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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007 - 08 AugMAPLEWOOD RECREATION PROGRAMS INSIDE! NEWS August 2007 Together We Can! MAPLEWOOD PROUDLY PRESENTS: MOVIES IN THE PARK Friday, August 24, at approx. 8:30 pm IS OFFERING YOUA FREE MONTH! Wakefield Park, 1590 Frost Avenue Simply, renew your current annual membership or Featuring: The Incredibles (Rated PG) join as a new annual member and your 13th month is FREE! This is a $26.00 - $51.00 VALUE!! That is COME ENJOY A MOVIE ON OUR NEW ONE WHOLE MONTHworth of healthy 12 FOOT INFLATABLE SCREEN! entertainment. This incredible You must hurry. special . Stop by ends September 15, 2007 A FREEEVENT!!!!! customer service or call 651.249.2230 to get your FREEmonth today! Plus! You also get a FREE MCC t-shirt. Join today. PRIMARY ELECTION DETAILS The Primary Election will be held Tuesday, September 11, 2007. There are two seats open for election, Councilmember Cave and Councilmember Rossbach. The following individuals have filed for affidavits of candidacy for There is simply no better place to be this summer than councilmember: your neighborhood park! Grab a picnic basket and a David Bartol blanket and enjoy the show. Before the movie, you can Rebecca Cave challenge a friend to a gunny sack race, exercise with James G. Dykes family relays, and a parent/child kickball gameÐ very James Moreno Llanas informal, but fun! A food vendor will be on-site selling hot James E. Meehan dogs, popcorn, etc. or feel free to bring your own cooler. John Nephew DonÕt forget your bug spray. Watch for more upcoming DelRay (Rocky) Rokke ÒMovies In The ParkÓ to come. Will Rossbach D ear Friends and Neighbors By Mayor Diana Longrie Greetings! In a recent July 2007parks and publicly owned open spaces,enhance the overall council meeting, the Council continuedare placed on the proverbial "choppingproperty values of itÕs public policy discussion regardingblock". There are those who want toindividual property environmental initiatives which IÕveÒswapÓ them out for other ÒamenitiesÓowners. To that addressed in past MayorÕs Columns.in the excitement and commotion ofend, the City of We discussed our commitment to redevelopment to provide economicMaplewood continues to 1.) wetland protection; 2.) treedevelopment for the greater good of thedevelop our Conservation Easement preservation; 3.) placing conservationmetropolitan area. Protection of ourInitiative (ÒCEIÓ) for our Neighborhood easements on our Neighborhoodnatural and cultural resources within ourPreserves. A conservation easement is a Preserves to protect them for futurecommunity enhances the quality of lifelegally binding restriction placed upon generations; 4.) investigatingenjoyed by our Maplewood residentsa piece of property which limits certain renewable energy options for City ownedas well as contributes to a vital city andtypes of uses or prevents development property; and 5.) revising MaplewoodÕshealthy economy. It goes without sayingfrom taking place on the land in ordinances to encourage environmentallythat our vision is to protect and defendperpetuity. Our Conservation Easement friendly development practices.our parks and public owned openInitiative is part and parcel to a well spaces and become a moremanaged land stewardship program Many of these items we have discussed environmentally friendly city. serving the needs of our citizens today before. However, an open and continuing as well as those of future generations. discussion of these initiatives and ourGiven this vision, we need to strategize progress in implementation ensures thatto develop and implement a planCurrently, Minnesota Land Trust has we do not lose sight of these verydesigned to secure our vision toscheduled meetings with our various important issues for our community. preserve our treasured assets for futureBoards and Commissions to discuss the generations while encouraging thedetails of the covenants to be place on Our Environmental and Natural orderly development/re-development ofthe publicly open spaces to preserve Resources Commission is working our community.them for the future generations of diligently on the final touches to our Maplewood. At our July 9, 2007 revised Wetlands Protection ordinanceFor several years, at the Planning Council meeting, our City attorney which is scheduled to come before theCommission level, a very important and reiterated that based on current state Council this fall for review and