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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1982 Augustl , run Fest set f August 7 The Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce has scheduled a full day of activities for the 3rd Annual Fun Feet, to be held Aug. 7 at the Cottage Square Shopping Center. The Cottage Grove Recreation will participate by sponsoring a youth and adult tennis tournament at Hamlet Park and an adult horseshoe throwing tournament at Granada Park. City officials suggest that new residents and new voters take advantage of the opportunity to pre - register for the fall primary and general elections at the Fun Fest flea market booth of the Woodbury - Cottage Grove League of Women Voters. Activities for the day, all of which will occur at Cottage Square, are: bingo from 10 a.m. to noon; a flea market, arts and crafts fair, moonwalk and kiddie ride and games from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; free corn on the cob from noon to 6 p.m.; free horse rides from noon to 5 p.m.; a frisbee exhibition and contest from noon to 1 p.m.; a karate exhibition at 1 p.m.; a square dancing exhibition by the Grove Trotters from 2 to 4 p.m.; a roller skating demonstration, a bicycle obstacle course race, a Big Wheel race and the arrival of a National Guard helicopter, all at 2 p.m.; awards for contests at 4:30 p.m.; a street dance from 8 p.m. to midnight; and a drawing for prizes at 10 p.m. Cottage Grove's new communications center has the most modern equipment available and enables the city to handle almost any emergency, according to Acting Police Chief Mike Halpern. The center includes video security for City Hall and the Police Department, a logging machine that records telephone conversations and radio transmissions, two different positions that allow two dispatchers to work at the same time during an emergency and an emergency generator. Halpern said the cost of the entire project, including construction and wiring, was about $135,000. The Police Department was remodeled to make it safer and more efficient. Because access to the Police Department now is controlled for security purposes, residents are advised to use the door on the west, lower parking lot to enter the department. Halpern said he hopes to have an open house later in the fall to allow citizens to see the communication center and the improved layout of the department. The former Point Douglas Drive and Point Douglas Road were on opposite sides of Highway 61, but city officials found that hardly anyone knew which was which. To eliminate that confusion and to enable better emergency service, the names have been changed to West Point Douglas Road for the road that passes Woody's Restaurant and Skatime and East Point Douglas Road for the road that passes Jerry's, Burger King, McDonald's, Astro Video and other businesses and homes along that stretch. AUGUST 1982 COTTAGE GROVE, MINNESOTA 1 1 r 1 The financial management of the City of Cottage Grove improved throughout 1981, according to DeLaHunt Veto & Co., a certified public accounting firm that prepared the city's annual financial report for the year ending Dec. 31, 1981. City Finance Director Rand Winspear said he was satisfied with the findings included in the financial report as well as the management report and recommendations that ac- companied it. The reports will be reviewed by the City Council at a meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 4. An increase of $90,700 in the fund balance of the General Fund represents an improvement to the ci- ty's cash needs, Winspear said. The fund balance of $828,756 on Dec. 31, 1981, compared to $738,013 on Dec. 31, 1980. The report said that level of balance was sufficient for 1981, but warned that the city might incur cash flow problems in the General Fund due to cuts in state aid and homestead credit aid this year. The report noted that the city has budgeted an increase of $106,000 in the fund balance for 1982 and com- mended the city for that action. Cottage Grove did an excellent job in investing cash balances for 1981, the report said. During 1980, the city used a daily passbook savings ac- count paying 5 percent interest for short -term investing. That practice was discontinued in January, 1981, and the city began using repurchase agreements for short -term investing. As a result, monies previously in- vested at 5 percent now are being invested at current market interest rates, which are much higher. In- terest earned on investments totaled nearly $677,000 for 1981, an increase of $122,000 over 1980. During 1981, the city established a policy directing that delinquent am- bulance accounts of non - residents be billed to that person's community of residence. As a result, the uncollecti- bie accounts for ambulance service decreased from $15,400 to 1980 to $2,598 in 1981, the report said. Tax collections in 1981 totaled ap- proximately 99 percent of the levy, indicating a solid collection rate, the report noted. Of the delinquent amount receivable, more than $117,000 relates to a single parcel of property and nearly $22,000 to another single parcel, leaving only about $11,500 due from other delin- quent accounts. While the audit found no major shortcomings in the city's financial management, several recommenda- tions for improvement were included. Those recommendations are being reviewed by Winspear and other city officials. Cottage Grove's search for a new chief