City of New Hope

A publication of the city of New Hope, Minnesota e www.ci.new-hope.mn.us

Fall 2012Number 184

City of New Hope, Minnesota e Fall 2012

Some highlights of this issue include:EmergencyWater Supply Study JWC will study cost of drilling wells District 287 Opens New School North Education CenterPedestrian PlanCounty seeks resident inputIn Business • Kmart and City Center ordinances • Gas station demolished • Peppertree Salon wins Outstanding Business AwardCity Services Survey Take a quick online surveyRegister for CERT Training Register soon for October sessionEmployee of the Quarter Officer Rob Johnson recognized

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A great place to grow!4401 Xylon Avenue North

New Hope, MN 55428

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Prsrt StdU.S. Postage

PAIDTwin Cities, MNPermit No. 2330

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Current resident or

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Contractors are putting the final

touches on an extensive improvement project at the New Hope Ice Arena. To celebrate the successful renovation, nearly 400 local skaters, residents and officials participated in a New Ice Age ribbon-cutting event at the arena on Wednes-day, August 22. After nearly 40 years of heavy use, the New Hope Arena was in need of improvements. The re-frigeration system for the original north sheet of ice needed replacement, the roof over that rink had started to leak, and some of the common areas – the entry way, lobby, hallways, and commu-nity room – needed a facelift.

City celebrates a New Ice Age at the New Hope Arena

When planning for the arena infrastruc-ture improvements, the city found that by replacing the inefficient Freon-based refrigeration systems for both sheets of ice with a single energy-efficient, state-of-the-art ammonia system it could save a lot of energy and operating costs over time. And, that it could leverage those guaranteed savings to pay for much of the im-provements costs through the issu-ance of very low interest Qualified Energy Conserva-tion Bonds. The city also received a $275,000 Youth Sports Grant from

Hennepin County to help pay for the en-ergy saving improvements. The improvement project began in fall 2011 with the installation of a new metal roof for the north ice sheet. The other improvement work began in April 2012 and has been completed during the arena’s slower summer season. The last significant step in the project oc-curred at the end of August, when the south ice rink was shut down for a cou-ple weeks so that it could be switched over to the new refrigeration equipment.The New Ice Age celebration was held on August 22 from 5 to 8 p.m. A brief program at 5:30 p.m. included com-ments from Senator Ann Rest, Repre-sentative Lyndon Carlson, Hennepin County Commission Chair Mike Opat, Brian Floyd from the city’s energy effi-ciency consultant, McKinstry, represen-tatives from Armstrong Cooper Youth Hockey Association (who presented the

In June, both the New Hope and Crystal city councils passed concur-

rent resolutions to reaffirm the joint powers agreement for the West Metro Fire Rescue District, thereby ensuring that the district will continue to exist. In addition, the resolutions spell out general principles that will guide the governance and leadership of the dis-trict and directs the West Metro Board and district staff to implement items in a work plan developed over the last several months. In other district news, both city councils adopted the West Metro Fire 2013 Budget in July.In November 2011, the Crystal City Council announced its intention to withdraw from the joint fire department – West Metro Fire-Rescue District. In December, the two cities agreed to meet to discuss their differences in an attempt to continue the district. Over the following seven months, the city councils of New Hope and Crystal en-

West Metro Fire-Rescue District is reaffirmed, 2013 budget approved

gaged in a series of eight joint working sessions, led by an outside facilitator, to determine whether the joint district should continue and address issues and concerns identified by members of each of the councils. On May 17, the city councils conducted a final joint meeting to accept public comment on the dis-trict and discuss a draft work plan for the district.The two city councils directed the West Metro Board and district staff to take the following actions identified in the district work plan:v Directs the fire chief to work closely with the two city managers to assure that administrative and information needs are met.v The district has begun to implement revised human resources practices in-cluding a review of the employee hand-book, inclusion of city human resources staff in hiring and promotion decisions,

