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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994 March (2)H ' ! ��•: ^ ' gro Holiday food and gifts for needy people in the South Washington County area will be coordinated again this year through the "Share the Joy" project of the Friends in Need Food Shelf. Residents are invited to • donate a basket of food • adopt a child or family for holiday gifts • send cash donations to the Friends in Need Food Shelf, 7064 W. Pt. Douglas Rd., Suite 101, Cottage Grove, MN 55016 place new, unwrapped gifts and toys in the red barrels marked "Share the Joy," at several locations in the city. Please be generous! POSTAL PATRON Carrier Route Presort Bulk Rate U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 1 COTTAGE GROVE, MN 55016 City of Cottage Grove ® 7 80th Street South e Cottage Grove, Minnesota 55016 ® (612) 458 -2800 Happy Holidays from the Mayor, City Council and City Staff •1 Council Column.... 2 Safety program ..... 2 Voice Mail .............. 2 Watch Block .......... 3 McGruff House ...... 3 Band Concert ....... 3 City Projects........... 4 Holiday Scenes ..... 5 Halloween Parade 6 City Memo Bd....... 7 Friends in Need ..... 8 City t ax rate up ,e tha % hearing set for Dec. 6 [0fi # r: The City of Cottage Grove annual budget and tax levy hearing, better known as the "Truth -in- Taxation" meeting, will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, in the City Hail Council Chamber. Residents recently received individual notices from Washing- ton County specifying the proposed tax levies and percent increases for all taxing jurisdic- tions, including the City, Washington County, and School District 833. Forthose who have no increase in the assessor's market value to their proper- ties, the percent increase for the City will be shown at about 1.7 percent. This modest increase has been made possible by diligent spending control by the Mayor, City Council and City staff, coupled with a very significant in- crease in the City's tax base. The proposed General Fund budget for 1995 is $7,346,600, up 4.4 percent over All residents are invited to the City of Cottage Grove an- nual budget and tax levy hearing at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, in the City Hall Council Chamber. 1994. The City's total tax levy, covering all purposes including debt service and economic develop- ment, as well as the General Fund, will be Continued on Page 6 "I believe in the whole concept of civic democracy —of how we can involve people in our city," said Sandy Shiely, newly - elected member of the Cottage Grove City Council. '9n the long nun, the more citizen involvement we have, the better it is all the way around — certainly Rod Hale "How do we get a balance between the developers and what our citizens want ?" asked Rod Hale, newly- elected City Council member who will take office Jan. 1. "And what mechanism do we use to determine what the people want ?" Hale, a retired educator for South Continued on Page 5 Continued on Page 5 Contains a mirwncum oP 10% g ostconszrnor waste. 2 Council Members Bill Buth and Jeff Rageth decided not to run for the Cottage Grove City Council this year. They agreed to write a few words as they prepare to leave the Council at the end of the year. • i i During these past five years, I had the pleasure of serving on the City Council of the City of Cottage Grove. As my term comes to an end, I want to thank the residents of the city for their support and understanding. The new council will begin on Jan. 1, 1995. The agenda will be varied and complex. I wish them continued success. As we enter the holiday season, I wish you and your family the merriest of Christ- mases and a prosper- ous New Year. by JEFF RAGETH For the past 3 years I've had the privilege and honor to serve on the Cottage Grove City Council. Having grown up in Cottage Grove, it has been especially gratifying to represent a community that is comprised of so many solid citizens and people who care. I've been continually impressed and inspired by a strong spirit of volunteerism that exists within the city. Cottage Grove is fortunate to have so many dedicated citizens who are willing to give of themselves in order to make a better community in which to live. I would also like to sincerely thank Mayor Denzer, Council Members Buth, Raun and Wolcott, and the entire city staff for their outstanding commit- ment and desire to work on behalf of its citizens. Under their stewardship, the city has continued to build upon the strength of past community leaders to create an even more solid foundation from which to face the challenges of the future. Best wishes to Sandy Shieiy and Rod Hale as they join the Council Thanks again, Cottage Grove! Driver, passenger and pedestrian safety and a reduced number of vehicular accidents will be the goals of a special year -long program initiated by the Cottage Grove Police Department this month. The Department received an $11,000 grant from the Minne- sota Department of Public Safety to increase public educa- tion and enforcement of public safety in four areas: have a different empha- sis in each quarter of the coming year," according to Sgt. L.J. Toilefson, who will coordinate the effort. "The first quarter began Nov. 20 with an inten- sive public information blitz about