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Home My WebLink About1991 JulyPOSTALPATRON Carrier Route Presort Bulk Rate U.S. Postage PAID PERMIT NO. 1 Cottage Grove, MN 55016 LOCAL POSTAL PATRON City of Cottage Grove City Hall: 7516 80th St. S. Open 8 -4:30, M- F.........458 -2800 Police and Fire Emergency.... 911 Police Non - Emergency. 458-2811 Building Inspections ...... 458-2804 Parks ......................... ...458 -2808 Public Works . ........ .......458 -2808 Recreation ..... ............... 458 -2801 Mayor Richard Pederson ......... 459 -6397 City Council Bill Buth .. ........... ........... 459 -5249 Jack Denzer ..... .. .......... 459 -2553 Lyle Puppe ............. .... ..458 -8538 Jill Seacrist ... ... ....... ...... 459 -8832 City Administrator. Kevin Frazell' Arena Manager ......Tim Johnson Building Official ........Jim Beane City Clerk ........... Caron Stransky Community Dev. ..... ... Gary Berg Finance... .... .......... Diane Archer Fire Chief ............ Denis Erickson Golf Course ...... Bruce Anderson Parks, Rec. ...... John Fredrickson Police Chief ......... Dennis Cusick Public Works ......... Les Burshten Editor_ ......... ........ Margo Doten July, 1991 A Citizens' Survey on city services and taxation is included on Pages 3 -4 of this issue. Please help us by filling it out and returning it as soon as possible. Thank you! In this issue .. City Financial Rept...2 City Election Filings ...2 Citizens' Survey..........3 Tree Diseases .............5 Changes in com- posting .......................6 City Memo Board .....7 Returning Heroes ......8 by Kevin Frazell City Administrator The Cottage Grove General Fund budget of $6.3 million is funded almost 40 percent by dollars received from the State of Minnesota. This includes approximately $1.2 million in direct aids to the City, with an additional $1.3 million in Homestead and Agricul- tural Credit Aid (HACA), which is used to hold down the tax impact on individual homeowners. In an effort to help meet its own revenue shortfall, the State has been cutting back on aids to local government. For 1992, Cottage Grove will lose about $200,000, or eight percent, of its State aids. This is equivalent to about three percent of the budget. The City can make up the lost State aid in additional property tax levy, but cannot increase its 1992 levy further for either inflation or com- munity growth. Because of the complexities and un- knowns of the property tax system, it is difficult The Timberwolves' mascot "Crunch" and the KDWB Money Machine will be at Cottage Grove's Target store on Sunday, July 28, as part of Grand Opening Day festivities. The store will be open both early and late that day — 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. compared to Target's usual Sunday hours of 10 to 6. "This is a wonderful store," said store man- ager Craig Rothfolk. "it combines many things we've done well in the past with a lot of the new ideas from Target Greatland." Some of the new ideas in the 115,000 -sq.- ft. Cottage Grove Target, located at Jamaica Continued on Page 5 to make accurate projections as to the impact this would have on average Cottage Grove homestead (market value $90,000). However, a rough and early guesstimate is a three to six percent increase in the City portion of the property tax bill, or about $10 to $15 per year. The Mayor, City Council, and city staff face tough decisions in preparing next year's budget, and would like input from as many citizens as possible. Please take a few minutes to complete the enclosed postage - paid survey (Page 3), and return it to register youropinion. Thank you! Hundreds of golfing enthusiasts attended the Grand Opening of River Oaks Golf Course on July 13. All 18 holes of the course are now open, and residents are urged to come out and enjoy their beautiful course! 2 DOZEN i m •• � by Diane Archer Director of Finance, City of Cottage Grove The City reported on the activity of 59 sepa- rate funds in the 1990 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. The funds are divided into seven types: General, Special Revenue, Debt Service, Capital Projects, Enterprise, Trust and Agency, and Account Groups. The General Fund accounts for all financial resources except those required to be accounted for in another fund. General Fund activity includes Public Safety, Public Works, Planning, Administration, Elections, Parks, and Recreation. The General Fund ended 1990 with a designated fund balance of $3,055,968 and and undesignated fund balance of $21,621. This was an increase of $211,049 from Dec. 31, 1989. The balance remain- ing in the fund is desig- nated to provide for cash flow timing differences, emergency expenditures, and intergovernmental cutbacks. Cottage Grove has a designation policy. The General Fund revenue and expenditure breakdowns for 1990 are shown on the charts at right. Water, Sewer, and Street Light operations are accounted for in the Enterprise funds. The Street Light Fund increased by $8,320. The Water Operating Fund decreased by $89,519. The Sewer