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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-08 -- SummerCity of Corcoran 8200 CO RD 116—Corcoran, MN 55340 www.ci.corcoran.mn.us 763-420-2288 EXT. 18 Summer Newsletter August 2010 What’s this we’re hearing about a new public works building? Unless you’re a regular at Council meetings, it’s pretty likely that most of what you’ve heard isn’t very accurate. Many months ago, the City conducted a formal safety inspection of its public works build- ings located on Cain Road. The public works “office building” – actually a former school house and former City Hall – was documented to have numerous and significant prob- lems. These include unsafe structural elements, inadequate and unsafe electrical ser- vice, various fire hazards, unsafe or inadequate workshop areas, insufficient heated storage, a failing roof, moldy walls and ceilings, and many smaller issues that reduce the effectiveness of the space. In addition to these problems, we know that the septic sys- tem is in need of significant repairs. We cannot continue to use the Cain Road property in its current condition. Beyond the health and safety issues, it is a simple fact that using a property in this condition actu- ally creates greater long term maintenance and operational costs for our taxpayers. The City Council and Staff have been working together to determine the best solution for the community. Over the past several months we have studied a number of possible scenarios. We have worked on determining the full cost of repairing the Cain Road prop- erty to a minimally habitable, usable condition. We have explored renting appropriate space from current commercial property owners. We have examined using the Cain Road location but completely rebuilding on site. We have also looked at the costs and issues associated with locating another parcel of land and building a new facility. Our community is cautious and conservative when it comes to major purchases or build- ing activities. The City Council’s approach to this project has been, first and foremost, to determine how we can create and maintain the most cost effective, efficient, safe envi- ronment for our Public Works crew to deliver the services we require. The City Council has not chosen a specific plan nor made any sort of commitment to any expense. Once we have narrowed the possibilities down to the concrete alternatives that the Council feels would be acceptable to the community, we will publicize and con- duct a public hearing to obtain community input. For those of you who are interested in periodically attending Council meetings, this issue is a frequent agenda topic. Please stayed tuned, and when it comes to what you hear “on the street” about this pro- ject, I would respectfully suggest that you owe it to yourself and your neighbors to try to separate the wheat from the chaff. Mayor Ken Guenthner Council Seeks Options For a New Public Works Facility Election Information 2 Parks & Trails Update 3 Public Works—Streets & Roads 4 Required Permits 5 Gardening Care & Weed Control 6-7 Corcoran Bulletin Board 8-9 Police & Code Enforcement Information 10-11 Protect Wetland Property 11 Greenway Committee Update 12 Inside this issue: CITY OFFICE INFORMATION City Hall Office Hours Monday – Friday 8am to 4pm City Council Meetings Second & Fourth Thursday of each month at 7:00pm Planning Commission Meetings First Thursday of each month at 7:00pm Parks & Trail Meetings Third Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm “Let your voice be heard” City Council Members Mayor—Ken Guenthner 763-478-6699 Councilors Ron Thomas—Roz Milbrandt—George Gmach Chris Hudok Email—general@ci.corcoran.mn.us Election season is fast approaching! Please use the following information for your reference: Primary Election: Tuesday, August 10, 2010. Polls open 7:00 a.m.—8:00 p.m. General Election: Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Polls open 7:00 a.m.—8:00 p.m. Voting will be held at City Hall located at 8200 CO RD 116. Absentee Voting—Minnesota law allows individuals to apply to vote by absentee ballot if they are unable to vote in person on election day because they are 1) absent from home precinct, 2) ill or disabled, 3) an election judge serving in a precinct other than their own, or 4) unable to go to the polling place due to a religious observance or belief. Residents may obtain an absentee ballot application by downloading it from our website at www.ci.corcoran.mn.us, calling City Hall, or stopping by City Hall during regular business hours to fill out absentee materials. Absentee ballots will be available until August 9th for the Primary election and from September 17th through October 31st for the General Election. Additionally, City Hall will be open from 10am to 3pm on Saturday August 7th and Saturday October 30th for absentee voting. Municipal Elections—The City of Corcoran will have three positions on the ballot during November General Election. The Mayor (2 year term) and two City council (4 year terms) positions are at-large positions, representing all Corcoran resi- dents. Persons interested in running for these offices may file at City Hall. The filing period opens at 8:00 am on August 3rd, 2010, and closes at 5:00 pm on August 17th, 2010. For concerns or more information please contact our Deputy Clerk, Jeanie Heinecke, at 763-420-2288 ext. 15 or email jheinecke@ci.corcoran.mn.us. Survey Results “Let your voice be heard” After receiving back over 400 survey sheets sent out with the Spring Newsletter, staff has compiled and completed the re- sults. We thank you for your participation and greatly appreciate your feedback. Your comments and concerns will be passed along to the existing Council mem- bers, and again forwarded to the new Council members in 2011 for review and budget-making decision for future projects and purchases. Current Actions: Staff has scheduled to meet with a committee discussing the recycling and garbage program in Corcoran. Your name and email address that you included will be added to our con- tact list to receive the City Council / Commission meeting agenda packet information each month. 