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Home My WebLink Aboutweekly notes August 12th 2016 .o Memo TO: City Council Members FROM:EricOkagreen istrator WEEKLY NOTES— August 12',2016 Zoning l Development Items 1. The City has received an application from a property owner at 55a Conditional UsePermit to place a shed in the sideyard setback—being 1 foot from the property line.This matter will be on the September Planning Commission agenda. 2. The City received a communication from the US CENSUS Bureau dosing the Citya application process for the special census, Again those costs we estimated at over$100,000. 3. Bill and Marie Seib of 15336 UPPER 57TH ST did supply a letter to the City inquiring about the City possibly vacating the unused City street--to THEM --that is platted to the west of their property. See enclosed. Staff has not yet had a chance to look into this matter however this land contains a steep slope and likely could not be used as a street in the future. Staff will review in the coming week or so. 4. The Stagecoach Trail reconstruction project is planned for a Jan 2018 letting, however there will be an early open house on Oct 4e, 2016 at the St. Croix Preparatory Academy. Planning meetings will be continuing over the next several months. 5. CSAH 26 (near the Holiday)has closed for construction and is slated to reopen on or just after Aug 19th. Please see the enclosed MEMO from Washington County. ST.Croix River Crossing Michael Beer from MNDOT did respond to the City's inquiry about attending an upcoming meeting,however he does have some upcoming personal conflicts on various evenings.He indicated that he would respond back to me shortly as soon as he knows what dates might work. August 4b)and Aug 10th Updates. Other Items • Washington County foreclosure Data—Through June 2016 • The Coalition of Utility Cities will be hosting its Annual Meeting on August 17th—I have enclosed the planned agenda. The ceremonial groundbreaking for the Boutwells Chapel is planned for Wednesday at 3pm.—I have enclosed the itinerary Manned. • The Ragnar Relay Race will be proceeding through the local communities this weekend. « Washington County Summary of Proceedings—July 26e,August 2"d and Aug 9th « Police Activity Report for July 2016 from Chief DeRosier Mayor McComber provided: 1. LMC Bulleting for Aug 81h. 2° Information on addition meetings for the High school construction tours. 3. A report from the League of Women Voters on"How Open is Your Local Government" 4. Lower St.Croix Management Commission—May 313,2016 Meeting Minutes 1 of 91 5. MAOSC Capital and City News for July 6. Information on Splash Pads. 7. METRO Cities news for August 12th 8. Information on Community Engagement—from Community Collaboration 9. Stillwater High School Sports Schedule. 10. An article from the Stillwater Gazette discussing some historical dates of the platting of Oak Park as well as other interesting information,(Staff will bring this article to the workshop on 8/15116) Please call me at any time if you have questions...651-253.7637 2 of 91 TPC3601 Thurston Avenue N,Suite 100 Anoka, MN 55303 Phone: 763.231.5840 Facsimile: 763.427.0520 TPC§PlanningCo.corn August 10, 2016 Scott and Christina Mitchell 5527 Oakgreen Place North Oak Park Heights, MN 55082 RE: Oak Park Heights- Conditional Use Permit for a Storage Shed at 5527 Oakgreen Place North TPC FILE: 236.05 16.01 Dear Mr. and Ms. Mitchell: The City is in receipt of your application to allow the construction of a storage shed in the side lot at 5527 Oakgreen Place North. With this letter, we are notifying you that the application will be complete with receipt of the following information by August 17, 2016: 1. Please provide a narrative that explains your request and why the storage shed should be placed in the setback. Are there trees, topography constraints or other reasons why the building could not be placed in the back yard? 2. Provide pictures of your yard, the retaining wall and the location of the new storage shed. Staff has reviewed your application and would invite you to a meeting to discuss your request at 10:30 AM, August 17, 2016 at the Oak Park Heights City Hall. If the materials are submitted as requested, the application would be considered at a Public Hearing of the Planning Commission on September 1, 2016. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions prior to that meeting. Sincerely, Scott D' Richards (Planning Consultant to the City of Oak Park Heights) The Planning Company LLC c: Eric Johnson, Julie Hultman 3 of 91 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau Washington, DC 20233-0001 August 1, 2016 Mr. Eric Johnson City of Oak Park Heights 14168 Oak Park Blvd.N Oak Park Heights, MN 55082 Dear Mr. Johnson: This letter is to inform you that our original Memorandum of Agreement(MOA)has expired. We did not receive the required payment, along with the approved MOA in order for the U.S. Census Bureau to conduct a Special Census for the City of Oak Park Heights,MN. The cost estimate that we provided, dated December 11,2015,has expired. Our original letter specified the cost estimate was valid for six(6)months from the date of the actual letter. If you would like to go forward with conducting a Special Census for the City of Oak Park Heights,MN,please visit our website at http:l/census.gov/programs-surveys/specia]census.html and follow the instructions for submitting a request. We will require a new Special Census Cost Estimate Request Form to be completed, along with a$200 processing fee. Once the Special Census Branch has received your request and payment, a cost estimate and two MOAs will be created specifically for your jurisdiction and provided to you within 45 days. If you have any questions or require further information,please contact the Special Census Branch at 301-763-1429. Sincerely, Hector X. erced Chief, Field Division U §,q� N S U S B U R E A U Helping Yoa Make Informed Deefjions www.census.gov Eric Johnson From: Bill Seib <selb37@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday,August 3, 2016 9:46 AM To: Eric Johnson Subject: possible street vacation Attachments: map.pdf Wednesday, August 3, 2016 Hello Eric, First)---Wondering if the mountain bike trail is progressing, we have not heard any activity in the park. Second)--Marie and I are interested in vacating the street abutting the west side of our property. We are unfamiliar with the City procedure for requesting the same or if the City even allows it. Could you shed some light on this? Attached to this e-mail is a PDF showing the portion of Fourth Street(the platted name)hatched in red that abuts our property that we would like vacated. We would be able to assist in this project by;preparing a proposed vacation description,preparing a proposed drainage and utility easement description along the westerly so many feet of the vacated street,and survey the same. As can be seen on the PDF,Fourth Street to the north of our property has portions of the Xcel transmission towers on it. After vacating we would then install a post and wire fence along the west Zine of Fourth Street/Valley View Park that abuts our property and for a short distance along our north line. We look forward to your comments and hope all is well. Regards, Bill and Marie Selb i 5 of 91 tw I I 1 I I I _ - - I I66 — � d i I� I � I i a I I � I r MEN&.._._ � .,�— — ---- — I I f 4 4 I r I u —- I L ALLiAN'T 1g ENGINEERING sko /r n ME E' ING AGE14-DA DATE/TIME: August 9, 2016; 1:00 pm—2:30 pm LOCATION: 1215 Inspiration Parkway South PROJECT: CSAR 21 (Stagecoach Trail)Pavement Management and Safety Improvement Project PURPOSE: Project Management Team Meeting AGENDA BY: Steve Weser; (612-767-9347) 1. Introductions 2. Project and Schedule Overview v� 3. Project Status Update a. Traffic b. Geotechnical c. Environmental Documentation d. Drainage J e. Utilities f. Survey g. Wetlands � G r 4. Future Development a. Bus Garage Relocation 5. Public Outreach a. Initial Public Meeting 6. Action Items Review 7. Next Steps 8. Round Robin 9. Next Meeting 233 Park Ave S,Ste 300 612.758.3000 MAIN M3r,WNpo,is,MV 55415 612.755.3099 FAx www.aIliant-inc.com )\ \ � $ ' [ � r � z � iCQ 2. �\\0000\ r} 7 r J £ [ . . / / \ 41 mo \ \ ) � � < S=: \ ) \ 9 � , § . ■ f » W / k § m | { a > �« § $ � � \ ) kk \ 2 ¥ ' etE \\ . § f§ / � I§ f § o ® � � £ ( ® ) § � ƒ [ E _ �\ k \C ) ) 122 . 5mw- ( / . _ � m � � G � � 8 of 91 Washington Public Works Department Co Donald J.Theisen,P.E. ' ' Director Wayne H.Sandberg,P.E. Deputy Director/County Engineer MEMORANDUM Date: August 8, 2016 To: St. Croix Crossings Residents From: Allan Brandt, Project Engineer Re: CSAH 26 (60th Street N/South Frontage Road)— ROAD CLOSURE Washington County would like to update you on the construction progress on the CSAH 26 (South Frontage Road) realignment project. The road contractor has completed excavation for the new road alignment and some underground utility relocations. Excavation is nearly complete on a storm water pond that will be shared by the County and the new Holiday Store. In addition, Holiday has begun redeveloping their site. IMPACTS THAT MAY AFFECT YOU 1. ROAD CLOSURE: CSAH 26 (South Frontage Road)will close to through traffic and detours will be in- place between 11 and 19 August. See back page for posted detour route. This road closure is necessary to complete deep utility installation and relocations, retaining wall construction, and tie-in of the new frontage road alignment to the existing frontage road. The closure will allow the contractor to complete the work efficiently and substantially increase driver safety through the construction zone after the closure. The closure will also reduce traffic delays and congestion by eliminating the need for prolonged periods of two-way, one-lane traffic using flaggers. After the closure, temporary delays can still be expected as the road surface and striping is installed. Two- way traffic will be maintained during this work, but please keep in mind that flaggers will be present to direct traffic. You can stay updated on this and other projects in the area by visiting www.co.washington.mn.us. Please feet free to contact me at (651)430-4348 if you have further questions about the project. Thank you. 11660 Myeron Road North,Stillwater, Minnesota 55082-9573 Phone: 651-430-4300 • Fax: 651-430-4350 • TrY: 651-430-6246 www.co.washington.mn.us 9 of 91 Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action al 11 H :h N vy fA Ir N � �ySM 64th St N 0*Ver A OW 63rd S1 � yservc O+ndooa 53rd St N 63rd St N 62+rd 51 N m c 59 z z LOFFIN�AullA9Ysr i�'�es',{'.[�EO!i�h}ilgr 6f?fh�N � Snrnfls(N5[r `r WBk:r�M l wh St N o4esN. MSM � 4e G � �t '8;Mt+ef+nuk.inC z n o a 9 Road Closure- K cn n 11-19 August 58Cn5'� 5rsh Ss s� SMSIN 44 m 56th 51 N i VVe _ Z stbound Detour CSAH 26(South Frontage Road) Eastbound Detour Zabinto SAP 082-62"03 C Q � CSAH 26 Detour Plan New Frontage Rd Alignment . ' "'' ty Road Improvement Project 10 of 91 Eric Johnson From: Mary Mccomber<marymccomber@aol.com> Sent: Thursday,August 4,2016 11:19 AM To: Eric Johnson Subject: Fwd: Project Update:Segment casting is complete! For weekly notes ----Original Message— From: St Croix Crossing Project Team <stcroixcrossing.dot@public.govdelivery.com> To: marymccomber<marymccomber@aol.com> Sent: Thu,Aug 4, 2016 9:32 am Subject: Project Update: Segment casting is complete! Having trouble viewing this email? oStcr ix Segment casting is CROSSING complete! August 4,201 IS Hello again, On Aug. 3, crews cast the final segment at the Grey Cloud casting yard located in Cottage Grove, MN. This milestone marks the completion of all segments at both casting yards. Once the concrete segment has cured (dried)and crews are ready, it will be floated by barge to the project site where it will be lifted into place. Demobilization of the Grey Cloud casting yard will begin shortly after the final segment departs. Operations at the on-site casting yard will begin to conclude as segments are moved into place. 11 of 91 ,N 4 4, r i. Crews cast the final segment at the Grey Cloud casting yard in Cottage Grove on Aug. 3. Photo from Aug_ 3. 1 e ° n t�j, ..,a, "°W,q ..,.N, ir•.4 x ,� ..,...,®-,..__ 'min °w r° n At the end of July, crews began casting the tinal segment at the on-site casting yard. once enough segments are removed from the on-site casting yard, crews will begin construction 2 12 of 91 of the Hwy 95 ramp. Photo of the final segment being cast at the on-site casting yard from .duly 14. Other construction highlights Crews began moving the segment lifters from Pier 8,to Pier 10 and anticipate having the segment lifters operational by mid-August. Once the segments lifters are operational at Pier 10, one ringer crane will leave the project site.At Piers 10, 11 and 12, segment placement and stay cable installation continues_ , � k r _ a� 9r,, ; f . r Crews move the segment Iifters From Pier's to Phar 10. Photo from Aug. 1. V r - 9 �I w,4. S "+w 3 13 of 91 View of Pier 12, closest to the Wise. shoreline. Crews continue to place segments and stay cables at this pier location. Photo from Aug. 1. t u. Looking east from the Minn. shoreline at niers 9-12 (pictured right to left). Photo from Aug. 1. d TMW d , Crews continue to place segments at Fier 4 that will make up the westbound Hwy 36 span. Photo from Aug. 1. 4 14 of 91 Eric Johnson Fr9m. TOT_St[roixcrossing <StCroixcrossing,dotCcDstate.mn.us> Sent: Wednesday,August 10,2016 3:39 PM Subject: Crews cast final segment for St.Croix Crossing bridge deck Aug.3 St-Croix CROSSING Kristin Calliguri,MnDOT Diana Maas,WisDOT Office 651-366-4272 Office 715-635-4968 Cell 651-503-0637 Cell 715-828-9471 kristin.callieuri te.mn.us diana.maas@dotwi.gov News Release Aug. 10,2016 Crews cast final segment for St. Croix Crossing bridge deck Aug. 3 Segment lifters place first segment at Pier 10 STILLWATER, Minn.—Workers at the St.Croix Crossing Grey Cloud casting yard, located in Cottage Grove,cast the final segment Wednesday,Aug.3. Since Fall 2014,crews have produced nearly 550 acre-cast segments at the Grey Cloud casting yard.These segments are being used for the main river bridge. Crews completed casting segments at the on-site casting yard,near the Highway 36/Highway 95 interchange, in mid- July. Other St.Croix Crossing bridge construction highlights include: • The segment lifters that were lifting segments at Pier 8 have been moved and are now operational at Pier 10. Crews used the segment lifters to place the 191 eastbound and westbound segments in the bridge deck constructlon sequence. • Crews have placed up to the 191 eastbound and westbound segments in the bridge deck construction sequence at Pier 11 and will have installed the fourth set of stay cables by the end of the week of Aug.8. Crews have installed the seventh set of stay cables at Pier 12,closest to the Wisconsin shoreline. Stay connected,ask questions or provide comments to the St. Croix Crossing project team: Visit the Sign-up for Call the hotline at 1-855-GO-CROIX(1-855-462-7649) Like us on Facebook - Follow us on Twitter @stcroixcrossina 1 15 of 91 Eric Johnson From: Bill Lightner<BLightner@wchra.com> Sent: Wednesday,August 3,2016 9:20 AM To: Aaron Parrish-Forest Lake; Bayport;birchwoodvillage; Bob Streetar-Oakdale; Bryan Bear- Hugo;Cottage Grove John Burbank;Cyndy Boyce;Dellwood; Hugo-Chuck Preisler; Hugo-Eric Maass, Hugo-Rachel Leitz(RLeitz@ci.hugo.mn.us); Kevin Walsh; Lakeland; Lakeland Shores; Logan Martin; Neil Soltis=Scandia; Newport= Deb Hill; Newport- Renee Eisenbeisz; Eric Johnson;Oakdale- Kenneth Meuwissen;Oakdale linnea@ci.oakdale. mn. us;Scott Neilson- Mahtomedi;St. Mary's Point-Cindie Reiter; Stillwater;Tanya Nuss -Cottage Grove;Tom McCarty(tmccarty@ci.stillwater.mn.us); Washington County;Washington County-Jennifer Wagenius;Woodbury-Karl Cc: Melissa Taphorn Subject: June Foreclosures Attachments: 2016 Foreclosures.xis Washington County CDA Foreclosure Information Service Update In June,the Washington County HRA officially adopted economic development authority powers granted by the state during the last legislative session. The Washington County HRA has been renamed to the Washington County Community Development Agency(CDA). See our website for more details: http://www.wchra.com/ Please find attached the CDA foreclosure datasheet updates!with 2016 information through June. We hope you find this information useful to help meet your community's housing needs. 1.Summary Data Below is a table of the total sheriff sales by month with a total of 146 through June 2016.The sales total for June was very similar to the May total,which are down slightly from those earlier in the year. To date,there are 36 fewer sales than in 2015. Monthly Sheriff Sales-CDA Datasheet 2016-2015 Month 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 7016 Difference January 85 112 97 94 82 36 39 26 -13 February 94 103 63 61 53 32 32 24 -8 March 70 135 90 95 46 34 31 29 -2 April 97 95 110 65 51 37 27 25 -2 May 103 99 87 83 48 24 28 20 -8 June 130 105 104 99 58 36 25 22 -3 July 122 118 84 66 59 31 28 August 80 113 81 85 63 25 34 September 101 120 74 67 46 41 23 October 135 112 61 76 39 39 18 November 81 108 116 69 23 24 15 December 102 61 96 44 23 36 26 Total 1,200 1,281 1,063 904 591 394 326 146 -36 Average 100 107 89 75 49 33 27 24 -3 High 135 135 116 99 82 41 39 29 -10 Low 70 61 61 44 23 24 15 20 5 16 of 91 1 Total Foreclosures by Month 2009-2019 CDA Data►sheet 160 140 120 - - 100 - —�—� 80 - 2011 60 2013 40 2 _ = 714 0 �cJFS 02016 Below is a table and graph of pre-foreclosure notices since 2009. Before filing the sale notice,State law requires the foreclosing party to provide information about foreclosure prevention services to the homeowner and provide the homeowner's address and contact information to the Washington County HRA,as the designated housing counseling agency for the county. The MRA contacts each of these homeowners via mail to inform them of our services and encourage them to contact one of our homeownership specialists. While these figures are difficult to use as a basis to forecast any future trends,they do indicate continued foreclosure activity. Monthly Pre-foreclosure Notices Received by the HRA Month 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2016.2015 Difference January 304 357 241 258 154 114 125 103 11 February 219 257 292 248 198 116 79 64 -37 March 395 374 385 231 210 107 88 91 -19 April 351 358 237 199 248 91 127 99 36 May 376 289 224 236 72* 135 95 56 -40 June 276 318 303 245 185 128 73 84 -55 July 295 307 293 196 177 96 110 August 339 355 215 232 117 108 109 September 336 347 365 208 109 72 69 October 323 358 252 135 131 164 104 November 290 250 260 145 110 83 39 December 361 413 246 159 72 87 133 Total 3,865 3,983 3,313 2,492 1,783 1,303 1,151 497 -104 Average 322 329 276 208 149 109 96 83 -13 High 395 374 385 258 248 164 133 103 -30 Low 219 257 215 135 72 74 39 56 17 *Note that the relatively low May 2013 total of 72 is due in part to a backlog processing the notices at the HRA office 17 of 91 2 CDA Pre-Foreclosure Notices 2409-2016 450 400 e 350 _ /l 300 J _ W 250 `y�$ —2010 200 2411 150 ilk --*-2012 2013 100 , 0 16 X2014 50 "` +2015 02U1 Coe 2.CDA Foreclosure Prevention Services Please encourage struggling residents to call the HRA at 651-202-2822 or visit :.http://www.wchra.com/foreclosure- reventlon. We are here to help your residents who are facing foreclosure. Services are free and confidential. The CDA is the HUD approved housing counseling agency for Washington County. Our counselors are trained and certified,and are held to a National Industry Code of Ethics. See CDA website for upcoming Home Stretch workshop dates. Participants now have the option to pay on- line. httr)://www.wchra.com/eLucation 3.Reports No reports at this time. Bill Lightner Project Manager Washington County Community Development Agency 7645 Currell Blvd. Woodbury, MN 55125 651-202-2824 bifnhtnerawchra.com This message is intended only for the recipient named above,and may contain information that is confidential or protected by law. If you receive this message in error,please notify the sender immediately at 651-458-6936,and delete the message. The Washington County Community Development Agency is governed by the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. Email will be treated in the same way as written communications under the Act and,except as protected by law,may be available to the public upon request. 