Spring 2015 - City Of Waseca

City News
Spring 2015
A Community Newsletter for Waseca Residents
Stop in and say hello to your new
City Council Members!
Please welcome incoming Council Members Ann Fitch,
Ward 1 and Daren Arndt, Ward III.
Ann is a longtime Waseca resident, has been in finance
for 10 years and currently works at Roundbank in
Waseca.
Back Row Left to Right: Ann Fitch, Les Tlougan, Allan Rose,
Fred Salsbury. Front Row Left to Right: Mark Christiansen,
Mayor, John Clemons, Darren Arndt.
Daren is also a longtime Waseca resident and currently
works at Winegar Inc. Daren is on the Planning
Commission and has experience on the Community
Education and Traffic Safety boards as well as seven
years as a police reservist.
2015 Spring Cleanup
Starting Monday May 4th, the City of Waseca will
provide free pickup of brush. All materials must be on
the curb by 7:00 a.m, May 4th to be included in the pickup. There are several regulations that must be met for the
material to be picked up.
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Brush must be piled on the curb - crews will not
enter on private property to pick up the brush.
No material other than brush shall be placed in
the brush pile.
Animal waste, garbage, demolition material,
lumber, etc. will not be accepted. Any inclusion
of any excluded materials will result in the whole
pile being left. Crews will not sort piles.
A limit of one dump truck load per address will
be in effect. Any more than one dump truck load
will be left on the curb.
No tree branches over 8” in diameter or material
over 8’ in length will be taken.
All limbs and branches must be placed parallel to
the curb.
The City of Waseca will not be responsible for turf
damage caused by this service.
Because this is a costly service in terms of manpower and
equipment, it will be a one-time only service. As a result,
if the material is not on the curb by 7:00 am, May 4th, we
cannot guarantee that it will be picked up. The crews will
make only one pass on each street to pick up the material.
There are many other jobs that the crews will be involved
with and as result, we will not be able to return to make
special pick-ups.
This is an opportunity for residents to clean up their trees
and bushes and have the material hauled away for them.
Let’s all take advantage of this opportunity to clean up
our yards and our community!
Keep in mind that there again will be an expanded
FALL pick-up of leaves scheduled at a later date and
advertised in the City Newsletter & Website.
Spend Your Summer At The Water Park!
The Waseca Water Park is scheduled to open in
June 2015; so now is the time to begin planning
your summer fun! We are currently filling up our
evenings with private rentals, so don’t delay in
reserving your evening events at the Water Park!
We host ALL KINDS of rentals including birthday
parties, reunions, business parties, the list goes on
and on…
Swimming Lesson registration begins May 4,
2015 at 7 a.m. at City Hall. Evening swimming
lessons will run for two week sessions, there are
three scheduled sessions, starting on June 15, July 6
and July 20. On Friday and Saturday mornings (10 11:45 a.m.) the water park will hold “Itty Bitty
Beach Parties”.
Please visit us online to view
morning and evening
lap
swimming
and
morning water exercise
class schedules.
The
waterpark
is
scheduled to be open
every
day
through
Labor Day (weather permitting) from 12 – 6 p.m.
Regular admission is $5 per person. Individual and
family season passes and discounted punch cards
are available for purchase.
For
more
information,
please
visit:
www.ci.waseca.mn.us visit us on faceBook or
contact Sara McKay, Water Park Manager, at 507835-9751.
Make Your Park Reservations Early!
The City of Waseca started taking park reservations on
March 1st. Since there is a high
demand for the park shelters,
please don’t wait to reserve your
date! A park reservation is your
guarantee of a shelter for your
planned event. Pavilions/shelters
are available from May to October and reservations are
available on a four-hour or daily time frame.
Reservation fees are based on weekday and weekend
rates and remain the same as last year. For more
information, or to make a reservation, please contact
City Hall at 835-9700 or stop in Mon – Fri – 8:00 a.m.
– 4:30 p.m.
Adopt a Park
If you are a community group, organization, church
group, school, family or an individual and are inerested
in volunteering to assist in beautifying and cleaning
our local area parks, trails and open spaces, please
contact Mark Bartelt, Parks Director at 835-9727 for
more information. The City will provide trash bags for
cleanup, coordinate pickup for trash, debris and limbs.
A litter-free community is aesthetically pleasing to
visitors and prospective new citizens and business,
portraying an image of a concerned, caring community.
Help beautify Waseca – adopt a park!
