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HomeMy Public PortalAboutApril_May_2013 Inside this issue: Roadway Safety for Drivers, Pedestrians and Cyclists ............................................................... Pg. 1 Clean Water Resource Fair ............................. Pg. 1 Loretto Creek Sediment and Nutrient Removal Grant Project .................................................... Pg. 2 Public Works & Police Facility Update ........ Pg. 2 Planning Projects Under Review ................... Pg. 3 City Business Profile: Gregor Farm and Greenhouse, Inc. .............................................. Pg. 3 Heroin Use/Addictions .................................. Pg. 3 Board of Appeal and Equalization ................ Back SWPPP and Well Head Protection Plan, Part II Public Hearings ................................................ Back City Council Saturday Office Hours ............. Back Clean-up Day Flier/Environmental News ... Insert City Calendar April 2nd Tues—City Council 7:00 pm 9th Tues—Planning Commission 7:00 pm 16th Tues—City Council Work Session 6:00 pm 16th Tues—City Council 7:00 pm 17th Wed—Park Commission 7:00 pm 20th Sat—Council Office Hours (by appointment) May 7th Tues—City Council 7:00 pm 14th Tues—Planning Commission 7:00 pm 15th Wed—Park Commission 5:30 pm 18th Sat—Council Office Hours (by appointment) 21st Tues—City Council Work Session 6:00 pm 21st Tues—City Council 7:00 pm 27th Mon—City Offices Closed (Holiday) All meetings at City Hall unless otherwise noted. Meeting agendas on website when available. City Council Saturday Office Hours City Council Saturday Office Hours are on the 3rd Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at City Hall. Residents desiring to meet with an elected official during these Saturday office hours should make an appointment by calling Jodi Gallup, Assistant to the City Administrator, at City Hall at 763-473-8850 by noon on Friday before the Saturday session. Board of Appeal and Equalization on April 10, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall This meeting is held annually for the purpose of reviewing and cor- recting the 2013 assessed property values or property classifications in the City of Medina. All persons considering themselves aggrieved by said as- sessment, or who wish to complain that the property of another is as- sessed too low, may appear at the meeting and show cause for having such assessment corrected. The burden of proof is on the resident to justify a decrease in proper- ty value. The City is requesting that residents complete a City application prior to attending the meeting. The application can be found on the City’s website at www.ci.medina.mn.us. SWPPP & Well Head Protection Public Hearings April 16, 2013 at 7 p.m. in City Hall The City will be holding two public hearings at their April 16, 2013 City Council meeting on the adequacy of the City of Medina Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP) and the City’s Well Head Protec- tion Plan, Part II. A copy of the programs are available at Medina City Hall. Any person wishing to express an opinion on these matters will be heard orally or in writing at the hearing. DON’T MISS THE CITY CLEAN-UP DAY FLIER INSIDE THIS ISSUE CITY OFFICE INFO 2052 County Road 24 Medina, MN 55340-9790 p: 763-473-4643 f: 763-473-9359 e: city@ci.medina.mn.us PUBLIC SAFETY p: 763-473-9209 f: 763-473-8858 City Hall Office Hours Mon-Fri 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Mayor Tom Crosby 612-332-9111 City Council Elizabeth Weir 763-473-3226 Jeff Pederson 612-916-6448 Melissa Martinson 763-473-8082 John Anderson 612-618-5702 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 April / May 2013 Roadway Safety for Drivers, Pedestrians & Cyclists As the weather warms and daylight grows many Medina Residents will spend more time outdoors. With the increase of traffic we will have more interaction between driv- ers, pedestrians and cyclists. The City would like to remind all of its residents of their responsibilities to keep everyone as safe as possible. Auto drivers have a responsibility to drive at a speed which allows for appropriate reaction time based on the conditions on the road. This includes slowing when neces- sary and safely passing slower moving ‘vehicles’ on the road. Please remember the fol- lowing safety laws: ► When passing a cyclist you must allow 3 feet between the vehicle and cyclist. The pass must be completed without endangering oncoming traffic. ► When approaching a stop sign or red stop light, a motorist must stop prior to en- tering a crosswalk or trail crossing. ► Motor Vehicles must stop for all pedestrians in, or about to enter, a crosswalk. Bicyclists have the same rights AND responsibilities as motor vehicles. A bicyclist not following the rules of the road puts themselves and motorists at risk so please ad- here to all traffic laws including the following: ► Obey all traffic laws including stop signs, stoplights. ► An Arm Signal must be used to signify a turn for the last 100 feet prior to the turn except when the arm is needed to control the bicycle. ► Cyclists may ride two abreast but no more than two abreast. ► Cyclists may not ride against traffic. ► Cyclists may NOT ride on a sidewalk in a business district unless designated as a ‘shared use’ trail. ► When riding at night cyclists must have a front light and rear reflector. ► If a Cyclist cannot safely trigger a red light to turn green, the cyclist may proceed only when it will not cause an immediate hazard to crossing traffic. Clean Water Resource Fair—April 25th; 1-8 p.m. If you own lakeshore property or are concerned about our lakes and streams, and want to know what is available to help make them a better place to enjoy, then you should come to the Clean Water Resource Fair on Thursday, April 25th, from 1-8 p.m. at the City of Independence Community Center, 1920 County Road 90. ATTENDANCE IS FREE and dozens of door prizes will be given away to those in attendance. There will be food available so bring the family and visit with the many vendors/agencies available for education and information. Hourly Seminars, starting at 1 pm, will be made on various treatment programs, Aquatic Invasive Species, weed identification, boat ramp surveillance, rain garden plantings, stop erosion, etc. More information regarding this event can be found on the City’s website at www.ci.medina.mn.us or by contacting Jerry Wise at cleanwater@frontier.com or call- ing 763-479-2228. Public Works & Police Page 2 April / May 2013 Public Works & Police Facility Update The City of Medina closed in December of 2012 on the purchase of a building at 600 Clydesdale Trail. The building is presently used by Clam Corporation, was built in 1994 as a distribution center and is well suited to the City’s needs with rela- tively little renovation. The operations of the Public Works department will be transferred in November 2013 from the 1975 era pole barn structure presently adjacent to City Hall. In addition, the Police Department, presently on the lower floor of City Hall, will move to the new facility. Project Costs and Financing The purchase price of the building at 600 Clydesdale Trail is $4.125 million. Renovation costs for the public works and police functions are estimated to be $3.375 million. Given the location of the facility and retention of existing City buildings, various efficiencies are available: fuel storage will not be needed given existing City capacity; sand and gravel can be purchased from Hennepin County; and the brush disposal function will remain on the City Hall property. At its October 2, 2012 meeting the City Council authorized the sale of $6.1 million in General Obligation Bonds with a 20 year term and an interest rate of 2.125%. The Council also recharacterized unused water bonds of $1.4 million for use on this project. Project Timelines The Medina City Council approved the bid advertisement for the project on February 19th. Project bids are due on April 4th. The City Council will review and approve bids for the project at their April 16th City Council meeting. The renovation project will begin on May 15th and is scheduled to be completed in November 2013. Project Contacts City Administrator Scott Johnson, 763-473-8840; e-mail: scott.johnson@ci.medina.mn.us Public Works Director Steve Scherer, 763-473-8842; e-mail: steve.scherer@ci.medina.mn.us Loretto Creek Sediment and Nutrient Removal Grant Project Loretto Creek, an east tributary to Lake Sarah, is a DNR protected water and is located within the cities of Medina and Loretto. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study was completed and it was determined that Loretto Creek carries approx- imately 269 pounds of sediment and nutrients per year to Lake Sarah. Grant money was received from the Clean Water Legacy Grant Program to provide treatment for approximately 490 acres of watershed, with the total project footprint at 2.9 acres at the Loretto ball fields. The project includes the following main components: ► Stabilizing the pipe outlets just west of County Road 19 ► Re-establishing 350 feet of DNR channel that was previously filled and piped ► Constructing a small sedimentation pond to allow for routine cleaning ► Constructing a ¾ acre water quality pond ► Restoring a historically filled wetland within the ball fields ► Establishing native seed in open space areas A water quality model was completed by Three Rivers Park District for the proposed concept plan. The model predicts that this project will remove approximately 140 pounds of phosphorus per year. As established in the TMDL study, the Waste Load Reduction (WLR) allocation for Loretto is 37 pounds per year and 247 pounds per year for Medina. The project will slow down flows by creating more storage within the restored creek