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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-03 -- Spring 1 / City Council Members Mayor Ken Guenthner www.kguenthner@ci.corcoran.mn.us 763-478-6699 Councilors Chuck Grabowski – Chris Hudok - Paul Jacobs – Ron Thomas SPRING NEWSLETTER March 2007 City of Corcoran IN THIS ISSUE Events/ Activities 1 From the Mayor 2 City Information 2 City Information Continued 3 Changes in the City 3 Public Works/Code Enforcement Information 4 Entertainment in the City 5 Police Department 5 Police Department Continued 6 Clean up and Recycling 7 Misc. Information 8 8200 County Road 116, Corcoran, MN 55340 Phone 763-420-2288 City Hall Office Hours 8am to 4 pm Police Non-Emergency 763-420-8966 Corcoran Soccer Association The information below has been provided by the Corcoran Soccer Association as a public service. This is a non-profit organization not affiliated with the City of Corcoran. Corcoran Soccer is a co-ed; late-summer recreational league for children ages 5 - 12. The league offers affordable recreation emphasizing skill acquisition, conditioning, and most of all - Fun! Corcoran Soccer is affiliated with the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association. During the 2006 season, Corcoran Soccer was part of a combined DC (Delano- Corcoran) Soccer Association. Due to the large growth in the number of Delano participants, the organization has split into separate clubs. In 2006, there were approximately 350 participants – 140 from the Corcoran area and 210 from Delano. During the 2007 season, we hope to attract 150+ participants from Corcoran and the surrounding areas of Greenfield, Dayton, Hamel, Hanover, Long Lake, Loretto, Maple Grove, Maple Plain, Medina, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Rockford, Rogers, and St. Michael. If there is enough interest, the upper age limit may be increased to 14. The 2007 season starts on July 24th and ends with a Jamboree on September 8th. Registration begins in mid-May. All practices/games are held at the fields approx. 1/2 mile west of "downtown" Corcoran, just off Hwy 50, and the adjoining the Corcoran Community Park. We always need volunteers, especially parent coaches. No experience is necessary. For more information see www.corcoransoccer.org or contact Glen Monzo, glen.monzo@corcoransoccer.org, 763-420-3914. Corcoran Lions Club Upcoming Events The Corcoran Lions Club is a service group that help build communities through events, donations, and assistance. They donate to many organizations in our area including our local police and fire departments. Their goal is to encourage new membership and promote events held at the Corcoran Lions Park. These goals are a win-win situation for everyone in the community, promoting volunteer opportunities and raising money for ones in need. Proceeds from these events help make a difference in the lives of people in our community. The website is www.corcoranlions.com, it was created to familiarize and educate the community about the Corcoran Lions Club and their special events. Here are the upcoming events held at the Corcoran Lions Park: Supercross – April 27, May 4, 11, 18, and 25 @ 7:00PM Tractor Pull - June 2, @ 7:00PM Hennepin Co. Fair – June 14 – 17 Hamel Rodeo – July 5 – 8 @ 7:00PM Regional Tractor Pull – August 17 (Time to be announce) Demo Derby –September 8 @ 7:00PM 2 I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the many public safety professionals who responded to the tragic home explosion in Corcoran. Our police officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and public works employees, to name just a few, form a safety net that comes together at our times of greatest need. Their service to the community goes above and beyond a mere job. We at City Hall are constantly trying to find the most effective, economical methods of notifying individuals, neighborhoods, and the entire community of goings on. Please check the City’s web page, www.ci.corcoran.mn.us, and send us your email address to receive meeting notices and agendas. I’ve been encouraged to see larger attendance at our Council meetings and hope that trend continues. I’m excited and optimistic about the opportunities before the City and the Council. Each of the Council members needs to hear from you so that our priorities and activities reflect the wants and needs of the community. City government is a partnership between the elected members and the public at large. We need to hear your voice! Ken Guenthner, City of Corcoran Mayor City Council Meets the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm Planning Commission meets the 