November 2011
Vol. 13 - No. 4
Prepared and paid for by the City of Chaska
SHIP CITIZEN RESPONSIBILITY
Holiday Merchandise Sa le
All Merchandise is Cle arance Priced
A wide selection of Me en’s apparel, shoes, clun’s and Womand more are available. bs, balls, hats Gift Cards available in person, over the phone or online . Purchase $175 of in-sto ck merchandise before Decem ber 24 and receive a FREE 18 hole pass for 2012 season. Holiday Hours: Dec. 6 - Dec. 23 Tues.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m ., Sat. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 952.443.3748 www.chaskatowncourse .com
RESPECT GENEROSITY
Our
ENVIRONMENTALISM
Community
Values
HUMAN WORTH & DIGNITY
INTEG RITY LEARNING
find us on
A Quality Small Town
More wind energy on its way
Chaska – A Yellow Ribbon Community
T
he Yellow Ribbon Community program unites areas within the Chaska community to create a network that connects and coordinates resources for the purpose of supporting service members and military families. The mission is to offer services such as lawn care, snow removal, medical support and food/clothing assistance. In Chaska, 39 individuals are actively in the Armed Forces with 11 deployed overseas.
B
esides developing the Hometown Wind project that brought a 160 kiloWatt (kW) wind turbine to Chaska in 2010, the Minnesota Municipal Power Agency has been busy developing a much larger wind energy project in Steele County for its members. This summer, 24 Vesta wind turbines with a total capacity of 44,000 kW were erected near Highway 218 about three miles northwest of Blooming Prairie. The project, which was originally announced in 2008, encompasses approximately 3,000 acres of farmland.
These wind turbines will supply clean, renewable electric energy to the eleven MMPA members including Anoka, Arlington, Brownton, Buffalo, East Grand Forks, Le Sueur, North St. Paul, Olivia, Shakopee, Winthrop and Chaska. It will also help the members meet the state requirement for getting 25 percent of electric needs from renewable energy by 2025. The location for this project has much more wind potential than most of the member cities and is located along an existing transmission line which made it an ideal spot. Chaska will be reaping the benefits of this wind farm for many years to come.
The city of Chaska supports this organization. The Chaska Park and Recreation/ Chaska Community Center are offering FREE CCC MEMBERSHIPS to all families who reside in Chaska with military personnel actively serving. This membership will afford family’s free access to the CCC and a discount on most of the leisure program offerings. This membership is an opportunity for families to enjoy themselves and is a small token of thanks for their commitment and contributions for protecting our freedom. For more information on this membership offering you may call 952-227-7749. For more information on the Yellow Ribbon Community program you may call 651-2637041 or e-mail zestforlife1964@chaska.net.
No Increase in Tax Levy Proposed for City Budget
While the City has seen no growth in its tax levy over the past two years due to drops in market values around the community, the City has felt that it has been able to meet its budgeting objectives, the primary driver of Chaska’s budgetary process. Each year, the City of Chaska goes through the process of establishing both a five-year financial forecast for its General Fund, and establishing its annual budget, by first identifying the goals that are most important for the community to meet. In establishing the 2012 budget, the Council identified the following objectives as being most important to achieve: Maintain existing high-quality service levels, making reductions in service levels only when directly associated with decreased need for service
As has been the case for the past several years, accomplishing these budget objectives has been complicated both by issues surrounding the general state of economy, and by drastic changes that have been made at the State level, including the elimination of Local Government Aid. For the second year in a row, we will see a reduction in market values, with the overall drop in market values at a 4.14 percent drop compared to 2011. This is following the close to 7 percent drop we experienced the year before. While we have seen these drops, we have seen some new development in the community. This development is starting to mitigate this issue, although we do expect it to take our entire five-year planning period to get back to total market values equaling what we had in Chaska in 2009.
Market Values Forecast
$3,000,000,000 $2,500,000,000 $2,000,000,000 $1,500,000,000 $1,000,000,000 $500,000,000
Address the implications of levy limits on local governments and the significant reduction in Local Government Aid (LGA), while maintaining current service levels expected Develop a plan that allows City to discon-
20 13 20 15
20 11
$0
20 09
Fund new programs only after existing, necessary programs are funded
20 05 20 07
Fund replacement of the City’s existing capital investments
Continue to fund levy needs of Street Reconstruction Program
20 03
Maintain a policy of keeping a constant tax rate for limiting growth of tax levy, while also planning levy resources that at a minimum remain constant, thus not inhibiting our ability to maintain existing service levels
tinue draw from General Fund reserves
Market Values
While we have experienced issues with market value decreases and the loss of LGA, not all our news has been bad. Over the last two years, Chaska has seen a significant pickup
in activity with Commercial/Industrial development in the community, which $700 has not only created new tax base, but new jobs as well. This has included $600 $500 projects such as United Health Group’s $400 Data Center, the 212 Medical Center $300 and Southwest Christian High School. $200 These projects financially have a posi- $100 $0 tive impact on the community, not only through job creation, but also by helping to keep our taxes low, and through increases in our Electrical Sales in the community. In 2011, the City saw an 8 percent increase in electric load compared to 2010, much of which is a direct result of the job growth we have seen in the community. This helps increase our Electric Department’s Franchise Fee to our General Fund, which helps keeps everyone’s City taxes low. With job creation being one of Chaska’s top two priorities, we continue to expect to see additional job growth in the community over the next several years.
