A study is underway for the Tamarack Drive corridor from Hamel Road to Meander Road. The study includes defining a future road connection between Highway 55 and Meander Road. The purpose of the study is to create a cohesive plan that can be provided to property owners and developers guiding the look and feel of the corridor, street section, right-of-way needs, public utilities, and vehicular access spacing as this area develops.

We would like your input to help define the overall look and feel of Tamarack Drive between Highway 55 and Meander Road before the area develops.

How to Participate

To participate, take the Survey and leave your thoughts on the Idea Wall (link: https://wsb.mysocialpinpoint.com/tamarackdrive). The Survey and Idea Wall will be open through April 20.

In addition to this site, an open house will be held on April 14th from 5:00pm to 6:45pm at City Hall. Depending on CDC guidelines regarding public gatherings, the in-person open house may need to be held virtually. This site will be updated with revised details prior to the event.

MEDINA CITY COUNCIL AND COMMISSION MEETINGS TO BE HELD TELEPHONICALLY DURING CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

Mayoral Declaration No 2020-01 finding local emergency exists at the City of Medina, Minnesota

Mayor Statement and Determination Regarding Conducting Meetings by Telephone or Other Electronic Means

Resolution Extending Mayor Declared Local Emergency

(Excerpts from State Statutes in reference to emergency declarations and telephonic meetings)

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

As you are already aware, the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic is an unprecedented situation for all of us in Minnesota. We, at City Hall, have been monitoring developments surrounding the outbreak, particularly since last Friday. While there is a great deal of uncertainty about this virus and how it spreads, the safety of our staff and our community is our highest priority.

Our Police Department, Fire Departments and Public Works Department have made preparation for continued service to our residents during this health crisis, and they are coordinating with other departments within Hennepin County to maintain service if available personnel or equipment dwindles over time. Please help us to keep our officers and workers healthy by avoiding personal contact, limiting your inquiries to matters requiring immediate attention and recognizing that we may well be working with less than a full complement of officers, public works personnel, and other staff.   North Memorial Ambulance Service will continue to handle health-related emergency calls in our area.

We have worked this past week to equip City staff who are capable of working from home with the necessary tools to do so. Should you need to make contact with any of us, we are available through email and phone communications. Again, because our staff’s capacity could decline over the next few weeks, I ask that you limit your inquiries to only essential and emergency matters and continually check our City’s website for updates, and we will do our best to respond to your needs.

In light of the alarming increase in confirmed coronavirus cases in Minnesota in the past few days and Governor Walz’ emergency declaration, City Administrator Scott Johnson, City Attorney Ron Batty and I, as your mayor, have jointly concluded that it is not prudent at this time to hold in-person City Council, Planning Commission or Park Commission meetings, which could possibly expose our staff, our commission and council members and our residents and their families to unnecessary risk of infection. Accordingly (and pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 13D.021), until further notice and commencing with the City Council Meeting scheduled for March 17, 2020, all future meetings of the Medina City Council, Planning Commission and Park Commission will be held telephonically.

Our staff and IT consultant are working on means to permit the residents of Medina to nonetheless monitor the telephonic meetings while they are occurring, and more information on electronic or telephonic access to the meetings will be posted on the City’s website at https://medinamn.us/citygov/agenda-n-minutes/featured-page-3/. As always, a recording of each of our council and commission meetings will be posted to the City’s website within a few days following each meeting.

We have no public hearings scheduled for our March 17^th City Council Meeting, but we may have a need to have public hearings at either the Planning Commission or City Council during the period of time that meetings will be held telephonically. Our staff and IT consultant are determining how we can accommodate public input if those hearings are required, but should you have comments you would otherwise seek to present at a live council or commission meeting, please provide them via email to Scott Johnson, Medina City Administrator (scott.johnson@medinamn.gov), to me (kathleen.martin@medinamn.gov), or to any other commissioner or council member, as appropriate, and we will strive to circulate your comments to the applicable staff, commission or city council members. Please know that our Minnesota open meeting law prohibits three or more members of any of our commissions or council from conversing on policy matters outside a public forum, and thus you may not receive responses from all commissioners or council members to whom you write, but we will read all your comments.

