HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-08 -- Summer
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City Council Members
Mayor
Tom Cossette
www.tcossette@ci.corcoran.mn.us 763-494-9937
Councilors
Chuck Grabowski – Chuck Lymangood - Paul Jacobs – Ron Thomas
8200 County Road 116, Corcoran, MN 55340 City of Corcoran Phone 763-420-2288
City Hall Office Hours 8am to 4 pm
Police Non-Emergency 763-420-8966
SUMMER NEWSLETTER August 2006
DON’T FORGET YOUR RECYCLING PAYMENTS
ARE NOW PAST DUE
Recycling Bills were sent out to all Corcoran residents and
businesses in May for $25, stating payment was due on June
9th, 2006. thafter June 9
IN THIS ISSUE
City Billings 1
From our Mayor 2
2006 Voting Information 2
From the Administrator 3
Code Enforcement / Public Works 4
Police Department 5
City Information 6
Activities & Event Information 7
Upcoming Events 8
DUST CONTROL PAYMENTS
On April 10th, assessment letters were sent to
residents living on specific gravel roads.
Payment was to be received by May 28, 2006 to
avoid an interest charge.
Payment received after this date will have 6.75%
interest accrued through December 31, 2006.
Such payment MUST be paid by November 15,
2006 or additional interest will be charged
through December 31, 2007 and it will be
assessed against your property taxes.
Should you have further questions or concerns as
to the amount you owe please contact City Hall
at 763-420-2288.
If you mailed your payment in for $25.00 , 2006
a $10.00 late fee has been added and your bill remains open.
If you have not paid this bill, the amount due is now $35.00
and can be dropped off or mailed to City Hall as soon as
possible to avoid additional fees. For after hours - Payments, Building Permit or Planning
Information can be put in
the drop box conveniently
located at City Halls front
entrance.
Bills outstanding as of November 1, 2006 will be classified
as delinquent and a penalty fee will be added and assessed
against your property taxes payable in 2007.
Page 2 of 8 FROM THE MAYOR - Tom Cossette
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At the suggestion of Councilmember Lymangood the City has formed a Long Range Capital Projects Committee to
start the planning of projects that we know will be needed within the next three to ten years. Two projects
were quickly identified: a new city park complex to replace the existing downtown city park and a larger public
works facility to replace the current building on the site of the old City Hall on Cain Road. These two projects
were selected because both have a projected need within the next five years. A subcommittee was assigned to
research each project to define the scope and report back to the City Council with recommendations.
After consideration of present and future potential uses the Parks Complex Subcommittee is conducting a site
search based on size, location, topography and availability. A preliminary report will be presented to the
Council in early September with a final report following in mid-2007. The majority of the construction and/or
property financing would be provided by developer paid fees dedicated expressly for parks and trails.
The Public Works Facility Subcommittee will ultimately recommend to the City Council a proposed design for a
new public works building and potential building sites. The need for a new facility is immediate. The capacity
at the Cain Road site for storage of equipment and materials has been inadequate for some time. A new facility
would permit indoor storage, maintenance of all city equipment and on-site storage of salt, sand, gravel and
other materials.
Each of these projects requires land—either already city owned or acquired in the future. If acquisition of a new
parcel is required and land values continue to appreciate at the current rate, it makes sense to initiate a
purchase as soon as possible.
2006 Election Information
When voters go to the polls this year for September 12 Primary Election and the November 7 General Election,
they’ll have the opportunity to use new voting machines designed to allow voters with disabilities to mark the
ballots independently and privately. By implementing this new Assistive Voting Technology (AVT), Corcoran joins
the rest of Minnesota in complying with Help America Vote Act, a federal law enacted in 2002 that changes
national standards for voting systems.
Because the State of Minnesota requires that all elections have a paper ballot as a paper trail for precise
election audits, all voters receive the same paper ballot whether they will vote using an ink pen or an AVT ballot
marking device. Minnesota’ certified AVT is called the ES&S AutoMARK, which allows voters who are visually
impaired or who have physical/mobility difficulties to mark their ballots using touch screen, touch pad, or
sip/puff tube. Voters will be able to review and approve their votes before the AutoMARK marks their ballots.
For more information on the new AVT, please contact or stop by City Hall and election staff will be able to
answer any question and provide a demonstration.
The Election headquarters will be located at City Hall, 8200 Co. Rd 116. Affidavits for Mayor have been
submitted by Ken Guenthner and Chuck Grabowski, this seat is a two-year term. The Candidates’ names will
appear on the November 7, 2006 General Election ballot.
