HomeMy WebLinkAboutJanuary-February 2019The Official City Newsletter for Arden Hills Residents January/February 2019
In early November, Ramsey
County Manager Ryan O’Connor
informed city staff that he was
significantly reducing resources
devoted to the Rice Creek Commons
development project, citing the lack of
a shared vision with the City of Arden
Hills. Neither county commissioners
nor county staff attended the first Joint
Development Authority (JDA) meet-
ing of the New Year.
“It’s very unfortunate that Ramsey
County has currently chosen to halt
negotiations with the City of Arden
Hills,” said Mayor Grant. “The city
has called a special meeting of the
JDA for February 4 to try to move
things forward, as it's unclear what the
county plans are for continuing with a
mixed-use development on the site for
the foreseeable future.” Results of that
meeting will be included in the March
issue of Arden Hills Notes.
“We previously agreed to a vision for
the property and we were finally get-
ting close to agreeing to terms related
to the financing of the plan,” said
Grant, saying that earlier concerns
about sewer and water credits and fees
were resolved. “Then Ramsey County
decided at the last minute to temporar-
ily divert resources from the project,
citing the lack of a shared vision.”
County officials have asked for more
density and affordable housing on the
property and a greater financial contri-
bution from the city. These demands
reflect recent changes from prior
agreements reached by the county and
city in 2012, 2016 and 2018.
TCAAP Plans Continued on Page 2
The city held a public forum on November 15 to review the proposed TCAAP/Rice
Creek Commons development plan to date, including overall financing, parks,
amenities and a proposed civic site on the former TCAAP property.
Some 50 residents were asked to provide feedback on two surveys. One was on the
project's overall scope and financing. The other was on the proposed civic site. Forty-one
people responded to the overall TCAAP/Rice Creek Commons survey, and 34 people
responded to the civic site survey.
Survey respondents wanted a better understanding of the projected costs to the city and
more details on the open space plan for Rice Creek Commons. Some also cited concerns
related to additional density requests, traffic and impact to schools. They cautioned the
city to avoid duplication of amenities of neighboring cities, chains and franchises, public
management of private facilities, and a fast pace in building out a community center or
civic building. In light of Ramsey County announcing a scale back in resources the week
prior, some residents wanted more information and open discussion.
Desired Civic Site Amenities
The majority of respondents wanted a civic site on the property. The following are ameni-
ties that were suggested by those who completed the surveys: a walking track, fitness
classes, a gymnasium, meeting spaces, banquet space, cross-country ski trails, skating
rinks, a restaurant and underground parking. They indicated they would like to see a well-
planned site with multi-use spaces.
TCAAP/Rice Creek Commons Survey Results
During a November public forum, residents reviewed display boards that showed pro-
posals for the TCAAP/Rice Creek Commons redevelopment.
City Moves Ahead with TCAAP
Plans as County Pauses
Arden Hills Service Directory
1245 West Highway 96
Arden Hills, MN 55112-5734
www.cityofardenhills.org
651-792-7800
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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 612-599-2457
fholmes@cityofardenhills.org
Dave McClung 651-332-0352
davemcclung@cityofardenhills.org
Steve Scott 651-604-0919
sscott@cityofardenhills.org
City Administrator
Dave Perrault 651-792-7824
dperrault@cityofardenhills.org
Communications Coordinator
Dawn Skelly 651-792-7817
dskelly@cityofardenhills.org
Communications Committee
Council Liaisons
Brenda Holden
Fran Holmes
Council meetings are held at City Hall
on the second and fourth Mondays of
the month at 7:00 p.m. Meetings are
televised live on Cable Channel 16.
Meetings of the Planning Commis-
sion are televised as well. Please visit
cityofardenhills.org for information
about archived meeting playbacks.
Arden Hills Notes is the official news-
letter of the City of Arden Hills, an
equal-opportunity employer.
