HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997 November Newsletter NOVEMBER R__1 997
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HUGO CITY HALL, 5524 UPPER 146TH STREET NORTH HUGO, MN 5503,$
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-- correct all of the problems with the existing building; and
will not address problems with the facility's location.
After the expenditure of a million dollars, C' will
,,. have compromised the quality of the facility,'haf of g '
which will still be 40 years old. Given these costs and?
considerations,we have come to the conclusion that
building new is best for the future of the Department and
the community.
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From property value information recently received from
the County Auditor-Treasurer's Office,the maximum
impact.this project will have on property taxes is $58.30
per$100,000 in taxable market value. For the average
µ homeowner in Hugo, this represents an annual tax
The existing Fire Hall was built'in 1960,with.an addition built in 1967. increase of less than$70.00 per year. People owning
A separate 12 x 66 trailer provides administration and training space.
higher valued homes and business will, of course,pay
ru OPEN LETTER TO THE CITIZENS OF HUM more than this. Whether a property owner can afford this
Creating a new home for the Hugo Volunteer Fire expense, or feels it a wise investment,is a personal deci-
Department remains an issue before the community. sion.We encourage residents to express their opinion by
It remains an issue because the current facility is too voting at the bond referendum being held on November
small to serve the Department's needs,now or in the 18, 1997.
future. It remains an issue because the building's doors We-believe that the Hugo Volunteer Fire Department pro-
are too small for modern firefighting equipment;the vides an exceptional value to the community.With an
floor drains don't work in the winter; and there are no toi- operating budget of under$100,000 per year,the
lets or running water to serve the offices and training Department is responding to over 200 emergencies per
room. year. Hugo's firefighters are dedicated to the community,
It remains an issue because it's unsafe for fire equipment well trained, and serve with very little compensation.
and firefighters responding to calls to repeatedly maneu- Providing the Department with adequate facilities is not
ver on narrow residential streets and along ballfields and only an important part of providing emergency services,
playgrounds when responding to an emergency. it also provides an inducement for people to join and stay
Some have said that remodeling the current facility would with the Department.We encourage people to visit the
be cheaper and more cost effective for the community. It current fire station and ask themselves if these are condi
may, or may not,be cheaper; it would not be as cost tions under which they would work, or conditions under
effective.The City appointed a Citizens'Committee and Which they would expect their employees to work.Then
hired an architect to provide options and cost estimates ask yourself if this is a place where you would work for
for expanding the Fire Hall where it stands.Adding the little or nothing. Personnel costs for a full-time depart-
extra space needed,and correcting some of the problems ment would exceed$600,000 per year. Even adding
with the existing building,will cost between$750,000 another$160,000 per year in debt service costs, the Fire
A$870,000. Property acquisition and construction costs Department is a good value for the community.
rovide adequate street access to the site will cost an The City is hosting an Open House at the Fire Station
additional $275,000.This street construction will benefit (under the north water tower) on Wednesday,November
the Department,but no one else.The cost of a new build- 12, 1997 from 7:30PM to 9:OOPM. Stop by and gain your
ing is estimated at$1,050,000. own impression of the current facility and the needs of
Remodeling and expanding the existing facility will not the Department. Fire Hall continued inside. . . .
Fire Hall continued " �r
Cities are created, and we, as a City Council, have the responsi- •
bility to provide for the health, safety, and welfare of the City's
residents. Providing fire protection and emergency services is _ FIRE STATION OPEN HOUSE
at the heart of our duties. We believe that to adequately provide An Open House will be conducted at the Hugo Fire
these services for current residents, and to meet the demands of Hall', 5524 Upper 146th Street, from 7:30PM to
a growing community, a new Fire Station is necessary.We #r 9:OOPM on Wednesday, November 12, 1997.
encourage you to vote YES on November 18th to allow the City This gathering gives residents the opportunity to
to issue general obligation bonds for the construction of a new view the current facility and talk to firefighters
Fire Hall. before voting on the bond referendum scheduled for
November 18th. Residents may also stop by the Fire
Station during normal office hours to view the
�r. M Andrew�G.lff.. 7jim.L.roux / Deb�B,.s face l ity.
