Town Manager Dave Bullock
I wish:
• That the community finds a way to embrace its unique and extraordinary human and natural assets and work together to improve the Key for current and future residents and visitors.

• No hurricanes for 2014.

• Endless, low-cost white sand that nature places on our beach for free.

• A redeveloped beautiful Colony.

• Increasing property values.

• Happy people.

• Peace.

• Calm seas, hungry fish that bite and full dive tanks.

Vice Mayor David Brenner
My 2014 wish list for Longboat Key is from the perspective of a citizen, a voter, a taxpayer and a commissioner.

The key is progress. It’s my wish that the majority of our citizens will recognize that change is happening despite what we do. Using the Urban Land Institute roadmap, we can influence how that change can benefit all of us without altering the character of the Key. It’s all about moving into the future with a well thought-out plan.

It’s also my wish that the United States can get back on the right track as a viable democracy without all the confrontation and backbiting that have become the norm. It is in our selfish interest to have a vibrant country and state in which we reside. The impact on Longboat Key is incalculable.

It is also my wish that members of the millennial generation will see the wisdom of living on Longboat Key, whether full time or part time. We need the energy they bring and the economic vitality created by these younger people, much like the Colony Beach Tennis Resort did in its heyday.

My genuine wish for good health extends to everyone here. As Tom Esselman of The Institute for the Ages will tell you, it is not your age that counts, but a mindset that knows no bounds. The only limit is how well we feel. Being creative and imaginative is a state of mind — hopefully an active lifestyle that takes advantage of all Longboat Key has to offer.

Happy holidays and a better 2014.

Commissioner Jack Duncan
I wish for peace on earth.

I wish in all our hearts and actions goodwill toward our neighbors.

I wish all residents of Longboat Key a safe, healthy and prosperous 2014.

Happy holidays.

Commissioner Terry Gans
A wish list is a difficult assignment, because I believe that if there is something you think is needed, or should be accomplished, we have to call upon the wisdom, focus and energy to make it happen. Wishing alone does not do it.

But, for the coming year on Longboat Key:

• May we treat each other as neighbors and friends.
• May we respect the sincerity and good intentions of others.
• May we use this respect and friendship to seriously discuss and debate the findings in the ULI study.
• May we move forward on those items we feel will serve our town for the future.
• May the legislature restore our ability to have referenda on density.
• May the Colony achieve the elusive Global Settlement.
• May the signals on GMD always be timed properly.
• May tropical storms and hurricanes stay away.
• May carriers embrace a small-cell solution for our remaining communications needs.
• May we all have good health.

Commissioner Lynn Larson
I wish for a complete settlement of all litigation involved with the Colony Beach Tennis Resort and the sight of a signed contract with a well financed and experienced hospitality developer. I also wish all buildings east of the Coastal Construction Line be demolished and retention, with extensive rehabilitation, of all salvageable buildings seaward of that construction line.

I wish and hope that our tax and insurance burden on our citizens doesn’t become such a burden that they have to relocate off the Key.

I wish that the commission could get its job done while most of our residents are in town and not handle big issues while they are gone in the summer. If Congress and the Legislature can do their job in so many days, we can, too.

I wish for a community center that revolves around citizen input from ULI recommendations that includes matching funding from private groups.

I wish for an updated charter that could move the fiscal year to accommodate the new commission schedule and other wishes listed.

I wish for underground utilities on the Key.

I wish for a building code that takes less than three years for an experienced developer to navigate.

I wish for building codes that would help residents of condominiums rebuild their units if they desired. To make homes safer with current hurricane standards and in step with higher ceilings, larger kitchens and baths that current buyers want would help change our Island from the one people wanted 30 years ago and retain our position as a top destination for visiting and buying homes.

I wish for an island that keeps municipal budgets in line with residents’ needs while remembering the pressure residents feel in their wallets with rising insurance rates and taxes. I wish for an island where the residents can still afford to live.

I wish for changes in our charter that would prohibit any Town Commission from incurring debt or committing the town to expenses, which would last more than a specific number of budget years without voter approval. No commission should have the power to commit future generations of taxpayers to millions of dollars without voter approval.

I wish for a vibrant north end of the Key with mixed-use development where housing is above commercial uses so that residents, who no longer wish to drive, could ride an elevator or walk to dinner, visit a hairdresser or utilize other services.

