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Fall The C) 1 Go ON THE GREAT RIVER 1(0 I Newsletter of the city of Otsego Volume 11, September 2000 :L:cr:ou ro v 7:ON The Primary Election will be held on merly held by Mark Berning). Any resident Tuesday, September 12, 2000 and the General wishing to run for any of these offices must Election will be held on Tuesday, November file with the City Clerk at Otsego City Hall. 7, 2000. Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to Filing begins on Tuesday, August 29, 2000 at 8:00 p.m. All Otsego residents vote at Otsego 8:00 a.m. and runs until Tuesday, September City Hall at 8899 Nashua Avenue NE. If any- 12, 2000 at 5:00 p.m. The filing fee is $2.00. one has any election related questions, please There is no primary for Otsego City offices. call Otsego City Hall at 441-4414. VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION OTSEGO CITY OFFICES OPEN You are eligible to vote if you are 18 years Otsego has three offices up for election— of age or older, a United States citizen, and a the office of Mayor, currently held by Larry Minnesota resident for at least 20 days before Fournier, and two Council seats currently held by Virginia Wendel and Richard Nichols (for- Continued on Page 3 Development Update The City Council has approved Otsego's first major cluster housing development. Under the City's cluster housing ordi- nance, at least half of the buildable land of a development must be preserved as open space. The development approved is Mississippi Pines, which is located between County Road 39 and the Mississippi Riverjust west of Kadler pP Mayor Larry Fournier happily accepts a check of Avenue. The development will consist of $242,000 for sewer, water, park and other fees from 73 single family lots on 240 acres. The developer Dennis Backes for the Crimson Ponds lots will each average a little over 1 acre 2nd Addition. There are 33 lots in that addition. in size, with on-site well and septic sys- tems. There will also be a 5 acre park located Phase of Crimson Ponds. This is a single near the intersection of Kadler and 101st family home development with City sewer Street. and water located west of Otsego Elementary School. The 2nd phase consists of 33 lots, The City Council also approved the 2nd and is owned by Dennis Backes. (Pictured) Page 2 Newsletter of the city of Otsego HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS By Elaine Norin, Historic Preservation Commission The 6th Annual Otsego Heritage Day will be held Sunday, October 8, 2000 at Otsego City Hall from Noon until 4:00 p.m. Learn more about the early days in Otsego. Reminisce with one another and meet Otsego neighbors. There will be a display of his- toric pictures, maps, and other documents. There will be a light lunch, followed by a short program. A new book is available: "THE HOLT DIARY - 1877 TO 1890." Will Holt recorded a realistic story of life in Otsego during that period. CONSTRUCTION UPDATE Over ten million dollars of construction that we are pushing the contractor to fix. projects are nearing completion in the City 78th Street - 78th Street is complete of Otsego. This is the largest amount of except for the second layer of blacktop, public construction projects in the City's which will be done about the end of history and it has been a big challenge to September. manage all of them. An update on each project follows. Water Tower - The water tower is com- plete. Odean Avenue - Odean should be re- opened by Labor Day weekend with all of Pumphouse - The pumphouse is com- the boulevard restoration completed by plete except for some minor restoration on mid-September. The second layer of the site. blacktop will be placed on the road in late Sewer Plant - The sewer plant is com- September/early October. plete. 80th Street - The boulevards should be restored and the mailboxes returned to their homes within the next few weeks. The second layer of blacktop will not be � � X11 . • placed on the road until next summer. Sewer & Water - Sewer & Water trunk x• : line installation is complete. Minor 1.11(,!', • restoration problems remain which we are 'in' pushing ushin the contractor to fix. Street Overlay - The Street Overlay pro- ject is complete except for some ditch - restoration and driveway apron problems `` r Newsletter of the city of Otsego Page 3 Election Information, continued from Page I the election. You need to register if you just card mailed to you by the County Auditor. became eligible to vote, moved, changed your 4) Someone who is already a registered name, or haven't voted in the last four years. voter in Otsego (in advance of election day) You can register to vote on election day at who can vouch for you at the polling place. City Hall. You will need proof of your identi- ABSENTEE VOTING ty and the address where you live. One of the You can vote by absentee ballot if you are following items can be used for proof: unable to vote in person on election day 1) A current Minnesota Driver's License, because you are: Minnesota ID, Student ID, or learner's permit 1) Away from home. with your current address. 