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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992 July•' ••� • ;� Mme NAT IONAL I Tuesday, August 4 America's Night Out Against Crime 1111111111111 1 111111 11 11111111 101= 1 printed on recycled paper POSTAL PATRON Carrier Route Presort Bulk Rate U.S. Postage PAID PERMIT NO. 1 Cottage Grove, MN 55016 LOCAL POSTAL PATRON i #•J Can you serve? New members are needed on several city commissions, in- cluding the Human Rights/ Human Services and Public Works Commissions. Please call City Hall (458 -2810) if you'd like more informa- tion. Mayor's Column ........ 2 Econ. Development.2 Kelly Frawley ..............3 150th Birthday ...........3 Otto Schmalz ............4 Picture Puzzlers ..........4 Ice Arena ...................5 Public Works News .... 5 New Precinct Map ...6 State Aids .................. 7 More Picture Puzzlers 8 Insert: Hazardous Waste Collection Aug. 20 -22 r E r• Changes in congres- sional, legislative and county districts, and a major change in precinct boundaries will affect Cottage Grove voters beginning with the Sept. 15, 1992, State Primary Election. One of the most significant changes is that state - mandated redistrict- ing has moved Cottage Grove from the Sixth U.S. Congressional District to the Third District. Under state redistrict- ing, all of Cottage Grove is now in: ✓ U.S. Congressional District 3 ✓ State Senate District 57 /ma ✓ State House° District 57 -B F! ✓ County Commis- sioner District 4. Cottage Grove precinct boundaries have been redrawn to match the city's population shifts. According to Caron Stransky, city clerk, the number of city precincts remains the same at 12, but the redrawn precinct map shows boundary changes in all parts of the city. Each resident should check the new precinct map on page 6 of this issue to deter- mine his or her new precinct and polling place. By the end of July, Stransky said, all regis- tered voters should receive postcards noting their precinct number and polling place. Anyone with questions on polling places, absen- tee ballots, or voter registration procedures should contact the City :INCT S ,t PRECINCT 2 s char e Clerk's office at Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516 80th St. S., 458 -2814. PRE - REGISTER! A word of advice from the City Clerk's office to persons who are not Continued on Page 6 PRECINCT 3 PRECINCT 0 �o k WOM Washington County has announced dates and times for a Household Hazardous Waste collection, to be held at the old Cub Foods parking lot, 90th St. S. and East Pt. Douglas Rd. in Cottage Grove. The event is scheduled for: Thursday, Aug. 20 .......................1 - 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21 ....................9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22 ................9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Proof of Washington County residency (such as a driver's license) will be required. See insert in this newsletter for information on what items will be accepted and alternate disposal techniques. City Historic Preservation Officer Robert C. Vogel has found a variety of unidentified photographs from earlier years. Can you help? Shown above is a photo, probably taken about 1900, showing Old Cottage Grove village, looking north along Main St. (Lamar Ave.) Note the horse -drawn sleigh. Can you identify the buildings on the right- and left -hand sides of the street? The photo above shows four members of the Thompson Grove fire depart- ment. Do you know anyone? Please call Robert Vogel at City Hall, 458- 2800 or 098.8224, if you can identify them. See more photos on Page 4. 2 by Jack Denzer Mayor of Cottage Grove Eagle Scout I would like to con- gratulate Eric Henning on achieving his Eagle Scout status, and also commend Dan Boche for his work on the bloodmobile proj- ect, his last step before becoming an Eagle Scout. Strawberry Festival Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make this year's Straw- berry Festival a great success. Many people volunteered their time for this event. A good time was had by all who attended! DARE Program It was wonderful to hear that 470 students graduated from the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program this year. Everyone enjoyed Sean Salisbury's atten- dance at the DARE graduation. A job well done by officers Greg Reibei and Craig Woolery. Economic Development The City Council has approved the position of Economic Development Director, and the city will advertise for applicants. We hope to fill this position by November of '92. The director will focus on priorities set by the City Council and EDA, with highest emphasis on: Industrial Uses — build the tax base • Commercial Service — compiimentary rather than competitive Commercial Retail — filiing vacant buildings • Residential — high end housing. Community Develop- ment Building permits for single - family and multi- family dwellings are ap- proximately 30 percent ahead of last year. I would like to wel- come Taki's, Ho King and Wendy's Restaurants, Royal Car Wash, Sham- rock Liquors, Midas Muffler and Pet Food Outlet to our community. Also on the horizon: a new orthodontics clinic on 79th Street by Dr. Greg Hipple, and the Golf Dome on West Pt. Douglas Drive. Construc- tion is to start this summer to provide year -round