Operating Fund in- creased by $104,583. For additional information about the 1990 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report or for a copy of the report, please call Diane Archer, city Finance Director, at 458 -2821. A City General Election will be held on Tues- day, Nov. 5, 1991. The position of Mayor and two Council seats will be on the ballot. If you are interested in running for any of these positions, you must file for office between Aug. 27 and Sept. 10, 1991. For further information, please contact the City Clerk's office at City Hall, 458 -2814. General Fund Revenues, 1990 Property Taus (426 %) License, and Permits (7.99' ) Donations and Miscellaneous ( %) rereat Investor n a (( 4 %) Charges for Service (&4%) nes annorfeits(r1 Intergovernmental (36.3 %) / 4 4' r i "neral Government (199%) Public Safety (49.3 %) O,be, (1.8 %) arts and Recreation (123 %) Public Worts (16,8 %) General Fund Expenditures, 1990 STUM by the Strawberry Festival Committee The weather held out for this year's 9th Annual Cottage Grove Straw- berry Festival! The one - day event was well attended and was a huge success. A special thank you from the Festival Com- mittee to the City of Cottage Grove, the Cottage Grove VFW, and 3M Chemolite ' Also , special thanks to the Cottage Grove Chamber D • Board Can yours be a McGruff House? I M!tB80Fr' 'i1i0USE" : from the Dept. of Public Safety A McGruff House is a home manned by a responsible resident adult providing a tempo- rary haven for children who face an emergency, whether it be a bully, kidnapper, or would -be molester. To become a mem- ber of this program, you must be 21 years old, not convicted of any serious criminal offense, and willing to submit to a law enforcement records check. After your appli- cation is reviewed and accepted you will be issued an 11 x1 7 McGruff poster to be placed in you r window. It is not necessary for you or your spouse to be home during school hours because a need for refuge is not just an 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. problem. As a McGruff House member you would offer medical assistance only in extreme emergency, and in all cases you are asked to contact the Police Department. Members are asked to assist police by reporting suspicious persons and situations and are NOT asked to provide food or toilet facilities to children. Only in rare emergencies would you be asked to provide medical first aid. We most of all do not ask you to change your lifestyle. The Cottage Grove Department of Public Safety asks that you care by becoming a member of this program. Call 458- 2850 for more informa- tion. National Night Out set for Aug. 6 from the Dept. of Public Safety The Eighth Annual National Night Out will be held in Cottage Grove and 8,500 othercommu- n!ties from 8 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 1991. We encourage all neighborhoods and blocks in Cottage Grove to participate. You can organize a block party, picnic, or front yard gathering in your neigh- borhood. Be sure to turn on your porch lights from 8 to 10 P.M. For more informa- tion, contact the Cottage Grove Police Department at 458 -2850. from the Building Division Spring, 1991, has brought the Building Division more Building Permit applications than any other year. Many permits were issued for deck or shed construc- tion. Just a reminder: All exterior work must be completed within six months of the issuance of the Permit. Periodic and final inspections are required on all Permit work. To schedule inspec- tions, please cal! 458- 2804 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Building Division would like to THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COOPERA- TION IN THE PERMIT PROCESS! Fall flushing schedule set for Sept. 29 through Nov. 15 The City of Cottage Grove has announced the fall Fall Flushing schedule for flushing water mains, hydrants, and Schedule /+ sanitary sewer lines. West Hwy. 61 Flushing will take place east of Highway 61 from Oct. 28 -Nov. 15 v ' Sept. 29 to Oct. 29, 1991. West of Highway 61, flushing is scheduled for Oct. 28 through Nov. 15. During the flushing period, water is safe to drink. However, check for signs of discoloration before using ` ., ' a -H water for washing, particularly for white clothes. To speed the process of returning to clear water after flushing, open all the cold water taps in your home and let them run for 15 to 30 minutes after the+ fire hydrant has been flushed. Also flush your toilets Al t._ �� ✓ several times. This process will help flush your plumb - ing system- If emergency situations occur, such as loss of service, broken pipes, etc., please contact the Public East Hwy. 61 Works Department at 458 -2808. Sept. 29 -Oct. 29 6 If you drive into the Cottage Grove com- posting site after Thurs- day, you'll find a big change in the process. For the first time, resi- dents of the city will be charged a "user fee" for depositing leaves or yard waste at the site. The composting site, which has changed hands from city manage- ment to a private con- tractor, will