Carver County City Taxes Per Capita
Ha m bu Ne Vi rg c w t G oria er m an M y ay e Ca r rv Co e r lo W gn Ch a co e an n ia No ha s rw se oo n W dY at er A to w Ch n as ka
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or the third straight year, Chaska City Council will be considering the adoption of the upcoming year’s General Fund budget with no increase proposed for the property tax levy, with the 2012 total tax levy proposed to be at $4,880,354, the same number it was in 2010 and 2011.
Taxes Per Capita
City taxes in Chaska one of the lowest in the entire Metro Area. Based on the proposed budget, and the market values for a Median Valued Home in the community, the City tax impact for the median-valued home in Chaska is expected to stay nearly identical from last year, which was approximately $470. At the same time, Chaska will remain very low compared to other citElectric Franchise Fee to General Fund ies in the Twin Cities, with it being third lowest out of all 83 $3,500,000 comparable communities in the Metro Area. It will also remain $3,000,000 the lowest City taxes per capita $2,500,000 in Carver County. $2,000,000 As with the Cities budget pro$1,500,000 cess every year, the City will $1,000,000 be holding its annual Truth in Taxation Budget Hearing at the $500,000 Council Meeting on Monday, $0 December 5 at 7 p.m. in the City 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 Council Chambers. Residents are welcomed to attend. The Franchise Fee final budget will be set at the meeting on Monday, December 19. If there are any questions Based on the work that has been completed by the City in putting together the proposed about the proposed budget, feel free to call budget for 2012, the City feels that it can City Administrator Matt Podhradsky at meet all of the budget objectives it has set 952-227-7523. in the budgeting process, while also keeping
Free Events ®
New Conversations Dialogues Together we can learn to bridge the racial divide in our community! Talking about race and racism can be the first step. Join us for the following free dialogues at the Chaska Community Center: Sat., Jan. 14, 9 a.m. to noon: New Conversations About Race and Racism® Thurs., Feb. 9, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: New Conversations® About White Privelege Thurs., Mar. 8, 6:30 to 9 p.m.: New Conversations® Uncovering the Five Myths that Support Racism Reserve your space by contacting Chaska Human Rights Commission at (952) 4489200, ext. 7103. Space is limited. The New Conversations ® tools and facillitation a re prov ided by The Saint Paul Foundation’s Facing Race Initiative. Visit www.FacingRace.org for information. Brought to you by the Chaska Human Rights Commission in partnership with Chaska Dunn Bros. Coffee, Chaska Police Dept., Carver County Sheriff’s Dept., Carver County Library and the Beacon Council.
Active Older Adults
Appreciation Day
A special invitation from SouthWest Transit to pick you up and bring you to The Lodge in Chaska for some coffee & treats, holiday music and friendship. Then it’s on to the Arboretum to enjoy their “great hall of trees, land of gingerbread & making spirits bright”.
Thursday, December 8 at The Lodge Schedule of Events 9:35 a.m. Board the bus at River Gables 9:40 a.m. Town Square Apts. 9:45 a.m. Talheim 10:00 a.m. Waybury Apts. 10:15 a.m. Chaska Community Center Lodge - Music & treats 11:45 a.m. Board the bus for the Arboretum - Free admission on Thursdays - Lunch on your own 1:45 p.m. Buses load and depart. THE BUS RIDE IS FREE! To help us have the proper equipment available for our routing, please RSVP by noon on Wed. Dec. 7. Call 952-949-2287 or email customerservice@swtransit.org and let us know how many are going, as well as if there are any mobility related needs.
Hometown Holiday Sat., Dec. 3, 2011 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Visit Chaska’s historic downtown for a day filled with old fashioned holiday spirit Downtown merchants will offer shopping enticements, hospitality & good cheer all day. Enter to win a $375 shopping spree! Free horse drawn wagon rides will tour historic downtown. Santa and other jolly holiday characters will greet visitors and shoppers throughout downtown. Tree lighting ceremony in downtown’s beautiful park will light the night at day’s end. For details visit www.shopdowntownchaska.org
Chaska History Center 112 West 4th St. Open 12-4 p.m. Exhibition of historic Christmas artifacts – dolls, toys and Santas Horse Drawn Wagon Rides 2:30-5:30 p.m. Boarding every 15 minutes Walnut St. at City Square Park Tree Lighting Ceremony City Square Park 4 p.m. Piñata, program, carolers, visit by Santa, tree lighting Multicultural event sponsored by Chaska Human Rights Commission
Other Events
Indoor Winter Farmers Market 207 Chestnut St., 10-2 p.m. Seasonal produce, gourmet oils, cheese, preserves, evergreens Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser American Legion, 4:30 p.m. Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Benefit