HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000 July Newsletter JULY 2000
YOUR CITY
HUGOREPORT
HUGO CITY HALL, 5524 UPPER 146TH STREET NORTH HUGO, MN 55038 651-429-6676
TOWN MEETING TO DISCUSS NEW CITY HALL
A town meeting will be held Thursday,July 20 from 6-8 p.m.at the Hugo City Hall to con-
sider plans for a new city hall. The meeting will begin with a presentation of the prelimi-
nary findings of a feasibility study recently performed by Bonestroo, Rosene,Anderlik and
Associates, a Roseville engineering and architectural firm. Following this presentation,
Hugo residents attending the meeting will have the opportunity to offer their input regard-
ing what they want for their new city hall. JULV
City Administrator Mike Ericson stresses that this will be an "interactive" town meeting.
"No decisions have been made yet," Ericson stated. "We want Hugo residents to see the
options that are available, and then we want to hear from them."
A previous study determined that Hugo currently needs an additional 8,000 square feet of Save The Date!
space for its city hall and will need at least 20,000 more square feet by the year 2020. The
city recently hired Bonestroo,Rosene,Anderlik and Associates to perform a feasibility study Hugo residents — here is your
to compare three options for meeting this need for expansion: chance to let us know what
1. Remodel/renovate to expand the present city hall. you want in your new city
2. Remodel/renovate the Rice Lake Park building.
hall! Attend the Town Meeting
3. Construct a new building on a new site in Hugo.
Thursday, July 20
Bob Russek, chief architect for Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik and Associates, and project 6:00 — 8:00 p.m.
manager for the feasibility study,will be making the presentation,which will include: Hugo Clay Hall
• The goals of the feasibility study. Presentation of feasibility
• Drawings and descriptions of each of the three options described above,
study by Bob Russek, chief
including costs.
architect for Bonestroo,
• An evaluation matrix to rate each option based on a specific set of criteria.
Rosene, Anderlik and
"While we won't be presenting complete designs,we certainly plan to give Hugo residents Associates,
plenty of information to evaluate the three options,"explained Russek. "We want to blend
our professional input with local experience,so that a course of action is chosen that reflects Followed by an opportunity
the desires of the city of Hugo." for you to speak and offer
your input on the future of
After Russeles presentation, the meeting will be opened for citizen input. Hugo residents
City Hall.
will have the opportunity to ask questions and to make their opinions known about exact-
ly what they would like to see for their city hall.
HUGO LIONS SPONSOR CIRCUS .
Lions member Pete Pedersen informs us Centerville, and at the Hugo Legion.
that the proceeds from the circus will be They can also be purchased by mail by
used for scholarships. "We hope to sending a check payable to the Hugo
increase the number of scholarships that Lions Club to Lion Pete Pedersen,4826-
we're able to give," he stated. Pedersen 126th St. N., White Bear Lake, MN,
%0.4 also encouraged everyone to buy their 55110. Be sure to include the number of
tickets in advance rather than at the door tickets you want (adults and children)
because the Lions receive a much greater and your phone number.
percentage of advance tickets sales.
Advance tickets are available at the fol- watch the Circus Tents Go Up!
lowing locations: Granger's 61-Stop, You can also come and watch the
elephants raise the circus tents on the
Nadeau's Market,Carpenters Steakhouse, morning of Friday,July 28 at 9:00
Blacksmith Lounge, Keys Restaurant in a.m. and hear a presentation on
The Culpepper &Merriweather Circus is endangered species. There is no
White Bear, Forest Lake Conoco on o
coming to town for four. performances:
Highway 97, Corner Express in charer this event.
g f
Friday, July 28 at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30
p.m., and Saturday, July 29 at 2:00 p.m.
and 4:00 p.m. Sponsored by the Hugo You Be The
Lions, the circus will perform at Hugo Hardwood
Lions Park, behind City Hall under the Judge
water tower. Advance tickets are$7.00 for Creek Trail
adults and $5.00 for children age 12 and Are you interested in becoming an election judge?
under. (Tickets will also be available at
Now Open
People serving in this important position help guar-
antee that the rights of voters are protected and that
the door, but will cost $9.00 for adults City of Hugo residents can now enjoy the
all election procedures are properly carried out on
new multi-purpose Hardwood Creek Trail.
and$7.00 for children.) election day. Duties include: open and close the
.Finished this past fall, the 9-1/2 mile trail
polls,distribute ballots and be responsible for all elec-
tion materials, ensure that only qualified voters are consists of a 14-foot wide paved trail for
This one ring circus features live music, bicycling, in-line skating, and walking, as
permitted to vote and that all votes are cast in secret,
beautiful wardrobes, andi
f
roessonal well as a 10-foot wide mowed grass trail for
p help any voters who require assistance, obtain the
entertaining acts, including clowns, Jug- voting results after the polls are closed, and certify horseback riding and snowmobiling.