be charging the following fees as of Aug. 1: • 25 cents/ bag or $2 per cubic yard for loose yard waste, with a minimum of $1 per delivery; • $3 per cubic yard for loose brush or prunings. Other fees apply for compacted yard waste and brush, primarily from haulers. According to Wilmer Holz, Park Maintenance Superintendent, the city decided to hire a private contractor to operate the site when Washington County stopped funding city compost operations. "Cottage Grove had to compare this to other needs of the city," Holz said. "We evaluated the cost of continuing the city's operation of the compost site, then had to add to it new costs for chipping wood (branches and brush) because burning is no longer allowed on the site. We found that we'd have to spend $300,000 on capital costs for needed equipment, and the equipment would be underutilized for a city the size of Cottage Grove. The private contractor we chose already has this equip- ment — about $460,000 worth — and he does the full program — grass, leaves, and brush." The private contactor is Richard D. Pecar, president of R. D. Pecar and Co., Inc., who has been operating Dakota County's composting program since 1988. Pecar's Dakota County program, which started as a non -fee composting operation and changed to a user - fee system last year, has won awards from the National Recycling Congress and the National Association of Counties. "This is a clean operation," Pecar said. "Grass and leaves are debagged as they come in so nothing goes from here to the landfill." Pecar said. "The city looked at surveys taken in other cities and found that most citizens prefer user fees to higher taxes." "Cottage Grove needs to be resourceful with the expenditures of our tax dollars," Holz said. "The process of deciding on this option for our composting site was a logical one." "Many of the people in Cottage Grove are really environmentally responsible," Pecar said. "They were bringing leaves and grass here in 1985 — long before it was mandated by the legisla- ture. The people here are composting because it's the right thing to do. We're here to help." User fees vs. taxes Last year the City of Cottage Grove spent $16,000- 18,000 from the city budget to support its composting site (the $300,000 capital equip- ment cost was not yet ,required because the city could still burn its brush), and received an addi- tional $7,900 for the operation from Washing- ton County. Beginning next year, the city will receive no county funds for composting. "It was a choice between upping taxes or establishing user fees," I 9 r� Park Maintenance Superintendent Wilmer Holz, left, and R. D. Pecar discuss operation of the city's composting site. Cont. from Page 5 gray velvet -like spot on leaves and fruit. Eventu- ally the leaves turn yellow and drop prematurely from the tree. Though this will not kill the tree outright, it does weaken the tree. Significant defoliation over a period of three or more years can leave the tree vulner- able to other problems. A tree that has had apple scab over a period of years should be sprayed in the spring to avoid another year of early leaf drop.Check with a nursery or the University of Minnesota Dial -U clinic for a good fungicide. As with all pesticides, follow the directions on the label. Whatever the situ- ation with our shade and ornamental trees, be it insect or disease, the healthier the tree, the better it can tolerate the attack. With the excep- tion of vascular wilt diseases like Dutch Elm disease, few problems are fatal. Keeping our trees healthy by deep water- ing, adding nutrients, and a good pruning program will go a long way in keeping Cottage Grove green and growing. N 1. The State of Minnesota is making significant cuts in aid to local government. How would you prefer the City of Cottage Grove respond? Raise taxes to maintain City services Reduce City services to avoid tax increase Use a combination of some tax increase and some service reductions r sr r: 2. Which City services would you be willing to see reduced? Police Fire Parks and Recreation Snow Plowing Street Maintenance Would not like to see any services reduced 3. How much of an increase in property taxes would you be willing to pay to maintain City services? $0 $10 per year $15 -$20 per year $20 -$30 per year 4. For 1992, the City's ability to raise taxes is limited by State law. Beginning in 1993, how- ever, "levy limits" will be repealed. In general, in the future would you prefer that the City: Maintain City services at their current level, meaning modest tax increases for inflation? Reduce City services to hold or even reduce the tax levels Increase taxes somewhat to expand City services Please write any additional comments on reverse side; fold, and mail. 21 Additional Comments, If Desired Please Fold Please Fold 'rom NOCOSSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES BUS FIRST -CLASS PERMIT NO. 1 COTTAGE GROVE, MN POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE A • by John Klinkhammer City Forester tender tissues of branches and fruit by