9.d) Draft Fall 2015 NewsletterVOLUME 9, ISSUE 2 OCTOBER 2015
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A twice -yearly publication for residents of the City of Scandia, Minnesota
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SCA1 7 DIA
Small Levy Increase Proposed for 2016 Budget,
Capital Improvement Needs Explored
On September 15, 2015, the City Council approved a preliminary levy of $2,257,871 or 1.82% increase over
2015. This is the maximum amount the levy could reach for 2016; however, the Council may decide to reduce
it before final adoption in December. A public hearing on the budget will be Wednesday, December 2, 2015
at 6:30 p.m. The City Council may hold more work sessions on the budget in October and November. The
work sessions are open to the public.
The Council continues to prioritize roads in the annual budget. The tax levy for the Local Road Improvement
Fund will increase over 300%. Last fall, the City surveyed residents about road funding and over half of re-
spondents (53%) supported funding needed improvements through the general tax levy as opposed to special
assessments (19%) or franchise fees (22%). Despite the increase, this level of funding ($1 million every other
year) only addresses about half of the needs over the next ten years. Next year's project includes reconstruc-
tion of 236'h Street, 237h Street and Novak Avenue as well as beginning work on a section of Oldfield Avenue.
Operations in most departments will remain the same in 2016. When factoring in the increase of $115,000 in
the transfer to the Local Road Improvement Fund, the General Fund spending actually decreases slightly in
2016.
On average, residential properties in Scandia will see a 4.3% decrease in value in 2016 compared to 2015. As
a result, the proposed levy increase of 1.82% would mean a house valued at $300,100 this year will see an in-
crease in the City portion of their taxes of just under $9 next year.
Making its return this spring was the Capital Improvement Committee. This volun-
teer citizen committee of five members spent a couple months reviewing recom-
mendations for the 2016-2020 Capital Improvement Plan. A Capital Improvement
Program, or CIP, is a multi -year (typically 5 years) capital expenditure plan for a
City's infrastructure (such as streets, parks and utility systems), vehicles, equip-
ment and public buildings. It identifies the major projects needed and desired by
the community, their potential costs and how they would be financed.
The committee's recommendations for the next five year
period includes 22 projects with a total estimated cost of
$5,248,700. Bringing back the Capital Improvement
Committee allowed more residents to participate in the
process. However, there are still a couple of ways for you
to provide your input before final Council adoption in
December. The Planning Commission will be holding a
public hearing on the 2016-2020 CIP on Wednesday, No-
vember 4, 2015 at 7 p.m.
Also, the Capital Improvement Committee is interested in
learning where you think capital investments (projects
over $10,000 and a useful life of 5 years or more) should
be made in the future. Please complete the survey on the
next page and return to the Scandia City Offices, 14727
209"' Street N., fax: 651.433.5112, or email at
mail@ci.scandia.mn.us by November 26, 2015.
Inside this issue:
provements
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Family
Scandia Fire
nt
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s in Public
[NewFaces
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es
3
ity Calendar
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Survey of Capital Improvements
Please complete the survey below and return to the City offices by November 26, 2015 in order to
share your thoughts with the City Council before final budget adoption in December.
If you had $100 to spend on Capital Improvements, how
would you distribute it amongst the following areas:
Administration and Finance
Community Center
Fire Department
Parks and Recreation
Public Works
Total (Must Equal $100)
How should Capital Improvements for the Community
Center be funded:
Donations
Grants
Tax Levy
How should Capital Improvements for the Fire Department
be funded:
Donations
Grants
Tax Levy
How should Capital improvements for Parks be funded:
Donations
Grants
Tax Levy
Park Dedication Fees
How should Capital Improvements for Public Works be
funded:
Donations
Grants
Tax Levy
Below is a listing of the projects in the 2016-2020 CIP
(excluding sewer). Please rank your top 10 priorities:
Fire Station HVAC System
Fire Department Radio Replacements
Civil Defense Sirens (Tornado Sirens)
Fire Department Grass Rig Replacement
Fire Department SCBA Compressor Replacement
Fire Department SCBA and Masks Replacements
Fire Hall/Public Works Roof Replacement
Zamboni Replacement
Lilleskogen Park Restoration
Tennis Court Reconstruction
Street Maintenance Program (Seal Coating, Crack
Filling, Dust Control, Ditching, Tree Trimming)
Public Works Pickup w/Plow Replacement
John Deere Tractor Mower wBroom and Blower
Replacement
Tiger Ditch Rear Mower Replacement
Tiger Boom Mower Attachment Replacement
John Deere Tractor Replacement
Dump Truck w/Plow Replacement
Ford Ranger Replacement
What other projects would you like to see in future
Capital Improvement Plans? Projects must be at least
$10,000 and have a useful life of five years or more.
Page 3
Free, Fun Family Events at the Scandia Fire Department
Annual Open House— Safe Halloween Party— Both events: Scandia
Tuesday, October 6, from Friday, October 30, from Fire Hall, 15040 Scandia
5 p.m. to 7 p.m. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Trail(Hwy 97)
Join the Scandia Fire and
Rescue Department for
their annual Open House.
Bring the kids and learn
about fire safety, see the
fire trucks and other equip-
ment, and meet your neigh-
bors for some fun and food.
This is a fun event for all
ages at the Scandia Fire
Hall. Activities will in-
clude a large bonfire,
games, hot dogs & hot
chocolate. Co-sponsors
are the Scandia Marine
Lions Club, Elim Lutheran
Church, Helke Tree Service
and Country Rentals.
New Faces in Public Works
The Scandia Public Works Depart-
ment welcomed two new employees
this summer.