Hours of operation for the trail are from
glers, fire-eaters, elephants, ponies, and the election results.
p p dawn until dusk.
trapeze artists. Founded in 1985, the cir- Anyone eligible to vote in Washington county who
los 44 people and travels 32 "I'he Hardwood_Creek Trail head is located
Gus employs Y P P can read,write,and speak English can be an election
in Hugo at the corner of County Road 8
weeks a year from March to October. judge. However,an election judge cannot be a can-
and US Highway 61,where a gravel park-
Their shows, which provide family enter- didate in the election,or closely related to a Candi-
ing area is currently available. Jim huger of
date,or closely related to another election judge in
tainment for all ages, have been featured the Washington County Parks tells us that
the same precinct. (Being closely related means a
nationallyon National Cleo ra hic's this parking area will be paved in the fall,
g p spouse,parent,child,or sibling.) Election judges are
and an informational kiosk will be added.
Explorer TV show and on Entertainment paid$6.50 per hour and work from 6:00 a.m.until
The Hardwood Creek Trailconnects with
,
Tonight. Because of their unique set-up, about 10:00 p.m. Training will be provided by the
g q p the 15-I/2 mile Sunrise Prairie Trail in
audience members get a great view of this city of Hugo. Chisago county,providing a contiguous 25
circus—all seats areY ust feet away from the miles of trail running from Hugo to North
l If you are interested in becoming an election judge
Branch. An additional trail head in the city
action. for Hugo, please contact City Clerk Mary Ann
Creager or Deputy Clerk Michele Lindau at(651) of Forest bake will be opening in 2001.
429-6676.
head planner, overseeing all planning for Meredith Mormann
NEWFACES the city, including the comprehensive Public Works Engineering Intern
AT CITY HALL long-range plan for development. John Meredith will be working full-time for 3-
brings over 9 years of experience in city 4 months this summer developing a pave-
There have been a lot of new faces turn- planning, having.worked 3-1/2 years for ment management system for the city.
ing up at the Hugo City Hall recently. the city of Plymouth and 2-112 years Her work involves evaluating all paved
We'd like to introduce these new mem- before that for the city of Chanhassen. and unpaved roads, and then inputting
bers of the city staff He also worked for the planning and information into a computer program
park commission for Manitowoc county. which helps prioritize road repairs.
in Wisconsin for 3-112 years. He has a Originally from LaCrosse,WI, Meredith
Mike Ericson
City Administrator B.S. in Land Use Planning from the is a 2000 graduate of the University of
University of Wisconsin— Stevens Point Minnesota with a B.S. in Civil
In his full-time position as City and an M.A. in Urban Planning from Engineering. Following her work for the
Administrator, Mike is responsible for Minnesota State University at Mankato. city of Hugo, she is considering travel
overseeing the day-to-day operations of and attending graduate school.
the city. His job involves extensive con-
John will also oversee the building
tact with the public and with city offi- inspections department,will be involved
cials. "We work as a team," Mike says, in implementing zoning ordinances and PUBLIC WORKS
"to make sure that the needs of the citi- city subdivision regulations, and will NEWS
zens and the city are met." review new development applications for from Public Works Director Chris Petree
Mike took over as City Administrator compliance with current zoning. When The Street Department has recently
two months ago. He comes to us from
asked about his hopes for this new posi- completed seal coating of 4.2 miles,
crack fillip of 6.5 miles, and re- rav-
tion,John told us, "I'm looking forward g g
Maplewood, where he was the Assistant eling of 3.6 miles of the selected roads
to working with the city council to estab-
City Manager for 1-1/2 years. Prior to for the year 2000. Striping of approx-
that, Mike served as the City lish policies to ensure orderly growth." imately 11.5 miles of the selected roads
for 2000 will take place during the
Administrator for Watertown for 6 years. John and his wife,Margie,have two chil- month of July. Grading of gravel roads
He has a B.S. in Public Administration dren,Emma,3,and Marcus, 18 months. is done continuously throughout the
from Winona State University and an year,weather permitting. We make an
He enjoys biking and canoeing,and likes
M.A. in Urban and Regional Studiesattempt to grade high traffic gravel
to go hunting and"fishing when he has roads at least once per week and lower
from Minnesota State University at the time. traffic roads every two weeks.
