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2022 October - Fall Newsletter• NEW—apply online —www.cityofscandia.com/BurnPermit • Fire Prevention Open House at the Scandia Fire station October 11th, 5-7 pm with demonstrations throughout the evening & Scandia Marines Lions providing food. • Mark your driveway or mailbox with at least 2” reflective numbers (visible from either direction) for fire, police, ambulance & other public safety members to quickly find your home in the event of an emergency. Additional markings are needed for shared driveways and mailbox clusters. See City Ordinance 152.20 on the city’s website for specifications of identification (www.cityofscandia.com) • Driveways must be accessible to fire engines. These trucks must have a clear path that is 12’ wide by 14’ tall. Tree branches damage our vehicles responding to your home in times of crisis. 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 voters unable to enter the Community Center, curbside voting is offered. In this case, the voter can request that a ballot is brought out to their vehicle. This service is also offered at all early voting sites. Early Voting Now Underway— In- person absentee and ballot drop off runs through Nov. 7 at five Vote Center locations across Washington County during regular business hours Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on Saturday, November 5th from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The nearest locations are the Headwaters Service Center in Forest Lake and the Government Center in Stillwater. Absentee ballots are not available at the Scandia city office. Residents may also request that a ballot be mailed to them. Voters may apply for an absentee ballot online at MNVotes.org or call Washington County Elections at 651-430-6190 to have the application mailed to your residence. Voters are encouraged to submit absentee ballot applications early. Absentee ballots cannot be dropped off at Scandia City Hall. For city offices, Scandia will elect a Mayor and two City Council members. Candidates for city offices in the order they appear on the ballot are— Mayor: Christine Maefsky Council member: Christopher Massicotte Johnson, Jerry Cusick, Lori Lavin, Michael Lubke, Donald Baber For more election information including sample ballots, along with links to downloadable registration and absentee ballot application forms, please see the City website at www.cityofscandia.com/Elections Election Day: Tuesday, November 8th Page 2 CITY OF SCANDIA Scandia Parks & Recreation will offer ice skating classes in January for elementary school students. 1. Learn to Skate—Beginner / Advanced 2. Pleasure Skate 3. Hockey Skills Watch for registration to open in December! Scandia Fire & Rescue Scandia’s efforts to expand high speed broadband service continues in 2022 and 2023. T h i s y e a r ’ s construction will reach approximately 160 households and be provided by MidCo. The project is underway now with completion by late fall. Check at this website to determine if you are within the expansion areas: www.midco.com/ about/service-areas/scandia/ For 2023 Scandia has allocated $432,000 in local funding for another expansion and requested MidCo provide a plan for the city’s approval, including additional outside grant money where possible. Additionally, Scandia has sent a letter supporting Frontier Communications’ grant application to the State of Minnesota to upgrade Frontier’s service in Scandia to fiber from the older DSL lines. Scandia’s Internet Action Committee has been working since 2020 with the goal of bringing high speed broadband to all of Scandia within 5 years. The work continues and is on pace. High Speed Internet Expansion Progress Report – Fall 2022 Kids Winter Programming Planning Commission News: A recent Solar Survey, asking residents to express their views of solar farms in Scandia, garnered 207 responses. Ten nonresidents answered also. Questions were asked regarding the number of projects allowed, screening and permitting requirements, and the effects of solar on the environment. Responses were split between those approving the projects and those opposed, with a small percentage reporting neutral views. A deeper evaluation of the results and suggestions for consideration by the Planning Commission and Council is in process. Earlier this year, Council issued a moratorium on new solar farm development and tasked the Planning Commission with reviewing the ordinance for possible changes. Results of the public survey will help guide that report. Remodeling? Adding a storage shed? Any new project—check out the NEW DEVELOPMENT CODE information that will go in effect October 12, 2022— www.cityofscandia.com/CodeUpdate New Development Code Best of Scandia Holiday Shopping Extravaganza! Page 3 VOLUME 16, ISSUE 2 It is that time of year to think about fall preparations for winter. Many of us are busy splitting wood, fall planting, or watching the fall colors appear. The Public Works Department is busy as well, transitioning to winter operations. Currently, staff are mowing vegetation in the Right Of Way (ROW) and will begin tree trimming to allow Sven, Ole, and Lena (our mainline plow trucks) the space required to clear snow and ice safely from the roadways. Please help prepare the ROW for winter