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1996-08 Experience Eagan Special IssueExperience gwan 7firowsle C.ry of Eagan The Community is being asked to vote on September 10, 1996 to determine whether $3.8 million in bonds should be sold to finance the purchase of open land for preservation and future park uses. If the Bond Referendum passes, residential and business property owners would pay a percentage of their property's market value annually for a period of 15 years. For example, the owner of a home valued at $120.000 would pay $17 per year, or about $1.50 per month. The owner of a business property valued at $1.0 million would pay 5143 annually. Informational meetings are scheduled at City Hall on Thursday,: August 22, at 7:00 p.m. and Thursday, September 5, at 5:00 p.m. Park Bond Referendum On September 10 Primary Ballot A special bond referendum question will be included on the ballot of the September 10, 1996 primary election for the City of Eagan. Voters will determine whether the City should issue $3.8 million in bonds for the purchase of land to be preserved as open space for future park uses. The Eagan City Council took this action based on the recommendation of the Open Space Task Force and the Advisory Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission (APRNRC) and community input. In 1995 the City Council accepted an updated "Park Systems Master Plan" which provided a comprehensive inventory, review and analysis of the existing parks, recreation and natural resources within Eagan. A chapter of the plan was devoted to the review of the natural resources which have given Eagan its unique distinction among suburban communities. As part of this chapter, the APRNRC developed site evaluation criteria for prioritizing open space which included an identification of significant natural resources. They applied this criteria to undeveloped parcels within the city and identified 41 open space areas as candidate sites. At the recommendation of the APRNRC , the City Council created the Open Space Task Force, made up of Eagan residents. The task force was charged with reviewing the list of candidate parcels to determine if a referendum to finance the acquisition of additional open space should be brought before the community and, if so, what the dollar amount should be. The task force reviewed sections of the Park Systems Master Plan, toured candidate sites and evaluated the need for development of park land to meet current and future community needs. The task force noted that, in the last five years alone, Eagan has seen 1,525 acres of its remaining open space developed as residential, commercial or industrial property. Of the original 41 sites identified, 20 candidate sites remain totaling nearly 300 acres. The task force recognized that certainly not all of the identified properties can be purchased. The City Council also noted that members of the community may wish to have other properties evaluated and added to the list of candidate sites. The City Council has decided to let the voters determine whether the purchase of open space for future park uses is a priority at this time. If the referendum is approved, the task force and the City Council will continue to narrow the existing list of candidate properties, consider other, possibly smaller properties identified by the community, solicit appraisals of candidate properties and attempt to negotiate the best possible purchase options based on those appraisals. If you have questions or would like to know more, informational meetings will be held in the Community Room at City Hall on Thursday, August 22, at 7:00 p.m. and on Thursday, September 5, at 5:00 p.m. Or you may call the Parks and Recreation Department at 681-4660. C46 • What will be purchased with the $3.8 million? (1) If the referendum passes, the funds may only be used for the stated purpose of purchasing open space for future park uses. The City Council and the Open Space Task Force have identified 20 candidate properties encompassing nearly 300 acres. Not all sites would be purchased. Since appraisals of candidate properties would not be solicited until after a successful referendum, and because current owners may not be willing sellers, it is impossible at this time to determine how many acres and which specific properties would be purchased. Furthermore, the City Council and task force members believe the list of candidate properties should remain fluid so that overall objectives of the community can be balanced. For example, if Property A provides an important trail connection and becomes available at a reasonable price, and Property B can extend that connection, it may be important to purchase A & B together, but property B may be unimportant on its own. rti' aU O • 4-4 How were the candidate properties chosen? The Open Space Task Force and the Eagan City Council have compiled a list of candidate properties throughout Eagan by using a specific set of criteria to identify natural resources and land that could match the goals adopted within the Park Systems Master Plan. These sites range from 2 acre parcels to 100 acre parcels. Some properties have been chosen as candidates because of a specific function or purpose such as expansion of existing parks or trail connections, preservation of wetlands or shoreline, or a lack of park space in a specific area of the City. Q Where are the candidate Cyproperties? 2 A map of the candidate properties is included on the following page. The City Council will also consider other properties which might be brought forth from the community. These properties will be studied further if the referendum is approved. If you would like to add a property to the list for consideration, please call the Park and Recreation Department at 681-4660. 0: How will the properties be used? If the referendum passes, properties will be purchased in order to preserve the land as open space and for future park uses. • What will happen to the sites if the referendum does not pass? All of the sites on the list for consideration are currently privately owned. If the referendum does not pass, the City will not be in a position to purchase any open space property at this time. ammimmi How will a "Yes" vote affect my property taxes? If a majority of voters decide that the City should sell bonds to finance the purchase of parks, $3,800,000 in bonds will be sold and the resulting debt service will be collected through property taxes. Each residential and business property in Eagan would pay approximately .0143% (.000143) of market value annually. For instance, a home with a market value of $120,000 (which is the average market value of homes in Eagan) would pay approximately $17 annually or about $1.50 per month for 15 years. The owner of a business property with a market value of $1 million would pay approximately $143 annually. If the taxes begin in 1997, the last collection year would be 2011. 