Ramsey Resident - 2004 - January/February

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12 SNOWPLOWING FAQ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 sometimes the driver can not see where the road bends or the exact location of the corner. The Public Worl(s department distributes wooden lath, free of charge in the fall, to help marl( the edge of the boulevard. This lath is available at the fall recycling day in October or at City Hall. The lath will breal( off after a couple of snowfalls, but will have served its purpose by helping the driver establish the curb line. Please do not use metal stal(es to marl( the boulevard. They are dangerous to install and can be a hazard to pedestrians and motorists using the roadway. City crews will remove metal stal(es used in the boulevard. Q. The snowplow tore up the grass in front of my house. Who's responsible for repairing the damage in the spring? A. The City of Ramsey retains an easement on the edge of the road for snow storage and utility placement. This easement varies, depending on the development, but normally is 12'-15' from the edge of the road. When you call in to report sod damage, your name and address are recorded on a list. In the spring, city crews will go around and repair the turf damage with blacl( dirt and grass seed. We try to avoid damage, but it does happen. The weather, especially early and late in the season, has a great impact on the amount of damage that occurs. Un- frozen ground is not very forgiving and even the slightest touch of the plow causes damage to the surrounding turf. Stal(ing the blvd. is a great help to drivers as it helps them to visualize the edge of the road. The drivers try their best, but it's not easy lmowing exactly where the edge of the road is at all times, especially at 3am in the middle ofa snow storm! Q. Why won't the city repair my sprinkler system or other improvements I've made in the ROW when they damage it plowing? A. The City retains ownership of the right-of-way (ROW), which in most cases is 12-15 feet from the edge of the road. This ROW is reserved for utilities and their equipment, snow storage, sidewall(s, etc. Any improvements made to the ROW by the homeowner are done so at their risl(. Q. Who do I call if I have a complaint or comment about snowplowing A. Call the City of Ramsey's main switchboard @ 763-427-1410, the receptionist will direct the call to the proper personnel. During a snowfall, the Public Worl(s staff will be out of the shop, so calling the Public Worl(s garage directly may not be the best way to get a response to your question. After 5 p.m. the answering machine will record the messages and city personnel will distribute them after 8 a.m. the following morning. The policy of the Public Worl(s department is to return all phone calls, or meet with residents if they so request. ANOKA COUNTY LmRARY ANNOUNCES CONTEST The Anoka County Library is happy to announce the winner of the 2003 Bookmark Design Contest. Casey Hoekstra of Fridley designed the winning bookmark. Hoekstra's design features a shadowy figure in a trench coat and hat, holding a library card and reading his favorite book. Hoekstra submitted his design at the Northtown Library. The original design was created in black pencil, but has been reproduced in brown ink, helping to focus attention on the details of the drawing and giving the finished product a slightly antique lool(. Hoekstra has received a framed copy of his winning entry. His bool( mark is available now at the Anoka County Library. The Bookmark Design Contest was part of the library's summer programs for teens. Bookmarl( designs were received at all branch libraries. Library users served as first-round judges. After final judging, the winning design was professionally printed. The recently formed Friends of the Anoka County Library contributed toward the printing of the bookmarl(. This is the second year that the Library has sponsored the Bookmark Design Contest. "We have an excellent response to all of our summer programs, and teens were especially involved in the bool(mark contest! We received many quality entries for the contest and selecting the winner was very hard," said Library Director Beverly Flaherty. To see the winning bookmark or for more information about the library or the Friends visit www.anoka.lib.mn.us. I've learned. . . That everyone you met deserves to be greeted with a smile.