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Home My WebLink About1996 March0ma- Michelle Woife, above, joined the City staff last month as the new As- sistant to the City Administrator and Personnel Director for the City of Cottage Grove. Michelle joins us after seven years on the human re- sources staff for the City of Naperville, Illinois. A native of Lakeville, MN, she said she was excited about moving back to this area. "Every- thing has been great," she said. "The people have been wonderful, and I really like the way things are run here." City Survey. , . Continued from Page 5 prevention program. Almost 43 percent of the respondents were aware of the City's move toward community - oriented policing, and for those with exposure to the program, 94 percent expressed satisfac- tion! They also felt that the program had reduced crime in their neigh- borhood and that they personally felt safer because of it. Finally, the respondents also expressed strong support for having Cottage Grove continue operating its own 911 emergency dispatch center, even if it meant paying $14 per household per year more than using the County service. WORK AND TRANSPORTATION PATTERNS So far, Cottage Grove and its residents seem to behave quite a bit like the classic suburban community. The most frequent work location is still within the City of St. Paul (31 percent), with the second most frequent being employment within Cottage Grove (16 percent). The remainder of Cottage Grove workers travel throughout the metropoli- tan area, and apparently they are still driving their own car — only 8 percent use the MCTO bus system. Further, most couldn't think of any changes to the bus system which would entice them to change those transportation habits. A sizable number would be interested in working in Cottage Grove should a position similar to their current job become available. THANKS TO THE PARTICIPANTS! The Mayor, City Council, and staff wish to thank the 400 respon- dents who were willing to take the time to answer this 173 -item questionnaire. About 20 percent ended up being on the phone for over an hour! City officials will be consulting the survey religiously as facilities, plans, and programs are laid out for future years. Complete results of the survey are available at City Hail for all residents to review. POSTAL PATRON Carrier Route Presort Bulk Rate U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 1 COTTAGE GROVE, MN 55016 March, 1996 • 14;11 owr Annual Ice Show: March 30, 31 Compost Site Opens: April 1 'Spring Clean -Up' Days: April 27, 28 Household Hazard- ous Waste Days: May 4, June 1 Save Water Plan 2 Water main flushing 2 Watch Block.. ......... 3 McGruff House..,..., 3 D.A.R.E., G,R,E.A,T . 3 Your Public Safety., 3 Commissions /youth 4 Cleanup Days ......1. 4 Hsha Haz Waste .... 4 Compost Site .......... 4 Library ...................... 5 Grants ...................... 6 Floral Gardens........ 6 Garage sale signs 6 Street Sweeping ..... 6 Home Offices ......... 6 Spring tree tips ....... 7 Hwy 61 Project ....... 7 by Kevin Frazeii City Administrator A recently com- pleted telephone survey of 400 randomly selected Cottage Grove households shows that, by and large, our citizens are happy with their lives in Cottage Grove, and are generally pleased with City services. The survey, conducted by Decision Resources Ltd. of Minneapolis, was part of the City's attempt to be sure we are "in touch" with our citizens as we make decisions. A random sample of 400 households is considered to be statistically valid — that is, if we had asked all 8,400 households we would have gotten almost exactly the same results. -•- • Probably to no one's surprise, the survey documented that Cottage Grove is a community predomi- nantly made up of middle - income homeowners who live a pretty stable life! Ninety -one percent own their own homes. Education levels are high, with 26 percent college graduates and another 24 percent with at least some college; only 2 percent had less than a high school education. Median household income reported is $50,375, about $6,000 above the Twin Cities suburban norm. Apparently people like it here — about 60 percent said they would still be living in Cottage Grove 10 years from now. LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT The thing respon- dents like most about living in Cottage Grove is its location and quiet "small town" atmo- sphere. An astounding 90 percent feel that it is important or very important to maintain the rural agricultural uses in the eastern and southern portions of the City. Parks, open spaces, trails, and bikeways received endorsements from more than 80 percent of the respondents. Three - quarters of those surveyed also expressed support for the plans of the Metropolitan Council and Washington County to develop Grey Cloud Island into a large regional park with facilities such as camping grounds, picnic areas, river access, and a swim- ming beach. The vast majority do, however, see Cottage Grove as a suburban community rather than small town. Continued on Page 5 FIRE CHIEF DAVE DALLY, above, succeeds Chief Denis Erickson, who retired in December after 29 years in the Pub- lic Safety Department. Dally joined the Department as a vol- unteer tire• fighter in 1991, and has been Deputy Fire Chief since 1991. r 'k Contains !'niniTldtrr, of ?0' /.: n,3sEaonsumatr w<:rste;. 