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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-2020 Winter SourceWinter 2020 City Hall - 3800 Laverne Avenue North - Lake Elmo, Minnesota 55042 (651) 747-3900City Hall - 3800 Laverne Avenue North - Lake Elmo, Minnesota 55042 (651) 747-3900City Hall - 3880 Laverne Avenue North - Lake Elmo, MN 55042 (651) 747-3900 2020 Budget Update On September 17, 2019, the City Council adopted a 2020 Preliminary Property Tax Levy of $4,949,823 which is an increase of $769,984 or 18.4% over 2019. The City’s Preliminary Tax Rate was set at 23.3959% which is a 2% increase over 2019 tax rates. 2020 Preliminary General Fund Budget The operating budget for expenditures for 2020 has an overall increase of $401,907. The increase is due to a number of factors, the larger portions of the increase come from transfers to the Vehicle Replacement Fund, the creation of the Full Time Building Inspector Position, additional sand and salt for the winter, and an additional Washington County Sheriff's Department Deputy. The operating budget has increased revenues of $525,907 over the 2019 budget. This increase is due to building permits, planning, and zoning fees. Cable franchise revenues are increasing as the City builds out. State Fire Aid and Municipal State Aid (MSA) for road maintenance are based on the current estimates done this year. 2020 Preliminary City Property Tax Rate The tax rate is calculated using the City’s Taxable Value on property divided by the levy. The levy is made up of the General Fund property tax levy needed to balance the budget and the City’s required debt levies on its outstanding bonds. This table below shows the impact on this to various home values in the City. 2 Snow Plowing in Lake Elmo Winter weather is never a popular subject, especially for plow operators who are trying to keep roads clear and safe for traffic. The follow- ing are a few tips and information that will hope- fully make winter a little easier for everyone. • Do not deposit or push snow across any street (MN State Statute 160.2715) • Please keep garbage and recycling containers off the roadway. • Make sure your mailbox is at its legal height and properly secured. The city will only replace mailboxes that are physically hit by city plows. • Priority will be given to roads with higher amounts of traffic. Roads serving residential areas and cul-de-sacs will be plowed secondary. • Depending on snowfall timing, crews will be- gin operations between 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM. • Please leave plenty of room when following plows. These units do frequent turning and backing. Remember, “If you cannot see their mirrors, they cannot see you!” Public Hearing on the 2020 Budget and 2020 Tax Levy A public hearing is scheduled on December 3, 2019 at the Regular City Council meeting at 7:00PM. After the hearing the City Council will consider adopting the Final Budget and Tax Levy for 2020. National Flood Insurance Program The National Flood Insurance Program aims to reduce the impact of flooding on private and public structures. It does so by providing affordable insurance to property owners, renters and businesses and by encouraging communities to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations. These efforts help mitigate the effects of flooding on new and improved structures. Do You Need Flood Insurance? Here are some important facts to keep in mind: •Homeowners and renters insurance does not typically cover flood damage. •More than 20 percent of flood claims come from properties outside high-risk flood zones. •1 inch of water can cause $25,000 in flood damage! Flood insurance plans typically have a 30-day waiting period before they pay, so residents are urged to buy a flood insurance policy before the Springtime. For more information visit www.Floodsmart.gov 3 Planning & Development Update Comprehensive Plan 2040 The City recently finished its required 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update. The Metropolitan Land Planning Act requires all cities and counties in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (7-counties) to adopt a Comprehensive Plan (“Plan”), and to update and amend those plans on a decennial basis. The Plan is required to comply with the Metropolitan Council’s regional system plans that include transportation (highways and transit), wastewater services, airports, parks and open space. The City is required to submit the Plan update must be submitted to the Metropolitan Council for review and approval. What is a Comprehensive Plan? A Comprehensive Plan establishes a community’s long-term vision, goals, strategies and policies for guiding future changes and investments. The Plan is intended to serve as a roadmap for the City for the next 20-year planning period. The Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan Update addresses future land uses, housing, economic development, transportation, parks, trails, open space, natural resources and city services/facilities including sewer and water systems. In 2018, with input from the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Panel, the Planning Commission and the City Council, the consultants for the City prepared a draft of the Comprehensive Plan update. Some of the highlights of the City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan include goals and strategies about character and governance; land use; balanced development and growth; housing; parks, trails and open space; and transportation and infrastructure. The Land Use Chapter of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan has the current estimated and forecasted population and household numbers for Lake Elmo for 2018, 2020, 2030 and 2040. In 2018, the City’s estimated population was 10,521 and it is expected to grow to 22,300 persons by 2040. For households, there are now an estimated 3,619 households in Lake Elmo and the City is expecting there will be 8,200 households in the City by 2040. The City has included in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan two new land uses for Lake Elmo - mixed use business and a mixed use business park. These land use categories area for some of the areas south of 10th Street in which the City assumes the land will develop with a minimum of 50 percent residential uses in each. The 2040 Plan includes a rural land use designation for those areas of the City with an expected development density range of 0.1 – 2 residential units per acre. The Land Use Plan also has a range of residential land use designations for the areas with (or those the City expect will have) sanitary sewer with residential densities of 1.5 units per acre up to 15 units per acre. The City included information in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan about balanced development and growth and a housing chapter. Specifically, the housing chapter underscores the dynamics behind the role and importance of housing as a key element within the Comprehensive Plan and the projected need for housing in Lake Elmo over the next 20 years. This draft update was reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission and City Council in early 2019. The City then sent the proposed Comprehensive Plan update to the Metropolitan Council for their review and approval. The Metropolitan Council approved the Lake Elmo Comprehensive Plan update (the 2040 Plan) on October 23, 2019 and the City Council gave the 2040 Comprehensive Plan final approval on November 5, 2019. The City will be using the 2040 Comprehensive Plan as a guide to help in decision-making in matters related to land use and other development-related topics in Lake Elmo for the next several years. The 2040 Comprehensive Plan is available on the City of Lake Elmo Website at Lakeelmo.org 4 New City Staff Judie Maas, Accountant Judie graduated with an accounting degree in May of this year. She then launched her second career when joining our Finance Department as Accountant in August. “This is an exciting time to be serving the City of Lake Elmo. I am very grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow with the community.” Jaime San Nicolas, Building Inspector Jaime joined the City as a building inspector in September. Jamie served for 4 years in the US Army and has over 12 years of building and HVAC experience. Jake Dickson, Assistant City Administrator Jake joined the City as Assistant City Administrator in September. Jake has a Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration and 3 years of government experience. Most recently, he served as City Administrator for the City of West Concord, Minnesota. Alex Saxe, Deputy Clerk Alex started his public service career when he joined the City as Deputy City Clerk in June. Alex has a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Political Science from UW-River Falls and is currently working on his Master’s Degree in Public Administration at Hamline University. “Lake Elmo is a great community and I am excited to have this opportunity to grow my career.” 5 Will Your Mailbox Survive the Winter? Below are proper installation instructions from the USPS 1)Position your mailbox 41” to 45” from the road surface to the bottom of the mailbox or point of mail entry. 2)Place your mailbox 6” to 8” back from the curb. If you do not have a raised curb, contact your local post- master for guidance. 3)Put your house or apartment number on the mailbox. 4)If your mailbox is on a different street from your house or apartment, put your full street address on the box. Retrieve your garbage cans soon after collection. Garbage cans often sit at the roadside on collection day until the evening. Empty cans are vulnerable to winds and road maintenance operations and could cause a hazard if knocked into the roadway. Prompt removal of empty containers is recommended. These tips can make garbage collection day safer and easier for all of us Where To Place Your Garbage Can Please do not place garbage cans on the street. We realize this area is an enticing location to place garbage cans, but it creates a hazard as it narrows the travel lanes creating safety concerns. The cans could get hit by vehicles or create visibility issues. Most garbage trucks are equipped with a hydraulic extending arm that grasps garbage cans. It is recommended that garbage cans be placed at least 3 to 5 feet off the edge of pavement, into your driveway, so they are out of the way of traffic and maintenance vehicles. Fire Department Update New Rescue/Engine Truck In Service for Lake Elmo Fire Department The Lake Elmo Fire Department recently added a new Rescue/Engine to its fleet. It will be our new first due apparatus for nearly every call as it is outfitted for all roadway incidents such as fires and accidents as well as all rescues such as cold weather, water, motor vehicle, and medical response, etc. Some important features of this truck are space to allow personnel to change in and out of gear, more efficient access to equipment, and its overall ergonomics and safety. Because of its design and features, we are able to replace two trucks with this one apparatus. The Rescue/Engine is replacing our 29 year old Engine and our 25 year old Water Rescue Truck which will both go up for sale. It is intended to be the Department's "Swiss Army Knife" of trucks and will serve our community for many years to come. " Your Lake Elmo Fire Department by the Numbers: 1/1/19-10/25/19 we responded to 442 emergency calls. 