2010 Primary and General Election Information Page 2 Important Election Dates To Remember August 3 Candidate filing period opens August 7 City Hall open 10am—3pm for absentee voting August 9 City Hall open for until 5pm for absentee voting August 10 Primary Election Polls open 7am to 8pm August 17 Candidate filing period closes August 19 Last day for candidate to withdraw (5:00pm) October 30 City Hall open 10am—3pm for absentee voting November 1 City Hall open until 5:00pm for absentee voting November 2 General Election Polls open 7:00am—8:00pm DON’T FORGET your RECYCLING BILLS are PAST DUE! If you have not paid this bill a late fee of $10 has been added and you now owe $43.00 . If you live on a gravel road, your DUST CONTROL BILL is now PAST DUE, and a 6.75 % penalty now applies. Any bills outstanding as of November 15, 2010, will be classified as delinquent. An additional penalty fee from the county will also be added and assessed against your property taxes in 2011 for bills not paid. This fee is NOT tax deductible. Help Support Your Area Businesses `What’s been discussed with the Parks & Trails Commission? The City has purchased 10 new green aluminum picnic tables to be place at the City Park. Other purchases made from grant monies were bleach- ers and materials to construct two T-ball fields this spring. June 15th meeting Northern Natural Gas (NNG) representative Liz Babcock was present. She was introduced by City Administrator Dan Donahue, who told the Com- mission that she had been invited to the meeting to discuss the possibility of placing trails along the pipeline route. The Commission had requested she come to the meeting to discuss the possibilities and issues of this idea. Ms. Babcock answered many question posed by the commissioners. She left with these comments: 1. The City could locate trails along the pipeline providing the city works with the individual property owners (NNG owns easement rights but does not own any of the property where the pipeline is located). 2. The city must adhere to the standards set by NNG when placing trails in the vicinity of the pipe. Ms. Babcock left information on the two points with Dan Donahue. 3. She would share what information she had regarding other cities around the nation that had located trails along their pipelines. Bonestroo Agreement. Consultant Tina Goodroad, representing Bonestroo, was present at the meeting to address the agreement approved by the City Council on April 22, 2010. The commission discussed and clarified what had happened during the 2007-2008 process to update the 2004 Parks and Trails Plan, a process that culminated in the draft approval of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan—Section 7, Parks and Trails Plan. There were questions on the map changes, cost estimates and reasons to include or omit them in the plan, numbers of neighborhood parks and locations, land costs, etc. At the end of the discussion, the commission directed Ms. Goodroad to: 1. Update the table for planned parks. 2. Develop costs and estimated land costs for park properties both inside and outside the Metropolitan Urban Service Area (MUSA). 3. Update the text in the 2030 Comp Plan so that planned parks match and are consistent with the table that outlines the parks to be developed. 4. Develop a table of parks to be updated but not to be included as part of the finished Comprehensive Parks Plan. Look for the Banner A booth will be set up at the Corcoran Country Daze on August 21st for the Parks and Trails Commission to address any questions or concerns residents may have. This newsletter is mailed to approxi- mately 2000 homes and businesses in Corcoran. To ad- vertise your busi- ness or establish- ment in this news- letter, call 763-420-2288 ext. 10 for more information. Page 3 COUPON Expires 09/30/2010 Corcoran Newsletter The Country Pizza Parlor 7565 CO RD 116 • Corcoran 763-420-5755 www.countrypizzaparlor.com RECEIVE $3.00 OFF Any Large Pizza Not valid with other offers—Minimum delivery charge applies. WE DELIVER We offer take-n-bake pizzas for take out! Check Out Our Party Room! INFORMATION ON STREETS AND ROADS IN CORCORAN If you are new to the “rural “ residential areas of Corcoran or just curious about the maintenance of the roads, perhaps the information below will be a simple guide to help educate you on some of the budget expenses and operations for Public Works. Corcoran has over 64 miles of roads that are maintained by the Public Works department. For questions or concerns please contact the Public Works Depart- ment at 763-420-2652. ROAD RESTRICTIONS In the spring of each year, Public Works follows MNDOT’s guidelines for the Metro Region to apply road restrictions throughout the City. This involves flagging and posting 4 ton signs at the entrances of these roads. (That is, a vehicle cannot exceed a total of 4 tons per axel weight). This is done because the frost goes out of the ground and traps moisture, making the under layer soft. Heavy equipment or vehi- cles on the roads push the surface up, causing damage such as sinking or cracking of asphalt. Allowing time for the roads to dry out will help alleviate these issues. During this time the city will not issue permits for overweight vehicles except for emergency reasons. Restric- tions are generally lifted sometime in May. The following roads in Corcoran are always posted as 4 ton limits and require a permit. If this affects you as a resident for any deliveries, you may want to notify