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2012 Fall IssueFALL ISSUE 2012 Elections The November General Election will be held on November 6, 2012. The polling location for Albertville residents is City Hall, 5959 Main Ave. NE. The polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The ballot this year will include the President and Vice President, U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative, State Senator and State Representative, Constitutional Amendments, County Offices, City Offices, School Board Offices and Judicial Offices. See inside forinforma- tionon candidates for Mayor and City Council. City Council If you are unable to get to the polls due to absence, illness or disability, service as an election judge in another precinct or a religious observance, you may vote by absentee ballot. To vote Mayor Mark Meehan absentee, you must first complete an absentee ballot application which can be found on the City website. To vote by mail, you must return the absentee ballot application to Albertville Jillian Hendrickson City Hall and a ballot will be mailed out to you with a return envelope. You may also vote in person at City Hall, Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. City Hall will also have Larry Sorensen extended voting hours on Saturday, November 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. All absentee ballots must be returned to City Hall by Monday, November 5 by 5:00 p.m. John Vetsch If you recently moved or are voting for the first time, you can still register to vote and cast a Dan Wagner ballot on Election Day at the polls by providing an acceptable form of identification. The ac- ceptable forms of identification for Election Day registration are: • Current driver's license, learner's permit, State identification card, or receipt for such • Previous driver's license , learner's permit or State identification card with current utility bill (must be due within 30 days) • Voucher —a person registered in your precinct who will vouch for your residence • Late registration notice from Wright County Inside this issue: Fire Safety 2 1-94 Project Christmas Tree Pickup 2 Construction of the interchange project commenced in April and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the Free Tire Collection 2 year. The reconfiguring of the CSAH 37 ramp and con- Parking Restrictions 3 struction of the collector -distributor (C-D) road will pro - Check out our new vide access to CSAH 19 for westbound interstate traf- Winter Safety 3 fic. When the project is complete, the Albertville freeway website! Pg. 3 exit will be signed as Exit 201 for CSAH19 and Exit 202 New Website 3 for CSAH 37. Westbound freeway traffic destined for CSAH 19, will follow the Exit 201 signs and travel under City Candidate Info 4-7 the CSAH 37 Bridge on the new C-D road and directly to CSAH 19. Those destined for CSAH 37, will follow the Exit City Calendar 8 202 signs, just as one would today. October is Fire Prevention Month • Install and maintain a working smoke alarm outside of every sleep area and remember to change the battery at least once a year. • Designate two escape routes from each bedroom and practice them regularly. Have a meeting spot outside the home for everyone to meet when outside of the structure. • Teach everyone the "Stop, Drop, and Roll' technique in case clothing catches on fire. / • Avoid storing old mattresses in the home or garage. • Teach kids that matches, lighters and candles are tools, not toys. If you suspect that a child is playing with fire, check under beds and in closets for telltale signs like burned Did you know smoke matches. Matches and lighters should be stored in a secure drawer or cabinet. alarms and carbon mon- • Because of the dry conditions, be sure to check the Minnesota DNR website prior to oxide detectors are doing any burning (https:www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/fire/ required to be within 10 firerating_restrictions.html ) and obtain necessary permits for fires other than a 3x3 feet of every sleeping recreational fire. room? Fire Department Seeking Reserve Firefighters The Albertville Fire Department will be accepting applications for Reserve Firefighters this fall. Reserves are trained to First Responder and State Certified Fire Fighter I require- ments. They are expected to make all monthly business meetings and all applicable Thursday evening trainings. Once training and one year of service to the Fire Depart- ment is complete, a Reserve Firefighter is eligible for a Paid On Call position when a po- sition becomes available. Applications can be picked up and returned to Albertville City Hall, 5959 Main Ave. NE, PO Box 9, Albertville, MN 55301. Applications are due by December 20, 2012. The in- terview process will begin in January 2013. Questions can be directed to 763-497-4836. Christmas Tree Collection The Public Works Department