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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007 [07] Jul 20 rMY OF Stl1()S~lH In the Know in St. Joseph Volume 1, Issue 1 July 20, 2007 City Contact Information Mayor Al Rassier 115-9th Avenue SE St. Joseph MN 56374 320-363-4711 arassier@csbsju.edu Councilor Dale Wick 1211 Dale Street East St. Joseph MN 56374 320-363-0221 contactdalewick@hotmail.com Councilor Renee Symanietz 354-4th Avenue SE St. Joseph MN 56374 (320) 980-1461 symanietzrenee@clearwire.net Councilor Steve Frank 606 Birch Street West St. Joseph MN 56374 (320) 493-0311 sfrank@stcloudstate.edu Councilor Rick Schultz 326-7th Avenue SE St. Joseph MN 56374 (320) 363-4334 rschultz@mywdo.com Administrator Tudy Weyrens PO Box 668 St. Joseph MN 56374 (320) 363-7201 jweyrens@cityofstjoseph.com Police Chief Pete T ansky PO Box 268 St. Joseph MN 56374 (320) 363-8250 pj ansky@cityofstjoseph.com Public Works Dir. Dick Taufen PO Box 668 St. Joseph MN 56374 (320) 363-7201 dtaufen@cityoftjoseph.com Welcome to the City Newsletter Welcome to the first edition of the St. Joseph City Newsletter-In the Know in St. Joseph. The purpose of this newsletter is to inform the residents of St. Joseph of the "happenings" of the City. The newsletter will include recent actions of the City Council, upcoming City Coun- cil events, update on City projects and articles of interest. This newsletter will be published bi-monthly and will be distributed with the utility bill. Watch future editions for our quiz feature and see how you can win St. Joseph Chamber dol- lars. In addition to the newsletter, the City maintains a website-www.cityofstjoseph.com. The website is another communication tool that we hope to enhance over the next couple of months. The website includes a variety of information, some of which includes: City Council Contact Information; Ordinance Regulations, Transportation Study Updates, Council and Planning Commission Minutes/Agendas, Forms and Building Permit Information. Water Filtration Plant Nearing Completion In 2006 the City began construction on a second water filtration plant. The water filtration plant is responsi- ble for purifying our water supply. As many of you may recall in 2006 the City had to strictly enforce the water restrictions as we were consuming water faster than we could produce. The water treatment capacity in 2006 was approximately 950,000 gallons per day. The new water plant can treat an additional 3 million gallons per day with an expansion capacity of an additional 1.5 million gallons per day. The new plant went on line at the end of April and has been charg- ing the water lines since. Some residents have been experienc- ing discolored water. This discolora- tion is a result of placing the new wa- ter plant on-line. Part of the process requires the water to flow in the oppo- site direction as in the past. Some of the existing pipes are old and mineral deposits have built in the inside of the pipes. As the water flow has changed, some min- eral deposits are re- leasing. Please note that the water is com- pletely safe to drink. The water is tested on a regular basis and has passed all State of Min- nesota regulations. If the discoloration affects your laundry the City Office has a solution that can be added to your laundry removing and affects. The maintenance staff appreciates your pa- tience as we work through this process. If you have any concerns feel free to contact the City Offices at 363-7201. When the water plant is completed the City will be inviting residents to an open house where you will have the opportunity to see how water is treated. Watch upcoming articles for details. 1 WEEDS, WEEDS, WEEDS - What is the Ordinance governing weeds? Submitted by City Attorney, Tom Jovanovich. In recent months, the City of St. Joseph has received a number of complaints from city residents con- cerning the responsibility for weed and brush control on various prop- erties throughout the City. Many answers regarding weed and brush control are located in Section 106 of the City Ordinance, which sets out a number of provisions con- cerning weed and brush control and the ramifications that may result if the Ordinance is violated. What weeds and brush need to be controlled by the City? It is unlawful to have any growth of noxious weeds, grasses or rank vegetation to a height of greater than ten (10) inches or any accu- mulation of dead weeds or grasses on any lot or land, or on or along any sidewalk adjacent to any lot or land, or along any street boulevard or along any alley adjacent to the lot or land, except compost piles during the months of May through Sep- tember. It is also unlawful for any per- son to cause, permit or allow poison ivy, rag weed, or other poisonous plants on any land or lot so that the particles are carried through the air into any public place. Who has responsibility for weed and brush control? The Ordinance specifi- cally states that the responsibility lies with the owner, lessee or occupant of any lot or land. Notice of Noxious Weeds and Cost of Removal. The City