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1978-01 City of Eagan NewsletterCITY OF EAGAN NEWSLETTER FOR AN INFORMED COMMUNITY JANUARY, 1978 N THE LONE OAK TREE BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID ST. PAUL MN PERMIT NO.4902 POSTAL CUSTOMER EAGAN, MINNESOTA NEW CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ELECTED The municipal election on November 8 re- sulted in the selection of a new mayor and two new Council members for the Eagan City Council. There had been 2 Mayoral candidates and 7 individuals running for the Council po- sitions. All three incumbents had chosen not to seek re --election. The names of the Eagan City Council members for 1978-1979 are presented here. An * designates the newly elected members. VOLUME 1, NO. 1 Eagan City Council Mayor Council Members Leo Murphy* Mark Parranto* 1625 Deerwood Dr. 1290 Vildmark Dr. LONG-TIME EAGAN OFFICIALS RETIRE FROM OFFICE The first City Council meeting in January marked the end of many years of public ser- vice for three Eagan officials. They are Mayor Herb Polzin and Council members Art Rahn and Bill Rydrych> A1.1 three had announced their retirement from elective office prior to the November election. The significance of their retirement is that their combined length of official service to Eagan totals 72 years. The first official position for Mayor Polzin was as treasurer of Eagan Township, beginning in 1944. He served in this office until 1972, at which time he was elected as the first Mayor of the newly incorporated Village of Eagan. Herb has continued to serve as Mayor of Eagan until his recent retirement. In addition, he was a member of the Eagan Advisory Planning Commission from 1956 to 1972. Thomas A. Egan* 2969 Inland Rd. James A. Smith 2070 Marble Ln. Theodore Wachter 4550 Blackhawk Rd. Art Rahn first served on the Eagan Town Board of Supervisors in 1953. He remained on this Board until 1972, serving as its Chairman for several years. With the Village -elections in in 1972, Art was elected as a Council member, and had continued in this capacity until the present. Bill Rydrych was appointed to the Eagan Advisory Planning Commission in 1965. He was elected to the Town Board in March, 1972, and then to the Village Council at the election in . November of that year. Bill has continued to serve on the Council until the present time, The residents of Eagan have greatly benefited from the many years of public service given by these dedicated officials. NEW POLICE BUILDING FOR EAGAN The construction of a new Eagan Police Department building is well underway. Lo- cated on a twenty acre site to the southeast of the Eagan City Hall, the building repre- sents an important step in the growth of the City. Planning for the new building began in early 1976. The Eagan Police Department currently has 18 sworn officers, which to- gether with the increased number of other City employees has resulted in a serious lack of space in the present building. After consideration of several alternatives, with input from the Police Department and careful review of the architect's (Horne Architects, Inc.) preliminary plans, the City Council accepted bids and gave final approval to the construction. An official ground- breaking ceremony was held on November 11, and it is expected that the building will be completed by June, 1978. Anticipated cost of this new building is $490,000. There will be 16,000 sq. ft. of floor space, with the basement and first floor containing office space, the dispatcher room, two holding cells, and rooms for evi- dence storage and officer training. The cost of this project will be paid through the use of Federal Revenue Sharing funds which the City has recieved in recent years. The building has been designed with the potential for expansion (both another story and an addition to the side) if neces- sary to accomodate future Needs such as a new Council Chamber and additional space for City offices. Additional land is also avail- able on this site for the possible construc- tion of a fire station, community center, library, or other municipal buildings. TELEPHONE NUMBERS For questions regarding..... Meeting Agendas - Council decisions - ordinances - Call 454-8100 Sewer & Water Bills - Building Inspections - General Information For questions regarding Snow Plowing - Street Maintenance _Call 454-5220 For questions regarding Park Programs - Ice Skating Schedules -Call 454-7802 Police, Fire, Rescue Emergency -Call 454-3700 CITY EQUIPMENT PURCHASES An important element in the provision of municipal services is the equipment used by City employees. Listed here are some of the larger pieces of equipment which the City of Eagan has purchased in recent months. Earlier this year, a Tandom 8000 truck was acquired for Public Works to be used in hauling and snow plowing. The City has also purchased a one -ton asphalt roller for street repair, and has on order a 22 -ton truck for road maintenance work. The Park Department has added a number of items, including a one -ton maintenance truck, a 3/4 ton pick-up, plus sweeper and snow blower attachments, a grass mower, and a striping machine for use on playing fields. The Police Department has purchased an additional squad car this year, and replaced three existing cars. It also has acquired a mobile radar unit. Finally, a major investment for the City was the aerial ladder truck to be used by the Volunteer Fire Department. During 1978, a 5 -year Capital Improvement Program will be prepared for the City. Updated annually, the CIP allows for better planning of public improvements and major equipment purchases in line with budgetary considerations. HISTORY OF EAGAN TO BE WRITTEN A brief history of Eagan has been included in the 1978 Eagan Directory which will be distri- buted this spring. This short write-up was designed to provide a general overview of Eagan's history, particularly for newer residents. In addition, a much more detailed and com- prehensive history of Eagan will be prepared in the coming months. The City has hired an indi- vidual through the CETA program to work on the research and writing of this document. Also, a citizen's committee will be appointed to help give direction to the project so that the final document will be as complete as possible. Individuals interested in serving on this com- mittee should contact the City Administrator. AMBULANCE SERVICE Ambulance service for Eagan residents is provided through an arrangement with Divine Redeemer Hospital in South St. Paul. Residents in need of emergency ambulance service should call 454-3700. Members of the Eagan Volunteer Fire Department with training in first aid also respond to these calls. SNOW REMOVAL The traffic problems caused by heavy snow- fall and icy conditions are well known by motorists in this area. Snow removal is a major concern of the Public Works Depart- ment and represents a considerable invest- ment of manpower, equipment and supplies. It generally takes 8 to 14 hours to clear the City streets following a major storm. Plowing crews are activated both during the normal working day and after hours when a significant amount of snow has fallen (1 - 2 inches), or when slippery conditions exist. The Police Department also notifies Public Works when hazardous conditions exist in a specific area. There are more than 75 miles of City streets and the City has ten vehicles avail- able for snow removal. The Public Works Director has prepared a Master Plan for snow clearance which is followed by the plowing crews. 