3 18 of 91 _ 'nAl iTrnnl nr7 Becker• Cohasset • Granite Falls • Hoyt Lakes Monticello - Oak Park Heights Red Wing 2016 Annual Meeting Wednesday,August 17,2016 10:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m. Offices of Flaherty& Hood, P.A. 525 Park Street,Suite 470 St. Paul, MN 55103-2139 AGENDA 1. Welcome and Introductions;Approval of Agenda(Greg Pruszinske) 2. Review of 2015-2016 Activities(Bradley Peterson,Carolyn Jackson) 3. Treasurer's Report(Marshall Hallock) 4. Adoption of 2016-2037 Policy Positions,Work Plan and Budget(Ail) 5. Adoption of Member Assessments(Al I) 6. Election of Officers for 2016-2017(All) 7, Authorization of President to Execute 2016-2017 Contract with Flaherty&Hood, P.A. 8. Update on Plant Activity from Members(Ail) 9. Other Business 10. Adjourn 19 of 91 Eric Johnson From: Steve Preus <spreus@preshomes.org> Sent: Friday,August 5,2016 3:48 PM TO. Eric Johnson Subject: Groundbreaking Invitation Forwared to City Council The Honorable Members of the Oak Park Heights City Council Dear Council Member: You are cordially invited to attend and participate at the Groundbreaking Event of the Boutwells Landing Historic Church. Here is the vital information: Date: Wednesday, August 17 Time: 3:00 PM start Place: Construction site, just west of the corner of Norwich ParKway and Nolan Parkway Participants: City Officials, Valley Senior Services Alliance Board, Historic Church Committee, Boutwells Landing residents, Chamber of Commerce, Boutwells & Pres Homes Mgmt Speakers: Mayor Mary McComber (or designee), Dan Lindh (President, Pres Homes), Bob Hagstrom (VSSA board member), Contractor, Architect, Boutwells administrator & chaplain. Pictures: Groundbreaking photos after the program. Mayor, City Administrator, city officials, & city staff attending are invited to grab a shovel & hard hat for news release photo. If you think you will be able to attend, please RSVP to spreus@preshomes.org. We are planning on submitting a news release with pictures after the event. Please call me at 612-968-1331 if you have any questions about this information. Thank you for your consideration, and thank you for your support of this project. Steve Preus Presbyterian Homes Foundation 2845 Hamline Avenue Roseville, MN 55113 651-631-6106 612-968-1331 cell spreus@preshomes.org This electronic mail transmission(including any attachments)may contain confidential health or other information that is protected by law.It is not intended for transmission to,or receipt by,any unauthorized persons.If you have received this electronic mail transmission in error,please delete it,and notify the Sender by reply electronic mail transmission so that our records can be corrected. 20 of 91 Eric Johnson From: Mary Anderson <mary@andersonraces.com> Sent: Monday,August 8,2016 6.47 AM To: 'Mary Anderson';'Ameena (Chan' Subject: 2016 Ragnar Relay this Friday and Saturday Attachments: 2016 Race Bible.pdf Bello Everyone, The 2016 Ragnar Relay will be coming through your area this coming Friday and Saturday. The first start time is at 5:00am and the last teams will be starting at noon from Winona. We thank you for your many years of support of this event and we look forward to running through your cities,towns, counties,and parks as well as visiting your fine establishments as we run on our adventure to finish at various times on Saturday at East River Flats in Minneapolis. I am attaching our 2016 Race Bible which includes race information the participants have been given and includes several detailed maps of the course. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact either Ameena Khan from the Ragnar team at 801-706-8502 or myself, Mary Anderson at 612-202-2616 Thank you again for your support of the 2016 Ragnar Relay! Mary Anderson Anderson Race Management 4047 Camberwell Dr N Eagan, MN 55123 mary@andersonraces.com 651-688-9143 21 of 91 Summary of Proceedings Washington County Board of Commissioners July 26,2016 Present were Commissioners Fran Miron,District 1; Gary Kriesel,District 3; and Lisa Weik, District 5. Commissioner Bigham District 4 was absent. Board Chair Miron presided. Commissioner Reports—Comments—4uestions The Commissioners reported on the following items: - Commissioner Kriesel—reported that he attended the Parks and Open Space Commission on July 21'%which included a tour of the Land and Water Legacy projects. He attended the Historic Courthouse Advisory Committee meeting regarding future events planning. He reported that Harry Ostendorf,Board Member of the Veterans Campground on Big Marine Lake,passed away last week,and offered condolences. Commissioner Weik—reported that she attended the National Association of Counties(NACo) annual conference in Long Beach, California,last week. She reported that she was not able to attend the business meeting on July 25`x,due to prior commitments. She will report on the NACo conference at next week's Board Meeting when Commissioner Bigham is also able to report on the conference. - Commissioner Miran—reported appreciation for Commissioner Weik and Commissioner Bigham for attending the NACo conference. He attended the Community Development Agency(CDA)Board Meeting, regarding budget proposals. General A mini$ atian Approval of the following actions: July 12, 2016 County Board Meeting Minutes. Resolution No. 2016-099,accepting 2016 2nd quarter donations,gifts,and bequests. Board workshop to discuss the initial redesign of the Washington County homepage and library sub-site. - Board workshop for an update on the potential purchase of a property in the City of Grant through the Land and Water Legacy Program. -Board correspondence was received and placed on file. Property Records and Taxpayer Services Approval of the following actions: Resolution No. 2016-096,application from the American Legion Post 491 to conduct off-site gambling at the Washington County Fairgrounds. Agreements for assessing services between Washington County,Afton, Oakdale and Oak Park Heights. Resolution No. 2016-097, application from St.Paul East Parks Lions to conduct excluded bingo at the Washington County Fairgrounds located in Baytown. 22 of 91 Public Works Approval of the following actions: Resolution No. 2016498,to enter into Minnesota Department of Transportation Agreement No. 1003191 providing for the maintenance of a recreational trail within the right-of-way of Minnesota Trunk Highway 61 and Trunk Highway 10. Bid award for the fuel infrastructure upgrades in the amount of$610,898.55. Board workshop to discuss the County License Centers. A complete text of the Official Proceedings of the Washington County Board of Commissioners is available for public inspection at the Office of Administration,Washington County Government Center, 14949 62nd Street N., Stillwater,Minnesota. 23 of 91 Summary of Proceedings Washington County Board of Commissioners August 2,2016 Present were Commissioners Fran Miron,District 1; Gary Kriesel,District 3; Commissioner Bigham District 4; and Lisa Weik,District 5. Board Chair Miron presided. Commissioner Reports—Comments-Questions The Commissioners reported on the following items: - Commissioner Weik—reported that she attended the Lake Elmo Swim Pond Ribbon Cutting event at the Lake Emo Park Reserve on August 1,2016. She reported that she attended the 2016 National Association of Counties(NACo)Conference in Long Beach, California, and summarized the following workshops,presentations and activities: human trafficking workshops; Women of NACo Meeting and Shared Hope International;Passport Free Circulator Bus; Transportation Steering Committee;Towards Zero Death Grant Program; Thums Island Tour Mobile workshop;Economic Development; Opioid Epidemic Luncheon; How to Effectively Market Your County for Free workshop;Ethical Leadership workshop; Rural Action Caucus;and the Innovations in Water Infrastructure Financing and Service Delivery workshop. She reported that next year's NACo conference will be in Columbus, Ohio. Commissioner Bi —reported that she attended the Lake Elmo Swim Pond Ribbon Cutting event at the Lake Elmo Park Reserve on August 1, 2016. She attended the Recycling and Energy Board meeting. She attended the Red Rock Corridor meeting, and attended two meetings in Newport regarding Red Rock Crossing. She reported that she plans to attend several Night to Unite events, She reported that she attended the NACo Conference in Long Beach, California, and summarized the following workshops,presentations and activities:the 2015-2016 NACo report; updates on the NACo leadership; Washington County's Low Interest Loan Program received an award;Justice and Public Safety Committee; Opioid Epidemic Luncheon;Human Trafficking workshop;NextGen and the project assembling backpacks for victims of human trafficking;the Women of NACo event;Negotiations workshop; Tele-Health and Tele-Services; Water Infrastructure Financing and Service Delivery workshop;mobile tour on the LA River regarding public access,parks and trails; Waste to Resource workshop; Mental Illness in Jails; and Comprehensive Planning and Conservation Planning. - Commissioner Kriesel---reported that the Washington County Fair runs from August 3rd to August 7m. He attended the Lake Elmo Swim Pond Ribbon Cutting event at the Lake Emo Park Reserve on August 1, 2016. He reported that he will be attending the Night to Unite event in Stillwater. - Commissioner Miron—reported that he attended the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board regarding organic recycling. He attended the Greater MSP meeting,reviewing the strategic initiatives and economic development,and the importance of talent retention in Minnesota. He will be attending the national Night Out event. He reported that the Hugo 24 of 91 Lions with be hosting a golf outing, and all of the proceeds with go to the Yellow Ribbon Network. Community Services - Board workshop to review Medical Assistance and the Affordable Care Act. General Administration Approval of the following actions: July 19, 2016 County Board Meeting Minutes. Molly O'Rourke, County Administrator,reported that the county's federal lobbyist,Andy Burmeister of Lockridge Grindal Nauen,informed the county of a federal legislation that might have an impact on the county,regarding the Families First Prevention Services Act. Dan Papin, Community Services Director, summarized the legislation, and presented a letter for the board to approve expressing concerns with the Family First Prevention Services Act. - Ms. O'Rourke summarized the MCIT Dividend Notification that the county will receive a dividend of$420,825 for the Workers' Compensation and Property Casualty areas. The funds will be used to pay-down the post-employment health care obligations. -Board correspondence was received and placed on file. Property Records and Tax2ayer Services - Approval of a Temporary On-Sale Liquor License for the Stillwater Elks#179 for a special event to take place at the Kissing Birch Farm, 10200 Norell Avenue North, Stillwater Township on September 10 and 11, 2016. Public Health& Environment Approval of the following actions: Resolution No. 2Q16-100,authorizing submittal ofan application to the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources for Clean Water Fund Well Sealing grant. - Resolution No. 2016-101, authorizing submittal of an application to the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources for Clean Water Fund Accelerated Implementation grant. Resolution No. 2016405,Master Plan Amendment#1 to Amend Washington County Solid Waste Master plan 2011-2030. Resolution No.2016-106, Ramsey and Washington Counties Joint Waste Designation plan. Pic Works Approval of the following actions: - Public Hearing regarding requests for amendments to the Washington County Subdivison Ordinance No. 131, and to the Washington County Comprehensive Plan. - Amendment No. I to Metropolitan Council grant agreement SG-03667 for the Lake Elmo Park Reserve Swim Pond improvements project. - Amendment No. 1 to Metropolitan Council grant agreement SG-03669 for the Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park renovations project. - Cooperative agreement with the City of Cottage Grove for the design of the East Point Douglas improvement project. Sheriff's Office 25 of 91 Approval of the following actions: Grant agreement with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management,to receive funding through the Emergency Management Performance Grant Program. Agreement between Hennepin County and Washington County to house Hennepin County detainees at the Washington County jail if a continuity of operations plan is activated. Resolution No. 2416-104,accepting the donation of ten$250 gift certificates to Galls, Inc. from Thomas Rice. A complete text of the Official Proceedings of the Washington County Board of Commissioners is available for public inspection at the Office of Administration, Washington County Government Center, 14949 62nd Street N., Stillwater, Minnesota. 26 of 91 Summary of Proceedings Washington County Board of Commissioners August 9,2016 Present were Commissioners Fran Miron,District 1; Gary Kriesel, District 3; Commissioner Bigham District 4; and Lisa Weik,District 5. Board Chair Miron presided. Commissioner Reports—Comments—Ouestions The Commissioners reported on the following items: - Commissioner Bigham—reported that she attended the early voting process yesterday,August 8", at the Stillwater Government Center, and thanked Property Records and Taxpayer Services staff. She attended several National Night Out events within her district's communities. She attended the Senior Event at the Washington County Fair. She announced that Newport is holding its Pioneer Day at Pioneer Park in Newport on Sunday,August 14th. - Commissioner Kriesel—Kriesel reported that he attended the Senior Event at the Washington County Fair,and congratulated Louella Merten and Joe Incemona for being recognized as the 2016 Washington County Senior Citizen Volunteers. He attended several National Night Out events within his district's communities. - Commissioner Weik—offered condolences to former Woodbury Mayor Bill Hargis and his family for the loss of his wife. She reported that she attended the Absentee Open Voting on Saturday,August 61h. She attended safety training this week,with the Sheriff s Office. She attended a co-chair meeting with East Metro Strong,and reported that some cities along the Red Line in Dakota County may possibly be interested in East Metro Strong membership. She attended the Executive Change Control Board meeting for the Southwest Light Rail,regarding scope and budget. She attended the Senior Event at the Washington County Fair. She attended a kick-off event on August 81h for Woodbury Days. - Commissioner Miron—reported that he attended the Senior Event at the Washington County Fair. He attended National Night Out events. He attended the Water Consortium meeting regarding Buffer Law Enforcement,and suggested a future workshop regarding this topic. He attended Congressmen Emmer's Townhall Meeting regarding the Family Protection Act. He attended the safety training this week hosted by Doug Berglund,Emergency Services Manager, and suggested a future agenda item regarding this topic. Community Services Approval of the following actions: The Restated Cooperative Agreement for Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Services with the Metro County Consortium. Resolution No. 2016-105,grant agreement authorizing the receipt of$17,500 for Veterans Service Office Operational Enhancement grant funding from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. 27 of 91 - Addition of three Eligibility Specialist full-time equivalents to assist in managing increased medical assistance caseloads. General Administration Approval of the following actions: - July 26,2016 County Board Meeting Minutes. - Public comment from RichW Glasgow, Lakeland City Council Memher, spoke in recognition of first responders within the community,Emergency Medical Services, fire departments, and law enforcement, and promoted the Dear American Hero initiative. Further information can be found at: DearAmericanHero.com. - Resolution No.2016-104,recognizing the 5e anniversary of Wilson Tool. - Molly O'Rourke, County Administrator,reported that the North Shop's Open House will be on Saturday,August 20'`,from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and is open to the public. - Ms. O'Rourke also reported that today is Primary Election Day,and that polls are open for voting until 8:00 p.m. Board Workshop to discuss 2017 proposed budget with the following departments: Introduction to the Proposed 2017 Budget,Administration; Internal Services(Administration, Accounting and Finance,Human Resources, and Information Technology); General Operations and Commissioners; and the Washington County Community Development Agency. -Board correspondence was received and placed on file. Library - Board workshop to discuss professional analytics, implementation and marketing services for the Library Strategic Plan implementation. Public Health&Environment - Approval of comments on the draft Watershed Management plans for Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District. Public Works Approval of the following actions: - License for the use of real property by Coca-Cola Refreshments USA, Inc., in order to operate and maintain beverage vending machines in Washington County Parks. - Contract with Short Elliot Hendrickson, Inc.,for Preliminary Design and Public Involvement Services for the Hadley Avenue(CSAH 35)and TH 36 Interchange Project in the Amount of $865,305. Sheriffs Office - Approval of resolution No. 2016-106,Agreement between United States Department of Justice,Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Washington County's Sheriff's Office. A complete text of the Official Proceedings of the Washington County Board of Commissioners is available for public inspection at the Office of Administration,Washington County Government Center, 14949 62nd Street N., Stillwater,Minnesota. 