HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.01.23In the Know in St. Joseph
May 2023
Residents of St. Joseph…
Summer has arrived. We made it through crazy record set-
ting snow totals! We were lulled a bit with some 80s in early
April and then hit with more snow, OMG. Thanks again to the
Public Works dept. as they did a great job keeping our streets
plowed and safe for us to move about town.
Now it’s time to enjoy!
I welcome David Murphy, our new City Administrator. Da-
vid started on April 24th and comes to us with a great wealth
of knowledge and experience. As he settles into this new role,
city staff and council are eager to work with him for a smooth
transition.
The process for the 2023 Street Improvements is underway.
Construction is anticipated to begin later this summer. Know-
ing that Stearns County will be improving the intersection at
County Road 75 and County Road 133, in 2024, we’ve started
our process for the extension of Elm Street East to coincide
with their construction schedule.
At a recent City Council meeting, Council approved the
lease/operations agreement with the YMCA. This is a great
step in moving the community center project forward. Now
we will begin the capital campaign. Our consultants have been
working behind the scenes waiting for this decision and will
now turn our team loose to raise money. We are getting very
close...
In May, many bees are coming out of hibernation and need
flowers to feed themselves and their babies. No Mow May is
to encourage people to let spring flowers in their lawns bloom
before mowing. Flowers you can commonly see blooming in
lawns in May include dandelions, white clover, and creeping
charlie. While many people view these flowers as weeds,
some pollinators view them as food. Ideally, you can add to
the mix and provide food for more pollinators by including
native plants in your lawn and garden. I don’t have the author-
ity to suspend the city’s requirement to keep grass less than 12
inches tall, but I encourage you to go as long as possible with-
out mowing this month.
Dogs are one of the most endearing pieces of family life.
However, dogs require control and maintenance. Dogs must
always be on a leash. I remind everyone to protect human
health, animal health and water quality by always cleaning up
your dog’s waste.
Social media may be a great way to connect but may not be
the best way to get information on what is actually happening
in St. Joseph. If you have concerns or questions feel free to
call city staff, myself and city council members, to obtain ac-
curate information. This is the best way to get rid of conjec-
ture or partial fact exploitation. If you feel the need to discuss
any city issues, I am always open for the opportunity to chat,
have coffee, text, email or house visit. It is gratifying to help
work through any issues or problems to find a solution. Much
work will be achieved for the community, and I am always
available.
Mayor Rick Schultz
320-260-0393
Annual Spring Cleanup—May 20th
Residents that participate in the City Refuse Program are
eligible to place additional refuse curbside at no charge.
All refuse must be out curbside by 6AM on the 20th and
items are limited to a 6ft x 6ft area.
Exceptions (include but are not limited to): Appliances,
electronics, tires, pollutants, yard waste, construction
waste, computer monitors, and televisions.
Appliance & Electronic Dropoff
May 20th, 8AM—Noon
The appliance & electronic drop-off is at the St. Joseph
Public Works Facility located at 1855 Elm St E. There is a
limit of two items per household. Please be prepared to
present your ID to confirm residency.
Like us on Facebook!
Park & Recreation Events
More information on each event can be found at
www.cityofstjoseph.com
Movie in the Park: Movie in the
Park is returning to Millstream
Park on May 20th at 8:30PM.
Come out and view Puss in Boots,
The Last Wish!
Pickleball: Sundays 9AM-2PM, Mondays & Tuesdays
6-9PM at Kennedy Community Schools through May
23rd.; $2
Senior Yoga: Wed. 1:30-2:30PM; Heritage Hall; $3.50/
member, $5.00/non-member of Whitney Senior Center.
Call (320) 255-7245 to register.
Enhance Fitness: Tues. & Thurs. 1:30-2:30PM; Herit-
age Hall; $3.50/member, $5.00/non-member of Whitney
Senior Center. Call (320) 255-7245 to register.
Summer Recreation Schedule
T-Ball (6PM) & Soft Toss (7PM): June 5th, 12th, 19th,
26th; July 10th, 17th, 24th
Soccer (7PM): June 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th; July 11th,
18th, 25th
Basketball (9AM & 10AM): June 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th;
July 12th, 19th, 26th
3 on 3 Basketball (7PM): Ages 16+, Starts Wed. June
7th at Centennial Park
* Any cancellations due to weather will be posted on the
City’s website and Facebook page. If the heat index is
95° or higher, the session will be cancelled.
