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Mayor Walters testified in front of the Senate Committee on Taxes on Wednesday (April 3, 2024)morning in support of a bill that would provide a tax exemption for all materials used for the City's construction of a second water.
In addition to the $10M received for the wastewater treatment facility, and the $3M already received for the water tower project, this tax exemption would save the City and taxpayers well over $100,000.
Since Mike took office:
Major Park improvements and Additions:
Pickleball Courts - Added (4) Pickleball courts and Hockey rink upgrades, including new boards and lighting. - White St SE Park
Community Park - Added (2) regulation soccer fields, 3.5 acre open run Dog Park, 2 regulation size Tennis Courts ($20K grant from USTA), Outdoor Basketball court, 18 hole Frisbee Golf Course and Nature trails
30th St Trail and Wetland conservatory Donated land and trail money from County. - extensive trail system
(Wild Flower)
Madison green Park: Purchased from landowner ($120k)- All New Play equipment added
Ann Street Park - All New Play equipment added
Highland Park - All New Play equipment added; Ball field improvements; New Dug outs, New score board
Evergreen Park - (2018) All new skatepark, new ball field fencing, New dugouts, complete overhaul
Pocket Park - D'Vinci's Wing, pedestrian facilities added
Rick Johnson Park - Fishing Pier, shore restoration, landscaping
Sugar Bush Park - Complete reconstruction. All new play equipment and path accesses
Forest Hills neighborhood Park - 2 phases of new play equipment added. Another small pocket park added to the neighborhood for future use and green space
Wildflower neighborhood Park - Complete overhaul and reconstruction with new play facilities - current
* Also safe pedestrian pathway through the neighborhood being fixed and reconstructed - current
Major Construction Projects:
PAVING 30TH ST -
( Wild Flower south entrance) - - - " This should have been done when Wildflower was constructed." -Mike Walters
* During the 2023 mill & overlay project in the Wildflower subdivision which came in over $300,000 below Engineers estimate and budget, the City Council put the paving of 30th Street through as a change order that cost $125,000 - Walters was a big proponent of this issue. The total project still came in $175,000 below budget.
Downtown Bridge replacement - Work completed efficiently and under budget. Pedestrian facilities both sides of bridge. BRIDGE KEPT OPEN DURING CONSTRUCTION. See Bridge issue
Downtown Round About - Safe and Efficient ( mostly paid for by County and grant money)
Wastewater Treatment- Heavy Maintenance Project 2018 - Complete reconstruction planned for @2022
New (2nd) Water Tower- Planned for 2022
County Public works site - Soon to be Lakeview Clinic - 2018
Street Maintenance - Street Maintenance schedule instituted in 2012. Annual seal coat and mill/overlay covering all Watertown streets
Castle Ridge Rock Wall Full reconstruction (Kings Highland) $250 K price tag paid for by FEMA
HWY 25 Urbanization - 2021 completion- Add curb and gutter, center turn lane, improved drainage and sidewalks on both sides of HWY 25 (Paid for with MNDOT grant)
Lewis Ave Extension - Extension of Lewis Ave. to Freemont St. -2012
Newton Ave Safe Pedestrian Route The idea of creating a safe pedestrian route on one side of Newton Ave was brought forward and championed by Walters when a normal sidewalk wasn't feasible or accepted by affected residents.
Below are some random, current and some of the bigger issues over the last few years.
*****THIS AREA IS BEING UPDATED*****
Level III Sex offender City restrictions
This ordinance PROHIBITS level III sex felons from living within 1000 feet of our schools and parks; also 500 feet from a licensed daycare in Watertown was initiated and argued for by WALTERS
Walters sums up arguement that Watertown is taking a lead role in Public Safety and making a "Community Value Statement" with this ordinance. (below)
Ordinance 397
CLICK
HERE
Walters brought this subject before the Council as only 39 out of 805 Minnesota Cities have taken these measures to protect their citizens, public assets and their most valuable interests; their children.
Watch entire Council discussions here:
June 14, 2016
June, 28 2016
NEWTON AVENUE - Safe Pedestrian Route
The idea of creating a safe pedestrian route on one side of Newton Ave was brought forward and championed by Walters when a normal sidewalk wasn't feasible or accepted by affected residents. Others argued to kick any pedestrian improvements down the road for at least 10 more years. - 2019 Mill and Overlay
Watch entire Council discussions here:
WATERTOWN'S EXCESSIVE TAX ASSESSING POLICY
During Watertown's 2011 street reconstruction project, our policy of making benefitting property owners foot 80% of the costs came under extreme scrutiny by Walters. In some cases the assessments were $12-15,000,with a high near $37,000. The city charges by the footage you have along the street and gets added as a tax assessment to your mortgage payments.