Mankato (formerly Mankato State
University). Tom Smith The Utilities Department is currently
Public Works Maintenance Worker in the process of developing the city's
Mike and his wife, Suzanne, live in third municipal well, which we are
Tom began his full-time position on June hoping will be fully operational by
Maplewood with their two daughters, spring, 2001. The city is evaluating
Rachel,' 4, and Paige, 1. Their third 26,in which he performs maintenance ing
g all areas of publicworks, including sites for the location of our third water
. .
child, a boy, is due at the end of June. tower. Once a site is chosen,the tower
Mike enjoys reading,writing, and a vari-
streets,parks,and utilities. He previous- can be fully operational within approx-
ety of sports,including running,softball, ly worked as a waste water operator in imately 15 months. The city is also
Mankato, MN and Vail, CO, and stud- constructing its fourth sanitary sewer
golf, and bowling.
ied waste water management at St. lift station, located on 130th Street,
east of Highway 61,which is expected
John Rask Cloud Technical College. to be in operation by late summer of
Community Development Director 2000.
JJohn begins this newly created full-time Tom lives west of Wyoming with his
g y For more information about our water
position of Community Development wife, Stacy, and their 2 year-old daugh- and sanitary sewer systems, see Hugo's
Director on July 10. He will act as the ter, Madelyn. He enjoys hunting, fish- web site at www.ci.hugo.mn.us.
ing, and golf.
From the Mayoes Desk
Dear Friends and Neighbors of Hugo,
This year marked the sixth annual Good Neighbor Days Parade in Hugo, which was well-attended, both
in participants and spectators. I would like to thank everyone who works so hard to provide this
wonderful summer celebration in which we have a chance to spend time with our Hugo neighbors and
friends. I always enjoy the food, fun, and informal conversations with Hugo residents at the Hugo
City Park during Good Neighbor Days.
I have discussed many issues with Hugo residents, but one of the most common concerns what's hap-
pening in regard to the development moratorium, which went into effect last August. There seems
to be some misunderstanding about what this action is intended to do. It is not a complete ban on
building new homes in Hugo. In fact, there are many individual lots in Hugo which do not fall
under the moratorium, and new homes are continuing to be built. However, as you drive through
Hugo, it is easy to see that we must be concerned with the issues of water and land management.
The moratorium is designed to be a temporary halt to major development in the Municipal Utilities
Service Area (MUSA) in order to give the City Council time to solve problems concerning our lack
of domestic water storage and to clarify our development standards.
We are moving forward in planning for development. We have determined a site for a new well, and
staff members are working on its design. Bids will soon be awarded. We are looking for a new
water tower site to be located in the west-central part of Hugo. We also know that Washington
County is planning to make County Road 8 (Frenchman Road) a four-lane highway.between US Highway
61 and 35E. We will need to work jointly to address traffic issues. It may be necessary to buy
property and realign County Road 8. There will be public hearings to get your input. In addi-
tion, we are currently preparing for future development by working with the existing businesses in
the Peloquin Industrial Park to determine the best methods for installing utilities along the east
side of US Highway 61, north ofdowntown.
At the same time, Hugo is working on establishing development standards under the leadership of
Mike Ericson, our new City Administrator, and John Rask, our new Community Development Director.
As we go through this "Charette" planning process, I would like to invite and encourage landown-
ers, business people, and anyone who is interested in the development of Hugo to attend these meet-
ings. You should also know that the DNR and Metropolitan Council have each awarded grants to the
city to offset the costs of the research and planning. In order to do a good job of planning and
preparing for our community, which will soon become part of the third ring of Twin Cities suburbs,
we need to allow ourselves adequate time, and it is possible that the moratorium may need to be
extended up to 18 months. The time we invest now will determine the future of our community.
Whatever we allow to develop in Hugo will be with us for a long time, and I'm sure we all want a
city that we can be proud of.
The key to success of this community will lie in our ability to communicate with each other, our
neighboring communities, and government agencies. I encourage you to attend public meetings, send
your local leaders a note or e-mail, and become involved in what happens in Hugo. While Hugo may
not be able to remain exactly what we have known in the past, we do have the ability to shape it
into the community we would like it to become.
Have a happy and safe summer,
Wally Stoltzman, Mayor
HOT NEWS! CITY PROJECTS UPDATE
Meet the Fire Chief from City Engineer Dave Mitchell
City of Hugo Fire Chief Joe McMahon Development '
has been a Hugo resident since 1972 and Creekview Preserve—Street and utility improvements and home construction continues at
was appointed Fire Chief in 1998. He this 3rd phase single-family housing development located west of Highway 61 at 159th
and his wife Dorothy have been married Street North.
for 34 years,and they have 3 children and Sweet Grass Meadows — Located north of Oneka Lake Boulevard, primarily between
3 grandchildren. Joe works full-time as a Goodview Avenue and Greene Avenue, the street and utilities in this 3rd phase single-fam-
press operator for Brown &Bigelow, and ily residential development are installed, and home building continues,
his hobbies are bow hunting in Michigan Beaver Ponds—Street and utility improvements and home construction continues at this 5th
and mule, deer, and antelope hunting in
phase residential development of primarily single family units east of Highway 61 and south
of 130th Street North.
