HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 -04-05 Apr-MayCity’s Official NEWSLETTER
MAPLEWOODLiving April/May 2015In This Issue
Rain Garden Event
Maplewood Community
Council Corner
Arbor Day History Mystery
Device Pitstop - New
Maplewood Business
Parks Clean Up
Franchise Fee For
Street Repairs
Siren Monitors Needed
2
3
4
5
6
7
7
8
Center Partners with YMCA
Mike Funk Hired as Assistant City Manager and Director of Human Resources
2015 Maplewood City Council Election
In February the City was pleased to bring on Mike Funk as
Assistant City Manager and Director of Human Resources.
Mike joins the City with a wealth of experience in his 17
years as a City Administrator in Gibbon, Nebraska; Olivia,
Minnesota; and Minnetrista, Minnesota.
After growing up on a farm in Rock Rapids, Iowa Mike
attended college at Southwest State in Marshall, Minnesota
graduating with a double major in Political Science and
Sociology. Currently he is working to obtain his Masters
degree in management.
Residing in Minnetonka, Mike and his wife Anne, have a blended family of
four sons ranging from 11 to 14 years old. The boys, who are all involved in
athletics, keep the family busy with football, baseball, basketball, and hockey
games and practices. Mike is a coach for football and baseball; and also serves
on the Chanhassen Athletic Association boards for both football and baseball,
where he serves as Vice President of Baseball. When he isn’t coaching or
watching sports, Mike enjoys spending time at the family cabin, hunting,
fishing, and riding his Harley Davidson.
After just six weeks, Funk has negotiated city labor contracts, become familiar with
the various department goals and challenges and is delving into daily operations.
“I am extremely excited to be a part of the team at the City of Maplewood; and
my new position is a good fit for my skills and work experience. The mayor/
council and staff are very solid, with professional attitudes and have shared
values to continuously improve the City. The community members are the real
benefactors as their city representatives’ are passionate about creating a
sustainable future; and I look to contribute to that success, he said”.
Eligible individuals desiring to become a candidate for Council Member are
required to file an affidavit of candidacy with the City Clerk. Two four-year
Council Member positions will be open for filing. The filing period opens on
Tuesday, May 19, 2015 and will close on Tuesday, Jun 2, 2015.
- continued on page 3
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 / APR/MAY 2015
Maplewood Nature Center, 2659 E. 7th Street
Thursday, May 14, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Call Deb Barnes (651) 792-7959 at Ramsey-Washington Metro
Watershed District to register. Please provide your name, email,
address, phone number and the number of people attending.
Learn how to design and build a rain garden with Ramsey Conservation
District, Watershed District and Maplewood Nature Center experts. Tour
the fun rainwater features at the Nature Center and discover what rain
garden plants are popping up in mid-May. Identify soil types and
determine how fast water soaks into your soil. Learn how to choose
plants and get advice from technical staff and Master Gardeners in
planning your rain garden design. Prior to the class you will be emailed
or mailed a questionnaire and a worksheet to fill out including a drawing
of your yard. Please complete these before the workshop and bring them
with you to the class. At the workshop we will provide an aerial map of
your site to use in planning your rain garden.
This free workshop is sponsored by Ramsey-Washington Metro
Watershed District, Maplewood Nature Center, the City of Maplewood,
Ramsey Conservation District and Blue Thumb. For more information
about the class contact Sage Passi at (612) 598-9163.
Design Your Rain Garden
Rain Garden on Bartelmy Living St. Project
Rain Garden on Hills and Dale St. Project
Design Your Rain Garden
- continued from cover page
2015 MAPLEWOOD CITY COUNCIL ELECTION
A filing fee or petition in place of the filing fee must be filed with the affidavit of
candidacy. The filing fee is $5.00. Petitions in place of the filing fee must contain at
least 500 signatures. Petitions may only be signed by persons eligible to vote for
the candidate named on the petition. Affidavits of candidacy and petitions must be
presented in person or by mail and are available at City Hall or on the city website.
Faxed documents will not be accepted.
The office of City Clerk is located at Maplewood City Hall, 1830 County road B East.
Affidavits will be accepted from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm on each day of the filing period
except on Tuesday, June 2, when office hours will be 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
State Statute requires that if more than twice the number of individuals to be elected to a City office file for
nomination for an available office, their names shall be placed upon the primary ballot for an election to be held
August 11, 2015. If not, there will be no primary election. For additional information, please contact Karen Haag,
Director of Citizen Services at (651) 249-2002 or via email at karen.haag@ci.maplewood.mn.us
Rain Garden on Hills and Dale St. Project
YMCA Swim Academy Coming to Maplewood Community Center
Maplewood Community Center is proud to announce that we will be
partnering with the YMCA to bring even more recreational programming
options to our members and guests. Beginning in the summer of 2015, the
YMCA, a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities
through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility,
will offer the YMCA Swim Academy at Maplewood Community Center.
