Town Talks

Police Chief Todd Milburn will continue the City of Edina’s “Town Talks” with a discussion about auto theft, theft from auto and other public safety issues. Due to interest in the topic, the event will be held twice: noon to 1 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 20, in the Council Chambers of Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50^th St.

Auto thefts and thefts from autos are on the rise in Edina and across the metropolitan area. An attempted carjacking occurred in Edina Dec. 9. The Police Department is actively investigating these crimes. Patrols have been increased in neighborhoods where these crimes have been reported.

Hosted by City Manager Scott Neal, the Town Talk will include a presentation by Milburn on crime trends and crime prevention tips. Members of the Edina City Council will be in attendance. An open forum will follow to allow residents and staff the opportunity to discuss the topic and ask questions.

The Town Talk will be broadcast live on Edina TV and available for online viewing on Facebook Live and through the City’s website. Those who would like to ask a question from home can call 800-374-0221 with Conference ID 6070997 (noon) or 7098578 (7 p.m.). Press *1 on your telephone keypad when you are ready to ask a question during that part of the event. An operator will mute your line place you into a queue until it is your turn to speak.

The video and materials for the Town Talk will be available on BetterTogetherEdina.org for a week following the presentation. Additional questions and comments may be posted there for staff members after the Town Talk.

The Town Talk will be shown on Edina TV (Comcast Channels 813 and 16) 7 p.m. Mondays, 3 a.m. and 11 a.m. Tuesdays, 11 p.m. Thursdays and 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Fridays.

Engineering Director Chad Millner will continue the City of Edina’s “Town Talks” with a discussion about future street funding in Edina. The event will be held online 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 1.

Since the late 1990s, adjacent property owners have been assessed roadway reconstruction costs. As estimates for special assessments increased to as much as $32,000, it became apparent the City may not be able to justify the benefit of the cost to each property owner as required by Minnesota law. A Street Funding Task Force was formed by City Manager Scott Neal in 2020 and charged with reevaluating the Special Assessment Policy.

The Edina City Council in July approved the Task Force’s recommendation to reduce assessments each year until it reaches no assessment at Year 16. As a result, all taxpayers will pay taxes to the City for street reconstruction.

Hosted by City Manager Scott Neal, the Town Talk will include a presentation by Millner and Ann Swenson, chair of the Street Funding Task Force, on the new plan for funding local street reconstruction. An open forum will follow to allow residents and staff the opportunity to discuss the topic of the night and ask questions.

The Town Talk will be broadcast live on Edina TV and available for online viewing on Facebook Live and through the City’s website. Those who would like to ask a question from home can call 800-374-0221 with Conference ID 4133679. Press *1 on your telephone keypad when you are ready to ask a question during that part of the event. An operator will mute your line place you into a queue until it is your turn to speak.

The video and materials for the Town Talk will be available on BetterTogetherEdina.org for a week following the presentation. Additional questions and comments may be posted there for staff members after the Town Talk.

The Town Talk will be shown on Edina TV (Comcast Channels 813 and 16) 7 p.m. Mondays, 3 a.m. and 11 a.m. Tuesdays, 11 p.m. Thursdays and 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Fridays.

For more information, contact the City’s Communications Department, 952-826-0359.

Fire Chief Andrew Slama will continue the City of Edina’s “Town Talks” with a discussion about his department’s operations. The event will be held 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, in the Council Chambers of Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50^th St.

Hosted by City Manager Scott Neal, the Town Talk will include a presentation by Slama on the department, recent trends and the need for new fire stations. An open forum will follow to allow residents and staff the opportunity to discuss the topic of the night and ask questions

"I look forward to engaging with the residents about the current fire service delivery model, and ensuring we are prepared for future challenges to Fire and EMS service,” Slama said.

The Town Talk will be broadcast live on Edina TV and available for online viewing on Facebook Live and through the City’s website. Those who would like to ask a question from home can call 800-374-0221 with Conference ID 5675597. Press *1 on your telephone keypad when you are ready to ask a question during that part of the event. An operator will mute your line place you into a queue until it is your turn to speak. Those in attendance will be invited to speak before those participating remotely.

The video and materials for the Town Talk will be available on BetterTogetherEdina.org for a week following the presentation. Additional questions and comments may be posted there for staff members after the Town Talk.

The Town Talk will be shown on Edina TV (Comcast Channels 813 and 16) 8 p.m. Mondays, 4 a.m. and noon Tuesdays, 10 p.m. Thursdays and 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. Fridays.

For more information, contact the City’s Communications Department, 952-826-0359.

Race & Equity Coordinator Heidi Lee will continue the City of Edina’s “Town Talks” with a discussion about how the community’s changing demographics impact the City’s race and equity work. The event will be held 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, July 26, in the Council Chambers of Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St.

Hosted by City Manager Scott Neal, the Town Talk will include a presentation by Lee on the City’s race and equity work, collecting data and the future of the work in Edina. An open forum will follow to allow residents and staff the opportunity to discuss the topic of the night and ask questions.

“Race and equity work has many different layers such as systemic, institutional, interpersonal and internal,” Lee said. “I will provide information to make connections to the different layers of work.”

