City of New Hope

A publication of the city of New Hope, Minnesota e newhopemn.gov

Fall 2018Number 200

City of New Hope, Minnesota e Fall 2018

Some highlights of this issue include:Holiday Food and Toy Drives Assisting local familiesYard Waste Getting rid of leaves and grass2018 Election Primer Important information for votersIn Business • 100-year businesses • The Lodge at Good SamaritanRAVE! Awards Top properties recognizedEmployees of the Quarter Community Development's Ben FrankPolice Department's Chris Cazin

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A great place to grow!4401 Xylon Avenue North

New Hope, MN 55428

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Prsrt StdU.S. Postage

PAIDTwin Cities, MNPermit No. 2330

Current resident or

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Summer projects leave positive impact

New Hope had a very busy summer construction season with a vast

number of projects taking place. While every construction season sees projects that the city is proud of, 2018 had nu-merous New Hope improvements. Here are just a few call outs.Boone AveImprovements on Boone Avenue be-tween 27th and 49th avenues included the milling and overlay of 1.8 miles of street. The process involves removing the top two-inches of pavement, patch-ing and repairing the road and curbing, and paving a new two-inch layer of asphalt onto the roadway. The con-tractor also installed three pedestrian bump-outs at Northwood Park, Son-nesyn Elementary School and Robbin-sdale Spanish Immersion as part of the project. The bump-outs are intended to improve safety for pedestrians crossing the street. The project also included the installation of bike lanes to improve cy-cling safety as well.Sunnyside ParkPlanning for the improvement project at Sunnyside Park began with neigh-borhood meetings in the winter of 2017/2018, with equipment installation taking place in the spring of 2018. The playground equipment had not been replaced since 1993 and was the oldest in the city’s park system. Improvements include a new playground container,

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T he New Hope City Council ad-opted the 2019 New Hope prelimi-

nary budget and tax levy at its meeting on Sept. 10 and they were certified to the Hennepin County Auditor. The preliminary 2019 general fund budget is $14,286,812, which is an in-crease of $549,050 (about 4%) over the 2018 budget.

Major changes in the 2019 budget include:v Approximately $366,000 for wage and benefit increases; a 3% cost of liv-ing adjustment is budgeted for employ-ees along with an increase in the city’s contribution towards health insurance coverage. This amount includes the

City Council approves preliminary 2019 budget and tax levy

compensation plan adjustments that were approved in 2018. A 3% increase in City Council salaries is also included in the budget.v A part-time communications posi-tion is included in the preliminary bud-get at a cost of roughly $63,000 to assist the increasing number of communica-tion needs for the city.New Hope is scheduled to receive nearly $700,000 in Local Government Aid from the state of Minnesota in 2019. The revenue will be utilized in the general fund to offset central garage replacement costs.The preliminary tax levy for the entire 2019 budget is $15,364,310, which is an increase of $2,451,568, or 18.99 percent higher than 2018. However, the major-ity of the levy increase, $1,709,452 or 13.24%, is for the new police station/city hall bonds. The estimated overall impact of the city tax levy of residential properties ranges from $110 to $205 per year for market values between $150,000 to $250,000, which is an estimated increase of 14%. According to the Hennepin County As-sessor, the total taxable property mar-ket value in New Hope increased 6.6% from 2017 to 2018. More information on the proposed impact will be avail-able after the final tax capacities are certified with Hennepin County.The preliminary 2019 budget is posted on the city’s website at newhopemn.gov/finance. The City Council will continue to refine the budget and tax levy over the next few months. The final budget and levy numbers can decrease, but they may not increase. The proposed 2019 budget and tax levy will be presented at a public hearing on Dec. 3. Interested residents are invited to attend the public hearing. The City Council will approve the final 2019 budget and tax levy by mid-December.

New Police Station/City Hall taking shape

If you've recently gone through City Center, you likely noticed that New

Hope's new Police Station/City Hall has been progressing a lot, with the outside of the building fully taking shape. Construction remains on schedule as the city continues to look toward mov-ing in to the new facility in early sum-mer 2019. Here's the latest on what's been taking place for the construction:On the city hall side, all concrete slabs have now been poured. Installation of underground utilities, including storm sewer at the north elevation, is now complete. The contractor is working on the interior build out and installing aluminum windows and curtain wall.

Cedrick Frazier Appointed to New Hope City Council

Election informationThe General Election is on Tuesday, November 6. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.See the 2018 Election Primer on page 3 for more information about voter eligibility, voter registration, absentee voting, polling locations, and what's on the ballot.

