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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpring 2000 Hastings Rivertown News City of Hastings 101 East Fourth Street, Hastings, MN 55033-1955 (651) 437-4127 Hastings Family Aquatic Center "- \ I Summer is just around the corner and that means the _0-:' second season of the Hastings Family Aquatic Center! ..- I "- The Aquatic Center is located at 90 I Maple Street, right '\ by Roadside Park. Check out Page 4 of the newsletter for updated information regarding 2000 rates, hours of opera- tion, and new activities to keep you and your family swim- ming throughout the summer! - - - - - - - .... . PERMANENT ODD/EvEN SPRINKLING BAN IN EFFECT Bv Citv Ordinance. a permanent odd/even svrinklinr: ban is automatically in effect from May 15 to Sev- tember 1 of each year. The purpose of the ban is to balance City water demands and reduce the peak pump- ing demand from the City wells caused during the sum- mer months by lawn sprinkling. . In June of 1997, the City experienced its highest recorded water usage day, pumping over 4 mil- .&. lion gallons of water from the three wells serv- . ingthehighsystem. This was 94% of these wells' daily pumping capacity. There was no reserve left to fight a large fire or to meet water demands if one of the wells malfunctioned, and this large usage was mostly caused by lawn sprinkling. As some residents may remember, a water emergency had to be declared, and City crews went door to door posting notices in- forming homeowners that an odd/even sprinkling ban had been declared. Following the declaration of an odd/even sprinkling ban water usage declined to 2.4 million gallons on the high system, or 56% of the wells' capacity. Sprinkling Ban continued on Page 3 Volume V Issue 2 - - - - Item Aquatic Center Arbor Day City Council City Staff Civic Arena Clean Up Day Finance Department Fire Department Police Department 2000 Road Projects Sprinkling Ban Tree Planting IN THIS ISSUE: ~ 4 8 7 7 5 2 5 7 6 3 3 8 Cn", CLlA.~ Uv [)A",! All City of Hastings residents are invited to drop off a variety of items on City & Park Clean-Up Day- Saturday, April 29, 2000. From 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., furniture, appliances, etc. will be collected for a nominal cost at the Hastings Public Works Garage. Residents can also assist with the Parks Clean Up effort by volunteering to join in and pick up garbage from our parks. This will offer residents an opportunity to help beau- tify the City by removing tires, appliances, and other unusuable items from your garages, sheds, and back- yards. For more information, turn to page 2! SPRING TREES! In Minnesota, strategically placed shade trees can reduce your air conditioning bill by up to 25% and a windbreak provided by trees can reduce annual fuel bills by up to 1O-20%! If you're planning on planting trees this spring, look at page 8 for a few sugges- tions for you to consider before you start! Page 1 Spring 2000 Time tu Clean Uut Yuur- C7ar-al!e! As part of a City-wide spring cleaning, all residents of the City of Hastings are invited to drop off the following items on Saturday, April 29, 2000 at the Hastings Public Works Garage between the hours oJ8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Avvliances Accepted appliances such as dishwashers, dryers, freez- iiii9 ers, microwave ovens, ranges, refrigerators, residential fur- ~ naces, washers, air conditioners, and water heaters will be accepted. Tires (!) (!) Q) Bicycle, car, truck, van, tractor, and trailer tires will be accepted, including tires mounted on rims. ~Metals Metal must be ITee of fabric, plastic, rubber, wood or other non-metal materials. Acceptable items include, but are not limited to: bicycle frames, bed springs, car hoods, car doors, swing sets, BBQ grills, etc. Metal lawnmowers and snowblowers must be drained of fluids and the wheels removed. Drums and pails must be rinsed clean, with one end open. Construction Debris Have you recently completed a home improvement project and have some extra debris? We'll accept clean concrete, landscaping tim- bers, sheet rock, sinks, etc. Electronic EauiDment . Unload those old record players and out-of-date video games! Misc. Items We'll also accept furniture, mattresses, carpet and other miscella- neous items. This service is limited to residents of the City of Hastings. Please bring appropriate identification to assist City staff. Please, only residental waste will be accepted; no household curbside, com- mercial or hazardous waste will be accepted. City staff and employees ITom the disposal agencies will be avail- able to assist residents with questions and disposal. For more information, please call or stop by City Hall for a bro- chure of acceptable items, pricing, and general information. Should you have questions about the Spring Clean Up, please call Rolf Peterson or Bill Mesaros at 