In Touch, Summer 2011

City of New Hope

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

Summer 2011Number 180

City of New Hope, Minnesota � Summer 2011

Some highlights of this issue include:New Hope In FocusNew Hope's annual photo contestNational Night Out, Nite to UniteRegister soon for August 2 eventSeussical the MusicalOutdoor theatre returns on July 21Construction ProjectsStreet, pond and noise wall projects in New HopeEmerald Ash BorerCity's EAB program continuesIn BusinessOutstanding businesses, new CVS, TIF districts, and more2010 Water Quality Report

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A great place to grow!4401 Xylon Avenue North

New Hope, MN 55428

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7City Day is a great opportunity to talk with members of the City Council and city staff , watch a K-9 demonstration, look at some city equipment, and see a dance or gymnastics performance.

Prsrt StdU.S. Postage

PAIDTwin Cities, MN

55121Permit No. 2330

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Current resident or

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The second annual City Day, on Saturday, July 30, will be a great

opportunity to have some fun and get a little better idea of what’s going on at New Hope City Hall.Th e open house event, which is sched-uled from 9 a.m. until noon, will pro-vide residents with a chance to have an informal chat with members of the New Hope City Council and city staff . Staff members from each city depart-ment will be available to answer ques-tions and share information about many of the city’s current programs and projects.City Day also features a variety of fun activities for the entire family. While details are still being worked out, planned activities include:❖ Heavy equipment from the Public

Works Department❖ A new police squad car❖ A new fi re engine❖ A bounce castle sponsored by New

Hope Business Networking Group❖ Twelve TV production truck❖ Tours of the Police Department

at 9, 9:30, 10, 11 and 11:30 a.m.

City Day is a fun way to learn about city activities❖ Police K-9 demonstration at 10:30 a.m.❖ Tumbling demonstrations by the

New Hope Tumblers competitive gymnastics team at 9 and 9:30 a.m.

❖ Dance program sampler at 10 and 11 a.m.

❖ Highlights from Off -Broadway Musi-cal Th eatre’s performance of Seussical the Musical at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m.

Across the street, the New Hope Com-munity Farmers Market is having a Pub-lic Safety Day special event. Firefi ghters from West Metro Fire Rescue District plan to bring the Fire Safety House and fi re sprinkler trailer to teach kids im-portant lessons about fi re safety in dra-matic fashion. And, as always, there will be all those awesome farm-fresh veg-gies, fruits, crafts, and other great items to enjoy at the market.Weather permitting, most City Day activities will be outside in front of City Hall, 4401 Xylon Ave. N. and at the New Hope Outdoor Th eatre which is just west of City Hall. Don’t miss the fun! For more information, visit New Hope’s website, www.ci.new-hope.mn.us.

Celebrate summer at Duk Duk Daze

Duk Duk Daze, New Hope’s annual community celebration, will be

July 15 to 17. Most of the events will be in Northwood Park, 38th and Boone avenues. Th e festival will include a variety of fun activities for the entire family, many of which are free. Fair hours are Friday, July 15, 5 to 11:30 p.m.; Saturday, July 16, 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; and Sunday, July 17, noon to 5 p.m. Everybody’s favorite, the Duk Duk Daze Gigantic Fireworks Display, has been moved this year from Saturday night to Friday at dusk.Th ere will be so much going on at Duk Duk Daze again this year that Boone Avenue will be closed and activities will fl ood over into the street. Boone Ave-nue will be detoured between 36th and 42nd avenues from Th ursday, July 14 at 7 p.m. until after the festival closes on Sunday evening. Visit the city’s website, www.ci.new-hope.mn.us, for detour details.Duk Duk Daze 2011 will feature the return of many popular favorites in-cluding carnival games and rides, Lion’s Bingo, the Minnesota Timberwolves Basketball Shoot-Out, a pizza eating contest, and a variety of fabulous fair food. And, of course, adults can also enjoy a little libation at the beer tent. Th e annual Kiddie Parade, for kids 0 to 12, is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Satur-day, with registration beginning at 9:30 a.m. Th is year’s theme is “Under the Big Top.” For more information about the Kiddie Parade, call 763-553-7775.Sports lovers can participate in tourna-ments for mens' softball, tennis, or bean bag toss. Th e championship games for each tournament are on Sunday afternoon. Th e tennis tournament has several categories for players 14 and older. Register at the New Hope rec-

Council adopts vision for City Center

The New Hope City Council ap-proved a City Center Vision at its

June 13 meeting as part of the City Cen-ter Transit Oriented Development Study.A study group consisting of the New Hope City Council, Planning Commis-sion and others has been working since spring 2010 to develop a comprehensive vision for the redevelopment of New Hope’s City Center. Th e City Center Vision document, which spells out a vision and guiding principles for the redevelopment of City Center as well as a strategy for implementation, is the culmination of that study. Th e re-port outlines redevelopment goals and principles for City Center relating to transportation, public and community gathering spaces, commercial opportu-nities, housing, environment, fi nances and government.Th e City Center Study began, with funding from Hennepin County, as a

Entertainment, carnival games and the Kiddie Parade are all part of the fun at Duk Duk Daze.

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Kathi [email protected]

John ElderCouncil [email protected]

Andy Hoff eCouncil Member763-537-2647ahoff [email protected]

Eric LammleCouncil [email protected]

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 [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Daniel StaunerCouncil [email protected]

City challenges local photographers to put their vision of New Hope In Focus

There are many things about

New Hope that make it special. Th e city of New Hope’s second an-nual New Hope In Focus photo contest gives local photographers an opportunity to showcase their skills and share some of the things about New Hope that catch their eye and their camera’s eyepiece. Th e fi rst In Focus photo contest, held last year, was a great start! Nineteen New Hope pho-tographers submitted 48 photographs. Th is year, the city is hoping for even broader participation. Don’t miss out on the fun!Photographs may be entered in one of three categories: Nature, People, and Places. A volunteer panel of judges will evaluate each entry and award a $50 fi rst-place prize in each of the three main categories. To encourage young photographers under 18 years of age, there is also a special youth category with a $25 fi rst place prize. Entries will be judged on subject matter, composition, clarity, lighting, eff ective use of depth of fi eld, drama/artistry, degree of diffi culty, technical excellence, and overall impact. In addition, residents will have a chance to choose their favorite and select a “People’s Choice” award win-ner that will receive a $25 prize. People can cast a vote for their favorite on the city’s website between Friday, August 19, and Monday September 19. Only one vote per person, please. Th e pho-tographs will also be displayed at City Hall, the New Hope Community Farm-ers Market and New Hope Village Golf Course during that period.Winners will also be recognized at a City Council meeting and have their photos published in the city newsletter. Th e rules of the New Hope In Focus photo contest are really quite simple. Th e rest is up to your imagination:■■ Anyone who lives or works in New Hope may submit up to three photographs.■■ Photographs must be taken in New

Hope and must be the work of the per-son submitting it.■■ Each photograph must be submitted as a 5X7 print on photo-quality paper. Slides will not be accepted. Matted or framed photographs are not allowed.Prints will not be returned.■■ Submission of an electronic fi le in ad-dition to a print is appreciated, but not required.■■ Photographs may be either color or black and white. Electronic photo ma-nipulation is permitted.■■ By entering a photograph in the con-test, the photographer gives the city of New Hope the right to use the photo-graph in city publications and to pro-mote the city with proper credit.■■ If there is an identifi able person in a submitted photograph and the photo was not taken in a public place, the photographer is responsible for obtain-ing permission from those pictured to take and use the image.A complete list of rules is available on the photo contest entry form. To obtain an entry form or for more information follow the link on the homepage of the city’s website, www.ci.new-hope.mn.us/infocus, or call 763-531-5103.Th e deadline for entries is 4:30 p.m. on Monday, August 15. Entries should be sent to New Hope In Focus Photo Con-test, 4401 Xylon Ave. N., New Hope, 55428.

Fire in the Sky, by Jennifer Schmidt, fi nished fi rst in the Nature category and tied for fi rst in the People's Choice category last year.

Construction of District 287’s North Education Center (NEC) began in

earnest in late April as construction crews began pouring footings for the new building. By late June, the contrac-tor had installed most of the structural steel framing for two wings of the school and had begun installing con-crete block walls.District 287 broke ground on its new, $25 million north campus on October 28 at the former 10-acre site of Hoster-man Middle School, 5530 Zealand Ave. N. Demolition progressed slowly over the winter months and was completed in early spring. Much of the building debris was ground up on site, before being trucked away, which greatly reduced the amount of truck traffi c required.In April, some bad soils were removed from the southeast corner of the old building and the site was rough graded

District 287 is building a new foundation in the north suburbs

in preparation for construction of the new building. Construction of the building is expected to be substantially complete by July 2012 with classes to begin at the new facility in fall 2012.Th e 157,521 square foot North Educa-tion Center has a curved front façade with four separate wings branching out from the center arch. Th e outside wings are two stories in height while the cen-tral two wings are three stories tall. Th e facility will house elementary students and daycare facilities on the fi rst fl oor, middle and high school students will attend classes on the second fl oor, and more high school youth and students up to age 21 will use the third fl oor. Th e NEC has a much diff erent design than a traditional school that is better suited to the smaller class sizes and unique needs of the District 287 students it will serve.

In early July, three phases of construction were in evidence at the North Education Center – footings (in the foreground), steel framing (at left) and concrete block wall work (at right).


Whether we are in our homes, of-fi ces, schools, stores, factories or places of entertainment, we rely on the safety of structures that sur-round us. Building permits, and the building codes that inspectors enforce when they perform a building inspection, are important. By getting a permit, you ensure that structural, electri-cal, heating, plumbing and other improvement work is done correctly. City building inspectors make sure

make sure that minimum safety standards are met.Th e New Hope Inspections Division is also a great resource to help you plan your project, including a home remodel, roofi ng, siding, or a deck. After you obtain the proper permits, inspectors will check along the way to make sure that everything is done safely and correctly. Call New Hope Inspections at 763-531-5127 to get things started.

