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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 Spring SourceSpring 2015 City Hall - 3800 Laver ne Avenue Nor th - Lake Elmo, Minnesota 55042 (651) 747-3900 The City of Lake Elmo and Washington County continue to advance planning and engineering work on the Down- town Street, Drainage and Utility Project. The goals of the project include extending sanitary sewer service to properties in the downtown area, replacing aged wa- termain pipes, constructing the first phase of a region- al storm water management system to better manage drainage and flooding in the downtown, and reconstruct- ing the streets to accommodate all modes of transporta- tion now and into the future. The project is broken into two phases of construction and is planned to occur in 2015 and 2016. Phase I of the project will likely be constructed in 2015 and includes Laverne Avenue (from Trunk Highway 5 to Upper 33rd Street), Upper 33rd Street (from Lake Elmo Avenue to Laverne Avenue) and 36th Street (from Lake Elmo Av- enue to Laverne Avenue). Phase II of the project will likely proceed in 2016 and includes Lake Elmo Avenue (from Trunk Highway 5 to 30th Street) and 30th Street (from Lake Elmo Avenue to the east of Reid Park). The attached phasing map shows the proposed construction schedule and location. Regarding Phase I of the project, the City Council ap- proved municipal consent of the preliminary design on February 5, 2015. Approval of municipal consent al- lows Washington County to proceed into final design for Phase I. Final design is now currently underway, and it is anticipated that the project will go out to public bid in late April. Should the City and County receive favorable bids on Phase I of the project, it is anticipated that construc- tion on Laverne Avenue, Upper 33rd Street and 36th Street would begin in late June of 2015. Construction of Phase I would last through the 2015 construction sea- son, likely wrapping up in early November depending on the weather. The goal for construction would be to install all of the underground utilities and complete the base- course of asphalt in 2015. This process would result in the final wear-course of asphalt and final site restoration being completed in spring of 2016. With regards to Phase II of the Downtown Street and Utility Project, the construction of Lake Elmo Avenue and 30th Street is likely to occur in 2016. In order to proceed with construction in 2016, the City Council must provide municipal consent for the preliminary design of the Phase Downtown Street, Drainage and Utility Project City Hall - 3800 Laver ne Avenue Nor th - Lake Elmo, Minnesota 55042 (651) 747-3900 Old Village Plan phasing map. Phase I Moving Forward, Phase II Next Continued on Page 2 Downtown Project 2 Spring 2015 The City of Lake Elmo, per a 2014 Council Resolution, is working with nine Washington County cities and the Met Council to look at the future of water supply in the East Metro. The project, entitled “Washington County Municipal Water Coalition Water Supply Feasibility Study,” is a pro- active effort to understand the impacts each city has on groundwater availability and to look at alternative methods to deliver potable drinking water to residents. “In 2014, a few cities and Washington County met together to address possible outcomes for the East Metro based on the White Bear Lake draw down and the Metropolitan Council’s desire to examine the water supply issue. Out of these meetings it was decided that it was best to get ahead of the issue and examine the many facets of drinking water supply in collaboration with the Met Council rather than to wait for a regulatory outcome,” said Dean Zuleger, City Administrator. The Washington County Municipal Water Coalition and the Met Council will assess three main areas of water policy in the study. First, the study will look at the reuse of treat- ed effluent from pollution contamination well. This will include the use of gray water for non-drinking public and private uses, use of contaminated water for direct drinking use, and enhancing aquifer recharge using treated pollu- tion contaminated water. Second, the study will look at conjunctive use of surface water for drinking water supply. The study will look at using water from the Missis- sippi River, the St. Croix River, and interconnecting to the St. Paul Regional Water System for drinking water sup- ply. Third, the study will evaluate and consider alterna- tive sustainable water supply approaches that may be identified throughout the other