City of New Hope

A publication of the city of New Hope, Minnesota e www.ci.new-hope.mn.us

Election 2012Number 185

City of New Hope, Minnesota e Election 2012

Some highlights of this issue include:City Services Survey Share your opinion of core services Election Primer • Double check your polling location • Registering to vote • Voter eligibility • What's on the ballot?Outstanding Business Award Woodbridge Management honoredSanitary Sewer Relining Project 4,350 feet of sewer will be relinedDevelopment Update Update on projects in New Hope

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A great place to grow!4401 Xylon Avenue North

New Hope, MN 55428

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Prsrt StdU.S. Postage

PAIDTwin Cities, MNPermit No. 2330

Current resident or

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Dyanne Sather won an award in the Large Garden category.

On September 10, the New Hope City Council adopted a prelimi-

nary 2013 city of New Hope budget and proposed tax levy. The City Council will finalize next year's budget and tax levy in December following a budget hearing on December 3.New Hope’s 2013 preliminary budget total is $10,768,638, which is an in-crease of $455,775 compared to the 2012 budget. The maximum proposed levy is $9,570,808, which is a 3.71 percent increase compared to the 2012 tax levy. All sources of state aid (including local government aid and market value home-stead credit) have been eliminated from the 2013 budget as a revenue source.The 2013 budget increase will result, in large part, from partial restoration of funding for the city’s central garage equipment replacement fund and in-creases in employee wages and benefits. New Hope has had a policy, for many years, to set aside money each year to fund vehicle and heavy equipment re-placement. Consequently, it has been

unnecessary for the city to bond for most equipment purchases. During the difficult budget years of 2010 through 2012, which were caused by the sudden loss of local government aid, the city temporarily discontinued payments to the equipment replacement fund. In 2013, 25 percent of that funding will be restored to ensure that there will be adequate funds available for future equipment purchases. The 2013 budget will also include additional funds to implement the employee compensation study completed in 2011 and settled and anticipated union contracts.The city has four tax increment fi-nancing (TIF) districts retiring at the end of 2012 and, consequently, the city’s tax capacity will increase about $342,000 in 2013. Although the tax levy is proposed to increase by 3.71 percent (or just over $390,000) in 2013, that increase should have no impact on individual property owners, because the increase will be spread over a larger number of properties.The City Council will continue a de-tailed review of the 2013 proposed budget until the final budget and prop-erty tax levy are adopted in December. The final budget and tax levy may be lower than the preliminary budget and proposed levy, but it may not be higher. Interested residents will have an opportunity to learn more about and comment on the 2013 city of New Hope budget at a public hearing at 7 p.m. on Monday, December 3. The budget is scheduled for final approval on December 10.To view the preliminary 2013 budget and a Powerpoint presentation from the city’s financial consultant, visit the city of New Hope’s website at www.ci.newhope.mn.us or call City Hall at 763-531-5100.

Council considers 2013 budget and tax levy

New Hope adopts social host ordinance

The New Hope City Council re-cently approved a social host or-

dinance which makes it unlawful to provide an environment where under-age drinking takes place, regardless of who provides the alcohol. Current laws already provide for penal-ties for those who provide alcoholic bev-erages to anyone under 21, but they fail to address individuals who allow a party to take place in a home where they know minors will consume alcohol.The social host ordinance does not apply to adults who are away from their residence, and therefore unaware of illegal alcohol consumption on their property. The ordinance also does not apply to parents who allow their own underage child to consume alcohol in their residence. New Hope’s new social host ordinance was based upon a model ordinance obtained from the state as well as the city of Crystal’s ordinance. All of the surrounding communities in the Rob-binsdale School District have adopted comparable ordinances. New Hope began the process of draft-ing a social host ordinance in August at the encouragement of the North Me-morial Partnership for Change and sev-eral seniors from Cooper High School.

Since 2006, the New Hope City Council

has recognized excel-lence in residential properties through the RAVE! Awards. The program gives the Council the opportu-nity to formally thank residential property owners who go to the time, effort and expense to make their property something special. It also highlights things that other residents can do to enhance and im-prove their property.This year, eight residen-tial properties were nominated for a RAVE! Award.