IMPORTANT ELECTION DATES TO REMEMBER
Aug. 11 Absentee voting begins for Primary Election
Aug. 22 Voter pre-registration for Primary Election closes at 5: oo pm
Aug.29 City Council Candidate filings opens
Sept. 11 Election Headquarters open for Absentee voting until 5:00 pm
Sept. 12 Primary Election – Polls open from 7:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sept. 12 City Council Candidate filing closes at 5:00 pm
Oct. 6 Absentee voting begins for General Election
Oct. 17 Voter pre-registration for the General Election closes at 5:00 pm Nov. 4 Election Headquarters open for Absentee voting 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Nov. 6 Election Headquarters open for Absentee voting until 5:00 pm
Nov. 7 General Election – Polls open from 7:00 am – 8:00 pm
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Page 3 of 8 FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR – Sue Vergin
What is happening in Corcoran?
Pavement Management Subcommittee – The City Council has created a subcommittee to review and make
recommendations to the City Council on how city streets are improved. The role of this committee will be to create a
long-range plan that will identify needs, how streets will be ranked, identify revenue sources, process for how projects
move forward, etc. This committee will consist of 2 council members, 3 staff members and 10 residents. The council
would like to see diversity in the residents to be sure that all areas of the City are represented. If you are interested in
serving on this committee, please contact Administrator Sue Vergin at 420-2288 ext 13 or svergin@ci.corcoran.mn.us
Development
The City of Corcoran approved a preliminary plat submitted by Laurent Development, LLC for a residential master
planned community in December of 2004, referred to as “Hedgestone”. The location of this project is in the southeast
corner, north of Hackamore and west of County Road 101. This housing community would be the first to receive sewer
and water infrastructure. It is proposed to have 283 units on 218 acres. Approximately 1/3 of the development is
preserved as open space, with 3.4 miles of trails and 3.2 miles of sidewalks. The final process to move this project
forward is required to happen prior to the close of 2006. However, due to the change in the residential housing market
the Developer has notified the City that there is potential that this development by may not move forward. A copy of
the developer’s letter is available at City Hall. The City is currently addressing this and should have a detailed status
from the developer within the next few months. All costs to date are the responsibility of Laurent.
On August 3, 2006, the Planning Commission reviewed plans for a proposal by United Properties for a business park,
referred to as the “Corcoran Business Park”. This project is proposed along Highway 55 between Pioneer Trail and
Rolling Hills Road. This would include 26,600 square feet of retail and 519,000 square feet of industrial uses. The City
of Corcoran is currently in negotiation with the City of Medina to extend sewer and water infrastructure to this area.
This project will also require a frontage road that will connect Pioneer Trail to Rolling Hills Road, eliminating access
points onto Highway 55. The developer is working with adjacent property owners in efforts to minimize impacts to
nearby residential neighborhoods. A traffic signal will eventually be placed at the Highway 55 and Pioneer Trail
intersection. This development will bring in additional tax base and employment opportunities to the City, which we
are excited about. Corcoran has guidelines that developers must adhere to relative to building materials, lighting,
landscaping, buffering, and setbacks from adjacent properties in efforts to create desirable developments and ensure
the protection of the adjacent property owners.
Two other smaller residential developments in process include:
Overlake Bluffs - consisting of nine lots ranging from two to 5 acres. This site is located west of Rolling Hills Road,
adjacent to Lake Jubert. This development will provide some great amenities to the City, including walking trails and
the preservation of 30 acres preserving the natural shoreline of Lake Jubert and some significant bluff areas. The City
has received a $30,000 grant to restore the natural vegetation in this area, which does include some high quality maple
and basswood woodlands and Alder swamp natural communities. It is anticipated that this development will receive
final approval late summer.
Rush Creek Meadows – consists of seven lots on a 101.75-acre parcel located at the northeast corner of County Road 30
and Cain Road. This development was approved by the City on July 27. The developer will be responsible for paving
Cain Road from County Road 30 to the northern border of this development. An on-road trail will be provided along the
east side of Cain Road, as well as a trail within the development connecting to the on-road trail to a natural area being
preserved as a passive park of approximately 9 acres.
Status of Lawsuit: HRUA vs. City of Corcoran -The State of Minnesota Court of Appeals provided an unpublished
opinion on June 27, 2006 affirming the Findings and Order issued by the Corcoran City Council in September 2005. The
complete opinion can be found on the City’s website. This opinion upholds the action by the City that two septic systems
come into compliance and be replaced within three years. HRUA has appealed this decision to the Minnesota Supreme
Court. The appeal is also available on the City’s website.