28 of 91 ,. .. POLICE DEPARTMENT CITY OF OAK PARK HEIGHTS 14168 OAK PARK BLVD.NORTH• P.O.BOX 2007 OAK PARK HEIGHTS,MINNESOTA 55082 TELEPHONE:(651)439-4723 FAX(651)439-3639 EMERGENCY:911 Aug 1",2016 To:Eric Johnson,City Administrator From: Brian DeRosier,Chief of Police Subject:Police Activity Report—July 2016 This overview report is the activity of the Oak Park Heights Police Department during the month of July 2016. Officers responded to and generated 536 calls for service in the City of Oak Park Heights. The department responded to many incidents during the month. This is a summary/sampling of some of the cases we responded to and investigated: 1. Responded to Heroin overdose of unconscious male found in hallway of apartment building. 2. Responded and investigated vehicle rollover at Oakgreen Ave and frontage road—suspect fled scene. 3. Suspect female arrested for domestic assault hitting and scratching victim. 4. Responded and investigated neighbor dispute and assault citation issued to male for kicking juvenile son of parties involved.ALL parties warned on disorderly conduct. 5. Assisted police agency in Iowa investigation of an attempted homicide. We interviewed witnesses here in OPH that suspect had contact with and apparently told them he was going to do it. 6. Investigation theft from business of ATV stolen frorn fenced area. 7. Responded to intoxicated persons causing disturbance. One male sent to Detox that was unable to find someone to care for him and he was so intoxicated he could not care for himself or get himself home. 8. Responded 4 times in last 2 months to an autistic child that runs. Searched located child each time,another warned on better management of child. 9. Responded to male threatening to shoot himself.Transported to Regions Hosp. 10. Picked up a male in hospital gown walking. Male left hospital AMA but was talked into returning. 11. Investigated juvenile males damaging mail boxes in Autumn Hills area. Officer Givand rescued an injured Hawk that apparently hit power lines. Hawk was taken to U of M Rapture Center. We had an outpouring of support from citizens and business members of the community in response to the negative response against LE and the homicides committed against officers around the country recently. VIN Representative Lohmer and Mayor McComber both sent personal thank you notes to the department. Several businesses responded with unsolicited donations;a breakfast for the officers was dropped off by Kowalski's, lunch was dropped off by Joseph's,Pizza was dropped off purchased by "anon person"delivered by Carbone's. Cavalry Assembly Church dropped off cookies,VIN High School 29 of 91 POLICE DEPARTMENT CITY OF OAK PARK HEIGHTS ^1 14168 OAK PARK BLVD.NORTH P.O.BOX 2007 OAK PARK HEIGHTS,MINNESOTA 55082 TELEPHONE:(651)439-4723 FAX(651)439-3639 V:. EMERGENCY:911 Rodeo Association invited LE to free rodeo during the WC Pair.All items dropped were placed out to be shared by all staff including the community. Numerous other individuals too numerous to mention have stopped myself and officers while out and about thanking us for the difficult job we do. Investigators Vierling and Paradise helped conduct a multi-agency sting for solicitation of minors for sex. The sting was conducted in SW. 4 persons were arrested. We had Safe and Sober enforcement details during the month. We had 6 days during the month where we were at full staff due to vacations, sick leave and training. I updated our body camera policy to reflect the 90 rule for minimum retention by the legislature. A review of the rest of the policy was conducted and we were already in compliance with any other rules imposed. As required a copy of the police was placed on the department web page. i also placed a copy of the IPAD highlights and Q&A,which was provided by the city attorney, of the new law for citizens to better understand some of the rules of the law. Officers attended training courses during the month: 1. All officers received refresher info on DNA evidence 2. All officers received training on Wellness for LE Officers 3. Ail officers received training on Sex Trafficking put together by Ramsey County Attorney and St Paul PD and distributed on DVD. Chief DeRosier 30 of 91 f�U !l ly-TIES LEAcE MINNESOTA ClrJES BULLE IN Issue 56 Aug-8,2016 J� View/print a PDF of the Cities Bulletin Possibility of Special Session Creates Budget and Tax Considerations for Cities The passage of a tax trill could still Impact 2017 property taxes and city budgets,but the tax hearing and notification statements may not reflect special session tax changes. Webmar.Po;ice-;tiom Bcdy — CamerasHow to Handle Gata anc Public Inow Undes riie New Lay.- Aug. av:Aug.34 1-2 p m. In Other News Ceeveroping a Culture of Safety_16 Lift- Small Cities Assistance Account Not Funded for 2o17—So Far I"Irety Iniriatives The only hope for funding for the account in the current fiscal year Is a special session. Sept 20AlbemiNe Sept 28—Perham Minimum Wage Increase EffecSept 29�af*vntive Aug,i Oct 5--Waseca This is the third increase under a 2014 law requiring a phased-in approach to raising the state mi ilmum wage. OCT. 13—Morton Focus nn Now Laws:Charitable Gambling cities are now required to acknowledge sources of contributions If charitable gambling organizations are required to contribute proceeds to 10 percent contribution funds. Sepr 21—torn w1k 5epc 2B—Eden Pratne Oct 4—New fthmn Department of Revenue Distributes 2o27 LGA Notices ort. 11 MI&W Withouca 2016 omnibus tax bill,the appropriation remains frozen at the 2016 level. Oct. 17—lyr6bing `Blanket Interviewing of Veterans No Longer Recommended Based on recent legal decisions,cities must use the veterans preference rating system Torveterans who apply far jobs with the city. Quick LInIC5 MnDOT Seeks Second Round of Public Input on U.S.Bicycle Route 4x ':rduve of 21evious lssot- The route will connect St.Paul to Grand Portage State Park. yanted/For Saie/RFP More Information and Resources tinnouncements in tale LtX Varketplace League Welcomes Reeder in New Role as CIO lNeekly 4M Fund Rates A Warning from the DEA to Law Enforcement Professionals:Fentarn/l Is Even More Dangerous Than You Think (Minnesota Municipal Money Market Fundy Emergency Response Grants Available from AgStat Fund for Rural America Firefighters and First Responders:Develop a Pian to Reduce Risk During Training and Tactical Operations This Fat] FAA Releases New Rules for tbv Use of Drones LMC Business Alliance Find Out What You Can Do When Responding to a Mental or Emotional Crisis at These Fall Workshops LMC Business Alliance members How Will the New Body Worn Cameras Law Affect Your Police Department? provide valuable financial support mthe League and help support our Find Information on Minnesota City Officials in the 2016 Directory! mission to serve Minnesoca cities- �'�e>ni��bance fi•�•�moe,rs Training,Conferences,Events Contact Us/Subscribe Upcoming League Events ForkglsAwnae quesrrons Online Training/E-Learning i omacc(GR 5t�f Cc-Sponsored Events For edirormtornrherEuHerm quesrions- Events Sponsored by Other Organizations Contact Claudia Noffacker Editor (651)215-4032 or J800)925.1122 c hoifacicer��imc.or2 31 of 91 To mreive rhe Cries Bu/lerin tea erawk >irn tic for a Tree subscn moor Possibility of Special Session Y y� Creates Budget and Tax LEAGUEAl �-� Considerations for Cities M�7�EWTA The passage of a tax bill could still impact 2017 property taxes and city budgets, but the tax hearing and notification statements may not reflect special session tax changes. The veto of the 2016 omnibus tax bill and the possibility of a special session to address the tax bill and other issues create questions about 2017 city budgets and property taxes. The vetoed 2016 omnibus tax bill, which was approved by a strong bipartisan majority in both the House and Senate, included several notable changes, including a $20 million increase in local government aid (LGA), small business relief from the state business property tax, relief to farmers from school district capital debt levies, and the repeal of a property tax exemption for agricultural containment facilities—all of which were originally scheduled to impact property taxes in 2017. Unfortunately, the bill also contained a significant drafting error related to charitable gambling taxes that resulted in a veto by the governor. The error would have unintentionally but significantly reduced lawful gambling tax revenues to the state. A special session has not yet been called by the governor, and details of a tax bill agreement have not been released. Below is a summary of the major provisions from the vetoed tax bill that would likely be included in a special session along with considerations city officials might have as they set their budgets and prepare for tax hearings this fall. Local government aid The omnibus tax bill would have increased the local government aid (LGA) appropriation from $519.4 million to $539.4 million (+$20 million) for aids payable in 2017 and thereafter. The bill also included a provision that would have distributed 6.5 percent of the LGA to each city on June 15, 2017, while 43.5 percent would have been paid on July 20, 2017, and the remaining 50 percent would have been paid on Dec. 26, 2017. The accelerated distribution would have occurred only in 2017. Considerations: LGA certification notices were distributed at the end of July with calculations based on a frozen appropriation of$519.4 million and at this point, cities should assume that the certified amounts will not change. if a special session tax bill includes additional funding for the 2017 LGA distribution, the Department of Revenue will likely attempt to recertify the revised amounts to each city. If a 32 of 91 change occurs after the Sept. 30 proposed levy certification deadline, cities can reduce the final property tax levy from the proposed level. Without knowing exactly when a tax bill might be passed by the Legislature and signed into law, cities should proceed with the following tax notification procedures, or what is still known as "truth in taxation (TNT)" procedures: • All cities, including cities with populations of 500 or less, must still certify proposed property tax levies to the county auditor on or before Sept. 30, 2016, and special taxing districts must do so by Sept. 15, 2016 (see "Proposed special district levy certification date change" below). • According to the Department of Revenue, cities with populations of 500 or less and all special taxing districts (except the Metropolitan Council, the Metropolitan Airports Commission, and the Metropolitan Mosquito Control Commission) are exempt from the requirement to hold a meeting with public input prior to adoption of the final levy. For a chart on the timelines involved, see page 3 of the League's Budget Guide for Cities (pdf){Link to:http://www.lmc.org/media/document/1/6udget_gurdeor_crtiespdj) Proposed special district levy certification date change The vetoed tax bill included a provision that would have allowed economic development authorities (EDAs), housing and redevelopment authorities (HRAs), and port authorities to certify their proposed property tax levies on Sept. 30 instead of Sept. 15, as required under current law. The Sept. 30 date corresponds to the proposed levy adoption deadline for cities, counties, and school districts. Considerations: Without knowing exactly when a tax bill might be passed by the Legislature and signed into law, EDAs, HRAs, and port authorities should proceed as if the proposed levy will be required to be set by Sept. 15. Property tax relief for small businesses The vetoed tax bill included tax relief for small businesses by exempting the first $100,000 of each commercial or industrial (CII) property's market value from the state general property tax levy. To prevent the exemption from shifting the state general property tax levy to other CII or cabin properties, the bill also reduced the state general levy by $56.4 million, which is the estimated amount of taxes paid by the exempted portion of CII properties. The bill also separately states in statute the amount of the state general property tax levy paid by CII properties and cabin properties. *Please note that the exemption would not impact local property taxes or local budgets. 33 of 91 Considerations: If a special session tax bill includes the exemption for CII properties, the proposed tax statements issued this fall will not likely reflect the impact of the new exemption due to property tax system programming changes that counties will not be able to implement before notices are distributed. Depending on the timing of the passage of a bill, final tax statements distributed next spring will likely reflect the reduction in CII taxes. School building bond agriculture credit The vetoed tax bill included a new state paid property tax credit available to all property classified as agricultural, equal to 40 percent of the tax on the property attributable to school district bonded debt levies. This new credit was projected to provide roughly $44 million per year in tax relief to agricultural properties and would have been effective for taxes payable in 2017. *Please note that the school building bond agricultural credit would not impact city property taxes or budgets. Considerations: If a special session tax bill includes the new credit for agricultural properties, the proposed tax statements issued this fall will not likely reflect the impact of the new credit due to property tax system programming changes that counties will not be able to implement before notices are distributed. Depending on the timing of the passage of a bill, final tax statements distributed next spring will likely reflect the new agricultural credit. Agricultural containment facility exemption repeal The vetoed tax bill included the repeal of the property tax exemption for agricultural containment facilities. Although the exemption has been in statute for many years, a recent survey of county assessors by the Minnesota Department of Revenue indicated that individual counties were inconsistently applying the exemption. As a result, in many counties, the exempt value of qualifying properties will dramatically increase for the 2017 tax year. In some instances, smaller cities generally in agricultural areas could lose more than 10 or 20 percent of their property tax base due to the expanded interpretation of the exemption. Considerations: If a special session tax bill includes the repeal of the agricultural containment facility exemption, counties may not be able to incorporate the impact of the repeal in the proposed property tax statements. As a result, residents and other businesses in cities with a large percentage of tax base currently eligible for the expanded exemption will see potentially large tax increases on their proposed tax notices due to shifting taxes, even if a city freezes its proposed property tax levy. The shifting taxes could be alarming to property owners and could result in many taxpayer questions and concerns. Depending on the timing of the passage of a tax 34 of 91 bill, the final tax notices distributed next spring could reflect the repeal of the exemption, which would reduce taxes for all other properties. Read the current issue of the Cities Bulletin(Link to:http:/hvww.lmc.org/page/1/cities-8ulletin- newsletter jsp) 35 of 91 Small Cities Assistance Account Not Funded for 2017—So Far �FAcuti MINNESOTA CITIES The only hope for funding for the account in the current fiscal year is a special session. (Published Aug 8, 2016) The Small Cities Assistance Account, an account created by the 2015 Legislature to help cities with populations under 5,000 with street maintenance costs, remains unfunded for the current fiscal year. When the account was created last year, the Legislature funded it on a one-time basis with $12.5 million. It was distributed on a formula basis to the more than 700 cities that do not receive Municipal State Aid (MSA) street funding through the constitutional formula that distributes the gas tax and other dedicated transportation revenues. Eligible cities received their Small Cities Assistance funds along with their fiscal year 2016 local government aid payments. Despite the small amounts individual cities received from the Small Cities Assistance Account, the program was well-received, if only because it acknowledged a longstanding disparity between small cities, which are ineligible for MSA, and other local units of government—large cities, counties, and townships—that receive funds through the constitutional formula. Legislators representing small cities touted the program as a successful 2015 session outcome. In spite of its popularity, the Small Cities Assistance Account was not funded by the 2016 Legislature. It fell to the wayside along with the omnibus transportation finance bill. The League is hopeful that funding for the Small Cities Assistance Account will be part of any special session agreement. In the long term, the League will work to secure a permanent funding source for the account. • Learn more about the Small Cities Assistance Account(Linkto: http://www.law arg/page/1/smallcitiesassistanm jsp) Read the current issue of the Cities Bulletin(Link to:http://mm.imc.org/page/1/cities-hulletPn- newsletter jsp) Your LMC Resource Contact Anne Finn 36 of 91 Assistant IGR Director (651) 281-1263 or (800) 925-1122 afinn@lmc.org(D,,kro:mairro:.finn@lmc.mg) 37 of 91 Minimum Wage Increase Effective Aug. I FAfSUf'C INNESQ7A 171ES This is the third increase under a 2014 law requiring a phased-in approach to raising the state minimum wage. (Published Aug 8, 2016) As of Aug. 1, the state minimum wage law enacted in 2014 kicks up another notch. The state minimum wage increases to $9.50 per hour for large employers, and to at least $7.75 per hour for small employers. Is your city a large or small employer? Large employers in this context means cities with a total budget greater than $500,000. How do you figure out what your total budget includes?Basically include all city operations, so enterprise funds such as water/sewer operations and municipal liquor stores must be included in this calculation of your city's total budget. However, the Minnesota Department of Labor states that, for purposes of determining city status as a large employer or small employer under Minnesota's minimum wage law, a city need not include revenue from legally separate public entities. These legally separate entities are limited to economic development authorities, housing and redevelopment authorities, municipal