437-4127. Page 2 Spring 2000 Sprinkling Ban, continued from Page J Similar emergency sprinkling bans have had to be instituted two other times in the last fOur, years. In each case, the odd/even sprin- kling ban leveled off water usage to a , more manageable daily level. Recent improvements to the water supply sys- tem have been completed, including two new water storage tanks and increasing the pumping capacity of two existing wells. However, even these improvements will not add enough pump- ing capacity to the system to allow everyone to sprinkle their lawns at the same time. At least one new well and possibly two new wells would be needed to meet such a high usage and still leave enough capacity in reserve for emer- gency situations. Any new wells constructed to meet lawn sprinkling demands would likely sit idle for nine months of every year. Instituting a permanent odd/even sprinkling ban is a com- promise that curtails expensive water system ex- pansions by placing modest restrictions on lawn sprinkling. "The permanent odd/even sprinkling ban ordinance reads as follows; "From May , 15 to September 1 of each year; an odd/ even lawn sprinkling ban shall be in ef- fect Jor all lawn sprinkling systems supplied by water from the City of Hastings water util- ity. Properties with even numbered addresses may sprinkle lawns only on days with even numbered dates. Properties with odd numbered addresses may sprinkle lawns only on days with odd numbered dates. A one (1) week ex- emption from the odd/even sprinkling ban may be granted for newly planted sod, grass, or landscaping upon registering for the exemp- tion with the Hastings Utility Department. Other exemptions may be granted upon evalu- ation and recommendation oj the Hastings Utility Superintendent." If you have any questions about the ban, please call Hastings City Hall at 437-4127. Public Works Garage 1221 Progress Drive 437-4415 .. Public Works .. Streets Water Water Meter Conversion 2000 Street & ~ Utility Improvements It's that time of year again when construction projects start to get underway. Street and utility construction projects for this year include work around the new High School, reconstruction of streets in the Roadside Park area in conjunction with the Parks Department's Roadside Park im- provements, reconstruction of lOth Street by Todd Field, and paving 6th & 7th Streets east of Bailey Street and extending sewer and water mains to serve 7th Street. To assist residents, here are some brief explana- tions of each of the planned projects: Wastewater The Utility Department is in the process of convert- ing all water meters to a radio read system that will allow meter readers to read water meters from the street. The Utility Department's goal is to convert all of the City meters to the radio read system by 2002. In order to convert the meters, Utility Department employees must have access to the water meters inside homes and businesses. The conversion takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes. If you receive a notice requesting access to convert your water meter, please call the Utility Depart- ment to schedule an appointment. Thanks for your assistance! .. Around the new High School site, road construction will include extending General Sieben Drive north of 4th Streetto connect to Featherstone Road, realigning 4th Street west of General Sieben Drive, and paving Featherstone Road from the top of the hill to the western City limits. Bituminous trails and sidewalks will be constructed on General Sieben Drive. "The existing Featherstone Road sidewalk will be extended out to the west City limits, and bituminous trails will be constructed on both sides of the new 4'" Street alignment. "The Roadside Park area street reconstruction will include 11 th Street from Ashland to Pine Street, 9'" and lOth Streets from Maple to Pine Street, and Forest Street from 11th to 12th Street. .Sidewalk will also be constructed along the north side of II th Street from Ashland to Pine Street. .BY Todd Field, lOth Street from Hwy 61 to Ashland Street will also be reconstructed, with sidewalk installed on the south side of the street. "Southeast of the Downtown area, one block sections of 6th and 7th Streets, east of Bailey Street will be paved, and sewer and water service will be extended to serve the properties on 7th Street. .New streets will also be constructed this year in the Wallin Development. The Wallin 8th & 9th Addition street and utility construction will include an extension of River Shore Drive, a new north/south street called Timber View Drive that will connect River Shore Drive to Northridge Drive, and a new cul-de-sac north ofNorthridge Drive called River Shore Court. Should you have any questions about a project, please call Dave Gurney, City Engineer at 437-4127. Page 3 Spring 2000 ~~~~ ~~ ~~~ HASTINGS FAMILY AQUATIC CENTER ,..