2007 Budget Process – The City is presently working on the 2007 budget. Several workshops will be held over the
next month to define a preliminary budget to determine the amount of tax dollars that the City will need to operate.
That information is used for the tax information you receive in November. A public hearing referred to as the Truth in
Taxation Hearing is then held in December and a final budget and tax levy are set following that hearing. If you are
interested in how this process works, you may find the dates and times of these hearings posted on the website.
Septic System Authority – The City of Corcoran is presently working to transfer authority of on-site septic systems to
Hennepin County. This will mean that Hennepin County will handle all maintenance and permitting processes. The City
will no longer provide those services. We will update you further in our Winter Newsletter.
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Page 4 of 8 PUBLIC WORKS AND CODE ENFORCMENT
JUNK VEHICLES
PROHIBITED POOLS AND HOT TUBS:
The City’s Code Enforcement Department will be
enforcing clean up of junk vehicles stored on
residential properties.
Keep Water Out of Septic Areas
When it comes time to empty your
swimming pool or hot tub, make sure the
water ends up on your lawn area and not the
septic drain field. But before discharging the
water into the environment, be sure to
properly eliminate the chlorine.
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 code and shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor if violated. A junk vehicle is any vehicle
three (3) years old or older that does not have valid,
current registration and is extensively damaged and
apparently inoperable.
Stop chlorinating the water several days
before discharging; then test the chlorine
content with a standard test kit. Usually 3 to
4 days is sufficient.
First time violations will be cited and issued a warning
notice to remove the vehicle(s) from the site. To prevent erosion in the discharge area,
reduce the flow rate (use a smaller diameter
hose), place additional piping or hose over
the erosion area to prevent soil/water
contact, or bare sod areas ahead of time.
HOME OCCUPATION PERMITS
If you operate a business from your home, you may need a Home
Occupation License. All home occupations must register with the
City. Home Occupation Applications are available at City Hall. For
further questions or concerns contact Steve Reger at 763-420-2288
ext. 18.
ATTENTION PET OWNERS
HUNTING INFORMATION
With the arrival of fall, we need to focus on the activities that come
with the season. Hunting remains a popular activity in Corcoran. We
urge anyone wishing to hunt within the Corcoran city limits to contact
the Police Department to learn of any regulations or restrictions that
may affect your outing. We want your hunting experience to be a
good one and knowing the rules before you start is a good way to
ensure a safe and enjoyable activity.
Dogs are prohibited from running at
large in the City of Corcoran. All dogs
over the age of six months need to be
licensed and registered with the City
and must be vaccinated for rabies and
distemper at least once every three
years by a licensed veterinarian. This
paperwork should accompany you when
purchasing your tags.
Permits are required for some types and locations of hunting. Permits
are available at the Police Department between the hours of 8:00 AM
and 2:00 PM regular business days.
To purchase a license or stamp please see your local sporting goods
store. Visit our website under “Police” for downloadable forms and
more information. If you have other questions or concerns please
contact the police secretary at 763-420-8966.
Page 5 of 8 POLICE DEPARTMENT
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+
MEET OUR NEW POLICE CHIEF
Use 911 In Corcoran
911 is the number set aside by the telephone companies throughout the United States to put you in touch with police,
personnel r emergency and non-emergency services. 911 is for ALL police, medical, and fire
. The Sheriff’s Department has asked us to remind the community to please use 911,
gency as well as non-emergency calls which are then directed to the appropriate city,
Say what is wrong and what type of help you need
r you may remain anonymous
struction- stay on the line until you are told to hang up
Remember, 911 plays an important role in emergency services, but more important is the role
medical and fire fo
services, not just emergencies
and yes, even for barking dogs.
Under the current system, all calls to 911 for police, medical and fire are answered by the Hennepin County Sheriffs
Department Communication Center which is located in Golden Valley. These calls are screened by a trained
dispatcher who can handle emer
or County Deputy to respond. Hennepin County currently provides dispatching for 23 police agencies covering 36
cities.
When you call for help what you say is important.
Stay calm and speak clearly
Tell the 911 operator where the emergency is
Give your name and telephone number, o
Follow the 911 operator’s in
you la t respond without you. You are the
eyes n
p y in the community. Law enforcement, medical and fire services could no
a d ears of the community and it’s our pleasure to serve you.
City’s Open House – Farewell
Former Chief Schutte
ouse in
ortunity to ask
questions and see first hand how our departments
er
y
our
l
k,
ations to make this event happen.
The City staff would like to thank all the residents,
friends and family that attended the City’s Open H
June. We hope this gave you the opp
operate. Along with extending a farewell to our form
Police Chief Paul Schutte, for all his years of protective
service he gave to the community. Paul will be greatl
missed by staff, law enforcement officers, many of
residents and surrounding communities; we wish him wel
in his retirement.
