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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2020 Apr-May Newsletter Inside this issue: COVID-19 City Response .............................. Pg. 1 Bike Safety Rodeo ............................................ Pg. 1 Tamarack Drive Visioning Study ................... Pg. 2 Land Use Applications Under Review .......... Pg. 2 Medina Area Sewer Improvement Project ... Pg. 3 Spring Road Weight Restrictions ................... Pg. 3 Noxious Weed Control ................................... Pg. 3 Dogs in the Park .............................................. Pg. 3 Medina Police New Appointments ............... Pg. 4 Police Dept. Updates on Social Media .......... Pg. 4 Diamond Lake Regional Trail Plan ............... Pg. 4 2020 Census ...................................................... Pg. 5 Open to Business Program ............................. Pg. 5 Election Judges Needed .................................. Pg. 5 Medina Spring Clean-Up Day ........................ Insert City Meeting Calendar ..................................... Back Board of Appeal and Equalization ................ Back City Council Agenda and Minutes ................. Back City Meeting & Event Calendar April 7th Tues—City Council 7 pm 8th Wed—Board of Appeal 6:30 pm 14th Tues—Planning Commission 7 pm 15th Wed—Park Commission 7 pm 21st Tues—Board of Appeal Cont. 6 pm 21st Tues—City Council 7 pm 25th Sat—Clean-up Day 8 am-noon May 5th Tue—City Council 7 pm 12th Tues—Planning Commission 7 pm 19th Tues—City Council Work Session 6 pm 19th Tues—City Council 7 pm 20th Wed—Park Commission 7 pm 25th Mon—City Offices Closed (Holiday) Meeting agendas on website when available. City Council Agendas & 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 residents. If you would like to be added to the regular email notification list, email jodi.gallup@medinamn.gov to sign up. Board of Appeal and Equalization Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. This meeting is held annually for the purpose of reviewing and correcting the 2020 assessed property values or property classifications in the City of Medina. This meeting may be held telephonically; check the city’s website for details. Residents wishing to appeal their assessed property values, should start the process by contacting the City Assessor at 763-473-3978 to allow you the opportunity to work out a valuation prior to the meeting. More information on the steps necessary to appeal your estimated property values can be found on the city’s website at: https://medinamn.us/boa/. CITY HALL 2052 County Road 24 Medina, MN 55340 p: 763-473-4643 f: 763-473-9359 e: city@medinamn.gov 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@medinamn.gov Police Department Office Hours Mon-Fri 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Mayor Kathleen Martin 612-344-1111 City Council Jeff Pederson 612-916-6448 John Anderson 612-618-5702 Dino DesLauriers 612-812-3290 Todd Albers 763-360-5532 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 April / May 2020 Bike Safety Rodeo & Police Open House Saturday, May 2nd 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. The Medina Police Department hosts an annual Bicycle Safety Rodeo in hopes to educate children ages 3 to 12 to ride their bikes safer and smart- er. It will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2020 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. inside the Medina Police/Public Works Garage located at 600 Clydesdale Trail. Children will get the opportunity to go through various obstacles that they may face every day while riding their bike such as safely leaving your driveway and making a quick stop. Come for family fun, prizes, food for purchase from the food vendors, and education on bicycle safety. Bike inspections will also be offered. The best part is that it’s FREE! We will be offering tours of our police department. There will be police and fire vehicles and search and rescue dogs. Registration forms and more information can be found on the City website: https://medinamn.us/citygov/departments/police-dept/ bike-safety-rodeo/ Registration forms are due Friday, April 24th, 2020 - please email them to either: kaylen.boeddeker@medinamn.gov or patrick.johnson@medinamn.gov or you may drop them off at the Police Department. On March 16, 2020, Mayor Kathleen Martin issued Mayoral Declaration No. 2020-1 finding a local emergency exists and has issued a statement and determination regarding conducting meetings by telephone or other electronic means. The City of Medina is following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Minnesota Department of Health to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health and safety of its residents and staff. Medina will be taking a number of precautions to avoid in-person contact while maintaining its key functions. City Hall offices will be closed starting March 17th to the public until further notice, while City Hall staff conducts its work remotely. Public Works and Police staff will continue to provide core services while following direction from the Centers for Disease Control and Minnesota Department of Health. Medina staff will continue to be available to assist the public through