We had planned to recognize our Police Chief, Ed Belland, on 28 years of service to the City at our March 17^th City Council meeting, but have postponed that event to a future date (to be determined), knowing that many members of our community will want to be present for that ceremony to thank Chief Belland for all his outstanding dedication to our community.

Our first responders have asked us to remind you to keep your social distance and avoid unnecessary contact with others, wash your hands regularly, cover your cough and, if you are feeling ill, stay home.

All of us at the City hope you do your best to stay healthy, and we remain committed to providing you the best possible service during this challenging time.

Sincerely,

-Kathy Martin

Mayor, City of Medina
Kathleen.Martin@medinamn.gov

Additional Resources and Information

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (COVID-19 Facts)
• Minnesota Department of Health (COVID-19 Guidance)
• Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) – Information and Resources
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loans Now Available
• COVID-19 Eligible Emergency Protective Measures Fact Sheet (3.19.20)
• A message from Representative Dean Phillips
• Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loans COVID FAQs (FINAL)
• Families First Coronavirus Response Act FAQ

Spring Weight Restrictions on Medina roads will go into effect on March 9, 2020 at 12:01 a.m.

There will be NO permits issued, other than for emergency utility situations.

During spring weight restrictions, City of Medina streets are limited to 4-ton axle weight unless explicitly identified with a higher allowance.   In the case of any inconsistency between the 2020 City of Medina Weight Restrictions Map and posted signage, enforcement will be based upon posted signage.

The reason for the restrictions is to protect our roads and keep the cost of road repair down for all taxpayers. We ask all of our residents and business owners to keep an eye out for large trucks using the roads during this period. If you see them using a restricted road, please call 9-1-1 to report it immediately. Help protect our roads!

The Medina Police Department hosts an annual Bicycle Safety Rodeo in hopes to educate children ages 3 to 12 to ride their bikes safer and smarter for the summer months.

The Bike Safety Rodeo is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, 2020 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. inside the Medina Police/Public Works Garage at 600 Clydesdale Trail.

The event is free and is intended to have your children ages 3-12 polish up their bicycle skills before summer kicks into full gear. Bikes will also be inspected at the event. Children will get the opportunity to go through various obstacles that children may face every day while riding their bike such as safely leaving your driveway and making a quick stop. Come for family fun, education on bicycle safety, and prizes. The best part is it’s FREE!

Registration Form – Please pre-register by April 24th or register at the event.

Questions? Call Medina Community Service Officer Patrick Johnson at 763-473-9209 or email Patrick.johnson@medinamn.gov

The City’s annual Spring Clean-up Day will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2020 from 8:00 AM until 12:00 PM (rain or shine). The event will take place at the Public Works/Police Facility at 600 Clydesdale Trail. Event details, pricing, and a list of accepted/non-accepted items can be found in the Spring Clean up Day Brochure

Please Note: We are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation daily and are following the CDC guidelines regarding public gatherings and events. Any status changes to this event will be posted to this page.

The event will include:

• Collection of accepted items for free/specified fees
• Document Shredding Services (free for Medina residents)
• Usable Bicycle Collection
• Trees for sale
• Prescription Take Back
• Free Milkweed Seeds for Monarchs
• Free Compost for Organics Customers (Bring your coupon from Randy’s)

A little salt goes a long way for managing snow and ice. But too much salt – which may be less than you think – can cause irreversible damage to nearby lakes and streams.

The danger of ice and snow on roads and sidewalks is a fact of life in Minnesota, and salt and sand can help reduce ice and add traction. When that snow inevitably melts, however, most of that salt and sand wash directly into nearby waters.

Currently, salt use is not regulated, but it poses a real threat to clean water. The chloride contained in one teaspoon of road salt can permanently pollute five gallons of water. Chloride upsets aquatic environments and can kill birds and some plants.

