&gt;Which roads will be improved?&lt;span style="font-style:italic;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After several months of detailed analysis of our infrastructure, a list was compiled of which roads should be repaired this summer.  I'm not an expert on road longevity, so I believe the experts and their opinions as to what will give us the most "bang for our buck" in the long run.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;First, they removed any roads that needed to be fully RECONSTRUCTED, because we do not have the money to fix those roads this year.  Unfortunately, the frontage road is included on the list of roads which we can't afford to reconstruct in 2009.  To my surprise, we also received opposition from businesses along the frontage road that this year, due to the bad economy, would not be a good time to tackle this project.  We hope to do minor repairs on the frontage road in 2009 and complete the reconstruct with the next major road project.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Next, we turned to those roads which need an overlay to ensure that they do not further degrade into roads which would need to be fully reconstructed (which costs the taxpayers 5 times more).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The graphic below details which roads will receive a new overlay as part of this project:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/uploaded_images/overlay-737832.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="http://www.byronmnblog.com/uploaded_images/overlay-737653.jpg" border="0" alt="" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As you can see, the list of roads (shown in red) encompasses a large part of the city.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight:bold;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Why am I paying for 20% of the project?&lt;span style="font-style:italic;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The most common question at the Public Hearings was why homeowners adjacent to roads which will be overlaid are paying an assessment.  After all, we all use the roads, right?  Each homeowner with an overlay will be assessed $262 for a typical lot.  A corner lot would be assessed $443 if both sides were improved.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The short answer is that 80% of total project cost &lt;span style="font-weight:bold;"&gt;is&lt;span style="font-style:italic;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; being paid by all residents of the city.  Only 20% of the cost is being assessed to homeowners.  Furthermore, we are required by MN Statue 429 to assess a minimum of 20% of the project if we are to bond for the project.  While I wish we had an extra $755,000 in our budget to tackle this in 2009, the reality is that we do not.  We simply must bond for the project if we want to keep our roads from getting worse (and costing us even more to fix).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight:bold;"&gt;When will the work begin?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Construction will begin in June and should be completed in August.  You'll know if/when your road will be worked on because "No Parking" signs will be placed along the curbs a few days before work will begin.  Access to your home will only be affected for a matter of hours on the day the overlay is completed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight:bold;"&gt;Who can I contact with questions?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Questions surrounding this project (or any road concerns) should be directed to &lt;a href="http://byronmn.com/index.asp?Type=B_DIR&amp;SEC={53FD27A5-B517-465D-B5C1-66E3BDBD1190}&amp;DE={54A43202-5D5C-4E22-8E1D-12A8D6A8353E}"&gt;Greg Rud&lt;/a&gt;, our Public Works Director.  He can be reached at 507-775-2943 or grud@ci.byron.mn.us.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disclaimer: Articles posted on &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/"&gt;ByronMNBlog.com&lt;/a&gt; are the opinions of Councilman Alan De Keyrel only and do not reflect the opinion of the Byron City Council or the City of Byron. The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be deemed accurate until verified.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Was this information forwarded to you by a friend?  &lt;a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub&amp;amp;publisher=348017"&gt;Subscribe Here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6102992405290977075-7450475136731381159?l=www.byronmnblog.com'/&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/7450475136731381159/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/05/council-approves-2009-street-project.html#comment-form' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/7450475136731381159'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/7450475136731381159'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/05/council-approves-2009-street-project.html' title='Council Approves 2009 Street Project'/><author><name>Alan De Keyrel</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17708837698187860489</uri><email>alan@dekeyrel.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='12163610633773726833'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102992405290977075.post-1709119427406701514</id><published>2009-04-18T08:45:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2009-04-18T08:55:49.088-05:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='termination'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='softball dome'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='gerald henricks'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='dome'/><title type='text'>Letter from John Colby</title><content type='html'>Yesterday, I received a letter from John Colby (the Developer behind the Crowne Pointe &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/03/sports-dome.html"&gt;"Dome Project"&lt;/a&gt;) which he had sent to the Post Bulletin.  