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Home My Public Portal About2008 Oct-Nov Newsletter c Printed on 20% post-consumer recycled fiber content paper City Hall Office Hours Mon-Fri 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Telephone Numbers City Hall ..............763-473-4643 Fax ......................763-473-9359 Police emergency ....................911 non-emergency .... 763-473-9209 Official Newspaper South Crow River News 33 2nd Street NE , Box 280 Osseo, MN 55369 Telephone Number: 763-425-3323 Mayor Tom Crosby..........612-766-8605 City Council Carolyn Smith.......763-475-1003 Daniel Johnson.....763-473-0744 Elizabeth Weir .....763-473-3226 Joe Cavanaugh...…763-473-5123 City Administrator Chad M. Adams….763-473-4643 e-mail: chad.adams@ci.medina.mn.us City Council Meetings First & third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Planning Commission Jeff Pederson, Chair Charles Nolan Mary Verbick Robin Reid Michele Litts Victoria Reid Jim Simons Planning Commission Meetings Second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Park Commission Ann Thies, Chair Ben Benson Madeleine Linck Brian Kingsley Galen Bruer Beth Nielsen Peter Lecy Park Commission Meetings Third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Newsletter Editor City Administrator Chad M. Adams Other Contributors Jodi Gallup 2052 County Road 24, Medina MN 55340 2052 County Road 24, Medina MN 55340 www.ci.medina.mn.us Inside this issue: Polling Place Change.................................Pg. 1 Fire Services Planning...............................Pg. 1 City Hall Closed for Training....................Pg. 1 2009 Budget & Preliminary Tax Levy.......Pg. 1 Commercial Zoning Ordinance Review ....Pg. 2 Park Project Updates..................................Pg. 2 Hydrant Flushing.......................................Pg. 2 County Road 201Turn Back......................Pg. 2 High Speed Internet Meeting.....................Pg. 2 Proposed Concession Building..................Pg. 2 Election Update .........................................Pg. 3 New Medina Business Networking Group Pg. 3 Uptown Hamel Business Association ........Pg. 3 ICE—In Case of Emergency.....................Pg. 3 Medina Candidate Forum..........................Pg. 3 City Council Saturday Office Hours..........Pg. 3 Attention Residents: Polling Place Change Information Enclosed City Calendar Oc t o b e r No v e m b e r ► 6th Mon—City Hall Closed from 8 am to Noon ► 7th Tues—City Council 7:00 pm ► 13th Mon—City Offices Closed—Holiday ► 14th Tues—Planning Commission 7:00 pm ► 15th Wed—Park Commission 7:00 pm ► 18th Sat—City Council Office Hours 9 am to 11am ► 21st Tues—City Council 7:00 pm ► 4th Tues—General Election ► 5th Wed—City Council 7:00 pm ► 11th Tues—City Offices Closed—Holiday ► 12th Tues—Planning Commission 7:00 pm ► 15th Sat—City Council Office Hours 9 am to 11 am ► 18th Tues—City Council 7:00 pm ► 19th Wed—Park Commission 7:00 pm ► 27th Thurs—City Offices Closed—Holiday ► 28th Fri—City Offices Closed A Bi-Monthly Newsletter of the City of Medina www.ci.medina.mn.us October/November 2008 ► All meetings at City Hall unless otherwise noted. ► Meeting agendas on web site when available. Fire Services Planning & October 7th Report A recently established Medina Advisory Board will be providing a presentation at the October 7th City Council meeting to outline options for future fire services in the City of Medina. The City has been study- ing options for long-term fire service to the community to address the projected growth from today’s population of 5,000 to 11,000 by 2030. The Advisory Board has outlined three options for long-term fire service coverage in the Hamel and Loretto fire service areas: ► One, maintain an existing contractual relationship with the Hamel VFD and Loretto VFD to meet Medina’s growth needs; ► Two, facilitate a merger between the Hamel VFD and Loretto VFD to maximize resources, equipment and services with later consid- eration of the City assuming a facilitating or ownership role; ► Three, construct a central fire facility within Medina’s urban growth area and maintain con- tractual relationships with fire service providers to operate the facility and provide fire services. 2009 Budget and Preliminary Tax Levy Following a series of budget work sessions and a Budget Open House for the public held in August, the City Council approved a 2009 preliminary tax levy and budget on September 2nd. Truth-in-Taxation (TNT) statements will be mailed from Hennepin County in November which will outline your proposed City, County, School and other property tax payments for 2009. The City is also mailing a budget insert with the TNT statement that provides more detail on the pro- posed levy and budget. The City’s proposed total levy is set to increase 12.42%, which includes a base tax levy increase of 6.46% to fund basic municipal services and a 5.96% special levy in- crease to fund debt service payments for capital equipment replacement. The estimated impact of the proposed levy on individual properties has been summarized in the chart located to the right. The proposed levy may be reduced by the Council during the December TNT hearing, or subsequent budget meetings in December. The Council is