07-08 Aug/Sept 2023 Arden Hills Notes

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4 • arden hills notes • aug/sept 2023 With snow plow season just around the corner, ensuring your mailbox is ready to withstand the elements and the force of snow being pushed aside by passing plows is essential. A critical step in this preparation is to replace weak mailbox posts before they get damaged by snow. A weak mailbox post can easily be knocked over or damaged by the impact of snow pushed by a plow, leading to inconvenience and additional expenses for repairs. When assessing your current mailbox structure, take an extra close look at the following: 1. Stability: Check the stability of the post by gently pushing it from various angles. If it wobbles or shows signs of weakness, it's time for a replacement. 2. Material Quality: Ensure that your mailbox post is made of sturdy and durable materials that can withstand harsh weather conditions, including heavy snow and icy winds. 3. Rust and Decay: Examine the post for any signs of rust or decay. Rust weakens the metal, and decaying wood can compromise the structural integrity of the post. Replacing weak mailbox posts and reinforcing existing ones can go a long way in preventing damage and ensuring that our mail continues to be delivered safely and efficiently. To learn more, visit usps.com/manage/mailboxes.htm. Stormwater runoff occurs when precipitation from rain or snowmelt flows over the ground. Impervious surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, and streets prevent stormwater from naturally soaking into the ground. Stormwater can pick up debris, chemicals, dirt, and other pollutants. Anything that enters a storm sewer system (like down a drain in your street) is discharged into the bodies of water we use for swimming and fishing, such as Lake Johanna, Karth Lake, and Lake Josephine. What can I do? • Adopt a Drain near your house and help prevent these pollutants from washing into local water bodies. • Properly dispose of Household Hazardous Waste like medicines, paints, and chemicals at the Ramsey County Household Hazardous Waste sites. • Take your yard waste to a local Ramsey County collection site. Don’t let it build up around drains or rake into waterways. • Remember to clean up your pet waste. • Install a rain garden or rain barrel on your property. • Limit herbicide and pesticide applications on your property, especially before windy or rainy days. • Keep your vehicle maintained to prevent auto fluids from leaking onto the streets. Adopt-A-Drain photo courtesy of the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization. Sign up to adopt a drain at adopt-a-drain.org. During the month of September, the Chatham Trails area will welcome roughly 20-30 goats to feast on buckthorn! Goats damage the plants and cause them to resprout from the ground, wasting their root energy. Over time, this can kill the buckthorn. This makes them an excellent resource for removing large quantities of buckthorn. Residents are invited to walk the trails during this time to see the goats at work. Two fences will be put up to keep the goats from wandering; one low-voltage electric fence on the side closest to the goats and one regular fence to keep people away from the energized fence. The fences will be installed by September 1 and signs on and near the fences will notify visitors about the project. Some of the trails may be temporarily closed due to the way the fencing may be laid out, so it will be important for visitors to refer to the posted signage. Many thanks to all the Parks, Trails, & Recreation Committee members, plus other volunteers, for their countless hours picking buckthorn and interviewing potential contractors for this goat grazing project. If you have any questions, please call the Public Works Department at 651-792-7850. Is Your Mailbox Ready for Snow Plow Season? What is Stormwater Runoff? Goat Grazing for Buckthorn Removal at Chatham Trails