Council presents 2012 RAVE! Awards to recognize residential excellence

In mid-August a panel of five volunteer judges toured and evaluated each of the properties and recommended award

winners in five categories: large garden, small garden, landscaping, landscaping improvements and meticulous mainte-nance. They also suggested an honorable mention be awarded.On September 24, the City Council rec-ognized the following property owners during an award presentation:

Large Garden: Dyanne SatherThe Sather's home at 7601 Viewcrest is surrounded by flowers – lots and lots of flowers. Large beds with lots of petu-nias and countless hostas embrace the stairway to the front door. A massive bed featuring what one judge described as an "incredible variety" of perennials, including many wildflowers, stretches across the front of the lot and bends around to face the adjacent street on the picturesque corner lot. Flowers and plants have been carefully chosen to complement one another – ranging in height from less than a foot to more than six feet, and in an extensive palate of colors. A few of the standouts include beautiful pink and red hibiscus, iron-weed, and black-eyed Susans. Across the front of the house are still more hostas and miniature "Fairy Gar-dens" to enchant the grandchildren and neighbor kids.

A Thanksgiving food drive is cur-rently underway through No-

vember 15. A second food drive and a holiday toy drive are scheduled from November 16 through December 18.Unopened, nonperishable food items or checks will be accepted for the two food drives, sponsored by city employ-ees. Please make sure that canned items are not beyond their “Use By” date. Food drop-off sites are located in the upper level of New Hope City Hall, 4401 Xylon Ave. N, and the city's main-tenance facility, 5500 International Parkway. Drop-off site hours are Mon-day through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Donated food will be delivered to NEAR (North Suburban Emergency Response) for distribution to local families in need.New, unwrapped toys for children of all ages as well as donations by cash or check will be accepted for the holi-day toy drive sponsored by the New Hope Police Department. Items may be dropped off 24 hours a day in the Police Department lobby, 4401 Xylon Ave. N. (lower level). Donated toys will be de-livered to NEAR and Toys for Tots.

City sponsors holiday food and toy drives

City of New Hope, Minnesota e Election 2012

Kathi Hemken Mayor763-537-7990 khemken@ci.new-hope.mn.us

John Elder Council Member763-442-0999 jelder@ci.new-hope.mn.us

Andy HoffeCouncil Member763-537-2647ahoffe@ci.new-hope.mn.us

Eric LammleCouncil Member763-544-0912elammle@ci.new-hope.mn.us

Frequently Called City NumbersGeneral Telephone ........... 763-531-5100Inspections ...........................763-531-5127building permits, complaintsParks and Recreation ........763-531-5151Public Works .......................763-592-6777sewer backup, snowplowing, forestryUtility Billing ........................763-592-6760Police (non-emergency) ....763-531-5170TTY (through MN Relay) ...651-602-9005

Kirk McDonaldCity Manager763-531-5112kmcdonald@ci.new-hope.mn.us

City Hall Address 4401 Xylon Avenue NorthNew Hope, MN 55428City Websitewww.ci.new-hope.mn.usTell us what you think...24-Hour Opinion Line .... 763-531-5102E-mail .......cityhall@ci.new-hope.mn.us

Daniel StaunerCouncil Member763-536-1415dstauner@ci.new-hope.mn.us

A garden path of shade tolerant plants leads the way to the back yard, where still more gardens await. A varied collec-tion of yard art provides tasteful accents to the gardens throughout the property. Several judges applauded the extensive variety and sheer number of plants in Sather's gardens. One judge thought the property was evocative of an English country garden. Another re-marked, "Great eye candy!"