golfing. Summer Scenes Summer is here and school is out. Please drive carefully and watch out for children. Also with summer comes road construction. East Pt. Douglas Drive is progressing on schedule. It will have an eight -foot pathway along the West side for the safety of walkers and bikers. The Council has had a series of meetings with the citizens of Lower Grey Cloud Island to discuss the options to rebuild the bridge. It was decided to replace the deck, the most cost - effective option. by Kevin Frazell City Administrator A full -time position devoted to promoting business development in Cottage Grove will soon be a part of the city staff. For the past several years, the city has worked to enhance its base of businesses. The mayor and city council, Eco- nomic Development Authority, city staff and local businesses like 3M Chemolite have cooper- ated to achieve greater growth in both industry and retailing. Successes have included Up North Plas- tics, River Oaks Golf Course and the Target shopping area. Vision 2002 sees need Last fail, a two -day retreat was held to focus on the community's goals for economic develop- ment, and to come up with a strategy for suc- cess. The resulting report, VISION 2002, identified seven specific steps to be taken. Number one was to create a full -time staff position for economic development. The retreat group concluded that during a time when com- petition for development is growing, Cottage Grove could no longer be "in the game" with just volunteer or part-time efforts. The city is currently advertising for applicants. Minimum qualifications include a degree in business or public admini- stration and three years' experience in local economic development. The director will be paid $35,000- 45,000 and manage an annual budget of $80,000. It is expected that the investment will pay off in a strengthened tax base, more local jobs and more retail shopping opportuni- ties for Cottage Grove residents. by Kevin Frazefl, City Administrator In the mid- 1960's, Minnesota made a major financial policy decision — that local government services, those provided by cities, counties and school districts, would no longer be supported solely by the property tax. The first state sales tax was explicitly adopted to provide property tax relief through a series of aids to local governments, and rebates and credits directly to taxpayers. Minnesota lawmakers decided that a system of state - collected taxes returned to local governments and taxpayers was preferable to allowing each individual local government options for levying its own income and sales taxes. Unfortunately, this closely intertwined partnership of state and local finances means that when St. Paul gets a cold, local governments share the sinus headache! For the past several years, cities and counties have borne a disproportionate share of the state's budget balanc- ing efforts. For example, in 1991, while local aids made up about 10 percent of the state budget, cities and counties contributed 41 percent of the solution to the budget shortfall. What does this pattern mean locally? Ten years ago, state dollars supported nearly 45 percent of the Cottage Grove municipal budget, while property taxes accounted for 27 percent. Today those numbers are close to being reversed. State aids to Cottage Grove in 1992 equal $2.1 million. State "Trust Fund" lasts one year Last year, the legislature and governor attempted to fix the problem of eroding funding for cities and counties by creating the Local Government Trust Fund. In exchange for voting county -by- county to increase the sales tax from six cents to six - and - one -half cents per dollar, Minnesota local governments were to be assured of a dedicated source of funding for their aids — two cents of the sales tax. The solution lasted one year! When the state ran into financial problems again in 1992, it looked to cities and counties to solve over $60 million of the budget gap — this time by making local governments pay sales tax on their purchases. In 1993, that means that about $100,000 of the property taxes and utility bills collected from you by the City of Cottage Grove will be sent on to the state; not a horrendous amount, perhaps, but dollars that could have been used to enhance police protection or fix a lot of potholes! State has problems too This is not to suggest that the state itself is not facing a tough budget dilemma. Cutbacks in aid from Washington, coupled with increased costs for programs like K -12 education, prisons and Medicaid (primarily health care for the under - insured elderly), are creating what economists call a "structural" deficit. That means the shortfall is caused by built -in commitments to spending, and not by the recession. r \ Current projections are that the state will start its next financial cycle t approximately $1 billion in the hole, meaning the 1993 legislature already has its work cut out for it! Will the Local Government Trust c �) Fund be protected, or will cities and counties once again be ® looked to for a major part of the solution? When the 1991 legislature was grappling with budget ..