Can you imagine having more than $12,000 added on to your monthly mortgage payments, because the city made street upgrades in front of your house? Many can't absorb that into their personal budgets. Spread over 10yrs, it is a $100 increase monthly.
Mike called several cities in Carver and some in Hennepin County to see where we stand in comparison.
* There is not one city in Carver county that taxes the property owners over 60% (Chaska) of these costs. Most cities had homeowners paying 0% (Mayer) to 40% of the cost.
WALTERS Would NOT SUPPORT A PERCENTAGE HIGHER THAN 50% and only one leg of assessments for corner houses.
Walters had expressed disgust with the oppressive policy and requested this issue be addressed by the City for several years before a new fair ordinance finally was passed.
This graph shows when your road was last reconstructed. The life of a street is estimated at about 20 years. Watertown instituted a street maintenance plan in 2012, in hopes of doubling that life expectancy .
The ordinance was rewritten: reducing the individual's cost share to 50%
AND property owners on corners only pay ONE leg (the shorter one) not both anymore!
SECOND RIVER CROSSING
During 2018, the county has said they no longer support "ring roads" around city's business districts as this diverts traffic away and kills towns. The Southern Beltway has been removed from the 2040 comprehensive plan.
This was one of the largest and most controversial issues that has been discussed and voted on during Walters' tenure. (12 years)
Background:
The Southern Beltway, as referred to by County studies, was a two phase, $14.2 million project connecting CSAH 24 at Oak Lake to CSAH 122, south of Watertown’s population, with the city share being $ 5.1 million.
Also, the downtown bridge was already planned to be built 2 years later because it was failing and delapitaded. Watertown residents would need to fund two bridges: two projects equaling about $19.5 million when completed.
The beltway directly affects 27 properties, including several total takes. It would run a County highway through River Point Park and many of my constituent’s back yards.
The placement of the crossing was controversial. Most of the homes, neighborhoods, the downtown residences and businesses, the High School, Middle School, and Primary school traffic, the firehouse, and Forest Hills, which will be our largest neighborhood when completed are to the North. Most people in Watertown would never use it where the County was proposing.
A 3 mile strip of County road around our town would hurt our downtown businesses and would kill future growth. The beltway or bypass would not connect to any major highways. It merely connects two remote, rural county roads around our City, both far from population centers and 5 miles to the nearest highway. Watertown tax payers would foot a massive bill for outer County people to drive around our downtown. Property taxes would be through the roof having to pay for 2 bridges.
Nonsensical planning numbers also contributed to the idea that a second crossing was needed in the first place. Planning is done from population forecasts in Watertown’s 30-year comprehensive plan and Met Council forecasts. The plan called for 7,700-9,000 people by 2030. The estimate was asinine.
Even with exaggerated data, it was hard to see the need for another crossing or beltway after the downtown bridge got built. I attended many workshops, meetings, and open public forums with impact statements from those affected and concerned. A petition with several hundred names asking the city to postpone/relocate the project, etc. There was very little public support.
Strong arguments exist for the next crossing or bypass to be north of Watertown as was studied and presented. The treatment facility is north of town, and extending sewer pipes to facilitate new growth further north would cost a fraction as compared to new growth south of town. The majority of the available lots are north. The schools and firehouse are to the north. Also, there are transportation proposals of future light rail running from Delano to Minneapolis, which would drive all development north. A second downtown crossing, with far less costs, was also studied and handled future traffic needs, and there wouldn’t be a bypass around downtown. The majority felt mapping the line in 2012 to the South as requested was conjecture and irresponsible. Just mapping it destroys those property values and makes them unsalable. Who wants a property with a beltway to be built through it?
June 14, 2011
Watch Council discussion here:
"Many of the residents in Watertown would never use the crossing to the south. Forest Hills- which will be by far our biggest development, the downtown residents, most of Wildflower, the apartments and mobile home parks, all 3 schools, and the fire department are all to the north.