Affordable housing and density
The county’s goals related to affordable housing and density have changed since ap-
proval of the TCAAP Redevelopment Code (TRC) in 2016. The TRC approves 1,460
housing units with a goal of 10 percent reserved for residents who make 80 percent of
the area median income. Grant said the city is committed to providing the previously
approved affordable housing and density. Current plans are in line with Metropolitan
Council requirements for Arden Hills.
“At our November public forum, we heard from residents, the majority of whom en-
couraged the city to stick with the original goals for density and affordable housing,”
said Grant. “As it is currently planned, there will already be increased traffic with the
number of estimated vehicles coming in and out of the site, from both Highway 96 and
County Road H. Increased density will only put more stress on these areas.”
Site plans include varying levels of density with larger and smaller single family
homes, attached and detached townhouses, senior living facilities, condominiums and
apartments for rent. The density on the site will be significantly higher than the cur-
rently developed Arden Hills.
The most recent draft of the Master Development Agreement between the county and
the developer seeks additional units reserved for those who make significantly less
than 80 percent of the area median income.
City fees and financing
In 2012, the city and county agreed in a Joint Powers Agreement that the city would
contribute an estimated $8.2 million towards infrastructure improvements, which the
city is still willing to participate in; however, the county, in March of 2018,
had unilaterally requested the city contribute an additional unspecified $1.8 million to
fill a county budget gap.
The city continues to work toward a mutual cooperative agreement, which details
financing commitments and terms. The city held a special work session on January 16
to review the details of the draft agreement.
Brian Holmes named JDA chair
In January, Joint Development Authority (JDA) commissioners and the chair were up
for reappointment. The city sought and interviewed applicants for the JDA chair posi-
tion and selected Brian Holmes (no relation to Councilmember
Fran Holmes) to serve as the new chair. He was to lead the
January 7 JDA meeting, but the meeting was cancelled due to a
lack of a quorum. The county representatives did not attend.
Brian will serve through 2020. He is a resident of Arden Hills
and the assistant vice president of real estate and facilities for
Prime Therapeutics.
Mayor Grant and Councilmember Brenda Holden will represent the city on the JDA
through this term.
Next steps
A city Civic Site Task Force meeting that was scheduled for January 29 was resched-
uled to February 5 due to the cold weather. The committee will remain a standing
committee, but no additional meetings will be held until the county agrees to reengage
with the project and the Joint Development Authority.
Brian Holmes
TCAAP Plans continued from front page
December 10, 2018
Except as indicated, all items approved
unanimously by 5-0 vote.
• Approved extending Fire Protection
Service Contract with Lake Johanna
Fire Department for fire protection for
five years (thru December 31, 2023).
• Approved 2019 Fee Schedule, includ-
ing increases to water utility rates,
along with increases to city water
availability charge (WAC) and sewer
availability charge (SAC) fees.
• Conducted Truth-in-Taxation hearing
on the 2019 Tax Levy and Budget.
• Adopted the 2019 Budget and Tax
Levy.
1) Adopted the Proposed 2019
Budget in the amount of
$13,972,990.
2) Set the Final Tax Levy for
Taxes Payable in 2019 with a
tax levy increase of 4% in the
amount of $3,938,420 (Motion
carried 4-1, Holmes opposed).
3) Approved the 2019-2023
Capital Improvement Plan and
Proposed Budget.
December 17, 2018
Special City Council Meeting
All items approved unanimously by 5-0
vote.
• Approved 2019 Tobacco License
Renewals for five business establish-
ments in the city, all of which have
successfully passed a background
check conducted by the Ramsey
County Sheriff’s Office.
• Approved 2019 Liquor License Re-
newals for ten business establishments
in the city, all of which have suc-
cessfully passed a background check
conducted by the Ramsey County
Sheriff’s Office.
• Appointed Mitchell Gebauer to the
position of Public Works Maintenance
Worker.
• Appointed Brian Holmes (no relation
to Councilmember Fran Holmes) as
the 2019-2020 Chair of the TCAAP
Joint Development Authority.
January 14, 2019
All items approved unanimously by 5-0
vote.
