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HomeMy Public PortalAboutApril May 2009 c Printed on 20% post-consumer recycled fiber content paper City Hall Office Hours Mon-Fri 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Telephone Numbers City Hall ..............763-473-4643 Fax ......................763-473-9359 Police emergency ....................911 non-emergency .... 763-473-9209 Mayor Tom Crosby...........612-332-9111 City Council Carolyn Smith.......763-475-1003 Daniel Johnson......763-473-0744 Elizabeth Weir ......763-473-3226 Mike Siitari …….. 612-719-2453 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 City Administrator Chad M. Adams Other Contributors Jodi Gallup Madeleine Linck 2052 County Road 24, Medina MN 55340 Website: www.ci.medina.mn.us Inside this issue: City Logo Design Feedback Needed........Pg. 1 2009 and 2010 Budget Forecasts..............Pg. 1 Moratorium on Religious Institutions.......Pg. 1 Park Project Updates.................................Pg. 2 Road Improvement Schedule....................Pg. 2 Bird Watching Nature Walk ....................Pg. 2 Spring and Bird Nesting Season...............Pg. 2 Medina Clean-Up Day..............................Pg. 3-4 $20 Discount Plan on Next Utility Bill.....Pg. 5 Get to Know Your Planning Department..Pg. 5 Economic Development Program.............Pg. 5 Civil Defense Siren Grant Award.............Pg. 5 Spring Code Enforcement.........................Pg. 5 Low Impact Development Workshop.......Pg. 5 e-mail: city@ci.medina.mn.us General City Information Upcoming Public Hearings/Meetings Board of Appeal & Equalization, April 8, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall - The Local Board of Appeal & Equalization meeting is held for the purpose of reviewing and cor- recting the 2009 assessed property values or property classification recently mailed to all properties in Medina from Hennepin County. The 2009 property values will be used for 2010 taxes payable. Religious Institutions - April 14, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall - The Planning Commission will be conducting a pub- lic hearing on proposed zoning regulations for institutions such as churches, schools, government buildings. Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program - April 21, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall - The City is required to conduct an annual public hearing on the City’s SWPPP. A presen- tation will be provided at the City Council meeting, followed by any public comments or questions. Cherry Hill Roads Public Improvement/Special As- sessment - April 21, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall - Notices will be mailed in the next few weeks outlining proposed assessments for street improvements to the Cherry Hill neighbor- hood streets. Residents may attend the meeting to ask questions or provide comments on the proposed assessments. *City Clean Up Day Information Enclosed* City Calendar Ap r i l ► 7th Tues—City Council 7:00 pm ► 8th Wed—Board of Appeal 6:30 pm ► 14th Tues—Planning Commission 7:00 pm ► 15th Wed—Park Commission 7:00 pm ► 18th Sat—Council Office Hours 9 am to 11 am ► 21st Tues—City Council 7:00 pm ► 5th Tues—City Council 7:00 pm ► 12th Tues—Planning Commission 7:00 pm ► 16th Sat—Council Office Hours 9 am to 11 am ► 19th Tues—City Council 7:00 pm ► 20th Wed—Park Commission 7:00 pm ► 25th Mon—City Offices Closed (Holiday) A Bi-Monthly Newsletter of the City of Medina www.ci.medina.mn.us April/May 2009 ► All meetings at City Hall unless otherwise noted. ► Meeting agendas on web site when available. Ma y New Logo Project Background - In 2008, the City solicited vol- unteer designs for a new City Logo. Design submittals were dis- played at Medina Celebration Day in September 2008 for public viewing. Following the review of public comments, the City agreed to contract $500 with the winning design resident and con- sultant Lori Dalrymple to modify the design and demonstrate the functionality of the new logo into City operations, equipment, etc. Dalrymple presented the updated design at the March 3, 2009 City Council meeting. Logo Implementation - The Council is seeking public input be- fore revisiting the final approval of the design and implementation at the April 21st Council meeting. Implementation of the logo will generally occur as existing equipment, letterhead, and other items are phased out and replaced. The Park Commission has also been planning for the last few years to install park signs at all City parks. Existing park dedication funds, not taxpayer funding, will be utilized to install the Park signs with the new logo. Resident Input Needed on Proposed Logo Please take time to visit the City’s website at www.ci.medina.mn.us to view the color version of the logo and provide feedback on the pro- posed new logo design. All com- ments should be submitted by April 15th to jodi.gallup@ci.medina.mn.us or call 763-473-8850. 