The New Hope City Council

recently approved $89,095 for the purchase and installation of playground equip-ment as part of a $178,505 play-ground renovation project in Civic Center Park. The playground equipment at Civic Center Park is the oldest equipment in New Hope’s park system. Since Civic Center Park, located at 44th and Xylon avenues, is a commu-nity park, city staff proposed developing playground plans that were non-tradi-tional and focused on creative play. A planning committee made up of city commissioners, city engineers and city staff met over several months to study the best type of equipment to recom-mend and developed plans that would meet the park's needs and compliment the City Center vision. In February, two vendors presented playground propos-als based on the plans and specifica-

tions developed by the committee and approved by the City Council. After sharing the proposals and seeking feedback from neighboring property owners, the committee recommended moving forward with a proposal from Flagship Recreation, which has been further refined over the last few months. The Landscape Structures equipment in-cluded in the Flagship proposal is on the state of Minnesota bid list. The Council also approved the addition of an innova-tive merry-go-round structure from Mid-west Playscapes, because the city could

Council approves Civic Center Park play equipment

Mayor Kathi Hemken and arena manager Jim Corbett (center)cut the ribbon to begin a New Ice Age at the arena while Jor-dan Leopold (left), Mike Opat (right) and Nordy looked on.

An expanded entry, exterior painting, and a new roof for the north ice rink were just a few of the aesthetic improvements made at the arena.

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The new playground in Civic Center Park will include some nontradi-tional equipment not currently found in any other New Hope park.

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City of New Hope, Minnesota e Fall 2012

Kathi Hemken Mayor763-537-7990 khemken@ci.new-hope.mn.us

John Elder Council Member763-442-0999 jelder@ci.new-hope.mn.us

Andy HoffeCouncil Member763-537-2647ahoffe@ci.new-hope.mn.us

Eric LammleCouncil Member763-544-0912elammle@ci.new-hope.mn.us

Frequently Called City NumbersGeneral Telephone ........... 763-531-5100Inspections ...........................763-531-5127building permits, complaintsParks and Recreation ........763-531-5151Public Works .......................763-592-6777sewer backup, snowplowing, forestryUtility Billing ........................763-592-6760Police (non-emergency) ....763-531-5170TTY (through MN Relay) ...651-602-9005

Kirk McDonaldCity Manager763-531-5112kmcdonald@ci.new-hope.mn.us

City Hall Address 4401 Xylon Avenue NorthNew Hope, MN 55428City Websitewww.ci.new-hope.mn.usTell us what you think...24-Hour Opinion Line .... 763-531-5102E-mail .......cityhall@ci.new-hope.mn.us

Daniel StaunerCouncil Member763-536-1415dstauner@ci.new-hope.mn.us

Intermediate School District 287 com-

pleted construction of its new $35 mil-lion dollar North Education Center in August and held a ribbon-cutting event on August 23. The new three-story, 157,521 square foot building is located at 5530 Zealand Avenue North, the former lo-cation of Hosterman Middle School.District 287 leased space at the former Hosterman Middle School and two other sites for many years to accom-modate the special needs students from its 12 member districts. Hosterman,

however was an aging facility with con-ventional classroom spaces that weren’t particularly well suited to the unique learning needs of its students. And,

District 287 opens doors of new North Education Center

On May 29, the New Hope City Coun-cil authorized the Joint Water Com-

mission to contract with Barr Engineering to prepare a feasibility study to site and drill three wells that could be used as an emergency backup water supply for the Joint Water Commission (JWC). The JWC cities of New Hope, Golden Valley and Crystal have collaboratively purchased treated drinking water from the city of Minneapolis since the early 1960s. The source of that drinking water is the Mississippi River. The JWC has continuing concerns about the reli-ability of the Mississippi River as the sole water supply source for the city of Minneapolis and its water custom-ers (including the JWC). Minneapolis currently does not have an emergency backup water supply plan in place for its residents and wholesale customers.

