News from the City of Lake Elmo
July 20,  2018
Meetings next week:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Monday, July 23rd: Planning Commission Meeting 7:00 p.m.


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

City Meetings
 
                                                                               

City Council 7/17 Meeting Summary
 
At their regular meeting on Tuesday, July 17, 2018, the Lake Elmo City Council:
  • Approved the Wyndam Village Preliminary Plat and Zoning Map Amendment - Ordinance 08-212; Resolution 2018-066
  • Approve a Wildflower PUD Amendment- Resolution 2018-074
  • Adopted the Final Assessment Roll for the Eagle Point Blvd Street Improvements - Resolution 2018-075
  • Tabled the Wellhead Protection Plan Part 2
  • Approved the School Bus Terminal-Zoning Text Amendment, Preliminary and Final Plat, Zoning Map Amendment and Conditional Use Permit at 11530 Hudson Blvd N - Ordinance 08-214, 08-215; Resolution 2018-076, 2018-077, 2018-078, 2018-079
  • Approved the Four Corners 2nd Addition General PUD at 11530 Hudson Blvd N - Resolution 2018-080
  • Received an Update on the CSAH15/CSAH14 Realignment Project for Additional Work to Realign City Watermain
  • Approved Northport 2nd Addition Final Plat - Resolution 2018-081
  • Approved Northport 2nd Addition Development Agreement - Resolution 2018-082
  • Approved Verizon Monopole-Conditional Use Permit and Variance at 11351 Upper 33rd St.
  • Approved Verizon Leases
  • Tabled Demontreville Park Improvements
  • Approved additional payment on the Comprehensive Plan

On the consent agenda the Council:
  • Approved Payment of Disbursements and Payroll
  • Accepted the Building Department June 2018 Report
  • Accepted the Fire Department June 2018 Report
  • Accepted the Public Works June 2018 Report
  • Approved Engineering Task Order- MnDOT Bridge Inspection and Enrollment Program
  • Approved Private Development Security Reduction - Boulder Ponds 5th Street.
  • Approved Parking Restriction Changes on Lake Elmo Ave - Resolution No. 2018-072
  • Approved Disposal of Public Works Surplus Equipment
  • Approved Appointment of Election Judges for 2018 Primary and General Elections - Resolution 2017-073
  • Accepted Part Time Firefighter Resignation
  • Authorized Membership in the 4M Fund - Resolution 2018-071
  • Approved Water Meter Change Outs
7/23/18 Planning Commission Meeting Agenda


CSAH 15 (Manning Ave.) and CSAH 14 Realignment

Last Week
  • Utility relocations continued.
  • Crews worked to install sanitary sewer.
This Week
  • Crews will haul in sand and gravel for the sub-grade, in preparation for curb and gutter work, followed by paving.
  • Crews will continue installing sanitary sewer.
Upcoming Work
  • Curb and gutter work will begin at 40th Street, working from the south end along north bound Manning Avenue.
  • Following curb and gutter, paving will start.

Access to the Washington County Fair (August 1 - August 5)From Highway 36
  • North Lot: South on Lake Elmo Ave (County 17) to Stillwater Blvd (County 14). East on County 14 to Fairgrounds.
  • South Lot: South on Osgood Ave (County 24), continue straight on Olinda Blvd (County 14). West on County 14 to Fairgrounds.
From Interstate 94
  • North Lot: North on Manning Ave (County 15) to Fairgrounds.
  • South Lot: North on Manning Ave (County 15) to 10th St (County 10). East on County 10 then North on Oakgreen Ave (County 65). West on 40th Street (County 14) to Fairgrounds.

Reminder: No grass clippings in the street!

Did you know that grass clippings contain high amounts of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus? When it rains, clippings left in the street get washed into storm sewers that lead to ponds, lakes, rivers and streams. There, the nutrients promote algae growth which makes the water stinky, green, and sometimes toxic. Clippings can also clog storm drains, increasing the risk of street flooding.

Additionally, disposing of yard waste in on any street, alley, drive, park, playground, or other public place or on any occupied or vacant privately owned lot is a violation of City code.

Here's a simple trick to solve the problem. Turn your mower so the clippings blow into the lawn instead of the street when you're mowing close to the road! The clippings will break-down naturally and provide free fertilizer for your lawn, saving you time and money. You can also bag and compost your clippings to fertilize your gardens in the future.  

Cleaner streets = cleaner water. Do your part to keep the green on our lawns and out of our water!