In a continued effort to provide &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/03/government-transparency-in-byron-mn.html"&gt;government transparency&lt;/a&gt; to the citizens of Byron, I decided to post it here.  As a Councilman for the City of Byron, I personally have no comment on the letter at this time.  However, it is my understanding that the City of Byron is drafting an official response which will be released in the future.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Here is a copy of the letter:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;CROWNE POINTE DEVELOPMENT RESPONSE TO BYRON CITY COUNCIL RELEASE OF APRIL 16, 2009&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/04/why-gerald-henricks-was-terminated.html"&gt;The statement&lt;/a&gt; released by the Byron City Council regarding the dismissal of Gerald Henricks as City Administrator at its closed session on April 8, 2009, contained several false statements about Crowne Pointe Development and is principals/developers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;  1.  Gerald Henricks does not have and never has had any interest in Crowne Pointe Development or its project in Byron. His sole involvement with Crowne Point has been as Byron City Administrator/Economic Development Director at the direction of the City Council.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;  2.  Neither Crowne Pointe nor any of its developers/principals or investors is now or ever was a developer or investor in the Wanamingo golf course, its clubhouse or any restaurant associated with it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;  3.  The financing for the construction of the clubhouse and restaurant in Wanamingo is not and never was conditioned upon the successful closing of the Crown Pointe project in the City of Byron.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;  4.  Crowne Pointe’s Byron project is not and never was financially linked to the Wanamingo golf course.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;  5.  Gerald Henricks will not benefit from the Crowne Pointe project in Byron.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Crowne Pointe and its Byron Project have been falsely portrayed by the Byron City Council.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sincerely,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;John Colby&lt;br /&gt;Crowne Pointe Development, Inc.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In addition, I would like to remind Byron residents that there are two public hearings next week regarding the &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/03/2009-street-projects.html"&gt;2009 Street Project&lt;/a&gt;.  Parties interested in learning more about the project are encouraged to attend one of the informational meetings at 6pm on Monday, April 20th or Tuesday, April 21st.  Both meetings will be held at the Byron City Hall.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disclaimer: Articles posted on &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/"&gt;ByronMNBlog.com&lt;/a&gt; are the opinions of Councilman Alan De Keyrel only and do not reflect the opinion of the Byron City Council or the City of Byron. The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be deemed accurate until verified.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Was this information forwarded to you by a friend?  &lt;a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub&amp;amp;publisher=348017"&gt;Subscribe Here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6102992405290977075-1709119427406701514?l=www.byronmnblog.com'/&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/1709119427406701514/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/04/letter-from-john-colby.html#comment-form' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/1709119427406701514'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/1709119427406701514'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/04/letter-from-john-colby.html' title='Letter from John Colby'/><author><name>Alan De Keyrel</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17708837698187860489</uri><email>alan@dekeyrel.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='12163610633773726833'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102992405290977075.post-900375145131038690</id><published>2009-04-16T11:53:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2009-04-16T11:59:58.634-05:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='termination'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='city of byron'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='byron mn'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='13.43'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='city administrator'/><title type='text'>Why Gerald Henricks Was Terminated</title><content type='html'>This morning, pursuant to &lt;a href="https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=13.43"&gt;Minnesota Statutes 13.43&lt;/a&gt;, the City of Byron released to the public the information that lead to the termination of our City Administrator on 4/13/09.  The &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/TerminationReasonDocument.pdf"&gt;original document&lt;/a&gt;, signed by all members of the City Council and the Mayor last night, reads as follows:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;FINAL DISPOSITION OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION AND SPECIFIC REASONS FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The City Council of the City of Byron met in closed session on April 8, 2009, to consider allegations of misconduct against Gerald Henricks, City Administrator.  