HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003 AprilW11U`W C07TAG� GROVE ORG: ,,;;
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City Council
Jim Wolcott Pat Rice'
Cheryl Kohis Mark Grossklaus
City Administrator Ryan Schroeder ....458 2822
.Asst City Admin.. ::Michelle Wolfe .. ....458 -2882
Bldg. Officio ...:Bob LaBrosse ..... ,.,458 -2828
City Clerk .._Caron Stronsky .....48 &2814
City Engineer ...Nancy Hanzik,_ .458 -2890
Community Dev. ...Kim Lindquist.. ,.458 -2824
Finance .,.Ron Hedberg _. ..458 -2832
Fire Svcs Chief ...Bob Byerly -. -. -.45 8-2860
Golf Pro /Mgr ...Bruce Anderson ,..438 -2121
Ice Arena /Rec _ Zoo Donner _. 458-2846
Public Safety ,,,,,John Mickelson Jr. 45816014
Public Works __Les Burn _- _.._458 -2810
Editor,,.. _.. .......Margo Doter,.
Drive to River Oaks
for a "4- Star" golf experfe y .
Enjoy beautiful spring golfing at the Rive,
recently named one of Golf Digest's "Four-
The course, three miles south of Jamaica
features 18 holes of scenic golf, par 71, and in
from the championship tees and 5,224 yards frtst'
There are 57 sand bunkers and three ponds on t13
offers both 9 -hole and 18 -hole green fees. Member
Passes are available for individuals, serf
couples. Tournament packages are also
Check with the River Oaks staff for i
leagues (for couples, seniors, men, ladie
and lessons for all abilities. All lessons
PGA Golf Professionals with video analy;
Call 438 -2121 for more information.
Spring Fun at River Oaks Clubhouse -
April 13 Egg Hunt, Mothers' Day Brunch
A Children's Egg Hunt on April 13 and
special Mothers' Day Brunch on May 11 will highlight sprir
family activities at the River Oaks Clubhouse. Come on out Ar
and enjoy carnival games, races, special visitors, and lots of it
a.m. to 2 p.m., with the Egg Hunt at 1 p.m.
Treat Mom to a delicious brunch at beautiful River Oaks, s
a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 11. Reservations required - 438 -3
The Clubhouse Grill is open for weekend breakfasts, busin
lunches, and relaxing dinners on the patio or inside. The Grill
offers these weekly specials:
Wednesdays Two Tacos For $1.00
Thursdays $1.00 Burgers
Fridays All You Can Eat Fish Fry
River Oaks' Clubhouse facilities accommodate up to 275 p
for receptions, meetings, banquets, and special parties. The
Clubhouse has special packages for school events, business or
ings, Friday and Sunday weddings, and golf tournaments. For
information, call the Clubhouse at 438- 3627.
POSTAL PA'I
Carrier Route F
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Permit No, 1
Cottage Grove, MN
Contains a minimum of 10% postconsumer waste
April, 2003
LOCATION
State budget crisis to have
,
impact at local level
AMOUNT
In February, Governor Tim Pawlenty announced his budget
t
1 ,, k oli`
proposal for the next two years. Included in this proposal are sig-
PERSON
nificant cuts in the aid the City of Cottage Grove receives from the
OF AID
State of Minnesota.
These aid cuts include Local Government Aid (LGA) and the
INDEX
Homestead Credit Program. The LGA program is a version of a rev-
REMAINING
enue sharing between Minnesota cities that has existed for a num-
Greater MN
ber of years. Through LGA, Cottage Grove has received approxi-
Earth Day .... .... 2
mately $966,000 each year. The Homestead Credit Program is a
Jaycees Sandbox Fill ................2
credit, or reduction, that residential property owners receive on
Great Grove Get Together ...... 3
their property tax bills. Until now, the state then paid to the City
Peddlers' Ordinance .........3
the amount that residents did not pay. For 2003, the amount of
Police News .......... ...... .4
Homestead Credit our residential property owners receive is
Home Improvement Permits A
approximately $803,000.