hard rains or hail. Once into the branches, it causes the leaves to wither and small branches to crook over into a question mark shape. The leaves will appear at first water - soaked and eventually scorched. As the disease moves through the small branches, larger branches are infected and cankers appear. If left alone, this tree will die. Pruning out of infected branches 10 to 12 inches below obvious infected areas is needed. Sterilizing of pruning equipment with a ten percent bleach solution before each cut will remove the chance of moving the disease around the tree. An excellent fact sheet is available from the University of Minnesota Extension Service. Ash Anthracnose Another very com- mon foliar disease this season has been ash anthracnose. An- thracnose is caused by a fungus and spreads from leaf to leaf by the splash- ing action of rain drops. The more quickly a tree can dry out following a rain, the less likely for the fungus to penetrate the leaves. This makes keeping the tree's crown open our best method of control. Anthracnose is a disease of cool, moist weather and is likely to occur again in the fall. During the warm part of the summer some of the infected leaves may fall and these should be cleaned up to help control the spores from them. Though this disease can be tough on a young, stressed tree, it is seldom harmful to older healthy trees. With abundant rains and moderating tempera - lures, our trees have received a much needed respite from the heat and dry winds of the past few years. As good as this is for our trees, it is also good for diseases that attack our trees. Dis- eases can attack the tree roots, stems, vascular systems, fruit, or leaves. The most immediately noticeable are those that infect the leaves and twigs. For a disease to be successful, it requires a host plant, a way into that plant, and the proper environment. Fire Blight Fire blight, a bacte- rial disease, has been extremely common to mountain ash trees this season. The bacteria is actually driven into the Continued from Page i Avenue and Pt. Douglas Rd., will include neon signage and "easier accessibility to informa- tion the customers want" — including product scanners located throughout the store so customers can quickly determine the price of an item. More than 200 full - time and part-time workers are employed in the store, and Rothfolk said "a very high per- centage" is from Cottage Grove. Rothfolk was named manager of the new Cottage Grove Target after 11 years in the Target system, most recently in Des Moines, Iowa. "It is very exciting to be in this community," he 9 Apple Scab Coming in a close third is apple scab, especially on our flower ing crab trees. Apple scab is another fungal disease and first devel- ops as an olive green or Cont. on Page 6 said. "Everyone here has welcomed us with open arms. There's been a lot of interest in the store." The mini -mall attached to Target is completely leased, and stores there are ex- pected to open between July 28 and the end of August. Space in the mall has been rented by the following companies: Cottage Grove Florist Cottage Grove Jewelers Fashion Bug and Fash- ion Bug Plus Great Clips Flair Care Hampton Bank Pernella's Photo King Premier Cleaners Radio Shack Subway Sandwiches Sunstar Video Tai Chi Restaurant IaLI, �I�I�IL,,,, ollellnitl��lals�oa�ll�al ,l,olall -------------~l | City of Cottage Grove � [>�[�|qT[�y�7|�l�J | o�`/m'n/u/`�/" � �75lh80TH ST. 8. COTTAGE GROVE, k4N550lh { i | ' NAME ' | ADDREOS \ CITY ZIP 1 � / PHONE H) (m) ' | | ^ ' | RkRT|C|PAN7SA5E SEX ____ | ACTIVITY | | ' DAWTIM6 SE;30N / | --------- | |P|oauon`akocheokopuyabk+1u:CdyniCnttagoGnovw. l RELEASE 0FLIABILITY | ! ' |n consideration M the City (d Cottage Grove allowing me " | (or my child) io voluntarily participate in the Parks and | i Recreation Program: | | 1. | elect 10 voluntarily participate in the Parks and | | Recreation Program, and agree k) assume all risks of | , accident or damage in connection with myvoluntary ` ) � ' participation. ` | 1 | acknowledge that certain activities cd the Parks � |and Recreation Program are inherently dangerous sports � |and/or subject mo10 personal injury with other participants � |and/or equipment used (n the activity. i ' 3 |ne!oaaoan�d|oo�arUo�hoC�y/dCo8oA* " | � � 'Grove, its agents, officers, employees, and insurers, from / |any claim for negligent acts or omissions occurring or i !arising out o(my voluntary participation in 'he Parks and | | Recreation Program. | 4. | agree to abide by all rules and regulations Nthe ^Cottage Grove Parks and Recreation Pno8nam!!uAhor ' | � | ' agree 10 wear protective clothing and equipment a\all ^ | times, which clothing and equipment shall ho furnished u\ | | my own expense. | |5. | agree that this Release is binding upon my | |spouse, parents, children, and heirs and assigns. This | 'Release does not extend 1ooruppy�unyAan�ugo , | � f `caused by willful, wanton, or intentional misconduct. ' |6. | have read this Release, and understand Its | |uontonts i i an rP | ' — Dated Pa��ip oarenVGuan1bn ' | FOR OFFICE USE ONLY: | | Foe Cash Check #____ � Rec'd By Date | ��— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — – i � by mail: • Complete the registration form at left. • Include the program fee (checks payable to City of Cottage Grove). • Mail to City of Cottage Grove, 7516 80th St. S., Cottage Grove, MIN 55016. 