9.f 2 Spring 2017 Newsletter-version 2 CITY OF SCANDIA
Dedicated to Rural Community Values
Household
Scandia, MN 55073
City of Scandia
Scandia Community/
Senior Center
14727 209th Street North
Scandia, MN 55073
Phone: 651.433.2274
Fax: 651.433.5112
E-mail:
mail@ci.scandia.mn.us
Hours: Mon. thru Fri.
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
City Council:
Christine Maefsky, Mayor
651.433.2684
Jim Schneider
651.433.3692
Bob Hegland
651.538.2129
Chris Ness
651.707.5689
Steve Kronmiller
651.538.0094
Regular Council Meeting:
Third Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.
Council Work Session:
First Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
Planning Commission:
First Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.
City Staff:
Neil Soltis, Administrator
Brenda Eklund,
Deputy Clerk
Colleen Firkus, Treasurer
Adam Hawkinson, Director of
Public Works
Mike Hinz, Fire Chief
Andrew Pratt, Attorney
Eckberg Lammers
Ryan Goodman, Engineer
Bolton & Menk
Sherri Buss, Planner, TKDA
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Scandia, MN
55073
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Community Calendar, April 2017 - September, 2017
April
April 7, 7 p.m., Ham Bingo
April 10, 5 p.m., Board of Appeal
and Equalization, Community
Center Board Room.
April 28 - April 30, Opening
Weekend - Gammelgarden
April 29 - May 6, Spring Clean-
up Collection Week, SRC, Wyo-
ming
May
May 6, 4 p.m. - 8 p.m., Lions
Chicken Dinner Benefit,
Community Center
May 28, Immigrant for a Day -
Gammelgarden
May 29, Memorial Day, Office
Closed
June
June 7, Farmers Market - open-
ing day
June 24, Midsommar Dag,
Gammelgården
SUMMER RECREATION
BROCHURE INSIDE
July
July 4, Independence Day Holiday
Office Closed
July 8, St. Croix Fat Cat Triathlon
August
August 1, 6 p.m. - 7 p.m., National
Night Out, Community Center
August 19, Spelmanstamma,
Gammelgården
September
September 4, Labor Day, Office
Closed
September 9, Taco Daze Festival
September 16-17, Marine Art Fair
For more information and a City meeting
calendar, see the website
www.ci.scandia.mn.us.
For Gammelgården events, see:
http://www.gammelgardenmuseum.org.
Update to City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan
Underway
APRIL 2017 VOLUME 11, ISSUE 1
CITY OF SCANDIA
Inside this issue:
Public Comment on Log House
Landing Boat Ramp
2
Meet the City Council 3
Welcome Adam Hawkinson 3
Crack Filling and Sealcoating 3
Clean-up Week 3
Short Takes 3
Community Calendar 4
What is a Comprehensive Plan?
A Comprehensive Plan defines the vision, goals and aspirations for the long-term development and redevelopment of the com-
munity. The plan is intended to shape land use and transportation patterns, conserve natural resources, and identify needs for
utilities, housing and parks and open space. The Comprehensive Plan also guides decisions on both public and private invest-
ments in infrastructure and facilities. The City of Scandia Comprehensive Plan will address future land uses, housing needs,
natural resources, transportation, utilities, parks and trails, and economic opportunities.
Why Update the Comprehensive Plan?
State law requires Comprehensive Plans be updated at least every 10 years, and the Plan must align with the Metropolitan
Council’s regional system plans related to highways, transit, airports, wastewater services, parks and open space. Scandia’s
current Comprehensive Plan was completed in 2008. The City is required to complete this update, submit it to the Metropolitan
Council for review and approval, and adopt it by the end of 2018.
What is the Process?
In November 2016, the City of Scandia hired Bolton & Menk, Inc., to complete the Comprehensive Plan update. The process
will involve a full review and evaluation of the current Comprehensive Plan and identification of specific issues that need up-
dating. Scandia is also including extensive public outreach for this project. Opportunities for citizen involvement include a
Steering Committee appointed by the City Council, four focus groups, pop-up meetings, and an open house. There is also a
project website (https://www.bolton-menk.com/clients/scandia/index.html) which will provide regular updates and offer an
opportunity to answer brief surveys. Bolton & Menk staff attended the Lions’ Vinterfest pancake breakfast in January and ask ed
attendees to take a brief survey about what they see for the future of Scandia. We received more than 30 responses. This sur-
vey is also available on the website. On March 9, 2017, the Steering Committee held its first workshop. This was a “Visioning
Workshop” to determine a direction for the Comprehensive Planning effort. The Committee reviewed the Comprehensive
Planning process, updated maps, data, and projections, and participated in an exercise to identify community strengths, weak-
nesses, opportunities and threats. The next meeting will be on April 20, 2017.
How can I get Involved?
The City is seeking volunteers to participate in focus groups on the Comprehensive Plan. The focus groups will participate in
personal interviews within a small group (10-12 participants) to discuss specific issues for the Plan. Volunteers are needed in
three areas:
A twice-yearly publication for residents of the City of Scandia, Minnesota
· The Business Community: owners and proprietors of Scandia businesses,
including home-based businesses and agricultural-focused businesses.
· The Agricultural and Rural Residential Community: residents or owners of
local farms and rural lots within the City.
· Youth: Scandia students, Scouts, 4-H members and other local youth.
The focus group discussions will take between 2-3 hours and are planned in April
and May. If you are interested in participating in a focus group, please send an
email to mail@ci.scandia.mn.us.
Answer the survey on the project website; Watch for the Comprehensive Plan pop-
up event at Taco Daze this summer; Attend the public open house later this year.
Updates on the Comprehensive Plan will be posted at https://www.bolton-
menk.com/clients/scandia/index.html.