Sump Pump Reminder
As we approach the spring rain season and the melt of
the considerable snow cover, property owners are
reminded that per Waseca City Code §52.02, it is
unlawful to connect sump pump outlets or any other
conductor of natural precipitation or ground water to
the sanitary sewer system. The sanitary sewer system
is not designed to carry this clear water, and sump
pumps that are illegally connected to the sanitary sewer
system contribute to sewer backups and overloading of
the City Treatment Plant. Property owners should be
aware that with the above normal amounts of snow and
deep frost experienced this year, sump pump outlets
may be frozen or plugged. The sump pump outflow
shall be piped to either the yard or city storm sewer if
available. In no case should pipe cross property lines
or be connected to an unauthorized sanitary sewer or
storm water drainage system or cause a nuisance to the
public right-of-way including streets and sidewalks.
Considering a Home Improvement Project? Don’t Forget A
Building Permit!
Permit!
Your project may require a
building permit. Permits are
required for new additions and
remodeling, finishing a basement,
re-roofing, re-siding, window
replacement, decks, porches,
plumbing, heating, electrical
work, garages and more. Getting a building permit
helps you to ensure that your project meets safety and
building code standards; there is a penalty for starting
construction prior to the issuance of a building permit.
In addition to permits, please contact the Planning
Department for information on set back requirements,
lot coverage, fences, shoreland regulations and other
useful information. We encourage you to call with any
questions about construction projects being considered
or already in progress, at 835-9700.
Call Before You Dig!
Protect yourselves and your property against
underground utility damage. Gopher State One Call
is Minnesota's one-call center for the excavating
community. Homeowners, excavators and contractors
must contact Gopher State One Call 48 business hours
prior to any excavation. They will, in turn, contact
participating utility operators who will then locate and
mark where the underground utilities might be buried.
This is a free service. You may reach Gopher State
One Call by phone (800)252-1166 or online at
gopherstateonecall.org.
Take Time for Summer Recreation!
Recreation!
Waseca Community Education & Recreation has held
a long history of offering youth and adult recreation
programs to the community. Recreation is a strong
part of youth development and contributes to positive
character building, skill development and overall wellbeing of children by encouraging sportsmanship, team
building, healthy competition and fun. Some of those
high quality summer youth programs include; Track &
Field, Basketball, Sand Volleyball, T-Ball - Baseball Softball, Tennis Lessons & Leagues, Football Camps,
Bluejay Power, Tennis Lessons and a new Kids in
Action program! Most summer programs begin the
second week of June. We encourage everyone to
register by Friday, May 22nd to take advantage of the
Early Bird rates. Community Education also has
programs for those adults that are looking to be
involved. There are a
variety of adult leagues
that will be offered which
include new programs
such as; Beginner Golf
Lessons, Women’s Golf
Lessons, Tennis Lessons,
Zumba and Bags League!
Look for the summer
brochure in your mailbox
on April 8th. Financial
assistance is available for
those that qualify as well
as South Country Health
Alliance (SCHA) discounts.
visit: ce.waseca.k12.mn.us.
Did you know
Recreation Services
are jointly sponsored
by the City of Waseca
and Waseca Public
Schools? The City
provides $100,000
annually to support
recreation in
Waseca!
For more information,
State Imposed Water Surcharge
If you have a water service connection to your
property, your April utility bill will reflect a special
State mandated water connection surcharge fee in the
amount of $6.36. Legislation that became effective
July 1st, 1992 requires all public water systems in
Minnesota to collect this money on an annual basis.
The money is being collected for the State to pay for
the increased costs of monitoring and testing programs
due to the federal Safe Drinking Water regulations.
BULLETIN BOARD
The storm sewer system
consists of curbs, drain pipes,
tile and catch basins in the
streets which are intended to
carry large amounts of
surface runoff. Storm water
flows untreated into regional
wetlands, ponds, lakes and
streams. Therefore, any debris (grass, leaves, fertilizer, pet waste,
chemicals, etc.) that makes it into the storm drains, ends up
polluting our water resources. Pollution prevention by the general
public can make a big difference in keeping Waseca’s water
resources clean and healthy.
PLEASE CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR PETS!
Please scoop up after your pets and dispose of the waste properly.
Waste not cleaned up can find its way into our lakes, rivers and
ground water, causing sanitary issues. Proper disposal includes
putting it in a bag, preferably biodegradable, and depositing it in
your garbage container. Do not toss it down the storm drain.
It’s the Law. 95.25 SANITATION.