1st Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm Parks and Trail Commission meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm Page 2 of 8 FROM THE MAYOR – KEN GUENTHNER Natural Resource/Land Cover Inventory Hennepin County Department of Environmental Services (HCDES) will be working in the City of Corcoran to complete a natural resource/land cover inventory of the City anticipated to take place between March 31 and September 15 of 2007. HCDES will be gathering information on land cover throughout the City (examples of land cover may include maple-basswood forest, quality of vegetative communities, cattail marsh). The collected data will be mapped, and used for long-term planning and conservation efforts. This inventory involves, in some cases, walking through the property and observing trees, plants and other cover. No plants will be removed or disturbed. This project is purely for informational purposes so that you, the landowner, and the city can do our best to conserve and properly manage our precious natural resources. Your cooperation is vital to the success of this endeavor and the success of sustaining the high quality of life currently enjoyed by you and your fellow residents of Corcoran. Hennepin County will enter your property with out permission unless you notify them. Contact Dave Thill at Hennepin County of Environmental Services (612) 348-0124). Having your property identification number in hand when making contact will be helpful. CITY INFORMATION Parks/Trails Commission Update—Park Dedication Minnesota statutes allow cities to require that a reasonable portion of any proposed subdivision be dedicated to the public as parkland, trails, and/or open space, or be preserved for conservation purposes. Cities may choose to accept this “park dedication” in the form of land, or the cash equivalent of the land, or a combination of the two. State law requires that the amount of dedication must be clearly tied and proportionate to the need for park facilities created by the new development. All assets, either land or cash, generated in this manner must be set aside exclusively to build new park facilities. Corcoran’s Park Dedication Ordinance (Section 955) establishes provisions for implementing a park dedication plan. The plan is based on the assumption that existing park facilities are able to meet the needs of the existing population, but that additional population will overload the current system causing a need for additional facilities. New facilities costs will be borne by those creating the need. An analysis of projected urban development (within the MUSA area) versus costs for additional park facilities indicates that each new residential unit (anywhere in the city) will owe 10% of the value of its undeveloped net acreage up to a maximum of $6000 to fund future parks and trails needs. Similarly, the dedication requirement for commercial and industrial development is 5% of the value of the undeveloped net acreage up to a maximum of $4500 per acre of proposed development. It doesn’t take long for these numbers to become significant. For example, the formerly proposed Hedgestone project in southeast Corcoran with 280 residential units had the potential to generate $1.68M in park dedication fees. Today’s contributions ensure that funds are available in the future to provide the necessary services. Watch for more parks and trails information in the next newsletter. 3 CHANGES IN THE CITY – COUNCIL CITY INFORMATION CONTINUED Page 3 of 8 Board of Appeal & Equalization The City has scheduled the Board of Appeal and Equalization for Thursday April 12, 2007 at 7:00 PM at the City Hall. The Board of Appeal hearing allows a person to discuss aggrieved assessments or complain that a property of another is too low. No complaint that another person is assessed too low will be acted upon until the person so assessed, or his/her agent, shall be notified of such complaint. The first step in the appeal process is to contact the City assessor’s office, at 763-473-3978. An appointment may be necessary to review your property. If the local Board of Appeals and Equalization does not resolve your concerns, you may bring your case to the County Board of Appeals and Equalization, but you must have appeared before the Local Board prior to appearing before the County Board. On January 11, 2007, the newly elected City Council conducted their first meeting of the year. Since that meeting, the City Council has made a number of changes to the appointed staff and two Commissions. The intent is to bring new perspectives and some streamlining to the management of the City. The Council intends to hold future workshops to continue to