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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 Spring Newsletter1 City of Hugo 14669 Fitzgerald Avenue North, Hugo MN 55038 waver Conservation Efforts The City of Hugo supplies drinking water to residents and businesses from five high capacity wells that pump water from deep under the ground, sending it through a series of pipes that deliver it to your tap. Recently, state and regional officials have questioned whether excessive pumping of water from the ground is sustainable over the long term. They worry that there might not be enough water for future generations. Sheriff 5 j demand for drinking water. There are also a number of water conservation efforts underway. Update The City has implemented significant measures that reduce water usage on our own properties. Fire Chief Tips 5 Collectively, efforts already in place in Hugo are saving or recharging over 100 million Recreation gallons of water annually. Please visit our website to learn more about these efforts along with Programs 6 ideas that you can use in your own home. OW Building 4# Department 4 please Recycle Ille! W p of 1 State and regional officials have also questioned whether pumping groundwater impacts lakes and wetlands on the surface. It is one of many theories explaining low water levels in lakes, 651-762-6360 such as White Bear Lake. As a result of these concerns, some have suggested constructing a Washington new regional water supply system to serve all residents in the northeast metro with water from County the Mississippi River. Unfortunately, little is known about connections between surface water Sheriff's Office and groundwater, so even with construction of an expensive water supply system, there is no ' guarantee that lake levels will return. The Hugo City Council is working hard to t "` ensure that the proper science is conducted The City would like to remind residents tlbe and that groundwater supplies are better conscious of their water usage. Abiding by understood before important decisions are Hugo's odd/even watering ordinance is an easy Inside: made that will impact the City's future way to make a significant impact. Also, please water supply. look into replacing inefficient faucets, toilets, 2015 City Goals 2 and washing machines. This will reduce water The City has taken many steps through our use and save you money on your water bill! Public Works 3 "Reduce, Reuse, Replenish" efforts, to help ensure our water supply is sustainable and Economic will support future growth. The City is working with many partners to disconnect some of the Development 4 largest irrigation systems in the City from the groundwater supply, replacing them with systems that use stormwater runoff instead. Work is also underway to recharge the Stillwater School 4 groundwater supply by directing stormwater to key areas and allowing it to infiltrate back into Referendum the ground. Additionally, creative land use practices for new developments are reducing the Sheriff 5 j demand for drinking water. There are also a number of water conservation efforts underway. Update The City has implemented significant measures that reduce water usage on our own properties. Fire Chief Tips 5 Collectively, efforts already in place in Hugo are saving or recharging over 100 million Recreation gallons of water annually. Please visit our website to learn more about these efforts along with Programs 6 ideas that you can use in your own home. OW Building 4# Department 4 please Recycle Ille! W p of 1 Page 2 "Every winter the Council sets priorities for the upcoming year. The Council and City Hall staff then work hard to accomplish these goals in order to keep Hugo a great place to live for our residents " -Mayor Tom Weidt 1 2015 City Goals I #1 Water Conservation The City will follow through with their plans to Reduce, Reuse, and Replenish. A plan is in place to acquire funding through the legislature for storm water management projects. Providing education on water conservation practices is and 8 intersection, replacing the Bald Eagle Lake dam outlet, and performing maintenance on JD2 (from 170th Street to the north). Other infrastructure improvements the City will be working on include stormwater management projects and a study on future expansion of the Iimperative to our conservation efforts. Public Works facility. Further consideration will be made for #5 Parks Projects potential changes to ordinances and the water rate structure. Hugo plans to collaborate with neighboring cities as we ' continue to be a regional leader in all water related issues. ' #2 Economic Development The EDA plans to develop a program that will improve communication with existing Bear Sightings Within the last month there have been several bear sightings in Washington County. Bears are attracted to homes and cabins by garbage and bird feeder Pet food, charcoal grills, fruit trees and gardens may also attract bears. Once a bear finds food around your home it will likely return. Never feed bears -- They will associate people with food and may become a problem. businesses. Redeveloping City -owned