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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAugust-September 2020The Official City Newsletter for Arden Hills Residents August/September 2020 Three candidates have filed Affidavits of Candidacy for two seats on the Arden Hills City Council. Bobby Goldman, Brenda Holden and Dave McClung will vie for two 4-year terms (2021-2024). Candidate profiles will be published on the city website in mid-September and in the October newsletter. Their names will be on the November 3 general election ballot. Candidates File to Run for Arden Hills City CouncilWith the November general election on the horizon, please remember the below guidance regarding political campaign signs during the election season. • Campaign signs should not interfere with regulatory signs and traffic control devices. • Signs cannot be placed in the Clear Vision Triangle, which extends 30 feet in each direction from the intersection corners. • Those seeking election must get permission from private property owners prior to the placement of signs. • Failure to obtain permission may result in removal of the sign. • Signs are prohibited on property owned by the city, county, federal government and school districts. • Signs placed within city right-of-way should not be placed within five feet of the edge of the roadway pavement or curb. • The City of Arden Hills is not responsible for damage to signs placed in the right-of-way. • Signs placed in Ramsey County or State of Minnesota right-of-way are subject to Ramsey County and State of Minnesota consent and regulations. • Do not attach signs to public utility poles, trees, street signs, stoplights or fences. If the city receives a complaint or finds a violation on city property or the right-of-way, the sign will be removed and stored at Arden Hills City Hall. Candidates have 10 days following an election to remove signs, per state statute. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact city staff at 651-792-7800. Political Campaign Sign Rules During Election Season November 3 General Election Absentee Voting The general election will be held Tuesday, November 3rd. View your sample ballot at myballotmn.sos.state.mn.us If you cannot make it to your polling place on November 3, or if you prefer to vote by mail, you can request an absentee ballot at mnvotes.sos.state. mn.us/ABregistration. Absentee voting began Friday, September 18. 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 dmcclung@cityofardenhills.org Steve Scott 651-604-0919 sscott@cityofardenhills.org City Administrator Dave Perrault 651-792-7824 dperrault@cityofardenhills.org Communications Coordinator 651-792-7817 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 Commission are televised as well. Visit cityofardenhills.org for information about archived meeting playbacks. Arden Hills Notes is the official newsletter of the City of Arden Hills, an equal-opportunity employer. City News Updates The city’s annual State of the City Address is pre-recorded this year and will be available on the city website by mid-September at cityofardenhills.org. CTV North Suburbs has taped the Mayor’s address, which includes information about the city’s financial standing, important development project updates, public works projects, parks and trails improvements and more. To receive an email message when the State of the City address has been posted online, sign up for City News Alerts at cityofardenhills.org/NotifyMe. State of the City Address Available Online Census Takers are in our Neighborhoods The U.S. 2020 Census is underway. More than 84% of Arden Hills’ households have already been counted. Great job! If you haven't completed the survey, you may get a visit from a Census Bureau employee. Census takers will wear masks and follow local public health guidelines when they visit your home. Census takers are hired from your area, and their goal is to help you and everyone in your home be counted in the 2020 Census. If someone visits your home this year to collect information for the 2020 Census, check to make sure they have a valid ID badge with their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date. Census workers may also carry Census Bureau bags and other equipment with the Census Bureau logo. Night to Unite Canceled for 2020 In the interest of the health and safety of all citizens, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office has canceled participation in the 2020 Night to Unite event. The event is traditionally celebrated the first Tuesday in August, was earlier postponed to October and is now canceled. The Sheriff’s Office hopes to come back to a bigger and better event next year when Night to Unite will be on Tuesday, August 3, 2021. Round Lake Cleanup Round Lake is in need of cleanup due to decades of sediment contamination by the U.S. Army. A document describing potential cleanup strategies is nearing completion and is expected to be submitted to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this fall. The next step will be for the Army to choose its preferred cleanup strategy and to place it on public notice for a 30-day comment period. This is expected to happen before the end of the year. The vision of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (owner of Round Lake) is to have a fully functioning unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System, by providing quality habitat for focal species to promote their conservation and management