parts of the project. “Since metro water supply will be the focus of the Met Council for the near future, we have also asked them to consider how they might provide a water use credit for communities like Lake Elmo, Oakdale, Woodbury and Cot- tage Grove that have water supplies that are contaminated by PFCs,” added Zuleger. The nine communities participating in the study are Wood- bury, Cottage Grove, Oakdale, Lake Elmo, Bayport, Oak Park Heights, St. Paul Park, Newport, and the City of Still- water Water Commission. The Met Council has hired the engineering firm Short Elliot & Hendrickson, and the study is expected to be completed in 2016. Lake Elmo Partnering with Nine East Metro Cities to Look at Water Supply II improvements. This approval is similar to the municipal consent ac- tion for Phase I that occurred on Feb- ruary 5. In order to gather more feed- back from adjacent property owners on the proposed improvements, the County and City held focus group meetings for the affected properties on March 5, 2015. At the focus group meeting, alternative designs were presented showing different options for parking and sidewalk facilities. The County and the City would like to thank those who attended the meet- ings, as valuable input and direction was received. Moving forward, the County and City will be presenting a recommended preliminary de- sign with alternatives at a future City Council meeting, likely in late April, for a municipal consent action. Once the City provides municipal consent, Phase II of the downtown project can also move into the final design phase. Ultimately, the project would likely go out to public bid over the winter of 2015/16. Should the County and City receive favorable bids for Phase II of the project, construction would begin in May of 2016. For additional updates on the project, both the County and City have a web page dedicated to ongoing updates and information. The County site can be found at the following link: http:// mn-washingtoncounty.civicplus.com/ index.aspx?NID=2127. The City site can be found at the following links: http://www.lakeelmo.org/downtown- project and http://www.lakeelmo.org/ phase-1-village-street-sanitary-sew- er-watermain-improvements. If you have questions about the proj- ect, please contact Frank Ticknor at Washington County, 651-430-4319, or Nick Johnson at City of Lake Elmo, 651-747-3912. Downtown Project Continued from Page 1 A Water Supply Feasibility Study will be conducted to look at alternative methods to deliver potable drinking water to residents. 3 Spring 2015 With the beginning of spring comes a wave of new programs at the Lake Elmo Public Library. While they re- main proud of week to week pro- grams like story time on Friday’s at 10:30 am, the ongo- ing topical debate series Café Philo on Wednesdays at 10:15 am, and Tai Ji classes every Monday and Thurs- day mornings at 10 am, as well as monthly programs like Knit Night from 6-8 pm on the fourth Thursday of every month, the Library is particularly excited about new programs they are set to offer. On Thursday, March 26, at 6:30 pm, David Housewright will be visiting the library. Housewright is a three-time Minnesota book award winner and author of “The Devil May Care” and ten other great books. On Thursday, April 9, independent movie night at the library continues with “The 100 Foot Journey” at 6 pm. There will be a showing of the multiple Oscar nominated film “The Imitation Game” on Thursday, May 14, at 6 pm. On Thursday, April 23, at 6:30 pm, Stillwater resident Spike Carlson, author of “The Backyard Homestead, Book of Building Projects,” will be presenting and speak- ing at the Library. On Thursday, May 21, at 6:30 pm, New York Times best- selling author of “Moon Over Lake Elmo,” Steve Thayer will be coming home to Lake Elmo for a signing and discussion of his latest novel, “Ithaca Falls.” Lastly, in conjunction with the Library adding the Value Line investment database there will be an Introduction to Value Line class on Thursday, May 7, at 6:30 pm put on by National Association of Investment Clubs. The class is limited to 20-25 people; preregistration is pre- ferred. For more information on these and other programs please visit http://lakeelmopubliclibrary.org/ or call 651- 773-4926. Lake Elmo Library Announces Spring Program Schedule Community Feature A small group of community mem- bers have launched a grass roots effort to bring the sport of rowing to Lake Elmo. The initiative was launched by Martin Hyndman, a for- mer British international rower who has been looking for a location to host a club and continue his passion for the sport. After serving as a referee for the 2013 NWIRA Championship Re- gatta that was held on Lake Elmo, Hyndman decided that Lake Elmo was the perfect place to call ‘home.’ The club, named “Cimarron Rowing Club” will be training on the lake this summer with the goal of competing at local Twin Cities regattas and the North West championships in Keno- ra, Canada later in the Fall. See them in Action A visiting rowing crew from Long Lake, Minnetonka will be demon- strating their rowing eight on Lake Elmo on April 25th, starting at 11 am. The crew will launch from the East side of the lake (on street parking, 2543 Lake Elmo Ave N) and specta- tors will have beach access to get a closer look at the equipment/action. The demo is open to the general public and rowers/coaches will be available after the rowing demon- stration to answer questions about the sport - there will also be a land- based rowing simulation machine for people who would like to try out the rowing movement. For more information contact Mar- tin Hyndman at martin.hyndman@ gmail.com. Rowing Gaining Prevalence in Lake Elmo Rowers gliding on Lake Elmo during the 2013 Northwestern International Rowing Association Championship Regatta. 4 Spring 2015 Farmers Market Informational Meeting Set for April 13 Would you like to be a part of bring- ing a Farmers Market to Lake Elmo? According to a Community Engage- ment survey that was issued last spring, 71% of respondents indi- cated that they would like to see a farmer’s market in Lake Elmo. In response to the survey results, Council member Lundgren has tak- en the lead to spearhead a Farmers Market in Downtown Lake Elmo. She has attended the MFMA meet- ing recently and is looking for market vendors, and individuals interested in planning the market. An informational session has been scheduled for Monday, April 13 to discuss next steps. The meeting will take place at 6:30 pm, at the City of Lake Elmo administrative offices. RSVP to jlundgren@lakeelmo.org or 651-261-4493 by Friday, April 10. Calling all green thumbs! The Lake Elmo Park Commission is seeking volunteers to help plant trees along Jamaca Avenue. A planting event has been sched- uled for Saturday, April 25, from 10 am to Noon. Volunteers should bring a shovel, water, sunscreen. Interested in volunteering? Visit www.lakeelmo.org or call 651- 747-3908 to register. Volunteers Needed to Plant Trees Lake Elmo Officially a Bee-Safe City On Tuesday, March 3, 2015, the City Council voted to approve a “Bee-Safe City” resolution that was brought forward by the Lake Elmo Park Commission. The resolution states that the City will designate and develop Bee-Safe areas that include plantings that are favorable to bees and other pollinator species, and which refrain from systemic pesticides including neonicotinoids. To uphold its commitment to being a Bee-Safe City, the City also aims to create opportunities to educate the community on the importance of pollinator-friendly habitats and will publish an annual Bee-Safe prog- ress report each spring. Blazing a Path for Bees Despite just passing the resolution in early March, the City is well on its way to achieve its goal of develop- ing bee-friendly habitats. Starting this spring, Lake Elmo’s Homestead neighborhood will be making native restoration improvements to the pro- tected open space within the devel- opment. This will include the planting of a robust pollinator mix, conducive to bees and other pollinator species. Similarly, the proposed Wildflower development, due to begin con- struction this spring, includes plans for a 60 acre conservancy devoted to natural habitat and a landscape philosophy to include bees, butterfly and pollinator friendly plants as part of each homeowners landscape. To learn more about the City of Lake Elmo’s Bee-friendly policy visit www. lakeelmo.org. City Council passed a resolution on March 3, 2015 declaring the City of Lake Elmo a “Bee-Safe” City. • Cities throughout the nation are passing Bee Safe reso- lutions to create sustainable habitats for pollinators, be conscious of how we main- tain open space, and raise awareness of the contribu- tion pollinators make to our world. • Honey bees and other pol- linators are disappearing at alarming rates as they battle inappropriate pesticide use, diseases, parasites, and loss of essential habitat. • One in every three bites of food we eat is courtesy of insect pollination. • 85% of flowering plants and trees rely on pollinators for the survival of their species. Did you Know? 5 Spring 