Building inspections help ensure safety

Plan ahead for National Night Out

Members of the Off Broadway Musical Th eatre Board looked on (at right) as the actors who play the Wickersham brothers (who are monkeys) give a sneak peak of Seussical at a recent City Council meeting.

New Hope Police Reserve Wendy Linn has a conversation with residents at one of the many block parties held as part of National Night Out/Nite to Unite 2010.


This summer, Off -Broadway Musi-cal Th eatre will present “Seussical

the Musical” at the New Hope Outdoor Th eatre on three consecutive weekends beginning July 21.Seussical the Musical is a two-act journey into the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss. Th e show, which debuted on Broadway in 2000, is based on a concept by Eric Idle (of Monty Python fame), with lyrics and music by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, who also co-wrote the Broadway hit Ragtime and many other shows.Th e plot of the show echoes that of the Dr. Seuss book, Horton Hears a Who, which centers on Horton the elephant’s eff orts to protect the people of Who-ville, who live on a tiny speck of dust. Characters from more than a dozen other popular Dr. Seuss books make cameos in the show, includ-ing the Cat in the Hat, who acts as the musical’s nar-rator, outside ob-server, and devil’s advocate.Nine perfor-mances are planned from July 21 through Au-gust 6. Friday and Saturday night shows will be the traditional

Who-ville comes to the New Hope Outdoor Theatre on July 21

“performances under the stars,” with shows beginning at 9 p.m. Th ursday evening “family friendly” shows will begin at 8 p.m. Th e August 4 perfor-mance will be signed by an Ameri-can Sign Language interpreter (rain makeup on August 5). Because seating is often limited, guests are encour-aged to arrive early. Items may not be placed on unattended seats to save them for an extended period.As always, performances of Seussi-cal the Musical are free, but audience members are invited to bring a dona-tion for the local food shelf. Th e New Hope Outdoor Th eatre is located just west of City Hall at 4401 Xylon Ave. N.Don’t miss the show the New York Times lauded for its “Sweetness, humor and energetic high spirits.” For more information about Seussical the Musi-cal, or to make a contribution to the fi ne work the Off -Broadway Musical Th eatre does, visit www.obmt.org.

Sign up today for National Night Out/Nite to Unite! Th is year’s celebra-

tion is scheduled for Tuesday, August 2, from 6 to 9 p.m. New Hope is partici-pating in both the National Night Out program sponsored nationally by the National Association of Town Watch and Nite to Unite, the state program sponsored by the Minnesota Crime Prevention Association. Whatever you call it, the point is to get out with your neighbors and renew and strengthen your commitment to working together with the police to prevent crime and improve public safety in New Hope!While the traditional “lights on” and front porch vigils remain a part of National Night Out, activities have ex-panded considerably over the years to include block parties, cookouts, visits from police, neighborhood walks, con-tests and much more. Th e goal of the event is to help develop police-commu-nity partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie and to foster awareness of crime prevention and local law en-forcement eff orts.Last year, there were 97 registered Na-tional Night Out block parties or events throughout New Hope. Participants also contributed more than 1,000 pounds of food and a truckload of school supplies for local families in need.Neighborhood organizers can register now for this year’s National Night Out

celebration. While registration contin-ues through August 1, event planners are strongly encouraged to register as soon as possible. Popular neighborhood visitors – including McGruff , West Metro fi refi ghters, a police K-9, or a city offi cial – are scheduled on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis. Groups planning to block off their street for a block party need to submit completed paperwork no later than July 20 to reserve barricades.If you haven’t quite decided what fun activities to include in your neighbor-hood’s celebration, give crime preven-tion offi cer Nichole Korth a call. She has loads of fun, imaginative ideas for activities that other groups have en-joyed at their festivities over the years.Following this year’s National Night Out, organizers are being encouraged to send their favorite photo from their neighborhood’s event to the police department. Th e best photo from all of the events in New Hope will be pub-lished in the Sun Post.Registration packets have already been mailed to residents who organized National Night Out events last year. Others may obtain a registration form or more information about New Hope’s National Night Out/Nite to Unite event by visiting the city’s website at www.ci.new-hope.mn.us, or contacting Of-fi cer Korth at 763-531-5140.

In April, the city of New Hope was notifi ed that it had been awarded a

Certifi cate of Achievement for Excel-lence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Offi cers Associa-tion (GFOA) for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fi scal year ended December 31, 2009. New Hope’s 2009 report was judged by an impartial panel to demonstrate a con-structive “spirit of full disclosure,” to clearly communicate the city’s fi nancial story, and to motivate potential users and user groups to read the report. Th e panel also provides comments and specifi c suggestions for possible improvements the city could make to its fi nancial reporting techniques. Th e GFOA award is the highest recogni-tion the city can receive in the area of governmental accounting and fi nancial reporting. Th e GFOA is a professional association of nearly 17,400 state and local fi nance offi cers in the United States and Canada committed to pro-viding leadership to the government fi nance profession through research, education, and recommended prac-tices. Th e New Hope City Council for-mally accepted a plaque related to the

City fi nancial reporting newsaward at a council meeting. Th e New Hope 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report is available for review on the city’s website at www.ci.new-hope.mn.us.In May, the city’s audit fi rm of Malloy, Montague, Karnowski, Radosevich and Co. presented the 2010 city of New Hope Audit and 2010 Compre-hensive Annual Financial Report to the City Council. Th e auditor gave a summary review of the scope of the audit, their fi ndings and opinion of the city’s records and fi nancial data, and an overview of the city’s fi nancial status compared to statewide averages for cities our size. Th e auditor pointed out a number of recent improvements in the city’s fi nancial practices and found no defi ciencies or material weaknesses in the audit this year. Following accep-tance by the Council the fi nancial re-port was fi led with the State Auditor’s offi ce. Th e audit management report and special purposes report along with the fi nancial report are available for re-view on the city’s website, www.ci.new-hope.mn.us.

With help from the New Hope Crime Fund, the New Hope Po-

lice Department recently purchased a new tool to help combat vandalism and theft. When they least expect it perpe-trators will fi nd that – “Surprise! You’re on Flash CAM!”Flash CAM is a portable, motion-activated camera. When the system’s sensor detects movement, a high-reso-lution camera is triggered to take from one to four photographs. A bright fl ash goes off to provide adequate illumina-tion up to 200 feet away for nighttime photographs. And, a loud recorded voice is activated that informs the sub-ject that they are under surveillance. Th e system is housed in a small but rugged enclosure that can be mounted on a utility or light pole. Th e equip-ment is solar powered, so that it can run indefi nitely without external

City purchases cameras to fi ght vandalism and theftpower. Th e system can produce pros-ecution-quality images. It can even capture license plates in total darkness. Other law enforcement agencies have found it to be a valuable tool in com-bating graffi ti, vandalism and theft. Th e devices also tend to be an eff ective de-terrent to vandalism.“Maybe the best feature of the Flash CAM is its portability,” noted commu-nity services offi cer Nichole Korth. Th e police department will be able to eas-ily move its two units anywhere in the city. “Criminals won’t know when we’ve got an ‘eye’ on them.”New Hope’s purchase of two Flash CAM systems was made possible by a matching grant from the New Hope Crime Fund. Th e Crime Fund donated $6,800 which was matched by the New Hope Police Department.

Hope Grows Community Garden takes root


Hope Grows Community Garden broke ground on

Sunday, May 15, in front of the Emergency Foodshelf Network (EFN) building at 8501 54th Av-enue North in New Hope.Although the city has discussed the idea of a community garden on a few occasions in the past, Active Living Hennepin County planted the seed for the current project in April of last year. Ac-tive Living encouraged its three member cities that did not have a community garden – New Hope, Crystal and Robbinsdale – to start one. Th ey also off ered funding and the assistance of Gardening Mat-ters, a consulting group with expertise in community gardening, to help with the process. A community garden provides garden-ing opportunities for residents who don’t have access to garden space. Th e garden tends to attract people of every age and background and becomes a community gathering space and a source of commu-nity pride. Th e New Hope City Council was supportive of the community garden idea. Th ey felt strongly that the garden should be community-based; run by a board of volunteers with limited assis-tance from the city.City staff began working with Gardening Matters to plan the best approach for getting a community garden started and identifi ed several potential locations, including both city parks and several privately owned sites. In November, a small group of residents attended a How to Start a Community Garden workshop to assess residents’ interest in creating a community garden. And by December,

In May, the city of New Hope became

only the second city in Hennepin County to adopt a Complete Streets policy.“Complete Streets” is another principle es-poused by Active Liv-ing Hennepin County. Incomplete streets – those designed with only cars in mind – limit transportation choices by making walking, bicycling, and taking public transpor-tation inconvenient, unattractive, and, too often, dangerous. Com-plete Streets are streets that are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, bicy-clists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities must be able to safely move along and across a complete street. Streets that incorporate Com-plete Streets design principles make it easy to cross the street, walk to shops, and bicycle to work.Th e Complete Streets concept was a core part of the discussions the City Council and Planning Commission had as part of the City Center Transit Oriented Development Study. Th ey wanted to ensure that any future rede-velopment in New Hope’s City Center area includes amenities that improve overall mobility by taking into account the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users as well as motorized vehicles.Th e fi rst completed project in New Hope that will show the infl uence of the city’s commitment to Complete

City will strive to incorporate Complete Street principles into street and redevelopment projects

Streets principles is the restriping of Winnetka Avenue, from 62nd Avenue North south to Bass Lake Road. While the street is not wide enough to pro-vide dedicated bike lanes that meet the Minnesota Department of Transporta-tion's current standards, city staff has gained MnDOT approval to restripe the street with a shared bike/parking lane along both sides of Winnetka in the project area. Th ere was previously no bike lane provided along this section of roadway.To review the city’s CompleteStreets policy, visit www.ci.new-hope.mn.us/completestreets. For more informa-tion about Complete Streets, visit the website www.completestreets.org. For information about how New Hope is incorporating Complete Streets prin-ciples into current projects, call the Community Development Department, 763-531-5196.

the garden had a name, “Hope Grows,” and a board was beginning to take shape. Th e group continued to evaluate site options, and in January Emergency Foodshelf Network stepped forward to off er to lease land on its property for the garden plots.Th e Hope Grows Community Garden has 24 plots for local gardeners who want to grow fresh produce for their families. In addition, there are six com-munal plots that are tended by local community organizations and groups as a service project to raise fresh fruits and vegetables for programs at EFN and other non-profi ts. Each plot is about 10 by 12 feet in size. Gardeners pay $20 to rent a plot for the season, which includes access to water.For more information about the Hope Grows Community Garden contact community development assistant Eric Weiss at 763-531-5196, garden presi-dent Th omas Mercier at [email protected], or visit the webpage www.ci.new-hope.mn.us/hopegrows.