Many people use more salt than they need.  But using more salt does not melt more ice, or melt it faster. In reality, salt only works when there is enough snow or ice for it to react with and excess crystals will eventually become a pollutant. It’s best to use less than four pounds of salt per 1,000 square feet. One pound of salt fills up a 12-ounce coffee mug.

Want to protect your local lake or stream from chloride pollution? Here are some easy ways you can help:

• Apply salt or other de-icers before snow storms, so you will need less later.
• Shovel regularly (a great form of winter exercise) to minimize ice buildup.
• Break up ice with an ice scraper before deciding if sand or a de-icer is necessary for traction – you may find that it’s not.
• Use sand instead of salt in below 15 degree temperatures
• Sweep up any salt that’s visible on dry pavement and use it elsewhere or throw it away.

By using salt wisely, you can save money, time and the environment without sacrificing safety. Learn more at www.minnehahacreek.org/salt

City Code 340.05 prohibits parking on any public street from November 1st through March 31st during the hours of 1:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m. If at all possible, the City plow crew would appreciate having no vehicles parked on City streets when snowfall occurs during the daytime to allow for better plowing services down your streets.

Read more about City parking regulations here: https://medinamn.us/citygov/departments/police-dept/parking/.

Snow Plow & Ice Control Policy

The City adopted the attached Snow Plowing and Ice Control Policy to define and provide reasonable snow plowing and ice control services on City roads for routine travel and emergency services and to provide such services in a safe and cost effective manner while balancing personnel resources and environmental concerns.

Are you thinking about starting your own business or are you currently operating a small business and interested in FREE technical assistance?
Medina has partnered with the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD) to offer the Open to Business program. This program provides FREE one-on-one assistance from MCCD’s expert staff, customized to meet the specific needs of each entrepreneur. This can include creating a business plan, suggestions on financial management and bookkeeping practices, assisting with marketing, and referrals for financing. MCCD also administers a small business loan fund which provides capital to expand local businesses.

For more information please visit www.opentobusinessmn.org or contact Rob Smolund from MCCD at rsmolund@mccdmn.org or (612) 789-7337 ext. 260.

The U.S. Census counts every resident in the United States. As mandated by the U.S. Constitution, America gets just one chance each decade to count its population. The results of the census determine the number of seats for each state in the U.S. House of Representatives and are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts. Federal agencies use the results to distribute more than $675 billion in federal funds each year.

Why the Census is Important

Representation
Census data determines the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as districts for state government.

Funding
Census data guides federal spending allocation of approximately $589 billion to local communities every year.

Planning
Census data helps plan roads, schools, hospitals, senior centers, and emergency services to best serve changing populations.

Business
Census data assists businesses in locating factories & stores, recruiting employees, and conducting market research.

How the 2020 Census will Invite Everyone to Respond

Every household will have the option to respond by responding online, by mail, or by phone.  Nearly every household will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census from either a postal worker or a census worker.

2020 Census Fact Sheet: How Census Invites Everyone

Address Canvassing to Start in August 2019; What is address canvassing?
Address canvassing is the process by which the U.S. Census Bureau validates, corrects, or deletes existing Census Bureau addresses, adds missing addresses, and adds or corrects locations of specific addresses before a decennial census. In previous address canvassing operations, field representatives traversed every road and visited each residential address in the United States. At this time, only select addresses will be canvassed. Census Bureau employees will not be asking for information about individuals but rather about addresses and habitable locations.

How to verify employment
We realize that Census workers may draw the attention of residents or law enforcement personnel who are concerned about the presence of strangers in their neighborhoods. Each temporary decennial Census employee will have an official identification card with the employees name, picture, and an expiration date. Regional level staff can be identified by their Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Card. Both temporary and regional level staff can be identified by their laptop computer with a Census Bureau logo on the top, and a black canvas bag with a Census Bureau logo.

TO VERIFY AN EMPLOYEE WITH THIS TYPE OF ID:
Chicago Regional Census Center
175 West Jackson Blvd., Suite 600
Chicago, IL 60604
1-312-579-1500