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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-21-26 The Fresh Weekly NewsletterFriday, Aug. 21, 2026 Lake Elmo City Center Public Meetings PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING - CANCELLED Monday, Aug. 24, 2026 - 6:30 p.m. Meetings are held at City Center, 3880 Laverne Ave. N, Lake Elmo, MN 55042. Changes or cancellations will be posted at Lakeelmo.gov/Calendar [//Lakeelmo.gov/Calendar]. HOW TO WATCH Watch online or on cable television SCCTV. [https://vod.scctv.org/internetchannel/? channel=10] Find agendas, meetings and minutes at the City of Lake Elmo, MN.  [https://www.lakeelmo.gov/agendacenter] SUMMER HOURS: Memorial Day - Labor Day Monday - Thursday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Friday - 8:00 AM - Noon Visit Lakeelmo.gov [https://www.lakeelmo.gov] for more information. City Business Seal Coating Begins Week of Aug. 31 The City will begin seal coating designated streets throughout Lake Elmo the week of Aug. 31. Residents in affected neighborhoods should watch their mailboxes for a letter with additional project information. The work helps protect pavement and extend the life of city streets. Seal coating typically takes one day on each project street, with approximately three to four days needed to complete work citywide, weather permitting. If your street is scheduled for seal coating: Remove vehicles from the street at least 24 hours before work begins. Turn off irrigation zones adjacent to the street to help keep the pavement dry. Use caution around crews and equipment and expect temporary traffic impacts. Crews will return three to five days after application to sweep up excess aggregate. Some loose aggregate during this time is normal. Thank you for helping crews complete this important street maintenance work safely and efficiently. Calling Local Artists: Share Your Creativity with Lake Elmo The City of Lake Elmo is excited to launch a new quarterly Public Art Program, featuring rotating exhibits by local artists at Lake Elmo City Center. Local artists of all ages, including high school artists, are invited to apply for the opportunity to share their work with the community. Whether you're an established artist or just beginning to showcase your creativity, we'd love to see what you create! Help us fill City Center with local art and celebrate the creativity found right here in our community. Learn more and apply on the website. [https://www.lakeelmo.gov/463/Lake-Elmo- Public-Art-Display-Program] Elmo's Pup Park Parking Lot Improvements UPDATE Crews began improvements to the park entrance, parking lot and a short section of trail on Thursday, August 20. 🚧 What to know: • The park will remain open to pedestrians. • Expect periodic parking lot closures for approximately two weeks. • When crews are working, visitors may park along Jamaca Avenue N. and walk into the park. • Signs will be posted when the parking lot is closed to vehicles. Please use caution around construction crews and equipment. Thanks for your patience while we make these improvements!  Road Construction Road Construction Updates Stay informed about road construction and improvement projects happening in and around Lake Elmo. Check out the latest updates, traffic impacts and detours to help plan your travels. UPDATE: CSAH 14 - Stillwater Blvd from 39th St. to Lake Elmo Ave. - The contractor’s tentative schedule calls for road patching to be completed and two-way traffic to be restored by midweek next week. As always, the schedule is weather-dependent and subject to change, but work is currently on track. Hwy 36 & Lake Elmo Ave. Interchange -  Access to Hwy 36 from Lake Elmo Ave. is closed. Construction is expected to last through fall of 2027, and updates will be posted here. Hudson Blvd. between Jade Trail N. and Julia Ave. - The westbound lane of Hudson Blvd. between Jade and Julia is now closed. The closure is anticipated to last through September.  You can find information about road projects in Lake Elmo at Lake Elmo Projects [https://www.lakeelmo.gov/258/Lake-Elmo- Projects]. County Highway 13 (Ideal Ave.) Improvement Project Open House Scheduled for Sept. 24 Washington County, in partnership with the City of Lake Elmo and the City of Oakdale, is planning an improvement project on County Highway 13 (Ideal Ave) from County Highway 6 (Stillwater Blvd) to County Highway 14 (34th St N).   Join us in-person or online to view the proposed design and learn about the schedule and next steps for the project.   When: Thursday, September 24 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. (no formal presentation). Where: Oakdale Discovery Center (4444 Hadley Ave North, Oakdale, MN 55128). You can learn more at the Washington County Website County Highway 13 (Ideal Avenue) Improvement Project | Washington County, MN - Official Website [https://www.washingtoncountymn.gov/Ide alAve] Life in Lake Elmo What's Happening in Lake Elmo Stay connected to what’s happening around Lake Elmo—from community events and local happenings to seasonal reminders and opportunities to get involved. Come Hungry to the Lake Elmo City Celebration!   We’ve got a great lineup of food trucks ready to serve up something delicious while you enjoy an evening of music, dancing and community fun. Grab dinner, try something new, find a sweet treat — or sample a little bit of everything! 🎶 Live music & street dance hosted by Gus Sent Me 🌮 Food trucks including Love Baba, Fire & Ice, A Taste of Chile, Tender Lovin Chix, Kona Ice, and Lake Elmo Creamery 🍺 Beer tent hosted by the Lake Elmo Rotary 🏰 Bounce houses & family fun 📅 Saturday, Sept. 12 | 5-10 p.m. 