of police has reached the point where four finalists have been selected by a search and screening committee and are being interview- ed by City Administrator Carl Meissner and representatives of the City Council. Meissner said he expects the new chief to be hired in August and on the job as soon as possible, probably in September. The position has been open since Nov. 1, 1981, when former Chief Robert Oszman resigned to accept a similar position in Alaska. Bridge abutments for the 60th Street overpass are under construction as work begins on Highway 61 interchanges in Cottage Grove. Maps showing the 80th Street detour, which probably will take offset in August, and maps of the 80th Street overpass and Jamaica Avenue underpass on Highway 61 are included in a special insert to this publication. Dispatcher Jean Reeves works at new communication center. ° o 0 Q o a F 24 a �� PQu w H U t� F 00 The former Point Douglas Drive and Point Douglas Road were on opposite sides of Highway 61, but city officials found that hardly anyone knew which was which. To eliminate that confusion and to enable better emergency service, the names have been changed to West Point Douglas Road for the road that passes Woody's Restaurant and Skatime and East Point Douglas Road for the road that passes Jerry's, Burger King, McDonald's, Astro Video and other businesses and homes along that stretch. AUGUST 1982 COTTAGE GROVE, MINNESOTA 1 1 r 1 The financial management of the City of Cottage Grove improved throughout 1981, according to DeLaHunt Veto & Co., a certified public accounting firm that prepared the city's annual financial report for the year ending Dec. 31, 1981. City Finance Director Rand Winspear said he was satisfied with the findings included in the financial report as well as the management report and recommendations that ac- companied it. The reports will be reviewed by the City Council at a meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 4. An increase of $90,700 in the fund balance of the General Fund represents an improvement to the ci- ty's cash needs, Winspear said. The fund balance of $828,756 on Dec. 31, 1981, compared to $738,013 on Dec. 31, 1980. The report said that level of balance was sufficient for 1981, but warned that the city might incur cash flow problems in the General Fund due to cuts in state aid and homestead credit aid this year. The report noted that the city has budgeted an increase of $106,000 in the fund balance for 1982 and com- mended the city for that action. Cottage Grove did an excellent job in investing cash balances for 1981, the report said. During 1980, the city used a daily passbook savings ac- count paying 5 percent interest for short -term investing. That practice was discontinued in January, 1981, and the city began using repurchase agreements for short -term investing. As a result, monies previously in- vested at 5 percent now are being invested at current market interest rates, which are much higher. In- terest earned on investments totaled nearly $677,000 for 1981, an increase of $122,000 over 1980. During 1981, the city established a policy directing that delinquent am- bulance accounts of non - residents be billed to that person's community of residence. As a result, the uncollecti- bie accounts for ambulance service decreased from $15,400 to 1980 to $2,598 in 1981, the report said. Tax collections in 1981 totaled ap- proximately 99 percent of the levy, indicating a solid collection rate, the report noted. Of the delinquent amount receivable, more than $117,000 relates to a single parcel of property and nearly $22,000 to another single parcel, leaving only about $11,500 due from other delin- quent accounts. While the audit found no major shortcomings in the city's financial management, several recommenda- tions for improvement were included. Those recommendations are being reviewed by Winspear and other city officials. Cottage Grove's search for a new chief of police has reached the point where four finalists have been selected by a search and screening committee and are being interview- ed by City Administrator Carl Meissner and representatives of the City Council. Meissner said he expects the new chief to be hired in August and on the job as soon as possible, probably in September. The position has been open since Nov. 1, 1981, when former Chief Robert Oszman resigned to accept a similar position in Alaska. Bridge abutments for the 60th Street overpass are under construction as work begins on Highway 61 interchanges in Cottage Grove. Maps showing the 80th Street detour, which probably will take offset in August, and maps of the 80th Street overpass and Jamaica Avenue underpass on Highway 61 are included in a special insert to this publication. Dispatcher Jean Reeves works at new communication center. -'. (Editor's note: This guest commentary was written by Cottage Grove Planning Director Richard Lewis. The Mayor's View column by Roger Peterson will return next issue.) Talking about the future and change is certainly as popular as discussing the weather and the high cost of living. One thing is certain...change has an impact on us all. It affects our work environment, our personal relationships, travel, and general lifestyle. But how does change impact city government? Does change have a direct relationship on the appearance of a city? Can city government direct growth in order to accommodate changing lifestyles? During the past ten years, several