HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.01.23In the Know in St. Joseph
September 2023
Annual Fall Cleanup—October 21st
Residents who participate in the City Refuse Program
are eligible to place additional refuse curbside at no
additional charge. All refuse must be out by 6AM on
Oct. 21st and items are limited to a 6ft x 6ft area.
Exceptions (include but are not limited to): Appli-
ances, electronics, tires, pollutants, yard waste, con-
struction waste, computer monitors and televisions.
Appliance & Electronic Collection
October 21st, 8AM—Noon
Appliance & Electronic Collection will take place at
the St. Joseph Public Works Facility located at 1855
Elm St E. There is a limit of 2 appliances/electronics
per household. Please be prepared to present your ID
to confirm residency.
Be an Election Judge in 2024!
Make an impact in your community by
becoming an Election Judge. Three
elections will take place in 2024.
• Presidential Nomination Primary (PNP), March 5,
2024
• Primary Election, August 13, 2024
• General Election, November 5, 2024
Election Judges perform a wide variety of tasks to ensure
residents are able to vote on Election Day. Head judges
earn $15/hr. Election Judges earn $14/hr. Training will
be provided.
Public Engagement Session on Future County Road
Improvements
Stearns County will be holding a public engagement ses-
sion at the St. Joseph Government Center on November
2, 2023, from 4:30PM—6:30PM. The purpose is to pro-
vide information and obtain feedback on future improve-
ments to CSAH75 and CR133. More information will be
provided on the City’s website as it becomes available.
Water Conservation Tips
With another hot, dry summer, keep in mind
the following tips to conserve water: take
short showers; turn off the water when
brushing your teeth; run only full loads of
laundry; repair leaky faucets and toilets; wa-
ter lawns and gardens early in the morning;
turn off sprinkler system when it’s raining.
Water Meter Replacement Program
The city is converting to cellular read ultrasonic meters.
The project started in 2022 with the conversion of 150
accounts. The 150 accounts selected for the 2023 con-
version have been notified. The project will take place
over a few years. Cellular read meters allow consumers
the ability to monitor their water usage in real time.
Water leaks such as a dripping faucet or running toilet
could be caught early, potentially avoiding a high water
bill. If you are interested in converting in 2024, please
call city hall to get on the list.
2023 Safety Fair!
Hosted by the
St. Joseph Fire Department
When: Friday, Oct. 13th 4-8PM
Where: St. Joseph Community Fire Hall
323 4th Ave NE
• Fire, Ambulance
& Police Equipment
• Air Care Helicop-
ter (if available)
• Free hot dogs and
pop
• Free safety tips &
handouts
• Free batteries for
smoke detectors
City Park Utility Bill Round-up Program
Did you know you can round up your city utility bill to
aid in park development? The amount collected by
rounding your bill to the next whole dollar is deposited
into the Park Board fund to go towards park amenities.
Current funds went towards replacing the playground
equipment at Hollow Park. Contact city hall to sign up
for the program.
Attention Seasonal Residents
Are you planning on heading
south for the winter? A resident
that is absent from his/her resi-
dence for at least 30 consecutive
days may qualify to temporarily
suspend garbage/ recycling ser-
vices.
Excess Garbage
If you have garbage in excess of what
fits in the garbage can, the refuse hauler,
Republic Services, will not pick up the
extra items unless you pre-arrange and
pay Republic Services for this extra service. The City
doesn’t accept payment for excess garbage collections.
Republic Services can be reached at 320-252-9608.
Park & Recreation Events
Scavenger Hunt, September 18-24: Pictures will be posted the
morning of the 18th on www.cityofstjoseph.com and City of St
Joseph Facebook page. Locate the pictured item somewhere in
St Joseph. Name it or take a picture of yourself with it. Each
picture will get you an extra point. Send all pictures to Rhonda
(rjuell@cityofstjoseph.com or 320-557-8140) for a chance to
win a prize.
Financial Planning, Sept. 20th—6PM: St. Joseph Government
Center: Catholic United Financial and member advisor Dave
Stang will conduct a Medicare and Medicare Supplement Ba-
sics workshop. Avoid common mistakes and leave with a better
understanding of Health Insurance. www.cityofstjoseph.com
Free.
