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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996 November Newsletter NOVEMBER 1996 HUGO CITY HALL, 5524 UPPER 146TH STREET NORTH 'HUGO, MN 55038 429.6676 w w. III�� Y a WPW FIRE HALL PROPOSAL Proposed Hugo Fire Hall Current Hugo Fire Hall un November 5, 1996, as part of the general elec- Rescue services currently take up the majority of the tion, the City of Hugo will be conducting a referendum fire fighters'time. The Department's rescue squad on whether to construct a new fire station to serve the responds to all ambulance requests to provide timely community. This facility will replace the current fire sta- basic medical aid, and assist ambulance crews in the tion located at 5524 Upper 146th Street. As the City extraction and movement of patients. In the case of motor grows,the demand for fire and rescue services will vehicle accidents,the Department responds with fire increase. By constructing the new station now,the City fighting equipment as a precautionary measure. can improve current service and be prepared to handle The Department also conducts initial investigation of expected service demands for the next fifteen to twenty reported hazardous material spills to identify the loca- years. tions and extent of spills and protect public safety. As FIRE DEPARTMENT BACKGROUND these spills are rare, can be extremely hazardous, and The Hugo Volunteer Fire Department provides fire their containment and clean-up require specialized train- prevention, fire suppression and rescue services to protect ing and equipment,mutual aid agreements and contracts the life, safety and property of the community. Their fire with other agencies are used to actually clean up spills. prevention activities include public education,building Over the last five years,the Fire Department has and construction inspections, permit inspections for open averaged 44 fire calls and 99 rescue calls per year,or burning, fire investigations, and public-safety planning. approximately one every third day. The major causes for The Fire Chief is the Civil Defense Director for the City, rescue calls during this period were motor vehicles and a Fire Marshall is appointed from the department's (22.5%), accident or injury (12.3%),heart problems membership. (11.3%), diabetic reaction(10.5%), and illness (9.5%). Fire suppression is provided as necessary. This is an The most common reasons for fire calls were grass fires equipment and personnel intensive activity, often per- (22.9%), motor vehicles (21%), and structural fires formed under adverse conditions, and where the threat to (20.6%). pill-lic safety, and the safety of the fire fighters, is high. During the last two years the Department has )ment is usually especially designed for fire fighting, received 200 calls per year. As the city's population is arra requires a high standard of maintenance to insure that expected to double over the next fifteen years, emergency it functions properly when and where needed. The train- call outs will become a daily occurrence for the I ing of fire fighters as individuals, and as a team, is impor- Department. This growth will probably also lead to the tant to protect human life and limit property damage. stationing of an ambulance in the community. Fire Hall continued inside. Fire Half continued . . . The Fire Department is authorized 33 members who, in f. Compressor to refill air paks is located in garage with addition to responding to emergencies,participate in three-to- vehicle fumes. It should be located in separate room to five training sessions per month,maintain the Department's maintain clean air supply. equipment, and conduct fire prevention activities. All g. No exhaust system to remove vehicle fumes from garage Department members are either currently state certified fire 3. Structural defects. fighters, or in the case of new members, attending certification a. Cement block walls of current facility are cracking on sown training at area vocational-technical colleges.All fire fighters and west sides. are trained as medical first responders, and five are certified b. Floor drains do not operate in winter. emergency medical technicians (EMT). Though not a require- 4. Poor location. ment for the Department, all fire fighters are currently training a. Inadequate access to main roads. Fire fighters traveling to as EMT's. Department members average over 12 years of expe- the Fire Hall, and equipment responding to rience as fire fighters. emergencies, must use narrow residential streets. The Department has seven vehicles, from two-to-forty b. Fire Hall parking lot is also used for events held at the years old, with an average equipment age of over 18 years; they