The Town Talk will be broadcast live on Edina TV and available for online viewing on Facebook Live and through the City’s website. The video and materials for the Town Talk will be available on BetterTogetherEdina.org for a week following the presentation. Additional questions and comments may be posted there for staff members after the Town Talk.

The Town Talk will be shown on Edina TV (Comcast Channels 813 and 16) 8 p.m. Mondays, 4 a.m. and noon Tuesdays, 10 p.m. Thursdays and 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. Fridays July 27-Aug. 24.

For more information, contact the City’s Communications Department, 952-826-0359.

The City of Edina held its second Town Talks of 2021 on May 19. If you missed it, you can check out the video!

Sustainability Coordinator Grace Hancock will continue the City of Edina’s “Town Talks” with a virtual discussion about current sustainability initiatives and the City’s Climate Action Plan from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 19.

Hosted by City Manager Scott Neal, the Town Talk will include a presentation by Hancock on building energy efficiency, transportation emission reduction, City operations initiatives, and programs for residents and businesses like Home Energy Squad and the Green Business Recognition Program. An open forum will follow to allow residents and staff the opportunity to discuss the topic of the night and ask questions. Engineering Director Chad Millner will also be available during the open forum to help answer questions.

“I am excited to connect directly with community members in Edina to share updates on sustainability initiatives already underway, and to introduce Edina’s newest effort to develop its first climate action plan,” Hancock said.

The discussion will be held via Webex. Here’s how to access the Webex event:

Attendee link: http://bit.ly/TownTalkSustainability

Event number: 177 172 8678

Event password: 326566

You may also call in to listen by dialing 415-655-0001 with access code 177 172 8678.

The Town Talk will be recorded for broadcast on Edina TV and available for online viewing. The video and materials for the Town Talk will be available on this webpage for a week following the presentation. Additional questions and comments may be posted there for staff members after the Town Talk.

The Town Talk will be shown on Edina TV, Comcast Channels 813 and 16, 8 p.m. Mondays, 4 a.m. and noon Tuesdays, 10 p.m. Thursdays and 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. Fridays May 20-June 16.

For more information, contact the City’s Communications Department, 952-826-0359.

The City of Edina held its first 2021 Town Talks on March 3 on Organics Recycling. If you missed it, you can check out the video!

Organics Recycling Coordinator Twila Singh will continue the City of Edina’s “Town Talks” with a virtual discussion about transportation and traffic from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 3.

Hosted by City Manager Scott Neal, the Town Talk will start with a formal presentation on the goals of the City’s organics recycling program and statistics from the first year of collection. An open forum will follow to allow residents and staff the opportunity to discuss the topic of the night and ask questions. Community Health Administrator Jeff Brown will also be available during the open forum to help answer questions.

“Our landfills are running out of space. Our garbage is increasingly being shipped out of Minnesota to our neighboring states because there is no more room here, and that is directly costing us all more money. It is crucial that we reduce the weight and volume of the garbage which we all create, or our grandchildren are going to be paying for the costs of cleaning up the new landfills that will have to be built,” Singh said. “Organics recycling is a key action that can be done by almost every resident in Edina. Every single person in this city can make a difference. I am looking forward to sharing our progress so far, answering questions and sharing goals for the upcoming year with everyone.”

The discussion will be held via Webex. Here’s how to access the Webex event:

• Attendee link: bit.ly/TownTalkOrganics
• Event number: 177 653 4176
• Event password: 039847

You may also call in to listen by dialing 415-655-0001 with access code 177 653 4176

Residents may submit questions in advance at BetterTogetherEdina.org or call in March 3 to pose them. Materials for the Town Talk will be available on BetterTogetherEdina.org for a week following the presentation. Additional questions and comments may be posted there for staff members after the Town Talk.

The Town Talk will be recorded for broadcast on Edina TV and available for online viewing.

For more information, contact the City’s Communications Department, 952-826-0359.

The City of Edina held the third of its 2020 Town Talks in September on Transportation and Traffic. If you missed it, you can check out the video!

Transportation Planner Andrew Scipioni will conclude this year’s “Town Talks” with a virtual discussion about transportation and traffic from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16.

The discussion will touch on some of the City’s goals related to transportation planning and what staff is doing to meet them. Topics will include CloverRide; electric vehicle strategy; travel demand management; sidewalks and bicycle facilities; speed limits; and partnerships with other agencies, including Metro Transit, Hennepin County and the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The Town Talk will start with a formal presentation followed by an open forum to allow residents and staff the opportunity to discuss the topic of the night and ask questions. Engineering Director Chad Millner will also be available during the open forum to help answer questions.

“Though Edina is nearly fully developed, its transportation system continues to evolve to meet the needs and challenges of the community,” says Scipioni. “The primary focus of today’s transportation planning is not on building new roads, but managing the existing and future network to achieve efficiency, livability, safety and sustainability.”

The discussion will be held via Webex. Here’s how to access the Webex event:

• Attendee link: bit.ly/TownTalkTraffic
• Event number: 133 680 6234
• Event password: 57931
• You may also call in to listen by dialing 415-655-0001 with access code 133 680 6234.

Relevant materials for the Town Talk, include strategic planning documents and maps, are available on this site in the documents section. Additional questions and comments may be posted in the Q&A section for staff members. The Town Talk will be recorded for broadcast on Edina TV and available for online viewing.