JWC cities approve feasibility study for emergency water supply

State Statute requires that cities iden-tify and develop an emergency backup water source. In May 2011, at a meeting of the three city councils, JWC staff was directed to gather preliminary information for a possible emergency backup water supply utilizing ground water from the Prairie du Chien/Jordan aquifer through a system of wells in New Hope, Crystal and Golden Valley. They were also directed to determine the viability of a dormant existing well at New Hope’s north water tower.The New Hope well is the only backup supply source for the JWC at this time. Tests indicate that the well is viable. However, the water from this well would not produce enough water to meet the needs of all three cities. Barr Engineer-ing proposes that the JWC activate the New Hope well and drill three additional wells. In total, the wells would produce about 5.5 to 6.8 million gallons per day, which is the current average daily use for the JWC cities. The emergency water supply would be unsoftened, be of a constant temperature and would have a slightly lower pH than the water the JWC receives from Minneapolis.The estimated cost for the feasibility study is about $30,000. Preliminary estimates to finish bringing the well at New Hope’s north water tower back online, drill three additional wells near the reservoirs in Crystal and Golden Valley, and construct a system of water pipes from the wells to the reservoirs is approximately $4.2 million dollars. The JWC could have the emergency backup water supply operational within about a year, or could choose to spread the project out over as many as 10 years. The emergency water supply study should be complete in about four months.

Hennepin County is in the process of creating its first official Pe-

destrian Plan. The goal is to improve conditions for walking so that it can become safer, more convenient, and a more enjoyable transportation choice. The plan will include strategies to sup-port walking through infrastructure changes and improvements, education and law enforcement. To begin the process, the county needs to learn about the travel habits of residents and ideas and concerns they have about walking in the county. The New Hope Citizen Advisory Commis-sion will host an interactive Pedestrian Workshop from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Tues-day, September 11, at New Hope City Hall, 4401 Xylon Ave. N.Hennepin County wants to know about residents’ walking habits, and how those habits change during the win-ter; favorite and least favorite walking

County seeks resident input for Pedestrian Planroutes (and why), as well as destinations they wish they could walk more easily; what people like (and don’t like) about their experiences walking in the county, and what could be done to improve conditions; as well as some input on what types of pedestrian improvements would be most attractive and where those improvements should be focused.For those unable to attend the work-shop, Hennepin County also has a brief online survey to gather information about walking from residents. The draft Hennepin County Pedestrian Plan will be released for review later this fall and should be completed by the middle of next year. The Pedestrian Plan will ulti-mately become part of the overall Hen-nepin County Transportation Systems Plan. For more information about the pedestrian plan, additional workshops or to take the survey, visit www.henne-pin.us/pedestrianplan.

leasing space was not very cost effective for District 287. In May 2010, District 287 purchased the 10-acre Hosterman site from Robbins-dale Area Schools. In April 2011, they began construction of a new North Edu-cation Center (NEC). The NEC opened on September 4 with about 450 students elementary through transition age (age 21), which includes parenting teens and their infants. The building will accom-modate many programs and services under one roof, resulting in more efficient administrative operations. Every area of the new building is de-signed to meet unique student needs. Students at NEC have a wide variety of challenges to learning, includ-ing autism, health impairments, and anxiety disorders. Architects and engineers worked closely with school administrators and staff to envision the ideal environment for each learner. The classrooms are smaller than tra-ditional classrooms, with carpet and lots of windows. Quiet areas in many classrooms enable students to remove themselves from instruction if they are over-stimulated, and special light-ing addresses issues of light sensitivity. Technology has been integrated into

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save about $1,000 by installing the piece at the same time as the other equipment.The initial phase of the Civic Center Park playground will include two play areas – a small playground container with six traditional swings (including chair and baby swings), and a larger container with several eye-catching, innovative, state-of-the-art play structures. The equip-ment will include: a Playshaper structure tailored to young children ages 2 to 5; a large Evos structure with a variety of challenging and stimulating activities for older kids ages 5 to 12; an undulating Mobius Climber; a Super Nova Galaxy next generation merry-go-round; and two different types of spinner stations.The playground committee also for-mulated a potential second phase of improvements which could include amenities such as sensory tables, ac-cessible areas, creative musical and art stations, nature play, adult seating and family picnic areas. Those playground improvements and ball field and trail improvements included in a separate Civic Center Park Master Plan will be considered at a later date. Construction recently began on the playground improvements and should be completed this fall. Funding for the project will come from the Park Infra-structure Fund.

