Winter •
The
szirsilay./Ew...
ON THE GREAT RIVER ROAD
Vol. 18 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007 Newsletter of the City of Otsego
Otsego owns .a
City Hall free , - 4 ,1,,,,`r ' A -
and clear
r s y,,. � a,,y:^. 1:.
At the November 26, 2007 Otsego ..4.--
...., `
City Council meeting, Pat Dwyer 0 '
(left) of the Bank of Elk River -
accepted the final payment for the ,
City Hall bond from Mayor Larry -,
Fournier. Also pictured are City
Council members Jessica Stockcamp,
Mark Thorsted and Vern Heidner.
In 1992 the city took out a
$450,000 bond to build the City Hall
building located on Nashua Avenue.
Public Works is prepared for snow plowing season
The Otsego Public Works Department can have 10 people out in full snow plowing force with four single axel and two tandem
axel trucks,three small trucks,a loader and a variety of equipment for clearing the trails when the snow falls.
Otsego's snow removal policy is to begin plowing when the snow stops falling. Every effort is made to have main
routes plowed and sanded prior to rush hour. Main routes and school trails are plowed first, followed by residential streets
and cul-de-sacs. They return later to clean up the shoulders, intersections, and cul-de-sacs.
The city's new salt shed was already
--I c_ put in use last snow season. It proved
�' a convenience and saver
,, I the
tobe pile was kept dry withtime no clumpsas.The salt and sand are mixed in the shed
'" � 4' :RI"- - -� ' = with the front end loader.
¢ .,t .. Residents can help by obeying the
g sa T: '. . .; ` city parking ordinance and not parking
e on streets and rights-of-way 2:00-6:00
1' ' � �� , AM or after a snowfall of 2-1/2
y inches. For safety, always stay clear of
plows, giving them plenty of room to
t te work. Plow drivers face reduced
visibility when they are moving
clouds of snow.
Keep trash cans out of the streets. It
,91111.11.11.1.‘ is unlawful to deposit snow or ice
removed from private property onto
Otsego Public Works Supervisor Brad Belair strategizes snow removal with Rick Knutson, the street. .......r
Joe Abramson,Don Mass,Pat Launderville and Brent Kolles.The crew can usually cover the
11 plow routes in five to six hours,then they return to clean up shoulders,intersections and cul-
de-sacs and put down sand.
0
Another good year
11 zI 1 a A)., 4 i.4 a :.A
It 1 In 2007 the economy was a bit more challenging than it has been in the past.
�! r ` Many communities found it more difficult to balance their budgets without raising
NOTES taxes. This was mainly because of the slow down in residential, commercial and
industrial construction. Otsego's residential market has been relatively strong as we
will issue about 290 new building permits for the year.The City Council's goal is
to keep new permits close to this number. Our business community continues to do
from the
well. The new Target store broke ground in October and will open in October
2008. Duke Realty completed its first industrial building and plans another in 2008.
MAYOR City staff reports much interest from persons who would like to locate their new
business near the new Target store. Because of Otsego's good economy, the City
Council actually lowered our tax rate for next year.
by Mawr Larry Fournier Otsego is a great and affordable place to live.Working together we can keep it this
• way. As always,your suggestions and comments are welcome and appreciated.With the
`- ` ' "`" = holiday season here,I wish everyone a blessed and happy season this year...,....
w City begins
producing its own
{ street signs
Otsego has purchased equipment
and software to make its own street
signs. The Public Works Department
has already produced needed signs for
some new developments and
informational signs for Park and
Recreation events like Pumpkin Patch
and Santa Day.
f9`,0* r Producing the signs in the city will
make it possible to replace a damaged
sign within the same day at a lower
cost. Ordering from an outside shop
` ; �* previously took up to three weeks.
The city plans to replace street signs
"' ) on Minnesota State Aid Roads with
',' larger signs on 12-foot posts so they
will be more visible. Existing signs
�`
will be checked for damage and
Public Works employee Rick Knutson works on creating a sign in the city's new sign shop. reduced reflectivity and replaced as
needed. .w
I From the Wright County Sheriff's Office
The Wright County Sheriff's Department along with
iNORIT COUNTY the Minnesota State Patrol and officers from the police `
departments of Annandale, Buffalo, and Howard Lake
` ,�� �
' are going to be out in force on New Years Eve in an
rI +' ( effort to find impaired drivers. The extra enforcement - .