Rick Regnier
joined the de-
partment in
June as a full-
time mainte-
nance worker.
Regnier brings
a wealth of public work experience
after years of working for the cities of
Lakeland, Mahtomedi, and North St.
Paul, as well as the Board of Water
Commissioners in Stillwater. He pre-
viously worked for the City of Scandia
Short Takes
Benefits of Recycling —
Recycling doesn't just save
natural resources, it also saves
energy and reduces green-
house gas emissions.
Curbside collection makes it
easy and convenient to recy-
cle and new technologies and
growing markets are expand-
ing what we can recycle at the
curb. By diverting waste to the
recycling stream, you could
reduce the size of your gar-
bage cart and save money!
Through an agreement with
SRC, curbside recycling in
single -sort carts is available to
all Scandia residents at no
cost. Contact SRC at
651.462.1099 for more
information.
on snow removal operations
In his spare time Regnier enjoys go-
ing to his cabin and horseback riding.
Rick owns a restored 1931 Ford mod-
el "A" and enjoys attending car
shows. He purchased a home in
Scandia this summer and looks for-
ward to becoming a part of the com-
munity.
New at the
helm is Dave
Williams.
Williams be-
gan as Public
6 Works Direc-
Make Sure Public Safety
Officers Can Find You When
You Need Them— Is your
address clearly marked at the
street? If not, public safety
officials (police, fire, EMS)
may be delayed in reaching
you when it matters most.
Please make sure your ad-
dress is marked on your mail-
box and/or at the end of your
driveway. The Fire Chief also
reminds folks to trim the trees
along their driveways to allow
for fire trucks to access your
property. Every second
counts in an emergency.
Snow is Coming... Is Your
Mailbox Ready? Before you
know it the snow will be fall-
ing. Now is a good time to
look at your mailbox and
landscaping within the
`interfest 201'
January 29-30
Check website
'A for details 1
for in July. He comes to us with over
20 years of experience with the City
of Oakdale. Williams is looking for-
ward to working in a small town like
Scandia and participating in commu-
nity events.
He resides in Stillwater with his wife
and son, Donna, a school teacher in
Bayport, and Tristan, a sophomore at
Stillwater High School. They enjoy
boating, traveling, getting outdoors
and spending time with their family.
right-of-way. If your mailbox
is in need of repair, consider
replacing the post with a
swing -arm style support.
Detailed specifications are
available on the City's web -
site or at https://
www.usps.com/manage/
know-mailbox-
guidelines.htm, which shows
the proper installation for a
mailbox. Staff will be driving
their routes and noting which
mailboxes are not to specifi-
cations. The homeowner will
be responsible for damaged
mailboxes that are not to
code. Landscaping along the
road is another thing to con-
sider. Obstacles may get
buried after several snow-
falls. Make sure no obstmc-
tions are in the right-of-way
that a plow driver might
hit when pushing back
wing rows. Lastly, make
sure not to deposit snow
or ice within the right-of-
way. It creates a hazard
for traffic and City staff;
and it is against the law.
Your cooperation will be
greatly appreciated and
make plowing the roads
easier and safer.
Dedicated to Rural Community Values
City of Scandia
Scandia Community/
Senior Center
14727 209th St. N.
Scandia, MN 55073
Phone: 651.433.2274
Fax: 651.433.51 12
E-mail:
mail@ci.scandia.mn.us
Hours: Mon. thru Fri.
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Most Up -to -Date Information
City Council:
Randall Simonson, Mayor
651.538.4320
Dan Lee
651.433.4309
Chris Ness
651.707.5689
Jim Schneider
651.433.3692
Bob Hegland
65 I.538.2 129
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:
Kristina Handt, Administrator
Brenda Eklund, Deputy Clerk
Colleen Firkus, Treasurer
Dave Williams, Director of
Public Works
Mike Hinz, Fire Chief
Nick Vivian, Attorney
Eckberg Lammers
Ryan Goodman, Engineer
Bolton & Menk
Sherri Buss, Planner, TKDA
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Scandia, MN
55073
PERMIT #6
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Household
Scandia, MN 55073
October
• December 12, Lions Community
Breakfast
• October 6, Fire Department
Open House
• December 13, Lucia Dagen,
Gammelgarden
• October 11, Lions Pancake
Breakfast
• December 15, 7 p.m., Budget
Adoption Hearing
• October 12, Columbus Day Ob-
served— Office Closed
• December 24 & 25, Christmas
Holiday —Office Closed
• October 15, Lions Wild Game
Dinner
January
• October 30, Safe Halloween at the
• January 1, New Year's Day —Office
Fire Hall
Closed
November
• January 18, Martin Luther King
Day— Office Closed
• November 3, ISD 831 Special Elec-
tion Day, 7 a.m.- 8 p.m.
• January 29 & 30, Vinterfest
• November 4, Capital Improvement
• January 30, Lions Pancake Breakfast
Plan -Public Heanng, 7 p.m.
February
• November 11, Veterans Day
Observed —Office Closed
• February15, Presidents' Day —
Office Cosed
• November 19, Luteiisk & Meatball
Dinner, Elim Church
• February 27, Fireball
• November 20, Turkey Bingo, 7 p.m.
March
• November 26 & 27, Thanksgiving
■ March 13, Daylight Savings Time
Holiday —Office Closed
Begins
December
For more information and a City meeting
calendar, see: www.ci.scandia.mn.us.
• December 2, 6:30 p.m. 'Public
Hearing, 2016 City Budget and
For Gammelgairden events, see:
Tax Levy
hitp✓/www.gammelgardenmuseum.org.