significant trends have impacted the development of our City and other communities throughout the nation. Over 90 percent of the population is priced out of the new home market. The housing industry is building smaller homes at higher densities. New subdivisions in the future are likely to have a mix of housing styles ranging from single family homes to townhouses. These new subdivisions will occupy less land than in the past. Energy costs have had a very significant impact on the affordability of a home once it is purchased. Smaller homes are more energy efficient. Homes in the future will be designed to take full advantage of active and passive solar energy. Family size has also changed significantly throughout the nation. In 1970, the average home in Cottage Grove had nearly 5 persons. In 1980, that average dropped to about 3 /z persons per dwelling. It is projected that by 1990, there will be less than 3 persons per dwelling throughout the Metropolitan Area. h' lg In Cottage Grove, planning for the City's future is an ongoing process involving City staff, elected officials, and citizens. The Planning Commission has the primary responsibility for long -range planning and review of development proposals. Other advisory commissions appointed by the City Council also take an active role in the planning of parks, utility extensions, and roads. The increase in population determines the number of homes needed and the amount of land required for these homes. As homes are built, the demand for businesses and industry increases. Land must be set aside in appropriate areas for these uses. Additional homes and businesses require new streets, utilities, street lights, and recreational areas. These must be anticipated and planned for. Services must be maintained; therefore, the City must project the cost of labor and equipment as new development occurs. The process of planning for the future growth of the City is much like all of us plan for our personal lives. As change affects our lifestyle, we have demands placed on our resources. In order to maintain a desirable lifestyle, we must anticipate these changes and budget for them. The City has recently adopted a Plan for coping with anticipated change. This is the Comprehensive Plan. This Plan required nearly three years for its preparation and provides information on land use, housing, parks and open space, transportation, utilities, and procedures for implementing the policies of the Plan. In addition to the Comprehensive Plan, the Plan for the Mississippi River Corridor has also been completed by the City. The River Corridor Plan will guide development along our southern boundary adjacent to the Mississippi River. Copies of these Plans may be checked out at the South Washington County Library or at the City Hall. These Plans, along with the City's zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations are the major guiding documents used by the City Council as it makes decisions relating to development and exten- sion of utilities. So what will Cottage Grove look like in 1990? The general appearance of the City will probably be much like it is now. The significant effect of the Comprehensive Plan will be on what you will not see. You will not see scattered subdivisions in the agricultural area of the City. You will not see single family homes on large lots extending for miles in all directions. Development of land for homes and businesses will continue to be in a compact, cost - effective manner. Your view of Cottage Grove in 1990 will be a City of about 28,000 people. Nearly 3,000 new homes will be built adjacent to existing neighborhoods in accordance with our staged growth plan for utility and street extensions. Housing will be available for persons of a variety of income levels. This housing will include a mix of styles ranging from single family homes to apartments and will be conveniently located adjacent to parks. New businesses will have developed to provide services for the additional 8,000 population. Some of these businesses will be located in a planned commercial area in the vicinity of Jamaica and Highway 61. Agricultural use of land beyond the area where utilities are available will continue. Vegetable farming will take on more importance, and these crops may be available for purchase at local supermarkets. A regional park of over 300 acres, operated by Washington County, will be in its final stages of development. Automobiles will flow from local streets and neighborhoods to major streets designed for heavier traffic flows without endangering the safety of our citizens. Taxes will continue to be comparable with other suburban communities due to efficiency of government and increased tax base from new homes and businesses. Perhaps these are the things planners dream of. These are realistic expectations, and they can become a reality through long -range planning. With the help of the citizens taking an active role in community affairs and local government, these goals and others can be achieved. In other words, each of us is part of the City. We can make it an attractive place to live or we can turn our back on it and leave the future to chance. When Carl Carlson began digging ditches with a shovel for the Public Works Department in Fulda in 1945, he probably never dreamed that by 1982 he would be head of a large department that uses the best equipment available and is housed in a roomy, up -to -date building. When Carlson was