adjacent park, including softball tournaments, family include two pumper units,two water tankers, two grass fire rigs, gatherings and other affairs. This creates congestion for and a rescue truck. fire fighter responding to emergencies and apparatus leaving EXISTING FACILITY the Hall. The existing Fire Hall was built circa 1960,with an addi- 5. For the reasons stated above,the current facilities are tion built in 1967. It has five vehicle bays encompassing inadequate to serve the existing needs of the Department. approximately 2,200 square feet. A separate 12 X 66 trailer Community growth will place greater demands on the provides administration and storage space. A 24 X 26 wood- Department's personnel and equipment. frame garage was built in 1990 to provide two parking stalls for 6. Expansion and remodeling of the existing facility was grass fire vehicles and general storage; this building is also considered. At a cost of 50% to 60% of new construction, shared by the City's building and utility departments. many of the problems with the current facility and its The City Hall occupies 1,600 square feet of office space location would not be resolved. Garage doors and vehicle attached to the fire hall. bay heights would remain too low, limiting future equipment REASONS FOR A NEW FIRE HALL purchases; space would remain cramped; street access, 1. Lack of adequate space in current facility. congestion,and related safety problems would remi in. a.Vehicles are double parked in current facility,in some cases The existing building is in poor condition, and its curre. slowing response times. layout would substantially limit design options. b. Turn out gear is stored in cramped space behind vehicles, DESIGN CRITERIA FOR NEW BUILDING creating safety problems and congestion as fire fighters As part of the decision process to build a new Fire Hall,the don protective clothing and vehicles are readied to respond following minimum standards for the facility were determined to emergencies. by a committee made up of fire fighters,Planning Commission c. Two vehicles are stored away from main facility due to members, and the general public: lack of parking space. 1. Eight vehicle stalls d. Fire Department equipment is stored at a number of 2. Turnout gear storage area, adjacent to vehicle stalls,but with locations due to lack of storage space. enough room to safely put on gear without interfering with e. Training facility is too small to handle number of fire fighters vehicle operations. on the Department. 3. Enough room for hose cleaner and dryer(or hose drying f. Not enough office space. Four people share one small office tower) and needed equipment. with file cabinets, computers, equipment storage, etc. 4. Separate room for air pak and small equipment maintenance. g. Not enough room between equipment for people circulation. 5. Laundry facility. h. Inadequate space for equipment maintenance. 6. Shower/decontamination area. 2. Problems with current building. 7. Exhaust system for vehicle bays. a.Trailer used for training and office space has no toilet 8. Parts and equipment storage room. facilities or running water. 9. Garage doors should be at least 14 X 14. b. Garage doors are too short for modern equipment. 10.Adequate plumbing and drainage in bays for vehicle New equipment must be specially designed to fit. cleaning. c. No shower facilities for decontamination and clean-up. 11. Training room should be adequate, in size and ventilation, d. No hose dryer or hose tower to maintain equipment. Wet to handle 75 people. It should provide for modern hoses are now draped over rafters, or stacked along walls instructional techniques such as videos,projections, et( dripping onto floor. Proper hose care is a vital safety issue 12. Male and Female restrooms. to fire fighters. 13. Communications room with view of vehicle bays. e. Communication room does not have visibility into vehicle 14.Administrative space, including at least one private office, bays, slowing coordination within the Department and and additional room for three-to-four desks, file cabinet, between agencies. copier, etc. 15. Small kitchen area. PARKS RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE PLANNING The City Council, on recommendation of the City's official newspaper, the White Bear Press. ty's Planning Commission,recently selected the Organization of the planning process is current- of Sanders Wacker Wehrman Bergly, Inc. to ly underway, and the final plan is expected to be assist the community in preparation of a master park completed in the spring of 1997. and open space plan. This plan will not specifically design any parks, but will identify service needs, potential facilities locations, and development