Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000 SpringBldg. Official Bob LaBrosse ....458 -2828 City Clerk ....Caron Stransky _458-2814 Comm. Dev...Kim Lindquist ... ...458 -2824 Finance.. Elizabeth Johnson ..458 -2832 Fire Chief ....Dave Dally......... 458- 2860. Golf Pro /Mgr Bruce Anderson .438 - 2121' Parks /Rec ....John Fredrickson': 458 -2846 Public Safety James Kinsey ....458 -6001 Public Works Les Burshten ...... 458 -2810 City of Cottc gee rov r Again this year, the Cottage Grove Police Department is offering free bicycle registration for all City residents. Bikes can be registered at the Community Policing Resource Center in Cottage Square Mall, 8200 Hadley "This program acts as a deterrent to bicycle theft and assists our depart- ment in returning lost or stolen bicycles back to their owners," according to James Kinsey, Cottage Grove Director of Public Safety. Spring registration dates and times will be: March 11, 18, 25; April 1, 8, 29; May 6, 13, 20 - all 10 a.m. to Noon You may also make an appointment to register your bike by calling Community Watch Coordinator Ceil Peterson at 769 -0025. Bicycle registrants receive, free of charge, a reflective non- peelable num- bered sticker which is placed on the frame of the bike. A registration form is also completed and kept on file at the Police Dept. r . ::1 . More than 500 sixth grade elementary students in Cottage Grove will graduate this spring from the 17 -week D.A.R.E. program. Family and friends are invited to their graduations from this program. Each D.A.R.E. graduation will be held in the elementary school gymna- sium. Schools, dates, and times are as follows: Grey Cloud Elementary ..........Tuesday, April 25 ._ ...............2 p.m. Crestview Elementary. . ............ Wednesday, April 26 ............1 p.m. Pine Hill Elementary ................Thursday, May 4 .................... 1 p.m. Armstrong Elementary ............Tuesday, May 9 ..............12:30 p.m. Hillside Elementary ..................Thursday, June 1 .................... 1 p.m. Spring, 2000 Legislative hearings are underway on final plans for the reconstruction of Highway 61, I-494, and the Wakota Bridge in the Newport area. The planned changes are meant to ease the current traffic bottlenecks on and near the bridge, especially during rush hours. Area mayors and county officials, area legislators, and the Commissioner of the MN Dept. of Transportation (MnDOT) are strongly supporting the "full- build" option which has been planned since the early 1990s. A new "partial- build" option proposed last fall would cut out the St. Paul Park interchange on Hwy 61 and remove the "Ring Road" north of Newport, designed to ease the move from Highway 61 to 494. According to Project Manager VerleAibu, however, MnDOT supports the full -build option and has moved into the final planning stage for the project, which is scheduled to start in 2002. Funding is still under discussion in the legislature. Residents of Cottage Grove who feel strongly about the need for the highway reconstruction are urged to write to their legislators and Governor Ventura. Senator Len Price and Rep. Sharon Marko are strong supporters of the "full, build" option, but can use more citizen support in their conversations with other lawmakers. Where To Write: The Honorable Gov. Jesse Ventura, State Capitol Rm. 130, St. Paul, MN 55155; governor@state.mn.us w Sen. Len Price: 235 State Capitol, 75 Constitution Av., St. Paul, MN 55155 -1606 w Rep. Sharon Marko, 221 State Office Bldg., St. Paul, MN 55155 THE HWY 611494/WAKOTA BRIDGE INTERCHANGE was a major topic at the "State of the City" meeting sponsored by the Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce last month. Here, local realtor Floyd Ott, left, and County Commissioner Myra Peterson discuss the Trees from County ...:... .........5 Household Cleanup: ..... 6 J Waste Collection .......7 Other Public Works News ....,.6 -7 Bike Registrations .. .... - .... ......... ,8 D.A.R.E. Graduations ................8 Cottage Grove police have joined the Washington County Sheriff and police from Woodbury, Oakdale, and Stillwater on the Washington County Drug Task Force, an organization fighting the use and dissemination of drugs. The Sheriff contributes persotrrtel, equipment, and two K9 units to the Task Force, while the cities each com- mit one police officer. "We are extremely grateful to the Mayor; City Council, and City Admin- "It is another istrator Ryan Schroeder for supporting example of this proactive team approach to com- the concern bating drugs," said