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2007 April - Spring Newsletter City of Scandia Scandia Community/ Senior Center PO Box 128 14727 209th St. N. Scandia, MN 55073 • June 30, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., CLFL Watershed FREE groundwater testing clinic, Communi- ty Center (see story inside) July • July 4, Independence Day—Office Closed August • Spelmanstamma, Gammelgården September • September 3, Labor Day— Office Closed • September 8, Taco Daze Festival • September 29, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m, Heavy Metal Day, Community Center Parking Lot For more information see the city website www.ci.scandia.mn.us . For Gammelgården events, see: http:// www.scandiamn.com/gammelgarden/index.htm. April • April 19, 5 p.m. to 8.00 p.m, Boy Scout Pack 173 Spaghetti Dinner, Community Center • April 28, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., Heavy Metal Day, Community Center Parking Lot (NOTE: NO HAZARDOUS WASTE, see story inside) • April 28, Valborgsmassafton, Gammelgården May • May 5, 8 a.m. to 2 pm., Hazardous Materials Collection, Northland Mall, 1432 Lake Street, Forest Lake, June • June 26, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., Red Cross Blood- mobile, Community Center • June 16, Linnaeus Coffee Party, Gam- melgården • June 22, Dalazapalooza, Gammelgården • June 23, Midsommar Dag, Gammelgården Community Calendar, April—September, 2007 Dedicated to Rural Community Values We’re on the web! www.ci.scandia.mn.us Household Scandia, MN 55073 City Council: Dennis Seefeldt, Mayor 651 433-5999 Dolores Peterson 651 433-2229 Pete Crum 651 433-5034 Donnette Yehle 651 433-3602 Mike Harnetty 651 433-4883 Regular Council Meeting: Third Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. Council/Planning Commission Meeting: First Tuesday, 7:00/7:30 p.m. City Staff: Anne Hurlburt, Administrator Brenda Eklund, Deputy Clerk Colleen Firkus, Treasurer John Morrison, Public Works Supervisor Jim Schneider, Building Official David Hebert, Attorney Hebert & Welch PA Tom Peterson, Engineer, BRA Dick Thompson, Planner, TKDA, Inc City Office: Phone: 651 433-2274 Fax: 651 433-5112 E-mail: mail@ci.scandia.mn.us Hours: Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to Noon & 1p.m. to 4 p.m. PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Scandia, MN 55073 The first City Council for Scandia, Minnesota was sworn in on January 2, 2007 by Judge Howard Albertson. About 100 Scandia resi- dents turned out to recognize the end of the Township government and to celebrate the beginning of Minnesota's newest City. Former Township Board Chair Dennis Seefeldt took the oath of office as Mayor. Dolores Peterson (former, long-time Town Clerk) and Pete Crum were sworn to four-year terms on the Council, and Michael Harnetty (former Town Board member) and Donnette Yehle (former Planning Commissioner) were sworn to two-year terms. Mayor Seefeldt recognized the service of out- going Town Board members Blair Joselyn, Mike Hinz and Nancy Madden. A cake and coffee reception followed, with the new Council holding its first organizational meeting immediately thereafter. The City Council taking office capped the efforts of citizens over many years leading to the October 12, 2006 judge's order for incorporation. The first municipal election was held on December 12, 2006. Twenty-five candidates stepped up to run for office and 1,036 voters turned out to elect the new Coun- cil. History Made with Swearing-In of New City Council Special Newsletter Insert— Summer Recreation Programs and Registration Information • Youth activities at the Community Center • Day camps and activities at Camp Lakamaga • Family camping adventure • New— trips, tours and events for adults Inside this issue: First 90 Days are Productive for New City 2 Committees will Help Set Policy 2 Time to Clean Up— Heavy Met- al Day 2 Free Nitrate Water Testing Clinic 3 Short Takes/ Announcements 3 Community Calendar 4 Mayor’s Message— “F.A.Q.” What’s the most “Frequently Asked Question” for the brand-new Scandia city government? “Now that we’re a city, what has changed?” As former Town Board Chair, and now as Mayor, I answer, “not so much”, other than we have a lot more meetings! Seriously, the changes from town to city are not dramatic. Basic services we offer, such as road maintenance, snow plowing, police and fire protec- tion, building permits, the community center, etc. have changed little or not at all. The budget, tax rates and contracts set by the former township are now those of the city. The zoning ordinances and our comprehensive plan are the same. If there have been changes, they may have happened even if we had remained a township government. There will be some differences in how the City sets its budgets and certain other procedural changes from the township form of government. Elections will now be held in November, rather than March. What is probably the most significant change is that as a city Scandia now has more local control and self -determination, particularly in