SHERIFF is part of the Nightcap campaign and is paid through a
- grant from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
fhere will be nine to 10 extra officers patrolling on New
Years Eve and they will be concentrated in the northeast part of
Wright County with special emphasis placed on Interstate 94, ARLOWE AVE
Hwy 241, and Co Rd 19 from St Michael through Otsego. We
remind motorists to have a plan before drinking: designate a
sober driver, call a cab or a friend, or stay the night at the Street signs on the main roads in Otsego will be replaced with
location of the party. Have a happy and safe New Year. . new signs with nine inch letters produced in Otsego's sign shop
for greater visibility.The existing signs have only six-inch letters.
listoricalt1041'4' ' , 411
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.. .... fit
I I. s
Otsego Town Halls and City Halls _ a
By Jacquie Rognli 4 `�'.
Otsego's first town meeting was held in 1858 at the home of John
McDonald. The small wooden frame house located on County Road
39 (the River Road) east of Nashua and the old Otsego School was
built in 1852 by MacDonald, the first permanent white settler in Town meetin.s were held in this building u' until 1950.
Wright County. Citizens met in that house to name the town Otsego
and held the first election there.
Jerome Perrault, Otsego Town/City Clerk from 1947 to 1995,
remembered the Otsego Township Board meeting in a small single room �•.
town hall warmed by a wood stove. That structure stood just east of the
old school before being removed in 2006. A big front garage door was _
added when the township bought its first grader.The wooden floors were
vis <
replaced by concrete to accommodate the grader.Township supervisors
were very proud of their new machine and held meetings right there with i
the grader. When attendance was higher,they just backed the grader out.
Perrault said he thought moving the township offices from the
garage to the school house next door was one of the biggest ¢ '
improvements for Otsego government operation. The town purchased This one-room school house served as a town and city hall
the one room school house from the Elk River School District in from 1950 to 1993.
about 1950. .
At the Otsego Township annual meeting in 1990,residents voted to 1
build a new Town Hall on the original site. A building committee was
organized. Because of complications and objections to the site within the
Wild and Scenic Recreational River District,the committee began N. '
looking for other possible locations.In 1992 Otsego purchased more than
70 acres of land where the current City Hall is located on 3/4 mile south of
the original town site on Nashua Ave. According to then Mayor �:4
Norman Freske,the site was chosen"for its economic value,central
location, accessibility,and possibilities for future city needs."
The Otsego City Council held its first meeting in the new City Hall on
`r—t 1 ET
April 19, 1993.The Otsego City Council presented the final payment on City
employees made the big move to the current City Hall
the$450,000 bond at the November 26,2007 Council meeting.w..., building in April 1993.
Otsego adopts water and sewer utility billing ordinance
Revisions were made in September to the water and sewer date in the shutoff notice will result in discontinued city
billing ordinance. Some of the highlights are listed below. water and sewer services. A disconnection fee and a
The full ordinance can be obtained at City Hall during reconnection fee must be paid in addition to the
business hours or viewed on the city website. For questions, outstanding delinquent balance before water service will be
contact utility billing department at 763-441-2310 turned back on.
Account name Rental properties
All accounts shall be carried in the name of the property Properties rented must keep all utility charges paid
owner. The property owner is liable for services supplied currently. Delinquent utility charges are considered a
or consumed on the property whether or not they are violation of the rental ordinance.
occupying the property. The utility department intends to Certification of unpaid utility bills to county auditor
make these changes in the billing system with the January, The city may certify unpaid charges to the county on a
2008 billing. quarterly basis beginning on October 1, 2007. The county
Delinquent utility accounts,penalties and shut-off policy will place the unpaid charges on the general property taxes
The shut-off for nonpayment provision states that if and they will be payable in one annual installment together
payment is not paid by the due date listed on the bill, a with interest, penalties and administrative charges. w..
