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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023 Fall NewsletterTUNE INTO Government Channel 16 for community updates and to watch City meetings Hugo City Hall 14669 Fitzgerald Avenue North Hugo, MN 55038 651-762-6300 • www.ci.hugo.mn.us Fire Department 651-762-6362 Washington County Sheriff’s Office Non-emergency: 651-439-9381 In this issue... Water Wisely .................................2 Kids ‘n Biz .................................... 2 A Word from Public Works ............3 Glacier Hills Regional Trail Plan ....4 Highway 61 Visioning Study .........4 Construction Update ....................5 School Traffic Safety ......................6 Updates from the Fire Chief .........7 Open Burning Reminders .............7 Food Waste Reduction ..................8 Butterfly on Purple Cone Flower A feature of Hugo that makes this a fantastic place to live is our community’s creative use of open space and landscapes, creating an environment that continues to draw people in. Residents benefit greatly from the community’s shared sense of pride in maintaining beautiful properties with healthy landscapes. The luscious parks and green space along with the many flower gardens I see while driving through Hugo’s neighbor- hoods wouldn’t be possible without responsible use of our water resources. All outdoor land- scaping, public and private, typically requires irrigation with an abundance of available water. However, Hugo and its neighboring communities are facing a threat of not being able to use the water resources available to us, putting the beautiful ameni- ties we’ve grown to love in danger. As many of you are aware, all communities within a 5-mile radius of White Bear Lake are implicated in a Court Order regarding the water level of the lake. The Court Order imposes a complete ban on all residential irrigation at all times except when the lake is at very high-water levels. This ban includes any form of irrigation from watering lawns with sprinklers to watering flowers and vegetables grow- ing in gardens. The City of Hugo has appealed the court- ordered restrictions and is committed to finding alterna- tives to the strict court order that continue to promote healthy landscapes while conserving drinking water. Meanwhile, the City of Hugo is permitted by the Minne- sota DNR to draw a certain amount of groundwater from the aquifer each year, and with the ongoing White Bear Lake court order, we have understood that the permitted amount is not likely to increase as the City grows. City staff have had to find creative ways to conserve water resources in order to make the development of new neighborhoods and community amenities possible. Over the past decade, the City has been encouraging the development of stormwater reuse systems for irrigation and water conservation. In such a system, developments constructing storm- water management ponds can reuse the collected runoff to irrigate their lawns, rather than draw from the City’s municipal groundwater supply. In turn, stormwater that is not used can recharge the aquifer and increase the supply of treatable groundwater for drinking water. A highly visible example is the system that was fitted to the pond at Frenchman Road and Oneka Parkway. Runoff collected in this particular pond is used to irrigate the grounds at City Hall, Lions Volunteer Park, the Jack Pine Place apartments, Keystone Place at LaValle Fields, and the landscaped boulevard along Frenchman Road. There are now ten large-scale stormwater reuse systems irrigating devel- opments within the City of Hugo. As a result, the City is on track to have saved over 100 million gallons of drinking water this year, simply by reusing stormwater for irrigation and recharging the aquifer. This level of groundwater savings has made the construction of new neighborhoods and the growth of the City possible. By focusing our efforts on responsible stormwater-based irrigation and water conservation, wherever possible all Hugo residents should have more water available for their needs. Tom Weidt, Mayor Hugo and its neighboring communities are facing a challenge of managing the water resources available to us. If you have a question you would like to ask the Mayor, send it to info@ci.hugo.mn.us Your question could be featured in the next newsletter! FALL 2023 2 As your Mayor, I want our City Staff to be a valuable resource in helping residents find easy and effective ways to conserve water. Whether or not you use stormwater to irrigate your landscapes, here are some tips and tricks to help the City of Hugo with water conservation. Water Wisely As temperatures rise, so does outdoor irrigation of lawns and landscapes which often leads to overwatering. Excessive watering can strain water resources while also increasing