News from the City of Lake Elmo
                                                                                                                                                                   August 28, 2020
Public Meetings Next Week:

City Council Meeting Tuesday, September 7:00PM


Links to the 2020 City Meetings, Agendas and Meeting Minutes: 

City Meetings
 

*The City Council returned to in-person meetings June 1st, but we still encourage residents to submit their Public Comments ahead of time via phone or email. Accommodations have been made in the Council Chambers to promote social distancing and there will be limited space for people to attend.
                                                                               

Tuesday, August 25 City Council Workshop Summary    
 
At the City Council workshop on Tuesday, August 25th the City Council received information on the 2021 Budget from City Administrator Kristina Handt. The Finance Committee had recommended a proposed general fund levy of $3,769,624. Administrator Handt informed the Council that after the Finance Committee's recommendation, she discovered the City certified the incorrect levy for 2019 and 2020, which left tax revenues short. The City Council discussed possible budget cuts in 2021 and other funding sources to compensate for the lost revenue. Council directed cuts in the streets, parks and vehicle replacement funds in order to keep the tax rate the same next year. The next discussion of the budget will occur at the Council meeting on September 15th when the preliminary levy will be certified.

On the agenda at the August 25th City Council Special Meeting the City Council:
-Approved the hiring of Dustin Kalis as Fire Chief
-Approved the hiring of April Botzek as Finance Director
Tuesday, September 1 City Council Meeting Agenda


Meeting Materials Can Be Accessed Here



Drinking Water Update

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency held two informational meetings in Lake Elmo to update residents and share drinking water supply options. A draft Conceptual Drinking Water Supply Plan is expected in late Spring. The plan will cover public water systems and private wells, and lay out long-term projects addressing quality, quantity, and sustainability of drinking water contaminated by PFAS. The plan will evaluate options such as alternative drinking water sources, treating existing wells, and/or connecting homes with private wells to municipal systems. There will be a second series of meetings later in the Spring to share information on the long-term plan for use of the 3M settlement funds. The latest information on the 3M settlement, details on future meetings, and a sign-up form for email updates can be found at 3msettlement.state.mn.us/. 

To find out if your private well is eligible for testing go to www.health.state.mn.us/pfas and follow the link to the MPCA's interactive map to see if you are in the sampling area. If so, complete the MDH Well Sampling Request Form.

For questions and health concerns, contact the Site Assessment and Consultation Unit at he MDH at 651-747-4897 or health.hazard@state.mn.us
Place Your Own Text Here.
45th Parallel Marker Complete
With the installation of the 45th Parallel informational sign, the 45th Parallel marker at Lions Park is now complete. The 45th Parallel is a geographic marker that runs through Lake Elmo, and lines up with the first base line at the Lions Park ball field.
Well No. 5 and Pumphouse Project Update
The City began drilling a new high capacity well in June. Well No. 5 will be located in Tana Ridge Park and will be the third high capacity well supplying water to the City's municipal water system. Traut Companies has been retained to drill the production well. This work will begin in June 2020 and be ongoing for two months. A test pumping period will occur towards the end of the drilling work which will direct groundwater into Goetchel Pond.
 
Once the well is complete the City will begin construction of the pumphouse. This work will begin sometime in September, 2020 and will take until the summer of 2021 to complete. The pumphouse is a building to house the production well, pump, mechanical and electrical devices, and chemical feed equipment needed to operate a well.
 
The schedule is to have the production well online and producing water for the City by summer of 2021. The City received about $2 million from the State of Minnesota 3M Settlement Grant Funds for the new well and the sealing of Well No. 1 in the Old Village area.

Project updates will be published in the FRESH, online and in the City newsletter. Up-to-date information can be found on the website, here.


More information and materials about the Adopt-A-Park program are available here.

Due to localized flooding occurring throughout the county, Washington County Department of Public Health and Environment has temporarily waived the fees associated with coliform bacteria testing for: private wells that have recently flooded, or are impacted by recent flooding. If a resident would like to test an impacted well, or has questions about a threatened well, they should call 651-430-6655 to request a testing kit. Currently, due to COVID-19, the county is accepting Water Test samples at the Government Center (in Stillwater) by appointment only.
 

- To make an appointment, please call 651-430-6655

-b.Appointments are scheduled every Tuesday between 8:15 - 10:30 am.

 

Lake Elmo Will Receive An Additional Sheriff's Deputy By October 1.

