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In Touch_November/December 2022NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 NO. 217 What's Inside Getting In Touch NEW HOPE CITY HALL4401 Xylon Avenue North New Hope, MN 55428 763.531.5100 CITY WEBSITE newhopemn.gov EMAIL cityhall@newhopemn.gov NEW HOPE CITY COUNCIL Mayor - Kathi Hemken khemken@newhopemn.gov | 763.537.7990 Council Member - John Elder jelder@newhopemn.gov | 612.578.4322 Council Member - Andy Hoffe ahoffe@newhopemn.gov | 763.537.2647 Council Member - Michael Isenberg misenberg@newhopemn.gov | 612.568.2337 Council Member - Jonathan London jlondon@newhopemn.gov | 763.546.1293 Acting City Manager - Tim Hoyt thoyt@newhopemn.gov | 763.398.1203 FREQUENTLY CALLED NUMBERS Inspections: 763.531.5127 Parks and Recreation: 763.531.5151 Public Works: 763.592.6777 Utility Billing: 763.592.6760 Police (non-emergency): 763.531.5170 NEW HOPE IN TOUCH | PAGE 1 A PUBLICATION OF THE CITY OF NEW HOPE, MINNESOTA A great place to grow! 4401 Xylon Avenue North New Hope, MN 55428 Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 2330 Current resident or CITY OF NEW HOPE PAGE 2 Winter/Spring In Motion Mayor for a Day Essay Contest Mark Your Calendars Scattered Site Program Updates PAGE 3 Free, Confidential Business Counseling Flushing Wipes Clogs Pipes Holiday Lights Won’t Light? Recycle Them Snowman/Snow Sculpture Contest Enjoy New Hope’s Outdoor Rinks This Winter Recreation Corner PAGE 4 New Hope Employee of the Quarter Winter Safety Tips Food and Toy Drives Host Your Next Event at a New Hope Facility Join the New Hope Police Reserves New Hope Election Results The 2022 Election Day results are in, and 8,498 New Hope residents cast ballots for the Nov. 8 General Election. Voter turnout in New Hope was nearly 66%. New Hope had two at-large City Council seats on the ballot, with four candidates running. Incumbent council members John Elder and Jonathan London were reelected to the Council for another term. Elder received 3,913 votes and London received 3,411. Elder has served on the Council since 2007 and London since 2015. New Hope’s election results were certified by the Canvassing Board at its meeting on Nov. 14. The next scheduled election in New Hope is in 2024. Winter Weather Reminders When winter weather hits, New Hope Public Works is dedicated to ensuring that roads are cleared of snow and ice, and are safe for travel. To help support the efficient clearing of city infrastructure and prepare yourself for the inevitable snow and ice, here are some winter reminders. SNOW EMERGENCIES A snowfall of two inches or more, or warranting conditions, triggers a snow emergency. When a snow emergency is declared, parking is prohibited on city streets and may not resume until the road has been plowed from curb to curb. Cars remaining on the street during a snow emergency will be ticketed and towed. New Hope communicates snow emergencies via local media, the CodeRED notification system (sign up to receive notifications at newhopemn.gov/codered) and the city's digital signage, website and social media. Parking is prohibited on New Hope city streets from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. year-round, regardless of snow emergency status. SNOWPLOW SAFETY When driving, slow down and give snowplows plenty of space. Drivers have a limited field of vision and cannot see tailgating vehicles. Additionally, plows frequently back up or turn unexpectedly. Be patient. Snowplows travel slowly because it's the most effective way to clear the roadway. Warn children about the dangers of playing in snowbanks made by the plows. Plow drivers will continue to clear snow in the days following a significant snow event and cannot see children playing in the snowbanks. Also, the additional weight of snow can cause forts to collapse, posing a severe risk. SIDEWALKS AND HYDRANTS Many of our neighbors rely on sidewalks to travel to their destinations. Uncleared sidewalks make travel difficult and dangerous for pedestrians, including those who have limited mobility. It is the responsibility of residents and business owners to clear snow from sidewalks adjacent to their property. Snow must be removed from sidewalks within 12 hours of snowfall. The West Metro Fire-Rescue District encourages residents to shovel out fire hydrants on/near their property. Keeping hydrants clear of snow reduces firefighters' time to access a hydrant when needed. TRASH AND RECYCLING BINS Residents are reminded to keep trash and recycling bins off of the street. Not only does this make it easier for plows to clear the road from curb to curb, but the force of the snow coming off the plow blade can easily topple bins, creating an unpleasant mess. MOVING SNOW Don't shovel or plow snow into the street, across the street or onto an adjacent neighbor's property. Moving snow and ice onto a sidewalk or into or across a roadway is unlawful. Questions or concerns about snow removal may be directed to New Hope Public Works at 763.592.6777. Mark Your Calendars DECEMBER Dec. 5 Holiday Tea Human Rights Commission Meeting Dec. 6 Planning Commission Meeting Dec. 7 2023 Budget Public Hearing Dec. 10 Santa Parade Dec. 12 New Hope City Council Meeting Dec. 13 Citizen Advisory Commission Meeting Dec. 16 Skate with Santa Dec. 19 New Hope City Council Work Session Dec. 26 City Holiday, City Offices Closed Dec. 27 Open Skate and a Movie JANUARY