The Minnetonka City Council is hammering ahead with new developments and shaking up local ordinances, based on the latest council meeting summary from May 6. In a move to address the city's housing crunch, the council gave the green light to the Mills Twinhomes development project, set to rise at both 3521 Baker Road and 3522 Elm Lane, along with two additional sites still to be designated. The development will see Mills Church join forces with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity to construct twinhome units in the northeastern stretches of the Baker Road/Inverness Road crossroads.

With an eye on the future, the council also took a step to buttress the community's recreational facilities. They tipped their hats to the Community Facilities Study, a playbook full of potential upgrades, although their nod does not earmark any cash just yet. According to a recent city report, money will be chased down for these improvements based on what the council ranked as top priorities last month, keeping The Marsh, a local recreational facility, in the game for the long haul.

When it comes to free speech, Minnetonka residents can now stake more signs in their yards. The council has tossed out old rules that put a cap on the size and number of non-commercial placards in residential zones. What's sticking around, however, are the regulations on where these signs can rally, as outlined in the newly amended city ordinance.

The city's not just spicing up its sign laws, they're getting down to the grassroots — literally. By revising maintenance codes, the council is pushing for greener, more eco-friendly lawns and landscapes across Minnetonka. The reworked rules, now with fresh definitions and standards, are aiming to see local flora reach new heights, but not too high, as the city's putting a lid on just how towering your turf can grow.

Amid these local law shake-ups, the council's also batting for the boys and girls in blue, and red. A unanimous thumbs-up was given to a proposal that'll chase federal dollars to the tune of $1.275 million. This wad of cash is poised to refresh the aging portable radios that Minnetonka's police and fire brigades rely on. If the proposal catches the eye of U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips and survives the gauntlet of the House's Committee on Appropriations, it could mean a complete funding package for this critical upgrade.

It wasn't all serious civic business, as the council took time to tip their hats with proclamations honoring Public Works Week, Drinking Water Week, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and Jewish American Heritage Month, as noted in the city announcement. This move comes as a nod to the diverse fabric that weaves the Minnetonka community together and the essential services that keep the city running smoothly.