� shortfalls, a Twin Cities newspaper poll showed that "Local Government Aid" was an area many respondents felt could be cut. Would the response have been the same if the question had been more accurately stated — i.e., "Maintaining local police, fire, snow removal and recreation services without major property tax increases "? If the State of Minnesota continues the trend of reduced financial support, local governments and their citizens /taxpayers will be forced to accept unpleasant tradeoffs between service cutbacks and/or property SrATE tax increases. 7 6 New Precinct Boundaries, Polling Places City of • •a. G 9 Redrawn precincts and polling places are shown on the map at right. Polling locations are as follows: Precinct 1 E. COTTAGE GROVE FIRE HALL 11093 Upper 74th St. S. Precinct 2 PINEHILL ELEM. SCHOOL 9015 Hadley Ave. S. Precinct 3 NATIONAL GUARD ARMORY Prec. i 8180 Belden Blvd. S. Precinct 4 CRESTVIEW ELEM. SCHOOL 7830 80th St, S. Precinct 5 ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH 8500 Hillside Tr. S. Precinct 6 FIRE STATION NO. 2 8641 80th St. S. Precinct 7 PARK H.S. (BOARD ROOM) 8040 80th St. S. Precinct 8 ST. LUKE'S CHURCH 7000 Hinton Ave. S. Precinct 9 PiNETREE VALLEY PARK BLDG. 8300 Indian Blvd. S. Precinct 10 GREY CLOUD ELEM. SCHOOL 8525 Indian Blvd. S. Precinct 11 COMMUNITY EVANGELICAL COVENANT CHURCH 78551vystone Ave. S. Precinct 12 WOODRIDGE PARK BLDG. 9000 90th St. S. Prec. 8�Prec. 9 NEML aoncu Prec. 7 t P ec. i �a� i ^wn .wu Prec. 4 r s<e�� Prec. 2 Prac. 5 i e .R1 tte o i Y Prec. 10 Prec. i Prac. 11 ? i oPa �. ocE Prec. 12 Shown above is Cottage Grove's new precinct map. Please note that three polling locations (Precincts # 5, 8 and 10) are new: Hamlet Park Building, Hillside Elemen- tary School and Armstrong Elementary School will no longer be used as polling places. Maps of all election districts (Congressional, Legislative, County Commis- sioner and Local Precinct) are posted in the Office of the City Clerk at City Hall. lr�m� Continued from Page 1 registered to vote and do not want to wait in line on election day: PRE - REGISTER! Stransky said the deadline for pre- register- ing to vote in the Sept. 15 state Primary Election will be Tuesday, Aug. 25. Registrations will also be handled at the polling location on Election Day, but may involve some wait depending on the turnout. People who have never registered, who have changed their name or address since they last registered or who have failed to vote in the past four years must register to vote. Registration cards are available at City Hall. To be qualified to vote, a person must be: a citizen of the United States; a resident of the state for 20 days pre- ceding the election; 18 years of age or older on election day. For information on election day voter regis- tration, contact the City Clerk's office, 458 -2814. ABSENTEE BALLOT- ING City residents may pick up State Primary Election absentee ballots at Cottage Grove City Hall beginning Friday, Aug. 14 during office hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. -4:30 p.m.) Absentee ballots will be available for those unable to vote because of absence from the pre- cinct, illness, disability, observance of a religious holiday, or service as an election judge in another precinct. 3 O Personnel Officer. Frawley's wife Kris gave birth to a daughter, Caitlin, on March 24. Six days later, Frawley started his new job with the City of Cottage Grove. About 60 percent of Frawley's time will be spent on personnel matters, including hiring city employees, staff training, staff relations and compliance with federal employment regulations. The rest will be devoted to projects assigned by City Adminis- trator Kevin Frazell. During his first few months on the job, these have included work on the city budget, the city's plan for implementing the Americans with Disabili- ties Act, a new phone system for City Hail and a review of the city's health insurance program. Frawley, who hails from Richland Center, Wisconsin, earned a Master's degree in Urban and Regional Studies from Mankato State University and served as city administrator of Janesville, MN, before coming to Cottage Grove. His appointment represents a long- sought change in personnel management for the city. Before, department managers handled hiring and firing decisions and kept abreast of state and federal employment regulations in their areas. Now Frawley is charged with keeping track of those regulations and finding resources for training and safety. "My position alleviates the pressure on depart- ment heads," Frawley said. "Having one person as a personnel officer ensures consistency in policy and application throughout the city." In his four months with Cottage Grove, Frawley said, the biggest surprise has been the fast pace of growth in the city, especially in the numbers of single - family homes. Frawley said he likes the parks and recreational opportunities here and appreciates the "high - quality, professional staff' in Cottage Grove. He and his family live in the city and love it: "We feel this is where our home is." He has played softball and coached baseball in the past, and hopes to get involved in sports here. Overall, Frawley said, "The vision of the City Council and City Adminis- trator is what I'm here to implement. In the long run, my hope is to provide the most service I can at the least cost, and to do it efficiently and effectively." Imagine a week when your first baby is born, you start a new job and move to a new city. That was the week of March 24 -30, 1992, for Kelly Frawley, Cottage Grove's new Assistant to the City Administrator/ . - .. .... community history. Various ideas have already been put forward, including exhibits, publica- tions, tours and other special events. Among other goals, the sesquicentennial celebration will attempt to recreate the feeling of the times when Cottage Grove was part of the "New England of the West," celebrate the diversity of the settlers who eventually populated the area, appreciate the region's Native American heritage and educate the public on the need for historic preservation. The Sesquicentennial Committee will begin its work this summer and it is anticipated that the first events will take place in October. 