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HomeMy Public PortalAboutDec 2013 Jan 2014 Inside this issue: Open House for Public Works/Police ......... Pg. 1 Illegal Garbage Dumping ............................... Pg. 1 Land Use Applications Under Review .......... Pg. 2 Announcing Mediacom in Medina ................ Pg. 2 Recycle Half of all You Throw ...................... Pg. 3 Master Water Steward Program ..................... Pg. 3 Medina Area Transportation Services ........... Pg. 3 Winter Parking Regulations ............................ Pg. 4 House Checks by Police Department ........... Pg. 4 Snow Plowing & Ice Control Policy ............. Pg. 4 City Business Profile: GO2 Print Media Group ................................................................ Pg. 5 Medina Celebration Day Recap ..................... Pg. 5 2014 Budget Approval .................................... Back Holiday Train ................................................... Back Park & Planning Commission Vacancies ..... Back City Calendar .................................................... Back City Calendar December 3rd Tues—City Council 7:00 pm 10th Tues—Planning Commission 7:00 pm 17th Tues—City Council Work Session 6:00 pm 17th Tues—City Council 7:00 pm 18th Wed—Park Commission 7:00 pm 21st Sat—Council Office Hours (by appointment) 24th Tues—City Offices Closed 25th Wed—City Offices Closed (Holiday) January 1st Wed—City Offices Closed (Holiday) 7th Tues—City Council 7:00 pm 14th Tues—Planning Commission 7:00 pm 15th Wed—Park Commission 7:00 pm 20th Mon—City Offices Closed (Holiday) 21st Tues—City Council Work Session 6:00 pm 21st Tues—City Council 7:00 pm All meetings at City Hall unless otherwise noted. Meeting agendas on website when available. 2014 Park & Planning Commission Vacancies The City is seeking residents to serve on the Medina Park Commission and Planning Commission. On each commission, there are two seats up for appointment/re-appointment effective January 2014 for three-year terms. The seven-member Park Commission serves as a volunteer recom- mending body to the City Council and meets the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. in Medina City Hall. The seven-member Planning Commission serves as a volunteer recom- mending body to the City Council and meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in Medina City Hall. Interested applicants may pick up an application at City Hall or via the City’s website at www.medinamn.us. Deadline for applications is Friday, December 13th. 2014 Budget Approval—The 2014 budget is on the City Council’s regular meeting agenda for approval on December 3, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall. Holiday Train—Sunday, December 15th The Holiday Train is scheduled to stop in Loretto on Sunday, Decem- ber 15, 2013, at 4:15 pm. Activities for kids will begin at 3 pm on West Railway Street. Please bring food items to donate to the local food shelves. Monetary donations will also be accepted. For more information please visit www.medinamn.us. 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 Elizabeth Weir 763-473-3226 City Council Jeff Pederson 612-916-6448 Melissa Martinson 763-473-8082 John Anderson 612-618-5702 Kathleen Martin 612-344-1111 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 Dec 2013 / Jan 2014 Open House for Public Works/Police Facility January 22nd, 3:30 PM—6:00 PM Medina is pleased to announce that an Open House will be held for the newly ren- ovated Public Works and Police Building at 600 Clydesdale Trail on Wednesday, Janu- ary 22, 2014, from 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM. As of November 15, 2013 the Medina Public Works will have moved out of their 1975-era pole barn into their new offices, garage and equipment storage spaces. We will no longer have to store expensive, off-season equipment out doors in all climates. The operations of the Police Department, previously in the cramped space of the lower floor of City Hall, will have moved to the new facility, allowing valuable police cars to be parked in the police garage, safe from tampering and from hail damage. The new facility is close to commercial areas and Medina’s more dense, developing areas. The Open House will include a plaque dedication ceremony to acknowledge for- mer Mayor Tom Crosby’s foresight and leadership in guiding the City through the complex process of funding the purchase and remodeling of the facility. The purchase price of the building at 600 Clydesdale Trail is $4.125 million. Reno- vation costs for the public works and police functions are $3.375 million. Additional good news is that Medina’s new facility is within budget and on time, and the brush disposal function will remain on the City Hall property, convenient for resident use. The annual debt obligation to serve the $7.5 million in bonds for the