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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFall 2000 Hastings Rivertown News City of Hastings 101 East Fourth Street, Hastings, MN 55033-1955 (651) 437-4127 2000 ELECTION SEASON IS HERE! The 2000 Primary Election was held on Tuesday, September 12, 2000 and the City had two municipal races on the ballot. For voters in Wards 2 & 4, they were asked to vote for a Ward Councilmember position. On the ballot in Ward 2 were Mike Simacek (i), Turney Hazlet, and Pat Handlson. Campaigning for the Ward 4 Council position were Danna Elling Schultz, Dick Bond, and Doug Riles. The top two vote-getters in each ward will go on to the General Election, to be held on Tuesday, November 7,2000. Based on the Primary Election results, voters will be asked to choose between Handlson & Hazlet in Ward 2 and Schultz & Bond in Ward 4. More Elections Info on Page 8 of the Newsletter! WHERE TO VOTE? WARD:! POLLING LOCATION National Guard Armory 3050 Red Wing Blvd. Hwy 316 offHwy 61 In S Hastings WARD: 2 POLLING LOCATION Our Saviour's Lutheran Church 400 West 9th St. 3 Blks W ofH WARD: 3 WARD: 4 POLLING LOCATION POLLING LOCATION United Methodist Church S PhT ' L th Ch h 615 W 15th S t. IIp S U eran urc . 1. 15th & Pleasant Drive 5 Blks W ofHwy 61 on 15th St. Comer of 15th St. & Pleasant Dr. Volume V Issue 4 ( ~ t Lkm Aqua1;ic Cen1;er Ci1;y Council Ci1;y Hall Civic Arena Code Enforcement E!ections Finance Department Fire Departmen1; Leaf Raking Info. Meter Replacement Plan Parks & Recreation Police Departmen1; Power Ou1;age Info. Snow Emergency info. IN THIS ISSUE: !'a@fl 4 2 2 4 2&5 1&8 2 7 3 3 4 6 1&8 3 HASTINGS FIRE DEPARTMENT OPEN HOUSE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10 7:00 - 9:00 P.M Hastings Fire Station--115 5th Street West Come join us as we share Fire Safety with you. There will be numerous exhibits and demonstrations to see! IN THE DARK? Q If your power goes out, report your outage by calling the NSP "Lights Out" number at 1-800-895-1999, even if you know that your neighbor has already called. This is the easiest & fastest way for you to re- port a power outage at your location I When you call, NSP's automated system verifies the address of the outage by asking you to enter the phone number where the outage has occurred. Your home phone number (cross-referenced to your address) tells NSP where to send their repair crews. For more information, turn to Page 81 Page 1 Fall 2000 MAYOR Mike Werner 437-4143 .... c: COUNCILMEMBERS =' Ward I Janette Yandrasits o ~ 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 City Hall Office Hours 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday 437-4127 - c =-= >-- -+- ~ City Hall Phone CITY HALL 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 PIC\nning for '2001 Budget i> UnderwC1Y The City is in the middle of the process of prepar- ing the 2001 budget. The preliminary budget and levy amounts were set at a Special Council Meet- ing held on September 14, 2000, and there will be additional opportunity for public input this year. The City has planned something new this year as part of the budget process. A "City Budget Forum" has been scheduled, which is an opportunity for the public to ask questions about the 2001 budget and hear a brief presentation by City staff explaining some highlights of the budget. This forum is sched- uled to take place at 6:00 p.m. on November 13, 2000 at City Hall and will be hosted by the Finance Committee of the Council. All residents are in- vited to attend the Forum and share any ideas they may have on the City Budget. The City will also be holding the annual Truth in Taxa- tion Public Hearing in early December before adoption ofthe final budget. Page 2 Fall 2000 Housing Rehabilitation Loans for Dakota County Homeowners Are you considering making improvements orre- pairs to your home? You may just qualify for a Rehabilitation Loan from the Dakota County BRA. Common uses of these funds are for roof replace- ment, furnace replacement, electrical and plumb- ing repairs, and insulation, among other projects. Homeowners are offered two types ofloans from the BRA: a Deferred Loan and an installment loan. The Deferred Loan provides for no interest or monthly payments, with the loan amount to be re- paid when the ownership changes or the owner moves from the property. The Installment Loan has a 3% APR with the terms dependent on the amount of the loan. Each loan is determined by your gross annual in- come and the amount of frnancial assets (checking, savings, CD's, etc.) that you hold. Eligible appli- cants must own their home, have sufficient equity on the property, and a satisfactory credit