The URL can be used to link to this page

9.g Draft Spring Newsletter with Maefsky Message 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 PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Scandia, MN 55073 EDDM Like us on Facebook for the Most Up-to-Date Information Community Calendar, April 2018 - September, 2018 April • April 9, 5 p.m., Board of Appeal and Equalization, Community Center Board Room • April 27 - April 29, Opening Weekend - Gammelgarden • April 30 - May 5, Spring Clean-up Collection Week, SRC, Wyoming May • May 5, 4 p.m. - 8 p.m., Lions Chicken Dinner Benefit, Community Center • May 27, Immigrant for a Day - Gammelgarden • May 28, Memorial Day, Office Closed June • June 6, Farmers Market - open- ing day, Gammelgården • June 23, Midsommar Dag, Gammelgården July • July 4, Independence Day Holiday Office Closed • July 14, St. Croix Fat Cat Triathlon August • August 7, 6 p.m. - 7 p.m., National Night Out, Community Center • August 18, Spelmanstamma, Gammelgården September • September 3, Labor Day, Office Closed • September 8, Taco Daze Festival • September 15-16, 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. SUMMER RECREATION BROCHURE INSIDE Message from the Mayor APRIL 2018 VOLUME 12, ISSUE 1 CITY OF SCANDIA Inside this issue: Filings Open for City Offices 2 Key Dates for 2018 Election 2 Election Judges Needed 2 Volunteer Opportunities 2 U of M Tourism Assessment 3 EDA’s Business Invitation 3 2018 Assessments 3 Short Takes 3 Community Calendar 4 2040 Comprehensive Plan A twice-yearly publication for residents of the City of Scandia, Minnesota During the summer of 2018, the City will be reclaiming the asphalt and repaving roughly 12 miles of roads that are rated very poor or poor along with ditch-to- ditch improvements. Bids for the project will be presented to the Council in April with work scheduled to start early in May. The contractor will be required to return the project streets to a paved surface within 3 weeks of reclaiming the pave- ment. Construction of Old Marine Trail and Oxboro Avenue will be completed at a minimum to the first lift of asphalt in time for the Lion’s Fat Cat Triathlon. The final completion of the project will be early October. The project will be funded through the issuance of $4,400,000 in bonds to be repaid over 15 years with the balance coming from the City’s Local Road Improvement Fund. In addition to the City’s road projects, Washington County will be resurfacing Olinda Trail (CTH 3) and its portion of Oakhill Road (CTH 52). Work is nearing the end on the City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The process began in January 2017, when Bolton & Menk staff attended the Lions’ Vinterfest pancake breakfast to get feedback about the future of Scandia. Since then, there have been several opportunities for public input, including a volunteer Steering Committee, focus groups, a public open house, a community-wide survey, and several City Council and Planning Commission workshops. As a result, the draft plan includes a vision, goals and objectives to guide Scandia into the future. 2018 Road Improvement Project The Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the Comprehen- sive Plan at the May 1, 2018, Planning Commission meeting. The recommendation of the Planning Commission will be presented to the City Council for action. Follow- ing the City Council’s approval, a draft of the plan will be provided to adjoining taxing jurisdictions. These jurisdictions have 6 months to review and comment on the plan. The final plan must be submitted to the Metropolitan Council by Decem- ber 31, 2018. Welcome to spring in Scandia. The bright sun warms us even on those days when the temperatures are not quite there yet. As you read through this newsletter, I hope you will see the momentum growing both in taking care of City essentials and in building its sense of community. • The City’s new plan for road improvements is a most significant achievement. Check out what’s planned on the Scandia website. • Initiatives by both the City and Friends of Scandia’s Parks and Trails will lead toward further beautification of the Village Center. • The City is vigorously pursuing avenues for speeding up the long- planned Gateway Trail extension from William O’Brien State Park into the Village Center. • Efforts are underway to reestab- lish Scandia’s tourist potential to draw businesses that will be appealing to local residents and increase visitors to support them. • And our Comprehensive Plan is nearing completion. Review its drafts online, send in comments, and plan to attend the Planning Commission public hearing May 1st. Take the opportunity this spring and summer to get involved in Scandia in ways that are new for you. Visit me the first Wednesday of any month during Conversations with the Mayor and share your ideas or concerns. Enjoy one of the cultural jewels of Scandia by attending Gammelgarden events. Come for good local food, crafts and music at the Farmers Market every Wednesday afternoon during the summer starting June 6th. Involve your children or grandchildren in one of the many activities offered by Scandia PRC – including a new Drama Camp! - detailed in this newsletter. Look for ways to volunteer. And, why don’t you consider nominating one of your Good Neighbors for recognition? Enjoy the seasons ahead. Christine Maefsky Mayor Page 2 CITY OF SCANDIA The City has identified a number of op- portunities for residents to volunteer their time to help with various projects. A listing of opportunities can be found under the resident section of the City’s website www.ci.scandia.mn.us. New to the listing is an opportunity to beautify the intersection of Olinda Trail and STH 97. The City is working with the MnDOT Landscape Partnership program to pro- vide the plant materials and supplies, but the installation and continued maintenance will be the responsibility of the City, community groups or volun- teers. Let us know if you are interested in helping out with the installation in ear- ly summer or in maintaining a portion of the planting beds on a regular basis. Friday, June 29— Absentee voting begins for Primary Election, through Monday, August 13 Tuesday, July 24, 5 p.m.