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Home My Public Portal AboutAug Sept 2015 Inside this issue: Fields of Medina Park Grand Opening ............. Pg. 1 Public Safety Director Ed Belland Receives 2015 Leadership Award ................................................ Pg. 1 Night to Unite—Tuesday, August 4th .............. Pg. 2 Weigh in on Hennepin County’s All-Hazard Mitigation Plan ..................................................... Pg. 2 2016 Budget Open House .................................. Pg. 2 Fraud Alert “Microsoft” Scams ......................... Pg. 2 Medina Police on Facebook ............................... Pg. 2 Medina Adds Flashing Yellow Arrow Traffic Signal at Highway 55 and County Road 101 ................ Pg. 2 Outdoor Adventure Night—August 11th ........ Pg. 3 Uptown Hamel Vintage Market—Sept. 19th ... Pg. 3 Planting a Rain Garden ....................................... Pg. 3 City Business Profile: Art 2 Heart ...................... Pg. 3 You are Invited! Help us Kick-off the 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update .............................. Pg. 4 Land Use Applications Under Review .............. Pg. 4 Reviewing Solar Regulations for Residential .... Pg. 4 Noxious Weed Control ....................................... Pg. 5 Road Reconstruction Project .............................. Pg. 5 Tips and Tricks to Recycle Everywhere ............ Pg. 5 City Meeting Calendar ......................................... Back Medina Celebration Day ..................................... Back City Meeting Calendar August 5th Wed—City Council 7:00 pm 11th Tues—Planning Commission 7:00 pm 18th Tues—City Council Work Session 6:00 pm 18th Tues—City Council 7:00 pm 19th Wed—Park Commission 7:00 pm September 1st Tues—2016 Budget Open House 6:00 pm 1st Tues—City Council 7:00 pm 7th Mon—City Offices Closed (Holiday) 8th Tues—Planning Commission 7:00 pm 15th Tues—City Council Work Session 6:00 pm 15th Tues—City Council 7:00 pm 16th Wed—Park Commission 7:00 pm All meetings at City Hall unless otherwise noted. Meeting agendas on website when available. MEDINA CELEBRATION DAY Saturday, September 19th from 4:00-8:30 p.m. Hamel Community Building/Hamel Legion Park, 3200 Mill Dr. This years’ event will feature the following: Bingo (Hamel Lions) Medina Food Vendors Medina Business Expo Farmers Market Face Painting Inflatable Bounce, Pumpkin Deco- rating, Kid’s Games & Prizes Police K-9 Demonstration Antique Fire Truck and Kid Train Rides Emergency Vehicles Display, including Helicopter Smokey the Bear Bonfire & S’mores (Boy Scout Troop 570) Drawing for Prizes Free Popcorn and Ice Cream Cones (5-7 p.m.) Grand Finale Fireworks Display at 8:00 p.m. 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 to City Administrator Aug / Sept 2015 The Park at Fields of Medina Grand Opening Event—August 26th The City is excited to announce the grand opening event of our newest park, The Park at Fields of Medina at 1200 Meander Road. All residents are welcome to come to this grand opening event on Wednesday, August 26th. The event starts at 6 p.m. with a ribbon cutting. Hotdogs and ice cream will be served free of charge while supplies last. Beginning around 8:30 p.m. Highway 55 Rental will be sponsoring a movie in the park. Bring a lawn chair or blankets to relax while watching Finding Nemo and enjoy partaking in the city’s first ever Movie in the Park event. Public Safety Director Ed Belland Receives 2015 Leadership Award The City of Medina’s Public Safety Director, Ed Belland, was selected as the League of Minnesota Cities Leadership Award winner for 2015. The award was pre- sented at the League’s annual conference in Duluth on June 25th. The Leadership Award is considered to be the League’s highest honor for appointed city officials, and is given annually in cele- bration of outstanding service. Chief Belland, who has served in his current position for 17 years, also worked for several years as a Medina police of- ficer. He has provided the City of Medina with the backbone for the rela- tionships necessary to establish a regional ap- proach to public safety services. This approach has saved area taxpayers and provid- ed quicker, coordinated responses to emergency situations. Chief Belland has also served as chair of the West Metro Drug Task Force, a board member for Corner House Interagency Child Abuse Evaluation and Training Center, and as founding board member of the Lake Minnetonka Emergency Manage- ment Group. He is also a member of the Hennepin County Police Chiefs Associa- tion, Minnesota Police Chiefs Association, and the Association of Minnesota Emer- gency Managers. Movie in The Park League CEO and judges present 2015 leadership award to Chief Belland. Left to right: Jim Miller, Dan Ness, Ed Belland, Les Heitke, and Susan Hoyt. Public Safety & Finance Page 2 Aug / Sept 2015 Fraud Alert “Microsoft” Scams Please watch out for calls from people claim- ing to be "Microsoft" to fix your computer. These calls are a scam to steal your personal information on your computer. The Medina Police have recent- ly received multiple calls from residents reporting this scam. Weigh in on Hennepin County’s All-Hazard Mitigation Plan Hennepin County is updating the All-Hazard Mitigation Plan, as