costs for residents who irrigate with City water. The City of Hugo has set goals to reduce water usage city- wide as a way to reduce the environmental impact the City has on our region’s long- term water supply. Here are some helpful lawn care tips to conserve water at home! Leave It Long Longer grass promotes a more drought- resistant lawn, fewer weeds, and reduces evaporation. A good frame of reference is three to four inches in length. Step on it Step on the lawn: if the grass springs back, it doesn’t need water. In general, lawns need one inch of rain or water per week. Deep soaking is better for roots than frequent, shallow watering. Timing Is Everything Water during the early morning when it is still cool or at night. If you have a program- mable, automatic irrigation system, make sure you’re familiar with its set timing. If your lawn is established but your irrigation controller is scheduled for watering new sod, you are likely overwatering. Look to make sure that your automatic irrigation controller is programmed to water at night. TIPS ON HOW TO SAVE WATER AND MONEY ON OUTDOOR IRRIGATION Kidz N Biz Saturday, September 30th 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Oneka Elementary School Sponsored by the Hugo Business Association and the Economic Development Authority Kidz N Biz brings together businesses and residents of Hugo for hours of games, entertainment, and fun. Admission is free! Photo by Paul Dols A WORD FROM PUBLIC WORKS STREET SWEEPING begins around October 2, 2023 (weather dependent) HYDRANT FLUSHING began around September 15, 2023 SMART SALTING Salt helps melt ice on roads and sidewalks and protects drivers and pedestrians, but when the snow melts, de-icing salt, which contains chloride, runs into nearby bodies of water. Chloride accumulates in the water over time, and there’s no feasible way to treat or remove it. Residents and business owners can do their part to reduce chloride levels in local water bodies by using a few simple tips: Shovel: Manually remove as much snow and ice as possible. Apply Less: A coffee mug of salt will cover about 10 sidewalk squares or a 20-foot driveway. Sweep Up Extra: If you see salt on a dry surface, it is no longer working. Sweep up and reuse excess salt. 15 Degrees (F): Most salts stop working at this temperature or colder. Use sand for traction. YARD WASTE Bring leaves, grass clippings, brush, tree waste, and other plant materials to Wash- ington County’s Northern Yard Waste col- lection site at 5527 170th Street N. It is free for Hugo residents and open the following hours through November: Wednesday: 11:00 am -7 pm (or dusk) Friday: 8:00 pm - 4:30 pm Saturday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Sunday: Noon - 4:30 pm For more information, go to https://www.co.washington.mn.us/ 3261/Northern-Yard-Waste-Site PREVENT STORMWATER POLLUTION REPORT ILLICIT DISCHARGES An illicit discharge is an unlawful act of disposing, dumping, spilling, emitting or other discharge of any substance other than stormwater into the streets, gutters, ditches, and ponds that make up our stormwater drainage system, or directly into streams or lakes themselves. As a community mem- ber, you play a large part in identifying and reducing illicit discharges in our community. What can you do about illicit discharges? If you see anyone discharging any material other than rainwater in roadside ditches or storm drains, please report it to Public Works at 651-762-6301. For potentially hazardous materials and petroleum spills, call 9-1-1 FIRST when there is an immediate threat to life or property. WINTER PARKING ORDINANCE Between November 1 and extending through March 31, parking is prohibited on all City streets from 2:00 am to 7:00 am. Also, if we receive two inches or more of snow in one snow event during the year, parking is prohibited at those times. This is to allow the Public Works Department to clear the snow from the roadways in a safe and efficient manner. Please be aware that violations of parking restrictions set forth in § 90-253 shall constitute a petty misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $50.00. SNOW REMOVAL With winter knocking on our doors, now is a good time to talk about some of the issues that we all face regarding snow removal on local roads and sidewalks. The City of Hugo maintains more than 100 miles of local roads. It takes crews about eight hours to cover all routes in the city during an average snow event. Starting times vary depending on storm size, expected amounts, time of day and when the storm is expected to pass. The City of Hugo would like to remind every- one that it is against the law to plow snow into or across a public roadway. Minnesota State Statute 160.27 prohibits plowing, shov- eling, blowing, or otherwise placing snow onto any public