your vendor of this posting to avoid any fines that could be issued to them. Horseshoe Trail—between Willow and Rolling Hills Road Larkin—between Co. Rd. 10 & 116 Homestead Trail between Willow & Rolling Hills Road. DITCHING Ditching is done throughout the spring, summer and fall months. This requires the use of backhoes, bob cats and tractors to reshape the ditches from the foliage and excess gravel or dirt built up to allow them to drain properly. Public Works should be contacted for any safety issues regarding tall overgrown trees and brush in the right-of-way. Rights-of-way vary and not all roads have them; some areas must have consent from the property owners for the City to maintain or clear them. GRADING AND RE-GRAVELING City staff receives many phone calls from residents regarding the conditions of the gravel roads throughout the year. Your concerns are trying to be met as Public Works is well aware of these conditions; however, they can only grade at certain times. Grading roads when they are too dry will cause loose dirt to kick up and create spin-off, creating washboards in the road, and/or it can kick the gravel off the road into the ditches. If the roads are too wet, the graders are too heavy and will damage the roads. In some cases it is necessary to purchase and apply more class-5 gravel to the road, as there is not enough of a base to grade, so this would need to be done first. Therefore, grading is done based upon the conditions of the roads and weather permitting. DUST CONTROL Dust control is a chemical made up of magnesium chloride, which is sprayed on the gravel roads throughout Corcoran in mid-spring. Be- fore this chemical can be applied, the road must be graded and the surface be damp enough to absorb the chemical. Not only does this help settle the dust, it will also help preserve the road’s gravel. All County roads are maintained and funded by Hennepin County. Calls should be directed to them at 612-596-0299 for questions or concerns, such as pot holes, trees/branches, signs, damaged mail boxes, and deceased animals. Page 4 New Legislation extends the deadline for Applying for the Metropolitan Agricultural Preserves Program Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 473H.05 subdivision 1 amended the date to apply for the Metropolitan Agricul- tural Preserves Program from "prior to March 1" to "prior to June 1." For the current assessment only (2010 pay- able 2011) the date has been extended to "prior to August 1." Property owners should contact City Planner Kendra Lindahl at 612-252-9070 if they wish to take advantage of this extension. SPEED LIMITS MN/DOT sets regula- tions regarding speed limits. If you believe there is a safety con- cern or inappropriate speed limit posted, the person to contact de- pends on the type of road. Please go to their website at www.dot.state.mn.us/speed for more informa- tion on "Work Zone Speed Guidelines" If you want to add or create an entrance to your property, you must apply for a driveway permit. Application can be printed online or picked up at City Hall. The application will be review by Public Works and/or the city engineer to ensure it will not affect any wetland runoff or create any ditch drainage issues. For further questions or concerns, please contact the Public Works department at 763-420- 2652. Since they are generally out and about throughout the City, we ask that you leave your name, phone number and a brief message and they will return your call within 72 hours. New or Remodel Construction The City of Corcoran follows the State Building Code, and therefore building permits are required for most types of con-struction, including but not limited to new construction, remodeling, additions, decks, re-siding, reroofing, window replace-ment, septic system repair or replacement, fireplace installation, installation of air conditioning and/or furnaces, water heat-ers/softeners, swimming pools, and fences 6 feet or higher. The permit process generally takes 5 – 7 days. (This code in-cludes manufactured or mobile homes.) Grading & Filling Prior to performing any grading or filling on your property, please contact the City Hall. Property owners should be aware of the various regulations that protect wetlands, floodplains, and other water ways. Some activities may require a permit; typi-cally, a permit is needed when you exceed 300 cubic yards of material, but there are also times when a permit will not be required. Due to the location of the work or the impact it may cause, such as by altering existing drainage, guidance and inspections from the city engineer or other staff person is required. The intent is not to create a burden on any property owner, but to help protect properties from any negative impacts. Fences No permit is required unless it is 6 feet or higher. No fence or wall shall be placed on or extend into the public right-of-ways. At this time, there is no ordinance that requires a fence around a swimming pool. Shed or Accessory Building A permit is needed to build structures greater than 10 feet x 12 feet or 120 square feet. Accessory structures – Each homestead is allowed 1,000 square feet of attached garage space. The area of detached garage space allowed is based on the number of acres you have. Any amount of attached space over 1000 square feet will be sub-tracted from the amount of detached space allowed on your property. You will need to submit a site plan survey with lot di-mensions, locations and setbacks of buildings, driveways, drainage fields, septic systems, wells, and alternate site plans. Certificate of Survey If the proposed structure meets all of the required setbacks from property lines, flood plains, etc. by at least 2 times the re- quirements, the permit can be exempt from a certified survey. For more facts or applications/ permits on the above