email and phone calls. A staff directory is available via our website: https://medinamn.us/contact-us/ staff-directory/. A letter from Mayor Martin along with further details and up-to-date information can be found on the city’s website at https://medinamn.us/covid-19/. Planning & Public Works Page 2 April / May 2020 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 https://medinamn.us/citygov/departments/planning-zoning/ or contact the Planning Department at (763) 473-4643, ext. 1. Meadow View Townhomes – north of Highway 55, west of CR116 Lennar has requested review of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) concept plan for development of 138 townhomes south of the Fields of Medina neighborhood. A public hearing has tentatively been scheduled for the April 14 Planning Commission meeting. Stetler Barn CUP– 1832 Medina Road Chris and Jim Stetler have requested a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for construction of a 12,300 square foot barn and riding arena. A public hearing has tentatively been scheduled for the April 14 Planning Commission meeting. Charlie’s Restaurant – 172 Hamel Road Steve and Richard Andres have requested approval of a Site Plan Review and Conditional Use Permit for Charlie’s Restaurant The proposed restaurant would be predominantly take-out food and constructed with shipping containers. A public hearing has tentatively been scheduled for the May 12 Planning Commission meeting. Roehl Subdivision – 1735 Medina Road The Estate of Robert J. Roehl has requested a preliminary plat for subdivision of 28 acres into two lots, located on Medina Road, west of Tamarack Drive. The request is incomplete for review and will be scheduled for review when materials have been submitted. Land Use Applications Under Review Tamarack Drive Visioning Study Help envision the future roadway at Hwy 55, north of Hamel Rd and South of Meander Rd The City is currently planning for the future construction of Tamarack Drive from Hamel Road to Meander Road. This roadway will serve commercial and residential development along the corridor. This is a unique opportunity to guide the look, feel, and function of the future roadway. The study will result in a cohesive plan that will be constructed by the various developments along the corridor. Various ways to help guide the vision: ► Street design preference survey in an online format: Visit https:// medinamn.us/tamarack/ to participate in the survey at any point from now through April 20th. ► Live/in-person Open House – April 14, 2020 from 5:00-6:45 PM at City Hall. Depending on CDC guidelines regarding public gatherings, the in-person open house may need to be held virtually. If we must hold a virtual open house, we plan to conduct it live in real time on April 14th from 5—6:45 p.m. to allow public participation. Check the website above for details. The same information will be available both online and at the open house. April / May 2020 Page 5 Administration Free One-on-One Technical Assistance for Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs Are you thinking about starting your own business or are you cur- rently operating a small business and interested in FREE technical assistance? Medina has partnered with Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD) to offer the “Open to Business” program. This program provides FREE one-on-one assistance 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 bookkeeping 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) 843- 3260. More information is available on the City’s website: https:// medinamn.us/opentobusiness/. Make sure you Count – the time is now!!! Every 10 years, the federal government conducts a census of the entire population. You should have received an invitation to respond to the census via mail or by a census worker. If you have not yet responded, you will be receiving reminders during the month of April. If you do not respond by the end of April, census worker will visit your home in person. In 2020, for the first time ever, the U.S. Census Bureau will ask residents to respond online. You will also have options to respond by phone or by mail. The online form is easy, fast and secure. Why is the Census important? The Census results inform untold governmental and private sector decisions for the next decade, including how federal funding will be distributed. It is also the basis for determining districts for representation in Congress and the Minnesota Legislature. Local communities can lose up to $2,700.00 per person in federal funding (for roads, schools and more) for each person not counted by the census. Medina Snowbird Reminder: Be counted in Medina! Medina residents who head south for the winter should be counted at the residence where they live the majority of the time. Is it Confidential and Secure to Be Counted? Yes. Strict federal laws protect all census responses. It is against the law for any Census Bureau employ- ee to disclose or publish any information that identifies individuals or businesses. No law enforcement agency (not the DHS, ICE, FBI, or CIA) can access or use personal information at any time. The Census Bureau will never ask for Social Security numbers, bank or credit card accounts, money, donations or anything on behalf