property will be a priority, as well as implementing a successful marketing plan for attracting new businesses. The City will be actively working with the Bald Eagle Industrial Park businesses on rail service and collaborating with Washington County on economic development activities. #3 Community Development Zoning and subdivision ordinances will be revised. The Stormwater Plan will be worked on and completed. The City will consider expansion of its role as Local Governing Unit for stormwater manage- ment. The City will begin the process of updating the Comprehensive Plan. The Comp. Plan guides the City's future growth and development. It is required to be up- dated every 10 years by the Met Council. #4 Infrastructure Projects include reconstruction of Rice The Lions Park redevelopment and funding plan will be prepared. There will be an evaluation of Park Dedication requirements. A strong emphasis will be put on strengthening recreation program partnerships. Senior recreational programming will be addressed. The City will review the Street Assessment Policy concerning trails and sidewalks. The process of updating the Parks, Trails, and Open Space Plan for the Comprehensive Plan will begin. #6 Public Safety Ambulance changes will be evaluated. The Capital Improvement Program will be reviewed for emergency equipment. At a staffing level, recruitment and retention efforts will be stressed. Collaboration with surrounding cities will continue, and there will be an evaluation security at City buildings. #7 Administration Staff will work in partnership with Washington County to expand library services and with the Historical Commission in the hiring of an intern. The Building Department will provide services to Scandia. The City will implement better technology, such as document imaging software and will keep informed of changes Lake Meadows streets, rebuilding CSAH 7 in broadband services in Hugo. Street Improvement projects As part of the City of Hugo's street reconstruction program, the Rice Lake Meadows neighborhood will be improved this year. The nature of the improvements include roadway surface and base repair, stormwater and drainage improvements, and repairs to the underground sanitary sewer systems. There will also be road improvements on Finale Avenue from 145th to 146th Street. City of Hugo A Word From public Works Do You Own a Private Well? Properly constructed and maintained wells can provide many years of trouble-free water service. Like any other mechanical devices, wells will eventually deteriorate or become damaged and allow surface contaminants to enter the water. In addition, some groundwater can contain one or more chemical substances in concentrations above recommended levels. The City of Hugo's public water systems are tested regularly for a variety of contaminants, but if you have a private well, regular testing is up to you. Please go to the following website for more information: http: //www. health.state. mn. usldivs/eh/wellslwaterquality/test. html Hydrant Flushing Starting April 13th As part of many other spring projects, the Public Works Department will be flushing hydrants. It is expected to take about two weeks to complete all hydrants. Flushing purges rust and stagnant water from the distribution system and identifies hydrants in need of maintenance. Some residents may receive rust colored water that could stain laundry. During this time, please arf i check that water coming into the ! + house is clear, and let the tap + . water run if necessary. �— - Street Sweeping Starting March 19th The Public Works Department r r W Page 3 Park Shelter Permit Stop by Hugo City Hall to obtain a $5 permit to reserve a park shelter. Community rooms are also available to rent. Call 651-762-6300 will be sweeping all public paved Carioatteftrash ,t1in� streets. Sweeping takes place p t"atl oftrash 7rdihe�loadefhash —_� --- --- $ 5 an" u p f ¢ous teORYy fns ty�Mcs will be �a,'I'Ted tree.pl -'- __ -�--- P essesl. Prparr�resfdenC Monday through Friday between -�- �dwa;{ � Hoaseh - .. - ... Plc liens-... _ _. _. Yre4brceP . - Sz and�P "Ircarydrarnometersandthen„ Pl"I.-rure,aerrt& 7:00am and 4:30pm. It will take w� �� - - ----s''hnt Fluoresce bnlbs(@urMtetl te&athe ' late:/erpaln& Stalre6r>Ltion: approximately two weeks to - Aorrserrakl apPnarlce ---- -- - _ Junes rubberbands,no tape) • Inintrerrow Mintier ' Holrseh"Id cleaners - complete. Private roads are a m� ap�;a, - boner _ �3and��� pe, " ��tey antl u52tl epi 'wMtff �&R eatiurt - - ----P sealed. shady tontaine • Sed met9rodl anOfiheis ' ChmPuters&manRprs swept by homeowners rsoftener - S26/snit ' PraPanetante F'eetcaphe�s ifaafbo"Is, Matt qty--- — --- -_ $20/unit nipa,speake a. Cna geabia6attane5 associations. G �l'eredfumitdre ____ - - __ :26/unit ' Printers&la> nachaoas Yam &Garden: Compost Site CarpiX --- ---------- - 320/each DYU & KA players ach/anf killer 'Ceti phones F"If Iers/hebiddes � - Starting April 25th - - �lCycew�lgattims -------- _____urlvltShrEtldingwillaLcobeoNered. F i WWII In order to serve The compost site is located on _ Tama' _ _ - ----- as mangpeppleaspos5 ble. ��: Please IF. -e aomorethan lburpores per custdmerwinble or —� € plxepled,Yavrloadso the south side of 170th St North 32.