Mark Your Calendars
Memorial Day, City Offices Closed
Independence Day, City Offices Closed
May 29
July 4
Sept 4 Labor Day, City Offices Closed
Spring Reminders
Construction
As construction season approaches, we would like to re-
mind you of the types of projects that
require a permit with the city. Pro-
jects include: fences, accessory struc-
tures, parking pads, decks, roofing,
windows and siding. Permit applica-
tions and additional information can
be found at:
https://www.cityofstjoseph.com/134/Building-Permits-
Inspections.
Lawn Irrigation Tips
As the weather heats up, start to focus on how you use wa-
ter outdoors! You might find that you are overwatering.
Water usage increases greatly during the summer months as
people begin to care for a lawn or garden. May people often
waste water because they are unaware of how much water
they need to use. Here are a few tips to help you not over-
water:
• Check your sprinklers and make sure they are spraying
at your lawn or garden, not on a sidewalk or driveway
• Water early in the morning before it gets too warm.
Cooler weather will ensure that the water does not
evaporate as quickly
• If your sprinkler system is automatic, make sure to ad-
just the watering schedule based on weather
• Water your lawn about 1 inch per week
• Adding a water time to your hose to make sure you are
not watering for too long
Odd/Even Sprinkling
Regulation
From May through Septem-
ber, the odd/even watering
restrictions are in effect.
Properties having an address
ending with an even number
may sprinkle on even numbered days only. Properties hav-
ing an address ending with an odd number may sprinkle on
odd numbered days only.
Weed & Brush Control
Weeds and grasses are required to be kept under 10 inches
in height. Keep St. Joseph looking great this summer!
Campfires
City Ordinance requires campfires be limited in size to not
more than 3 feet in diameter by 3 feet in height. The fire is
to be contained in a metal ring, rock, concrete or other sim-
ilar non-combustible material.
RV Dump Station
The city offers an RV dump station located at the main lift
station just east of Millstream Park. There is no charge, but
donations are accepted to maintain this service.
Compost Site Open!
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 4-7 PM; Saturday 8:00
AM—Noon. Permits can be purchased at the Govern-
ment Center and online www.cityofstjoseph.com.
Permit Fees:
St. Joseph Residents $45 St. Joseph Township $70
St. Wendel Township $70 St. Cloud Residents $60
2nd Permit/Replacement $5
Town Ball Tour coming to St. Joseph July 5th!
Fox 9’s Town Ball Tour is coming to St. Joseph. Come
out to Schneider Field to watch the St. Joseph Joes take
on the Avon Lakers. Stay tuned for more information!
Needed! Flower Basket Watering Attendants
The city is looking for individuals to water the flower
baskets along College Avenue and Minnesota Street.
Must be 18+. Apply online at www.cityofstjoseph.com.
Contact Public Works Director, Ryan Wensmann with
any questions at 320-557-3819.
Important Online Utility Bill Payment Information
In March, the city converted to a new financial software
package and the format of your utility account number
has changed. During the conversion, we worked closely
with PSN to minimize the impact on our residents and
businesses; however, a small number of accounts that
were signed up with PSN (Payment Service Network)
needed to have their profiles merged. If you established
an account with PSN and are no longer able to log in,
please reach out to utility billing staff at 320-363-7201,
option 1 for assistance. Additionally, if you have setup
online auto pay on your own through your bank, please
be sure that your account number matches the new ac-
count number as shown on your bill.
Finally, staff is asking customers with online recurring
payments to check the withdrawal date. It is always best
practice to have the withdrawal set for the beginning of
the even numbered month, as the bills are due on the 15th
of the even numbered month. Penalties are put on delin-
quent accounts the following day. We have discovered
that some residents are selecting their autopayments to
run at the beginning of the odd numbered month. For ex-
ample, if the auto pay is set for May 1st and the bills
don’t come out until May 10th, those accounts will be
paying the past due bill, including the late fee. They are
actually paying the bill that was due on the 15th of April;
including the penalty placed on the account on the 16th
of April. If you have any questions, please reach out to
utility billing here at the city. We are happy to help.
Flushable Wipes Not Flushable
Items such as paper towels, facial tissues, baby wipes,
sanitary napkins and other related items are not flushable.
Even wipes that are labeled as flushable should not be
flushed. These products do not breakdown like toilet pa-
per and can cause sanitary sewer issues.
Not
recyclable!
Flower pots and hoses
can be reused or belong
in the trash.
REPUBLIC
SERVICES
Sustainability in Action