~~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~~ SEASON PASSES Now's the time to get your season passes for the 2000 season. To get a head start on your application, call the hotline at 480-2392 and have an application mailed to you. It's as easy as 1,2,31 1. Fill out the application and mail it back to City Hall. 2. When received by the City, your information will then be entered into the season pass computer. 3. The last step is to have your picture taken! We encourage pass holders to have their ID's prepared before the Aquatic Center opens to avoid waiting in the photo line. Please remember, you will be required to have a photo on file before you are allowed into the facility on your season pass. SEASON PASS RATES 2000 rates are only: $32.00 per person for a Hastings resident $45.00 per person for a non-Hastings resident. DAILY ADMISSION RATES Daily: Under 42" tall Under 12 months old After 5:00 p.m. $5.00 per person $3.50 per person free $3.50 per person SUMMER OPEN SWIM HOURS May 27, 2000 - June 11, 2000 Days: Saturday and Sunday ONLY Time: 12 Noon - 6 p.m. June 12, 2000 - September 4, 2000 Days: Mon.-Fri. (except Wed) 12 noon - 8:30 p.m. Wednesday 12 noon - 5:30 p.m. Saturday/Sunday 12 noon - 8:30 p.m. Page 4 Spring 2000 New! FAMILY SWIM Starting June 14, 2000, every Wednesday from 6 - 8:30 p.m., families will have exclusive use of the Aquatic Center! New! BIRTHDAY PARTY RENTAL 6.... .. .. Are you looking for a great place to. host your #-P birthday party? Why not the Hastings Family <I. Aquatic Center? We are now accepting res- t ervations! Please note, reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance, so give us a call to schedule yours! What you get: All day admission for the birthday Guest of Honor and 10 guests, invitations to send to your guests, a birthday cake, beverages, and a reserved area for one hour to open gifts and eat. Cost: $11 0.00 (each additional guest/$11.00) Rental Time: 7 days a week from 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. New! TEEN NIGHT Teens ages 13-17 will have exclusive use of the Hastings Family Aquatic Center! Dates: June 23, July 14, and August 25 Time: 9 p.m. - 11 p.m. Cost: $2.00 for season pass holders, $4.00 for non-pass holders Activities: DJ, music, railles, contests, etc... ADULT LAp SWIM HOURS Dates: June 13,2000 - August 31,2000 Days: Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday Times: 6 AM - 8 AM (6 lanes) HASTINGS CIVIC ARENA SPRING SCHEDULE, 2000 ~. Sprint<! I ndoor Soccer April 17..........5:00 - 8:00 p.m. April 18..........5:00 - 9:00 p.m. April 20..........6:00 - 8:30 p.m. April 24..........5:00 - 10:00 p.m. April 25..........5:30 - 10:00 p.m. April 27..........6:00 - 8:00 p.m. April 28..........6:00 - 10:00 p.m. April 30..........1:00 - 3:00 p.m. May 5.............6:00 - 10:00 p.m. May 7.............1:00 - 3:00 p.m. May 12...........6;00 - 10:00 p.m. May 13...........1;00 - 8;00 p.m. May 14...........1:00 - 3;00 p.m. May 15...........6:00 - 9:00 p.m. May 19...........6:00 - 9:30 p.m. -1 Public Skate June 11..............5;30 - 7:30 p.m. June 14..............5:30 - 7;30 p.m. June 18..............5:30 - 7;30 p.m. June 21..............5:30 - 7;30 p.m. June 25..............5;30 - 7:30 p.m. June 28..............5;30 - 7:30 p.m. *Hours may change without notice ?i1 For additional information, please call 651-437-8279 --------------------- Hastings Hockey School Hastings Civic Arena June 12 - June 30, 2000 Child's Name Birth Date Address ~ City Achieves Award for , ~ ...... ' Financial Reporting , The City of Hastings has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the City's 1998 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). This is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and report- ing, and its attainment represents a significant ac- complishment by the City. The CAFR is judged by an impartial panel to de- termine if it has met the high standards ofthe Gov- emmentFinance Officers Association of the United States and Canada. Important in the analysis is demonstrating a constructive "spirit of full dis- closure" to fully communicate the City's financial story and motivate the public to read the CAFR. A copy of the City's CAFR is available for re- view at the Dakota County Library in Hastings. ---------------~ Ha5ting5 Hockev School Le55on5 Group A.............8:00 - 9;15 a.m. Group B.............9:30 - 10:45 a.m. Group C.............ll:OO - 12;15 p.m. Group D.............12:30 - I :45 p.m. . All applicants will skate four times per week for three weeks. 