In the Pipeline - 10 October 2020A monthly news brief from the city of New Hope, Minnesota • newhopemn.gov
October
2020
Over
October/November
City Council regular meetings: Oct. 12 and 26, Nov. 9 and 23 at 7 p.m.
City Council work sessions: Oct. 19, Nov. 16 at 6:30 p.m.
Citizen Advisory Commission meetings: Oct. 13, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.
Human Rights Commission meetings: Oct. 5, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.
Planning Commission meetings: Oct. 7, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m.
Events: Oct. 10 - HRG drop-off event, Oct. 31 - City hall open Saturday for
absentee voting, Nov. 3 - General Election Day, Nov. 26 & 27 - Th anksgiving
holiday, city offi ces closed
All meetings are at City Hall, 4401 Xylon Ave N; unless otherwise indicated.
Agendas and minutes for meetings are available on the city’s website.
Schedule is subject to change. Call 763.531.5100 for more information.
Preliminary 2021 Budget
Presented to Council
Th e preliminary 2021 budget for
the city of New Hope was presented
to the City Council at the Sept. 14
council meeting with a general fund
budget of $15,936,977, which is an
increase of $526,427 or 3.4% over the
2020 budget. Th e major changes in
the budget are for wages and benefi ts,
implementation of new body and
squad camera purchases in the police
department and for West Metro Fire-
Rescue District services. Every eff ort
was made to keep the general fund
tax levy as low as possible.
Th e total tax levy is a 3.4% increase
over the 2020 tax levy and includes
a 5% increase in the street and park
infrastructure tax levies to help fund
infrastructure improvements.
Th e median home value for taxes pay-
able in 2021 is $257,000, an increase
of 5.33% from 2020. Th e estimated
impact on residential homes based
on a 3.4% increase in the city tax
rate is 2%. For homes valued be-
tween $150,000 and $400,000, the
tax increase is estimated to be $14
to $43. Th e city tax rate is projected
to decrease from 64.721% in 2020 to
62.471% in 2021.
A public hearing on the 2021 budget
will be held at 7 p.m. on Dec. 7.
During this time, all city programs and events are subject to change. Please check newhopemn.gov for up-to-date information.
Special Materials Drop-Off Day
Here’s your chance to recycle those items that can’t go in your recycling cart or
that you can’t put out for the curbside cleanup.
Drop off your mattresses, electronics, appliances, tires, scrap metal, bikes, bat-
teries and more at Brooklyn Park’s Operations & Maintenance facility, 8300
Noble Ave N. on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fees may be charged
for some items. Th ere will also be free paper shredding.
Th e Special Materials Drop-Off Day is open to residents of Brooklyn Park,
Brooklyn Center, Crystal and New Hope. For more information including a
complete list of what is accepted visit hrg-recycling.com or call
763.493.8006.
Pumpkin Disposal
After midnight what does your
pumpkin turn into? How about
changing it into valuable compost?
Pumpkins can be placed in your back-
yard compost bin. If you don’t have
a bin, use the free drop-off container
in Central Park across the street from
Brooklyn Park’s Operations & Main-
tenance facility, 8300 Noble Ave N.
between Sunday, Nov. 1 and Monday,
Nov. 9. Remove all candles, candle
wax and decorations before disposal.
Pumpkins will be made into compost
that will be used to make soil and
landscapes healthy.
Beware of Scammers
Th e New Hope Police Department
is investigating a number of cases of
scammers posing as family members,
government agencies and online busi-
nesses in order to steal large amounts
of money from victims. Th ese scam-
mers may reach out via phone, email,
text, social media or even postal
mail. We urge residents to protect
their money and their identity by not
sharing personal information like
bank account numbers, social secu-
rity numbers, or birth dates and not
withdrawing or wiring money based
on scare tactics. If you believe you are
being scammed or are contacted by
anyone requesting you withdraw large
sums of money call 911 and do NOT
follow the scammer’s instructions.