46 or in person: - Stop by City Hall, open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. A minimum number Vf registrations in required for each program. |f the number iu not met, full refunds will bo issued. |fa program ia cancelled bythe Recreation Department, you will receive nfull refund. |f you decide to cancel your registration, there will bva $5 service charge, but the rest nfyour fee will be refunded. |t the course fee imless than $5, the service charge wi bo the total fee. Director ........ ..... John Fredrickson .... 468'28O8 Parks Supt .....Wilmer Holz ....... ... 458'2O8& Ice Arena Mgr ...Tim Johnson .......... 468'2845 Golf Cuuns8Mgr..8 rues Anderson ....438'2121 Golf Course Supt. Tom Parent ............ 438-2528 Rec. Supvor ........ Diane Evans ....... ... 458'2884 , CottageVA FCCU Grove Cottage Grove thespians who ' Playground Theater Groups have been rehearsing this summer /A each nf the city's parks. Performances will bmheld o! the Park Grove Library @t 1;30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1, and 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6. The Carnival k; back again and it's bigger and better than ever! This year's Carnival will hn held a1 Woodridge Park from 10u.m. tn2p.m, Friday, Aug, 9. Tickets will b82Ocents. Join uu for a splash of8 good time ad the Water Carnival, from 1 1n 4 p.m. Fhday. Aug, 16, at the Outdoor Pool. There will bem$1 admission fee to get into the Carnival, and game tickets will bo10 cents each. FRIENDS AREMADEANDK%PTHB{£ Day campers aged 8 and over spend each day participating ina variety of challenging and fun activities from cooking {u cooperative games Day Camp iSheld at Woodridge Park from S:3Uo.nn. ,to 3:3Up.m. Aug. 190z23. The program fee n($25 includes lunches, Day Camp partici who are 10 and over are invited 10 participate in the Day Camp Overnight um Friday, Aug, 23| The overnight will begin immedi- ately oft*,1heendufthoDayCampmctivbia:nn Friday. Campers can bn picked upu{10u.m.on Saturday morning Overnight partici Arcampingpartner8nn/si bring their own tents, sleeping bags, flash lights, and other essential camping equipment. |{ has been proven that MOSQUITOES can see in the dark, su bring plenty uf bug spray. Proper clothing is also important; wo suggest long pants, long sleeved shirts. rugged tennis shoes, and extra clothing for chilly weather. The overni wi be held 8| Woodridge Park on Aug. 23. Program cost will be $10. The Recreation Department runs several fall leagues for adults. For more information regarding these leagues, please call Diane at 458-2834. LEAGUE MEETINGS: AUG. 19 Men's Monday League 6 p.m. Men's Wednesday League 6 lam. Women's Tuesday League 6:30 P.M. League play is scheduled W begin the last week in August aK the Lamar Softball Complex. 8 your team im interested io playing in this league, you must submit « team registration form and a%S0deposit prior tm Aug. 18� All managers must attend the league meeting nn Monday, Aug. 19, at City Hall. The Touch Football League iu played unSunday afternoons at the Lamar Softball Complex. League play is scheduled to begin the last week inAugust. Teams interested in playing in this league must submit a team registration form and a$5Odeposit prior 10 Aug. 1Q. All managers must attend the league meeting on Monday, Aug, 19 at City Hall. LEAGUE MEETING: AUG. 19a*8 p.m. Men's Tuesday League Women's Thursday League Cu'nyc Friday League The Sand Volleyball League is scheduled h)begin play the week nf Aug. 2Gat Hamlet Park. |f you have u team that io interested in participating inthis league, you must submit 8 team registration form and 8$50 deposit prior tn Aug. 1S. All managers must attend the league mee on Monday, Aug. 19, at City Hall. The Men's and Women's leagues are scheduled 1u begin play the last week in August. League partici- pants vvi||bosohedu|odtmp|oyune(*nnisma1chper week. |f you are interested in participating, please submit your $5 league fee prior to Aug. 19. The Recreation Department iS organizing a38n3 basketball league at Woodridge Park. Interested Men's and Women's Teams should contact Diane 81 458-2834. |fvvo receive sufficient registrations, the league will begin. play in early September. Many residents abutting public open spaces within the City of Cottage Grove Wh the extension of lots abutting open space properties based on the following under- . All owners wishing to plant trees and shrubs must get prior approval from the Park Maintenance Superintendent. Storage of boats, trailers, campers, miscellaneous vehicles, firewood, building ~� city ordinance and is prohibited. Installation of gardens, play equip- ment, and/or other structures on public open space property is prohibited. ^u ` r u*' ^ n rom � �