prohibited by state law to increase the levy above the amount set on September 2nd. Medina’s TNT date is scheduled for Monday, December 8th at 6:30 p.m. at the Medina City Hall. For additional details and statistics on the 2009 budget and tax levy, please see the City’s website at www.ci.medina.mn.us City Hall will Close Half Day for Training—Monday, October 6th City Hall will be closed from 8 a.m. to Noon on Mon- day, October 6th to conduct an all employee training. Attention Medina Residents: Your Polling Place May Have Changed The City of Medina now has two polling locations. The voting lo- cation for residents living in the Orono and Delano school districts will be at Medina City Hall, 2052 County Road 24. The voting location for residents living in the Wayzata and Rockford school districts will be at the Hamel Community Building, 3200 Mill Drive. More election infor- mation can be found on page 3 of this newsletter. Tax Affect on Your Home $250,000 Home. Estimated City taxes: 2008: $386 2009: $416 (7.77% increase) $500,000 Home. Estimated City taxes: 2008: $772 2009: $831 (7.64% increase) $750,000 Home. Estimated City taxes: 2008: $1,254 2009: $1,350 (7.66% increase) Planning, Parks & Public Works Page 2 Proposed Concession Facility at Hamel Legion Ball Fields The Concession Subcommittee of Medina’s Park Commission composing of Ann Thies, Carolyn Smith, Peter Lecy, Chad Adams and Kim Ann have been analyzing the many components to determine the potential construction of a concessions building at the Tom Ander- son Four-plex located in Hamel Legion Park. The subcommittee has been examining the financial feasibility concerning the daily opera- tions of the concessions building in order to determine if there will be a financial, tax, or resource burden on the City. The study includes information from over fifteen ball associations and eight city park departments in the metro area. The findings of this study have found that the various management styles of field and concessionary operations depend on 1) whether a city has a Park and Recreation department, 2) the Athletic Associations’ ability to delegate its many responsibilities to appointed members, 3) the availability of parent volunteers within the Athletic Associations and, 4) whether a civic organization gets involved. The subcommittee has discovered that the citizens who participate in the recreational programs at Hamel Legion fields do highly de- sire an operational concession facility for their comfort and family enjoyment at the fields. However, the City must determine where the responsibility of concessionary operations and maintenance lies prior to the commitment of building a concession facility at the Tom Anderson fields. Want to be involved or hear more on the matter? Attend the next Park Commission meeting on October 15th, 2008 at 7:00pm. Any concerns or questions can be directed to Kim Ann at City Hall, 763-473-4643. Commercial Zoning Open House Wednesday, October 1st, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The City of Medina is currently discussing zoning regulations related to commercial devel- opment in the City, and is seeking assistance and input from property owners and interested stakeholders at an open house on Wednesday, October 1st from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Medina City Hall, 2052 County Road 24, Medina, MN 55340. The primary topics of conversation will include: Lot standards (lot size, setbacks, hardcover regulations, etc.) Performance standards (building materials, modulation, landscaping, tree preservation, low impact development, etc.) Allowed uses The City seeks feedback on these topics, and other relevant items you are interested in dis- cussing! Stop by any time from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Feedback will help to create draft ordinances, which will then be discussed at a Public Hear- ing at the October 14, 2008 Planning Commission meeting, beginning at 7:00 p.m. If you cannot attend or wish for more information, visit www.ci.medina.mn.us (click on “Comprehensive Plan”) or call the Planning Department at (763) 473-4643. High Speed Internet Meeting The City will be hosting an Open House ses- sion on Thursday, October 9th at 6:30 p.m. in Medina City Hall to facilitate discussion on op- portunities to receive high speed internet services in the community. While the City has decided not to become a provider of telecommunication services, we are interested in assisting residents with cooperative approaches or opportunities to obtain better ser- vice in the community. A High Speed Internet Listserv has been cre- ated by the City to facilitate information or dis- cussion. If you desire to be added to the Listserv, please e-mail chad.adams@ci.medina.mn.us Park Project Updates Holy Name Park has been closed since June 1st to complete a resto- ration project. The park is now nearly complete with a new rain garden, shoreline restoration, trail, permeable pavers, permeable as- phalt, and concrete curbing. The final blacktop will be installed in the next two weeks and the park will be reopened. Rainwater Nature Area has also gone through a restoration project this spring and will soon feature a new paved trail connecting to the new sidewalk to be