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Living In Carver County MinnesotaAuthor: Greg Anderson
An insider's guide to the people and places that make Carver County Minnesota a fantastic place to live and work and raise a family. We visit with dedicated people who through their jobs, volunteer actives or their businesses, make an important difference in our local communities. The cities of Chaska, Chanhassen, Victoria, Waconia, Cologne, Norwwood Young America, Mayer, Watertown, New Germany and Hamburg as well as in the townships area are places we will be featuring and we'll be talking to behind the scenes people who are stepping up, doing their best every day to make things better. Language: en Genres: Daily News, News Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Origins: How Dave Pokorney Helped Transform Chaska from Flood Zone to The Best Small Town in Minnesota
Episode 9
Friday, 23 January, 2026
Why does downtown Chaska look the way it does? How did a small river town of 8,000 people become one of the most sought-after suburbs in the Twin Cities metro?This is the first episode of "Origins"—a new series exploring the backstory of things Carver County residents take for granted. And there's no better place to start than with Dave Pokorney, who served as Chaska's city manager for 25 years.In this conversation, Dave walks us through the strategic decisions that transformed Chaska: a $49 million flood control project that removed downtown from FEMA flood maps, a municipal electric utility that still saves residents 10% on their bills, a community center that won national awards, and a golf course deal partly negotiated at a bar in Colorado.We dig into the relationship with the Bernardi family (who owned 80% of Chaska's future development land), the Cloverfield neighborhood's innovative school partnership, and why the city council's simple filter—"Will this help us be the best small town in Minnesota?"—made all the difference.Whether you're a longtime Chaska resident curious about the history under your feet, or someone considering a move to eastern Carver County, this conversation provides context that no real estate listing ever could.Topics covered:The 1965 flood and downtown Chaska's pre-levy challengesFederal, state, and local funding for the flood control projectHow municipal utility ownership works and why it mattersThe community center's evolution from YMCA model to destination facilityTown Course golf and the Hazeltine parking lot connectionCloverfield's neighborhood school conceptStrategic city planning and managing growthInfrastructure advantages for Chaska's real estate futureWhy Victoria may become Carver County's largest cityGuest: Dave Pokorney, Chaska City Manager 1984-2009Host: Greg Anderson, RE/MAX Advisors West | 3,000+ homes sold since 1985