as well. Do not park or store extra vehicles, trailers or other seasonal items in the ROW to be buried in snow. Consider replacing your mailbox support with the swing-arm style, as these are designed with impact in mind. They swing out of the way if a vehicle or snow from the plow blade comes in contact with the mailbox. Specifications are available on the city’s website at: www.cityofscandia.com/Mailbox Contact the local post office for details of where to place any mailbox. Clear culverts are key to preventing flooded ditches and roadways later when winter snows begin to melt and spring rains start. Please help clear culvert openings on either side of your driveway by removing brush, sand or soil, and fallen leaves. Remember to avoid stacking snow at either end of your culvert. Cut back landscaped plant material close to or above the roadway and cover any delicate plants if you have special landscaping in the ROW. This will help both your plants and plow operators. Garbage and Recycling containers slow down the snow removal process. In times of snow, please place these at the end of your driveway in a cleared area. Receptacles in the roadway or snow bank are safety hazards, making it difficult to completely clear snow from the roadway. If you are connected to one of the City’s septic systems, please do not park seasonal vehicles, docks, or trailers near the settling tanks or lift tanks. In the event any maintenance or repair is required, clear access to these structures dramatically increases Public Works response to issues and decreases down time of your service. Wishing everyone a safe fall and winter. The Best of Scandia Holiday Shopping Extravaganza is Sunday, November 27th from noon—5 p.m. as part of Scandia’s Vinterlights. Mark your calendars as this event is not to be missed! In addition to the fabulous local artisans, this year’s event will have free gift wrapping available and a free Tomte tree ornament given to the first 300 shoppers. October 31 * 5-7 pm, Safe Halloween Event at the Scandia Fire Station Scandia-Marine Lions providing food, and candy will be handed out. Scandia Public Works Scandia Evening Adventures Shop, Eat, & Be Merry! You are invited on October 20, November 17, and December 14 to explore the various specials offered at select Scandia businesses between 5-8pm. Local businesses may vary each month but we’re working with Abrahamson Nursery, Apothecary’s Daughter, Countryside Art Studio, Dickens Pickins, Gammelgarden, Garden Gate at Crabtrees, Prairie Restoration, and Rustic Roots Winery. If your business is interested in participating, contact Sue Dickens at sjdickens2000@yahoo.com. We would love to add you to the fun! Adventurous Shoppers? Check out www.cityofscandia/Adventures for specific detail updates. Scandia was awarded an Outdoor Recreation Grant from the DNR to replace the playground at the Community Center. Public Works staff have removed the old structures. Fall installation plans include: playground curbing, picnic area concrete pad, and sidewalk connecting the parking lot to the picnic area and playground. The new playground structure, rubberized and wood chip surfaces are planned to be installed in the Spring of 2023. These improvements add ADA accessibility to the park. The City is accepting park donations for this project from residents and businesses until December 31, 2022. Donations will be invested in additional amenities that may include: shade trees, benches, tables, outdoor exercise equipment, or play structures. Decisions on how to best utilize additional funding will be considered in January of 2023. Please contact City Hall at 651-433-2274 if you are interested in donating. Playground Update The Parks and Recreation Committee invite you to consider providing a Memorial Bench in Lilleskogen Park in honor of a special friend or relative. To find out more, go to www.cityofscandia.com/ ParkBench or contact staff during regular business hours — (651) 433-2274. Memorial Park Bench Program October • October 4, Cinnamon Bun Day, 6-8 a.m. • October 10, Columbus Day Observed— Office Closed • October 11, Fire Department Open House, 5-7 p.m. • October 15, Lions Pancake Breakfast, 8-11:00 a.m. • October 20, Scandia Evening Adventures, 5-8 p.m. • October 20-23, 2nd Annual Second Hand Swedish Sale, Gammelgarden • October 31, Safe Halloween at the Fire Hall, 5-7 p.m. November • November 2, Butik at Gammelgarden opens, W-Sat—10 a.m.—4 p.m., Sun1-4 p.m. until December 23rd • November 8, Election Day, 7am-8pm • November 11, Veterans Day Observed—Office Closed • November 17, Scandia Evening Adventures, 5-8 p.m. • November 18, Turkey Bingo, 7 p.m. • November 24 and 25, Thanksgiving Holiday—Office Closed • November 27, Vinterlights! • November 27 Scandia Holiday Shopping Extravaganza, 12—5 p.m., Community Center December • December 7, Public Hearing, 2023 City Budget and Tax Levy, 6:30 p.m. • December 5, Lions Blood Drive, Community Center, 12-6 p.m. • December 10, Lions Breakfast with Santa, 8-11:30 a.m. • December 11, Lucia Dagen, Gammelgarden • December 15, Scandia Evening Adventures, 5-8 p.m. • December 24 and 26, Christmas Holiday—Office Closed January • January 2, New Year’s Day Observed -- Office Closed • January 16, Martin Luther King Day— Office Closed February • February 