will be collecting Christmas trees on Monday, January 7, 2013. Trees should be placed at the curb no later than 7 a.m. If you miss the date, you may bring your tree to the compost site located off of Maclver Ave. NE. NO WREATHS OR GARLANDS WILL BE AC- CEPTED CURBSIDE OR AT THE COMPOST SITE DUE TO WIRE CONTENTS F 1 1-- L,- Free Used Tire Collection —Nov. 1 The Wright County Environmental Health Department will accept used tires for no charge at the Wright County Compost and Recy- cling Facility on November 1 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The facility is located off of County Road 37 in Buffalo. There will be no fee for this day only. Residents will be allowed to drop off up to 20 tires per household. For larger quantities, call 763-682-7331 to coordi- nate drop off. You may be required to show your driver's license to verify residency in Wright County. RESIDENTS ONLY —NO BUSINESSES Winter Parking Snow Plowing STMA Restrictions Reminders Ice Arena Parking is prohibited on any City street between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. beginning November 1 until April 1. This applies to all weather conditions. If you will be having a large event at your home, it is requested you inform the Wright County Sheriff's Office. All vehicles should refrain from parking on City streets after a snowfall until the streets are cleared. • Snowplowing operations generally be- gin at 2 a.m. • Avoid shoveling until the snow plows have cleared the road curb to curb to avoid having to shovel more than once The plows will usually make at least two passes on each side of the street. • Remember that it is a violation of the City Code to shovel, blow or plow snow onto a sidewalk or into a City street. • Residents are responsible for clearing snow around fire hydrants and mail- boxes following a snow storm. OPEN SKATE AND OPEN HOCKEY TIMES Please visit www.stmahockey.org and double click on the Arena Info button on the left side of the screen to view or print schedules. City Approves and Develops New and Improved Website The City of Albertville had been hoping to update its website for some time. On August 6, 2012 the Albertville City Council hired SM Website Solutions to redesign the City's website. The new website is active and is being developed in three phases: Phase I: Web and navigation design. Essential services and information. Phase II: Completion of remaining pages and content management. Phase III: Development of online forms that can be completed and submitted quickly to City Offices. At this time, Phase I and a portion of Phase II are complete. Residents should be aware that much more information is still to come. The goal of the new website is to deliver an intuitive, quick way for residents to find information and conduct business. Please check us out! www.d.albertville.mmus Winter Hazard Awareness and Safety WINTER HAZARD AWARENESS DAY Saturday, Nov. 10 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Clearwater Fire Station 605 County Rd 75 Information to help citi- zens minimize risks and mitigate the hazards of winter. SAFETY TIPS • Make sure your car is ready for the season. Keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze. Carry a winter survival kit in your car. • Carry a cell phone in case you are involved in, or witness, an emergency situation. • Use only non-flammable decorations. Check holiday light wires for fraying, gaps in insulation or cracked sockets. Don't overload electrical outlets. • Never put wrapping paper in the fireplace. • Have a plan and keep enough reserve supplies in case of a blizzard or power out- age. • Rest frequently when shoveling or plowing snow to avoid overexertion. Candidates are listed in the order in which they filed for office Candidates for Mayor Donald Peterson 7 My name is Don Peterson. I have been a resident of Albertville for over 30 years and graduated in 1985 from St. Mi- chael/Albertville High School. While attending the University of Minnesota I majored in Political Science. I am a graduate of the Carlson School of Management. I served six years in the United States Army as an Infantry Soldier and fought in the Gulf War. I have two beautiful daughters, Alexis (age 17) and Kaitlin (age 15). I'm a member of St. Albert's Catholic Church. As past Mayor of Albertville I was part of the expansion of County Road 19, City Hall, Water Treatment Facility, City Maintenance Building and I had signal lights installed at 1-94 and County Road 37. 