News from the City of Lake Elmo
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        April 12,  2019
Meetings next week:   

Tuesday, April 16th: Special City Council Meeting 5:30PM
Tuesday, April 16th: City Council Meeting 7:00PM

 Note: The regularly scheduled Parks Commission meeting for 4/15 has been canceled

Links to the 2019 City Meetings, Agendas and Meeting Minutes: 

City Meetings
 
                                                                               

4/16 - Special City Council Meeting Agenda
 
4/16 - City Council Meeting Agenda
Lake Elmo Jaycees Annual Kids Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday
 
The Lake Elmo Jaycees are hosting the Annual Easter Egg Hunt Event on Saturday, April 13th, 2019. This is a FREE event open to the community, everyone welcome!

The egg hunt will take place near Lions Park. The event will take place RAIN, SNOW or SHINE.

To ensure that everyone feels they can participate, this is a Teal Easter Egg Hunt - hundreds of Eggs are filled with trinkets and treasures - NO CANDY.

So, grab your favorite egg basket and join us for some fun!


Help Lake Elmo Name Parks and Trails
 
At their April 2nd meeting, City Council approved a new park naming policy to give names to new parks, trails, and facilities and existing parks, trails, and other facilities that are unnamed.  There is also potential to rename existing parks and facilities to create more cohesiveness throughout the City.  The full policy that was approved can be viewed here.

The City is currently looking for name suggestions for the newly approved park that will be located between the Wildflower and Village Preserve developments.  Park names deemed derogatory or offensive in nature will not be considered.  Park names shall not be duplicated or named after a specific development.

For more information and an application to submit a park name, email City Planner, Ben Prchal at [email protected] 



Adopt-a-Drain Program is Now Live!
 
Are you looking for a way to help protect our water, and keep it clean?  Clean Water MN has launched their Adopt-a-Drain Program.  Much like the adopt-a-highway program, residents can sign up to keep a nearby storm drain clear of debris and contaminants.  

To learn more about the program, and to select a drain, visit:  http://www.cleanwatermn.org/announcing-adopt-a-drain/.


CSAH 14/15 Realignment Project
 
The County Highway 14 & 15 realignment project will resume as soon as weather permits. County 14/Stillwater Boulevard on the western project limits will shift traffic to the south side of the roadway and close 39th Street North as the intersection and mainline construction in this area is completed. Stillwater Way North (reconstructing the Old Highway 5 alignment) will be closed with access for residents from one direction. The final stages will be completed during the spring and summer months. 

For more information visit the project website at www.co.washington.mn.us/2300/Phase-2 or contact the Washington County Project Manager, Nathan Arnold at 651.430.4384 or  [email protected] 




Washington County Installing Cameras Along Ideal Ave.
 
Washington County Public Works will be installing video cameras along Ideal Avenue in Lake Elmo.  These cameras will be used to collect intersection traffic counts for an upcoming project.  No personal/individual vehicle information will be collected from the videos.  The map below details the stretch of Ideal Ave. where cameras will be installed.

If you have questions or concerns regarding the cameras or data collection, please contact Erik Seiberlich at WSB Engineering at [email protected] or 763-270-3477.




2019 Board of Appeals & Equalization and Open Book Meetings
 
Lake Elmo's 2019 Board of Appeals & Equalization meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 24 from 5-7pm at City Hall.  Residents are encouraged to contact the County Assessor prior to the meeting with any questions.  The staff assessor assigned to Lake Elmo is Greg Strauss, and he can be contacted at: 651-275-7530 or [email protected].

If you are unable to attend the Lake Elmo meeting, you can attend one of the Open-book meetings for Washington County.  They are scheduled as follows:

Woodbury - Thursday, April 19 from 5-7pm - Woodbury City Hall 8301 Valley Creek Rd.
Stillwater - Wednesday, April 24 from 5-7pm - Washington Cty Govt Center 14949 62nd St. N

For additional information, see the Public Notice below.