installed through Uptown Hamel. Hydrant Flushing Fall hydrant flushing will be done on the Hamel water system and Medina Morningside water system begin- ning October 6th. The flushing will last approxi- mately two weeks. The Independence Beach water system will continue on its regular flushing schedule, being flushed the second Thursday of each month. County Road 201 Turn Back At the September 16th Council meeting, the Council rescinded the request to turn back County Road 201 (commonly known as Parkview Drive and Homestead Trail) from Hennepin County to the City. Letters were mailed to parcel owners along the roadway prior to the meeting to inform them of the meeting and possible street assessment costs for future City road maintenance and improve- ments. The City will continue to work with Hennepin County and Three Rivers Park District on signage or other traffic calming measures to limit truck traffic and safety concerns on the roadways. Page 3 Administration & General Info. Election Update The General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 4th from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Polling Locations The City of Medina now has two polling locations: Precinct 1A: Medina City Hall, 2052 County Road 24 Precinct 1B: Hamel Community Building, 3200 Mill Drive All registered voters should have received blue post cards from Hennepin County last month listing your new polling location. If you are still unsure of where to vote, go to the Poll Finder on the Secretary of State’s website at http://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/ or call City Hall. Absentee Voting Minnesota law allows for a person to apply to vote by absentee ballot if they are unable to vote in person on election day be- cause they are: 1) absent from home precinct; 2) ill or disabled; 3) an election judge serving in a precinct other than their own; or 4) unable to go to polling place due to a religious observance or belief. Residents may contact City Hall to obtain an absentee applica- tion, and also may stop by City Hall during regular business hours to fill out absentee materials. Additionally, City Hall will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 1st for absentee voting. Voter Registration Residents may pre-register to vote at any time at least 20 days before an election. Voter registration cards can be found on our website at www.ci.medina.mn.us or picked up at City Hall. If you are not able to pre-register prior to the 20 days before an election, you must register at your polling place to vote on Elec- tion Day. Please contact Election Coordinator Jodi Gallup at (763) 473- 4643 or jodi.gallup@ci.medina.mn.us for further information. Medina Candidate Forum The League of Women Voters Wayzata/Plymouth Area is sponsoring a Medina Candidate Forum on Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 7 p.m. at the Hamel Community Building, 3200 Mill Drive. The forum will be taped and replayed on the LMCC ca- ble channel 21 until Election Day. The City of Medina will have three posi- tions on the ballot during the November General Election. The Mayor (2 year term) and two City Council (4 year terms) positions are at-large positions, representing all Medina residents. Uptown Hamel Business Association—New Website The Uptown Hamel Business Association has created a new website, Uptownhamel.com. The website contains updated information about the Uptown Hamel Business Association, Hamel news and events, redevelopment projects, Uptown Hamel businesses and community organizations. New Medina Business Networking Group through the I-94 Chamber Earlier this year the Northwest Suburban Chamber of Com- merce merged with the I-94 West Chamber of Commerce. This merger gave chamber members more resources. Since then, the I-94 West Chamber has been proactive in the Medina area by opening a new office on Hwy 55 and starting a new Medina Business Networking Group. The Medina Networking Group meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month at 8 a.m. Call the Chamber office at 763-428-2921 for upcoming meeting locations. ICE - 'In Case of Emergency' ICE ‘In Case of Emergency’ is a campaign to encourage people to save an emergency contact in their mobile phone un- der the name ‘ICE’. The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with patients, but they did not know which number to call. He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose. In an emergency situation, Emergency Service person- nel and hospital Staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing the number you have stored as 'ICE.' For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3 etc. A great idea that will make a difference! City Council Office Hours City Council Saturday Office Hours are now being held on the third Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at City Hall. The office hours are an informal setting and serve as an opportunity for residents to bring your thoughts to elected offi- cials for a better Medina. Normally, one or two members of the Council will be pre- sent during the office hours. The office hours will continue on the 3rd Saturday of each month. Residents are encouraged to check the City’s website for scheduling confirmation/ cancellation.