The city of Mound is welcoming the arrival of spring by giving the green light to a park beautification project spearheaded by a resident who resides near Belmont Park. Tyler Pieper presented his proposal to the Mound City Council during its April 23 meeting, seeking to expand the current sections of native plants.
Pieper explained that, besides enhancing the park’s appeal for visitors, the project will also contribute to boosting critical pollinator habitats and creating a natural barrier to keep children away from traffic. The safety of children holds particular significance for Pieper given that he has a two-year-old son.
The council approved funding of $700 for plantings, which translates to approximately 230 plants. Pieper will handle the planting, while city public works staff will assist with mulching and watering.
Following the approval of the park project, the council also deliberated on extending its support to another resident, Svetlana Sapegina, a prolific Russian beadwork artist renowned for her exceptional three-dimensional models of beaded flowers and trees.
Sapegina moved to Mound in 2022 with her husband and is seeking an exhibition space for her work and a forum for teaching classes. In 2023, two of her pieces took first and second place at the Minnesota State Fair. Her most extraordinary pieces can be found in art collections belonging to the British Royal Family, former first lady Melania Trump, Russian governors and Russian art museums, as well as private collections in several countries.
Sapegina has also developed her own beading technique and published two books. Her next exhibition will be May 10 - June 4 at the Kouba Gallery located at the Minnesota Valley Chapter of the Izaak Walton League in Bloomington. The council offered that Sapegina may be able to exhibit her work in the new Westonka Library once it opens.
In other news, the council provided conditional approval for a five-year contract with Revize for a redesign of the city website, subject to final review by the city manager and city attorney. The city currently uses Civicplus for website services and support, but as their three-year contract nears its end, they are seeking alternatives. Civicplus is currently engaged in a companywide system update, preventing them from scheduling redesigns until 2025, which prompted the city to explore other options.
Maggie Reisdorf, deputy city manager, explained that the staff sought proposals from three companies that specialize in government websites, including Revize, Granicus, and Civicplus. Revize emerged as the preferred choice due to its comprehensive pricing structure, in contrast to the add-on pricing models of the other proposals.
Reisdorf, alongside Mayor Jason Holt and Council Member Kathy McEnaney, serves on the Communications Committee, responsible for reviewing the goals and vision for the city’s website. A key focus of the redesign is to improve the user experience by implementing a more intuitive layout coupled with enhanced administrative flexibility for making modifications.
The committee would also like to see a dedicated section of the website devoted to city meetings and a better connection to social media and digital newsletters. Additionally, the city intends to introduce new functionalities such as online employment applications, online bill payment options, and the integration of opt-in email and text notifications.
Another agenda item for the council was a presentation from Kevin Anderson, Hennepin County Commissioner for District Seven, on the county’s ongoing priorities.
According to Anderson, over 50 percent of Hennepin County’s budget goes towards health and human services and over 2,600 Mound residents are recipients of those services.
The next largest portion of the budget is public safety, and Anderson explained that the county increased the budget for staffing for the Sheriff’s Department last year to make sure that they had the capacity to recruit and retain detention deputies. Along with that, he shared that the county recently approved grant renewals for cities that benefit from the embedded social worker program, including Orono.
Anderson also emphasized various public works initiatives underway on County Road 110 and County Road 15. Additionally, he mentioned the county’s efforts to establish an alternative location for library services during the construction of the new library, including a potential collaboration with the Westonka School District.
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