Regina Clinic ....... ..........4
City Commissions .... ..........5
Under the Governor's proposal, the cuts that Cottage Grove
Govt, Cable Channel Listings 5
can expect are $889,162 in 2003, and $1,689,409 in 2004. Once
CG Company Store ...............5
the cuts are fully implemented, they will represent 16% of the
Spring Cleanup Day.... .. ...6
General Fund Budget and 95.5% of the aid that Cottage Grove
Hshold Hazardous Waste ........6
currently receives.
Public Works Memo Board......?
The Governor's proposal includes designated revenue streams
Water Flushing Schedule ........7
that we use to either pay for debt service or are amounts that we
River Oaks Events .. .........8
'
receive from developers used to install infrastructures in new sub -
.,; Rec Programs /Golf /Ice Arena ,
divisions. These amounts cannot be "redirected to other uses" as
Section
the Governor has proposed because they are committed to debt
......Center
a
service. The result is that we must make up the resulting cuts out
w_ . c....,.
of the General Fund either by increasing other revenues or making
cuts to services provided. We will be looking at both avenues to
address the cuts in state aids.
If you want to talk to your
The cuts included in the Governor's proposal disproportionate
elected officials about
ly impact growing communities such as Cottage Grove. The table
the proposed cuts in
below shows how the contribution of the City of Cottage Grove
state aids, see contact
towards the state budget deficit compares to the average contribu-
information on Page 2.
tions of the rest of the State and Metro area.
Cont. on Page 2
IMPACT OF STATE 'AID CUTS ON MIbi141ESOTA CITIES
LOCATION
TOTAL
CUTS PER
CUT AS A
AMOUNT
REMAINING
CUT IN
PERSON
% OF AID
OF AID
AID PER
AIDS
RECEIVED
REMAINING
PERSON
Greater MN
$113,828,000
$80.75
31.0%
$253,559,000
$179.87
Mpls /St. P
$87,923,000
$131.29
42.4%
$101,540,000
$151.62
Suburbs
$72,326,000
$37.76
74.5%
$17,964,000
$9.38
TOTAL
$274,077,000
$68.61
40.8%
$373,064,000
$93.38
COTTAGE
GROVE
$1,689,000
$54.93
95.5%
$80,000
$2.60
.2-
Impact of state budget cuts ...
(Cont. from Page 1)
As the chart on Page 1 shows, the City of Cottage
Grove receives cuts per capita of $55 per person. This
amounts to 95% of the aid we receive from the state.
While this cut per person may not be as large as the
state -wide average, the chart shows that even after the
cuts are applied, the average state -wide aids total $93
per person, more than the City of Cottage Grove ever
received.
You can also see that in 2004, the City of Cottage
Grove will receive $2.60 per capita while communities in
Greater Minnesota will continue to receive an average of
$179.87 per capita. Even after the cuts to aids are taken
into account, there will still be communities that will
receive more in state aid than the City of Cottage Grove
spends in total on operating expenses.
Another provision of the Governor's proposal is a
strict restriction on the City's ability to increase taxes to
make up for the cuts in state aid. This restriction will
require the City Council to consider significant cuts to
services and /or other ways to increase revenues, such
as user fees. Over the next few months, while the legis-
lature debates the state budget solution, the City
Council will be re- examining what is the basic level of
services that the City will be able to provide.
The upcoming challenge to the City's budget will
require citizens and local officials to work together to
identify areas and services where reductions can be
made. While the final legislation adopted will likely be
different from the current proposal, the magnitude of
the state budget deficit makes it clear that significant
cuts to state aids to cities will likely occur.
It is our hope that our state representatives will
work to find allocation of the cuts that is fair and equi-
table to all citizens of Minnesota.
,STATE GOVERNMENT CONTACTS
(If you want to contact
state officials on the proposed
budget, here are
names and numbers of key people.)
Governor
Tim Pawlenty, 130 State Capitol, St.