�oand�a reachedb�we Wedding "ett-Ybe haardouius atgnats Can berealoye4P6yy, approximately 1/2 mile west of mana, a b�a�ing Highway 61. The site is open for � _ -_ i+eaP ulresltleneysucn asadrtrers �n3e rs Hugo residents on Wednesdays regairel, from 4:00pm to 8:00pm (or Hugo N -- dusk) and Saturdays from PUh/iE Works 8pildi7g 6900137th 5t, N. 14M a n. - 10:00am to 5:00pm. This is a deposit site for grass clippings, 13%SLK leaves, and soft organic matter ----- only. No brush, twigs, branches „gamQtPesti�a��~---------- °"-""' all the Hugo City liaq or woody materials accepted.' at sit 762-63(),u Page 4 Economic Development EXTRA! Ground Breaking at Keystone Place at LaValle Fields In November, the EDA and City Council attended the ground breaking for Keystone Place at LaValle Fields. Keystone Place is a 100 unit senior housing facility including independent living, assisted living and memory care. It is a three-story building on a five -acre piece of land. There are additional phases of the development that include three market rate apart- ment buildings with a total of 165 units. Two acres of land was dedicated to the City for park purposes with this development. The land will expand Lions Park and will be planned with the Lions Park Master Plan. Finale Avenue between 145th Street and 146th Street will be reconstructed in the Summer of 2015. The building is currently under construction and is planned to be complete in August of 2015. For more information on Keystone Place at LaValle Fields please call (651) 888-6557. O'Reilly Auto Parts Receives Site Plan Approval In early 2015, O'Reilly Auto Parts presented a site plan to the City Council for a retail auto parts building on the former Ricci's Property (14777 Forest Blvd). The property is currently vacant. The site plan included a 7,000 square foot building and a parking lot. The building meets the downtown design guidelines using rock -face block and brick VIEW FROM SOUTHEAST (ALONG 147TH ST. N.) Stillwater School District Referendum as the main building material. With the construction season ahead of us, staff expects to see a build- ing permit application soon for the auto parts store. Residents in the Stillwater School District are asked to vote on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 on whether the School District should issue bonds for acquisition and betterment of the District's school sites and facilities. District residents can vote at the Rice Lake Centre located at 6900 137th Street North. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you are unable to get to the polls on May 12th, you can absentee vote beginning March 27th at the Headwaters Service Center in Forest Lake, Washington County Government Center in Stillwater, the Woodbury Service Center, or the Cottage Grove Service Center. A copy of the ballot question can be found on the City of Hugo's website at www.ci.hugo.mn.us/elections City of Hugo Gtlashington County Sheriffs Office 01 date Washington County Sheriff's Office has six full-time and two part-time officers dedicated to Hugo. This does not include water, parks, trails, and boating regulation officers. Washington County is proud of the service the deputies provide our citizens. The deputies are involved in several areas of the division by providing the following: Apprehension Team, Crime Prevention Unit, DARE, Explorers, General Patrol Unit, Honor Guard, K-9, and Mounted Patrol. The Water, Parks, and Trails Unit is dedicated to providing the finest quality law enforcement aid to citizens enjoying the county's abundant water, park, and trail resources. Washington County Deputies are also involved in the community through Night to Unite, Washington County Fair, SafetyNet by LoJack, (a solution for tracking and rescuing missing people), and other services/events. A Special Thank you Page 5 Clayton Evans New Hugo Deputy The City of Hugo would like to recognize Frank Langer for 36 years of service as the City Assessor. Frank's primary duties included the listing, valuation, and classification of over 6,000 real estate parcels within the City every year for property tax purposes. Frank has a wealth of knowledge and could always be counted on to provide insight. He was greatly appreciated, an integral member of the City Hall staff, and will be missed. Frank is looking forward to retirement and spending time with his wife Michele (a registered nurse for 46 years), his five children, and seven grandchildren. Frank is enthusiastic about attending more car shows, traveling, and taking short trips in his 1973 Lincoln Continental Mark IV. Tips From your Fire Chief Burning Permits Please remember that burning permits are required for any fire larger than 3'x3'. Springtime always brings dry conditions and potential burning bans. Keep informed by visiting Hugo's website and the MN DNR's website. Burn Permits are available on the City website and should be submitted to City Hall. For weekend burning, please have your permit submitted by noon on the Thursday before the weekend. Open House and