We would also like to thank Lil Jacks, Farmers State Ban
Hanover Athletic Association and Mayor - Tom Cossette for
their generous don
COUNTY ROAD 19 STATUS
20
ty
he
r,
us
il.
10
117
50
10
de
17
d.
UR
This project consists of reconstructing County Road 19 from 6
feet South of Trunk Highway 55 to 540 feet North of Coun
Road 117 in the Cities of Medina, Corcoran and Hanover. T
work includes grading, bituminous pavement, curb and gutte
storm sewer, traffic signal and the addition of a bitumino
tra
Area 1 - Intersection of County Road 19 and County Road
Area 2 - County Road 19 from County Road 10 to County Road
Area 3 - Intersection of County Road 19 and County Road
Area 4 - County Road 19 from County Road 50 to County Road
Area 2 construction is scheduled to start July 5, 2006 and will inclu
the closure of County Road 19 from County Road 10 to County Road 1
for 3 - 4 months. A marked detour will be provide
For the safety of the workers we ask that you ABIDE BY ALL DETO
SIGNS and do not remove any barricade structures. Anticipa
Completion: November
ted
08
ect
im
12)
734
20
For further project information contact Dan Allmaras: Proj
Engineer; Phone (612) 596-0402; Cell Phone (612) 282-8439 or T
McGee: Project Supervisor; Phone (612) 596-0406; Cell Phone (6
282-6
Please give a warm welcome to Corcoran’s’ new Chief of Police Sean Gormley.
Sean is a Golden Valley native. He attended St. Cloud State University and
College and received a law enforcement degree. He wa
ate 1986.
North Hennepin
s also a firefighter for nine years and
oys boating at the family’s lake home and
is a golfer.
o
a great job. My job is to keep the public trust thriving with the right people. We
took his first police job in Champlin in l
Sean lives in Maple Grove with wife Kay and children Ryan, 13; and Abby, 9.
Sean is a huge sports fan, especially Gophers hockey. And he’s quite an accomplished
runner, having finished 34 marathons. He also enj
He said he’s very excited for his new job and that it’s gotten off to a great start.
“I sat my officers down and said, ‘We have to work together,’ ” he said. “I’m fortunate t
walk into
Chief Sean Gormley
owe it to the citizens.”
Page 6 of 8 CITY INFORMATION
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Corcoran Athletics Association
The Corcoran Athletics Association, Board of Directors would like
to thank all the great volunteers that worked so hard to make
this season of baseball/softball fun for the kids. We hope you
will continue to help in the future with this important job. We
will begin registration for the 2007 season on February 9th. 2007.
Look for more details later this year in the city news letter or
website. If your company would like to sponsor the Corcoran
Athletics Association and advertise their business on our fields,
have them contact us by e-mail. If you have information or
comments about the program please e-mail us at,
corcoranathleticsinfo@hotmail.com
Athletes First, Winning Second.
VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES AT CITY
HALL
The City of Corcoran is looking for
volunteers. Areas of needed
assistance include general office
work and other projects as they
come up. This could consist of
approx. 2 – 4 hours a week. If you
are interested in being a
volunteer, or would like to
volunteer for a specific area or
project, please contact us at
763-420-2288, ext. 10 or contact
via email at
jsmith-arens@ci.corcoran.mn.us .
Don’t Forget To File For Homestead
The City Office requests that new home owners and renters come to City
Hall and file for Homestead or update resident records. A copy of your
Warranty Deed and Certificate of Real Estate are required when filing for
Homestead.
Reporting this information to the City helps keep our address records
current and ensures proper mailings for misc. literature and legal notices.
Recycling bins are available for purchase at the time you file for
homestead.
NEW RESIDENTS OF THE CITY
RECYCLE YOUR HOUSEHOLD BATTERIES
The City Hall is a drop off site for household batteries. This program
was designed to help individuals recycle the dry cell batteries they have
accumulated from their wireless household products. These types would
include dry cell batteries generated from the use of cell phones, laptop
computers, flashlights, cameras, watches, hearing aids, toys, two way
radios, electric tools, clocks, electronic devices, etc.
Benefits of Recycling
Keeps all the hazardous metals in one place
The metals reclaimed are reused and put back into the
manufacturing process to build more batteries
The plastic is recycled to be used again
The cost of land filling the batteries is saved
Establishes good environmental policy and protects the future
Saves natural resources
Conserves for future generations
Countries have gone environmentally bankrupt by not managing
their waste products. Recycling helps prevent this from ever
happening!