Playground (cont. from page 1)

Every area of District 287's new North Education Center is de-signed to meet the unique needs of its students.

Photo contest extended

The number of entries was a bit low, so the city has extended the

deadline for the 2012 In Focus photo contest until Friday, September 21. Winners will be selected in three main categories – People, Places, and Nature, plus two special cat-egories for youth under age 16 and a People's Choice Award chosen by the public.The contest is open to anyone who lives or works in New Hope. And, photos must have been taken some-where in New Hope. Photographers may submit up to two photos. For complete contest rules and an entry form visit www.ci.new-hope.mn.us/infocus or stop by City Hall or the golf course clubhouse.

In Business e Fall 2012

Peppertree Salon receives Outstanding Business Award

In May, the City Council recog-nized Peppertree Salon with the

Spring 2012 New Hope Outstanding Business Award. The salon, which is located at 2717 Winnetka Avenue North in Midland Center, has been doing business at that location since 1973. Peppertree has a friendly, fam-ily environment and they provide a complete range of salon services for both men and women.Owner Laura Lindgren has been with Peppertree for its entire 39 years, and several other stylists have been there nearly as long. "Our stylists strive to exceed client expectations and create lasting rela-tionships with their customers,” said Lindgren. The salon has six highly skilled and experienced stylists. Salon services include all types of hair services – cuts, perms, styles, and lots of hair color specialists. Other services include facial waxing, manicures and pedicures. And, the business has an as-sortment of quality products available for customers’ hair and beauty needs.Peppertree’s hours also cater to cus-tomers’ needs. To accommodate clients who want to come in after work or school, the salon is open from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m., Monday through Thurs-day. The shop is also open from 9 a.m until 6 p.m. on Friday, and from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Walk-ins

At its July 23 meeting, the New Hope City Council expanded the project

boundaries of its redevelopment plan project area to match the city’s mu-nicipal boundaries. Changes were also made to the Tax Increment Financing plans for districts 85-1, 85-2, and 86-1. Each plan now has an updated list of parcels within New Hope that the city would like to purchase for redevelop-ment and identify public improvement projects throughout the city that can be funded with TIF dollars. The changes provide the city with increased flexibil-ity in how it uses tax increment dollars. The city used available tax increment revenue from TIF districts 85-1, 85-2, and 86-1 to finalize the purchase of the Kmart and Wells Fargo drive-thru prop-erties (4200 and 4300 Xylon Ave. N.) for $4.6 million from Gator Properties, Minnesota LLC on July 24. The city has long considered those properties to be key components to the redevelopment on New Hope’s City Center area.The City Council will consider a staff recommendation to hire a contractor to prepare plans and specifications to de-molish the buildings on the site in Sep-tember. The city plans to restrict access to the property beginning in late Octo-ber, and demolition of the buildings will likely occur in late fall or winter. City staff will also begin contacting major property owners and several master developers, in coordination with Ehlers and Associates, the city’s redevelopment and financial advisors, to stimulate in-terest in this prime redevelopment site.

Preparing to Implement the City Center VisionIn June 2011, the New Hope City Coun-cil adopted a vision for City Center. The vision includes:v City Center should look and func-tion like the heart of the community – it should be the focus of civic, business, and cultural activity and the transpor-tation network.v The area should have a strong, cohe-sive identity and redevelopment should be compact, efficient, economical, and environmentally sustainable.v The area should include a diversity of business, retail and commercial uses, as well as mix of medium and high den-sity residential uses.v The residential and commercial areas will be linked to gathering spaces, green spaces and civic uses.This spring, the New Hope Planning Commission began a review of pos-sible changes to the city’s zoning ordi-nance, Comprehensive Plan and Design Guidelines in order to ensure that the vision for City Center can be imple-mented as intended. The changes are intended to meet the special needs of the City Center district while providing some flexibility and opportunities for creative solutions.