Mayor Council Member Council Member Council Member
NEWLY APPOINTED COUNCIL MEMBER
Warren Arcand has been appointed City Council
Member for Ward 1.A lifelong resident of the commu-
nity, he is part owner and Chairman of the Board for
the Oneka Ridge Golf Course.A World War 1I veteran,
Mr.Arcand attended naval aviation training at the
WHAT WILL A NEW FIRE HALL COST YOU7 University of Oklahoma, and served with the Pacific
Based on the 1998 taxable value of the City, the table below Fleet. Mr.Arcand intends to focus on resolving the
shows the tax to be levied on property of the given value in many issues facing Hugo as a growing community,
Hugo.You can determine the potential impact on your property especially in Ward 1 where most of the urban develop-
by multiplying its taxable market value by .000583.You may ment is occurring. He and his wife Rosemary have six
notice that the tax identified in the table below is 2.8%below grown children, and enjoy golf, travel, and hunting.
the cost identified in 1996, even though the estimated construc-
tion cost has risen slightly to adjust for inflation.This reflects Ward 1 covers the area between Goodview Avenue,
the impact of property tax growth in the City, which is expected Elmcrest Avenue, 120th Street, Frenchman Road,
to continue. and 147th Street. Mr.Arcand was appointed
by the City Council to fill the remain-
You may also notice that the tax impact given in this article is in term of the post recently left �r,'
different than shown on the ballot(.0583%versus .0607%). g p y ;f
This is due to the requirements of state law to place the maxi-
vacant by the resignation of
Council Member Debi Johnson.
mum increase in tax levy for the referendum on the ballot and
print the ballots early enough to allow for mail-in voting.The
figures used to compute the maximum tax increase used on the COMPOST SITE '
ballot were the best available from the County Auditor- - -`\� � � (•
Treasurer's Office at the time they were printed. Since then, the Because of the unusually warm __ �1`�,I
final tax values for 1998 have been provided to the City, and it fall we have experienced, the
is those figures upon which the table below was computed. ,
g p p Hugo compost site will be
Under state law,when bonds issued to finance the new Fire open weekends through
Station are paid off, the City's authority to levy the additional November, or until the first i
tax will expire. heavy snowfall,whichever
occurs first. Hours of
Taxable Market Value Annual Tax to Build New Fire Hall operation are from �` I
$ 75,000 $43.73 8:OOAM to 6:OOPM.This j
$100,000 $58.30 site accepts grass, leaves,
$125,000 $72.88
and other similar soft
$150,000 $87.45
$175,000 $102.03 organic matter only.
• l/ I
$200,000 $116.60 Brush, tree limbs, and �.
$225,000 $131.00
250 000 145.7 • Food are not •;�: , � �'� �'
5
$ $ • accepted.
$275,000 $160.33
$300,000 $174.90 _- i
COMMUNITY BULLETIN SIGN VANDALISM
® (Meetings 7:00PM) 1998 The City has received reports that some of its street signs
January 5 City Council meets have been destroyed or removed.These signs are neces-
January 19 (City Hall Closed) Legal Holiday sary to help notify and inform motorists and pedestrians
about important safety issues.The City urges people not
January 20 City Council meets to interfere with the important function of these signs.
® January 28 Planning Commission Minnesota Statutes 169.08 makes it a misdemeanor for
February 2 City Council meets any person to possess, alter, deface, injure, knock down,
February 16 (City Hall Closed)Legal Holiday or remove any official control device within the City.
February 17 City Council meets If you know of any missing signs, please call the City at
429-4583. If you have any signs belonging to the City,
February 25 Planning Commission meets drop them off at the City Hall, and you will not be prose-
March 2 City Council meets cuted for their possession.
March 16 City Council meets
March 25 Planning Commission meets
April 6 City Council meets HOME SAFETY TIPS
April 20 City Council meets With winter fast approaching, the Hugo Building
April 22 Planning Commission.meets Department offers some important tips for the warmth
and safety of your home:
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS 1. Have your heating appliance checked to insure it
(Meetings 7.00PM) 1997 is operating at design specifications.
November 3 Hugo City Hall 2. Be sure that gas appliances have proper amount
November 17 Hugo City Hall of fresh combustion air.Never close or plug the
December 1 Hugo City Hall fresh air line to a furnace.