At the Tuesday, August 18 Washington County Board of Commissioners meeting the Board approved                                                         hiring an additional deputy to patrol Lake Elmo. That night, at the Lake Elmo City Council meeting the Council approved a contract amendment to fund the additional deputy. The deputy will be added and patrolling Lake Elmo by October 1.
Financial relief available for Washington County homeowners
Homeowners in Washington County who have experienced a reduction in income because of the COVID-19 pandemic may apply for one-time grants of up to $10,000 to help make housing payments. 
Assistance payment will be made directly to the entity owed, and the delinquency or financial hardship must be due to a COVID-19-related financial impact on the household and must be documented. Assistance may be used for payments of a home mortgage/loan, homeowners' association dues, manufactured home community lot rent, and land payments for community land trust properties on the household's primary residence within Washington County. Other terms apply, and homeowners will be required to provide documentation of need.
The program will be managed by the Community Development Agency, which will be accepting applications after Aug. 1 at washingtoncountycda.org, Washington County Community Development Agency, 7645 Currell Blvd., Woodbury; email Homeownership@washingtoncountycda.org, or telephone 651-202-2822.


Washington County ready with small-business financial relief
Washington County is opening applications for financial assistance for businesses in the county that have been negatively impacted through additional expenses or lost revenue due to closures during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Washington County Small Business Relief Fund, provided by the federal CARES Act, will provide grants of up to $15,000 to small businesses in need of support. Applications will be accepted between Aug. 10 and Aug. 24; applicants will be notified if they are eligible for a grant on or before Aug. 31.

Business recipients:
  • must be a locally owned and operated for-profit business in the county. Multiple individual businesses in the county that are owned by one owner are eligible to apply;
  • to receive up to the maximum $15,000 funding limit, businesses must have at least one full-time equivalent employee, in addition to the owner as of March 1, and not more than 50, and generate less than $3.5 million in annual revenues;
  • have been operating for at least six months before March 1, 2020; and
  • demonstrate a significant loss in revenue since March 15.
Home-based businesses and self-employed entrepreneurs are eligible for grants of up to $7,500; however, priority will be given to employer businesses with separate non-residential property addresses.
All businesses must complete, sign and certify the grant application. The business must provide all required information verifying their eligibility. All businesses must provide and document evidence of COVID-19 eligible expenses incurred.
Applications will be managed by Tyler Hilsabeck, Open to Business - Business Advisor, at the Washington County Community Development Agency, 7645 Currell Blvd., Woodbury; work telephone is 612-789-8838, cell is 312-402-6954, and email is wccoviderelief@mccdmn.org. More information is at www.washingtoncountycda.org

The 2019 Consumer Confidence Report Is Available Now

The 2019 Lake Elmo Consumer Confidence Report is now available. The full report along with past years reports can be found here. Hard copies of the report are available by request at City Hall, 3880 Laverne Ave N. Ste 100, Lake Elmo, MN 55042.

There has been a shortage of toilet paper in stores, this may cause people to use alternative products such as tissues, paper towls, baby wipes, flushable wipes, and simlar items. Only toilet paper breaks down, other products can cause backups in the sanitary sewer, which can further public health concerns. Please help prevent sewer backups and only flush toilet paper.


2020 Mill And Overlay Project


The 2020 Mill and Overlay Project commenced on August 10th. More information is available on the City Website

 
Water Conservation Rebate Program

The City of Lake Elmo, in partnership with the Metropolitan Council, is offering a rebate program for purchases of eligible WaterSense Toilets and Smart Irrigiation Controllers. Qualifying purchases of a WaterSense Toilet are eligible for a $100 rebate on your water bill, purchases of a Smart Controller device are eligible for a rebate of up to 90% of the cost of the device (up to $200). To qualify you must be on City water services.

Program details and documents are available


 

 
 The Friends of Lake Elmo's Sunfish Lake Park have received a Grant called "Restoration of Sunfish Lake Park" from the Outdoor Heritage Fund.

The State of Minnesota Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program is administered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.   The focus of this effort is to 
remove buckthorn and restore the native habitat. It covers a designated 40 acres of the woodland area of the park - 
shown in BLUE in the current sketch below - and runs through September 2023 .  The State will reimburse up to $139,000  in costs, the City of Lake Elmo has voted a $10,000 contribution, and the Friends will contribute at least 300 volunteer hours valued at $20/hour for a total program cost of $154,000. We have begun working on the administrative side. We are requesting bids from suitable Contractors for the heavy work.  Volunteer opportunities are described below, and you are certainly invited to participate. If you visit this part of Sunfish Lake Park, you will be seeing activity .