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Home My WebLink About01-23-26 The Fresh NewsletterTHE ITY OF LAKE ELMO Weekly News & Updates Friday, January 23, 2026 Lake Elmo City Hall Public Meetings Planning Commission Meeting Monday, January 26, 2026 - 6:30 p.m. Meetings are held at City Hall, 3880 Laverne Ave N., Lake Elmo, MN 55042. Changes or cancellations will be posted at La keelmo.gov/calendar. [http-s://www.lakeelmo.gov/calendarl. How to Watch Watch online lhttps://www. outube.com/ CityofLakeElm oMN/videos] or on cable television SCCTV [https://vod.scctv.org/internetchannel/? channel=101 Find meeting agendas and minutes at the City of Lake Elmo, MN Extremely cold weather is upon us! Residents are encouraged to increase awareness and take necessary precautions to help prevent frozen water pipes in their homes. Frozen pipes can cause significant damage and disruption, but many issues are preventable with simple steps. To Help Prevent Frozen Pipes, consider some of the following: • Keep indoor temperatures consistently warm, even when away from home. Check on your cabin or lake home to confirm appropriate temperatures • Allow faucets to drip slightly during extremely cold temperatures. In areas or rooms where vents are not utilized, continue to run water slowly to prevent freezing. • Open doorways or cabinet doors under sinks to allow warm air to circulate • Insulate exposed pipes in basements, crawl spaces, garages, and exterior walls that are subject to the cold temperatures • Seal gaps or cracks around doors, windows, and where pipes enter walls. The use of blankets can help as a temporary solution to these areas to help seal off cold air flow. • Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses; shut off exterior water lines if possible • Know where your main water shut-off valve is located in case of emergency. Often located in a basement or crawl space, knowing where to turn off the water to the house can help reduce damage if pipes do freeze. Taking these precautions can help prevent frozen pipes and reduce the risk of water damage during extreme cold conditions. 3M Visiting Wizards are back to talk about color and light On Saturday, February 7, at 10 a.m. we are excited to welcome back to the Sally Manzara Interpretive Nature Center, the always popular 3M Visiting Wizards. This time their topic will be Color & Light! Come learn about how we need light to see and that the colors we see are due to the light illuminating the object. You will explore how light interacts with objects —being absorbed, reflected, or transmitted. See what happens when some of the light is filtered before getting to our eyes. Lastly, you will learn about how we can control light once we understand some of its properties. Drop in at any time between 10:00 and 11:30. There is no formal presentation, the 3M Visiting Wizards will be available to guide you through the activities during that timeframe. This event is free and open to the public! Visit Sally Manzara Interpretive Nature Center [https://sminc-lake- elmo.org/j. Easy on the Salt 4& Salt prematurely ages vehicles, roads, and bridges and degrades our freshwater lakes, LOW SALT, NO SALT. mINNESOTA streams, and drinking water. Just a teaspoon a of salt permanently pollutes five gallons of bWm spl�'� water. Winter Salt Week is January 26 - January 30. Do your part to help protect Lake Elmo's freshwater resources and make a pledge to follow the "4 S's" this winter: Shovel, Scatter, Switch, Sweep: • Shovel (or snow blow) and sweep as much snow as possible before spreading salt. • If needed, Scatter salt so there is space in between the grains (no piles!). • Switch from salt to sand (or a treated de-icer) if the temperature is under 15T. • Sweep up excess salt after the ice has melted. Follow the 4 S's and you will save money, protect our community's infrastructure, AND keep salt out of our waterways! To learn more about salt pollution and salt reduction success stories, check out January 2026 Winter Week events at www.wintersaltweek.org [//www.wintersaitweek.org],. Winter edition of the Source Y` arrives in mailboxes next week The winter edition of The Source will be t arriving in mailboxes next week! This issue includes seasonal updates, city news, upcoming projects, and helpful information to keep you informed during the winter months. Be sure to watch your mailbox and take a few minutes to catch up on what's happening in Lake Elmo. —, Test your home for Radon f w Radon is a colorless and odorless gas that comes from the soil. The gas can accumulate in the home and become a health risk. Exposure to radon over a long period of time can lead to lung damage or cancer. Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and the second leading cause in smokers. A radon test is the only way to know how much radon is in your home. Short term radon test kits are available to Washington County residents at no cost. Pickup a radon test kit [https://www.washinatoncountymn.gov 248 1/Radon], Get Notified: Sign up for public J)ay#r rtrllijicr[1&)AV hearing notices SIGN VP Stay informed by signing up for Public Pushlwf►ficcttions Hearing Notices through the City of Lake SIGN uP ELmo's Notify Me alerts. Subscribers receive {xrslrnol3 ficufiuns- timely notifications about upcoming public hearings, including information on proposed projects, ordinances, and other matters that may impact the community. You can sign up for alerts, news, calendar, city meeting notices, and agendas as well. Navigate to lakeelmo.gov [https://www.lakeelmo.gov]in the middle of the page and click on the Notifications button. Sign up is easy! Lake Elmo Parks Registration is now open Registration is now open for Lake Elmo Parks courts, fields and pavilions! This year, we have a new policy and fee structure for reservations. Reservations are made online, but payment (cash or check) must be mailed or dropped off at City Hall. Reservations won't be finalized until fees/deposits are paid. Courts can be reserved for up to a month at a time, for 3 hours per day. Ballfields can be reserved for the day during the spring season (April - July) or the fall season (August - October). Programs fill quickly, so early registration is encouraged. Visit the City of Lake Elmo website t lhttps://www.lakeelmo.gov/244/Park-Policy Reservations- 2026]o view available programs, dates, and registration details. Join us and make the most of the upcoming season with Lake Elmo Parks & Recreation! Take the Plastic Free Challenge in February! Kickstart your plastic -free journey with the Plastic -Free Challenge this February! Be part of the solution to reduce waste, protect water and wildlife, address climate change, and look after the health of ourselves and future generations. Get notified when sign up opens: https. 1public.govdelivery.com/accounts/M NHENNE signup 38814 [httpL.Lpublic.govdelivery.com/accounts/M NHENNE signup 38814], and learn more about the challenge here: https: Ltcplasticfree.ecochallenge.orgL [https: tcplasticfree.ecochallenge_org(]. Washington Conservation District Annual Tree Sale Now Open The Washington Conservation District's annual tree sale is underway, offering a wide selection of affordable trees and shrubs to help residents enhance their landscapes, improve water quality, and support local wildlife. Tree selection is similar to last year but some species from previous years have been added, as well as more native plant trays and seed mixes. Also added is another packet, the Climate Ready Packet, which includes Allegheny Serviceberry, Hackberry, Sugar Maple, Swamp White Oak, and Black Hills Spruce. Ordering will be open through April 2026 until the pickup date or until supplies last. Pickup times are 9am-5pm Friday, April 24th and 9am-12pm, April 25th at the Washington County Fairgrounds. Note that we will only be accepting online orders again this year. Proceeds support local conservation and education efforts throughout Washington County. Visit the tree order page here: Tree Sale — Washington Conservation District [https://www.mnwcd.org/tree-salesI- What Do My Taxes Pay For? The City Council adopted the 2026 Budget on December 16, 2025. City Finance staff have developed a downloadable property tax calculator that estimates 2026 city taxes (no other jurisdictions) on your home. It shows approximately how much of your taxes are allocated to each service area. Check it out here. [https://www.lakeelmo.gov/230/Proparty- Tax-Calculator], If you need to search your property, you can view the Washington County Property Tax Search here. [https: mn- washington.publicaccessnow.com/]. City of Lake Elmo 13880 Laverne Ave. N. I Lake Elmo, MN 55042 www.lakeelmo.gov [https://www.lakeelmo.gov] f Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email Copyright 2026 The City of Lake Elmo. All Rights Powered by Reserved. V CIVICSEND 3880 Laverne Ave. N, Lake Elmo, MN 55042 PRINT COPY