and providing priority public use opportunities where appropriate and compatible. Benchmarks: A Review of Recent Council Action July 27, 2020 All items approved by a unanimous 5-0 vote unless noted. • Approved a resolution for a conditional use permit and amended planned unit development for establishment of a daycare center at North Heights Lutheran Church, 1700 Hwy 96 W. (4-1 McClung opposed). • Approved an ordinance amendment to Chapter 13 of the zoning code defining requirements for call center parking, loading and circulation. • Approved a resolution accepting a feasibility report and calling for a public hearing for the 2021 Pavement Management Plan for street and utility improvements. August 10, 2020 • Approved purchase of equipment needed to convert a base 2021 utility truck for snow plowing operations for $133,000. • Awarded a professional services agreement to Bolton & Menk for $337,767 for design and construction engineering support of the proposed 2021 Pavement Management Plan for street and utility improvements. • Awarded a $53,808 construction contract to Klein Underground for curb and stormwater catch basin repair work in multiple areas of the city. • Awarded a $125,525 cooperative and maintenance agreement with Ramsey County for the city’s shared costs for pedestrian crosswalk improvements on Hamline Avenue. • Denied a planning case for a 12” front deck variance at 1741 Venus Ave (3-2 with Holden, Holmes and McClung voting to deny). For a complete listing of recent City Council action, visit cityofardenhills.org and click on View Agendas & Minutes. Where to Find City Resolutions and Ordinances City resolutions and ordinances are written and amended as part of official City Council business. Community members who are looking for proposed resolution and ordinance language can check the city’s Agenda Center, which is accessible from the city’s website by clicking on the Agendas & Minutes button on the homepage cityofardenhills.org and then clicking on the desired agenda packet. Final approved and adopted resolutions and ordinances are stored in Laserfiche, the city’s online repository for archived documents. To access these documents, visit cityofardenhills.org and click on Archived Documents under Helpful Links on the website homepage. The public can also find City Council minutes and packets; commission, committee and board information; and city newsletters in Archived Documents. Do you want to know more about waste, recycling, energy and other environmental health issues in Ramsey County? Sign up to receive Green Ramsey, a monthly e-newsletter produced by Ramsey County’s Environmental Health Division. Visit RamseyCounty.us and search “Green Ramsey." Once you’re on the Green Ramsey web page, click on the red envelope to sign up. Get Recycling Tips and More The Arden Hills City Council, at its August 24 Council Meeting, approved entry into a three-cities’ agreement that paves the way for a future fire station location in Arden Hills. The agreement allows for the purchase of the land, which includes a portion of land near Bethel University’s Anderson Center, located off of County Road E and Pine Tree Drive. The agreement also authorizes the city to pay the Lake Johanna Fire Department (LJFD) for its proportional share of the land purchase and future road relocation cost, not to exceed $341,000. Along with Arden Hills, the cities of North Oaks and Shoreview make up the other two cities named in the agreement. The new station will primarily serve Arden Hills and Southern Shoreview. The cities of North Oaks and Shoreview are scheduled to approve the agreement at upcoming council meetings. The agreement follows on the heels of a needs assessment and search for land for a new station. The assessment concluded that the current station model was not sufficient to meet fire service needs for the next 50 years and recommended closing Station 4 (3615 Victoria St, Shoreview) and constructing a new headquarters with additional training, administrative and equipment space. After considering the needs assessment, the Lake Johanna Fire Department Board of Directors (of which, Arden Hills has one vote and North Oaks and Shoreview have one and two votes, respectively) and the three cities directed the fire chief to engage Bethel in discussions regarding the land. Following discussions with Bethel University, a tentative agreement was reached between the fire department and the University, and the fire department followed through with a purchase agreement. The purchase agreement allows the fire department a due diligence period that ended on August 21, 2020, and a closing date of no later than September 21, 2020. Following its due diligence, the fire department intends to move forward with the purchase of the land. The purchase of the land includes two costs: the first being the cost of the land at $1.35 million and the second being the department’s share of the cost to relocate the existing access road not to exceed $325,000. The fire department is also contributing $300,000 of its general fund money towards the land acquisition. This leaves the cost to the cities at $1.375 million, assuming the road relocation cost comes in at the maximum amount. Traditionally, the three cities of Arden Hills, North Oaks and Shoreview have funded the fire department’s operating and capital expenses. For the future station construction, the City of Arden Hills will need to add money to its public safety capital budget. The first installment