7 Structure Fires 6 Wildland and other fires 30 CO and Fire alarms 271 Medicals 128 Car accidents and other Misc. Rescue calls SAFE HAVEN: Remember, you have a partner in your Fire Department. You can do a self inspection of your home and ask us to help. We can do a basic safety check on your home and in some cases, can even offer free Smoke and CO detectors. The program is completely free and easy to apply for assistance. Please see the city website under Public Safety and click on the link for the fire department. http://www.lakeelmo.org/departments/fire/fire_department.php We are pleased to announce that we are currently in the process of on-boarding 4 new personnel. This will be the largest group of new hires in a long time. It is a long and involved process to become a Fire Fighter and we are always excited to welcome new members of the community looking to serve as a Lake Elmo Fire Fighter. We are still working with a lot of positions vacant so if you are interested in joining the Lake Elmo Fire Department, please feel free to contact us for more information. Winter tips: With the cold and snowy conditions of winter, come many related safety concerns. While too numerous to list, we have some of the more common ones below along with links for more information. •Slips, trips, and falls - Make sure you keep your walk and driveways clean and clear of snow and ice. •Speaking of ice, we would love it if we didn't have to use our new truck for an ice rescue at all this winter. For more information, please check out the MN DNR at: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/index.html •Never discard hot ashes or coals into a combustible container, use a metal pail. They may seem cool, but could re-ignite and start a fire. •Smoke Alarms - https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/sfm/for-families/Documents/Fact%20sheets/Smoke-alarm- fact-sheet-final. pdf •Carbon Monoxide Detectors - https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/sfm/for-families/Documents/Fact%20sheets/CO- alarm-fact-sheet. pdf Additional safety tips can be found with the MN State Fire Marshals, Fire Facts and Tips - https://dps. mn.gov/divisions/sfm/for-families/Pages/fire-facts-tips-what-you-need-to-know.aspx THE SOURCE Winter 2,02,0 6 7 Online Bill Pay Now Available! Maintaining Obstructed Fire Hydrants To help protect the community, residents are being asked to help keep fire hydrants clear and accessible. Timely access to a water source is critical for fighting fires. Obstructions cause unnecessary delays when firefighters are forced to take time to locate hidden hydrants, slowing their response. Please maintain a 3 foot clearing around your hydrants. Winter Parking Ordinance Now in Effect Winter parking ordinance prohibits parking on Lake Elmo Streets from Nov. 1 through March 31 between 2:00 AM and 7:00 AM. Public Works can't clear the roadways with cars blocking their paths. The City of Lake Elmo wants your input! The City is using Polco, a community engagement tool, to gather feedback from residents on topics like parks, budgeting, amenities, and everything in between. Visit www.polco.us/lakeelmo and create an account! 8 Mayor Mike Pearson Council Justin Bloyer Dale Dorschner Christine Nelson Lisa McGinn City Administrator Kristina Handt Internet: www.lakeelmo.org Email: comments@lakeelmo.org POLICE-FIRE Emergency: 9-1-1 Non-emergency: (651) 439-9381 A publication of the City of Lake Elmo 3880 Laverne Ave. N., Lake Elmo MN 55042 • 651-747-3900 PRSTD STD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 19 LAKE ELMO, MN 3880 Laverne Ave. N. Lake Elmo, MN 55042 POSTAL PATRON LAKE ELMO MN 55042 www.facebook.com/LakeElmoMN Public Works Contact Info:Winter activities in Lake Elmo Parks Public Works: 651-747-3940 Emergency: Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. City Hall: 651-747-3900 All other hours and weekends, Washington County Dispatch: 651-439-9381 Are you looking for something to do outdoors this winter? Below are a few activities you can enjoy doing in Lake Elmo City Parks. • Ice Skating – Lion’s Park has a Hockey and Pleasure Rink along with a Warming House. The rinks will open once the weather becomes cold enough to sustain hard ice. Warming House hours are 3-9pm Monday-Friday and 12-9pm Saturday-Sunday and days when school is out. • Cross Country Skiing/Hiking/Sledding – Sunfish Lake Park has groomed trails for those that enjoy skiing, snow shoeing and hiking. You can also enjoy the sledding hill located in the park. • Sledding – Tablyn Park boasts a sledding hill that is a popular spot for many to come and test their skills at downhill sledding