2) One of the above with your former 2) Ill or disabled. address and a current utility bill. You could 3) An election judge serving in another also use another Photo ID such as a US pass- precinct. port or US Military ID with a utility bill. The 4) Unable to go to the polling place due to a utility bill must have your name, current religious holiday or belief. address, and be due within 30 days of the election. Utility bills can be gas, electric, To obtain an absentee ballot contact the garbage, telephone, water, sewer, or cable tv. Wright County Auditor at 682-7578. 3) A "Notice of Ineffective Registration" NEW COUNCILMEMBER APPOINTED .- Councilmember Mark Berning resigned from the City Council effective July 1, 2000 because he moved out of the City. Richard „' Nichols was appointed to the final six months of Mark Berning's term. Richard Nichols has served on the Planning Commission for many years and was appointed Vice-Chair of the Commission for 2000. Mayor Fournier welcomes Richard Nichols to the City Council. Nichols was appointed on July 10, 2000 to fill the last 6 months of Mark Berning's council term. MEMBERS WANTED The Heritage Preservation Commission is seeking new members. If you have an interest in the history of Otsego and preservation of its heritage, please fill out an application at City Hall or contact any member of the Commission. The activities of the Commission include historic research, conducting oral history interviews, cataloging and displaying pictures and docu- ments, writing for publication, and planning and producing programs for schools or Heritage Day. i Newsletter of the city of Otsego Volume 11, September 2000 CITY OF OTSEGO 0" 8899Ave.NE Otsego, DtI� ?#$Otsegogo,,MN 55330 (763)441-4414 rli Fax (763) 441-8823 OFFICE HOURS: The City Council has been working in the Public Works and Mond8:00 aam,to 6:00 y through p.mrsday on Otsego's budget for 2001. As we Administrative budgets. Closed Fridays reviewed our preliminary budget it These few changes plus the normal CITY COUNCIL: became apparent that there are only a price increases for goods and services Mayor few items which will need to have should translate into the City's goal of Larry Fournier Councilmembers increased funding for next year. providing the best possible services at Suzanne M.S.Ackerman Budget increases are determined by the best possible cost. I expect the Richard Nichols Vern Heidner citizen input and the general need to City's portion of your tax bill to Virginia Wendel expand some services. Citizen input remain about the same for next year. CITY STAFF has suggested the need for more You will be able to review our City's Elaine Beatty, City Clerk/Zoning Administrator police hours, especially in the area of budget anytime at City Hall or at our Mike Robertson, traffic control. I believe the City "Truth in Taxation" meetings in early City Administrator Judy Hudson, Council will increase the number of December. Your City Council is Deputy Clerk/Treasurer hours the Wright County Sheriff's working hard to keep Otsego an Carol Olson,Secretary Dave Chase, Department patrols in our City. I affordable place to live. Maintenance Supervisor believe there will be small increases Rick Knutson,Maintenance Don Mass,Maintenance Karee Rowell,Secretary PLANNING&ZONING Carl Swenson,chair EDAAC Jim Kolles U Patrick Moonen Arleen Nagel Steve Schuck Christian Mbanefo Ken Fry,alternate The Economic Development Authority Advisory Commission (EDAAC) is Eugene Goenner,alternate surveying the community to get an idea of what people's priorities are when PARKS&RECREATION Jeff Bartheld,chair it comes to economic development. Thomas Baillargeon Tom Constant Please rank the following items in order 1 through 4 with 1 being assigned to Michael Day theriorityou feel is the most important and 4 to the least important. Tony Faust P Y p P Sue Kroll Please return the survey to Otsego City Hall at 8899 Nashua Avenue NE. If EDA ADVISORY City Hall is closed, you can put the survey inside the bulletin board located LeRoy Lindenfelser,chair outside the front