About Active Living Hennepin County

New Hope joined the Hennepin County Active Living group in January 2010. Th e group consists of 13 communities (including Crystal, Golden

Valley, Robbinsdale and Brooklyn Park) and eight other agencies (including Robbinsdale Area Schools, Th ree Rivers Park District, and the Metropolitan Council). Th e goal of the partnership is to work together to increase opportu-nities for active living in the member communities through policy change, in-frastructure planning, and other activities. Th e group is funded through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP). For more information about Active Living Hennepin County visit its website, hennepin.us/activeliving.

The New Hope Com-munity Farmers Market

began its third season on June 18. Th e market is a great place for area residents to get healthy, straight-off -the-vine fruits and vegetables, to browse the creations of local artists and crafters, to learn about a variety of commu-nity groups, and enjoy some home-spun entertainment.Market day is every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., through September 3 and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. from September 10 to October 15. Th e market is held in the Kmart parking lot, 4300 Xylon Ave. N. (across the street from New Hope City Hall).Th e market features about 50 vendors. Most of the farmers, arts, crafts and other food vendors have returned from last year. A handful of new vendors should bring some exciting new variety to the market. Some of the new items include dog jackets, organic soap, ap-ples, Jamaican marinade, fried bananas, pears, kitchen utensils, kettle corn, and an organic fruit and vegetable farmer.Prism Express will once again be off er-ing free rides to the market for seniors

Popular farmers market returns to New Hope on Saturdays

from New Hope and surrounding com-munities. Call Prism’s reservation line, 763-529-1252, the Monday through Th ursday before market day to arrange a ride.For more information about the New Hope Community Farmers Market, visit its website at www.newhopemar-ket.org, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/newhopefarmers-market, or get the electronic newsletter by emailing [email protected].

In addition to produce, there are vendors at the New Hope Community Farmers Market that sell a variety of prepared foods – including pickles.

Complete Streets features will vary from street to street. On Winnetka north of Bass Lake Road, a shared bike/parking lane now makes it much safer for bicyclists to use the street.

Th e Hope Grows Community Garden is located in front of the Emergency Foodshelf Network building.

The New Hope Village Golf Course is a great place for people

of all ages and skill levels to enjoy the game of golf.Th e beautiful 9-hole, par 27 course consists of gently rolling terrain, large mature trees and turf that is meticu-lously manicured and maintained. Th e course isn't too daunting for be-ginners, yet water hazards and sand traps, that come into play on fi ve of the holes, present challenges for even the most experienced golfer. Th e course has plenty of time slots for open golf.

Most golfers can play a round in about 90 minutes. Tee times can be reserved up to one week in advance. For those who enjoy joining a league, fall leagues for adults begin in late August.Th e regular rate is $14 a round for adults, $12 for seniors (60+), and $9.50 for juniors (under 16). Pass books and punch cards off er additional savings. Rental clubs, hand carts and electric carts are also available.Th e New Hope Village Golf Course is located at 8130 Bass Lake Road. Th e phone number is 763-531-5178.

Play a round...at the New Hope Village Golf Course


In addition to the 2011 Street Infra-structure project, New Hope will

complete two other street improve-ment projects this summer.Boone AvenueTh e pavement surface of Boone Av-enue will be replaced between 42nd and 49th avenues beginning in mid to late-July. New Hope’s Pavement Management Plan has identifi ed the pavement in this portion of Boone Avenue to be in poor condition. Th e project will involve replacement of the pavement surface, repair of curb and gutter as needed, and minor im-provements to the storm sewer and water systems. A few of New Hope’s major streets, in-cluding Boone Avenue, are Municipal State Aid streets. Th e state provides funding each year to help the city per-form routine maintenance and con-struction of these streets as needed. More than 70 percent of the estimated $1.14 million project cost will be paid with Municipal State Aid (MSA) funds. Th e remaining project costs will be covered by the city’s water and storm water funds and by assessments to properties in the project area that do not pay property taxes.

Work is underway on the 2011 Street Infrastructure

Project. Th e project includes street and utility improvements in the southern part of New Hope from Flag Avenue east to Louisi-ana Avenue, and from the Crystal border/29th Avenue south to Medicine Lake Road. Th e area was recommended for improve-ment in New Hope’s Pavement Management Plan. Based upon detailed pavement analysis, the project will include three diff er-ent types of pavement improve-ments: total reconstruction, reclamation, and mill and overlay.Th e segments of Sumter, Yukon, Quebec, Nevada and 28th av-enues and Terra Linda Drive in the project area as well as the portion of Zealand Avenue south of 27th Place are being reconstructed. Reconstruction is the most intensive and expen-sive type of street improvement project used for streets in the poorest condition. It involves improvement of the roadway base material, new pave-ment surface, and new curb and gutter. New Hope also generally replaces the water main when it reconstructs a seg-ment of street.Th e segments of Ensign Avenue, Xylon Avenue, Lamphere Drive, Valle Vista and Viewcrest Lane in the project area, as well as Zealand Avenue north of 27th Place and 29th Avenue east of Boone Avenue are being reclaimed. Reclamation work is less intensive than full reconstruction. Like reconstruc-tion, the pavement surface is replaced. Th e old bituminous pavement is typi-cally ground up and reused to make the new pavement surface. Base material is generally not disturbed, and only por-tions of the curb and gutter that are in poor condition are replaced.Finally, two sections of roadway in the project area that are still quite sound but need a new driving surface – Vir-ginia Avenue and Rosalyn Court – will have mill and overlay work done. Th e top 1½ inches of pavement will be

Street infrastructure work scheduled in southern New Hope

ground off and a new wear course of bi-tuminous asphalt will be installed.In addition to the water main replace-ment in the reconstruction areas, the project will also include minor im-provements to the storm sewer and sanitary sewer pipes in the area, as needed. Most of the work on the sani-tary sewer pipes will focus on limiting infi ltration of ground water into the sanitary sewer system through leaky fi ttings or cracks in the pipes.Th e low bid for the 2011 Street Infra-structure Project was $3.08 million, considerably below the original engi-neer’s estimate. Nearly two-thirds of the project’s cost will be paid by New Hope’s Street Infrastructure Fund, which is collected each year with property taxes. Th e remainder will be funded by the city’s water, sanitary sewer and storm water funds, and four tax exempt prop-erties in the project area.Work on the project began in May and should largely be complete by this October. In the areas where the street is being reconstructed, a fi nal layer of pavement and site restoration work will be completed next spring.

Other 2011 street projectsCrack Repair and Seal CoatingNew Hope performs crack repair and seal coating maintenance regu-larly based upon detailed pavement analysis done as part of the city’s Pavement Management Plan. Th ose maintenance activities are a relatively inexpensive way to maximize the life of pavement on the city’s streets. Crack repair involves sealing gaps in the pavement with fl exible rubber-ized asphalt that bonds to crack walls and moves with the pavement as it expands and contracts to prevent water from intruding into base mate-rial beneath the pavement. Seal coat-ing involves the application of a thin layer of liquid asphalt on the pave-ment surface immediately followed by a layer of crushed stone.Th is year’s project includes selected streets from Gethsemane Cemetery to Northwood Park between Boone and Winnetka avenues; from Win-netka Avenue to Jordan Avenue between 42nd and 36th avenues; and the Lions Park parking lot. Th e $158,200 low bid for the project was about nine percent below the engi-neer’s estimate. Th e project will be completed in August.

The city of New Hope regularly makes improvements to its wetland

areas to improve the quality or increase the quantity of storm water that fl ows through New Hope’s wetlands on its way to the Mississippi. Th e portion of New Hope roughly north of 42nd Avenue drains into the Shingle Creek water-shed, while the southern part of the city drains into the Bassett Creek watershed.In December, the City Council autho-rized the low bid for a contractor to remove the buildup of sediment and veg-etation in the wetland located between the eastern end of Northwood Park and Winnetka Avenue. Th e excess material had begun to restrict the fl ow of runoff through the wetland, causing the water level in Northwood Park to rise and re-main high for an extended period, even during normal rain events. Th e city was concerned that the restricted fl ow could result in property damage and erosion around Northwood Lake.Th e contractor excavated the wetland, removed the excess sediment and vegetation, and restored the wetland channel last winter, while the ground was frozen. Restoration work was completed this spring and the channel is now fl owing more freely. Th e city will be reim-bursed for the $83,000 project with funds from the Bassett Creek Watershed Manage-ment Commission.Th is past winter, a contractor began work on improvements to the wetland north of 45th Avenue, just west of Winnetka Avenue. Eighty-one acres of neighboring residential, com-

New Hope completes two pond improvement projects

mercial and park land drain into the pond which, in turn, is a tributary to Twin Lake in Crystal. Because Twin Lake has been identifi ed as having im-paired water quality, Shingle Creek Watershed Management Commission (SCWMC) has made water quality im-provements upstream a priority. Th e dry pond at 45th Avenue previously provided virtually no storm water treatment.Th e improvement project added a larger and deeper pond to increase the amount of water the wetland could hold, and raised the outlet of the pond so that storm water will be held in the pond for an extended period of time. Th e improved wetland design will greatly increase the amount of sus-pended solids that settle out of storm water into the wetland as well as the amount of phosphorus and other nutri-ents that will be absorbed by the wet-land’s vegetation before storm water continues downstream.