shut-off notice will be mailed. Nonpayment by the due
•
I.,„,o,
r:-.--,-.5- OTS EI GO PRESORTED STANDARD
US POSTAGE
(Y..TUE GREAT RIvERROAD PAID
8899 Nashua Avenue NE PERMIT# 1791
Otsego,MN 55330 MINNEAPOLIS, MN
(763)441-4414
If you have a street
light out in your
neighborhood,
please call the city
offices and the city
will contact the
appropriate power
company to have it
replaced
City of Otsego
8899 Nashua Avenue NE CITY STAFF HERITAGE PRESERVATION
Mike Robertson,City Administrator Ron Black,Chair
Otsego,MN 55330 Judy Hudson,City Clerk/Zoning Administrator Norm Freske
Administration: (763)441-4414 Tami Loff,Deputy Clerk Shirley Isaacson
Building Dept.:(763)441-2593 Gary Groen, Finance Director Isabel Stander
Utility Billing: (763)441-2310 Kathy Grover,Bookkeeper Jon Stander
Fax: (763)441-8823 Brad Belair,Public Works Supervisor Joan Vasseur
Email:cityhall@ci.Otsego.mn.us Tim Rochel,Building Official Chris Wilson
Web Site:www.ci.Otsego.mn.us Barb Williams,Building Permit Technician POLICE COMMISSION
Sandy Lindenfelser,Special Licensing Jane Theisen,Chair
OFFICE HOURS PLANNING&ZONING Denise Andrusko
ADMINISTRATION: Richard Nichols,Chair Linda Lewis
M-Th 8 am-6 pm;Fri.CLOSED Pam Black,Vice Chair Sandra Michaelson
BUILDING DEPT: Tammie Fallon Jeff Stimac
Doug Hackman Joel Torkelson
M-Th 8 am-6 pm;Fri.8 am-noon Jim Kolles
UTILITY DEPT: David Thompson
M-Th 8 am-5 pm;Fri.8 am-noon Troy Watring
John Thelen, Si1alternate MEETING CALENDAR
CITY COUNCIL Brian Gerten,2nd alternate City Council ' 2nd&4th Mon.,6:30 p.m. -
Mayor:Larry Fournier PARKS&RECREATION Planning&Zoning 15'&3rd Mon.,7 p.m.
Council Members Aaron Stritesky,Chair Parks&Recreation 2nd Wed.,7:00 pm
Tom Darkenwald Mike Brumm,Vice Chair
Vern Heidner Rose Cassady Heritage Preservation 3rd Thurs.,7 p.m.
Beverly Kumar,Secretary Police Commission 2nd Tues.,6:30 p.m.
Jessica Stockamp Kathryn Roberts All meetings are open to the public.Call City Hall to
Mark Thorsted Peter Torresani confirm times if you plan to attend.Agendas and
minutes are available on the city's web site.
\'‘Z cri..A.:A5,..,5_,) VIEW
The Otsego View is Otsego's bi-monthly newsletter.
Jacquie Rognli,Editor
The
OTSEGe-
7q.
S iHE
ON THE CREAT RIVER ROAD
vol. 18 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007 Newsletter of the City of Otsego
2007 city
2007 EXPENDITURES budget set
$3,202,224 g
The 2007 city budget has been
set by the Otsego City Council.
r GOVOITIMint Projected revenues are
$3,202,224 balanced with
itiOli equally projected expenditures.
Oliwr
I public wade This is an increase of$683,546
from the 2006 budget."astes
Notable increased budget
V.Q$44 . • \ items include public safety,sifti IMA„
street maintenance and park
Public Safety maintenance.
0 600 An additional eight hours per
day of police service will be
added July 1, 2007, bringing
coverage up to 40 hours a day.
A new pavement management
plan is being put into place for
upkeep of city streets. Seal
coating,paving, crack filling and
striping will be done in a
2007 REVENUES systematic manner annually. The
$3,202,224 Public Works Department budget
Licenses has been increased to begin
!Molloy ii., &PermIb senfice implementing the new plan.
3.1" F The park maintenance budget
'"" has also increased to $213,681 -
•Fir
Other almost $72,000 more than in
* , 5.7% 2006. There were three new
,g parks added to the city in 2006
and a systematic maintenance
plan for parks is also being
,'; - ,: : implemented.