SEEKING APPLICANTS FOR
COMMISSION MEMBERS
The City is seeking applicants interested
in serving on our Planning, Parks and
Trails and Home Occupation
Commissions.
These Commissions typically meet once
a month. You may serve as an alternate
that is a one year term, or you may
serve as a regular member, which is a
three year term.
If you are interested in participating on
one of these boards, please stop by City
Hall and fill out an application or
download it from our website.
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Page 7 of 8
The City receives several phone calls for annual events or activities that take place in Corcoran. Please
keep in mind many of these are sponsored by voluntary organizations and NOT the city. Mark your
calendars as a reminder to visit our website for the actual dates and further information as they
approach. If you do not have access to the Web; to assist you we have listed some names and contact
information for further questions or concerns you may have as the dates arrive. These organizations
also exchange information in the Crow River Newspaper and distribute flyers throughout or local
business locations and schools.
Listed below are the months that many of these community events begin or take place.
January The 55+ Club meets for Pot Luck the 1st Monday of each month
February Firearm Safety Signup begins - Athletic Association Baseball Signup begins (9th)
March Corcoran Recycling bills are mailed out
April Jaycee’s Easter Egg Hunt - Jaycees Scholarship Signup begins - West Metro Motorsport
Spring Supercross - Hanover Fire Dept. Pancake Breakfast, Spring Clean up
May Voluntary signup for Dust Control – Dust Control Bills are mailed out -
DC Soccer signup begins
June Lions Club Tractor Pull - Rockin Rogers Days - Hennepin County Fair for 2007- Corcoran
Police Dept. Open House
July Lions Club Hamel Rodeo
August Jaycee’s County Daze - 2006 Hennepin County Fair
September West Metro Motor Sport Fall Supercross -Lions Club Demo Derby
October Loretto Fire Dept. Fund Raiser Spaghetti Dinner (14th) - Rogers Fire Dept. October Fest
(7th) - NW Trails Association Snowmobile Safety Training sign up begins
November Toys for Tots Donations begin (24th) - Hanover Fire Dept. Open House Poultry Social (17th)
December Jaycee’s Visit with Santa
CONTACT INFORMATION
There are several organizations in the City of Corcoran welcoming new members. If you are interested in joining
or volunteering your service’s please contact them.
Jaycee’s infocorcoranjaycees@yahoo.com Chad Robran 763-478-0167
Lions Club www.corcoranlions.com Russ Poppler 763-494-9166
Athletic Association corcoranathleticsinfo@hotmail.com Kevin Dale 763-923-4154 (Evenings)
DC Soccer glen.monzo@dc-soccer.org Glenn Monzo 763-420-3914 (Evenings)
NW Trails Association nwtrails@nwtrails.net voicemail 952-882-6770
Pioneer Society Contact City Hall
55+ Club Contact City Hall
City of Corcoran Website www.ci.corcoran.mn.us
GENERAL INFORMATION Page 7of 8 ACTIVITIES AND EVENT INFORMATION
Page 8 of 8 UPCOMING EVENTS
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th thAugust 18 & 19 Corcoran Jaycees Country Daze Held at the Corcoran Ball Fields 20200 County
Road 50 (1 mile west of Cty. Rd. 116 and Cty. Rd. 10 intersection)
→ Softball Tournaments
→ Family Day
→ Food Stands, North Memorial Helicopter, Car and Tractor Show
→ Live Entertainment featuring Jonah & the Whales and The Killer Hayseeds
→ Grand prize 2006 Polaris Sportsman 450 ATV (Raffle tickets available from JC members or at
local Corcoran businesses)
Visit www.corcoranjaycees.org for additional details!
September 9th Corcoran Lions Demolition Derby –7:00 PM at the Corcoran Lions Park
(Visit www.corcoranlions.com for additional details)
September 15, 22, 29 Fall Supercross –Gates open at 4:00 PM Racing begins at 7:00 PM
Held at the Corcoran Lions Park (Oct. 6 rain date)
For more information call Randy at 763-497-3802 or Precision Line Motorsports 763-428-5909
rd thSeptember 23 Jaycees 18 Annual Golf Tournament – at Pheasant Acre Golf Course
thNovember 24 Toys for Tots donation drop off at City Hall
The Lions Park is located at County Road 101 and County Road 10(Bass Lake Road)
City of Corcoran 8200 County Road 116 PRSRT STD Corcoran, MN 55340 U.S.POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 28
HAMEL, MN
ADDRESS HERE
www.ci.corcoran.mn.usVisit our website at ,
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