Weed/Brush Ordi- nance is ignored or violated, the City Weed Inspector will serve written notice of the violation to the owner of record. If the violation is not corrected in ten days of receipt of notice, or if no owner can be found, the Weed Inspector will have the weeds, grass and other vegetation on the property cut and removed. The owner of record will be billed at a rate of $ 60.00 per hour. Unpaid fees will be presented to the City Council prior to the first day in October of each year. The amount charged against the property will be a lien on the property and certified to the County Auditor for collection with the real estate taxes. Misdemeanor Criminal Offense for failure to control weeds and brush. Any person who fails to cut and remove noxious weeds, grass or other vegetation as di- rected or violates any of the provisions of the City weed and brush ordinance shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, which carries a criminal penalty of up to a $ 1,000 fine and/or 90 days in jail. Exception for Noxious Weeds and Brush located within Wetlands. The cutting, mowing or burning of vegetation located within a wetland is prohibited. However, the City Ordinance contains a number of exceptions, so please contact the City be- fore removing weeds from a wetland. Additional information is available on the Web site under Ordinances. www.cityofstjoseph.com AUGUST City Calendar Note: Meeting dates and times are subject to change, watch the website for changes Sun Man Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Note: Compost 1 2 3 4 stickers are re- City Council quired and are 7:00 PM available at the Compost Open Compost Open Compost Open City Offices-$ 1 5 4:00-8:00 4:00-8:00 9:00- 1 :00 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Planning Commission Compost Open Compost Open Compost Open 7:00 PM 4:00-8:00 4:00-8:00 9:00- 1 :00 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Tentative Budget City Council 5:00 PM Compost Open 7:00 PM Compost Open Compost Open 4:00-8:00 4:00-8:00 9:00- 1 :00 19 20 21 22 Tentative 23 24 25 EDA 3:00 PM Park Board Compost Open Compost Open Compost Open 7:00 PM 4:00-8:00 4:00-8:00 9:00-1 :00 26 27 28 29 Tentative 30 31 Budget 5:00 PM Compost Open Compost Open 4:00-8:00 4:00-8:00 2 Let~~ f7() [)()Wnt()Wn - St. Joseph's Revitalization Project In May of 2005 a St. Joseph Downtown Committee began in- vestigating whether or not support for a long-term downtown revitali- zation project existed and poten- tial strategies to ultimately achieve a successful revitalization effort. The Committee's efforts culminated in May of 2006 when the group presented a recommen- dation to the St. Joseph Economic Development Authority and the City Council to proceed with a 15- year revitalization plan. The Com- mittee recommendation was ap- proved and the revitalization pro- ject was subsequently authorized by the City Council on May 19, 2006. The revitalization effort is framed in the context of a national renaissance in downtowns and re-emergence of traditional neighborhood design driven by a desire to reconnect with the building blocks of community, including: shared history, hometown pride and small town atmosphere. A vital downtown not only maximizes the community's investment in infra- structure, but it also brings people into the community and retains peo- ple in the community therefore bene- fitting other business owners throughout the City. Committee Members hope that the future downtown St. Joseph will be a place loved by those who live, work, shop and play there. It will have preserved its architectural and histori- cal integrity, small town qualities, and pleasing, safe environment. At the same time, it will be a place of strength where people go to engage in cultural, social, recreational and com- mercial activities. This project is well under way. The Planning Commission in August will be conducting a public hearing on the design standards drafted by the Urban Environments Group. Contact the City Offices for more information on the project milestone and watch for more information on this exciting pro- ject and the soon to launched web site: LetsGoDowntown.org Submitted by Dale Wick, Committee Member ------------------------------------------------------------------ Improvement Proiect Updates The City has a number of street projects that have either started or will begin shortly. The fol- lowing is a brief summary of each project: Northland Drive Signal: Stearns County has opened the bids for the signal project at Northland Drive and CSAH 75. The City Council will approve the agree- ment on Thursday, July 19 and the County will award the bid the following week. Construc- tion should be complete this year. 2007 East Side Improvements: This project is well underway and should be completed by the end of July. Streets in this pro- ject include: Able Street East from 12th Ave SE to 8th Avenue SE; Able Street E to Baker SubmiHed by Tracy Ekola and Randy Sabart, City Engineers Street E; Callaway Street E from 12th Ave SE to 9th Avenue SE; Dale Street East from 12th Ave. SE