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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-02 -- Winter City of Corcoran Winter Newsletter February 2005 8200 County Road 116, Corcoran, MN 55340 – Phone 763·420·2288 – Fax 763·420·6056 A Note from Your Mayor Current Events Mayor: Tom Cossette tcossette@ci.cororan.mn.us City Council: Chuck Grabowski cgrabowski@ci.corcoran.mn.us Paul Jacobs pjacobs@ci.corcoran.mn.us Chuck Lymangood clymangood@ci.corcoran.mn.us Ron Thomas rthomas@ci.Corcoran.mn.us Administrator: Sue Vergin City Clerk/Treasurer: Bea Lindberg Administrative Assistants: Pat Puhle, Karen Johnson E-mail: General@ci.corcoran.mn.us City Hall Hours: Mon – Fri, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Okay, so we’ve got a new Mayor. Does anybody really know anything about this guy or were we just voting for a change in government? Here’s some background. My wife and I have lived in Corcoran for just over four years. My only involvement in City Government has been as a commissioner on the Wastewater Commission for the last eighteen months. I ran for Mayor in the 2002 election. Not surprisingly, I lost – I was even less known then. You might wonder what would motivate a really average citizen to run for Mayor. One reason – the fear of runaway development similar to what’s been happening in Maple Grove, Rogers, Plymouth and St. Michael. There’s no doubt that Corcoran will develop over the next 20 to 30 years. That’s good. Landowners have the right to maximize the value of their property. At the same time, I would like to see Corcoran choose its development wisely so that, in the end, we are unique to our surrounding cities. The previous Mayor and Council have done some things very well. Not only have they left the city in terrific financial shape, they included in the new ordinances a provision to preserve significant portions of developed land as open space. That’s a good start. I hope the new Council will continue that good work and be able to expand on those good ideas. The following items are major topics currently involving action/discussion with the Corcoran City Council. We are providing basic information on these subjects. If you want additional information on these or any other activity in Corcoran, we encourage you to attend a council meeting that includes that topic on the Agenda or call City Hall, your Mayor or Council Member for more details. We’ll be happy to help you. The Laurent Development The preliminary plat for this development has been approved as it was determined to be consistent with the City’s Comprehensive Plan. This project will consist of 283 single-family homes to be built in four phases on a 216.78 acre site. The first phase will begin in 2005 with 89 homes being built, phase 2 plans for 125 homes starting in 2006, phase 3 is for 33 units beginning in 2007 and phase 4 is for 36 units with a finish date of 2009. The site is in the southeast corner of the city, west of County Road 101 and north of Hackamore Road. Access to the development site would be from either County Road 101 and Gleason Road or Hackamore Road. Gleason Road may be extended to 66th Avenue in the future to provide access to County Road 116. Continued on page 7 Individual Highlights Firearms Safety 2 Volunteers Needed 4 Composting Bins 5 Town Hall Meeting 6 Current Events Cont. 7 2 CITY OF CORCORAN - What is Your Vision For Corcoran’s Future? Firearms Safety Course The Corcoran Police Department is once again hosting its annual firearms safety training course. Classes will be held on Sundays – March 13 and 20 and April 3, 10 and 17 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with the outdoor practical exam on Saturday, April 23. Students must attend all classroom dates and outdoor practical exam. All courses are instructed at the Corcoran Civic Center located at 8200 County Road 116, Corcoran, MN. The cost is $10 for residents and $20 for non-residents. Students must be 12 years old by November 2, 2005 in order to enroll in the course. There are 100 seats open for this course. A percentage of these seats are reserved for residents. We typically receive 150+ applications so it is wise to register early. Application forms can be obtained at the City Hall or on our Web Site (www.ci.corcoran.mn.us). Your fee must accompany your registration form with checks made payable to Corcoran Firearms Safety. You must also include a self-addressed, stamped, number ten business envelope for mailing of your certificate upon completion of the course. We must mail these certificates individually so, if you attend with a family member, please send the appropriate number of envelopes suitably addressed. All required registration information must be submitted prior to Friday, March 4, 2005 to be successfully registered for this class. We do not confirm your registration prior to the start of classes. We will notify you if the course is filled and your fee will be returned. All questions should be directed to Pat Puhle at 763-420-2288, Extension 