adoption. significant change in how we calculate law, our neighborhood preserves can the number of units permitted on a be sold by this council or any future In addition to our revised Wetlands parcel has been discussed. This council with a simple 3-2 vote. While a Protection ordinance, we are looking at discussion is now reaching the Council conservation easement does not other ways to encourage pro-active and being investigated as a possible prohibit the sale of the property, it does measures to better treat storm water run- revision to our ordinance and policies. guide how it will be used as an off. Did you know that, currently, our ecological, or Ògreen spaceÓ, set aside citizens can receive a credit towardCurrently, Maplewood uses gross their environmental utility tax if theyacreage in calculating the number ofarea in perpetuity. A city council workshop on the conservation easement have a qualifying rain garden. Thisunits that are allowed on a parcel initiative will be held August 27, 2007 credit is an incentive to promote bestwithout considering those portions of at 5:00pm. Watch for other great practices for the on-site treatment ofthe parcel that are not buildable. If things to come! storm water run-off. Soon, we hope toMaplewood were to use the concept of expand this credit to include othernet acreage instead of gross acreage As always, I welcome your comments qualifying best practices such as usingthen that portion of the parcel that is not and invite one and all to attend the native plantings as lakeshore buffersbuildable is subtracted from the gross monthly CitizenÕs Forum, hosted by the and preserving/enhancing naturalacreage before the number of permitted Mayor, held the first Saturday at features of a parcel that naturally act tounits is determined. Maplewood City Hall in the treat on-site storm water run off. Maplewood Room from 10:00 am to It is well documented in numerous noon. Call me at 651.774.1490 or As a first ring suburb, we arerespected studies that preserving the email mayorlongrie@yahoo.com. continually under the pressure toparks and public open space assets of develop and redevelop. Despite thea community not only provide a better best intentions of experts and cityquality of life, but also serves to planners, important public assets, likestimulate new investment and to City Manager Report By Greg Copeland The following is a summary of the City¥ Kick off of the Community Emergency2. Groom Be Fit ManagerÕs report to the City Council onResponse Team volunteer training3. Smart Women June 11, 2007 regarding the progress ofprogram in August 20074. TeenFit his first 14 months as the City Manager5. Walk to New Orleans Ð The last year has 2. Policy Change: of Maplewood.6. Basketball Camp seen an array of major policy changes I have divided this report into six areas:7. Floor Hockey completed. 1. Public Participation8. Youth Activity Club for After School ¥ New Tree Ordinance 2. Policy Changes9. Ballroom Dancing/Salsa ¥ New Alcoholic Beverage Ordinance 3. Public Service ImprovementsDancing Lessons ¥ New Right of Way Ordinance 4. Staffing10. Zumba Body/mind Workout ¥ A new direction was set that 5. City Facilities and Roads11. Fall Adult Open Swim Maplewood Community Center would be 6. Finances a self-sustaining entity and that new 4. Staffing revenue would be generated from¥ Labor Contracts for all but one unit has 1. Public Participation in There have been acustomers and MCC members notbeen agreed to within budget at a 3% Government: number of actions taken over the lastMaplewood taxpayers. annual wage increase over 2007 and year to promote involvement in ¥Parks maintenance moves to Public2008. The one unit in arbitration is the Maplewood City government that haveWorks to increase efficiencies inpolice patrol officers who are seeking a been very successful.operation and reduce administrativewage increase over 3%, 4.19%. Wages South Maplewood Moratorium Study Ð overhead.are the only issue not resolved. Town Hall Meetings and hiring an¥ Integration of the Nature Center and¥ Maplewood Confidential and independent consultant to lead aOpen Space Programs into the CityÕsSupervisory Association, the CityÕs newest community driven process to plan for environmental mission at Public Works tobargaining unit, voted to unanimously future growth on the CityÕs least meet recycling goals, MPCA non-approve an annual 3% increase in wages developed and most natural area withdegradation requirements with regard tofor 2007 and 08Õ on June 6, 2007. unique environmental features.our storm water permit and citizen¥ 2007 Medical Insurance had no Conservation Easement Workshop Ð environmental education programs.premium increase due to an aggressive Large levels of public participation that¥ Contracting for Phase One of theeffort to contract with a new carrier to topped normal attendance levels forConservation Easement Program tocontain costs; savings approximately regular City Council Meetings permanently protect the CityÕs Open$240,000. Designation and funding forSpaces.