door of City Hall. Gabriel Davis Rudy inc Tnt Peterau son JOB CREATION Vincent Peterson Steve Ackerman (Focus on creating jobs in Otsego so people do Tom Koerwitz not have to commute as far to work) HERITAGE PRESERVATION Ron Black,chair TAX BASE INCREASE Arlene Nolen Frieda Lobeck (Focus on creating a larger and more Joan Nichols diversified tax base to keep taxes down) Elaine Norio Norman Schwanbeck Joy Swenson NEW SHOPPING/SERVICES (Focus on adding retail and services ,rr so people do not have to drive as far to shop) n�r`\--.L0TSEGO�_ NO COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT The Otsego t iew is a community newsletter for STAY A BEDROOM COMMUNITY the city of Otsego. Allipi, Correspondence should be (Don't add retail or industrial, sent to Otsego City Hall. remain a bedroom community) Contains 50%recycled pre-consumer material. { The IEWON THE GREAT RIVER RO I) Newsletter of the city of Otsego Volume 11, October 2000 it November 7, 2000 VOT VOTERREGISTRATION must have your name, current address, and be due within 30 days of the election. Utility bills can be gas, electric, INFORMATIONgarbage, telephone, water, sewer, or cable TV. 3) A "Notice of Ineffective Registration" card mailed to You are eligible to vote if you are 18 years of age or older, you by the County Auditor. a United States citizen, and a Minnesota resident for at least 4) Someone who is already a registered voter in Otsego (in 20 days before the election.You need to register if you just advance of election day) who can vouch for you at the became eligible to vote, moved, changed your name, or polling place. haven't voted in the last four years. You can register to vote on election day at City Hall. You will need proof of your identity and the address where you ELECTION INFORMATION live. One of the following items can be used for proof: 1) A current Minnesota Driver's License, Minnesota ID, The General Election will be held on Tuesday, November Student ID, or learner's permit with your current address. 7, 2000. Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. All 2)One of the above with your former address and a current Otsego residents vote at Otsego City Hall at 8899 Nashua utility bill.You could also use another Photo ID such as a US Avenue NE. If anyone has any election-related questions, passport or US Military ID with a utility bill. The utility bill please call Otsego City Hall at 441-4414. Page 2 Newsletter of the city of Otsego SNWPLWING ..,. $ x REGULATINS1 Though „,. , j,..., 1,-,1 .....,....... ..„4.1,_ ._:...,_::.......:......_ . _ .. none of us want to think about it on .�,,•-•-••••----•-:....-••:-:• - -;-•- these fine fall days, winter and snowplowing is ”""""""""'- ' unfortunately just around the corner. Otsego's .... .::# .-::::' ..,. ...._• ::�R:: �Y:;: :�:: :, :'_ snow policy is to begin plowing when ..d .. . .Eiumi"it"`°` ; """"" the snow stops fallingon snowfalls of two inch- • r:`: " •• ai es or more. The Street Department plows the most heavily used streets first. On all streets the plows will make one pass initially to opal the .-• • • , r • ;0 t , ■� 11 road for traffic and then return later to clean up �:. •• :__ shoulders, intersections, and cul-de-sacs. Wright ~.. County is responsible for plowing County Roads 39, 42, 371, and 36. 0 �d;\ * a a u 0 PI ' :J Residents should not park vesicles on th „ „ ! streets. Place garbage cans and recycling bins at • • the edge of your driveway rather th in the w f c• .'"'. street. Drivers should always give plenty of • o • i, J • , —_- room to snowplows as blowing snow can . ,'' _ _.. obstruct the view of the operator. By following d these guidelines, winter stormsinconveniences * _ .r,t� L _ _ _ � -� > 1 and traffic hazards can be minimized. Development (JpdatQ The City has issued building permits for the construction IJJj\'JJE3 ERS of 123 new single-family homes so far in 2000. 94 of those homes are on the City sewer and water system and 29 have private well and septic. In addition, the City has issued 148 WANTED . other permits for additions, garages, decks, septic systems, • commercial buildings, and other items. The Park& Recreation Commission ... is seeking new members.The —— -- Commission oversees planning and 14 development of new and existing 1 parks in Otsego and manages the 6 .