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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApril 2015The Official City Newsletter for Arden Hills Residents April 2015 County Road E improvements on the way by Susan CatheyWith warmer weather comes the inevitability of roadwork, and important improvements are planned for County Road E in 2015. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Ramsey County, and the City of Arden Hills will all contribute to this work. Bridge over Snelling Avenue to be replaced In mid-April the bridge on County Road E over Snelling Avenue (Highway 51) will be replaced by MnDOT. Current plans are for work to begin on April 13 with the bridge being removed the weekend of April 17, weather permitting. According to current plan, both County Road E and Snelling Avenue (Highway 51) will be closed from 10 p.m. on Friday, April 17, to Sunday night or early Monday morn- ing. It is possible that County Road E will close prior to the bridge removal. Advance notice will be posted. The new bridge will include a ten-foot pedestrian facility on the south side and a six-foot shoulder on the north side, mak- ing it much safer for walkers and bicy- clists. During the reconstruction process, ramps may be closed for up to 30 days each. Roadway improvements outlined The City’s County Road E Improvement project is planned to coordinate with the bridge work, probably starting in May and taking about three months to com- plete. The road from Connelly Street to Lexington Avenue will be milled and overlaid. Center islands will be redone, along with curbs, sidewalks, and drive- ways. The County Road will be widened at Lexington with new signals to alleviate congestion in the turn lane. Access to all businesses will be maintained during this period. While the City holds the construction contracts, the majority of the cost will be assumed by Ramsey County. Four compa- nies submitted bids for the job, which was awarded to Park Construction Company for $1,453,000. Elfering and Associates has been hired as the construction consul- tant, which includes construction manage- ment, staking, and a full-time inspector on site. Total cost for all aspects of the project (excluding the bridge, which MnDOT will fund) is approximately $2,067,000, with $1,409,000 being paid by the County and $658,000 by the City. The bridge on Lake Valentine Road (Old County Road F) over I-35W will also be replaced by MnDOT this summer. According to City Public Works Director Terry Maurer, the exist- ing bridge is structurally obsolete and too low for today’s traffic needs. This bridge, like that on County Road E, will have a pedestrian facility on the south side and a six-foot shoulder on the north side. Lake Valentine Road bridge to be replaced, too If you’d like updates... Current plans are for work to be- gin on the County Road E bridge project on April 13 with the bridge being removed the weekend of April 17, weather permitting. According to current plan, both County Road E and Snelling Avenue (Highway 51) will be closed from 10 p.m. on Friday, April 17, to Sun- day night or early Monday morning. It is possible that County Road E will close prior to the bridge removal. Advance notice will be posted. Work on County Road E bridge scheduled to begin in Mid-April Notes about bridge removal If you’d like updates about construction as these projects progress, check these resources: • www.cityofardenhills.org • www.dot.state.mn.us New lighting included An additional improvement will be new lighting along this stretch of road. The City Council has approved a contract with Xcel Energy for 28 Vernon Series street lights, in what is described as “nostal- gic style,” an increase from the current 20 lights. Also, approxi- mately 50 trees will be planted along the boulevard. Arden Hills Service Directory 1245 West Highway 96 Arden Hills, MN 55112-5734 Office Hours Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. City Contact Information 651-792-7800 www.cityofardenhills.org Sheriff and Fire 911 Water and Sewer Problems (During non-business hours) 651-767-0640 Mayor: David Grant 651-538-0747 dgrant@cityofardenhills.org Councilmembers: Brenda Holden 651-636-2987 bholden@cityofardenhills.org Fran Holmes 651-631-1866 fholmes@cityofardenhills.org Dave McClung 651-332-0352 davemcclung@comcast.net Robert Woodburn 651-633-2389 rwood37393@aol.com City Administrator: Patrick Klaers 651-792-7810 pklaers@cityofardenhills.org Communications Committee Editors/writers: Susan Cathey, Tina Kulzer Writer: Emma Theis Council Liaison: David Grant Staff Liaison: Amy Dietl Desktop Publisher: Mary Nosek Council meetings are held at City Hall on the second and last Monday of the month at 7 p.m. Meetings are televised live on Cable Channel 16. Meetings of the Planning Commission are televised as well. Visit www.cityofardenhills.org for information about taped meeting playbacks. Arden Hills Notes is the official news- letter of the City of Arden Hills, an equal-opportunity employer. 