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Home My WebLink About2015 -01-02 Jan-FebCity’s Official NEWSLETTER MAPLEWOODLiving JAN/FEB 2015Multi-Cultural Business Networking Event Join us on Thursday, February 26 from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm at the Maplewood Community Center located at 2100 White Bear Avenue for an important multi-cultural event. The event is part of an ongoing initiative to build stronger connections, alliances and partnerships with multi-cultural businesses to support their success, facilitate cultural competency and foster economic growth. The evening will include a panel of multi-cultural business experts who will share a few dos and don’ts of doing business with specific communities, complimentary appetizers, a cash bar, networking and valuable door prizes. We are expecting an exceptionally large turnout for the event as it will provide a unique opportunity to learn more about, engage with and build productive relationships with business owners and professionals from the Latino, Hmong, Vietnamese, Somali and Arab communities. This event is sponsored by the City of Maplewood, Ramsey County, White Bear Lake Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota Chamber and Grow Minnesota, East Side Area Business Association, LEDC, Latino Roundtable, AED as well as other business leaders from the Arab, Hmong, Somali and Vietnamese communities. This event is free to those who pre-register. To register for this event, visit www.ci.maplewood.mn.us. In This Issue Commission Vacancies Domestic Violence Council Corner New Coffee Shop Passport Book and Cards 2015 Trash Rates 2 3 4 6 6 7 Thank You Maplewood City Council voted unanimously in support of the adoption of the Parks System Master Plan at their meeting last January. Thank you to all of the residents and business owners that participated in this two-year process. The plan will set forth a vision for the next twenty years by providing recommendations, strategies, and tools to assist the City, its stakeholders, and many partners to ensure that Maplewood’s Parks System is “at the top of its game” well into the future. In April, there will be an insert in the Maplewood Living that discusses the plan. Update On State Performance Measures The City has opted to participate in the State Performance Measurement Program the past three years. A survey was created which contained nine performance measures developed by the Council on Local Results and Innovation. The survey was made available to our residents during the month of November each of the last three years. - Continued on page 5 Prosecution Project Frequently Called Numbers City Hall (651) 249-2000 Maplewood Community Center (651) 249-2230 Recreation (651) 249-2120 Public Works (651) 249-2400 Police Non-Emergency (651) 767-0640 Visit the city website at www.ci.maplewood.mn.us for the meeting schedule of the City Council, Commissions and Boards. To advertise in this newsletter call (952) 212-7333 or email heidi@careycommunications.org. Elected Officials Nora Slawik: Mayor ........................................................(651) 738-7099 nora.slawik@ci.maplewood.mn.us Marylee Abrams: Councilmember ............................(651) 249-2000 marylee.abrams@ci.maplewood.mn.us Robert Cardinal: Councilmember ..............................(651) 765.8600 bob.cardinal@ci.maplewood.mn.us Kathleen Juenemann: Councilmember ................... (651) 771-3670 kathleen.juenemann@ci.maplewood.mn.us Marvin Koppen: Councilmember .............................. (651) 770-5391 marvin.koppen@ci.maplewood.mn.us Melinda Coleman: City Manager ..............................(651) 249-2055 melinda.coleman@ci.maplewood.mn.us MAPLEWOODLiving 2 / JAN/FEB 2015 Make a Difference in Maplewood Have you ever wondered what you could do to help make the City of Maplewood a better place to live? The City Council is not the only place where citizens have an opportunity to become involved in City government. The City of Maplewood also has eight commissions and boards where citizens have a chance to get involved and be a part of the decision making process. Commissions include: Community Design Review Board, Environmental & Natural Resources Commission, Heritage Preservation Commission, Housing & Economic Development Commission, Human Rights Commission, Park & Recreation Commission, Planning Commission and Police Civil Service Commission. The wide range of commissions offers residents the opportunity to apply to be a part of a group where they can put their interests, talents and strengths to use. There are currently openings on the following commissions and boards: • Heritage Preservation Commission (1 