power or gas agencies, and other special taxing districts created and organized under Minnesota law. Youth wage is now $7.75 As of Aug. 1, both large and small employers must pay employees under age 18 at least $7.75 per hour (increasing from $7.25 an hour). Ninety-day training wage is $7.75 The "training wage," as of Aug. 1, allows large employers to choose to pay employees under age 20 a"90-day training wage" of at least $7.75 per hour, but only for the first 90 consecutive days of employment. Importantly, once the 90-day period is up, large employers must increase those wages to $9.50 per hour. Since small employers must pay at least $7.75 per hour to all employees, this 90-day training wage does not allow small employers to pay employers under the age of 20 less than that $7.75 minimum. State and federal law apply Remember, there are both state and federal minimum wage laws to consider for a position. As of Aug. 1, the federal minimum wage remains at $7.25 per hour. If both state and federal minimum wage laws apply to a particular employee, that employee is entitled to the higher of the two minimum wages. In most cases for 38 of 91 Minnesota cities in 2016, the state minimum wage rate will be higher than the federal minimum wage since state minimum wages are now $9.50/hour for larger employers and $7.75 for small employers. Who is not covered by minimum wage law? Check for specific legal advice to ensure a particular employee is paid according to state and federal minimum wage law. Generally speaking, state minimum wage laws do not apply to the following people: • Elected officials. • Individuals who serve on any governmental board, commission, committee, or other similar body. City volunteers. Any individual employed, directly or indirectly, by the city to provide police or fire protection services. • Those whose annual salary from one governmental subdivision never exceeds $5,000 stipulated in writing in advance. • Student interns, as defined in the law(Minnesota Statutes, section 353.01, subdivision 2b (a) (9) (i)). • Any individual under 18, working less than 20 hours per workweek for a municipality as part of a recreational program. Learn more from the League's HR Reference Manual, Chapter 4 (pdf)(Ginkto: hap:llwww lmcorg/media/docuwnt/1/compensationchapter pdo If you have questions about minimum wage laws, contact the League's Research Department at research@lmc.orgaink to:mailta:reaearch®1me.org), (651) 281-1200, or (800) 925-1122. Read the current issue of the Cities Bulletin(Link to:http.Avww.lmc.org/page/1/cities-hullettn- newsletter jsp) Your LMC Resource Contact LMC Research (651) 281-1200 or (800) 925-1122 research@lmc.org(Link to:mailto:research&mc.org) 39 of 91 Focus on New Laws: Charitable Gambling AGUf INESOTA �iTNlLS Cities are now required to acknowledge sources of contributions if charitable gambling organizations are required to contribute proceeds to 10 percent contribution funds. (Published Aug 8, 2016) Chapter 139(Link to:https://www.revisor.mn.govliazv&.?id=139&)ear=2016&type=0)modifies a number of provisions related to lawful gambling. The new law, which took effect on July 1, does the following: • Authorizes and regulates the use of electronic raffle selection systems. Allows for interim gambling manager appointments. a Modifies bingo prize requirements. • Changes the application requirements for employee registrations. Of most significance to cities is the change made to Minnesota Statutes, section 349.213, subdivision 1(Link to:haps://vww.revisor.nmgov/st.t.tesl.?id=349.213). If a city requires gambling organizations to contribute 10 percent of their net profits to the city for charitable purposes, then the city must acknowledge the financial contributions of organizations conducting lawful gambling to the community and to the recipients of the funds. This acknowledgement may occur in communications about the funds as well as in the distribution of funds. (This requirement also applies to counties.) ar Learn more about charitable gambling in the LMC information memo: Lawful Gambling (pdf)(Link to:http://www.lmc.org/medialdocwnent/1/dawfudgmnbdingpdf) Read the current issue of the Cities Bulletin(Ltnkto:htip://www.Imc.org1pageil/ctties-buuetin- newsdetterjsp) Your LMC Resource 40 of 91 Contact Ann Lindstrom IGR Representative (651) 281-1261 or (800) 925-1122 aindstrom@1mc.org (Link to:mailto:alindstrom@lmc.org) Contact Quinn O'ReiIly Staff Attorney (651) 281-1271 or (800) 925-1122 goreilly@lmc.org (Link to:matlto.-pretlly@Imaorg) 41 of 91 Department of Revenue Distributes 2017 LGA Notices ' �fAUUE. ! �INlJUOTA T1F5 Without a 2016 omnibus tax bill, the appropriation remains frozen at the 2016 level. (Published Aug 8, 2016) The Minnesota Department of Revenue (DOR) distributed the 2017 local government aid (LGA) certification notices to all cities last week. For the 2017 distribution, the total appropriation was frozen at the 2016 level of$519.4 million. The formula appropriation was frozen for 2017; however, changes in the underlying formula factors for each individual city can alter the formula distribution. For the 2017 distribution, 116 cities will lose some amount of LGA compared to the 2016 distribution, while 654 cities will see an increase, and 83 cities will experience no change in their distribution. Special session action? The appropriation for 2017 LGA could be modified if the governor and legislative leaders agree on the outlines for a special legislative session. The vetoed 2016 tax bill, which was passed by large majorities in both the House and Senate, included an additional $20 million in LGA. For more information on a possible increase in LGA should the governor call a special session, see related article(Linkto: http-ll ww.lmc.org/pageII/SpecialSession-Budget-Taxjsp). • Get more information on the 2017 certified LGA amounts from the DOR website(Link to:http://www.revemie.state.mn.us/localJgov/prop_tax_admimPage.v7ga.aspx) Read the current issue of the Cities Bulletin pnkto:hitp:/A,ww.lmc.orgipageilicities-6ulletin- newsletter jsp) Your LMC Resource Contact Gary Carlson ZGR Director (651) 281-1255 or (800) 925-1122 gcarlson@lmc,org(Link to:mailto:gcarlson@lmc.org) 42 of 91 `Blanket' Interviewing of Veterans No Longer fAcufi' �INNESO7A Recommended C. E, Based on recent legal decisions, cities must use the veterans preference rating system for veterans who apply for jobs with the city. (Published Aug 8, 2016) Based on recent legal decisions, the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) no longer recommends "blanket" interviewing during the process of hiring veterans. Why? Two recent administrative law decisions and one court case has led the League to change its guidance to cities regarding blanket interviews of all veterans who apply for jobs with a city. The cases include: . Stever v. City of St. Paul (pdf)(Link to:haps:lhnn.govloaWassetsl3l00- 32630SteverCiomSfNt.PauldeteransPreferenceReport tcm19-164739.pdn - BalfanZ v. City Of St. Paul (pdf)(Link to:hitps://mn.gov/oaWassets/3100-31036°Yo.20Brian%20Balfanz% 20v.%20CityY.20oPA20St.01.20Pau1%20Fina1%20Report tcm19-164575.pdf7inline=true) - Utsch v. Big StOne Cty(Link to:https://mn.govl7aw-library-statlarchNelctgpuW970812428,htm) A little background In the late 1990s, a representative from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs generally advised the League that cities could choose to interview all veterans applying for a job, rather than rating the applications and assigning veterans preference points. At that time, it was determined this "blanket" approach for interviewing all veterans who applied met the intent of the law, which is to provide veterans the best possible chance of being considered for an interview. Cases change advice Now, here is the change. Recent administrative cases state that cities must use this approach: * Use a 100-point rating system on all applications for positions subject to veterans preference. Allocate veterans preference points to qualifying veterans. These decisions find that cities may not substitute an alternative type of process; the law does not allow cities to avoid using the rating system and avoid allocating veterans points by interviewing all veterans who apply. The "blanket" interview approach is no longer an option. 43 of 91 The League recently followed up with the Department of Veterans Affairs regarding this change. A representative of the department agrees with the administrative law decisions. The department believes cities must use the 100-point rating system and then apply 10 or 15 veterans preference points to qualified veterans as discussed below. Effective immediately, cities are encouraged to stop using a"blanket" interviewing approach for all veterans. Instead, rate all the applications and then assign applicable veterans preference points. This is typically done by assigning points to a particular job's minimum and desirable qualifications equaling 85 points. Then, when rating job applications, apply up to 15 veterans preference points to qualifying veterans for a total of 100 points. Putting it another way, with a 100-point scale, the maximum score available to any applicant before adding veterans preference points would be 85 points. For further information on rating employment applications, please contact the League's HR& Benefits Department at (651) 281-1200 or read the LMC information memo, Veterans Preference in Hiring. • View LMC information memo: Veterans Preference in Hiring (pdf)(Ltnkto: hitp://www.lmc.orgfinedia/document/1/vetpregs1 J.pdfi In addition to rating applicants, one of the administrative law decisions finds that cities must also provide veterans who meet the minimum qualifications—meaning they score high enough to be eligible for the job before the preference points are awarded—with their final examination ratings. It also says that cities must provide written reasons to those veterans who receive veterans preference points, but are denied the position. Process at a glance So, in summary, here's the currently recommended process: Score the applicants based on the 100-point scale and track each applicant's score (this step is applicable to veterans and non-veterans alike). • Then allocate veterans preference points to qualifying veterans. (To claim preference, a veteran must supply a copy of his or her DD Form 214 [Certificate of Release from Active Duty] or other documentation verifying his or her service as well as the character of the discharge.) • If a veteran scores high enough to be eligible (in other words, meets the minimum qualifications) and, therefore, is awarded preference points but does not get the job, notify that veteran in writing of the reasons for the rejection as well as their final examination ratings and preference credits awarded. 44 of 91 The League realizes this is a complicated process. However, we join many in seeking to apply the law that recognizes the training and experience veterans possess as a result of serving in the military. We look forward to working with member cities on this new process and welcome your questions. For more information, contact LMC Research Manager Jeanette Behr, JD, at jbehr@lmc.org(Linkto:mai ,g&h,&..org)or (651) 281-1228, or LMC Assistant HR Director Joyce Hottinger at jhottinger@lmc.org(Linkto:mailtojhotttnger®lmc.org)or (65 1) 281-1216. Read the current issue of the Cities Bulletin(Link to:http.-IA...lmc.org/page/1/cities-8ulletin- newsletter jsp) Your LMC Resource Contact Joyce Hottinger Assistant Human Resources Director (651) 281-1216 or (800) 925-1122 jhottinger@lmc.org(Linkto.mailtojhottinger@lmc.org) Contact Jeanette Behr Research Manager (651) 281-1228 or (800) 925-1122 jbehr@lmc.org(Linkta:ma&..juhr&=.o,-g) 45 of 91 MnDOT Seeks Second Round p ' of Public Input on U.S Bicycle � LEAGOF.r Route 41 S67" The route will connect St. Paul to Grand Portage State Park. (Published Aug 8, 2016) The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) will hold three open houses to gather input on U.S. Bicycle Route 41, which will connect St. Paul to Grand Portage State Park using existing roads and trails. MnDOT received feedback from more than 2,700 people during the first round of public engagement in June, and those results will be shared at August open houses and online. The schedule of upcoming open houses is as follows: • Aug. S, 4:30-5:30 p.m., White Bear Lake Police and Fire Building, 4700 Miller Ave. • Aug. 11, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Duluth Central Library Green Room, 520 West Superior St. • Aug. 16, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Pine Technical & Community College Auditorium, 900 4th St. SE, Pine City. Open house attendees will hear about the progress of the route;have an opportunity to vote on route name finalists and identify their preferred bicycle route connections between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Those unable to attend an open house can see the route and participate in a route name and route connections survey online. • Learn more and access the survey on the MnDOT website ainkm: hap://www.mndot.gov/6rke/usbr41/) After the August open houses, MnDOT will create maps of the final route alignment, tally the votes to determine the final route name, and begin working on the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' application for official U.S. Bicycle Route designation. MnDOT anticipates the route will receive designation in fall 2016. Read the current issue of the Cities Bulletin(Lrnkto:http://www.lmc.org/page/Lowes-bullettn- newsletter jsp) 46 of 91 League Welcomes Reeder in New Role as CIO The League is pleased to welcome Melissa Reeder as chief information officer(CIO)for the League.Her first day on the job was July 26. Reeder's selection for this new position highlights the important role that information technology systems are playing in the daily operations of both local government and the League. The incorporation of a CIO position was one of the top recommendations made during an assessment of League technology executed by consultants from Ellipsis Partners in 2015. In this role,Reeder will be responsible for guiding the League's use of technology beyond supporting operational activities to strategically enhancing internal processes and member services. In time,she will also prepare League staff to serve as a resource for cities interested in refining their own use of technology just as League staff already do for other functions, like human resources. Prior to joining the League's management team,Reeder spent four years as the information technology director for Carver County where she was responsible for overseeing the vision and strategy behind its information services,creating its technology plan,and operating an 87-mile public/private fiber optic network. She also served as the county's security officer.Reeder has also worked as the information technology director for Rice County,the City of Northfield,and a private-sector organization. Her total experience in information technology spans about 20 years. Read the current issue of the Cities Bulletin(Link to:http://www.lme.org/page/1/citaes-bulletin-newsletter jsp) Meet our city vendors! Civil and Municipal Engineering 'dater and Yllastewater Engineering Traffic and transportation Engirwring Aviation Planning and Engineering Water Resources Engineering Coatings Inspection Services Landscape Architecture Services Funding Assistance Surveying and Mapping www.bafton-menk.com (Linkto: http://www.1mc.org/ads/102406) (Link to:hup://www.Imc.orglpagel]1000000000000011cms_page�__editor.jsp? applicationld=1&parent=]369&redirect=105626&category1=401&1ayout=300&navigab1e=true) 47 of 91 Current Grant Opportunities AgStar Fund for Rural America Emergency Response Equipment Program The AgStar Fund for Rural America,the corporate giving program of AgStar Financial Services,is now accepting grant applications for its annual Emergency Response Equipment Program. The mission of this program is to support rural communities in AgStar's service area by funding emergency response equipment for volunteer fire,rescue, or ambulance departments.All rural volunteer emergency response departments located in AgStar's 69-county service area(Link to: http://www.agstar.com/about/thecompany/Pages/ServiceArea.aspx) are eligible to apply if they have not received a grant in the past two years.Applications for grants,up to$3,000,may be submitted online through Aug.31. Learn more and apply for the grant(Link to: http://www.agstar.com/enhancingamericaNodforruralamerica/PageslEMSResponseEquipment,aspx) 2016 James Metzen Mighty Ducks Ice Arena Grant The Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission(MASC)is seeking proposals from interested communities to improve and update ice arenas.The grant program has been renamed the James Metzen Mighty Ducks Ice Arena Grant Program in honor of former state Sen.James Metzen,who was instrumental in creating the original Mighty Ducks program in 1995.The 2016 grant program has$10 million to help Minnesota communities eliminate R-22 refrigerant or improve air quality in ice arenas. (Read related article about the upcoming ban of R-22. (Link to:http://www.lmc.org/page/1/IceArenasMayJune2016jsp))Grant recipients must have at least one local partner that is a political subdivision of the state, and all grant applications require a minimum one- to-one dollar match from non-state sources. The deadline to apply is Oct.3. Learn more and apply for the grant(Link to:http://www.mnsports.org/mighty_ducks.stm) 2017 Cultural Community Partnership Grant The Minnesota State Arts Board is now accepting applications for the FY 2017 Cultural Community Partnership grant program. This program is designed to enhance the artistic and career development of artists of color.It supports collaborative projects between two individual artists,or between an artist and an organization.Proposed projects must take place between March 1, 2017,and February 28,2018.The deadline to apply is 4:30 p.m.on Sept. 16. Learn more and apply for the grant(Link to:http://www.arts.state.mn.us/grants/cultural-community partnership.htm) Aquatic Invasive Species Grants The Initiative Foundation announces an open process(no deadlines)to apply for funds for projects that implement or expand innovative and comprehensive pilot projects to prevent the introduction or spread of aquatic invasive species(AIS)into the surface waters of Minnesota.A total of$3.6 million will be awarded for pilot projects and an assessment of their effectiveness. The grant program was approved by the Minnesota Legislature from the Outdoor Heritage Fund,one of four funds of the Clean Water,Land,and Legacy Amendment passed in 2008. It is intended to fund pilot projects anywhere in Minnesota that are legal, effective, and financially sustainable methods of preventing the spread of AIS through a range of communication,education,and outreach efforts;inspection and decontamination;enforcement;containment;and/or other