Fun Run Support the Hugo Fire Department and run along with real firefighters by participating in the Fearless Firefighter Fun Run on Saturday, October 3. More information will be made available on the City's website closer to the event. Smoke/CO Detectors Please be mindful to change your smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries and check detector expiration dates every time you change your clocks. Please note that most detectors have a 10 year service life. Remember, it is important to create and practice a fire escape plan! Fire ChiefKevin Colvard can be reached at: kcolvard@ci. hugo. mn. us i 11 The Hugo Fire Department is now hiring part-time firefighters. Applications are available at Hugo City Hall or at www.ci.hugo.mn.us./HFD Page 6 Kidz 'n Biz Fest 2015- Sponsored o1s- Sponsored by the Hug Business Association and Hugo's Economic Development Authority. Kidz `n Biz brings together businesses and residents of Hugo for hours of games, enter- tainment and fun. Kids `n Blz Fest Saturday, April 25 Oneka Elementary 11:00am – 2:00pm Recreation programs Guardians of the Galaxy Friday, May 8 at 3:15pm Central Auditorium Teens, join us for a free movie night! The movie is rated PG -13 so a permission slip is required upon entrance. You can pick up a permission slip at the Central and Sunrise middle school front offices. Park Play Days For ages 6-12 June 9– August 6 9:00am-11:00am Tuesdays at Diamond Point Park Thursdays at Beaver Ponds Park Kids are invited to Hugo parks to play games such as kickball, frogger, freeze tag, giant rock papers scissors, and much more! Kids will be given lots of fun options for active play and allowed to choose which activity the group will do next. Bring your friends and neighbors to play in the park together! This program is free! Adults are invited to join in the fun also. Contact information must be provided on site from parents or guardians and they must be available. There is interest in adult fitness programs being held in the park during Park Play Days. If you are interested, please contact Shayla at 651-762-6342. - Nature Camp For ages 7-12 Monday, Aug. 10—Thursday, Aug. 13 9:00am-11:30am Hanifl Fields Athletic Park - –1 Have fun exploring! Learn outdoor skills such as fire building, knot tying, and tree Anyone selling ,niers Perm identification with fun games, crafts, and handise or service experiments! You will learn to geocache door-to-door which is a GPS guided scavenger hunt. hould be able to The cost is $35 and pre -registration is vide identification required. a permit issued by Save the date: e City of Hugo. National Night Out Tuesday, August 4 ntact the County ff's Department at Skyhawks Mini -Hawk August 10-13 _ Tour de Hugo Saturday, September 12 Pe merc s pro and th Co Sheri 651-439 9381 with any concerns. City of Hugo TechTacToe Remote Control Lego Cars Age 6-11 Monday, July 6– Thursday, July 9 1:00pm– 4:00pm Hanifl Fields Athletic Park On your marks, ready, set, GO! In this super fun and innovative class you'll have the opportunity to create and race your very own remote control Lego car. Additionally, you'll be challenged to engineer cars based on multiple technologies and use your creativity to tweak your cars using gears and more to make them the fastest. This class is guaranteed to challenge curious minds! Please bring a peanut free snack and beverage. The cost is $110 and pre -registration is required. TechTacToe NASA Rocket Launch Age 7-11 Monday, July 6– Thursday, July 9 9:00am– noon Hanifl Fields Athletic Park Do you dream of traveling to the stars or moon some day? Then this summer adventure is for you! We'll build rockets based on different propulsion systems and shoot them up into the air. We will launch a rocket with a parachute to learn about rocket recovery and repair, as well as create, an electric car to explore the moon! Take a rocket and an electronically powered vehicle home! You'll sure have a BLAST in the class! Please bring a peanut free snack and beverage. To register or more informatio please go to www.ci.hugo.mn.us or call Shayla Denaway at 651-762-6342. Follow the City of Hugo, MN on Facebook for updates on future movie nights in the park, geocaching challenges, and more. City of Hugo Lions Park Re -development The Lions Park Master Plan was approved by the Hugo City Council at their meeting on March 2, 2015. Thank you to the residents, members of the Lions Club and all others that helped develop the plan over the past couple years. Lions Park recently expanded thanks to a dedication of park land with the development of the property to the west of the park. The community park will continue to be home to large special events, ball games, family picnics, court sports, and the skate park. New amenities will likely include a splash pad, additional picnic areas, a winter skating area, expanded park shelter, and upgraded play equipment. Next steps are to plan phasing and funding of the re -development projects, which will likely take place over the next several years. Building Department Report The City of Hugo receives complaints concerning issues in violation of City Ordinance. The