In mid-June, the Minnesota Depart-ment of Transportation (MnDOT)

began construction of a new noise wall along the east side of Highway 169 in New Hope, between 36th and 42nd avenues. Th e new wall will be similar to the segment of noise wall MnDOT constructed in New Hope in 2003 from Medicine Lake Road to 36th Avenue.Th e New Hope City Council passed a resolution of support for the project in September following a neighborhood open house where the vast majority of residents in attendance fa-vored the noise wall project.Th e state will fund 90 percent of the estimated $1.2 million noise wall project cost. Th e city’s 10 percent matching

Noise wall construction beginsfunds, or about $120,000, will come from an existing construction project fund. Th e construction may result in occasional lane closures during non-rush hour periods. Before the state government shut down halted con-struction, the project was expected to be completed this fall.

A pond was dug in the 45th Avenue wetland to improve the quality of the ground water that leaves the wetland.

Th e contractor works on replacing the water main in 28th Avenue, just east of Boone Avenue.

Th e new noise wall will be similar to this segment con-structed just to the south in 2003.


Emerald AshBorer Beetle (actual size)

Emerald Ash Borer traps have been hung through-out Minnesota to monitor the spread of the beetle, including this trap in New Hope's Fred Sims Park.


Emerald Ash Borer Program

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) beetle is a seri-

ous invasive tree pest that has decimated the ash tree populations in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, and spread to 15 states and sev-eral Canadian provinces. Th e fi rst infestation of EAB in Minne-sota was found in St. Paul in May 2009. Although the Emerald Ash Borer beetle has not been found in New Hope yet, in 2010 the New Hope City Council decided to preemptively begin address-ing the spread of EAB. Th e Council ad-opted an Emerald Ash Borer program that provides $100,000 annually to combat the problem. In 2010, the city removed 200 ash trees in the boulevard and on public land. Priority was given to removing public ash trees in poor condition and boulevard ash trees at locations where property owners re-quested removal. In 2011, the city has already completed the removal of 40 boulevard ash trees and expects to re-move approximately 40 additional pub-lic ash trees by the end of the year.2011 Boulevard Tree Replacement PolicyFor many years the city of New Hope has had a policy of helping residents buy

Emerald Ash Borer effort continuesreplacement trees when they lose a tree in the boulevard. In 2010, an $87,000 planning and preparedness grant from the Minnesota Department of Agricul-ture made it possible for the city to pick up the full cost of removing boulevard ash trees. Th e city was also able to re-place 120 boulevard trees with grant funds. Th ere are no federal or state Emerald Ash Borer grant funds avail-able in 2011. Consequently, in February the City Council decided to return to the previous policy where New Hope splits the cost of replacing a boulevard tree with a maximum reimbursement to residents of $200 from the city.EAB Surveys and QuarantinesIn spring 2011, the Minnesota De-partment of Agriculture placed 4,500 Emerald Ash Borer traps throughout the state of Minnesota. Th e trap is a three-paneled purple prism placed in ash trees, coated on the inside with the smell of a stressed ash tree. EAB traps have been placed in New Hope’s Begin and Fred Sims parks. Once EAB is drawn to the purple trap, a sticky layer on the outside of the trap holds the beetle until Department of Agricul-ture trappers can return and check for signs of the insect. Emerald ash beetles have been captured at several traps in concentrated areas of western Ramsey, eastern Hennepin, and western Hous-

ton County.Th e Department of Agriculture has had a quarantine in eff ect on all ash wood byproducts from Ramsey, Hennepin and Houston counties since May 2009. Th ese ash byproducts include entire ash trees, ash limbs or branches, ash stumps or roots, ash logs, ash lumber, ash wood chips or bark chips, and the fi rewood of any non-coniferous (leaf-bearing) species. It is illegal to transport these items outside of the quar-antined area and ash byproducts must be disposed of at a desig-nated ash tree waste disposal site (which includes the Maple Grove Yard Waste site).

As part of its recycling program, the city of New Hope provides

residents with a curbside pickup of waste items through Hennepin Re-cycling Group (HRG) in the fall of odd-numbered years. Th e event is funded through the monthly curbside recycling fee. Th e next collection will be Saturday, September 24, for New Hope residents who live south of 42nd Avenue and on Saturday, October 1, for residents who live north of 42nd.Any household that pays for curbside recycling service with the city (single family through eight-unit households) are eligible to participate in the waste pickup event. Acceptable items include old/unusable furniture, general house-hold junk up to 100 pounds per item, scrap metal, and appliances. Please call HRG Administration at 763-493-8006 with questions or for more information

Fall curbside event and transfer station are good disposal options

about the curbside waste event.Th e Hennepin County Transfer Station in Brooklyn Park is a good year-round option for waste disposal. Residents can drop-off a wide variety of house-hold waste items at the facility, which is located at 8100 Jeff erson Highway.Recycling, electronics, household haz-ardous waste, automotive items (includ-ing oil, gas, antifreeze and lead-acid batteries), can all be dropped off at no charge. Appliances, tires, garbage and mattresses/box springs can be dropped off for a fee. Facility hours are Tuesday, Th ursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.For details about items accepted, costs, and directions to the transfer station, call 612-348-3777 or visit www.henne-pin.us/dropoff s.

The Maple Grove yard waste site opened for the season on April 1.

Th e site accepts:Grass clippings• Leaves• Garden materials• Brush• Branches/logs up to 10 inches in • diameterSmall quantities of sod, gravel, • or soil

All of the materials are recycled at the site. If bags are used to haul yard waste, they must be emptied by the user and removed. Th e site also has a limited supply of free compost and wood mulch available. Th e facility is free for residents of New Hope and seven nearby commu-nities. Th e operating cost of the facil-ity is paid through the “Recycling

Recycle yard waste for free in Maple GroveCharges” service fee on residents’ utility bills. Yard waste site hours are Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to7 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 7 p.m., until November 30. Th e site is closed on Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, and Th anksgiving. Th ose using the site must show proof of residency.Th e Maple Grove facility is located at 14796 101st Avenue North. To reach the site from New Hope, drive north-west on County Road 81 past Osseo to Fernbrook Lane (County Road 121), turn left on Fernbrook Lane to 101st Avenue North, and left again on 101st to the site entrance. For more information, call 763-420-4886 for a recorded message or visit www.mgyardwaste.com.

transit-oriented development (TOD) study, which focused on opportunities to include multi-modal transporta-tion options – such as transit facilities and improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists – into future redevelopment of the City Center area. Th e Council quickly concluded that a more all-encompassing visioning process was needed. Th e current study is by no means the fi rst time the city has stud-ied redevelopment of New Hope’s City Center area. Past studies were con-ducted in 1998, 2003, 2004, and 2005. However, none of those studies were ultimately adopted by the city, and both the market situation and tools avail-able to the city for redevelopment have changed signifi cantly since those earlier studies were completed.Early on in the study, the group devel-oped a list of the key assets the City Center area currently has on which the community can build. Th ose include:Location – close to both Minneapolis and the growing suburbs to the west and northTransportation Connections – easy access to interstates, highways, and a good network of local streetsBusinesses – strong existing busi-nesses and organizations in the areaExisting City Facilities – City Hall, Civic Center Park, and the outdoor pool already make the area a hub of ac-tivity for residentsBased on those assets, the study group concluded that City Center should serve as the commercial and social heart of the community. Th e group went on to identify issues and charac-teristics that make it diffi cult for the area to fulfi ll this role:❖ Space is underutilized – a high pro-portion of the space is covered with surface parking and some commercial properties are vacant.❖ Transportation connections and circulation within the area are poor, especially for pedestrians, bicycles and transit users.❖ Th e area does not attract enough

shoppers/visitors.❖ Th e area does not generate enough income, jobs or tax dollars.❖ And, the area is not prepared for the future.

The Heart of the CommunityOver several meetings a vision state-ment for City Center emerged – “New Hope’s City Center is the Heart of the Community.” Th e vision statement for City Center expresses New Hope’s goals for redevelopment of the area and how the area should look and function for residents, businesses and visitors. It’s important that any redevelopment in City Center strengthen this role.Th e Council and Planning Commission as well as local businesses, residents and other community stakeholders that participated in the process envision a City Center that will be a vibrant, year-round destination that includes retail, commercial, and residential uses. Th ose uses will be integrated with a govern-ment center, park, and recreation areas that refl ect the active, prosperous and friendly character of New Hope.

City Center Vision (continued from page 1)


With the arrival of summer, it's important to avoid these

common nuisance issues:❖ City ordinance stipulates that grass should not be allowed to grow more than six inches tall and weeds should not be allowed to go to seed.❖ Homeowners should avoid al-lowing clutter to accumulate in their yard, particularly where neighbors can see it.❖ Trash and recycling containers must be stored in your garage or screened from view.If you're having a problem with one of these nuisance issues in your neighborhood, the city can help. Call 763-592-6777 for grass or weeds and 763-531-5127 for other issues.

Be a good neighbor

In Business �Summer 2011

In November, the New Hope City Council

recognized Applebee’s New Hope with the Fall 2010 New Hope Outstanding Business Award. Applebee’s has operated a neighbor-hood grill and bar at 4203 Winnetka Avenue, in New Hope City Cen-ter Mall, since 1987. Th e business has 30 full-time and 18 part-time employees. John Del Toro, New Hope City Center Mall property manager, nominated Applebee’s because of how they give back to the community. “For 23 years they have delivered be-yond expectations while hosting special events and countless pancake break-fast fundraisers for local schools and other groups.” Curtis Jacobsen, New Hope community development direc-tor, noted that Applebee’s “is a great example of the strength and vitality of the New Hope business commu-nity.” Mayor Kathi Hemken and coun-cilmember John Elder concurred that “Th is is a business that does a great deal for the community.”

