• The city plows and sands/salts most of the streets in New Hope. To notify the city of concerns relating to snow removal or to report a slippery spot on a side street in the city street, call the Public Works Department at 763-592-6777.
• Hennepin County maintains several of the major streets in New Hope including 42nd Avenue (County Road 9), Bass Lake Road, Medicine Lake Road, and Winnetka Avenue from Bass Lake Road to Medicine Lake Road. To report a winter maintenance concern on these streets, contact Hennepin County Roadway Maintenance at 612-596-0300.
• Commercial vehicles and domestic power equipment used for snow removal are generally exempt from nighttime noise restrictions in the city code that apply to other commercial vehicles and power equipment.
• Property owners are responsible for clearing sidewalks adjacent to their property. The city does plow sidewalks as time and resources allow.
• West Metro Fire Rescue encourages residents to shovel out the fire hydrant near their home. Keeping fire hydrants free of snow reduces the time it takes firefighters to access a hydrant if a fire occurs.

 

Forms for the 2010 Census will be mailed the middle of March and should be mailed back to the Census Bureau by April 1. Participation is not only required by law, Census results impact the number of representatives Minnesota has in Congress and the amount of federal funding the state receives.

Simple
The 2010 Census consists of 10 easy questions and should only take about 10 minutes to complete. The census form includes questions about name, sex, age, date of birth, Hispanic origin, race, household relationship and if you rent or own your residence.

Safe
Census data is safe. The specifics citizens provide on a census form are confidential and cannot be shared under penalty of law.

Important
Every 10 years, the number of elected representatives each state sends to Congress is recalculated using the results of the Census. Current population projections indicate that Minnesota could lose one of its eight seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. But the projected population shortfall in Minnesota is only about 3,000 people, so if every Minnesota resident makes sure they are counted in the Census it could make up that difference.

In addition, approximately $300 billion in federal dollars are distributed to the states annually based on the results of the Census. Over a decade, this means our state loses $10,000 for every person not counted in the 2010 Census. If just 100 people are not counted, Minnesota misses out on $1 million in federal funding for things like roads, healthcare, transit, and housing.

Snowbirds
The Minnesota State Demographic Center is encouraging Minnesota residents who reside out of state during the winter months (“snowbirds”) to answer only the 2010 Census form they receive at their Minnesota address. If snowbirds respond to the Census form they receive at their winter address, they will be counted as residents of that state, not Minnesota. It’s also worth noting that the U.S. Postal Service will not forward 2010 Census forms.

For more information about the 2010 Census, visit www.mn2010census.org or call 651-201-2479

 

On January 25, the New Hope City Council amended the city’s sign ordinance to allow temporary signs two feet behind the curb and within the sight triangle at intersections The revised ordinance is comparable to temporary sign practices in New Hope’s neighboring communities.
The previous ordinance, which inspectors rigorously enforced, had become quite contentious among some residents of New Hope. That ordinance required temporary signs to be at least 10 feet behind the curb or behind the sidewalk, and prohibited them within the sight triangle at the corner of two intersecting streets (a triangular area with two equal 20-foot sides measured from the corner along each street and a third side formed by a straight line connecting the corners of each 20-foot side).
The new ordinance setback provisions apply to all temporary freestanding signs that do not require a permit -- including garage sale, open house, and auction signs. The signs must be no more than two feet by three feet is size and stand no more than three feet in height. Signs placed at the two foot setback that impede or interfere with the use of a sidewalk must be placed behind the sidewalk. For more information about temporary sign requirements in New Hope contact the New Hope Community Development Department at 763-531-5121.

 

The New Hope City Council presented the proposed 2010 city of New Hope budget and tax levy at a budget hearing on November 30. The Council will finalize the budget and tax levy at its December 14 meeting. For more information about the 2010 budget, click on the links below.

Staff Budget Report
Budget Hearing PowerPoint Presentation
2010 Budget

 

Lace up your skates and get out and enjoy some clear, crisp winter weather on an outdoor ice rink at one of four New Hope parks this winter.

Parks maintenance staff has flooded rinks in Liberty Park at 60th and Gettysburg avenues, Civic Center Park at 44th and Xylon avenues, Lions Park at 38th and Oregon avenues, and Hidden Valley Park at 32nd and Boone avenues. The rinks opened for the season on December 19, weather permitting.

Each park has a rink for leisure skating and a separate rink, surrounded by boards, for hockey. For safety reasons, hockey sticks and pucks are not permitted in the general skating area. Each park also has a warming house.

Warming house hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Expanded warming house hours are scheduled on school vacation days – from 1 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m.

Programmed activities, such as broomball, sometimes preempt regularly scheduled open skating hours. Check with the warming house attendant for details. New Hope’s rinks and warming houses are scheduled to remain open until February 14, if Mother Nature cooperates.

