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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFall 2001 _ Hastings Rivertown News ........... Jt. J............................. i.... .~ City of Hastings 101 Fourth Street East, Hastings, MN 55033-1955 (651)437-4127 www.ci.hastinos.mn.us ,,:, UNITED WE STAND \" ~ The City of Hastings would like to express it's thoughts and sympathies to all who have been to~ched by the September 11 , 2001 terrorist attack on New York City, Washington, D.C., Penn- sylvania, and the nation as a whole. For information on how you can contribute funds or donate blood, please see Page 8. Budget Open House Set for November 15 Have questions regarding the City's Budget? Do you want to learn more as to where your City tax dollar goes? Come to the City's 2002 Budget Open House. The public is invited to attend this informational session set for Thursday, November 15, 2001 from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. at City Hall. FALL WATER MAIN FLUSHING PLANNED To protect the City's water supply, all Hastings water mains will be flushed this fall. This process will begin the week of October 15th, 2001. The City's Public Works Department will flush the water mains by opening each of the 1,OOO-plus fire hydrants in Hastings. This sudden rush of water loosens and removes accumulated mineral deposits from the lines. Please be aware, this process often causes disc%ration of your water. While the water is safe to drink, it could stain fabrics if you are washing clothes at the time the water mains are being flushed. You should check for signs of discoloration before using the water to wash clothes. The Public Works Department also suggests you flush out the taps in your home, as iron deposits tend to build up in residential lines. When weather permits and all hydrants have been flushed in your neighborhood, open the outside faucets and run all the cold water taps in your home at full force. The water will start out clear, then become discolored. Leave the taps open until the water becomes clear again, usually in 10 to 30 minutes. If you have any questions about the flushing process, or when they will be in your neighborhood, please call Public Works at 437-3922. Volume VI Issue 4 Z<oo2 Property Tax CJhtalfllges As a result of the 2001 Omnibus Tax Law, the City of Hastings and many other Metropolitan growth 00 D cities will see significant de- I D IUI creases in State Aid for 2002. While new legislation will also lead to overall decreases in property taxes for most residents throughout the state of Minnesota, loss of State Aid to the City of Hastings will result in an increase in the City share of a resident's property tax. The State of Minnesota made a strategic de- cision that shifts a greater share of State property tax aid to the State's education system and elimi- nated the education system's need for a general property tax levy. Much of the funding for public education will now come from those State Aids that were once provided to local governments such as the City of Hastings. What Type oJF Ai.d WillS Lost? To help residents better understand what type of aid reductions will impact the City of Hastings, we have provided an explanation of Local Govern- ment Aid and Homestead & Agricultural Aid and how changes in these programs will affect 2002 property taxes. JLocal G'roveJmJmeJrut Ai.d Local Government Aid (LGA) was originally es- tablished in 1971 as a per-capita revenue shar- ing/property tax relief program. Initially, LGA re- placed the exempt property reimbursement pro- gram and sales tax per capital aids. Since the LGA program was created, the formula has been amended and changed frequently, evolving through years of difficult economic conditions. In 1993, the State of Minnesota enacted an en- tirely new LGA formula that distributed state aid increases to cities based on the perception of City need and tax base. /n 2001, the City of Hastings received $1,478,052 in LGA, while that amount will be decreased by $38,704 in 2002. 2002 Tax Changes, Continued on Page 8... Page 1 Fall, 2001 .- '-' c :::::> o t.....J >-- -- t.....J The City of Hastings Council meets on the first & third Mon- days of each month at 7:00 p.m. Agendas are available at City Hall and on the City's website, and residents are en- couraged to attend. MAYOR Mike Werner 437-4143 COUNCILMEMBERS Ward 1 Janette Yandrasits Ward 2 Turney Hazlet Ward 3 Ed Riveness Ward 4 Danna Eliing Schultz At-Large Lynn Moratzka Paul Hicks 438-3194 437-5298 437-4416 438-3878 437-7869 437-8866 c =+= >-- -- .