re- quired by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assis- tance Act. Local jurisdictions are required to update the plan every five years to remain eligible for pre-disaster and post-disaster mitigation grant programs. Community involvement and feedback are vital to the success of the plan. The information you provide by completing the survey will help us better understand your hazard concerns and can lead to mitigation activi- ties that should help lessen the impact of future hazard events. The survey should only take 5 to 10 minutes to complete. A link to the survey and additional information can be found at: http:// medinamn.us/all-hazard-mitigation-plan/. Night to Unite—Tuesday, August 4th It’s not too late to plan your neighborhood party on Tuesday, August 4th. Night to Unite is an annual event where neighborhoods throughout Medina and nationwide get together to strengthen neighborhood spirits and by doing so help prevent crime! Night to Unite get-togethers can be as elaborate or as simple as you like. Parties could offer live music, kid’s games, giant inflatables, dunk tanks, cookouts, pizza par- ties, or simply an ice cream social. Contact the Medina Police Department at (763) 473-9209 with your party plans and times and we will arrange a visit from police and fire to join your party! Medina Police on Facebook If you are looking for crime updates and oth- er public safety information from the City of Me- dina, consider liking the Medina Police Depart- ment’s Facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/pages/Medina-Police- Department-MN/1454310561502020. 2016 Budget Open House Tuesday, September 1st The City of Medina will be hosting a budget open house on Tuesday, September 1st from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Medina City Hall. A brief presentation on the proposed 2016 budget and tax levy will be provided at 6:00 p.m., followed by a question and answer session between Medina resi- dents and City officials. The City Council will also be considering a resolution to approve the preliminary tax levy dur- ing the regular Council meeting that begins at 7:00 p.m. The City is required to certify the preliminary tax levy to Hennepin County by September 30th. Medina Adds Flashing Yellow Arrow Traffic Signals at Highway 55 and County Road 101 The new traffic signals feature a flashing yellow arrow in addition to the standard red, yellow and green arrows. When illuminated, the flashing yellow arrow allows waiting motorists to make a left-hand turn after yielding to oncoming traffic. Otherwise, the new traffic signals work the same as traditional signals. Flashing yellow arrow signals have been shown to help drivers make fewer mistakes. They keep motorists safer during heavy traffic and reduce delays when traffic is light. A national study demon- strated that drivers found flashing yellow left-turn arrows more understandable than traditional yield- on-green indications (individual traffic signal lights). There are more opportunities to make a left turn with the flashing yellow left-turn arrow than with the traditional three-arrow, red, yellow and green indications. The new traffic signals provide traffic engineers with more options to handle variable traffic vol- umes. A flashing yellow arrow signal has the same meaning it always has: left turns may proceed with caution after yielding to oncoming traffic. In the past, flashing yellow arrows in Minnesota were only used when the entire traffic signal was in flash- mode. Use of the flashing yellow arrow has been shown to have several benefits including minimizing delays and enhancing safety by reducing driver errors. Public Works & Environment Aug / Sept 2015 Page 5 Road Reconstruction Project Work on the City’s 2015 Street and Utility Reconstruc- tion Project along Tower Drive and Hamel Road is pro- gressing as planned. Currently on Hamel Road, the con- tractor is excavating material out of the new storm water ponds, final grading the gravel surface, and preparing for concrete curb and pavement. Work on Hamel Road is expected to continue over the next several weeks and be complete mid-August. The contractor will start work on Tower Drive the Week of July 20th beginning with grinding the existing pavement surface, driveway removals, and other ancillary work. Utility work will follow the removals the week of July 27th. Utilities and storm sewer work will generally occur over a span of 4 to 6 weeks and be complete by the end of August. During this time intermittent water shut- offs will occur, but the contractor and the City’s field staff will do their best to notify property owners in advance. From that point the contractor will grade the roadway, place the gravel surface, and prepare for concrete curb and pavement. There are many businesses that use Tower Drive for parking, but due to space constraints it will be difficult dur- ing active construction and we ask that property owners avoid parking on the roadway. Parking will be available on the south side of Hamel Road and the City’s water treat- ment plant parking lot at 780 Tower Drive. Additional parking accommodations may be available upon request. Over the first half of this construction season, weather has caused some delay of the roadwork along