Chief James E. Kinsey, Director of Public Safety. our citizens "This effort combines with our have for our D.A.R.E. program, which includes children and police officer contact not only at the community." sixth grade level, but starting in kindergarten and continuing in every )antes Kinsey, grade through junior high. It is another Director of example of the concern our citizens Public safety have for our children and community. It's teamwork that really works, and our participation in this Drug Task Force means we're in one more area with a proven track record." For more information, contact Chief Kinsey or Captain Michael Zurbey at the Police Department 458- Contains a minimum of 10% postconsumer waste proposed highway reconstruction project. 2811, or Sheriff James Frank at 430 -7601. P 1 r : • ,, • by Barb Stof£el, Chairperson "The Great Grove Get - Together," Cottage Grove's annual city festival, is once again sched- uled for the second weekend of June — June 9 and 10. It's sure to be an event enjoyed by all, so don't forget to mark your calendars. Our goals include: • involve as many local busi- nesses as possible; • expand the fundraising opportunities for local non- profit organizations; • more volunteers! • more participation in the parade. Many events will be held Saturday, June 10, at Kingston Park. Major events include: Button Raffle, Fun Run Edina Realty Medallion Hunt Children's Games Foods /Vendors Live Entertainment Top 20 Car Show Cottage Grove Royalty Pageant DeMori s Street Dance For more detailed information about events, volunteering, fundraising, or how your business can get involved, please visit our website at www.cottage- grove.org or call 458 -6057, option 8. ' All in i D . f Craig Jaworski, left, of the Cottage Grove Public Works Dept., was featured this winter on the cable TV show "All In A Day's Work" on Govt. Access Channel 1.6. The half -hour show explained how the City gets its 145 miles of streets, 206 cul -de -sacs, and 19 miles of sidewalks plowed after every snowfall. The producers are in the process of making a new video on street sweeping. Catch it on Govt. Access Channel 16! City sails through Y2K changeover by Jenny Jennings CG Management Information Systems Coordinator Airplanes did not fall from the skies. Nuclear missiles didn't launch themselves. The lights stayed on. We didn't even have phone problems here in Cottage Grove. Thanks to the preparation work of public and private institutions and the level - headedness of citizens, Y2K turned out to be just another New Year's Eve in terms of computer operations, thank goodness! In addition, the predictions that computer problems would continue to crop up into the New Year have not materialized. Our major databas- es continue to function normally, and the banks and other outside agencies with which we deal haven't reported any problems. We would like to say a special "Thank You" to the ham radio opera- tors who volunteered their time to set up and staff our back -up communica- tion network on New Year's Eve. Thanks, too, to all the City staff who spent the evening of Dec. 31 here at City Hall instead of with their fami- lies. Their efforts to keep our commu- nity safe and willingness to be here just in case they were needed were very much appreciated! Fun Run Early events in the Nr "Great Grove Get - Together" include a one -mile, 5K, and Kids 1/2 mile Fun Run, all scheduled for Saturday, June 3, starting at 8 a.m. at Kingston Park. The events may include team competitions. Application forms will be available at City Hall after mid - March, or call Charly Kainz at 612 - 352 -9464. "Your Public Safety," the award - winning cable TV show by Cottage Grove's Department of Public Safety, will air its 200th show on April 25. Congratulations to everyone who's been involved in its production. The Cottage Grove Crime Prevention Advisory Board is looking for new members. If you're interested in helping to reduce crime and promote crime prevention in Cottage Grove, please contact Community Affairs Officer Greg Rei,bel at 458 -6025. Congratulations to Police Officer Mike Coffey, who recent- ly completed a training program for D.A.R.E. He has been assigned to Armstrong Elementary. Don't forget - this is Minnesota FoodShare Month. Food or cash contributions to local food shelves during the month of March are increased by incentive allocations from MN FoodShare and the Feinstein Challenge. Please be generous! Send to Friends in Need, P.O. Box 6, Cottage Grove, MN 1111imm 55016. 