2 City Park Profiles--a series Johanna Marsh 3168 Ridgewood RoadJohanna Marsh was opened to the public as a City park in 2008. Residents and neighborhood as- sociation members in the southern-most neighbor- hood in Arden Hills are credited with naming the park after being asked by the Parks, Trails and Recreation Committee for suggestions. Even though Johanna Marsh is the City’s “newest” park, Arden Hills has held the deed for the land since 1994. Mr. James C. Schacker and Mr. Cyril E. Sheehy contacted the City in 1993, desiring to donate more than eight acres of wetland prop- erty on Ridgewood Road at Edgewater Avenue. The donation was accepted by the City Council the following year, but it was not immediately designated as park land. Due to its wetland soil conditions, the City was unsure of its best use—it was unlikely that the land could be developed in any way, but it was also unclear what exactly it could offer as a City park beyond tennis on a dilapidated court built on filled-in wetland in 1974. The land was designated as City property, and the tennis court was padlocked until a specific plan for use of the land could be developed. In 1996, the Arden Hills No. 3 Homeowners Association contacted the City to see if it could lease the tennis court for its use, as there were no parks or recreation facilities accessible to that neighborhood without crossing or traveling on Snelling Avenue. The Association and the City signed a lease agreement: the Association maintained insurance on the tennis court and was responsible for maintenance, repair, and improvement of the facilities. The Association paid the City a nominal rent of $10 per year. The lease agreement ended on December 31, 2007, when the City began a new period of exploration into options for use of the land that would benefit all residents. Led by the Parks, Trails and Recreation Committee’s recommendation for full park status, what was commonly known as “the Sheehy Tennis Court” would soon become a public City park. A unique park with unique amenities The vast majority of the 8.57 acres of land that comprise Johanna Marsh is wetland inte- gral to the City’s storm drainage system. With the exception of the tennis court, Johanna Marsh offers no other typical park amenities. However, a rain garden was added in 2013 – a unique and appropriate addition to a park with very limited potential for development or additional recreational opportunities. Park benches have also been installed in the last few years to enhance the passive nature experience in this park. Last summer, the tennis court was resurfaced, a multi-year effort to cut back trees and brush from the court was com- pleted, and a new park sign was installed. With new amenities added and critical general maintenance recently completed, Johanna Marsh has secured a solid place in the City park system. by Tina Kulzer Benchmarks: a review of recent City Council action 3 February 23, 2015 (Grant, Holmes excused) • Approved the purchase of a new Fell- ing Trailer. (3-0) • Approved the purchase of a mini excavator. (3-0) • Approved Final Plans and ordered advertisement for bids for the 2015 Pavement Management Program for the Venus/Crystal and Grant/Noble/ Lake Lane neighborhoods. (3-0) • Approved the five year recycling con- tract with Republic Services. (3-0) • Approved a resolution restricting parking during the construction of the Mounds View High School trail. (3-0) • Approved a contract with Xcel Energy for lighting installation on County Road E as part of this year’s road improvement project. (3-0) • Approved a resolution to enter into a Cooperative Agreement with MnDOT and the City of New Brighton for road and bridge construction on (Old) County Road F. (3-0) • Approved a settlement agreement with TAT Properties to construct a Goodwill store on the corner of County Road E and Lexington Avenue. (3-0) • Approved Planning Case 14-036 for Roberts Management Group to con- struct two light industrial and office buildings totaling 93,300 square feet on 8.0 acres located at 1235 Red Fox Road. The site will be known as the Red Fox Business Center. (3-0) • Approved Planning Case 15-001, a preliminary and final plat and Master PUD Amendment for Boston Scien- tific. The main purpose of the amend- ment is to create two parcels, one of 15.6 acres in the southwest part of the existing campus and another parcel representing the remaining 78 acres. The two parcels would operate under separate planned unit developments and could operate independently. (3-0) • Tabled