address staffing and operating costs with a goal to provide cost-effective services to its residents. The following decisions have been made: Professional Staff: • City Attorney: Joe Langel of Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney (appointed interim attorney, pending review of RFP submissions to be reviewed in March) • City Planner: Norm Gartner of Gartner Engineering (appointed interim planner, pending review of RFP submissions to be reviewed in March) • City Engineer: Vince Vander Top with Bonestroo Engineering • Building Inspector: Metro West Inspections (appointed interim building official, pending review of RFP submissions to be reviewed in March) Official Newspaper: Crow River News If you are not a subscriber articles can also be found on their web site at www.pressnews.com City Commissions: The City has two commissions required by City ordinance, Planning Commission and Parks & Trails Commission. Appointments to serve on these commissions are made by the City Council, through an application process. A new applications form was created in efforts to better define potential conflicts of interest. The Planning Commission consists of 8 members, 6 regular and 2 alternate members. The Parks & Trails Commission consists of 12 members, 9 regular and 3 alternate members. These commissions work with the City Council and act as recommending bodies on various issues. Two large areas that will be of focus this next year will be the review of the City’s Comprehensive Plan and the City Ordinances. Pavement Management Committee: Created in late 2006 to address the specific problem of the quality of roads in Corcoran. The committee consists of eight residents and two council members. To stay informed on what is happening at your City Council Meetings, you have three choices. Contact City Administrator Sue Vergin at 763-420-2288 ext. 13 to sign up for email notifications of upcoming meetings, access the city’s website at www.ci.corcoran.mn.us, or stop by City Hall. Remember that the City Council wants to know the concerns of all citizens of Corcoran. Let your voices be heard. 4 Road Construction TO Begin In The Spring With weather permitting, the next phase of County Road 19 construction will occur from CSAH 50 to CSAH 10 this spring. Then in 2008, the final phase of construction will occur from just south of TH 55 in Medina to CSAH 50. In 2005 traffic volumes along the corridor ranged from 5,100 to 8,000 vehicles per day. The forecasted traffic will range from 9,600 to 16,500 vehicles per day in the year 2025 (depending on the roadway segment). The road was originally constructed in 1931. The pavement along the corridor is generally in fair to poor condition, and there are areas where the pavement structure and substructure are deficient. Four-way stop conditions are located at the CSAH 10 (Burschville) and CSAH 50 intersections. The project corridor has minimal provisions to accommodate left and right turns. This work will correct these issues. Thru-traffic on the portion of CSAH 19 under construction will be rerouted by way of a detour in order to speed up the construction process. Access will be provided to all property owners at all times throughout construction. Detours Signs will be posted indicating “Road Closed Ahead” and Detour signs will also be posted directing the detour route. Traffic coming South on County 19 and wanting to get to HWY 55 will be directed to detour East down County Road 30 to County Road 116 then South on 116 to HWY 55. Traffic coming from 55 or traveling North on County Road 19 will be detoured onto East County Road 50 to North County 116 and then West on County Road 30 back to 19. DUST CONTROL PROGRAM The City intends to begin with the dust control road applications the first part of June. There are currently two programs available from the City: the Assessment Program and the Voluntary Program. An Assessment is for residential streets that have been identified in the City’s Assessment Program. These property owners will receive a notice of public hearing, which tentatively is scheduled for April 26, 2007 At this hearing, the City will review roads scheduled to receive dust control and address any concerns or questions these residents may have. The cost for the program is then assessed to those benefiting property owners. Property owners have the option to pay for the service or to have it placed on their taxes; however, additional fees will be attached. If your street is not part of this program and your neighborhood is interested in pursing this please contact city hall to obtain information on how to petition for inclusion in the Assessment Program. The Voluntary