I wish to avoid turning the Centre Shops into the next Whitney Beach experience.

I wish that citizens will give much consideration to commitment of additional amenities without matching dollars for facilities from the private sector and ongoing annual budgets funded by private foundations.

I wish for more transparency in our town where citizens may follow what is happening in government. Our local press does a wonderful job of keeping the public informed but (residents) may interpret their view without input from other sources, such as more meeting broadcasts.

I wish for more community involvement from citizens. Perhaps if we do a better job of keeping them informed, we will accomplish this goal.

I wish for a date that we will make a final decision on how best to handle our poor communication issues.
I wish for many more tax dollars to cross the bridges and return to Longboat Key.

I wish for better cooperation from all parties involved in commission activities, including all commissioners so that all our wishes are accomplishments and we have an even better Longboat Key.

Many wishes involve complex issues that will consume substantial time and outside resources. Thank you to voters who returned me to office until March 2016 so that I have more time to work on these and other issues and not just wish for solutions.

Commissioner Phill Younger
Before looking to the future, I would like to note some good things that have been accomplished in 2013. For example: The long-increasing and festering pension debt for all employee groups has been stopped. Commission consensus ended the turmoil surrounding the controversial cell tower issue by agreeing that communications can be achieved without a tower. Re-codification of our land-use ordinances so that they will be in line with today’s realities and to adequately protect our citizens has begun.

Following the usual litany of items: peace on earth, goodwill to mankind, etc., for Longboat Key’s future in particular is:

• Completing fair and balanced re-codification of our land use ordinances

• Maintaining prudent control on our finances and millage rate, with no tax increases

• Resolving bureaucratic red tape issues so that we may begin actual implementation of our shoreline protection and beach nourishment projects

• Resolution of The Colony issues

• Leveraging the recent ULI evaluation and efforts by our subsequent committee to provide positive enhancements for our community

• Resolving issues surrounding the feasibility, benefits and possible location of a Community Center

• Continuing to prudently serve and protect all our residents, properties and interests, while recognizing that tourism and business must be reasonably and properly balanced to maintain and enhance our lifestyle

• That we will all arise each morning with an appreciation of our friends and loved ones and the opportunity to witness another day in this paradise in which we live

• To continue representing all residents in a fair and beneficial manner so as to keep Longboat Key an island known to us all as “paradise”

Commissioner Pat Zunz
My 2014 wish list for Longboat Key has two avenues to follow for a much-needed civil dialogue on Longboat Key. One avenue is neighborhood oriented, and the other is an island-wide approach.

I would like to see a series of neighborhood dialogues about some of the ideas ULI has recommended. These dialogues should address issues to specific neighborhoods as well as some island-wide issues. I think the town manager would be willing to help facilitate these neighborhood dialogues.

I would like to see some community-wide events at Joan M. Durante Park and Bayfront Park. At Durante Park I would like to see a bring-your-own sandwiches and drinks for an afternoon or evening of socialization and discussion, perhaps with the town manager as a facilitator of the discussion topics. At Bayfront Park I would like to see morning or afternoon “athletic” events — badminton, bocce, softball, tennis, kayaking — activities to bring people together for some fun.

And for a more ambitious island-wide undertaking, I would like to see something similar to the Symphony by the Sea, which recently enjoyed tremendous success on the island to the north of us. Perhaps we could do something similar at Durante Park, and have it catered by some of our wonderful Longboat Key restaurants.

Longboat Key Police Chief Pete Cumming
• Replace worn-out out crime scene van with a properly outfitted mini van.
• Update the police department’s patrol and support fleet.
• Increase our Marine Patrol unit to at least two officers for seven-day coverage.
• Establish a Citizens Police Academy and/or crime-prevention programs educating residents and improving community relationship with the police department.
• Create a full-time community affairs officer position to work with residents and homeowner associations.
• Update the police locker room and add a fitness center.
• Equip each officer with a laptop/tablet.
• Increase manpower to decrease overtime and improve the level of service.
• Add a bicycle officer to patrol behind the gates and Bay Isles shopping center.