Planning Case 15-002 for a Preliminary Plat, Final Plat, and Planned Unit Development Amend- ment for Arden Plaza. The main focus of these items is to create a separate parcel for Frattallone’s along with an expanded seasonal sales area and some modifications to the parking area. In addition, the amendment increases the proposed size of a future building on lot 5 from 18,000 square feet to 20,136 square feet. This future building site is located to the south of the existing Walgreens and adjacent to Lexington Avevue. (3-0) March 9, 2015 (Holden, Holmes excused) • Approved Planning Case 13-017, at 1201 County Road E, for a PUD amendment and second amendment to the development contract and PUD agreement with TAT Properties. This is in accordance with the approval of the settlement agreement approved February 23, 2015. (3-0) • Approved Planning Case 14-016, the Arden Plaza Amended and Restated Master Planned Unit Development Agreement and Phase I Development Contract. This case combines five other formerly approved amendments into one planning case to be filed with Ramsey County. (3-0) • Approved the City Administrator’s employment agreement amendment for reduced hours. (3-0) • Approved a motion to continue con- sideration of Planning Case 15-002 to the March 30, 2015 regular City Council meeting. (3-0) New recycling bins on the way All Arden Hills residents will be receiving new, 64-gallon, lidded recycling carts between April 27 and May 1. Republic Services has been selected as the recycling hauler for Arden Hills. • There is no charge for the carts. • There will be no change in recycling service. (Tuesdays—neighborhoods south of I-694; Wednesdays—neigh- borhoods north of I-694). • Please place recycling and trash carts on opposite sides of your driveway to avoid confusion. Containers should be placed at the end of the driveway with the handles and wheels facing your home. • Place your recycling container at the curb three to five feet away from any objects such as mailboxes, fences, and trees. • Watch your mail for more detail. 4 New utility bill payment program launched In January of this year, the City launched a new online utility bill payment program. This new program gives customers the ability to view their utility bill history, including statements issued and payments made; the ability to set up recurring payments; the option to choose paper or electronic (or both) billing statements; the ability to manage several accounts under one username; the ability for both renters and landlords to access an account and make separate, secure payments while keeping their personal information confidential; and the ability for all transactions to be credited to the customer’s account immediately. According to Arden Hills Accounting Clerk Pang Silseth, the upgrade was initi- ated by customers’ requests for e-bills and autopay. The advantages to online bill pay and setting up automatic payments are convenience and reliability. Paying bills online can be as easy as a couple clicks, especially once customers have created a profile on the site. By scheduling bills to be paid automatically, customers don’t need to worry about late payments or by Emma Theis missing a payment since it will be auto- matically deducted from their checking account or credit card when the bill is due. So far, out of the City’s 2,640 accounts, 694 customers (11 percent) have created profiles on the new bill pay website, says Silseth. Within that, 226 (8.5 percent) of those customers have signed up to use autopay. The City still utilizes its old online pay- ment system - RevTrak - for other online payments such as parks and recreation fees, building permit fees, rental reg- istration fees, licensing fees, and other miscellaneous fees. Both means of online payment can be accessed at the City’s website. Online program responds to customer requests for electronic option Learn more Go to http://www.cityofardenhills.org under Bill Pay to learn more about online bill pay options. Beating out 125 other applicants and rising to the top of a group of 15 can- didates interviewed, Aaron Thelen started what he calls his “dream job” on February 12 as Recreation Programmer for the City of Arden Hills. In his new position, Aaron will help develop and plan Parks and Recreation activities and events throughout the year, organize sports league programming, fill seasonal Parks and Recreation staffing needs, and assist the Recreation Coordina- tor with department operations. A 2010 graduate of the University of Northwestern in Arden Hills, Aaron earned his degree in Physical Education and Health. He is very excited to return to the community he called home during his college years and put his education to work creating recreation programming for Arden Hills residents