Some of the proposed changes include:v The zoning ordinance will spell out a list of permitted, conditional, accessory and temporary uses within the City Center District. v The maximum structure height will be increased and there will be no mini-mum lot size to provide flexibility and encourage density. v Setbacks for commercial buildings will be reduced, but will be maintained at 20 feet from residential properties. v Buildings will be oriented along the primary adjacent street to create a “Main Street,” pedestrian-friendly feel. v A minimum floor area ratio (the ratio of total building floor area to par-cel size) of .5 FAR will be established to encourage efficient use of land by

New Hope closes on Kmart, City Center ordinance changes nearly completelimiting surface parking and encour-aging multiple stories. This is the Met Council recommended standard for a suburban town center.v A maximum residential density in City Center of 50 units per acre (Ehlers suggests that 30 to 50 units per acre is needed to make redevelop-ment financially viable).v Architectural standards related to building scale and orientation, build-ing materials, canopies and balconies. v Both minimum and maximum parking requirements based on the type of property use. Requirements

for parking location, screening and bi-cycle parking. Provisions to encourage shared parking, parking structures, and screened parking.v Requirements for exterior lighting, useable public open space and signage.Following City Council review and anticipated approval of the City Cen-ter zoning changes at its September 24 meeting, the Comprehensive Plan changes will be distributed to neigh-boring communities and the Metropol-itan Council for comment in October. Final adoption of the ordinance changes will occur this winter. To see a Powerpoint about the proposed City Center Zoning changes, visit www.ci.new-hope.mn.us/citycenter.

are always welcome, but appointments are encouraged to ensure that stylists will have plenty of time to attend to customers. “Potential clients are also welcome to stop by and check out the salon,” Lindgren added.When a city staff member called to advise her that Peppertree had won an Outstanding Business Award, “I was really, really surprised,” Lindgren said. “It was really special.” Peppertree was nominated for the award by Jan Goossens of Kraus Anderson Realty, the owners of Midland Shopping Cen-ter. “Peppertree has served New Hope residents for nearly four decades, she

(Lindgren) deserves recognition for its success,” Goossens noted. Several city council members ap-plauded Lindgren and the salon for being in business in New Hope for nearly 40 years. And both Goossens and the Council noted how upbeat and cooperative Peppertree staff had been last year during the demo-lition of the tenant space adjacent to them and the construction of a new CVS Pharmacy at Midland. “Her salon had to endure the process of installing a wall, roof issues, noise issues, and the inconvenience of having construction occurring all around her space,” Goossens mar-veled. “She took it all in stride.”The City Council considers nomina-tions

for the New Hope Outstanding Business Award four times a year. The award rec-ognizes businesses that have become a valued part of the community and is intended to encourage other New Hope businesses to strive for excellence. Any resident, business patron, or business person may make a nomination. Award winning businesses receive a plaque, have their name added to a plaque dis-played at City Hall, and are recognized at a City Council meeting. Congratula-tions Laura Lindgren and Peppertree Salon for being named a New Hope Outstanding Business!

Development Update6113 West BroadwayThe city acquired the tax-forfeited for-mer gas station at 6113 West Broadway in January for $10,238. The city has owned several adjacent properties for many years. In July, a contractor demol-ished the gas station and removed the fuel tanks. The cost of demolition was $55,407. During the tank removal process soil tests were completed in two suspect areas. Both of those areas exceeded MPCA guidelines for contaminants. The tests were reported to the MPCA as a leak. The contaminated soils will be removed within the next few months. Approximately 90 percent of the cost of the pollution cleanup should be reimbursed by the state's Super Fund program.In early June the city signed an op-tion agreement for the property with Ron Clark Construction. Ron Clark proposes to build a four-story, 68 unit apartment complex on the 1.67 acre site. The City Council rezoned the par-cels in the proposed project area in July.Ron Clark Construction held an open house to share its project proposal with the neighborhood on April 17 and plans to hold a second open house sometime in September. The developer awaits word on whether its applica-tion for a state tax credit to finance the building has been accepted.

