Lakeshore Management making concessions at Viking Terrace
By Cait Kelley
Last Friday the Minnesota Attorney General’s office confirmed that Lakeshore Management is walking back some of its demands of Viking Terrace residents. The management company has also confirmed that the on-site manager, who may have been the source of some of the problems, has been let go.
One of the biggest concerns of residents was the new 30 plus page lease, largely a list of new rules, that Lakeshore wanted all residents to sign. The new rules included a 10pm curfew, requirements that all guests of residents be registered, and limits on what items could be kept in residents’ yards. Lakeshore also told residents that whether they signed the lease or not, they would be bound by its terms. Only three homeowners signed the lease and Katherine Kelly, Assistant Minnesota Attorney General, confirmed that Lakeshore has retracted that lease and it is void.
According to communications between Lakeshore and Viking Terrace residents and organizers, Lakeshore is hoping to collaborate with the new residents’ association to create rules for the park moving forward. Viking Terrace is not the only park owned by Lakeshore to have a residents’ association and it is not the only one to have formed a residents’ association as part of a backlash to Lakeshore’s ownership.
Despite assurances from Lakeshore that they are ready and willing to collaborate with the new Viking Terrace association, many residents are concerned that Lakeshore’s ultimate goal is to keep raising lot rent and push people out.
Mar Valdecantos is with Rice County Neighbors United, a group helping to organize and aid the residents of Viking Terrace.
Valdecantos said people feel,
“Relief, for now. But this doesn’t mean that the end goal of the company doesn’t remain the same, which is: beautify the place, on the backs of people living there, and then eventually start raising the rent. And we have low-income people, or very low-income people in this community. We have fixed-income people. They cannot afford the rent going super, super high.”
At Ardmor Village, a park in Lakeville owned by Lakeshore Management, lot rent was raised $50 this year to a total of $700 a month. Lot rent in Viking Terrace was raised $65 by Lakeshore this year, to a total of $485 a month.
Residents and organizers of Viking Terrace were considering a lawsuit against Lakeshore, but those plans are now on pause until it becomes clear what Lakeshore will do next.
Northfield Police presence serves multiple functions
Summertime in Northfield, as it is for most in the Upper Midwest, is always a busy time filled with community events and celebrations. This
past weekend saw the 150th anniversary celebration of the Northfield Fire Department and the Rice County Fair. Northfield’s Crazy Days, sponsored by the Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce will be on Thursday, which will also be the first day of the expansive four-day Vintage band Festival.
Northfield Chief of Police Mark Elliott said his department was present at the events over the weekend and will be quite visible at this week’s events, as they always are with any large community event. He said, things like crazy days of the NAFRS Celebration are excellent opportunities for the NPD to engage with the community and deepen their connections.
Elliott has regularly discussed the role the police fill in Northfield and their philosophy of crime prevention being every bit as important as investigation and enforcement. He believes it takes a certain kind of person to be a police officer in Northfield. Those looking for the intrigue of a murder investigation, or the challenge of an armed robbery call might find policing in Northfield not quite to their liking. Of course, as we have seen this summer, there are the higher profile cases that can demand energy and attention, but they can be few and farther between than they are in a big city. Elliott says his department has said his department works at Community Policing, where officers are an everyday part of the community, walking the streets, visiting businesses and getting to know the community as a whole and the individuals themselves. Elliott referenced the Night to Unite, which will be next week, as another excellent way the department gets to know the neighborhoods, and the people who live there.
But, he said, unfortunately, there are other reasons the Northfield Police are present at all community events.
“The other part of us being present is as a security factor. Unfortunately, we’ve seen it around the nation, and we know that there’s no community in the U.S. that’s not at risk for those types of things, so we want to be sure we have staff present to be able to take immediate action if necessary.”
Elliott said there are other events in August where the NPD will be present, and of course, they are preparing for the biggest event of the year, the Defeat of Jesse James Days which will begin on September 7th.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Northfield Chief of Police Mark Elliott can be heard here
HCI offering customer service training in diversity, equity and inclusion
Last week Healthy Community Initiative announced they will be offering customer service training for Northfield businesses and
organizations.
Northfield business owners, managers and employees are invited to attend the free customer service training in early August that will focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. The training is based on the results of a city-wide survey conducted by the Northfield Racial & Ethnic Equity Collaborative during spring 2022.
According to a statement issued by HCI, those who participate in the training will gain insight from the survey results and practice skills that help create an inclusive and welcoming environment for their workplace or business.
The training will be led by Jim Langemo, chief administrative officer at Hennepin Theatre Trust in Minneapolis. Langemo has been engaged in diversity-related work since 2004 and has facilitated customer service training since the mid-1990s. His training on customer service with a diversity lens is focused on the customer experience, the employee experience, and an organization’s bottom line.
Sessions will be held at Carleton College’s Weitz Center for Creativity. The training is sponsored by the City of Northfield, Northfield Hospital + Clinics, Carleton College and Healthy Community Initiative.
Two different trainings will be offered, one for business leaders and HR professionals, and one for employees. Registration is now open for either the Aug. 3 or Aug. 10 session. There are multiple sessions available for each day. For more information and to register, visit healthycommunityinitiative.org/nreec-survey/.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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