to 9th Ave. SE; 9th Ave SE from Baker Street E to Dale Street E; 10th Ave SE from Cal- laway Street E to Klinefelter Park; 11 th Avenue SE from Cal- laway Street E to Dale Street East. The improvements also include the pavement of the parking area in Klinefelter Park. The park is open during con- struction, please access from Klinefelter Way. 2007 .T ade Road Improvements. The project includes the exten- sion of municipal utilities to serve the new River's Bend Sub- division (south of St. Joseph Township Hall) and District 742 School site. The project will also include construction of right turn lanes at Iverson Street and Jade Road, realignment of Jade Road with County Road 121 and a paved and lighted bituminous trail along County Road 121 and Jade Road. Construc- tion is anticipated to begin the week of July 23, 2007. County RD 121 Sewer Repair: This project includes the repair of a portion of the sewer line installed in 2002. The section needing repair is between the CSB Presidents House and the gas substation. It is anticipated that the dewatering will last seven to 10 days. During this time traffic will be limited to one lane. The actual repair will take the same amount of time but CR 121 will be closed and detoured to CR 138. The project should be- gin in the next 10 days. 3 Oops... Do I need a Building Pe..anit? If you plan to do some building or remodeling please check with the Building Inspector prior to starting work to assure that you have the proper permits. The City Building Inspector is Lee Gladitsch and he can be reached at 320 -363-7201. It is in your best interest to go through a building and zoning review early in the planning stages of your project. The Building Inspector will complete the plan reviews and issue permits in a timely manner. Building permits for roofing and siding can usually be completed in one to two days. Some of the things we look at are: land use, build- ing setbacks, lot coverage, drainage, utilities and building plans as they relate to the State Building Code. If your project requires a special use permit, interim use permit or variance you must contact the City Zoning Ad- ministrator, Judy Weyrens, 320-363-7201. The need for such could delay your project six to eight weeks. The length of time will depend on when the plans have been submitted and when your application is considered com- plete. The Planning Commission only meets once a month and they only hear complete applications. The submit- tal deadline for the Planning Commission is four weeks prior to the meeting. With regard to building permits, permits are required for almost any construction completed within the St. Joseph corporate limits. If you were to remodel or add-on in a way that does not meet building or zoning requirements, you could be required to correct the remodeling or remove an addition. Building and zoning rules provide for orderly development within the City of St. Joseph. The rules generally pro- tect your property from adjacent properties and vice versa. If the building and zoning rules are not followed, the safety of building occupants, the safety of the public, and the safety of firefighters could be jeopardized. Also, not complying with the rules could cause a problem with resale of your home and could negatively impact your prop- erty value. If you have any building permit questions, please call Lee Gladitsch, Building Inspector at 320-363-7201. FREQUENTLY ASKED OUTDOOR WATERING RESTRICTION QUESTIONS Q: Why do we have a water restriction when the new water plant is finished? A: Every municipality is required to submit a water conservation plan to the State of MN. This plan must identify how the City encourages water conservation. The City of St. Joseph chose to voluntary enforce water restrictions year round regardless of the water supply. The water restriction is based on your house number with even numbered houses watering on even number calendar days and odd numbered houses watering on odd numbered days. The water restriction is enforced by the Police Department and usually residents receive one warning. Q: How do you know if I have a private well for outdoor watering? A: Residents with private wells should register the wells with the City Offices. Upon receiving the completed regis- tration form the maintenance staff verifies the separate water connection and the property is then added to the well data base which is used by the Police Department for enforcement. There is no fee for the registration. Q: What if I have just laid new sod, can I water the lawn everyday? A: Residents with new sod can obtain a 30 day permit that allows for watering everyday. This provision applies to new yards only. Once an application is received, the Police Department verifies the installation of new lawn and issues a permit. The permit fee is $ 25.00. Q: What are the City Office business hours? A: The City Office is open Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Residents can also drop off payments or applications in the drop box located underneath the canopy on the south side of the building. 4