News from the City of Lake Elmo
                                                                                                                                                                       May 8, 2020
Public Meetings Next Week:

Planning Commission Meeting Tuesday, May 11th 7:00PM*

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

City Meetings
 

*This meeting will be held telephonically via GoToMeeting
                                                                               

COVID-19 Update

With the recent outbreak of the Corona Virus/COVID-19 the City of Lake Elmo is taking precautions to mitigate exposure and illness. Lake Elmo City Offices, Public Works, and Fire Department are closed to the public until further notice. Starting April 7th public meetings will be telephonic. Information regarding accessing public meetings will be available on meeting agendas and on the City website www.lakeelmo.org.

City Staff will be working and will be available via phone and email. If you need to drop something off at City Hall there are drop boxes outside the building and administration departments.

City Contact information can be found here.

If you need to apply for a zoning or building permit we encourage you to visit our website for guidance on permitting as well as permit applications here.


For more information about the outbreak please refer to Washington County or Minnesota Department of Health
Tuesday May 11th Planning Commission Meeting


 
Meeting materials can be accessed here

To register in advance for the digital meeting click 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

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.


 
Washington County will delay, abate penalties on some late property tax payments
The Washington County Board of Commissioners agreed April 28 to allow certain property owners additional time to pay the first half of their 2020 property tax without penalty due to the COVID-19 pandemic emergency.
Many small businesses and homeowners have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the related Stay at Home Minnesota order and business closures. Due to that impact, the County Board agreed to an additional 60-day extension of the first half of property taxes without penalty for property taxpayers who own non-escrow properties paid on or prior to July 15 for the following classifications:
  • commercial/industrial properties with 2020 total tax due of $100,000 or less;
  • residential properties; and
  • agricultural/rural vacant land properties.
Residential properties includes both homesteaded properties and non-homesteaded properties.
Property tax payments made by lending companies, banks, or mortgage companies of funds collected via escrow payments from property owners would not be eligible for this extension and are expected to be made on or prior to the May 15, 2020, deadline. All property owners who are able to pay their first half property taxes by the due date are encouraged to do so to help support the county, school, and city response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 If property owners have questions about whether their property qualifies for the extension of payment to July 15, 2020, they should call 651-430-6175
 
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).
Program details and documents are available
here 


 
Sand And Bags Available From Lake Elmo Public Works

Sand and bags are available at Public Works (3445 Ideal Ave) for any Lake Elmo property owners who need these supplies for their flood preparations. The site will be accessible throughout the weekend, but folks will need to bag the sand and transport to their property on their own.
 

Quarterly water bills were mailed April 3rd, and were due May 1st.

For utility billing questions please call 651-747-3906 or email utilitybilling@lakeelmo.org


Instructions to Add Stormwater to your Online Utility Billing

To Add your Stormwater Account to your existing Online Utility Bill Pay:
Log into your account from the City Website
Click on "Manage Profiles" on the left side of the screen
Click "Add New Account" on the upper right side
Click on bubble to add account to your name
Click "Next"
Enter your Stormwater Account Number under the "Utility Account Number" (should begin with 05-)


Click "Search"
Check box for Account
Click "Next"

To Make a Payment on Multiple Accounts:
Click "Make a Payment" on the left side of the screen
Select Type under Payment Methods




Scroll down to see your accounts
Enter payment amount for each account you wish to pay
Click "Continue"





 

The City of Lake Elmo wants your input!
The City is using Polco, a community engagement tool, to gather feedback from residents. If you'd like to provide your feedback to the City on topics ranging from budgeting to parks amenities and everything in-between, visit www.polco.us/lakeelmo  and create an account!