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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJanuary-February 2014City Council approves 2014 budget and tax levy by Kristine Goodrich A A modest tax levy increase was ment planning and some mainte A - Where your City tax dollar goes A approved by the City Council in nance of streets and trails. Exclud A - December, along with a 2014 bud A ing those, operating expenses are A - get. Overall expenditures are increasing 9 increasing 1 percent. percent over 2013, but mostly for capital projects that don’t impact the tax levy. Increased costs for public safety services account for 1.6 percent of Levy increases by two percent the 2-percent levy increase. The The 2014 City tax levy was set at $3.26 contract fees for the Lake Johanna million, a 2-percent increase from 2013. Fire Department and Ramsey In September, the Council set a maximum PublicGeneral Parks and PublicTransfers Safety GovernmentRecreation Works1¢ levy of $3.29 million. A few spending nearly 4 and 3 percent respective - 42¢30 ¢10.5¢ 16.5¢ ly. The cost for 911 dispatching, City taxes on a median-valued home of which is getting a system upgrade, $264,700 will increase by approximately is jumping nearly 16 percent. departments with a regular part-time ac - $23. The City’s 2014 tax rate is 28 per - cent, compared to 27.9 percent in 2013. failed to gain Council approval and fund - A part-time planning intern position was ing to keep the intern positions was not changed to a full-time staff position to The levy funds more than three-fourths of added back into the budget. help with the increased workload in the the City’s operating expenditures, bud - planning department due to TCAAP geted at nearly $4.4 million. The General Capital Improvement Plan approved preparations. A request from City admin Fund now includes two expenses that were - The Council also approved a 2014 Capital istration to replace three part-time intern previously accounted for in other funds: Improvement Plan in December. The reimbursable costs for TCAAP redevelop - Continued on page 5 Other components of the City’s 2014 budget: The Celebrating Arden Hills festival won’t be held in 2014. The Utility rates are increasing — 2 percent for water and sewer and build reserves in the utility funds to pay for maintenance proje City staff will receive cost-of-living wage adjustments: non-un Costs associated with Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant redevelo A new expense this year is a $14,500 contribution to Northeast Y gambling proceeds supported NYFS on the City’s behalf. No funding was taken out of reserves to balance the operating bu used to fund equipment replacement. A new state sales tax exemption will save the City $85,000, incl levy. The City will receive an additional $14,000 in Fiscal Disparitie News from Around the Town: Arden Hills Service Directory Bethel University explores creation of “east” campus 1245 West Highway 96 by Susan Cathey Arden Hills, MN 55112-5734 B ethel University has a vision of creating an east campus to accom - modate growth. At its meeting on 8:00 a.m.--4:30 p.m. October 28, 2013, the Arden Hills City Council reviewed a proposal from Bethel 651-792-7800 for a conditional use permit (CUP) to allow higher education as the principal use of the property at 2 Pine Tree Drive, offered for sale by Country Financial. Plans call for 911 the site to have a diverse mixture of normal 651-767-0640 and evening classes. A mix of transportation modes would be used campuses, including shuttle service, carpooling and personal veh 651-481-7024 During discussion of the motion to approve the permit, the Counc - ments. One relates to a plan for construction of pedestrian and 651-767-9640 the two campus areas, for which Bethel has agreed to contribute The second amendment requires Bethel to submit an annual parking David Grant 651-538-0747 2013-14 and 2015-18. The motion was then continued to a future m On November 25, the Council returned to discussion of Bethel’s C - bers spent some time discussing the desirability of limiting the classroom space, including hearing from a Bethel representative, much work to be done on the master plan in light of the acquisit in Bethel’s phase-in plan, although the University has the optio space in the future if needed. Another point of discussion involved the construction timeline a - destrian/bike trail, which would be used by Arden Hills resident - dents. No additional amendments were passed. The Council then vo motion to allow the conditional use permit and passed it by a vo Mayor Grant noted that this was a strategic decision for the Cit Cathey He commented that Bethel is an asset to our community culturally religiously. Council schedules hearings on franchise fees Council meetings are held at City Hall T he City Council will hold two public hearings in February regard on the second and last Monday of the franchise fees. month at 7 p.m. Meetings are televised live on Cable Channel 16. Meetings of The City is considering charging monthly fees to gas and the Planning Commission are televised electricity users as an alternative revenue source to support street, trail, and park improvements. the month. For more information about the fees, see the December is - Visit www.cityofardenhills.org for sue of this newsletter or the City website. information about taped meeting playbacks. Council members will hear public comments on the pro - posal during their meetings at City Hall on: -  letter of the City of Arden Hills, an  equal-opportunity employer. 