project is approximately $500,000 lower than projected, because of Medina’s advantageous bond- ing rates. This will be funded primarily through City tax revenues, with a portion of the payments allocated to the water and sewer funds, reflecting specific services pro- vided to those utilities by Public Works. Please stop by at the Open House of the new Public Works and Police Facility at 600 Clydesdale Trail on Wednesday, January 22, 2014, from 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM. The plaque dedication ceremony will be held at 3:30 PM with Tom Crosby’s family. Illegal Garbage Dumping—A Serious Problem to Report Illegal dumping is any waste, whether it is oil, furniture, appliances, trash, litter or landscaping cuttings, etc., dumped upon any public right-of-way, City property or private property, without consent of the owner. Why is Illegal Dumping a Serious Problem for the Community? It is an eyesore, decreases neighborhood property values, costs taxpayers in clean-up costs, negatively impacts plants and wildlife, poses safety hazards to people, provides breeding ground for disease carrying rodents, disrupts natural land and water processes, pol- lutes surface and ground water, and lowers the quality of life for residents. Community help is essential to catching and deterring illegal dumping. The City encourages anyone who encounters illegal dumping to report it to the Medina Police Department by calling 763-473-9209; take down the date, time and location, descrip- tion of vehicle and license plate number, description of person(s) dumping, and what items were being dumped. Planning & Cable Franchise Page 2 Dec 2013 / Jan 2014 Land Use Applications Under Review The following land use and development pro- jects are currently under review by the City. For more information on one of the projects, or for an update on the review schedule, please contact the Planning Department at (763) 473- 4643. D.R. Horton Stage I Plan – north of Hwy 55, between Arrowhead Dr. and Mohawk Dr. D.R. Horton requests Stage I approval for a mixed-use development to include 85 single- family homes, a 50-60 unit apartment building, and 8 acres of commercial on 80 acres (42 net acres). The purpose of a Stage I Plan is to establish uses, densities, and general site lay- out. In-depth development plans occur at Stage II review. The Planning Commission held a Public Hearing at the September 10 and October 8 meetings. The City Council is ten- tatively scheduled to review at the December 3, 2013 meeting. Woods of Medina – 710 Shawnee Woods Rd Jeff Pederson has requested preliminary plat and rezoning approval for a 16-lot single fami- ly subdivision on 9.5 acres east of County Road 116 at Shawnee Woods Road. The Plan- ning Commission held a Public Hearing on November 12, 2013, and recommended ap- proval. The City Council is tentatively sched- uled to review on December 17, 2013. Fawn Meadows – east of County Road 116 at Medina Lake Drive Money Tree Holding, LLC has requested ap- proval of a subdivision with 13 single-family lots on 10 acres (5.72 net acres) located north of the proposed Reserve of Medina subdivi- sion. The Planning Commission is tentatively scheduled to continue a public hearing on the application on December 10, 2013. Wakefield subdivision – 3385 County Road 24 Wakefield Family Trust has requested approval of a rural subdivision of three lots on 74 acres at the southeast corner of County Road 24 and Homestead Trail. The Planning Commission is tentatively scheduled to hold a public hear- ing on the application on December 10, 2013 or January 14, 2014. Announcing Mediacom in Medina As many of you know from our summer 2012 newsletter, the City of Medina entered into a direct franchise with Mediacom for the express pur- pose of bringing broadband access to all residents and businesses in the city. The franchise begins January 1, 2014. An aggressive 2-3 year, 30-mile build out will begin in the spring of 2014. Mediacom is already serving many neighborhoods in Medina, and begin- ning with the spring 2014 build out, many more neighborhoods will begin to gain access to Mediacom’s many communications services. The build out will take place over several years, and upon its completion, 100% of Medina will have access to broadband and Mediacom’s many state-of-the-art services. Mediacom Services to Homes and Businesses Mediacom’s advanced fiber-optic network delivers digital television, high -speed internet, and phone service to 200 Minnesota communities and town- ships, including Medina. Mediacom’s broadband service offers multiple speed choices, including an ultra-fast 105 megabits per second download speed. Businesses of all sizes will, over the term of the build out, have the op- portunity to access robust broadband and lower-cost telecommunication ser- vices. Mediacom Business offers solutions tailored to