$6.00 PER WHEELBARROW
Paul, MN 55155; 651 - 291 -3391;
FILL DATE: May 17, 2003
governor@state.mn.us
Commissioner
Dan McElroy
of Finance
658 Cedar St., St. Paul, 55155 -1603
651- 296 -5900; FAX 296 -8685
Chair, house
Ron Abrams, 585 State Office Bldg.
'Faxes Comm;
St. Paul, MN 55155; 651- 296 -9934
Spkr Pro Tern
rep. ron.abramsOhouse.mn.
Chair, Senate
Lawrence Pogemiller, 235 State
Committee
Capitol, St. Paul 55155; 296 -7809;
on Taxes
sen.larry.pogemiller®senate.mn
Senate Majority John Hettinger, 208 State Capitol
Leader
St. Paul, MN 55155; 651- 296 -6153
State Sen.
Sharon Marko, G -24 Capitol Bldg.
District 57
St. Paul, MN 55155; 651- 297 -8060
sen. sharon. marko@ senate. mn
State House
Katie Sieben, 211 State Office Bldg.
Dist. 57A
St. Paul, MN 55155: 651- 296 -4342
rep. katie. sieben@house. mn
State House
Denny McNamara, 577 State Office
Dist. 57B
Bldg. St. Paul, MN 55155; 296 -3135;
rep. denny.mcnamara@house.mn
- -- ------------------------------------------ - -
HEY KIDS! IT'S TIME FOR THE
- - --
COTTAGE GROVE JAYCEES
ANNUAL SANDBOX FILL
$6.00 PER WHEELBARROW
FILL DATE: May 17, 2003
I
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: May 3, 2003
Please fill out this form and send to Sandbox Chair, P.O. Box 5, CG
55016. Flyers will also go to elementary schools in early April.
Name
Address
,
Phone #
Number of Wheelbarrows at $6.00 per barrow
i
Mark Earth Day at
Grey Cloud Dunes
Adult and youth volunteers
are invited to celebrate Earth
Day, Saturday, April 26, by help-
ing to remove invasive shrubs
from the Grey Cloud Dunes
Scientific and Natural Area.
The event is scheduled from
9 a.m. to noon at the Grey Cloud
Dunes, located at the western
end of 110th Street. Volunteers
will cut back sumac that is
encroaching on the prairie. For
more information or to volunteer
call Thomas Ibsen, Mississippi
National River & Recreation Area
Volunteers -in -Parks Manager, at
651- 290 -3030, ext. 233.
Public Works Department Memo Board
Garden plots not avail-
able this year
Due to budget constraints
and the cost of maintaining
garden plots, the City regrets
that it will no longer be able to
offer residents the use of the
plots at 85th Street and
Granada Avenue.
'\ Compost site opens 411
The compost site at 95th
Street and Glendenning Road
is scheduled to open April 1.
Hours will be
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Weekdays
9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturdays
11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sundays
e k Boulevard Repairs
Again this spring, the
Public Works Department will
perform boulevard repairs on
damage that resulted from win-
ter snowplowing.
Repairs are tentatively
scheduled for the third week of
May, depending on the avail-
ability of sod.
Residents who believe their
boulevard has sustained plow
damage should contact Public
Works at 458 -2808 to be placed
on the schedule.
Garage Sale Signs
Reminder: it is unlawful to
attach any type of sign to a reg-
ulatory sign or post, or to a
street light pole.
Garage sale and similar
signs should be placed on
wooden stakes or an "A" frame.
Residents must be careful
not to block drivers' vision in
the placement of their signs.
After the sale is over, signs
should be removed as soon as
possible. Thank you!
`, Street Sweeping
Street sweeping to clean
salt and sand that were spread
during the winter usually
begins about April 1. This year
a sweeping contractor will work
with City
crews to com-
plete this major spring project.
Sweeping will begin with
major streets such as 80th,
Jamaica, Hinton, Hadley, East
and West Point Douglas, and
Grange. Residents are encour-
aged to sweep sand off their
boulevards onto the street
before crews pass through their
neighborhood.