2009 and 2010 Budget Forecasts City Staff will be presenting a 2009 quarterly budget report to the City Council on April 21st. The report will include projections and recommendations for the remain- ing 2009 budget activity. As indicated in the February/March issue of the Me- dina Message newsletter, the City reduced the 2009 budget by $65,000 in December 2008 to reflect budget revenue shortfalls. The City has further decided not to refill 1.5 full-time equivalent employees (FTE) that were left vacant in January. While some short-term and long-term projects have been deferred and more will continue to be evaluated, City departments have been reducing training budgets and other day-to-day operational expenses in the event revenue shortfalls continue through the year. Over the next several months, Staff will also be pre- paring the preliminary budget for 2010. The City is re- quired to establish a preliminary tax levy by mid- September for 2010 taxes payable. The Council will hold 2010 budget sessions and an Open House this summer. The City will face similar budget challenges to past years for 2010 including the funding of improvements to aging infrastructure such as streets and utilities, as well as continued shortfalls in building permit and new develop- ment related revenues. The City continues to monitor proposed State budget cuts or tax policy changes to deter- mine any affects on the City’s budget and services. Moratorium on Religious Institutions The City Council approved a moratorium on religious institu- tions and facilities at the February 3rd Council meeting. The pur- pose of the moratorium is to allow the City sufficient time to study and update any official controls related to religious institutions. The moratorium was established for one year, but the Council directed staff to begin preparing any related ordinances as a top priority with the intent the moratorium may be lifted early. Prior to approving the moratorium, the City had received an application from Woodridge Church on County Road 24 propos- ing an expansion of their current facility. The application has been delayed for review until the City completes the official con- trol review to include possible updates to any zoning ordinances. The Planning Commission has already conceptually discussed possible regulations to religious institutions, government facilities, and schools at their March meeting. The Commission will be conducting a public hearing on a proposed ordinance at their April 14, 2009 meeting. The earliest the City Council would review the ordinance is May 5, 2009. Parks & Public Works Page 2 Park Commission Nature Walk Residents are invited to join Medina Park Commissioner, Madeleine Linck, on a Saturday morning bird watching nature walk on May 16th from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. This will give residents an opportunity to visit one of the city’s nature areas, Medina Lake Preserve, and learn about birds, bird houses, and other Medina wildlife. Residents interested in tak- ing advantage of this opportunity should register with Jodi Gallup at jodi.gallup@ci.medina.mn.us or call 763-473-8850 by May 8th. The event will be cancelled in the event of severe weather. Remember to bring your binoculars and wear a pair of boots. 2009 Road Improvement Projects The City Council accepted a Feasibility Report for four road mill and overlay improvement projects this summer. Because the City plans to use special assessments for the projects, a public improve- ment hearing and special assessment hearing are required. City Staff is currently preparing the notices for the meetings that will include the proposed assessments for each parcel benefiting from the im- provement projects. The road projects and hearing dates include: Cherry Hill neighborhood April 21, 2009 Elm Creek neighborhood May 5, 2009 Sycamore Trail May 19, 2009 Pioneer Trail (from Hamel Rd to Willow Dr.) June 2, 2009 In addition to the roads above, these projects are also scheduled: ► Hamel Road - The final lift of asphalt will be placed on Hamel Road in Uptown Hamel this summer, along with sidewalk instal- lation, as part of the street reconstruction completion. ► Highway 55 - MnDOT has notified the City a mill and overlay and median installation will be completed between County Road 116 and the Plymouth border. MnDOT is in the process of send- ing formal notices to all affected properties. Park Project Updates A number of projects are presently planned for completion or to be initiated in 2009. Here’s an update of some projects: ► Field House (Concession) Facility - The City has issued RFP’s for architectural services. An architect is expected to be selected this spring and project construction would begin in the fall. The project budget is $300,000 and is funded through donations and park dedication monies. ► County Road 19 Trail - Hennepin County will be com- pleting the regional trail on the east side of County Road 19 this fall from Baker Park to Highway 55. The project is funded through a federal grant and will connect Baker to Crow-Hassan Park. ► County Road 116 Trail - Final engineering design and title work is being completed for acquisition