by Friends of SPUC | Jan 19, 2021 | Uncategorized
Authors: Deb Amundson and Mathew Meyer We are both nearing the end of our terms as commissioners appointed by the Shakopee City Council to the Shakopee Public Utilities Commission. It has been a challenging, yet fulfilling, opportunity for each of us to serve our...
by Friends of SPUC | Nov 24, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: Friends of SPUC But we are not done. While Shakopee citizens overwhelmingly voted to keep an independent Shakopee Public Utilities Commission, the efforts to undermine it continue. Here are just a few reasons why we plan to continue as Friends of SPUC....
by Friends of SPUC | Nov 19, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: Mathew Meyer For those following the continuing issues involving SPUC and the City’s failed referendum, you may remember that City officials suggested there was “criminal” activity at SPU, thus justifying their campaign to acquire SPUC’s financial...
by Friends of SPUC | Nov 4, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: Debra Amundson We are sincerely grateful to Shakopee citizens for their vote of confidence in defeating the referendum to abolish the Shakopee Public Utilities Commission. The voter turnout was exceptional this year. And Shakopee voters did their...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 31, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: Matt Lehman, on his own behalf Here’s why. Early on, the City knowingly and willingly tried to disenfranchise its voters by seeking to change state law bypassing the petition and voter ballot question required in state law. Citizen participation...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 27, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: Renee Schmid, Former SPU Finance Director FACT CHECK: Bill Mars’ Facebook post regarding his request for SPU funds Mayor Mars is fond of the word “fact,” but doesn’t state facts in his Facebook post. Here are the actual facts....
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 27, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: Renee Schmid, Former SPU Finance Director Let’s look at the data. The City’s marketing campaign to abolish Shakopee Public Utilities Commission has spread disinformation to Shakopee voters. One example is the City’s implication that SPU has...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 21, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: Terry Joos Yet another inappropriate financial request from Mayor Mars Bill Mars approached me in the fall of 2018. He was looking for a donation to the City of half a million dollars for naming rights to the new community center pool. At that time, I...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 21, 2020 | Uncategorized
An opinion piece by Toby Berens Local government should be a democratic process where different ideas should be considered. In my opinion, people in Shakopee are not getting this process anymore. Let me explain. Bill Reynolds, our city administrator, seems to...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 21, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: multiple Friends of SPUC Since when is saving for the future a bad thing? Why does Shakopee Public Utilities have so much in reserves? The answer is actually quite simple. The Commission plans for the future. Customer demand for water and electricity...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 19, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: Barry Kirchmeier Recently the Shakopee City Council decided to place on the ballot the issue of eliminating the Shakopee Public Utilities as an independent entity that provides electricity and water to the residents of Shakopee. This action was taken in...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 16, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: Friends of SPUC Claims $$$ was for Zamboni with SPU...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 16, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: Renee Schmid, former Finance Director, Shakopee Public Utilities In 2015, I was the finance director for the Shakopee Public Utilities Commission and had served in this role for eight years. At that time, some Shakopee residents were upset that Mayor Tabke...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 12, 2020 | Uncategorized
Authors: multiple Friends of SPUC Committee members This is more like comparing apples to … orangutans. On several occasions over the last year the City has made references to Flint Michigan when talking about Shakopee’s water. The City has stated that they are not...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 12, 2020 | Uncategorized
This clip is taken from the Shakopee Public Utilities Commission meeting on March 2, 2020. Follow the debate regarding the successful attempt to stack the Commission by City Councilors Brennan and Whiting. This clip includes discussion by Commissioner Mathew Meyer...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 12, 2020 | Uncategorized
Authors: 13 former SPU employees Will Shakopee Valley News print both sides of the referendum issue? Introduction by the Friends of SPUC Committee: This was submitted to the Shakopee Valley News as a paid letter to the editor by the undersigned former Shakopee...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 8, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: Mark Miller Do chickens need sweaters? Lately there has been a lot of information put out about Shakopee’s water and the City’s plan if the citizens vote to abolish the Shakopee Public Utilities Commission. There have been statements made about the safety...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 8, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: Steve Clay As a former Shakopee City Council member in the late ‘80s to early ‘90s and again for a couple of four-year terms ending a few years ago, as well as being a Council Liaison to the Shakopee Public Utilities (SPU) Commission for a number of years...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 7, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: Debra Amundson New Ehlers Water Development Fee Study confirms competitive rates for Shakopee residents. In an updated Ehlers report submitted to the Commission on October 5, our outside consultants confirm that Shakopee residents pay less than average for...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 6, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: Mathew Meyer Has the City abused its police powers to further its campaign to dissolve SPUC? The City apparently violated the law against campaigning on ballot issues. See our “Just Cause for Complaint”: Part 1 blog post, But I believe...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 6, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: Mathew Meyer Can the City use taxpayer-funded resources such as website, email account, employee time and mailings to campaign for dissolution of SPUC? Since voting to put the Referendum to dissolve the SPUC on the November ballot, the City has been...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 5, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: Shakopee Public Utilities Staff Members. Original source document. About the Ballot Question What are the City Council’s main concerns with Shakopee Public Utilities Commission? In its Aug. 18 vote to add a ballot question abolishing SPUC, the City...
by Friends of SPUC | Oct 5, 2020 | Uncategorized
Author: Mathew Meyer The United States is considered the first major representative democracy in the world. And our state and local governments have followed these principles since our country’s founding. This form of government means that citizens appoint their...
by Friends of SPUC | Sep 25, 2020 | Uncategorized
This post originally appeared on the Meyer Law Office blog on June 27, 2019. After 68 years in existence, the Shakopee Public Utilities (SPU) Commission has been under attack by the City Council since its December 2018 meeting. Partly about policy, these attacks have...
by Friends of SPUC | Sep 25, 2020 | Uncategorized
This post originally appeared on the Meyer Law Office blog on June 28, 2019. Shakopee’s citizens are now learning more about the economic realities and fairness of the Shakopee Public Utilities’ water fees and charges. Squirrel! But some are now shifting the debate to...
by Friends of SPUC | Sep 25, 2020 | Uncategorized
This post originally appeared on the Meyer Law Office blog on July 15, 2019. At tonight’s Shakopee Public Utilities Commission meeting, a representative from Ehlers, Inc.*, an industry-leading municipal advisory firm, will be presenting the results of a study...
by Friends of SPUC | Sep 25, 2020 | Uncategorized
This post originally appeared on the Meyer Law Office blog on February 28, 2020. Here’s my long, complex answer to this question. No. See for yourself. Review the report, “Quarterly Nitrate Testing Results: October 3,...