,, . ° , '•" City revenues are obtained
, � from property taxes(projected to
be$2,482,980), special
assessments, licenses and permits,
,rw x charges for services, interest on
investments and state aid.The city
tax rate was set at 26.572%,down
3.82%from 2006.
Copies of the complete city
budget can be viewed at City
Hall during business hours.���
City of Otsego
8899 Nashua Avenue NE
Otsego,763)44 N 55330 The State of 4). 5
763 441-4414
Building Dept.: (763)-441-2593
Utility Billing: 763-441-2310 NOTES
Fax(763)441-8823 Our City 2007
Email:cityhall@ci.Otsego.mn.us from the
Web Site: www.ci.Otsego.mn.us The Highway 101 project has slowed
OFFICE HOURS the construction of Otsego's new Super MAYOR
ADMINISTRATION: M-Th 8 am-6 pm;Fri.CLOSED Target. The issue is that Target wants
BUILDING DEPT: M-Th 8 am-6 pm;Fri.8 am-noon assurance from the Minnesota
UTILITY DEPT: M-Th 8 am-5 pm;Fri.8 am-noon Department of Transportation that their by Mayor Larry Fournier
CITY COUNCIL-Meets 2nd&4th Mon.,6:30 p.m.* store site will have access during the
Mayor:Larry Fournier construction of the CountyRoad 39 and Highway 101 interchange. TheCouncil Members
Tom Darkenwald city of Otsego has asked the Department of Transportation to find a way
Vern Heidner to accomplish this request. When Target has assurance that access will be
Jessica Stockamp
Mark Thorsted provided throughout construction of the County Road 39 and Highway
CITY STAFF 101 interchange,then they will begin construction of their new store.
Mike Robertson,City Administrator The city's 2007 budget balances revenues against expenditures and is
Judy Hudson,City Clerk/Zoning Administrator
Karee Rowell,Deputy Clerk the product of the City Council and City Staff that began in August of
Gary Groen,Finance Director 2006. The 2007 budget with expected revenues of$3,202,224 and
Kathy Grover,Bookkeeper
expected expenditures of$3,202,224 is a balanced budget. Your
Brad Belair,Public Works Supervisor P P g City
Tim Rochel,Building Official Council continues to keep Otsego's city tax rate the lowest of any of the
PLANNING&ZONING-Meets 15t&3rd Mon.,7:00 p.m.* communities in our area. The city of Otsego is committed to providing
Richard Nichols,Chair services to cityresidents and land owners in the most cost effective
Pam Black,Vice Chair
Tammie Fallon manner it can. This budget for 2007 meets our goals. The state of our city
Doug Hackman is very good. s-A•i-
Jim Kolles
David Thompson
TroyWatring Finance department
John Thelen, 15t alternate
PARKS&RECREATION-Meets 2^d Wed.,7:00 p.m.*
Aaron Stritesky,Chair -7 .'
Mike Brumm,Vice Chair o
Rose Cassady
Beverly Kumar,Secretary
Russ Langer x
Kathryn Roberts
Peter Torresani '
Rob Miller,alternate
HERITAGE PRESERVATION-Meets 4m Thurs.,7:00 p.m.* . Pp
Ron Black,Chairw
Shirley Isaacson ,.lair- ,
Isabel Stander
Jon Stander , ,
-_-
Chris Wilson ' If , .
POLICE COMMISSION-Meets 2nd Tues.,6:30 p.m.* i
Linda Lewis,Chair
Denise Andrusko tr
Sandra Michaelson r
Edgar Pearsall tA:-
Jeff Stimac
Jane Theisen,Vice Chair ` .; ;
Joel Torkelson e _
*All meetings are open to the public.Call City Hall to confirm %�
times if you plan to attend.Agendas and minutes are
available on the city's web site.
Otsego's City Finance Department includes(left to right)Mary Olson, Utility
EGO VIEW Billing, Kathy Grover, Accounting Clerk, Gary Groen, Finance Director, and
UT (seated) Sue Frisch, Accounting Clerk. Groen became full time finance director in
January 2007 after doing contract work for the city since 1996. Grover has been
The Otsego View is Otsego's bi-monthly newsletter. workingat CityHall since 2001. Frisch began workingfor the citypart time in
Jacquie Rognli,Editor
Correspondence should be sent to Otsego City Hall. 2005 and became full time in 2006. Olson was added to the department when
Contains 50%recycled pre-consumer materials. Otsego started doing its own utility billing in August 2006. (See utility billing story
on page 4.)