opening) • Housing & Economic Development Commission (1 opening) • Human Rights Commission. (2 openings) • Parks & Recreation Commission (1 opening) • Planning Commission (2 openings) These openings are due to terms expiring and resignations. The City Council will interview candidates that apply and will appoint individuals to fill these openings. More information on the commissions can be found on the City’s website www.ci.maplewood.mn.us or by calling City Hall at (651) 249-2000. Applications can be picked up at the City Hall reception desk or found online on the City’s website. The application deadline is February 16, 2015. Completed applications should be submitted to the City Manager’s Office at 1830 County Road B E, Maplewood, MN 55109. Bergamot blooms in the prairie at the Priory Neighborhood Preserve. New Century Neighborhood JAN/FEB 2015 / 3 Maplewood Police and Prosecutor Partner with County Attorney in Domestic Violence Joint Prosecution Unit At the December 5th, 2014, meeting of the Maplewood City Council, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and members of his staff discussed the planned Ramsey County Joint Domestic Abuse Prosecution Enhancement Project, which officially began in January. The project goal is to collaboratively build a unique, interagency, cross- jurisdictional alliance to improve the overall ability to hold domestic violence offenders accountable and maximize victim safety. The project involves the assignment of an Assistant Ramsey County Attorney to be cross-deputized and co-located with the City prosecutors in Maplewood and White Bear Lake. This new initiative is an offshoot of the successful Domestic Abuse Joint Prosecution Unit, in which the County Attorney’s Office and St. Paul City Attorney collaborated on high risk domestic violence offenders. The local two-year project was made possible with support of the Ramsey County Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt and her colleagues on the Ramsey County Board who allocated funding and secured the necessary authorization to dedicate a County prosecutor to work in Maplewood and White Bear Lake. The project is multi-faceted and includes: analysis of current investigation and prosecution outcomes, identification of areas for domestic violence response improvement, and the development of a coordinated best-practice strategy to enhance justice and public safety outcomes in misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor domestic abuse cases. Key to the project is a high level focus on officers identifying and collecting a full array of admissible evidence that can help prosecutors in the court process. Prosecutors will use these advanced investigations in evidence-based prosecutions, which minimizes the need for dismissal when victims fear participation in the court process. The project recognizes the long-term harm that domestic violence does to victims, children, families, and the community as a whole. The best practices model adopted by all project partners, including Tubman advocates, will create a sustained and systemic victim-centered intervention model that provides: • Earlier intervention by victim advocates • Increased full participation in domestic violence cases • More timely and aggressive charging and court intervention • Increased trial rates through evidence-based prosecution • Increased services for other witnesses • Improved quality of convictions by resolving cases for enhanceable offenses • Development of new practices and protocols for victim advocacy, police responders, and prosecutors • Staff training and professional development for police and prosecution. In the end, we believe, this unique collaborative domestic violence response project will more effectively halt the pattern of trauma and abuse in families before it escalates and becomes more deeply entrenched in their lives and in our community. If you, or someone you know, is in need of services because of domestic or family violence, know that help is available around the clock. Emergency – 9-1-1 Maplewood Police (non-emergency) – (651) 767-0640 Tubman Family & Crisis Services – (612) 825-0000 Website – www.tubman.org Ramsey Co. Protection Order Officer – (651) 266-5130 Family Crisis & Support Services COUNTLESS WAYS TO HELP. Tubman is proud to partner with the schools, police and citizens of Maplewood. Tubman is here for you and your family. Safe shelter, mental health therapy, support groups & workshops for youth & adults, Harriet’s Closet, and special help for seniors being abused are just a few of the ways we can help. Call us or visit tubman.org to learn more. Get Help 612.825.0000 www.tubman.org Give Help 612.825.3333 4 / JAN/FEB 2015 COUNCILCORNER The Council Corner is a space that is rotated monthly between the Mayor and Council members. Editorial views expressed are those of the author and may not necessarily represent or reflect the views and opinions of the City of Maplewood. Councilmembers Cardinal and Abrams, Mayor Slawik, Councilmembers Koppen and Juenemann - MAPLEWOOD - Five Lessons I Learned In My First Year As An Elected City Council Member By: Council member Marylee Abrams I learned so many new things in my first year as an elected Maplewood City Council member. I had only enough space to highlight five of them for you. 1. City Council members read a lot and attend lots of meetings City Council meetings are held the second and fourth Mondays of the month. In addition to those meetings, each Council member serves as the liaison on several City Commissions. I serve on the Ramsey Washington Cable Commission, the Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Planning and Review Commission. In addition, before the first Council meeting of the month, there is generally a Council Manager Workshop that explores topics in more depth. This year I have also attended the MCC 5k run, the spring clean-up event, MCC celebra- tions, the Grand Opening of Hobby Lobby, toured 3M, and attended more National Night Out celebrations than I thought humanly possible, to name just a few additional fun events. Council meeting packets take on average 2-3 hours to read and study. This year I learned a lot about the budgeting process, and the careful consideration necessary to make sure we can provide City services within our budget. I confess I like reading the packets and studying the decisions we will be making as a Council. 2. Nay sayers will always be present It is much easier to be critical of the actions of elected officials, but it is not very constructive. It is much harder to study the issues, consider all of the available options, and then make the best decisions that will benefit our City, and our citizens. Oh, well! I would rather be helping to make things better than standing on the sidelines hurling insults and complaints. 3. It takes a village of people to run a City We have an amazing, dedicated staff. I marvel at how creative they are and how hard they work to find creative funding sources and grants for extra bonuses to supplement our basic city services. They quickly respond to my emails and the many questions I have when I am reviewing a Council packet and preparing for the next Council meeting. We are very fortunate to have such great employees. 4. Things move slower than I would like When I ran for City Council, Mayor Slawik and I both said we were not very impressed with the Maplewood website, and that it was not very user friendly. Well, it has been a year and we still have the same old website. We have heard from citizens that you are frustrated as well. We are diligently working on it with staff and be assured our new website is under construction. I believe Maplewood has a great story to tell, and we need to get our message out to everyone. Look for a new and improved website in 2015. 5. Maplewood is changing Our demographics are changing as a City, and I am pleased to say we are embracing the changes. Our population is becoming more diverse and like me, our citizens are aging. I attended our first Community Listening Session on Police Accountability and Public Safety in January, sponsored by our very own Human Rights Commission. We are also breaking new ground with the first ever Multi-Cultural Business event scheduled at our Community Center from 5:30 to 8:30 pm on February 26. We are partnering with local ethnic communities, business groups, and Chambers of Commerce to host a business networking event. We are also exploring partnerships and new creative ways to manage our Community Center and insure it’s sustainability into the future. Maplewood is an amazing place to live, and I look forward to a New Year and new challenges. JAN/FEB 2015 / 5 PE T licensing - Continued from cover page: Update On State Performance Measures Though the response to the survey is not as high as we would like, it should be noted that on average the City is being rated as Good or Excellent over 70% of the time. A snapshot of the most recent responses and data from the previous two years is as follows: Question – 2014 (49 responses) Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t Know Appearance of the City 10% 65% 21% 4% 0% Feeling of Safety 29% 57% 10% 2% 2% Quality of Fire/EMS 42% 33% 6% 0% 19% Condition of Streets 8% 39% 31% 22% 0% Quality of Snowplowing 27% 47% 20% 6% 0% Quality of Sewer 49% 33% 2% 2% 14% Quality of Water 50% 38% 4% 