Longboat Key Fire Rescue Chief Paul Dezzi
• A patient care electronic reporting system
• A combination mobile data terminal and tablet for reporting
• A communication repeaters in each vehicle for safety of responders while in high-rise buildings
• An updated incident command vehicle
• Updated breathing apparatus to be compatible with neighboring fire departments
• Accountability system for firefighter safety
• Updated fitness equipment for all town employees
• Stable workforce

Weldon Frost
• Settlement of a way to get rid of the $28 million pension unfunded liability.
• Settlement of the ongoing nonsense of the Colony so that the place can once again be a magnet for tourists who will help the local business community.
• Proceed with the ULI recommendations one way or the other so that we don’t have to wait the mandatory three years to get anything done on this island.

Commission Candidate Armando Linde
Here is my best wishes list for Longboat Key in 2014:

Above all, good health and harmony for one and all. ’Tis the season to forget old grudges and forgive past mistakes. After all, we truly live in a happy place!

Let’s aim at seeking unity of purpose in the months ahead as together we search for options to preserve and enhance the elegance of Longboat Key, its status as a premier community and its fame as an enviable resort destination.

Recent initiatives proposing the establishment of a focal point of activity on the island has led to a healthy conversation on how best to foster community spirit and a sense of pride among residents. As we seek common ground on ways to proceed, my wish is that we keep our feet firmly on the ground and consider options that are viable, affordable and benefit all island residents.

I wish wisdom to our governing body, various committees and town staff as they work through ways to streamline regulations without disturbing the feel of the island. There are funding challenges ahead, but they are far from insurmountable if we remain clear-headed and tackle them intelligently, as I am sure we will.

In this connection, we ought to find ways in 2014 to retain a more equitable share of the tax money the counties collect from us.

Finally, this is a wish and a promise on my part that the political campaign for the March election be conducted in a clean and positive manner, one that will serve to crystallize the issues facing the community and give voters clear choices.

As always, my very best wishes to everyone on Longboat Key …

Commission candidate Irwin Pastor
• I wish a wonderful happy healthy and prosperous New Year to Longboat Key residents and businesses.

• For a white knight to appear to facilitate and resolve the Colony issues.

• For the Longboat Key community to participate and support the Urban Land Institute Implementation Committee effort to recommend and evaluate the possible changes necessary to maintain and enhance the character of Longboat Key.

• For the Longboat Key Commission to have the insight and wisdom to make the necessary changes in the Comprehensive Plan and the modernization of Longboat Key’s codes and zoning to maintain and enhance the character of Longboat Key.

• That our town is successful in pursuing a legislative amendment to the new Florida state law HB537, which undermines and stalls land-use policies that our community has adopted and followed since 1984.

• That I be elected as Longboat Key commissioner at-large in the March 25 election. This would give me the opportunity to work with the commission and the town Staff to help facilitate and implement positive change for our residents and businesses of Longboat Key.

Happy New Year to all!

Commission candidate Ray Rajewski
That hurricanes stay far away from our shores.
Flood and wind insurance rates remain reasonable
The Colony issues are resolved and re-development begins.
Whitney Plaza begins to show signs of improvement.
2014 is an important election year; be informed and vote.
May God protect our service men and women overseas.
Continued good health and prosperity for all residents of Longboat Key. Enjoy all that it has to offer.

Jeff Mayers, general manager of the Longboat Key Club
• Continued growth in tourism
• Growth in the number of businesses on the Key
• Phenomenal weather particularly during the winter and spring seasons
• No hurricane activity
• Health and prosperity for our residents
• Membership growth for the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce
• Creation of projects to enhance the quality of life through the Longboat Key Foundation

Bob Gault
I wish that the Colony Beach Tennis Resort parties will come to their senses, come to an agreement, level the property and build a new beautiful resort of which we can be proud.

I wish that the Longboat Key Hilton Beachfront Resort project will be approved as soon as possible so we can get that resort renovated and add additional hotel rooms.

I wish that the Longboat Key Club will present a new renovation-and-expansion project for the island to give us a beautiful new club that will help the vitality of this island.

Rabbi Jonathan Katz
I wish town leaders would challenge FDOT regulations that prevent communities from using stylized signposts that would provide measure of unique civic character. Longboat Key along Gulf of Mexico Drive would look so much more attractive and inviting if it featured distinctive signposts.

I wish more Jewish residents of Longboat Key would support the only Jewish congregation on Longboat Key.

I wish more people living in paradise would complain less and be thankful more. The glass is always much more half-full than half-empty on Longboat Key.

I wish there was a coffee shop in the Publix shopping center.

I wish there was a nice playground where children, parents and grandparents could spend some nice quality time together.