Program is for residents that choose to have the area in front of their property treated with dust control on a street that is not identified in the Assessment Program. The City will provide dust control at a charge of $220.00 for 300 feet minimum. Areas in excess of 300 feet will be charged an additional amount. Residents interested in participating in the Voluntary Program must contact the City Hall and pre-pay for the application prior to May 18, 2007 PUBLIC WORKS / CODE ENFORCEMENT INFORMATION Page 4 of 8 Grading & Filling Prior to performing any grading or filling on your property, we recommend that you please contact the city hall. It is important that you as a property owner are aware of the various regulations that protect wetlands, floodplains, and other waterways. Some activities may require a permit from the City, typically when you exceed 300 cubic yards of material, or possibly from other regulatory authorities such as the Elm Creek Watershed or the DNR. There are times when a permit will not be required, but due to the location of the work, or the impact that it may cause such as altering existing drainage, guidance and inspections from the city engineer or other regulatory authority may be required. The intent is not to create a burden on any property owner, but to help protect all properties from any negative impacts. New or Remodel Construction The City of Corcoran follows the State Building Code, and therefore building permits are required for most types of construction, including but not limited to, new construction, remodeling, additions, decks, re-siding, re- roofing, septic system repair or replacement, window replacement, fireplace installation, installation of air conditioning and/or furnaces, fences 6 feet or higher, and swimming pools. Pools that need a building permit: • All in ground pools • Above ground pools that exceed 24 inches and/or 5,000 gallons and are permanent in nature Please note that an electrical and/or plumbing permit may also be required. Septic issues have been turned over to Hennepin County; however, permit applications can be picked up at City Hall. The entire permit process generally takes 5 – 14 days depending on the situation. Please allow yourself this time before beginning the project. 5 POLICE DEPARTMENT – Crime Prevention Tips Page 5 of 8 HOUSE NUMBERS House numbers on our homes are important. They can save police officers, fire fighters, and Paramedic’s valuable time. Make sure your house number is posted in a highly visible area. LANDSCAPING Fences: Privacy vs. chain link - Burglars prey on privacy. Fences that allow your yard to be visible are preferable to “privacy” fences. Trees and shrubbery: Should be trimmed six - inches below windows and at least three - feet away from doors. Shrubbery such as rose bushes or other thorny varieties serve as a good deterrent to window peepers. Landscape rock: Large landscape rock (golf ball size or larger) can be used to damage your property. Small landscape rock (smaller than golf ball size) is both decorative and, if someone walks on them, a person will be easily heard. LIGHTING Motion detector lights are very effective in deterring crime. They also light up your driveway or entry doors when you are leaving or coming home. Dusk to dawn lighting is a strong deterrent against criminal activity, and it constantly lights up your entry doors and possible obstacles that would otherwise be unseen. Landscape lighting is low voltage lighting that can highlight your property line, light up your sidewalk and also light up the exterior of your windows – making your home a less attractive target to nighttime burglars. Interior lighting using light timers makes a home look occupied. Good lights to leave on are bedroom and/or bathroom lights. Radios and televisions are also good items to have on timers. If a radio playing a talk station is heard from the outside of a home, it gives the appearance that a conversation is being carried on and someone is home. The perception of someone being home greatly reduces the possibility of a burglary. Mark your calendars for Corcoran Country Daze August 17th & 18th! More fun, food, and music this year! Friday August 17th Softball Tournament 6:00 pm Free Music at 7:30 pm to 12:30pm “TBD” Saturday August 18th Family Day! Noon to 4:00 pm with Lots of kid’s activities Softball Tournament All Day Free Music 4:00 to 8:00pm “Killer Hayseeds” 8:30 to 12:30 Fireworks at 9:00 pm Questions Call: Chad Robran @ 612.965.7539 or visit http://www.corcoranjaycees.org/2007_co untry_daze.htm closer to event for more details Don't Miss The Next Get Together!! The month has been changed to June for the 