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HomeMy Public PortalAboutFeb - March 2016 Inside this issue: Board of Appeal and Equalization .................... Pg. 1 Location of Garbage & Recycle Containers ..... Pg. 1 Precinct Political Party Caucuses ....................... Pg. 1 2040 Comprehensive Plan .................................. Pg. 2 Land Use Application Under Review ................ Pg. 2 Winter Parking Regulations ................................ Pg. 3 Spring Road Weight Restrictions ....................... Pg. 3 Snowmobile Regulations ..................................... Pg. 3 Tips for Weathering the Winter Montage......... Pg. 3 City Business Profile: ALDI ............................... Pg. 4 The Medina Club Business Networking ........... Pg. 4 Park Commission Vacancies .............................. Pg. 4 Business Recycling Requirement........................ Pg. 4 Open to Business Program ................................. Pg. 4 2016 Budget Summary Data ............................... Pg. 5 City Meeting Calendar ......................................... Back Uptown Hamel Skating/Sledding Social .......... Back City Council Email Notifications ....................... Back City Meeting Calendar February 2nd Tues—City Council 7:00 pm 9th Tues—Planning Commission 7:00 pm 15th Mon—City Offices Closed (Holiday) 16th Tues—City Council Work Session 6:00 pm 16th Tues—City Council 7:00 pm 17th Wed—Park Commission 7:00 pm March 2nd Wed—City Council 7:00 pm 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. City Council Agendas and Minutes Email Notifications Stay informed on what is happening at upcoming City Council meet- ings. 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@ci.medina.mn.us to sign up. Uptown Hamel Skating/Sledding Social Saturday, February 13th, 1 - 4 p.m. Community members are invited to attend the Uptown Hamel Skating/Sledding Social on Saturday, February 13th from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. at Hamel Legion Park. The festivities will be centralized around the Hamel Community Building, ice skating rink, sledding hill, and fire pit. The Uptown Hamel Business Group is sponsoring the event and will be serving hot apple cider and making s’mores. For more information visit the Uptown Hamel Business Group website at https://uptownhamel.com or call Fortin Health and Well- ness Clinic at 763-478-3978. 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 City Administrator Feb / Mar 2016 Board of Appeal and Equalization—April 6, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. This meeting is held annually for the purpose of reviewing and correcting the 2016 assessed property values or property classifications in the City of Medina. All persons considering themselves aggrieved by said assessment, or who wish to complain that the property of another is assessed 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 property 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 http://medinamn.us/ boa/. Precinct Political Party Caucuses on March 1, 2016 at 7 p.m. Precinct caucuses are meetings organized by Minnesota's political parties to begin the process of selecting candidates for the 2016 election and policy positions to shape the party platform. Caucuses are a great opportunity to engage directly in the political process at the "grassroots" level. The Major Parties will hold caucuses on Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at 7 p.m. Precinct caucuses are open to the public and participation is encouraged by the political parties. In order to vote, offer resolutions or become a delegate at a precinct caucus, attendees must be eligible to vote in the 2016 election, live in the precinct and be in general agreement with the principles of the political party. Additional information about the upcoming caucuses as well as contact infor- mation for each of Minnesota's seven political parties is available online at: http:// www.sos.state.mn.us/index.aspx?page=886. Caucus Finder: The Online Way to Locate Your Precinct Caucus Caucus Finder is an online application that assists Minnesotans in locating the major party precinct caucus meeting of their choice. Caucus Finder can be found at: http://caucusfinder.sos.state.mn.us/. Location of Garbage & Recycling Containers The City’s Solid Waste Management Ordinance, City Code 503, requires that all garbage and recycling containers be at the rear of your property, behind a building, or in an enclosed area. Please visit the City of Medina’s website at: http://medinamn.us/ wp-content/uploads/2010/08/503.pdf to view the entire ordinance. If you have any questions, call the City’s recycling coordinator Jodi Gallup at 763-473-8850 or email jodi.gallup@ci.medina.mn.us. 2040 Comp Plan & Planning Page 2 Feb / Mar 2016 Land Use Application Under Review Hamel Brewery – 22 Hamel Road – The applicant requests approval of a Site Plan Review for construction of a building to contain a bar, brewery and food service use. The applicant also requests a Conditional Use Permit for an outside seating area. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on January 12, 2016 and recommended approval. The City Council is tenta- tively scheduled to review this application at the February 2nd meeting. For more information on planning 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. Make Your Voice Heard! City Seeks Feedback on Vision Statement and Community Goals “If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else.” ― Yogi Berra The City is currently in the midst of updating its Comprehensive Plan, which guides future growth in the community and also guides economic development and investments in City services such as natural resources/parks/recreation, transportation, and water resources. Mr. Berra eloquently described the importance of having a good plan. The first step in the process is establishing a vision and to set community wide goals which will guide the process. The City continues to seek feedback on the following draft vi- sion and goals which came about following various public open houses and meetings. Vision Statement Medina is one community. The City will strive to maintain its unique heritage by promoting and protecting its rural character and its natural environment. Medina will foster well-designed neighborhoods and create retail and other destinations for the community to gather. The City will develop in a deliberate fashion in which the pace of development will be commensurate with the resources available from in- vestments in services and infrastructure and which sustains a high quality of life for residents. Community Goals Limit expansion of urban services to the area necessary to accommodate forecasted residential growth and desired business opportunities. Develop at a sustainable pace which does not exceed investments in school, transportation, water supply and wastewater infrastructure. Promote public and private gathering places and civic events that serve the entire community. Provide opportunities for a diversity of housing at a range of prices to support residents at all stages of their life. Protect and enhance the environment and natural resources throughout the community. Preserve and promote the rural vistas, open spaces and rural character in all areas of the community. Join the Conversation! Various opportunities exist for you to take part in establishing the vision and goals and, ultimately, creating the plan: ► Participate electronically anytime at Medina’s mySidewalk page: https://medinacompplan.mysidewalk.com/. ► Discuss with your neighbors or with members of the Steering Committee, Planning Commission or City Council. ► Send comments or speak to City Planner Dusty Finke at dusty.finke@ci.medina.mn.us or (763) 473-8846. Additional community meetings will be held this spring and summer as the City proceeds with the Comprehensive Plan process. Keep up-to-date on Medina’s mySidewalk page and through updates in the City newsletter. Above: Community members discuss the Comp Plan process with City Planner Dusty Finke at Medina Celebration Day 2016 Budget Summary Data Feb / Mar 2016 Page 5 The purpose of this report is to provide a summary of 2016 budget information for the City of Medina residents and prop- erty owners. The complete budget may be examined at Medina City Hall, 2052 County Road 24 or on the City’s website at www.medinamn.us. The final General Fund Budget for 2016 was approved on December 1, 2015 in the amount of $4,253,394, an increase of $133,887 or 3.3% from the 2015 General Fund Budget. The General Fund total property tax levy for 2016 was authorized for $3,043,667, an increase of 5.2% or $151,528 from the 2015 General Fund levy. The overall 2016 property tax levy was ap- proved for $3,748,649, an increase of 7.0% or $246,838 over the total 2015 levy. The overall levy increased due to a new bond that was put in place for the Tower Drive Improvement project, increased fire services, and overall increases for health, proper- ty, and liability insurances. Business & Government Page 4 Feb / Mar 2016 City Business Profile: ALDI The new Medina ALDI store, located at 100 Westfalen Trail, opened on Thursday, December 17th. The public was invited to celebrate the opening of the new ALDI store with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Following the ceremony, the first 100 shoppers received a golden ticket, each containing an ALDI gift certificate of various amounts. Customers could also tour the store, sample ALDI exclu- sive brand products and enter an on-site sweepstakes for a chance to win a year’s supply of ALDI produce. ALDI is a small-format food market that saves you money on the groceries you buy most. They carry all your must-haves – fresh produce, dairy, meat and bakery items, as well as exclusive brands, which make up 90 percent of the products you’ll find at ALDI. Peo- ple have always known ALDI for its great quality at low prices and simple, efficient approach to shopping. In addition to high-quality products, the simple approach to retailing– from the quarter cart rental system to open carton displays – is what helps keep the quality high, the prices low and customers coming back. ALDI is rapidly growing here in the US as shoppers are discovering that they can save time and money at ALDI without sacrificing quality. ALDI is in the midst of a five-year expansion, with plans to open 650 new stores across the country, bringing its total number of US stores to nearly 2,000 by the end of 2018. The Medina Club Business Networking The Medina Club is a free, open networking opportunity for all businesses in Medina, Hamel, Corcoran, and Loretto which meets at 9:00 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month. The Medina Club’s next meeting will be held on February 10th at 9:00 a.m. at Rock Elm Tavern, 16605 County Road 24, Plymouth, MN. If you’d like to join this group or be put on the email list for upcoming events, contact DJ Hartley at the I-94 West Chamber at djhartley@i94westchamber.org or call 763-291-8427. Open to Business Program Provides Free Technical Assistance Are you thinking about starting your own busi- ness or are you currently operating a small business and interested in FREE technical assistance? Medina has partnered with the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD) to offer the “Open to Business” program. This pro- gram provides FREE one-on-one assistance from MCCD’s expert staff, customized to meet the specific needs of each entrepreneur. This can include creat- ing a business plan, suggestions on financial manage- ment and bookkeeping practices, assisting with mar- keting, and referrals for financing. MCCD also ad- ministers 