For more information,
please contact the Public Works
Department at 458 -2808.
Parking Ban until 4130
The Police Department
reminds all residents that the
On -Street Parking Ordinance is
in effect until April 30, 2003.
Parking is banned on all City
streets between 2 and 6 a.m.
lk Pothole Hotline
Call 458 -2808 to report any
potholes within City limits. We'll
do our best to fill them fast.
Water main flushing to begin April 7
To protect the City's water supply, all Cottage Grove water mains will be flushed beginning the week of
April 7 and continuing through the week of April 28.
Check the map at right to see which zone your home is in. Dates
for each zone will be: " r
Zone 1 Week of April 7
Zone 2 Week of April 14
Zone 3 Week of April 21 k, r, ny lia
Zone 4 Week of April 28
Public Works Department employees flush the water mains twice "!
each year by opening each of the approximately 1,000 fire hydrants
in Cottage Grove. The sudden rush of water loosens and removes r ,,'
accumulated mineral deposits from the lines. I
This process may cause discoloration of the wager in the home.
tl
The water is safe to drink, but. it could stain fabrics if you are wadi-
ing clothes at the time the water mains are being flushed. Be sure to
check for signs of discoloration in your water before starting a load of clothes.
The Public Works Department also suggests that you flush out the taps in your home this spring,
since iron deposits tend to build up in residential lines. When weather permits and all hydrants have been
flushed in your neighborhood, open the outside faucets and run all the cold water taps in your home at
full force. The water will start out clear, then become discolored. Leave the taps open until the water runs
clear again, usually in 10 to 30 minutes.
If you have any questions, please call the Public Works Department at 651- 458 -2808.
sm
Househ Clea nup
• Hazardous Waste Collectio
Hot Water Heater ............................$10
Water Softener .... ............................$10
Washer .............. ............................$10
Dryer ............... ...............................
$10
Stove .................. ............................$10
$5
Refrigerator ........ ............................$10
Freezer ............. ...............................
$10
Dishwasher ........ ............................$10
Microwave .......... ............................$10
Air Conditioner .. ............................$20
Sofa ................. ...............................
$1.0
Chair ................. ...............................
$5
Box Spring or Mattress
(any size) ........ ............................$10
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL BY LOAD:
Car Trunk
Station Wagon /SUV
Pickup Truck (level load)
Proportional rates may be applied
to partial loads or overloaded trucks.
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
Television
Computer
TIRES AND BATTERIES
Car Tire
Truck Tire
Tractor Tire
Car Batteries
$10
$15
$35
$15
$15
$2
$5
$10
No Charge
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE
Again this year, Washington County will sponsor a Household Hazardous Waste collection at the Public
Works Garage in conjunction with Spring Cleanup Day.
Acceptable items include pesticides, insecticides, paint and varnish, full or partially -full aerosol con-
tainers, driveway sealers, roofing products, acids, bases, fluorescent lamps, rechargeable batteries, pool
chemicals, used oil, oil filters, auto fluids, and drain cleaners.
Proof of Washington County residency will be required. Business waste will not be accepted. If you need
additional information on the Hazardous Waste collection, please call Washington County at 651 -430-
6770.
-3-
------------------------------------------------
Save .tune 14 owwl � Grand Marshall Nomination
for 'Great Grove Do you know a Cottage Grove resident who is an exceptional
Save Saturday, June 14, citizen either for the City of Cottage Grove or in a wider arena? ;
for Cottage Grove's annual fes-
tival, the Great Grove Get
Together. The parade and carni-
val will be on Saturday, June
14, and the pageant will follow
on June 22.
