Ramsey Resident - 1989 - November

Home

SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS AND OFFICE CLOSURES FOR DECEMBER 1989 Make the Scene, Keep Ramsey Clean Committee Meeting Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting City Council Meeting Economic Development Commission Meeting Fire Department Meeting Airport Commission Meeting Park and Recreation Commission Meeting City offices close at 12:30 p.m. in observance of Christmas Eve Day Monday, December 25, 1989 City offices closed in observance of Christmas Day 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 26, 1989 City Council Meeting . All meetings are held at the Ramsey Municipal Center unless indicated otherwise. 7:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:30 a.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Monday, December 4, 1989 Tuesday, December 5, 1989 Tuesday, December 12, 1989 Wednesday, December 13, 1989 Wednesday, December 13, 1989 Wednesday, December 13, 1989 Thursday, December 14, 1989 Friday, December 22, 1989 WHAT'S HAPPENING AT CITY HALL ~ The City Council met on October 24 and reappointed Ron Hetland, Don Lokker, Cynthia Roselle and Roy Shumway to the Park and Recreation Commission. Council granted preliminary plat approval to: 1) The North Forty 3rd Addi- tion located west of Armstrong Blvd. at about 156th Avenue N.W. and consisting of 70 acres to be platted into 26 single family lots: 2) Sorteberg' s 6th Addition located north of 173rd Avenue N.W. and east of Unicorn Street N.W. consisting of 50 acres to be platted into 19 single family lots: 3) Haubrich Addition located on the west side of Nowthen Blvd. and north of the Ramsey Elementary School and consisting of 17 acres to be platted into six single family lots. Council granted final plat apprval to the platting of the Garden of. Hope Cemetery located at the Cross of Hope Lutheran Church on 179th Lane N.W. Council also granted final plat approval to: 1) Crooked Oak Addition located on the east side of Nowthen Blvd. at about 155th Avenue N.W. and consisting of 4.6 acres into 2 single family lots; 2) Gordon's Gardens 2nd Addition located in the southwest corner of the County Road #83 and 181st Avenue intersection and consisting of 26 acres to be platted into 3 single family lots. City Council reviewed the ordinances establishing cul-de-sac length and street width standards. Council directed City Staff to draft ordinance amendments that would reduce the right-of-way required for minor streets from 66 feet to 60 feet; confirm the 600 foot maximum cul-de-sac length: require developers to construct temporary cul-de-sacs right up to the property boundary to eliminate any future confusion regarding the in- tent that they be extended as through streets as adjacent parcels develop; and that the developer's construction of the temporary cul-de-sacs up to the property boundaries can be waived by City Council if the developer provides an ease- ment from the cul-de-sac to the property boundary to pro- vide for the possible future extension streets. Completion of improvements to Oakwood Hills was awarded to W.B. Miller: the City will be drawing upon the developers' Letter 01 Credit to complete those improvements. Sandra Ashley, the City's Finance Officer, reported that under the new tax bill, the State is reducing the distribution of local govern- ment aid funds and the impact of that on the City's budget has to be reviewed. City Council scheduled a public hearing lor November 14.1989 regarding the 1990 property tax levy. Mr. Hartley reported that the SCORE bill requires cities to provide for curbside recycling by October of 1990 and City Staff is preparing specs to be used in advertising for bids for curbside recycling. Mr. Hartley also noted that curbside recycling is difficult to achieve in rural areas and City Staff will be exploring alternatives to curbside recycling that will satisfy the intent of the SCORE bill. Meanwhile, the one year contract with Waste Management of Blaine for Ramsey's pilot curbside recycling project in River's Bend, Ramsey Terrace and Flintwood has expired. Council authorized extending the contract on a month by month basis in order to continue that part of Ramsey's curbside reCYCling effort until a city- wide program is in place. City Council met on November 8 and approved readvertis- ing for bids for the 1989 Community Development Block Grant Project to make handicap accessibility improvements to Ramsey government buildings. Council again recommend- ed that PCA deny F&R's request for an open burn permit on the north side of Hwy. #10 at about Puma Street. Mr. Hartley