Also, Watertown infrastructure (Sewer and Water) are all to the North. To build any further to the south, many millions must be spent to facilitate. It will be considerably less money to extend sewers and water to the North." I am not in favor of building and paying for 2 bridges at once. And I am especially not interested in paying for a bridge that does not best suit Watertown's needs. I favor building it when and where it is most needed for Watertown's entire community. It would be difficult to support a location where just a few sections of neighborhoods and some outter county travelers will benefit." Contact me if you would like to discuss further.
-Walters
OPEN
Bridge OPEN or CLOSED during construction
"Bridging Watertown" staves off social and economic disaster
- See "The Bridge Battle" page as Walters and company fight and win an uphill battle for the Business owners, Emergency Services, WM Schools, and every commuter in and near Watertown.
SOCCER FIELDS
RAISING THE QUALITY OF LIFE!
NO full size public soccer fields in our town
Watertown had zero public soccer fields and struggled to secure playing fields for the hundreds of kids that play recreational, traveling, Middle school, and High School soccer.
After the fields were graded by the street contractor at no charge, Mike worked with the Athletic Director on a City/school collaboration. Walters and Mary Haugen, (AD) presented the idea to the school board for approval in which the school would donate $30-35,000 to put irrigation in the fields in exchange for school use. The vote was to accept the donation and move forward with making the fields useable.
This no-brainer barely passed council vote 3-2
Walters works with school to bring soccer fields to Watertown (below)
May 13 2014
"This was the first amenity identified to be built in the Community Park Master plan. Personally, I couldn't imagine voting against accepting a donation for irrigation and collaborating with the school. Thousands of Watertown kids will benefit going forward. The fields were already built and seeded. They just needed sprinklers to make them playable.
To me, this could have been a consent agenda item as are other donations. I'm excited and proud for the school, Crow River Soccer, and the teams that visit here to finally have decent public fields.
Also, I'm excited for City Taxpayers. This was another project that we completed without raising City taxes one penny- LIKE THE NEW DOG PARK, TENNIS COURTS AND FULL COURT BASKETBALL COURT. (See Community Park Improvements below)
*The park scheduling issue which was later attached to this had some merits, but it was not something I supported without more research and reachout." -Walters
In addition to being identified in the master park plan as the first item to be built, The Park Board discussed this several times and used outreach such as Community surveys, Open houses and stakeholder outreach to identify this need.
Walters was on the Community Park Master Plan committee (2009), served 2 years on the Park Board and was Park Board Liaison to the Council for four years.
Walters Has stated several times and always requests that new developers in town to give local contractors and businesses a fair opportunity at work. Buying local helps build communities.
Working with you,
Fighting for you!
"Watertown has Plumbers,and Electricians, Landscapers, and lawn maintainence companies. I don't feel bad asking for the developer to give them an opportunity to bid, because they are quality companies and this City, and particular, this Council has bent over backwards to accommodate the developers from zoning and ordinance amendments to waiving building fees." -Walters
Protectecting Civil Liberties, Property owner rights and Property Values -Walters
COMMUNITY PARK IMPROVEMENTS:
RAISING THE QUALITY OF LIFE!
SOCCER FIELDS
TENNIS COURTS
FULL COURT OUTSIDE BASKETBALL
OFF LEASH DOG PARK
FRISBEE GOLF
NATURE TRAILS
November 2014, The Park Commission prioritized the amenities to be built at the Community Park. The commission used master plan guidance, community surveys, On-site open houses and consideration of need from local sporting clubs to set the priorities.
From that meeting, the Dog Park, and Multi-use sports court (Tennis Courts and Full Court Basketball) were prioritized as the top 2 items.
They were added to the Park Capital Improvement plan to be built in 2016, and 2018 respectively.
NO TAX BURDEN
The Park Fund can only be used for new park amenities. It is funded mainly by collecting about $1500 from home building permit, developer fees and Watertown Lions donations. The city was sitting on several hundred thousand dollars since taxing people from early 2000s. This money was finally tapped into to bring these new amenities to Watertown.
ALSO, WATERTOWN RECEIVED NOT ONE, BUT TWO GRANTS from the United States Tennis Association because they agreed a town our size and growing needs these facilities. Delano and Waconia have many public courts.
These additions were paid for by grants and cash from the Park Fund.
***The city sat on the park fund for 12-15 years with no plans and the fund total was always a mystery.
**Almost every Park in town has seen upgrades or complete reconstruction since end of 2010 when Mike took office.
ALL these items were prioritized by our Park Commission. All these amenities were added without raising taxes one cent.
The new Amenities increase the quality of life for a WIDE VARIETY of park users and make our city more desirable and marketable.