10. How much new development is in sight for Corcoran? How much influence or control do the Met Council and other like organizations have on the future plans of Corcoran? Does the City’s Comprehensive Plan adequately cover these concerns? These and many other questions are facing Corcoran. You need to make your opinions known if these or other issues are of concern to you. Your input is vital if you want your views to be considered. Corcoran is a really great place to live. Within an hour’s drive to the cities, we can take advantage of all the entertainment, culture, activities and jobs the cities have to offer. Yet, nestled just outside the urban area, we enjoy our own little piece of country. We truly have the best of both worlds. Our idealistic location also brings hard decisions that need to be made to pave the future in the best interest of all of our residents. The towns around us are growing by leaps and bounds. That growth raises issues for us including rate of development, sewer and water, standards for home and yard maintenance, tarring roads and dozens more. It is your right to voice your opinion in making these decisions and others that govern your life in Corcoran. We strongly encourage residents to become more involved in the city. You don’t have to run for office but, perhaps, you could make time in your busy schedule to attend an occasional council meeting. Find out what topics are on the table and how your representatives feel about them. Our meetings are always open to the public. 3 Corcoran History Code Enforcement Duties Corcoran Recycling Days for 2005 January 11, 25 February 8, 22 March 8, 22 April 5, 19 May 3, 17 June 1*, 14, 28 July 12, 26 August 9, 23 September 7*, 20 October 4, 18 November 1, 15, 29 December 13, 27 *Note this is a change from the regular recycling day due to a holiday Because Corcoran had no large streams or bodies of water, it was not settled until one to four years later than other towns in the county. It was also one of the most heavily timbered towns and the difficulty of making way to market through the tangled forest, also contributed to delay in its development. Benjamin Pounder was the first person to settle and entered his claim in the spring of 1855. He was joined shortly after by the P.B. Corcoran and Morris Ryan. Mr. Corcoran is one of those men who are justly entitled to more than a passing notice. He was born in Ireland. He came to Minnesota by foot from New York where he worked in the lumber mills. He had lost his right hand in an accident while working in those lumber mills, but that didn’t stop him from bringing his young wife and children to Minnesota where he began clearing ground for farming. He built and taught in the first school, built the first store, was the first postmaster, served as justice of the peace and was Supervisor for twelve years. He was the Town Clerk from the date of the civil organization until he died in 1875. The City of Corcoran was organized on May 11, 1858 with the first election of officers. The town was named at that time after P.B. Corcoran because of his many contributions and leadership in the community. Corcoran consists of 22, 948 acres of rolling hills. It is 6 miles wide and 6 miles long, or 36 square miles. codes. Although we may not always agree with a specific code, it is generally made in the best interest of the community as a whole. While many of them protect our environment, others protect residents’ home value and health concerns while some codes protect resident’s rights as a property owner. If a complaint is received, I am obligated to check on it. It is always my goal to resolve any problem reported with minimal inconvenience for the parties involved. If we all work together, we can usually meet that goal. If you have a question or concern about code enforcement or violations, please give me a call. I’ll do my best to resolve any issues for you. As the Code Enforcement Officer for the City of Corcoran, my job is to enforce the various codes set in place by the city and state governments. A strong background in construction provides me with familiarity of building codes and related regulations. Codes, however, cover a lot of areas other than new construction. Some of these areas include standards for home and yard maintenance, establishing zones for residential, commercial and agricultural needs, protecting the environment and general health of the community, septic system installation and maintenance guidelines, pet control and a host of others. Regardless of the area affected, the purpose of most codes is to protect the welfare of the community and maintain certain standards of living. Our country-type setting brings rural and residential living together which sometimes causes problems when enforcing With the snow season upon us, it is important to remind our residents that plowing snow from your driveway into or across a public road is not allowed. Doing so can cause the snow to compact and ice up on the road which throws our snow plows off