With over 100 years of swim lesson experience, the Y will provide a safe
environment for swimmers of all ages to develop water safety skills, build
confidence, and discover the health benefits of swimming.
In addition to their role managing and administering swim lessons, the
YMCA will also be providing an on-site program executive to collaboratively
lead the day-to-day activities of the Maplewood Community Center with
other City authorities.
“We are very excited about this partnership and what it will mean for the children and families we serve,” says DuWayne
Konewko, City of Maplewood Parks and Recreation Director. “The YMCA has an impressive track record of creating
powerful collaborative relationships with other cities, schools, and community organizations.”
The City of Maplewood and the YMCA will explore additional partnership options in the future, including an expanded
role for the YMCA in other areas of operation.
YMCA Swim Academy Lesson
The Maplewood Community Center Aquatic Center will be closed from Monday, May 4th thru Tuesday, June 2nd. We will
be replacing the Aquatic Center’s Air Handling Unit and completing a number of other projects during this time. MCC
is currently working on scheduling alternative water activity space for lap swim and water fitness classes on a limited basis
during this Aquatic Center closure. More details will be available soon. Please direct questions regarding this closure to Ron
Horwath, MCC Operations Manager, at (651) 249-2206 or ron.horwath@ci.maplewood.mn.us.
4 / APR/MAY 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 -
By: Marv Koppen
Bob Jensen from Maplewood Area Historical Society (MAHS)
filled me in on the story of the gazebo at Bruentrup
Heritage farm.
The Bruentrup Farm is one of Maplewood’s treasures! A new
addition to the farm is a gazebo that was proposed by the
family of former Mayor George Rossbach as a memorial in his
honor. George was Mayor of Maplewood in 1999 when the
Bruentrup farm buildings were being saved and he was very
instrumental in lobbying the state legislature for $100,000 to
move the Bruentrup farm buildings. He remained very active
with the Society until his death in August, 2012 and was the
unofficial architect for many of our building renovations and
for designing the new machine shed to fit with the farm decor.
Even on his last visit to the farm in July, 2012, he wanted to
know what we were working on.
The family raised more than $8,000 in donations to cover the
cost of the gazebo which was purchased in kit form from the
Amish Country Gazebo Company in Manheim, Pennsylvania.
A concrete slab with a cobblestone pattern was poured by
volunteers in the spring of 2013 and the gazebo was erected
by the volunteers in time for a grand opening on June 15,
2013. The rooster weathervane on top was donated by Bill
and Raydelle Bruentrup and a plaque was donated by the
Rossbach family to honor George.
The gazebo is open at all times to the public and we
frequently find visitors or MAHS volunteers enjoying a
lunch or snack inside on summer days. Occasionally a bridal
couple will say their vows within but it is too small for most
wedding parties. For MAHS events, we use the gazebo for
the musician or musical group.
Gazebo dedicated to the memory
of George Rossbach
Plaque dedicated to the memory
of George Rossbach
Bruentrup Farm Honors Former Mayor, George Rossbach
APR/MAY 2015 / 5
By: Bob Cardinal
This is a short note about our City Council – Staff
Retreat held on Monday, March 16, 2015.
The City Council and senior management, yearly have
a day retreat to discuss and plan what is ahead for the
City of Maplewood. The list of staff and council that
participated include the following: City Manager,
Melinda Coleman; Finance Director, Gayle Bauman;
Director of Parks & Recreation, DuWayne Konewko;
Information Technology Director, Mychal Fowlds;
Director of Citizen Services, Karen Haag; Fire Chief,
Steve Lukin; Director of Public Works/City Engineer,
Michael Thompson; Police Chief, Paul Schnell; Assistant
City Manager/Human Resources Director, Michael
Funk; City Attorney, Alan Kantrud; Mayor Nora Slawik;
Councilmember, Marylee Abrams; Councilmember,
Kathleen Juenemann; Councilmember, Marv Koppen
and myself.
Some of what we talked about addressed: Carver --
effective Governance Roles and Responsibilities,
Strengths-Based Leadership (using Tom Rath book
of the Clifton StrengthsFinder 2.0), Identifying our
Strategic Challenges and Goals, Determining our
Priorities and Desired Outcomes. SWOT analysis.
SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities
and Threats. Strengths and Weaknesses relate to the
internal environment of the organization, Opportunities
and Threats relate to the external environment. Retreat
participants engaged in several brainstorming exercises.
In the case of our city government, our responsibility is
to provide services (as an organization), as well as help
guide and shape quality of life and community will being
(for the city generally) – and observe the situation outside
of Maplewood with regard to future factors. Craig Rapp
was the facilitator. This brief recap will give you something
to talk about when you run in to any of the people
mentioned above. Feel free to call me to discuss this
activity or anything of interest and concern in Maplewood.
- Respectfully, Bob Cardinal Mobile (651) 398-1457
Dear Resident:
COUNCIL CORNER Continued...
Saturday, May 16, 11:00 am – 12:00 noon
At Keller Regional Park, Meet at Golfview Picnic Shelter, on Highway 61, 1/2 Mile North of Frost Avenue
FREE! Fun for Families, History Buffs, Tree Lovers, and Wanna-Be Detectives
May 16th is Arbor Day in Maplewood and there’s a tree history mystery brewing. The Case of the Missing Elm
Grove-Who (or What) Done it? Come try to solve the mystery. Start at the Golview Picnic Shelter and walk the trail
(about 1/3 mile) to the location of the long-gone grove. Along the way, gather clues, learn about trees, and discover
the story of Maplewood’s historic tree groves. At the old grove site participate in a brief ceremony at 11:30 am to
rededicate the George Washington Memorial Grove plaque and plant a disease-resistant elm tree.
Stay after the ceremony to talk to a naturalist about trees and proper planting techniques, or enjoy the park and
trail on your own. This event is sponsored by the City of Maplewood and Maplewood Area Historical Society. For the
history behind the mystery, visit www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/treemystery. For more information, call (651) 249-2170.
Arbor Day History Mystery
1736 East Cope Ave, Maplewood
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Removals, Pruning and
Lot Clearing - we do it all!
6 / APR/MAY 2015
BusinessMaplewood HigHligHt
Cathy and Joe Ferrazzo
own the Device Pitstop
laptop and mobile device
store located at 2950
White Bear Avenue in
Maplewood. Always living
in the Twin Cities, Cathy
was a purchasing agent,
ran a small residential cleaning business then stayed
home to raise their five children. Joe has spent the past
33 years in sales and marketing.
The Ferrazzo’s were looking for a family business. After
reading a newspaper article about the Device Pitstop
franchise, and knowing that their son and son-in-law
were savvy with computers, technology and other
devices, they were eager to learn more about the
franchise. After visits to the Minnetonka store, they
felt Device Pitstop would combine their skill sets and
provide a future for the family.
Now, they have opened a Device Pitstop store in
Maplewood and plan to open another store in
Woodbury. Their son, AJ Ferrazzo, will eventually manage
one store and their son-in law, Chris Horning, the other.
Device Pitstop carries a wealth of laptops, tablets, smart-
phones and accessories including Windows, Apple, and
Android devices and parts. They sell products well below
original prices, backed by a 90-day warranty. They buy
for cash or trade in. They have expert on-site repairs
(including smartphone screens) and upgrades. There’s
a knowledgeable, friendly, value environment.
Most Importantly, Device Pitstop has a green philosophy
tied to recycling used equipment, not sending them to
the landfill. They bring non-working computers back to
life or utilize good components in other repairs. They
safely dispose of other items by recycling in an environ-
mentally-responsible manner that follows stringent state
requirements. According to store owners Cathy and
Joe Ferrazzo, Device Pitstop – Maplewood is a friendly,
neighborhood center for affordable computers, tablets,
smartphones, accessories, repairs and upgrades.
Cathy and Joe Ferrazzo live in Mahtomedi and have
five grown children and four grandchildren. They enjoy
traveling, golf, bike riding, and entertaining family
and friends.
For more information on Device Pitstop, call
(651) 493-7443 or visit them at
maplewoodmn@devicepitstop.com.
Cathy and Joe Ferrazzo own the Device Pitstop laptop and
mobile device store in Maplewood. Standing behind them
are store manager/son AJ Ferrazzo (left) and store
manager/son-in-law Chris Horning.
“Device Pitstop” Laptop, Tablet, Smartphone Resale Chain Now Open
in Maplewood - Buy, Sell, Trade, Service and Upgrade Laptops and Mobile Devices at A Low Cost
APR/MAY 2015 / 7
Franchise Fee For Street Repairs
The City is in the final stages of considering adoption of a
franchise fee ordinance specifically dedicated to help fund
additional City street repairs. The revenue would allow the
City to repave an additional 2-miles of street each year.
