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2018 October - Fall Newsletter CITY OF SCANDIA October • October 8, Columbus Day Observed— Office Closed • October 9, Fire Department Open House, 5-7 p.m. • October 14, Lions Pancake Breakfast, 8-11:30 a.m. • October 29, Tourism SWOT Activity, 6-8 p.m. • October 31, Safe Halloween at the Fire Hall, 5-7 p.m. November • November 6, General Election Day, 7 a.m.- 8 p.m. • November 12, Veterans Day Observed—Office Closed • November 15, Lutefisk & Meatball Dinner, Elim Church • November 16, Turkey Bingo, 7 p.m. • November 22 and 23, Thanksgiv-ing Holiday—Office Closed • November 25, Vinterlights! For more information and a City meeting calendar, see: www.ci.scandia.mn.us. December • December 5, 6:30 p.m. Public Hearing, 2019 City Budget and Tax Levy • December 8, Lions Community Breakfast, 8-11:30 a.m. • December 9, Lucia Dagen, Gammelgarden • December 24 and 25, Christmas Holiday—Office Closed January • January 1, New Year’s Day--Office Closed • January 21, Martin Luther King Day— Office Closed • January 26, Vinterfest • January 26, Lions Pancake Break-fast, 8-11:30 a.m. February • February 18, Presidents’ Day— Office Closed • February 23, Fireball March • March 10, Daylight Savings Time Begins Dedicated to Rural Community Values 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: Monday thru Friday 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 Eric Sherburne, Attorney Eckberg Lammers Ryan Goodman, Engineer Bolton & Menk Merritt Clapp-Smith, Planner, TKDA PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Scandia, MN 55073 PERMIT #6 Like us on Facebook for the Most Up-to-Date Information Community Calendar, October 2018 - March 2019 OCTOBER 2018 VOLUME 12, ISSUE 2 CITY OF SCANDIA 2018 Road Improvement Project 2 Capital Improvements Proposed 2 Internet Survey Results 2 Looking for Scandia Businesses 2 Tourism Assessment SWOT Activity 2 Election Day/Vinterlights/Short Takes 3 Community Calendar 4 A twice-yearly publication for residents of the City of Scandia, Minnesota 2019 Property Tax Levy and Budget Message From the Mayor The preliminary levy for taxes payable in 2019 must be certified to Washington County and the date of the public hearing must be set no later than October 3rd. The maximum tax levy amount is preliminary and will be used by the County for the property tax notices that are mailed out in November. The Council may make changes to the 2019 budget prior to its adoption in December, but the tax levy may not be increased. At the September 18 meeting, the City Council certified a maximum levy of $2,313,880 for collection in 2019. The major change from the 2018 levy is the levy for the Local Road Improvement Fund has been reduced in order to pay the debt service for the 2018 Road Im- provement Projects. Funds will be levied for the Local Road Improvement Fund in anticipation of the next improvement project in 2020. The amount certified by the Council is less than the maximum levy amount of $2,353,102 certified for collection in 2018. In the final budget the 2018 levy amount was reduced to utilize an excess fund balance so that there would be no change from the 2017 levy. The impact of the change will be a decrease in the levy per $1,000 of taxable market value from $3.71 in 2018 to $3.53 in 2019. The public hearing on the budget will be Wednesday, December 5, at 6:30 p.m. Following a highly successful Taco Daze, Scandia heads into autumn and winter anticipating still more local events to enjoy including Vinterfest in January and new things planned. For the first time, Scandia will be having a winter holiday kickoff with a gathering to highlight our ever-growing sense of community and… our new lights! Planned for late afternoon on November 25th the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, all Scandia families, friends and neighbors are invited to gather at the Community Center for a lighting up of the Center, and of Gammelgarden Museum, Elim Church, the cemetery, area businesses, and our new holiday lamp post lights. There will be cookies and hot chocolate provided by the Lions, a bonfire, and singing. The name of the gathering – Vinterlights! Hope to see you there. Be sure to regularly check our City website www.ci.scandia.mn.us for news of more events taking place. I continue to look for- ward to meeting with those of you who stop by the Heritage Room during Conversations with the Mayor, the first Wednesday of each month, 8:30-10:00 a.m. and 4:30-6:00 p.m. Enjoy the seasons ahead. Christine Maefsky Mayor Inside This Issue: Page 2 CITY OF SCANDIA Internet Survey Results The results of the Scandia Internet Survey are being tabulated. At this time, we have received over 265 responses from Scandia residents and businesses. Overall, 85% of those surveyed want the City to improve internet service for all residents and busi- nesses! Preliminary results from the Fea- sibility Study are in, too. Initial estimates of the cost to construct a fiber to the home network is around $13 million. The Focus Group will continue research- ing solutions. They will also investigate grant opportunities; look for Federal, County and State partners; and explore other funding alternatives. Thanks to all of the Internet Focus Group members! 