¥ The Police Department is now training Responsibility Authority to fulfill citizen¥ Completion of the Gladstone3 new officers. The department will hire data requests. Neighborhood Redevelopment Plan and2 more police officers in 2007. a grant of $1.8 million to implement¥ The Fire Department in 2007 hired two There have been systems put in place to Phase I of the Plan.new full-time Firefighter/Paramedics for a reach out to citizens on matters of full complement of 12 full-time concern to them. 3. Public Service Improvements Firefighters/Paramedics. have been the focus of all departments 80 Pay-Per-Call Firefighters on duty today. ¥ GovDelivery e-mail has 1900 over the last year. 12 Pay-Per-Call Firefighters added in 2006. subscribers ¥ Saturday hours for Passports and 14 Pay-Per-Call Firefighters added in 2007. ¥ 249-CODE Hot Line to report City Drivers Licenses. ¥Hired one full-time Code Enforcement Code Enforcement complaints ¥ Offsite service delivery of Passport Officer in 2007 to staff the new program ¥ Broadcast on Channel 16 of all City services at AAA. with the CityÕs first full-time dedicated Commission meetings live from ¥ Installation of an ATM machine at City code enforcement officer. City Hall Hall and the Community Center. ¥ In 2006 there was one internal ¥ Greater use of the Website to deliver ¥ Establishment of a City Code employee promotion. In 2007, there news and documents to the public Enforcement Program with one step have been ten internal promotions as of ¥ Other Citizen Involvement Actions accountability for complaints to June 11, 2007. ¥ Re-establishment of the Housing 249-CODE. ¥ Certification of Commercial Plumbing Redevelopment Authority. HRA Board to ¥ New EMS Billing System Inspector on staff; savings of $40,000 guide the new code enforcement ¥ Electronic Business Licensing systems to over outside consultant. program. be fully operational in August 2007. ¥ Desoto Street Resident Committee ¥Creation of 11 major programs at the Écontinued on page 4 formed to guide Street Reconstruction Maplewood Community Center. Program. 1. Bridal Boot Camp City ManagerÕs ReportÉcontinued from pg 3 If you feel there is a concern with a RECREATIONAL FIRES 5. City Facilities and Roads ¥ A major focus has been for staff to recreational fire in your neighborhood, develop a Long Range Capital call: Non-Emergency Maplewood Maintenance Plan for the City. Such a Police/Fire at 651.249.2500. If plan did not previously exist. The City you have other questions or Council has supported this critical effort concerns, call Butch Gervais, Fire to care for our existing facilities. Marshal, at651.249.2804. ¥ The 2007 City Budget and the 2008- 2012 Capital Improvement Plan fund the All Recreation Fires Must Be projects and the costs of taking care of ¥No more than 3Õ in diameter and improving the CityÕs facilities and D E O C ¥ 2Õ or less in height roads. The City Council deserves credit ¥ 20 feet from any structure for moving some 2008 Street ¥ Near a garden hose or bucket ENFORCEMENT ENFORCEMENT Reconstruction Projects into 2007 to take of water advantage of significantly lower market ¥ Supervised at all times prices. The Public Works Director and his ¥ Burned only from 2:00-11:00pm Engineering staff have worked hard, directly with citizens, to make this Recreational Fires multimillion dollar process go smoothly in Are Prohibited: each affected neighborhood. ¥ For the use of burning trash or ¥ Bruentrup Farm Barn Improvements yard waste Scope of work is awaiting approval by ¥ If winds are over 15 mph the Minnesota State Architect for completion of work in September 2007. ¥ If conditions are very dry ÒMaplewood Code 6. Finances Items That Are Legal to Burn: Enforcement Officer Michael The 2006 actual Fund Balance ¥ Charcoal Samuelson is pictured here $6,329,690, exceeded the 2007 ¥ Clean dry wood with the newest addition to Budget Fund Balance of $5,744,458 by Violating these rules is a 