2019 Citywide National Night Out Event
 
Please join us on Tuesday, August 6 from 6:00PM - 8:00PM for the second annual Citywide National Night Out.  Like last year, Laverne Avenue will be closed near Lions Park to hold the event.  There will be live music, vehicles on display from Lake Elmo Public Works and the Washington County Sheriffs Department, free activities, and plenty of giveaways.

If you are a local business representative and would like to participate in the event, please see the letter and accompanying form below.


Lake Elmo NNO Business Participation Form




2019 Washington County Master Gardeners Events
 
The event listings for the 2019 Washington County Master Gardeners have been released.  Lake Elmo will play host to the Learn and Grow With Us Garden Tour on July 20th from 9:00AM - 4:00PM.  

Advanced tickets are $15.00.  Day of Tour tickets will be avialable at select locations for $20.  For more information and to purchase tickets, visit:  http://www.mastergardenersinwashingtonco.org/ 











Enjoy guided fitness hikes in Washington County Parks, next one April 19
 
Explore the Washington County Parks trail system with guided fitness hikes, with the next hike at 10 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, April 19, at Lake Elmo Park Reserve.

Meet at the Nordic Center.

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 or snow, hike will go on as scheduled. The program is for those ages 13 and older. All minors must be accompanied by an adult.
Additional hikes will be:
  • 10 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 24, at Lake Elmo Park Reserve; and
  • 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 1, at Pine Point Regional Park as part of Explore Your Parks Day when no vehicle permit is required.
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.



Junk Disposal and Fix-it Clinic
 
With the City no longer able to provide a drop-off/clean-up day, residents are encouraged to explore other options throughout Washington County to get rid of their unwanted items.  Washington County is also providing a fix-it clinic on Saturday, April 20 from 10:30AM to 1:30PM at the R.H. Stafford Library.  For more information, see the flyer below.

The Washington County Environmental Center will accept items including hazardous materials, household electronics, home improvement and construction items, and others.  For more information on the Washington County Environmental Center, including hours of operation and items that are accepted, visit:  https://www.co.washington.mn.us/604/Environmental-Center 

Additional information on recycling and waste disposal in Washington County can be found at:  https://www.co.washington.mn.us/626/Recycling-and-Waste-Disposal 





















Volunteers Needed!

Finance Committee:
To aid the City Council in the administration of financial operations of the City of Lake Elmo through the review of financial policies, the quarterly review of financial statements, the annual review of the audit report and the review of the annual operating budgets.









Human Resources Committee:
The Human Resources Committees purpose is to aid the City Council in the administration of personnel policies and staffing through productivity audits, human resource policies, & procedures, wages & rate administration, benefit review and disciplinary procedures.










Maintenance Advisory Committee (MAC): 
The Maintenance Advisory Committee evaluates and recommends maintenance equipment purchases for the City.












The City of Lake Elmo is accepting applications from residents interested in serving on these committees.  

Information on each committee and an application form can be found under the "Government" tab on the City's website:  www.lakeelmo.org.


Wash. Co. spring weight restrictions for county roads go into effect March 15

Spring weight restrictions will go into effect on Washington County Roads at 12:01 a.m. March 15. Restrictions will be in effect for eight weeks, unless extraordinary conditions require extending them.

All county roads will be posted. Any county road without a posted weight limit is 10 ton per axel.

During spring weight restrictions, Washington County does not issue permits for overweight transport, except in cases of a serious public health emergency. This message does not include city or township roads.

Washington County road users may call 651-430-8355 for a recording with the latest spring weight restriction information.
For additional information, call Washington County Public Works at 651-430-4300.



Lion's Park Signs

The City is taking orders for new signs at Lion's Park for the 2019 season.  If you'd like to purchase a sign to advertise on the Lion's Park ballpark fence, or renew your current sign, the deadline to do so is April 30, 2019.

The cost of the signs are $500 per year for a 4'x8' sign, and $900 per year for a 4'x16' sign.  To begin work on designing your sign, email Kathy Weeks at [email protected].  For all other questions contact City Administrator, Kristina Handt at [email protected] or 651-747-3905.