reported that there are a number of public im- provements that the City needs to borrow money for in order to finance for the long term. Council adopted resolutions authorizing the sale of bonds for public improvements that are specially assessed, improvements funded by tax incre- ment financing that are tax exempt and tax increment pro- jects that are taxable. The City Council and City Staff reviewed the City's current code enforcement procedures. City Staff was directed to draft a pOlicy for code enforcement based on the discussion. City Council met on November 14 and ordered plans and specs for the paving of Bison Street. November was pro- claimed Epilepsy Month. The Council approved Jehovah Witness Kingdom Hall's request for a conditional use per- mit to have an apartment in the lower level of their facility to accommodate the district minister on his 2-3 day visits to the area 12-18 weeks a year. Council adopted a resolu- tion establishing a pOlicy of avoiding appointing individuals to more than one board of commission unless adequate representation cannot be accomplished or it is clearly in the best interest of the City of make such appointments to multi- ple boards or commissions. The assessed 1989/collectible 1990 current ad valorum property tax levy and the 1990 General Fund Operational Budget were adopted. City Coun- cil introduced an ordinance to amend the City's purchasing pOlicy to require establishing dollar amounts and necessary approvals by resolution for purChasing regulation and con- trol. Council established a fee of $150 fire and/or police alarms when permitting becomes necessary. Council adopted a resolution establishing a pOlicy for use of the Landfill Ex- pendable Trust Fund. Council issued a letter to Anoka County regarding concerns with the impact of Rum River Bridge con- struction on the River's Bend South Park. Council ordered bids for new council tables and chairs and audio system in Council chambers. Staff was directed to draft an ordinance establishing guidelines for 'striptease' types of entertainment. It was reported that manual switches are being installed on the field lights at Central Park. Council reviewed a proposed alternate alignment for the Mississippi Trail Corridor west of Alpaca Estates. A joint meeting of the City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission was scheduled for December 12 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss surface water manage- ment issues. The City is requesting that the County withhold Parcel #28-32-25-31-0002 from tax forfeit sale for future public road purposes. Council authorized a letter being sent to Mn/DOT requesting that they reassess the weight restric- tions on the Ferry Street Bridge. Council scheduled a public hearing on December 12 regarding proposed water, sewer and street surfacing improvements to Rivlyn Street. SEVEN MAJOR NEW HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS ADDED TO 90-95 WEST METRO AREA SCHEDULE Several new highway improvement projects in the west metro area have been added to the Minnesota Department of Transpor- tation's 1990-1995 Highway Improvement Program, including seven major highway expansion projects. "These additions were made possible thanks to the 1989 Legislature that provided funding, and thanks also to the tireless efforts of key community officials in the affected areas," said Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Leonard W. Levine. Statewide, the program additions include 400 miles of market artery improvements ($86 million); 102 miles of low volume road improvements ($22 million), 46 miles of narrow concrete road improvements ($9 million). and 32 miles of expanded capacity improvements on highly congested roads ($120 million). Locally, the following major highway expansion projects were funded: New TH 10 in Blaine and Coon Rapids: $17 million for 1994; $17 million for 1995 to complete the construction of a new freeway. The first two stages are scheduled for construction in 1992-93. TH 13 in Prior lake (from CSAH 21 to CSAH 42): $6 million for 1994 to reconstruct the roadway and add center turn lanes. 1-35W in Bloomington and Burnsville (from TH 13 in Burnsville to 1-494 in Bloomington): $15 million for 1994 to add a third lane in each direction across the Minnesota River bridge. TH 101 from Elk River to Rogers: $10.3 million for 1994 to construct a four lane expressway. TH 212 in Eden Prairie and Chanhassen: $25 million in 1994 and $22 million in 1995 to continue the construction of a new freeway. The first stage is scheduled for construction in 1993. 