10.2%, based on the preliminary report the cityÕs fleet of vehicles. As misdemeanor and you may be of the City Auditors as of July 18, 2007. part of our efforts to provide issued a citation. increased property SOUTH MAPLEWOOD maintenance and code MORATORIUM STUDY COMPLETED enforcement services to the community, this new truck will The study was initiated after the City Council Workshop August 13 be seen quite a bit Moratorium was put in place in The study ordered by the City Council throughout Maplewood. You November 2006. There have been a to review future land use options for can now register a code series of public meetings: January 29, South Maplewood has been related complaint about long March 13, May 10 and June 4 all completed and a workshop to review grass, junk vehicles or messy held in South Maplewood by the City these policy options is scheduled for backyards on the city Council. The August 13, 2007 August 13, 2007 at 5:00 pm in the website. Simply log on to workshop meeting will be broadcast City Hall Council Chambers. www.ci.maplewood.mn.us on MaplewoodÕs Channel 16 Cable <http://www.ci.maplewood. TV live and in reruns, check with the Rose Lorsung, Senior Planner with mn.us/> and click on the cityÕs website at HYPERLINK Schoell Madson planning and Code Enforcement box and "www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/index " engineering will make the follow the easy directions to www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/index for presentation showing both a clustered file an online complaint. If the schedule. The Study is available and standard land use approach. The you do not have internet on the website at HYPERLINK study area includes all parcels South service, you can also call our "http://www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/so of Carver Avenue in Maplewood 24-Hour Code Enforcement uthstudy" encompassing 460 acres (including Complaint Messaging Line at www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/southstudy. public right of way) of which 244 651-249-CODE (2633).Ó acres is considered Òbuildable.Ó Dear Friends & Neighbors N NATIONAL By Councilmember Will Rossbach N NIGHT O OUT MAPLEWOODÕS NATIONAL NIGHT OUT Tuesday, August, 7, 2007 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm The rain today was a Join your neighbors for the welcome relief from the "24th Annual National Night heat and it turned my Out" (NNO), a unique lawn back to a light crime/drug prevention event. shade of green. I was Last year's National Night honored a couple of years Out campaign involved ago to win a LEAP (Landscape Ecology Award citizens, law enforcement Program) award for my yard. The awards are part of Maplewood block party 2006 agencies, civic groups, the Ramsey WashingtonMetro WatershedÕs education businesses, neighborhood organizations and local officials program to teach people some of the from over 10,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. environmental steps you can take to make your territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide. In yard environmentally friendly. all, over 34 million people participated in NNO 2006. In The great part of many of the steps you can take is Maplewood, there were over 85 block parties with that they require you to do less. As a fifty something approximately 4,000 participants from various guy who works full time, has some involvement with neighborhoods. the city, has a family, likes to hunt and fish and in general does not have a great desire to devote alot of time NATIONAL NIGHT OUT is designed to: to yard work, I like the concept of less is more. ¥ Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; ¥Generate support for, local anticrime programs; Did you know that you do not have to water your ¥ Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community yard. Most grasses in Minnesota will not die but partnerships; and just go dormant without water. If you actively use ¥ Send a message to criminals letting them know that your yard this is not for you but many of us can neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. take advantage of little or no watering. If it goes dormant then there is no fertilizing, no weed Celebrate NNO with a variety of events and activities at killing, and no mowing. All of these processes your block party with: cookouts, visits from the Maplewood should be limited even if your yard is green and police and fire departments, exhibits, flashlight