4% 4% Quality of Rec Programs/Parks 29% 57% 12% 0% 2% Overall City Services 14% 66% 14% 2% 4% Question – 2013 (56 responses) Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t Know Appearance of the City 9% 57% 30% 2% 2% Feeling of Safety 24% 65% 7% 4% 0% Quality of Fire/EMS 29% 29% 9% 9% 24% Condition of Streets 11% 43% 31% 13% 2% Quality of Snowplowing 41% 28% 19% 9% 4% Quality of Sewer 33% 37% 7% 2% 20% Quality of Water 43% 44% 6% 0% 7% Quality of Rec Programs/Parks 35% 48% 9% 2% 6% Overall City Services 11% 62% 17% 9% 0% Question – 2012 (96 responses) Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t Know Appearance of the City 9% 65% 20% 6% 0% Feeling of Safety 29% 55% 13% 1% 2% Quality of Fire/EMS 24% 35% 11% 14% 16% Condition of Streets 6% 49% 37% 8% 0% Quality of Snowplowing 27% 51% 16% 6% 0% Quality of Sewer 31% 52% 5% 0% 12% Quality of Water 48% 45% 5% 0% 2% Quality of Rec Programs/Parks 27% 54% 11% 5% 3% Overall City Services 13% 60% 20% 6% 1% The City welcomes feedback from citizens. There are numerous tools available on the City’s website at www.ci.maplewood.mn.us and comments on the City budget, operations or levy can be sent to budget. ideas@ci.maplewood.mn.us. Pet License Renewal (JAN 1, 2015 - DEC 31, 2017) Fees: $21 Female/Male $19 Senior’s Discount $18 Spayed or Neutered $16 Senior’s Discount ADD $5 PENALTY FOR LICENSES PURCHASED AFTER DECEMBER 31, 2014. NEW PETS ARE EXEMPT FROM PENALTY. Applications can be obtained at City Hall or online at www.ci.maplewood.mn.us. Questions: (651) 249.2000 D on’t forget to license your pet! 6 / JAN/FEB 2015 BusinessMaplewood HigHligHt Maplewood Library Gets New Coffee Shop With A Thai Flair A unique new coffee shop with a Thai flair, “Caféine” has opened in the Maplewood Library. Owners Navarat Poosansaard and Kumpon Boonwong moved to the United States from Thailand to attend college. Navarat ran a family restaurant in Thailand and it had been a dream of hers and her husband’s to open one in the United States. The Maplewood Library location was the perfect fit for their business because it was the right size for the two of them to manage together. “We open an hour earlier so people come to Caféine, enjoy a coffee, and wait for the library to open,” Navarat said. Different from other coffee shops, Navarat and Kumpon specialize in customer service by waiting on their patrons. Their food and drinks are all prepared on site and made fresh that day. Navarat said “We have many regular customers who love our coffee.” In addition to coffee, the shop also sells food, including soup, fried rice, paninis, grilled cheese, edamame, chicken nuggets, and salad. One of their most popluar items is the Chicken Rice Soup. Another favorite soup the customers enjoy is the Tom Yum Soup with a spicy and sour flavor. Many of the recipes come from their home country of Thailand which makes them unique. They also include menu items geared towards kids, who often frequent the library with their family. One of the challenges Navarat and Kumpon have experienced is that the coffee shop had been vacant for one year and some people forget that it’s there. They want to get the word out to the community that they are open for business and welcome all to their shop. Navarat and Kumpon are already thinking about the future of Caféine and would like to offer ice cream and a drive through. Caféine is located at 3025 Southlawn Drive in Maplewood and is open Monday through Thursday 9:00 am to 9:00 pm and Friday through Sunday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more information on Caféine, call (612) 999-4996 or visit them on facebook at CaféineMN. Caféine owners Navarat Poosansaard (left) and Kumpon Boonwong (right) Need a US Passport Book or Card? You can apply for your U.S. Passport Book or Card at Maplewood City Hall, 1830 County Road B East, Maplewood. We are open Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm with the last application being accepted at 4:00 pm. If you are renewing your passport, you must renew it by mail. To determine your eligibility, visit www.travel.state.gov. A passport book can be used for air, land and sea travel. A Passport Card can ONLY be used for land and sea crossings between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. You will be able to apply for stan- dard processing (4-6 weeks) or pay an additional $60 for expedited processing (2-3 weeks). If you need a passport very quickly, contact the U.S. Department of State Passport Agency at 1-877-487-2778 to set up an appointment. For more information call (651) 249.2020 or visit our website at www.ci.maplewood.mn.us (Departments > Citizen Services > Passports). JAN/FEB 2015 / 7 Maplewood