2015 Communities in Washington County are susceptible to all different kinds of hazards! Because severe weather can threaten the lives and property of Minnesotans at any time, April 13-17, 2015 is designated as Severe Weather Awareness Week. This week is intended to increase awareness and education about steps in- dividuals, businesses, and families can take to better prepare for emergencies. Washington County will mark this week by participating in the Statewide Tornado Drill on Thursday, April 16. Check out our website for more information on how to be better prepared in an emer- gency and some interesting facts about weather! www. co.washington.mn.us/emergencymanagement Look under “Severe Weather Awareness” You can always find more information by following us on the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page! You can find us at: Facebook.com/wcsomn Washington County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Man- agement Severe Weather Awareness Week is April 13-17 Make Sure Your Family is Prepared in the Case of Severe Weather How many outdoor warning sirens are in Washington County? There are currently 93 sirens in Washington County. How are these sirens tested? Washington County Sheriff’s Office 911 Communication Center tests/ activates all sirens in the Wash- ington County at 1:00 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month, from March through October. Whose responsibility is it to main- tain these sirens? Cities/Township’s that have sirens in Washington County purchases and maintains their own sirens. What are Washington County’s policies detailing the circum- stances under which the sirens would be sounded? The National Weather Service con- tacts the State Warning Point (Min- nesota State Patrol), who is then responsible for disseminating all watches and warnings to Washing- ton County, except warnings for con- ditions generated within the county itself. For severe weather warnings, out- door warning siren activation in Washington County is based on the following criteria: • When a Tornado Warning is is- sued for Washington County by the National Weather Service. (Sirens are activated for each Tornado Warning issued by the National Weather Service. It is possible for a new Warning to be issued before a previous Warn- ing expires.) • When the National Weather Ser- vice indicates sustained wind speeds of 70 miles per hour or more. • When a City or County Pub- lic Safety Official (Police, Fire) requests activation due to im- minent danger to life and/or property. In this situation, Wash- ington County also notifies the National Weather Service Office in Chanhassen. After a warning or siren activation request is received, Washington County Sheriff’s Office 911 Com- munications Center determines which areas of the county are af- fected by warning: • NORTH - All outdoor warning si- rens located North of I94 • SOUTH - All outdoor warning si- rens located South of Highway 96 • COUNTY WIDE: All outdoor warning sirens within Washing- ton County For Your Safety • Washington County does not is- sue an “all-clear” tone from the outdoor sirens. Such a signal may be confusing to residents in the event of additional warnings. • Outdoor warning sirens are meant to be heard outside. When sirens sound, residents should always seek shelter and tune to local weather information on ra- dio, television, or NOAA weather radio for more information. • When the sirens are sounded, they will run for three minutes and then stop. The threat of severe weather does not stop when the sirens stop! Residents should continue to shelter and stay tuned to local weather in- formation on radio, television or NOAA Weather Radios for the duration of the warning period. • Many TV stations and internet sites also have tools that can send warnings to your com- puter and cellular phone. NOAA weather radios are also a good tool to warn residents of severe weather, whether indoors or out- side. Things to Know about Washington County’s Outdoor Warning Sirens 6 Spring 2015 This spring the East Metro Water Resource Education Program (EM- WREP) and Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District (RWM- WD) is teaming up with Cedar Hill Natives to offer a Make’N’Take Rain Barrel Workshop. Rain barrels col- lect rainwater from your roof down- spouts, which can be used to wa- ter your flower gardens during dry weeks. They will have an inlet, an overflow hose, and a spigot at the bottom to attach to your garden hose. Rain barrels are an easy way for you to help reduce pollution from stormwater running