I wish Longboat Key had an inventive motto.

I wish there could be a small stage setup in the vicinity of Publix for community concerts and/or outdoor films.

I wish there was a weekly farmers market on the Key.

Lenny Landau
I love Longboat Key, and most people I know love it as well. However, although we all love Longboat Key, there are differences in our views of what the future will bring.

There are those who believe that all is well and that the best course of action is to do nothing. Others, like myself, believe that a do-nothing policy will hasten the demise of our beloved island.

Although the ULI study suggested many actions, in my opinion the most significant benefit was the data presented and observations confirming that a proactive program is required to assure our future … what I refer to as the “call to action.”

Note the following ULI observations:

1. Nearly all purchasing retirement or vacation properties had spent vacation time on Longboat Key

2. High property values with a shrinking pipeline of new purchasers

3. Buyers looking for newer products, which are in short supply: high ceilings, open floor plans, larger modern kitchens

4. Comp Plan and zoning codes are outdated

5. Seasonal traffic congestion

6. Residents and visitors require consistent and reliable wireless communications

7. Businesses struggle to survive in the off-season

My wish for Longboat Key for 2014 is that we come together as a community and agree on the issues.

Then, action plans addressing the issues can be developed that all can embrace and support.

Bob Simmons, chairman of the board of directors for the new Longboat Key Foundation
My wishes for Longboat Key in 2014 include a successful first -year launch of the new Longboat Key Foundation.

The foundation exists “for the support and benefit of exclusively charitable purposes in and for the benefit of Longboat Key and its residents.”

My wish is for the many wonderful and civic-minded residents of Longboat Key to contribute to the Longboat Key Foundation and its endeavors.

Milan Adrian
My wish list for Longboat Key in 2014 includes the following:

• A resolution for the Colony that satisfies all parties fairly, including the demolition of the existing facilities and new construction of a world-class resort and tennis facility. Along with this rebuilding, this area of Longboat Key will become the tennis mecca of Southwest Florida because it includes the Longboat Key Public Tennis Center and the Longboat Key Club Tennis Gardens. This wish would create a huge tourist destination and increase demand for housing and raise real estate values.

• Revisit the DROP program for public employees and drop it. The commission passing this outrageous benefit was nothing other than repeating the mistakes of prior commissions. Small benefits eventually become large benefits and costs, and that’s how the town got onto its unfunded pension liability mess to begin with. Drop the DROP.

• Longboat Key voters many years ago rejected a $6 million community center. If any center is to be built, let the financing come from the Sarasota County 1% tax approved a few years ago to fund recreational activities. Longboat Key tax payers contribute an enormous proportion of real estate taxes toward public schools for the few students residing on the island. John Ringling was smart in one regard: He withdrew Longboat Key from the city of Sarasota. What he failed to do is withdraw Longboat Key from both Sarasota and Manatee counties, a far more costly mistake.

• If a town center is to be built, it needs to be in the area surrounding Publix, CVS, post office, tennis center, etc., because that area has already become the unofficial town center with all the amenities clustered together. The Bayfront Park can continue as is and eventually be torn down as it deteriorates and the land is sold for private development.

• On a macro level, America must restore itself as a nation of individuals pursuing his/her own dreams of independence and self-sufficiency to maximize the individual’s prosperity and happiness. Each person pursuing his own goals simultaneously creates a nation of communal prosperity where everyone benefits and thrives. Communism does not work — the collapse of the Soviet Union and central planning is proof positive. Each maximizing his own results in the ultimate prosperity of all.

Bradford Saivetz
1. That the residents of Longboat Key awake from their deep slumber and apathy and understand that their vote is important and install a Town Commission that works “For the People,” and not for the commercial interests that flourish here

2. That the town commissioners consider paying for the privilege of serving, rather than looking for compensation.

3. That when it comes to spending our money, the town commissioners understand that things that affect our quality of life deserve more consideration than those attracting the casual visitor. (This includes adequate compensation for the Town employees who make this town what it is.)

4. That the Town Commission relinquish its “final say” control over plan approval which, rightfully, should be returned to the Planning and Zoning Board.

5. That the Planning and Zoning Board members be elected by the citizenry and not continue as the “Old Boys Club” and Farm League Team of the Commission.

6. That the town commissioners and Planning and Zoning Board members be elected; two from, and by, the voters in each district and one at-large.