📍 Lions Park Bring your appetite and make a night of it. We’ll see you there! Volunteers Needed for the Bounce House at the City Celebration  We're looking for volunteers to help supervise the bounce house during the Lake Elmo City Celebration on Saturday, Sept. 12. Volunteers will help monitor the bounce house and keep the area safe for children.  Interested? Contact City Council Member Matt Hirn at Mhirn@lakeelmo.gov [mailto:mhirn@lakeelmo.gov]. | (715) 432- 3608. Thank you for helping make this a fun and safe event! Celebrate the New Lake Elmo Elementary School Come see the new school and celebrate this exciting addition to the Lake Elmo community! Community Open House Wednesday, September 2 6:00–7:30 p.m. 10928 10th St N, Lake Elmo Lake Elmo Elementary features flexible, collaborative learning spaces designed to support teamwork, creativity, and different ways of learning.  The school’s design draws inspiration from the surrounding prairies and nearby Lake Elmo Park Reserve, bringing that connection to the outdoors into the 47-acre campus through expansive outdoor learning spaces.  The school serves students in both the traditional English-language program and the Amigos Unidos Spanish Immersion program. Visit Home - Lake Elmo Elementary [https://lakeelmo.stillwaterschools.org/] to learn more.  Sally Manzara's Summer Camp Spotlight Bugology! Monday, Aug. 24 | 10–11:30 a.m. Little explorers ages 1–5 will search for bugs in the grass, under logs and on plants while learning how insects move, eat and live. The session includes a guided activity followed by time for families to explore on their own. Space is limited to 30 children. Cost is $8 per camper; children under 1 are free. Adults must remain with their children. And the nature fun isn't over! Toddler Tuesdays return this fall, beginning Oct. 13. Visit Sally Manzara Interpretive Nature Center [https://sminc-lake-elmo.org/] to learn more.  Visit Lake Elmo's Farmer's Market The Lake Elmo Farmers Market has moved to its new home at the Washington County Fairgrounds! Stop by Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through October 17 and shop fresh, locally grown produce, baked goods, handcrafted items and more. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle No Large Plastic Items in Recycling Bin Plastic toys and similar items don't belong in your recycling cart. If they're no longer usable, place them in the trash. If they're still in good condition, consider donating or selling them. Visit Washington County Recycling [https://www.washingtoncountymn.gov/295 4/Household-Recycling] to learn more.  Give Food Scraps a Second Life! Did you know your food scraps can do some pretty amazing things? Organics recycling keeps food waste out of the trash and puts it to good use. By recycling food scraps and other compostable materials, you can: ♻ Reduce waste going to landfills and incinerators 🌱 Create nutrient-rich compost that helps improve soil 💧 Support healthier soil that can better retain water 🌎 Reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with food waste 🗑 Cut down on the amount of trash your household throws away From banana peels and coffee grounds to eggshells and leftovers, small scraps can make a big difference. Recycle your organics and turn yesterday’s leftovers into tomorrow’s resource! See the Ramsey and Washington County Food Scraps Program [https://foodscrapspickup.com/] to sign up! Water Wise Skip the Driveway. Protect Our Waterways! Time for a car wash? Consider heading to a commercial car wash instead of washing your vehicle in the driveway. When you wash your car at home, soapy water can flow down the driveway and into a storm drain — carrying soap, dirt, oil and other pollutants with it. Storm drains lead to local ponds, streams and other waterways. Commercial car washes are designed to collect and properly manage wash water, making them a better choice for clean water. 🚙 Clean car. 💧 Cleaner water. 🌎 Small choice. Big difference. Save Money on Your Water Bill In partnership with the Metropolitan Council (Met Council) the City of Lake Elmo offers a rebate program for purchases of eligible water-efficient products. The funding has enabled Lake Elmo to provide a rebate to current water customers who replace existing devices with specified water-efficient products, or who have an irrigation system audit completed by a professional.  Visit the water rebate page at Lakeelmo.gov [https://www.lakeelmo.gov/225/Water- Rebate-Program] for guidelines, restrictions, and a list of qualifying items.  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. See the property tax calculator here. [https://www.lakeelmo.gov/230/Property- Tax-Calculator] If you need to search your property, you can view the Washington County Property Records Search here. [https://www.washingtoncountymn.gov/721/ Property-Records]  Volunteer, Connect, Get Involved! Looking for a way to get more involved in the community? Lake Elmo's local organizations offer great opportunities to volunteer, connect with neighbors, support local causes, and take part in community events and activities.  Whether you're new to the area or a lifelong resident, these groups help make Lake Elmo a welcoming and vibrant place to live. Learn more about Lake Elmo's community organizations here. [https://www.lakeelmo.gov/316/Community-Organizations]  City of Lake Elmo | 3880 Laverne Ave. N. | Lake Elmo, MN 55042 | Lakeelmo.gov Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email Copyright 2026 The City of Lake Elmo. All Rights Reserved. 3880 Laverne Ave. N, Lake Elmo, MN 55042 Powered by