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OtsegoNewsletter_Summer2012NATIoNAl NIgHT oUT National Night out is Tuesday, August 7, 2012. Sponsored by the Otsego Police Commission, National Night Out is a great opportunity for neighbors to come together and get to know one another. If your neighborhood is planning an event for that evening, and would like a visit from the Wright County Sheriff or Fire Department, please register no later than Monday, July 23, 2012. To register, please send the event coordinator’s name, address and telephone number along with the location of the event and time to cityhall@ci.otsego.mn.us. Otsego residents will head to the polls again this fall for Federal, State and local elections. Important dates to be aware of are: – July 31 — August 14 (filing for City office) – August 14 — Primary Elections (Polls open at 7 AM to 8 PM) – November 6 — general Elections (Polls open at 7 AM to 8 PM) Voters also need to be aware that the City is changing its process for conducting elections this year by dividing the City into three precincts that will vote at two polling places. The need to establish precincts is based on the continued growth in number of possible voters since the last election and also the decision by the State to divide Otsego into two legisla- tive districts. The polling places are listed at left. To determine which precinct you are in visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website at http://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/. A map showing the precinct boundaries and polling places is also available on the City’s website. Election Judges Needed Election judges are essential to our democracy by serving as officials to staff local polling places, administer election procedures, and ensure that the rights of voters are protected on Election Day. Serving as an election judge provides an opportunity to learn about the elections process and is a great service to the community. To be an election judge you must meet all of the following qualifications: – You must be eligible to vote in Minnesota – You must be able to read, write, and speak English – You cannot be a spouse, parent, child, or sibling of any election judge serving in the same precinct at the same time – You cannot be a candidate or the spouse, parent, child, or sibling of any candidate on the ballot in that precinct To be considered to be an election judge, please contact City Clerk Tami Loff at City Hall to receive an application. All election appointments are made by the City Council before the primary. If appointed, you must attend training conducted by the County Auditor. NEWSLETTER • SUMMER 2012 VIEW 2012 ELECTIONS IN THIS ISSUE: NEW! Parks and Recreation Insert Property Maintenance Building and Burning Permits Curfews National Night Out Otseg o PRECINCT 1-A Otsego City Hall; 8899 Nashua Avenue NE Please use the main entrance PRECINCT 2-A Otsego Elementary; 8125 River Road NE Please use Door 1 PRECINCT 3 Otsego Elementary; 8125 River Road NE Please use Door 1 ZIP CoDES Otsego properties are served by five post offices each with a separate zip code: 55330, 55374, 55301, 55376 and 55362. Because the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is not adding new Post Offices, it is unlikely Otsego will have its own designated Zip Code. But the City Council has worked with the USPS and area Post Masters to get approval for property owners to utilize “Otsego” as their mailing address regardless of Zip Code. Using “Otsego” as part of your address helps better identify the City and strengthens community identity. We encourage you to include it on all of your mailed correspondence. PRoPERTY MAINTENANCE Everyone is excited to get outside and spruce up their property after the mild winter. Here are some City Code regulations to follow to help keep Otsego an attractive and inviting place to live: – Lawns and boulevard areas must be mowed regularly so that grass is not longer than eight (8) inches except as allowed by the City Code. – Noxious weeds (and dandelions) must be eliminated before the plants go to seed. – Planting within the boulevard or public right-of-way (generally 16 feet behind the curb or street) is limited to deciduous trees with minimum clearance requirements for vehicles and pedestrians. Note that the City is not responsible any damage to plants or trees within the boulevard or public right-of-way. – Exterior storage on residential properties is limited to licensed and operable passenger vehicles less than 12,000 lbs gross vehicle weight parked on a driveway, two recreational vehicles and/or licensed trailers, construction or landscaping materials being used for a current project on the property or other common items such as outdoor furniture or neatly stacked firewood. – Selling of automobiles, recreational equipment or similar property belonging to the occupant is limited to two items per calendar year and must be parked on a driveway and not within the public right-of-way. For more