If you would like to help
organize this community-build-
ing event by running a booth,
selling buttons, or joining our
planning committee, please call
Great Grove Get Together
Chair Gary Kjellburg at 651-
459- 1493, or email him at
gary
Please watch for more infor-
mation on the City's website,
www.cottage- grove.org /gggt
IA '
Nominate that person to be the Grand Marshall of the Great
Grove Get Together Grand Parade, Saturday, June 14. ;
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PERSON YOU ARE NOMINATING:
REASON FOR NOMINATION
I
YOUR NAME & PHONE # '
Please send your nomination to City Clerk Caron Stransky,
Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516 80th St. S., CG 55016. ;
Deadline: May 1, 2003. Thank you so much! ;
----------------- --- -- ----------- --- - - - - -- -- ------------------- - - - - -'
Ordinance regulates door -to -door peddlers, solicitors
Ordinances regulating door -
to -door peddlers and solicitors
in the City of Cottage Grove
were revised extensively at a
City Council meeting in
January.
Under the revised ordi-
nance, all peddlers and solici-
tors must be licensed by and
registered with the City of
Cottage Grove. "Peddlers" and
"solicitors" refer to persons who
go door to door or place-to-
place offering goods or services
for immediate sale or future
delivery.
Young people exempt
The new restrictions do not
apply to youth under the age of
18 who are selling goods and
services on behalf of organiza-
tions to which they belong (e.g.,
schools, school organizations,
or athletic teams).
The Ordinance was revised
to answer residents' complaints
to the Police Department about
the behavior and sales prac-
tices of a handful of peddlers
and solicitors. Over the past
year, City staff has worked to
strengthen the City's ordinance
to minimize these problems in
the future, while still maintain-
ing business persons' rights to
sell their products.
Licensing process
The licensing and registra-
tion process requires any per-
son or business wishing to sell
items door -to -door or place -to-
place to furnish information on
all sales people who will be
doing business. Once an appli-
cant provides the required
information, the City reviews
the application and conducts an
investigation, including criminal
background checks if neces-
sary, to verify the information.
If the applicant fails to provide
truthful information, or if crimi-
nal or misdemeanor convictions
exist, the application may be
denied.
Applications can also be
denied if the applicant has a
bad business reputation, if their
actions adversely affect the
public welfare, if they have
active warrants for arrest, or if
there is a revocation within the
last five years of a similar
license or registration.
Active peddlers and solici-
tors can have their license
and registration revoked for
the same reasons.
"Peddlers and solicitors
will be required to carry a
copy of their City license or
registration when conducting
business," according to City
Clerk Caron Stransky. "Go
ahead and ask the door -to-
door salesperson if they have
their copy. If they don't, you
may be doing business with
someone who is not comply-
ing with the ordinance." A
violation of the ordinance will
be a misdemeanor subject to
a $700 fine, 90 days in jail,
or both.
If you know of someone
who is in violation of this
ordinance, feel free to contact
the Cottage Grove Police
Department's non - emergency
number at 651 - 458 -2811.
If you have questions
about the ordinance, please
contact the City Clerk at 651-
458 -2814.
Police News; bikes, volunteers, and 240th 'Your Public Safety'
Free Bike Registration
Do you have a bike?
Register it FREE at N_
the Cottage Grove
Police Department
(west side of City
Hall, 7516 80th St.
S.). You will need the
bicycle's make, model, color,
and serial number.
You will receive free of
charge a reflective non- peelable
numbered sticker to be placed
on the frame of the bike. A reg-
istration form is also completed
and kept on file in the Police
Department.
A recovered lost or stolen
bicycle is identified by its regis-
tration number and can be
returned quickly to its owner.
Still Needed: McGrufff Houses
and Neighborhood Watch
McGruff House is for chil-
dren in emergency situations.
Neighborhood Watch helps
identify and report suspicious
activity in neighborhoods.
Check with Community Affairs
Officer Greg Reibel, 458 -6025,
if you can help with either of
these effective neighborhood
safety programs.
Join Crime Prevention
Advisory Board
The Cottage Grove Crime
Prevention Advisory Board is
seeking new members who are
willing to volunteer at least one
hour per month to help with
the reduction of crime and pro-
motion of crime prevention in
Cottage Grove.
The Board is independent
of City government, but works
in direct cooperation with the
Police Department. Board
meetings are held on the sec-
ond Monday of each month at
7 p.m. at Fire Station #2.