Community Center Aquatic News The Maplewood Community Center Aquatic Center will be closed in May 2015 in order to replace the air handling unit. Specific dates of the closure will be advertised on the MCC website and at the admissions counter as May approaches. MCC will be running a spring swim lesson session beginning in March. Class details including times, dates, course descriptions, and costs are available on the MCC website at: www.maplewoodcommunitycenter.com. MCC Specialty Fitness Classes Looking for something new to keep you inspired and challenged for the next couple months? Try one of the MCC SPECIALTY FITNESS classes. More details are available online! Session 2 classes run between March 1 – April 11. Maplewood Community Center also offers small group classes taught by Certified Personal trainers. These innovative programs offer more accountability and motivation with personalized attention and support. Some of our popular classes are: • TRX Suspension Training • Hardstyle Kettlebell Training • 10 lbs Down • Momentum 2100 WHITE BEAR AVE • 651.249.2230MAPLEWOODCOMMUNITYCENTER.COM Family Membership Sale Maplewood Community Center’s No Initial Fee when you purchase a monthly or annual family membership! Hurry - offer valid through Feb. 28! Valid for monthly & annual memberships only • Some restrictions apply Plus...recieve 4 Bonus Daily Admission Passes to invite friends to join you throughout the year. • Boot Camp • Tennis Ball Therapy • Chronic Pain - Fighting Back! • Cirque-It™ Aerialates 2015 Trash and Yard Waste Collection Rates The City’s residential trash and yard waste collection contract with Republic Services allows for a rate adjustment annually based on changes to the Consumer Price Index, Indexed Diesel Prices, and tipping fee (fee charged to haulers to dispose of trash at the Resource Recovery Facility in Newport). The new rates are reviewed by the City Council in December and go into effect April 1 of each year. The 2015 trash collection rates will be adjusted as follows: Cart Size/Collection 2014* 2015* (2014-2015) 20 gal (every other wk) $6.93 $7.02 plus $.09 20 gal (every wk) $9.42 $9.53 plus $.11 32 gal (every wk) $10.72 $10.85 plus $.13 65 gal (every wk) $11.98 $12.16 plus $.18 95 gal (every wk) $13.42 $13.62 plus $.20 * Trash Hauling Rates ($.75 cart fee & taxes - 9.75% county and 28% state) Yearly yard waste subscription will be adjusted from $79.50 to $79.90 per year, an increase of $.40. The new rates go into effect April 1, 2015. For more information contact Republic Services at (651) 455-8634 or visit the City’s residential trash webpage at www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/trash. Amount of change City of Maplewood 1830 County Road B East Maplewood, MN 55109 Phone: (651) 249.2000 www.ci.maplewood.mn.us PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit #32324 Twin Cities, MN********ECRWSS** RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER Upon request, this newsletter will be made available in an alternate format.Printed on 10% post consumer product. ALEX SUFFERS FROM:HIGHRATE-LOANATOSIS GET YOURDIAGNOSIS AT CCCU.COM CCCU_Alex_3.75x4.5.indd 1 10/7/14 6:20 PM Maplewood Community Center Visit our one-stop wedding planning shop! SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21 11:00AM - 3:00PM Bridal Expo PRE-REGISTER TO GET YOUR FREE TICKET BY CALLING 651.249.2230 ALL OTHER TICKETS - $5.00 AT THE DOOR 2100 White Bear Avenue • Maplewood, MN 55109 www.maplewoodcommunitycenter.com Get Caught Recycling Over 92% of Maplewood residents participate in the City’s recycling program. Recycling provides many benefits to our community including reducing waste, conserving natural resources, preventing pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials, saving energy, and creating jobs. To spotlight residents who recycle, one randomly selected household from each of Maplewood’s five recycling districts was “caught recycling” throughout the month of October 2014. That household was presented with a check for $50 and fun skunk finger puppets (Tennis Sanitation’s mascot) for children in the household. We would like to thank the following households for being recycling superstars and for getting “caught recycling!” • Kao Vang, 1855 Summer Avenue East • Marcia Lindahl Kohn and Amelia (pictured), 1369 Myrtle Street North • Sou Vang, 1485 Viking Drive East • Solange Huynh, 389 Skillman Avenue East • Michael Monahan, 2320 Southcrest Avenue East For more information contact Tennis Sanitation at (651) 459-1887 or visit the City’s webpage at www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/recycling. Get Caught Recycling Winners Marcia Lindahl Kohn and Amelia