- t.....J City Hall Office Hours 8:00 a,m, - 4:30 p.m, Monday - Friday City Hall Phone 437-4127 Inspections & Code Enforcement: City Website: 438-3888 www.cLhastinos.mn.us CITY HALL STAFF City Administrator Public Works Director Finance Director Planning Director Parks & Rec. Director Code Enforce,Supervisor Admin,Asst./City Clerk HRA Driector Dave Osberg Tom Montgomery Lori Webster Matt Weiland Marty McNamara Bill Mesaros Melanie Mesko John Grossman OTHER CITY FACILITIES Police Department 437-4126 Emergency 911 Mike McMenomy, Chief Fire Department 437-5610 Emergency 911 Mark Holmes, Chief Streets Department 437-4415 Cal Ruedy, Superintendent Utilities Department 437-3922 Jim Heusser, Superintendent Parks Department 437-5658 Lee Erickson, Superintendent Civic Arena 437-4940 Jim McGree, Manager Aquatic Center 480-2392 Darbie Johnson, Manager Page 2 Fall 2001 '-1 /.~ ~~ City Website: www.ci.hastings.mn.us IN THIS ISSUE: It.em fu@.O Aquatic Center 4 City Budget 1 & 8 City Council 2 & 5 Developments 4 Fire Department 7 Leave Raking 3 Parks Information 4 Police Department 6 Redistricting 7 & 8 Riverfront Improvements 3 Snow Emergency 3 Stormwater Information 3 TRAC 2 Water Main Flushing 1 Hastl... TRAC~ The City of Hastings operates an intracity transit service that provides transportation options to resi- dents within the Hastings City limits. This program, TRAC (TRansportation Around the City) has been in operation for about twenty years, and serves ap- proximately 55,000 rides a year. Due to our federal and state funding restrictions, we cannot provide ser- vice outside the Hastings City limits, As our com- munity grows, so does the desire for transit services. Here are some tips to remember when riding TRAC ... TRAC operates Monday through Friday between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and is quite busy during those hours. ... Tokens are $1.50 and can be purchased at City Hall, County Market, Norwest Bank, and Thrifty White Drug. Fares can be paid in cash and are $1.55. Rid- ers are asked to have the correct amount, as our drivers do not carry change. ... Riders are requested to wear seatbelts while riding the TRAC bus. ... When calling to schedule a ride, please let us know if you will need assistance with boarding the vehicle or if you have a wheelchair. That assists the dis- patchers in coordinating enough time for each pick- up. ... Please call as far in advance as possible to sched- ule rides. We will do all we can to accommodate as many riders as possible, but that is not always fea- sible. Thank you for using TRAC and we look forward to serving you in the future! Public Works Garage 1221 Progress Drive 437-4415--Streets 437-3922--Utilities 437-412 7 --Engineering .Public Works Streets Uti lities Engineering Riverfront Road & . ~ Trail Improvements Update ~ Work on the Riverfront road and trail improvements from 2" Street down to the Lock and Dam is nearing comple- tion. A grand opening/dedication ceremony is planned for Saturday, October 13th. The flooding this spring delayed the start of construction by almost three months, but final paving, lighting, and concrete work should be completed by October 13th. The Mississippi River public boat ac- cess will open on Monday, October 15th The bituminous trail to the Lock and Dam will also open for the ceremonies on October 13th. However, the trail over the dike section of the dam will be closed for repairs. This section ofthe trail was damaged and it will be patched and overlayed this fall. The trail from CR #42 down to the dike will remain closed until late this fall. Utility work for the adjacent Riverdale development will require removal of two large sections of the trail. The deveioper should complete the utility con- struction and repave the trail late this fall. Leaf Raking Please do not rake your leaves into the street for City crews to sweep up. While raking leaves into the street is prohibited by City Ordinance, this practice can also create problems with storm drainage and water qual- ity. During a rainstorm, leaves can quickly piug storm drains and pipes causing street flooding. Leaves that are washed into the storm sewer system will end up in the City's lakes and rivers, degrading the water quality and providing a nutrient source , for spring and summer algae blooms. . .