each business’s needs, including Gigabit+ Fiber Solutions, which is already used by hospitals, schools, financial institutions and industry in other locales. Information for Existing and New Customers For existing customers of Mediacom, there will be no change in services, pricing or plan options. For both existing and new customers of Mediacom, the customer service number is 1-866-609-6180 and website is: www.mediacomcable.com. Mediacom’s website provides detailed information on its digital packages, which offers OnDemand Viewing, digital video recorders (DVRs) with a new TIVO version, and mobile access (TV Everywhere). Mediacom’s Mound office at 2381 Wilshire Blvd, Mound, 55364 is use- ful to pick up or exchange equipment, pay bills, or even test-drive products such as a DVR, the OnDemand menu, or digital packages for additional sports, movies or children’s programming. The Mediacom Mobile Care App is a simple way to request service, trou- bleshoot issues, check or pay balances, or reach a service representative. If you have any questions or concerns about how Mediacom can best serve you, please don’t hesitate to contact them via any of the communica- tions channels presented above. Welcoming Mediacom to our Neighborhoods. Mediacom and Medina are looking forward to enjoying a close working relationship, with the shared goal of bringing broadband access and service to everyone who wants it. Please contact Mediacom directly to request new service or service up- grades and to discuss any customer service issues you may have. Mediacom is continually upgrading its infrastructure. If there are any issues during the build out, please do not hesitate to contact Mediacom di- rectly to discuss them. Notices will go out to neighborhoods as the build out rolls out. Stay tuned! Dec 2013 / Jan 2014 Page 5 Community News City Business Profile: GO2 Print Media Group GO2 Print Media Group moved into Uptown Hamel in April 2011, after an extensive six month building renova- tion. Owner Tom Therrien has a passion for community and is excited to be a part of Uptown Hamel's growth. GO2 is a full service Marketing Solutions company. Although its forte has been print for years, customers have come to lean on GO2 to partner with marketing departments across the nation, offering one stop marketing manufacturing assistance for a variety of advertising needs. The building sits at 62 Hamel Road in Uptown Hamel. Tom and his colleague, Steve Nicol, built out and custom crafted to look like an old Horse barn, and the office suites appear to be horse stalls. The building was gutted to the studs and re- built. Seeing its potential, they set out to make something beautiful from what could have been considered ruins. Stop in for a cup of coffee, and say hello! Medina Celebration Day Recap The City of Medina would like to thank all the contributors, exhibitors and volunteers who were involved in Medina Cele- bration Day. This event could not have happened without their support. Medina Celebration Day Committee Cub Scout Pack 538 Boy Scout Troop 570 The Brost Clinic Buffalo Wild Wings Caribou Coffee Complete Eye Care of Medina Countryside Café – Peg’s Catering Crosby, Tom Cub Foods - Plymouth Ditter Heating & Cooling Dobo’s (Danny’s Catering) Dojo Karate Dunn Brothers Farmers State Bank of Hamel Flaig, Sharrie Fortin Consulting Inc. Fortin Health & Wellness Clinic The Foursome - Plymouth Friends of Wolsfeld Woods Gramercy Club & Residents Gregor Farm & Greenhouse Hamel Electric Hamel Fire Department Hamel Lions Hennepin County Sheriff’ – K9 Unit Highway 55 Rental & Sales Holiday Station, Plymouth Jake’s City Grille - Plymouth Jimmy’s Pizza Jockey Person to Person Lafayette Country Club – Mtka Beach Lenny Leuer - Honey Ling Inn / Aunt Jens Motel Loram Maintenance of Way Inc. Lunds/Byerly’s – Plymouth & Wayzata Maggie’s Family Restaurant - Plymouth Maple Crest Garden Center & Landscaping Mayer Mobil Gas Station Medina Education Institute – Kumon Math Medina Entertainment Center Medina Golf & Country Club Medina Police Department Medina Public Works Department Miller, Marge The Original Pancake House - Plymouth Pham, Wayne The Pilates Advantage Polaris Industries Inc. Rainbow Foods - Plymouth Rockler Companies Inc. Rogers 18-Movie Theatre Scherer Pumpkin Patch Shamrock Golf Club - Corcoran Sivets, Colleen & family Smashburger - Plymouth Sunsets of Wayzata Target – Donation & Volunteers West Financial Credit Union Wright Hennepin Electric Medina Celebration Day was held on Saturday, September 21st, at Ha- mel Legion Park. The City was excited to see a large number of attendees once again this year from the community and businesses. The afternoon was filled with many great activities for young and old alike, including a business expo, bingo, inflatable bounce, pumpkin decorating and games, face painters, police, fire, & public works vehicles, K9 