1 was also involved with the expan- sion of the 1-94 ramp to Albertville Mall and went to Washington D.C. to get funding for the ramp. Specific challenges include identifying an acceptable design for phase two of the 1-94 ramp and then selecting a sound financial plan to pay for them. Finding a way to expand cultural and recreational opportunities and other community amenities. We need to work with the Sheriff's Department and support them in controlling traffic problems. We neec to continue to work with our Fire Department and support them. Our challenges are many and varied. Maintaining a quality school system at a time when money seems to be so limited is a big challenge. Schools are the foundation of our community. One of our biggest challenges is how to grow our community in such a way that we keep that small town feel. In closing I would like to serve the citizens of Albertville as your Mayor once again. I want the citizens of Albertville to know who their Mayor is! So when you see me out and about you can approach me at anytime of day or night. My actions are guided by my strong family values to create and maintain a good, clean and safe place to live and raise our children. If you elect me as your Mayor once again, I will continue to be proactive and look for what is best for Albertville, networking and building relationships with our neighbors where necessary. I will always strive to make Albertville a better place to live, work and raise our families. I ask for your support in November and during my term. Thank you! Jillian Hendrickson My name is Jillian Hendrickson & I am running for Mayor. As Mayor I will provide a sound representation to Albert- ville's elected leadership. I became a resident of Albertville 7 years ago when I bought my townhome in Town Lakes. Since moving to Albertville, I was blessed to have met my husband Ryan & we were married in town Sept. 23rd last year We made our home on the west side of Albertville in a wonderful neighborhood and love living in this community for several reasons. My sister & brother-in-law with their three children live less than a mile away & many other young families like ours are seen in abundance on every neighborhood street. We have excellent school systems & partner well with neighboring cities to provide outstanding amenities for our children. Lastly, we love the location; our out- door hobbies are well accommodated in Albertville because it provides a healthy work/life balance. Commutes to work are reasonable and it's an easy jump on the freeway to head north for the weekend. My educational background includes a bachelor's degree in International Business with a minor in Communications & Leadership. Professionally, I work as a medical representative for Lilly. I completed my Masters in Business Admini- stration in 2009 through SCSU. My educational background has provided me with insight when making difficult deci- sions affecting our city. Jillian Hendrickson Continued As a current council member I have enjoyed serving at the pleasure of Albertville's residents & business owners. These past few years I've addressed several concerns facing our community. I have worked to improve efficiencies by streamlining communication between business owners & city staff. Organizational changes were made in order to attract new businesses to the community & as an added benefit these changes have reduced expenses in our city's budget. As the freeway ramp project nears completion this fall, I will continue to support the project through its fu- ture phases as these efforts are essential in filling empty store fronts within our community. Throughout my public service I have worked closely with staff to minimize spending while maintaining the vital services our city provides. Other issues important to residents I support include, improving public awareness, maintaining a safe community and supporting youth programs. In summary, I believe my job as an elected official is to be in tune with the community's needs & desires. I look for- ward to listening to the voice of the Albertville community. Candidates for City Council Larry Sorensen was elected to City Council four years ago and have been honored to serve the people of Albertville. My wife, Karen, and I have been residents of Albertville for 16 years, and we have raised two children, Jon (18) and Andrea (15), both who have attended STMA schools. During my time on the Council I have served on various committees, including Parks and Recreation, STMA Ice Arena Board, Public Works, FYCC, and Fire Department/Public Safety. The city of Albertville has seen tremendous growth over the last several years and we need to elect City Council members that are prepared to look to the future. Albertville needs to be able to develop to its full potential while maintaining its small town identity. Our elected officials should have the ability to see the big picture, and the charac- ter to respectfully and professionally represent us. When voting on issues, they must put aside personal biases, and simply vote for what is right and fair. In my time on the Council, I championed the effort to change recycling vendors and switch to single sort recycling, and since implemented, we have seen participation rise from 46% of households to over 90%. 