of all ages, abilities, and interests. Aaron also brings to this position previous work experience as a youth sports coach with the YMCA in Shoreview and as an athletic tournament director with Min- nesota Youth Athletic Services. While at Northwestern, Aaron played on the soccer team for four years and gained experience coaching adult athletes. He is hopeful that his experience in and passion for coaching will be a resource to the volunteer coaches in the Parks and Recreation programs who wish to gain and develop additional coach- ing skills. Aaron is a Brainerd native and currently lives in Coon Rapids with his wife of five years. In his free time, Aaron enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, kayaking, and biking – he has even started mapping out a route to City Hall so that he can bike to work in the summer. Welcome, Aaron! Meet Recreation Programmer Aaron Thelen When utility bills go unpaid in Arden Hills, the City rarely resorts to shut- ting off the utility, says Arden Hills Ac- counting Clerk Pang Silseth. Instead it cer- tifies the delinquent payments to Ramsey County. Once a balance becomes 90 days past due, it is considered delinquent. The City will send out notices of the late and subsequently delinquent balance on an ac- count, but after 90 days—including three to four additional weeks to receive pay- ment —the amount will be submitted to the City Council with a recommendation to be certified to the County. Upon approval from the Council, the delinquent amount is then deducted from the customer’s utility bill, sent to Ramsey County, and from there will be collected with property taxes. Arden Hills bills customers and certifies to the County quarterly (four times a year). An eight- percent fee is added to late utility bills and an additional eight percent fee is added when delinquent bills are certified to the County. In 2014, Arden Hills delinquent utilities amounted to $19,319 dispersed among 85 customers. Silseth reported this amount was average for the City. What happens when utility payments are delinquent? by Tina Kulzer 5 No matter what color you choose, you can make your painting project “green” Learn more A fresh coat of paint does wonders. With a little planning, you can beautify your surroundings the “green” way. Here are a few tips for re- ducing, reusing, and recycling paint. Measure twice, buy once Carefully measure the space to be painted and determine how many coats of paint are needed before purchasing paint. See the can label for information. Follow the general guidelines of purchas- ing one gallon of paint for every 400 square feet. Ask your paint retailer for additional help. Check with your county’s solid waste management office for reuse opportuni- ties. Many have leftover paint, especially latex paint, available in their free product reuse area at household hazardous waste drop-off sites. Store paint properly to keep it in good condition You may want some leftover paint for touch ups. Here are some tips to make sure it’s usable when you need it: • Keep usable products free of con- taminants such as mold and rust. Put a sheet of plastic wrap over the can before putting on the lid to keep rust out. • Keep leftover paint, stain, or varnish in the original container with a tight lid on it. Properly storing an open can of paint will increase shelf life. • Store paint, stain, or varnish in a cool, dry area at a temperature above 40º F. Don’t keep paint in an unheated ga- rage. Don’t allow latex paint to freeze. • Store products in a well-ventilated area as vapors can accumulate in closed spaces. Proper storage will protect your health and reduce the risk of fire. • Store products away from flames, sparks, or heat sources such as a fur- nace or water heater. Reuse tips Maintain your painting supplies so they will last for many projects. Clean brushes and rollers with dish soap and water for latex paint. For oil-based paint, clean them with turpentine or oil. Planning to paint the same color again tomorrow? Instead of cleaning your brush and roller, place them in a plastic bag or plastic wrap, remove as much air as pos- sible and put in the refrigerator. They’ll be ready to use the next day. Recycling and disposal information Take liquid paint, stain, and varnish to a county household hazardous waste drop- off site. It’s okay to throw away empty paint cans- -plastic or metal. Leave the lid off to show that the can is empty and dry. Ask your recycling service provider if empty metal paint cans that held latex paint are accepted curbside for recycling. If not, dispose of empty latex paint cans (lids off) in the garbage. You can dry out small amounts of latex paint (less than one inch left in the can) in a well-ventilated area. Simply remove the lid to let the