information go to the City’s website at www.ci.corcoran.mn.us Select City Departments/Building and Inspections For other building questions or concerns, call the Building Official, MNSPECT, at 952-442-7520 or City Hall. Minnesota Statues 2008, section 326B.148, subdivision1: “SURCHARGE FEES” Municipalities must begin collecting a $5.00 mini-mum surcharge fee starting with all fixed permits issued on or thereafter July 1, 2010, and continue to collect the new minimum through June 30, 2011. http://www.dli.mn.gov/CCLD/SurchargeChange.asp BUILDING WITHOUT A PERMIT IS SUBJECT TO A STOP WORK ORDER AND A DOUBLE PERMIT FEE FINE. Page 5 Page 6 Tips for Fall Gardening Care Dividing perennials and planting spring bulbs: Generally if a perennial blooms in spring or early summer, it can be divided or moved in fall. Wrapping young tree trunks and covering shrubs prevents animals from feeding on them. This also protects those plants that are sensitive to the cold weather. Winter injury can sometimes kill only the branches but in some cases may kill the whole plant. Mulching about 4-6 inches around perennials, trees, and shrubs in the late fall will protect the roots of the plants. It is important that the ground be allowed to get cold before mulching, so wait until early to November before covering the plants. Raking up the leaves of trees and shrubs and cutting back perennials: It is important to clean up and dispose of all dead plant debris and fallen leaves. This helps minimize fungal spores from overwintering into the next spring and will reduce soil-borne diseases. Most perenni- als are cut back after we have had a killing frost in the fall. Watering: Increase water to perennials, shrubs and trees in the late fall, just prior to the soil freezing. Make sure your plants stay well wa- tered until the ground freezes, which is important to successful overwintering. Overseeding and sodding: If the lawn did suffer some permanent injury during the dry conditions of late spring and early summer, now is a good time to do some overseeding or resodding to repair those areas. The best time to seed in Minnesota is late summer (mid-August to mid-September) due to favorable conditions for germination and growth. In addition, fewer weed seeds are germinating that might com- pete with the grass seedlings. Lastly, there is ample time for the plants to be well established before winter. Seeding can be done in the spring; however, weeds and high summer temperatures often reduce the chance of success. Grass seeding: For the best germination, be sure that there is moist soil to a depth of 4–6 inches. Seed should be spread in two steps, each at a half rate, in perpendicular directions across the site. This technique ensures the most uniform coverage. Follow up with a light raking allowing about 10–15% of the seed to show. Use a roller or cultipacker over the area to ensure good seed-soil contact. Watering the new site is very important. After seeding, water only as needed. Some drying during the day will not harm the seeds, and may actually enhance germination. Cease watering when free water (puddles) begins to appear. When the seed has germinated, begin regular water- ing while the seedlings are very small. Gradually taper off the watering as the plants grow larger and the temperature (in fall) cools off. Ordinarily, 6–12 weeks are needed for establishment. It takes nearly a full season for the new lawn to be a mature and durable turf able to withstand considerable traffic. Fertilizing: The period right around Labor Day is an excellent time to put down an application of fertilizer. Putting down about one pound of actual nitrogen at this time of year helps provide the plant with the necessary available nitrogen needed to support and sustain active grass plant growth through the fall period.  Broadleaf weed control: The month of September into early October is an excellent time for controlling those pesky broadleaf perennial weeds such as dandelion and creeping Charlie next spring by good sanitation practices this fall. In the fall, perennial weeds translocate (move) the sugars produced in leaves to underground roots or rhizomes for the winter and to fuel next year's growth. During this time, plants are moving sugars up from the underground storage parts to produce new shoots. Herbicides do not move against this flow very well. This upward movement of sugar continues until after flowering. Consequently, considerably less herbicide gets to the underground portions if applied in the spring or summer than the same amount applied in the fall. Spring or summer applications of herbicides may damage the emerged leaves and sufficiently control the underground portions. These systemic herbicides are applied post-emergence, after vegetation has emerged. With most post-emergence herbicides, very little herbicide moves into the plant through root uptake from the soil. Contact herbicides burn leaves that are sprayed but do not move to the roots so they do not control underground parts of peren- nial weeds. Without destroying the root system, perennial plants may still be able to regenerate. It continues as long as the plants are not killed by frost and 50 to 75% of their leaves are still green and actively growing. Most broadleaf weed killers work best between the tem- peratures of 50 degrees F and 80 degrees F. Contact herbicides such as those containing glufosinate (sold as Finale) may be used to burn off emerged vegetation in driveways, patios, and sidewalks. Some of the organic nonselective sprays containing potassium salts of fatty acids can be used similarly. Repeated applications will be needed on perennial plants during the growing season. After the leaves have died, pick off any remaining leaves on the stems and pick up any dead leaves from the ground; some fungus spores and other pests