Applebee’s and St. Therese recognized as outstanding businesses

new Life Balance Center, air condition-ing chiller replacement, roof replace-ment, interior redesign, reconfi guration of dining/kitchen spaces, and redecora-tion of apartment building common spaces. St. Th erese was nominated for the award by an employee, Abby Dehmer. “St. Th erese has been an ex-cellent community partner in New Hope for many years,” noted Mayor Kathi Hemken.Th e purpose of the New Hope Out-standing Business Award program is to recognize New Hope businesses for their contributions to the community

and to encourage other businesses to rise to that level of excellence. Th e deadline to nomi-nate a business for the Summer 2011 Outstanding Business Award is July 31. Any New Hope resident or business person may make a nomi-nation. Visit the Community Devel-opment section of the city’s website to download a nomi-

nation form.

The city of New Hope purchased the Bass Lake Road Apartment site

and demolished the buildings in 2008 with the intention of working with a developer to build upscale, owner-occupied condominiums on the site. With the downturn in the economy redevelopment has been delayed but, in order to recover its cost of acquiring and clearing the site from tax incre-ment, New Hope needed to create a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district on the site by the end of June 2011. As part of the process of creating the new TIF district, city consultants also did an analysis of all of New Hope’s exist-ing TIF districts.Tax increment fi nancing (TIF) has been a valuable development tool for the city of New Hope over the last 30 years.TIF enables the city to capture all of the additional property tax revenue generated when an under-utilized piece of property is redeveloped. Th e city uses those additional tax dollars to help fi nance some of the expenses associ-ated with redevelopment – including site acquisition, demolition, remedia-tion and new infrastructure – which make it much more costly than devel-oping vacant land. After a set period of time, typically 25 to 30 years, each TIF district is decertifi ed and the county and school district once again receive property tax revenue based on the re-developed property’s current valuation.Since the city used TIF fi nancing to help construct the twin homes at Hills-

Council establishes new TIF district at former apartment site

boro and 36th avenues in 1980, 10 TIF districts have helped developers and the city transform underutilized prop-erties with an original market value of $23.25 million into property with a current market value of $152.32 mil-lion. To date, New Hope has decertifi ed four TIF districts, and four more will be decertifi ed in December 2012.Creation of a new TIF district on the former site of Bass Lake Road Apart-ments, on the northeast corner of Bass Lake Road and Yukon Avenue, would enable the city to recoup the $3.4 mil-lion it expended to purchase and clear the site in 2008 from TIF revenue. Th e city plans to work with a developer to redevelop the site when the economy improves.Th e TIF district analysis presented to the City Council in March by the city’s TIF consultant, Monroe Moxness Berg Law Firm, indicated that the city has approximately $5 million in TIF funds available for development activities. Th e Council prioritized a list of pos-sible activities that are eligible for TIF funding. Infrastructure improvements that were discussed include decorative street lighting near the intersections of Winnetka Avenue and Bass Lake Road, 42nd Avenue, and Medicine Lake Road, and burying electrical wires along Bass Lake Road. Th e Council also identifi ed a list of potential property acquisitions near 42nd and Winnetka and near Bass Lake Road and Winnetka that have sig-nifi cant potential for redevelopment.

CVS building store at Midland Shopping Center

St. Th erese CEO, Barb Rode, in the new Life Balance Center

In May, the City Council presented St. Th erese with the Spring 2011 Out-standing Business Award. St. Th erese has had a senior care facility at 8000 Bass Lake Road for 43 years, and re-cently welcomed their 8000th resident to the care center. Th e New Hope fa-cility off ers a full continuum of senior housing and care options including 220 independent senior apartments, assisted living, and a 302 bed skilled nursing care center with rehabilitative, long-term, memory and end-of-life care. St. Th erese is one of New Hope’s largest employers with 260 full-time and 455 part-time employees. In 2010, St. Th erese completed approx-imately $3.6 million in improvements at their New Hope facility including a

Applebee's manager, Nate McVey, accepts the Outstanding Business Award from the New Hope City Council.

Kraus-Anderson, the owners of Mid-land Shopping Center, 2703-2767

Winnetka Avenue, recently sold 1.44 acres at the south end of the center to CVS Pharmacy. Th e sale included the former Snyder Drug and Transmission Shop, Inc. on the corner of Medicine Lake Road and Winnetka Avenue.In February, Th e City Council approved Kraus-Anderson's request to subdivide the shopping center and CVS's Planned Unit Development/ Conditional Use Permit as required by New Hope City Code.A contractor demolished ap-proximately 19,400 square feet of the shopping center in June. Th e Transmission Shop building will be demolished later. CVS plans to construct a freestand-ing 13,500 square foot building similar in design to its current location on Bass Lake Road and Winnetka Avenue.Th e new building will be close to Medicine Lake Road, set back 77 feet, which is consistent with New Hope's design guidelines. Th e new store will be aligned with the remainder of the shop-

ping center on its east side, facing Winnetka.Other features will include a drive-through service lane, more parking spaces than the city requires, and an underground stormwater retention chamber to accomodate runoff from the site. Kraus-Anderson will provide streetscaping including extensive plant-ings and decorative fencing near the intersection of Medicine Lake Road and Winnetka as well as landscaped islands in the new parking area. CVS plans to open its new store by the end of 2011.

Th e southern part of Midland Shopping Center was demolished recently to make room for a new CVS.

Networking group welcomes new members

The New Hope Business Net-working Group was started by

New Hope business owners to create an open forum for networking within the city. Th e group is open and free to all New Hope business owners.Th e group meets on the fi rst Wednesday of each month at 8 a.m. and the third Wednesday of each month at 2 p.m. at various businesses in the city. For more information or to subscribe to the group's newsletter visit www.newhopebng.org

Joint Water Commission 2010 Water Quality Report

The Joint Water Commission (JWC) cities of Crystal, Golden Valley and New Hope provide drinking water to their residents through a contract with the city of Minneap-olis for treated surface water from the Missis-sippi River. To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides the same protection for public health by regulating the contaminants per-mitted in bottled water.This Water Quality Report includes the results of monitoring done by the JWC on its drink-ing water from January 1 through December 31, 2010. The purpose of this report is to ad-vance consumers’ understanding of drinking water and heighten awareness of the need to protect precious water resources. Although the water the JWC provides its resi-dents meets drinking water standards, the Minnesota Department of Health has deter-mined that the Mississippi River is potentially susceptible to contamination. If you wish to obtain the entire source water assessment for your drinking water, please call 651-201-4700 or 1-800-818-9318 (and press 5) during normal business hours. Also, you can view

Before water is used for a water supply, it is tested for contaminants and other water quality factors. The sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over land or through the ground it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases radio-active material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

Microbial Contaminants:Viruses and bacteria which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife

Inorganic Contaminants:Salts and metals which may be naturally-occur-ring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farmingPesticides and Herbicides:May come from a variety of sources such as agricultural, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses

Organic Chemical Contaminants (in-cluding synthetic and volatile organic chemicals):By-products of industrial processes and petroleum production can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems

Radioactive Contaminants:Can occur naturally or result from oil and gas production and mining activities

Substance Detected (6/9/09) (units) MCLG Action

Level

90% of Samples Were Below This Level

Number of Samples Exceeding Action

LevelTypical Source of Contaminant

Lead (ppb) 0 15 10 2 out of 30 Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits

Copper (ppm) 1.3 1.3 .09 0 out of 30 Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits

Contaminant(units) MRDLG MRDL Lowest and Highest

Monthly Average Highest Quarterly Average Typical Source of Contaminant

Chlorine (ppm) 4 4 .4-3.4 2.56 Additive used to control microbes

UnregulatedSubstance Detected

(7/3/08) (units)

Level Found Typical Source of ContaminantRange (2009) Average Result

Sodium (ppm) N/A 9.9 Erosion of natural deposits

Sulfate (ppm) N/A 25.5 Erosion of natural deposits

Unregulated Substances – Many substances are monitored but not regulated. They are evaluated using state standards known as health risk limits to determine if they pose a threat to human health. If unacceptable levels of an unregulated contaminant are found, the response is the same as if an MCL has been exceeded; the water system must inform its customers and take other corrective actions. Sodium and Sulfate were last sampled for on July 3, 2008.

Chlorine – The Minneapolis Water Works adds chlorine to water during the treatment process to control microbes. Chlorine has a Maxi-mum Residual Disinffectant Levels (MRDL) and a Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG) set by the EPA.

Lead and Copper – If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young chil-dren. Lead in drinking water is primarily the result of plumbing corrosion in individual homes, not the water distribution system. The city of New Hope is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When water has been sitting in the pipes for several hours, you can substantially reduce the amount of lead in your water by simply letting the tap run for 30 seconds to two minutes before using the water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may want to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Understanding Water Qualitythe assessment online at www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water/swp/swa.If you have questions about your drinking wa-ter or would like information about opportu-nities for public participation in decisions that may affect the quality of the water, contact Bernie Weber, New Hope utilities maintenance supervisor, at 763-592-6762. Information about New Hope’s drinking water is also avail-able at the Joint Water Commission website, jwcontap.org, or the city of New Hope web-site, www.ci.new-hope.mn.us. For more in-formation about the federal regulation of drinking water visit www.epa.gov/safewater.

Compliance with National Drinking Water Regulations

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not neces-sarily indicate that water poses a health risk. Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised persons, including those with cancer un-dergoing chemotherapy, those who have had an organ transplant, those with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders,

Non-Native SpeakersEste informe contiene innformacion muy inportante sobre su aqua beber. Traduzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.Noy yog ntaub tseem ceeb. Yog koy tsi to taub,nrhiav neeg pab txhais rau koh kom sai sai.

