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Home My Public Portal About2017 Jun-Jul Newsletter Inside this issue: Night to Unite Neighborhood Parties ........... Pg. 1 Hamel Rodeo Parade ....................................... Pg. 1 Land Use Applications Under Review .......... Pg. 2 Open to Business Program ............................. Pg. 2 Front and Backyard Drainage ......................... Pg. 3 Hennepin County Stay Green Resources...... Pg. 3 Noxious Weed Control ................................... Pg. 3 Permit Required for Solicitors ........................ Pg. 4 Distracted Driving............................................ Pg. 4 Do You Have a Well on Your Property? ...... Pg. 5 Bike Safety—Share the Road .......................... Pg. 5 2017 Road Projects in Medina ........................ Pg. 5 City Meeting Calendar ..................................... Back Medina Celebration Day—Save the Date ..... Back City Council Email Notifications ................... Back Consumer Confidence Drinking Water Report ............................................................................ Back City Meeting Calendar June 6th Tues—City Council 7 pm 13th Tues—Planning Commission 7 pm 20th Tues—City Council Work Session 6 pm 20th Tues—City Council 7 pm 21st Wed—Park Commission 7 pm July 4th Tues—City Offices Closed (Holiday) 5th Wed—City Council 7 pm 11th Tues—Planning Commission 7 pm 18th Tues—City Council Work Session 6 pm 18th Tues—City Council 7 pm 19th Wed—Park Commission 7 pm All meetings at City Hall unless otherwise noted. Meeting agendas on website when available. City Council Agendas and Minutes Email Notifications Stay informed on what is happening at upcoming City Council meetings. The City emails copies of Council agendas and minutes at no cost to resi- dents. If you would like to be added to the regular email notification list, email jodi.gallup@ci.medina.mn.us to sign up. Consumer Confidence Drinking Water Report The 2016 Consumer Confidence Drinking Water Report can be seen in its entirety on the City website at: http://medinamn.us/svcs/utilities-services/ consumer-confidence-drinking-water-report/. If you would like a hard copy mailed to you, please call Medina City Hall at 763-473-4643. Medina Celebration Day—Save the Date Saturday, September 16th from 4-8pm Mark September 16th on your calendars today for Medina Celebration Day! Please contact Anne Klaers at Anne@ci.medina.mn.us or 763-473-8854 if you are interested in serving on the planning committee or donating towards the event. CITY HALL 2052 County Road 24 Medina, MN 55340 p: 763-473-4643 f: 763-473-9359 e: city@ci.medina.mn.us City Hall Office Hours Mon-Fri 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. PUBLIC SAFETY 600 Clydesdale Trail Medina, MN 55340 p: 763-473-9209 f: 763-473-8858 e: police@ci.medina.mn.us Police Department Office Hours Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Mayor Bob Mitchell 763-473-1042 City Council Jeff Pederson 612-916-6448 John Anderson 612-618-5702 Kathleen Martin 612-344-1111 Lorie Cousineau 612-251-3244 City Council Meetings First & third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Planning Commission Meetings Second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Park Commission Meetings Third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Newsletter Editor Jodi Gallup Assistant City Administrator June / July 2017 Peg’s Countryside Café to lead Hamel Lions Rodeo Parade Sunday, July 9th at 2 p.m. in Uptown Hamel Mark your calendar…the annual Hamel Lions Rodeo Parade will be held on Sunday, July 9th at 2 p.m., this traditional event has been one of the final events of the Hamel Rodeo weekend. The rodeo runs this year from Thursday, July 6th through Sunday, July 9th. Peg Rassmussen, owner of Peg’s Countryside Café for over 41 years will serve as the Grand Marshal in this year’s Parade. Peg’s Café is a small, often crowded, family res- taurant serving the area’s residents for many generations with homemade recipes in- cluding stuffed French Toast, yummy Fudge and special cookies. The Parade will take place in Uptown Hamel starting at the Hunter Lions Park, going north on Hunter road, east on Hamel road and finishing at the Hamel VFW. The Ha- mel Lion’s Rodeo Parade will include bands, clowns, fire trucks, police cars, lots of candy and many other specialty acts. Guaranteed fun for the family, grab your lawn chair and find a spot on the route and enjoy the parade! If you’re interested in having a float in the parade or being a sponsor, please contact Katie Vee at katievee@kw.com or 612.636.1912. Parade entry and Sponsorship forms are also available at www.hamellions.org under the Events tab. Night to Unite is Tuesday, August 1st Plan Your Neighborhood Party Today! Neighborhoods throughout Medina are invited to join the Medina Police Department, along with thousands of communities nationwide, to participate in the Night to Unite celebration on Tuesday, August 1, 2017. Medina Police officers, firefighters and City Council members will stop by and participate in neighborhood parties throughout the city! This is an opportunity to get to know your