Jan. 2 City Holiday, City Offices Closed Jan. 3 Human Rights Commission Meeting Planning Commission Meeting Jan. 9 New Hope City Council Meeting Jan. 10 Citizen Advisory Commission Meeting Jan. 16 City Holiday, City Offices Closed Jan. 17 New Hope City Council Work Session Jan. 23 New Hope City Council Meeting Skate with the Snow Princesses City council and commission meetings begin at 7 p.m. City council work sessions begin at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are held at New Hope City Hall, 4401 Xylon Ave N unless otherwise noted. The public is welcome to attend. NEW HOPE IN TOUCH | PAGE 2 Single Family Property Updates Continue Through City's Scattered Site Program Over the years, the city has utilized its Economic Development Authority (EDA) to acquire several properties as part of the Scattered Site Housing Program. The program's primary focus is to target distressed single-family properties throughout the city, aiming to improve residential neighborhoods. Objectives of the program include removing distressed/blighted properties, providing step-up housing options in the city, improving overall housing stock, investing and instilling confidence into neighborhoods and increasing housing and land values. 4637 AQUILA AVE N The EDA acquired the fire-damaged home for $73,000 in 2021. What remained of the house was demolished, and the lot was prepared for the construction of a new single-family home. The EDA sold the lot to Great Buy Homes, which constructed a 2,700-square-foot split-level entry home that sold for $460,000 in July of 2022. The home features five bedrooms and three bathrooms. This property is the eighth home Great Buy Homes has constructed in New Hope through the program. 5213 PENNSYLVANIA AVE N The EDA acquired the single-family home for $170,000 in February of 2021. The house was demolished, and the lot was prepared for the construction of a new single- family home. The lot was sold to custom home builder Donnay Homes, which constructed a 3,100-square-foot two-story home that sold for $575,000 in August of 2022, the highest sale price of any scattered site project to date. The home includes five bedrooms, an office, four bathrooms and a finished basement with a wet bar. Exterior upgrades include a stone veneer along the back of the front porch and a patio in the backyard. Through the program, Donnay Homes has constructed two homes in New Hope. 5306 RHODE ISLAND AVE N The EDA acquired the single-family home for $213,000 in January 2022. The city's demolition contractor for the project subcontracted with a nonprofit organization called Better Futures Minnesota to deconstruct the home. Unlike demolition, deconstruction removes a house or building so that materials can be recycled, repurposed or reused instead of being sent to a landfill. Salvaged materials are then sold at the Better Futures' ReUSE warehouse. The lot was sold to custom home builder Fieldstone Family Homes, which is currently constructing a two-story home, projected to sell for $575,000. The 2,259-square-foot home will include four bedrooms, a den, three bathrooms, a three-stall garage, a front porch and a deck. The buyer will have the option of finishing the basement. This is the first home in the city to be constructed by Fieldstone Family Homes. 4201 BOONE AVE N The property was previously owned by TreeHouse, a nonprofit organization that serves teenagers. In November of 2021, TreeHouse merged its New Hope and Plymouth locations and closed the New Hope building. The EDA acquired the tax- exempt property in June of 2022 to demolish the existing building, split the lot into two parcels and sell the lots to a builder to construct two new single-family homes. Access to both lots will be via Boone Avenue North. The contractor completed demolition this fall, and the lot split will be processed by the end of the year. The parcels will then be marketed to scattered site builders. Mayor for a Day Essay Contest What would New Hope be like if kids were in charge? The League of Minnesota Cities is holding its annual essay contest to find out! Fourth, fifth and sixth graders can enter the Mayor for a Day Essay Contest and share their thoughts for a chance to win $100 and recognition in Minnesota Cities magazine. This year’s essay question is: Cities provide a variety of services and programs that make our lives better, including parks & rec, street maintenance, water and sewer, libraries, police, fire and more! If you were mayor for a day, what would you do to make one of the services that your city provides even better? The entry deadline is Dec. 12. Winners only will be notified in early January. Learn more at lmc.org/mayorforaday. NEW HOPE IN TOUCH | PAGE 3 Recreation Corner SKATE WITH SANTA Santa is making a special appearance at the New Hope Ice Arena for Skate with Santa coming up Friday, Dec. 16, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Families, lace up your skates and join Santa for an evening of skating, treats and fun! Hot chocolate and cookies will be served, and Santa will be available for pictures. Open skating is $5 per person, and rental skates are available for $3. Please bring a nonperishable food item to donate to the local food shelf. New Hope Ice Arena is located at 4949 Louisiana Ave N. OPEN SKATE & A MOVIE Families, join us for open skating on the south rink at the New Hope Ice Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 