can overwinter on dead leaves and you will reduce your pest problems next spring by good sanitation practices this fall. If you have gardening questions leave a message for a Wright County Master Gardener at 763-682-7394, and they will have an answer within 1-2 business days. Page 7 Annual weeds like crab grass germinate from seed, flower and produce seed before winter kills the plant. They must start from a seed every year, and do not establish well in a competitive turf. Once the turf is well established, annual weeds should not persist unless distur- bances occur to open up the canopy. Diseases, winter kill, vole damage, or drought are examples of disturbances. Annual weed problems in established turf indicate that management may need to be improved. Systemic or contact herbicides work well on annual weeds but will not kill seeds. CORCORAN CITY WEED ORDINANCE—Nuisance – Section 82.17 - (1). Noxious weeds and rank vegetation shall include but not be limited to: Alum (Alliums), Buckthorn, Bur Cucumber, Canada Thistle, Corn Cockle, Cress Leaf Groundsel, Curly Dock, Dodder, Field Bind- weed, French Weed, Hairy White Top, Hedge Bindweed, Hoary Cress, Horse Nettle, Johnson Grass, Leafy Spurge, Mile-A-Minute Weed, Musk Thistle, Oxeye Daisy, Perennial Sow Thistle, Poison Hemlock, Purple Loosestrife, Quack Grass, Russian Knapweed, Russian Thistle, Serrated Tussock, Shatter Cane, Wild Carrot, Wild Garlic, Wild Mustard, Wild Onion, Wild Parsnip, Velvet Weed, Bull Thistle, Chokeberries, Burning Nettles. (2). Any weeds or plants, other than trees, bushes, flowers or other ornamental plants, growing to a height exceeding 12 inches. Corcoran property owners should be on the lookout for Canada Thistle and Purple Loosestrife, two plants listed as prohibited noxious weeds by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Because noxious weeds can harm public health or the environment or pose a threat to crops or livestock, State statute and Corcoran City code require that they be controlled or eradicated by the property owner. While you’re outdoors this season, then, look for these plants on your property. Both flower in mid- and late summer and are easy to identify when in bloom. (See Code Enforcement Issues on Page 11). Canada Thistle Common along roadsides, in fields and in other open areas, Canada Thistle (Cirsium ar- vense) has pale purple flowers that bloom from early July through August. The flowers are followed by masses of plumed seeds that are easily carried by wind. This prickly plant of- ten grows in dense stands that spread via roots and seeds and displace other plants. Purple Loosestrife Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is an aggressive aquatic plant that has invaded wet- lands, shore land, and roadside ditches. Its stems are 4 to 10 feet tall and are topped with spikes of magenta flowers that bloom from July through September. Like Canada Thistle, Purple Loosestrife spreads rapidly to form dense patches that exclude other species. Canada Thistle and Purple Loosestrife can be controlled in a variety of ways; the best method to use depends on the size of the stand. Check with the University of Minnesota Extension Service (http://www.extension.umn.edu/) to learn more. Canada Thistle Purple Loosestrife POLICE DEPARTMENT REVENUE UPDATE Corcoran Police Department continues to look at grant opportunities and donations to improve our public safety services. These grants and donations expand the level of service and safety equipment, which helps our police officers to deliver exceptional police services. Over the past eight months, our community has received the following grants and financial contributions: $10,000 grant from Minnesota Department of Public Safety to continue the “Safe and Sober” traffic enhancement safety program for 2010-2011. $8,500 donation by Dan and Arlys Peterson family to complete and update the “Emergency Operations Center” and police training room. $1,150 grant from Center Point Energy to equip our Police Reserve squad with medical equipment. $20,000 donation from the Police Reserve unit to purchase a Community Support Services trailer and additional safety equipment. $15,000 grant from Minnesota Department of Public Safety for in-squad video and audio recording equipment. The City of Corcoran is greatly appreciative of these grants and donations. It is these types of financial assistance that allow our officers to provide a greater depth of public safety services to our community. Should you or your business like to assist the City of Corcoran – Public Safety, please contact Chief Sean Gormley at (763) 420-2288 x17 or sgormley@ci.corcoran.mn.us. HIGH NOON'S passion is its fans and the guys love to play. Offering great new country songs from Rascal Flatts to Toby Keith, Keith Urban to Dierks Bentley, and all the other top names in country, with a few classics from the last 4 decades and originals thrown in, HIGH NOON is deservedly one of the top country rock bands around. Add the fans and the band with some of the best production anywhere and you have a great party! CORCORAN COUNTRY DAZECORCORAN COUNTRY DAZE August 20th and 21st—HOSTED BY Northwest Area Jaycees FRIDAY—August 20th 8:30PM MLC Band With talented Christina Rayne on lead vocals, this contemporary country rock band has engaged and captivated audi- ences throughout the region, performing in top clubs and opening for numerous national recording acts including Craig Morgan, Dia- mond Rio, Billy Currington, Blackhawk, Hal Ketchum, Emerson Drive, Heartland, John Anderson, and Sammy Kershaw. Combining rich harmonies with outstanding instrumentation, The MLC Band will have you singing and dancing all night long to song selections from contemporary country artists and classic rock legends. Page 8 Proceeds from the event go back to the community through