history. For more information or to order an application packet, call Mark Hanson with Dakota County HRA at 423-8175. "This Old House" This is an incentive program that has been designed for owners of older, deteriorated homes to restore orrenovate their homes. For more information on the "This Old House" tax incentive, contact Da- kota County Assessing Services at 438-4200 See Page 5 of the Newsletter for additional in- formation on home improvement incentives of fered through the City... Public Works Garage 1221 Progress Drive 437-4415 .. Public Works ... Streets Utilities Engineering LEAF RAKING Please do not rake your leaves into the street for City crews to sweep up. Raking leaves into the street is not only pro- hibited by City Ordinance, this practice can also create problems with storm drainage and water quality. During a rainstorm, leaves can quickly plug 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. LOCK & DAM ROADI TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS Design work is continuing on the road and trail improvements along the rivernont between Hudson Manufacturing and the Lock & Dam. The pro- posed project will include reconstructing and realigning the existing Lock & Dam Road, as well as connecting the existing riverfront trail to both CR #42 and the Lock & Dam trail. The City and Koch Refining are working on transferring the old tank farm site to the City, and Koch Refining will be completing cleanup of contaminated soils this fall. The City and the Army Corps of Engineers are also at work on a cost sharing agreement for sharing the cost of re- constructing the Lock & Dam Road. Depending on the progress of the transfer of property or the cost sharing agreement with the Corps of Engineers, the project could be brought before the Council for ap- proval and start of construction this fall, or be delayed until next spring. SNOW EMERGENCY REMINDER While there may not be any snow on A.. the ground just yet, winter is on it's ~ way! Just a quick reminder concern- : . ing snow emergencies and on-street I. parking: ~ ....7. * A snow emergency automatically goes into effect when 2 inches or more of snow (as measured at the Minneapolis/St. 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. Please remember: Violators will be ticketed and towed. * Check cable channel 12 orKDWA 1460 AM if you are not sure if a snow emergency is in effect. WATER METERS The Utility Department is in the process of converting all water meters to a radio read system that will allow meter readers to read water meters from the street. The goal is to convert all of the City meters to the radio read system by 2002. In order to convert the meters, Utility Department em- ployees must have access to the water meters inside homes and businesses. Notices are being sent out to property owners within the City to schedule appoint- ments to do this conversion, which takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes. If you receive a notice requesting access to convert your water meter, please call the Utility Department at 437-3922 to schedule an appoint- ment. Thank you for your cooperation during this project! Page 3 Fall 2000 {} f! Parks & Recreation Fall 2000 Updates 1& ~ - Hastings Family- - - - Aquatic Center- Aquatic Center Hotline: 480-2392 2000 Aquatic Center Wrap-Up It's fall, and that means that the second season of the Hastings Family Aquatic Center has come to an end. Approximately 2,000 sea- son passes were sold this year, with over half being sold after the pool opened in June. The pool re- mained busy, with approximately 38,000 patrons visiting the Aquatic Center throughout the summer. Many thanks to the 50 individuals who worked at the Aquatic Cen- ter as Guest Service, Life Guards, Maintenance, other duties. This past season could not have been the success it was without all of their hard work and dedication to the City of Hastings. In order to continue to make the Aquatic Center a fun destination, we're already hard at work on preparing for the summer 2001 season. Possible changes to look for in the next year... Season passes to be sold be- ginning December 2ooo! Adult Lap Swim to be offered in both the morning and evening! Teen night twice a month! For 2001 season information call the Hastings Family Aquatic Cen- ter Hotline at (651) 480-2392. Page 4 Fall 2000 ",fr,','. \ HASTIN~S CIVIC ARENA ,. ~, ,./t. ' Highway 316 . ~ 651-437-8279 - , , As the leaves begin to change, thoughts turn to hockey and ice skat- ing. The Hastings Civic Arena is scheduled to open October 8, 2000, with public skating, high school practice and games, youth hockey prac- tice and games, and learn to skate programs available! There have