'Goalies: sign up at your team level Sex M F Telephone Number Street City Age 99/00 Team Level Emergency Contact State Zip Name Phone Relationship Insurance Waiver: It is the applicants responsibility to provide their own insurance needs. The applicant agrees that coaches and management will not be held responsible for accident or loss. Parent/Guardian Signature Fee: $100 Please make checks payable to: Hastings Hockey School Please return form and payment to: Russ Welch, 1820 Brittany Road, Hastings. MN 55033 Page 5 Spring 2000 CITY HIRES FOUR NEW OFFICERS SPRING SAFETY REMINDERS - You may have seen some new faces in a Hastings Police uniform. The City has hired four new officers to fill recent va- cancies. Police ~ Now that spring is approaching, there will be an increase in people out walking, bik- ing, skateboarding and roller-blading, all usmg LIle streets of our City. Some safety tips for those out enjoying the weather: The new officers hired are. . . Lilly Murr--began employment on January 31", 2000. Lilly comes to the Hastings Police Depart- ment after serving six years with the City of Red Wing Police Department. Craig Nowlan--began working as an officer with Hastings on February 14'", after having over five year's police experience for the City of Caledonia, MN. Chris Weid--first day was on February 28". This is Chris' first position as an officer but he has been with the Dakota County Sheriff's Office for the last year and a half as a Civilian Jailer. Jeremy Jacobson-- the most recent addition, having started on March 13 "'. Jeremy has also worked at Dakota County Sheriff's Office. Cwn. D'IT",' .,. S_"""",_ With spring on it's way, please remember that the Civil Defense Sirens are activated when the threat of a severe thunder storm/tornado is imminent for Hastings. Severe Weather Awareness Week was from April 10'" through April 14"', and Civil De- fense Sirens were tested during that week for the upcommg season. The police department and/or dispatch personnel will receive an alert from the National Weather Bureau if a tornado warning or severe weather has been reported for our area. The sirens are then activated to alert citizens to this threat. Citi- zens are instructed to find a safe place for shelter from this type of severe weather. Residents may also turn to the local radio station, 1460 AM, KDWA for severe weather updates. Page 6 Spring 2000 Ii/!) Always try to have a walking partner with you on your if walle If you can't have a walking partner, try to walk in a residential area where you can easily get help if needed. When walking, always stay on the sidewalk and off the road- way. If no sidewalks are available, stay as close to the curb as possible. Wear light colored clothing, which can be more easily seen than dark colors. When walking in the evening hours or dusk, wear clothing with reflective material. Many walkers are now wearing bright colored/orange slip-on vests with reflective stripes or tape on the vest. [fyou are walking after dark, carry a flashlight and walk in well- lit neighborhoods. When crossing a street, always cross at the comer intersection of the street and in the designated cross walk. Never cross in the middle of the street. Bikes Must: ~ Stop at all posted signs; ,',' ,'c, Enter all uncontrolled intersections safely, looking in all direc- tions for traffic; Be ridden on the far right side of the road, going with the flow of traffic, not facing oncoming traffic; Be ridden in single file formation, one behind the other, when there is a group of bikers; Not be ridden on the sidewalks; Be equipped with reflectors on wheels and mmes; Bikers Should: Use hand signals when coming to a stop or signaling a turn; Wear light colored clothing and should also wear reflective cloth- ing; Wear helmets, especially by younger and inexperienced bike riders. Hastings City (ounei I Regular City Council meetings are held on the pi & 3m Mon- day of each month at 7:00 p.m. at Hastings City Hall, 101 Fourth Street East. Council agendas are available to the pub- lic, and an agenda packet is available for public review at each Council Meeting. MAYOR Mike Werner 437-4143 COUNCILMEMBERS Ward I Janette Yandrasits Ward 2 Mike Simacek Ward 3 Ed Riveness Ward 4 Janice Johnson At-Large Lynn Moratzka Paul Hicks 438-3194 437-3387 437-4416 437-2831 437-7869 437-8866 ~ , nii , . city Hall City Hall Office Hours 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday 437-4127 City Hall Phone CITY IlALL STAFF City Administrator Public Works Director Finance Director City Planner Code Enforce.Supervisor Admin.Asst./City Clerk Dave Osberg Tom Montgomery Lori Webster Matt Weiland Bill Mesaros Melanie Mesko ~ ? 