0
City utility bill payment can be convenient
City utility bills can be paid using the handy drop box in the parking lot at
City Hall,through automatic bank deduction, or by mail. Bills are due the 8'h' of
every month. A form to sign up for automatic bank payments can be obtained
from the Utility Department by calling 763-441-2310. Also call to get a final
reading if you are moving or to start service for a new customer.
Water meters are read electronically by mid-month and water billing is done
based on actual use. Each customer's sanitary sewer rate is based on average . .
water usage during the winter months of December,January and February �- 1
when there is no landscape watering being done. Rates for 2007 will go into
effect in March.
If your water bill seems higher than usual, check for leaks in your system. A x ,{
dripping faucet or leaky toilet can waste a lot of water. *
Customer billing for Otsego's city water and sewer service is currently done
by the city. Up until August 2006,this task was contracted out to Wright
Hennepin Cooperative Electric. City utilities service more than 1,800
customers in Otsego, growing 500 to 600 since 2005. There were 290 million
gallons of water used in 2006.
A utility payment drop box in front of City Hall
Home Water Saving Tips is handy for drive-by bill payment.
In addition to saving money on your utility bill,water
conservation helps prevent water pollution in nearby lakes, COMMUNITY GROUP NEW!
rivers and local watersheds.
1.Check for hidden water leaks Otsego Lions
Read the house water meter before and after a two-hour period Otsego Lions are looking for volunteers that want
when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the to make a difference in their community. The
same,there is a leak. meetings are 7:00 pm March 6 and 20 at
2. Check your toilets for leaks Rockwoods. Some come early and eat together.
Put a little food coloring in your toilet tank. If,without flushing,the Otsego Lions will be having a pancake breakfast
color begins to appear in the bowl within 30 minutes,you have a leak on April 28th at Applebee's in Rogers. For more
that should be repaired immediately.
3. Don't use the toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket, information call Kathy or Dixie at 763-241-9229.
4. Use a low volume flush toilet. Otsego Great River Riders
Replacing an 18 liter per flush toilet with an ultra-low volume(ULV)6 Responsible snowmobiling is what Otsego Great
liter flush model represents a 70%savings in water flushed and will River Riders snowmobile club is all about. This
cut indoor water use by about 30%. community based group fosters the idea of
5. Insulate your water pipes and install a water-saving circulating pump. responsible snowmobiling in our community. The
You won't need to run water waiting for it to get hot. club is responsible for marking and maintaining
6. Install water-saving shower heads and low-flow faucet aerators. trails in Otsego. Even though this season has not
7.Take shorter showers. produced the snow desirable for the use of the local
A four-minute shower uses approximately 20 to 40 gallons of water.
8.Turn off the water after you wet your toothbrush. trails, the club is still active in promoting the sport
9. Rinse your razor in a filled sink instead of using running water. of snowmobiling. If you want more information on
10.Check faucets and pipes for leaks. joining your local snowmobile club visit their web
A small drip from a worn faucet washer can waste 20 gallons of site [http://www.ogrr.us/] or come to a meeting held
water per day. Larger leaks can waste hundreds of gallons. the first Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm at
11.Use your dishwasher and clothes washer for only full loads. Rockwoods Restaurant in Otsego.Contact club
For partial loads, adjust water levels to match the size of the load. president Pat Hilden at 763-274-0229.
Consider buying a water-saving model. Otsego Festival
12. Minimize use of kitchen sink garbage disposal units.
Start a compost pile as an alternate method of disposing food waste. The sixth annual Otsego Festival is set for Sept.
13.When washing dishes by hand,don't leave the water running for rinsing. 15, 2007. The first planning meeting will be May 8,
14. Don't let the faucet run while you clean vegetables. 7:00 pm at City Hall. Anyone that would like to be
15. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the fridge instead of running the tap to part of the committee is welcome to attend. Any
get cool water. groups that want to be part of the Festival contact
Rose at ROSDAY@msn.com.