2 Benchmarks: a review of recent City Council action November 25, 2013 to allow a higher education use in up Approved the Shared Service Agree  - to 189,804 square feet in the existing ment with Ramsey Conservation Approved cancellation of the Decem  - District for 2014 (5-0) (Assists the ber 30, 2013, regular City Council Drive (4-1 McClung) City with inspections required by the meeting (5-0) City’s grading and erosion control Approved Ordinance 2013-012 for Approved Resolution 2013-042,   permits under Chapter 15, Erosion amendments to Section 1325.05, regarding no-waiver of the statu - and Sediment Control Ordinance) Subd. 8 of the Zoning Code regarding tory liability limits and accepting Additional Design Standards for New Approved the 2014-2018 Capital the liability coverage limits from the  Development, Redevelopment, and Improvement Plan (5-0) League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust for 2014 (5-0) Approved Resolution 2013-050  B-2 and B-3 Districts (5-0) adopting the proposed 2014 Budget Approved Ordinance 2013-010 for  in the amount of $15,100,345 (4-1 amendments to Section 1320 of the December 9, 2013 McClung) Zoning Code related to the proposed Approved the 2014 Employee Com  - Conservation District (5-0) Approved Resolution 2013-051 pensation Plan for non-union employ - Approved Ordinance 2013-011 for ees effective January 1, 2014 and the  payable in 2014 in the amount of amendments to Section 1305.04 and seasonal employee 2014 part-time $3,257,456 (4-1 McClung) Section 1320 of the Zoning Code re scale (5-0) - lated to the proposed Parks and Open Approved Resolution 2013-044 order Approved 2014 liquor license renew  -  - Space District (5-0) ing the preparation of the Round Lake als (5-0) Road, Gateway Boulevard and Gate  - Approved 2014 tobacco license re  - way Court Feasibility Report (5-0) Lexington Station Phase I Final Plan way Court Feasibility Report (5-0) newals (5-0) (2014 Pavement Management Project) and Master Planned Unit Devel - Approved Ordinance 2013-013 adopt opment Agreement based on the  - Approved Resolution 2013-045  ing 2014 Fee Schedule (5-0) September 30, 2013, City Council ap receiving the Round Lake Road, - proval of Planning Case 13-014 (5-0) Approved payment of $15,480 to the Gateway Boulevard and Gateway  Lake Johanna Fire Department (5-0) Court Feasibility Report and ordering Approved Resolution 2013-040 au  - (City’s share for reimbursement of the Public Hearing for January 27, thorizing the application for recycling station capital construction—Station 2014 (5-0) SCORE Grant funds for 2014 in the #2 remodel and Station #4 addition) amount of $19,611 (5-0) Approved Resolution 2013-046 order  - Approved the Computer Aided ing preparation of plans and speci Approved Resolution 2013-041 setting   - Dispatch (CAD) and Mobile Data the 2014 Curbside Recycling Fee (5-0) Agreement with Ramsey County (5- Gateway Boulevard, Gateway Court Awarded the 2014 tree removal ser  - 0) (Joint Powers Agreement for the Improvements (5-0) vices agreement to Precision Land - management and maintenance of a scape and Tree (5-0) December 16, 2013 – Special City CAD system and mobile data com - Council Meeting Approved a motion acknowledging munication services for public safety  the application of Catholic United agencies that serve Arden Hills) Appointed Matthew Bachler to the  Financial for an exempt permit to position of Planner I, effective Janu - ary 1, 2014 (4-1 McClung) payment No. 4 to Classic Protective of March 13, 2014 (5-0) Coatings, Inc., for the South Water Tower Rehabilitation Project in the  - tion for 1201 County Road E (e-Street total amount of $185,350 (5-0) Flats) (5-0)  Approved Planning Case #13-018 for SAK Construction, LLC, for the 2013  a site plan review and sign standard Sanitary Sewer Lining Improvement adjustment at Gradient Center, 4105 in the amount of $31,792 (5-0) Lexington Avenue North (5-0) Approved Resolution 2013-043  Tabled Planning Case #13-019 for a Tabled Planning Case #13-019 for a receiving the feasibility report and  site plan review and permanent ac authorizing the preparation of plans - cessory structure at 4105 Lexington Avenue North (5-0) the County Road E (B-2 District) Improvements (5-0) Approved Planning Case 13-013 for a  Conditional Use Permit and Develop - ment Contract for Bethel University 3 And we thought winter and road construction could not exist toge by Dave McClung M ost years road construction time, the ramp from Hamline Avenue to season ends and winter season westbound US Highway 10 opened with appears just days later. This at Hamline Avenue and County Road F and year, winter came too early. Construcends (early, we hope) and construction - tion crews that have been working in and quadrant of that intersection. At the same ramps up again, crews will be back in this around Arden Hills for two years area to complete landscaping. road