City Council Looking for Public Comment on the
Log House Landing Boat Ramp
Page 2
CITY OF SCANDIA
Are there legal implications? If the ramp were to be closed,
the access is still within the City’s road right-of-way and road
easement and, consequently, would remain public. If the
road or portions of it were to be vacated, the road right-of-
way would be split between the adjoining property owners.
What are the budget impacts? Funds have been budgeted
for the ramp improvements with $20,000 from the City and
Watershed District, $15,000 for materials from the National
Park Service, and concrete planks donated by MnDNR. The
improvements would reduce the need for regular mainte-
nance of the ramp.
What are the health and safety impacts? The ramp is used
by Scandia Fire and Rescue for emergency access to the riv-
er and would remain accessible under all of the alternatives.
What are the historic impacts? The house adjacent to the
Log House Landing served as a public house during the years
of Swedish immigration. Historically, the landing was used
by local Scandia residents without river access as a place to
leave a boat and has transitioned to a more public landing
over the years.
What are the environmental and aesthetic impacts? The
City has made improvements to slow the flow of storm water
and to divert the runoff from 205th Street to a settling basin in
order to minimize the erosion into the river. Regardless, the
ramp itself is still subject to erosion from vehicular traffic and
the banks next to the ramp have been eroded by non-
vehicular uses. All of the alternatives, except leaving the
ramp as-is, will provide improvements. The ramp itself is
somewhat blocked from view of users of the river. Closing
the ramp or limiting to non-vehicular uses will provide
aesthetic improvements.
Who benefits or is harmed by the project? Based on DNR
invasive species inspections conducted in 2016, the users of
the ramp are split close to 50/50 between motorized and non-
motorized users. The alternative to limit the use to carry-in or
walk-in will impact most motorized users while the alterna-
tive to close the ramp will negatively impact all users. Either
of these options will impact more than the local residents
since both the NPS and MnDNR include the landing in their
literature and maps.
New Members Join City Council
Short Takes
Page 3
VOLUME 11, ISSUE 1
City-Wide Clean-up Week is scheduled for Saturday, April 29, through Saturday, May 6, at the SRC/Forest Lake Sanitation site in
Wyoming, MN. Residents may drop off rubbish items not taken by their regular trash hauler, such as appliances, tires, furniture,
mattresses, scrap metal and wood, at the SRC facility located at 6320 East Viking Boulevard,
Wyoming, MN. During this week, Scandia residents will receive a 20% discount off regular
collection prices. Be prepared to show proof of residency, such as a driver’s license. Hours of
operation are 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Please call SRC at 651.464.2321 for more information. A pricing schedule is posted on the
City’s website. Did you know curbside recycling carts are available at no cost to all Scandia
residents. Contact Forest Lake Sanitation (SRC) for more information.
There are a couple new faces on the Scandia City Council. The November election saw
Christine Maefsky elected to a two-year term as Mayor, replacing Scandia’s previous
Mayor Randall Simonson who served three terms. Chris Ness was re-elected and Steve
Kronmiller was elected to four-year City Council terms. Maefsky, Ness, and Kronmiller
were sworn in at the January 4, 2017 City Council meeting. The re-elected and two
newly-elected members join Council members Jim Schneider and Bob Hegland.
Maefsky previously served as Chair of the Planning Commission.
Clean-Up Week
Scandia’s new Public Works Director, Adam Hawkinson, started his duties on December 12. He
brings 17 years of municipal parks and public works experience to the City of Scandia along with 8
years of grounds maintenance experience at the University of Minnesota. Most recently, Hawkinson
worked as a grounds supervisor for the Ecumen Parmly assisted living facility in Chisago City. He is
a graduate of Chisago Lakes High School and the University of Wisconsin – River Falls.
The Public Works Director provides oversight and work direction for the 3 full-time and 1 part-time
maintenance personnel and along with contractors to ensure that all City infrastructure (including
roads, street lights, drainage systems, sewer and water) and facilities (including parks and public
buildings) are operated and maintained in good condition. Adam provides staff support to the Parks
and Recreation and Wastewater Committees.
Hawkinson lives in Lindstrom with his wife, Nancy Teel, in the house where he grew up and they are
planning to remodel it as their spare time allows. Adam can be reached at 651.433.5223 or
a.hawkinson@ci.scandia.mn.us.
City Welcomes Adam Hawkinson
Hazardous Materials & Electronics
Washington County will sponsor special one-day household
hazardous waste collections throughout the county, at no
cost. Nearby collections are scheduled at the Hugo Public
Works building on April 22nd from 8 a.m. to noon, and at the
Forest Lake Transit Center (enter at Headwaters Parkway) on
June 3rd from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. See the County website for more
information.
Conversations with the Mayor are Held First Wednesday of Each Month
Mayor Christine Maefsky is holding office hours to meet with
residents on the first Wednesday of each month at the Scandia
Community Center in the Heritage Room. Mayor Maefsky
meets mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and again in the late
afternoon from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Feel free to stop by and join
the next conversation.
Crack Filling and Sealcoating Planned for 2017
Improvements will be made to 239th Street N., 238th Street N. from Melanie Trail to Morgan Avenue, 235th Street N. from Mead-
owbrook Avenue to west end, Meadowbrook Avenue from 238th Street to Melanie Trail, Morgan Avenue, 236th Street N., Nolan
Avenue from 236th Street to 230th Street, 230th Street from Oren Road to west end, Ogilvie Avenue, Pickett Avenue, Pomroy Ave-
nue from 240th Street to south end, 235th Street from MN 95 to Quentin Avenue, Quentin Avenue, 223nd Street east of Olinda, and
Paris Avenue. The crack filling work is anticipated to take place in late spring with sealcoating later during the summer.