off your roof or driveway, and capture water for you to use to water your trees and flower gardens. On May 18, 2015, Connie Taillon, owner of Cedar Hill Natives, will be there to help you discover the ben- efits of rain barrels and will cover assembly, rain barrel, installation tips, care and maintenance, while also discussing many local water resource concerns and water con- servation tips for your home, yard and landscaping. Furthermore, the RWMWD has agreed to cost-share, offering a $40 discount per barrel. There are 3 options for rain barrels: • Reconditioned Plastic Barrels: Originally $65.00, Cost-Share Price: $25.00 • Molded Plastic Barrels: Origi- nally $95.00, Cost-Share Price: $55.00 • Oak Barrels: Originally $125.00, Cost-Share Price: $85.00 Quantity and availability of rain bar- rels is limited, so register early and invite a friend! You will receive a confirmation of your registration within two business days of receipt of your registration. The workshop will take place on Monday, May 18 at 6 p.m., at the Washington Conservation District, 455 Hayward Ave N, Oakdale, MN 55128. Class size minimum is 10 partici- pants and maximum is 15. Registra- tion deadline is Monday, May 11 at 4 p.m. http://tinyurl.com/OakdaleMak- eNTake Contact Jenn Radtke at 651-330- 8220x44 or email jradtke@mnwcd. org for more information or to check quantity available. As part of the Gateway Corridor planning process, which has recent- ly included the City’s adoption of a resolution of support of the locally preferred alternative (LPA) concern- ing the bus rapid transit (BRT) cor- ridor alignment, East Metro Strong (in coordination with the Gateway Corridor Commission and the City of Lake Elmo) will be conducting a workshop and development forum over the course of two days on April 13 and 14 in Lake Elmo. This work- shop is being conducted in direct re- sponse to the City’s LPA resolution, which included the following provi- sion: “The City Lake Elmo requests thor- ough analysis of economic develop- ment potential to assist in guiding the placement of Gateway stations in the corridor segment from Ke- ats Avenue to Manning Avenue as well as planning resources from the Gateway Corridor Commission and Washington County to assist with transit oriented development/station area planning.” The overall goal of the workshop will be to help Lake Elmo begin to look at ways that the community can best utilize the coming investments in this transit corridor in a manner that is consistent with the City’s plans. The workshop will include the par- ticipation of national experts in the field of development economics and transit-oriented planning. The pro- posed workshop schedule will in- clude meetings with City Staff and Councilmembers, project stakehold- ers, landowners, and external agen- cies, and a development forum that will open to the public. More details on meeting times will be available on the City of Lake Elmo’s website. For more information on the Gate- way Corridor, visit www.thegateway- corridor.com. Gateway Corridor to Conduct Development Forum in Lake Elmo The oak rain barrel pictured above is one of many choices that residents can build at the upcoming Make’N’Take Rain Barrel Workshop. Make’N’Take Rain Barrel Workshop Offered this Spring 7 Spring 2015 The snow is melting and spring rains are here! All that runoff is funneling down streets and alleys into storm sewers that carry it to our lakes, streams and wetlands. Here’s how to protect Minnesota waterways this spring: Keep Your Spring Runoff Clean: • Remove pet waste and trash from streets, sidewalks and driveways and put it into the garbage. • Clean gutters regularly. Put leaves in your compost pile or bag for collection with other yard trimmings. Sweep up road dirt and place it in the garbage. • Direct water from your downspouts away from your house and paved surfaces and onto your lawn. Restore Your Lawn: • Remove debris and yard trimmings. Prepare for gar- bage or yard trimming collection. • Reseed bare spots. If spots are caused by salt, re- seed with a salt-tolerant grass mix. • Lightly mulch newly seeded areas with straw and keep moist for three or four weeks. • Control soil-erosion around your home. When left bare soil washes away easily with rain and carries phosphorus with it. Soil erosion can be prevented by keeping soil covered with vegetation or mulch. • The soil under most metro-area lawns contains ample amounts of phosphorus and in most cases applying additional phosphorus in lawn fertilizer is unnecessary. Find out what your lawn needs by obtaining