After its preliminary consideration of the allegations of misconduct, the City Council voted unanimously to &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/04/breaking-news-city-administrator.html"&gt;terminate the employment&lt;/a&gt; of Gerald Henricks as City Administrator for the City of Byron effective Monday, April 13, 2009. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The specific reasons for the termination of Mr. Henricks’ employment are as follows:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;(1)    Mr. Henricks had a conflict of interest involving the Crown Pointe project which is proposed to be built in the City of Byron.  Additionally, Mr. Henricks failed to disclose to the City Council his full relationship with the developers and investors in the Crown Pointe project.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;(2)    Mr. Henricks violated the Byron Personnel Policy as it relates to engaging in outside employment or business which might hinder an employee’s impartial or objective performance of his or her public duties or impair his or her efficiency on the job. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;During the closed City Council meeting on April 8, 2009, the following information came to light.  Gerald Henricks has an ownership interest in four lots upon which houses have been constructed on or very near to the golf course in Wanamingo, Minnesota.  The developers of the Wanamingo golf course have proposed to construct a clubhouse and restaurant at the golf course.  The construction of the clubhouse and restaurant could enhance the value of Gerald Henricks’ four homes adjacent to the golf course.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The proposed Crown Pointe project in the City of Byron involves, among other things, the proposed construction of a sports facility including indoor domed softball fields.  Several of the developers of the proposed Crown Pointe project are also developers of or investors in the Wanamingo golf course and clubhouse.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The financing for the construction of the clubhouse and restaurant in Wanamingo is conditioned upon the successful closing of the Crown Pointe project in the City of Byron.  Until April 8, 2009, the City Council of the City of Byron was unaware that the projects were linked financially. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Gerald Henricks could benefit financially if the Crown Pointe project and the Wanamingo golf clubhouse project are ultimately built.  Alternatively, Gerald Henricks could suffer a financial detriment if the projects failed.  The Byron City Council was unaware of Mr. Henricks’ potential conflict of interest until the matter was reviewed with him on April 8, 2009. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As late as January of 2009, Gerald Henricks had an arrangement with one of the investors in the Wanamingo golf course under the terms of which Mr. Henricks was to secure investors for the Wanamingo golf course project and, in return, Mr. Henricks would receive an ownership share in the Wanamingo project.  The City Council was unaware of this potential conflict of interest until April 8, 2009. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Gerald Henricks engaged in business which was unrelated to his job as City Administrator while on the job for the City of Byron.  Additionally, Gerald Henricks engaged in business activities relative to the Wanamingo golf course which hindered his impartial or objective performance of his duties and which impaired his efficiency on the job.  Engaging in these outside business activities violates Section 181.3, Subd. 4 of the Byron Employment Policy. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disclaimer: Articles posted on &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/"&gt;ByronMNBlog.com&lt;/a&gt; are the opinions of Councilman Alan De Keyrel only and do not reflect the opinion of the Byron City Council or the City of Byron. The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be deemed accurate until verified.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Was this information forwarded to you by a friend?  &lt;a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub&amp;amp;publisher=348017"&gt;Subscribe Here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6102992405290977075-900375145131038690?l=www.byronmnblog.com'/&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/900375145131038690/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/04/why-gerald-henricks-was-terminated.html#comment-form' title='4 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/900375145131038690'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/900375145131038690'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/04/why-gerald-henricks-was-terminated.html' title='Why Gerald Henricks Was Terminated'/><author><name>Alan De Keyrel</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17708837698187860489</uri><email>alan@dekeyrel.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='12163610633773726833'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>4</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102992405290977075.post-8694622797097359430</id><published>2009-04-13T16:51:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2009-04-13T16:55:00.338-05:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='termination'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='breaking news'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='byron mn'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='city administrator'/><title type='text'>Breaking News- City Administrator Terminated</title><content type='html'>At 4:00pm today, an emergency meeting was called by the Byron City Council.  