27 from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. Afterward, stay for a FREE showing of Encanto on a jumbo screen on the north rink at noon. Bring your own skates (or rent skates) for skating, and bring a jacket and a blanket to watch the movie! Open skating is $5 per person, and the movie is free. HOLIDAY TEA Adults join us for a delightful afternoon of tea on Monday, Dec. 5 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. with entertainment by members of the Golden Valley Orchestra, followed by finger foods and desserts. Bring your own teacup and saucer to add to the fun. The event is at Brookview, 316 Brookview Pkwy in Golden Valley. $10 for New Hope, Crystal and Golden Valley residents or $17 for nonresidents. Register by Dec. 2. WINTER BREAK ACTIVITIES Youth are you looking for something to do over winter break? Various camps and activities will take place, including Soccer Camp on Dec. 27 and 28 for grades 4-8, Open Gym for grades 8-12 on Dec. 29 and 30, Discovery Dinosaurs for grades K-3 on Dec. 29, Animation Studio for ages 8-14 and Kinderlab STEAM Camp for ages 5-7 held Jan. 3-5. For more information about these programs or to register, visit newhopemn.gov/rec or call New Hope Parks and Recreation at 763.531.5151. Need a trusted business advisor, or need help obtaining funding to start up or expand your business? Small businesses provide the economic lifeblood for the communities we serve. These small firms generate the jobs and income that make an important difference for families and neighborhoods throughout our metropolitan region. "Open to Business" provides free, confidential business counseling to current and prospective entrepreneurs. Their experienced consultants work with small business owners to access the technical assistance and financing options they need to succeed. Locally, Open to Business is a partnership between New Hope and the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD), an association of nonprofit community development organizations serving the Twin Cities. With the help of a matching grant from Hennepin County, New Hope works with MCCD to provide business consultation services and financial advice to small local business owners and aspiring business owners. The program offers assistance in several areas, including business plan assistance, financial management, bookkeeping set-up and training, loan packaging, real estate analysis, marketing assistance, strategic planning and more. Entrepreneurs can meet with a business advisor one-on-one at New Hope City Hall by scheduling an appointment. Arrangements can also be made to meet virtually or at the MCCD offices in Minneapolis. For more information, contact Vicky Gonzales, Business Advisor at MCCD, at vgonzalez@mccdmn.org or 612.843.3269. Free, Confidential Business Counseling Flushing Wipes Clogs Pipes Disposable wipes have been causing problems in communities across the metro, and New Hope is no different. Wipes, used for changing diapers, personal hygiene, housecleaning and more, cause significant problems when flushed down toilets. Though many of these products are labeled “flushable” or “septic safe,” they are anything but. The same goes for facial tissues, baby wipes, paper towels and other products. Because they don’t break down the way toilet paper does, disposable wipes clog homeowner and municipal sewer pipes, put stress on community wastewater collection and treatment equipment and cause cities to spend thousands of dollars on premature equipment repair and replacement. Wipes snag on any imperfection in sewer pipes, catch passing debris and grease and create a “ball” that will grow to plug the line. They also get drawn into sewer-line and wastewater treatment plant pumps and clog and damage them, which results in costly repairs. Protect your pipes and New Hope’s infrastructure by only disposing of wipes in the trash. Enjoy New Hope's Outdoor Rinks This Winter Strap on your skates, outdoor rinks are back this winter! Ice rinks with warming house facilities will be maintained at three New Hope parks this season: • Hidden Valley Park, 8800 32nd Ave N • Liberty Park, 9015 60th Ave N • Lions Park, 3810 Oregon Ave N Each location will have a hockey rink. Liberty and Lions parks will also have general skating rinks. Hockey equipment is not allowed on general skating rinks. Please note that warming house staffing has been reduced this year, but benches are available near the rink and lights will be on at the rinks from 5 to 9 p.m. daily. WARMING HOUSE HOURS Dec. 6 to Feb. 20 (weather permitting): Fridays: 5 to 8 p.m. Saturdays: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays: 1 to 5 p.m. Winter Break (Dec. 26 to Jan. 8): 1 to 8 p.m. Dec. 31 (New Year’s Eve): 1 to 3 p.m. Jan. 16 and Feb. 20: 1 to 8 p.m. Holiday Lights Won't Light? Recycle Them! Don’t let holiday lights that won’t light make you feel grinchy. Recycle used lights for free at the Hennepin County Drop-Off Facility, 8100 Jefferson Hwy in Brooklyn Park. Lights contain many materials which can be given new life when recycled. Note: Don’t place holiday lights in curbside recycling carts. Things like light strings, rope, chains, plastic bags, hoses, etc. wrap around machinery at the sorting facility creating extra work for employees and potentially damaging equipment. NEW HOPE IN TOUCH | PAGE 4 Winter Safety Tips More fires happen in the winter