1 have also strongly supported the 1-94 distributor road project, which will be completed this November. This project will not only lead to far less traffic coming through our city streets, but it will most certainly make the undeveloped land near the outlet mall more attractive for economic development. Finally, with the economy still limping along, and local government aid to Albertville being eliminated, we need to con- tinue to keep this an affordable place to live and run a business. It hasn't been easy the last four years, but I feel we have done our best to Keep taxes down without jeopardizing the essential services (fire, police, roads, etc) that our residents expect. If re-elected, I will continue to fight to make common sense decisions and Keep this a safe and af- fordable place to raise a family. I will continue to represent the residents of Albertville with honesty, integrity, and fairness. Together, we can make Albertville an even better place to live. appreciate all the input I have received from residents the past four years. I stand by my voting record and my com- mitment to the people. And I would appreciate your vote on November 6th. Sincerely, Larry Sorensen 763-497-8533 sorensen_albertville@yahoo.com www.facebool<.com/Larry.Sorensen.Albertville Paul Anthony Turpin Paul Turpin has a vision for Albertville. As a 10-year resident of Albertville, Paul Turpin, along with his wife Kamie and his four children, love their town and want to keep Albertville a great place to raise a family and do business. Working within a budget and learning to work with less, are imperative in this economy. Paul believes in the residents of Albertville and in the small town feel they bring to it, and Paul Turpin wants the opportunity to keep Albertville vital and strong as a town and as a commu- nity. As a small business owner himself, Paul Turpin sees the struggles Albertville residents have had to endure and believes that he can make a difference. Paul asks you to give him that opportunity! "I have been a resident of Albertville for 10 years. My wife Kamie and I have raised four children — Makenzie, 13, Emma, 10 (both currently enrolled in STMA schools), Trace, 4, and Leah, 2. My children have given me the chance to see all parts of the city through their eyes, and understand what is important to us as a family -- Friendly City Days, the Farmers Market, the beau- tiful parks, and safe streets are a few of these things. I will strive to keep Albertville a wonderful place to raise a family, and a great place to live, long after they have grown. One of the great things about our city is the 'friendly' atmosphere, and I will work hard to keep it that way! I have been a small business owner, and have worked for large corporations as well — and, lately, times have been tough for all of us. Our family and my business have had to learn to work with less and keep within a strict budget — yet still enjoy life. I believe this some line of thinking should be a priority in our City Council — living within our budget, keeping essential services above par (fire, police, safe roads, etc.), while still being open to new business growth and expansion (i.e. the Ice Arena). I believe the small town feel is very important, and it's one of the reasons we chose to raise a family here. 1 will work to keep that small town feel, while helping it to thrive in this tough economic environment!" John Vetsch Hello, my name is John Vetsch. My wife, Lisa, and two daughters, Jena and Alison, are long time residents of Albert- ville. My family and I are members of St. Albert's Church. I am currently employed with the Dayton Post Office. Prior to that, I worked for the St. Michael Post Office for 21 years. I served on the Albertville Fire and Rescue for 13 years and was a member of the Albertville Jaycees. I am currently a member of the Albertville Lions and Friendly City Days Parade Committee. I believe that being active in your community will make it better. I have served numerous terms as Council member and with your continued support, I will work on your behalf. John Vetsch Fmark A. Barthel My name is Mark Barthel. I have lived in Albertville for 26 years with my wife Dianne and two children, Beth and Josh. We are members of St. Albert's Parish, and I am currently serving on the Albertville Park Board. In the early 1990s, I served on the Albertville City Council for two (2) years. I was also a member of the Joint Powers Water Board. I learned during my term that it was important to find out how the community felt about a particular issue before making a final vote and that I needed to consider all options before making an important decision. I hope that you will allow me to serve as a member of the City Council for the next four (4) years. Thank you, Mark A. Barthel James Krutzig I'm a born and raised Minnesotan. At about the 3rd grade, I moved to Albertville and attended school there until