road right-of-way, and doing so is punishable by a misdemeanor. Snow that is moved to the public right-of-way can create hazardous situations, including slippery areas, frozen ridges, bumps, sight obstructions and drainage problems. Property owners are liable should an accident occur as a result of improper snow placement. Another issue that we experience from time to time is mailbox damage. Occasionally, a mailbox is actually struck by a plow. In those cases, city crews will repair or replace the mailbox. The City ordi- nance states that damaged mailboxes will be replaced with a standard mailbox mounted on a 4” by 4” treated post. More commonly, mailbox damage occurs from the force of the snow moving off the end of the plow, or from shifting snow- banks. When this happens, the damage is not repaired by the City. Keeping these things in mind makes getting through a Minnesota winter a bit easier! 3 4 CONSTRUCTION UPDATECONSTRUCTION UPDATE 5 CONSTRUCTION UPDATECONSTRUCTION UPDATE The Shores of Oneka Lake In December 2022, the Shores of Oneka Lake’s first addition received final plat approval with construction of 50 lots and a combination of single-family, twin home, and villa home products. The develop- ment is located east of Highway 61 and north of Goodview Avenue. Construction has been taking place since the beginning of this summer. The second addition which plats an additional 14 lots was approved on September 5, 2023. Roundabout at Highway 61 and 159th Street In connection with the Shores of Oneka Lake development to the east, the City has been leading a cooperative construction project with the Shores of Oneka Lake developer and MnDOT to construct a roundabout at Highway 61 and 159th Street. This will provide much safer access to residents of the new development as well as those who use 159th Street on a daily basis. Construction began this summer and is anticipated to be completed by November. Rice Lake Reserve 3rd Addition and Trail Connection A final plat was approved in May 2023 for the 3rd and final addi- tion of Rice Lake Reserve. It includes 20 residential lots located east of Goodview Avenue and north of Egg Lake Road. Additionally, the project includes an extension of the paved trail along Egg Lake Road to connect to Hanifl Fields Athletic Park, providing safer recreational access for residents in the development. Oneka Prairie A final plat was approved in June 2023 for the construction of 59 single-family lots to be known as Oneka Prairie. The development is located north of the Oneka Place neighborhood and includes a new park, an extension of Oneka Parkway, and a new lift station that will expand development opportunities to surrounding parcels. The proj- ect has had grading and utility work done, and home construction is anticipated to begin this year. Premier Banks Relocation In September 2022, the City Council approved a site plan to construct a new 4,500 square foot commercial building at the northwest corner of Highway 61 and 147th Street. The building will be the new home of the Hugo branch of Premier Banks, which is currently located ad- jacent to Speedway gas station. Construction on the new building began this summer and is anticipated to be completed this year. Xcel Energy Training Center Expansion Since 2011, Xcel Energy has operated a training center in the Bald Eagle Industrial Park, consisting of indoor classroom space, a “gas village”, and non-energized transmission lines. In the fall of 2022, the City Council approved plans for the training center’s expansion which includes a second classroom building, more non-energized transmis- sion lines giving trainees experience on utility poles seen on various heights seen in the field, as well as a non-energized substation. Construction of the substation is expected to begin this year, with the entire expansion anticipated to be completed in 2026. Questions? Please contact Rachel Juba, Community Development Director 651-762-6304 6 UPDATE UPDATESHERIFF’S OFFICE The safety of our students is a top priority, and it requires the cooperation of everyone on the road. Deputy Samantha Mancini has been a Washington County Sheriff’s deputy since 2017 and has investigated stop arm violations since 2018. She is assigned to the patrol division and is a diver on the Water Recovery Team and Field Training Officer (FTO). SCHOOL TRAFFIC SAFETY As the summer days draw to a close and the first bell of a new school year rings, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone of the importance of pedestrian and traffic safety. The safety of our students is a top priority, and it requires the cooperation of everyone on the road to ensure that our children arrive at school and return home safely. With the hustle and bustle of school buses, children riding bikes, and the increased foot traffic