Key to Abbreviationsppb - parts per billion ppm - parts per millionpCi/l - Pico Curries per liter TT - treatment

technique N/A - Not Applicable

TurbidityMonitored MCLG Action

LevelLowest Monthly Percentage of

Samples Meeting Turbidity LimitsHighest Single Measurement Typical Source of Substance

Turbidity (NTU) N/A TT 99.8 0.33 Soil runoff

Turbidity – Turbidity, which is a measure of the clarity of the water, is monitored at the Minneapolis Water Works treatment plant as a measure of the effectiveness of the fi ltration system. EPA requires: 1) certain treatment processes be used to reduce turbidity; 2) 95% of monthly samples to be below 0.5 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU); and 3) all samples to be less than 5 NTU.

Regulated Substance Detected (units) MCLG MCL

Level Found in Joint Water Commission WaterTypical Source of Contaminant

Range (2010) Average Result*

Fluoride (ppm) 4 4 .93-1.1 1.06 State of Minnesota requires all municipal water systems to add fl uoride to the drinking water to promote strong teeth; erosion of natural deposits, discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories

Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) (ppb) 0 60 9.3-24.9 23.4 By-product of drinking water disinfection

Nitrate (as Nitrogen) 10.4 10.4 N/A .36 Runoff from fertilizer use, leaching from septic tanks, sewage, erosion of natural deposits

Total Trihalomethanes (ppb) 0 80 11.3-30.6 23.18 By-product of drinking water disinfection

*This is the value used to determine compliance with federal standards. It sometimes is the highest value detected and sometimes is an average of all the detected val-ues. If it is the average, it may contain sampling results from the previous year.

2010 Tap Water Test ResultsIn 2010, no contaminants were detected at levels that violated federal drinking water standards. However, some contaminants were detected in trace amounts that were below legal limits. The table below shows the contaminants that were detected in trace amounts last year. (Some contaminants are sampled less frequently than once a year; as a result, not all contaminants were sampled for in 2010). If any of these con-taminants were detected the last time they were sampled, they are included in the table along with the date that that detection occurred. Regulated Substances – Several substances have Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) set by the EPA. This is the highest level allowed in drinking water. Some regulated contaminants also have MCL Goals (or MCLGs). This is the level of a substance where there is no known or expected health risk. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. MCLs are set as close to MCLGs as possible using the best available treatment technology. All water systems must monitor about 80 regulated substances.

Special Health Needssome elderly, and infants can be particu-larly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their healthcare providers. EPA/Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provide guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.


The city will complete two improve-ment projects in Lions and North-

wood parks this summer.Extensive improvements are underway to revitalize Lions Park, 38th and Or-egon avenues. In December, the City Council approved a proposal from Minnesota/Wisconsin Playground to install new play equipment in Lions Park. Th e new playground will replace equipment installed in 1989 which is the oldest play equipment in New Hope’s park system. In November, three vendors presented playground proposals for the park with a budget of $95,000 to a group of kids and adults from the Lions Park neighborhood. Th e neighbors chose the proposal from Minnesota/Wisconsin Playground which has separate play areas for younger and older children and lots of diff erent swinging, sliding, and climb-ing elements to choose fromNearly $90,000 in other improvements will also be made in Lions Park. In May, the Council approved a bid that includes: a new playground container

In April, a consulting engineer pre-sented the New Hope City Council

with recommendations for an improve-ment project at the New Hope Ice Arena.In August 2010, an engineering fi rm that specializes in ice arenas com-pleted a study of improvement needs at the New Hope arena. Th e arena was constructed in 1975, and some of the original equipment is reaching the end of its useful lifespan, is outdated, or ineffi cient. Stevens Engineers identifi ed 11 high-priority improvement needs. Th e city contracted with Stevens in No-vember to recommend the specifi cs of a project that would address the most pressing needs at the arena fi rst, while minimizing construction costs.Th e plan proposed by Stevens Engineerswould separate the work into three separate bids. An ice system bid would include replacement of the north rink’s existing sand fl oor and Freon refrigera-

New Hope Tumblers Team 2 fi nished fi rst in the Min-

nesota Amateur Gymnastics Association (MAGA) State Championships on March 5 with a score of 99.225. Th e meet, which was hosted by Faribault Gymnastics Club, also included teams from Clearwater, Worthington, Northfi eld, Red Wing, Winona, New Ulm and St. Paul. In fi ve seasons of competition, this is the fi rst time the New Hope Tumblers Team 2 has been able to qualify for the state meet. Th e team includes 10 girls be-tween the ages of 9 and 14 from New Hope and surrounding communities. Team members Hannah Walker took fi rst place on bars and all around in the ju-nior division and Julia Rowles took fi rst place on bars in the child division. New Hope Tumblers head coach Rhonda Bitzer noted, “We’re very proud of the girls and all their hard work. Nine of the girls placed in at least one event

Improvement projects approved in Lions and Northwood parks

with an accessible, engineered wood chip surface; partial replacement and expansion of the park’s trails; a new drinking fountain; and new lighting for the parking lot. In addition, the parking lot is scheduled to be sealcoated as part of the city’s 2011 sealcoating project. Work on the Lion’s Park improvements began in May and should be completed this summer.Th e heavily-used parking lots in North-wood Park, Boone and 38th avenues, is in poor condition and lighting im-provements are needed. In May, the City Council approved the low bid of $122,573 to remove and replace the pavement in both the east and west parking lots and repair the portions of curb and gutter that are in poor condi-tion. (LED) lights will also be added to the west parking lot, and lighting in the east parking lot will be upgraded from high pressure sodium fi xtures to much more effi cient LED lights. Th e work in Northwood Park will begin in late July, after Duk Duk Daze.

New Hope moves ahead with plans for ice arena improvements

New Hope has off-leash dog areas in three parks

tion system for the original north sheet of ice with a new ammonia refrigeration system and concrete fl oor. A bid for structural improvements would include replacement of deteriorating concrete stairs at the north rink and spot repairs to the block walls. And, a bid covering a variety of mechanical, electrical and plumbing improvements would include replacement of the dehumidifi cation system for the north rink and other minor improvements. Th e total esti-mated project cost for these improve-ments would be about $2.7 million.Th e city is also working with McKinstry, a building consulting fi rm from Brook-lyn Park, to explore the potential for leveraging future energy savings that would result from ice arena improve-ments to fund as much as two-thirds of the construction costs. Th e tentative timeline for the ice arena improvement project is to design the project and work through fi nancing this year and complete the construction between March and October of 2012.

New Hope Tumblers wins state championship

with several girls placing in more than one event.” MAGA includes about 50 youth gym-nastics teams from Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Assembly of the new Lions Park playground equipment began in early July.

Th e award-winning Tumblers 2 team members are (back row, L-R) Julia Rowles, Claire O'Donnell, Faith Robinson, Brooke Hobbs, and Hannah Walker, (middle row) Bre-anna Osanai, Jenna Rowles, McKenna Dale, Melaney Wuollet, and Kaylee Geier (front row) coaches Amber LaVelle and Rhonda Bitzer.

Replacing aging refrigeration equipment for the north ice sheet is key part of the arena project.

Registration for fall recreation programs begins in August. Watch for the In Motion brochure in the mail and register with a major credit card by calling 763-531-5151, or register online with Rec Express at www.ci.new-hope.mn.us/recexpress.

Earlier this year, the New Hope City Council approved plans to make the

off -leash dog park in the hockey rink at Lions Park, 38th and Oregon avenues, a permanent summer amenity. Th e rink in Lions Park was used as a dog park in summer 2010 on a trial basis. It joins the dog park in Civic Center Park, 44th and Xylon avenues, as the second per-manent dog park in New Hope.In June, a majority of the City Council approved a Citizen Advisory Commis-sion recommendation to also use the hockey rink in Liberty Park, 60th and Gettysburg avenues, as an off -leash dog park on a trial basis. Although a number of residents ex-pressed concern about an off -leash area in the park, the majority of the Council concluded that New Hope’s positive experience with using the hockey rinks in Civic Center and Lions parks as off -leash areas and the experience of surround-ing communities with similar facilities – which have had no signifi cant problems – sug-gested that a dog park trial period in Liberty Park was appropriate. Th e dog park in Liberty Park will open as soon as a sign with regulations and other minor modifi cations can be completed, most likely some-time in late July. Th e trial will conclude this fall, but may be

extended into next summer if the initial trial period goes well. New Hope’s dog parks generally open in April and close for the season by the end of November. Th ere is no fee for using the dog parks. Th e off -leash areas may be used during daylight hours only. Th e hockey boards provide a large, safe, enclosed area where pet owners can allow their pets to run and socialize with other dogs. Th e city has provided seating for dog own-ers, bags for dog droppings, and a trash receptacle at each dog park enclosure. Pet owners are responsible for control-ling and picking up after their dogs. Dogs must remain on-leash until they enter the dog park.Please read all of the rules posted at the entrance before using one of New Hope’s dog parks. For more informa-tion, call the New Hope Parks and Rec-reation offi ce at 763-531-5151.


Two longtime city of New Hope department direc-

tors, police chief Gary Link and director of parks and rec-reation Shari French, retired in the last few months. Together, French and Link had compiled more than 70 years of service to the city. Two highly qualifi ed and experienced subordinates, former police sergeant Tim Fournier and recreation supervi-sor Susan Rader, have been pro-moted to take the reins of the two departments.Gary Link started at the New Hope Police Department as a part-time community service offi cer in 1974, and became a dispatcher in 1976, before being hired as a police offi cer in Febru-

ary 1977. Link was promoted to investigator in 1982 and to sergeant in 1990, before taking the top job in the department, as director of police, in 1999.