methods than can be administered locally. Learn more and apply for the grant(Link to:https:/lwww.ifound.org/community/aquatic-invasive-speciesl) Hazardous Materials and Emergency Preparedness Grant Program The Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education(MBFTE)is now accepting requests for Hazardous Materials and Emergency Preparedness(HMEP)Grants.Fire departments are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities that are eligible through the fiscal year(FY)2015 HMEP Grant,which ends on Sept.30,2016. Allowable expenses for planning include: Conferences and Meetings Fire Department Instructors Conference(FDIC) International Association of Fire Chiefs(IAFC) Fire Rescue International(FRI) Hot Zone These are just a few of the allowable expenses. Registration costs for out of state conferences are not eligible through the MBFTE,but are eligible though the HMEP grant awarded to the MBFTE.HMEP grants require a 20 percent soft match of the project cost. 48 of 91 If your department would like to take advantage of the FY 2015 HMEP grant,please send your request to Steve Flaherty, MBFTE Executive Director,at steve.fiaherty@state.mn.us(Link to:mailto:steve. laherty@state.mn.us) .Your request should include the following information:Fire department,contact person,specific request,amount,soft match provision. Read the current issue of the Cities Bulletin(Link to:http://www.Imc.org/page/1/cities-bulletin-newsletter jsp) Meet our city vendors! rZP6114 $KMON and CTJ Delivering 360"of protection by x 1 inspectiDn and report f failing structures wilh contracled mainline ul: video servim, 1,865.845.5326 (Link to:http://www.Ime.org/ads/105612) 49 of 91 FAA Releases New Rules for the Use of Drones The Federal Aviation Administration(FAA)recently announced new rules,called Part 107,applying to the civil operation of unmanned aircraft systems(UAS),more commonly known as drones.The rules will go into effect beginning Aug.29.The new regulations provide standardized guidelines for drone operations,including a knowledge test for pilots. Get a summary of the new regulation(pdf) (Link to:https://www.faa.govluaslmedialPart-107—Summary.pdpinline=true) City users of drones Part 107,on its face,does not apply to drones used for public operations.While Part 107 explicitly does not apply to public operation of drones,the FAA notes in the full text of the rule(Link to: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/06/28/2016-15079/operation-and-certification-of-small-unmanned-aircrafl- systems) that public users can voluntarily choose to abide by the new requirements.As a result, cities wishing to use a drone are only required to register online and follow the Part 107 requirements,including having a pilot who has successfully passed the knowledge test. Get information on the new process (Link to:http//www.faa.govluas/getting started/flyfor work businessl) Cities may also opt to go through a slightly different registration process,which is as follows:First the city will need to register online at,using the Non-Model Aircraft registration,and pay a$5 registration fee. By going this route the city will not have to go through paper registration,which can take up to six weeks. Access the online registration(Link to:https://registermyuas faa.govl) Once online registration is completed,the city will be given an FAA registration number.In addition to completing the online registration,the city will also need to send an email to 9-AJR-36-UAS@faa.gov(Link to:mailto:9 AJR-36-UAS a{�f�aa.gov)to request a username and password so that the Certificate of Waiver or Authorization(COA)process can be completed online as well.After receiving a username and password,the city should then go online to complete the process. Complete the process with your authorized username and password (Link to:https://ioeaaa faa.govloeaaalWelcome jsp) Part 107 will likely be the more straightforward route for most city operations.For operations that do not seem to be consistent with the requirements of Part 107,the city should follow the alternative registration method. However,a city may actually be required to comply with Part 107 in certain circumstances.Aside from the relative ease with which a city can comply with Part 107 for certain uses,a city's use of a drone may not actually qualify as a"public operation" under FAA rules. In such a situation,the city would be required to comply with Part 107 anyway, so following the requirements from the beginning would ensure the city is compliant,regardless of whether the specific drone flight satisfies the FAA's strict standards of"public operations." Read an advisory circular on whether a flight is"public"(Link to: http//wwwfaa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC 00-1_IA.pdrin1ine=true) There are many things a city should consider prior to taking flight, and a decision on whether to follow Part 107 is one of them. For most city applications,it is likely compliance with Part 107 will be the easiest and most efficient option.Any city considering using a drone should work closely with its city attorney,as well as League staff,to ensure the use of the drone is done in a safe and legal manner. Read the current issue of the Cities Bulletin(Link to:hitp://www.lmc.org/page/1/cities-bulletin-newsletter jsp) Your LMC Resource Contact Quinn O'Reilly Staff Attorney (651)281-1271 or(800)925-1122 goreilly@lmc.org(Link to:mailto:goreilly@lmc.org) 50 of 91 Meet our city vendors! C H A R T E R E D &7•vipsg Mhjsr1esot,0 coin wraittle,S fir ovei-35 yea?S. Mra deiprrl Lau, Pifb a Fr"nanee Econonjir Dewtopneur Click here for snore information WW41lI KEHHEDY-GRAVEIhI.COM (Link to:http://www.lmaorg/ads/102701) 51 of 91 Eric Johnson From: Carissa Keister <keisterc@stillwaterschools.org> Sent: Monday,August 8,2016 4:44 PM Cc: Barb Proulx Subject: Join us for a tour of construction in Stillwater Area Public Schools Dear Local Leaders, It's been a busy summer of construction across the Stillwater Area Public School District and we'd like to take you on a behind-the-scenes tour. Please join us on Saturday,Aug.27 from 8 to 10 a.m.,beginning at Stillwater Area Higb SchooL You'll have an opportunity to see all of the work that has taken place outside and inside of the high school this summer,and learn what is still ahead for the coming year. From there,we'll carpool to Oak-Land Junior High and then venture down to the site of Brookview Elementary in Woodbury—the district's newest elementary school. During the tour we'll share more about each of these projects,and the many opportunities these new learning spaces will afford to students and residents of our community. Please RSVP to Barb Proulx(651.651.8455)by Wednesday,Aug.24 to confirm your spot on the tour. We look forward to seeing you then! And mark your calendar for future Local Leader Coffees—a time for us to engage in rich discussions about our communities, our schools and our common goals. Please save the following dates and watch for reminders coming prior to each event: • October 6,2016 (Time and location TBD) • January 11 at 7:30 a.m. at Central Services, 1876 South Greeley Street, Stillwater • March 1 at 7:30 a.m. at Central Services, 1876 South Greeley Street, Stillwater • May 3 at 7:30 am. at Central Services, 1876 South Greeley Street, Stillwater 52 of 91 We're looking forward to staying connected with you this school year. If you have questions, ideas or concerns about the school district please contact us at any time. Thank you, Denise Pontrelli, Superintendent Carissa Keister,Community Engagement Manager Carissa Keister, APR Community Engagement Manager (and Pony alumna!) Stillwater Area Public Schools Phone: 651-351-8320 www.stillwaterschools.ora Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/stillwater834 Stillwater Area Public Schools are on Facebook: facebook.com/Stillwater834 2 53 of 91 How Open is Your Local Government? Compliance with Open Meeting Laws in the Northeast Metro Twin Cities f• :x :J. ^ ^ w ° A study by the League of Women Voters White Bear Lake Area May, 2016 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS® WHITE BEAR LAKE AREA 54 of 91 Minnesota Communities Studied Afton Lake Elmo Scandia Arden Hills Lake St.Croix Beach Shoreview Bayport Lakeland Stillwater Baytown Township Lakeland Shores Stillwater Township Birchwood Village Lino Lakes St.Mary's Point Centerville Mahtomedi Vadnais Heights Dellwood Marine on St. Croix West Lakeland Township Forest Lake May Township White Bear Lake Genn Lake North Oaks Rite Bear Township Grant Oak Park Heights Willernie Hugo Pine Springs Comm+ttee Gretchen Davidson Stephanie McNamara Joan Sullivan Kathy Gaylord Gladys Ritter Carolyn Wensman Liz Lauder Mary Santi Jeanne LeFevre LoriSoukup Volunteer Observers and Interviewers We could not have covered as much ground without you,especially since most council meetings that were attended were held on freezing cold evenings in the winter. Molly Anthony Joanne Gustafson Jan Rupert Beverley Driscoll Mary Johnston Miriam Simmons Judy Duffy Ruth Jones Eleanore Troxel Carolyn Folke Judy Ottnan Diane Wigglesworth Karen Gochberg Gloria Phillips of �; 9 •� o<� League of Women Voters White Bear Lake Area,May,2016 55 of 91 How Open is Your Local Government? Compliance with Open Meeting Lam in the Northeast Metro Twin Cities Contents Foreword....................................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction..................................................................................................... .......................................... 1 Summary of Minnesota's Open Meeting Law............................................................. .............................2 Selectionof Study Subjects...........................................................................................................................3 StudyProcedures...........................................................................................................................................3 Findings.........................................................................................................................................................4 LookingAhead.............................................................................................................................................. 8 Sharingthe Information................................................................................................................................ 8 AppendixA-Reports Used in the Study......................................................................................................9 AppendixB-Study Timekine..................................................................................................................... 12 56 of 91 How Open is Your Local Government? Compliance with Open Meeting Laws in the Northeast Metro Twin Cities A study by the League of Women Voters White Bear Lake Area Foreword In 2014 the League of Women Voters(LWV)White Beau Lake Area undertook a study of local municipalities' adherence to Minnesota's Open Meeting Law.Legal requirements for open meetings in Minnesota are minimal.After observing and interviewing in each of 27 cities and four townships in the local LWV area,the study committee found that municipalities in its jurisdiction meet legal requirements.Most municipalities go beyond legal requirements to provide citizens with meeting agendas and minutes,and many make meetings available via live The purpose of the stream or on cable television.Every community allowed time for public comments. Minnesota Open The committee also looked at other aspects of public meetings that are of interest to Meeting Law is to LVW,such as physical accommodations and how meetings were conducted. ensure that all Although the Open Meeting Law does not address decorum.,most meetings were governmental conducted in a professional manner and council and board members appeared attentive and well prepared.There were several instances where observers notes bodies meet openly decorum issues which affected the ability of the local council or board to serve its so that the public constituents effectively. feels their government is accessible, honest, Introduction accountable and League of Women Voters has a longstanding commitment to open government and responsive. civic engagement. Since its founding in 1920,the League has been a champion of government transparency.LWV principles state that democratic government depends on the informed and active participation of its citizens and requires that governmental bodies protect the citizen's right to know.Prompted by these principles and a 2012 public forum on the Minnesota Open Meeting Law(OML) led by Laurie Beyer Kropuenske of the Minnesota Department of Administration, as well as by media coverage of local government decisions,LWV White Bear Lake Area undertook a study of adherence to Minnesota's Open Meeting Law by city councils and town boards within the area served by LWV White Bear Lake Area.* Following formal approval by the membership in April 2014,a committee *The area served by LWV White Bear Lake Area encompasses 26 cities and 5 townships in the northeast suburban Twin Cities.Alphabetically,the municipalities are Afton,Arden Hills,Bayport,Baytown Township,Birchwood Village,Centerville, Dellwood,Forest Lake,Gem Lake,Grant,Hugo,Lake Elmo,Lake St. Croix Beach, Lakeland,Lakeland Shores,Lino Lakes,Mahtomedi,Marine on St.Croix,May 1 57 of 91 of volunteers met bi-weekly starting in June 2014 to plan and implement the study. The study surveyed and compared local governments within the local LWV membership area on their adherence to Minnesota open meeting laws and other meeting practices—both what is required by Minnesota law such as giving notice, and what cities provide that is not required,such as allowing people to speak, taking and publishing minutes,televising meetings,etc. Committee volunteers also Approval to survey observed certain process and protocol components of meetings as recommended by local governments League of Women Voters of the United States,such as who was present,the physical environment of the meeting venue and how the meeting was conducted. about their adherence to According to the LWVUS observer handbook Observing Your Govemment in Minnesota's Open Action, U=://1wv.org/files/LWVEF ObservingYourGovernment.pd}open Meeting Law came meeting laws serve three vital purposes: from the Ensure the public's right to be informed • Give the public an opportunity to present its views membership at the • Prohibit actions from being taken at a secret meeting where the League of Women interested public cannot be fully informed of the decisions of public Voters White Bear bodies or detect improper influences. Lake Area's Annual Meeting April 24, Summary of Minnesota's Open Meeting Law 2014. The Minnesota Open Meeting Law,first enacted in 1957,was later amended and re-codified in MN Statutes chapter 13D. Purposes of Open Meeting Law According to the Minnesota Supreme Court,the Open Meeting Law has three purposes: preventing governmental bodies from taking actions in secret meetings Actions taken at a which prevents the public from being fully informed about a public body's meeting held in decisions,insuring the public's right to be informed and allowing the public an violation of the opportunity to present its views to the public body.(Note that while the courts Open Meeting Low consistently mention the opportunity for members of the public to present their views as a purpose of the Open Meeting Law,the law itself does not create a are still valid. general right for members of the public to speak at meetings.) However the law provides for Entities Covered by the Law penalties and The law applies to state and local multimember governmental bodies including committees and subcommittees as well as nonprofits created by political possible removal subdivisions.A separate law applies to the state legislature. from office for violators. Situations in Which the Law Applies A"meeting"for purposes of the law occurs when a quorum or more of the governmental body is gathered either in person or electronically,whether or not action is taken or considered.Minnesota's Open Meeting Law does not address whether a governmental body must keep or publish meeting minutes,hold a meeting for a particular purpose or allow members of the public to address the Township,North Oaks,Oak Park Heights,Pine Springs, Scandia,Shoreview, Stillwater,Stillwater Township,St.Mary's Point,Vadnais Heights,West Lakeland Township,White Bear Lake,White Bear Township and Willernie. 