'O Qhare h Bring Household Hazardous Waste to collection May 6 Wondering what to do with old paint, gasoline, paint thinner, garden chemicals, and other unwanted or unusable hazardous products in your home? Bring them to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection in Cottage Grove for proper disposal. Again this year, the site for the Hazardous Waste Collection will be the Cottage Grove Public Works Garage at 8635 W. Pt. Douglas Rd. (just south of Jamaica on the service road west of Highway 61). Year 2000 Household Hazardous Waste Collection dates and hours will be: Saturday, May 6 .......... ..............................8 a.m. - 4 p.m Saturday, July 8 ............................... .. ....... 9 a.m. -1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23 ...... ..............................9 a.m. - 1 p.m. WHAT TO BRING: Used oil, oil filters, anti - freeze, other auto fluids Pesticides, garden chemicals, insecticides Paint thinner, solvents, gasoline Photographic chemicals Ni -Cad batteries (rechargeable) Drain cleaners, other cleaners Pool chemicals Propane cylinders Paints, stains, varnishes Full or partially full aerosol cans Driveway sealer Roof coatings, roofing tar Acids, bases Fluorescent lamps Any other poisonous, flammable, corrosive household products NOTE: Proof of county residency (such as a driver's license) is required. NOTE: Business waste is NOT accepted. NOTE: There'll be no "re -use" table this year. There is no fee to dispose of household hazardous waste at the collection. Household Hazardous Waste Management Is a program of the Washington County Health, Environment and Land Management Dept. If you have questions or comments about the program, or need assistance due to disability or language barrier, call the Department at 430 -6770 or 430 -6655 (TDD 439- 3220). garden plots available Cottage Grove gardeners are invited to apply for free 30'x60' garden plots provided by the City near the Ashland Oil tank farm, 85th Street & Granada. If you had a garden plot last year, you may reserve the same space by calling the Public Works Department at 458 -2808 before April 1. After April 1, all plots will be assigned on a first -come, first- served basis. The gardens will be plowed by the City at the beginning and end of the season. Certain restrictions apply. Please check with Public Works for more information. Congratulations! 93% of us recycle The City of Cottage Grove has a weekly curbside recycling pro- gram in conjunction with trash pickup. Your recyclable items must be separated and placed in a blue or green recycling bin, available from the City when you move in. More than 93 percent of Cottage Grove residents participat- ed in the City's curbside recycling program last year, according to the Cottage Grove Public Works Dept. Some 7,284 households took advantage of curbside recycling in 1999. During the last six months of the year they recycled: • 1,065 tons of paper . 57 tons of metal /cans • 150 tons of glass • 43 tons of plastic Check with your trash hauler for specifics on how and what you can recycle. Remember: do not set polystyrene items at the curbside. They may be dropped off at Cub Foods, 8690 E. Pt. Douglas Rd. Recyclable polystyrene is marked by the chasing arrows around the number 6. Curbside recycling pays! More than $4,000 in certificates from local merchants has been awarded so far to Cottage Grove residents who participate in curb- side recycling. Residential addresses are drawn at random for the incentive program. If the homeowner is found to be participating in curb- side recycling on trash pickup day, he or she receives a gift certificate. Questions? Please call Public Works at 458 -2808. Remember: the On- Street Parkin Ordinance is in effect ect until April 30. The ordinance pro- hibits parking any vehicle on any residential street from 2 to 6 a.m. Drop off your unneeded items at. Cottage Grove Public Works Garage 8635 W. Pt. Douglas Rd. (Just south of Jamaica along the service road west of Hwy. 61) Saturday, May 6 .......... .............................. a.m. - 4 p.m. Sunday, May 7 ............................. ......... 10 a.m. - 412.m. BY ITEM: ADDITIONAL MATERIAL BY LOAD: Hot water heater ..... .............................$8 Water softener .......... ..............................8 Car trunk full ......... .............................S5 Washer or dryer ........ ..............................8 Station wagon ........................................ 10 Stove .....:.................... ..............................8 Pickup truck: level load ......................25 Refrigerator ................ ..............................8 (Proportional rates may be applied to partial Freezer ........................ ..............................8 loads and overloaded trucks) Dishwasher ................ ..............................8 Microwave ... ... __ ...... ..............................8 Air conditioner ......... .............................16 NOTE: See article on Page 7 for Sofa ........................... .............................10 information on the Household Chair .......................... ..............................5 Hazardous Waste Collection, Box spring or mattress (single) ............5 also on May 6. Box spring or mattress (double) ..........5 TIRES AND BATTERIES: Car fire - $1.50......... Truck fire - $5 ............ Tractor tire - $10 Batteries (car) ..........................No charge Compost Site opens 4/1 95th & Glendenning Open 11 -7 M -F; 9 -5 weekends street before the sweepers come through. I . sod. Residents who believe their boulevards have sustained damage from City snowplows may contact Public Works at 458 -2808. NOMEM =IN r �• Beginning about April 3, all Cottage Grove streets will be swept to remove the winter's residue of sand, salt, and dirt. The first streets to be swept will be 80th, Jamaica, East and West Pt. Douglas, Hinton, Hadley, and Grange. The total sweeping process will take about seven working days. Residents are encouraged to sweep sand off their boulevards into the Residents who change the oil in their vehicles are encouraged to pick up, free of charge, a 2 -gallon storage container at the Public Works building, 8635 W. Pt. Douglas Rd. S. Boulevards damaged by City snow plows this winter will be repaired by Public Works crews. The repairs are tentatively scheduled for the third week of May, depending on the weather and availability of Reminder to homeowners liv- ing adjacent to parks and open spaces: do not encroach on City land. Common violations include illegal use of public lands for fences, playground equipment landscaping materials, flower beds, vegetable gardens, firewood, yard waste, and sheds. These and other private uses of City land are pro- hibited by the City Code and the violator is subject to a fine. 91 i 1 t 1 A $150,000 "Livable Communities` matching grant has been awarded to the City of Cottage Grove to look into future improvements in the area of the City's Langdon neighborhood. The Langdon area, centered on Islay Street, is south of the City's Public Works Building and just west of Highway 61, straddling the CP rail line. It has a proud history. Langdon is the second oldest neighborhood in Cottage Grove, after Old Cottage Grove, and grew up as a bustling railway village on the main line of the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad (the "Milwaukee Road "). By the late 1880s the Langdon area included stores, homes, and the Town Hall, built for a whopping $900 in 1880 -81. The neighborhood school still stands. The Langdon Town Hall was the seat of Cottage Grove township government from March 9, 1881, to March, 1961. The City has con- tinued to use the historic Town Hall for storage. An eight- foot -wide bituminous off -road pathway will be installed this summer along 100th Street from Hadley to Jamaica, thanks to a $50,000 matching grant from the MN Dept. of Natural Resources. Another $20,000 matching grant has been awarded for a hard -court area at Hearthside Park. The area will feature one tennis court and two basketball courts, and will replace two tennis courts now at the park. The improvements are sched- uled for completion this summer. Council votes to replace Ice Arena Waterpip By a 5-0 vote, the Cottage Grove City Council has directed staff to proceed with plans to remove and replace the existing waterpiping system at the Cottage Grove Ice Arena's mail rink. The Council also approved other mechanical repairs to the refrigeration system to make sure that problems with soft ice, which were experienced last fall at the Arena, do not re -occur in the foreseeable future. In an effort to minimize costs, Public Works Department personnel and Ice Arena personnel will be responsible for all demolition work, preparation of plans and specifications, and the awarding of contract documents. The City expects that construction will begin in late April, with a project- ed completion date of Aug. 1, 2000. l Five City staff members vis- ited third graders at Crestview School this winter to teach a Junior Achievement curriculum on City government. City Administrator Ryan Schroeder, Assistant Administrator Michelle Wolfe, Finance