December 15 Hugo City Hall 3. Never seal your exterior windows.Today's homes
are built to be tight. By sealing your windows, air
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS is trapped inside the building causing mold,mildew,
1997 and, in some cases, sick people.
November 12 Fire Hall needs - 7:30PM 4. Use your bath fan and open a window occasionally.
November 19 "Board of Canvass"- 7:OOPM This will allow your home to breathe, and you will
have a healthy supply of fresh air.
REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS People who have been working on summer home
improvement projects are reminded to call the Building
(Meetings 7:00PM) 1997 Department at 429-6432 to arrange for required inspec-
November 19 Hugo City Hall tions.
December 17 Hugo City Hall
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CRIME WATCH IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
The Washington County Sheriff's Department is initiat-
��' ing a city-wide crime prevention program for Hugo.
Sheriff Jim Frank is asking Hugo residents to join forces
with the Sheriff's Office to increase neighborhood vigi-
= lance and deter crime by organizing neighborhood crime
_ watches. Several Hugo neighborhoods have already
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joined the and Sheriff Frank will assign
program,
deputy to assist any neighborhood wishing to join.
If you would like to start a program in your area, or have
any questions on the program, contact Deputy Scott
Stillman at 430-4823.
•
RURAL DRIVEWAYS
Property owners with long driveways should check to
insure the approach to their property is adequate to
--- \ allow access for emergency vehicles. Poor driveway
conditions can delay response by ambulances, fire
trucks,and police in emergency situations. Items to
Rai 1 �� 11 look for include narrow roadways, overgrown vegeta-
tion, steep slopes,poor surfaces, and tight turns.
The Fire Department recommends that long driveways
ATTENTION SNOWMOBILERS be at least twenty feet wide and have a firm, even, all-
With predictions for aheavier-than-average snowfall Feather surface. Driveways over 200 feet long should
this year, people can look forward to a good snowmo- have turn-off areas where two-way traffic.can pass
bile season. In order to make it a safe and pleasant sea- each other during.all four seasons. Remember,heater
son, the City of Hugo has established the following and chimney fires are more likely in the winter
rules for the use of snowmobiles in the City: months, so snowplowing should take into considera-
tion emergency vehicle needs.
TIMES OF OPERATION: Hugo City Code, Chapter 278,requires that all proper-
Snowmobiles may be operated between the hours of ties containing a building be marked with their street
6:30AM and 11:00PM, except hours are extended on address in such a manner as to be visible from the
weekends until 1:00AM Saturday and Sunday mornings.c street.Though addresses on mail boxes are required by
SPEED LIMITS: the Postal Service,this"is often not adequate to identi-
Speed limits for snowmobiles are set by State law, fy building sites as mailboxes maybe located away
except that no snowmobile may be operated in Hugo at from the driveway entrance, and grouped together for
a speed in excess of 15 mph within 100 feet of any resi- convenience.When numbers affixed to a building can
dential dwelling. not be observed from the public road, driveways
should be marked with six inch(6") letters, either
WHERE ALLOWED: reflective or illuminated,visible from the street.
-On private property with the specific written, dated, `Shared driveways should be marked to identify the
and signed permission of the property owner or direction of specific homes or buildings.
person in control of the property. Such permission By adequately identifying their property, and provid-
must be carried with the operator of the snowmobile ing ample driveway access,residents can help insure
at all times the vehicle is being operated on the themselves the fastest possible response times in
property, unless the operator is the owner or a emergency situations. W
family member of the owner.
-On public lands and waters under the jurisdiction of
the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of
Natural Resources as permitted by law.
-On City streets when traveling in the most right-hand
lane available for automobile traffic, or as close as ZI
practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of
roadway, and when traveling in the same direction - Flu ti
as automobile traffic in that lane. Use of snowmo- 82
biles on City streets is only authorized when it will
not result in damage to the street.
40 r
-On the ditch bottom or outside slope of any drainage M
ditch that lies within, and runs parallel to, any
City-controlled public road easement. Snowmobiles111 11111,1111 11
may not be operated on any boulevard area where
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an identifiable ditch is not present.
-On the ditch bottom, or outside slope of County
Highway 8 EAST of Goodview Avenue, State
Highway 61, County Highways 4, 4A, 7, and 57.
-On posted trails approved for such use by the Hugo --
City Council.
