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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJuly 2012City installs new water meter reading technology by Susan Cathey will be around $400,000, which the City eve come a long way from neighboring communities and safety pre W - the days when a meter reader has already budgeted for over the next cautions in place. Maurer hopes to have 90 knocked on your door and went three years.percent of the new readers in place within 90 days of the mailing. The goal is to use much water your household had consumed. Besides making the process of collectthe new program for the third quarter read -- ing at the end of September. Arden Hills most recent system employed some other advantages to this system. In a water meter reader mounted in a truck, addition to providing timely and accurate which drove by your house and could pick billing information, the system quickly Joe Mooney up a signal to record the information. That of the Public Works Depart reader failed about six months ago, and the - ment shows City is now ready to replace its outdated may have a potential leak. Additionally, off some of the technology with some that brings us up-to- utility customer service is greatly improved meter reading date and will provide several advantages when hourly meter reading data are made equipment. over the old way. easily accessible to help quickly answer customer questions and resolve billing For more than a year, Arden Hills Public disputes. (Badger company website) Works Director Terry Maurer has been re - searching and talking to other cities about Homeowners should have received mail water meters. The City Council, on March from City Hall around July 4 which 26, 2012, heard and discussed his proposal explains the new system and asks them to for the purchase of Badger Galaxy water set up an appointment for installation. The meter reading equipment from its local discurrent meter will not be replaced, only the - tributor, DSG, and the hiring of Midwest reading equipment. Care has been taken to Testing to install the meter readers. The hire a company with a good reputation in plan was approved. Celebrating Arden Hills Fall Festival Saturday, September 15 transmitters connected to each of our com - munitys more than 2,500 water meters Fireworks! will send data to two receivers (antennas) Food! installed on the water towers. The infor - mation is then transferred to a computer Art! at City Hall. Badgers system operates in Games! an FCC-licensed band, which the City has already procured. - - The cost of the new system is divided into two parts. The purchase from DSG City website and in the next includes the transmitters which will be 3 p.m. to dusk Arden Hills Notes! installed in homes, at a price of $106.50 Tony Schmidt per unit and a lump sum of $28,050 for the receivers, operating software, and training Regional Park City website or contact Michelle Olson at for staff. The second part is the amount to michelle.olson@ci.arden-hills.mn.us. be paid to Midwest Testing for installation of the equipment at $41 per unit. Total cost Arden Hills Service Directory 1245 West Highway 96 Tree donations beautify our City by Susan Catheyby Susan Cathey Arden Hills, MN 55112-5734 ow lucky we are to live in a community so green and H Monday through Thursday - 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. thing more than just appreciate these riches. They take Friday advantage of an opportunity presented each spring by the 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Ramsey County Friends of Parks and Trails to purchase trees 651-792-7800 and shrubs for their own use and to donate for planting in our www.ci.arden-hills.mn.us City parks. This year, our thanks go to the following residents cityhall@ci.arden-hills.mn.us for their generous gifts: Gregg Larson, ten Black Hills Spruce Sheriff and Fire Emergency Jim and Brenda Holden, two northern red oak 911 Sheriff (non-emergency) 651-767-0640 In addition to trees, Arden Hills has a park bench donation Fire (non-emergency) program, through which a bench may be presented for placement in 651-633-0640 or without a memorial plaque. Thank you to DeeAnne Trost for her Water and Sewer Problems (During non-business hours) 651-4767-0640 visit the City website or contact City Hall. David Grant 651-538-0747 Mayor: Movin dirt around at Valentine Park by Nick Tambleby Nick Tamble Councilmembers: Brenda Holden 651-636-2987 change the grade of the park grounds. The stormwater sewer that Fran Holmes 651-631-1866- entine has backed up on numerous occasions, most recently during Nick Tamble 612-819-7995 Ed Werner 651-636-2547 channeling ponds are being constructed on the south and east sid See City website for e-mail addresses. City Administrator: Patrick Klaers 651-792-7810- ing rainfalls on the newly graded park makes it easy to adjust t plans of the proposed park on the City website. Communications Committee : Arlene Mitchell, editor; Susan Cathey; Kristine Goodrich; Brenda Holden Planning continues for Arden Village by Arlene Mitchell Staff Liaison: Amy Dietl Council Liaison: Nick Tamble Sand Companies is still hoping to move forward