course and, sometimes, in a ditch. It has caused damage to plows resulting in costly repairs and replacement and could endanger other motorists. Steve Reger 4 CITY OF CORCORAN An Introduction to Public Works We Need Volunteers Corcoran Gets New City Clerk/Treasurer Mark your calendars! Corcoran will be having its annual CEAN UP DAY on Saturday, April 30, 2005 8:00 a.m. to Noon passable during winter months and warmer months require grading, dust control, patching asphalt, etc. It is also necessary to maintain the ditches and culverts to ensure proper water runoff. In the parks, we maintain the sports fields and the ice rinks depending on the season. Clean-up duties are needed year-around. We are also responsible for maintaining and clean-up at City Hall and set-up for Civic Center rentals. We have a wide variety of machinery to fulfill our duties and we perform maintenance on vehicles and machinery whenever possible We are required to attend a variety of safety and DOT meetings throughout the year to keep us current on issues related to our job. As the director of Public Works in Corcoran, I am responsible for directing four full-time staff members as well as seasonal employees when needed. My department has a wide variety of duties including the maintenance of parks, roads, ditches, culverts, etc., within the city. We have 63.52 miles of roads in Corcoran, both gravel and asphalt. Roadwork, of course, varies by season. All of the roads must be kept Volunteering time is a great way to be more involved in your city government. Volunteers allow us to accomplish things that might otherwise not be doable. We need people to sit on our Waste Water, Planning, and Parks and Trails commissions. The meetings for these committees are held once monthly in the early evening. They are generally about two hours long, but it varies routine maintenance. In the office we can use assistance with every-day tasks as well as time- consuming projects such as mailing this Newsletter. Please consider taking a more active role in your city. Your contribution of time helps keep Corcoran a great place to live. depending on the topics discussed. There may be additional research or other responsibilities needed between meetings. These commissions provide an extremely valuable service to our community and are instrumental in planning the city’s future. We can use help in a variety of areas. In the city parks and trails, we can use help in clean-up and Some people give time, some money, some their skills and connections, some literally give their life’s blood. But everyone has something to give. -Barbara Bush On January 3, 2005, Bea Lindberg started as Corcoran’s new City Clerk/Treasurer. Bea was formerly the Accountant with the City of Hanover. She comes to us with a background in accounting and she is a Certified Municipal Clerk. Bea will be handling many of the accounting functions for the City and numerous other responsibilities including taking Council minutes, issuing public notices, etc. Bea and her husband reside in Buffalo. Bea also keeps busy with continuing education courses working toward her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. We welcome Bea to our City and we’re confident she will do a great job for us. Pat Meister 5 A Note from Our Chief Composting Bins Again Available at Reduced Price The Police Department has settled into our new offices and we’re really enjoying the additional space. We’re looking very forward to having an open house when the weather is warmer and people feel more like getting out. We’ll provide a date and further details as soon as it is available. We‘re eager to have you see our new headquarters and meet the officers that serve our community. The Paramedics from North Memorial Medical Center will also be available to visit. We now have room for them to share an office in our building which helps to provide the fastest response possible to medical emergencies in our area. North Air Care will also be here with their chopper. We intend to provide tours of our new facility so you can see first- hand how the space is being used or what our plans for future use are. We’ll also have snacks and beverages. With the winter season upon us, it is important to remember that winter driving conditions can change in a matter of minutes and we all have to be vigilant of those changes to avoid accidents. Also, be sure to keep the necessary provisions in your car to stay warm should you have car trouble or become stranded. I’d also like to remind you that the Corcoran Police Department is again sponsoring a firearms safety class in March. Sign-up is going on right now and Corcoran residents will be given priority registration. Please read the article in this Newsletter for additional information. We hope you have some time to enjoy the outdoors during our great winter season. If you weren’t one of the 10,000 Twin Cities residents who purchased a backyard composting bin in 2004, you have another opportunity this spring. Hennepin County is again