donations, scholarships and many events NW Area JC’s put on each year. Corcoran Daze is held rain or shine under the big tent. This year’s Corcoran Country Daze promises to be another great one! Come to the 7th annual Corcoran Country Daze August 20th and 21st for food, music and family fun! New this year—a volleyball benefit plus a clas- sic car show is back by popular demand! TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FRIDAY, AUGUST 20TH 6PM: Softball tournaments begin and food stand & beer gardens open 8PM: Mechanical bull riding 8:30: Enjoy FREE live music by MLC Band until 1AM! SATURDAY IS FAMILY DAY - While softball tournaments play contin- ues, there is a Country Store craft show, face painting, Euro bungee jumping, Pony rides, Rock wall climbing and many activities for the kids - FREE and fun for all! 8AM—Softball Tournament 8AM—Beer Gardens and Food Stand Open 11AM—2PM Classic Car Show 12PM—7PM “Country Store” Craft Show 12PM—6PM FREE FAMILY DAY ACTIVITIES 12PM—6PM NFL Punt, Pass & Kick Contest 12PM— Mechanical Bull riding 1PM (approx)—North Air Care Helicopter 2:30PM—Jaws of Life Rescue Demonstration 4-8PM—FREE Live Music 8:30PM—HIGH NOON in concert ($5 cover) 9:30PM— Veteran’s Fireworks Display 11PM—Raffle Drawing All activities are held at the Corcoran Ball Fields Look for the big tent! 20200 CO RD 50 (1 mile west of CO RD 116 and CO RD 10 intersection) Plymouth Champlin Elk River Monticello St. Cloud Crystal Brooklyn Park Coon Rapids www.buffalowildwings.com FOOD VENDORS Buffalo Wild Wings J. Cousineau’s Running Concessions SUNDAY—August 15, 2010 11:30– 3PM Turkey Dinner, Craft & Bake Sale, Cake Walk, Bingo, Chuck-O-Luck, Silent Auction, Kids Games, Live Music and FUN FOR ALL! Raffle—Top Prize $1,000 and 56 others Garage Sale—(Taking donations August 8-14 , NO Clothes or Electrical appliances) 763-420-2385. THE PUBLIC IS MORE THAN WELCOME to share in the activities Located at 2000 –Co Rd 10 ( Corner of 10 & 116) www.churchofstthomas.org We have many opportunities for helping and working Email—office@churchofstthomas.org Page 9 NORTH HENNEPIN PIONEER SOCIETY Join us on Sunday, August 8th, at the Burschville School House, located 4½ miles west of Corcoran on County Road 10, from noon to 4:30 p.m. Live music, entertainment, pork chops, flea market and a raffle for a patio set . (Contact Verneal for raffle tickets.) The Pioneer Society is a group that meets each month at the Cor- coran Civic Center to share and gather historical information and maintains this 115-year-old school house. The Pioneer Society is continuously seeking historical documents, photographs of build- ings, family farms and area residents, and any stories you may have associated with them. To help with the grounds upkeep and building maintenance expenses, donations are greatly appreciated. For infor- mation, assistance or charitable contributions, contact Verneal Kler- sey at 763-498-8677. A special thank you to the Northwest Area Jaycees and St. Thomas Church for their donations towards the City’s newsletter. YOUR HELP IS GREATLY YOUR HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED FORAPPRECIATED FOR LOCAL FOOD SHELFLOCAL FOOD SHELF CROSS is a non-profit organization established in 1977 to provide food and clothing to those in tempo- rary need. It services Corcoran, Dayton, Hassan, Rogers, Champlin, Maple Grove and Osseo. More than 400 families are helped monthly, and more than 1000 families in NW Hennepin County are regis- tered for CROSS services. It is always seeking dona- tions of non perishable foods and personal and health care items. Other items include gently used house- hold items, clean in-season clothing and shoes, equipment and financial donations. Your donations will be greatly appreciated and can be dropped off at 12915 Weinand Circle in Rogers. Hours are: M & F 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. W 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Closed from 11:00 – 12:30 for lunch) View the website for directions or more details at www.crossfoodshelf.org. Also needed is volunteer time to help sort, fill orders, provide office assistance and participate in projects and fundraisers. Call 763-425-1050 to schedule a time and date. CORCORAN LIONS PARK ACTIVITIES Regional N.T.A. Tractor Pull Saturday August 28th 7:00PM Demo Derby Saturday September 11th 7:00PM For more information go to www.corcoranlions.com HELP SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ROGERS FIRE DEPARTMENT FUND RAISER— OCTOBER FEST Saturday, October 16 ALL DAY Join in for Business Expo Live Music, Water Ball, and BBQ Chicken Wings Website - www.ci.rogers.mn.us Maple Grove Triathlon More than 500 riders are expected to be participating in the Ma- ple Grove Triathlon set for Saturday, August 28th . Please be cautious and watch for bicyclists as they are traveling the course in Corcoran. The course includes Hackamore Road and County Roads 116, 30,19 and 117. Expect some minor delays on these roads between 7:30 am-11:00am. http://www.maplegrovetriathlon.com POLICE ASSIST WITH CHILD POLICE ASSIST WITH CHILD PROTECTIONPROTECTION Last year the Corcoran Police Department had implemented a new process for their child identification program. The department received an anonymous donation which was used to purchase a supply of AMBER Sticks™. The Police Department has given residents AMBER Sticks™ at the Hamel Rodeo and will also be giving them out FREE at the Corcoran Country Daze. These will be distributed to residents wanting to input their family’s personal information, digital photos and more on a portable, secure programmed software flash drive to take with them wherever they go. Look for the Police Command Trailer and a representative from the police department will assist you. More AMBER Sticks™ will be available at our Police Administrative