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2016-11 Experience EaganExperience Eagan • November/December 2016 • 1 November/December 2016 Experience Eagan Lone Oak Rd Yankee Doodle Rd Wescott Rd Diffley Rd Cliff Rd Lexington AvePilot Knob RdRahn RdBlackhawk RdEl r ene Rd2 3 8 7 4 1 15 1614 12 17 13 11 10 9B 6B 6A 9A 5B 5A City of Eagan GIS Won’t You Be Our Neighbor? Have you heard of Nextdoor? It’s a free, private social network designed to bring neighbors togeth- er, and the City of Eagan has recently joined this social space. Nextdoor will complement the City’s other communication channels, like this newsletter, the City website, customized email subscriptions, and Facebook and Twitter accounts. “We are excited to launch the City of Eagan Nextdoor account,” said City Administrator Dave Osberg. “Nextdoor will provide residents a new way to get informed about the community, and easily engage with the City and with each other.” Nextdoor is different from other social media sites in that all members are required to verify that they live at the address associated with their account. Only verified users can participate in a neighbor- hood’s site, which creates a secure and trusted envi- ronment for conversation and information sharing with fellow Eaganites. In the coming year, staff plan to use the site to share things like construction notices, utility alerts, public safety tips, and other topics residents need to know. In addition to receiving posts from the City, users can interact with their neighbors to share ideas, give recommendations, and discuss local events. It’s important to note that the private neighborhood sites are only accessible to neigh- bors, meaning that City staff will not be able to see residents’ conversations—we’ll only see your direct questions and responses to our posts. The platform is already a well-adopted tool in Eagan—106 neighborhoods, representing 84% of the city, have started Nextdoor websites and more than 5,500 residents have joined the network. Interested in joining your neighbors on Nextdoor? Simply visit www.nextdoor.com to set up an account. The City’s goal is to use Nextdoor as another tool to build a stronger, more connected community. “Through the Eagan Forward process, we heard many comments about folks wanting to get to know their neighbors,” said Osberg. “Our hope is that by utilizing Nextdoor, residents can build stronger rela- tionships within the community while also receiving relevant information about their city.” Check Your Precinct Before Voting Polls are open 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 8 Before you go to your polling place on election day, take a moment to make sure you know your polling location. This map shows all the precinct boundaries and polling locations in Eagan. You can also type in your address on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Polling Place Finder at pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us to get your detailed polling place information (including map & directions) and a sample ballot for your precinct. 1. Pilot Knob Elementary 2. Eagan Community Center 3. Fire Safety Center 4. Cedar School 5A. Oak Hills Church 5B. Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church 6A. Eagan Civic Arena 6B. Deerwood Elementary 7. Woodland Elementary 8. Northview Elementary 9A. Metcalf Junior High 9B. Rahn Elementary 10. Christ Lutheran Church 11. Thomas Lake Elementary 12. Oak Ridge Elementary 13. Easter Lutheran Church 14. Chapel Hill Church 15. Pinewood Elementary 16. Red Pine Elementary 17. St. Thomas Becket Church Precinct and Polling Locations Early Voting: November 1 – 7 Any eligible voter from Eagan can come to the first floor lobby at City Hall and vote early during the following times: w 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 1 through Friday, November 4 w 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 5 w 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 7 The process is similar to absentee voting; however, with early voting, voters will insert their ballots directly into the ballot box to be counted. Please be aware that Eagan has 20 precincts and all the early voting will occur at City Hall, so if you choose to cast your ballot early, you should allow more time than you would at your polling place. Local Election Results w On election night, the best place to find election results is the Secretary of State website at www.mnvotes.org. w On November 9, overall results and results by precinct will be available at www.cityofeagan.com/electionresults. w Starting at 7:00 a.m. on November 9, E-TV Channel 20 will be showing Eagan election results, and at 7:00 p.m. will feature interviews with the winners of the City Council race. Experience Eagan • November/December 2016 • 2 A new Eagan Fire Station One is under construc- tion at the intersections of Diffley and Blackhawk Roads. When complete in the spring of 2017, this new facility will consolidate operations of the cur- rent stations on Rahn Road and Galaxie Avenue. The original Station One was constructed in 1963, but is no longer