9 ~ WC Cnn'T HClP VOU Ir mc Cnn'T rmD VOU! . Look at the tront of your house or business. Can you easily read the address trom the yard? How about trom the street or in your car? Unfortunately, many homes and businesses do not adequately display their addresses. The standard used for address display is Hastings City Code Chapter 18, Section 18.02, which adopts the International Prop- erty Maintenance Code and its section 303.3, which states: "Each structure to which a street number has been assigned shall have such number displayed in a position easily ob- served and readable from the public way (street). " To mark your structure properly, you should have your house numbers at least 3 inches high and Yz" in width and they should be of highly contrasting color, easily seen and readable from the road. Common obstructions are newspaper boxes, mailboxes, hous- ing decorations, and overgrown trees or shrubs. Remember, numbers placed on overhead garage doors are not always vis- ible when the garage door is open. Also, it is just as important for local businesses to check their buildings to make sure their address is clearly visible. Are there ways in which you can help emergency responders reach you more quickly? Minutes are precious in emergency situations. Please help us help you by properly numbering your residence or business. The Law Enforcement, Fire De- 7 ~ o 6 if partment and Emergency Medical Services in your commu- nity depend on you to mark your home and/or businesses with a clearly readable address. To assist City residents and property owners in correcting this problem, this spring, Hastings firefighters will be check- ing all structures in the City for properly displayed addresses. If a building is found to need additional or improved address display, a letter outlining the acceptable ways of displaying the building address will be left on the property. If you receive a letter, you will be asked to correct any prob- lems found within 90 days of the date of the letter. After that time, a follow-up will be conducted by Hastings police offic- ers. If the proper changes have not been done, a citation may be issued. The following is a checklist for proper address num- bering. By following this simple checklist, you can help us find your home more easily in an emergency situation. & Are all numbers highly contrasting, and 3 inches high and %" in width? & After a snowfall and/or snow plowing of your street or route, have you cleared your address so it s vis- ible? & Are the numbers clearly visible from the road? & Are the numbers visible at night? Page 7 Spring 2000 .. Arbor Day 2000 -. As a Tree City USA, the City of Hastings is committed to continual planting and mainte- nance of trees throughout the City to enhance the City's beauty. This will be the fourth year the City of Hastings will be named as a "Tree City USA," and to promote Arbor Day, the City of Hastings and the Minnesota Department of Transportation have entered into a partnership to further develop and im- prove the bridge approach on Hwy 61. The funding and some needed technical assistance will come from the Department of Transportation while the in- stallation and maintenance comes from Hastings. Volunteers are very important for this project to help plant new trees, clean up the planting beds in front ofthe Civic Arena, and install additionallandscap- ing to beautify this highly visible site. Eagle Scout candidate Scott Spicer of Troop 23 is working with Sherry Akins and City Forester Kevin Smith to in- stall tree and shrub replacements and a massive planting of Little Bluestem, Vera Jamison Se- dum, Autumn Joy Sedum, Go1dstrum Rudebeckia, Fairy Queen Spirea, and Hansa Roses. The installation crew will be orga- nized by Scott Spicer, while the very im- portant and often time overlooked task of i maintenance will be done by volunteers from ." the Hastings Garden Club. In addition, the Dakota Electric Association is do- nating another specimen tree that will be planted in a city park. These trees and plants will make a positive and lasting impression on people enter- ing Hastings on Highways 316 and 61. Anyone interested in participating or needing more information can contact Kevin Smith at 437-5858. ................................ Sprmg Trees, contmued from Page 1 First, Call Gopher State One before you dig. This can save you !Tom accidently digging into underground cables and causing costly repairs or injuring yourself. As you are deciding where on your yard you would like to plant your tree, check to make sure it's not in the boulevard. If it is, contact the City of Hastings for boule- vard planting guidelines. Choose a tree that is complimentary to the site where you want to plant. Is there enough sun? Shade? Is the soil r City of Hastings 101 Fourth Street East Hastings, MN 55033-1955 able to support the tree? Nothing's more frustrating than . taking the time to plant a tree, only to find that the .. environment isn't supportive of the plant. Prepare the proper planting site, and remove all - ropes and pots, the top half of wire baskets, and roll back the burlap before planting. Remember to water your tree properly when planting and through dry spells. Check soil damp- ness to avoid over watering. Good luck! Carrier Route Sort BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID Hastings, MN Pennit No. t66 ) POSTAL CUSTOMER PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER CONTAINING NO LESS THAN 10% POST CONSUMER WASTE Volume V Issue 2 Page 8 Spring 2000