a soil test through the University of Minnesota Soil Test Lab (612- 625-3101) or another similar lab. Keep Lawn Care Products Out of Runoff: • Use phosphorus-free fertilizer. Minnesota’s Phos- phorus Lawn Fertilizer Law went into effect on Janu- ary 1, 2005. The law states that Minnesotans can- not use fertilizer containing phosphorus for general lawn care. • Always read and follow label directions when using lawn care products and disposing of their contain- ers. • Don’t apply lawn care products to frozen ground— wait until the grass starts growing. • Sweep up and reuse any lawn care products that fall on streets, sidewalks and driveways. For additional tips about how to protect Minnesota’s wa- terways while caring for your yard, visit the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Web site at www.mda.state. mn.us and click on the Water and Land section’s Lawn Care and Water Quality pages. Spring Lawn Care Tip Sheet Red Zone Traffic Enforcement to Resume This Spring The City of Lake Elmo, in concert with the Washington County Sher- iff’s Department, will resume its Red Zone Traffic Enforcement Program aimed at curbing speeding in the community and providing a safer driving environment for residents. Red Zone Traffic Enforcement is one part notification, one part education and one part of strict enforcement. The program begins with a notifica- tion to the selected neighborhood that Red Zone Traffic Enforcement will begin on a specific date. The City then places its portable speed board on the selected roadway for one week for education purposes. After that week, Washington County Sheriff Deputies enforce the speed limit with a zero tolerance approach for the next two weeks. Areas sched- uled for Red Zone Enforcement in 2015 include: • Demontreville Trail (Between 50th Street and Highway 36) • Lake Jane Trail North (Between Jamaca and Jane Road) • Lake Elmo Ave (Between 30th Street and 20th Street) • 50th Street (Between lake Elmo Avenue and Highway 5) These streets were chosen based on taxpayer request or complaint. Oth- er streets may be added by taxpayer request. Residents are encouraged to know their neighborhood speed limits and to slow down. For more information contact City Administra- tor Dean Zuleger at 651-747-3905 or email at dzuleger@lakeelmo.org. Red Zone Traffic Enforcement will curb speeding in the Lake Elmo community. 8 Spring 2015 Mayor Mike Pearson Council Justin Bloyer Julie Fliflet Jill Lundgren Anne Smith City Administrator Dean Zuleger 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 3800 Laverne Ave. N., Lake Elmo MN 55042 • 651-747-3900 PRSTD STD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 19 LAKE ELMO, MN 3800 Laverne Ave. N. Lake Elmo, MN 55042 POSTAL PATRON LAKE ELMO MN 55042 www.facebook.com/LakeElmoMN Lake Elmo Kwik Trip Celebrated Grand Opening The Lake Elmo Kwik Trip celebrated its grand opening on Wednesday, Febru- ary 18, 2015. During the ceremony Kiwk Trip made two - $1,000 donations to the Washington County Sheriff Department K-9 Unit, and the Children’s Farm School in West Lakeland. The new fueling center and convenience store, located at Hudson Boulevard and Keats Avenue, offers a wide variety of products including carwash, gaso- line, in line diesel, E-85, groceries, bakery and dairy, hot and cold food and beverages, tobacco products, lotto, convenience store merchandise, ice, and propane. Get out and explore nature this spring, right in your own backyard! A family exploration event will take place on Saturday, May 16 in Sunfish Lake Park. The morning will start with a bird watching outing for adults from 7 to 10 am, followed by family-fun activities that will take place from 10 am to Noon. Children and their families can come face-to-face with an owl, and participate in an educational scavenger hunt that will weave through the park. Sunfish Lake Park is a 284 acre natural area that is recognized by the Department of Natural Resources as a “Regionally Significant Ecological Area.” Depend- ing on the season, woodland, wetland, and prairie plant communities can be enjoyed by skiing or walk- ing the network of approximately nine miles of mowed trails. The park is located at Stillwater Boulevard N. (Highway 5) and Stillwater Lane North. Spring Nature Event Planned in Sunfish Lake Park Get out and explore Sunfish Lake Park on Saturday, May 16. A family-friendly event is planned from 10 am to noon, where you can discover wildlife and take part in an educational scavenger hunt. Pictured above: Volunteer guides from a past event in Sunfish Lake Park.