1992. Committee will work closely with the city's Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation and other state, county and local organizations. Anyone interested in serving on the committee should contact Robert C. Vogel, City Historic Preservation Officer, 7516 80th St. S., Cottage Grove, MN 55016. 1993 will mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of Cottage Grove by James S. Norris in 1843. The City Council has established a Sesquicen- tennial Committee to plan activities to commemorate this important milestone in The Sesquicentennial 0 Wednesday . General Session ............ Noon - 1:15 p.m. Thursday .....Figure Skaters' Practice. Noon - 1:30 p.m. Sunday ........ General Session .................12:30 - 2 p.m. This summer we are offering skating lessons in both after- noon and evening sessions. Classes are available for all levels: from the rawest beginners to accomplished figure skaters, from tiny tots to adults. Some classes may still have openings, so call the arena office for a brochure outlining the days, times and costs, or to be put on the mailing list for the next group of lessons, which begins in September. Please call 458 -2845. The Arena's 12th annual summer hockey league for children of Squirt and PeeWee age will have games most nights of the week and Sunday evenings. Though the league is full for this summer, if you are interested please contact the Arena office (458 -2845) to be put on the mailing list for 1993. Come watch a game or two... it's a great way to cool off on a hot summer night! Ice rental is available this summer and into the fall. Rates vary by time of day and day of the week, so call the Arena office at 458 -2845 to see what hours you can reserve. building construction. The Preservationist of the Year is named as part of the city' Historic Preservation Week celebration, held each year in May. Previous winners included Ron and Jean Nienaber, Tom and Linda Nathan and David and Deborah Frey. by Public Works Dept. City of Cottage Grove l� "Repair shaky mailbox" "Oh, the weather outside is frightful." Well, that statement really isn't true. We are finally having some nice 80- degree days. However, it won't be long before those nasty snowplows will be out looking to devour as many mailboxes as possible. At least that's the perception some people have. The fact is that very few mailboxes are actu- ally hit by snowplows themselves. The majority of mailbox damage is caused by the snow coming off the plows as it is thrown onto the boule- vards. Light, fluffy snow usually is not a problem. It's the heavy, wet snow that gives homeowners the most grief. The city does not repair or replace mail - boxes that are knocked over or off their stands from thrown /blown snow. The homeowner has the responsibility to provide a box and post sturdy enough to with- stand our winter nui- sances (unless, of course, you enjoy picking up your mailbox after each snowfall)! The Public Works Department has noticed a number of mailboxes and posts throughout the city that are in need of repair. It appears that many of these structures could not withstand a strong wind, much less snow being thrown against them. If your mailbox falls into this category, you are encouraged to repair, replace, straighten, tighten or do whatever it takes to hold your mailbox and post together. Not only will you have peace of mind: it may save the Public Works Department a number of calls this snow season! Good luck, and thank you for your cooperation. Watering ban Cottage Grove water customers are reminded that there is a year -round restriction on lawn AND GARDEN sprinkling. The ordinance limits sprinkling to even - numbered days for properties with even - numbered addresses, and odd- numbered days for properties with odd - numbered addresses. Street repairs City crews will be working very hard this summer patching and repairing our roadways. This year there is more repair work than the city can do itself. At their July 1 meet- ing, the Citq Council authorized some needed asphalt repair work to be completed by a contrac- tor. In order to have this work completed, however, we will not be seal coating this year. The areas that will require special attention are: • 74th St. S., east and west of Homestead Ave. • 71 st St. S. from Idsen Ave. to Hyde Ave. • Irish Ave. S., from Irish Ct. to Irish Av. cul -de -sac 75th St. S. west of Jamaica Ave. The intersection of Jamaica Ave. and 80th St. These areas will be filled and overlaid with asphalt, except for the intersection of Jamaica and 80th, which will be totally replaced. The Grey Cloud Lime Kiln