7. That the Town Commission remove itself from supervision over the town staff and allow the town manager do its job.

8. That the town dispense with a town attorney chosen from the local field — and engage a town attorney, properly accredited, who works for the town without any baggage of local affiliations or connections.

9. That the Town turn back the clock and reinstall the zoning laws and the Comprehensive Plan in effect prior to the application relating to the Key Club expansion proposal. The Town has since been doing handsprings in order to accommodate the departures requested in that proposal. Those laws and Comprehensive Plan served us well and helped create the ambiance here.

10. That, in the event that further development plans are proposed in our town, that the reviewing personnel re-read the Zoning Laws with respect to parking areas and see that they require “mature trees” (not Palms) installed at every six parking spaces. I can understand why planning professional present lavishly pre-stamped landscaping plans (I admit guilt in this regard, back in the real world) but, obviously, they do not always result in the same properly landscaped and shaded parking lot which formerly existed in the previous Avenue of the Flowers and, now presentg in the present Centre Shops.

11.That the Town Commission cease to spend their time and our money on their dream of a Community Center, complete with Pickle Ball courts.

12. That the Town Commission cease to spend their time and our money on their dream of a Town Center, complete with dog runs and Realty Offices.

Madelyn Spoll
• Residents working together to bring LBK into the future

• Island-wide communication (cellular and/or Wi-Fi) and that it be the best available now and not wait for some future technology to come down the line

• The completion of the Comprehensive Plan and codes, done as a priority, not something that drags on forever.

• Bayfront Park being turned into a recreational area using the plan put forth by Sarasota County as a starting point.

David Novak
For those considering a residence here, welcome. For those looking to leave, thanks for being part of us.

For those eager to contribute, there’s a cause that can use your talents. For those seeking rest and relaxation, don’t overdose. For those declining with age, you can still grow in importance. For those who service us with their labor and skills, take pride in that we wouldn’t be the same without you.

Ann Roth and Gaele Barhold, former co-presidents of the former Longboat Key Public Interest Committee (PIC)
Our wish would be to have a collegiality among our leaders and citizens that would alleviate the impediments to the necessary revitalization of Longboat Key while maintaining its character and insuring its future.

Bud, Vera, Mark and Mike Freeman
Many thanks for giving us the opportunity of extending our wish list for 2014.

1. We wish for speed bumps along Bayview Drive to control speeding by some drivers who pay no attention to signage. Note: This request has not been checked with our neighbors but is a personal observation that has worsened over the past year.

2. We wish for safer access to Gulf of Mexico Drive from Bayview Drive. At the entrance to Bayview Drive off/on the GMD from Bayview Drive, the town graciously planted shrubs, which are desirable to a point. The point is, these shrubs are apparently planted without regard to automotive safe access to and from GMD. We wish for relief.

3. As 32-year, full-time residents, we have, over the years, noted a heavy increase in bicycle traffic along GMD. The roadside bike paths are about half the needed width for safety concerns, making it necessary, all too often, for motorists to cross the yellow lines to keep clear of bikers. This condition is exacerbated by seasonal traffic increases when many much-older (some infirm) drivers are traveling GMD. There appears to be enough space on either side of the roadway for another 2 feet of paved bike path without an adverse effect upon the scenery. (I personally always use the original bike path/sidewalk as a result.) Frankly, the roadside path is downright dangerous to life and limbs and takes just one thoughtless zig or zag of a biker to cause a disaster. We doubt anything will be done about this but thought it worth noting anyway for the record.

4. We wish that all wannabes who run for local office would be required to have lived here on the Key full time for at least 10 years prior to filing to run for office. After 32 years on the Key, we have come to believe this would provide a far better understanding of Longboat’s needs than lesser-time residents.

5. We also wish to thank you and all members of the Observer for providing us with the Observer. We enjoy it very much and watched it grow with Longboat Key.

6. We wish the islanders would come out and support our library and long-suffering Historical Society. The history of financial support should be embarrassing to everyone.

7. We also wish to thank the town for a great job in keeping Longboat Key as it is. Those I have spoken with feel we Longboaters enjoy the best there is in facilities to include fire and personnel protection and great administration.

Thanks for this opportunity and very best wishes to you and everyone there for a wonderful holiday season and prosperous New Year.

