Shorewood, located on the shores of Lake Minnetonka, was originally part of Excelsior Township and was not incorporated until 1956. Lake Minnetonka, meaning “big water,” receives its name from Dakota (Sioux) Indians who spent summers at the lake. The U.S. government opened this area for homesteading in 1855. Many of the original settlers are the namesakes for local roads, bays and neighborhoods.

In the early 1880s, the lake area began to develop as a resort spot. Streetcars and “streetcar boats” provided transportation around the lake and surrounding communities. You can still see an old “streetcar boat,” Minnehaha, cruising around Lake Minnetonka today.

Shorewood, within Hennepin County, is on the south shore of Lake Minnetonka. It incorporates 3,600 acres and is six miles long and one mile wide. State Hwy. 7 runs east and west through the city. There are approximately 2,725 households within the city. The city is primarily a residential community with limited commercial establishments along Hwy. 7. The larger employers in Shorewood are Cub Foods, the Shorewood Village Shopping Center, Xcel Energy and Minnetonka Country Club.

Three islands — Spray, Enchanted and Shady Islands — are located in Shorewood. Although the islands are located within the city boundaries, they receive postal service and fire protection as well as education services from Mound.

City of Shorewood

5755 Country Club Rd. 952-474-3236
Craig Dawson, City Administrator
Shoreline 952-474-3236 ext. 1
Fax 952-474-0128
E-mail cityhall@ci.shorewood.mn.us
Web site www.ci.shorewood.mn.us
Office Hours 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Frequently Called Numbers
Police, fire, medical emergency 911
Police Administration 952-474-3261
Fire Administration (Excelsior) 952-960-1650
Fire Administration (Mound) 952-472-3555

Shorewood City Council

Mayor
Christine Lizee
5705 Brentridge Dr.. 952-470-5338

Council Members
Richard Woodruff (Ward 1)
4485 Enchanted Cove 952-470-6832
Laura Turgeon (Ward 2)
24670 Amlee Rd. 952-474-7213
Paula Callies (Ward 3)
20465 Radisson Rd. 763-546-8020
Martin Wellens (Ward 4)
4755 Lakeway Terrace 651-406-2584
The mayor and four council members serve as the Shorewood City Council. The position of mayor is elected at-large every two years. The council members are elected by ward to four-year terms, with two seats up each election. The City of Shorewood holds elections in even-numbered years and beginning with the 2004 election, council members were elected by ward.
The City Administrator is the chief appointed staff member and is responsible for the overall city operations. The city has a total of 21 full-time employees and approximately 20 part-time employees within City Hall, Public Works and the Municipal Liquor Stores.

Commission Members

Planning Commission
Scott Schmitt, Chair 952-470-7977
Thomas Geng 952-470-5444
Robert Gagne 952-474-5788
Bruce Gniffke 952-474-3236
David Meyer 952-401-8206
David Hutchins 612-747-1920
William Ruoff 952-380-1109

Park Commission
Sue Davis, Chair 952-474-2470
Jeremy Norman 952-401-7803
Robert Hensley 952-380-9959
Josh Trent 952-401-9230
Howard Young 952-401-0288
Paul Alegi N/A
Open position

Meetings

Shorewood City Council
Council chambers 7 p.m.
Meetings are on the second and fourth Monday of each month.

Shorewood Planning Commission
Council chambers 7 p.m.
Meetings are on the first and third Tuesday of each month.

Shorewood Park Commission
Council chambers 7 p.m.
Meetings are on the second Tuesday of each month.
All city council meetings are televised on Cable Television
Channel 8 (directory on that channel will list times the meetings are shown).

Police Service

South Lake Minnetonka Police Department 952-474-3261
Bryan Litsey, Police Chief
Shorewood has a joint powers agreement with the cities of Excelsior, Tonka Bay and Greenwood to provide police protection. The agreement established a police protection agency called the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department (SLMPD). The SLMPD has 14 full-time sworn officers and up to 20 reserve officers.

Fire Protection

Scott Gerber, Fire Chief . .952-960-1650
The City of Shorewood is a member of the Excelsior Fire District, which was established in 2000 as a five-city joint powers organization to serve Deephaven, Excelsior, Greenwood, Shorewood and Tonka Bay.

