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<br />When the phone rings at City Hall,
<br />the cheerful voice that answers is
<br />that of Arden Hills’ new Customer Service
<br />Specialist, Britt Pease. Britt began work
<br />in her new position on Monday, October
<br />3, coming to us from Andover, where she
<br />worked for 18 years in that city’s Building
<br />Department. She has also worked in many
<br />departments in other cities and brings to
<br />Arden Hills a rich and varied municipal
<br />experience with specialized knowledge of
<br />city departments and operations.
<br />Besides greeting and assisting residents
<br />and customers on the phone and in person,
<br />Britt’s job involves providing adminis-
<br />trative and clerical support for all City
<br />departments. She assists with permits and
<br />licenses, registers participants for City
<br />programs, processes financial payments,
<br />and much more.
<br />When she is not at work, Britt, who
<br />currently lives with her husband in St.
<br />Francis, enjoys spending time with her
<br />sister, niece, and two-year-old twin great-
<br />nieces. She likes traveling to warm places
<br />in the winter and having fun with friends.
<br />She always appreciates the importance of
<br />health and happiness in life.
<br />Britt says she is excited about her new
<br />adventure in Arden Hills and is happy to
<br />be part of such a good team.
<br />New Customer Service Specialist joins City staff
<br />September 12, 2016
<br />(Brenda Holden absence excused)
<br />• Approved Resolution 2016-028 cer-
<br />tifying the attached list of delinquent
<br />utility accounts totaling over $15,000
<br />to Ramsey County (4-0). These are
<br />public records available online.
<br />• Approved Planning Case 2016-017
<br />for a side yard setback Variance at
<br />1536 Edgewater Avenue, based on the
<br />findings of fact and submitted plans,
<br />as amended by the six conditions in
<br />the September 12, 2016, Report to the
<br />City Council (3-1, Holmes).
<br />September 26, 2016
<br />• Approved Planning Case 2016-022
<br />for a setback Variance at 1500 Arden
<br />Place, based on the findings of fact
<br />and submitted plans, as amended by
<br />the six conditions in the September 26,
<br />2016, Report to the City Council (5-0).
<br />• Adopted the Snowplow Policy with
<br />July 2016 revisions (5-0).
<br />• Adopted Resolution 2016-031, setting
<br />the Preliminary Levy for Taxes Pay-
<br />able in 2017 at 4.7% (4-1, Holmes).
<br />• Adopted Resolution 2016-032, adopt-
<br />ing Truth In Taxation Public Hearing
<br />Date for Proposed Taxes Payable in
<br />2017 (5-0). The meeting is scheduled
<br />for December 12, 2016 at 7 p.m. in the
<br />Council Chambers.
<br />• Accepted proposal from Midwest As-
<br />phalt Corporation for the bituminous
<br />mill and overlay for Shorewood Drive
<br />in the amount of $79,694.30 (5-0).
<br />October 10, 2016
<br />• Adopted Ordinance No. 2016-008:
<br />An Interim Ordinance Temporarily
<br />Prohibiting Land Use Applications and
<br />Reviews for Higher Education Uses in
<br />Residential, Business, Industrial and
<br />Other Zones (4-1, Wicklund).
<br />Note: other actions were approved. View
<br />online minutes from meetings for details.
<br />Benchmarks:
<br />A review of City Council Action
<br />Ken Novack, Arden Hills’ new Public
<br />Works Superintendent, hit the ground
<br />running with meetings and lots to do on his
<br />first day, Monday, October 10. He’s equal
<br />to the task, though, having chosen to come
<br />to Arden Hills because he missed the chal-
<br />lenges of working as part of a management
<br />team and had decided he preferred working
<br />for a metro area city.
<br />Ken has moved up through the ranks in the
<br />Public Works field over the last 25 years,
<br />starting as a custodian doing building
<br />and ground maintenance for the St. Paul
<br />Schools. From there, he learned a variety
<br />of new skills at jobs with the St. Paul Water
<br />Utility and the communities of Woodbury,
<br />Chisago City, and Vadnais Heights. He
<br />holds a Public Works certificate and a
<br />certificate in Leadership and Management,
<br />as well as being selected the state of Min-
<br />nesota Collection System Operator of the
<br />Year.
<br />Ken lives with his wife and two sons in
<br />Lindstrom and has a daughter attending
<br />the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He
<br />enjoys hunting and fishing with his boys,
<br />gathering with neighbors around the fire
<br />Meet Arden Hills’ new Public Works Superintendent
<br />pit, and gardening and canning the harvest.
<br />A favorite family activity is preparing
<br />snacks together before watching the Vi-
<br />kings games.
<br />Ken’s goal in his new job is to leave the
<br />City a better place to live and work when
<br />he retires than when he started. “If I can
<br />have that impact, I have done well.”
<br />by Susan Cathey
<br />by Susan Cathey
<br />Britt Pease
<br />Ken Novack
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