~~ If you look in the street outside of b lJ eJ ~,,\' your home or office and search the 0 \,) parking lots around town, you will Where probably find storm sewer inlets. Did Does you ever wonder where they go? Storm A common misconception about Water storm sewers is that they go to a GO? waste-water treatment plant. Actually, this is not the case. Storm sewers ~ \, ~ instead transport storm water (rain and melting snow) to the nearest river, lake, stream or wetland. Storm water often contains materials found on streets and parking lots such as oil, antifreeze, gasoline, soil, litter, pet wastes, fertil- izers, pesticides, leaves and grass clippings. When these mate- rials enter lakes and streams, they become pollutants that kill fish and reduce the aesthetics of the water. With hundreds of storm sewer inlets around town, storm water is a major contributor to water pollution in urban areas. Although each storm sewer inlet contributes only a small number of pollut- ants, when added together, pollution concentrations often exceed the limits established for industries and wastewater treatment plants. If pollutants entering each of these inlets can be reduced, so will the pollution in area waters. What can you do to help reduce the pollutants entering our storm water inlets? Here are some tips: \...&..JI Don't allow soil, leaves or grass clippings to accumulate on ,..,.,... your driveway, sidewalk or street. \..A.JI Never use the storm sewer for disposing of motor oil, anti- ~ freeze, pesticides, paints, solvents, animal waste, or other materials. \..A.JI Sweep (don't wash) fertilizer and soil off driveways and walk- ,..,.,... ways. Any debris remaining on paved areas will quickly be washed into the nearest storm sewer during the next rain- fall. \..A.JI Minimize your use of de-icing materials on sidewalks and ,..,.,... driveways. ~ Dispose of pet wastes by flushing the waste down the toilet or by burial. SNOW EMERGENCY REMINDER It may be hard to believe, but winter is already approaching. This is just a quick reminder concerning snow emergencies and on-street parking. A snow emergency automatically goes into effect when 2 : inches or more of snow (as measured at the Minneapolis/Sf. Paul Airport) has fallen. Under a snow emergency, no parking on any City street is allowed until that street has been cleared ~ to its full width. Violators will be ticketed and towed. .. . ~ Check cable channel 12 or KDWA 1460 AM if you are not sure if a snow emergency is ., in effect. Page 3 Fall 2001 Parks & Recreation. HASTINGS - ~ - - - - - ~'1t~- - - - . Family Aquatic Center 901 Maple St. ~ ~ Hastings, MN 55033 ~ ~ 651-480-2392 2001 Summer Season Comes To An End Hard to believe, but the 2001 sum- mer season for the Hastings Family Aquatic Center has already come to an end. The water has been drained and the deck furniture has been stored after another busy season. Attendance: The facility wel-~ corned just under 40,000 visitors during the 2001 season and sold 1,800 season passes. Employees: HFAC employed 42 young adults, including supervisors, shift leaders, lifeguards, guest service attendants, and swim instructors. Hours: The Aquatic Facility was open for a total of 83 days this year, which totaled 705 hours for open swim. Usage: Over 550 students enrolled in swimming lessons and 412 teens participated in Teen Night activities. Unfortunately, the 2001 season was cut short one week due to lack of employ- ees to safely supervise and operate the facility, and the City is working hard to assure that this won't happen again in future years. ~ Keep your eyes open, because the 2002 season dates and times as well as the beginning of season pass sales will begin January 2002! Page 4 Fall 2001 - Hastings Residential Development Updates ~ Many of us already know this, but others are discovering the City of Hastings as a great place to live, which has been illustrated by the recent amount of residen- tial development in the City. The following is a list of recent residential develop- ments approved in the City this summer. These developments have ail been carefully planned and will provide the City with a wide variety of housing choices at a wide range of prices. It is the ongoing goal and priority of the City to provide a wide range of housing choices for all age and income levels in the City. New Residential Developments Century South-This property is located directly south of the City between the Riverwood Addition and Highway 61. Lyman Development Corporation is the de- veloper, and the project is a mixed-use project consisting of 388 residentiai units, including 148 single family, and 240 multi-family homes (48 twin homes, 72 quad homes, and 120 villa homes [8-plexes]) on the property, which is 109.7 acres. For more information, contact Lyman Development Corporation at (952) 470- 3634. Riverdale- This project is located off of County Road 42/Ninninger Road in the northwest part of the City. DR Horton is the developer of this single-family home subdivision with 66 single-family home lots on 41.21 acres. For more information