In late July, Council Member Eric Lammle announced his

resignation from the New Hope City Council due to an upcom-ing move out of the city. The City Council then looked to appoint a new member to serve the remainder of Lammle's term, lasting through the end of 2020, in accordance with state statutes.When the application window closed in mid-August, 12 resi-dents applied for the position. After several rounds of inter-views with the Mayor and the remaining Council Members, Cedrick Frazier was chosen to

fill the position. The process came full-circle on Sept. 10 as Frazier was sworn in as the newest City Council member. Frazier has been involved in New Hope for several years, including serving on the city’s planning commission since 2017.

His other Twin Cities community involvement includes serving as an election judge in Minneapolis, and volunteer work at William McGee Moot Court, HOME Line Connect, the YMCA’s Youth in Government Day, Street Law at Johnson Elementary School, and Loaves & Fishes. “I can’t overstate my admiration for New Hope. The city has been able to accomplish many great things in service of its residents,” Frazier said following his appointment. “I’m very excited to join the New Hope City Council and have the opportunity to connect with its wonderful citizens.”New Council Member Cedrick Frazier

Budget public hearingDecember 3, 7 p.m.New Hope City Hall

Public comment is welcome

City of New Hope, Minnesota e Fall 2018

Kathi Hemken Mayor763.537.7990 khemken@newhopemn.gov

John Elder Council Member763.913.1472 jelder@newhopemn.gov

Andy HoffeCouncil Member763.537.2647ahoffe@newhopemn.gov

Cedrick FrazierCouncil Member612.296.0573cfrazier@newhopemn.gov

Frequently Called City NumbersGeneral Telephone ............ 763.531.5100Inspections ............................763.531.5127building permits, complaintsParks and Recreation .........763.531.5151Public Works ........................763.592.6777sewer backup, snowplowing, forestryUtility Billing .........................763.592.6760Police (non-emergency) .....763.531.5170

Kirk McDonaldCity Manager763.531.5112kmcdonald@newhopemn.gov

City Hall Address 4401 Xylon Avenue NorthNew Hope, MN 55428City Websitewww.newhopemn.govTell us what you think...24-Hour Opinion Line ..... 763.531.5102E-mail .......cityhall@ci.new-hope.mn.us

Jonathan LondonCouncil Member763.546.1293jlondon@newhopemn.gov

Recently, the windows have been in-stalled on the north elevation, along with framing and topping out walls. In-wall electrical and plumbing is also underway. HVAC duct work and fire sprinkler piping have been installed in last weeks of October.On the police station side of the build-ing, the contractor is completing block-ing at the parapet and exterior framing. Grade beams are being formed and placed at the sally port. The weather barrier is also being completed. Stone and brick work will continue to be installed. By late October or early November, roofing will be completed across the facility, along with the installation of all windows.

New Hope's New PoolPlans continue to develop for the new pool set to be built in Civic Center Park on the site of the current police station/city hall, with a planned opening of summer 2020. Highlights include:v 8-lane, 50-meter competition poolv Shallow-water area with play featurev Current channelv Slow and fast body slidesv Much more!

Use yard waste site for leaves, grass and more

The Maple Grove yard waste site is a great place to dispose of

leaves, garden waste, branches (up to 10 inches in diameter), brush, grass clippings and small quantities of sod or dirt.The site, which is located at 10300 Maple Grove Pkwy. N., is free for residents of New Hope to use with proof of residency. Users need to unload materials and take their bags or contain-ers home with them. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays, through Nov. 30.

For more information about the yard waste site including directions, listen to the recorded message at 763.420.4886, or visit the facility’s website at mgyardwaste.com.

New Hope city employees are spon-soring a Thanksgiving food drive

from October 3 through November 18. A second food drive and a holiday toy drive are scheduled from November 21 through December 13.Unopened, nonperishable food items or checks will be accepted for the two food drives Please make sure that canned items are not beyond their

“Use By” date. Food drop-off sites are located in the upper level of New Hope City Hall at 4401 Xylon Ave. N., and the New Hope public works maintenance facility at 5500 International Parkway. Drop-off hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Donated food will be deliv-ered to NEAR (North Suburban Emer-gency Response) for distribution to local families in need before the holidays.New, unwrapped toys for children of all ages, as well as donations by cash or check, will be accepted for the holi-day toy drive sponsored by the New Hope Police Department. Items may be dropped off 24 hours a day in the Police Department lobby, 4401 Xylon Ave. N. (lower level). Donated items will be de-livered to NEAR and Toys for Tots, and cash donations will be accepted to sup-port "Shop with a Cop".