and wet- land and adjacent native vegetation along with the sedimentation pond. Flows from a 2.5 inch rainfall event will be diverted into the water quality pond and restored wetland. This will further reduce peak flows, increase retention, and encourage infiltra- tion and biofiltration through the use of native plants. Funding sources for the project will consist of a combination of Medina’s stormwater utility fee, City of Loretto land con- tributions, Pioneer-Sarah Watershed Management Commission support, and grants. Long-term operation and maintenance needs will include verification of established wetland plants, stream channel stability, and storage capacity of the stormwater treatment system. The project started in 2012, and the major construction and excavating is now complete. The remaining punch list items include access roads, soil stabilization, and seeding. April / May 2013 Page 3 Planning & Community News City Business Profile: Gregor Farm & Greenhouse, Inc. By: Patty Gregor I would like to introduce to you Gregor Farm & Greenhouse, Inc. We are a small family owned and operated retail greenhouse located on the corner of Holy Name Drive and Medina Road. We take pride in our product for quality, selection, and friendly service with a neighborly approach. Our greenhouse is open year-round. We specialize in Spring bedding plants & hanging baskets, perennials, fall garden mums, the most beautiful poinsettias in the Twin Cit- ies, as well as seasonal fresh vegetables during harvest. What started as a hobby over 30 years ago has grown into a full-time greenhouse operation for the Gregors’. The 12 acres were planted in vegetable crops to be "trucked" to market. Every weekend, the ’57 Studebaker would be loaded to capacity, and headed for the Minneapolis Farmers Market where, to this day, Gregor Farm remains as a Grower. In addition to the Minneapolis Farmers Market we participate in the City of Plymouth Farmers Market. You may also purchase seasonal fresh from the field vegetables at our Holy Name location. Today, the Greenhouse’s square footage is approximately 25,000 heated greenhouses, 10,000 in cold frames, and 25,000 in outdoor growing, display/ retail areas. The Gregors take great pride in offering high quality, plant material with expertise of their knowledge and love of plants. In addition to Tom, Pat- ty and son Ryan, we employ 16 additional seasonal part-time staff. Our customers include the residents in Medina, Plymouth and surround- ing communities. An extension to the retail portion of the business has in- cluded fundraising for local non-profit organizations. Schools, youth organiza- tions and Church groups have enriched their financial goals through plant sales and shopping events. Join us for our Spring Open House the weekend of April 20 & 21st. Bring the family and enjoy selecting your garden plants at Gregor Farm & Green- house! Heroin Use/Addictions There has been a growing trend with Heroin use in the lake area community. This pertains especially to young adults that are high school age to mid-20 year olds. Typically, Heroin users become addicted quickly. Once addicted, many users get ex- tremely sick if they do not continue to use. The vast majority of Heroin is purchased from street gangs in Minneapolis. These purchases are usually for very small amounts referred to as “user amounts”. Often times, a Heroin addict will go to Minneapolis multiple times a week or every day to purchase Heroin. Each trip they will purchase just enough to get them through until they begin to feel sick again. It is very common for an addict to consume the Heroin within minutes of purchasing it. This is because of the severe ad- diction and the need to consume to not feel sick. It is very common for the purchase to take place in Minneapolis and the Heroin fully consumed before returning to our community. Heroin is typically smoked, snorted or injected. A Heroin addict usually knows almost to the hour how long they have until they feel sick. Many other crimes are associated with Heroin use. A severe Heroin addict can consume over $50.00 of Heroin a day. This often times results in an addict breaking into vehicles, garages and homes to steal things that can be pawned, sold on the street or traded for Heroin. There are many challenges in investigating this type of drug abuse. There have been recent arrests of individuals in the lake area community purchasing Heroin in Minneapolis. There was also a recent search warrant in the community that resulted in a user amount of Heroin. If you feel that a loved one has become an addict or if you have any information on suspected users or dealers, please con- tact the Medina Police Department at (763) 473-9209 or the Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge at www.mntc.org or (612) 373-3366. Planning Projects 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 re- view schedule, please contact