the effect of alcohol and drugs on drivers. This will con- tinue through Dec. 16, and on Dec. 17, the enforcement period will begin. On selected dates, program officers will be looking for drivers impaired by the use of alcohol and /or drugs." The first quarter enforcement period will be followed by a post - enforcement media period to inform the community of the results of the enforce- ment efforts. Cottage Grove residents or business owners are welcome to call Sgt. Tollefson at 458 -6012 for more information. See related driving under the influence; speeding; child restraints; seat belt usage. "The program will article on Page 3 City installs voice mail system to better serve citizens - 458 -6085 Want to talk to your mayor or council? Call 458 -6085 from a touch tone phone, and you can leave a message for the mayor, an individual council member, or the entire council. All messages will remain confidential unless the counciimember should decide to pass the information to city staff or other council members for research or consideration. Additional services in the City of Cottage Grove may be accessed by contacting Recep- tionist Katie Woolery (458 -2800) or Assistant City Administrator Kelly Frawley (458- 2882). s • �• Effective immedi- ately, motor vehicles In excess of 15,000 pounds gross vehicle weight are prohibited from traveling on Hadley Avenue from 80th Street to 95th Street without a special permit. Resi- dents making home repairs or improve- ments are asked to inform contractors of this road restriction. Exemptions to this ordinance include school buses, sanita- tion company trucks, and county and city vehicles. Sightless and low - vision Americans can catch the action in feature films through DVS Home Video (Descriptive Video Service), available at the Washington County Library. The collection includes 35 popular and classic movies enhanced with narra- tion that describes actions, settings, gestures and other key visual elements. The described videos may be picked up at 11 library loca- tions for free two -day loan. For more infor- mation, call 731 -8487. 7 4 • i•! • Clogged -C At this time of the year, city crews are busy with last- minute cleanup before the winter season is upon us. A large concern of the Public Works Department is the amount of leaves clogging our road- ways. Leaves pose several hazards. First, wet leaves can seem like ice under car tires, contrib- uting to automobile accidents. Second, plug storm water grates. Street sweep- ers are not designed for picking up leaves, so storm sewer clean- ing is a very labor intensive and costly job. In the fall of the year, localized flooding can occur if these drains do not operate property. A more dangerous situation occurs in the spring, when leaves may be frozen over storm water grates. Daytime temperatures and de- icing agents cause runoff that collects in ing water freezes nightly, requiring city crews to apply more de -icing agents each morning. This freeze/ thaw cycle also contrib- utes to the creation of potholes. For these reasons, the Public Works Department urges residents not to rake leaves and grass clippings into the street, and to assist our efforts by bagging leaves that collect in the street in front of your home. Thank you for your assistance. Parking Remember: there's no parking on any city street from 2 to 6 a.m., now through April 15. After a snowfall, no vehicle may be parked on a city street at any time until the street has been plowed curb to curb. Household hazardous waste items are accepted at the Washington County Hazardous Waste facility, located at the Oakdale Public Works Garage, 1900 Hadley Ave., Oakdale (694 North to 10th St. to Hadley Ave.). • Household hazardous wastes Include old paint, solvents, garden chemicals, pesticides and any other household products that are flammable, corrosive or combustible. • Used motor oil and automotive batteries may be dropped off at the Cottage Grove Public Works Garage, 8635 W. Pt. Douglas Rd. S., Cottage Grove (just south of Jamaica Avenue on the west frontage road). For further information, please phone 458 -2808. 6 City tax rate rises slightly; hearing set Dec. 6 ... Continued from Page 1 up 5.2 percent. Unfor- tunately, Cottage Grove is like many other metropolitan communities in suffer- ing a significant ($84,000) loss in aids from the Metropolitan Fiscal Disparities Program, due to lowered commercial and industrial values throughout the metro- politan area. There has also been little in- crease in aids paid by the State of Minnesota. Therefore, the "net levy," that amount actually paid in direct property taxes by Cottage Grove resi- dents and businesses, is up 10.8 percent for 1995. The very good news is that the City's tax base has also grown substantially - tion budget of the City. Included in the 1995 spending plan is the construction of three new fire stations, two to replace existing stations on Grange Blvd. and in Old Cottage Grove, and a new station to be constructed in the industrial park near 95th Street and Jamaica Ave. Most of the cost of these stations will be borne by applying monies the City receives in annual insurance rebates, with only a small portion being placed on the property tax levy. Citizens are encouraged to attend the Dec. 6 meeting to learn more about their City budget and express