stan- There is still time to deposit grass, leaves, and dards as a guide in developing the city's parks and recreation system. In addition, the plan will be coor- dinated with adjacent communities and regional tree limbs or wood) at the Hugo com- agencies to define responsibilities, avoid redundancy, posting site, located west of T.H. gain efficiency in facility and program development, , and insure the adequacy of the system. • 61 on 170th Street. The site This planning Process is being undertaken in will ,f be open weekends, response to public concerns about the lack of parks • (' in the community,and to resolve issues surrounding • 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., snowmobiles,poor public access to lakes,the need through November 9th. `"N / for pedestrian,bike and horse trails, as well as other expressed public interests. BYplanning,citizens can Hugo residents may also be included in the policy development process prior obtain a key to the facil- to the City making decisions on proposed develop- ity at the City Hall dur- ments,or expending funds in system construction. It is hoped that by looking at the big picture the City ing normal business r can resolve conflicts and serve the reasonable needs hours. of all interest groups. 1 As there will be limited funds available for rks development in the near future,the wise expenditure of the money available is important. Part of the planning process will be to establish com- munity priorities for parks and recreation develop- ment, and identify potential funding sources. A large number of citizens have already ; expressed a desire to participate in this project. Others may join the planning effort by contacting City Hall, or by looking for hearing notices in the WANTED: HUGO FIREFIGHTERS The Hugo Volunteer Fire Department is seeking individuals interested in becoming firefighters. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older, in g i good health and physical condition and live with- in 1 1/4 mile radius of the fire station. New members on the department receive $5.57 per hour for each hour of attendance at fire calls and for each training and administrative drill attend- f ed. They are eligible for the retirement and other benefits of being a member of the fire relief asso- ciation. If you are interested in becoming a fire- fighter, you can pick up an application and infor- mation on the Fire Fighter selection process at the City Hall, 5524 Upper 146th Street. t COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING SNOWMOBIUNG IN THE CITY OF HUGO WHEN CAN I RIDE MY SNOWMOBILE? /� Snowmobiles may be operated between the hours of 6:30 a.m. A ( - and 11:00 p.m., except that the hours are extended on weekends until 1:00 a.m. Saturday and Sunday mornings. HOW FAST MAY I DRIVE MY SNOWMOBILE. Speed limits for snowmobiles are set by State law, except that no snowmobile may be operated in Hugo at a speed in \ excess of 15 miles per hour within 100 feet of any residential dwelling. WHERE CAN I RIDE MY SNOWMOBILE? • On private property with the specific written, dated and signed permission of the property owner or person in control of the property. Such permission must be carried with the operator of the snow mobile at all times the vehicle is being operated on the property,unless the operator is the owner of the property,or a 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 practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of roadway, and when traveling in the same direction as automobile traffic in that lane. Use of snowmobiles on City streets is only authorized when it will not result in damage to the street. • On the ditch bottom or outside slope of any drainage ditch which lies within, and runs parallel to, any City-controlled public road easement. Snowmobiles may not be operated on any boulevard area where an identifiable ditch is not present • On the ditch bottom, or outside slope of County Highway 8A 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. Other rules for the operation of snowmobiles are found in State law, and the Hugo City Code. Copies of the City ordinance regarding snowmobiles may be obtained at the City Hall during normal business hours. N 180th St GENERAL ELECTION FOR FEDERAL, LO 77tH St z i STATE AND LOCAL OFFICES > TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1996 170th St 165th St z z The City of Hugo is divided into three > wards. Voters must vote in the polling Z — W place for their ward. 157th St C 0 z Y WHERE TO GO TO VOTE. . . a) Co Rd 47 W E "' ® °� z WARD ONE 147th St > City Hall a� E Z a Q, © _ 140th St WARD TWO a 1 th St American Legion } > 132nd St 130th St WARD THREE Rice Lake Park 0 125th St 122n St 120th St Fire Hall continued . . . N