2 Turn down the taps to save water and money by Kevin Frazell City Administrator The Cottage Grove Mayor and City Council have adopted a Water Conservation Plan that should result not only in preservation of an important natural resource, but lower future utility bills as well! The City's Water Supply and Distribution Plan calls for construc- tion of up to $10 million in new wells, transmis- sion facilities, and storage towers over the next 15 years to meet the water demands of residents and busi- nesses. But with an effective water conser- vation plan, it may be possible to reduce those expenditures by up to $2 million dollars. A water conserva- tion report prepared by the City's consulting engineers showed that the real culprit driving water demand is lawn sprinkling and other outdoor uses on those hot summer afternoons and evenings. On the average, Cottage Grove residents consume about 3.4 million gallons of water per day. During peak periods of lawn sprinkling, however, those consumption demands can go as high as 10 million gallons or more. In other words, residents are making a huge invest- ment in capital facilities to meet the water demands of only a very short period of time. The Water Conser- vation Plan calls for reducing that peak day consumption by 20 percent. Conservation activities will include educational materials for families and students, economic incentives for reduced residential and industrial use, recycling requirements for high - capacity industrial users, and promotion of alternative low- water- use landscape plans for both residences and businesses. Long term savings will be found not only in capital facilities, but in maintenance and operations expenses as well. Are those costs significant? Well, to give you some idea, the cost of repairing and repaint- ing an elevated water tower runs about $400,000! Although there was no general water rate increase for 1996, the City did add a one cent per thousand gallon fee to fund the Water Conservation Program. This charge of about 25 to 50 cents per quarter on the average residen- tial bill will generate $8,000 to begin the program in 1996. By being a little more careful in when and how we use water, we all stand to save some real dollars. Our DID YOU KNOW.. ? ... it costs approximately $750,000 to build a million - gallon water tower? ... it costs approximately $400,000 to repaint a water tower? ... it costs approximately $500,000 to build a new municipal well? if we all pitch in and conserve a mere 20 percent on our outdoor lawn sprinkling during the summer months, we could eliminate the need for two new wells, saving you (our customers) approximately $1,000,000? ... by conserving water we could possibly eliminate the need for costly infra- structure improvements in the future? recent community survey showed that citizens favor this conservation effort by more than a two -to -one margin. Water main flushing to begin April 8 To protect the City's water supply, water main flushing will begin the week of April 8 and continue through the end of April. Please check the map to determine which zone you are in and when flushing will begin in your area. To flush water mains, city employees Open fire hydrants. The sudden rush of water to ... m mineral deposits that have accumulated and suspends the deposits within the water. The process often causes discoloration, and while the water is safe to drink it could stain clothing. Be sure to check for signs of discoloration before using the water to wash clothes. City residents should also flush out the taps in their homes, as iron deposits tend to build up in the lines. When weather permits and hydrants in your area have been flushed, open outside faucets and run all the cold water taps in your home at full capacity. The water will start out clear, then become discolored. Leave the water on until it looks clear again, usually ten to 30 minutes. If you have any questions about the flushing procedure, please contact the Public Works Department at 458 -2808. PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT 7 City Forester offers tips for spring tree care by John Klinkhammer City Forester DUTCH ELM In our ongoing effort to limit the effects of Dutch Elm disease, please remember that elm logs to be used for firewood must be stored with bark removed from April 1 to Oct. 1. This will help limit the spread of the disease by beetles that live under the elm bark. The City Forester will be looking for piles of elm wood for the next several weeks. if you are unsure if wood you have is a potential hazard, please call the forester at Public Works and he will check it out for you. Elms will be inspected for disease throughout the sum- mer. Prompt action can help save trees. If you see a suspect tree, please call and the tree will be inspected. OAK WILT As people add oak trees to the landscape, we need to increase our awareness of Oak Wilt disease. Oak Wilt is as deadly to oaks as Dutch Elm disease is to elms, but oaks are a natural and beautiful part of our landscape and we should not fear planting them. Oak Wilt can be avoided if we follow certain precau- tions: Do not prune or otherwise injure an oak tree from April to mid - July. If injury occurs or cannot be avoided, paint the wound immediately with a non -toxic paint. It's that easy. New infections require a wound to get into a tree. CRAB, BIRCH, ASH Did your flowering crab tree drop its leaves early last season? Does your birch look sick in late spring? Does your mountain ash (or other fruit- bearing tree) look "scorched "? if so, now is the time to prepare to avoid these prob- lems this season. Flowering crab trees often lose their leaves in July when infected with apple scab in the spring. Use of Benomyl or Captan, carefully following the label directions, can