Those wishing more informa-
tion or to apply for the Board
should contact Community
Affairs Officer Greg Reibel at
458 -6025.
'Your Public Safety' airs
240th show
The Cottage Grove Police
Department's bi- weekly cable
television series "Your Public
Safety" recently aired its 240th
show. It began airing in
December, 1991, and remains
one of the most watched public
safety shows on cable television
in the South Washington
County cable viewing area.
Produced and presented by
the City's Police and Fire
Departments, "Your Public
Safety" airs seven days a week
on cable access Channel 16. It
was created to inform, educate,
and create awareness among
Cottage Grove citizens in issues
of public safety.
REGINA HOSPITAL opened a new
Cottage Grove Clinic near Jamaica
and East Pt. Douglas last month. Its
staff includes, (standing, from left)
Kim Harer; Dr. Angela Parsons, pedi-
atrician; and Bonnie Tank. Seated,
from left, are Brenda Rooker and
Nicole Mitka.
Spring - It's permit time for home improvement projects
Property owners and contractors planning con-
struction or remodeling projects must obtain building
permits prior to starting projects such as:
✓ Decks, porches, or gazebos;
✓ Additions, basements, or multi -level
frushing work;
✓ Utility sheds or garages;
✓ Driveways or parking areas;
✓ Swimming pools or outdoor hot tubs;
✓ Siding, roofing, or window installations;
✓ Furnaces, central air conditioning, water
heaters, or lawn sprinkler systems.
Building and Planning staff members will conduct
a brief review of your project, including construction
details and pertinent site plans to assure compliance
with zoning and building code requirements. As you pro-
ceed with your permitted project, the
Building staff can answer questions
and conduct inspections to accom-
modate completion of your project
on tithe and according to construc-
tion and zoning standards. Some
permits may be issued while you
wait, or simply processed by mail.
Permit applications may be
obtained in person, by mail, by fax
(651- 458 - 2881), or via the City web -
site, www.coitage- grove.org
For more information, contact
the Building Division at 651- 458 -2877, or visit the
Community Development Department at: City Hall,
7516 80th St. S.
sm
City Commissions seek members
Cottage Grove residents are invited to apply for
openings on several Citizens' Advisory Commissions.
Those with one or more vacant seats at this time
include:
Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation (2)
Human Services /Human Rights Commission (2)
Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources
Commission (1)
Public Safety, Health, and Welfare Commission (2)
Public Works Commission (2)
Any City resident interested in serving on these
Advisory Commissions should contact. City Clerk Caron
Stransky at 651- 458 -2814.
An information packet and application form are also
available on the City's website at www.cottage- grove.org
Tune in to Cottage Grove news on
Gov't Access Cable Channel 16
CITY COUNCIL MEETING: 8 am Monday; 7 pm
Wednesday (LIVE 1st & 3rd Weds); 7 pm Thursday;
8 am & 7 pm Friday; 7 pm Saturday.
COUNCIL UPDATE: 9 am Sunday; 10 pm Monday;
6 pm Tuesday; 10 pm Wednesday; noon & 6 pm
Thursday; 10 pm Friday; 6 pm Saturday.
YOUR PUBLIC SAFETY- 8:30 am, 2 pm & 7 pm
Sunday; 5:30 pm Wednesday; 5:30 pm Friday; 11 pm
Saturday.
REC CONNECTION: 6:30 am & 7 pm Sunday; 7
am Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday; 10 pm
Saturday.
INSIDE YOUR CITY: 9:30 am & 10 pm Sunday;
12:30 pm Monday; 12:30 & 6:30 pm Wednesday; 2:30
& 6:30 pm Saturday.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 7 am, noon, 6 pm,
& 9 pm Sunday; noon Monday; noon & 6 pm
Wednesday; 10 pm Thursday; noon & 6 pm Friday.
CITY COMMISSIONS AND SPECIAL PRO -
GRAMS: See Cable Channel 16 schedule.
OPEN FOR BUSINESS in Grove Plaza is Cottage Grove's new
Home Depot.