Mound Fire Department
Greg Pederson, Fire Chief
Non-emergencies (islands).. 952-472-3555
Spray, Enchanted and Shady islands receive fire protection from Mound.

City Ordinances

Nuisance Control
Shorewood has a nuisance ordinance covering such issues as health, peace and safety, garbage/refuse/sewage, littering on public property and harbor limits. Health nuisances include, but are not limited to, accumulations of rubbish, pollution of any public water or well, and noxious weeds. Examples of peace and safety violations are unnecessary noises and vibrations, dangerous and unguarded equipment, and obstructions. Harbor limits nuisances involve equipment, behavior, safety and regulations.

Winter Parking
Residents are asked to refrain from parking on the street after a two-inch snowfall to allow snowplow operators to plow curb-to-curb. Also, plows usually are not called out until the snowfall has ended.
The city has for sale 50-gallon barrels of a sand/salt mixture, which may be purchased by property owners to help keep driveways and walkways safe.

Snowmobiles
Contact city hall for the complete snowmobile ordinance; highlights include:
Speed Limit: 10 mph on public property within the city, 10 mph when operated on any public waters within the city closer than 150 feet to the shoreline.
Hours of Use: 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday-Thursday, and 7 a.m.-11 p.m., Friday-Saturday.
Lake Buffer Zone: Snowmobiles are not allowed within 150 feet of the shoreline except when entering or exiting the lake at which time they must travel perpendicular to the shoreline.
Snowmobile season: Dec. 1-March 31.
Street Use: Snowmobiles must use the street side of the plow ridge and when in the street they must travel in the direction of traffic.
Light Rail Transit Trail: No person shall operate a snowmobile on the LRT trail or within the LRT right-of-way.
Parks and Wetlands: Snowmobiles are prohibited from parks and wetlands.

Juvenile Curfew
Juveniles, 14 and younger, must be at home or accompanied by a parent, guardian, or adult having authorized care between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Juveniles, 15-17, must be at home or accompanied by a parent, guardian, or other adult having authorized care between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m.
Liability of Parent(s): It shall be unlawful for any parent, guardian, or other adult person having authorized care, custody, or control of any juvenile under age 18, to knowingly permit such juvenile to violate the provisions of Chapter 606 of the Municipal Code.

Homestead Filing For Taxes
Assessor 952-474-3236
To apply for homestead classification for your residence, you must fill out an application for homestead at City Hall; be one of the owners of the property or be a qualifying relative of at least one owner of the property; occupy the property as your primary residence and be a Minnesota resident.

Permits & Licenses

Building Permits
Joe Pazandak, Building Official… 952-474-3236
Permits are required for building, electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, and related work, and may be obtained from the city building official and planning department. The work is checked by the city inspector for Code compliance upon completion.
The following require permits: building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing.

Pets
City Hall 952-474-3236
According to Municipal Code, any dog on public property in the City of Shorewood must be on a leash no greater than 6 feet in length and “no dog owner shall permit his dog to run at large” within the city limits. Also, all dogs over six months of age must be licensed. An application may be obtained at Shorewood City Hall. The annual fee for registration is $10. Kennel licenses are required if there are three or four dogs per property. Any number beyond that would require approval from the City Council.

Lost Pets
Animal Control
City of Orono 763-525-6210

Solicitors
City Hall 952-474-3236
Shorewood has other license and permit requirements, including horse, special events, recreational fire, rental housing, tree trimmers and solicitors/canvassers. Only the most commonly used have been published here.

The Southshore Center

5735 Country Club Rd., Shorewood 952-474-7635
8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday
The Center is part of Senior Community Services, a United Way Agency serving older adults. The center’s staffing budget is funded by Senior Community Services in partnership with the cities of Deephaven, Excelsior, Greenwood, Shorewood and Tonka Bay. The building housing this program is maintained by generating income through rental of the building and other fund-raising efforts of the “Friends of Southshore Community Center” and the Senior Center Advisory Board.

Rental
The Southshore Center facilities are available for large parties or wedding receptions. The center features a full kitchen. Call 952-474-7635 for a price list and details.