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2015 October - Fall Newsletter CITY OF SCANDIA October  October 6, Fire Department Open House  October 11, Lions Pancake Breakfast  October 12, Columbus Day Observed— Office Closed  October 15, Lions Wild Game Dinner  October 31, Safe Halloween at the Fire Hall November  November 3, ISD 831 Special Elec-tion Day, 7 a.m.- 8 p.m.  November 4, Capital Improvement Plan-Public Hearing, 7 p.m.  November 11, Veterans Day Observed—Office Closed  November 19, Lutefisk & Meatball Dinner, Elim Church  November 20, Turkey Bingo, 7 p.m.  November 26 & 27, Thanksgiving Holiday—Office Closed December  December 2, 6:30 p.m. Public Hearing, 2016 City Budget and Tax Levy  December 12, Lions Community Breakfast  December 13, Lucia Dagen, Gammelgarden  December 15, 7 p.m., Budget Adoption Hearing  December 24 & 25, Christmas Holiday—Office Closed January  January 1, New Year’s Day—Office Closed  January 18, Martin Luther King Day— Office Closed  January 29 & 30, Vinterfest  January 30, Lions Pancake Breakfast February  February 15, Presidents’ Day— Office Closed  February 27, Fireball March  March 13, Daylight Savings Time Begins For more information and a City meeting calendar, see: www.ci.scandia.mn.us. For Gammelgården events, see: http://www.gammelgardenmuseum.org. Dedicated to Rural Community Values City of Scandia Scandia Community/ Senior Center 14727 209th St. N. Scandia, MN 55073 Phone: 651.433.2274 Fax: 651.433.5112 E-mail: mail@ci.scandia.mn.us Hours: Mon. thru Fri. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 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 651.538.2129 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 Like us on Facebook for the Most Up-to-Date Information Small Levy Increase Proposed for 2016 Budget, Capital Improvement Needs Explored OCTOBER 2015 VOLUME 9, ISSUE 2 CITY OF SCANDIA Inside this issue: Capital Improvements Survey 2 Free, Fun Family Events at Scandia Fire Department 3 New Faces in Public Works 3 Short Takes 3 Community Calendar 4 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 236th Street, 237th 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 vol- unteer citizen committee of five members spent a couple months reviewing rec- ommendations for the 2016-2020 Capital Improvement Plan. A Capital Improve- ment 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, equipment and public buildings. It identifies the major projects needed and de- sired by the community, their potential costs and how they would be financed. 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 209th Street N., fax: 651.433.5112, or email at mail@ci.scandia.mn.us by November 26, 2015. A twice-yearly publication for residents of the City of Scandia, Minnesota 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, November 4, 2015 at 7 p.m. Survey of Capital Improvements Page 2 CITY OF SCANDIA 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 w/Broom 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. _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ Annual Open House— Tuesday, October 6, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. 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. Safe Halloween Party— Saturday, October 31, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. 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, and Country Rentals. Free, Fun Family Events at the Scandia Fire Department Short Takes New Faces in Public Works Page 3 VOLUME 9, ISSUE 2 Both events: Scandia Fire Hall, 15040 Scandia Trail (Hwy 97) 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 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 Works Direc- tor 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. Vinterfest 2016 January 29-30 Check website for details 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. 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. 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 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 obstruc- tions are in the right-of-way