The League of Women Voters of Edina (LWVE), a nonpartisan political organization, encourages the informed and active participation in government, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. The League has approximately 100 men and women members and is part of the State League and National League of Women Voters. The League of Women Voters of Edina has had an active role in Edina since 1954.
Moving beyond Legislative Gridlock: a panel sponsored by League of Women Voters Edina and Bloomington The public is invited to a panel discussion “Civil Discourse: Beyond Gridlock” on Tuesday, January 31, at Bloomington Civic Plaza, 1800 West Old Shakopee Rd. Refreshments will be served at 6:00 p.m, followed by the program 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Panelists for the discussion are Steve Sviggum, member of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents and former Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, Margaret Anderson Kelliher, President and CEO of the Minnesota High-Tech Association and also a former Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and Stacy Doepner-Hove, President, League of Women Voters MN. Former WCCO-TV Ch.4 news anchor Don Shelby will moderate the discussion. The panelists will discuss the role citizens play in encouraging civil and productive dialogue among elected officials and their perspective on how Minnesotans can move politics to constructive debate and away from gridlock. This event is free to the public although registration is encouraged. Register at lwvcivildiscourse.eventbrite.com. Sponsored by League of Women Voters Minnesota, the Joyce Foundation and Leagues of Women Voters Edina and Bloomington. February Meetings - The Grandview Heights District Plan The public comment period for the GrandView Heights District draft final plan begins on January 25. This is your opportunity to be heard and influence the plan. Although the City of Edina is considered fully developed, Edina’s Comprehensive Plan has identified several “areas of potential change.” These include areas such as Southdale, Cahill and the GrandView Heights District. Small Area Plans are vehicles to incorporate the vision and planning for the future of these areas within the Edina Comprehensive Plan. Residents of Edina have been invited to participate in the creation of a Small Area Plan for GrandView Heights from the very beginning of the process, in part through a Committee which has been meeting for two years to help the City envision what redevelopment of the GrandView District should look like. The city’s purpose in using this process overlaps well with the League’s mission to encourage informed and active participation in government. The GrandView Heights District includes 38 acres bordered by City Hall on the East and the Edina Library on the West. It includes Vernon Avenue on the North and Eden Avenue on the South. The city hopes that this process for creating a Small Area Plan in GrandView can be perfected and used for other areas of potential change. For all League members and friends interested in the process for their area of town and how change might occur, this meeting explains how it is being done in the GrandView District. The property under consideration has many owners: the City, the Schools, MNDOT, and several private entities. When redevelopment does take place over time, the City will have a vision and a plan to guide that redevelopment. It is anticipated that when it is adopted it will occur in several phases and take 15-20 years to fully become reality. Ideas for the area being discussed in preliminary plans include a public space, a community gathering place, housing, green streets, pedestrian walk ways, bike ways, a park-and-ride, and new small businesses. Also being considered is a possible realignment of the streets including access roads to Highway 100. The importance of having the City take an active and informed role in public transit planning for this area, now and in the future, is also being discussed. The Committee hopes to release a draft final plan by 25 January that will start the public comment period. This will be followed by 45 days for public comment, ending on 9 March. It will also be reviewed in the Planning Commission (planned for 22 February) and the City Council (planned for 17 April) before adoption. When you come to a February unit meeting you will hear a presentation showing the details of the plan as it now stands and to find out how it came about. Kevin Staunton, Committee Chair, will present on Thursday, February 9 at 9:45AM in the Edina Library. Michael Fischer, Planning Commission member and an initiator of this process will present on the Saturday, February 11, at 9:45 AM in the City Hall Community Room. Come and bring a friend or two. Find out what is going on and what you can do to influence the vision for change in this and other neighborhoods in the city. More information on voter identification |
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