Rusty Chinnis
This year, I wish the Town Commission carefully weigh the benefits and costs of beach nourishment, particularly putting hardened structures on the beaches. There are lots of examples of the use of structures that could be examined to assess their ability to perform as intended.

I believe a review of the in-place structures will reveal that they are marginally effective and may actually be detrimental. I would suggest anyone involved in the process or interested in it. Google and watch the documentary “Shored Up.”

It’s my wish that the commission consider more open space projects for the Key. One suggestion would be on the north end of the Key perhaps in the Village on the east side of Palm Drive bordered on the west by vacant lots on Longboat Drive South.

I also wish the commission continues to listen to the people of the Village to maintain the area’s character.
I wish the town would financially support Sarasota Bay Watch, the 501(c)3, environmental organization that is working to protect and enhance the quality of Sarasota Bay. Sarasota Bay Watch is the organization that has released 54 million scallop larvae in the last two years in an effort to re-establish stable breeding populations.

Dr. Michael P. Crosby, president and CEO of Mote Marine Laboratory
Ocean literacy: Our community is fascinated with the oceans, just like our scientists and educators at Mote. However, many underestimate how much our oceans matter to life on Earth. More than 2.6 billion people rely on seafood as a major source of protein. Half of Earth’s oxygen comes from phytoplankton, tiny ocean life forms. Our own Sarasota Bay is an estuary of national significance, providing essential habitat for many animals. A major goal of our informal science-education programs here is to help more members of our community understand why oceans matter and why science is important in helping to inform decisions that may impact marine and coastal ecosystems.

Volunteerism: Like many nonprofits, Mote benefits immeasurably from hardworking volunteers — in our case, more than 1,600 this year. In 2014, I hope to see this selfless spirit grow to benefit all nonprofits in need and our entire community.

Working together: I would like to see more local organizations team up to solve problems important to our community. I’ve experienced the power of teamwork firsthand during our efforts to restore depleted scallop populations here. Mote scientists are developing and implementing shellfish restoration projects by working closely with community volunteers in Sarasota Bay Watch, the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and other partners — including international partners from Japan and even local high schools students. I hope such teamwork will flourish in the future.

Appreciation: The New Year is a great time to renew our appreciation for iconic programs that give back to Sarasota. For example, Mote’s Sea Turtle Patrol has monitored local nesting beaches to help conserve endangered sea turtles, providing data to local municipalities and educating local residents, for more than 31 years — even while funding sources have fluctuated, declined or disappeared. I encourage readers to find the program most meaningful to them and support it however they can.

 

 

 

DUNMORE – Work on James McHale Park’s new ball field and parking lot won’t wrap up until after the winter, but park patrons now have more new features to look forward to.

Lackawanna County commissioners this month awarded a $35,000 Re-Invest Program grant to Dunmore to further develop the park.

Michael McHale, borough council vice president and son of the park’s namesake, planned to use the grant to create a walking trail through the park.

Other plans for the money, depending on how far borough officials can stretch the dollars, include new lighting, landscaping and trash receptacles.

“We want to use it to beautify the park,” Mr. McHale said. “We have about $200,000 worth of ideas.”

James McHale Park, also known as Monroe Park, is next to the Dunmore Borough Community Center.

The area is Dunmore’s only borough-owned park, and Mr. McHale wants to transform it into a thriving recreation hub.

The park got a boost in 2009 when county commissioners provided funding for its playground, and donors and volunteers have recently come forward to install the new ball field and parking lot.

The park now has two ball fields, used by Dunmore Little League, and Mr. McHale has said tee-ball and PONY (Protect Our Nation’s Youth) players will use the new, smaller field.

He said the weather delayed work on the new field and the parking lot that will accommodate 40 to 50 cars, and he hopes it will wrap up in the spring.

Contact the writer: kwind@timesshamrock.com, @kwindTT on Twitter

Designs for a new state Senate office building near the Capitol complex are nearly complete, but the controversial project will face renewed scrutiny early next year as House lawmakers — many of who felt blindsided by the proposal — take the project up for a vote.

Lawmakers, architects and officials from the Department of Administration went over almost-finalized outside renderings and three-dimensional models of the $90 million office building last week, a modern-looking glass structure that will sit on the Capitol’s north side. Construction is supposed to start sometime next spring, with the building slated to be complete in 2015. Its construction will coincide with a massive project to renovate the 105-year-old Capitol building.