of a political party. Stay Informed – www.2020census.gov Election Judges Needed for: August 11th State Primary Election November 3rd General Election Exercise your civic duty: help people vote at the polling place. Want to play a part in the 2020 elections? Apply to be an election judge in Medina at: https://medinamn.us/citygov/elections/ Public Safety & Trail Planning Page 4 April / May 2020 New Public Safety Director and Sergeant Appointed After 29 years of service to the city of Medina, Director of Public Safety Edgar Belland retired on March 31, 2020. On April 1st, Jason Nelson was promoted to the new Director of Public Safety. Director Nelson has been with the Medina Police Department for 19 years, 15 of which he served as the first sergeant to the department. Also on April 1st, Kevin Boecker was promoted to the rank of sergeant. Sergeant Boecker has served as a patrol officer for 18 years with the department. Three Rivers Park District Master Plan Diamond Lake Regional Trail Three Rivers Park District has kicked off the master planning process for the future development of the Diamond Lake Regional Trail (DLRT) through the western portion of Hennepin County (Dayton, Rogers, Corcoran, Medina, Long Lake, Orono, and Wayzata). The vision for the DLRT is for a 10-foot wide paved, multi-use trail corridor that will connect areas of high natural resource value, local parks or trails, and other planned or existing regional trails in the Three Rivers trail network. Users will be able to use the trail for biking, hiking, dog-walking, running, and in-line skating. The City of Medina and the Park District will work together to find the best alignment through the community. Staff from Three Rivers will visit various community events this summer providing project information and soliciting public feedback on route alignments. Check out the project website at: https:// www.letstalkthreerivers.org/ for more information and links later this spring and summer to provide public feedback. PROJECT TIMELINE: January -April: Route Option Development May-September: Public Outreach October- December: Final Route Selection New Officer Joins the Medina Police Department Officer Justin Hanson joined the Medina Police Department in February of 2020. Justin came to us from the Ponca City, Oklahoma Police Department where he had been working as a licensed patrol officer for the past 8 years. Justin is currently in our 12-week Field Training Officer program and will be a great addition to our staff. Social Media – The Medina Police have an active Facebook page, where frequent posts are made to keep residents informed and provide safety information. Follow them by searching “Medina Police Department – MN”. April / May 2020 Page 3 Public Works & Parks Dogs in the Park With the arrival of spring and warmer weather, we will be out enjoying the parks and trails. If you are headed out to one of the City parks or trails with your pets, please ensure they are on a leash. City Ordinance 515 requires that pets be contained or on a leash no longer than six feet in length. The ordinance also requires that pet owners clean up pet feces and dispose of the feces in a sanitary manner. Let’s enjoy our parks by keeping them safe and clean. Spring Road Weight Restrictions Spring road weight restrictions are now in effect. The City does not issue permits during road weight restrictions, other than for emergency utility situations. The reason for the restrictions is to protect our roads and to keep the cost of road repair down for all taxpayers. We ask all of our residents and business owners to keep an eye out for large trucks using the roads during the re- striction period. If you see them using a restricted road, please call 9-1-1 and report it. Help protect your roads! When will road weight restrictions be lifted? There are a lot of variables that determine when the signs for the restrictions are posted and when they are taken down; such as: how long the cold weather holds out, how fast the frost starts coming out of the ground as the weather starts warming up, which vulnerable roads will need to have the restrictions kept on longer than the State, etc. Please watch the City’s website for up-to-date information on which streets are posted and when those streets get lifted at: https://medinamn.us/road-restrictions/. For questions, you can call the Medina Police Department at 763-473-9209. Medina Area Sewer Improvement Project Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES), operator of the metro-area wastewater collection and treatment system, will be making improvements to regional sanitary sewer facilities that serve homes and businesses in Medina, Maple Plain and Independence. Construction is anticipated to begin in Spring 2020 and is expected to be complete by the end of 2020. Restoration will follow in summer 2021. Fore more information and to sign up for project email updates, visit our project website at: www.metrocouncil.org/ sewerconstruction/medina. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the project at info@medinasewerproject.com or by phone at 612-404-1343. 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 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 procedures for controlling and eradicating.