The franchise fee is an alternative to increasing property
taxes or special assessments. The fee would capture a
broader and more accurate user base such as those that
utilize the street system but are exempt from property taxes.
The proposed city fee, paid with your monthly gas utility
bill, is $2.50 per month for residential users and $6.00 per
month for the majority of non-residential users (e.g.
businesses, churches, non-profits).
For more information or to comment, contact Public
Works Director/City Engineer Michael Thompson at
michael.thompson@ci.maplewood.mn.us or visit
www.ci.maplewood.mn.us and type in “franchise fee”
in the search bar.
MEMBERSHIP SPECIAL
2100 WHITE BEAR AVE • MAPLEWOOD, MN 55109
WWW.MAPLEWOODCOMMUNITYCENTER.COM • 651-249-2230
SCORCHING
SUMMER
SAVINGS!
Purchase a Summer Membership valid from May 1 - August 31 to take advantage of
tremendous summer rates and no administrative fee. Summer membership pricing:
SENIOR/YOUTH - $100 • $115 SAVINGS!*
ADULT - $135 • $152 SAVINGS!*
COUPLE - $155 • $184 SAVINGS!*
FAMILY - $195 • $196 SAVINGS!*
Rates valid for summer memberships only. Summer membership valid May 1 - August 31, 2015
*Savings calculated based on monthly, non-resident rate & administrative fee.
Summer
Don’t delay - join anytime after April 30, but come in
early for the greatest savings!
Annual Maplewood ALL
Parks Clean Up
Saturday, April 25, 8:00 am - 1:00 pm
The Maplewood Parks and Recreation Commission
invites you to participate in our annual spring clean up.
Please consider donating a few hours to spruce up our
parks while meeting other people in the community.
We will organize at the Maplewood Community Center.
Cleanup materials along with coffee and snacks will be
available from 8:00 - 10:30 am. Bags and gloves will be
supplied. A complimentary lunch and beverage
will be served at Wakefield Park in Maplewood from
11:30 am - 1:00 pm for all volunteers.
For further information contact Maplewood Parks
Manager, Jim Taylor at (651) 249-2121 or
james.taylor@ci.maplewood.mn.us
JUNE 8 - SEPTEMBER 4
OPEN 6:30AM - 6:00PM, GRADES K - 6
2015 SUMMER DAY CAMP
WEEKLY FIELD TRIPS • SIBLING DISCOUNT • SWIMMING
NATURE HIKES • FITNESS ACTIVITIES • AND MORE!
www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/recreation
651.249.2230
EXCITING WEEKLY FIELD TRIPS
(INCLUDED IN CAMP FEE)
Week 1 Pump It Up! Party Zone
Week 2 Cosmic Bowling – Starz & Strikes
Week 3 Wildwoods Water Park
Week 4 Nickelodeon Universe
Week 5 NEW! The Works Museum
Week 6 Wild Mountain
Week 7 Grand Slam
Week 8 NEW! Crystal Cave
Week 9 Cascade Bay Water Park
Week 10 ValleyFair
Week 11 MN Zoo/Imax
Week 12 MN Science Museum
Week 13 AMC Theater/Pizza Party
City of Maplewood
1830 County Road B East
Maplewood, MN 55109
Phone: (651) 249-2000
www.ci.maplewood.mn.us
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Twin Cities, MN********ECRWSS**
RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER
Upon request, this newsletter will be made available in an alternate format.Printed on 10% post consumer product.
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Siren Monitors Needed
Volunteer siren monitors are
needed in the areas listed below
to help monitor our outdoor
warning sirens. If you live in one
of these areas, are normally
home during the day and would
be willing to help, please call
(651) 249-2801. The sirens are
sounded (tested) on the 1st
Wednesday of the month at 1:00 pm. You can email,
leave a phone message or self-addressed pre-stamped
postcards could be provided for you to respond with your
comments; i.e., working, not working, I wasn’t home, etc.
1. 217 E. Roselawn Avenue
2. County Road B & Kenwood
3. Kohlman Lane & Keller Parkway
4. *(not needed)
5. 1530 E. County Road C
6. McKnight Road. & Lydia Avenue
7. 1600 Myrtle Street
8. Sterling Street and 7th Street
9. 220 O’Day Street.
10. 2501 Londin Lane
11. 1200 South Sterling Street
12. County Road D (top of the hill behind Lexus)
off Highway 61
*We currently have a sufficient number of siren monitors
for our siren #4 at 1965 Manton Street.
The outdoor warning siren system is intended to alert you
and your neighbors. By volunteering as a siren monitor
you can help ensure the system will work properly when
our community needs it. Thank you for your consideration.