• Named the Shoreview-Arden Hills
Bulletin as the official newspaper for
legal notices; appointed Campbell
Knutson, P.A. as city attorney with
Joel Jamnik as primary city attorney;
appointed Ehlers & Associates, Inc.
as financial consultant; and appointed
Malloy, Montague, Karnowski, Ra-
dosevich and Company (MMKR) as
auditor.
• Reappointed John Van Valkenburg and
Terry Finlay to the Parks, Trails and
Recreation Committee for terms to
expire December 31, 2021.
• Reviewed the city’s 2040 Comprehen-
sive Plan and authorized submittal to
the Metropolitan Council.
Benchmarks: A Review of Recent City Council Action
Mayor David Grant and Councilmembers Fran Holmes and Steve Scott were sworn in
to office by City Clerk Julie Hanson during a ceremony at the January 14 City Council
meeting. Each will serve a four-year term that expires in December 2022.
• Accepted the resignation of Building
Official Dave Scherbel, whose last day
of employment was January 11, 2019.
• Appointed Rob Ward to the position
of Building Official, effective January
15, 2019. Ward had served the city as
Residential Inspector since July, 2013.
January 28, 2019
Councilmember Holden, excused. All items
approved unanimously by 4-0 vote.
• Approved Land O’ Lakes site plan
review for a sign standard adjustment
for a deviation from the sign code to
increase permitted size of freestanding
monument and auxiliary signs.
• Amended 2019 fee schedule to add
TCAAP development related profes-
sional service charge as a planning
fee.
For a detailed listing of recent City
Council action, please review the meeting
minutes at cityofardenhills.org and click on
Agendas & Minutes.
At its December 10, 2018 meeting,
the City Council adopted a 2019
property tax levy of $3,938,420.
This sets the city’s property tax levy
increase for 2019 at 4 percent, which is
down from the preliminary levy rate set in
September 2018 of 5 percent.
Funding from the city’s share of regional
fiscal disparities has decreased for 2019
and will contribute $311,064 toward the
levy total. The city’s tax capacity has
increased, and taxes paid by city property
owners will account for the remaining bal-
ance, or $3,627,356.
The impact of a 4 percent levy increase
translates to a $33.04 increase in annual
city taxes paid by resident owners of me-
dian valued homes.
In Arden Hills, the entire tax levy goes
toward the General Fund expenditures in
the city’s budget. Due to under spending
and unanticipated revenue in 2018, the
city's General Fund ended with a positive
balance that will be applied to 2019.
The Council also adopted a 2019 city bud-
get of $13,972,990.
2019 General Fund Budget
Revenues
• General Fund revenues in the 2019
budget are set at $5,292,620.
• The property tax levy accounts for ap-
proximately 74 percent of the General
Fund revenues and will be increased 4
percent or $151,478 over the previ-
ous year.
• Building permit and plan review fee
revenues are expected to increase
based on an analysis of historical
revenues.
Expenditures
• General Fund expenditures for
2019 total $5,479,590.
• Public Safety costs are set to
increase by 5.5 percent for the
Lake Johanna Fire Department,
4.1 percent for the Ramsey County
Sheriff contract and an increase of
5.1 percent for dispatch services.
• An additional $100,000 was added
to the 2019 budget for street main-
tenance to help lengthen the life of
the city’s roads.
• Two positions have been filled,
including a recreation programmer
and a senior engineering technician.
Other Rate Increases
2019 utility rates have been adjusted
based on the rate study completed in
2018. The changes will be reflected on
the first quarter statements that will go
out in April 2019.
The approved budget and tax levy
information can be viewed in detail in
the December 10, 2018 City Council
agenda packet posted on the city’s
website.
City’s Final 2019 Tax levy Reduced from Preliminary Rate
The City's Public Works Department
works to provide safe driving conditions
for residents while balancing costs of
snow and ice control.
Street plowing typically begins when
2 inches of snow have accumulated.