on this development, contact DR Horton at (651) 256-7142. South Pines IV-This development is located in the southeastern part of the City on the West Side of Highway 316. The developer is Lawrence Builders, and the project is a mixed-use project consisting of 104 twin homes and 109 single- family homes for a total of 213 units on 80 acres of property. For more informa- tion, contact Lawrence Builders at (651) 437-6611. Bohlkens 6th Addition-This project is located at the west end of Bohlken Drive, with a single family home project consisting of 8 single family homes planned to be built. The Bohlken Estates Partnership is the developer. For more information on this project, contact Bohlken Partnership at (651) 437-2553. Pleasant Valley 11th Addition-This development project is located off of Madi- son Street, with Siewert Construction as the developer. The project is a single- family home project consisting of nine lots. You can contact Siewert Construc- tion a1(651) 437-5335. Summit Heights-This project is located off of General Sieben Drive and is a town home project consisting of 17 town homes. Greg Jablonske is the devel- oper, and can be reached at Greg J Homes at (651) 437-3700. Siebens Crest Estates-Located at the corner of General Sieben Drive and Feathertone Road, this project's developer is Lawrence builders. The project is a town home project consisting of 7 quad homes for a total of 28 units. For more information, you can contact Lawrence Builders Subdivision. Augustana Homes (Senior Housing)- This property is located off of 16th Street next to the Augustana nursing home. Augustana Care Corporation is the devel- oper, and the project is senior housing project in the form of a semi-independent residential care facility. The senior housing project consists of a 3-story, 80-unit building, with underground parking and storage. For details, contact Augustana Care Corporation at (612)331-1551 . Your Hastings City Council At-Large MAYOR Mike Werner 2025 Highland Drive 437-4143 Lynn Moratzka 1161 South view Drive 437-7869 Ward 2 Turney Hazlet 1305 Lincoln Lan 437-5298 Ward 3 Ed Riveness 1140 14th Street West 437-4416 The Mayor & six City Councilmembers are each elected tc four-year terms. All ward councilmember seats were up for re-election in 2000. Councilmembers Yandrasits and Riveness won re-election, while Councilmembers Hazlet and Schultz are in their first term as Hastings Councilmembers. At-large seats will be open in the 2002 election year. The terms for Mayor Werner and City Councilmembers Moratzka and Hicks will be on the 2002 City ballots. Ail residents of Hastings are able to vote for the at-large Council seats. Due to redistricting (see page 7), polling io- cations may change in 2002. Residents will be notified of any changes in the locai pa- per. Paul Hicks 1194 Villa Court 437-8866 Current Ward Council member Locations Ward 1 Janette Yandrasits 323 Ramsey Street 438-3194 Ward 4 Danna Elling Schultz 1330 16th Street West 438-3878 Page 5 Fall 2001 - ~;.s;'r'E~~~--:-';;-,:;.' :;;Zl:G;:1;'~;".7] . .~ Police Department 150 East Third Street Hastings, MN 55033 Police Chief: Mike McMenomy Non-Emergency: 437-4126 Emergency: 911 '! Drive Safely The City of Hastings and the Hastings Po- l~iC e..............."D.. e partment would like to remind all drivers to be extra alert .... f. at this time of year, as kids are back in school. Depend- SLOW ing on the school, students include both drivers and youth ",. walking to school, so it is important for drivers to be ,'> .. aware ofthe following: *Slow down in school and residential areas. *Watch for clues and warning of children in the area such as signs, school patrol, adult crossing guards and school buses. *Obey all school bus stop laws. **Clear fogged windows on vehicles before driving. Obey all traffic signs. *Avoid school zones during arrival and dismissal time. Walk Safely Each year thousands of children are struck and in- jured by automobiles. Here are some tips from your Police Department on how to help keep our children safe. Kids should be reminded of the following... * Safe crossing practices. Always cross at a corner; never cross in the middle of the street. * Knowing the safe route to school or to the bus stop. ** How to judge if there is adequate time to cross the street. To never enter the roadway between two parked cars. * When there is no sidewalk and it is necessary to walk on the roadway, walk on the far left side facing traffic and use crosswalks and school crossings when crossing the street. --t- ------- National Night Out A Success On Tuesday, August 8th, the City of Hastings again participated in the