Landscaping: Bob and Glenda SpringThe Springs love to spend time outside in their yard at 5230 Quebec – and it shows! The front yard is very attractive. Two large flower beds, with a mixture of perennial and annual plants and flowers, hug either side of the driveway. And, shrubs and more flowers compli-ment the landscape across the front of the home. A narrow, flower-ladened path along the south side of the house leads to

a gate to the back yard, where a sign announces "Garden Tours 5¢." One judge gushed, "What a sur-prise in the back yard!"The Spring's shady back yard is filled with several distinctive garden areas. A pathway of pavers mean-ders through the gardens, and pavers clearly mark the edge of each garden. Within each garden, each plant is also clearly marked, with stainless steel plant stakes. A virtual forest of hostas and other shade-loving

perennials are joined by a few annuals. One judge noted, "there's a good use of color both with and with-out flowers. Another added, "Exceptional variety and well maintained." Several of the gardens have patio areas to sit and relax, a couple feature fountains, and bird houses and bird baths abound. "A wonderful respit," mused one judge. The gardens are further enhanced by an imaginative assortment of large land-scape elements – including arbors, trellises, a streetlight, even a bridge. And, the Springs have a remark-able collection of garden art, decorative pots and fairy gardens on display.

Landscaping Improvements: Donald and Sue WesterThe Westers have a unique home perched on a hilly, wooded lot at 6101 Virginia, near the west entrance to Dorothy Mary Park. Landscaping on the property is complicated by the fact that there is very little flat ground and, due to all the mature trees, very little sunlight.A walkway of pavers gently winds its

way up the hill on the east side of the property, flanked on both sides by shade-loving perennial greenery. In front of the deck on the east side of the home is a bed formed by large stones and landscape timbers and containing a few small trees, evergreen bushes and more green plants.

A second concrete stairway leads up from the street on the south side of the property. The first stop is a lovely round pocket patio surround by hostas and a variety of bushes and small evergreens. At the top of the path, and perhaps the most striking element of the Wester's landscaping is a redwood patio topped off by a spectacular cus-tom-designed stone fireplace.The Wester's landscaping was designed and installed by a local nursery. They maintain the gardens. The judges commented: "Exceptional details, exquisitely managed," and "beautiful landscaping everywhere." One succint-cly exclaimed, "Wow!"

Meticulous Maintenance: Luther Wilson, Jr.The Wilsons yard is neat – really, really neat. The grass is beautiful, lush, and weed-free. The yard has a handful of carefully planned spot gardens. "Very formal and refined," explained a judge. Each small garden is a different shape and includes a different assortment of plants. All of the beds, except for one, have distinctive, precisely maintained grass edging. The remaining bed is filled with lush grass surrounded by

brick edging. Small "islands" contain individual plants or stones topped by lawn art – a pig, a pair of ducks, and more. A flagstone path of stepping stones wanders between the gardens.Judges comments about Wilson's garden included: "Very neat," "nicely manicured" and "organized, nice, and clean looking."The Council also presented an Honor-able Mention to Myron Hesse, 4400 Aquila. The RAVE! Award winners each re-ceived an engraved garden stone or plaque and had their names and ad-dresses added to a plaque displayed at New Hope City Hall. Congratulations to this year's RAVE! Award residential property recognition winners!

Small Garden: Dewane PagelThe Pagel's, 3525 Decatur Court, have what one judge described as a "really tight back yard" with a steep hill just a few feet off the back deck. With some careful planning and a mixture of field stone and landscape block, Pagel has used a colorful variety of plants "to hold the hillside back." The result is a beauti-ful assortment of phlox, hostas, black-eyed Susans, ornamental grasses and much more. And a really delightful view from the Pagel's back deck. Judges comments included: "good use of sun and shade plants," "nice ground cover in the rocks and lots of shrub roses," "very nice, clean, and well taken care of." And, one judge summed it up by simply stating, "great use of hillside!"

City services survey

The New Hope City Council and staff want to know what resi-

dents think about city services. The Council encourages people who live or work in New Hope to participate in a brief online survey designed to measure their satisfaction with sev-eral core city services. The survey is part of a Performance Measure-ment Program being coordinated by the state of Minnesota. The survey is available on the Sur-vey Monkey website by following a link on the city of New Hope’s web-site, www.ci.new-hope.mn.us.The city services survey includes 15 multiple choice questions and only takes a few minutes to complete.Survey participants remain anony-mous. While it’s easiest to complete the survey online, paper copies of the survey are available at New Hope City Hall, 4401 Xylon Ave. N. for those who don’t have easy access to the Internet.