walks, contests, lush of course, but that leaves more time for what and youth ever you want to do. programs. Another idea to save labor is to convert areas of Help promote your yard to shrubs or perennial flowers, in most neighborhood cases if you use hearty and or native plants they spirit and will also not require much upkeep. In my case I did police- this over many years to keep expenses down. The community net result though is limited time needed to workin partnerships in the yard and more time spend doing what ever our fight for a you enjoy with the added benefit of saving gasoline, safer nation. reducing run off, and protecting our lakes. For more In this world of hardly enough time to breathe, that information, call Flint Karis at 651.249.2652. extra time can be just time to sit and enjoy the day. Have a good summer. Will Rossbach Johnny Appleseed DayÑDonÕt miss the fun! Saturday, August 18 11:00 am - 3:00 pm 2170 East County Road D, Maplewood MARK YOUR Join the Historical Society and many others at the Bruentrup Heritage Farm CALENDAR! for some old fashioned entertainment: ¥ Hand Crank Corn Shelling ¥ Machinery Display City Meetings: ¥ Steam Engines City Council Meetings ¥ Historic Displays & Demonstrations¥ 1932 Bruentrup Delivery Truck Council meeting at 7:00pm ¥ Farm Animals¥ Vintage Cars August 13 & 27 ¥ Milk a Cow¥ Open Farmhouse Community Design Review Board August 14 & 28 at 6:00pm ¥ Live Music¥ Kids Activities Environmental & Natural Resources ¥ Tractor-Wagon Rides on Prairie¥ Jelly Making Commission ¥ Cider Pressing¥ Food Available August 7 at 4:45pm ¥ And More! Joint Environmental & Natural Suggested admission $2 each Resources Commission & For more information, contact Carolyn Peterson at 651.748.9009. Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting On Conservation Easements FREE CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY August 14 at 5:00pm Historical Preservation Commission The Maplewood Police Department is taking applications for its Citizen Police August 14 at 5:00pm Academy. The course is designed to introduce residents to the realities of police Housing & Redevelopment Authority August 8 at 7:00pm work. It will provide attendees an opportunity to see the challenges and dangers Parks & Recreation Commission police officers face while protecting their communities. Citizens will participate in August 15 at 6:00-8:00pm (City trail tour) classroom discussions regarding the history of law enforcement and the Regular meeting will convene at 8:00pm Maplewood Police Department, criminal law, arrest rules, criminal investigation, Planning Commission August 7 & 21 at 7:00pm gangs and drugs. Other topics, such as traffic stops, DWI enforcement, and use of South Moratorium Study force issues will involve more active participation. Participants will also be afforded City Council Workshop the opportunity to do a five-hour Òride-alongÓ with a police officer. August 13 at 5:00pm Thursdays, September 6-November 1, 2007 (9 weeks) CitizenÕs Forum 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm August 4 at 10:00am-noon All meetings are held at City Hall,1830 Maplewood Fire Station 2, 1955 Clarence St., Maplewood County Road B East,Maplewood. The citizen academy is open to anyone who is at least 18 years of age and lives All City Council and Commission meetings are or works in Maplewood or a surrounding community. Apply by August 31, 2007. broadcast live on Channel 16 and are Space is limited. For more information or for an application, please contact rebroadcast on a schedule that os posted at www.ci.maplewood.mn.us.Any meeting Sergeant Dick Doblar at 651.249.2651. cancellations are posted on the CityÕs website. CITYOFMAPLEWOOD Mayor: PRSRT STD Diana Longrie651.774.1490diana.longrie@ci.maplewood.mn.us U.S. POSTAGE Council Members: PAID Kathleen Juenemann651.771.3670kathleen.juenemann@ci.maplewood.mn.us Permit #4903 Erik Hjelle651.217.2172erik.hjelle@ci.maplewood.mn.us St. Paul, MN Will Rossbach651.484.5427will.rossbach@ci.maplewood.mn.us Rebecca Cave651.773.7059rebeccacave1@hotmail.com City Manager: Greg Copeland651.249.2050greg.copeland@ci.maplewood.mn.us *******ECRWSS** CITY HALL POSTALCUSTOMER 1830 County Road B East, Maplewood, MN 55109 Phone 651.249.2000 Fax 651.249.2009 www.ci.maplewood.mn.us DEPUTY REGISTRAR AND PASSPORT HOURS Monday Ð Friday: 8:00 am Ð 4:30 pm Saturday: 8:00 am Ð 12:00 noon Upon request, this newsletter will be made available in an alternate format. Printed on recycled paper.