Besides his many duties as police chief, Link also served the city as staff liaison to the New Hope Human Rights Com-mission, as a representative and chair of the Northwest Hennepin Human Services Council Executive Board, as New Hope’s representative to the LOGIS computer consortium, and member of the New Hope Crime Fund Board. He served as president of the Hennepin County Chiefs of Police As-sociation in 2003.City manager Kirk McDonald said of Chief Link, “Gary has led the New Hope Police Department with profes-sionalism and integrity. He has served as a great role model for many of the new offi cers we hired – 16 of them dur-ing his tenure as chief.” In summing up his time in New Hope, Link said, ”Even though law enforcement has changed a lot in the last 37 years, we continue to have fantastic people who are in the job for the right reasons, who give heart and soul to their job and do the best they can on every shift. Th ey take care of each other, while taking care of the community.”Link has accepted a job as planning director for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.Th e new police chief, Tim Fournier, has been a member of the New Hope Police Department since September 1993. He has served as a patrol offi cer, a D.A.R.E offi cer, a school liaison offi cer, and a member of the multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. Fournier was promoted to sergeant in June 1999. He has both Bachelor of Science and Master of Sci-ence degrees in management from Car-dinal Stritch University, and graduated from the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.Shari French started working for the New Hope Parks and Recreation De-partment as a college student in 1969. She became a full time recreation super-

Parks and Recreation and Police departments see transition in leadership

visor in 1975, and has been the director of parks and recreation for the last 25 years. French was twice recognized by the Minnesota Recreation and Parks Association for her dedication, service, and professionalism, including receiving the prestigious Clifton E. French Distin-guished Service Award in 2006.French has played a key role in a num-ber of projects over the years including construction of the New Hope Com-munity Gyms (in collaboration with Robbinsdale Area Schools), expansion of the New Hope Ice Arena and the pending arena renovation, construction of the New Hope Village Golf Course

clubhouse, re-modeling of New Hope City Hall, and numerous park improve-ment projects. And she has pro-vided guidance for New Hope’s 20 parks and ap-proximately 120

recreation programs.City manager Kirk McDonald said of Director French, “Shari should be very proud of her achievements in New Hope. I sincerely thank her for all she has done for the city over the years.” French grew up in New Hope, and was around the New Hope Park and Rec-reation Department from an early age. She noted “I met the New Hope Parks and Recreation director when I was 13, I thought he had the best job ever.

It’s always been a pleasure to do a job that makes it possible for other people to have fun”!French is looking forward to spend-ing more time with her husband and grandchildren.Th e new director of parks and recre-ation, Susan Rader, has worked with the New Hope Parks and Recreation Department as a recreation supervisor since June 1989. Rader has been in-strumental in bringing many new pro-grams to the city and has coordinated a wide variety of programs for preschool children through senior citizens. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Recreation, Park, and Leisure Studies from the University of Minnesota, and has completed the Minnesota Recre-ation and Parks Association Leadership Academy.Th ank you for your many years of dedi-cated service Chief Link and Director French. Welcome to your challenging new positions Chief Fournier and Di-rector Rader.

Th e NEC includes nearly 50 classrooms as well as labs, a fi tness center and gym, and break out rooms for individual in-struction. Th e campus also features a fenced daycare play area, a basketball court, outdoor dining, and environ-mentally sensitive features including 40 percent green space and lots of trees and landscaping. New Hope’s com-munity development staff believes the new school is a well thought out and planned property. Th e building’s brick and glass exterior is architecturally in-teresting and aesthetically pleasing.During construction, the 280 District 287 students who previously attended class at Hosterman will move to the former Sandburg Middle School build-ing in Golden Valley. In Fall 2012, those students will return to the new North Education Center along with about 70 students who attend an Area Learning Center for pregnant and parent teens now in Robbinsdale, and high school students who are currently housed in a commercial building in Brooklyn Park. District 287 expects the NEC to be at capacity when it opens in 2012.About 60 percent of the NEC project costs will be funded through interest-free federal bonds. District 287 is one of 10 Minnesota school districts that received Qualifi ed School Construction bond authority through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. For more information about the North Education Center, including a fun “Sky Cam” that tracks the progress of con-struction, go to www.district287.org and click on the link “North Education Center Update” at the bottom of the blue sidebar on the right side of the homepage.

A second phase of the project will be completed when the city reconstructs 45th Avenue in a few years. Th e second phase will involve replacing the exist-ing 30-inch storm sewer trunk line beneath 45th Avenue and connecting it to the new pond inlet further to the west. Th is will increase the retention time of storm water in the pond, and create a pretreatment basin at the inlet of the new pond to reduce the amount of sediment that is discharged into the wetland area.Th e preliminary cost estimate for the 45th Avenue pond project was $550,000, which includes an esti-mated $328,000 for the fi rst phase of the project completed this spring. Th e pond improvements will be funded by a $160,000 grant from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources ad-ministered by SCWMC, up to $82,500 in SCWMC’s Capital Improvement Program, the New Hope storm water fund, and possibly some state aid funds.

Open swimming Monday-Friday, 1 to 8 p.m., Weekends 1 to 7 p.m.• Daily admission is $7 per person, $5 after 5 p.m.•

Pool passes and coupon books also available•

Wanna make wavesWanna make wavesthis summer?this summer?

4301 Xylon Avenue North 4301 Xylon Avenue North ❖❖ 763-531-5177 763-531-5177

Chief Tim Fournier

Gary Link

Shari FrenchDirector Susan Rader

North Education Center (continued from page 2)

Pond Improvements (continued from page 5)

Th e New Hope Parks and Recre-ation Department is on Facebook. Become a fan to get the latest buzz about New Hope’s awesome recreation programs! www.facebook.com/newhoperecreation

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It’s not too late to nomi-nate a neighbor for a

New Hope RAVE! Award. With the late spring, nominations are a bit slow in coming in this year, so the nomination deadline has been extended to Au-gust 1.Any residential property in New Hope is eligible to be nominated for a RAVE! Award, including owner-occupied or rental single-family homes, and multi-family dwellings owned by individuals or corporations. Anyone in New Hope is welcome to submit as many nominations as they like. If you’re really pleased with how a recent project turned out at your home, don’t be shy… nominate yourself!While gardening and landscaping are easily the most popular categories, the RAVE! Awards also include categories for remodeling or renovation projects, additions, general property mainte-nance, and environmentally sensitive improvements (including use of a rain garden, use of “green” building materi-als, etc). Projects don’t necessarily need to be major and extravagant to do well in the RAVE! Awards. Last year a work-shop won in the exterior remodeling category and a few years ago a well done egress window won an award. If you live in an apartment or town home complex and really appreciate the job your landlord does on property main-tenance or a recent improvement they

Nominate your neighbor for a New Hope RAVE! Award today

made, why not nominate them for an award?A panel of volunteer judges will screen entries and tour top entries before making award recommendations to the City Council. Th e Council will make the fi nal decisions on the award win-ners. Award recipients will be recog-nized at a City Council meeting, have their names inscribed on a permanent plaque at City Hall, and be highlighted in the city newsletter.To nominate someone for a RAVE! Award, download a nomination form from the city’s website, www.ci.new-hope.mn.us/rave. For more information or to volunteer to be a RAVE! Award judge, call the New Hope Community Development Department at 763-531-5196. Th e deadline for nominations is Monday, August 1.Judging will occur in early August.

Planning a home improvement job? Planting a tree? Installing a fence or deck? WAIT! Whether you are planning to do it yourself or hire a profes-

sional, smart digging means calling Gopher State One Call at “811” before each job.Th e depth of utility lines varies. Digging without calling can disrupt service to an entire neighborhood, harm you and those around you, and potentially result in fi nes and repair costs. Calling Gopher State One Call before every digging job gets your underground utility lines marked for free and helps prevent undesired consequences. For more information, visit www.gopherstateonecall.org or call 811.

Call before you dig!


Lorraine Kloss

Lorraine Kloss, administrative sup-port specialist for the City Manag-

er’s Department, was named Employee of the Quarter for October through December 2010 for the excellent work she did on the 2010 elections as well as the extra eff ort she has put in handling additional duties at the front counter. Kloss serves as the city clerk’s right-hand person when it comes to the elections. She is largely responsible for absentee voting – both mailed ballots and walk-in voters. She also assists with a wide variety of other election-related tasks including recruitment and training of election judges, coordinat-ing election supplies, and organizing ballots and equipment. And, she stays of top of ever-changing election laws so that she is able to answer voters’ questions. When the city’s customer service rep-resentative left last July, she was not replaced due to budget constraints. While Kloss had previously been the backup person at the front counter, she has stepped up to shoulder a majority of the customer service responsibili-ties. Th ese duties include answering the city’s main phone line, and han-dling utility bill inquiries, homestead applications, and data entry for cash receipts. Kloss’ nominator commended her for being dependable, “I can always count on Lorraine…,” and noted that she always completed her extra responsi-bilities “competently and effi ciently.” “Lorraine goes the extra mile to ensure that the needs of the city are met.”Kloss has been a city employee for nearly 22 years. Her regular respon-sibilities as administrative support specialist for the City Manager’s Department include assisting the city manager with correspondence, preparation of agendas and minutes for the City Council, records reten-tion, business licenses, elections and assisting residents at the front counter.Bernie WeberBernie Weber, utilities supervisor in the Public Works Department, was named Employee of the Quar-ter for January through March 2011 for the impressive tenacity he showed in dealing with a water main break in January.During the coldest part of January, New Hope Public Works crews re-sponded to a string of four water main

breaks in four days. Weber and his crew worked until 8 p.m. on Th ursday, January 20, to repair the fi rst water main break. Mid-afternoon on Friday a second break was reported. By the time it was unearthed, water had been fl owing from the break for three to four days, creating a big hole in the street. Th e city crew quickly inserted a pump to help remove water from the hole but, because the water main was located beneath a sewer pipe, they were unable to stop the fl ow for an extended period of time. Crews of maintenance workers came and went, but Weber worked on the break for 30 hours straight – from 2 p.m. on Friday through 8 p.m. on Sat-urday – to oversee the repair. To round out his weekend, he returned to work another seven hours on Sunday to su-pervise the repair of two more water main breaks.Weber’s nominator noted, “Bernie is a salaried employee who does not receive any overtime pay. He acted above and beyond any normal working hours.” Weber, however, is quick to pass along the praise to the utility workers who endured long hours and temperatures that dipped to 17 below zero, with winds of 30 to 35 miles per hour. “It’s really not about me,” he protested.Weber has been a city employee since 2004 and utilities supervisor for the past 3½ years. His primary job re-sponsibilities include coordinating the maintenance program for the city’s water, sanitary sewer, storm water, and street light utilities, and a variety of administrative and supervisory activi-ties relating to the city’s utilities. Weber supervises the utility maintenance workers and seasonal summer staff , and drafts all of the annual operating budgets for the city’s utility operations.Recipients of the New Hope Employee of the Quarter recognition are nomi-nated by coworkers and selected by a committee with representatives from each city department. Congratulations to Lorraine Kloss and Bernie Weber for being recognized as Employee of the Quarter!