save those leaves for a healthier, more attrac- tive tree. Paper birch and weeping birch are attacked by birch leaf miners twice each season. Though not life- threatening, these attacks cause the trees to lose a lot of their beauty. Start inspecting leaves around May 15 for small light green spots. This is evidence that leaf miner larvae are feeding. Use Volunteers needed for Hwy. 61/ Jamaica plantings Saturday, April 27 has been set aside for a roadside beautification project at the Highway 61 /Jamaica Avenue exits. This second annual community roadside enhancement project will be a cooperative effort between the City of Cottage Grove, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and adult volunteers from the area. Volunteers will plant 170 deciduous and evergreen trees and 170 shrubs at the north- and south -bound interchanges of Highway 61 and Jamaica Avenue. Last Spring, 73 volunteers participated in the planting of 760 shrubs and 250 vines along East Pt. Douglas Rd. from Hefner Avenue to 90th Street. The City is looking for adult volunteers interested In participating in this community beautification effort on April 27. if you are interested, please call the Parks and Recreation Department at 458 -2847. �I Orthene or Cygon according to label directions at this time. Don't wait until the blotches are large and brown, since the damage is done by them. The bacteria that cause fire blight can affect apple, pear, mountain ash, and other trees. Leaves will turn brown to black and be retained on wilted, crooked branches. When temperatures reach 65 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, an application of 100 parts streptomycin spray applied two or three times during bloom will help. As with most problems in shade and ornamental trees, cultural practices can lessen or eliminate the problem. Pruning of suckers, removal of canker - infested branches, and raking up diseased leaves or fruit will help. Also, if you are about to purchase a new tree, ask about resistant varieties to limit prob- lems that may occur. If you have any tree - related problems, please call the City Forester at 458 -2849. Tree calls are done on Wednesdays through- out the summer. Have a great growing season! Zone I - Week of April 8 Zone 2 - Week of April IS Zone 3 - Week of April 22 Zone 4 - Week of April 29 6 PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT CG blooms with volunteer help During the past several years, you may have noticed floral gardens at many of our park entry points, City Hall, the Library, and other locations throughout Cottage Grove. These have been created through the efforts of Master Gardeners living in Cottage Grove and community volunteers. If you would like to become involved in this community beautification effort, please call the Parks and Recreation Department at 458 -2847. Garage Sale signs need supports The Public Works Department would like to remind residents it is unlawful to attach any type of sign to a regulatory sign or post, or a street light pole. Garage Sale and similar signs should be placed on wooden stakes or an "A" frame type of plac- ard. Residents should use caution not to block drivers' vision in the placement of their signs. After the sale, it would be appreciated if residents would remove their signs as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation! City receives 2 major grants Cottage Grove will receive several Park and Recreation grants in 1996. These grants must be matched with local funds or in -kind services. Project awards include the following: HAMLET TRAIL GRANT: $50,000 — This is an Outdoor Recreation Grant awarded by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Plans call for the construction of a two -mile long, eight -foot bituminous pathway around the ponds at Hamlet Park. This project should be completed by July. MIGHTY DUCKS ICE ARENA GRANT: $40,000 — This award is part of a $2.9 million grant program authorized by the Minnesota Legislature and adminis- tered by the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission. Cottage Grove received a renovation grant, and will be constructing four additional locker rooms and a figure skating/coaches meeting room. Construction is scheduled to be finished this summer. Street sweeping to start April With the start of spring, street sweeping is again on the agenda for the Public Works Department. Sweeping requires above - freezing temperatures, but usually starts around April 1. As in the past, the first streets swept will be 80th, Jamaica, Hinton, Hadley, East and West Point Douglas Road, and Grange. Sweepers will then move to 65th and Ideal, and work through the City street by street. We would appreciate it if residents would clean their boulevards prior to the street being swept. The most effective way to remove sand from boulevards is with a stiff broom or garden hose when the ground is still frozen and the sun has been shining brightly for several hours. HOME RAC ® — Cottage Grove ordinances allow certain busi- nesses in the home, provided they are incidental/ secondary to the primary use of the property. Because there is concern that allowing any type of commercial business into a residential neighborhood may have an adverse impact on the neighborhood, the City's Zoning Ordinance regulates home occupations. In order to operate any type of business out of your home, the ordinance requires that you first complete an application and pay the $50 fee. Staff will evaluate the application to see if the proposed home occupation conforms with all of the performance standards of