2 58 of 91 body. (Note that for particular governmental bodies there may be other laws or chatter provisions that do require these actions.) Court cases have established that open meetings must take place in a public place within municipal borders and that no business can be conducted before the announced meeting time. What Constitutes an"Open Meeting?" A meeting is open when proper notice is given in advance of the meeting,the public may attend and observe and relevant materials are available to the public. Exceptions to the Law A meeting may be closed based on a limited attorney-client privilege and for the purposes of labor negotiations,employee evaluations and discussion of security issues and property transactions. The law dogs not apply to a public body conducting quasi-judicial proceedings such as disciplinary hearings. Meetings held in private pursuant to this exception are subject to a requirement that a recording be made of the meeting. Violations of the Law Actions taken at a meeting held in violation of the law are still valid. However the law provides for penalties and possible removal from office for violators. A meeting"occurs when a quorum or Selection of Study Subjects more of the While many possible governmental bodies are subject to the Open Meeting Law, governmental body is gathered, either such as county boards,school boards, state and local agencies,their committees, and more,the study committee determined that regular city council meetings or in person or township board meetings would be the focus of the study.Local boards have electronically, and regularly scheduled meetings and are more geographically accessible to whether or not constituents.In addition,local municipalities have similar agendas and would be action is taken or comparable in determining compliance with the Open Meeting Law. Considered. With a limited number of League volunteers,and the number of council/board meetings needed to be covered,the committee limited its initial observations to one in each community. Some volunteers were able to observe in two or three municipalities and some municipalities were observed more than once. Members of the study committee also interviewed clerks or administrators in each municipality. Observers completed report forms and took note of the physical spaces and amenities. Study Procedures Approval to survey local governments about their adherence to Minnesota's Open Meeting Law came,from the membership at the League of Women Voters White Bear Lake Area's Annual Meeting April 24,2014. Gathering Preliminary Information 3 59 of 91 To gain a working understanding of the Minnesota Open Meeting Law,the study committee researched a variety of sources. Stacie Christensen(Administrator)of the Minnesota Department of Administration's Information Policy Administration Division(IPAD)met with committee members early on and shared an overview of the law's history, strengths,weaknesses and current state of enforcement. She provided written information,including their Open Meeting Law Checklist,which is a detailed listing of what is required and not required by Minnesota's Open Meeting Law.Christensen also met with the committee a second time to review the survey draft and discuss the study's progress. Committee members became familiar with the text of the Open Meeting Law and The Minnesota Open Meeting Law Information Brief,by Deborah A.Dyson of the Minnesota House Research Department. They did online research for information on open meeting laws in other states and how their laws compare with ours. State comparisons are too complex to be included in this report. Committee members interviewed Press Publications' publisher and editors concerning their experiences observing municipal meetings in the northeast metro area. Designing the Forms League of Women The committee decided one-page forms should be used to compile the desired information and report it in a concise manner.Guided by the Open Meeting Law Voters volunteer Checklist provided by the Minnesota Department of Administration and a how-to observers publication,Observing Your Government in Action,from the national League of attended at least Women Voters,the committee developed checklists for volunteers. One form was one regularly used for observing meetings,another for interviewing administrators. scheduled meeting Determining Whom to Contact in each City or Township,and Why in each of the The committee decided that administrators would be the most knowledgeable municipalities in source of information about city/township meeting practices. City/township clerks the area covered or websites were good sources for the municipalities' contact information. by LWV White Gathering Information through Observations and Interviews Bear Lake Area. After the committee planned,designed and developed the survey process and materials,several committee members conducted pilot interviews and observed meetings to test the survey tools they developed. The committee developed a training session using what they learned from observing and interviewing pilot communities.Coordinated by committee members,volunteers researched and interviewed staff at each municipality within the study area and observed one or more meetings of each council or board.All findings were collected for review and analysis. Forms used in the study can be found in Appendix A.They include Minnesota Open Meeting Law Observation Report and Minnesota Open Meeting Law Interview Report. Findings Legal Requirements Minnesota law regarding open meetings is not demanding. The law requires that 4 60 of 91 regular meeting dates must be on file and special meetings must be posted. If there is an agenda it must be available to the public.One copy of materials that are made available to council members must be made available to the public.Not included in the law but generally observed because of case law is the requirement that meetings be held within municipal boundaries. LW volunteer observers attended at least one regularly scheduled meeting in each of the municipalities in the area covered by League of Women Voters White Bear Lake Area.Volunteers observing public meetings were encouraged to introduce Observers doted themselves to the council as a matter of courtesy and League visibility. Follow-up several instances visits were made to a few municipalities to verify findings.Volunteers conducted of council members interviews with city or town administrators in each community to audit other attending meetings requirements of the law.The committee was unable to visit Pine Springs. via video Observers reported on other components of municipal meetings as recommended conferencing which by League of Women Voters. These items included who was present at meetings is allowed by law. and where and how the.meeting was conducted. All meetings were held in public places,most within municipal borders_City of Dellwood council meets in a neighboring City Hall.Municipal annual meetings are occasionally held in another,larger location not within municipal borders.Both Gem Lake City Council and White Bear Township Board hold their meetings in Heritage Hall,which was built on a site in the township that abuts the City of Gem Lake. Through joint powers agreements the township provided the site and utilities It pays to ask. If and Gem Lake constructed the building.They share use of the building with Ramsey County Sheriffs Office. you don't See the agenda in the All of the observed meetings opened on time or within a few minutes after the meeting room announced starting time. (which is required All municipalities had a quorum of council and board members present at meetings by law) or any that were observed. Observers noted several instances of members attending supporting meetings via video conferencing,which is allowed by law.A Hugo City Council documents, you member participated through video conferencing while in Florida.Also the White may have to ask a Bear Press reported that at one White Bear Lake meeting,Council Member Doug staff member. Biehn cast the deciding vote via Skype to override Mayor Emerson's veto on a While all of the variance request by a business owner. municipalities in Most communities had at least one meeting agenda available to the public in the our study made meeting room. Some observers had to ask for this. Only one agenda for the public meeting minutes is required by law to be made available.A number of municipalities posted the available to the agenda on their website or displayed it on a screen during the meeting. public, in two At least one copy of materials supporting the agenda that are provided to council communities the members is required to be available to the public in the meeting room.Observers in minutes are kept in a number of communities were unable to locate these printed materials. The the City Clerk's observer in White Bear Lake and White Bear Township made a point of asking to home. To see them see the materials. In a number of municipalities the supporting materials were displayed on a screen. you need to make an appointment. Schedules of regular meetings were kept on file in all municipalities and meetings 5 61 of 91 are generally posted on websites. Twenty-four of the municipalities studied reported having held at least one non- regular meeting during the past twelve months.According to interviewers,advance written notice of special meetings was provided in all cases where applicable except in Shoreview. This community had an emergency meeting in 2014 involving an issue on Snail Lake. The meeting was held on short notice and no notification was possible.A sign was placed on the front door of the meeting room at the time of the meeting. The Open Meeting Law requires that votes taken at a meeting be recorded and kept in a journal available to the public during regular business hours.All cities and townships surveyed complied with this requirement. Although only a journal of votes taken is required to be kept,all municipalities took meeting minutes and kept archived copies of them.Paper copies are typically kept in the office. Some communities also make minutes available on their websites.Marine on St. Croix maintains archived minutes on microfiche. Interviewers were not instructed to inquire how long minutes were Dept. Some communities volunteered that information.The length of time ranged from three years to forever(Oak Park Heights). None of the Physical Accommodations communities Except for the need for a meeting place to be handicapped-accessible and open to surveyed opened the public, state law does not have requirements for the physical space where a their council meeting is held. Observers noted that all meeting places were clean and well lit. proceedings with Most,but not all,have restrooms. Observers reported not being able to hear the proceedings at several meetings(Gem Lake,Mahtomedi,North Oaks and prayer. A number Stillwater Township).Either there was no public address system or council of municipalities members did not speak into their microphones.It was not always easy to hear what opened their speakers from the floor had to say.Proceedings could not be seen in two meetings with the communities(North Oaks where a speaker's lectern blocked view and Stillwater Township where the meeting had an overflow crowd.)Scandia did.not have Pledge of adequate seating for everyone who attended its annual meeting. City of Grant's Allegiance. meeting hall had a handicapped ramp but there was a 2-3 inch step up to the doorway. Who Attends Meetings The number of staff present ranged from a high of 11 in Scandia(it was an annual meeting where staff were being recognized)to two staff present in three cities.A City Clerk,City Administrator/Manager and City Attorney were the staff most commonly present. LWV observers reported that students were present at seven council meetings. Eleven meetings had people present representing special interests.Frequently those people left the meeting once their business was conducted. Members of the local press attended at least ten meetings.Note that it is possible for press to cover meetings using live or recorded cable coverage. Interactions 6 62 of 91 The Open Meeting Law does not address specific etiquette or require that municipalities follow Roberts Rules of Order. All followed preset agendas. None of the communities surveyed opened their council proceedings with prayer unlike Minnesota's state legislature,which does.A number of municipalities opened their meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance. Observers found that the vast majority of council meetings were under control and conducted in a professional manner. Two exceptions were the Cities of Grant and Lake Elmo.Observers at several Grant meetings found council members speaking over each other,name calling and accusing each other of wrongdoing.One observer felt in her opinion that all parties were equally at fault for the disorder at the Grant City Council meeting. Lake Elmo has a history of rude and divisive behavior.Their insurance carrier (League of Minnesota Cities)told council members in 2015 to treat each other with respect or risk higher insurance payments from costly legal settlements.' The council is now run by an outside,paid parliamentarian. All of the cities Observers found that all of the council members appeared attentive to city and townships in business.In the reporters' opinions the public was treated with respect at all our area allowed observed meetings. time for public comment. Going Over and Above The Open Meeting Law gives the public the right to attend meetings of public bodies in order to watch and listen to the proceedings.It does not guarantee the right to speak at a public meeting.All of the cities and townships in our area allowed time for public comment.However if a public body chooses to allow public comments it can set parameters for comments. A common parameter is the amount of time allowed for each comment or the requirement to sign up ahead of The City of time to speak. Time for public comment is usually placed early in the agenda so the Shoreview has a commenter need not stay for the entire meeting. statute that A city council or township board has the ability to add and/or subtract items from insures time at its agenda before its regular meeting begins(with the exception of a special meetings for public meeting,which is limited to the items identified in the notice of the meeting). comment. There is no corresponding ability for the public to add or subtract agenda items. _ However all surveyed meetings except Oak Park Heights had provisions for the public to put an item on the agenda.Placing an item on an agenda was typically done by contacting the clerk or a council member before the meeting. (The method for placing an item on the agenda by the public varied by community.) The Open Meeting Law does not require regular meetings to be recorded or aired. However,minutes were taken(and archived)and many meetings were streamed live and/or placed on cable television or on the municipal website for viewing.All communities in the study record meeting minutes and make them available to the 1 St Paul Pioneer Press,October 24,2015. "Lake Elmo warned to be nice or risk paying a price. 7 63 of 91 public either in print format(available in the office)or online or both.Many also provide archived tapings of their meetings on municipal websites. Some communities add specific requirements by local ordinance that affect their meetings.For instance the City of Shoreview has a statute that insures time at meetings for public comment.. Keeping In Touch with Residents Most municipalities use local newspapers,city newsletters and their own websites as primary tools for communicating with the public in general.Other methods include email,U.S.Postal Service,bulletin boards,cable television,and Facebook. One community(Lake Elmo)mentioned that they have a code red telephone system to notify residents in the case of emergencies. Looking Ahead The Illinois-based Citizen Advocacy Center,through its Midwest Open Government Project,has proposed model statute changes to Minnesota's Open Meeting Law.Among the things they recommend are requirements for public comment at meetings,posted agendas and detailed,written minutes for all meetings,better meeting notice requirements and increased remedies for violations of the law.The proposed changes would remove the option to close meetings based on attorney-client privilege. LWV White Bear Lake Area encourages its members and others to attend city council and township board meetings regularly,not just to carry out personal business,but to be"watchdogs"of the public's interest in government that is accessible,honest,accountable and responsive. Sharing the Information Study results will be made available to the LWV White Bear Lake Area membership for presentation at unit meetings and/or for distribution with our monthly newsletter The Bear Facts.Results will be provided to cities and townships included in the study either by paper or electronic copies.Results will be submitted to LWV Minnesota with the request that they be made available to other local Leagues to use as a template for similar studies in their own local area. Additionally,results of the study will be submitted to the LWVUS Clearinghouse for use by other state and local Leagues, and for availability nationally to the general public. The clearinghouse can be found on Google at h s:llsites. oo le.com/a/lea eofwomenvoters.or clearin house/home. Visitors can search by topic or for studies by LWV White Bear Lake. 8 64 of 91 Appendix A Report Forms Uw4 in Study 9 65 of 91 esetio Open Meoneig lar ReportFaorms bet ObsErWjNg Meed amd Isterviewmg Staff otpowelodies LWErUTU 3014 Pare HaeliEs The.Mmmuesota Open Meeting law(OMI),Minnesota Statimes,Chap=13%says thataR meetings ofpnb'tic bodks must bo open for the pubbe to attend and.observe.Acm diagta Mian.Stab section ISM 1.the 5e11omngpubhr bodies axe mrbleette the OPM- ■ Suft Ga e+t-afimmimboardsi cammissimms and departments • local Gove on axt-school districM uaanganiaed wrguriesi countiesr ddes CSMMM flr home zee) town%eommnttees*subcommi „boards[mdudesjo=powers bawds%deyartment% commissiew Pension Flans-,governing body or roumttes of a siaiewide or local pabYwpension plan MeethW2=suja2 to the OMl.-CommissionerofCon*Ede %-state agency,bawd or eommisdou emmisi g a quasi judicial Ruction iitvalving disdPlimm3"Proreedingsi and pablir bodies exempted by anter lass► MeeEingTgpm mdPublicflvtive RequirezLents Pnhkc barite Advance Mudire Regular A srbedule of the public bolds Me advance matin is requieeL t �m�lip�lAaSt 1?e� art file atitsprimaryoffixos. Spetdd Three days Friar to meeting: Give native tree days prior to the Parst svrithM U0dM va PdDdpd tnt!etirc bulletin board or usual ging room door and cadfy those who made a written request in be nutW"or publish notice in ML nfi;oal Nab"must begiventa lmmrgearymeeungsaccurin members of the public body, situations where it is not&M7hle to and news mea wk a ha4e€fled viWt three days to meet Pubb.-notice wrifrrm regoestmcludmg thow given through limited news undo. number. Closed When dosing a meeting for 3memem an the record prior m labornegMi2oua stratou, closinga meetingisr+equired amomg otherpermitted reatw.r�dosed meeting time and date mustbe announced at a meetia E ea�c -Na toophou a or another — Timing and mof u66—*depend dearack=&znsis used to onthetypeofineetimVrf=_grilar,speciA condom arty meeting tine pabEc or emergency. body mu3tgive notice ofO* regular meeting location and any hxmboas where a member of the pubfir body wily be meal Media-The 2'0 f+l-legislature enansd a aerr provision permitting discussions between a member afthe public body and all members efthe general pubier.Email is speciGcalljr ezdm edL Not Required under dee OM1.-Puhtit bodies are not required to pravide advance,Posted native of regnbr rneetiq;L TheOMi.does wSghFetI*ptLbhcarighttaspeakeitanoponmeelb&Anadtambyapabhebody tdom invioUdon of the DPM rannotbe'reversed or voided due tnthe viniatiim lea agenda ismq:ui ed, i 10 66 of 91 11 67 of 91 pu mmata GPM NeEdug law observation Repmrt LWVMS 2M4 PUBLIC BODY DATE TYPE of I&MM SIG+ ❑Regular ❑Spial 1MOSiE PBEEW • Number ofinemm presmi Number ofinembers abs m Staff present ❑Cdv l4mwr ❑Admioostrator ❑ ZWmea ❑Lepl affimr ❑seamy ElPenceisalky ❑Fin nce Director ❑ otbnr • Nm abu afpubtie present ❑� [:]6-12 ❑13-19 ®20 or moms + ❑Swdemra prexmt ❑sm al im m as wasent ❑pigs mvwA . FACILi M ❑Handiww amemme ❑Dg enoula, ❑Clem ❑wen sit ❑Could bmm ❑CwWd see affId is ❑Adequateseating ❑pubrwpianwithinmunicipalborders* AGENDA • Was an agenda mmUabde? (Please attach a Dopy,ifpossible) ❑ Yes ❑No Was at kmm one aW at materials relatingto agenda items and green to members available mm tbe-meeting roam for kmpmaim by the public'* ❑ Yes ❑Nu ■ wemagendaitemsdeamVdest-beda ❑ Yes ONO ■ Meetingstarted om time? ❑ Yes ❑Nn Opened with peayw? ❑Yes ❑No • Presiding al6rer had meeting under ceatrd? ❑ Yes ❑Na ■ Membersatmalivaaada]er ❑ Yes ❑Nn ' Members appeased prepiael for the mW.ee ©Yes ❑No • Members conrtwum amb other?" ❑ Yes ❑No • Dimstuekmtbeagmida? ❑ Yes ONO Dem madeaihr adegnate dimoxsiaa? ❑Yes ❑Na ■ Public treated withrespea+? ❑Yes [-]No ■ Time far public comm eat"? ❑ Yes ❑ND Other comments?Please use the back of'the sheet if mended. Obserwr as Date submined #Mimnewfu Open Meeting LawRequim mm 12 68 of 91 Phunessta open Mleetmg Law Interview Repart LW5rM911I 2014 WAKE OF PERSON XTERYIEWED POSMON Tera[ends CM/n_ Pboue 1+maR 1. Is a srhednlle afregolar meaCmp kept an file is the primary alum?