At the meeting, Mayor Diercks read the following statement:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Per the unanimous direction of the Mayor and City Council, the Personnel Committee took the action of terminating Gerald Henricks due to employee misconduct."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;No other business was discussed and the Council Meeting was closed at 4:04pm. This is the only information available at this time.  However, should more information about the termination be released to the public, I will post an update at &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/"&gt;ByronMNBlog.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disclaimer: Articles posted on &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/"&gt;ByronMNBlog.com&lt;/a&gt; are the opinions of Councilman Alan De Keyrel only and do not reflect the opinion of the Byron City Council or the City of Byron. The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be deemed accurate until verified.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Was this information forwarded to you by a friend?  &lt;a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub&amp;amp;publisher=348017"&gt;Subscribe Here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6102992405290977075-8694622797097359430?l=www.byronmnblog.com'/&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/8694622797097359430/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/04/breaking-news-city-administrator.html#comment-form' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/8694622797097359430'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/8694622797097359430'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/04/breaking-news-city-administrator.html' title='Breaking News- City Administrator Terminated'/><author><name>Alan De Keyrel</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17708837698187860489</uri><email>alan@dekeyrel.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='12163610633773726833'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102992405290977075.post-4023526875755601714</id><published>2009-04-06T21:34:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2009-04-06T21:35:00.651-05:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='the better project'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='suggestions'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='street improvements'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='make byron better'/><title type='text'>Submit Ideas to Make Byron Better</title><content type='html'>Do you have a great idea on how to &lt;a href="http://byronmn.thebetterproject.org/"&gt;make Byron better&lt;/a&gt;?  For example, do you wish we had a Taco Bell?  Do you think we need more parks?  Do you wish we'd fix that bump on the frontage road?  Let everyone know!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Starting today, you can now &lt;a href="http://byronmn.thebetterproject.org/ideas/create"&gt;submit your brilliant idea&lt;/a&gt; to make Byron better and others can view your idea and vote on it's importance.  A link to the "Better Project" website for Byron can be found at &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/"&gt;http://ByronMNBlog.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To get started, &lt;a href="http://byronmn.thebetterproject.org/ideas/create"&gt;submit your idea&lt;/a&gt; to the "Make Byron MN Better" website.  Then come back later to see what ideas other residents have come up with and give them your votes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disclaimer: Articles posted on &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/"&gt;ByronMNBlog.com&lt;/a&gt; are the opinions of Councilman Alan De Keyrel only and do not reflect the opinion of the Byron City Council or the City of Byron. The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be deemed accurate until verified.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Was this information forwarded to you by a friend?  &lt;a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub&amp;amp;publisher=348017"&gt;Subscribe Here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6102992405290977075-4023526875755601714?l=www.byronmnblog.com'/&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/4023526875755601714/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/04/submit-ideas-to-make-byron-better.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/4023526875755601714'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/4023526875755601714'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/04/submit-ideas-to-make-byron-better.html' title='Submit Ideas to Make Byron Better'/><author><name>Alan De Keyrel</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17708837698187860489</uri><email>alan@dekeyrel.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='12163610633773726833'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102992405290977075.post-7842965821936278366</id><published>2009-03-25T08:17:00.004-05:00</published><updated>2009-03-25T08:19:22.568-05:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='byron'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='bond rating'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='bonds'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='refunding'/><title type='text'>City Saves Taxpayers $102,422</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/uploaded_images/AA_plus-793393.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 164px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 146px" alt="" src="http://www.byronmnblog.com/uploaded_images/AA_plus-793381.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;As you know, the City has been exploring various ways to reduce expenditures to meet the expected &lt;a href="http://www.mn2020.