information regarding specific property maintenance requirements, please contact City Hall or visit the City’s website. There is a property self-test on the Code Enforcement page of the website to help evaluate the condition of your property and your neighborhood. BUIlDINg PERMITS Residents planning improvement projects should check with the Department of Building Safety about building permit requirements. The Department of Building Safety works with residents and business owners to ensure structure safety in accordance with Minnesota Building and Fire Codes, which requires building permits for roofing, siding, decks, and sheds. Permits are also required by the City for fences and swimming pools. The Department of Building Safety hours are Monday-Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Friday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon. For more information or to obtain a building permit, please call the Department of Building Safety at 763.441.2593. Lawn care practices can have a large impact in reducing phosphorous, decreasing algae growth and promoting overall water quality for plants, animals and you. By following these techniques your lawn will look great and will not be harming nearby wetlands, streams, lakes or rivers. – Leaving grass clippings on the lawn provides the equivalent of one application of fertilizer per year. – By sweeping lawn clippings from sidewalks, driveways and streets you will greatly reduce the amount of phosphorus that reaches area water bodies. – Maintain a 20 foot buffer of native plantings from any wetland or stormwater basin to filter out nutrients that cause algae and water plant growth – these plants will also keep geese from your yard. – Water lawns between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. to reduce evaporation and minimize the potential for diseases that will harm your lawn. – Wash your car on the lawn using non-phosphorus soap to keep water out of the storm drain and irrigate the grass at the same time. – Use pesticides and herbicides only to the extent necessary and by following the label directions exactly. – Compost containers must comply with City Code requirements and be setback from wetlands, water bodies or drainageways to avoid leaching phosphorus directly into the water. – It is illegal to dispose of yard and tree waste with household garbage – contact your waste hauler for a yard bin or visit the City’s website for information on compost sites. W AT E R Q UA l IT Y Greetings Neighbors! lITTlE fREE lIBRARY Otsego Parks and Recreation is participating in the Little Free Library program to encourage families to enjoy books together after area resident Amy Stemler presented the idea to the city. Here is how it works — donated children’s books, adult novels or magazines will be placed inside a library box located at City parks. People can take a book or magazine, read it and return it to the Little Library. The program is free and runs on the honor system. The library boxes will be wood structures designed to look like miniature wood houses and are being built by volunteers. The City will start the program with a Little Library at Prairie Park and then expand into the neighborhood parks thorough the community. Churches, businesses or schools are other opportunities to locate a Little Library. For more information about the Little Libraries please visit the City’s website. ~ Jessica Stockamp Park Highlight – Mississippi River Trail Bikeway (MRT) The City of Otsego is working with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Wright County and neighboring cities to promote the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) Bikeway. The MRT is a bicycle route that follows the Mississippi River from the headwaters at Itasca State Park to the Gulf of Mexico through 10 states — essentially to bicycling what the Great River Road is to automobiles. The majority of the MRT route is along relatively low volume roads using shoulders opposed to separated trails, thus the “bikeway” designation. The route goes through Otsego along CSAH 39 and CSAH 42 and MRT signs will be going up this summer to mark the way. The MRT is a potentially unique economic development tool for Otsego to attract avid bike enthusiasts to area businesses as well as proximity of City and County parks. MNDoT is planning a number of “discovery rides” in 2012 to tour the designated route and promote the MRT. For more information regarding the MRT and the discovery rides, please visit the City’s website or the MRT website at www.mississippirivertrail.org. Notes from the Mayor I’m pleased to announce that Otsego has launched the new and improved City website at www.ci.otsego.mn.us. There has been a significant increase in the number of people visiting the website over the last couple of years as it becomes a primary resource for residents to communicate with the City. For that reason, the City Council began exploring options for a website redesign that would bring the City’s online presence into a