Ramsey Resident - 2000 - July/August

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CITY NEWSLETTER DESPITE LOCAL ROAD CLOSURES, SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES Just take a minute and ask yourself how nice it is to be able to make a quick trip to your local store when you need to. Isn't it great to be able to say, "Lets run up to LeTourneau's to pick up some chicken for dinner and while we are there swing over to Video Update for a movie." When was the last time you were working in the yard and needed something to complete a landscaping project and were able to visit Mortons or Wirtz Nursery right up the street? You can ask Stan at Morton's or Cindy at Wirtz's any question about that funny looking bug, or what to do about a sick looking tree and they have the answer for you. Don't forget about how great it is to have a local gas station like M &L on 167th. Remember when that station was closed and how nice it is to have the pumps open again? Right now, and for the next few months, these and many other businesses in the City of Ramsey are in great danger of being shut down. The improvements that are taking place along the Hwy 47 corridor in the city of Ramsey are needed badly and will ultimately improve the traffic flow for everyone. These improvements come with a price and that price is sometimes too high for local Businesses. With Highway #47 being detoured, people are not always able to have convenient access to their local stores. This situation sometimes finds customers choosing to go elsewhere for their needs. Unfortunately, because access is not convenient during the reconstruction of a road, local businesses struggle to survive and sometimes don't. On behalf of the local businesses, we ask that you continue to support your hometown local businesses. This is especially true in this time of construction. Local businesses really need you to really step up to the plate and help them get through the road construction by shopping, ordering, and buying from them no matter how the road looks or inconvenient access is. As you shop the local businesses, stop and tell the owner or manager that you were able to get through the detour to get to their store. You will hear sincere thanks from that owner or manager and how important your business is to them. This will make you feel great knowing that you are active in keeping the fabric of the community in tact, and that "your" store stands a chance of making it through the difficult times of road construction. Thank you for your continued support of our businesses!!! SNM JULY /AUG 2000, VOLUME 15, NO. STORM DRAINAGE UTILITY PROPOSED FOR THE CITY OF RAMSEY A city's storm sewer system protects people, protects property and improves property values. They also reduce insurance risks, thereby reducing an individual's premium; enhances the environment by preventing erosion; and provides for a safe traffic flow during large water run -offs caused by storms or spring thaws. Before the City of Ramsey began developing, the rain or the spring thaw would soak into the ground and /or flow into rivers, lakes or wetland areas. With the construction of each structure, more impervious surfaces are created and more run -off produced. Impervious surfaces include houses, driveways, roads, parking lots and any other surface that prevents water from being absorbed into the ground. Sometimes it is very easy to overlook benefits of a storm water system because they are installed underground. Although these benefits are essential to our overall quality of life, the community often puts storm water utility development projects on the "back burner" because, in addition to invisible benefits, they are also very expensive. And once they are installed, storm sewers can be expensive to maintain. As storm sewers age, portions simply need to be replaced because of deterioration or upgraded to handle increased capacity. Currently, Ramsey's storm water sewer system is maintained or upgraded with money that the City gets in property taxes. This method of paying for upgrades or maintenance tends to be inequitable in that property taxes are based on the value of the property and while some properties are producing approximately the same amount of run -off, one property owner may be paying more Continued on Page 3