Please keep the following information in
mind:
• Plows will get as close as possible
to mailboxes, but the cleaning of the
mailboxes and fire hydrants is up to
residents.
• Please do not park vehicles on the
street after the accumulation of two
or more inches of snow and until
plowing has been completed.
• Parking is not allowed on any city
street between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00
a.m. year round.
The City Council approved the submis-
sion of the Draft 2040 Comprehensive
Plan to the Metropolitan Council at its
January 14 meeting. Following review
by the Metropolitan Council, the plan
will be sent back to the city for final
revisions prior to official adoption.
The Arden Hills 2040 Comprehensive
Plan defines the goals and long-term
vision of the community. A copy of
the plan is posted on the city’s website
under Community Development. Please
contact City Planner Mike Mrosla at
mmrosla@cityofardenhills.org, or by
phone at (651) 792-7822 with any ques-
tions.
It has come to the city’s attention that
the Perkins restaurant located at 3855
Lexington Avenue North has closed.
Perkins has been a long time tenant of
the building. The property owners are
now actively marketing the property for
a new tenant.
Perkins Restaurant Closes;
New Tenant Sought
City Approves Draft
2040 Comprehensive Plan
City Snowplow Policy
The Ramsey County Fire Chiefs
Association in partnership with the
Ramsey County Emergency Com-
munications Center (ECC) received the
University of Minnesota Humphrey School
of Public Affairs 2018 Award for Innova-
tion and Collaboration.
The Ramsey County Fire Chief’s Associa-
tion, which includes the Lake Johanna Fire
Department, and Ramsey County ECC
were recognized as a Leading Innovator
of the 2018 Local Government Innovation
Award in the City Category. The award
was presented for the county-wide “Closest
Unit Dispatching Project.”
The “Closest Unit Dispatching Project”
is designed to break down geographical
boundaries to allow the “customer” the
closest and quickest service to emergen-
cies involving structure fires and those suf-
fering a cardiac arrest. When a 911 caller
reaches the Ramsey County ECC and is
reporting a significant emergency, the sys-
tem looks for the closest unit to the emer-
gency location regardless of jurisdiction.
Emergency vehicles within the County are
equipped with an Automatic Vehicle Loca-
tor (AVL). This allows dispatch to know
their constant location, which allows the
“closest unit” to be dispatched.
Prior to Closest Unit Dispatching, the
Dispatch center would send the emergency
call to the closest fire station within the
city of the caller, regardless of whether a
closer unit was available to assist.
Nick Thomas
New Sheriff and Department Changes Announced
Local Government Innovation Award Winners Named
Bob Fletcher returned to lead the
Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office
on January 7 following winning
the election in November.
Initial condi-
tional leader-
ship team
appointments
include new
positions in the
Arden Hills
location.
Jeff Ramacher is now Undersheriff, Public
Safety Services. Jeff has served Ramsey
County for 21 years and held the positions
of Deputy, Sergeant, Commander and
Inspector.
Tony Waldo replaces Ramacher as Com-
mander and oversees the patrol, including
traffic patrol services. Mike Casey and
Chris Moe are the traffic deputies.
The Ramsey County Board of Commis-
sioners awarded outgoing Sheriff Jack
Serier with a Vision of Peace statue for
his exemplary leadership and service to
Ramsey County. It is the Commissioners'
highest level of recognition.
Resident Joins Master
Water Steward Program
The Ramsey County Board of Commission-
ers award outgoing Sheriff Jack Serier.
Sheriff Bob Fletcher
Arden Hills resident Nick
Thomas has joined the Master
Water Steward program
through Rice Creek Watershed District.
Nick and his wife moved to Arden
Hills in the last two years and want to
contribute to the community.
Nick is a Wa-
ter Resources
engineer-in-
training with
HDR, an
international
engineering
firm with an
office in Min-
neapolis.
The Master Water Steward is an educa-
tion and outreach program designed
to provide citizen volunteers with
the knowledge and skills needed to
improve water quality at the local
level. The program was developed by
the Freshwater Society in 2013; Rice
Creek Watershed District (RCWD / the
District) became a partner and sponsor
in 2016.