5: Where do I vote? A map of precincts and polling place addresses is included on the last page of this newsletter. • Can I vote only for the Park Bond question and skip other issues on the primary ballot? Yes. Q: Can I register to vote on the day of the primary? Yes. You must bring a valid Minnesota Drivers License or Minnesota Identification Card showing your current Eagan address,or you may have someone vouch for you provided they are a registered voter in your precinct and they are willing to verify that you live at the current Eagan address. The City of Eagan is committed to the policy that all persons have equal access to programs, services, activities, facilities and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, disibility, age, marital status, sexual orientation or status with regard to public assistance. vailable acreage and possible uses bers do not indicate priority) -. 20 acres for open space IIup to ! 5 acres For access to Lema Lake Sup to 100 acres for open space or community park • up to 10 acres adjacent to North Park/trail connection • up to 80 acres for open space and trail development • adjacent to parcel #5 • up to 20 acres for open space or community/neighhorhood park u • u, 10 .icres for open space with wetland viewing • up to 20 .acres for neighborhood park up to 10 acres as link to Wind crest and Patrick Eagan Parks'. • up to 10 acres as link to 13. Cur and Patrick Fagan Parks up to 10 acres For open space an addition to Patrick Eagan Park up to 7 acres for trail connection - ro Lakeside Park up to 15 acres for open space an resource preservation 119 up to 30 acres for open space and trail connections up to 5 acres For open space and maximize shoreline • up to 40 acres as open space and addition to Linear Park up to 2 acres For trail conned 18 up to 8 acres for expansion ofH Farm Park • up to 5 acres for open space About the Ballot The Park Bond Referendum question will appear on side two of the ballot at the September 10, 1996 Primary Election and will read as follows: Should the City of Eagan be authorized to issue and sell its general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $3,800,000 to finance acquisition of parks? You may choose to vote only on the nonpartisan offices including Dakota County Commissioners and Park Bond Referendum. These ballot items will appear on side two of the ballot. You do not need to declare party affiliation in order to vote on this issue. You may also choose to vote only on the Park Bond question without impacting the rest of the ballot. In a primary election, State Statute requires that you vote a "Straight Party Ticket." This means that in partisan offices, if you choose to vote for any candidates, they must all be representatives of a single political party. For instance, if you choose to vote for a member of the DFL Party for State Senate, all of the other candidates you choose to vote for must be representatives of that same party. If you "cross over" on the ballot by then voting for a member of the Republican or the Reform Party, your partisan votes will be rejected. Your nonpartisan and Park Bond vote would still be accepted. The polling places will be open for voting on September 10, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. MENDOTA HEIGHTS 0 #. xr2RSTNr2 ac. INTERSTATE 494 01. ,ONE 0 ROAD T �`V. mss CO. NO. 26 LONE OA N 110AD INVER GROVE HTS. ❑n 11:0 u x c.xD. 26 M5 r ND. Q est/coo ie +r .. 1 1 : Ro. w I f � M l2 Yr 17 1.f mii01 iI co. eD. az �� 1'i �� is W `� J.P 18 i 1 y, � :49,"M p' 'r—^i r O APPLE VALLEY ROSEMOUNT EAGAN, MINNESOTA Rr1 About the Ballot The Park Bond Referendum question will appear on side two of the ballot at the September 10, 1996 Primary Election and will read as follows: Should the City of Eagan be authorized to issue and sell its general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $3,800,000 to finance acquisition of parks? You may choose to vote only on the nonpartisan offices including Dakota County Commissioners and Park Bond Referendum. These ballot items will appear on side two of the ballot. You do not need to declare party affiliation in order to vote on this issue. You may also choose to vote only on the Park Bond question without impacting the rest of the ballot. In a primary election, State Statute requires that you vote a "Straight Party Ticket." This means that in partisan offices, if you choose to vote for any candidates, they must all be representatives of a single political party. For instance, if you choose to vote for a member of the DFL Party for State Senate, all of the other candidates you choose to vote for must be representatives of that same party. If you "cross over" on the ballot by then voting for a member of the Republican or the Reform Party, your partisan votes will be rejected. Your nonpartisan and Park Bond vote would still be accepted. The polling places will be open for voting on September 10, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. 38 O A 1 rclt o o r (D V $ „,omm 10 WMIS0N 73 14 15 @ 18 I 12w 12 Precinct Number & Polling Locations 1 Pilot Knob Elementary School 11 1436 Lone Oak Road 2 Quarry Park Shelter 12 N 3340 Coachman Road 2024 Rahn Way 3 Trinity Lone Oak Church 4424 Sandstsone Drive 2950 Hwy 55 Christ Lutheran Church 4 Cedar Elementary School 15 Thomas Lake Elementary 2140 Diffley Road 4350 Thomas Lake Road 5 Mt. Calvary Church 4200 Pilot Knob Road 3930 Rahn Road St. Thomas Becket Church 6 Cross of Christ Church 17 Fire Station No. 5 1985 Diffley Road 4701 Galaxie Avenue 7 Fire Administration Bldg. 4888 Pilot Knob Road 3795 Pilot Knob Road Pinewood Elementary School 8 Eagan Municipal Center 3830 Pilot Knob Road 9 Woodland School 945 Wescott Road 10 St. John Neumann Church 4030 Pilot Knob Road 11 Northview Elementary School 965 Diffley Road 12 Cedar Ridge Christian Church 2024 Rahn Way 13 Rahn Elementary School 4424 Sandstsone Drive 14 Christ Lutheran Church 1930 Diffley Road 15 Thomas Lake Elementary 4350 Thomas Lake Road 16 Easter Lutheran Church 4200 Pilot Knob Road 17 St. Thomas Becket Church 4455 South Robert Trail 18 Fire Station No. 5 4701 Galaxie Avenue 19 Chapel Hill Baptist Church 4888 Pilot Knob Road 20 Pinewood Elementary School 4300 Dodd Rd. Eagan Municipal Center 3830 Pilot Knob Road Eagan, MN 55122 (612) 681-4600 Postal Patron Carrier Route Presort BULK RATE U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 4902 Eagan, MN