been some changes over the past couple of months at the Civic Arena! -- -- The arena roof completion should be finished and set for the next 50 years (knock on wood; there is still Mother Nature!) Also, new score clocks have been installed in both arenas. The clock in the East Arena has been donated; Many Thanks to Wells Fargo Bank of Hastings. -- A sound system has been installed in West Arena/Lobby area; another very Big Thank You to the Sam and Shirley Hertogs family for their donation to this project! -- Bleachers have yet to be installed at the West Arena, as the bleachers taken from Todd Field still have to pass all codes and ADA standards before being installed. LEARN TO SKATE PROGRAM All Saturdays Nov. 4 10:45 am -12:15 pm Nov.ll Nov. 18 10:45 am-12:15 pm Nov. 25 Dec. 2 10:45 am-12:15 pm Dec. 9. Dec. 16 10:45 am-12:15 pm Dec. 23 Please note: times are subjected to change. Watch the local newspaper for registration information or call 437-8279. 10:45 am-12:15 pm 10:45 am-12:15 pm 10:45 am-12:15 pm 10:45 am-12:15 pm Public Skatin9 Session. $2.75 per person. Sun. Oct. 8 5:30 pm-7:30 pm Sat. Oct. 14 12:30 pm-2:30 pm Sun. Oct. 15 5:30 pm-7:30 pm Wed. Oct. 18 12:30 pm-2:30 pm Thu. Oct. 19 12:30 pm-2:30 pm Sat. Oct. 21 5:30 pm-7:30 pm Sun. Oct. 22 6:45 pm-8:45 pm Wed. Oct. 25 12:30 pm-2:30 pm Sat. Oct. 28 12:30 pm-2:30 pm Sun. Oct. 29 5:30 pm-7:30 pm Wed. Nov. 1 12:30 pm-2:30 pm Sat. Nov. 4 12:30 pm-2:30 pm HOME IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS & RESOURCES ~DI The City's Code Enforcement Division of the Inspections & Code Enforcement Department occasionally deals with property maintenance issues concern- ing residential homes and commercial businesses. One of the challenges we have found that many of our older homes and businesses are facing is failed paint. As part of the City's de- sire to assist property owners with com- ing into compliance with City codes, we have located a company that can help property owners save money if you are in need of painting your home or business. Amazon Environmental, Inc. is a company that recycles latex paint and chemically similar materials. Ama- zon provides services for the 100% recycling of latex paint and chemi- cally similar materials. The cost of this process is competitive with al- ternative disposal or recycling meth- ods which do not provide for re-use. Amazon Environmental follows a strict hierarchy for recycling to ensure that waste materials are put to their best use. Since 1995,Amazonhasrecycledover 10 million pounds of paint and other chemically similar materials. In 1999, Amazon sold about 35,000 gallons of recycled paint, and donated another 30,000 gallons to government and com- mwrity organizations. How Do They Do It? Recycling Paint Into Paint . Paint for sale. Paint that arrives in its original container is sorted into reusable paint (by color) and non-reusable paint. The reusable paint is then fine-filtered, tinted, viscosity adjusted, and treated with preservatives. The result is a high quality paint that customers can purchase in six standard colors or custom colors. . Paint for donation. Reusable quality water-based paints re- ceived in drums are coarse strained, mixed and made available to clients at no extra charge. Available colors vary but are typically earth tones such as gray or beige. The paints can be applied with brush or roller, are great for graffiti abatement, and offer excellent coverage. . Paint cost. Prices for Amazon Select Paint range !Tom $23.00 to $29.00 for a 5-gallon bucket. This is less than one-half of what a person might pay for comparable quality virgin paint. . Donation Ouality Paints. Reusable paints that are not similar to the stan- dard colors are coarse strained, mixed into 300-500 gallon batches and made available for !Tee in 55-gallon drums or for a small charge in 5-gallon pails. If you are interested in obtaining more information regarding the paint available ITom Amazon Environmental Inc. please contact: Vice President John Segala 1732 Terrace Drive Roseville MN, 55113 Phone: (651) 636-5486 Toll Free: 1-877-636-5486 Fax: (651) 636-5479 Rehabilitation Assistance Through City HRA The Hastings Housing andRe- development Authority also has rehabilitation loan pro- grams for both rental and owner occupied residential property. The loans are meant to fund part of the costs for susbstantial rehabilitation of affordable, older housing. For more information, call City Hall at437-4127 and request a Rehabilitation Loan Packet. If the property in question is designated as historic or inside an historic district, also ask for a Design Review Packet. Page 5 Fall 2000 Police Department 150 East Third Street Hastings, MN 55033 