(A) Any person who owns, keeps or harbors a dog or cat shall have
the responsibility for keeping their property clean of all fecal matter
created by the animal. All animal waste shall be removed
periodically so as to keep the surrounding area free from obnoxious
odors. For the purpose of this section, “periodically” shall be
defined as a period of time not to exceed one week.
EMERGENCY SIREN SYSTEM
On the first Wednesday of each month at 1:00 p.m., the emergency
siren system is activated for testing. On 4-16-15, during Severe
Weather Awareness week (April 13th to April 17th), the sirens will
be activated twice during the day at 1:45 p.m. and at 6:55 p.m. In
the event of severe weather, activation of the emergency siren
system means that Waseca County is in a TORNADO WARNING
and a tornado has been observed by Law Enforcement, Skywarn
Watchers and/or the National Weather Service. When you hear the
outdoor warning system sirens, you should immediately go inside.
Once indoors, go to the lowest level, most interior space in your
home or office. Outdoor warning sirens are located throughout the
City of Waseca and by Lakeside Golf Course (north side of Clear
Lake). People often have the misconception that the sirens are
meant to be heard indoors. However, the system is intended to be
heard outdoors. You may not hear it if you are inside or in noisy
areas.
Residents need to pay attention to the weather, watch the television
reports, or listen to the radio for weather updates. A wise
investment would be a National Weather Radio which can be
purchased at local retailers.
ENERGY STAR REBATE
Waseca Electric residential customers can qualify for a rebate by
purchasing ENERGY STAR rated appliances, LED bulbs and
CFL’s. To qualify for the rebate, the item purchased must have an
ENERGY STAR logo. Not all LED and CFL bulbs meet the
criteria to be rated as ENERGY STAR so be sure to check the
packaging. New in 2015, is the addition of a rebate for electric or
gas dryers. Also, there is a higher rebate amount on ceiling fans
with lighting, clothes washers and dishwashers when they are rated
“Most Efficient”. The “Most Efficient” label is an extension of the
ENERGY STAR program. It represents the highest efficiency
products among those that qualify for the ENERGY STAR rating.
There are also rebates available for central air conditioners,
efficient furnace fans and furnace tune-ups. Customers who
purchase items in 2015 will need to submit their rebate applications
by the end of 2015. An ENERGY STAR rebate application is
available by contacting Waseca Utilities at 835-9718 – Monday –
Friday – 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. An application is also available on
the City website www.ci.waseca.mn.us.
WATER UTILITY ANNUAL CONSUMER CONFIDENCE
REPORT
The Water Utility Annual Consumer Confidence Report, as
mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will be
included as an insert with the June utility bill. This report provides
water quality information about the drinking water that the City
Water Utility delivers to your home and business. If you have any
questions regarding this report, please call the Utilities Director at
City Hall at 835-9718.
Fresh clean drinking water is yours to use whenever you need it,
but not to waste. It’s too valuable. Remember that a little effort
and a little common sense will make a big difference!
ANNUAL NOTICE FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL
Minn. Stat. 325E.028
Minnesota law requires that utilities make utility payment
arrangements available for military service personnel in the
following situations. If a member of a household has been issued
orders into active duty, deployment, or change in duty station, and
the residential customer meets specific income criteria, the City of
Waseca must not disconnect the utility service of that qualifying
residential customer due to nonpayment provided the customer
complies with the provisions of the referenced statute. An
application for payment arrangements must include a copy of
military orders as described in the law. The City of Waseca may
shut off utility service for nonpayment if an application does not
include the required proof of military orders as required by Minn.
Stat. 325E.028. If you would like a copy of this statute or wish to
obtain an application for payment arrangements, please contact the
City of Waseca Utility Billing office at (507)835-9718. Office
hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. The
statute
can
also
be
found
online
at:
www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes
SAVE MONEY THIS SUMMER ON ENERGY COSTS
Volunteer your central air conditioner for the load management
program. Waseca Utilities will have a licensed electrician install a
controller unit on your central air conditioner, at no cost to you the
customer. The controller unit cycles your air conditioner
compressor off for short periods of time during peak electrical
usage. Residential participants in the load management program
will receive an $8.00 monthly credit on the June, July, August and
September electric bills or a total savings of $32.00 for the year.
Commercial participants will receive a $20.00 monthly credit for
the same months or a total savings of $80.00 for the year.
If you participated in the program last year, you do not need to
contact us unless you have moved since last summer. If you have
not moved, you will automatically receive the credit each year
unless otherwise notified. For additional information, please
contact the Utility Billing Department at 835-9718. Business hours
are Monday – Friday - 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.