Work to Begin Along 36th Street and Layton Avenue Starting Monday 7/23

The contractor has confirmed work will begin along 36th Street and Layton Avenue
 starting Monday July 23rd. Planned activities for the week include:
  • Tree Removal
  • Pavement Removal
  • Sanitary Sewer Installation (starting mid-week)
  • Temporary Watermain layout
  • General mobilization of equipment, materials
  • Erosion control
Lake Elmo Jaycees Lumberjack Days Pancake Breakfast: Sunday 7/22

The Lake Elmo Jaycees are hosting a Pancake Breakfast at the Stillwater Lumber Jack Days! We will be located at the Water Street Inn Guest Parking area.

We will have Pancakes, Sausages, Milk and Juice. $7 per plate.

This a great event to come and learn what the Lake Elmo Jaycees are all about! 

We can't wait to see you there! Come HUNGRY!


When: This Sunday (7/22) 7:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Where: Water Street Inn parking area - 101 Water St S, Stillwater

Pebble Park Tennis Camp Still Accepting Registrations

The City of Lake Elmo has partnered with tennis
instructor, Alex Krol, to host youth tennis camps at
Pebble Park throughout the summer.

Camps will be separated by age groups. If you
have additional questions or would like register, you can contact Alex directly at: 952-688-2945 or email him at:  [email protected] .

The Original Washington County Fair

Before moving to it's current location, the Washington County fair was a major event in Lake Elmo. It was located along both sides of the railroad tracks in the area behind where Inter-state Lumber, the Joshua Taylor Building, and the Lake Elmo Inn were located. Harold Arndt remembers going to the fair when he was quite small (in the early 1930s). His family would come in from where they lived in Grant Township. "Some of the storefronts on Main Street would empty out the front of their buildings to accommodate county fair activities. There was a Merry-Go-Round near the Lake Elmo Inn. It was small and nothing like today's big fairs, but it was fun." Harold's older sister Dorothy remembers going to the fair when she was in her early teens and riding on the merry-go-round.



Sources: Memories of Lake Elmo, collected and authored by Gloria VaDemmeltraadt.

(Pictured above is a Three-Row Jumper portable carousel manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in this 1915 photo. Portable carousels such as this were common features at carnivals that traveled the Midwest during summer months. Though the Joshua Taylor Building was not the oldest building in the Old Village area, the land on which it rests has a rich history. (Photo courtesy of the Pinterest photo collection, as seen in Google Images.)
Dog Barking Nuisances Reported

City staff has received several complaints of dogs barking recently. Per City code, barking dogs can be considered a nuisance.  The City has an ordinance in place that requires at least 2 adults not living in the residence where the dog is barking to file a complaint with law enforcement before action can be taken.  If you hear a dog barking for over a 30 minute period with a 5 minute or less lapse in noise, please call the Washington County Sheriff's non-emergency number at 651-439-9381.  Dogs-at-large are also considered a nuisance in the City of Lake Elmo, and should also be reported.

Please pay attention to your animals not only for their sake, but also your neighbors'!



Upcoming Events at the Sally Manzara Interpretive Nature Center

                                                                                  
Senior Mondays 
Guided Trail walk for seniors followed by coffee, refreshments and conversation.      
Mondays beginning June 18, 9:00 am - 11:00 am

Buckthorn Removal in Sunfish Lake Park 
June 30th 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Beginning Watercolor painting class with Artist Julie Schroeder
Thursday, July 19, 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM


Mini-Camp Adventures in July:
Visit  www.sminc-lake-elmo.org  or leave a voicemail at 651-408-2838 for more information.  Registration forms available at the Nature Center.  Register soon; space is limited!

Let's Get Muddy - July 16-19:
4 to 6-year-olds mornings

Survival - July 23-26:
7 to 8-year-olds mornings  

Lake Elmo Rotary's Kindness Campaign - July 2018

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." - 
Leo Buscaglia

Thanks to all that shared your June Kindness Campaign challenge stories. It turns out it was pretty easy to do something kind for ourselves and because it was the monthly challenge, we did it without even feeling guilty! Awesome! With a fresh perspective of how good "guilt free kindness" feels, we move to this month's challenge...
 
Spending the 4th of July with family and friends is an American tradition that most of us take for granted, yet not all enjoy. July 11th is National "Cheer Up the Lonely Day" created by Francis Pesek, from Detroit, Michigan. According to his daughter, L.J. Pesek, her father "was a quiet, kind, wonderful man who had a heart of gold." He got the idea as a way of promoting kindness toward others who were lonely or forgotten as shut-ins or in nursing homes with no relatives or friends to look in on them. Francis Pesek chose this day because it was her father's birthday.
 
Cheer Up the Lonely Day is an opportunity to make a lonely person happy. Any time you can make someone happy, you've done a good thing, and should be proud of yourself. Lonely people have few friends and loved ones. They may have lost loved ones over the years. They may be elderly. They see people on an infrequent basis.