Police Chief: Mike McMenomy Non-Emergency: 437-4126 Emergency: 911 National Night Out... a Success!! On Tuesday, August 1''. the City of Hastings participated in the National Night Out against Crime in which the neighborhoods and the Police Department worked together to make an active statement against criminal behavior. Several neighborhoods hosted block parties where neighbors got together to meet each other and join forces to make a statement that they would be working together to cut down on the crime problems in their neighborhood. Hastings police officers, fire department per- sonnel, and City Council members visited these various neighborhood block parties in an attempt to get the citizens to meet their emergency personnel and elected officials. To- gether, we made a pro-active statement against crime with the goal of establishing a cooperative in crime prevention. If anyone is interested in learning more about the Neighborhood Watch program, please con- tact Officer Wayne Hicks or Officer Craig Puch of the Hastings Police Department at 437- 4126, and they will gladly assist you in starting a program in your neighborhood! Department Updates Your Police Department continues to change. In July, a fifth new officer for the police department was added, as a replacement for David Larson who ended his employment with the police department this past May. Officer Brock Bukkila comes to our City after working as a part-time officer for the Glenwood Police Department and the Grant County Sheriffs Office. Welcome, Brock! In August, the department conducted entry-level police officer testing to establish a new list of po- lice officer candidates for hiring. Timothy Connell will replace Officer Dan Ziegler, who resigned and left the police department this past July. Page 6 Fall 2000 School's Open - Drive Safely! The Hastings Police Department would like to re- mind all drivers to be extra alert at this time of year. School is open and it's an exciting time for chil- dren, especially youngsters attending school for the first time. Unfortunately it also means that more young, inexperienced pedestrians and bicyclists are in the traffic mix where they are most likely to be in danger of being struck by automobiles. Drivers, you can help reduce the risk to children going to and from school by remembering some basic safe driving tips, such as: SCHOOL ~ SLOW . . . Slowing down in school and residential areas; Watching for clues that give warning of children in the area, such as signs, safety patrols, adult crossing guards and school buses; Obeying all school bus stop laws; Clearing fogged windows on vehicles before driving; Obeying all traffic signs; Avoiding school zones during a"ival and dismissal hours Each year thousands of children are struck and injured by auto- mobiles. Your Hastings Police Department suggests that all par- ents instruct their children in: Safe crossing practices before the opening of school and reminders throughout the school year; Knowing the route to school or the bus stop; How to judge if there is adequate time to cross the street and when it's a good idea to wait; Teaching them to never enter the roadway between two parked cars; and 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 desig- nated school crossings whenever possible. Some youngsters, especially those venturing away from home for the first time, may never have learned traffic safety and oth- ers may have just forgotten during the summer. Drivers need to be cautious, especially around school bus stops and areas where children walk to school. Remember, children are greatly influ- enced by their peers and they imitate the actions of adults, even if they are poor traffic safety role models. Parents are encour- aged to stress to their children the basic safety steps, so that all the citizens of Hastings can enjoy a safe school year in 2000- I t:L~AVI~t3 TIl~ AIV ()~ ~HQ!~ ~ OPEN BURNING - is de- 'I!' . II I: fined in Minnesota State Statute 88.01 tT ~ Lm ~ Subd. 23, as "a fire burning, whether con- centrated or dispersed, which is not contained within a fully enclosed fire box, structure, or vehicle and ITom which the products of combustion are emitted directly to the open atmosphere without passing through a stack, duct, or chim- ney." Open burning is not allowed within the corporate limits of the City of Hastings. Any burning, regardless of how or where it occurs, for the purpose of eliminating trash, gar- bage, construction debris, yard waste and other refuse is also illegal. RECREATIONAL FIRES However, recreational fires (camp fires) are per- .~ . mitted, provide~ that all of the following require- , .~t} m:e::et. 1. 