Wyoming. Townhomes of Bald Eagle Construction of model homes is currently underway'at this res-
idential housing development located in the northwest corner of Fenway Boulevard and
When asked about his work as Fire Chief; 130th Street North,which will include single family, twin-home,and eight-unit buildings.
Jae stated, "I would like to publicly r
acknowledge the courage and dedication City Projects }
of all the Hugo firefighters. It is their 130th Street Lift Station—Construction will begin in mid-July and is scheduled to be com-
commitment to serving the community plete by the end of August on this sanitary sewer lift station located between Flay Avenue
that makes my job possible." and Goodview Avenue on the south side of 130th Street North, which will bring sanitary
sewer service to Beaver Ponds and the surrounding area.
Domestic Water Supply Production Well&Water Main—The City Engineer's office is cur-
rently preparing construction documents for a third city well northwest of City Hall.
Construction is anticipated this fall, and the well should be operational by the summer of
Compost Site 2001.
Open Weekends eater Storage Facility and Water Main—The City Engineer's office is currently evaluating
sites north of downtown Hugo for a new water tower. Design and construction of a water
tower and associated water main will take 15-18 months to complete once a site is selected.
The Hugo compost site will be 132n1d Street Improvements —The City Engineer's office has prepared a draft feasibility
open weekends through report for improvements to 132nd Street North between Goodview Avenue and Henna
November, or until the first Avenue. A public informational meeting with the affected properties is scheduled for mid-
heavy snowfall, whichever July to discuss the proposed improvements and associated costs.
occurs first. Peloquin Industrial Park Improvements-The City Engineer's office has prepared a draft fea-
sibility report for improvements to.the Peloquin Industrial Park at 152nd Street North and
Located on the south side of Highway 61. City staff will be meeting with affected property owners during July to discuss
170th Street, approximately the proposed improvements and associated costs.
1/2 mile west of Forest
Boulevard, the compost site Offier Agency Projecits
hours of operation are 8:00 Centerville Interceptor—The Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) will
a.m. until 6:00 p.m. be constructing a sanitary sewer interceptor from Centerville to a lift station located between
Everton Avenue and downtown Hugo on the south side of County Road 8 (Frenchman
This site accepts grass, leaves, Road). This project will enter the City of Hugo near Elmcrest Avenue and 146th Street
and other similar soft, organic North.
matter only. Brush, tree limbs, Highway 61 and 120th Street Traffic Signal Late this summer the Minnesota Department
and wood are not accepted. of Transportation will be adding a traffic signal at the intersection of Highway 61 and 120th
Street North, including reconstruction of the railroad signal west of Highway 61.
f
G
i
HUGO BULK RATE
POSTAGE
OF YOUR CITY REPORT PAID
5524 Upper 146th Street North
Hugo, MN 55038 HUGO, MN 55C
PERMIT NO. 21
OCCUPANT
IN THIS ISSUE. . .
• Important Town Meeting—July 20
• Circus Comes To Town
•Meet Some New Faces at City Hall
• Election Judges Needed
• City Projects update Visit our new website! www. ci. hugo. mn. us
City Staff Service
City Administrator . . . . . . . . . . .Mike Ericson Directory
Public Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chris Petree
Building Official . . . . . . . . . .John Benson
City Clerk/Treasurer . . . . . . . . . .Mary Ann Creager City_Hall General Information
Deputy Clerk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Michele Lindau �.'�����• to 4.3D p.m.
Mon
Finance Director . . . . . . . . . . . .Ron Otkin day—Friday except holidays
651-429-6676
City Council City Hall FAX Number
651-426-2859
Mayor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Walter Stoltzman
Ward i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Becky Petryk Washington County
Ward 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .James Leroux Sheriffs Department
Ward 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chuck Haas (Police non-emergency)
Member at Large . . . . . . . . . . . .Debra Barnes 651-439-9381
Monthly Meeting Schedule (N FireHallon-emerlcy)
651-429-6366
City Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1st and 3rd Mondays at 7:00 p.m.
Planning Commission . . . . . . . .4th Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Fire & Police
Parks Commission . . . . . . . . . . .2nd Wednesday at 6:30 pm Emergency
911
Visit our new website ! www . ci . hugo . mn . us