Movie in the Park
Join us on Saturday, Oct. 24 for an
evening movie at the New Hope Per-
formance Center. Watch Th e Addams
Family (2019 version, rated PG) and
participate in a family costume con-
test. Families are asked to maintain
six feet of distance between groups
and masks are encouraged. Th e movie
is free, but please preregister. Limited
space available.
Recreation Corner
Wine & Paint pARTy
Uncork the fun at this 21+ class on Friday, Nov. 6 at New Hope Village
Golf Course from 6-9 p.m., where you will create this spectacular “Up
North” painting on a 16x20-inch canvas. Vanessa with Merry Time Arts
will guide you with step-by-step instructions. Fee includes all materials
and a glass of wine. Limited concessions menu and additional wine will be
available for purchase. Cost is $36 per person, register by Oct. 28.
Lots of fun activities scheduled for MEA Break
Are you looking for youth activities during MEA break, Oct. 15-16? Th e
parks and recreation department has fun activities planned. Musical Th e-
ater Camps will take place at the Crystal Community Center on Th ursday
and Friday for ages 5-12, and an Aviation Exploration Camp will be held
at the Crystal Airport on Th ursday and Friday for ages 8-11. In addition, a
Virtual Science of Slime class will be held on Friday for ages 8-14.
For more information about these programs or to register, call the
New Hope Parks and Recreation offi ce at 763.531.5151 or visit
webtrac.nhrecexpress.com.
Election Day is fast approaching! Voters who need to register or update their
registration due to a name or address change may register in advance online at
mnvotes.org or complete the paper application available at mnvotes.org or at
New Hope City Hall. Eligible voters can also register or update their registra-
tion when voting, whether absentee or on Election Day. Voters will need to
provide proof of residence to register.
Polling locations are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 and you must
vote at your assigned polling place on Election Day. If you are unsure of your
polling location, visit mnvote.org or call the New Hope Elections Line at
763.531.5160.
Based on recommended guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and the Minnesota Department of Health, the city of New Hope
requests voters to wear face masks and to stay 6 feet apart through the in-
person voting process.
Nov. 3 is General Election Day
During election season, a number of organizations
attempt to increase voter participation by sending out
mailings that encourage people to register to vote or
apply for an absentee ballot.
Although these mailings are not sent by Hennepin County Elections, the
registration applications and ballot applications are routed there. Additionally,
the Minnesota Secretary of State’s offi ce will be sending absentee ballot ap-
plications to all registered voters who have not already applied for an absentee
ballot.
If you receive one of these mailings, and have already applied for an absentee
ballot, please recycle the mailing. It is not necessary to submit a second
application.
Watch for Election Mailings
Absentee Vote
by Mail or In Person
To minimize direct contact with
others due to COVID-19, all eligible
Minnesota voters are encouraged
to request an absentee ballot for the
Nov. 3 General Election.
Voters may absentee vote through
Nov. 2 in person at New Hope City
Hall on weekdays from 8 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. or Saturday, Oct. 31 from
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Voters will need to
complete an absentee ballot applica-
tion in order to receive a ballot.
Voters may also apply for an absen-
tee ballot online and complete the
ballot process entirely by mail (voters
can track their ballot online).
Be sure to allow suffi cient time to
complete the process by mail; absen-
tee ballots must be postmarked on or
before Nov. 3.
To view a sample ballot, fi nd a
polling location, check the status
of an absentee ballot, check voter
registration status and more visit
mnvotes.org. Additional ques-
tions? Call the New Hope Elections
Line at 763.531.5160.
• Oct. 13: Pre-registration ends
at 5 p.m. for the General
Election
• Oct. 27: Direct balloting
begins for in-person absentee
voting (voters feed the ballot
through the tabulator just like
on Election Day)
• Oct. 31: New Hope City Hall
open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
for in-person absentee voting
• Nov. 2: In-person absentee
voting for the General Election
ends at 5 p.m.
• Nov. 3: General/Presidential
Election day, polls open 7 a.m.
to 8 p.m.
Important
Election Dates