This month's mission is to make a conscious effort to visit with someone in a nursing home.



Spend some time today cheering up lonely people. It's easy to do...just spend some time with them. When you visit, bring happy things to talk about. Keep the conversation upbeat, and lively. When you leave, give a big hug and let them know you enjoyed the stay. Sending cards or making a phone call is okay, only if they live too far away to visit. What a lonely person really needs, is face to face time with other people.

You can share your kindness experiences with us at wwwlakeelmorotary.org and always remember...

Kindness feels good!
Permanent Water Use Restriction

To encourage water conservation, the following water use restrictions have been in place in the City of Lake Elmo since 2010.

(1). Odd/Event Sprinkling Restriction: Property owners having even numberd postal addresses may water, sprinkle, or irrigate their lawns, only on even numbered days, and property owners having odd numbered postal addressses may water, sprinkle, or irrigate their lawns only on odd numbered days.

(2). Time of Day Sprinkling Restriction:  Property owners are prohibited from watering, sprinkling, or irrigating their lawns between the hours of 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM daily.

New Assessor in Lake Elmo

At their June 5th meeting, the County Board approved an agreement with Lake Elmo to provide property assessing for the City.  Washington County provides local assessment services for more than 80 percent of the parcels in the county.

Greg Strauss (pictured to the right), will provide assessing services for Lake Elmo.  He is a Certified Minnesota Appraiser with Washington County and works out of the Government Center in Stillwater.  Originally from Southern California, Greg has been involved in Real Estate for over 25 years.  He lives in Washington County with his wife Tammy, and enjoys camping, ATVs, boating, and riding horses in his spare time.  Greg can be contacted at: 651-275-7530 or [email protected].
Huff n' Puff Pancake Breakfast Aug. 12

The Lake Elmo Jaycees will be hosting a pancake breakfast at Fire Station 1 from 8:00 AM to Noon on the Sunday of Huff n' Puff Days 8/12.  The proceeds of the breakfast will be given to the Lake Elmo Fire Department Relief Fund.
Campfire program continues with "Eastern Screech Owl" July 28


The Warner Nature Center will present "Eastern Screech Owl" at 7:15 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at Lake Elmo Park Reserve.

Lake Elmo Park Reserve is at the intersection of County Road 19 and County Road 10 (one mile north of Interstate 94) in Lake Elmo. The program will be in the campground amphitheater. Call 651-430-8370 or see www.co.washington.mn.us/parks for additional information on this and other programs.

Follow Washington County Parks on social media at @WashCountyParks.
Outdoor yoga continues at Lake Elmo Park Reserve through Aug. 16

Tune into the sights and sounds of nature and release stress through guided yoga sequences designed to improve balance, flexibility, breath awareness, and muscle tone 6-7 p.m. Thursdays, through Aug. 16, at the North Picnic Pavilion at the Lake Elmo Park Reserve.

The program is open to all levels. Dress for outdoor yoga, bring a mat, and arrive 5 to 10 minutes early. Check the county website or the park office for information.

Registration is required for Outdoor Yoga; each class is $7 per person. Vehicle permits are also required, which are $7 daily or $30 annually, which is not included in the individual class or season pass price. Call the Lake Elmo Park Reserve Contact Station for information at 651-430-8370 or see the Washington County website at www.co.washington.mn.us and search "outdoor yoga" to register online.

Lake Elmo Park Reserve is at the intersection of County Road 19 and County Road 10 (one mile north of Interstate 94) in Lake Elmo.

Follow Washington County Parks on social media at @WashCountyParks.

Enjoy guided fitness hike July 26 at Lake Elmo park

Explore the Washington County Parks trail system with guided fitness hikes, with the next hike at 9 to 10 a.m. Thursday, July 26, at Lake Elmo Park Reserve.

The one-hour hikes involve a warm-up and fitness challenges along the way. Trails are a mix of turf, gravel, grass, snow, and pavement depending on trail conditions, time of year, and location. Plan to arrive 10 minutes early. If light rain, hike will go on as scheduled. The program is for those ages 13 and older. All minors must be accompanied by an adult.

All guided fitness hikes are at the Lake Elmo Park Reserve Thursdays from 9 to 10 a.m. and will meet at the Nordic Center. The continuing 2018 schedule is:
  • Aug. 9
  • Aug. 23
  • Sept. 6
  • Sept. 20
  • Oct. 4
  • Nov. 1
  • Dec. 6
These programs are free with a parks vehicle permit ($7/day or $30/annual) with the exception of Free Tuesdays. Follow Washington County Parks on social media at @WashCountyParks.