z AFFORDABILITY Uj A ten-year bond issue to finance the project will result in an a 148TH ST annual average debt service payment of $147 180 $149 809 the W � g PY ( , Z 147TH ST first year). The following table shows the impact of the proposed rL CITY"ALL bond issue on homes of various market values. To determine the UPPER 146TH ST impact of the bond issue on your property,multiply the market value of your property by .000607. The result will be the maxi- 146TH ST mum annual property tax you will pay for the construction of the EGG new Fire Hall, given there is no change to your property's market 145TH ST > LAKE value. The increased tax base of future new construction in the 142ND ST >- 142ND City will reduce the impact this bond issue will have on your � property taxes. Z U_ 141 ST ui 140TH ST z z Taxable Market Value Annual Tax to build new fire hall X ui Q $75,000 $45.00 W ¢ $100,000 $60.00 °z $125,000 $75.00 • • a $150,000 $90.00 SITE LOCATION MAP $175,000 $105.00 $200,000 $120.00 $225,000 $135.00 LOCATION OF PROPOSED NEW FIRE HALL $250,000 $150.00 The location chosen for the new Fire Hall is the south east $275,000 $165.00 intersection of 140th Street and Fenway Avenue, centered on the $300,000 $180.00 City's population and growth area. This spot is just over one-half mile from the existing facility, creating only a minor impact to Under State law,when the bonds issued to finance the new sponse times by existing fire fighters. fire station are paid off the City's authority to levy the addition- The site is an existing farm field zoned for industrial devel- al tax will expire. opment. It allows for flexibility in lot size and site design. If you have questions on this proposal please talk to a Municipal water and sewer services are immediately available to council member,fire fighter, or call City Hall at 429-6676. the building. An extension of Fenway Avenue south to 130th Street is PLEASE VOTE 'PfES" planned for 1997 to serve expected industrial development in the area. The City's transportation plan calls for an extension of 140th Street west to Elmcrest Avenue,tying into Cedar Street in OFFICIAL Lino Lakes. The intersection of T.H. 61 and 140th Street ELECTION BALLOT (C.R. 8) will be reconstructed as part of the T.H. 61 widening CITY OF HUM project proposed to occur in the next five-to-six years. It is like- WASHINGTON COUNTY ly that this intersection will be the next corner in the City to be MINNESOTA signalized. y "Shall the City of Hugo, Minnesota, be .. T YES authorized to issue its fully registered Short term, the Fire Department will have two accesses to general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $1,100,000 to defray the expense of T.H.61 (140th Street and 130th Street), and direct access to the acquisition and betterment of a fire �. NO station?" County Road 8A. The developing street pattern will provide travel routes along C.R. 8A and 130th Street to serve the eastern NOTICE: BY VOTING "YES" ON THIS BALLOT QUESTION, YOU ARE VOTING FC A portion of the community, along Fenway Avenue to serve the PROPERTY TAX INCREASE. Bald Eagle Lake area, and along both T.H. 61 and Elmcrest The maximum amount of increased levy as a percentage of market value is _D607 Avenue to serve the northern parts of the City. The amount that will be raised by the new This site has the additional benefit of lacin a civic use referendum tax rate in the first year it is p g to be levied is $149.809 between the existing residential property north of 140th Street INSTRUCTION TO VOTERS: and the industrial property to the south. If you wish to vote in favor of the above proposition, OST connect.the arrow,before the word "YES". If you wish to vote against the above proposition, connect the arrow The expected cost of the new 10,000 square feet facility is before the word "NO". 1,100,000, including the building, site acquisition and other 3309745.1 4 necessary improvements. This is in line with current market costs for similar facilities recently constructed in the metro area, and represents the average cost of less than ten new homes in the City. Ile � p a = IN THIS ISSUE. . . NEW FIRE HALL PROPOSAL -Fire Department Background P •Existing Facility Information _ *Reasons for a New Fire Hall I -Design Criteria for New Building t -Location Proposed (see enclosed map) IV -Cost � -Affordability • Pictures, Sample Election Ballot and more : . PARKS AND RECREATION PLANNING Starting work on the master plan. � SNOWM I I OB L NG INFORMATION Commonly asked questions regarding snowmobiling `., in the City of Hugo % HUGO COMPOST INFORMATION H VOTING LOCATIONS 1 ® o BULK RATE 07CITY HALL NEWSLETTER POSTAGE 5524 Upper 146th Street North Hugo,MN 55038 HUGO, MN 55038 PERMIT NO. 21 OCCUPANT