2018 Road Improvement Project In 2018 the City completed reclamation and repaving of 14.5 miles of City roads. Based on a road rating scale, the percentage of road rated 7 or better on a 1-to-10 scale increased from 45% to 66% of the local roads. The following capital improvements have been proposed for inclusion into the 2019 Budget: Looking for Scandia Businesses The Economic Development Authority is looking to identify the home-based businesses in Scandia. In addition to creating a façade improvement loan program, working with MnDOT on landscape improvement at the Olinda/97 intersection and initiat- ing a tourism assessment with the University of Minnesota Tour- ism Development Center, the EDA sponsors a semi-annual breakfast meeting to provide business owners the opportunity to gather and to provide information on programs that could benefit their businesses. Through the Washington County CDA, the Open to Business program has provided free consulting ser- vices to 7 businesses in Scandia. The EDA will be hosting the next business breakfast meeting on Thursday, October 18, at 7 a.m. If you would like to be kept in- formed about future programs and events or RSVP for the next meeting, email mail@ci.scandia.mn.us. Tourism Assessment SWOT Activity As a part of the Tourism Assessment Program, there will be a SWOT activity open for residents and business owners to engage i n the discussion on the tourism in Scandia. The activity will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, October 29 th. Staff from the Tourism Development Center will lead a large group discussion and expert team leaders will facilitate table discussions. Deta ils on the event will be posted on the City’s website and Facebook page. • Bliss addition stormwater plan • HVAC replacement in the Fire Department • LED lighting improvements in the Fire/Public Works Building • Replace Public Works Truck – 2008 Ford F350 • Lilleskogen Park wetland restoration • Concrete slabs under the bleachers at the lighted ballfield • Path connecting the t-ball field and the Community Center • Improvements to the Settler Monument • Doors for the shelter at Lions Park • Extend water to Lions Park shelter • Engineering for the 2020 Road Improvement project Capital Improvements Proposed for 2019 Short Takes Page 3 VOLUME 12, ISSUE 2 Election Day is Tuesday, November 6 Detailed specifications showing the proper installation of a mailbox are available on the City’s website or at https:// www.usps.com/manage/mailboxes.htm, Reminder: Only mailboxes that were properly installed and located and which were damaged by physical contact with City equipment will be the responsibility of the City. Make sure no obstructions, in- cluding refuse containers are in the right-of-way that a plow driver might hit when pushing back snow. Lastly, make sure not to deposit snow or ice within the right-of-way when clear- ing your driveway. It creates a hazard for traffic and City staff; and, it is against the law. Free, Fun Events at the Scandia Fire Department Annual Open House— Tuesday, October 9, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Join the Scandia Fire Department for their annual Open House. Bring the kids and learn about fire safety, see the fire trucks and other equipment, and meet your neighbors for some fun and food. Safe Halloween Party—Wednesday, October 31, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. This is a fun event for all ages at the Scandia Fire Hall. Activi- ties will include a large bonfire, games and food. Both Events at Scandia Fire Hall, 15040 Scandia Trail (Hwy 97) Snow is Coming… Is Your Mailbox Ready? Now is a good time to look at your mail- box and landscaping within the right-of-way. If your mailbox is in need of repair, consider re- placing the post with a swing- arm style support. Vinterfest 2019 January 26 Check website for details All Scandia residents vote at the Community Center, 14727 209th Street North. Polls open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m. For City offices, Scandia will elect a Mayor and two City Council members. The Mayor serves a two-year term, and the Council members will serve four-year terms, all commencing on January 7, 2019 (the first Monday of the new year.) Candidates for City offices in the order they appear on the ballot are— Mayor: Randall F. Simonson, Christine Maefsky Council member: Dan Squyres, Patti Ray, Jerry Cusick, Dustin Hegland Early Voting Now Underway— You may vote early by absentee ballot beginning September 21st and up to November 5th. Absentee ballots are not available at the city office. You may vote in person at any Washington County Service Center or at the Government Center in Stillwater during regular business hours Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the Saturday before the election. You may also request that a ballot be mailed to you. Call Washington County Elections at 651-430-6175 to have an ab- sentee ballot application mailed to you, or apply for an absentee ballot online through the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office (www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting). Registering to Vote— If you were previously registered to vote in Scandia, and have voted at least once during the last four years, you are already registered. If you moved since you voted last, even if it is just to a new address within the city, you must update your registration. For the November 6 General Election, voter pre-registration closes at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 16. After that date, you may register at the polls on election day or at the same time you cast an absentee ballot. When you register to vot e on elec- tion day, be prepared to show proof of residency. More information on registering to vote can be found on the Minnesota Secretary of State's website. For more election information including sample ballots, along with links to downloadable registration and absentee ballot applica- tion forms, please see the City website at www.ci.scandia.mn.us and click “Residents” on the home page and then select “Elect ion Information.” Vinterlights! Mark your calendar for Sunday, November 25, at 4:30 p.m. Come join us at the Community Center and see the lights turn on throughout Scandia. Lights at the Community Center, street lights, Gammelgarden lights, cemetery lights, and Elim Church lights will all light up at the same time. Join us for some cookies, hot chocolate, and singing of holiday carols while gathered around the bonfire.