City sponsors holiday food and toy drives

equipment, wood fiber surfacing, an access trail, signage, benches, and two picnic tables with sun shades. In addition to the playground project, the basketball court was rebuilt and new hoops were installed.36th Avenue NorthImprovements on 36th Avenue included milling and overlay to the roadway between Winnetka and Louisiana avenues. A section of 36th Avenue near Winnetka Avenue that was in exceedingly poor condition was fully reclaimed. Following the reclaim, the road base was re-graded, the remainder of 36th Avenue North was milled and the roadway was repaved. The project was completed this past summer.Because 36th Avenue is a roadway that is shared between New Hope and Crystal, costs associated with improvements to the shared portion of the roadway were split 50-50 between the two cities. The city of New Hope maintains ownership of the south side of the road, while Crystal maintains ownership of the north side of the road. The city of Crystal also paid for the continued striping of 36th Avenue from Louisiana Avenue to Douglas Drive.

West Metro Fire-Rescue RoofThe metal roof at West Metro Fire-Rescue District’s Station #3 was replaced in 2018. The old roof panels were deteriorating, began separating from the edging and needed to be replaced. The previous roof was blue to match the color of the buildings located near the swimming pool and city hall campus, all of which have been or will be demolished within the year. The West Metro Fire-Rescue District had recently installed bright red overhead doors, so to match the updated look, red was chosen as the color for the new roof as well.Scattered Site HousingThe city of New Hope took on numer-ous Scattered Site Housing projects in 2018. The primary focus of the program is to target distressed single-family properties throughout the city, with the goal of improving residential neighborhoods. The program currently emphasizes acquiring homes for demo-lition in order to provide vacant lots for the construction of new single-family homes. The city uses its Economic De-velopment Authority (EDA) funding to purchase the homes.

View of the north side of the construction at the new police station/city hallCity summer projects (continued from page 1)

Sunnyside Park Boone Avenue, including new bike lane

Police Station/City Hall Construction (continued from page 1)

West Metro Fire-Rescue Station #3 Scattered Site Home at 5400 Yukon Ave. N.

Schematic of the proposed Civic Center Park Pool

Voter eligibility You are eligible to register and vote in Minnesota if you are: v A citizen of the United States v At least 18 years old on Election Dayv A resident of Minnesota for at least

20 days before the electionYou are not eligible to vote if you have been: v placed under guardianship and a

judge has specifically revoked your right to vote

v convicted of a felony and have not finished all parts of any felony sentence

v found by a court to be legally incompetent

You must be registered in order to vote. If you are not already registered, Min-nesota law permits voters to register and vote on Election Day with proper proof of residency.Accepted proofs of residency within a precinct are:v ID with current name and address A valid Minnesota driver’s license, learner's permit, Minnesota identifica-tion card, or a receipt for any of these that has a current name and address in the precinct.v Photo ID and a document with current name and address – An ap-proved photo ID showing the correct name along with a current utility bill, bank or credit card statement, rent or mortgage payment, or residential lease or rental agreement, due or dated within 30 days of the election (docu-ments can be electronic). v Registered voter who can confirm your address – A registered voter from your precinct can go with you to the polling place to sign an oath confirm-ing your address. This is known as 'vouching.' A registered voter can vouch

Voting absenteeVoters may make an absentee ballot request online, by e-mail or by mail.You can complete the absentee ballot process in person at New Hope City Hall or the Hennepin County Elections office at 300 South 6th St. in Minne-apolis, through November 5. Or, you can complete the process by mail (allow at least five to seven days). Voters in the military and citizens living outside the U.S. use a different process to vote absentee. For more information, visit the Secre-tary of State's website at mnvotes.org, the city's website at newhopemn.gov or call 763.531.5160.

City Offices New Hope City Council – At Large (vote for up to two) John A. Elder Jonathan D. London

Federal OfficesU.S. SenatorU.S. Senator - Special ElectionUnited States Representative, District 5

State OfficesGovernor/Lieutenant GovernorSecretary of StateState AuditorAttorney GeneralState Representative, District 45A(all New Hope Precincts except 1)State Representative, District 45B(New Hope Precinct 1 only)

What’s on the ballot?

City of New Hope 2018 Election Primer

Sample ballots for the general election are available.

County OfficesCounty SheriffCounty Attorney

Judicial Offices

School DistrictIndependent School District No. 281 (Robbinsdale Area Schools) School Board Member (five candidates, vote for up to four)

School District Referendum

Polling LocationsPrecinct 1Robbinsdale Spanish Immersion School at Sunny Hollow8808 27th Ave. N.

Precinct 2Sonnesyn Elementary School3421 Boone Ave. N.

Precinct 3St. Joseph Catholic Church8701 36th Ave. N

Precinct 4New Hope Learning Center8301 47th Ave. N.

Precinct 5Holy Nativity Lutheran Church3900 Winnetka Ave. N.

Precinct 6North Ridge Health and Rehab5500 Boone Ave. N.

Precinct 7Meadow Lake Elementary School8525 62nd Ave. N.