Please note: Outdoor ice rinks are not plowed on weekends

 

Up to $10,000 in assistance is available to help income-eligible households become homeowners in New Hope neighborhoods that have been impacted by the high rate of foreclosure. The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) is a federal program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Housing and Economic Development Act (HERA) of 2008. The goal of NSP is to revitalize and stabilize communities. The assistance program is administered by Hennepin County.
Zero interest deferred loans of up to $10,000 are available to help income-eligible households purchase vacant and foreclosed single-family homes within designated neighborhoods in New Hope (north of the Canadian Pacific rail line near 52nd Ave. N. and south of Bass Lake Road). Eligible households may make up to 120 percent of the area median income (AMI), must qualify for an eligible first mortgage, and must occupy the home as their principal place of residence for the term of the loan. Current income eligibility ranges from $70,500 for an individual to $100,700 for a family of four.
Before beginning to shop for a home, those interested in obtaining NSP funding should:

• Contact Hennepin County for an income eligibility application packet
• Attend a HUD-approved Home Stretch class, offered locally by Community Action Partnership for Suburban Hennepin -- www.capsh.org/homestretch.htm or 952-933-9639
• Find a participating loan officer that has received training for the program on the Hennepin County NSP website.

The city of New Hope Community Development Department has a list of foreclosed properties in the target neighborhoods. Call 763-531-5110 to receive a list. For more information about the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, eligibility requirements or participating loan officers, visit the website www.hennepin.us/neighborhoodstabilizationprogram or call Alyce Osborn at 612-348-2205.

 

Community Action Partnership of Suburban Hennepin (CAPSH) in cooperation with Accountability Minnesota is offering tax assistance to eligible individuals. Taxes are electronically prepared and e-filed free of charge by skilled and experienced volunteers. Program recipients should have an income of $45,000 or less for a family or $35,000 or less for an individual.

CAPSH appointments are available at:

• Brookdale Library, 6125 Shingle Creek Parkway, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on February 27, March 27, and April 10.
• CEAP, 6840 78th Ave. N., Brooklyn Park, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. on February 10 and March 10.
• CAPSH, 31 10th Ave. S., Hopkins, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on February 6 and March 30.

To schedule an appointment with CAPSH, call 952-933-9639, extension 204. For more information about the program, call CAPSH or visit cashenn.org/taxprogram.htm.

From February 1 through April 15 each year, the AARP Tax-Aide program offers free one-on-one counseling, as well as assistance on the telephone and Internet to help individuals prepare basic tax forms. The program serves low and middle-income taxpayers with special attention to those ages 60 and older.
Local Tax-Aide sites are:

• Crystal Community Center, 4800 Douglas Drive – Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Robbinsdale City Hall, 4100 Lakeview Avenue – Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to noon, Thursdays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Brunswick Methodist Church, 6122 42nd Ave. N., Crystal, Thursdays 1 to 4 p.m.

No appointments are necessary. For more information, call 952-858-9040 or visit aarp.org and search for Tax-Aide.

 

Health experts warn that the H1N1 flu outbreak may resurge again this winter. Hennepin County encourages those who have not been vaccinated yet to do so now.

Hennepin County and Minnesota Visiting Nurses Agency will provide H1N1 flu shots to all children, youth and adults at the following time and locations.There is no charge for these H1N1 flu shots. Those with health insurance should bring teir policy cards so administrative costs may be billed to insurance.

Vaccinations will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. A parent or guardian must accompany any child and sign a consent form at the dispensing site. Booster doses will be available for children 6 months through 9 years of age who received initial doses at least three weeks prior. For more information, call 612-543-4161 or visit www.hennepin.us/h1n1.

Clinics near New Hope include:

• Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2 to 4 p.m.
  Hennepin County Ridgedale Service Center, 12601 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka
• Friday, Feb. 5, 5 to 7 p.m.
  Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center, 5600 85th Ave. N.
• Wednesday, February 10
  
  • 10 a.m. to noon - Plymouth Creek Center, 14800 34th Ave. N., Plymouth
  • 2 to 5 p.m. - Crystal Community Center, 4800 Douglas Drive N.
  • 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. - ResourceWest, 915 Main St., Hopkins

Several additional clinics which are further from New Hope are also scheduled. They are listed on the flier below.

Hennepin H1N1 Flu Clinics

 

Washington, D.C. – The FBI today reminds Internet users who receive appeals to donate money in the aftermath of Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before responding to those requests. Past tragedies and natural disasters have prompted individuals with criminal intent to solicit contributions purportedly for a charitable organization and/or a good cause.