Each Master Water Steward must
participate in coursework, commit to
50 hours of volunteer service for water
quality in the first year and 25 in subse-
quent years, and complete a capstone
project in their community.
The District pays for the program
registration and awards funds from
the cost-share program to support the
capstone projects. RCWD currently
has 12 Master Water Stewards who
have completed or are completing
projects and volunteer throughout the
watershed district.
RCWD sees the Master Water Stew-
ards program as a way to develop part-
nerships, expand outreach and build
capacity for water quality projects in
the watershed.
Restaurants, Fitness Studio and Pet Grooming Store Open in Arden HIlls
Old Southern BBQ Smokehouse
Three Things to Know
1. Old Southern BBQ Smokehouse’s
focus is fresh – we smoke all of our
meats daily at the restaurant and make
everything from scratch.
2. We are expanding our catering
operation and can facilitate all types
of events, from small church gather-
ings or business lunches to large-scale
weddings.
3. We love, live and are BBQ! We often
smell like a bonfire and are proud of
it – we use real wood fires to smoke
all the meat. We’ve won prestigious
awards. National Barbecue News
voted us Top 20 BBQ Joints in
America and at the American Royal
our flagship sauce Dixie Red took 3rd
Best Sauce on the Planet.
Why Arden Hills?
It’s a great community! Even though Arden
Hills is part of the metropolitan area, it has
a “small-town” feel. Residents are very
involved and proud of their community.
The new Lexington Station development
Club Pilates
Three Things to Know
1. Club Pilates provides full body,
low impact workouts.
2. The workouts focus on improv-
ing core strength and flexibility,
which allow you to be more ac-
tive throughout life.
3. The small classes are fun and
make for a great community of
people improving their health.
Why Arden Hills?
Arden Hills is a great community of
people who live healthy, active life-
styles. This, coupled with an excellent
area of convenience (694 & Lexington),
3. Smoked Wings – wings can be pre-
pared a variety of ways (fried, etc.)
but smoked (our way, in particular) is
definitely the best.
Hours of Operation
We are open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00
p.m. and 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Fri-
day and Saturday.
where people can accomplish multiple
things in the same vicinity, make it a won-
derful location.
we’re part
of is perfect
– near major
thoroughfares
and provides
one-stop shop-
ping for the
entire area. The
community of
Arden Hills is
also a fantastic
employment
hub, where we
can showcase
our growing
catering capa-
bilities.
Three Things to Try
1. We are known for our BBQ Bowls –
the Dixie Bowl is our top seller.
2. Pitmaster Platters – Our platters show-
case the “star” of our menu which is
our smoked meat. Guest favorite is the
Ribs.
Four new businesses located at
Lexington Station (Lexington
Avenue and Red Fox Road)
opened recently in Arden Hills. Check
out the details below.
Three Things to Try
1. Come take a FREE intro
class to see how Pilates can
benefit you.
2. Try different class
formats to use a variety of
premium equipment and keep
your workout fresh.
3. Take classes from
certified instructors to get a
variety of exercises and to
experience personalities that
making working out fun.
Hours of Operation
Open seven days a week with
over 50 classes to fit into your
schedule.
Monday-Thursday, 6:00 a.m.
to 9:00 p.m.
Friday 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Grand Openings and Ribbon Cuttings Showcase New Offerings
Pancheros Mexican Grill
Three Things to Know
1. Our burritos are better built using
fresh-pressed tortillas – each one is
made and pressed fresh on the spot.
2. We use a unique spatula called BOB
the Tool to blend the burrito ingre-
dients together to ensure each bite is
perfectly mixed and equally tasty.
3. The Pancheros concept is designed to
be convenient for our guests – each
entrée is made-to-order in under two
minutes from start to finish.
Why Arden Hills?