+ ❑Yes ❑Na 3. Nave there hmanag noo-ragolar.'CspeslaL emergency,ar closed] 1-]Yes ❑No mr:etiugs dloing th a p=Few [Ask for tM member of and season for aQ snoa-regpdae m eeringsa J. Was writeen notice of special meetings pfd an the prinqt+d []Yes ❑No bulletin beard ar dour aFtbe meeting raam:or public ooticE maJled or pubtiahed 3 daps in advance of the meeting?+ 4k Waspmbhrnmaegivenin advancetifanyrycr [2Yes No HoW? electrnmicmeepiW.* S. Is at least one espy of anyprialed,n.ate;als r elatingto agenda ❑ Yes ❑No Haw? items and gum to,aA member also rsntiuely m mlable in the meeting r==for inspeca m by the pubbc dmiog the meeting'!* 6. Dosneeringsrortain yapenwith]wayiWT []Yes No ? Y. It so,is there planned rotadon ad aliliarrons of those;gviug prayee ❑Yes Cl No E. 1Does the pubiie bane as oppa rvmdW to+xiinzaent at meetsng- ❑Yes ❑No How? S. is there appoetanity lor the public lD pnt an itEmonthe agenda?' ❑Yes ❑No How' 10. ArereguiarmeEtmprecorded?(Required fiormostciwedmeetinA ❑Yes ❑No Ham 11. Is a journal of votes open to the public duripg aR normal Q Yes Q No bummers hours where pnbhc bWzymommis maInept? 12. Are meeting mivates avaEable to the public-t [:]Yes ❑No Haw? 13. Are meetingmiamaes ard�? ❑Yes ❑No Hoa? 14. Do other regnhwasuts including!but nut limited to'ardinanm []Yes ❑.No Haw'? bylaws or charter aifwtyaw n*Mnp? 15. W notbernieth ds;doynavgelecom nunicateyQghthepp]�kC about xnefffiW7 16. Otharconmeais? Pleer!#13ef5fltracicerit3ulSll/etifn!ldld. InterriEwer name ]late submitted Minnesota Open Herdng Law AsquirEmerer 13 69 of 91 Appendix B Sturdy TI—MeHm 14 70 of 91 OML STUDY TIMELINE-April 2014 to May 2015 APRIL Members at the Annual Muting discs and approve local study proposed by Mary Sand. Members volunteer for the study committee, Lawrie Beyer-Irapuenske(Community Services Division Director)and Stacie Christensen(Administrator)of the MN Department of ministration's Information Policy Administration Ilivisien[[PAD)have previously offered to put toge her a checklist to survey,cities within our area. The focus wi]l be on local governments,specifi=E►township/dW councils. The number sof volunteers available will determine how many coommunitaw will be studied. Mary Sand will convene the caoxmunee. MAY • starle Christensen.of IPA.D provides a.checklist ofthe requirements of the Open Meeting Lave(OML) ]UNE • Cammittee comes together and begins meeting twice a month. Researches OKL and climes to cover. JULY ■ Develops meeting study work plan. Begins draft processes for interviewing stafE observing meetings and researching contact information for townsbip/city councils and their elected officials. AUGUST • Meets with IPAD staff to reviews survey and sh[dy. Presents status report to the WOI.A board At the Annual Picrxic,reports to members and recruits volunteers to research,interview and observe; • Develops interviewer/observer processes. Completes farms fag researching interviewing and observing. SEPTEMBER Bear Facts article explains study and recruits volwnteers. Five minutes[luring unit meetings for signing up voha teer. Researchers begin gathering contactirrfiormation. OCTOBER • Completes pilot interviews Sn Test Lakelaad Township, Gem Labe and Centerville. • Bear Facts"interesting fact'features fact about OML 15 71 of 91 r OML srUDY T(MEU E—April 2014 to May 2015,page 2 NOVEMBER Relines survey and interview process. Forms are in final version. ■ Presents training session for interviewsm and observers. BearFacts continues'Interesting facL' Holiday party,remmah'-g volunteers remuted. Develops a table listing volunteers for each community. Unit coordinators wiH activate voluttteer.%provide surrey fDrms and statanuent Umt may be read to the cvouncil,and collect forward surveys to database devrJoper. Volunteers conduct reseamk observations and interviews JANUARY and FEBRUARY Volunteers complete and report the bad of rewarck observations and interviews. laftzview cmducWd vntb Press Publlcaftw cane nOw their eworFeuce with O HL ■ Bear Facts'interesting fact' MARCH Uploads survey information to DropBom 0 Collates survey3 utto datahase,begins muflys s 0 Bear Facts-interesting fact' APRIL Continues analysis,interpand develops executive summary for use as taDdng points in May Imit meethISM Presents brief update at Annual Meetin& 0 Annual Kee-ting attendees approve continuing study[Dr a second year MAY Study is the discusion topic at May unit meed 16 72 of 91 PARTNERSHIP TEAM LOWER ST. CROIX MANAGEMENT COMMISSION MINUTES OF MEETING#60 May 31,2016 Oak Park Heights City Hall, Oak Park Heights,Minnesota 1. Roll call—Introductions—Sign-in The meeting was called to order by Buck Malick at 7:05 p.m. Present: Buck Malick, St. Croix County and St. Croix Scenic Coalition; David Beaudet, Sierra Club; Jan Cuccia, Town of Troy; Jen Sorensen,MN DNR;Bill Palmquist, City of Afton;Richard Bend, City of Afton;Natalie Warren, St. Croix River Association; and Steve Ebner, West Lakeland Township. Also present: Mike Isensee,Middle St. Croix Watershed Management Organization. 2. Approval of Minutes of March 29,2016 Beaudet, seconded by Palmquist,moved to approve the Minutes. Motion carried. 3. Land Use Reviews A. Dolan,Pierce County,Reviewer Palmquist:Palmquist provided his review report and showed a map and photos. Review report attached hereto and incorporated into the Minutes. 4. Mike Isensee,Middle St. Croix Watershed Organization,Case Review Project Isensee reported that there were ten appointees to a board that helped drive the work that the Middle St. Croix Watershed Management Organization does. He stated that submittals were required and reviewed by the board and that they had no enforcement authority but were a technical committee to the communities. Isensee reported that in July 2015 they had a discussion on the challenge of riverway rules, ordinances, and the variance process and the inconsistences, and they questioned if there was a way to develop a process to improve transparency and consistency. He stated that one solution they created was to designate one person who represented all communities and allow the Middle St. Croix Watershed Management Organization to do a technical review of variance requests and report back. He staters that one designated representative would look at variances that violate the riverway ordinances and provide assistance towards a solution. Isensee reported that they discussed the importance of getting a handle on what had happened with variances in the past and review which have passed with inconsistences. He stated they had been working with Natalie Warren on the work that she had been doing with the St. Croix River Association. Malick asked if there would be a fee for service. Isensee responded that there would have to be an application fee and process. He stated that designated representative would have to be a person who was an expert in riverway ordinances and variances so City staff did not need to be experts. He said the watershed management organization would develop framework and meet with communities one-on-one, and Warren would be working with him to update handouts on riverway rules. Beaudet added that he hoped one of the application requirements would be submittal of a recent survey. 1 73 of 91 5. General Riverway Announcements/Adjourn Palmquist, seconded by Beaudet,moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:23 p.m. Motion carred. 2 74 of 91 1. Applicant name/address: Todd Dolan&Renee Clement,N6319 1323rd Street,Prescott,WI 54021,Tax Parcel No. 002--1122-0800,Lot 2 Section 3,T26N,R20W,Town of Clifton 2. Local government decision-maker: Pierce County 3. Project description: Stairway 4. TI pe of permits) -Variances(s)or Conditional/Special Use Permit(s)- Standards in Ordinance/ Requested deviation: CUP 5. Did applicant submit adequate material to enable the local government to make a sound decision? Yes.Additionally on 2-24-2016,staff met the applicant on-site to review the proposed stairway location and application 6. Did the local government notify DNR in the proper time frame and include appropriate application materials?Yes 7. Did the local government hold a proper hearing(if required)?Yes When?March 24,2016 8. Did the local government document its decision with appropriate findings,etc. Yes,however findings limited to referencing criteria for stairways and conditional use procedures. If a hardship was found,what was it? None Required.If variances were granted,what were they and were they justified?No variances were required. 9. Did the DNR respond in the appropriate time frame?Yes What were DNR comments? DNR referenced Section§239-10 L of the Pierce County St. Croix Riverway Zoning Ordinance, noting if all conditions cannot be met the department recommends denial. DNR also recommended ensuring stairway meets all floodplain zoning requirements. 10. What was the outcome?Approved If variances or permits were denied,why? NIA When? March 24,2016 11. Is the outcome consistent with protection of the river's outstandingly remarkable values (scenic,recreational,geologic)? Current guidelines provide for stairway access for property owners who require it to access the river contingent on meeting requirements of§239-10 L. How is visibility from the river affected? Unknown.Approval contingent on adequate screening within 5 years of construction,however staff correspondence states"The Board decided that additional vegetation was not needed for the structure to be visually inconspicuous."If any conditions or mitigation are required,what are they and how effective will they be?Unknown due to conflicting information on vegetative screening. 12. Reviewer, date: Palmquist 05/12/2016 75 of 91 MAOSC Capitol and City News for July Oak Park Heights Mayor Mary McComber receives top LMC honor Kudos goes out to Oak Park Heights Mayor Mary McComber for receivingthe top personal honor awarded by the League of Minnesota Cities.Mary is Vice President of the MAOSC Board,serving Region 8 that includes the seven Twin Cities metro counties,as well as Chisago and isanti counties. McComberwas honored with the C.C.Ludwig Award at the LMC Conference in June.Named forformer LMC Executive Director Clarence C.Ludwig,the award recognizes Maryfor her vision,statesmanship, and unwavering commitment to the publicgood.Itwas an especially rewarding conference for Oak Park Heights,as the City also received an Excellence Award(see separate article below). Alongwith her substantial participation in MAOSC and LMC activities,Mary has contributed herservices to the National League of Cities,Minnesota Mayors Association,Metropolitan Cities Association and Minnesota Women in City Government,among other groups. McComber is widely recognized in her community and across the state for her leadership on transportation issues,speaking out on the St.Croix RiverCrossing process,in particular.She had served on the City Council for 12 years prior to herelection as Mayor in 2012. Besides the River Crossing construction,McComberand the City of Oak Park Heights have been especially busy overseeing many miles of street improvements,redevelopment of several City parks,and construction of anew City Hall. She's also veryactive on the emerging state and national disposal wipes issue that has created clogged sewer lines and extraordinary clean-up expenses forcities and other local jurisdictions.Even though the Legislature failed to take action on the disposable wipes problem this year,McCombersees promise in the visibility already raised. In fact,when Mary visited the exhibition hall at the LMC Conference,she commented on the wipes available at the Health Partners booth which didn't have any indication that they were non-flushable. The person!n charge at the booth noted how he had seen various articles about the seriousness of the problem,and ordered the wipes put away,and kept out of view. "Itwasn'tmyintentforthemto remove them,but to bring an awareness,"McCombersaid.Even without a law change yet,raising visibility can help make a difference,she noted. New City Hall, marked by a boulderf'arsignage—photo courtesy of the City of Oak Park Heights Disposable wipes clogging sewer pipes—photo courtesy of Minnesota PCA. MAOSC Board Changes—Tina Rennemotakesthe helm 76 of 91 Tina Rennemo was elected the new MAOSC Board President atthe June meeting.The Baudette Clerk- Treasurer lerkTreasurer representing Region 3will be joined by Oak Park Heights Mayor and Region 8 representative Mary McComberwhowas newlyelected Vice President The remaining Board officers continue in their previous posts.Jeff Kletscher,mayorof Floodwood, remains Secretary,and represents Region 4.Lori Jorgenson,Rothsay City Council member, continues as Treasurer,and represents Region 6. With the passing of JohnYoungJr.,whoserved capably and with good cheerfor so long as MAOSC past President and Board member,Jonathan Smith has been elected toa new position as an at-large MAOSC Board member.Congratulations are also in orderto Jonathan forhis selection as Admi nistratorfor the Cityof Perham.Smith isthe Past President of MAOSC. Smith'sformer Region 2seat is now open,so we are seeking a new Board memberwho lives in Palk, Clearwater,Norman,Clay,Becker,Hubbard or Mahnomen counties.Open seats remain in Region 9 (Houston,Fillmore,Wabasha,Winona,Mower,Dodge,Olmsted and Goodhue counties),and Region 11 (Lincoln,Lyon,Redwood,Cottonwood,Jackson,Pipestone,Murray,Rock and Nobles counties). Six Board members were re-elected to new three-year terms atthe June meeting:Lori Jorgenson,Mary McComber,Shannon Mortenson,Wendy Pederson,Tina Rennemo and Andy Welti. New'Granny pod'law takes effect Sept.1,city opt out is available Newly popular"drop homes"aliowing families and othercaregiverswho provide temporary health care to seniors orotherfamily members have presented citieswith some emerging residential zoning challenges.The new statute definingthe permitted use of residential drop homes,also known as "granny pads,"gives cities and counties the abilityto optoutof the Sept.1, 2016 law change by adopting a resolution rejectingthe statute.The League of Minnesota Cities supported providing cities the flexibility to opt out of the mandate,allowingthem to fashion potential zoningchanges based on local preferences. Those cities notoptingout by the effectivedate will be required to act on permit applications from qualified applicants within 15 days,or within 30 days for cities scheduling their regular meetings monthly.Opting out by resolution eontinuesto be available to cities afterthe new law takes effect. Authored bySen.John Hoffman,DFL-Champlain,and Rep.Roz Peterson,R-Burnsville,the lawallows fora six-month temporary permit for modular or manufactured housing(not recreational vehicles)up to 300 squarefeet,renewable for an additional sixmonths.The permitfee issetat$100, with renewalsset at$50, butthe fee amounts can be altered by city ordinance.Specifics of the new law are available here: Minnesota Revisor of Statutes-2016 Chapter111. Proponents of the law change note that the drop homes provide convenience and independent living opportunities forfamilies seekingan alternative to nursing home care forfami Iles dealing with 77 of 91 temporary healthcare needs.The law provides the mechanism fora permit system,but several communities are expected to tai lora local alternative with revised zoning requirements. Some largercities,especially in the suburban Twin Cities area,are considering opt-out based on community concerns regarding aesthetics,propertyvalues,enforcement challenges related to medical and mental health assessment,and/orthe desire tocrafttheirown ordinance ratherthan complying with the entire state statute. A typical 240-squarefootdrop home—photo courtesy of NextDoor Housing of New Brighton Constitutional Ballot Question—Lawmakers Pay You might not have yet noticed,but Minnesota voters this fall will weigh in by deciding how state legisl ators are paid.The Constitutional Amendment on the ballot Nov.8wi I I ask voters: "ShaUthe Minnesota Constitution be amended to remove state lawmakers'power to set their own salaries,and instead establish an independent,citizens-only council to prescribe salaries of lawmakers?" Legislation enablingthe ballot question was authored by Sen.Kent Eken,DFL-Twin Valley,and Rep. Jason Metsa, DFL-Virginia.MAOSC has not taken a position on the ballot question. Currently,legislators determine theirown future salaries 1n much the same way as county and city governing boards in Minnesota—votingon theirown pay.It happens thatthe base pay for lawmakers set at$31,140 in 1999 hasn't been adjusted since then,although overall compensation has increased incrementally when perdiem and leadership pay hikes are included in the calculation. Minnesota changed the waytop elected state officials,administrators and judges were paid starting in the 1980s when the Compensation Council was established.That board incl udes lawmakers,and the Legislature ratifies the recommendations.The Compensation Council has worked smoothly overall,but the recommendations for lawmaker pay increases have been routinely ignored by the full Legislature in recent years.In fact,nowthe Compensation Council no longer makes legislative pay recommendations. The Constitutional Amendment,if passed,would entirely remove lawmakers from makingtheirown pay decisions.Compensation would be decided everytwo years by an appointed 16-member salary council that would exclude participation from any past and present legislators and theirwives,lobbyists,judges, and state employees. The state ballot question will be approved only if the majority of voters cast"yes"votes in the Novembergeneral election. Supporters of the proposed Amendment will need to raise positive visibility for the question because voters who skip the lone ballot question will be counted as"no"votes. Craig Walz,brother of Congressman Tim Walz 78 of 91 Craig Walz,43, died tragically Sunday,June 19(Father's Day)from storm-related injuries suffered during a BoundaryWaters Canoe Area(BWCA)family campingvacation.Craig was the brother Minnesota First District Congressman Tom Walz,who is a strong small cities advocate at the federal level. A math and chemistryteacheratSt.Charles High School,CraigWalz was celebrated for helping struggling students gain enthusiasm for learning math and science.The severe storm also seriously injured Craig's son,Jacob,14,who has been steadily recovering.Jacob's lengthy rehabilitation process involved a stay at Mayo Clinic in Rochester,followed by returning home to St.Charles in earlyJuly. ACaring Bridge page forJacobWalzhas been setup:Caring Bridge-Jacob Walz. Craig Walz—photo courtesy of St.Charles Public Schools City of Excellence Awards-Oak Park Heights,Fiber Optic collaborators A total of nine MAOSC member cities received 2016 Cityof Excellence recognition bythe LMC at the June conference.Individually,Oak Park Heights was honoredforits innovative"Pit to Park"project. Collectively,eight MAOSC membercities located in Renville and Sibleycounties were recognized for theircollaboration on setting up a fiber-opticcooperative network. Coordinatingthe efforts of local businesses,civicgroups and volunteers,Oak Park Heights converted the vacated fly-ash landfill pitforthe A.S.King Plant into RiverCrossing Park with fundinghelp from Kabooml,Inc. The State of Minnesota,Xcel Energyand a local businessjoined in on design and construction ofan adjacent joint-use parking lot forvisitors and other activities.Youngsters under 18 from the community were involved in a park-naming contest,and volunteers helped with construction of the playground area and park benches.With council approval,a local mountain bikingclub volunteered to build bike trails in the park.The development model setfor RiverCrossing Park has been replicated around the city as existing neighborhood parks are improved on ayearly basis. In addition to Oak Park Heights reeeivi nga City of Excellence Award,its mayor,Mary McComber,was honored withthe C.C.LudwigAward from the LMC (see article above). Eight MAOSC cities in Renville and Sibley counties are amongthe Cityof Excellence Award winners participating in the"RS FiberCooperative Project"overfive yearsto provide high-speed,affordable and reliable gigabyte internet service in a broadly rural area that would have otherwise had towait much longerforthe vital upgrade. The LMC-honored MAOSCcities are Brownton, Buffalo Lake,Fairfax,Gaylord,Greenlsle,NewAubum, Stewart and Winthrop.The project involves a total of 10 cities and 17 townships,and involved more than 150 meetings to develop plans,inform the public,and gain citizen support.Completion ofthe two- county project is expected to take another five years. 