2. Is for recreational or ceremonial purposes; Is a minimum of25 feet ITom a structure or other combustible material (wood fences, decks, wood- piles and the like); Is contained by a ring or other non-combustible structure to prevent it ITom spreading; Is no larger than three feet in diameter with flames extending no higher than three feet. Recreational or campfires are not allowed in city parks or other property unless a permanent containment device is in place for that purpose; Permission of the property owner has been ob- tained; Firefighting equipment, such as garden hoses, shov- els, buckets or a fire extinguisher with a minimum rating of 4A is/are available and the fire is constantly attended to by a person knowledgeable in their use(s); 3. 4. 5. 6. Fire Department 115 Fifth Street West Hastings, MN 55033 Fire Chief: Mark Holmes Non-Emergency: 437-5610 Emergency: 911 Only clean, untreated lumber, timber/tree branches, without any leaves or charcoal may be used as fuel; paper may only be used to start the fire; Is fully extinguished prior to leaving the site, thoroughly wet, and the ashes have been stirred to ensure that the fire is out. OUTDOORINCINERATORS& ".":~t PATIO FIREPLACES .: ~ Outdoor incinerators or patio fireplaces J, . are increasing in popularity. These devices have a burning chamber which is enclosed on three sides and a short chimney to route smoke upward. Please keep in mind that sparks and embers may be emitted ITom the ITont opening or chimney, therefore placement of these units must be on a masonry or other non-combustible out- door surface and no closer than 10 feet ITom any struc- ture. Also, all other rules for recreational fire rules ap- ply to the use of outdoor incinerators and patio fire- places. 7. 8. . THINGS TO REMEMBER j : Although recreational fires are legal, they must ,~ t" " .: not be offensive to others. Examples of an :. offensive recreational fire are smoke, em- ~ i bers or odors traveling to a neighboring property. If a legal fire is found to be offensive, a pub- lic nuisance citation may be issued. Remember that your neighbor may have a health problem or other sen- sitivity that causes them to be intolerable to smoke or its odors. If you do decide to have a fire, please play it safe and abide by the above rules. If you have any questions about recreational fires or fire safety, please call the Hastings Fire Department at Page 7 437-5610. Fall 2000 More Election Info Want to vote but are not registered? No problem! Eligible voters can register on election day at the ap- plicable polling place. You are eligible to vote in Min- nesota if you are: At least 18 years or older; A citizen of the United States; A resident of Minnesota for 20 days immedi- ately preceding the Election Day. Be sure to bring current identification. For a list of acceptable identification, please call City Hall at 437- 4127. Want to vote but will be out of town on Election Day? Vote by absentee ballot. Ballots are available at City Hall beginning October 6 during normal busi- ness hours, and from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sat- urday, November 4 and until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 6, the day before the General Election. Volume V Issue 4 Interested in being an Election Judge? Call City Hall for more information on being an election judge! For more information about the upcoming elections, you may call City of Hastings at 437-4127, Dakota County at 438-4380 or visit the Dakota County Elec- tions website at www.co.dakota.mn.us/treasurer. City ofHastings 101 Fourth Street East Hastings, MN 55033-1955 POSTAL CUSTOMER POWER OUTAGES AND CAUSES Occasionally the electrical power in your home or busI- ness can be interrupted - ~ from a variety of causes -, I' even on a sunny day. Non-Weather Related Power Outages Non-weather-related power outages can include any of the following: tree contact with power lines, damage to equipment caused by outside par- ties or animals; underground cable failures; or NSP planned outages needed to ensure public safety, re- store services or maintain equip- ment. Weather Related Power Outages When weather-related power out- ages such as lightning strikes, ex- treme heat, ice, high winds, torna- does, etc., occur, many power lines may be damaged. Weather-related outages can be more widespread and repairs may be more complex. Sometimes restora- tion Information isn't available for several hours, and actual power res- toration can take longer than nor- mal. Carrier Route Sort BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID Hastings, MN Permit No. 166 PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER CONTAINING NO LESS THAN 10% POST CONSUMER WASTE Page 8 Fall 2000 -