Owner Laura Lindgren (seated) surrounded by her longtime stylists (left to right) Gloria, DJ and Diane and receptionist Aabre.

New Hope is seeking a development partner for the Kmart site.

City of New Hope, Minnesota e Fall 2012

each classroom as appropriate. And, an innovative demountable wall system makes it possible for classrooms to be reconfigured at very low cost to meet changing needs.The NEC building also follows sustain-able design principles. It is 68 percent more energy efficient than a building that is “built to code.” The school has a state of the art lighting system, a geo-thermal heating and cooling system, and will use an extensive recycling program.District 287 built the North Education Center with $29.8 million in interest-free Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCB) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The district will save $29.1 million in inter-est over the 17-year term of the financ-ing. The project was completed on time and on budget. To learn more about District 287 and the NEC project, visit www.district 287.org and click on the NEC button.

and formation of an employee griev-ance review panel with members from outside of the district.v The board will review the query process identified in the joint powers agreement to encourage transparency and ensure that the information needs of the board and city councils are met.v The district will evaluate different staffing models to determine which would be most effective in helping the district to maintain its staffing levels cost effectively.v The district will adopt a donor policy which will clearly identify the donor’s intent and wishes.The cities also agreed to hold at least one joint meeting in 2013 to review the status of the district, the progress made on the work plan, and compliance with

city with a $5,000 contribution), Mayor Kathi Hemken, and Jim Corbett. Corbett semi-retired this spring after 40 years as arena manager, but stayed on to see the arena renovation through. Special guests included Jordan Leopold, defenseman for the National Hockey League’s Buf-falo Sabres, who grew up play-ing hockey at the arena for the Armstrong Falcons; and Min-nesota Wild mascot Nordy, who skated with and signed autographs for the crowd. Fol-lowing the program, many guests enjoyed some free open skating, took a look around the newly renovated facility, and enjoyed refreshments including hot dogs and cake.

Rob Johnson, a patrol offi-cer on the Police Depart-

ment, was named New Hope Employee of the Quarter for the second quarter of 2012.Officer Johnson was honored for the thoughtfulness and compassion he showed a New Hope resident, who is also the widow of a Robbinsdale police officer killed in the line of duty. On a recent vacation to Washington D.C., one of the sights Johnson was particularly interested in seeing was the National Law Enforce-ment Officers Memorial. Before leaving for the nation’s capital, Johnson looked up the names of several Minnesota po-lice officers who died in the line of duty and read their stories. Upon his arrival at the memorial, however, he looked for only one name – John Scanlon – a Robbinsdale police officer killed in the line of duty at the scene of a burglary in February 1985.Johnson never met Scanlon, in fact he became an officer 10 years after Scanlon was killed. He did, however, meet Scanlon’s widow about 10 years ago on an attempted burglary call. He took the report and was very touched

Johnson named Employee of the Quarterby Officer Scanlon’s story. This June, at the National Law Enforcement Of-ficers Memorial, Johnson made a rubbing of Officer Scanlon’s name from the memorial wall. When he returned to Minnesota, he went to Mrs. Scan-lon’s home to give her the rubbing. She did not remember meeting him

previously, but was very appreciative of his kindness.Officer Johnson has worked as a patrol officer for the New Hope Police Depart-ment since 1995. ”Rob is known for tak-ing his job very seriously and has always helped make New Hope a better place,” noted his nominator. “This act is an ex-cellent example of the professionalism of Officer Johnson and the New Hope Police Department, and how our officers care about New Hope’s citizens.” Recipients of New Hope Employee of the Quarter recognition are nominated by coworkers and selected by a com-mittee with representatives from each city department. Congratulations to Officer Rob Johnson on being selected for the award.

A slide show of the arena project – with lots of before, during, and after photos – is posted on the city website. A video of the New Ice Age ribbon cutting pro-gram, along with a few fun photos, will also be posted on the website soon.