of trail ease- ments between Highway 55 and Hackamore Rd. The trail will be located on the west side of CR116. City project completion is planned for fall 2009. The project is funded through Hennepin County cooperative agreement funds & City park dedication monies. ► Rainwater Park - Phase II restoration work to include native plantings, trees, etc. is expected for completion in 2009. A trail and grading work were completed in 2008. The project is funded through City park dedication monies. ► Holy Name Park - A grand re-opening of the park will be scheduled for this spring. Grant funds from Minnehaha Creek Watershed District and City park dedication monies supported the project, which included a trail to the lake, shoreline restoration and a partial porous pavement park- ing lot. ► Park Signs - Designs for installation of uniform park signs is planned to occur after the City’s logo design is selected. Funding for the signs are through City park dedication monies. Spring & Bird Nesting Season Many of our breeding birds return to Minnesota in March and April and it is always wonderful to watch them raise their young in our own backyards. There are many ways landowners can provide nesting habitat. Dead trees with cavities are especially important for species such as owls, woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, wrens, and even bluebirds. Leaving snags in your woodlot greatly benefits birds and mammals. If you do not have nesting cavities on your property, you can provide nest boxes, but it is important to select the right type of box and place it in the proper location. Predator guards are also important to provide safety from raccoons, squirrels, domestic cats and other predators of baby birds. If you have questions about how to attract nesting birds to your yard, please feel free to contact resident Made- leine Linck at 763-475-0485 or Madeleine.linck@gmail.com. A special thanks to Madeleine for volunteering this article. Spring Road Restrictions In Effect Each spring, the majority of City roads are restricted to a four- ton axle weight limit, which eliminates most truck traffic on City roads. The weight restrictions are usually in effect early spring through May 15, but the determination is made as weather conditions improve. The restrictions are necessary to prevent damage to roads when the first frost comes out and road sub-bases are saturated with water. See the City website to view a map of streets not restricted. Page 5 Administration & Planning Utility Bill Worry Free Payment Plan With a $20 Discount! The City is offering a $20 one-time discount on your next utility bill if you sign up for the City’s Automatic Pay Plan. This one-time discount will also be retroactive to those customers already signed up. Medina utility customers are provided with this opportunity to have utility pay- ments directly deducted from your checking or savings accounts. Anyone interested in the Automatic Pay option must sign up by com- pleting and returning to the City an authorization form (found on the City’s website) and submit a voided check for checking accounts or a de- posit ticket for savings accounts. Once signed up, bill payments will be taken from the designated bank account and automatically sent to the City. The payment will be deducted from the bank account on the date that the payment is due. Because bills vary, the City will send automatic payment statements to the utility customer showing the exact amount due to be deducted from the designated bank account. The utility customer bank statements will also show the amount of deduction. Benefits of the $20 one-time discount program to the City include time and labor savings in distributing and processing the bills manually. Economic Development Program Study The City will soon be researching and reviewing options for the City to become more involved in pro- viding economic development programs or services to the community. A Staff report is expected to be pro- vided to the City Council in July to include options, programs, and recommendations for the City. More details and opportunities for public participa- tion will be outlined in early June. The City recently conducted a “Getting to Know You” Business Survey to solicit feedback from the community’s businesses. The report and results of that survey are posted on the City’s website. Spring Code Enforcement Zoning staff will be focusing code enforcement efforts this spring on junk vehicles, nuisances, commercial businesses in residential zoning districts, and conditional use permit reviews. The City will be requiring property owners to meet City Code and conditional use permit compliance. Residents who have a question or complaint may contact Deb Peterson-Dufresne at Debra@ci.medina.mn.us or by call- ing City Hall. Residents issuing a complaint may do so with- out their identity being made public. The Minnesota Data Practices Act protects resident complaints against another prop- erty as private information. Get to Know your Planning Department The City Planning Department