Loading...
2017 April - Spring Newsletter 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 Like us on Facebook for the Most Up-to-Date Information PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Scandia, MN 55073 PERMIT #6 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 25, 6:30 p.m., Log House Landing Boat Ramp-Public Com- ments, 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 July  July 4, Independence Day Holiday Office Closed  July 8, St. Croix Fat Cat Triathlon August  August 1, 5 p.m. - 8 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. SUMMER RECREATION BROCHURE INSIDE 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. APRIL 2017 VOLUME 11, ISSUE 1 CITY OF SCANDIA Inside this issue: Update to 2040 Comprehensive Plan Underway 2 Welcome Adam Hawkinson 3 Crack Filling and Sealcoating 3 Clean-up Week 3 Short Takes 3 Community Calendar 4 Message from the Mayor After almost three months of being Mayor of Scandia, I will publicly admit two things. First, being Mayor is more interactive than I expected it to be. There are almost 4,000 people living here in Scandia, and a considerable number of active citizen groups. While I was looking forward to reaching out to citizens for their ideas and input, I have happily found that many of them, both individ- ually and collectively, are reaching out to me. These citizen interactions have been truly heartening. I feel very proud to be the mayor of such an interesting and involved community. That brings me to the second thing I will admit; I’ve really been enjoying being your Mayor. As a person I have been blessed with a lot of curiosity, a lot of energy, and a strong desire to satisfy the first and put the second to good use. I like learning new things; I like problem solving. Putting those things together for the betterment of our community promises to be very rewarding. Now, what does this mean for you? Please let me know what you are thinking. Contact me via email c.maefsky@ci.scandia.mn.us or our farm phone 433-2684. Continue to post and interact with one another on our community’s social media sites: City of Scandia Minnesota Facebook page, Scandia Then and Now Facebook page, Scandia Village Next Door social media site. I am actively tracking and read- ing these posts. Stop by for coffee or tea during one of my office hour sessions – the first Wednesday of each month 8:30-10:00 a.m. and 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Or, do what 5th grader Chase’s mom did when she learned I was going to speak with his class at Scandia Elementary School, write me a note. Educate yourself about the issues surrounding the future of Scandia and its many wonderful attributes as well as its challenges. Follow what’s happening with current issues important to you, perhaps internet access, invasive species in our lakes, or our new gas station, and email or call to share your thoughts. Remember to shop local. And, if you haven’t already done so, respond to the questions about Scandia’s future on the 2040 Comprehensive Plan online site https://www.bolton-menk.com/clients/scandia/index.html. My heartfelt thanks for electing me your Mayor. I look forward to our time ahead together and hope to hear from you soon. Christine Maefsky A twice-yearly publication for residents of the City of Scandia, Minnesota Two New Members Join Scandia City Council Update to City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan Underway Page 2 CITY OF SCANDIA What is a Comprehensive Plan? A Comprehensive Plan defines the vision, goals and aspirations for the long-term development and redevelopment of the community. 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 investments 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 opportuni- ties. Why Update the Comprehensive Plan? State law requires Comprehensive Plans be updated at least every 10 years, and the Plan must align with the Metropol- itan 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 updating. Scandia is also including extensive public outreach for this project. Opportunities for citizen in- volvement 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’ Vin- terfest pancake breakfast in January and asked attendees to take a brief survey about what they see for the future of Scandia. We received more than 30 responses. This survey 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 Compre- hensive Planning effort. The Committee reviewed the Comprehensive Planning process, updated maps, data, and pro- jections, and participated in an exercise to identify community strengths, weaknesses, 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 partici- pate in personal interviews within a small group (10-12 participants) to discuss specific issues for the Plan. Volunteers are needed in three areas: · 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 sum- mer; 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. Earth Day Is Coming Up on April 22 Earth Day may only come once a year, but you can live like every day is Earth Day by maximizing your recycling efforts, reducing what you acquire and reusing what you can to help keep the air and water clean. Single-sort recycling carts are available at no cost to all Scandia residents. Contact Forest Lake Sanitation (SRC) for more information at 651.464.2321. You can always recycle MORE than just what's collected. Reusable goods can be given to thrift stores or churches, food waste can be composted, and some materials like scrap metal, old carpet and used holiday lights can be dropped off at collection sites found in the Residential Recycling Guide at RethinkRecycling.com 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. Go to www.co.washington.mn.us/1942/ Household-Hazardous-Waste-Events. Short Takes Clean-Up Week 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. City Welcomes Adam Hawkinson as Public Works Director Scandia’s new Public Works Director, Adam Hawkinson, started his duties on December 12. He brings 17 years of municipal parks and public works experi- ence to the City of Scandia, along with 9 years of experience as a Grounds Support Supervisor 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 en- sure that all City infrastructure (including roads, street lights, drainage systems, sewer and water) and facilities (including parks and public buildings) are oper- ated and maintained in good condition. Adam provides staff support to the Parks and Recreation and Wastewater Committees. Adam can be reached at 651.433.5223 or a.hawkinson@ci.scandia.mn.us. Improvements will be made to 239th Street N., 238th Street N. from Melanie Trail to Morgan Avenue, 235th Street N. from Meadowbrook 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 Avenue 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. Crack Filling and Sealcoating Planned for 2017 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.