paint dry out. Stir occasion- ally to speed up the process. Place the cans (lids off) with completely dried paint in your garbage. If paint rollers and brushes cannot be reused, dry them out and place them in the garbage. Oil-based products typically require the use of thinner or other solvents for clean- ing. Solvents can be flammable and/or toxic, and should never be thrown away, poured down the drain, or dumped on the ground. For more information on proper disposal of oil-based products, varnish, thinners, or other solvents, check our paint or house- hold hazardous waste page. You can find out about paint recycling and much more at the blog section of: rethinkrecycling.com Spring Clean-up Day! Saturday, June 6 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Ramsey County Public Works Facility 1425 Kirkwold Drive (Highway 96 and Hamline Avenue) Doing some spring cleaning? Got some stuff for disposal? The annual Spring Clean-up Day for Arden Hills and Shoreview is: Please note, the date is later than the traditional May Clean-up Day of past years. Watch for details in your mail and on the home page of www.cityofardenhills.org Postal Customer ECR-WSS PRST STD U.S. Postage Paid St. Paul, MN Permit #1962 I n s i d e Arden Hills, MN . 55112-5734 County Road E improvements outlined Johanna Marsh profiled Meet Aaron Thelen New bill-pay option announced News from the Mayor This past winter may well be remem- bered as the winter with very little snow. With the passing of winter begins the road construction season. This summer may well be remembered as the year the bridge was out, or perhaps more precisely, the year several bridges were out. Past issues of Arden Hills Notes contained articles about future bridge projects for 2015 and beyond. It is now 2015 and plans are firming up for several bridge replace- ments. I would like to take this opportu- nity to update you on the current plans. The County Road E Bridge has completed the design, bid, and contract award pro- cess. A preconstruction meeting has been held. Construction is scheduled to begin on April 13 and should be completed by Labor Day, weather permitting. During construction the ramps will be left open as long as possible, but they will need to be closed for part of the construction. (See ar- ticle on page 1 of this newsletter for more detail about the County Road E bridge construction project.) The County Road F Bridge has finished the design phase and is out for bids. Bids were opened on March 27. Depending on when the bid is awarded, construction could start in late April or early May. The primary driver of the schedule is that the Mounds View School District determined it to be better to start construction during the end of the school year, rather than to start later, impacting more of the begin- ning of the 2015-16 school year. The Highway 96/I-35W Bridge is in final review by MnDOT, after which bids will be requested. Bid awards are expected in late April. Construction is expected to start as soon as possible after the bid award. MnDOT and Ramsey County expect to complete the project in 2015. The new bridge will be built slightly to the north of the old bridge. This will en- able keeping the old bridge in place while half of the new bridge is constructed. It is planned that at least one lane in each di- rection will remain open during construc- tion. Due to the reduced capacity, you may want to plan an alternate route during peak times. The construction will take a full season, meaning part of two school years will be impacted. Please keep in mind that each of these bridge projects are MnDOT projects, not City projects. In the case of the Highway 96/I-35W Bridge, MnDOT is turning the leadership over to Ramsey County, as it did with the Highway 10/96 Bridge project. The City will work with MnDOT, Ramsey County, City of New Brighton, and the Mounds View School District to minimize disruptions where possible. The City of Arden Hills will take ad- vantage of the construction to complete The Bridge is out . . . . . some long-standing projects during the same construction time frame. City-led improvements along County Road E east of the bridge will include new lighting, sidewalk additions, new medians, bike lanes, and a dual left turn lane onto Lex- ington Avenue. City-led improvements for County Road F will include a trail section to Mounds View High School. Highway 96/I-35W will also include trail sections enabling a pedestrian connection to New Brighton. As with any road or bridge construction, there will be an impact on residents and businesses. Once completed, however, we all get to enjoy the improvements for years and years to come. County Road E2 and County Road H Bridge replacements are still scheduled for 2016. Regards, David Grant, Mayor