new era of technology and feature a design reflective of Otsego’s identity. Our goal was to create a cutting edge website that would provide information in a visually appealing, user-friendly way where it is easy for the public to find what they’re looking for and interact with the City. The new Otsego website features an inviting design that includes many images of the community and several new online tools, including convenient navigational menus, real-time news and event information, a dynamic and searchable set of frequently asked questions, an easy-to-use facility directory and more. Whether you’re looking for information about City meetings, parks and recreation programs, election information or City Codes you’re sure to quickly find it. City staff members have put in significant time and effort to make this new website a success. And, I’d like to join them in welcoming the Otsego community to visit us online and experience the new website today. Speaking of recreation programs, the Otsego has hired its first Parks and Recreation Manager, Ross Demant, who joined the City staff on April 5. With Ross’s background and experience, residents can look forward to many exciting recreational activities as this new department gets started! Ross will be responsible for developing recreation and athletic programs to be offered through the City, coordinating with existing youth associations, as well as overseeing maintenance of the City’s parks. A special page has been added to this edition of the Otsego View highlighting the initial program offerings for this season, including a continuation of the popular entertainment in the park events. And of course, more information is available on the City’s website. As always, best wishes to you and your family for a safe summer season! The City website had 1,432 unique hits between January and March of this year. In addition to the viewing the home page, the just over 14 % of the site visits also looked at available city Maps and approximately 11 % of website users viewed the city GovernMent and event paGes. Parks and Recreation, New Resident Info, City Jobs and Codes/Ordinances were also among the Top 10 most visited pages within the City’s website. Otsego Facts . &PARKSRecreation CITY OF OTSEGO Date Night! TUESDAYS @ 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 19 Raptor Center Tuesday, June 26 Eastman Nature Center Slither & Slime Tuesday, July 10 Brian Richards: Magician Tuesday, July 17 Zoomobile Tuesday, July 24 The Bazillions WEDNESDAYS @ 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 20 Dojo Karate Exhibition Team Wednesday, June 27 Mary Hall: Musical Program Wednesday, July 11 Star Michaelina: Magician Otsego is proud to announce the expansion of its Parks and Recreation Department! Here are some of the event highlights for this summer. Visit www.ci.otsego.mn.us for more programs and information. Come and join the Mayor, City Council, and the Park Commission as we unvail the newest addition to the Parks And Recreation Department, the Prairie Park Splash Pad. We will have activities running throughout the evening, and make sure you come early to get your chance to dunk the Mayor! Wright County K-9 Demo — 5:30 p.m Teddy Bear Band — 6:00-6:45 p.m. State Patrol Helicopter — 7:00 p.m Ribbon Cutting — 7:30 p.m Prairie Park Splash & Play Entertainment june 14th Splash Pad Grand Opening The city of Otsego is pairing up with Riverwood Inn and Conference Center to offer couples canoe trips down the Mississippi River. Couples will park at the beautiful Riverwood Inn and Conference Center and be taxied up to a boat launch where they will begin their guided trip down the Mississippi River. The trip will end at Riverwood where couples will end the day with dinner, the cost of which is included with the trip. Trips will be Mondays (July 16th, August 20th, September 17th.) The adventure begins at 5:30 p.m. Cost: $49 per couple For more information or to register, visit www.ci.otsego.mn.us &PARKSRecreation CITY OF OTSEGO Visit www.ci.otsego.mn.us for more programs and information. PRESCHoolERS ExPloRINg NATURE AgES 4-6 Enrich your child’s learning in an interactive and natural setting. Otsego’s beautiful parks will become their playground where they will exercise their minds and bodies by learning social skills, creativity and group cooperation. Fun activities include: hiking, nature games, crafts and storytelling. July 24 — Prairie Park August 6 — Waterfront East July 31 — Lilly Park August 13 — Frankfort Park August 21 — Kitterage Park oTSEgo PARK RACINg SERIES Come out for these fun races at parks throughout the city of Otsego. Kids will be able to race against others their same age and all runners will get a ribbon for participating. There will be three races throughout the summer each one at a different park. Races start at 7:00 p.m. June 28 — Prairie Park July 19 — Waterfront East August 16 — School Knoll Park EASTMAN NATURE CENTER INSECTS AT CITY HAll WEDNESDAY, JUlY 18 AT 6:30 P.M. 3RD lAIR