of this additional money ($50,000) was proposed by staff in the preliminary 2021 budget. The full draft agreement and agreement highlights can be found at cityofardenhills.org/firestation. Council Enters Into Three Cities Agreement for Future Fire Station Location Emergency Grant Program The City of Arden Hills developed a Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program that provided up to $150,000 in CARES Act Funds for local businesses adversely impacted by COVID-19. Applications will be accepted until Friday, September 25. Visit the city website at cityofardenhills.org for details. COVID-19 City, County and State Updates The City of Arden Hills will not be offering in-person fall recreation programs due to COVID-19, but has a list of virtual activities posted on the city website at cityofardenhills. org under Recreation Programs. City parks, trails, playgrounds, athletic fields, nature areas and sport courts remain open and available for use. City staff is exploring options for resuming winter recreation programs in January 2021. Ramsey County Ramsey County has launched Job Connect, an online job board. Visit ramseycounty.us/ jobconnect. A new home meal delivery program is available to qualifying residents free of charge. Visit ramseycounty.us/ homemealdelivery. Ramsey County has opened redesigned Service Centers to provide more convenient and accessible access to programs for residents. Nearby locations include the Roseville and Shoreview libraries. State Minnesota Housing is now accepting applications for housing assistance payments to help prevent eviction and homelessness and to maintain housing stability for eligible renters and homeowners. Visit mnhousing.gov to learn more. Gateway Interstate - Scannell Properties has submitted a land use application to develop the vacant land at the end of Round Lake Road and Gateway Boulevard. The company plans to construct a 250,000-square- foot office and warehouse facility. Two road improvement projects recently were completed in the city. The 2020 Street Maintenance Project included seal coat, crack seal and fog seal applications on several city streets and trails. The 2020 Overlay Project, which was conducted by the city’s Public Works Department, resurfaced Dawn Circle East and West, Indian Oaks Circle, Eide Circle and the southern segment of Norma Avenue. Gateway Interstate-Scannell Properties Plans Expansion Final Plat for Ecko Estates (Former Fire Station 1) Submitted Barry O’Meara has submitted an application for final plat at 3246 New Brighton Road. The applicant is proposing to final plat the recently approved preliminary plat of four owner-occupied, single-family residential lots called Ecko Estates at the decommissioned fire station 1. For more information about these projects and other development updates, visit cityofardenhills.org/developmentprojects. City Completes Two Road Improvement Projects City Solicits Project Bids The city is soliciting bids for repairing sanitary sewer segments near Arden View Court and Colleen Avenue. Additionally, the city is seeking bids for an HVAC repair project at City Hall. 2021 Pavement Management Program Neighborhood Meeting A project improvement hearing has been scheduled for September 14 for property owners located within the city’s 2021 Pavement Management Program. More information about the project can be found at cityofardenhills.org/roadconstruction. Development Updates Road Construction and Public Works Updates Inside Arden Hills, MN . 55112-5734 Candidates File for City Council Where to Find Ordinances and Resolutions Agreement for Future Fire Station Location COVID-19, Development and Road Updates Made in Arden Hills Features Delkor Systems Inc. Delkor Systems, located at 4300 Round Lake Blvd W., is a robotic packaging equipment company that provides machines and packaging solutions to Fortune 500 companies in the food and beverage industry. The company has been in business since 1973 and in Arden Hills since 2013. Three Things to Know 1. In 2014, the company started to offer retail-ready packaging, in which the shipping case became the display tray, just by tearing off the top hood. This changed the retail packaging landscape, as stores could easily receive and set up eye-pleasing displays. Many of the package designs are made from a single sheet of corrugated cardboard, which saves paper and the environment. 2. Delkor Systems is focused on sustainability. In the past, product packaging was not unique, and often not sustainable either. Brown boxes, like moving boxes, were used throughout the industry. Companies such as Costco, Aldi, Pepsi, Frito-lay and others have all moved to more sustainable packaging, such as retail ready packaging and tri-sealed cartons. With the tri-seal carton design, excess package flaps are removed, which eliminates the need to move products to a separate tray on the shelf and reduces the amount of packaging materials. 3. In Arden Hills, employees of Delkor Systems design and manufacture sophisticated robotic packaging machines and parts in its 165,000-square- foot manufacturing plant. The company has doubled in size since 2014 as global food and employee shortages continue to force the industry to adapt and automate. Recently, Delkor’s Vice President of Human Resources and After-Market Services was named as the first female to lead the North American PMMI packaging trade association. Delkor Systems employs more than 250 people. For more information, visit delkorsystems.com.