hired to head the Cottage Grove Public Works Department in 1963, he had four employees working for him. When he retires on Oct. 1, that number will have increased to 23. The work of the department has remained pretty much the same, Carlson said, although the work he does has chang- ed significantly. In the early days, Carlson installed water meters, helped out at the sewage treatment plant the city had at that time and helped plow snow. As the city and the department grew, Carlson's work became primarily administrative. The most frustrating event in Carlson's professional life was the Black Spot Mystery, which began in the late 60's and continued for several years. During that time, residents were complaining vehemently about little black spots on their laundry which they assumed came from the water. Carlson said he tried everything to determine what was causing the pro- blem, even involving his wife Helen in one investigation. Kramer Brothers, an appliance dealer in Newport, donated a washing machine that was installed in the home of a resident who was suffering from a severe case of black spots. The Kramer machine and the resident's machine were hooked up to the same water supply. Mrs. Carlson, using the Kramer machine, and the homeowner each washed a load of laundry. The results: Mrs. Carlson had no black spots, while the other person continued to get soiled laun- dry. This experiment and others con- vinced Carlson that the problem was not the water supply. It was finally determined that the black spots came from flaked street seal coating and was carried into homes on shoes and clothing, which helped explain why families with children who played outside were especially susceptible to the problem. The city changed the type of oil used for seal coating and the problem pretty much disappeared, Carlson said. The department's facilities and outstanding equipment are a tribute to the good working relationship he has always enjoyed with the various City Councils he has worked with, Carlson said. While the faces on the council have changed over the years, the support for a department capable of providing good service has never wavered, he said. Other constants in his career have been his boss and his secretary. Ad- ministrator Carl Meissner already was city clerk when Carlson was hired and JoAnn Kuntz has been Carlson's secretary for almost 14 years. Carlson and Meissner also shared a long working relationship with former Police Chief Bob Oszman, who was with the Cottage Grove Police Department from 1965 to 1981. Carlson said he and his wife intend to spend their retirement in Cottage Grove, close to their two grown sons and many friends. A trip to Arizona and California is on their retirement agenda for January, 1983. l i City officials have begun advertis- ing for a Superintendent of Public Works to replace Carl Carlson, who is retiring Oct. 1 after almost 20 years with the department. At a meeting July 21, the City Council set qualifications for the position, which include a minimum of six years experience in public works -type projects, a minimum of three years experience in a super- visory position and technical knowledge of public works facilities, such as streets and roads, parks, sewer and water and vehicle maintenance. The Council decided a bachelors degree in civil engineering would be desirable, but not required. Finalists for the position will be chosen by a screening committee and final interviews will be con- ducted by Carlson, Administrator Carl Meissner and representatives of the City Council. Meissner said he iiopes the position can be filled in September to allow time for Carlson to acquaint the new superintendent with the Public Works Department and the city. Officials have received more com- plaints than usual this year concern- ing rodents, which have been seen in all areas of the city. Planning Director Richard Lewis said the city is not equipped to con- trol the rodent population by trap- ping or poisoning. He has advised persons who have rodents on their property to solve the problem as much as possible themselves by removing the habitat and food source rodents need. He said rodents usually live within 100 feet of their food source. Common food sources in residential areas include pet food, bird seed stored in the garage and uncovered garbage cans or spilled garbage. Piles of rubbish, firewood stored on ground level and storage sheds set on the ground provide rodent habitat, Lewis said. Firewood should be stored at least one foot off the ground, he said, and storage sheds should be placed on a concrete slab. Carl Carlson Cottage Grove's annual Spring Cleanup has been scheduled for Saturdays, April 30 and May 7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Consult the ac- companying map to determine when your area will be served. Please follow these guidelines to make this year's cleanup project more efficient and beneficial: • All items for pickup must be at the end of residents' driveways by 9:00 a.m, to insure city pickup. • The city will not pick -up tires, flammable materials of any kind, acid or any substances deemed dangerous or hazardous. ;If you wish to dispose of something ques- tionable, please call the Public Works Department at 458.2808 before cleanup day in your area.) • All brush, tree limbs, shurbs and bushes must be separated from other items to be picked up and must be tied in bundles not ex- ceeding eight feet in length. If brush is mixed