National Night Out Against Crime where neighborhoods and their police department participated and worked together to make an active statement against criminal behavior. For more information on this year's National Night Out and for information on how to start your own neighborhood program, see Page 8. Page 6 Fall 2001 1]!aI1oween fall is here & Halloween is coming up quickly. While this is a fun holiday, we would also like to remind you of some basic Halloween safety tips for children and parents to fol- low. . Door-to-door trick-or-treating should al- - ways be done in the early evening hours when it is still light out to see well. . Don't go trick-or-treating alone. Children - " should always have a friend or someone to accompany them and a parent or adult should accompany small children. . Children should only trick or treat in their - own neighborhood, and in areas in which they are familiar. . When walking. always stay on the sidewalk - if possible. If there is no sidewalk. walk as close as you can to the side of the street. . Be considerate: use residence driveways or - ~ sidewalks to walk up to the front door and try to stay off the grass. . Homeowners are encouraged to have as - many lights on as possible in driveways and entryways of residents' to welcome the trick-or-treaters to their door. If a home- owner does not have lights on at their house, do not approach to trick-or-treat. . People driving cars should be especially aware of children in or near streets during Halloween evening and to drive safely and cautiously through residential street ar- eas. . Children are encouraged not to eat their - candy until they are back home and a par- ent or adult can go through the candy to make sure nothing appears to have been tampered with. New Firefighter Joins HFD Fire Department 115 Fifth Street West Hastings, MN 55033 Fire Chief: Mark Holmes Non-Emergency: 437-5610 Emergency: 911 The Hastings Fire Department is pleased to welcome a new Firefighter to its ranks. With recent internal pro- motions, a full-time firefighter position came open in 2001. The position was posted internally, and all current, on-call firefighters were eligible to apply. After an exten- sive testing process, Bill Boler was appointed to this po- sition. Bill moved to Hastings 29 years ago, and he lives in an historic home with his family. In Bill's previous position with 3M, he has been involved with positions that dealt with people, coordination, super- vision, problem solving, teaching, and leadership with emphasis in the health and safety field and especially hands-on work in EMS and Fire Response. As an EMT, Bill has used these skills to be a First Responder on the 3M Company Emergency Response Team (ERT) for many years, volunteering for the Red Cross, Special Olympics, and joining the Hastings Fire and Ambu- lance Department in January 1993. Bill has also received many other certifications which has helped him keep up with the increasing demands as a member of the HFD. Congratulations, Bill! ....................................................................... Redistricting & Wards: How It Works & Why We Do it The City of Hastings elected City Council is made up of seven members, six council members and one mayor. Four of the six council members are elected from wards, while the other two and the mayor are elected on an at-large basis. If you have any questions on the redistricting process, please contact Melanie Mesko, Administrative Assis- tant/City Clerk at 651-437-4127. Wards are defined in the Hastings City Charter, and the City goes through a redistricting process every ten years fol- lowing the federal census. Following the new census figures, ward need to be redrawn to ensure that they are propor- tioned are "equally as practicable" by general population; wards are not drawn based on registered voters. Currently, City staff is working with the Charter Commission to re- draw ward boundary lines to refiect the changes in popula- tion that have occurred in the iast ten years and to ensure that the wards contain baianced populations. As you can see by the graph on the right, certain wards have current populations over the 2002 goal, while others have current populations under the 2002 goal. 2001 Current Ward Populations .Jr4i ,A~i'.~. Jj?h'-'jiI :f-'Y't ,HI 'i po (j ..... . Ward 1 QWard2 . Ward 3 . Ward 4 2002 Ward "Goal" Population While some residents may "move" from one ward to another, it is the City's intent to develop new ward boundaries with as littie resident ward movement as possible. However, whether your ward changes or stays the same, once they are set, ail residents will receive notification of their current ward. . Ward 1 o Ward 2 . Ward 3 []Ward4 The 2002 goal 16 to hav/1 wardf; within 5% of tht goal population targ"t. Due to VlOriOUf; facto~, including g(lographlcallimitatlam'J, 13 d,,~jrc to retain current warde; lJfj clo!iely 8!J pOllsiblc, and rccoqnition of future growth in the community. II range of 4,322 to 4,778/rcsldel1~/ward wi/I!