office for a small fee. Call 763-420-8966 to set up an appointment to get your AMBER Stick™. Page 10 POLICE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM Corcoran Police Reserve Officer Kaitlyn Kavanaugh has been with our department for the past 11 months. From June through mid-August, she was se- lected to perform the required duties of the Internship program, which requires 200+ hours. Her job assign- ments closely followed the job description of our Police Reserve Officer and Community Service Officer. This allowed the department some flexibility of her job as- signments. This internship was a wonderful educational opportunity for Ms. Kavanaugh and a windfall for the community of Corcoran. Prior to this, she was and still remains a Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Ex- plorer. (The Explorer program al- lows our younger citizens, ages 14-20, an opportunity to learn about law enforcement.) Our department and our community are very fortunate to have Ms. Kavanaugh as a member of our Police Re- serve Program. Reserve Liaison Officer Burns has tremendous praise for Ms. Kavanaugh. He stated, “She has been a great asset in helping with the many support tasks required during our busy summer times.” Ms. Kavanaugh currently attends Northwestern College in St. Paul. She is pursuing her Criminal Justice major with a focus on law enforcement. As part of Ms. Kava- naugh’s college requirements, she must complete three (3) credits of public safety-related internship. She had expressed her desire to complete her internship with the City of Corcoran Police Department. Corcoran is one of several agencies that tested today's resources against yesterday's storm. On June 17, 2010, the City of Corcoran, along with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Hennepin County Emergency Preparedness, North Memorial Medical Center, Three Rivers Park District, Maple Grove, Dayton, Champlin and Anoka, participated in a four-hour emergency drill set up to test the abilities of the agencies in a disaster situation. The basis for the drill was the 1939 tornado that tore through Corcoran, Maple Grove, Dayton, Champlin and Anoka. The exercise started at 9:00 a.m. and went through 1:00 p.m. There were more than 20 people involved in the Corcoran Emergency Operations Center that was set up in the Corcoran Police Department’s offices. Those involved were from Corcoran’s administrative staff, Public Works and Police Department; Hamel, Loretto and Rogers fire de- partments; Medina Police Department; West Hennepin Department of Public Safety; MNSPECT, the City’s building inspectors; and Wenck, the City’s engineer. This drill may be the first to activate more than one emergency operation center at a time. From 1939 to 2010, the popula- tion of these areas has grown and more people would be affected by this type of disaster. It is beneficial to determine if our mutual aid agree- ments and coordination of resources will work. Corporal Hamilton advises, “We received positive feedback from the evaluators and participants of this exercise. We gained valuable experi- ence as well as learned where there are possible areas for improvement. I believe our abilities to provide our residents with coordinated emer- gency services in an event of a disaster are first-rate.” SAFETY DRILL MIMICKS 1939 TORNADO CODE ENFORCEMENT ISSUES In the fall of 2007, the former Council terminated the full-time Code Enforcement position . Since then these duties have been managed by staff members throughout the departments with time permitting. However, because of limited staff and the required performance of their assigned positions, it is a concern with the recent Council that there are still many violations taking place that need to be addressed. Therefore, Council has been discussing ways to manage Code Enforcement to make sure ordinances are being followed which provides for a clean and well-kept environment. Discussion was brought up at the June 24th budget meeting to possibly re-create this job descrip- tion as a part-time position for 2011. Code Enforcement is responsible for ensuring that the City building, zoning and related codes, poli- cies and ordinances are effectively and equitably enforced throughout the City. VIOLATIONS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT—(See Title VIII of the Code Book for a detail description of the ordinances) Abandoned and Junk Vehicles: (Chapter 80) No person shall store, outside of an enclosed garage or similar building, any junk motor vehicle on his or her property. The property owner shall be responsible for compliance with this section and shall be guilty of a misde- meanor if in violation. Dogs: (Chapter 81) It shall be unlawful for dogs to run at large. They must be on a leash or otherwise under direct control of a responsible person.  Hobby Kennel License—Persons owning four (4) or more dogs over six months of age and who are not involved in commercial activity must obtain a hobby license.  