most common ordinance violations include: ♦ Residents who have not properly maintained their property. The most common complaint is tall grass, noxious weeds, and trash/debris. City ordinance states it shall be unlawful for any owner, tenant, or occupant of land in the city to allow or permit any growth of weeds, grass, brush or any other rank vegetation to a height greater than ten inches, or allow junk, trash or debris of any nature to accumulate on their property. ♦ Residents are responsible for the care and wellbeing of their pets. The most common complaints are dog sanitation, barking dogs, and dogs running at large. City Ordinance states that deposits offecal matter, both on or off the owners property, be promptly removed. Any noise unreasonable and/or excessively disturbing the peace and quiet of any person in the vicinity must be controlled. No person shall allow a dog to run at large at any time. In order to protect the safety, prosperity, health and welfare of all City residents, City Code regulations require that property owners keep their properties safe and well maintained. To make a formal complaint, you must identify the property in which there is a code violation and provide your name, address, and phone number for the record. Page 7 Special Event Permit Planning an event? Check with the City to see if a Special Event Permit is necessary! Hugo Good Neighbor Days June 5th —7th Lions Park Join in celebrating Hugo with great music, food, beer garden, petting zoo, carnival rides, and fireworks! Hosted by the Hugo Lions Club. Yehkulu Ch[Y4um8 P�rkliq I ._.rvvwMimrmr.va+in Y Iednrnm Civcvl�kon NnIYft M MAN Lions Park Re -development The Lions Park Master Plan was approved by the Hugo City Council at their meeting on March 2, 2015. Thank you to the residents, members of the Lions Club and all others that helped develop the plan over the past couple years. Lions Park recently expanded thanks to a dedication of park land with the development of the property to the west of the park. The community park will continue to be home to large special events, ball games, family picnics, court sports, and the skate park. New amenities will likely include a splash pad, additional picnic areas, a winter skating area, expanded park shelter, and upgraded play equipment. Next steps are to plan phasing and funding of the re -development projects, which will likely take place over the next several years. Building Department Report The City of Hugo receives complaints concerning issues in violation of City Ordinance. The most common ordinance violations include: ♦ Residents who have not properly maintained their property. The most common complaint is tall grass, noxious weeds, and trash/debris. City ordinance states it shall be unlawful for any owner, tenant, or occupant of land in the city to allow or permit any growth of weeds, grass, brush or any other rank vegetation to a height greater than ten inches, or allow junk, trash or debris of any nature to accumulate on their property. ♦ Residents are responsible for the care and wellbeing of their pets. The most common complaints are dog sanitation, barking dogs, and dogs running at large. City Ordinance states that deposits offecal matter, both on or off the owners property, be promptly removed. Any noise unreasonable and/or excessively disturbing the peace and quiet of any person in the vicinity must be controlled. No person shall allow a dog to run at large at any time. In order to protect the safety, prosperity, health and welfare of all City residents, City Code regulations require that property owners keep their properties safe and well maintained. To make a formal complaint, you must identify the property in which there is a code violation and provide your name, address, and phone number for the record. Page 7 Special Event Permit Planning an event? Check with the City to see if a Special Event Permit is necessary! Hugo Good Neighbor Days June 5th —7th Lions Park Join in celebrating Hugo with great music, food, beer garden, petting zoo, carnival rides, and fireworks! Hosted by the Hugo Lions Club. vW«CIIL ff1iC'1UW11L BULK RATE POSTAGE PAID HUGO, MN 55038 PERMIT NO. 21 Visit our website: www.ci.hugo.mn.us Find the City of Hugo, MN on Facebook. Meet Our New Staff! Mike Miron City Council Member Mike was born and raised in Hugo and is passionate about planning for the future of the City. Mike is a teacher of Agricultural Education at Forest Lake Area Schools and also enjoys hunting, working on the farm, and doing other outdoor activities. r I:� Rachel Leitz Community Development Intern Rachel graduated from Wartburg College with a B.A. in Political Science and minors in Environmental Studies, Leadership, and Biology. Rachel enjoys outdoor activities including kayaking and fishing, and getting good deals at garage/estate sales. Dan Raboin City Assessor Dan grew up in Stillwater and now lives in Chisago City. He has worked for Washington County as an Assessor since 1992. Dan has worked alongside Frank Langer for many years and has extensive knowledge of Hugo and surrounding areas. Dan's hobbies are hunting and fishing.