construction projects before Father Winter blew in with ice, after a full construction season, snow, and very cold weather. The but MnDOT tells us that some most noticeable overlap of sea - sons was seen at the intersection when the next construction sea - of US Highway 10 and County son starts. Road 96. When County and City snow Left: Westbound Highway 96 at - US Highway 10 bridge. fall of the winter season, they had to dodge orange construc - tion barrels on County Road 96. Construction crews ran out of time to complete the sound wall on the north side of County Road 96 (along Arden Manor Manufactured at the two intersections of County Road 96 and Old Highway 10 and Round Lake Right: Eastbound Highway 96 Road. The orange barrels stayed in place at Round Lake Road for a couple of weeks with snow piling intersection up until crews could complete some work that needed to be done this year. On December 18, MnDOT emailed its regular project update and announced that County Road 96 was open to two lanes of Goodwill store proposed for Arden Hills by Susan Cathey Avenue and the I-35W bridge. MnDOT A A proposal has been submitted to the Proceeds from Goodwill’s retail stores A advised that some work would continue A provide the main funding for the organi City of Arden Hills by the Davidson A - Corporation for the construction and lease zation’s career training and counseling zation’s career training and counseling signals may not be functional until later of a building at the corner of Lexington program worldwide. Because the success this winter or spring, depending on the Avenue and County Road E to Goodwill of the stores is primarily based on receiv weather. Barrels can still be seen at the - Industries. The proposed project is a one-ing high quality donated goods for resale sides of the road because the curbing is story, approximately 17,000 square foot at the same location, Goodwill’s goal is to building to be used as a Goodwill store. locate their new stores in desirable com spring. - munities such as Arden Hills. The building would County Road 96 has now been totally include an inside The proposal for this devel rebuilt from Highway 61 in White Bear - drop-off area on the opment was scheduled to Lake to the Round Lake Road intersec - north side, as well as two docking areas go to the Arden Hills Planning Commis tion. Only a couple hundred feet of - for a semi-trailer and a trash compactor sion on January 8 and would tentatively reconstruction remain. The County Road located behind the building and screened be considered by the City Council at its 96 bridge across I -35W is scheduled to from view. Plans call for trees, shrubs and meeting on January 27. the total reconstruction. particularly along the Lexington Avenue side and the border with e-Street Flats. 4 City amends Zoning Code and adopts new open space zoning distric by Jessica Luther resources and support the long-range plans O n November 25, City Council health, promoting ecological stewardship, of the Arden Hills and Ramsey County amended the current Zoning Code and conserving environmental resources. Parks and Recreation Departments. and adopted two new zoning dis - tricts —the Parks and Open Space District “The Parks and Open Space District Bachler explained that the Conservation and the Conservation District. Staff will would create greater consistency between District applies to the Arden Hills Army make the necessary revisions to the Zonexisting land uses and the Zoning Code. - Training Site (AHATS) north of High ing Code and rezone individual parcels Currently, most parks in the City are zoned - way 96. “Currently, AHATS is under the of land as “Parks and Open Space” or as residential districts,” said Matthew ownership of the federal government, but “Conservation.” Bachler, Community Development Intern most of the site is zoned R-1 Single Family of Arden Hills. “As a result, the zoning Residential. Recognizing that portions of The primary purpose of the Parks and requirements that regulate these areas are AHATS could be sold to private parties in Open Space District is to create land use designed for residential land uses and not the future, the purpose of the Conservation regulations that support the parks and open necessarily for park uses.” District is to provide the City with more spaces managed by Arden Hills or Ramsey control over any future development that County. Setting aside land for recreational By creating a new district, the City will may occur on the site. It helps ensure that uses addresses public health and welfare be able to craft regulations that provide the development would be phased,” he said. concerns through supporting community better protection of park and open space Tips for a greener 2014 ere are nine small changes you can H A home self-audit can give you a close- For many areas of the United States, rain - make for a BIG impact on the planet. up look at your home’s energy usage and water harvesting systems could probably provide at least half of the water needs. You can get more information about home (CFL) is the quickest, easiest way to save audits at www.energystar.gov. Donating your unused clothes has an energy and money. CFLs convert most of impact on the