Precinct 8House of Hope Lutheran Church4800 Boone Ave. N.If you are uncertain which precinct you live in, call 763.531.5160 or visit mnvotes.org

Registering to votefor up to eight voters. You cannot vouch for others if someone vouched for you.vCollege student ID with housing list – Colleges and universities send election officials a student housing list. If you are on the list, show your college photo ID to complete your registration.vValid registration in the same precinct– If you are registered in the precinct but changed names or moved within the same precinct, you only need to tell the election judge your pre-vious name or address.vA Notice of Late Registration form mailed by the city or county. If you registered to vote within 20 days of the election, you may get a Notice of Late Registration in the mail. Bring it with you and use it as your proof of resi-dence to register.You must re-register if:v Your name or address has changed.v You have not voted within the last four years.To check your voter registration status, visit mnvotes.org and click on "check my registration."

For more election information, call 763.531.5160 or visit

mnvotes.org

2018 Election Primer

For election results, visit hennepin.us/ElectionsResults

In Touch e Fall 2018

Mayor Hemken gives proclaimations to the representatives from LDI and Horwitz

Ben Frank, Office Specialist for the Community Development depart-

ment, and Police Officer Chris Cazin were named New Hope's Employees of the Quarter for Q2 and Q3, respec-tively.Frank’s nominator shared the following: Frank did a fantastic job covering for the Administrative Specialist position, while continuing to fulfill his duties as the Office Specialist for the Community Development Department. While Jessi was on maternity leave, Frank had to cover both positions, and did a great job doing so.He continued to give excellent cus-tomer service, even with the added stress of covering two positions. There were several times when the phones were ringing and customers were lined up at the front counter, and Frank is

the only person available to help. He handled those stressful situations very professionally and attended to every-one waiting for service in an efficient and friendly manner.Officer Cazin earned the employee of quarter honors for going above and beyond in the line of duty by risking his own safety in keeping a resident from harm in a dangerous situation. Cazin has served the city of New Hope for more than three years. He has worked tirelessly, using his over 20 years of law enforcement experience, to protect the safety and security of local residents.A big thanks to Ben Frank and Chris Cazin for their dedicated work serving the city of New Hope.

On Wednesday, Sept. 19, the Good Samaritan Society cut the ribbon

on a brand new assisted living facility on their New Hope campus.The addition, called “The Lodge”, adds 31 private live-in apartments designed for residents who don’t require around-the-clock nursing assistance. However, the new facility will have licensed health care professionals who are avail-able 24-hours-a-day. The Lodge has one and two bedroom floor plans available, each featuring a kitchenette, living room, accessible bathroom with shower and storage.

The Lodge Opens at Good Samaritan SocietyAdditional features and services of the new facility include:• Recreational, social and spiritual activities• Weekly housekeeping, laundry and linen change• On-site beauty/barber shop• Small pets allowed (with approval and deposit)• Rooftop patio, exercise room and other social areas• Paid utilities including cable TV and wireless internet access• Three meals a day plus snacks

It’s an incredible accomplishment for any organization to reach 100 years

of operation, and this summer two New Hope businesses, Liberty Diversi-fied International (LDI) and Horwitz, reached the century mark.At the Aug. 13 City Council meeting, both businesses were recognized for their longevity and support they provide in the local area.Aug. 13, 2018 was officially proclaimed “LDI Day” in the city of New Hope.“LDI is an important member of New Hope’s business community. During their ‘gratitude tour’, they

Two businesses reach the century markdonated more than $1 million to nonprofit organizations,” New Hope Mayor Kathi Hemken said. “The city desires to recognize the company and thank them for their generosity.”Aug. 9, 2018, the day of Horwitz’s 100 year celebration, was proclaimed “Horwitz Day” in the city of New Hope.“Horwitz is a highly respected, reputable company that employs more than 300 people at its New Hope facility,” Hemken said. “New Hope City Council is pleased to have Horwitz as part of the business community.”

2018 RAVE! AwardsOn Oct. 8, New Hope City Council recognized five residential property owners as winners of the 2018 RAVE! Awards. Since 2006, New Hope's residential property recognition program has given the Council an opportunity to formally thank homeowners who invest the time, effort and expense to make their property a special place to live in and behold. It also aims to provide in-spiration for other residents to enhance their homes and yards. Here's a look at this year's winning properties:

Outstanding GardensWilliam and Barbara Lyles

Outstanding RenovationBill Wills

Outstanding Environmentally Sensitive Improvements

Jerome and Karin Rachwal

Outstanding Property MaintenanceTaryn and Linda Buehring

Outstanding LandscapingJudy and Lou Zumbach

Frank and Cazin are Employees of the Quarter

Ben Frank Chris Cazin