Director Elizabeth Johnson, Community Development Director Kim Lindquist, and Parks & Recreation Director John. Fredrickson helped the children . through lessons on challenges and issues in City government. MRS. LINDA JOHNSON, back left, and her Junior Achievers at Crestview Elementary. E Welcome to these employees, who began working for Cottage Grove during the past several months. DAVE LIERMANN, Dispatcher, Public Safety Dept. Dave graduated from Normandale Community College with an A.A. degree in Law Enforcement, and completed 911 School and an Assoc. of Science degree from Minneapolis Community College. DENNIS NEITZ, Assistant Golf Pro/ Food & Beverage Mgr., River Oaks Dennis has been working seasonal- ly at River Oaks for the past four years, and accept- ed the additional — responsibilities as Food & Beverage Manager in mid- November. He has a degree in Turf Management from the University of MN, and a MN Food Sanitation Certification. Dennis has experience coordinat- ing special events, marketing the golf course and pro shop, training staff, and helping with budget management. RICHARD OFILAND, Public Service Worker, Public Works Dept., Parks Division Rick is a graduate of Northfield H.S., with post-second- ary education at the MN School of Business and Mankato State University. Ike has a MN Building Contractor's License, and has been self - employed in this field for the past 12 years. He also owns a small snow - plowing business. M$.s 0 2000 SPRING HYDRANT FLUSHING t - Here's a simple procedure that can tell you if you have a water leak and how much water you're losing: 1) LOCATE THE WATER METER It may be in the basement, or wherever the water line enters the home. 2) READ THE METER TWICE First at night, after the day's water use has ended; again in the morning, before any water is used. 3) FIGURE THE DIFFERENCE Subtract the night reading from the morning reading to tell you how much water (if any) leaked out overnight. 4) IF YOU SUSPECT A LEAK: Find it by checking pipes, connections, etc. Have it repaired quickly. CHECK SHUT -OFF VALVES REGULARLY and repair or replace as needed. They make repairs easier and save water in emergencies. IF YOU'RE CONSIDER- ING REMODELING: Ask a plumber or plumb- ing supplier about water recycling systems and water saving fixtures. Plan to use smaller dimension pipes and to insulate hot water pipes. Conservation 11'ater main flushin to April To protect the City's water supply, all Cottage Grove water mains will be flushed this spring, beginning the week of April 3 and continuing through the week of April 24. Please check the map at left to see when flushing will take place in your neighborhood. Public Works department employees flush the water mails twice a year by opening each of approximately 1,000 fire hydrants in Cottage Grove. The sudden rush of water loosens and removes accumulated mineral deposits from the lines. This process often causes discoloration of your water. The water is safe to drink, but it could stain fabrics if you are washing clothes at the time the water main is being flushed. Be sure to check for signs of discoloration before using the water to wash clothes. The Public Works Department also suggests you flush out the taps in your home, as iron deposits tend to build up in residential lines. When weather permits and all the 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 becomes clear again, usually in 10 to 30 minutes. If you have any questions about the flushing process, please call Public Works at 458 -2808. County offers trees, shrubs for spring plantings Twenty -four species of bare root trees and shrubs are available this year from the Washington Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). Orders are being accepted now for pickup in late April. The species include deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. All stock is bare root, ranging in size from 8 to 24 itches including roots. Trees are sold in bundles of 25 per species at a cost of $21, including tax. The minimum quanti- ty that may be ordered from the District is one bundle of 25 seedlings. Tree belts on larger home lots, fields, and farmsteads offer benefits to wildlife, energy conservation, and protec- tion from wind and snow. Wildlife habitat tree plantings provide year -round food, shelter, and cover for many game and non -game species. For an order form, more information, or assistance in a tree plan for wildlife, windbreak, or shelterbelt, please con- tact the SWCD at 430 -6827. PARK HIGH SCHOOL'S cross - country team was on the road by late February.