By Lori Carlson, Editor 

It’s not just about a home’s valuation. It’s about a home’s valuation compared to other homes in the area. That’s the message Scott County Assessor’s Office staff brought to residents during a public hearing on property assessments Monday.

By Lori Carlson, Editor 

There will be no government takeover of Prior Lake’s garbage-hauling system, City Council members assured residents Monday, but a change of some kind still might be imminent.

The Prior Lake Board of Appeals and Equalization will meet tonight to hear residents' concerns about their property valuations. The hearing will take place during the City Council meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 4646 Dakota St.

Any property owner in Prior Lake who wants to appeal his or her property valuation or classification should attend this meeting. Property owners have been encouraged to check with the county assessor at (952) 496-8772 first for an explanation.

The city's celebration and dedication ceremony for the upgraded fields at Thomas Ryan Memorial Park, originally planned for Friday night, has been rescheduled due to rain.

The event now is set for 8 p.m. Sunday, May 4. Activities will include a dedication of lighting, scoreboards and other new improvements, and a tree planting in honor of Arbor Day.

Duluth Avenue will be closed Tuesday, May 6 to so public works employees can complete bituminous repairs to the intersection of Duluth Avenue and County Road 21 (Eagle Creek Avenue).

The number of home foreclosures in Prior Lake rose from 61 in 2006 to 176 in 2007, according to a recently released Scott County report.

Countywide, the number of foreclosures jumped from 313 to 644 in the same one-year period. Nearby Savage and Shakopee also saw a major leap in foreclosures, with 96 for Savage and 177 for Shakopee in 2007. In 2006, Savage had 48 foreclosures, while Shakopee had 96.

City to sell project bonds

Prior Lake City Council members will meet on Monday, April 28 to approve the sale of $1.3 million in general obligation improvement bonds to finance the Ida Circle city utility and the first phase of Brooksville Hills street reconstruction.

By Lori Carlson, Editor 

Students at St. Michael’s School could soon have access to a fitness facility in the great outdoors.

By Lori Carlson, Editor 

In the next six months, Prior Lake residents could see a change in how their garbage is hauled – and who hauls it.

By Lori Carlson, Editor 

Eight months after agreeing to $200,000 in budget reductions to make up for a lack of anticipated building-permit revenues, Prior Lake city leaders agreed Monday to another $491,000 in budget trimming for the current year.

The most recent budget offset includes $185,000 from the city's reserve contingency, which drains that fund balance completely.