But before that can happen, the project must clear a public hearing in the House and Senate rules committees, likely sometime in January. Few expect trouble from senators, but some House lawmakers are miffed over how the proposal passed last session.

Senate Democrats included the building in the tax bill in the 2013 session’s final hours. While that bill passed off the floors of both DFL-controlled chambers and was signed by DFL Gov. Mark Dayton, House Democrats and the governor say there was little talk about the provision until after session ended.

“I understand that the Senate, just like the House, doesn’t like the other chamber interfering in their design-making, but when it’s an expenditure of public funds, especially such a large expenditure, I think the House should have been more involved,” DFL Rep. John Benson, vice-chair of the House rules committee, said. “Unless I can be convinced differently, I’m pretty skeptical of it.”

New building offers public space

But advocates of the project say the building was designed with Minnesotans in mind — not senators.

The new building will include three massive hearing rooms that can hold hundreds of spectators. The need for larger hearings rooms was illustrated last session, advocates say, as huge crowds gathered for high-profile hearings on gun control and gay marriage.

Roughly $27 million of the total project will be spent on a public parking ramp and tunnel level parking for the disabled. There would be a public entrance space and gallery, according to recent renderings, and the building would be the new home of the Legislative Reference Library. The library is currently housed in the State Office Building.

Senators on the second and third floors would have offices hugging a front wall of glass facing the north side of the Capitol, and office-level floors are dotted with smaller conference rooms for work. Early brainstorming sessions for the building included a fitness room and a reflecting pool, but those ideas were nixed in the most recent designs, Department of Administration spokesman Curt Yoakum said.  

It was those details that sparked the interest of Dayton, who recently expressed concern that the new building was going to become too costly and wouldn’t fit in with the “Minnesota modest” spirit of its neighboring Capitol buildings. Yoakum said they’ve been working to accommodate the governor’s concerns and keep the project in budget.

“Administration has been working with the design build team on things such as changes to the mechanical systems and landscaping to keep it within budget. I think on top of that, administration is also undertaking a benchmarking process for this to compare this building with similar government buildings to make sure the costs and design are in alignment,” Yoakum said. “You aren’t looking at anything out of line here.”

House critics warn of ‘overbuilding’

Republicans have criticized the project since session ended, and the building is subject to a lawsuit from former House Republican lawmaker Jim Knoblach, who says putting it in the tax bill violates the single subject rule in the state constitution. The tax bill is about taxes, not buildings, he said.

DFL House Capital Investment Chairwoman Alice Hausman agrees. She says the new building should have been vetted in bonding committees. She also doesn’t like using a lease-to-purchase bond sale as the financing method for the project.

“It was a way to go around the process and it was a way for this to go to the head of the list over all the other projects we should have done this year,” Hausman said. “Lease-to-purchase is an expensive way to do it, because it requires us in the future to always appropriate for it.”

What’s more, she said the building doesn’t achieve the goals laid out by the Senate, which included providing swing space during Capitol construction and permanently housing all senators from both parties in the same building for the first time in decades. But early renderings show only 44 senator offices for the 67-member chamber in the new space, Hausman said.

“They have made matters worse. They now have some senators in an office building, and some in the Capitol,” she said. “My concern is that we are overbuilding, and for what?”

Originally, the bill was only to go before the Senate rules committee, Hausman said, but she managed to add a provision at last minute that required a House hearing as well.

“Given the reports I’ve seen in the news, I think we have to look very critically at what comes in front of the rules committee,” said Rep. Rick Hansen, DFL- South St. Paul, who sits on the panel.

Benson, a fiscal moderate from Minnetonka who is retiring next fall, said there are far better ways to spend state dollars. “We’ve got bridges and roads and all kinds of things that need public financing,” Benson said. “I think senators and representatives can stay in their cubby holes a little longer.”

GLENS FALLS — Paul Smith stood in his front yard, bathed in thousands of lights from his annual Christmas display, and flashed a smile as bright as any holiday bulb.

“I’ve got some tremendous plans for next year,” said Smith, whose yard and house at 22 Clayton Ave. has been a holiday destination and local landmark for a quarter-century. “You just wait.”

Despite Thursday’s chilly weather, dozens of people, many of them children, trooped through the well-worn paths in his yard, gaping at the lights, small buildings and other ornaments large and small. On one side of the house is a manger, sitting across from a display window that hosts a huge, light-up ceramic village. On the roof is an angel with wings and around the yard are all types of holiday decorations.