• 4; recreation events put on by the City of Otsego, namely the Haunted House and Winterfest. If you are 9 ,, b. x i ',/ interested in being involved in our f recreation events or planning our ' - parks, please fill out an application at s "• City Hall or contact any member of the Commission. Developer Jim Varuth of Pulte Homes presents a check of $389,000 for sewer, water,park and other fees to City Clerk Elaine Beatty for Prairie Creek 2nd Addition. This addi- tion consists of 31 triplex homes. Newsletter of the city of Otsego Page 3 ELAINE BEATTY'S RETIREMENT City Clerk Elaine Beatty has announced her retirement '34r effective at the end of the year. She and her husband, Jim d 4 plan to travel around the country in their RV and see the sights. Elaine has been with the City since May, 1987. She started as Deputy Clerk and was appointed City Clerk upon ,. ... the retirement of long-time City Clerk Jerry Perrault in 1995. , There will be an open house for Elaine from 1:30 p.m. to % 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 21, 2000. Coffee and �'" " r s,� . . cookies will be served, so stop by and wish her well. 9.4 � A CITY OF ‘s�,otis �c OTSEGO ../..,dv ..^. .,./ By Elaine Norin, Historic Preservation Commission The logo adopted by the City of Otsego features the "Great River Road." This title identifies a route from the source of the Mississippi River in Itasca State Park to the point where it flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The "Great River Road" in Otsego is known as County Road 39 and County Road 42. This was the first Wright County road. It was established by the County Board in 1855. The original townsite of Otsego was located at the intersection of County Road 39 and Nashua Avenue, approximately 1/2 mile north of City Hall. The original village consisted of about 400 acres and was platted in 1857. It once contained a school, post office, town hall, store, ferry boat, sawmill, blacksmith shop, church, parsonage, campgrounds and a number of homes. The only remaining buildings are the school, town hall, parsonage, and John McDonald house. The McDonald house is historically significant, as he was the first permanent European settler in Minnesota. The school, town hall, and McDonald house are owned by the City of Otsego. The Heritage Preservation Commission is working to designate these buildings and grounds as an historic preservation site. The buildings could be restored and landscaping and other improvements could make this an attractive historic park on the "Great River Road." The Historic Preservation Commission is currently looking for grants to fund this vision. Any assistance would be appreci- ated. 1 Newsletter of the city of Otsego Volume 11, October 2000 CITY OF OTSEGO 8899 Ave. fl#tei fuss Otsego,MN 55330 141*ysr (763)441-4414 Fax(763)441-8823 OFFICE HOURS: Monday through Thursday By Mayor Larry Fournier 8:00 a.m.to 6:00 p.m. Closed Fridays CITY COUNCIL: A PRIVILEGE Mayor Larry Fournier Councilmembers PRIVILEGE , Suzanne M.S.Ackerman Richard Nichols Vern Heidner Virginia Wendel OR A DUTY CITY STAFF Elaine Beatty, City Clerk/ZoningAdministrator Mike Robertson, As we approach election day, November 7th, it is good to remember that City Administrator Judy Hudson, we have a duty, as good citizens, to vote for the candidates of our choice. Deputy Clerk/Treasurer Good government begins when we all become involved in the election Carol Olson,Secretary Dave Chase, process. I am always pleased to see how crowded City Hall is on election • Maintenance Supervisor day. When we cast our ballot we ensure that we will always have this Rick Knutson,Maintenance Don Mass,Maintenance privilege. Karee Rowell,Secretary PLANNING&ZONING This year we will be electing candidates to national and state offices. It Carl Swenson,chair takes a lot of time and effort learning about all of the candidates and then Jim Kolles Patrick Moonen making a decision who to vote for. City government touches our lives Arleen Nagel much more directlythanotherof I everyone to Steve Schuck any part government. urge Christian Mbanefo participate in the City elections. Be sure to vote for the two City Council Ken Fry,alternate seats and for the office of Mayor. Eugene Goenner,alternate 1 PARKS&RECREATION I want to take this opportunity to wish all of you a wonderful fall season. Jeff Bartheld,chair Thomas Baillargeon Tom Constant Michael Day Tony Faust Sue Kroll EDA ADVISORY LeRoy Lindenfelser,chair Gabriel Davis Rudy Thibodeau Vincent Peterson Steve Ackerman Tom Koerwitz HERITAGE PRESERVATION Ron Black,chair Arlene Holen Frieda Lobeck Joan Nichols Elaine Norin Norman Schwanbeck Joy Swenson November 7, 2000 \.-41cur OF TSEGO 131 VOTE 1 off nx cx��,arvee Bn„o The Otsego View is a community newsletter for the city of Otsego. 411.D' Correspondence should be (?, sent to Otsego City Hall. Contains 50%recycled pre-consumer material.