1. North Section - North of Yankee Doodle Road: This area is serviced by one unit, be- ginning with the hilly area near Hwy. 13, then working east through both residential and industrial areas. 2. South Section - East of Pilot Knob Rd. and south of Yankee Doodle Rd.: One unit services this section and also the Woodgate and Evergreen Park areas; another plows the Surrey Heights and Timbershore Developments. When the north and south sections have been plowed, the units proceed to the Cedar Grove area. 3. West Section - Cedar Grove: One unit begins with this area and also services River Hills. 4. Special Units: a) There is a grader which plows Blue Cross Rd., Blackhawk, Rahn, Silver Bell, and streets in the industrial parks; b) Three smaller trucks, and if necessary, two tractors are also used to plow cul-de-sacs. EAGAN'S POPULATION ALMOST 20,000 During June, 1977, the City conducted a Special Census which revealed a total population within Eagan of 19,276. This is almost double the 1970 census figure of 10,398 and is more than six times higher than the 1960 total of 3,382. At the present time Dakota County is responsible for maintenance and plowing of all County roads within Eagan. These include: Lone Oak Road Yankee Doodle Road County Road 30 Cliff Road Cedar Avenue Pilot Knob Road Lexington Avenue Old Dodd Road In addition, all state highways are plowed by state crews, except in case of extreme emergencies. Residents should be aware that Eagan has an ordinance prohibiting parking on a street for up to 36 hours after a snow fall of 1 inch or more, or until the street has been plowed. These cars could be ticketed or towed at the owner's expense. Also, it is unlawful to shovel snow from driveways or sidewalks on to a public street. This compacted and frozen snow causes hazards for both motorists and snowplows. The person responsible for depositing snow on the street may be charged with a misdemeanor and may also be liable for a civil lawsuit if damages occur as a result of this action. SPECIAL NOTICE Eagan City Ordinance No. 5 requires that ALL DOGS over 6 months old be licensed annually before February 20. Call 454-8100 for more information EAGAN PARK DEPARTMENT ICE SKATING RINK LOCATIONS The Eagan Park Department maintains hockey and skating rinks at the following locations as weather permits. Free skating and hockey with warming houses Pilot Knob School Carnelian Park Lexington Park Woodhaven Park Highview Park Rahn Park Free skating only with warming house Cedar Pond Hours of Operation Weekdays during School - 3:30 p.m. -10:00 p.m. Vacation days & Saturdays - 10:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.' Sundays - 12:00 noon - 10:00 p.m. Free skating without warming houses Country Home Heights Park Evergreen Park Burr Oak Pond NATURAL GAS MORATORIUM By -now, most Eagan residents, are aware of the limit which has been placed on new natur- al gas connections within the City. Al- though this is a complex problem which still has not been resolved, a brief summary of the issue is presented here. It is common for cities to grant an exclusive franchise to a particular company for utility service. In the past, three different gas companies--Minnegasco, NSP, and Peoples Natural Gas --has each served parts of the City. An exchange of service lines which took place in 1974, however, left Peoples (with few exceptions) as the single supplier of gas to Eagan customers. In the following year, problems arose with regard to the supply of natural gas, and in May 1976, after petitioning the Public Service Commission, Peoples was allowed to place a moratorium on all new customer con- nections. The reason given was lack of sufficient storage capacity to adequately meet the demand for gas. Concerned by the curtailment of new gas service, an ad hoc Energy Committee was appointed to review the problem and make recommendations to the City Council. The official position of the City has been that this places Eagan at a disadvantage in attracting new development to the City, since surrounding communities are served by dif- ferent companies and are not experiencing a similar cut-off of new connections. In February 1977, the City Council petitioned the Public Service Commission, which regulates utility companies in the state, to intervene on behalf of the City. Public Hearings were held on March 29,30, May 10, 11, 12, 13 and June 1. The question was whether the PSC should order the three companies to enter into service agreements which would allow Eagan to be provided with new natural gas service. Also considered was the possible realignment of service areas so Eagan would be served by another company. The recommendation of the Hearing Examiner to the PSC was that the PSC did not have the authority to order the remedies and the case should be dismissed. The PSC has not yet made a final decision on this matter. While this case was under consideration, a very limited number of new connections have been allowed by Peoples. In addition, there is the possibility that a private solution could be arranged between the different companies. For the present, however, the limitation on new gas service continues, and it is likely to -remain an issue within the City for the foreseeable future. This is the first issue of the City of Eagan Newsletter. It is being prepared through the Eagan City Administrator's office, and is distributed as a public service to Eagan residents. The main purpose of this newsletter will be to provide information on the activities of City government. It will include articles on City Council decisions, City department actions, and items covering other subjects of interest and importance to Eagan residents. The newsletter will be published three or four times a year. The early issues may experiment somewhat with style and content before a standard format is decided upon. Even so, future copies will attempt to provide both short articles on different governmental activities and from time to time a more in-depth coverage of major topics which may have arisen within the City. Local newspapers will continue to publish notices and report news items as in the past. However, with delivery to all City residents, the newsletter will hopefully provide a direct communication link between the citizens of Eagan and their local government. The next copy of the Eagan newsletter will be distributed in April along with the Volunteer Fire Department's Eagan Directory. Thomas L. Hedges City Administrator