1-94 in BrOOklyn Park and Maple Grove: $25 million for 1994 to begin construction of a third lane in each direction. TH 100 in S1. louis Park, Crystal, and Robbinsdale: $15 million for 1994 and 1995 to continue upgrading the roadway to freeway standards. In addition to these projects, money has been allocated for several resurfacing and safety improvements on west metro area highways. .. . Levine also commended the efforts of various individuals and community groups for their support, including Mayor Jim Tralle of Elk River; the Southwest Corridor Transportation Coalition; the Scott County Transportation Coalition; the 1-35W Council; the North Metro Mayors Associations; and the Highway 13 Task Force in Prior Lake. .,.. ------- WRAP YOUR TREES FOR WINTER Winter is approaching and all young, smooth barked trees (apple, mountain ash, cherry, honeylocust, linden, maple, plum, ash) need to be wrapped to prevent the bark from cracking. This condition of cracking is called sunscald. Sunscald is a result of the sun reflecting off of the snow and onto the tree trunk causing cellular activity. When temperatures drop the bark temperature drops rapidly kill- ing the active cells and a crack results. These cracks are a stress on the tree and are open wounds for disease and insect infestation. This causes tree decline. Wrapping trees with a commercial tree wrap, plastic tree guard or any light colored material should be done in the fall. All trees should be unwrapped in the spring after the last frost. Wrap the tree from the bottom up and proceed up the tree to the first crotch. "If in doubt about wrapping, wrap your trees. The extra protection is far more effective than trying to reestablish an injured tree, which in some cases can't be done," says Jeanette Monear, Oak Wilt/Diseased Tree Hotline Coordinator for the Anoka County Extension Service. For information on winterizing your trees contact the Anoka County Extension Service at 755-1280. MEDIATION SERVICES Back when MEDIATION SERVICES FOR ANOKA COUNTY was looking for a few good folks, a local woman answered the call. "I believe in the mediation process and wanted to ex- perience mediations other than the marriage dissolutions that I was doing then and am doing now," said Gail Fleischman, elementary school teacher and attorney. Fleischman has been a mediator for MEDIATION SERVICES since March of 1987. MEDIATION SERVICES FOR ANOKA COUNTY offers free help to resolve troubling issues with neighbors, family members, between landlord and tenant, business and con- sumer, friends and others before they lead to more serious situations. Mediators are facilitators and do not solve pro- blems for parties of mediation, but rather insure parties are listening to one another and direct parties to their own resolu- tion. "I feel very good providing a forum for people to get their side of a story heard and even better when each side can see where the other one is coming from and say so and then actually reach an agreement," continued Fleischman. The outcome of mediation depends on what the parties themselves believe is a fair settlement. Mediations are suc- cessful in 9 out of 1 0 cases, according to Ann Wallerstedt, Executive Director. But she admitted that there is the occa- sional case where parties aren't willing to settle. The aim of mediation is solving the problem, not finding fault. "Blame can be a powerful issue to put away. But once settled, statistics are very high that parties will comply with an agree- ment. People honor agreements they help fashion." Mediation is voluntary and easy to use. Support for the organization comes from local and county government, grants from foundations, donations from civic organizations and contributions from businesses and individuals. Mediators are trained community volunteers who represent a wide varie- ty of backgrounds, occupations and interests. Each receives a minimum of twenty-six hours of initial training and must update their training each year. When asked what she'd like the public to know about mediation, Fleischman responded, "I'd like them to know that mediation is a good way to let yourself be heard and that it many times does make situations more tolerable." Wallerstedt invited anyone in need of mediation service or interested in volunteer opportunities to call the office at 755-5300 or write MEDIATION SERVICES at 1323 Coon Rapids Blvd., 55433. Said Wallerstedt, "It is with the con- tribution of time and talent of Gail and others that such a fine and effective method of problem solving is available in Anoka County." ANOKA f&5l ".\~HE.so" }(~) ~ 0.- T1\13''i HENNEP @] MAPLE PLAIN s COT T