the ordinance. The performance standards address such things as the number of employees, hours of operation, signage, and traffic. The ordinance also contains a list of permitted and prohibited home occupations. Office, music and dance instruction, and beauty shops meeting the performance standards of the ordinance are typical examples of permitted home occupations. Prohibited home occupations include repair shops, restaurants, and retail business. If you would like further information or an application for a home occupation permit, call the Planning Division at 458 -2827. PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT 3 • ra • a • — \— NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH The Cottage Grove Police Department is still looking for volunteers who wish to participate in the Neighborhood Watch program as Block Captains. Block Captains are the communication link between the Police Department and the 10 to 18 homes in their designated Watch Block. The Neighborhood Watch program is designed to heighten awareness among Watch Block members in an effort to reduce crime. Watch Block members are provided instruction by the Police Department on how to better recognize suspicious activity going on in their neighborhoods and report that activity to the Police. If you are interested in becoming a Block Captain or joining Neighborhood Watch, please contact Officer Greg Reibel at 458 -6025. McGRUFF HOUSE The Cottage Grove Police Department is looking for homeowners to participate in the McGruff House Pro- gram. The McGruff House program is nationally recognized and in the state of Minnesota is the only safe haven program for children recognized by state law. By becoming a McGruff House, a homeowner simply agrees to provide his /her home as a temporary safe haven for children who find themselves in emergency or otherwise frightening situations which require immediate help. As a McGruff House participant, you would receive a McGruff House placard which you would be required to display at the front of your house at all times. You would also be required to contact the Police Department should your home be used as a McGruff House by a child. Children are taught about the McGruff House Program in elementary school by their D.A.R.E. officers. If you are interested in becoming a McGruff House participant, please contact Community Affairs Officer Greg Reibel at 458 -6025. ' YOUR PUBLIC SAFETY' On Feb. 20, the Cottage Grove Department of Public Safety's bi- weekly cable television series presented its 100th program. "Your Public Safety" began airing in November, 1991, and in 1994 was recognized by the Minne- sota Community Television Awards as the "Best Cable Talk Show Series" in the state of Minnesota. The program is produced and presented by members of the Cottage Grove Police and Fire Departments, and airs seven days a week on local government access cable channel 12. It was created to inform, educate, and create awareness among Cottage Grove citizens about public safety, and to address areas of public safety concern. SPRING D.A.R.E. GRADUATIONS ANNOUNCED Later this spring, the Cottage Grove Police Department will be graduating nearly 500 Cottage Grove sixth grade students from the 17 -week D.A.R.E. Program. All sixth grade D.A.R.E. graduations will be held in their respective elementary school gymnasiums. D.A.R.E. graduation dates and times are listed below: Crestview Elementary Monday, April ?9 1 P.M. Armstrong Elementary Tuesday, April 30 12:45 p.m. Grey Cloud Elementary Tuesday, April 30 2 P.M. Hillside Elementary Wednesday, May 1 12:45 p.m. Pine Hill Elementary Thursday, May 2 12:45 p.m. JUNIOR HIGH D.A.R.E. AND G.R.E.A.T. PROGRAMS This past December, for the first time, 200 Cottage Grove Junior High eighth -grade students graduated from the D.A.R.E. Junior High Program, and 191 seventh -grade students graduated from the G.R.E.A.T. program. The D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Junior High Program reinforces the elementary D.A.R.E. message of resisting drugs and violence. The G.R.E.A.T. (Gang Resistance Education and Training) Program teaches junior high students the negative consequences of choosing to join a youth gang. Both junior high programs will be presented again this spring. 4 Youth sought for commission seats The City of Cottage Grove wants to get its young people more involved with their local government. To help meet that goal, the Mayor and Council have created two designated youth seats on four of the A te ; missions - Human Services /Human Rights; Parks, Recre- ation and Natural Resources; Public Safety, Health and Welfare; and Public Works. The seats are reserved for young people age 18 or younger who are residents of Cottage Grove. The term of appointment is one year, renewable for a second year by action of the City Council. The young people holding these positions enjoy full participation in the activities of the Com- missions, including voting privileges. Those interested can pick up the stan- dard City Advisory Commission applica- tion form, either at City Hall or in the guidance counseling office at Park Senior High School. Spring Cleaning time in Cottage Grove ANNUAL SPRING CLEANUP DAYS Cottage Grove P 8635 West Pt Saturday, April 27 Sunday, April 28 8a.m.to4p.m 10 a.m. to4p.m I TEMS ACCEPTED FOR SPRING CLEANUP; BY ITEM: $1.50 Freezer $7.00 Hot water heater $7.00 Dishwasher 7.00 Water Softener 7.00 Microwave 7.00 Washer or dryer 7.00 Air conditioner 15.00 Stove 7.00 Sofa 10.00 Refrigerator 700 Chair 5.00 Box spring or mattress (single) $5.00 Box spring or mattress (double) 10.00 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL BY LOAD: Car trunk $5.00 Station wagon 10.00 Pickup truck: level load 15.00 (Proportional rates may be applied to partial loads and overloaded trucks.) I I I:1 *u IN NJ - . 