environment and on the the energy they use into light rather than Improving your eco-friendliness and re individuals who receive your items. heat. That translates to less cost over the - moving toxic substances from your house life of the bulb—a savings that can be $83 is as easy as buying a spray bottle and s for one 75-watt incandescent bulb swapped If all Americans used one less paper towel some vinegar. out for a 25-watt CFL. a day, 571,230,000 pounds of paper would be spared over the course of the year. 2. A typical shower uses 1/2 to 3/4 less water Older appliances can be energy suckers. than a bath. According to Energy Star, a household Buying bottled water can add up in costs and contribute to plastic consumption. about 30 percent less energy. Ramsey County Recycling 651-633-3279; RamseyAtoZ.com Budget and tax levy continued from page 1 contributing to the Lake Johanna Fire Other planned capital improvements  - Department to help it maintain and cil approval. Total cost is $4.6 million, include: replace its equipment. funded by a variety of sources. Most of constructing a new sidewalk segment  the planned spending is for road projects, including: Hamline Avenue to North Heights reconstructing a segment of Round Church,  Lake Road and replacing the utilities  infrastructure, Park, making a small (proportionally) cost installing gateway signs at City   contribution to the County’s planned entryways, improvements to Lexington Avenue  - between I-694 and County Road F, grading software, planning for the road reconstruction replacing water system valves   and utility improvements in the Glen removing and replacing diseased  - view Neighborhood in 2015, and trees on City property and boulevards planning for improvements to County if needed to thwart the spread of em  - Road E between Lexington and Snel erald ash borer, and - ling Avenues. 5 ECR-WSS PRST STD U.S. Postage Paid St. Paul, MN Permit #1962 Arden Hills, MN 55112-5734 . I n Levy and budget outlined Postal Customer s Bethel University considers “east” campus i Franchise fee hearings set d Zoning Code amended e Notes from the City Council Looking back on 2013 A s is common with TV specials this breaking ceremony and with it the long time of year, I too want to take held dream of cleanup and future reuse this opportunity to look back at became realized.south water tower, which includes the City 2013. It was a busy year on many fronts, logo. Rehabilitation is one of the projects far too many to mention all of them. Here Several building-related items took place that comes along about every 20 years and are some items to look back on:in second quarter. The former Holiday is needed to ensure ongoing water service. Inn received approval for a remodel into 74 apartments, along with retail shops—Late November brought an end to the road First quarter brought us the start of planknow known as e-Street Flats. The Arden construction season; roads opened up, and - ning for the Twin Cities Army AmmuniWoods building became Gradient Center, - tion Plant (TCAAP) redevelopment and home of the Gradient Financial Group. congestion we were experiencing. Putting The building exterior received a $1.5 mil formation of the Joint Development up with lane closures and detours is no - Authority — a group that will oversee lion facelift. After several revisions, Sand fun, especially with the design of our City, the implementation of the City-developed Companies received approval to build a but if we want roads in good repair some Master Plan for the site. We also ap54-unit, market-rate apartment building on impact will be felt. - proved the acquisition of the triangle propCounty Road F. - erty at the intersection of Lake Johanna In December the City Council reviewed Boulevard and County Road D. This property had a building removed, new soil Valentine Park reopened with a ribbon cutThe draft shows three main neighborhoods - added, new grass and a City gateway sign ting ceremony and picnic shelter dedicareferred to as, Creek, Town and Hill. The - installed in August. tion. The park was completely redone and draft shows 1,550 homes and businesses has been extensively used this year.with an estimated 4,000 jobs. We cur - rently have about 3,000 homes and 10,500 Second quarter brought us road construcTwo public information gathering sessions jobs in our City. Please check the City - tion which seemed to be everywhere: were held for the public to provide input website at www.cityofardenhills.org for Lexington Avenue, I-694 and Highways on TCAAP development. The input gathmore information on the Master Plan. - 10 and 96. The Council and staff spent ered was used to create the draft Master time working with the Minnesota DepartPlan, which was reviewed in December. I want to wish everyone a Happy New - ment of Transportation and the County to Year. Lexington Station plans were approved, to the extent possible.consisting of three buildings to be built Sincerely, tIn April the County formally purchased in late 2103 and depending on the winter TCAAP and selected Bolander and Sons, construction season should open in mid- Inc. to perform the cleanup and remediaDavid Grant 2014. - tion. In June, we had the formal ground Mayor of Arden Hills