in the best location to serve the community; nor does it meet the firefighting and training needs of today. Fire Station Five was built in 1988 and its location is a challenge for paid-on call firefighters who must battle traffic and numer- ous traffic signals to get to the station before they can load up gear and ready trucks for fire response. By locating this new station centrally between the two existing fire stations, with direct access to main roadways, the department is able to consoli- date the operations of two stations into one more efficient facility. In addition to this new station, Eagan has Fire Station Two on Yankee Doodle Road near Lexington Avenue, and Fire Station Four at the intersection of Diffley Road and Dodd Road. Station Three at Pilot Knob Road and Wilderness Run Road was deactivated for use earlier this year. Look for information this spring about a grand opening of the new Fire Station One. New Fire Station Replaces Two City Maintenance Facility Gets More Space, Refresh Eagan’s Central Maintenance Facility is not the most visible of City buildings, but that doesn’t mean it is not a busy and important hub for City services. This building just west of the intersection of Yankee Doodle and Coachman Roads, houses the Streets, Parks Maintenance, Mechanics, Forestry and Water Resources staff. Earlier this year, construction began on a much-needed expansion and upgrade to the facility. Constructed in 1985 and expanded in 1989, the Central Maintenance Facility contains nearly all of the service and storage needs for the City’s mainte- nance operations including mechanic bays/garage areas where all plows, pick-ups, police squads, fire trucks, park mowers and a myriad of other City equipment are serviced and often stored. It also has offices, bath/locker rooms and a training/break room for staff. As the number of City parks has increased and the miles of roads maintained have expanded greatly since 1989, the facility housing the maintenance equipment and staff has expanded little. The build- ing has also struggled to accommodate changing safety, air quality and accessibility standards. An unheated storage building was built in 1993 and the North Water Treatment Plant was expanded to house all of the utility (water and sewer) operations and some heated storage in 2005. These expan- sions were part of a planned phase development to help increase efficiencies, facilitate compliance with updated state and federal regulations and accom- modate industry changes. The renovations/improvements include: additional heated vehicle storage and equipment bays, a utility storage building, material storage bins and a new salt storage structure. Construction is scheduled to be completed by April of 2017. The City is paying for the project by issuing capital improvement bonds paid back over 20 years. With other City debt obligations being reduced and/or fully paid off in the next three years, the overall annual debt payments in the longer term will actu- ally be slightly lower than they are today. That means the portion of the taxpayers’ property tax bill related to capital projects will be less in the coming years. Stay Safe, Avoid Thieves This Holiday Season Don’t let the spirit of the holidays make you a tar- get for criminals. Crooks love the season because it provides many opportunities for crime. Homes are filled with gifts, stores are bustling, vehicles are packed with goodies, and deliveries are abundant. Remembering a few tips can help make you a less likely victim. If you are traveling w Make your home look lived-in with automat- ic timers on lights and radios. w Ask a trusted neighbor to watch, put out/take in trash cans, shovel snow, and park in the driveway from time to time. w Stop mail and newspaper delivery. w Don’t display gifts where they can be seen. w Don’t post your plans on social media. When Shopping w Shop in a group and stay aware of what’s going on around you. w Park in a well-lit space, lock the car and hide shopping bags in the trunk. w Avoid carrying large amounts of cash or credit cards. Keep card numbers and contact info at home so you can cancel quickly if cards are compromised. w Deter pickpockets and purse snatchers. Don’t overburden yourself with packages. Carry a crossbody purse or put your wallet in an inside coat or front pocket. w Teach kids to go to a store clerk or security guard if separated. Think about purchasing a safety bracelet that has your name and phone number for quick contact. Shopping online? w If you ship gifts, let recipients know when to watch for delivery. Some thieves will follow delivery trucks and take packages from door- steps. w Require a signature and/or have packages delivered at your place of work. w Give instructions to leave your pack- age out of sight from the street. w Pay for insurance to cover the cost of the shipped item if it is lost or stolen. w Set up alerts for delivery. Some companies will even allow you to redirect a package if you know you will not be home for delivery. w If you believe that a package was sto- len, call the shipper immediately. If it was