2012 RAVE! Awards (continued from page 1)

Dewane Pagel won an award in the Small Garden category.

The Springs won an award in the Landscaping category.

The Westers won an award for Landscaping Improvements.

Luther Wilson, Jr. won an award for Meticulous Maintenance.

Voter eligibility You are eligible to register and vote in Hennepin County if you are: At least 18 years old on the day of

the election A citizen of the United States A resident of Minnesota for at least

20 days before the electionYou are not eligible to vote if you have been: placed under guardianship “of the

person” in district court found by a court to be legally

incompetent convicted of a felony without having

your civil rights restored

You must be registered in order to vote. If you are not already registered, Min-nesota law permits voters to register and vote on Election Day with proper proof of residency.Accepted proofs of residency within a precinct are: A valid Minnesota driver’s license,

learner's permit, Minnesota identi-fication card, or a receipt for any of these that has a current name and address in the precinct.

A Notice of Late Registration form mailed by the city or county.

The oath of a pre-registered voter in the same precinct or a voter who reg-istered on election day with a valid form of identification. (A person who

Voting absenteeVoters may complete the absentee ballot process in person at either New Hope City Hall or the Hennepin County Elections office at 300 South 6th St. in Minneapolis until November 5, if they meet one of the eligibility requirements. For more information, visit www.ci.new-hope.mn.us/vote or call 763-531-5160.

City OfficesNew Hope Mayor – four year term Kathi Hemken (running unopposed)New Hope City Council – four year term (vote for up to two) Andy Hoffe Eric Lammle Malinda L. Longen David Perlman

Federal OfficesPresident and Vice PresidentUnited States SenatorUnited States Representative, District 5

State OfficesState Senator, District 45State Representative, District 45A(all New Hope Precincts except 1)State Representative, District 45B(New Hope Precinct 1 only)County OfficesCounty Commissioner, District 1Three Rivers Park Commissioner, District 1Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor, District 1Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor, District 3Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor, District 4Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor, District 5School DistrictRobbinsdale School District No. 281 School Board Member (five candidates, vote for up to three)

What’s on the ballot?

For more election information, call 763-531-5160 or visit www.

ci.new-hope.mn.us/vote. For election results, visit www.hennepin.us/ElectionsResults

City of New Hope 2012 Election Primer

Sample ballots for the general election are available on the city’s website.

Judicial Offices (contested seats in bold)Supreme Court: Chief Justice, Associ-ate Justice 1 and 4 Court of Appeals, Judges 6 and 74th District Court, Judges 22, 44, 2, 6, 15, 17, 29, 33, 35, 40, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 59.Sample ballots for each New Hope pre-cinct are available on the city’s website at www.ci.new-hope.mn.us/vote.

Constitutional AmendmentsRecognition of Marriage Solely Between One Man and One Woman"Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota?"

Photo Identification Required for Voting"Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to require all voters to pres-ent valid photo identification to vote and to require the state to provide free identification to eligible voters, effec-tive July 1, 2013."Minnesota law requires the approval of a majority of the voters casting a ballot in an election to ratify a constitutional amendment. Therefore, failure to vote on an amendment is the equivalent of a “no” vote.

Polling LocationsPrecinct 1Robbinsdale Spanish Immersion School at Sunny Hollow8808 27th Ave. N.

Precinct 2Sonnesyn Elementary School3421 Boone Ave. N.

Precinct 3St. Joseph Catholic Church8701 36th Ave. N

Precinct 4New Hope Learning Center8301 47th Ave. N.

Precinct 5Holy Nativity Lutheran Church3900 Winnetka Ave. N.

Precinct 6MN Masonic Home North Ridge5500 Boone Ave. N.

Precinct 7Meadow Lake Elementary School8525 62nd Ave. N.