1-A ■ i4 -.11 Car tire $1.50 Truck tire 5.00 Tractor tire 10.00 Batteries (car) No charge NOT ACCEPTED: Construction materials, hazardous waste, waste oil (Please take waste oil to Cottage Grove Tire & Auto, 8085 Grange Blvd., or Gerlach Service, 7473 Lamar Ave.) ublic Works Garage Douglas Rd. 1 HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE 1 DAYS I I Cottage Grove Public Works Garage I 8635 West Pt. Douglas Rd. Saturdays ( May 4, June 1, July 6, Aug. 3, Sept. 7 1 All at 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. I 1 I TEMS ACCEPTED AT THE HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE SITE; I ( Building products, automotive /petroleum prod - ucts, pesticides, other chemicals and miscella- neous. PLACE THESE ITEMS IN THE TRASH: Empty paint cans, dried -out paint; 1 batteries: alkaline, manganese, carbon zinc; 1 fertilizer without weed killer; empty containers, aerosol cans L------------ - - - - -. 1 COMPOST SITE I 1 95th St. and Glendenning Rd. I Opens April 1, 1996 1 Mon, Wed, Fri 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. I Saturday, Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I I For further information, please call 224 -6329. — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -- I If you have any questions, please call I Washington County at 430 -6655 I or Cottage Grove Public Works at 458 -2808. City gets high marks in recent survey ... Continued from Page 1 If anything is troubling residents, it is the perception that there are sometimes less than adequate shop- ping and recreational opportunities. While about one -third do most of their shopping (not including grocer- ies) in Cottage Grove, well over half are doing that shopping else- where, with Woodbury having become the most frequent destina- tion of choice. CITY SERVICES If anti - government fever has hit Cottage Grove, it certainly was not apparent from the survey results. Sev- enty -five percent rated the value of City services in exchange for their tax dollars as good or excellent, and felt that their tax burden is about average compared to other nearby suburban areas. By more than a three -to -one margin, respondents opposed reducing City services to save tax dollars, and in fact by almost the same ratio, said that they would be willing to pay additional property taxes if necessary to maintain City services at current levels. Almost every City service was rated "good" by a substantial majority. Police, fire, emergency dispatch- ing, emergency medi- cal services, and snow plowing actually received "excellent" rating from 25 to 37 percent of the respon- dents, and "good" ratings from another 42 to 69 percent. The only City service receiving somewhat less favor- able rating was pave- ment repair and patching of City streets, which hopefully is being addressed by the City's program to Bring in your used children's and adult books for the Park Grove Library's Used Book Sale April 18 -21. The sale is part of the National Library Week celebra- tion at the library, 7900 Hemingway Ave. S., Cottage Grove. Volunteers are needed (and book donations will be accepted) April 17 -21. Hundreds of books will be available on the days of the sale. Call 459 -2040 for more information. reconstruct deteriorat- ing streets in our oldest neighborhoods. A slight majority admitted that they didn't know a whole lot about the work of the Mayor and City Coun- cil, but of those who did, the City's elected officials received positive rankings from a vast majority. By a two -to -one margin, residents also felt they could have a say about the way things are run in the City when they wanted to. Similarly, most conceded that they have had little contact with City staff, but again of those who did, favorable ratings were the norm. A strong majority supported construction of a new Public Works maintenance building, provided it could be paid for within available City revenue; a major- ity were opposed if constructing the facility would require a prop- erty tax increase. A strong majority also supported water conservation programs if they would help to reduce future water utility rate increases. CRIME, PUBLIC SAFETY Crime doesn't seemto be worrying Cottage Grove resi- dents too much. Most (68 percent) said crime had remained about the same in their 5 neighborhood over the past two years, al- though a significant minority (25 percent) did perceive some increase. Very few indicated having limited or changed their activities due to fear of crime, nor did they feel that crime had become such a serious problem that they would con- sider moving. A significant minority expressed some concern about having their home broken into (47 %) or their child being exposed to drugs (41 %), but few other crime problems seemed to worry the respondents. The only area that drew the concerns of a majority was one found in almost every suburban neighborhood in America - speeding cars and screeching tires!!! Not surprisingly, residents prefer that the Police Department spend its time and resources working on serious crimes such as burglaries, property destruction, drugs, and assaults versus more "minor" concerns like loud parties and gambling. Respon- dents strongly sup- ported having our Police Department involved in positive interaction with com- munity youth, such as the D.A.R.E.drug Continued on Page 8