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&amp;amp;SEC=%7BEE6BECC3-038A-4AE5-8966-16AD2CD38A7B%7D"&gt;Local Government Aid cuts&lt;/a&gt;. As part of this process, our Finance Committee researched the idea of refunding ("refinancing") our existing debt obligations and taking advantage of the current low interest rates.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;At the March 11th Council meeting, we unanimously approved the Refunding of Bonds 2001 &amp;amp; 2002 (Resolution 09-07) if we could achieve at least a minimum of 3% savings. As we would find out this week, this resulted in two very good things for Byron.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"&gt;Our Bond Rating Improved&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In order to be considered for refunding, the City was required to have its bond rating re-evaluated by Standard &amp;amp; Poor's rating company out of Chicago. To explain further, a "bond rating" is similar to that of your personal credit score (FICO). The higher your bond rating, the easier it is for you to get financing and you also get the best rates.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In 2005, Byron received an A3 rating that we were pleased with. This week, we were informed that our new rating is AA+, which was not expected due to the economy and state cuts. Needless to say, we are thrilled to get this new rating which places us one step below Rochester- which is rated AAA. It is my understanding that AAA rating is not attainable for a city of our size, so we have essentially received the &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/Ratings_Chart.pdf"&gt;best bond rating&lt;/a&gt; available to us.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"&gt;Refunding Process Was Completed&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Armed with our excellent bond rating, we were poised to secure our refunding at a very good rate. Since our last council meeting, the rates dropped and we were able to refund our 2001 &amp;amp; 2002 Bonds at a savings of $102,422 over the life of the bonds. The bond re-payment schedules were not extended as part of this process and will still be paid off by January 2013.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I would like to commend our City Staff and &lt;a href="http://byronmn.com/index.asp?Type=B_DIR&amp;amp;SEC=%7B53FD27A5-B517-465D-B5C1-66E3BDBD1190%7D&amp;amp;DE=%7B99AF9AFD-A830-4CD6-A23E-CAC5BCEE101C%7D"&gt;Finance Director&lt;/a&gt; for the excellent work on this project. In these difficult economic times, a substantial savings such as this is a big win.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/Ratings_Chart.pdf"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6102992405290977075-7842965821936278366?l=www.byronmnblog.com'/&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/7842965821936278366/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/03/city-saves-taxpayers-102422.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/7842965821936278366'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/7842965821936278366'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/03/city-saves-taxpayers-102422.html' title='City Saves Taxpayers $102,422'/><author><name>Alan De Keyrel</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17708837698187860489</uri><email>alan@dekeyrel.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='12163610633773726833'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102992405290977075.post-4145591613548283223</id><published>2009-03-19T21:23:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2009-03-19T21:25:37.094-05:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='softball dome'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='byron mn'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='dome'/><title type='text'>The Sports Dome</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/uploaded_images/dome_inside-769218.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 95px;" src="http://www.byronmnblog.com/uploaded_images/dome_inside-769216.jpg" alt="" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;By now, you've probably heard about "The Dome" in Byron.  Several weeks ago, City Council approved &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;preliminary&lt;/span&gt; approval for the Sports Dome Project.  This means that Council was interested enough in the project to authorize up to $2,000 to be spent in order to prepare a feasibility study and find answers to the remaining questions.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;However, it is worth noting that approval came only after nearly an hour of intense questioning by nearly all members of the City Council.  We had many questions and concerns for Mr. Colby, the developer proposing the project.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;What is the Dome?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The dome is very large, consisting of enough space that two softball fields would be contained inside.  The field could be modified to accommodate other sports, but the primary source of revenue (as proposed) would be softball leagues and tournaments.  Attached to the dome (on one side) would be 2 restaurants to serve tournament players and their families.  Imagine a two-story wall of glass on one side of the dome with restaurant seating over-looking the fields.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In addition to the dome and 2 restaurants, the project also consists of a year-round driving range and golf club assembly shop.  They also plan to build a sports hostel (small rooms with bunk beds and common shower areas) to accommodate traveling teams.  A larger hotel is planned for a future phase of the project.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Why did you vote for it?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;First, let me stress that my vote was only for &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;preliminary&lt;/span&gt; approval.  