Unit demonstration, door prize drawings, as well as a great fireworks display, sponsored by area businesses and residents. Public Works & Public Safety Page 4 Dec 2013 / Jan 2014 Reminder Winter Parking Regulations are in Effect There is no parking on the streets of Medina between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. The regulations are in effect until March 31st. The police enforce this ordinance to keep the streets clear for snowplowing. If you have any questions in reference to the parking ordinance, please call the police department at 763-473-9209. House Checks by Police Department During the Holiday Season many of us are traveling out of the area. If you are planning on being out of town, please call the police department and put your house on the house check list. We will check your house while you are out of town; if there are any problems, we will contact you. To sign up for a house check just call the Medina Police Department at 763-473-9209. The City will use City employees, equipment, and/or private contractors to provide snow plowing and ice con- trol services on City roads. When snowfall occurs, the City shall consider many different factors to determine level of snow plowing or ice control services, including, but not limited to: amount of snowfall, usually a minimum of two to three inches (2”- 3”); time of day; day of the week; wind speed and direction; temperature; personnel availability and safety; equipment availability; and, local weather forecasts (before beginning snow or ice control operations). Upon review of the factors noted above for each snow event, the City will implement a service plan for snow plowing and ice control services, but recognizes that service delivery may be affected by equipment break- downs, unreliable forecasts, changing temperatures, or equipment getting stuck, which may require down time of an hour or more for two equipment units. The City has five separate snow plowing routes for each of the City’s five full-time employees, which does not allow for 24-hour snow plowing service coverage. There- fore, on an extended snowfall with brisk winds, several of the City’s roads will become impassable (although County Roads 24, 201 and 19 are usually in the same condition). Snow Plowing Priority Route Schedule The City’s snow plowing priority schedule is: 1) Main collector roads 2) Residential streets 3) Cul-de-sacs and dead end streets 4) Trails City snow plowing personnel will attempt to be out clear- ing roads prior to rush hour beginning (either early morn- ing, or late afternoon) to avoid being an obstacle to traffic. Method of Ice Control The City uses a treated salt and/or salt-sand mixture (20% salt) on City road surfaces. The City does not maintain a bare pavement policy. However, the City’s re-plowing and scraping practices often create bare pavement conditions with the excep- tion of −20 °F weather. Damage to Mailboxes and Other Obstacles Making contact with a mailbox is a common obstacle snow- plow operators face during storm activities. The City will con- duct a review of each mailbox incident to determine whether the City will provide reimbursement for the damaged mailbox. On- ly mailboxes actually hit by a snowplow will be the responsibility of the City. The City will not be responsible for damage to mailboxes or support posts caused by snow or ice coming into contact with the mailbox. The City will reimburse the mailbox owner $50.00 for the replacement of the mailbox and/or the post, and up to $75.00 for a double mailbox and post. If weath- er and frost conditions prevent replacement at the time, the City will supply a temporary box. The City will not be responsible for any damage to obstacles that are located in the right-of-way, such as sprinkler heads, fences, garden areas, etc. The City is also not responsible for repairing grass or sod that has been damaged in the right-of- way. Complaints Procedure Complaints shall be directed to and reviewed by the Public Works Director on a first-come, first-serve case basis. If reme- dy or repair is approved by the Public Works Director, a sched- ule of the necessary corrective work with the appropriate City personnel or contractor will be directed. Emergency complaints will be handled in an expeditious manner when available re- sources are sufficient. REMEMBER: City ordinance prohibits parking on any public street from November 1 through March 31 during the hours of 1:00 AM – 6:00 AM. If at all possible, the City plow crew would appreciate having no vehicles parked on City streets when snow- fall occurs during the daytime. Snow Plowing & Ice Control Policy Dec 2013 / Jan 2014 Page 3 Environment & Transportation Master Water Steward Program The Freshwater Society is accepting applications for a second class of volunteer Master Water Stewards. When you are accepted into the