Metro briefs: Lakeland still at impasse over filling of council vacancy

Last week's Lakeland City Council meeting ended quickly, when Council Members Joe Paiement and Shayne Orning rejected the meeting agenda in opposition to Mayor Richard Glasgow's plan to appoint a Lakeland resident to a vacant City Council seat.

It was the latest of several failed meetings since April over disagreement on how to fill the seat. Paiement and Glasgow had agreed to a candidate forum and interviews before taking a vote in June.

That agreement fell apart when Glasgow added Doug Sands' appointment to the council agenda and said at the meeting he would appoint him.

However, City Attorney Dave Snyder said in an e-mail to city officials that no one has been lawfully appointed to fill the vacancy. "Any exercise of authority … under these circumstances would not be proper," he wrote.

Mara Klecker

A snowy winter resulted in 679 vehicles being towed during the inaugural season of Brooklyn Park's snow emergency ordinance, police told city officials at a recent city work session.

City officials declared eight snow emergencies last winter in an effort to crack down on vehicles left on the streets during plowing. It cost police nearly $10,000 to enforce the new rule, which went into effect after 2 inches fell.

Officials will continue working to spread the word about snow emergencies, with plans to leave the policy in place next winter, Deputy Chief Todd Milburn said.

Hannah Covington

Minnetonka assistant city manager Perry Vetter has been named Edina's new Parks and Recreation director.

Vetter, who will begin his new job on June 10, replaces Ann Kattreh, who became Parks and Recreation director for Bloomington in January.

Vetter became Minnetonka's recreation program manager in 1998. He moved to the city's Public Works Department in 2005, and was named assistant director five years later. He worked on the Minnetonka Mills Park project near the Burwell House, designed to welcome visitors to the Minnehaha Creek area.

Katy Read

Burnsville and Eagan are holding grand openings in coming weeks to introduce their new pickleball courts.

In Burnsville, the celebration will include opportunities to learn the game, sample free food and watch police officers and firefighters face off in a pickleball match. The event is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Red Oak Park, 12100 River Hills Drive.

In Eagan, residents will mark the reopening of Quarry Park, which has new pickleball and bocce ball courts. An Eagan pickleball group will play a few matches while Mayor Mike Maguire cuts the ribbon. The event will be held 4:30 to 7 p.m. on June 18 at the park, 3340 Coachman Road.