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) 789-7337 ext. 260. More information is available on the City’s website: http://medinamn.us/opentobusiness. Recycling to be Required in Commercial Buildings Starting in 2016 In 2014, the Minnesota Legislature expanded recycling requirements to include commercial build- ings. Owners with commercial buildings in the seven -county metro area – that also generate four cubic yards or more of trash per week – must be recycling at least three materials by January 1, 2016. Who must collect recycling? Property owners with commercial buildings (including multi-family buildings) located in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott or Washington counties. What must be collected? A minimum of three broad materi- als must be collected for recycling. Possible material types include paper, cans, glass, plastic, metal, card- board or organics. Single-sort recycling collection with 3+ materials included meet the requirement. Businesses can get funds, recycling bins and ad- vice from Hennepin County Environment and Ener- gy. Their staff is available to help make business recy- cling efforts a success. Businesses can get funds, bins, signs and onsite assistance here: www.hennepin.us/ businessrecycling. Public Works & Public Safety Feb / Mar 2016 Page 3 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 snow- plowing. If you have any questions in reference to the parking ordinance, please call the police depart- ment at 763-473-9209. Snowmobile Regulations Winter has finally arrived with new fallen snow. With snow, comes snowmobiling. With snowmobiling, comes snowmobile complaints. The majority of these complaints are from property owners reporting the operation of snowmobiles on their property without permission. The City of Medina regulates snowmobile operations through City Ordinance 350. This ordinance follows State law in regulating travel along State highways and county roads. Snowmobile operations are allowed within the City under certain circumstances. We would like to remind snowmobilers that the ordinance requires that you have permis- sion from private property owners prior to entering onto someone else’s property. The ordinance also prohibits any operation of snowmobiles on sidewalks and trails used for pedestrian traffic. The City of Medina has marked trails that are groomed for snowmobilers. We ask that snowmobile operators respect other people’s property and stay on these designated trails. Please operate safely and stay on the trails. Please review Medina City Ordinance 350 which can be found on the City’s website at http://medinamn.us/regulations-fees/city- code-book/. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Medina Police Department at 763-473-9209. Spring Road Weight Restrictions The Medina Police want to remind everyone that spring weight restrictions on the roads will go into ef- fect in early March. If you are planning a construction project, please ensure that you have your materials de- livered prior to the weight restrictions. The reason for the restrictions is to protect our roads and 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 restriction period. If you see them using a restricted road, please call 9-1-1 and report it. Help protect your roads! For questions, you can call the Medina Police Department at 763-473-9209. Tips for Weathering the Winter Montage of Snow Scenes around Your Home Article courtesy of: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ► Consider using non-toxic de-icing substances such as clean clay cat litter, sand, or fireplace/stove ash to prevent hazardous waste from chemicals. Chemical de-icers can be hazardous to your pets, your trees and shrubs, and the environment. Anti- freeze that leak from car engines and chemical snow melters on driveways, roads, and runways can pollute surface waters and groundwater through the soil. ► Winterize your vehicle by checking your air filter and fluid levels, checking tires for tread wear and proper inflation, and checking the condition of your windshield wipers. Ensuring your vehicle is ready for weather changes will reduce damage, which prevents waste from broken parts, and will keep you safe on the road. ► If you have a wood-burning fireplace, save your ashes in a tin instead of throwing them away. Cold wood ashes can be mixed in your compost heap to create a valuable soil amendment that provides nutrients to your garden. ► If you have a manual thermostat or no thermostat at all, one way to save energy and money this winter is to install a pro- grammable thermostat. When installed and used with the four pre-programmed temperature settings for weekend and weekdays, you can save about $100 each year while staying comfortable. Before leaving for vacation, turn down your ther- mostat (or use a programmable one) so that you don't waste natural resources by generating unneeded heat. You can also buy outdoor and indoor lights with timers so that lights don't stay on all night. ► Close the recycling loop. Many articles of clothing, such as jackets, scarves, gloves, and boots, are now made from recycled materials. Most fleece products are made from recycled plastic soda bottles, and certain clothing and shoe manufacturers use recycled cotton scraps and rubber tires to make their products. ► To make sure your heating system (boiler, furnace or heat pump) is operating at its most efficient, it is a good idea to have a contractor perform a routine check-up and any necessary maintenance on the equipment before freezing weather drives up your energy bill. If your heating equipment is more than ten years old, it may be time for a replacement to a more ener- gy-efficient unit. While initially an expensive investment, replacing old equipment with ENERGY STAR qualified equip- ment saves more energy and money in the long run.