program, you will receive intensive training on how to protect the lakes and streams from pollution in your neighborhood. Everything on city streets flows to our water - oil from cars, bacteria, salt, litter, sediment, fertilizer. Each year, more polluted runoff reaches our lakes and rivers. Your yard is connected to rivers, lakes, and streams, and you can make a difference in keeping water clean and healthy. Master Water Stewards is a partnership between the Freshwater Society and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District funded by a state Clean Water Fund grant. In 2014, the program is available at no charge to participants, and is limited to 30 residents of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. The program works to recruit, inspire and train citizen volunteers who work in their own communities to organize and build projects to keep storm water and the pollutants carried by storm water from flowing into lakes and streams. This fall, members of the first class of Master Water Stewards have been installing rain gardens, rain barrels and water-permeable walkways in neighborhoods around Minnehaha Creek and the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes. If you are interested in becoming a Master Water Steward, please visit the website at www.masterwaterstewards.org and attend an informational session at the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District of- fice, 15320 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka on: Tuesday, Dec. 3, 6:30-7:30 p.m.,  Tuesday, Dec. 17, 6:30-7:30 p.m.   For more information about the program contact Peggy Knapp at pknapp@freshwater.org or (763) 219-1252. For 2014, the program is open only to residents of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. Medina Area Transportation Services Although the City of Medina does not have any regular public transportation routes such as buses, there are a few transportation options for Medina residents that are listed below. Transit Link (651) 602-5465 Transit Link (formerly Dial-A -Ride) serves the seven county metro area and aug- ments regular transit routes in areas that don’t have frequent regular service. Rides can be reserved by calling 651-602-LINK (5465). More information is at http://www.metrocouncil.org/Transportation/ Services/Transit-Link.aspx Metro Transit (612) 373-3333 Metro Transit offers a free online ride- matching service for residents of the metro area. Individuals create an account and enter information like trip origin, destination, day(s) of the week and time(s) of day they wish to match with other riders. The system matches users automatically based on their preferences and location, and users can con- tact their matches directly to set up a ride. To learn more and sign up, visit http://metrotransit.org/ carpool. Their hotline is available for users who have questions or issues: 612-373-3333, option 5, or commuterprograms@metrotransit.org. Interfaith Outreach Community Partnership (IOCP) (763) 489-7708 Interfaith Outreach Community Partnership has a rides program where volunteers provide rides in their own vehicles to community members in need of getting to medical appointments or adult basic education (at its building). Community mem- bers must live in one of the 8 communities served by IOCP (which includes Medina). Community members needing transportation, call the transportation line (763) 489-7708 where volunteers will gather information about the need- ed ride. The volunteer will then notify our volun- teer drivers. When a driver is able to take the ride, the ride is confirmed with the community mem- ber. They ask for two business days’ notice and do their best to fill the ride. The more notice they have, the better they are able to meet the need. Senior Community Services (952) 541-1019 Senior Community Services is also able to link seniors with services such as transportation. Call for more information. Recycle Half of All You Throw Do you know how easy it is to juice up your recycling? Load it up? And milk it for all it’s worth? Of more than a million tons of garbage thrown away each year, we only recycle 39 percent. We can do more - help the county reach their goal of recycling at least 50 percent of all waste by 2015! To help you get to half, remember to recycle all of these materials that are still commonly thrown in the trash: Milk cartons & juice boxes Soup, broth and wine cartons Yogurt, pudding and fruit cups Disposable cups Margarine, cottage cheese, and other plastic containers Produce, deli and takeout containers Dishwashing liquid bottles and detergent jugs Shampoo, soap and lotion bottles Toothpaste, medication and other toiletry boxes. Also remember to recycle everywhere you go – at home, at work and at play! Learn more about what you can recycle and get all of your recycling questions answered at RecycleHalf.com.