the Planning Department at (763) 473-4643. Reserve of Medina – south Hackamore Road, east of County Road 116 Toll Brothers, Inc. has requested approval of a subdivision with 125 single-family lots on 80 acres (65 net acres) located at 525 Hackamore Road. The Planning Commission is tentative- ly scheduled to hold a Public Hearing on April 9, 2013. Lot Split – 1525 Hunter Drive T. Truxton Morrison has requested approval of a lot split in order to subdivide the existing 18 acre parcel at 1525 Hunter Drive into two lots. The Planning Commission is tentatively scheduled to hold a Public Hearing on April 9, 2013. Additionally, the City has been reviewing ad- ditional phases of The Enclave and The Fields of Medina, single-family neighbor- hoods which have been previously approved and are being developed in phases. SPRING CLEAN-UP DAY SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Rain or Shine) Behind City Hall in front of Public Works Bldg. Accepted Items: Scrap Iron No charge Batteries (all) No charge Anti-freeze No charge All Appliances No charge Miscellaneous Electronics No charge Computer/Laptop No charge Computer Monitors $10.00 ea Televisions (any size) $10.00 ea Mattresses/Box springs $15.00 ea Tires - Car (w/ or w/o rim) $ 4.00 ea Tires - Truck (w/or w/o rim) $ 6.00 ea Tires - Truck (semi-w/o rim) $10.00 ea Tires - Truck (semi-w/rim) $15.00 ea Tires - Tractor* $20.00-$40.00 ea *Depending on size Carpet, furniture, or building materials, etc. $10 small load $30 large load* *(Fully tied down pick-up truck) Keep items separated into categories, as things will be unloaded in various areas of the property. Items Not Accepted: Treated lumber Recyclables Paint Concrete bricks Commercial printers & fax machines Copiers Household/agricultural chemicals Oil/Oil products Household garbage Fluorescent lights Hazardous waste To recycle any of the above items, or to recycle other times of the year, contact: Hennepin County Recycling Center 8100 Jefferson Highway Brooklyn Park, MN 612-348-3777 www.hennepin.us/dropoffs BICYCLE COLLECTION Volunteers from Interfaith Outreach Community Partners will once again be collecting good useable bikes and trikes to give to those who are in need. TREES FOR SALE The City of Medina will once again be selling a limited number of trees at the Spring Clean-up Day for $25.00 a tree. The three types of trees that will be available are Sugar Maple, Princeton American Elm, and Redmond Linden. The trees are approximately 1” in diameter and 5-8’ tall. The trees are bare root stock and will need to be planted immediately. Before a tree is planted, call Gopher State One-Call at 651-454-0002 to locate underground utilities.                     Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events Hennepin County is once again sponsoring household hazardous waste collection events this spring in Shorewood, Minnetonka and St. Louis Park. For more information on event dates, loca- tions and accepted items, call 612-348-3777, or visit www.hennepin.us/collectionevents. Remember that broken toaster you’ve had sitting in the basement for a year, waiting for you to figure out how to fix it? Well, now is your chance! Bring your broken household goods and clothing in need of repair to Hennepin County’s Fix-It Clinic. Here are upcoming dates: April 13, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., South Mpls Housing Fair (inside Mpls Sports Center at the YWCA) May 11, noon – 4 p.m., Plymouth Library, Plymouth June 15, noon – 4p.m., Bloomington Center for the Arts, Bloomington Fix-It Clinics reduce the amount of stuff that gets thrown in the trash, teach valuable troubleshooting and basic repair skills, and build community connections. These are family-friendly events. More events are planned. Get more information and watch for future dates at hennepin.us/fixitclinic. Volunteer fixers are needed! Please email Nancy Lo at nancy.lo@co.hennepin.mn.us or call 612-348-9195 for more details or to volunteer. City Composting and Brush Facility The City offers a composting facility at the shop building located northwest of City Hall. Leaves, grass clippings, and brush are all welcome. NEW HOURS STARTING APRIL 1ST: Residents may drop brush or compost off Tuesday-Thursday 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (except holidays) and Friday 7 a.m. to Monday 3:30 p.m. (OPEN ALL WEEKEND). Please follow the posted signs as to where to put what you bring in. Remember no bags or containers are to be left on the site. Please, do not trash this site by leaving garbage or other unsuitable materials. Salvation Army Donation Collection at Clean-up Day The Salvation Army will have a couple of Gaylord boxes set up at the City of Medina Clean-up Day this year on Saturday, April 27th from 8 a.m. until Noon. This will be your opportunity to bring any wearing apparel that you are looking to donate, i.e. shoes, boots, coats, clothing, etc.