C=J
Otsego men log in winter
By Jacquie Rognli I S.. o ri ca
When white settlers came to Minnesota Territory in the 1820s,
there were 31.5 million acres of forest. The abundance of 300 year
old white pines more than 200 feet tall and three feet in diameter
seemed like an endless supply for the nation. White pine was light
and floated well, strong and durable. Saw mills built at Stillwater and
St. Anthony were supplied with timber cut in lumber camps spread throughout the wilderness know as"State of Main
camps." The camps usually had one building for the men and one for the oxen and draft horses. Logs were pulled out of
the brush with a device called a go-devil attached to a draft horse that would lift the front end of the log for dragging to
the sleds. The heavy logs were easier to move over frozen ground.
Early Otsego settlers found the winter logging camps to be a good source of income when they weren't as busy with
farm chores, and often headed to the north woods for a month or two in the cold months.
Otsego farmer Willard Holt kept a diary from August 1877 through December 4, 1890 that contains one-line entries
about weather,crops, births,deaths and events in Otsego. The diary was published by the Otsego Heritage Preservation
Commission in 2000. The following excerpts from The Holt Diary: 1877 to 1890 reflect his logging activity in the winter
of 1881-1882.
Nov. 10, 1881 Fred Vail and me
hired for the woods. ' ' r '� ` :+3
Y a i
f . , t it
Nov. 12, 188/ Dance at Eustache .a Y"t; ,�; ,� � ,, 4
Bouchets at night. ' ' a I xi ,` ; '�t:a � �t + m }
� �' ♦.,... � h...
Nov. 14, 1881 Fred Vail and me a' ► + '`' :( ; _.,„t' ' °' , ' (
+ + s w ;+
* r ai
started for the woods. 3�h,r °S , �' i' 'e + t +
t # 1.
Nov. 16, 1881 Started from /lift ,, + 1 t.''{ : '
Brainerd camp. i Y y k •, �� ;. - t i ."` =►t ffi. ; 1
Dec. 11, 1881 went to the other I - .' 1 , jy • X,-
camp. 4.11t
Dec. 13, 1881 Fred quit tending "�l • '. 'Lute rte^: "'
the Go-Devil. •
Dec. 19, 1881 Nine horses came r`
Dec. 19, 1881 commenced . +� , + � ' _ ( .►
hauling logs. +. 4 b ;, '�� 'r ;
Jan. 26, 1882 My birthday. ►
Feb. 3, 1882 Me, sawing down �r "'� ` t a
trees. . + _ -•
.
Feb. 8, 1882 went over the lake ;Y: '
to work.
Feb. 13, 1882!hurt my eye. Load of white pine logs hauled at a camp operated by B.0. McGee on the Platt River,east of Little
Feb. 21, 1882 We came back to Falls 1883-1884.Photo used by permission from the Minnesota Historical Society.
this side of the lake again.
March 2, 1882 We went back across the lake to work March 21, 1882 Quite warm, about 3 feet of snow in the
woods.
again. March 28, 1882 Me, scouringthe head works.
March 4, 1882 Fearful snowy day. We quit work about 2 Apr. 3, 1882 Snow going fast. Lost of water on the lake.
PM. Snowed about 6 inches.
March 5, 1882 Stormy and warm. it snowed about 10 Apr. 6, 1882 Me. Fix boom sticks.
inches, all together 9 feet now. Apr. 8, 1882 Rainy. Left camp.
March 15, 1882 Snowed about 2 inches at night. The cook Apr. 10, 1882 We got home to Otsego from the woods.
left. Apr. /2, 1882 Fred Vail went on the drive(Floating the
March 19, 1882 We went to the Taye camp. logs down river).
March 20, 1882 Fearful snow storm. Snowed all night. ! Apr. 12, 1882 Got my suit of clothes.
got to camp at 3 PM.
The peak year for white pine logging in Minnesota was 1900 when 2.3 million board feet of lumber were produced—
enough to build 600,000 two-story homes or to build a nine-foot wide boardwalk long enough to circle the equator. More
than 20,000 lumberjacks were working in the logging camps with 10,000 draft horses. The industry declined after that. In
less than 200 years,the forests of Minnesota had shrunk to less than 18 million acres and the vast pine stands had been
harvested and replaced with aspen and birch hardwoods.4.14,4.,
O