Precinct 8District 287 North Education Center 5530 Zealand Ave. N.

If you are uncertain which precinct you live in, call 763-531-5160.

Registering to voteis vouched for may not vouch for an-other person).

An approved photo ID showing the correct name along with a current utility bill (due within 30 days) show-ing the name and address in the precinct.

For students: A current student fee statement, student picture ID, or student registration card showing an address in the precinct.

You must re-register if: Your name or address has changed. You have not voted within the last

four years.

It's important that voters not simply to head to the "place they've always voted" on Election Day, but to confirm their precinct number and polling location before heading to the polls.Because of redistricting this year, which was based on the 2010 U.S. Census, communities throughout Minnesota, including New Hope, were required to modify their precinct boundaries. At the same time, New Hope took the opportunity to reduce the number of precincts in the city from 11 to 8 and to change numbering anomalies.Don't be disappointed or inconve-nienced on Election Day. Use the map below to confirm your polling location.

Double check your polling location

City of New Hope, Minnesota e Election 2012

The New Hope City

Council re-cently awarded Woodbridge Management the Summer 2012 New Hope Out-standing Busi-ness Award. The original partners, Dr. James Pattee and Charles Thompson built the six story, 129 unit Chardon Court com-plex at 5700 Boone Ave. N. in 1985 to provide high quality affordable rental apartments to seniors along with an ala-cart menu of services. Chardon Court is designed for se-niors who want to enjoy an active, independent lifestyle in a beautiful, maintenance-free complex with lots of amenities and a wide variety of social activities available.Special services, such as on-site health-care, are available based on an indi-vidual’s needs and can be started and stopped at any time. Box lunches are available weekdays and delicious din-ners are available seven days a week. Transportation to local shopping and entertainment venues, weekly grocery delivery, and an “I’m okay” daily check are also available to ensure the safety and well being of residents.The apartments at Chardon Court range in size from 645 to 1,036 square feet. The building has underground park-ing, a security entry system, lounges on

Woodbridge Management receives Outstanding Business Award

each floor, large community and dining rooms, a deck and patio, even garden plots for resident gardeners.Woodbridge Management built the four story, 78-unit Woodbridge Cooperative next door to Chardon Court in 2005. Woodbridge shares the same philosophy as Chardon Court of providing a care-free living environment for indepen-dent, active adults 55+, but each unit is owner occupied. The complex has one and two bedroom apartment homes ranging in size from 979 to 1,562 square feet. As a cooperative, the resi-dents are shareholders in the corporation that owns and operates the complex and are in effect their own landlords. Monthly fees pay for operating expenses and real estate taxes.The two senior complexes are still family owned today. The current owners

are Mindy Pattee and her husband, Ron Anderson. Woodbridge Management recently completed extensive remodeling of Chardon Court. All of the interior com-mon areas – including the large com-munity room and dining room were renovated, a new patio and deck were completed, and the front entry and all elevator areas were improved. The building's exterior was also repainted and the landscaping was enhanced.In selecting Woodbridge for the Out-standing Business Award, the City Council cited their community involve-ment and the excellent service they provide their residents. Woodbridge was nominated for the award by Vicky Mehrwerth, who is both an employee of the business and the daughter of a longtime resident of Chardon Court. The City Council presented a plaque to Anderson and Pattee at the September 24 council meeting. The New Hope Outstanding Business Award is a quarterly award to recognize the contributions of New Hope busi-nesses to the community and to en-courage other businesses to rise to the excellence achieved by award recipients.

New Hope development update

In early October, the New Hope City Council approved the low bid of

$118,620 from Insituform Technologies to reline 4,350 feet of sanitary sewer line. The project includes the relining of 3,680 lineal feet of nine-inch clay pipe and 670 feet of 15-inch reinforced concrete sani-tary sewer pipe in the neighborhood be-tween Winnetka and Louisiana avenues, north of Medicine Lake Road. These areas were found to be in need of repair during televised inspections.New Hope began relining sanitary sewer pipe in 2004 as one of several initiatives to help reduce the inflow and infiltration (I/I) of ground water into the city’s sanitary sewer system. During heavy rains, incorrectly connected sump pumps, cracks and gaps in sanitary sewer lines caused by tree roots and other factors can cause high volumes of ground water to flow into the city’s sanitary sewer system. In 2007, the Metropolitan Council implemented a sani-tary sewer surcharge because these excessive volumes from New Hope and many other communities had begun to strain the capacity of its waste-water treatment facilities.