making backyard composting bins and kitchen food waste buckets available to residents at a 57% discount – a nice deal for residents who want to compost food and yard waste and make great gardening soil. The backyard composting bin is made of 100% recycled black plastic and is designed to accelerate the composting process. A locking lid keeps animals out and a sliding door allows for easy removal of finished compost. Each bin order includes a kitchen food waste bucket that can be placed on countertops or in kitchen corners for convenient use whenever food is being prepared. The composting bin and kitchen bucket will be available at one of five locations scheduled in the Twin Cities this spring. The most convenient event for Corcoran residents may be the one on Saturday, April 23, at 12800 Arbor Lakes Pkwy in Maple Grove or Saturday, May 7, at 807 Broadway St. N.E. in Minneapolis. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Orders must first be placed on-line at www.GreenGuardian.com, or by calling (651) 292- 3933. Payment of $30.00 should be made at the time of pick-up (cash or check only). A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes. -Hugh Downs Paul Schutte 6 CITY OF CORCORAN “State of the City” Meeting Joyce Peppin Town Hall Meeting Time to Sign Up for Ball Our State Legislator, Joyce Peppin, has scheduled a Town Hall Meeting for Saturday, March 5, between 1:00 and 2:30 p.m. at the Corcoran City Hall. Representative Peppin would like to conduct a mostly listening session where residents can voice their concerns about issues affecting themselves, the City or the State. If you have issues you wish to discuss with Joyce, please feel free to attend the Town Hall Meeting. This is an excellent occasion to raise subjects that you would like the State Legislature to address. Time will be limited and, if attendance is high, it may be necessary to keep presentations short so everyone has an opportunity to be heard. To further ensure you have sufficient time to air your concerns, you may want to prioritize your points of concern prior to attending. We hope you’ll take this chance to visit with your State Representative if you have questions you want addressed. The Corcoran Athletic Association will be taking registrations for baseball, softball and tee-ball beginning February 11. The sign-up will begin with a Fiesta Buffet Fundraiser at City Hall between 5-8 p.m. Cost for this “all you can eat” Mexican Buffet is $5.00 for Adults (12 and up) and $4.00 for children (11 and under). Proceeds will be used to develop programs for kids in the Corcoran and surrounding areas. A second registration date is scheduled for Saturday, February 19, between 9:00 a.m. and Noon in the City Hall Lobby. The fees for In-House Leagues (ages cut off July 31) are as follows: Tee-ball (ages 4 & 6) $35.00 Near-Ball (ages 7-8) $35.00 Girls Softball (ages 8-10) $50.00 Girls Softball (ages 11-14) $55.00 Boys Baseball (ages 9-10) $50.00 Boys Baseball (ages 11-13) $55.00 Family Pack = $105.00 (3 or more kids playing in-house leagues) Boys or girls traveling leagues are also available. Age groups and fees as follows: Boys Ages 11-12 = $120.00. Boys Ages 13-14 = $140.00 Boys Ages 15-16 = $160.00 Girls Ages 11-12 = $120.00 Girls Ages 13-14 = $140.00 Girls Ages 15-16 = $160.00 Girls Ages 17-18 = $160.00 There is a $30.00 late fee on registration received after March 19. The Northwest Suburban Chamber of Commerce is hosting a “State of the City” meeting on Tuesday, February 15, 2005. The meeting will take place at the Radisson Hotel located on 3131 Campus Drive in Plymouth. You do not have to be a member of the Norwest Suburban Chamber to attend. The cost is $15 for members and $20.00 for non- members No refunds on cancellations after February 8, 2005. Mayors from Corcoran, Greenfield, Hamel, Hanover, Loretto, Medina, Plymouth and Rockford will be present. The Mayors and city representatives will update the community on the latest news on new developments, water treatment, public safety initiatives and other high- rated issues with each city. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet your local mayors and city representatives and ask questions that concern you. Please RSVP your attendance by calling 763- 420-3242 or emailing info@nwschamber.com “Don’t be afraid to try something new. An amateur built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic. - Unknown 7 Current Events cont. The developer is to preserve approximately 36 percent of the land as permanent open space, including a large portion of existing trees and a private park. Lots sizes will vary from 50-foot wide lots, to 120-foot wide lots. The Developer is responsible for bringing sewer and water into the project and will provide sewer stubs to surrounding neighborhoods and the property boundary. Municipal sewer and water would need to be extended to service the property prior to issuance of building permits. Wetland buffers and setbacks are required in all wetland areas. The proposed plan identifies