regards to land use planning and zoning. No longer will Washington County have the final say in decision-making that the citizens and appointed and elected officials of Scan- dia are best equipped to make. This is particularly important as we embark on the every-10-years up- date to the Comprehensive Plan. I encourage you all as citizens to participate in this important process and help shape the future of our community—- Mayor Dennis Seefeldt A TWICE-YEARLY PUBLICATION FOR RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF SCANDIA, MINNESOTA April, 2007 Volume 1, Issue 1 Pictured in the photo are, left to right: Councilmembers Pete Crum, Michael Harnetty, Dolores Peterson, and Donnette Yehle; Mayor Dennis Seefeldt, and Judge Albert- son. Photo Courtesy of Carol Seefeldt The new City of Scandia is only 90 days old... but already the “to-do list” tackled by the Coun- cil is quite extensive. "Housekeeping" tasks com- pleted include adopting new procedures and bylaws, setting committee structures, appointing officers, selecting depositories and legal newspa- pers. Training sessions were held on city financ- es and on the Open Meeting Law. Pay ranges, benefits and new job descriptions for employees were approved. Citizens were appointed to existing advisory committees (Planning and Parks and Recreation) and new ones were created (see separate story, below.) The Council completed new ordinances govern- ing open space and conservation subdivisions, and woodland and tree preservation. The first ordinance increases the burden on subdividers to prove that their projects meet certain criteria (such as preservation of ecologically sensitive features, native plant and animal habitat, scenic views, etc.) before claiming density bonuses or including smaller lot sizes in their projects. The woodland and tree preservation ordinance in- creases incentives for developers to avoid trees and woodlands when planning their projects, and requires replacement trees whenever significant trees or woodlands must be disturbed. Plans for the 2007 road paving project were approved, and bids were taken in March. About 6 miles of gravel roads will be paved this sum- mer, as part of the program begun ten years ago to eventually pave all of the gravel roads in the township/city. Ordinances were adopted for licensing liquor, tobacco and lawful gambling, as the city took over those functions from the county. The first city licenses were issued. Progress was made on updating ordinances governing sand and grav- el mining in the City. A public hearing is ex- pected in May. Safety regulations for swimming pools were reviewed, with a change to require gates with latches and fences at least 4 feet in height. The City applied for and received a small grant from Trust for Public Land/ Embrace Open Space to help lay out the steps for a natural resource- based planning process. This project will help with the Comprehensive Plan update. hazardous waste in Scandia this year. Scandia residents are invited to their 2007 Spring Collec- tion Event on Saturday, May 5 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Northland Mall, 1432 S. Lake Street in Forest Lake. The best time to come will be after the Forest Lake general city cleanup event ends at noon. For more information on disposal of hazardous materials, call Washington County at 651 430- 6655 or check their web site at www.co.washington.mn.us/publichealth. Time for Spring clean-up! Heavy Metal Day is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 28, 2007 in the Community Center parking lot (14727 209th St. N.) Residents may drop off items not taken by your regular trash hauler but not considered hazard- ous waste. Examples of items accepted include furniture, TVs, mattresses, appliances and com- puters. There may be a fee for some items. Please note the following change-- Wash- ington County will NOT be collecting household First 90 Days are Productive for New City Time to Clean Up— Heavy Metal Day Page 2 Committees will Help Set Policy The Council has created three new committees: Comprehensive Plan Committee— All cities and towns in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area are required to update their long-range comprehensive plans by the end of 2008. The new committee includes Council members, Plan- ning Commissioners, and citizens at-large. The first meeting is on April 9 at 7:00 p.m. Commercial/Retail Development Commit- tee— What type and how much commercial development is needed and desired in Scandia, and where it should be located, are questions that will be addressed by this new commit- tee. The first meeting has been set for April 11, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. Capital Improvements Committee— This committee will advise on the need for capital projects (such as road improvements, buildings and major equipment purchases.) It incorporates the functions of the old township Road Commit- tee. The first meeting has been scheduled for May 10 at 7:00 p.m. All meetings are open to the public. Please check the "calendar" section