SKATEBoARD CAMP 3rd Lair Skateboard Camp has been continually developed and improved over the last 15 years. We have taken strides to incorporate the great ideas of instructors, students, park and rec representatives, and parents. The goal of camp is to provide a safe and fun learning environment where young skaters can progress. Camp is more than just a lesson; it is an experience. Riders of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to attend. AUgUST 6-10TH — $170 PER PERSoN T-BAll (HElD AT fRANKfoRT PARK) PARENT/ CHIlD T-BAll 3-4 Parents & kids participate together on the same team with a coach for each team 2 Nights available — Mondays or Wednesdays T-BAll 5-6 Kids are divided into teams with a coach for each team 2 Nights available — Tuesdays or Thursdays REgISTRATIoN April 23-June 1 (or until full) FEE: $29 (Includes Shirt & Hat) Games will be scheduled between 5:30-7:30 p.m. Games start June 19 and end July 25 no games during the week of July 4th SoCCER ClINIC (HElD AT PRAIRIE PARK) 4-6 YEARS olD Tuesdays & Thursdays 2 times available 9-9:45 a.m. or 10-10:45 a.m. 7-9 YEARS olD Tuesdays & Thursdays 11-11:45 a.m. This program is designed to teach kids the fundamentals of soccer in a fun supportive environment. Skills that will be worked on are dribbling, shooting, passing, and team work. The kids will also have a chance to scrimmage. $5 each session or $20 for all 5 Starts July 24; ends August 21 Tuesdays @ 10 a.m. 4 and under — 200 yards 5 and 6 — 200 yards 7 and 8 — .5 Miles 9 and 10 — .5 Miles 11 and 12 — 1 mile P R S R T D S T D U . S . P O S T A G E P A I D P E R M I T N O . 1 7 9 1 T W I N C I T I E S , M N T i m e D a t e d M a t e r i a l C I T Y H A l l : 8 8 9 9 N a s h u a A v e n u e N E O t s e g o , M N 5 5 3 3 0 P H o N E N U M B E R S M a i n / A d m i n i s t r a t i o n : 7 6 3 - 4 4 1 - 4 4 1 4 B u i l d i n g D e p t . : 7 6 3 - 4 4 1 - 2 5 9 3 U t i l i t y B i l l i n g : 7 6 3 - 4 4 1 - 2 3 1 0 F a x : 7 6 3 - 4 4 1 - 8 8 2 3 o f f I C E H o U R S : A d m i n i s t r a t i o n M o n - T h u : 8 a . m . – 6 p . m . F r i : C l o s e d B u i l d i n g D e p a r t m e n t M o n - T h u : 8 a . m . – 6 p . m . F r i : 8 a . m . – N o o n P a r k s a n d R e c r e a t i o n M o n - T h u : 8 a . m . – 6 p . m . F r i : 8 a . m . – N o o n U t i l i t y D e p a r t m e n t M o n - T h u : 8 a . m . – 5 p . m . F r i : 8 a . m . – N o o n C I T Y C o U N C I l : J e s s i c a S t o c k a m p ( M a y o r ) T o m D a r k e n w a l d V e r n H e i d n e r D a n S c h a r b e r D o u g S c h r o e d e r C i t y W e b s i t e w w w . c i . o t s e g o . m n . u s BURNINg PERMITS The City together with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources regulates open burning within the City in accordance with Chapter 5, Section 4 of the City Code. A burning permit is required for all open burns except for recreational fires within a 3 foot by 3 foot area and setback 20 feet from any structure. Recreational fires are limited to dry, clean wood that is unpainted or untreated including cord wood, branches, limbs, twigs dimensional lumber cut into lengths not longer than three feet. A burning permit may be obtained at City Hall or from the DNR website at https://webapps8.dnr.state. mn.us/burning_permits/. Once a burning permit has been issued, it is the permit holder’s responsibility to confirm that no burning ban is in effect prior to starting an open burn or recreational fire and the permit holder must be constantly in attendance of the fire. No fire may be allowed to smolder with no person in attendance and the open burn or recreational fire must be completely extinguished before the permit holder leaves the site. D o g S Dogs are required by the City Code to be kept within the boundaries of their owners’ property or otherwise leashed or controlled by command of a responsible person so as to effectively be under control as by leash. Dog owners are required to pick up and dispose of feces when walking their dogs in City parks or along public trails and sidewalks. Feces must also be picked up and disposed of from yards or otherwise be subject to enforcement of nuisance violations. To report a dangerous dog, dog running at large or barking dog that is disturbing the peace, please call the Wright County Sheriff by dialing 911. Juvenile Curfew Parents should be aware this summer that the City has established curfew hours for minors. Except when accompanied by a parent or other guardian or under specific circumstances outlined by the City Code, persons under the age of 18 may not be in any public place or establishment during the following hours: — Under 16 years of age: Between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. each day of the week. — Age 16 or 17: Between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday—Thursday; 12 midnight and 5 a.m. Friday—Saturday The full curfew ordinance is Chapter 5, Section 3 of the City Code and is available by contacting City Hall or on the City’s website under city code.