BrandonInfo.com

If the school district does sanction soccer, the school teams would play on city fields. The golf teams already golf at the city course, the cross country runners have their meets at McHardy Park, which is a city park, and the tennis teams play on city courts.

As far as I know, the school doesn’t pay rent to the city for using the city facilities for school sports. Some people might say the city gets the short end of that stick by not getting reimbursed for the cost of maintenance that school sports cause. Others might say the city and school should work together and it’s all for the kids anyway, so what’s the difference.

What are your thoughts?

I remember burning “cookies” in the parking lot at Brandon Lutheran Church many, many years ago. (Wait, maybe it was someone else.) Anyway, back then, the most police could do if they saw me (or anyone) doing that is give me a warning.

The Brandon city council is considering updating the ordinance, though, so that police could issue a citation to someone spinning their car around in a church or other private parking lot.

Do you think it’s about time the ordinance was extended to private parking lots, or do you think that police already have enough power and shouldn’t be trying to grab more? Do you think it’s a good idea to spin your wheels for fun on someone else’s property, or do you think anyone who does that should be punished?

It’s official. Bob Bruning and Steve Dueis are running against one another for the city council seat being vacated by Don Hammond, who chose to not run for re-election.

Bob Bruning is self employed. Steve Dueis works at Helping Hands Assisted Living Center in Brandon.

Do you have a preference? Do you know anything about either candidate that you think is important for voters to know?

Ward 3 residents who are not already registered to vote must do so by March 29 in order to cast their ballot in the April 13 election.

There will be a forum with the two candidates on March 30, at 6:30 p.m. in the city council chambers on Main Avenue. What questions would you like to see posed to the candidates?

Two people have filed petitions to run for city council. Barb Fish in Ward I probably will be unapposed in Ward I, unless someone else files a petition by end of day tomorrow.

In Ward III, Bob Bruning may be the next city councilman, although Steve Deuis also has taken out a petition. Only Fish and Bruning have fled so far, though.

Both Fish and Bruning are past Brandon Valley Area Chamber of Commerce presidents. Does that make a difference to you? Some people might think that makes them good candidates, in that they have a working knowledge of business in Brandon and have worked in the past for greater sales tax revenue for the city. Other people might say that the candidates might be inclined to lobby for business over residents, given their background.

What do you think?

Do you feel the city water rates are fair? Would you be in favor of higher water rates if the extra money went toward a new water tower?

How high would you go?

A new sign has appeared on West Holly Boulevard, near The Bluffs. It tells eastbound traffic how fast they are going. The speed limit at the sign is 45 miles per hour. Have you caught yourself going faster than that?

Some people might think the sign is pretty dandy as a way to check their speed, and a great reminder. Others might think the sign nags them.

What are your thoughts?

End-of-year building permit totals show that more people are remodeling the homes they already live in as opposed to building new homes.

My husband and I haven’t done any remodeling in the past year. We’ve been in our house 31 years now. Within the past eight years, though, we finally finished off the basement, and we had all new cabinets installed in the kitchen. Both things add to the value of our home, and are nice to live with to boot.

Next, I would like to replace the flooring on the main floor. I’d also like to paint the master bedroom. Actually, I wouldn’t like to do these things myself. I would prefer that someone do the work for me.
What kinds of improvements would you like to make to your home?

Did you use the free city leaf drop off Saturday? The city hires Marv’s Sanitary to take away leaves that people bring to the garbage truck. I’m not sure what Marv does with the leaves. Do you?

My husband mowed over our leaves. Chopped them up into little pieces and left them on the lawn. No raking, no hauling. Eco-friendly. Do you know of any other eco-friendly ways to take care of fall leaves?

If you like the leaf drop off, you may be interested to know that the city has another one scheduled for Nov. 14 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the grocery store parking lot.

Do you think the Brandon Golf Course green fees are too low, just right, or too high? The rates that were set in 2007 have stayed the same in 2008 and 2009, but it looks like there will be an increase in 2010. The rates for 2010 haven’t been set yet, but fees might go up as much as 5 percent.
Of course, the course needs income to stay open. If costs go up but green fees don’t, what suggestions would you have to get more income?

Brandon will get a new city administrator Dec. 1. Bryan Read of Iowa will take over the position from Dennis Olson, who has been Brandon’s city finance officer and administrator for 23 years. Bryan has 20 years of experience himself, in smaller towns in Minnesota and Iowa.
What advice do you have for Brian as he starts his new job? Dennis Olson will stay on with the city part-time, so he will be around to provide Bryan with background on city issues. What do you think of that?