— Last day to pre-register for Primary Election. After this date, register at the polls on Election Day Tuesday, July 31— Filings for Mayor and City Council races open, through Tuesday, August 14, at 5 p.m. Monday, August 13, 5 p.m.— Absentee voting for Primary Election closes Tuesday, August 14, 7 a.m.-8 p.m.— Primary Election Day Thursday, August 16, 5 p.m.–-Deadline to withdraw filings for Mayor and Council Friday, September 21— Absentee voting begins for General Election, through Monday, November 5 Tuesday, October 16, 5 p.m.— Last date to pre-register for General Election. After this date, register at the polls on Election Day. Monday, November 5, 5 p.m.— Absentee voting for General Election closes Tuesday, November 6, 7 a.m.-8 p.m.— General Election Day Key Dates for 2018 Election Scandia will elect a Mayor and two City Council Members at the November 6 general election. The Mayor serves a two -year term, and Council Members serve four-year terms. The terms of Mayor Maefsky and Council Members Hegland and Schneider end in 2018. Filing opens Tuesday, July 31, 2018 and ends on Tuesday, August 14, 2018. Office hours for filing are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and will be open until 5 p.m. on the last day of the filing period. Candidates must file an Affidavit of Candidacy with the City Clerk, signed in the presence of a notary, and pay a $2.00 filin g fee. Candidates may withdraw from the election by filing an Affidavit of Withdrawal with the City Clerk not later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 16, 2018. Filing fees are not refundable. Qualifications for candidates are: • Eligible voter • At least 21 years of age when assuming office • Resident of the City for thirty days preceding the General Election (November 6, 2018) Filings Open for City Offices Volunteer Opportunities Election Judges Needed Scandia will need election judges to staff the local polling place on Primary Election Day, August 14, and General Elec- tion Day, November 6. Serving as an election judge provides an opportunity to learn more about the election process and serve the community. With advance notice, employers must allow workers time off to serve as election judges. Qualifications for serving include being eligible to vote in Minnesota, being fluent in English, and completing a two- hour training session, either on-line or by attending an in- person training on July 10, 2018. Election judges need to be able to communicate clearly with voters, pay attention to de- tail, and enjoy helping others. Election judges are paid an hourly wage of $9.00. Would you like to serve? Call the City office at 651.433.2274 no later than Friday, July 6. Page 3 VOLUME 12, ISSUE 1 Scandia Economic Development Authority (EDA) would like to invite Scandia businesses to a gathering on Thursday, April 19th. This breakfast meeting will begin at 7 a.m. In addition to providing an opportunity to interact with other businesses, Carney Forensics will present information on computer securi- ty and there will be an update on resources that are available to support businesses in Scandia. Please call 651.433.2274 or email n.soltis@ci.scandia.mn.us by Monday, April 16th, to let us know if you are planning to attend. The Scandia Economic Development Authority (EDA) is contracting with the University of Minnesota Tourism Center to conduct a tourism assessment that is intended to inventory local tourism assets, assess tourism assets from local, visitor and expert per- spectives, uncover opportunities for tourism development; and identify action steps for sustainable tourism development. The process is expected to take 12 to 18 months. The EDA is seeking 3-6 people interested in participating as members of a Com- munity Leadership Committee to coordinate the efforts of the University and other consultants throughout the process. Job de- scriptions for the Community Leadership Committee members will be posted in the volunteer section of the City’s website. U of M Tourism Assessment Program Promotion of the EDA’s Business Invitation Short Takes Hazardous Materials and 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 21st from 8 a.m. to noon, and at the Forest Lake Transit Center (enter at Headwaters Parkway) on June 2nd from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. See the County website for more information. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and More Many of you know about the three R’s and how important they are to reduce waste, but there are more R’s to add to your routine: Refuse what you do not need by bringing a reusable shopping bag with you to cut down on plastic bags that may end up in the trash. What else can you refuse? Remove yourself from junk mail lists to cut down on paper and use a refillable water bottle instead of using plastic bottles. Repair items when things become worn or stop working to keep them functioning longer. This way, you will have other options like donation or resale, instead of adding them to the waste stream. Bring your items to county fix-it clinics for help or use online repair resources. By refusing and repairing, you make it much easier to reduce items you don’t need and reuse items you al- ready have. Always look for more ways to reduce and keep working to create less waste and make sure your items are recycled as much as possible. Find more recycling information on the City’s web- site. Clean-Up Week City-wide Clean-up Week is scheduled for Saturday, April 28, through Saturday, May 5, 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 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., M—F. Please call SRC at 651.464.2321 for more information. A pricing schedule is posted on the City’s website. Washington County has released the 2018 assessment information for the City of Scandia. In total, the value of residential properties in Scandia increased by 7.2% over 2017, largely due to new home construction. Of the 2,238 residential parcels assessed, there was a decrease in value or no change for 1,914 of those parcels. For the parcels with increases in assessed values, 71% of the increases were in the 1% to 5% range. The City Council will meet as the Local Board of Appeals & Equalization on Monday, April 9th, to hear appeals of property values. If you have questions in advance of the meeting, you are encouraged to contact the City’s assessor at 651.430.6175. 2018 Assessments