SPECIAL CITY ELECTION N 180th St Ln
177th St �
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1997 z
The City of Hugo will be holding a special election on > v
170th St
Tuesday,November 18, 1997 to consider whether the City 2165th St ° z z
>hould sell bonds to construct a new Fire Hall.Voting will be - ( a)Q)
conducted at your usual polling place. Refer to map and key to Q
a
the right. Polling places will be open from 7:OOAM until > co 157th St
8:OOPM. Please take time to vote on this important issue. `r
Call City Hall at 429-6676 if you have any questions. ��v Co Rd 17
�_ Q� a
z
c� 147th St
PLEASE VOTE "YES„ w Q
F � �
Sample '4A E
140th St
,Q 1v n th St
F NUG,O—M ��ota i 132nd St
C1TY.o ton County' R JB A(397 130th St
g �ashrn9 1ypVEMleE �..
N be �3
i
QUE H go, Minne d general .� .. L Q 125th St
Gity of re9�stere oeed 'k�, x�
„Sha11 the issue its w11y t not to ex the r, '" ti 122n St
in an amoun 120th St
d to se o1
YES authorlZe ds e-APen !„ '
obfrgatt0n0 �)
�°to della went of a 1%fe station r�
$A'A45,0 and bette The City of Hugo is divided into three wards.
�Np aCquisit1On «YES„ oN THIS Voters must vote in the polling place for their ward.
TING
Y V4 G
pSaPle
A1C '*'
tyOSICEBALt'pORpapET
`Oc`"G x
as WHERE TO GO TO VOTE. .
1NCaEpSE• sed levy
t of increa 0642
um$noun e is 0.
The GeXn age o1 market vat wised by the ns o WARD ONE
er e r t r rt City Hall
a P amount that Will b the firs Yea
the amdum tax rate$p0.
rewen is$152,a2
be levied WARD TWO
tys TO V��ERS roPosition.
WgTFUC�tO rot the ab°ve Word"Yt."- American Legion
vote in tavO se before the roP°sitlon.
It You wish to .rn the s4ua a above Word t!O
rnarK a cross l vote a9arnst t),tote the
1t You�re�s(Xl In the ware __ 'ts
WARD THREE
Mark a
Rice Lake Park
HUGO CITY COUNCIL HUGO PLANNING COMMISSION
Fran Miron, Mayor Andrew Goiffon -Ward 3 Theodora Peltier Jim Kellison
15250 Homestead Ave. N. 8124 147th St. N. 13094 Goodview Ave. N. 4394 129th Street N.
® Hugo, MN 55038 Hugo, MN 55038 WBL, MN 55110 WBL, MN 55110
429-5961 426-1289 429-1570 429-8075
Warren Arcand- Ward 1 Debra Barnes, Council at Ken Rubenzer Dave Schumann
5510 130th St. N. Large 6141 Egg Lake Rd. 7630 137th St. N.
WBL, MN 55110 6491 132nd St. N. Hugo, MN 55038 Hugo, MN 55038
.�, 429-9750 WBL, MN 55110 653-7088 429-6853
James Leroux -Ward 2 426-9893 Sandy Malaski Sydney Harrison
4360 165th St. N. 8351 140th St.N. 14728 Irish Avenue N.
Hugo, MN 55038 Hugo, MN 55038 Hugo, MN 55038
429-2093 426-5538 429-7040
IN THIS ISSUE. . .
4 s; HUGO FIRE STATION (the needs continue...
An open letter to the citizens of Hugo
FIRE STATION OPEN HOUSE November 12, 1997)
Talk to the firefighters and view the current facility
' SPECIAL ELECTION (November 18, 1997)
i 4,
HUGO COMPOST INFORMATION
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SNOWMOBILING INFORMATION
Commonly asked questions regarding snowmobiling
in the City of Hugo
ATTENTION CITIZENS WITH RURAL DRIVEWAYS
'AA. -
HOME SAFETY TIPS
CRIME WATCH IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
a.
SIGN VANDALISM
�
L GO�- BULK RATE
CITY HALL NEWSLETTER POSTAGE
5524 Upper 146th Street North
Hugo, MN 55038 HUGO, MN 55038
PERMIT NO. 21
OCCUPANT