Dodgeball, Sept. 27th & 28th—6:30-7:30 PM: Come join the
fun at Kennedy Community School. Cost $10. For students in
grades 3-6. Sign up at https://www.cityofstjoseph.com/
FormCenter/Epayment-Forms-4/Dodgeball-for-Grades-36-59
Volleyball, Oct. 3rd, 5th, 10th, 12th—6-7PM: Come join the
fun and learn the basics of volleyball. Located at Kennedy
Community School. For students in grades 3-5. Register at
https://isd742.ce.eleyo.com/course/5846/fall-2023/volleyball-
for-youth-at-kennedy-grades-3-5#2801-22f1 Cost $10
Pickleball Lessons, Oct. 5th & Oct. 12th—6:30-8:00PM: Come
experience the fastest growing sport in the country at Kennedy
Community School. Register at Pickleball Lessons: Beginner
One or Two - St. Cloud Area School District 742 Community
Education (eleyo.com)
Pickleball: Starting October 30th, open Pickleball Mondays 6-
9PM, Wednesdays 6-9 PM, Saturdays 8AM-12PM, Sundays
8AM-12 PM
Open Basketball: Sundays 12:00PM-2PM, Kennedy Commu-
nity school
Fairhaven Farms apples, pumpkins and a picnic, Oct. 12th—
11AM-12:30PM: We will join the Whitney Senior Center to
view the orchard and farm grounds, visit the farm store, and
picnic on the farm site. Please bring money to spend at the store
and your lunch. We will meet there. 13835 51st Ave, South Ha-
ven.
Adult Trivia at the LaPlayette, Oct. 26th—7PM: Bring a team
of up to 4 players and compete to win a prize. Cost is $10/team.
Register at The La Playette or at https://
www.paymentservicenetwork.com/PaymentPage.aspx?
acc=RT23761
Basketball, Oct 18th-19th—6:30-7:30PM: Come join the fun
and learn the basics of basketball. Kennedy Community School.
For kids in grades 3-5. Cost $10. Register at https://
www.cityofstjoseph.com/FormCenter/Epayment-Forms-4/
Basketball-Grades-36-60
Senior Yoga, Wednesdays, 1:30-2:30, Heritage Hall: Call
(320) 255-7245 to register. Increase your flexibility, balance,
and range of motion as you move your entire body through a
series of seated and standing yoga poses. Restorative breathing
exercises and relaxation promote stress reduction and mental
clarity. Optional chair support provides added stability when
needed.
Enhance Fitness Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:30-2:30, Herit-
age Hall: Call (320) 255-7245 to register. An evidence-based
program designed to improve the overall functional fitness and
well-being of older adults. The exercises focus on four key are-
as important to health and fitness: stretching and flexibility; low
impact aerobics; strength training; and balance.
Residents of St. Joseph…
Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer, marking the beginning of school for children. We see college students
have returned to campus. With this, be considerate and aware of children of all ages moving about in the early morn-
ing and afternoon. Be aware of school busses moving about our friendly city and adhere to their stop arms.
September also begins a raft of downtown festivals. We just had a highly successful Millstream Arts Festival. Keep
your eyes open for upcoming events in September and October.
Fall brings football back into season. It also brings rugby back into view. I have a two -time all-state ruby grand-
daughter. I will admin, before she started playing, I knew almost nothing about the sport. I can safely say, I haven ’t
gained that much more insight. BUT...St. John’s University has a rugby club team. The SJU rugby club team strives
to: provide an opportunity to students to involve themselves in a sports activity outside the realm of varsity athletics;
add to the experience of St. John’s by giving opportunity to students interested in inter-collegiate competition as well
as inter-collegiate relationships. If you have the opportunity, check out this SJU club sport. I don ’t think you will be
disappointed.
Let me address downtown parking. I personally do not think we have a downtown parking problem. There is a per-
petual small-town expectation that consumers may find parking directly in front of the stores they wish to enter.
While this was probably true in the past, St. Joseph has risen from the ashes of small town to a city of over 7,000 resi-
dents and many more on the weekends. Our visitors come from far and wide to shop, dine and enjoy our local enter-
tainment scene.
As more people come to St. Joseph, we need to alter our assumption about where we are able to park. There is noth-
ing wrong with parking on Ash Street, or 1st Avenue and walking a block to most places in our downtown area. I
would guess that many of us walk longer distances when shopping at Costco, Target, or Walmart.
Like most cities in this area, there is no cost to park downtown. It is an amenity we don’t want to see abused. There
is a 2-hour limit during the week. We will continue to monitor downtown parking usage, to determine what if any
measures need to be taken so all coming to the area have access to parking spaces.
Mayor Rick Schultz
Mark your Calendar!
Oct. 21st Fall Clean-Up
Oct. 21st, 8-Noon Appliance/Electronic Collection
Nov. 5th Fall Back, Turn Clocks Back 1 hr
Nov. 10th Offices Closed in observance of
Veteran’s Day