their opinions on spending priorities for the next year. 9.3 percent. A portion of this growth is admittedly from reas- sessments on existing property made by the Washington County Assessor's Office. However, well over half is from the effect of actual new construc- tion of homes and businesses; in other words, there are more of us to help carry the load. This offsetting increase in the City's tax base means that the rate applied against each property will be up only 1.7 percent, the rate of increase that will be seen by any property owner who did not have an increase in the assessor's market value for 1995. The proposed 1995 budget does attempt to keep pace with community growth. $67,000 is added as the 50 percent local match for the federal grant which the City has received for hiring three addi- tional police officers. These officers will work in our Community - Oriented Policing Program. A street maintenance worker is also added to make us more efficient and increase our commit- ment to roadway maintenance, and a part-time data process- ing coordinator is included for the Finance Department. The preliminary budget pays for these additions in part by reducing the City's contribution toward the South Communities Counseling Services, miscellaneous contri- butions to various community groups and the continuing educa- Hundreds of Cottage Grove residents marched in the Halloween Parade and partied at the RODEO afterwards. The Cottage Grove Police Department is still looking for volun- teers to be Neighbor- hood Watch Block Captains and McGruff House participants. Neighborhood Watch Block Captains are the communication link between 10 to 18 homes in their desig- nated Watch Block, and the Police Depart- ment. The Neighbor- hood 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 more importantly report that activity to the Police. If you are inter- ested in becoming a Block Captain or joining Neighborhood Watch please contact Officer Greg Reibel at 458 -6025. to keeping your friends and family alive ��`l The Cottage Grove Police Department is also looking for homeowners to partici- pate in the McGruff House Program. This is nationally recognized, and in Minnesota is the only safe haven program for children recognized by state * Don't drink and drive. 'llf" * Never serve alcoholic beverages to anyone under 21. * If you drink, always plan ahead to designate a non - drinking driver. * Be a responsible party host: - Serve non - alcoholic beverages - Serve high - protein food - Control the amount of alcoholic beverages served — no open bars. - Ask alcohol- impaired guests to stay overnight or call a cab to assure them a safe ride home. - Take away the keys from an impaired guest. * Report suspected impaired drivers to your state or local police. * Be a positive role model for youth. * Ask your governor and state legislators to support tougher laws, such as administrative license revocation, .08 blood alcohol concentration for adult drivers, and zero tolerance laws for drivers under 21. From the National Traffic Safety Board M By becoming a McGruff House, a homeowner simply agrees to provide his/ her home as a tempo- rary safe haven for children who find themselves in emer- gency or otherwise frightening situations which require immedi- ate help. As a McGruff House participant, you would receive a McGruff House placard which you would be required to display in the front of your home 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 Com- munity Affairs Officers Greg Reibel at 458- 6025. • The Community Band, under the direc- tion of Mr. Paul Storti, retired band director from Park Senior High, will present a commu- nity concert on Tuesday, Dec. 13, at the Park Senior High School Auditorium. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and is free. 4 City to proceed with City Hall remodeling, fire station by Kevin Frazell City Administrator The Mayor and City Council recently approved a bid award for upgrading and minor remodeling of the existing City hall on 80th Street. The City has also been pro- ceeding with plans to construct three new fire stations, two of which will replace existing stations on the west side of Highway 61 and in Old Cottage Grove, with the third to be constructed near 95th and Jamaica in the industrial park. Some citizens have undoubt- edly wondered how and why the city would forward with these projects, given the defeat of the Nov. 2, 1993 bond referendum which would have paid for these projects. The 1993 referen- dum actually covered a number of capital projects, including construction of a new City Hall, a public works maintenance facility, and the three fire stations. The $8 million issue also would have provided for expansion and remodeling of the existing City Hall for the exclusive use of the Police Department, and development of an athletic playfield complex and other park improvements. With the defeat of that referendum, the City fell that it had to move forward with alternative plans which would meet its most pressing needs. City Hall The remodeling of the existing City Hall will cost approximately $500,000, less than one -fourth of the amount that would have been expended for construction of a new City Hall and remodeling of the existing City Hall for the Police Department. No additions to the building are