neighbors, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community relations, let crimi- nals know that neighborhoods are orga- nized and willing to assist the police, and generate support and participation in crime prevention efforts. Night to Unite get- togethers can be as extravagant as a cookout, or as simple as an ice cream social. Please call the police department at (763)-473-9209 by July 25th with your party plans and times. We will arrange a visit from the police and fire department to come out and join your party! Planning Department Page 2 June / July 2017 Land Use Applications Under Review The following land projects are currently under review by the City. For more information on one of the projects, or for an update on the review schedule, please visit http://medinamn.us/citygov/departments/planning-zoning/ or contact the Plan- ning Department at (763) 473-4643, ext. 1. Medina Senior Community – N of Hwy 55, W of Mohawk Dr. – Lunski, Inc. has requested approval of a preliminary plat, rezoning and site plan review for construction of a 90-unit assisted living/independent living senior community, 24,767 sq. ft. office building and 4,100 sq. ft. commercial building on approximately 10 acres. The Planning Commission is tentatively scheduled to hold a pub- lic hearing on the request at their June 13, 2017 or July 11, 2017 meeting. Reserve of Medina Phase II PUD Concept – E of CR116, S of Hackamore Rd. – Toll Brothers has requested review of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) Concept Plan for development of the remainder of the Reserve of Medina neighborhood. The concept plan proposes a mix of 85-, 90-, and 97-foot wide lots, resulting in the same overall number of lots. The mix of narrower lots permits the creation of a 4-acre park in the northwest corner of the site. The Planning Commission is tentatively scheduled to hold a public hearing on the request at their June 13, 2017 meeting. School Lake Nature Preserve Conservation Design-PUD – 2700-2900 Parkview Drive – Wally and Bridget Marx have request- ed Conservation Design-Planned Unit Development (CD-PUD) General Plan and preliminary plat approval for a subdivision to include six lots east of Parkview Drive and north of County Road 24. The applicant proposes to place 40% of the buildable land (11.76 acres) and 70 total acres into a conservation easement with the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. The Planning Commission is tentatively scheduled to hold a public hearing on the request at their June 13, 2017 or July 11, 2017 meeting. Multi-Family Residential (MR) Rear Setback Amendment – Brian Fragodt has requested that the City consider reducing the rear setback within the MR district when adjacent to commonly-owned property or open space. The applicant has requested a 20-foot setback in such cases, similar to other zoning districts in the City. The Planning Commission is tentatively scheduled to hold a public hearing on the request at their June 13, 2017 meeting. Septic System wetland setback Variance – 3396 Elm Creek Drive – Donald Dykhoff has requested a variance to reduce the required 75-foot setback for a septic system from a wetland. The proposed location is the only area on the site which can ac- commodate a standard mound system. The City Council is tentatively scheduled to hold a public hearing on the request on June 6, 2017 or June 20, 2017. Free One-on-One Technical Assistance for Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs Are you thinking about starting your own business or are you currently operating a small business and interested in FREE technical assistance? Medina has partnered with the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD) to offer the “Open to Business” program. This program provides FREE one-on-one assis- tance from MCCD’s expert staff, customized to meet the specific needs of each entrepreneur. This can include creating a business plan, suggestions on financial management and bookkeep- ing practices, assisting with marketing, and referrals for financing. MCCD also administers a small business loan fund which provides capital to expand local businesses. For more information or to schedule a session, please contact Rob Smolund from MCCD at rsmolund@mccdmn.org or (612) 789-7337 ext. 260. More information is available on the City’s website: http://medinamn.us/opentobusiness/. Public Safety & Public Works June / July 2017 Page 5 Bike Safety Share the Road—Follow the Rules Each year, we receive numerous complaints of automobile drivers and bicyclists driving poorly on the roads in Medina. The Medina Police Department’s objective is to keep our roads safe for all users. As for automobile drivers, please give bicyclists room to ride on the roadway and ensure that you are passing at a safe distance. The state law requires that motor vehicles stay three feet away from bicyclists when passing a bicycle on the roadway. As for the bicyclists, you are riding a vehicle which is required to follow the rules of the road. You need to ride to the far right side of the roadway, no more than two bicyclists a-breast on the roadway at a time. You need to obey all traffic signs including stop signs. For more information, you can check out Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota at www.bikemn.org. Our officers will be out watching for problems, making sure all the drivers are fol- lowing the rules. Medina is a beautiful place with great roads and beautiful views. Please respect each other on the roads. Stay safe and enjoy the ride. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Medina Police Department at 763-473-9209. Do You Have an Unused Well on Your Property? The Minnesota Department of Health has mandated that a Wellhead Protection Plan be put in place for the City of Medina municipal wells. Part of the plan is to identify any wells in the City’s Drinking Water Supply Management Areas, which are the areas surrounding each of our City wells. The City wants to make sure that if there are unused wells in the service area, every effort is made to seal them from any possible contamination to the City aquifers. If you have a well on your property that you are using, it is important to make sure that you are properly managing it. If con- tamination enters into your drinking water, it may threaten the quality of your water, your neighbor’s or the City’s. The City has several brochures with suggestions on how you can protect your drinking water; if you are interested, we can either mail them out to you or you can pick them up at City Hall. For more information, contact Public Works Director Steve Scherer at 763-473-8842 or steve.scherer@ci.medina.mn.us. 2017 Road Projects in Medina Highway 55 & CSAH 115/CR 116 Intersection Project Road construction at the intersection of Highway 55 and County Road 116/ CSAH 115 will continue through the summer construction season. The pro- ject will include replacing the existing signal system at Highway 55, construct- ing raised medians, modifying accesses, constructing facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists, and upgrading the rail- road crossing. More information can be found at http://www.hennepin.us/ residents/transportation/pinto-drive- medina. Willow Drive, Wichita Trail, and Clydesdale Trail Road Improve- ment Projects On May 2nd the City approved the feasibility reports and called for the public hearings for overlay projects to improve Wichita Trail and parts of Clydesdale Trail and Willow Drive north of Highway 55. The public hear- ings for the road projects and special assessment hearings will be held on June 6, 2017 beginning at 7 p.m. at Me- dina City Hall, 2052 County Road 24, Medina, MN 55340. Email jodi.gallup@ci.medina.mn.us for a copy of any of the road improvement project feasibility reports. Public Safety Page 4 June / July 2017 Distracted Driving—Pay Attention—Know the Laws Distracted or inattentive driving continues to be a major cause of traffic crashes. According to the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety, a Division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, distracted or inattentive driving is when a driver engages in any activity that might dis- tract them from the primary task of driving and increases their risk of crash- ing. Distracted or inattentive driving is a factor in one in four reported crashed each year in Minnesota, resulting in at least 70 deaths and 350 serious injuries. Many of these crashes can be avoided if motorists would pay attention to the road and eliminate distractions. Distractions include, but not limited to, cell phone use, eating and drinking, mu- sic and other vehicle controls and the use of navigation. Children and passengers can also cause distractions. Teach children the importance of good behavior so you won’t have to tend to them while you’re driving. Ask passengers to be re- spectful when engaging in conversation. Distracted Driving Laws Include: Texting and Web Access - It is illegal for all drivers, regardless of age, to com- pose, read or send electronic messages or access the Internet on a wireless de- vise when the vehicle is in motion or part of traffic. This includes being stopped in traffic or at a light. Cell Phone Use and Texting – It is illegal for drives under the age of 18 to use a cell phone, whether hand-held or hands-free except in an emergency situa- tion. Cell phone use is totally banned for teen drivers during their permit and provisional license stages. Cell phone use is also totally banned for school bus drivers. Reckless or Careless Driving – Distracted drivers can be ticketed when their actions demonstrate a disregard for the safety or rights of others. Be safe and avoid distracted driving. A guide for drivers, The Police Department Guide for Safe Drivers, that addresses safety while driving, has been created by Tammy Burton who works with a group at DefensiveDriving.org. The publica- tion can be found at: https://www.defensivedriving.org/the-police-department- guide-to-safe-driving/. They believe this guide will help keep people safer on the roads. For further information, please visit their website at https:// www.defensivedriving.org/. Permit Required for Solicitors Medina City Ordinance 640. PED- DLERS, SOLICITORS, TRANSI- ENT MERCHANTS AND DOOR- TO-DOOR ADVOCATES requires solicitors to obtain a permit from the City prior to selling products door to