The developer still needs to come back to City Council with answers to my questions in order to receive &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;final&lt;/span&gt; approval on the project.  Originally, this was scheduled to be on the agenda for 3/25/09, but I've heard they are not ready to present.  The agenda for next week's meeting should be posted &lt;a href="http://byronmn.com/index.asp?Type=B_DIR&amp;amp;SEC=%7B7729BD85-8F8A-4D20-AE2D-03F818CE1A20%7D&amp;amp;DE=%7BBE353DC9-0A3D-49FE-9C4C-352D1613285C%7D"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; sometime tomorrow (Friday).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As you probably know, I'm an entrepreneur.  I enjoy taking calculated risks to grow if/when the opportunity makes sense.  When presented with the dome opportunity, I was intrigued enough to at least have the rest of my questions answered to see how viable the project may be.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If successful, a project like this would bring additional jobs to our area.  In addition, the steady flow of visitors to our town (for weekend tournaments) would bring an influx of revenue and eventually the need for a hotel.  With Somerby hosting weddings almost every weekend during the summer, a hotel would definitely be an added benefit to the people who visit our town.  A hotel creates additional jobs and additional tax revenue.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Additional revenue through this complex adds to our tax base.  A larger tax base means we can spread the costs of &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/03/2009-street-projects.html"&gt;much needed projects&lt;/a&gt; over a larger tax base.  For me, that was worth spending some time to research the potential viability of the project before taking a negative position on the project.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;What don't you like about it?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I've heard from many residents over the past two weeks and nearly every one of them has said the same thing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It's Too Risky.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;True, there is enormous risk in a project like this.  After all, they are requesting that the city issue an appropriations bond for the construction of the dome.  While the figures presented to Council show that the dome would have sufficient cash flow to cover the bond payments, it's still a risk.  I understand that.  If the dome doesn't bring in sufficient revenue to cover the costs (as projected, see &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/2.25.09Packet.pdf"&gt;Pages 34 &amp;amp; 35&lt;/a&gt;), we have to be able to cover the bond payments. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To be fair, keep in mind that the developer also has $6.5 million of his own money involved with the project (restaurants, roads, etc). They have a vested interest in the success of the dome, because without the teams playing in the dome there won't be patrons eating at his restaurants.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I can also assure you that I've made many phone calls trying to verify the revenue assumptions with highly educated people "in the know" about a dome such as this.  All seemed to think it was "do-able" with the right management team in place.  However, I have additional concerns on the expenditure side.  Frankly, I don't think it's realistic to heat/cool a dome of this magnitude for only $25,000 per year.  I would need written proof from the dome manufacturer and &lt;a href="http://www.peoplesrec.com/"&gt;People's Coop&lt;/a&gt; before I'd feel comfortable with this figure.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;So what happens now?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Colby Group will need to come back before City Council and ask for final approval to begin the project.  Based on the answers they provide, they may or may not receive enough votes to continue.  With the amount of public outcry against this project, I'm not sure the community is ready to take on a project of this magnitude.  Nor am I sure that the city should.  As you know, I'm a pro-business guy, but I tend to draw the line when you start asking for government assistance.  Generally speaking, if something is a really great idea you can usually find lots of people who are willing to fund your project (for a cut of the profits, of course).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Personally, Mr. Colby will have a hard time convincing me that this project will cash flow enough to cover the bond payments.  Even if I feel comfortable that it will cash flow, there is still the underlying question of whether or not city should even be involved with it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Your Thoughts?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I'm interested to hear your thoughts on this project, both positive and negative.  Please leave your comment below.  Alternatively, you can contact one of your &lt;a href="http://byronmn.com/index.asp?Type=B_DIR&amp;amp;SEC=%7BCFE1A3F3-75A7-494F-81A1-C107598C811F%7D"&gt;City Council Members&lt;/a&gt; directly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disclaimer: Articles posted on &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/"&gt;ByronMNBlog.com&lt;/a&gt; are the opinions of Councilman Alan De Keyrel only and do not reflect the opinion of the Byron City Council or the City of Byron. The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be deemed accurate until verified.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Was this information forwarded to you by a friend?  &lt;a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub&amp;amp;publisher=348017"&gt;Subscribe Here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6102992405290977075-4145591613548283223?l=www.byronmnblog.com'/&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/4145591613548283223/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/03/sports-dome.html#comment-form' title='10 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/4145591613548283223'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/4145591613548283223'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/03/sports-dome.html' title='The Sports Dome'/><author><name>Alan De Keyrel</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17708837698187860489</uri><email>alan@dekeyrel.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='12163610633773726833'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>10</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102992405290977075.post-3876296723326912530</id><published>2009-03-12T13:18:00.005-05:00</published><updated>2009-03-16T16:47:10.638-05:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='2009'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='street improvements'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='street project'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='public works'/><title type='text'>2009 Street Projects</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/uploaded_images/pothole-705542.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 200px; height: 132px;" alt="" src="http://www.byronmnblog.com/uploaded_images/pothole-705516.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; Last evening, Council unanimously approved approximately $800,000 in street improvements for the 2009 season. These capital improvements will address the issues for 50%-60% of the roads in Byron. The exact list of improvements will be finalized after a detailed analysis this spring. As you may know, the freezing/cooling process that occurs during the spring is very hard on our streets, and this may cause additional damage.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Can We Afford It?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As you are probably aware, there is no money in our 2009 budget to fund a project of this magnitude. This means that we would be bonding for the project with payments starting in 2011. However, it is my opinion that we have ignored our capital projects for too long and something must be done now before our roads deteriorate further. Proper maintenance of our roads adds longevity to our infrastructure, which will save the city money in the long run. In the future, I recommend that we strive to include a portion of our capital improvements in our annual budget so that bonding is not needed for regular maintenance.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What Will It Cost Me?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is a big project and we'll need your help to make it possible. Therefore, 20% of the costs would be assessed to homeowners on the roads being improved with an overlay. On average, this would be $300 to $500 for each homeowner who receives an &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;overlay&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; on their road. No assessment is planned for those residents receiving only a seal coat on their road. If needed, you would have the option to spread the assessment cost over several years.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What's Included?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;At this time, the project includes an overlay for at least 31 streets (31,474 feet) at a cost of approximately $708,000. In addition, the project includes a seal coating for 12 other streets (9,656 feet) at a cost of approximately $77,000. As I mentioned before, the exact list will be finalized after the spring thaw and a reassessment is completed. A complete list of the proposed streets to be improved can be found on Page 54 of this week's &lt;a href="http://byronmnblog.com/3.11.09packet.pdf"&gt;Council Packet&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Will you fix the Frontage Road?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As you can imagine, one of the most complained about streets in Byron is our Frontage Road. Due to years of adding new businesses along the Frontage Road, sewer and water lines have been dug across the road to tie into existing infrastructure. Over time, this has caused "swells" in the road which come and go with the freezing/thawing seasons. To completely fix the Frontage Road, a full reconstruction (base, curb, gutter, culverts, turn-lanes, etc) would be required at a cost of over $750,000. Considering that some of the Frontage Road may be re-aligned as further improvements are made to Hwy 14 (overpasses, entrance closures, etc), some feel it would be fiscally irresponsible to spend this much money on something that may be destroyed later.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Well, We Can't Just Ignore It?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;At the Council Meeting on 3/11/09, I did recommend that we don't ignore the Frontage Road completely as part of this project and see what can be done to make this road respectable for several more years of use. In my opinion, the likelihood of an overpass coming to Byron in the next 5 years is very low. We simply can't wait (and do nothing) to the Frontage Road in the meantime. Our city engineer and Public Works Director have been challenged with coming up with a solution that will improve our Frontage Road in an affordable manner.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When Will Construction Start?