After opening several other successful Pan-
cheros locations in the greater Twin Cities
region, Arden Hills was a natural fit for our
next location. Arden Hills has a prosperous
business community, is home to several
large employers and educational institu-
Pet Evolution
Three Things to Know
1. We are a locally-owned small busi-
ness with locations in Arden Hills
and Woodbury. Pet Evolution is the
brainchild of Rian and Mike, who
wanted to create a store where it was
easy to find the very best products for
your pet. It's our goal to help your pets
live the good life.
2. We are committed to giving back. Pet
Evolution has a long-standing history
of fund-raising for non-profit organiza-
tions, and we look forward to working
with more organizations around the
Arden Hills area.
3. We provide the best and are dedicated
to serving our customers and the pets
in our community. We fill our store
with only the best products and carry
a full line of high-quality nutritional
food products. We also have the best
employees. Come by to discuss your
pet’s needs with one of our knowl-
edgeable associates - we will give you
a free pet food sample to take home.
Why Arden Hills?
We know there are plenty of pet-loving
neighbors in the North Metro area who
want only the best for their family pets! It’s
a convenient location for nearby families
and an easy to find destination for our loyal
customers who travel from downtown
Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Three Things to Try
1. We have a full-service grooming
salon in-store where our safety-certi-
fied groomers take pride in keeping our
salon a safe, clean and calm environ-
ment.
2. Our unique and convenient self-
serve dog wash is fun for the whole
family. Our walk-up washing tubs are
stocked with natural products, bath
towels and state-of-the-art blow dryers.
3. We have many in-store events in-
cluding Nail Trim Saturday and Small
Dog Play Group. Nail Trim Saturday
takes place the first Saturday of each
month. Our Small Dog Play Group
meets every Wednesday of the month
(until Spring) from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in
the store.
Hours of Operation
Monday - Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00
p.m.
Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
tions in the
region and is
conveniently
situated near
I-694 and
I-35W for
accessibility.
Three
Things to
Try
1. Fresh-
pressed
tortillas
(which
are used
in all
burritos,
quesadillas and tacos).
2. Burrito (in which all ingredients of
choice are mixed together using a
special tool)
3. Queso (A good addition to any Pan-
cheros entrée as well as with chips)
Hours of Operation
Monday to Sunday, from 10:30 a.m. to
10:00 p.m.
Inside
Arden Hills, MN . 55112-5734
TCAAP/Rice Creek Commons Updates
City Approves Budget and Levy Increase
New Arden Hills Businesses
Fire and Sheriff's Office News
Visit the City’s Redesigned Mobile-Responsive and Service-Centric WebsiteIn late January, the city flipped the
switch on a new website design aimed
at better serving residents and visi-
tors who access online information from
multiple devices, including mobile, tablet,
laptop and desktop computers.
Research on government web-
sites consistently shows that
visitors want to complete tasks
online, whether it's paying a
bill, applying for a permit, or
registering for a recreation
class. Buttons on the website
home page, which also show
prominently on mobile phones,
makes it easier to do business
online.
The global menu at the top
of the website now includes a services
tab, where visitors can find categories of
centralized information. Visitors looking
for information about pets and animals or
content related to their home and yard can
find it all in one location.
Parks & Recreation content is prominently
featured on the website’s main menu,
because city data shows it is one of the
most popular sections of the website. In
addition, a recreation calendar on the home
page allows visitors to register for classes
of interest directly through the calendar
links.
The redesigned website also features more
graphics, larger images and strives to com-
ply with the most current ADA require-
ments. In many cases, website language
has been re-written and shortened, so visi-
tors can access information quickly.
Website edits will continue
in the first quarter of the new
year, along with ongoing
content updates. Visit us online
and let us know what you
think. We want to hear from
you!
Additionally, we are seeking
volunteers to help us test our
new site. If you are a new
resident, long-time resident,
new or long-time business
owner and you are able to give
an hour of your time at City
Hall, please contact Dawn Skelly, commu-
nications coordinator, at 651-792-7817, or
dskelly@cityofardenhills.org.
www.cityofardenhills.org