Hamel Road, but in most cases the contractor has made good progress. At this point, it is anticipated that active construction oper- ations for the entire project will be nearing completion by mid-September. It is important to note that all proposed schedules are weather dependent. Noxious Weed Control The City of Medina Weed Inspector would like to re- mind 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 going to seed. Minnesota Policy states that residents be protected from the effects of noxious weeds on public health, the environment, 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 proce- dures for controlling and eradicat- ing. Tips and Tricks to Recycle Everywhere in Your Home Remembering to recycle everything from every room in your house can sometimes be challenging, especially when you’re just trying to get the laundry done or get ready for work. However, making recycling a habit in your home can actually be easy. All it takes is equal parts recycling bins to trash bins, some education and even a little fun. Recycle everywhere in your home with these tips and tricks. Make recycling easy—Start by putting a recycling bin, bag or box next to every garbage can in your house. Then label your bins with signs so that everyone knows how to sort their recy- cling and trash. If you have limited space, get creative. Hang a bag on the doorknob of your bathroom, laundry room or office for recyclables. Put a divider in your wastebasket to make it trash on one side and recycling on the other. You could also hang a recycling container inside a cabinet or mount them on a wall. Collect recycling from every room in your house—Did you know there are more than 20 items in the bathroom alone that are recyclable? Find more items to recycle by reviewing this list: Bathroom ► Shampoo, soap, lotion, mouthwash and contact lens cleaner bottles. Keep caps on plastic bottles, but remove and toss and pumps and spray nozzles. ► Boxes from toothpaste, medication and other toiletries ► Empty medicine bottles ► Empty toilet paper rolls ► Plastic containers from baby wipes and cleaning wipes Laundry room ► Laundry detergent and fabric softener bottles. Keep caps on plastic bottles. ► Stain remover and other cleaner bottles. Remove and toss spray pumps. ► Plastic cat litter jugs ► Dryer sheet and laundry detergent boxes Office ► Paper, including shredded paper. Place in a closed paper bag. ► Mail, Catalogs, magazines and newspaper ► Office supply boxes ► Paper file folders ► Soft cover books ► Tissue boxes Make it fun—Involve the entire family in recycling by making it fun. Have kids make a “please recycle” sign that shows what items can go in the recycling bin. Place a basketball rim above the recycling bin so your family can slam dunk their recyclables. Make it a challenge: try to generate only one bag of trash a week, and once you’ve conquered that, get a smaller trash can. Recycle in every room. Learn more tips and get resources at www.hennepin.us/recycleeverywhere. Planning Page 4 Aug / Sept 2015 Land Use Applications Under Review The following land use and development projects are cur- rently 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 Planning Department at (763) 473-4643, ext. 1. Stonegate Conservation Design Subdivision – west of Deerhill Road, East of Homestead Trail - The applicant has requested PUD General Plan and Preliminary Plat approval for a conserva- tion design subdivision of 42 lots on 170 gross acres. The subdi- vision would place approximately 50% of the total site (30% of the buildable property) into a permanent conservation easement. The applicant requests a density bonus and other flexibility from standard regulations, as is contemplated by the conservation de- sign regulations. The Planning Commission held a public hear- ing at the July 14 meeting and found that the amount and quality of the conservation area did not justify the flexibility requested by the applicant. The City Council is scheduled to review at the August 5 meeting. Buehler Plat – 2782 Willow Drive – Robert Buehler has request- ed approval of a plat to separate 2782 Willow Drive from adja- cent property. Information is being reviewed potentially for a Public Hearing at the August 11 Planning Commission meeting. Etzel Setback Variance – 2942 Lakeshore Avenue – Brian Etzel has requested a variance to expand the existing deck on the prop- erty. The existing deck is located 12 feet from the Balsam Street right-of-way and the applicant proposes to expand the deck along the same line with a continued setback of 12 feet. The Planning Commission is scheduled to review at the August 11 meeting. City Reviewing Solar Regulations for Residential Property The City is currently discussing regulations related to solar energy. Current City ordinances permit solar panels to be constructed throughout the City, but only if attached to a structure. Some business/industrial districts also permit ground-mounted solar equipment, subject to certain limi- tations. The Planning Commission held a hearing on July 14, 2015 and recommended that the regulations be amended in order to per- mit ground-mounted solar equipment on rural resi- dential property as well. The Commission also rec- ommended various limita- tions, including a maxi- mum size