City Hall might move a few blocks west in the future. The city council has approved an architectural study of how to turn the Pace Manufacturing building at S. Sioux and Aspen boulevards into a new city hall, police department and community center. Certainly the property is big enough for all those uses. Do you think it is a good fit?

Pace has built a new facility in the industrial park and wants to eventually move its entire operation there. That would leave the current building empty.

If you don’t think that’s a good location for a city hall, what do you think would be a good use for the property?

If city hall does move in a few years, what do you think would be a good use for the current city hall building?

Next year’s city budget is pretty conservative, city officials say. That might make sense in these economic times.

City employees will get their standard 3 percent wage increase.
The budget also includes $260,000 to pave the portion of McHardy Road by the soccer fields.

You can read about the budget on www.brandoninfo.com and in this week’s Brandon Valley Challenger.

Does the budget look good to you, or are there things you would change?

At their last meeting, city council members talked about how nice it would be to have a new or expanded swimming pool in Brandon. Would you like one? If so, would you like an indoor one or an outdoor one?

How much would you be willing to pay for it? The Brandon swimming pool loses money every year, but that’s not unusual. In fact, I have never heard of a pool that turned a profit. If you can find one, please let us know.

On the other hand, not every city amenity has to turn a profit. Parks don’t, for example. They are something the taxpayers think are important enough to just pay for every year. Is the pool as important to you?

Have you used the current city pool? What do you like about it, or don’t like? What things would you like the pool to have that it doesn’t already have?

Corson is getting enough federal money to completely redo their water lines. As part of the project, they will connect onto Brandon’s water and buy water from Brandon. Down the road, when Corson can afford it, they want to redo all their sewer lines also.

Maybe someday Corson will be part of Brandon. What do you think about that? What do you think about Corson buying water from Brandon?

The Brandon Food Pantry has outgrown its current site, less than a year after opening. The board of directors wants to move the pantry to a free-standing building, and they want the city to help pay for it.

Should the city help pay for it? Are there other places the food pantry could get the money? The Brandon Food Pantry is affiliated with the state food bank. Could some funding come from there?

How about private donors? Could the food pantry board hold a campaign to raise money from citizens?

If you think the city should chip in, how much do you think is appropriate? $10,000? More? 25 percent? 50 percent? More?

Will you go to the city council meeting tonight to learn more?

The city and school have reopened negotiations about where to move the skateboard park. But users won’t have any trouble finding it once it’s moved, because talk is of moving it only a stone’s throw, to just east of the water tower. That would cost $75,000. The ice skating rink would be moved too, to an area near McHardy Park, for $25,000.

It’s not set in stone yet, so there’s time to comment. What do you think of the plan? The school wants the skateboard park moved because of plans for a new band practice field at the spot where it is now.

What do you think of the Brandon Police Department cars new paint jobs? They’re the traditional black and white, now.

At Monday night’s city council meeting, Mayor Larry Beesley said people have told him they think the cars look too big city-ish. Alderman Brett Karber said people have told him they think the cars now have a commanding presence.

What is your opinion?

If your neighbor were reshingling his house, would you be opposed to him putting a dumpster on the street for a few days? If a new city ordinance passes, that could be the scenario.

Now, no dumpsters are allowed on streets, but some properties don’t have room for a dumpster. When those homeowners need to use a dumpster, they have no place to put it. The proposed ordinance would let them put the dumpster in the street for a few days if they really need it and if they pay a fee. Dave Swier of the city’s zoning department would be the one to say if they really need it or not.

Do you think the proposed ordinance is a good one? How many days would be appropriate to allow people to have a dumpster in the street? Three? Five? Seven?

What do you think?

Do you think it’s a good idea to have the Brandon Planning & Zoning Commission be the board of adjustment for variance and conditional use requests? The Brandon City Council thought so and made it so.

The P&Z made its first binding decision last week, and the decision was “no” to a request to add onto a concrete pad on the side of someone’s driveway. The pad would have come out to the curb and would have come to within one foot of the property line.

Some might say the request should have been granted. What would it have hurt, they might argue, if a resident extends an existing pad? It would have made the driveway look better, not worse, they might have said.

On the other hand, city ordinance says that kind of concrete isn’t allowed. The P&Z commission said they had to follow the law.

What are your thoughts?

Do you agree with the city council’s decision for 212 restaurant/bar to create a smoking patio on the south side of the building?

The bar’s owners said they want to have the outdoor patio because of the smoking ban that goes into effect July 1. But there have been many media reports that petitions might be filed to bring the matter to a public vote in November, 2010. Are the 212 owners jumping the gun a little?

I’ve said publicly in the past that I personally prefer that people just don’t smoke in the first place, by their own choice. But do I mind a smoking patio next to restaurants? I don’t know.

What do you think?