News from the City of Lake Elmo
March 30,  2018
Meetings next week:

Tuesday, April 3rd: Special City Council Meeting 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 3rd: City Council Meeting 7:00 p.m.

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

                                                                               

4-3-18 Special City Council Meeting Agenda
 
4-3-18 City Council Meeting Agenda
Well #1 Update
 
On Wednesday Public Works crews flushed approximately 100 hydrants in the Old Village area.  Well #1 was drained and taken offline.  The pressure was increased on Well #2 and Well #4 to compensate for the loss of Well #1.  If you are still experiencing issues with your water, please contact Public Works at: 651-747-3940.  For more information, see the documents below.


Public Informational Meetings on 3M Settlement Rescheduled

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Department of Natural Resources invite all interested members of the public to two upcoming public informational meetings. At these meetings, MPCA and DNR staff will give an overview of the recent settlement with 3M, and explain the process by which potential water quality and natural resource projects will be prioritized and selected for funding.

The rescheduled Lake Elmo meeting will be held:
April 12
6:00-8:00 p.m.
Oak-Land Middle School
820 Manning Ave N., Lake Elmo

The public meetings will start with a half-hour open-house, followed by a short presentation by state agencies at 6:30, ending with Q&A and more open house time. Staff from the MPCA, DNR, Minnesota Department of Health, and local governments will be on hand to discuss and answer questions. All members of the public are invited to attend.


Questions? Contact MPCA Assistant Commissioner Kirk Koudelka at: kirk.koudelka@state.mn.us

Residents looking to stay updated on the state's recent settlement with 3M can also visit the MPCA website below. MPCA also offers the option to sign up for email updates.

   


 
 
A Lake Elmo Ice Climb

On a beautiful late winter afternoon, a local resident took a few hours to ice fish out on Lake Elmo. Driving his large vehicle onto the ice, he set up for a lovely afternoon of fishing. When the sun drifted toward the horizon, it was time to call it a day.

Approaching his vehicle, he noticed that the wheels were standing in open water. When he started his vehicle up, spinning tires encouraged the vehicle settle deeper into the water. Nervous, he cautiously moved forward, noticing the car sagging in the back when he put his foot to the gas. The harder he pressed the gas, the steeper the upward angle of the hood. Slowly, he made his way to shore; all of his progress seemed to be taking him uphill. 

Once ashore, before departing, he looked back over the pair of wet tracks wobbling back across the lake. Needless to say, that was his last glorious day of fishing for the winter.



Source: A Marty Quast barber shop tale.

(Soft ice. Photo courtesy of Tony Webster, Google Images.)

Sick of Potholes?


Public Works can't fix potholes if they don't know they exist!  Please call Public Works at: 651-747-3940 to report any potholes on City roads.

Register for CodeRED Notifications


Register with Washington County's CodeRED system to receive notifications like the one that went out on Tuesday. For more information, and a registration link, visit: 


2018 Compost Bin and Rain Barrel Sale
Washington County is excited to partner with the Recycling Association of Minnesota to sell compost bins and rain barrels at low cost. Washington County residents will get an extra $20 off each item!
  • Home Composter Compost Bin   
    $64 full price | $44 after discount
    Available for pick-up beginning April 13, 2018

  • Rain Catcher Rain Barrel 
    $79 full price | $59 after discount (While supplies last!)
    Available for pick-up beginning May 3, 2018

To receive the discounted price, order online at RecycleMinnesota.org a nd enter promo code "Washington." Proof of residency is required at purchase. Limit two rain barrels and two compost bins per household.

Pre-ordered items will be available for pick-up at the Washington County Environmental Center  in Woodbury during normal business hours.
 
 
Compost bins will be available for pick up April 13th 2018
Rain Barrels will be available for pick up May 3rd 2018




Enjoy spring with guided fitness hike April 5 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, April 5, 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:
  •          May 3
  •          June 14
  •          June 28
  •          July 12
  •          July 26
  •          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.



Lake Elmo Rotary's Kindness Campaign

"Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together." 
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
 
Last month our challenge was to send an unexpected Valentine's Day card or pay for someone's purchase in the drive through line. This challenge came full circle for me when I received this surprise letter and gift last month...
 
"I read the article in the Stillwater Gazette about your focus on spreading kindness and it told me where my last candy cane was meant to go. Let me explain...

You see, about 8 years ago, after the financial crash and a traumatic divorce, I found myself at 58 years old starting over without a clue of what I wanted to do with my life. To make a long story short, I knew if I focused on others, everything would work out. The holidays were approaching and I knew I wanted to find a way to spread "joy and kindness" to as many people as possible. I was short on time and financially strapped but knew there had to be a way I could accomplish my goal. Hence the idea of the candy cane. Using my granddaughter's "Elf on a Shelf Darla" as a theme, I created labels and put them on 240 mini candy canes. Woohoo!!! A yearly tradition of spreading kindness, person to person, one smile at a time, had begun.

Starting the day after Thanksgiving I made sure my left coat pocket was always full of candy canes when I left the house. I handed them out to people I encountered from the bank tellers to the cashier at the gas station to the person behind the deli counter. The possibilities were endless. For $11.96 and some mindfulness as I went about my day, I made 240 people smile and have been doing it every year since.

My circumstance have greatly improved and I'm in a far better place now but each year I still set a goal of handing out 200 - 300 candy canes between Thanksgiving and Christmas. That's 200 - 300 smiles a year and I can't tell you how much fun it is and how it makes my heart sing.

Last week, while emptying pockets of a jacket I was going to wash, I found 1 last candy cane. I put in on a shelf in my pantry thinking hmmm...must be a message from my Guardian Angel that someone special was meant to receive this 1 last candy cane. After reading the article, I knew this candy cane was meant for you."        - Susan Kenney
 


With Spring in the air we are taking the March Kindness challenge to our own neighborhoods. Let's surprise a neighbor by shoveling their sidewalk or driveway. If shoveling isn't your thing, how about delivering fresh baked cookies to a neighbor? These are great opportunities to involve the entire family and show our children kindness in action.
 
We'd love to hear what you do this month! You'll find a link to email us your stories at www.lakeelmorotary.org  
 
Always remember...kindness is unifying!
Environmental Assessment/Public Hearing for Lake Elmo Airport

The Draft EA/EAW for the Lake Elmo Airport is published on the project website under the Documents and Links tab ( www.metroairports.org/General-Aviation/Lake-Elmo-Environmental-Assessment/Documents-and-Links.aspx). The April 4th Public Hearing is posted under the Community Involvement tab on the project website and under the Other MAC Meetings page of  metroairports.org. Notices will go out in area newspapers this week.


Written comments will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on April 19, 2018. Written comments can be submitted via email to  ContactLakeElmoAirportEA@mspmac.org, submitted in-person at the Public Hearing, or mailed to:

Lake Elmo Airport EA/EAW Comments 
c/o MAC Environment Department
6040 28th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55450.