79 of 91 MAOSC cities make G reenStep progress Seven MAOSC communities were honored at last month's LMC Conference far movingforward on the voluntary,Minnesota PCA-sponsored,GreenStep Cities program in the past year. Barnum, Hewitt,New Germany,Stacy and Winthrop completed Step One of the process,initiating their GreenStep involvement bypassinga city resolution.Marine on St.Croix and Mountain Iron completed StepTwo,implementing up to eightof the program's 29 best practices. The GreenStep Cities recognition program thisyear included sponsorship assistance from MAOSC Gold Sponsor,Spingsted,Inc.,and MAOSC Bronze Sponsors,CenterPoint Energy and SEH(Short Elliott Hendrickson,Inc.). Please contact your Legislators We often encourage you to keep in close contactwith your legislators,but now isan especial lygood time to let them knowthat our communities can benefitfrom finishing uptheirwork in a Special Session. Legislators are already busy with planning their re-election campaigns,and theirschedules will get more crowded as the general election approaches.While prospectsfor a Special Session may dim aswe head into the mid-summer campaign season,urgingaction on the Small Citiesage nda can help move the process forward-even if our priorities have to wait until the new Legislature convenes in 2017. 80 of 91 Eric Johnson From: Mary Mccomber <marymccomber@aol.com> Sent Thursday,August 4, 2016 1:20 PM To: Eric Johnson Subject: Fwd:Go Beyond The Pool for a Better Resident Experience For weekly notes and Parks ----Original Message---- From: Commercial Recreation Specialists<info@crs4rec.com> To: marymccomber<marymccomber@aol.com> Sent: Thu,Aug 4, 2016 1.17 pm Subject: Go Beyond The Pool for a Better Resident Experience Having trouble viewing this email? You're receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in Commercial Recreation Specialists. Don't forget to add ,ifoCla crs4rec.ce,, to your address book so we'll be sure to land in your inboxl You may nauDacLiLe if you no longer wish to receive our emails. COMMERCIAL RECREATION SPECIALISTS r I I Little Village, Big Splash. 81 of 91 Many cities and towns have community pools that are underutilized by resident families with young children or those that can't swim.This leaves many community leaders looking for new ways to redevelop these valuable community assets to better serve the needs of the entire community. Below is a story how one village expanded beyond an existing pool to find a cost effective solution to bring a new level of aquatic play to a valuable community asset. Check out how the Village of North Fond Du Lac found a solution to create a more fun and engaging aquatic experience for all of its residents. i A NEW WAY TO SPLASH AT THE POOL u For the last six years the Village of North Fond Du Lac has been working to expand and enhance the amenities offered at their village pool to provide a community space where everyone could comfortably experience the joys of water. Through years of community involvement through various fundraising efforts and after acquiring additional land from the local high school for the bargain price of$1, local officials looked to Commercial Recreation Specialists(CRS)to help create the space their community had been working so hard to fund. The Village wanted CRS to design a fluid space that would accent their existing wading pool and create a total Aquatic play environment for children of all abilities.Through the incorporation of a Splashpad. that featured a variety of water cannons,play=elements and ground sprays,they were able to create a total aquatic;play experience that appeal~to the whole fam ilv. With water flows,mists,jets and sprinkling effects, CRS was able to elevate the water play beyond the pool to create a fresh experience. They also worked to incorporate some much needed shade structures into the design to provide a space where pool enthusiasts o can take a break from the action and the sun.The two separate shade shelters paired with the Splashpad have broadened the appeal of the pool to all ages,from grandparents to toddlers. These new amenities have made a big change in this small community towards improving the quality of play for all ages. This Splashpad was constructed using Smartpoint All-In-One drain and foot activation switch,to eliminate the need for a separate activator post to help keep costs 2 82 of 91 within budget.Its eco-friendly,flaw-through water management design also works to keep costs to a minimum by being low maintenance and not requiring water filtration before returning it to the municipal wastewater system. NEED HELP PLANNING YOUR SPLASHPAD? Commercial Recreation Specialists has been collaborating with owners and specifiers on Splashpad design and installation for over a decade with Splashpad projects in numerous markets and regions.We focus on bringing communities together through the design of inclusive and safe environments for all ages and abilities.We'd love the opportunity to do the same for your community. ►�� Give us a call or contact us today to get started. Discover Our Municipal Solutions Discover how to bring your community together. COMMERCIAL RECREATION SPECIALISTS Serious About Fun 1877-896-8442 CR$( Rec.com 0* VORTEX See whats happening on our social sites. Commercial Recreation Specialists, 807 Liberty Drive, Suite 101, Verona, WI 53593 SafeUnsubscribeT"'-marymccornber0aol.corn Forward this email J Update Profile I About our service provider Sent by info0crs4rec.com in collaboration with CimAN#cwW,y ' Try it free today 3 83 of 91 Eric Johnson From: Mary Mccomber <marymccomber@aol.com> Sent: Friday,August 12, 2016 2:01 PM To: Eric Johnson Subject: Fwd: Metro Cities News 8/12/16 For weekly notes. ---Original Message----- From: Laurie Jennings<laurie@metrocitiesmn.org> To: marymccomber<marymocomber@aol.com> Sent: Fri, Aug 12, 20161:57 pm Subject: Metro Cities News 8/12/16 Metro Cities News August 12, 2016 Policy Committees Update Metro Cities' four policy committees are completing second meetings this week. All committees hosted speakers on topics of interest and applicability to the work of the committees. Speakers included Amy Vennewitz-Metropolitan Council on transportation funding, Pat Dalton-House Research on utility franchise fees, Sean Kershaw and Pahoua Hoffman-Citizens League on the League's recent Metropolitan Council governance task force report, and Tara Beard-Metropolitan Council on the housing element review for local comprehensive plans. The Metropolitan Agencies Committee finished its work this week, and will not hold a September meeting. —click for full article Met Council Discusses Preliminary 2017 Budget Metropolitan Council staff presented the preliminary 2017 budget at this week's full Council meeting. The budget presentation included the projected 2017 tax levy, operating budget, capital program, division priorities and the timeline for the budget process. The proposed 2017 levy is $83.6 million, a 1.9 percent increase over 2016. $52.8 million in debt service for parks and transit represent 63 percent of the levy. $4.5 million of the general purposes levy will be used for targeted initiatives, including a ...click for full article State Revenues and Bond Rating Net general fund revenues to the state are $31 million, or 3.1%, below what was forecast, with lower corporate tax receipts and other lower than anticipated revenues contributing to the change, according to the July revenue report issued by the MN Department of Management and Budget (MMB). As with every monthly report, MMB staff caution that the numbers are preliminary and subject to change. A complete budget forecast will be released in early December. ...click for fun article 84 of 91 Met Council Approves SWLRT Cost Changes and EIS On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Council approved an updated budget estimate for the Southwest Light Rail project as well as a scope change. The new cost estimate is $1.858 billion, a $19 million increase over the previous estimate. According to Council staff, project costs increase by $1 million for each week the project is delayed. The Council's action allows staff to submit the project for engineering to the federal click for full article Primary Election Results Tuesday, August 9th, was primary election day in Minnesota. Statewide turnout was at just over 7% of registered voters, around 280,000 voters, according to the MN Secretary of State. Below are the results of key MN House and Senate primary races. To access full primary results from the Secretary of State, click here. House 31A (R) - Kurt Daudt 72% - Alan Duff 28% 31 B (R) - Tom Hackbarth 43% - Cal Bahr 57% 40B (D) - Deb Hillstrom 86% - Jim Richards 14% 59A (D) - Joe Mullery 45% - Fue Lee 55% 60B (D) - Phyllis Kahn 29% - Ilhan Omar 41% - Mohamud Noor 30% 65A (D) - Rena Moran 79% - Rashad Tumer 21% Senate 52 (D) - Matt Klein 70% - Todd Podgorski 30% 59 (D) - Bobby Joe Champion 82% - Patwin Lawrence 18% 62 (D) - Jeff Hayden 73% - Mohamoud Hassan 27% 53 (R) - Sharna Wahlgren 66% - Bill Dahn 34% 64 (R) - lain Baird 65% - Sharon Anderson 35% Metropolitan Council Planit Training Schedule for August The Metropolitan Council will host training and a webinar in August on topics relating to local comprehensive planning preparation and requirements. Sessions will focus on community engagement, and transportation. Below are dates and times for the session and webinar. Planit Workshop: Community Engagement (FREE workshop) WednesdayLAugust 17m 9:30 a.m. — 19:00 a.m. (Southdale Library in Edina) This is the first Planit Worshop and will feature a conversation on Community Engagement, Highlighting experiences of local planning staff in engaging community members in planning efforts, including comprehensive planning. Light refreshments will be provided. Register. Planit Webinar click for full article Mark Your Calendars! This year, the metro regional meeting that is jointly nosted by Metro Ques and the League of MN Cities will take place on Wednesday, November 30th, at the Embassy Suites in Brooklyn Center. At this meeting, Metro Cities' members will also adopt the organization's legislative policies. Stay tuned for additional meeting and registration details. z 85 of 91 Metro Cities News is emailed periodically to all Metro Cities member mayors, councilmembers, city managers and administrators to keep officials abreast of important metro city issues.This information is also intended to be shared with city staff. If you'd like to sign up to receive Metro Cities News, please email Laurie@,Metrocitiesmn.org and provide the following: Name, Title, Employer and Email address. Thank you. Metro Cities 145 University Ave W.,St. Raul, MN 55903-2044 Phone 659-215-4000 Fax 659-289- 1299 in"r 3 86 of 91 Eric Johnson From: Mary Mccomber<marymccomber@aol.com> Sent Wednesday,August 3,2015 5.43 PM To: Eric Johnson Subject: Fwd: Budget for Community Engagement For weekly notes —Original Message----- From: Todd Streeter I Community Collaboration <todd@involvementisgood.com> To: Mary<marymc comben@aol.com> Sent:Wed,Aug 3, 2016 2:21 pm Subject: Budget for Community Engagement r 0 M ya7Y 71 r w. k Nw —_ L Y ■ — ,� sa ' A 71 i A d" S' A ' � a i s 9 5 .� ■ _ r'—�_ r _�.,'�V�iri" 7" � A 10.7 // i Rki� 1111 � ;"..........". yy � e,oF a•;.1x,v,ta; �.t d.S' ""f"' ooh.. " � ' 87 of 91 x F CONTACT Todd SUi�Tt-tst u ti f Stillwater Area High School Fa 11201 F Activities � 6 —stillwa terschools.org M September 9 7:00 p.m. vs. Roseville September 16 7:00 p.m. vs.Cretin-Derham Hall October 7 7:00 p.m. vs. Mounds View HOMECOMING October 19 7:00 p.m. vs. Forest Lake (Senior Nigh August 30 7:00 p.m. vs. Hudson September 13 7:00 p.m. vs.Cretin-Derham Hall (double header) September 15 7:00 p.m. vs.White Bear Lake (double header) September 17 7:00 p.m. vs. North September 24 5:00 p.m. vs. Minneapolis Southwest September 29 7:00 p.m. vs. Mounds View (double header) October 4 5:00 p.m. vs. Forest Lake (double header) Milo August 26 7:00 p.m. vs.St.Cloud Tech September 3 7:00 p.m. vs.Blaine September 6 7:00 p.m. vs.Mahtomedi September 13 5:00 p.m. vs.Cretin-Derham Hall (double header) September 15 5:00 p.m. vs.White Bear Lake (double header) September 24 7:00 p.m. vs.Tartan Senior September 29 5:00 p.m. vs. Mounds View (double header) October 1 7:00 p.m. vs.Burnsville Senior October 7:00 p.m. vs.Forest Lake (double header) i I Dates subject to change,for more information visit the 89 of 91 High School Activities Calendar at suburbaneast org August 26 7:00 p.m. vs.Moorhead September 1 7:00 p.m. vs.Elk River September 22 7:00 p.m. vs.Mounds View September 29 TBD vs.East Ridge October 6 5:00 p.m. vs.Park October 13 7:00 p.m. vs.Roseville September 1 3:30 p.m. vs.Park September 22 3:30 p.m. vs.Forest Lake September 29 3:30 p.m. vs.Mounds View October 6 3:30 p.m. vs.White Bear Lake September 8 6:00 p.m. vs.Forest Lake September 15 6:00 p.m. vs.Cretin-Derham Hall September 29 6:00 p.m. vs.Park NuA �lll�lu�ll 1 f October 1$ .00 p.m. Kaleidoscope Concert 8:00 P.M.6 . November 11,12 7:00 p.m. Fall Play November 13 2:00 p.m. December 5 6:30 p.m. Holiday Concert 8:00 P.M. December 11 3:00 p.m. Winter Concert 7:00 p.m. December 12 7:80 p.m. Winter Concert December 19 7:00 p-m. Belle/Varsity Concert Stillwater Area Public Schools Community Education Presents the Summer 2016 Stillwater Community Theatre Production hCG q an jAqWLeU July 21,22,23 at 7:00 pm&July 24 at 2:00 pm Stillwater Junior High School Auditorium 90 of 91 Order tickets online:stillwaterschools.org/tickets r _ w It t, IC r t; 0 i B Man1Yn (Raduenx cl h arzlyiy and a planned er's childhood hr ri "" � «!I P?f aft,a,�),pa'jp;),M,� rP� rtrtr�te uay for a new section of � a' A dge over the 4t ,. , Nearly �0 yepdisplacedlater, s0. t Oak Parkers reser villagM6101e W r2V BY JGMTNM Ypl N Kunzebmiu s Swwq atom;,.,Part-. jw er happen, saying., "They1 al m THE GAZETTE derson's Fixit Shop, .HWx I ver going to move me out At d barns and Milne McGluer com- hese'Richert recalled ,. a Nearly six decades have passed mercial fishery,Richert recaW. With her fatner gone and ice- ' l; since the first residents were forced There was a school, too, WhM rrnul compensation for the family t out of their h9 _to,males:+ + Miss C"arri {ter -- jLj8ftcbW fos_< fig,Richert used her cow:. ". for a new bridge O*er the St. I)L 54 ye�'a--taught generations:or ings and a loan to help buy Aneotw , River. They lived in the vilbW Studedts. The school site is tion= house for her and her motes. i I Oak Park, on the eastern side,aat Cover Park In addition toper family,Rmhen what is now the city of Oast E' ci Those were different titlm ac- said about 32 others wein tweed to Heights. cording Richert move irk the late 5ft b6my of tram Lan Saturday, Aug A. fprsner Sillwater resident Charles Cies never laved Wsee 1he bridge they marde i to .of-the vfihW '' WhW, also, gmw up in Oak were moved out fcgr i for.a,apit'ar9e.. ,�ctttawj*4.F*k iaeed He telephones '"It. std;'Ricl=f n said ;n leR00%Wi art tea;samem ran be- Coe , however continued to e,>Ik }Ikcz 4hiii tvratily*W and Bayport;and koe to hls childhood home until Le iu. 4-71,rr k% dis�t*talvisp have indoor ')v, when it became one of an- T�3eVjMWEBraW's King -()Lhcr 66 homes cleared to make t�xrTc, furs *,. .A 3y For the bridge A few other "it`" s;"matt"it Domes and businesses have since orpnigmd by "at Doerr "Alia 01600t ftcryone had a gVXW been denrolished or moved,as well ttAd MMj*ftku *mW„ who and a.chickon coop, When toe Unlike Richert,Ciesman said he Ason'baded t? fttm to.DAF and kids, wed try to streak hitch received a fair sant of money for (uhiew) Richmat, %`o-*hoeybrhad an:apple tree....,That his property. t inns about the only crane ever "1 got a Mut*better house than 3W ZAP, KW wu s piing.Kmw appl" I had,"he sem- 1,85;1„0d,.Wr, �. The .&il m's swiraming Me Although to moves were "in- � its fie sof J)"kwas kthilvvn es "the damp,” and aouvewrent" €' �,y people. r ii1 s t al t s td. wbs s now-pias Tara Hidea*ey Richert bQijcva. the new bridge F tis a.`i,a#y4w va 40(1 used to be l rig's Chicken Shiek. was neeriA. Ciesman agrees in wsffhw at9"q R k- "it was just a good place and Most,Of]L Oak Park is now e ilk..at,pod tine W grow ul% Ri&ert gone, iesidents of the 1 :ihl tis Oaf l lits said once m"gt community have tmtl 1:959,who* the area offs. Time maxched om and tl3ings died tt l ut 0 group of those who COK(Nsrated iAto the city of 6.,i changed remain t Wj,.j to meet each yeai Pa HMO%"Rkhert.said. For RichW,the change Rime in for theo.Wpicnic Whim kichert 'was grew"$ 1958,when herr rami 1Y tamed no- Alt rt was concerned Oak P44 had its cram ., trce that tho mouse wht •t rew not would attend this though it has&vii into t up would beoondemWili make year, N-t*Kvved up and the Oak.Park and Lower Oak Park by way for the approach of it new picnic"t''e e�pi�ieri a success She old Highway 212 bridge over the St.Croy, hopes �0ri* the tradition "It was a self-sutliciew ]t 1e "That oval My er's next yid "" n tie new bridge will community down there,"she said house," Richert said. ..t was an be all l r F ate "We had our own gas statim an d old horniest " ' Her t Ames eCawerr Robcrtsotts and year befohsd statatild ,•,la,r G ov young cit jona- 91 of 91 Y Aver-Ont