News from the City of Lake Elmo
November 9,  2018
Meetings next week:  

 
 
 
 
Tuesday, November 13th: City Council Special Meeting 6:25PM
Tuesday, November 13th: City Council Workshop 6:30PM


Note: the Planning Commission Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, November 14th has been canceled



Links to the 2018 City Meetings, Agendas and Meeting Minutes: 

City Meetings
 
                                                                               

City Office Closed Monday, November 12th for Veterans Day

City offices will be closed on Monday, November 12th in observance of Veterans Day.  Offices will reopen on Tuesday, November 13th at 8:00AM.
Ordinance Change Notice

Council will be discussing changes to the snow removal ordinance at their 11/20 meeting.

Potential changes will relate to the requirements for snow removal on sidewalks.

11/7 City Council Meeting Summary

At their regular meeting on Wednesday, November 7, 2018, the Lake Elmo City Council:
  • Directed Staff to Prepare and Ordinance Amendment to Allow for 24 hours to Remove Snow from Sidewalks
  • Adopted a Resolution to Designate Council Members as Employees for Workers Compensation Purposes Only
  • Set November 13th at 6:25pm for the Canvassing Board Meeting for the 2018 Election
  • Approved a Variance for Driveway Width and Increased Impervious Surface Coverage for 7962 Hill Trail N
  • Provided Comments on the Bentley Village Sketch Plan
 
On the consent agenda the Council:
  • Approved Payment of Disbursements and Payroll
  • Accepted the 3rd Quarter Financial Reports
  • Approved Wildflower 1st Addition - Release of Warranty Security for Sanitary Sewer & Watermain.
  • Approved Amendment to MnDOT Agreement to extend contract for the State Highway 36 South Frontage Road Study - Resolution 2018-124
  • Approved Lake Grant to Lake Demontreville Olson Association
  • Approved an Easement vacation for 9843 Whistling Valley and 9829 Whistling Valley Rd
11/13 - City Council Special Meeting Agenda

11/13 - City Council Workshop Agenda

CSAH 15 (Manning Ave.) & CSAH 14 Construction Update

Project Schedule

Last Week:
  • Curb and gutter and median work on CSAH 14 was completed.
  • Crews paved the first two layers of asphalt on Manning Avenue and CSAH 14.
This Week:
  • Milling occurred on the south end of Manning Avenue.
  • Crews worked on all traffic signals to prepare them to become fully operational.
Upcoming Work:
  • Crews will work to construct bike trails by bringing them up to grade.
  • Temporary turf establishment is anticipated to be completed within the next couple weeks.
  • Both traffic signals are estimated to be fully operational next week.
  • Crews will finish work in both ponds.

**Due to weather, crews will begin preparing the site for winter conditions. Traffic will be switched into its permanent configuration and the new alignment of CSAH 14 will be opened in the coming weeks.**
Streetlight out? Report it to Xcel Energy

City Staff has recently been receiving an increased volume of calls relating to street lights that have burnt out throughout the City.  These lights are the responsibility of Xcel Energy to maintain and replace.

If you notice a street light that is no longer working, please visit:  https://www.xcelenergy.com/outages_and_emergencies/Outdoor_Lighting_Outages to report the outage.  You will need to provide the approximate address, or general area, where the light is located.

City's Insurance Deductible Reduced

In 2016, due to significant issues amongst council members and substantial staff turnover,  the City had special underwriting conditions placed on its insurance coverage by the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT). Those conditions included raising the city's deductible from $500 to $200,000 for liability and land use claims. 

This week the LMCIT Board met again to review Lake Elmo's coverage.  Noting the significant progress made over the last two years, the board voted unanimously to eliminate the special underwriting conditions with the City's January 1, 2019 renewal coverage. The City's deductible will return to $1,000; a change made by the city last year after a cost benefit risk analysis. For more information and to view the memo from League staff click here.

Winter Parking Ordinance Now in Effect!

City plow truck on Marquess Lane blocked by cars parked on the road

With winter weather rapidly approaching, the City's winter parking ordinance is now in effect.  The winter parking ordinance prohibits parking on Lake Elmo streets from November 1 through March 31 between 2:00 AM and 7:00 AM, or during a snow event outside of those hours.


 

Remember, if the City's trucks are blocked they can't plow your streets!
Now Hiring Seasonal Ice Rink Attendants!

The City of Lake Elmo is looking for ice rink attendants at Lion's Park. Rink attendants will represent the City of Lake Elmo and are responsible for the warming house and surrounding ice rinks during hours of operation. The Attendant will maintain a safe, clean environment during each shift. These are seasonal positions; dates and hours of employment are subject to seasonal warming house/rink operation requirements. 

If you are interested please fill out the application below.  






Completed applications can be mailed to:
City of Lake Elmo
Attn: Jake Foster, Assistant City Administrator
3880 Laverne Ave. N., Lake Elmo MN

or emailed to: jfoster@lakeelmo.org

Re-purposing the Past

There are several ways to protect the heritage of a place. There is the written word, such as these articles. There is photography, protecting important structures and spaces through historic designations and there are people who have protected structures by purchasing and moving old structures for other purposes. In the column, over the years we have talked about the 1888 one-room school house (now restored), the original warming house from Lions Park, and today the 1908 Coal bin from the railroad tracks just opposite the (now gone) Lake Elmo Train Depot.

In 2001, Ed Gorman of Gorman Family Restaurant, purchased and moved and attached this bin to the back of their restaurant. It now is a seating area for the restaurant. See the photo below to learn the story.



Sources: Memories of Lake Elmo, collected and authored by Gloria VanDemmeltraadt and the Stillwater School District website.


 
(There yet another way of preserving the past; a collage of pictures, documents and narrative that tell stories. This display is located in Gorman's Restaurant. Stop to seethis display to experience in person.)



November Kindness Campaing

"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world."  - Desmond Tutu
 
Last month our challenge was to help someone with their Fall leaf cleanup. I was the recipient of unexpected help last week and what a wonderful surprise that was! It was just awesome to come home and see the grass instead of a yard full of leaves! It is with a thankful heart that I present this month's challenge...
 
"A warm smile is the universal language of kindness." - William Arthur Ward
 
World Kindness Day  is an international day of observance on November 13th. It was introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement a coalition of nations kindness NGOs. It is observed in many countries, including Canada, Japan, Australia, Nigeria and United Arab Emirates. In 2009, Singapore, Italy and India also observed the day for the first time. Please take the time to visit randomactsofkindness.org to learn more about kind acts happening throughout the country. In observance of World Kindness Day, I challenge you to smile at every stranger you encounter. Just think of how many happy moments that will create during the next 30 days!
 



As always, we can't wait to hear your story. Please share your moments with us at www.lakeelmorotary.org and always remember...
 
Kindness is unifying!
3M PFC Settlement Work Group Meeting Notes Now Available

Summaries of the October meetings of the Government and 3M Working Group and the Citizen-Business Group are now posted on the 3M Settlement website. Also available is a presentation from the Minn. Department of Health on the spatial extent of the PFAS contamination. 

Other maps showing PFC contamination in Washington County are available on the MDH website.

Meetings scheduled for Nov. 13 and 14

The 3M Settlement Citizen-Business Group will meet Tuesday, Nov. 13, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. The Government and 3M Working Group will meet Wednesday, Nov. 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Both meetings will be held in the Training Room of the Cottage Grove City Hall at 12800 Ravine Parkway South.

Meeting agendas will be available soon. All 3M Settlement work group meetings are open to the public, and time is reserved at each meeting for questions from attendees.