Unlike other homes that invite a slow ride past, Smith’s begs a visit.

“There are more than 20 buttons to push, and every one of them does something special,” said Smith, who is especially proud of a newly constructed helicopter that lifts Santa above the house when the right button gets pushed. “If you drive by, you’ll miss too much.”

He’s constantly looking for ways to improve — he and his 12-year-old daughter Chelsea went to a “Christmas in July” event in Tennessee this summer to learn about the latest technology.

Another Santa, along with the chimney he is deposited into with the push of another button, is the oldest piece in the display, dating back to the first year.

“I am guessing it was 26 years ago,” Smith said.

Those who have been visiting Smith’s display over the years will notice something different this time around. A small building with an inside display, which used to be along one side of the yard, has been moved to the front.

While the Santa and chimney — which were donated to Smith by Storytown USA founder Charles R. Wood — are the oldest pieces in the show. The newest are 12 clear tubes filled with LEDs called “Cosmic Color Ribbons,” which are made by Light-O-Rama, an international company based in South Glens Falls.

Each flexible weatherproof strip has 150 super bright color LEDs spaced evenly along its length and comes with a controller that allows it to be programmed. Smith has them set to flash various designs along with music after visitors press one of three buttons on a control panel. The speakers are positioned so the music that plays in time with the lights can only be heard in front of them, and the music playing by the driveway and beyond can only be heard there.

The strips are set up to look like a Christmas tree, with a big star at the top.

“I had to put it over there. It’s 23 feet tall. It would have been three feet above the roof,” he said.

Getting popular

Smith is far from the only homeowner to use Light-O-Rama’s cosmic ribbons. Like many other who spend their holidays showing off their homes, Smith is watching ABC’s “The Great American Light Fight,” a series that matches complex, decorated homes against one another.

Dan Baldwin, who with his wife, Mary, runs Light-O-Rama, has also been watching.

“I would say two-third of the people competing are our customers,” he said. “The guy who won the other night was definitely one of ours.”

That particular home decorator was Brian Larsen, who owns a landscaping company and has more than 1 million lights on his home in Elburn, Ill.

“That one was really amazing,” Smith said. “I love to watch that stuff.”

He also loves to make things, putting to use his experience as an installer with Mahoney Alarms Inc. of Glens Falls, where he worked until being seriously injured in a car crash about 10 years ago. He combines his own knowledge of electricity with an ability to find others who can help him find what he needs and put it together.

“It’s amazing how much people help with this,” Smith’s wife, Pam, said. “We get a lot of donations, and people just really love to see it grow.”

Smith begins his projects in September, working by himself most of the time. His accident left him with issues with his short-term memory, so when he’s building something new, like the helicopter or the color-ribbon display, he has to carefully detail his trial and error.

Eventually, as he gets closer, he has friends help, and by Thanksgiving night, he’s almost always ready to go. This year, because of all the changes, he was one day late, but his display looks better than ever.

Industry leader

Just as the Smiths’ display has changed and expanded, the Baldwins’ company has gotten much larger in the 15 years since they moved from New Jersey and to the forefront of lighting displays.

So much has happened in that time that even Baldwin himself sounds incredulous at times.

“We’re only seeing the beginning of what’s going to start happening with automated, animated lights,” Dan Baldwin said. “It used to be you had lights that were one color, and you might have three strands of different colors and light them at different times.

“Now you have the RGB (red, green, blue) lights, which means every light can be any color you want it to be at any one time,” he said. “Now every light has a mind of its own.”

Even though he knows what the lights can do and is the one who sells them, Baldwin remains amazed at what people do with them.

“It’s mind-boggling the scale some people go with this stuff,” he said. “You measure lights in channels, the zones of lights you have, and there are some people who have 20,000 or 30,000 channels. That’s mind-blowing.”

Smith will never have anything on that scale. He’s limited by his space.

But don’t forget, he’s got some wild ideas for next year.

“OK, look at the cosmic ribbons now,” he said. “They’re in the shape of a Christmas tree.

“Now, even them out and make them horizontal,” he said, speaking a little faster and getting excited. “Imagine you could have the music playing and the lights flashing so you could see the words to the Christmas carol flashing on the ribbon. You could have kids standing here, reading the words and singing along.

“Wouldn’t that be something?”