a number of ponds throughout the site which will control the rate of surface water run-off. Extension of Elm Creek Wastewater Interceptor The Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) has studied the available alternatives for extending the existing Elm Creek Interceptor to Corcoran’s Southeast District. This extension will meet MCES’s commitment to the City of Corcoran for wastewater flow capacity as designated in the 2002 Elm Creek Facility Plan Update. Non-economic factors including minimal disruption of wetlands and trees, good access for maintenance, favored by adjacent residents, least impact to adjacent properties, opportunity to coordinate construction of the north alignment with local development and alignment that follows future County Road 10 led to the proposed route. The Project Environmental Assessment Worksheet is currently under review by the MPCA. After review, construction would begin on or about June 2005 with an anticipated completion in December 2005. The work will follow the route of proposed County Road 10 and stop at the north end of the Lion’s Park with a cost of approximately $2.5 million. MCES is responsible for all project costs. Any expenses incurred thereafter to extend this line would fall on the City or Developer involved. Proposed Commercial Development in SW District The site is located on Highway 55 east of Pioneer Trail and west of Medina Electric on Rolling Hills Road. The site, zoned Business Park, has several existing structures which would be removed. United Properties has submitted a Planned Unit Development (PUD) sketch plan for the development of approximately 568,000 square feet of office/industrial use on about 55 acres. The sketch plan shows 8 industrial buildings which would be completed in phases. Due to the size of the project, a mandatory Environmental Review Process is required. It can be expected to take 6 – 12 months depending on the scope and complexity of the project. Municipal sewer and water are not currently available to the site. The City is completing a study on the extension of sewer and water to the SW district of the City in addition to working with Loretto and Medina to provide municipal sewer and water to this site. This issue must be resolved prior to approval of any application on this site. In order to approve a preliminary plat, the applicant must show that sewer and water will be extended to the site within two years. We will keep you informed of any developments on this proposed development. Individual Septic Treatment System (ISTS) Ordinance Revised The City’s Individual Septic Treatment System (ISTS) Ordinance has been revised. Two notable changes are intended to encourage participation in the City’s ISTS maintenance (pumping) program. First, outdated systems that might technically be designated as failing or non- compliant according to state rules, may be reclassified as “acceptable existing systems” provided: 1) they are not discharging to the surface and, 2) the owner is participating in the maintenance program. Acceptable existing systems are allowed to operate indefinitely unless surface discharge is evident. Second, building permits or permits for land splits will not be issued to the property owner unless the ISTS is being pumped and inspected every three years according to the maintenance program. Another significant ordinance change is that drain field repair or alteration to eliminate surface discharge may be allowed if approved by the Wastewater Commission. This may spare the owner from a total system replacement for some period of time. Here’s the point – the rules have changed. If your septic system is leaking above ground and you’re not excited about installing a new one, talk to the Wastewater Commission. They’re there to help you get it fixed as reasonably as possible. You’re encouraged to attend any of the city meetings to learn more about what’s happening in Corcoran. A calendar of meetings can be found on our website. 8 CITY OF CORCORAN We Need Your Feedback Are there special concerns or issues you would like the Mayor and council to address? If so, please tell us. What are your thoughts on how the current elected officials are doing? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you like the new format for our Newsletter or did you prefer the last one? New Format † Old Format † Would you like to see something added/removed from the Newsletter? We would greatly appreciate you taking some time to respond to the following questions and return them to City Hall. We can’t know how you feel about the way your City is run if you don’t share your feelings. Please let us know how we’re doing and what issues are important to you. You can mail this form to us at 8200 County Road 116, Corcoran, MN 55340 or feel free to drop it off during office hours. Thanks for your help. ADDRESS CITY OF CORCORAN 8200 COUNTY ROAD 116 CORCORAN, MN 55340 We’re on the Web! See us at: www.ci.corcoran.mn.us PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 28 HAMEL, MN