of the website for meeting dates, agendas and lists of committee members. Homeowners who rely on private wells for their drinking water supply should test for nitrates on a regular basis. Private well owners are en- couraged to participate at the free nitrate testing clinic that will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday June 30, 2007 at the City of Scandia Community and Senior Center. The clinic is sponsored by the Comfort Lake – Forest Lake Watershed District (CLFLWD), Chisago County Zoning/Environmental Services, the City of Scandia, and the Minnesota Department of Agri- culture (MDA). Past studies by MDA indicate that between 5 percent and 25 percent of the private wells in greater Minnesota have nitrate levels above federal drinking water standards. In order to participate in the testing, homeowners must bring water samples. Instruc- tions on how, when and where to obtain the samples for test- ing is available on the city’s website (check the News article or the Calendar for the details.) Samples are analyzed on the spot. The process usually takes less than five minutes and results are given directly to the homeowner. If the nitrate level in a sample is elevated, clinic staff can refer the homeowner to certified labs that will retest the water. For more infor- mation on the clinic, contact Randy Anhorn at 651.209.9753 or randy@ci.forest-lake.mn.us. Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign— Advertising signs are generally prohibited in Scandia, with a few exceptions. Signs advertising the sale of agricul- tural projects on the adver- tiser’s property, signs advertis- ing community events, and gar- age sale signs are some of the exceptions All signs require a permit. For more information, see the Development Code (Chapter 2, Section 9.13.) Sign permit applications are available at the office and on the web site. Burning Permits— A (no- charge) burning permit is re- quired for open burning when there is no snow cover. In all cases, please notify the Wash- ington County Sheriff’s Office (651 439-9381) and the DNR (651 772-7930) one hour before you burn. There may be re- strictions depending on weath- er, time-of-day or air-quality issues. See the city office for more information and for per- mits. Permits may also be ob- tained at the Big Marine Lake Store. New City Logo Chosen— The winning entry in the logo contest was submitted by Sheri Olson Howell, a free-lance Keep Scandia Beautiful— Scandia is a beautiful place to live, and we all work hard to keep it that way. Some of the most frequent complaints re- ceived by the city concern out- door storage & refuse, parking & junk cars, and animal issues. Here are a few reminders of some of the ordinance require- ments: Storage & refuse-- the limit is 2 items of recreational equipment stored outside, per- sonal property must be stored inside or fully screened, and all refuse must be in a proper con- tainer. Parking & junk cars— the limit is 4 passenger cars or pickups on sites less than 10 acres, and no unlicensed or junk vehicle may be kept for more than 30 days. Animals— livestock may not be kept on parcels smaller than 5 acres. A minimum of 2 grazable acres per animal unit is required (one horse = 1 animal unit.) For more details, see the Develop- ment Code, Chapter 2, Section 9.4 (exterior storage & parking) and Section 10.18 (livestock.) 4 When complaints are received, the city first requests voluntary corrections. However, citations or prosecution may be used if necessary to secure compliance. graphic designer from Forest Lake, chosen from 40 designs submitted by 28 artists. She received a $100 award. The design includes an image of the Dala Häst (Horse), part of the folk art and lore of Sweden. In 1850, Scandia was the site of the first Swedish settlement in Minnesota. New Website— The website has a new look. Added features include a calendar of city and community events and expand- ed news and information sec- tions. Subscribe to agendas and announcements. Find it at www.ci.scandia.mn.us Council Meetings on Ca- ble— Lakes Area Television (available in limited areas of Scandia) has begun taping City Council meetings for replay on cable channel 10. Contact LATV at 651 464-1143 for more information. Woof Woof! Just a remind- er—Scandia has a dog ordi- nance. Licenses are not re- quired but dogs must be under voice command if not on a leash, and may not infringe on your neighbor’s property. There is a limit of 4 dogs with- out a kennel permit. Free Nitrate Water-Testing Clinic on June 30 Short Takes Job Openings The city is currently advertising for three staff positions: office assistant (part- time), maintenance worker (full-time) and building/ code enforcement official (full-time.) See the city office or the website for more information, application forms and deadlines. Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 1 The new logo design includes an image of the Dala Häst (Horse), part of the folk art and lore of Sweden. In 1850, Scandia was the site of the first Swedish settlement in Minnesota.