months than at any other time of the year. During the cold months, we spend more time indoors and use different methods to heat our homes. HOLIDAY FIRE SAFETY • Only use decorations that are flame-retardant or non-flammable. • Check holiday lights each year for frayed wires or excessive wear. • Don’t link more than three strands of holiday lights. • Never leave a burning candle unattended. Consider using battery-operated flameless candles. • Keep live Christmas trees away from heat sources and room exits. • Water live Christmas trees daily to keep them from becoming dry. PORTABLE HEATERS • Ensure the heater has an automatic shut-off so that if it tips over, it shuts off. • Check your heaters for any cracked or damaged cords or plugs. • Keep anything that can burn, such as bedding, clothing and curtains, at least three feet from the heater. • Plug portable heaters directly into wall outlets. Never use an extension cord or power strip. • Turn heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room. FIREPLACES • Keep a glass or metal screen in front of the fireplace to prevent embers or sparks from jumping out and starting a fire. • Do not burn paper in your fireplace. • Before going to sleep or leaving your home, extinguish the fire completely. • Put ashes in a metal container with a lid. Store the container outside at least three feet from your home. WOOD STOVES • Have your chimney inspected and cleaned each year by a professional. • Keep anything that can burn at least three feet from the stove. • Refrain from burning paper in your wood stove. • Before going to sleep or leaving your home, put the fire out completely. CARBON MONOXIDE AND SMOKE DETECTORS When heating your home, you need to be aware of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide, also known as CO, is called the “invisible killer” because it’s a colorless, odorless and poisonous gas. More than 150 people in the U.S. die yearly from accidental CO poisoning from generators or fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, stoves, water heaters and fireplaces. Breathing CO at high levels can kill you. • Put CO alarms inside your home to provide an early warning of increasing CO levels. Alarms should be placed in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of your home. • Make sure you have a smoke alarm on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. • Test your alarms every month. • Have a home fire escape plan and practice your plan at least twice a year. Make sure everyone knows how to escape your home if there is a fire. Join the New Hope Police Reserves The City of New Hope seeks individuals to serve as police reserve officers. Police reserve officers are non-sworn volunteers who assist the police department in various functions. Unlike sworn peace officers, reserve officers are not licensed by the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (MN POST) to enforce the criminal laws of the State of Minnesota and are not compensated for their time. Reserve officers wear uniforms slightly different from licensed police officers and don't carry firearms. The police reserve unit provides many services, such as patrolling the community, assisting at community functions and responding to natural disasters and other emergencies. Most reserve officers are community-minded adults with careers in fields other than law enforcement. They come from a variety of backgrounds and age groups. They find police reserving a challenging experience that provides an opportunity to be involved in the community and develop leadership and skills that carry over to their personal and professional lives. Joining the reserves is an excellent way to gain knowledge and insight into many aspects of police work. No prior police experience is required – just a desire to help your community. Uniforms and full training are provided to qualified candidates. Additional details and an application are available at newhopemn.gov/policereserve. The application deadline is Dec. 16. Questions? Contact Reserve Captain Todd Hesemann at thesemann@newhopemn.gov or Sergeant Chris Swaja at cswaja@newhopemn.gov or 763.531.5170. Public Works Maintenance Worker Recognized as Employee of the Quarter New Hope Public Works Maintenance Worker Steve Rohloff was selected as New Hope’s Employee of the Quarter for the third quarter of 2022. Public Works employees often work nights, weekends and holidays to ensure the city’s infrastructure operates safely. Steve was nominated for his willingness to cover many on-call weeks throughout not only the quarter, but the year (11 total!). Steve was also recognized for volunteering to working late and during off-hours for emergency calls. Steve has worked for the city since 2017. Host Your Next Event at a New Hope Facility The New Hope Parks & Recreation Department has various indoor and outdoor facilities for groups. Indoor facilities include the New Hope Community Gym (attached to the north end of Cooper High School), which has two full-size basketball courts available, the golf course clubhouse and the community room at the New Hope Ice Arena. Outdoor facilities include picnic areas with cov ered pavilions, fields and courts for sporting events, in cluding baseball, softball, soccer, football and tennis; and an outdoor covered patio at the New Hope Village Golf Course. If you are looking for a facility to hold your event, call 763.531.5151.