graduation. After that, I attended North Hennepin Community College for a few years. I've worked for Subway, Gap Outlet at the mall, Starbucks, the St. Cloud Hospital, and am currently working at Menards. Some of the things I've been involved in include the American Legion's Boy's State, Student Council, Student Congress, Speech, Feed my starving children, and Toys for Tots. The reason I decided to run was not because I am experienced in government (for how could I be, it's my first time running!), nor is it because I was looking for any fame or recognition. It's because I believe new ideas to make our government less of a burden on my neighbors is exactly what is needed. Many of government's duties can be done without infringing on people's lives and property, yet we still employ poor systems that are more of a benefit to the government then to the people. Policies that, instead of providing protection, micro -managing your lives. I'm running, because I believe that my neighbors would like their government to do it's job, and leave running their life to them. Rob Olson Hi, my name is Rob Olson, I am 33 years old and live in Albertville with my wife, Kelly, and four kids, Tyler-8, Ella-6, Gavin -2, and Madelyn-6 months that attend STMA Schools. I am a graduate from the University of North Dakota and am em- ployed as a Civil Engineer with MFRA, Inc. in Plymouth. I currently serve on the Albertville Planning Commission and have done so since 2009. 1 am a member of St. Michael Catholic Church and am involved with numerous activities within the community. As your Albertville City Councilor, I will strive to spend tax dollars wisely and will look for cost -saving measures to ease the tax burden on the families and businesses within our city. As a planning commission member I have had the pleas- ure to advise the council on the growth of our community and I look forward to the opportunity to promote business and growth within the city of Albertville. The City of Albertville has a lot of upcoming projects that need financing, 1-94 Interchange Phase 11, Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements, Road Maintenance, and expansion the Ice Arena. These a just a few of the projects that will need our full attention as we move towards the future and that I plan on working towards creative and cooperative ways to fund these projects. I will continue to support our Public Safety departments to ensure their ability to provide the great service we currently have. I will look at ways to maintain and improve the existing parks and look for ways to build new parks as develop- ment occurs. Albertville is uniquely situated in the fact that we are closely bordered with other great communities and we have two school districts within our city limits. Due to this proximity I will explore and continue to work towards finding cost effi- cient ways to provide mutual aid with joint benefits to these communities and schools. While always keeping the eye on Albertville, activities in St. Michael and Otsego can have great benefits to the residents of Albertville and vice versa. I will always listen and make myself open to hearing both sides of an issue before making a decision. I will work hard to be the voice for all of the citizens of Albertville. Please find me and "like' me at www.facebook.com/ RobOlsonforAlbertvilleCityCouncil to follow me during the election. Your support will be greatly appreciated. Thank You. REP (� IIlw' BEE, OUR V T�a �""OI ii (TS! City Calendar October/November Oct. 29 Joint STMA School Board, Albertville City Council, St. Michael City Council, 6:00 p.m. Nov. 3 Absentee Voting, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Nov. 6 Election Days, Polls Open 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Nov. 7 City Council, 7:00 p.m. Nov. 12 Veteran's Day, City Offices Closed Nov. 13 STMA Ice Arena, 6:00 p.m. Special City Council, 6:30 p.m. Planning & Zoning, 7:00 p.m. Nov. 19 City Council, 7:00 p.m. Nov. 22 Thanksgiving Day, City Offices Closed Nov. 26 Joint Powers Water Board, 6:30 p.m. A,lbertville smoll living. Big City Ufa. 5959 Main Ave. NE PO Box 9 Albertville, MN 55301 V "Eq City Newsletter City Hall Hours: Monday -Thursday 7:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Phone: 763-497-3384 Fax: 763-497-3210 www.ci.albertville.mn.us December/January Dec. 3 City Council 7:00 p.m. Dec. 10 STMA Ice Arena Board, 6:00 p.m. Dec. 11 Planning and Zoning, 7:00 p.m. Dec. 17 City Council, 7:00 p.m. Dec. 25 Christmas Day, City Offices Closed Jan. 1 New Year's Day, City Offices Closed Jan. 7 City Council, 7:00 p.m. Jan. 8 Planning and Zoning, 7:00 p.m. Jan. 14 STMA Ice Arena Board, 6:00 p.m. Jan. 21 Martin Luther King Jr. Day, City Offices Closed Jan. 22 City Council, 7:00 p.m. Jan. 28 Joint Powers Water Board, 6:30 p.m. ECRWSS POSTAL CUSTOMER U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 7 Albertville, MN 55301