door. If you have a solicitor come to your door, ask them for their City permit. If they don’t have proof of a permit, send them away. If they refuse to leave, call the po- lice department by dialing 911. The ordinance also allows you to post “No Solicitor” signs on your property, which will prevent even the permitted solicitors from coming to your door. If you have a sign posted, and they come on your property, we can charge them with a violation of our ordinances. When a solicitor comes into City Hall for a permit, we check for past criminal his- tories before the permit is issued. Just because they have a City permit, it does not mean that the City endorses them or their products. As the saying goes, “Buyer Beware”. There are several exceptions to the ordi- nance. Exceptions include regular route sales persons, sales to businesses, news- paper delivery, and nonprofit organiza- tions such as societies, associations or corporations solely of its members, (ie. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Lions). If a non- profit organization is out selling in our City, they are required to notify the City of their intent to sell door to door. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Medina Police Department at 763-473-9209. Environment June / July 2017 Page 3 Hennepin County Launches New Resources to Stay Green After cleaning your home this spring, visit the new Choose to Reuse website at http://www.hennepin.us/choose-to-reuse for easy ways to keep usable stuff out of the trash and find quality items without buying new. If you find torn or stained clothes in your closets, dispose of these items at Hennepin County’s Bloomington or Brooklyn Park drop-off facilities. Learn more at: http:// www.hennepin.us/dropoffs. The new features of the Choose to Reuse website (http://www.hennepin.us/choose- to-reuse) include: ► Browse more than 600 places to sell, donate, buy, repair, rent and share items. ► Locate reuse resources near their zip code. ► Learn more about reuse topics, such as cloth diapering and drawbacks of fast fashion. ► Find local events, like area Fix-It Clinics, neighborhood garage sales, classes, etc. Hennepin County drop-off facilities now accept non-reusable clothing, linens and other textiles including: torn or stained clothing, shoes and accessories, bedding and pillows, curtains, towels, tablecloths, and stuffed toys. Items must be clean, dry and in plastic bags. This service is free of charge. Noxious Weed Control The City of Medina Weed Inspector would like to remind residents to do their part in controlling any noxious weeds that may show up in your yard. Noxious weeds need to be taken care of seven days before go- ing to seed. Minnesota Policy states that residents be protected from the effects of nox- ious weeds on public health, the environ- ment, public roads, crops, livestock and other property. The following website: www.mda.state.mn.us/weedcontrol contains a list of noxious weeds as well as procedures for controlling and eradicating. Front and Backyard Drainage With the heavy spring rains, the City has received numerous calls from residents on front and backyard drainage issues. Some main causes for poor yard drainage include gradual grades, low-lying areas, clay or other tight soils, and the flow of drainage from impervious areas such as roofs, driveways, irrigation systems, pools, and/or sump pumps. Here are a few tips to improve drainage issues: Position Runoff Appropriately—Make sure downspouts, pool drains, and sump pumps are directed away from structures like houses and garages, and preferably toward vegetated areas that are quickly able to absorb runoff. Make sure any overflow will not run into your neighbor’s yard. Turn off your irrigation systems or adjust to minimum runtimes to check for any leaks or malfunctions in the system. Landscape Improvements—Try turning low-lying areas in your yard into a gar- den or landscape feature with plants that are flood-tolerant. It may also be possible to capture the water higher up on the landscape and infiltrate it in a rain garden thereby keeping the lower lying area drier. Amend Soils—Soils with high clay content are unable to absorb water (infiltrate) at a fast rate leaving puddles that last for hours. If your soil is high in clay content, add organic matter to your soil. This will help water absorb into the ground more quick- ly. Covering areas with high clay content with organic materials such as compost or ground wood chips as mulch will also increase organic matter content over the years and soften the soil allowing for increased infiltration. Suitable Plants—Plants such as typical turf grass and many ornamentals normally do not thrive in areas of poor drainage. However, there are numerous trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowering plants that do well in poorly drained areas. Some of these include swamp white oak, river birch, American larch, red-osier dogwood, black choke cherry, buttonbush, high bush cranber- ry, several varieties of aster, butterfly milkweed, prairie cord grass, little blue stem and many more. Learn more through attend- ing a rain garden workshop through Metro Bloom at https://metroblooms.org/.