around schools, it’s im- perative for both drivers and pedestrians to be vigilant and aware of the laws and guidelines designed to keep everyone safe. School buses are designed to be one of the safest modes of transportation for our children, and it is estimated that over 20.5 million elementary and secondary school children ride buses to and from school each day. However, this safety can be compromised when drivers ignore the stop arm and flashing lights, making one of the most critical aspects of back-to-school safety understanding and obeying Minnesota’s school bus stop arm laws. Before stopping to pick up or drop off stu- dents, the school bus will signal their stop by flashing yellow or amber lights. Once the bus comes to a complete stop, red lights will activate and the stop arm will extend, indicating that all traffic – regardless of direction – must come to a complete stop. It is crucial that drivers stop for the yellow lights, not race around them to try to get past. Failing to stop for a school bus stop arm is not only against the law but could have severe and irreversible consequences. For decades, the the Washington County Sheriff’s Office has assigned a dedicated deputy to investigate all reported school bus stop arm violations throughout the county. Violating school bus stop arm laws can result in hefty fines, the loss of your driver’s license, or even jail time if a child is injured or killed. Off the bus, many children ride their bikes to school or cross streets to get there. Whether walking or riding, it’s crucial for both children and drivers to understand and practice safe habits. Parents and guardians can play a vital role in educating their children about proper bicycle safety, including wearing helmets, using appropriate hand signals, and riding on des- ignated bike paths whenever possible. When children need to cross streets on their way to school, they should be instructed to use designated crosswalks or pedestrian crossings whenever possible. Teach them to look left, right, and left again before crossing and to make eye contact with drivers to ensure they are seen. As drivers, we bear a significant responsibility for the safety of all road users. Children may not always be aware of traffic rules or the dangers of the road, and it’s our responsibility as drivers to exercise patience and caution, especially in areas with bus stops. Remember to slow down, eliminate distractions, stay alert, and obey all traffic laws. The well-being of our community’s youngest members depends on each one of us making responsible choices on the road, and together, we can ensure that our children’s journey to school is a safe and happy one. 7 UPDATES FROM FIRE CHIEF Chief Jim Compton Jr. jrcompton@ci.hugo.mn.us HUGO FIRE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE You are invited to the Fire Department Open House on Saturday, October 7, 2023 from 11:00 am to 3:00pm at the Hugo Fire Station. OPEN BURNING REMINDERS The Hugo Fire Department asks that residents use caution while having recreational fires and to have a water source nearby, especially after a very dry summer. Burning permits are required for any fire over 3 feet by 3 feet and can be found at www.ci.hugo.mn.us/hfd. Reminder to Hugo residents that as the leaves begin to fall, open burning is not permitted within the City unless a permit was obtained. Open burning includes burning to dispose of vegetative matter. SMOKE/CO DETECTORS Please be mindful to change your smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries every 6 months. A good way to remember this is to check your detector every time you change your clocks for daylight savings. Please remember that detectors have a service life of eight to ten years and do need to be replaced. You may want to consider ten year life smoke/CO detectors that you don’t have to change batteries. Burning permits can be found at www.ci.hugo.mn.us/hfd Hugo Firefighters responding to a garage fire. Cpt. Hoernemann and Chief Compton teaching stove top fire safety at the Minnesota State Fair HFD at the Good Neighbor Days Parade FALL2023 Hugo City Hall 14669 Fitzgerald Avenue North Hugo, MN 55038 651-762-6300 or info@ci.hugo.mn.us Office Hours 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Monday - Friday Closed weekends and holidays www.ci.hugo.mn.us 8 PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. Twin Cities, MN Did you know that about 1/3 of all food in the U.S. never gets eaten, and most of that waste is produced at the household level? This issue may seem too big to tackle, but there are many ways to make the most of your groceries and save yourself money. Learn more about why reducing food waste matters, and how to keep your food fresh for as long as possible by visiting RecyclingandEnergy.org/Food-Waste-Reduction/