with construction Desktop Publisher: Mary Nosek four story, 55-unit workforce rental apartment building on Count Hamline Avenue. It is preparing to compete again this year for M Council meetings are held at City Hall Finance Agency (MHFA) tax credits needed to make this project fe on the second and last Monday of the month at 7 p.m. Meetings are televised Sand Companies received land use approvals from the City for thi live on Cable Channel 16. Meetings of 2010. On May 14, 2012, the City Council granted Sand Companies a the Planning Commission are televised to be included with its 2012 MHFA tax credit application. Unlike letter does not include Tax Increment Financing (TIF); Sand Comp Playbacks of City meetings begin the deadlines for an additional 12 months. morning after the meeting and continue every day until the next City meeting. Parking changes on Old Highway 10 by Arlene Mitchell Playbacks are at 3 a.m., 11 a.m., and No Parking signs have been installed on the west side of Old Highway 10 fro - 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 en Lane to the railroad bridge. This section of road is outside a.m., 2 p.m., and 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For web casts, visit www.ctv15.org. corridor. In the fall of 2010 a pedestrian passageway was con - structed along the west side of Old Highway 10 under the railroa Arden Hills Notes - bridge, and a trail along the west side of the road is on the Ci letter of the City of Arden Hills, an future trails list. equal-opportunity employer. 2 Approved a payment in the amount of May 14, 2012 May 29, 2012 $137,846 for the Arden Hills portion Approved appointment of Amy Dietl of Lake Johanna Fire Departments Floral Park hard surface courts by to the position of Deputy Clerk (5-0) engine #2 chassis (5-0) Lee Sports Surfacing in the amount of $10,450 (5-0) Adopted Ordinance 2012-004 amend - Approved the contract with Vacker ing Section 350 of the City Code to Inc. to produce 20 trail sign panels in Approved the termination of the engi make it consistent with the Minnesota - the amount of $2,885 (5-0) neering joint powers agreement with - Roseville (5-0) ance Act of 2010 (5-0) Approved Planning Case 12-006 for a conditional use permit to allow a Approved Resolution 2012-015 to Adopted Resolution 2012-013 for a height variance at 3900 Bethel Drive extend the charitable gambling license public hearing on June 11, 2012, to for St. Katherine Ukrainian Orthodox recover costs related to animal control Bethel University) (5-0) Church and Pot O Gold Bingo through regulations at a home on Glenhill June 30, 2014 (5-0) Road (5-0) Approved Planning Case 12-008 for a planned unit development change to Approved Resolution 2012-016 to Approved Resolution 2012-014 adopt - increase signage at Cub Foods at 3717 extend the charitable gambling license ing quarterly special assessments for Lexington (related to installation of for the Lady Slipper Chapter of the delinquent utilities (5-0) a pharmacy drive-through window) American Business Womens Associa - (5-0) tion at Flahertys Bowl through May Denied Planning Case 12-009 pertain - 31, 2014 (5-0) ing to the reuse of the former Holiday Inn property as residential apartments (4-1, Tamble) 3 City creates assistant engineer position by Kristine Goodrich Meet the new engineer provide some services during the transition he City now has an assistant city T is a John Anderson engineer who provides a number registered engineer had started. of services for which the City with extensive civil previously contracted. The City Council engineering and Arden Hills and Roseville now have a new decided to create the position late last year municipal public joint powers agreement allowing the cities and hired John Anderson in mid-February. works experi - to occasionally share staff if one city has a He started in mid-March. It costs the City ence. For many need and the other city can accommodate approximately the same to have its own years he worked at without disrupting its own functions. assistant engineer as it did to contract for BDM Consulting the services. The new assistant city engineer's respon - sibilities involve both public and private Roseville had shared its engineering staff, clients. Anderson was a project manager infrastructure. Key duties include rating namely Kris Giga, with Arden Hills for and oversaw street and park projects for the condition of City streets, managing the several years. Arden Hills also occa - City's Municipal State Aid system, working sionally used a pool of other approved River. Anderson also served two years as with Public Works Director Terry Maurer engineers. the assistant city engineer for the City of to develop Capital Improvement Plans for Hopkins and worked for another private road, sidewalk, and other infrastructure However, Arden Hills leaders decided maintenance and reconstruction projects, that having an internal staff person would and then overseeing those projects. The River, and Falcon Heights. assistant engineer also reviews site plans good time for a change because Kris Giga for private development proposals and was taking a new position working full- Public Works Director Terry Maurer said provides recommendations. time in Roseville and would no longer be Andersons strengths include experience serving Arden Hills. Giga continued to - ments records into digital formats. Anderson listed two attributes that makes Arden Hills unique: The way the City is divided into neighborhoods and its abundance of natural resources, includ - ing lakes and park land. Anderson said his primary projects for the coming months will include the recon - struction of Valentine Park and working with the State and County on the new Highway 96 and Highway 10 interchange. Other critters prefer to feast on natures bounty. People and birds take to the water. 