in with other items, none of the items will be picked up. Brush will be collected the week following your Saturday cleanup day. ® In general, the city will pick up items not normally collected by your sanitation contractor. These items include furniture, ap- pliances, construction materials, mattresses, television sets, hot water heaters, bicycles, toys and other similar miscellaneous junk. Arrangements have been made for a Goodwill truck to be available for residents to deliver usable, but un- wanted items to the Public Works building. Items Goodwill will not ac- cept include mattresses with holes and stains, wood windows or doors, hot water heaters, newspapers, paint, tires or anything in need of major upholstering. For more information about this year's cleanup, please call the Public Works Department at 458 -2808 dur- ing business hours. ±; 01104 IN � III The Strawberry Cottage Grove Festival, a community event spon- sored by several local groups, has been planned for the weekend of June 10, 11 and 12. The annual Jaycees carnival will begin June 7 and run through June 12 in the grassy area near the Cot- tage Square Shopping Center. Dan Dolan Realtors will sponsor a Strawberry Festival racquetball tournament at the Cottage Grove Racquet Club during the weekend. Events on Friday, June 10 will begin at 5:30 p.m. when the KS95 hot air balloon takes off from Cot- tage Square. Other events Friday night will include a drawing to choose Little Miss Strawberry Shortcake and bingo, both spon- sored by the Chamber of Commerce, and a bake sale sponsored by area Girl Scouts. Saturday, June 11 will be filled with many activities at Cottage Square. The events and their spon- sors are: arts and crafts fair, Jaycee Women; boat show, FFC Bass Masters; bingo, Chamber of Com- merce; beer tent, Strawberry Festival Committee; Big Wheel races, Merrill -Lynch Realty; karate demonstration, Chamber of Com- merce; bake sale and Scout informa- tion booth; Girl Scouts; strawberry recipe book Sale, Cottage Grove Women's Club; quilt raffle, Cottage Grove Quilters; hot air balloon rides, Realty World; BMX bike race, T. J.'s Bike Shop; and other tour- naments and displays. In addition, Campfire Girls and Bluebirds will hold a strawberry pancake breakfast at the National Guard Armory, formerly Grove School. Activities on Sunday, June 12 will move to the Cedarhurst Mansion. An old fashioned ice cream social will be held from 2 to 5 p.m, and a barbershop quartet from Inver Hills Community College will entertain. An antique car show sponsored by the Antique Car Club of Hearings and the Northstar Model T Car Club also will be held that day. Anyone who wants to participate in the Strawberry Festival still has time to sign up by calling Mary Lou Ryan, co- chair, at 459 -3571. ar, , i � During 1982, the average homeowner in Minnesota paid $730 for natural gas. In 1983, this bill will jump to $840 as natural gas prices increase by 15% statewide. And by 1990 — only eight years away — this same homeowner could be paying $1790 if energy consumption isn't reduced. ® Will your income keep up with these rising costs? ® Although you may have already taken steps to reduce your home energy use,, are you sure you have done enough? Caulking, weatherstripping and insulating the attic are only part of the job; there is much more that can be done. To find out what you can do to invest in energy conservation, call your utility and ask for a home energy audit. The audit costs only $ 10.00 and will provide you with information on energy conservation opportunities and available financing. Invest in energy conservation today. The savings you start earning now will only increase as energy prices rise. Minnesota Energy Conservation Service Available from 330 -2022 eR ,' 1. Point Douglas from Harkness (now East Point Douglas Road) to 80th Street will be closed. (This is the segment in front of the post office.) 2. 80th Street between Hemingway and Harkness, including the intersection, will be reconstructed. S. The 80th Street bypass, including a temporary crossover, turn lanes and traffic signals north of the present intersection, will be built. 4. 80th Street between the Harkness intersection (at the bank) and the existing West Point Douglas Drive frontage road will be closed. 5. The Highway 61 exit near Woody's Restaurant will be closed. 6. Interchange construction will be completed and Hadley Avenue and Grange Boulevard will be reconstructed. 7. The remaining crossover near Heron will be closed, the bypass will be closed and the cul -de -sacs will be built. T iT PAll \ \��\ N L \ I 1. A frontage road on the north side of Highway 61 will be built between Islay Avenue and the temporary crossover at 96th Street. 2. A temporary crossover, with turn lanes and a signal system, will be built at Hyde Avenue. 3. A bypass for through traffic will be built alongside the existing Jamaica Avenue. 4. The rest of the south frontage road south of Jamaica and past the Public Works Garage will be built. 5. The existing crossovers at Islay Avenue and 90th Street will be closed. 6. When the new ramps are completed, through traffic on Highway 61 will be diverted to them so that the bridges can be built. 7. The new bridges will be opened and the ramps will be closed to allow Jamaica to be completed. 8. Jamaica will be opened and the temporary crossovers at Hyde and 96th Street will be removed. F. R L nn r �� " Q O 4 ( t/ lam `, 1 AM Maps by Planner Anne Hurlburt.