The Minnesota Legislature imple-mented a voluntary Performance

Measurement Program for cities and counties in 2011. Among other things, government entities that participate in the program are required to conduct an annual survey to assess what their resi-dents think about core municipal ser-vices. While participation in the state program makes New Hope eligible for a few thousand dollars in local govern-ment aid, the City Council’s primary motivation for participating in the pro-gram and the survey is to get a better sense of how residents think New Hope is doing providing essential services.New Hope conducted its first City Services Survey in December 2011. But, because the city did not become involved in the program until late in the year, relatively few residents had an opportunity to participate in the survey during the month that it was online. The survey included questions about core city services including police, fire, streets, water, sanitary sewer, and parks and recreation. Of the 188 people who did respond to the survey, however, 89 percent indicated that they believed city services were either good or excellent.This year, the city posted the City Ser-vices Survey online in early August and it will remain online until December 1. In addition to the core city services questions included in last year’s survey, the state allowed cities to add a few cus-tomized questions this year. The 2012

How are we doing with core city services?survey asks how much residents value New Hope’s recreation amenities, how important they think redevelopment is in New Hope and where they believe the city should focus its redevelopment efforts, and how they would rate the fis-cal management and health of the city.In addition to the survey, another com-ponent of the city’s participation in the state’s Performance Measurement this year will be to develop some specific performance measurement bench-marks. For example, the city may set a goal for average response time for po-lice calls. The city would then track its performance compared to those bench-mark goals over time.The more New Hope residents and business owners who participate in the City Services Survey, the better sense the City Council and city staff will get of how the city is doing. If, for example, residents are less than content in a par-ticular service area, the city will look for ways to improve those services. A link to the City Services Survey is available on the homepage of the city’s website, www.ci.new-hope.mn.us. The survey is on a Survey Monkey site hosted and tabulated by the League of Minnesota Cities. Survey responses are kept anonymous. The 15-question, multiple choice survey will take most residents only a few minutes to com-plete. For those who do not have access to the Internet, paper copies of the sur-vey are available at City Hall.

the general governance and leadership principles spelled out in the reaffirma-tion resolution.In July, the New Hope and Crystal city councils unanimously approved West Metro Fire-Rescue District's 2013 bud-get. The total general operating budget for 2013 is $1,787,700, or $9,980 less than the 2012 budget. The two cities share district costs based upon a formula which factors in num-ber of calls, population and taxable property valuation. New Hope’s share of the West Metro budget will be about $2,200 less than Crystal’s in 2013. Due to recent changes in board proce-dures, the entire West Metro board (in-stead of a subcommittee) was involved in the budget review process for 2013. The process resulted in a unanimous vote by the board to approve the budget on May 9.

The cities of New Hope and Crystal and West Metro Fire-Rescue have

teamed up to form the West Metro Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and to provide disaster training for New Hope and Crystal res-idents. Twenty-one residents completed the team’s first basic training session in March of this year. Applications are currently being accepted for the second CERT training session scheduled for the weekend of October 5 to 7.The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates people about disaster preparedness for haz-ards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and

CERT trains citizens how to help in disasters

during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not imme-diately available to help. The next West Metro CERT basic train-ing course is scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, October 5, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 6 and Sunday, October 7. The course will be at West Metro Fire-Rescue District Station 3, 4251 Xylon Ave. N. in New Hope. Par-ticipants will need to provide proof that they have completed the online portion of the course before participating in the classroom training. The course is free, and open to anyone 15 and older (youth 15 to 18 must be accompanied by an adult). There are many jobs within a community emergency response team suitable for both older adults and those with physical limitations. Graduates of the basic CERT course will receive CERT equipment and par-ticipate in bi-monthly meetings and ongoing training. Applications for the basic CERT course are available on the city’s website at www.ci.new-hope.mn.us/cert or by calling 763-531-5161. For more information about CERT, visit the website www.citizencorps.gov/cert.

New Ice Age (cont. from page 1)

West Metro Fire (cont. from page 1)

District 287 (cont. from page 2)

Officer Rob Johnson

The basic training includes a disaster exercise.

Significant annual savings will result from the new en-ergy efficient refrigeration equipment.