4 New construction projects take shape throughout Arden Hills Construction is moving along at Presbyterian Homes on Lake Johanna (above) and on the new Walgreens drug at County Road E and Lexington Avenue. Polling places change for some this fall by Arlene Mitchell ew information collected every ten The City is now contracting with Ramsey : Presbyterian Church of the Precinct 1 years by the national census causes a County to conduct elections. More review of districting, which in turn causes information about voting requirements, Shoreview a review of voting precincts. This fall Precinct 2: the City will be divided into three equal- candidate can be found at www.co.ramsey. - : Ramsey County Public Precinct 3 Works Facility, 1425 Paul Kirkwood west) width of the City: Drive (Highway 96 and Hamline Ave.) Precinct 1 (south), from the City boundary at County Road D north to Elections on the horizon! the CP Rail line Voter pre-registration deadlines Precinct 2 (middle), from the CP Rail line north to I-694 Precinct 3 (north), north of I-694 Candidacy deadlines Precinct 1 is the only district which includes voters from two school districts, the Mounds View School District (621) Absentee voting and the Roseville School District (623). School district elections are held on odd- Winners take numbered years and will not be on this Elections falls ballot. In years when they are on the January 7, ballot, election workers at Precinct 1 will 2013 make sure that voters get the right ballot. 5 PRST STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit #1962 55112-5734 . I New water meter reading system to come n Meet our new city engineer s Elections coming! i Enjoy our parks and trails d e Notes from the City Council f you are looking for a way to get ness. The work of FPAC is submitted provides service members and their I more involved with the City of Arden for consideration to the City Council. families community support, services, Hills, becoming a member of a comMeets quarterly, the second Tuesday and resources. The group meets the - mission, a committee, or a task force is a of the month at 6:00 p.m.third Thursday of the month at fun way to give your time and talents, get Roseville City Hall. - to know what is going on in the City, and (PTRC) reviews and evaluates the Citys parks, trails, and recreation The City Council truly appreciates the programs. The Committee considers efforts of our volunteers. On behalf of The City has a variety of volunteer opcost-effective improvements to meet the City Council, I would like to thank - portunities that cover many different the recreational needs of the Citys everyone who is currently active on a City interests. The City has standing commitresidents. Generally meets the third committee or other volunteer effort. If you - tees where the City Council appoints the Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m.are not involved yet, I encourage you to try members. The following standing com reviews and it out. If you are interested, you can submit - mittees are looking for members: holds public hearings to consider proan application from the website. For more - posed developments, public improveinformation please contact me directly - is ments, and variances in the City by ap(651-631-1866), any other City Council -- responsible fo r Arden Hills Notes, the member, or call City Hall (651-792-7800), citywide newsletter. The members ordinances and Comprehensive Plan. and we can get you started. plan, write, and edit the monthly Training is provided for new members. newsletter. Members of this commit - tee also provide input for the Citys of the month at 6:30 p.m. for City volunteers, and this is a great op - new website and other social media. Generally meets the second Tuesday Apart from the standing committees, the up now and join us for the picnic on July of the month at 5:30 p.m.following are other volunteer opportuni - ties: - the business community and advises helps plan the Citys annual fall the City Council to help facilitate festival. This event provides activities economic development, redevelopfor all ages. Individuals with planning - Fran Holmes, Councilmember ment, and community development ideas are welcome to join the group. This years event will be on Saturday, the month at 8:00 a.m.September 15, from 3:00 p.m. until (FPAC) works on long-, a volun - teer is needed to serve as the Arden modeling. It also evaluates proposals Hills Representative to the Ramsey County Yellow Ribbon group, which -