Commercial Kennel License—The Home Occupation Ordinance shall govern any commercial activity involving dogs, including but not limited to breeding, sales, grooming, or boarding. All commercial kennels shall be required to apply for an Interim Use Permit for Conditional Home Occupation License (CHOL as described in the zoning ordinance). Open Burn: (Chapter 82) No person shall start or allow any open burning on property in the City without first having obtained an open burn permit from the Police Department, except that a permit is not required for any fire that is a recreational fire contained in a 3x3 area. Signs: (Chapter 84.) Permits may be required for many signs. Any temporary free standing sign cannot exceed 30 days. Any sign con- structed in the City in violation of the ordinance shall be removed by and at the expense of the owner of the sign. Weeds and Rank Vegetation: Chapter 82) Includes but is not limited to any weeds or plants other than trees, bushes, flowers or other ornamental plants growing to a height exceeding 12 inches. All property owners within the corporate limits of the city shall be required and be financially responsible for the removal, cutting or disposal and elimination of weeds and rank vegetation or other uncontrolled plant growth on their property. Any person who believes there is property located within the corporate limits of the city that has growing plant matter in violation, shall make a written complaint signed, dated and filed with the City. (See article on page 7 in this newsletter.) Should the City have to resolve these issues, the adopted fee for mowing 1 acre and under is $250.00 with an additional $75.00 per hour over 1 acre. Tree and weed removal is contractor’s invoice + $75.00 administrative fees. Page 11 PPROTECTROTECT ANDAND ENHANCEENHANCE THETHE WETLANDSWETLANDS ONON YOURYOUR PROPERTYPROPERTY If you have wetlands on your property, you can take several actions to protect and enhance them. If you are considering digging a pond or ditch or filling a wet area on your property, check first with the city to make sure it will not impact the wet-lands. Maintain a buffer—a natural undisturbed area of native vegetation around the perimeter of the wetland. Plant a variety of native vegetation within and around your wetland. Plant-ings should be suitable for the type of wetland on your property. Keep grass clippings, tree branches, soil, leaves, gravel and other yard ma-terials and fill out of wetlands. Restore water levels of wetlands that have been ditched or drained in the past. Removing sediment that has built up in wetlands will help restore wa-ter levels. Check with Hennepin County or the Elm Creek Watershed to de-termine the best method for restoring water levels. (More information or lit-erature on Conserving Natural Resources can be obtained at City Hall.) YARD WASTE DROP SITE The City receives several phone calls asking where they can bring their yard debris. Currently the City does not have a yard waste or compost site. The nearest loca- tion would be the City of Maple Grove; however there is a fee involved. (A minimum charge of $4.00). They are open from 4/1 thru 11/30, 8am—7pm Mon-Sat and noon—7pm Sunday. Please go to their website at www.myyardwaste.com or call 763-420-4886 or 420-4400.for more information . Quality Automotive www.philsauto.com Phone (763)420-2059 Fax 763-420-2079 7590 Commerce Street Corcoran, MN 55340 “For all your Auto and light truck repairs” We now have online scheduling” Certified Automotive Master Technicians Electrical electronics Electrical/Electronics Onboard Computer Diagnostics Tune-ups & Emissions Fuel Systems - Fuel Injection & Diesel Injection Air Conditioning Alignment/Suspension/Steering Brakes, Exhausts & Shocks Tires Engine Repair - Minor & Major Transmissions - Manual & Automatic 4X4 Trucks Used Car Sales Extended Warranties Sales & Service Towing Available Bring in this ad and receive $10 OFF any service above $50.00 PRST STD US Postage PAID PERMIT NO. 28 HAMEL, MN City of Corcoran 8200 CO RD 116 Corcoran, MN 55340 GREENWAY COMMITTEE UPDATE The City established a Greenway Committee to prepare an ordi-nance that provides protection to lands identified in the greenway corridor (as indicated in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan). This includes protection for natural resources such as wetlands, flood-plains, upland woodlands and prairies. The committee has met seven times over the past three months and has developed a draft ordinance. The draft is an amendment to the existing Open Space Plat (OSP) ordinance with greater provisions for open space protection and building rights bonus incentives. This draft was reviewed by the Planning Commission at their July 1st meet-ing. Most work to date has been focused on the OPS/Greenway efforts with an approximate amount of $9,300 in grant money spent and $1,250 in kind provided through City review efforts to date. Work will continue on remaining activities with some minor changes as to how funds will be allocated among the different tasks. The City is requesting some changes to Attachment A and consideration for a new task to be funded. The City has identified a need to revisit and provide necessary updates to the Parks and Trails Plan and related Comprehensive Plan text in coordination with efforts in the greenway corridor to ensure resource areas are effectively mapped to implement the ordinance and effectively plan for parks and trail locations. In addition the committee would like to shift funds from the PUD ordinance work to the Mixed Use District efforts. Mixed Use districts and PUDs include many of the same principles and are similar tools. As the Comprehensive Plan identified new mixed use land use designations in order to imple-ment this plan, new zoning districts are necessary. These Mixed Use Districts will inherently include many of the same elements as achieved by a PUD, including stronger performance standards and incentives aimed at increasing protection of resources and sustainable development practices. However, as a specialized district, future developments will achieve greater creativity through clear and effective standards without relying on negotia-tion that is required of a PUD. We anticipate completing the re- maining activities by the end of the year. For more information please contact the city’s administrator, Dan Donahue, at 763-420-2288 ext. 13 and he will assist you with your concerns. Pick up your FREE Community Guide booklet at City Hall for listing of: City and Public Services Local Businesses Money Saving Coupons Parks & Maps Restaurants around town Churches and Schools Community Information Events Calendar