included in the current project, only interior structural modifications to make better use of existing space. The remainder of the project will consist of upgrades, such as carpeting and wall treatments. This plan will not signifi- cantly relieve the City's office space problems. The remodeling is being paid for by the use of a cash reserve fund that was set aside from the excess proceeds from prior public improvement projects. There will be no tax impact from this "fallback" remodeling project. Unused funds will be held for future City capital projects. $800,000 of these funds would have been expended in connec- tion with the 1993 referendum, had it been passed. Fire Stations Of all the projects that were a part of the 1993 referendum, City officials concluded that construction of the fire stations was a "must do." Our existing Fire Station No. 1, located near Grange and Hadley, and Fire Station No. 3, in Old Cottage Grove, are woefully deficient by contemporary fire protection standards. There is little doubt that these stations fail to meet employee safety standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Administra- tion (OSHA). Also, the station bays are of inadequate size to house the new larger pumpers that replace existing equipment; without the construc- tion of new stations, the City would be forced into a position of ordering custom -made pumpers at a much higher cost. The construction of Fire Station No. 4 was found to be cost - effective, in that without it, Stations 1 and 3 would have to be built larger to house all of the City's firefighting equipment. Construct- ing a fourth station in the industrial park has the advantage of enhancing good response time to southern portions of the City at little addi- tional cost. The new stations will be paid for through a lease purchase arrangement between the City of Cottage Grove and the Cottage Grove Economic Development Authority. To minimize tax impacts, the Mayor and City Council decided to make the debt service payments with insurance rebates that the City receives annually. These funds have been used previously to build the City's Self- Insurance Trust Fund, but prudent investment has put the City in a position to now begin using a portion of these dollars for other purposes. A very small portion of the fire station cost will be included in the tax levy for 1995 and following years; the impact on the average Cottage Grove home- stead will be less than one dollar per year. Bell Ringers are asking for donations for the Continued from Page 1 in the business com- munity," Shiely said. "We've been growing at a steady pace, but our business districts do not seem to be improving. We need to develop ownership and community pride in our city. We need to find out what our strengths are, and work to develop those. These are real, concrete issues!" Shiely, a popular English teacher at Oitman Junior High School, has been on the Cottage Grove Planning Commission since 1991, and also served on the Board of Directors of Washing- ton County HSI, Inc., and liaison to the Washington County Mental Health Board. But winning the Council seat meant "fulfilling something I've always wanted to do," she said. "As we continue to grow, we need to involve the people who will be affected so everyone knows where we're headed and what we want to do," Shiely said. 'We have to take advantage of some of the resources out there, and we need good relations between the city and county, the city and school district." "I want to put a mechanism in place so citizens can come together to work on a vision for our city. I want to be a facilitator, to push for the kinds of new, creative programs we see in other com- munities." Santa was there when holiday tree lights were turned on at City Hall'. Continued from Page 1 Washington County schools and member of the Cottage Grove City Council for two terms in the early 1970's, said an issue he "campaigned with and heard a lot about" was participation in deter- mining the "preferred future" of Cottage Grove. He said the issue of balance has "prob- ably always been here, but in recent years some issues, like the West Draw and proposed expansion of the MUSA line, have made this more evident." Housing develop- ers frequently initiate the planning and pick the locations for city growth, Hale said. "But the community should drive the direction in which development will occur. As you get more outside constraints, it becomes more impor- tant that development be driven by the people who live here and pay the bill." 5 Hale said city leaders need to show confidence in the community. "Did voters understand the bond referendum a year ago and reject the issues it was based on ?" he asked. "Then we don't have confidence in the voters if we go ahead and do the projects anyway." Hale believes the answer is 'lo communi- cate honestly and trust the voters' judgment." Finally, Hale said a big issue is "uniting our residents to show stronger support of the business/industrial community here." We need to broaden our base to alleviate the burden on the property tax owner, he said, and business/industrial growth is a way to do it. "We're in an enviable position," Hale said. 'We're a young city, and we still have space available. We need to ask how we can preserve the characteristics we most enjoy here"