sto- len, call the Eagan Police Department immedi- ately and file a report. Visit www.cityofeagan.com/crimeprevention for more safety tips in any season. Come Work for Your City All year round, the City of Eagan hires great people to work in a wide variety of jobs. We regularly post positions on the City website at www.cityofeagan.com/jobs. A majority of positions are seasonal and part-time, but full- time positions and internships are posted as available too. Some of our most popular seasonal jobs are in maintenance of streets and parks, landscap- ing, and at the Civic Arena or Cascade Bay. We’ve already started advertising for winter rink attendants. Postings for summer positions such as mow- ing lawns, lifeguarding, assisting with t-ball, and working concessions will begin as early as February 2017. Work for the city you call home. Visit the website to sign up for email job alerts and for information on upcoming job fairs too. Experience Eagan • November/December 2016 • 3 Ready or not, winter is coming. Snow will fall and plows will take to the streets. Brush up on Eagan’s winter parking rules, plowing plans and require- ments, so you aren’t caught in the cold. Roadway Plowing City crews begin plowing once two inches of snow is on the ground. Ice, sleet, drifting or other factors may also activate plowing operations. Crews begin plowing on higher volume City streets and then pro- ceed to clear public residential City streets and cul- de-sacs. Keep in mind that Dakota County and the State of Minnesota are responsible for maintaining County Roads (Cliff Rd, Diffley Rd, Lexington Ave, Lone Oak Rd, Pilot Knob Rd and Yankee Doodle Rd) and State/Interstate Highways (35E, 494, Hwy 77 / Cedar Avenue and Hwys 3, 13, 149 and 55). Trail & Sidewalk Plowing Over 80 miles of boulevard trails and sidewalks are cleared following snowfall, once Eagan streets are safely cleared. This is generally 1-3 days after snow- fall—sometimes longer during significant or back-to- back storms. Each spring, the City Council reviews petitions from residents to add new trails and sidewalks to plow- ing operations. New trail plowing areas for winter 2016/17 include the east side of Central Parkway from Yankee Doodle to Pilot Knob, the west side of Cedar Grove Parkway from Gold Trail to Rahn Road, Highline Trail from Nicols Road to Johnny Cake Ridge Road, and the Thomas Lake Park Trail from Thomas Lake Road to Pilot Knob Road. If you are interested in having a segment considered for plowing, now is a good time to begin gather- ing signatures in that area. All petitions must be received by April 1. For more information visit www. cityofeagan.com/plow. Parking, Plowing and Winter Reminders Free Curb Marking Stakes To help prevent lawn damage from plows, resi- dents are encouraged to mark hidden curb lines. Free wooden stakes (eight per household) are available at the Eagan Maintenance Facility, 3501 Coachman Point. The City is not responsible for damage to any objects/amenities (fences, landscaping, sprinkler heads, driveways, etc.) located in these areas. Also note that garbage containers awaiting pick-up should be set back four to eight feet behind the curb. Additional information regarding the City snow and ice control as well as contacts for Dakota County and State agencies, trail plowing and more can be found at www.cityofeagan.com/plow. Updates are routinely posted on the City Facebook and Twitter accounts. Questions? Call the Maintenance Facility at (651) 675-5300. Keep Hydrants Clear So They Can Be Reached In the event of a fire emergency during the winter, quick access to fire hydrants is a necessity for fire- fighters. Buried hydrants cause dangerous delays. Minnesota State Fire Code requires a clear three- foot radius around a fire hydrant. The Eagan Fire Department is encouraging you to “adopt a fire hydrant” closest to your residence to ensure it is accessible at all times. This will provide quick access to firefighters and make it easier for them to respond efficiently. When shoveling snow, be aware of vehicle traffic. Do not stand in the street, and be careful not to slip and fall out into the road. For more information please contact the Eagan Fire Department at (651) 675-5900 or by email at eaganfd@cityofeagan.com Parking only on odd side of streets on odd numbered days 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Parking only on even side of streets on even numbered days 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Odd/Even Parking Nov. 15 to April 15 Enjoy Your Holiday Tree Safely & Then Recycle As you deck the halls this season, the Eagan Fire Department urges you to be fire smart. A small fire that spreads to an evergreen and paper decorations and gifts can grow large very quickly. w Pick a tree with fresh needles that don’t fall off when touched, and water daily. w Before placing the tree in the stand, cut at least 2 inches off of the trunk. w Place tree at least three feet away from any heat source such as a fireplace, candle, heat vents, radiators and space heaters. A heat source too close to a tree causes one in every four tree fires. w