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 From Your Mayor
We've reached the end of another year, and time seems to have flown by. But I wanted to slow down and congratulate our City Council and City staff on some major accomplishments we've achieved in 2018.
The outdoor storage ordinance was adopted and if you look around you will see that the clean-up has begun, some properties have been cleaned up and others are in the process of being cleaned up. It's nice to see the fresh new look.
The playgrounds have undergone well needed upgrades. It's been about a two year project but Council Members Hughes and Pavot worked countless hours to make it happen and it really enhances the city.
We also changed the format for work sessions and Council meetings to be streamlined and time efficient. It's been a great change and is working well. If you have any comments on the new format, we'd love to hear them, just contact the city staff, myself, or the other Council Members.
I also wanted to thank you for electing me as your Mayor for the next two years. Ironically, I had my knee replaced the day before the election so I was in the hospital when I received the great news so it was difficult to express my appreciation at the time, but I'm thrilled. Thank you again.
Here's wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!
Yours truly,
Jerome P. "Jerry" Rockvam
Your Mayor
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From the City Desk~
Attention All Green-Thumb Gardeners! 
Beginning Monday, March 4 Spring Park residen
ts can submit applications to join the Spring Park Community Garden at Wilkes Park. We currently estimate that there will be approximately two to three available plots for new gardeners this upcoming season. A plot cos
ts $25 for
the
season and are assigned on
a first come, first served basis.
In order to receive resident-priority in the Spring Park Community Garden you must maintain a residence in the City of Spring P
ark and be the main caretaker of your assigned garden plot. Non-residents are able to apply for any remaining available plots on Monday, April 1
and will also be assigned on a first come, first served basis.
If you have additional questions about the Spring Park Community Garden or would like an application, please call City Clerk Theresa Schyma at (952) 471-9051 or email tschyma@ci.spring-park.mn.us.
Snow Removal & Cold Weather Maintenance
Ahhhh...Minne-snow-ta! The land of 10,000 lakes, hotdish, and plenty of inconvenient frozen water falling from the sky a.k.a. SNOW! Ensuring City streets are plowed, safe, and passable for emergency vehicles and residents is the City's first priority followed by clearing the sidewalks.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why can't the plow truck go by...Before/after I leave for work in the morning? Before/after I return home from work in the evening? Before my driveway has been shoveled? Plowing begins after one inch of snow accumulation and the contract crews work diligently to clear all streets as efficiently as possible until the job is done. Depending on weather conditions, multiple passes may be necessary. If you believe your street was missed, contact City Hall.
- The plow trucks are so loud, why do the plow trucks need to clear snow when I'm sleeping? Weather can be quite unpredictable and definitely does not follow a schedule; therefore, plowing at different times of the day is an unfortunate reality of living in Minnesota. The sound of the blades can be loud as well as the audible reverse signals (loud beeping) which are designed for safety to alert anyone in the area of a plow truck and cannot be disabled. To help minimize outside noise disturbances in your home, increase the "white noise" in your home during sleeping hours to drown-out the sound of any plow trucks.
- Why did the plow leave so much snow and even a snow boulder at the end of my driveway? Why can't the driver put more snow on the other side of the street? The goal of plowing is to remove snow efficiently from the street by pushing snow to the side of the street. Drivers cannot constantly lift/turn their blades at the end of every driveway since this would leave large piles of snow in the streets. When possible drivers try to evenly distribute snow but they truly have little control over how much snow is deposited at the end of every driveway. To minimize the problem, pile snow that has been shoveled on the downstream side of the driveway and clear an area upstream from the driveway to create an open "pocket". Much of the snow pushed by the plow truck will empty into this pocket and less will wind up in the driveway entrance. This pocket needs to be maintained to be effective throughout the winter.
- The snowplow damaged my mailbox and/or yard, who will fix it? Mailboxes and yards can sometimes be impacted by snow removal operations. Please contact City Hall so that staff can conduct a site visit to view the damaged area.
- Can I be put on a list for elderly people for the City to come clear the end of my driveway? While we understand that it can be quite physically demanding to shovel large amounts of snow, the City is unable to clear private driveways. However, Senior Community Services offers a program called HOME (Household & Outside Maintenance for Elderly) that is able to assist seniors with certain chores so they can continue to live independently in their own homes. Please call (952)746-4046 for more information.
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 News From Around the Lake~
Ice Safety Tips From the Mound Fire Department
You can't judge the strength of ice just by its appearance, age, thickness, temperature, or snow-cover. Strength is based on all these factors -- plus the depth of water under the ice, size of the water body, water chemistry and currents, the distribution of the load on the ice, and local climatic conditions.
Did you know?
- New ice is usually stronger than old ice.
Four inches of clear, newly-formed ice may support one person on foot, while a foot or more of old, partially-thawed ice may not.
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Ice seldom freezes uniformly.
It may be a foot thick in one location and only an inch or two just a few feet away.
- Ice formed over flowing water and currents is often dangerous.
This is especially true near streams, bridges and culverts.
- The insulating effect of snow slows down the freezing process.
The extra weight also reduces how much weight the ice sheet can support. Also, ice near shore can be weaker than ice that is farther out.
- Booming and cracking ice isn't necessarily dangerous.
It only means that the ice is expanding and contracting as the temperature changes.
- Schools of fish or flocks of waterfowl can also adversely affect the relative safety of ice.
The movement of fish can bring warm water up from the bottom of the lake. In the past, this has opened holes in the ice causing snowmobiles and cars to break through.
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City of Spring Park, Minnesota
4349 Warren Ave
Spring Park, MN 55384
www.ci.spring-park.mn.us |
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Council Meetings:
7 p.m.
Feb 19 (Tues); Mar 4, 18; Apr 1, 15
Council Work Sessions:
6 p.m.
Feb 19 (Tues-TBD); Mar 18; Apr 15
Planning Commission
:
6 p.m.
Feb 13; Mar 13; Apr 10
No Sort Recycling:
Fridays
:
Feb 8, 22; Mar 8, 22; Apr 5, 19
Office Closed:
Feb 18
New Community Garden Applications:
Residents - Monday, Mar 4
Daylight Savings:
Sunday, Mar 10
Open Book Meeting:
6 p.m.
Thursday, Apr 18
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COUNCIL
Mayor: Jerry Rockvam
Council Members:
Pamela Horton
Gary Hughes
Catherine Kane Palen
Megan Pavot
PLANNING COMMISSIONERS
Chair: Jeff Hoffman
Max Avalos
Bruce Homan
Pete Kaczanowski
Michael Mason
Mound Fire Department
2415 Wilshire Blvd
Mound, MN 55364-1001
Phone: (952) 472-3555
Orono Police Department
2730 Kelley Parkway
Orono, MN 55356
Main Phone: (952) 249-2700
Non-emergency:
(952) 258-5321
Emergency:
911 |
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