Council approves sanitary sewer relining projectThrough its ongoing sanitary sewer re-lining work and other I/I abatement ef-forts, the city has significantly reduced peak sewer flows following heavy rain events.The sewer lining process creates a joint-less pipe-within-a-pipe which elimi-nates ground water seepage into the sanitary sewer system without the mess and high cost of replacing the old sewer pipe. The liner is installed through manholes and hardened in place, so there is no need to dig up the street. This year’s sewer lining project is ex-pected to begin in October and be completed by the end of the year.

City has two great venues for your event

The New Hope Village Golf Course clubhouse and New Hope Ice

Arena community room are great loca-tions for your party, anniversary, busi-ness meeting, wedding reception or other event. The beautiful golf course clubhouse can comfortably accommodate groups of around 75 people and can be reserved for events from now through the mid-dle of March. The newly remodeled arena community room is well suited for groups of up to 100 and is available year-round when programs are not scheduled. Both facil-ities have a refrigerator, freezer, micro-wave, and coffee pot available for use. The rental fee for groups of less than 50 is $120 for New Hope residents or busi-nesses and $145 for nonresidents for events of up to three hours (with an ad-ditional hourly fee for longer events). The fee for larger groups is $350 for up to six hours for residents and $400 for nonresi-dents. Additional fees apply for events where alcohol will be served. Rental reservation requests should be made at least 10 working days in advance. The New Hope Village Golf Course clubhouse is located at 8130 Bass Lake Road. The New Hope Ice Arena com-munity room is located at 4949 Loui-siana Ave. N. For more information or to book your event today, call the golf course at 763-531-5178 or the ice arena at 763-531-5181.

St. Therese BondsIn September the City Council autho-rized the issuance and sale of $6.65 million in tax-free revenue bonds on behalf of St. Therese Home, Inc. St. Therese will use the funds to refund earlier bonds totalling $4.27 million and to make $2.375 million in im-provements to its senior health care fa-cility at 8000 Bass Lake Road. All costs incurred by the city in connection with the financing, including all legal costs, will be paid by St. Therese. And, the city will bear no liability for repayment of the bonds, which will be repaid by St. Therese and secured by the mort-gage for the care facility.

Premier StorageIn late August, the City Council ap-proved a proposal by Premier Storage to convert the aging warehouse at 5040 Winnetka into a climate controlled self-storage facility with outdoor stor-age for boats, RVs and recreational equipment behind the building. The project, which has begun, will in-volve upgrading the face of the 38,180 square foot building, repainting the building, addition of security fencing, upgrading pavement, new landscaping and the addition of a storm water treat-ment system.

CompassPointeNo further City Council action will be taken on the proposal by Ron Clark Construction to build a four-story, 68-unit apartment complex on the vacant city owned land at 6113 Broadway and several adjacent lots until the developer learns whether its application for tax-credit funding has been approved by the state.No plans or decisions have been final-ized relating to the proposal. There will be additional opportunities for public input when consideration of the pro-posal continues.

4200/4300 Xylon DemolitionIn late October, the City Council considered approval of plans and specifications for demolition of the former Kmart building and bank drive through at 4200 and 4300 Xylon. The Council will likely approve a con-tract with the lowest acceptable bidder for the work in December. Demoli-tion will likely begin in December or January.

Mindy Pattee (center with plaque) and Ron Anderson (to right) accepted the Outstanding Business Award from the City Council.

Woodbridge Management built Woodbridge Cooperative in 2005.

Sewer liner starts out flexible and is hardened in place.

Visit the city's websitewww.ci.new-hope.mn.us

for up-to-date city information