Don’t block exits with a tree. w Use only indoor lights. Make sure they are labeled by a recognized testing laboratory. w Don’t use lights with worn or broken cords, or loose bulb connections. w Never use candles to decorate a tree. w Turn lights off before leaving home or going to bed. w Don’t overload outlets. Get Rid of Trees Soon & Safely When the festivities are over or when the tree dries out, be sure to dispose of it properly. Dried-out trees are a fire danger. Trees should not be left inside your home, stored in a garage or outdoors alongside your house or on a deck. Check with your garbage hauler for pick-up options or bring it to a compost site. Nearby options are available in Rosemont and Inver Grove Heights. Visit www.dakotavalleyrecycling.org for site info.For more information, visit www.cityofeagan.com/winterparking Skate & Slide Outside Winter can be full of fun, especially when you add an outdoor adventure. The snow tubing hill at Trapp Farm Park and the many outdoor skating rinks throughout City parks provide a multitude of places to enjoy all of the seasons. Outdoor ice rinks and the tubing hill expect to open in December and will remain open, as weather permits, until mid- February. For rink locations and types, hours and tubing hill rules and admission, visit cityofeagan. com/Parks and select either Outdoor Ice Rinks or Trapp Farm Park Tubing Hill. Prsrt stdU.s. PostagePAIDtWIN CItIes MNPerMIt No. 4902* * * * * ECRWSS * *Residential Postal Customer3830 Pilot Knob RoadEagan, Minnesota 55122Page 1 Won’t You Be our Neighbor? Check Your Precinct Before Voting Page 2 New Fire stations one replaces two City Maintenance Facility gets More space, refresh stay safe, avoid thieves this Holiday season Page 3 Parking, Plowing and Winter reminders enjoy Your Holiday tree safely & then recycle Page 4 shop Local – Winter Market Fest outdoor rinks & tubing easy Pay Your Water Bill spring tree sale returns Mayor Mike Maguire Councilmembers Paul Bakken Cyndee Fields Gary Hansen Meg Tilley City Administrator Dave Osberg (651) 675-5000 • (651) 454-8535 TTY www.cityofeagan.com Experience Eagan facebook.com/CityofEagan @CityofEagan Many of your favorite Market Fest vendors will be at the Eagan Community Center every-other Saturday from November through February. Come and sample tasty products, buy local foods for a holiday party, or put together a local gift basket. On Saturday, December 3, Santa will be visiting the market 10 a.m. - Noon. Find more information at www.cityofeagan.com/marketfest. Shop Local Winter Market Fest Saturdays Nov. 5, 19, Dec., 3, 17, 31, Jan. 14, 28, Feb. 11, 25 Eagan Community Center 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. cityofeagan.com/marketfest Spring Tree Sale Returns We’re a community known for its trees, so Eagan staff is never surprised by the outpour- ing of interest in its tree sale, held every two years. Over 400 trees were sold to residents in 2015 and a similar number will be available in 2017. The tree sale offers Eagan residents a chance to purchase up to two bare-root trees for plant- ing on their Eagan property. More details will be in the next newsletter, online and on the City social media sites in early 2017. Easy Pay Your Water Bill Your bill for City sewer and water service comes quarterly. Now there’s a new easy way to securely view and pay your City utility bill, any time of day or night—it’s called Eagan Easy Pay. The new system provides a simple and secure e-billing and pay- ment option where utility customers can view and pay their bill online using the web or their mobile device. This platform, powered by Invoice Cloud, has an improved design, better functionality and more pay- ment options than the City’s previous system. Benefits of Easy Pay: w You’ll be notified by email or text when your utility bill is ready to pay—a link will allow you to view your current bill. w Past bills and payment history are available. w Late fees can be avoided with automatic pay- ments. w The system accepts Credit Cards, echeck, and automatic deductions directly from your bank. w Spend less time writing checks, mailing pay- ments, tracking due dates, and filing paper- work. w There’s even a text message reminder and payment option. w Eliminates paper bills, reduces clutter thus helping the environment. Visit www.cityofeagan.com/easypay to get started with Easy Pay now. You’ll need to have your Customer Number and Account Number handy before you begin. These numbers are found on the upper right-hand corner of your paper billing statement. Give the Gift of Summer at Cascade Bay Available December 1 Early Bird Special Purchase your 2017 season pass to Cascade Bay before March 31, 2017 and receive two free daily admissions per household. Purchase your Cascade Bay holiday season passes, cardio Bay punch cards and individual admissions from Eagan Parks & Recreation, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For more information, call (651) 675-5500 or visit www.cascadebay.com. Eagan’s July 4th Funfest Returns! Join the fun Committee members are needed now. Visit www.eaganfunfest.org