Kloss and Weber named employees of the quarter New federal program provides foreclosure assistance

Th is workshop won an award for best exterior remodeling project last year.

Homeowners facing foreclosure due to involuntary unemploy-

ment, underemployment or medical issues may be eligible for a new federal program – Emergency Home-owners' Loan Program (EHLP). Th e deadline for program applications is 5 p.m. on July 22.Th e program will provide more than 1,400 Minnesota home-owners up to $50,000 in interest-free loans over the next two years to help pay mortgage costs. Th e loans are 100 percent fore-givable for homeowners who stay in their home for fi ve years following the program's completion.

Homeowners must meet several crite-ria in order to be eligible for the federal program, including:❖ Have income declines of 15 percent or more due to involuntary unemploy-ment, underemployment or medical issues.❖ Have been unable to make a mort-gage payment for at least the past three months.❖ Reside in the mortgaged property.Unemployed or underemployed home-owners should visit the program's Minnesota website at www.EHLPMin-nesota.com to verify eligibility and download a pre-application.


City Center Vision(continued from page 6)

Wet & Wild Water Fun DayAugust 5, 12:30-3 p.m.Lions Valley Place Park

6822 32nd Ave. N., Crystal$3 per person – Pay at the park

City Center should be the focus of civic, business and cultural activity and the city’s transportation network. Th e area should express the identity and char-acter of the city – friendly, welcoming, positive, diverse and active; business and resident-friendly; a good place for people of all ages. And, the design of buildings, the streetscape, signs, and gathering spaces should work together to reinforce a strong cohesive identity.Th e study group went on to identify specifi c types of improvements that were needed to achieve this vision. A few details are provided below. Much more supporting information is avail-able in the report.TransportationTransportation improvements in City Center will be designed to eff ectively serve a variety of modes of transporta-tion including cars, trucks, pedestrians, bicyclists, transit, emergency vehicles and light-rail. City Center needs to be the hub of the city’s transportation network, and the city needs to work to increase transportation choices by providing roadway, transit and trail connections to local neighborhoods, the Bottineau transit line (that is being planned along County Road 81/Bottineau Boulevard), and other regional facilities.Community Gathering SpacesCity Center will be the cultural and

community center of New Hope. It should be engaging, active, lively, and fun. Public spaces at City Center will be linked to City Hall and Civic Cen-ter Park. Pedestrian and bike trails and public spaces should be lighted to extend use into the evening, and main-tained for year-round use.BusinessesCity Center will be the hub of commer-cial activity in New Hope. It will serve the community by off ering a unique mix of retail, commercial, service food, offi ce and fi tness needs. Th e commer-cial area should be diverse and rede-velopment will include retaining and supporting healthy current businesses and organizations. Th e development of additional offi ce uses will be important to support retail businesses, services and restaurants.HousingCity Center will provide a mix of hous-ing units that cater to needs through-out the lifecycle. Th e higher density housing options in City Center will include new housing types for New Hope, such as higher-end condo-miniums and mixed-use residential/commercial buildings. City Center residential uses will have easy access to walking, biking, transit connections and connections to the commercial areas nearby.To read the New Hope City Center Vision report, visit www.ci.new-hope.mn.us/citycenter.

The city of New Hope received a 2011 Silver Wellness by Design

award from Hennepin County in mid-June. New Hope has had a wellness program for employees since the early 1990s. Th e program encourages participating em-ployees to eat nutritiously, exercise and have annual doctor visits. Th is is fi rst time the city has received a silver Wellness by Design award. New Hope previously received bronze awards in 2006, 2009, and 2010. Th e award is presented to cities that show commitment to creating policies, pro-grams, and environments that support and encourage employee health.

New Hope receives Wellness by Design award

reation offi ce or call 763-516-3062 for more information. For details about the softball or bean bag tournament, call 763-531-5129.As always, Duk Duk Daze will feature great entertainment. Friday’s headline act will be the 70s, 80s and 90s dance party music of Honeywagon, beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday’s highlight act will be the classic rock of Loose Rock, be-ginning at 7 p.m. Other entertainment includes magician Craig Carlson at 11 a.m. and Showtime Chorus at 3 p.m. on Saturday.Other great activities include a classic motorcycle display at 1 p.m. on Satur-day and a classic car display at 1 p.m. on Sunday.Free accessible shuttle buses will provide pickup and return service to Cooper High School and New Hope Elementary from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. on Saturday.Duk Duk Daze is sponsored by New Hope Lions Club in cooperation with the city of New Hope. Proceeds from the event are donated back into the community. For a complete schedule of 2011 Duk Duk Daze activities and ad-ditional details, visit www.dukdukdaze.com.

Planning is underway on three projects by other agencies that

will aff ect New Hope residents and businesses. Bottineau TransitwayTh e Hennepin County Regional Rail-road Authority (HCRRA) continues working to defi ne the best alternative and route for a rapid transit option from the northwest suburbs to down-town Minneapolis. Th e study impacts New Hope residents because it will likely skirt New Hope along Bottineau Boulevard/County Road 81, and it will aff ect local commuting options in the future.Th e Bottineau Transitway Alternative Analysis Study began in 2008 and was completed in 2010. Th e study consid-ered bus rapid transit and light rail transit options. Several route options were considered starting from either the Maple Grove Transit hub or near West Broadway and Highway 610 in Brooklyn Park, or both. Th ere were also several alternative routes considered between the transit hub in Robbinsdale and downtown Minneapolis.Th e next step in HCRRA's process is a Draft Environmental Impact State-ment. For more information, visit bot-transit.org.

Bassett Creek Regional TrailTh ree Rivers Park District is working on a master plan for a regional trail from Clifton E. French Park in Plym-outh to Th eodore Wirth Park in Min-neapolis. Th e 6.6 mile trail will likely travel through New Hope, Crystal and

Golden Valley along its route. Th e Bas-sett Creek Regional Trail will provide connectivity with fi rst-tier suburbs; linking bicycles and other non-motorized traffi c with regional parks and other local destinations.Th e portion of the trail in New Hope is proposed to enter the city at the High-way 169 pedestrian bridge at 36th Av-enue, then north on Boone Avenue to Northwood Park, through Northwood Park to Winnetka Avenue, south on Winnetka to 36th Avenue, and east on 36th to Nevada Avenue.For more information about the Bassett Creek Regional Trail Master Plan, visit www.threeriversparks.org and search for "Bassett Creek Regional Trail."

Third Generation Watershed Management PlanTh e Shingle Creek Watershed Manage-ment Commission has begun work on its Th ird Generation Watershed Man-agement plan. Th e Shingle Creek wa-tershed includes northern New Hope (roughly north of 42nd Avenue).Th e watershed planning process is gov-erned by state statute and rules. Th e Min-nesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) requires that the planning pro-cess be completed in an open manner with opportunities for public input.For information about the Shingle Creek Watershed Management Com-mission's planning process, visit www.shinglecreek.org.

Planning by other agencies of interest to New Hope residents

Duk Duk Daze (continued from page 1)

Donations to city help enhance quality of life

Wellness coordinator Eve Lomaistro presents theWellness by Design award to Mayor Hemken.

Donations and grants, of all sizes, help the city of New Hope do

more for its residents.In March, the New Hope Lions Club donated $1,800 for the city to purchase two attractive concrete trash contain-ers for Fred Sims Park, which is located at 45th and Nevada avenues. Over the last 10 years, the Lions have donated more than $37,000 for 49 new trash containers in New Hope parks.Also in March, the Twin West Cham-ber of Commerce donated $341 to the city-sponsored Safety Camp and Half-Pint Safety Camp in August and Octo-ber. Th e donation came from proceeds from the Crystal/New Hope Business Council's annual golf tournament.In May, the City Council accepted a $3,000 Kub's Kids Grant from the Min-nesota Twins Community Fund to sup-port the city's tee ball programs. Th e grant was made possible by a major contribution by Twins outfi elder Jason Kubel. Th e grant money was used to

assist with operation (including pur-chasing needed equipment and addi-tional teaching tools), administration (such as program scholarships) and promotion (including color posters and fl iers) of the city's tee ball program.Also in May, the New Hope Women of Today contributed $100 to the Parks and Recreation Department scholar-ship program. Th e scholarship program helps low income New Hope families pay recreation program fees for children and teens. Since 1990, Women of Today has donated $4,880 to the program and an additional $4,560 to Safety Camp.And in June, the city received a $1,900 Community Partnership Grant from CenterPoint Energy to help the city purchase two new automatic external defi brillators for the New Hope Ice Arena and outdoor pool. Th e city pro-vided $1,900 in matching funds.

CenterPoint representative Crystal Gorres presents a check to Mayor Kathi Hemken

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In Touch, Summer 2011

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