>c cOI1iI>ldcrcd accepti;1l>le. Page 7 Fall 2001 2002 Tax Changes, Continued from JP.age I... Homesteadl alnldl AgricuItu[ral Aid (IHIArCA) HACA State Aid was initially provided to residential and agricul- tural property tax payers in the 1970's & 1980's, and its formula has also been modified several times by the State of Minnesota. Recently, it has compensated local governments for lost tax base due to the property tax reductions enacted during the 1996 & 1999 Legislative Sessions. For 2002, the State of Minnesota has com- pletely eliminated HACA and as a result, the City of Hastings will lose $1,035,950 in HACA for Budget Year 2002. Impact on the City of Hastings The cumulative effect of the cuts in LGA & the elimination of HACA on the City of Hastings will resultin a $1,074,654 reduction in State Aid for Budget Year 2002. The City of Hastings recently set its preliminary tax levy and budget and will be working in the next several months to finalize the budget before its adoption in Decem- ber. During the 2001 Legislative Session, levy limits were again imposed on municipalities. ...National Night Out, continued from Page 6 There were 18 neighborhoods that hosted block parties, which is an increase in the amount of participating neighbor- hoods from previous years. This participation is a positive reflection on the citizens of Hastings: each year since we started the National Night Out Neighborhood Watch Pro- gram, the number of neighborhoods signing up for the pro- gram and the number of neighborhoods participating in the National Night Out has increased. In the 2001 National Night Out, Hastings police officers, city council members, and Hastings Fire Department personnel visited various neigh- borhoods hosting these block parties to make a proactive statement against crime with a goal of establishing a coop- erative effort between citizens and city officials in crime pre- vention. If anyone is interested in learning more about the neighbor- hood crime watch program, please contact Sgt. Wayne Hicks or Officer Craig Puch at 437-4126 and they will gladly assist you in starting a program in your neighborhood. These limits, which when combined with the significant re- ductions in State Aid, will likely constrain the City's ability to provide adequate appropriations for necessary personnel, ex- pansion of existing City services, and additional programs, despite the increase in demand for City services that come with a growing community such as Hastings. While the preiiminary tax levy is set at the limit, the City will seek to reduce the tax levy prior to final adoption in December. Homeowners in Hastings with a market value of$1 00,000 might expect to see a $200 increase in their City property tax, while higher valued homes with a market value of $300,000 could experience a City property tax increase of about $300. While City taxes are expected to increase, residents are encouraged to recognize that much of this increase is projected to offset the significant reductions in State Aid the City can expect to receive from the State of Minnesota. Moreover, due to these Legislatively-mandated revenue shifts, it is anticipated that the overall property tax collected in 2002 will be less than that which was collected in 2001. For information on how you can contribute funds or donate blood, contact the following organiza- tions: American Red Cross The American Red Cross is advising potential donors to call ahead to sched- ule an appointment, at 1-800-GIVE-LlFE, al- though walk-ins are welcome. Information also is available online at www.redcross.ora or www. vourbloodcenter.ora Salvation Armv: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769) or www.salvationarmv.ora SeDtember 11th Fund: Donate money online to estab- lished emergency agencies, including the following Web sites: htto:/Iwww. unitedwavtwincities.ora htto:/Iwww.uwnvc.ora httD://WWW.tsDf.ora htto:/Iwww.citizenobserver.com httc://www .mnfoundation .ora City ofHastings IOI Fourth Street East Hastings, MN 55033-1955 Carrier Route Sort BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID Hastings, MN Permit No. 166 POSTAL CUSTOMER PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER CONTAINING NO LESS TIIAN 10% POST CONSUMER WASTE Volume VI Issue 4 Page 8 Fall 2001