of 1,000 square feet, minimum setbacks of 100 feet and a maximum height of 15 feet. The City Council is scheduled to review the ordinance on August 5, 2015. If you have any questions, desire ad- ditional information, or would like to provide comment, please contact City Planner Dusty Finke at dusty.finke@ci.medina.mn.us or (763) 473-8846. You are Invited! Help us Kick-off the 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update Please join us at Medina Celebration Day to kick-off the Comprehensive Plan Update process on Saturday, September 19th from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Hamel Legion Park, 3200 Mill Drive. The Comprehensive Plan establishes the vision and sets the course for the City over the following two decades. The Plan guides future residential growth and economic development and investments in City services such as natural resources/ parks/recreation, transportation, and water resources. Our booth will include information on the process and, most importantly, how you can be involved! For more infor- mation, please contact City Planner Dusty Finke at dusty.finke@ci.medina.mn.us or (763) 473-8846. Open To Business Program Are you thinking about starting your own business or are currently operating a small business and interested in FREE technical assistance? More information available at: http://medinamn.us/opentobusiness. Business & Community City Business Profile: Art 2 Heart Gift Shop & Gathering Place Art 2 Heart is a unique gift shop located in Uptown Hamel directly across from the Hamel Post Office. They carry handcrafted gifts and home accessories made by a variety of artists from around the world. Their mission is “to ignite creativity and multiply its impact through products and partnerships to inspire hope and dignity and share the love of Jesus Christ in our world”. They are a 501(c)(3) Christian nonprofit and are 100% managed and operated by a team of passionate and dedicated volunteers. They have been able to help develop a cooperative in Flores de Villa, Peru where these talented women make products to sell at the Art 2 Heart gift shop which helps provide for their fam- ilies. Art 2 Heart also supports the work of other ministries including: ► Abba’s House (Traverse City, MI) ► Beauty for Ashes-Uganda (Africa) ► Grace International World Outreach (Vietnam, Philip- pines) ► Robbinsdale Women’s Center (MN) ► Heritage Christian Academy (Maple Grove, MN) ► Freedom 61 (Riga, Latvia) ► Breaking Free (MN) ► Timber Bay (MN) ► Kids Inspiring Kids (Uganda, Africa) Last September Art 2 Heart expanded to include the whole lower level of their building, growing their children’s gifts, home accessories, and books. They have also added a beverage corner where you can come have a cup of coffee or tea and chat with friends. The back area includes a stu- dio that can accommodate small groups that may want to share their creative side together and help them in making products or with decorative packaging. For more information, visit their website at www.ourart2heart.org or call 763-478-6898. Stop in soon to see their wonderful selection of prod- ucts and give gifts that inspire hope! Gift Shop & Gathering Place Hours: Tues. 10 am – 6 pm Wed. 10 am – 2 pm Thurs. 10 am – 8 pm Fri. & Sat. 10 am – 2 pm Aug / Sept 2015 Page 3 Uptown Hamel Vintage Market Saturday, September 19th An Uptown Hamel Vintage Market will be held on Satur- day, September 19th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the vacant lot next to Chloe’s Attic at 155 Hamel Road on Saturday, Sep- tember 19th. There will be 30+ vendors, food and entertain- ment. Make a day of the event and stick around Uptown Ha- mel for the Medina Celebration Day festivities from 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Hamel Legion Park. To be a vendor at the Vintage Market or for more infor- mation call 612-703-5402. Outdoor Adventure Night Tuesday, August 11th Do you enjoy partaking in and trying new outdoor activi- ties? Come join your neighbors for a free evening of fun. Where: Lake Independence, Driftwood Shelter area, 2309 Baker Park Road, Maple Plain, MN 55359 When: 6:00 – 8:00 pm, Tuesday, August 11th Hosted by: Blizzard Ski & Snowboarding School, Gear West, Highway 55 Rental and Medina Living More information at: http://on.fb.me/1K2doN9 Planting a Rain Garden What is a Raingarden? Raingardens are simply gardens with depressions that are designed to catch rainwater runoff in your yard, growing plants that tolerate getting partially flooded on occasion. They provide beautiful landscaping and wildlife habi- tat. And, by soaking up rain where it falls, they slow stormwater runoff, help prevent erosion, and remove pollutants in the pro- cess. Did you know that stormwater runoff carries leaves, grass clippings, fertilizers and pesticides from streets and rooftops that are contaminating your lakes and rivers? The easiest way to help water infiltrate into the ground rather than run off into storm sewers is by creating a raingarden. Strategically place your garden on a site that will intercept rain water runoff. If con- structed properly, the garden will drain the water within two days. More information and videos on how to plant a raingarden can be viewed at: http://bluethumb.org/raingardens/.