consists of a Planning Director (currently vacant), Associate Planner, Planning Assistant, and an Office Assistant to Planning and Public Works. All of these positions are filled by city employees. The City contracts with Metro West Inspection Services, Inc. for building inspection services. Planning Director - oversees day-to-day functions of the Plan- ning department including management of department person- nel, coordination with consultants, and land-use application re- view. Dusty Finke, Associate Planner - processes requests for vari- ances, subdivisions, platting, site plans, comprehensive plan amendments, and conditional use permits. Also is a resource for wetland data, GIS (Geographical Information System) mapping, code enforcement, zoning regulations, and septic systems. Debra Peterson-Dufresne, Planning Assistant - provides admin- istrative and technical support for general planning and zoning information, building permits, code enforcement, and general city information. Linda Lane, Office Assistant to Planning and Public Works - provides clerical and administrative support to the planning and public works departments. Low Impact Development Presentation April 14th at 7 p.m. Julie Westerlund, Education and Communications Man- ager at the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, will present "Protecting Water Resources with Low Impact Development and Green Infrastructure" on April 14, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall. This presentation will highlight planning and devel- opment strategies that encourage development that works with the landscape as opposed to more traditional "cookie cutter" developments. Julie will talk about strategies such as conser- vation design, reducing impervious surfaces, and using infiltra- tion and bio-filtration to manage storm water. Civil Defense Siren Grant Award The City of Medina and Hennepin County have received a $25,000 grant to place a new Civil Defense Siren on the Hennepin County Public Works Facility property (near Highway 55 and Arrowhead Drive). Installation of the siren is planned for April. Page 4 RAIN BARRELS FOR SALE This year the City of Medina will be selling rain barrels at the reduced price of $75.00 each to Medina residents, and $85.00 each for non-residents. An order form and additional rain barrel information is available online at www.ci.medina.mn.us. Questions on rain barrel orders should be directed to Jodi Gallup at 763-473-8850. BICYCLE COLLECTION During Spring Clean-up Day, the City will again be collecting good useable bikes for Interfaith Outreach Community Partners. BRUSH AND COMPOST SITE Located behind the Public Works garage, the brush and compost site is open year round during daylight hours seven days a week. Accepted items for brush pile: Brush and woody shrubs and vines Christmas trees Large logs Stumps that have been cut up Items not accepted: Painted or treated lumber Railroad ties Accepted items for compost pile: Leaves/grass clippings (no bags please) Items not accepted: Small twigs or vines Hay and/or straw Animal waste TREES FOR SALE The City of Medina will once again be selling a limited number of trees at the Spring Clean-up Day. Sugar Maple $30.00 each Autumn Blaze $30.00 each Hackberry $25.00 each Linden $25.00 each The trees are approximately 1” in diameter and 6-8’ 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 un- derground utilities. Wood chip mulch will also be available to Medina residents on a first come first serve basis at no charge. Mulch can be picked up behind the Public Works garage. Page 3 MEDINA CLEAN-UP DAY SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2009 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Rain or Shine) Accepted Items: Brush No charge Leaves No charge Scrap iron No charge Batteries (all) No charge Anti-freeze No charge Air conditioners $20.00 ea Water softeners $20.00 ea Appliances $10.00 ea Dehumidifiers $10.00 ea Televisions $3 - $8 ea Computers $3 - $8 ea Mattresses/Box springs $15.00 ea Tires - Car $ 3.00 ea Tires - Truck (w/o rim) $ 7.50 ea Tires - Truck (with rim) $10.00 ea Tires - Tractor* $15.00 ea *Larger sizes will be charged more Carpet, furniture, building materials, etc: $10 small load $30 large load* (*Fully tied down pick-up truck) When loading your items, keep them separated into categories, as things will be unloaded in vari- ous areas of the property. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Clean-up Day relies on help from volunteers in the community. Residents that volunteer their time are not charged for items they bring to Clean-up Day, other than appliances. If you are interested in volunteering, call City Hall at 763-473-4643 and ask for Linda. Items Not Accepted: Treated lumber Recyclables Paint Concrete bricks Commercial printers & fax machines Commercial Copiers Household/agricultural chemicals or containers 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 (click on environment) The website also has a wealth of information that provides many ways to reuse instead of throwing away.