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Here is the proposed timeline for the 2009 Street Project:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;March 25:&lt;/strong&gt; City Council accepts feasibility study, authorizes plans&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;April 22:&lt;/strong&gt; WHKS, Inc. presents plans and specifications&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;May 13:&lt;/strong&gt; Public hearing for assessing 20% of the project&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;June 10:&lt;/strong&gt; City council awards contract to lowest bidder&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;June 29:&lt;/strong&gt; Construction work begins&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;September:&lt;/strong&gt; Construction work completed&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;October:&lt;/strong&gt; Council authorizes the sale of bonds for the project&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Comments?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you have thoughts about the 2009 Street Project, please feel free to do so by leaving a comment on this website. Alternatively, you can contact your &lt;a href="http://byronmn.com/index.asp?Type=B_DIR&amp;amp;SEC=%7BCFE1A3F3-75A7-494F-81A1-C107598C811F%7D"&gt;City Council Members&lt;/a&gt; directly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disclaimer: Articles posted on &lt;a href="http://www.byronmnblog.com/"&gt;ByronMNBlog.com&lt;/a&gt; are the opinions of Councilman Alan De Keyrel only and do not reflect the opinion of the Byron City Council or the City of Byron. The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be deemed accurate until verified. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Was this information forwarded to you by a friend?  &lt;a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub&amp;amp;publisher=348017"&gt;Subscribe Here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6102992405290977075-3876296723326912530?l=www.byronmnblog.com'/&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/3876296723326912530/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/03/2009-street-projects.html#comment-form' title='4 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/3876296723326912530'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/3876296723326912530'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/03/2009-street-projects.html' title='2009 Street Projects'/><author><name>Alan De Keyrel</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17708837698187860489</uri><email>alan@dekeyrel.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='12163610633773726833'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>4</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102992405290977075.post-6192642012094883121</id><published>2009-03-11T09:47:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2009-03-11T14:15:08.677-05:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='roads'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='transparency'/><title type='text'>Government Transparency in Byron, MN</title><content type='html'>As of today, I've been a Councilman in Byron, MN for approximately 60 days. Up to this point, I've spent hundreds of hours learning, researching, and speaking with people who are involved with the decisions that run our great city.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Unfortunately, I have not received one call or email about any issue that I've been presented with thus far. I actually received more emails in the 60 days I ran for office than I've received since being in office. This seems wrong to me.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I'm sure that residents are talking about the decisions we're making each week. Each Tuesday, I run to my mailbox to grab the &lt;a href="http://www.communitynewscorp.com/"&gt;Byron Review&lt;/a&gt; and see how I was quoted at the previous meeting. It's a nerve racking experience for me as this is the only thing that residents "hear" each week.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I believe in government transparency and involvement by "the people". True, I may be the person who is representing you at city hall, but I should only be a reflection of those who put me into office. &lt;em&gt;This means that I need to hear from you.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This blog will be a place where I can voice my opinion on matters and hopefully get feedback from you, "the people". I understand that you may not have time to attend each council meeting, but hopefully you have a couple hours each month to check this website and provide some feedback. If not, maybe forward this to someone who may find it interesting.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Each week, I'll be posting about an issue that you'll hopefully find important and relevant.  The first post will come after tonight's council meeting (3/12/09). &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Thanks!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Alan De Keyrel&lt;br /&gt;Byron, MN Councilman&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6102992405290977075-6192642012094883121?l=www.byronmnblog.com'/&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/6192642012094883121/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/03/government-transparency-in-byron-mn.html#comment-form' title='7 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/6192642012094883121'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6102992405290977075/posts/default/6192642012094883121'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.byronmnblog.com/2009/03/government-transparency-in-byron-mn.html' title='Government Transparency in Byron, MN'/><author><name>Alan De Keyrel</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17708837698187860489</uri><email>alan@dekeyrel.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='12163610633773726833'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>7</thr:total></entry></feed>