4, Vinterfest • February 4, Lions Pancake Breakfast, 8-11:30 a.m. • February 20, Presidents’ Day— Office Closed March • March 12, Daylight Savings Time Begins For more information and a City meeting calendar, see: www.cityofscandia.com CITY OF SCANDIA 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 Patti Ray 612.812.5590 Jerry Cusick 651.433.5865 Heather Benson 651.433.0168 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: Ken Cammilleri, Administrator Brenda Eklund, City Clerk Colleen Firkus, Treasurer Brenda “Bee” Stignani, Office Assist, Parks & Rec Coord Charles Fischer, Director of Public Works Mike Hinz, Fire Chief Chris Nelson, Attorney Eckberg Lammers Ryan Goodman, Engineer Bolton & Menk Evan Monson, Planner, TKDA PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Scandia, MN 55073 PERMIT #6 Like us on Facebook for the Most Up-to-Date Information OCTOBER 2022 VOLUME 16, ISSUE 2 CITY OF SCANDIA Internet Expansion Update 2 Election News 2 Planning Commission News 2 Kids Winter Skating Classes 2 New Development Code 2 Parks Open House 2 Fire & Rescue News 2 Best of Scandia Extravaganza 3 Public Works News 3 Scandia Evening Adventures 3 Playground Update 3 Memorial Park Bench Program 3 Community Calendar 4 A twice-yearly publication for residents of the City of Scandia, Minnesota Message From the Mayor Volunteers are the heart of our Scandia community. From the Scandia- Marine Lions Club comprised of members who support families, individuals, and community organizations in the Scandia/Marine/May Township area including giving scholarships to our graduating high school students and dictionaries each year to Scandia Elementary 3rd Grade students, providing emergency assistance and performing hands-on community work and service projects to our Scandia Fire and Rescue Squad - men and women volunteer firefighters who make innumerable sacrifices in order to serve our community, to committee volunteers such as those of the Park and Recreation Committee, Economic Development Authority, Tourism Committee, Internet Action Committee, Sister City Committee, and many other individual groups. The Scandia Heritage Alliance which has successfully been moving forward with projects to preserve and celebrate Scandia’s rich history, culture, arts and rural character. The Gateway Trail into Scandia initiative which was, in August, successful in being recommended by the state LCCMR committee which makes funding recommendations to the legislature for special environment and natural resource projects to receive $2,689,000 for a trail from the Scandia Village Center to William O’Brien State Park. Then there are local neighborhood volunteer groups such as the Big Marine Lake Association and the Bone Lake Association, elementary school volunteers, church volunteers and Gammelgarden volunteers. I encourage you to look for ways to volunteer in Scandia. Volunteering is good for mind and body. It strengthens your ties to the community and broadens your support network, it exposes you to people with common interests, neighborhood resources, and fun, fulfilling activities. Call the Scandia city office, 651-433-2274, or reach out to me at 651-433-2684 to inquire about available volunteer opportunities. Wishing you a wonderful fall and winter. Christine Maefsky Mayor Inside This Issue: Vinterfest: February 4, 2023. Family friendly events all day. Check the City’s website and the Country Messenger for event updates in early January. Exciting Sister City News Scandia’s Sister City Committee is learning how to form a robust and lasting relationship with the good people of our Sister City in Mellerud, Sweden. The two international committees meet together every two months in an online meeting. Lucky for Scandia that Sweden teaches English from an early age! The two committees are working on setting up a visitor exchange program where people sign up to host a couple or family from Mellerud Sweden, in Scandia. Mellerud residents would host a Scandia couple or family. We hope this program will facilitate more tourism in both towns and a fun learning experience about our two cultures. If you are interested in hosting, please get in touch with Patti Ray at p.ray@ci.scandia.mn.us. Both committees have also agreed to host a joint anniversary celebration of signing the Sister City Charter, complete with a much- loved FIKA with lots of sweet pastries, on April 20, 2023. Look for the new Sister City highway signs coming soon to Scandia highways! The City of Scandia was tentatively awarded a $2.7 million grant for the engineering and construction of a segment of the Gateway State Trail from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) this year. The project will connect the Scandia Village Center (behind Meister’s Bar and Grill) to William O'Brien State Park within the next 3-5 years. This project coincides with planned improvements to enhance state park accessibility. In the long- term, this trail segment will be part of the connection between the Capital and Duluth. This phase of the project will include a pedestrian tunnel under Oakhill Road N (CR-52) and 2,000 feet of recreational trail. The project will ultimately connect to trails within the state park. The City is providing staff support and land for a trailhead parking lot. Gateway Trail Update