Situation

Crews will close Pinto Drive between Tower Drive and Hamel Road to repair  failed sewer service liners and a sewage main.

Closure Timing

Starting Monday, June 18, Pinto Drive will close to through traffic. Weather permitting, work will be completed in approximately one week.

Detours and access

There will not be access through the closed area for local traffic, pedestrians or emergency vehicles during the closure.

Below is the detour for all through traffic:

• Pinto Drive
• Hamel Road
• Tower Drive

Current Status:

Jurisdictional review for the Comprehensive Plan has concluded. The City Council has also reviewed the comments and have approved the Plan. The Plan has been submitted to the Metropolitan Council and is currently under review. The approval of the 2040 Comp Plan by the Met Council is anticipated to be in the early spring of 2018.

Background:

The Comprehensive Plan guides the future of the City, including the location and types of growth and development in the City. The Plan also advises future policy and investments in infrastructure and services such as transportation, parks, trails, recreation and water resources.

The Comprehensive Plan anticipates 950 additional households over the next 20 years, 250 of which are required to be higher-density housing such as apartments and townhomes. This is a substantial reduction of approximately 40-50% from what the City has previously planned.

A draft of the updated Comprehensive Plan is now available for you to review below:

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Vision and Strategies

Chapter 3: Community Background

Chapter 4: Housing and Neighborhoods

Chapter 5: Land Use and Growth

Chapter 6: Parks, Trails, and Open Space

Chapter 7: Implementation

Chapter 8: Comprehensive Sanitary Sewer_Plan

Chapter 9: Comprehensive Water Supply Plan

Chapter 10: Transportation Plan

Chapter 11: Surface Water Management Plan Part 1

Chapter 11: Surface Water Management Plan Part 2

Steering Committee Meeting Materials:

October 26, 2017 Agenda and Packet

September 18, 2017 Agenda and Packet

November 14, 2016 – Agenda and Packet

August 30, 2016 – Agenda and Packet

August 3, 2016 – Agenda & Packet (Joint City Council & Planning Commission Meeting)

June 10, 2016 – Agenda and Packet

May 25, 2016 – Agenda and Packet

May 9, 2016 – Agenda and Packet & Meeting Notes/Summary

April 21, 2016 – Agenda and Packet & Meeting Notes/Summary

March 2, 2016 – Agenda and Packet & Meeting Notes/Summary

February 26, 2016 – Agenda and  Packet & Meeting Notes/Summary

February 24, 2016 – Agenda and Packet & Meeting Notes/Summary

February 10, 2016 – Agenda and Packet & Meeting Notes/Summary

January 6, 2016 – Agenda and Packet & Meeting Notes/Summary

November 19, 2015 – Agenda and Packet & Meeting Notes/Summary

November 12, 2015 – Agenda & Meeting Notes/Summary

October 29, 2015 – Agenda & Meeting Notes/Summary

Residents may drop off brush or compost Tuesday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (except holidays) and Friday 7 a.m. to Monday 3:30 p.m. (open all weekend during daylight hours).

It is located behind the shop building northwest of City Hall, 2052 County Road 24, Medina, MN 55340.

Accepted Items

Brush Pile – brush, woody shrubs, vines, Christmas trees & large logs

Compost Pile – leaves and grass clippings (no bags & no straw)

[Read more…]

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently completed a multiyear project to re-examine flood risks throughout Hennepin County and develop electronic flood hazard maps, which will become effective on November 4, 2016.

Federal law mandates that any federally regulated or insured lender require any property with a structure within the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) on these maps to carry flood insurance.

Most mortgage lenders will check their loans when the updated maps become effective on November 4, 2016. Lenders will likely send a letter to all properties in SFHA, and other properties that are even close to the SFHA, to notify them that they must purchase flood insurance within 45 days. If a policy is not purchased within this time period, the lender will “force place” a policy, which is normally much more expensive.

Flood insurance is available through your agent or one of the agents listed by searching the “Agent Finder” section of FEMA’s Flood Insurance website, FloodSmart.gov. If you have any kind of risk for flood damages, both in or out of the floodplain, the city encourages you to purchase flood insurance.

If you live near a lake, stream, or large wetland, you are encouraged to investigate whether your property may be “newly mapped” within the SFHA. View the floodplain map  to find your property on the map.

What to do if you believe you’ve been inadvertently included in the Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA)?

There are often scenarios where the boundaries of the floodplain do not accurately reflect the true topographic characteristics of a site. In addition, it is likely that lenders will be fairly conservative when determining if a property may require flood insurance.

In much of the county, the boundaries of the floodplain have not been updated with better elevation information since they were originally mapped in the early 1980’s. This newest map update merely digitized these areas – making them easier for everyone to view. If you believe your structure and/or parcel is higher than the actual flood elevation, there is a procedure for appeals known as a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA). Traditionally, a LOMA involves hiring a surveyor to verify the lowest ground touching the structure, deck or stairs is above the 100-year flood elevation.

Under the right circumstances, the city may be able to assist with collecting data rather than hiring a surveyor. City staff may be able to use LiDAR-derived contour elevations from the Minnesota DNR to verify that a structure is above the 100-year flood elevation.

If you have any questions, please contact City Planner Dusty Finke at 763-473-8846 or dusty.finke@ci.medina.mn.us.

The Monarch Butterfly Population

The Monarch butterfly populations have plummeted by as much as 90% in the past 20 years and are on the cusp of moving toward protection on the Endangered Species Act.

One of the primary reasons for this decline is the decrease in milkweed plants, which grow easily in Minnesota. Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on the underside of the milkweed plant and it is the only source of food for the monarch caterpillar. If you have milkweed growing in your yards and fields, please don’t pull it, and let it grow. Planting milkweed is one of the easiest ways that we can make a difference for the monarchs.

Residents that are interested in planting milkweed in their yards to help the Monarch butterflies can pick up a bag of seeds, free of charge, while supplies last, at City Hall, 2052 County Road 24, Medina, MN 55340 during regular business hours M-F 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Additional resources on the Monarch Butterfly can be found below:

https://monarchjointventure.org/resources – View a number of publications on Monarchs and Milkweed

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarchs – This organization was started by Karen Oberhauser at the U of M who has studied the Monarchs for years

https://www.nwf.org/sitecore/content/Home/Garden-for-Wildlife/About/National-Initiatives/Pollinators – The National Wildlife Federation explains the importance of milkweed.

https://www.saveourmonarchs.org/ – This organization is out of Edina, MN, and is working to provide milkweed seeds for planting. The site also does a great job of explaining the importance of milkweed.

Links for Purchasing Bulk Milkweed Seeds

https://www.prairiemoon.com/seeds/

http://www.prairieresto.com

https://www.saveourmonarchs.org/