2007 Hennepin County Fair… it will still remain at the Corcoran Lion's Park (7205 County Road 101, the intersection of County Roads 101 and 10. THIS WILL BE THE101ST YEAR AND 22 YEAR AT THIS LOCATION New operating hours for the fair: Date Hours Thursday, June 14 4 pm - 11 pm Friday, June 15 12 noon - 11 pm Saturday, June 16 10 am - 12 midnight Sunday, June 17 9 am - 5 pm Pre-Sale Ticket Locations: Mayer Mobil - Hamel (Hwy 55 & County Rd. 116) Farmers State Bank of Hamel Fair Office Mon, June11 - Wed, June 13 Visit www.hennepincountyfair.com for more information. ENTERTAINMENT WITH IN THE CITY Page 5 of 8 6 LOCKS / STRIKE PLATES Deadbolt locks: The deadbolt lock has a bolt that must be activated by a key or thumb turn. It offers good security because it is not spring activated and cannot be opened with a credit card. A single cylinder deadbolt is activated with a key on the exterior side of the door and a thumb turn piece on the interior side. Install a lock where there is no breakable glass within 40 - inches of the thumb turn piece. (Otherwise, a burglar can break the glass, reach inside, and turn the thumb piece.) A double cylinder deadbolt is key activated on both sides on the door. It should be installed where there is glass within 40 - inches of the lock. Double cylinder deadbolt locks can hinder escape from a burning home so always leave a key in or near the lock when someone is home. (Double cylinder deadbolt locks are only permitted in existing single-family homes, town homes and first floor duplexes used exclusively as residential dwellings. Both single and double cylinder deadbolt locks should meet these criteria to be a good security device: • The bolt must extend a minimum of 1- inch and be made of case hardened steel. • The cylinder guard must be tapered, round and free spinning to make it difficult to grip with a pliers or wrench. It must be solid metal – not hollow casting or stamped metal. • There should be at least a five-pin tumbler system or equivalent locking device. • The connecting screws that hold the lock together must be on the inside and made of case hardened steel. No exposed screw heads should be on the outside. • The connecting screws must be at least 1/4 - inch in diameter and go into solid metal stock, not screw posts. A heavy-duty strike plate helps strengthen doorframes better than a regular strike plate. (A strike plate is the jamb fastening that receives the deadbolt in the locking position.) The heavy-duty plate uses four to six, 3-inch screws, not two, three-1/4 inch screws used in regular plates. The longer screws go through the frame into the jamb making it harder for someone to split the frame when kicking the door. A heavy-duty strike plate will strengthen the doorjamb and reinforce the lock. Window Locks - Auxiliary locks: Pin your windows or add an auxiliary lock to your double hung windows. This type of mechanism will allow you to secure your window when you open it (5-inches or less) for ventilation. Newer windows have higher quality locks while older double hung windows are easily jimmied or pried open. Double hung windows can be secured by taking these simple, inexpensive precautions: • Drill a hole at a downward angle through the first sash and into but not through the second sash. Then pin window by driving a nail into the hole. Pinning braces the window against prying. More holes can be drilled to pin the window open for ventilation. • Keyed locks offering effective protection are available for windows. These inexpensive, easy to- install locks should replace thumb turn locks that offer little security. Master key all window locks and show children how to use them. Do not use keyed locks on windows in sleeping areas. CRIME TIPS CON’T The Police Department is working closely with City Hall Staff to ensure all resident files are accurate. Some homes in Corcoran are rental property and tenants move in and out frequently. In addition, homes are sold and new homeowners have homesteaded through the County and this information is not always passed on to the City of Corcoran in a timely manner. We would like to have on file, accurate information of all our residents for emergencies and possible crime notification, should a situation arise. Both the Police Department and City Hall staff are asking you to take a moment and please fill out the information below and drop off or mail back to the City Hall, so we can update our system. Resident Name: ____________________________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________________ Home Phone: ______________________________________ Other: __________________________________ Incase of an emergency notify: _________________________________________________________________ Phone: ____________________________ Please check the appropriate box that applies to resident □ Home owner □ Renters Page 6 of 8 7 Page 7 of 8 CITY WIDE SPRING CLEAN UP DAY Once again, Corcoran will have its annual Spring Cleanup Day on Saturday April 28, from 8:00 am to Noon. You can bring the listed items to the city hall parking lot. Now is a great opportunity for our residents (showing an ID) to get rid of any unwanted appliances, tires and other items that are hard to dispose of. The fees for disposal of items are as shown. All tires must be removed from bikes, mowers, garden tractors, etc. (Additional fees may be charged for items not mentioned or disposal of large quantities.) We accept residential refuse only – NO COMMERCIAL WASTE WILL BE TAKEN. Appliances $10 ea. Air Conditioners & Water Softeners $20 ea. Electronics (starting at) $10 ea. Furniture $25 per piece Passenger Tires $ 3 ea. Truck Tires – Medium $ 7.50 ea. Truck Tires – Medium on wheels $10 ea. Tractor Tires Farm SM $15 ea. Med. $25 ea. Lg. $30 ea. GENERAL INFORMATION CLEAN UP AND RECYCLING INFORMATION Page 7of 8 Hennepin County Recycling Center and Transfer Station Should you have future materials that need to be disposed of Hennepin County has a recycling center located at 8100 Jefferson Highway in Brooklyn Park. Their hours are: Tue, Thurs, Fri, 10AM -6PM; Wed, 10AM – 8PM; Sat, 8AM – 5 PM. Closed Sundays, Mondays and holidays. For questions call 612-348-3777 or go to www.hennepin.us, Key Word Search: Drop Off Facilities. Or you may stop by City Hall and pick up a brochure with a list of accepted items and information. 2007 CITY OF CORCORAN RECYCLING Recycling programs have changed over the years. Here are some new items that have been added that you may not be aware of, mail, office and school papers, shredded paper in closed bags, magazines and catalogs, phone books, cereal boxes, cracker boxes, pasta boxes, cake mix boxes, shoe boxes, gift boxes and electronic boxes. The City has mailed out your annual recycling bill. We ask that all residents and businesses watch their mail for this bill to arrive. If you have not received it by April 1st, please contact City Hall to avoid paying a late fee. All payments are expected to be paid BY June 8, 2007. Any payment received after the due date will be charged a $10.00 late fee. Payments not received will be accessed to your property taxes along with an added penalty and interest fee. (These fees are not deductible on your taxes) January February March April May June 9,23 6,20 6,20 3,17 1,15,*30 12,26 July August September October November December 10,24 7,21 *5,18 2,16,30 13,27 11,*26 • Dates in BOLD are not normal pickup days due to holidays. Pickup days that fall on holidays will be picked up the next day. If you have questions about service or if pickup of your recycling has been missed, please call Waste Management at 1-800-450-9378. Materials must be placed at the curbside before 7:00 AM. 8 City of Corcoran 8200 County Road 116 Corcoran, MN 55340 ADDRESS HERE PRSRT STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 28 HAMEL, MN MISC. INFORMATION Visit our website at www.ci.corcoran.mn.us, which provides most information requested, by resident- Meetings, Postings, Agendas, and Minutes, including a variety of maps and downloadable forms. Or E-mail: General@ci.corcoran.mn.us The City would like to thank the residents who kindheartedly donated to the Toys for Tots organization. They would also like to thank Dan & Arlys Peterson who generously donated $1,000 to the City of Corcoran’s Police Department requesting the donated funds be used toward the purchase of a surveillance camera for the police processing room. COME MEET THE EASTER BUNNY Rain or shine, 10:00 am SHARP at Corcoran City Hall, Saturday April 7th, Corcoran Jaycees’ will once again sponsor their annual Egg and Candy hunt. Bring a basket or bucket to hunt for goodies and to meet the Easter Bunny. Find the right egg and win a prize. There will also be craft projects and coloring for fun! See their website @ www.corcoranjaycees.org for more information on events or becoming a member of this organization. CORCORAN JAYCEES SCHOLARSHIP FUND The 2007 Corcoran Jaycees’ Scholarship Applications are now available at Corcoran area schools and City Hall. Complete applications must be postmarked no later than May 1st to be reviewed by the scholarship committee. Fifteen $750 Scholarships will be awarded to seniors graduating from high school, whose permanent resident is within Corcoran City limits and will be continuing their education in the fall of 2007. Page 8 of 8