Therefore, before making a donation of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, to include the following:

• Do not respond to any unsolicited (SPAM) incoming emails, including clicking links contained within those messages.
• Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
• Verify the legitimacy of nonprofit organizations by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming the group's existence and its nonprofit status rather than following a purported link to the site.
• Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from know senders.
• Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf to ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes.
• Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions: Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.

Anyone who has received an e-mail referencing the above information or anyone who may have been a victim of this or a similar incident should notify the IC3 via www.ic3.gov.

The Metro Pain-A-Thon helps seniors and people with physical disabilities continue to live independently in their own homes. Volunteer teams scrape, prime and paint home exteriors for low-income clients at no cost to the homeowner.

Metro Paint-A-Thon is accepting applications for this year’s program until May 7, 2010. In order to be eligible for the program:

• Applicants must own and occupy the single-family home to be painted
• The home must be located in Hennepin, Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Ramsey, Scott or Washington county
• Home must be in need of paint, but not need any major repairs
• Applicants must be over the age of 60 or physically disabled (if under age 60)
• Applicant’s monthly income must not exceed $1,800 per month (for one person in the home) or $2,500 for two people in the home).

To apply for Metro Paint-A-Thon, fill out the application form below. For more information about the program visit the website at www.gmcc.org/paint-a-thon or call 612-721-8687, extension 321.

2010 Metro Paint-A-Thon Application

 

Hennepin County has housing rehabilitation funds available to income-eligible New Hope homeowners who live in a single-family home or duplex that needs some work. The funds are provided in the form of a deferred loan, with no monthly payments, secured by a fifteen year lien against the property. If the homeowner moves within the term of the loan, the amount borrowed and, in some cases, interest must be repaid.

In order to be eligible for assistance, the borrower’s total household income may not exceed 80 percent of the area median income, which is $44,800 for an individual or $64,000 for a family of four. Other conditions apply. The maximum loan amount is $30,000. Once the county determines that a borrower is eligible for the loan program, Hennepin County staff will schedule an appointment to inspect the property and establish, with the help of the homeowner, the improvements and repairs that are eligible and necessary. Owners of a home built before 1978 may also be eligible for a small loan to help pay for work needed to resolve lead-based paint hazards. The county will prepare a scope of work which the borrower will use to obtain competitive bids from contractors for the work. Hennepin County will inspect completed work and pay the contractor directly.

For more information about the housing rehabilitation funds available to New Hope residents through Hennepin County, contact Jim Graham at 612-348-2235.

In November, the New Hope City Council approved ordinance revisions that change the duration and fees for animal licenses. The city also moved the handling of animal licenses from the city clerk's office to the Police Department. The change makes New Hope’s animal license ordinance similar to Crystal’s (which shares animal control services with New Hope), reduces staff time and postage costs to administer license renewals, and is more convenient for residents.
The duration of licenses for dogs, cats and ferrets is now the same as the duration of the animal's rabies vaccination (up to three years). All animal licenses need to be renewed in January 2010. If a pet’s current rabies vaccination expires in June of 2011, the pet owner will need to renew its license again in June 2011 to coincide with the rabies vaccination. Pet owners need to provide a copy of the rabies vaccination certificate from their veterinarian to receive a new license.
The fee for an animal license is $15 for a spayed or neutered pet or $30 for an unaltered animal. Fee adjustments will be made if an animal’s rabies vaccination expires during 2010.
Pet owners can complete the licensing process by mail, or in person at the New Hope Police Department. Police offices are located at 4401 Xylon Ave. N., the police entrance faces Xylon. Police office hours are 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Monday through Friday, or 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

 

The New Hope Board of Appeal and Equalization will meet on Thursday, April 8, to review and correct 2010 estimated market values established by the county assessor for properties in the city of New Hope. Any property owner who believes their estimated market value is too high or too low, or who wants to contest another property owner’s property value is encouraged to contact the Hennepin County Assessor’s Office at 612-348-3046 by April 2. Residents who still have concerns after talking with an assessor should attend the local board of appeal meeting. The New Hope board meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at New Hope City Hall. Auxiliary aids are available for persons with disabilities. Please call 763-531-5117 in advance to make arrangements.

 

The neighboring community of Robbinsdale has had nearly 20 burglaries since early December. Crime prevention officer Nichole Korth offers these tips to help reduce your risk of being burglarized:

1. Keep windows and doors locked.
2. Call 9-1-1 immediately to report suspicious activity and people to the police.
3. Use one-inch-throw deadbolt locks on exterior doors.
4. Reinforce doorframes with heavy-duty strike plates.
5. Use pins or auxiliary locks to secure windows.
6. Know who is at the door before opening it.
7. Illuminate entrances to your home.
8. Trim shrubs so burglars can’t hide near windows and doors.
9. Use timers to turn lights and a radio on and off when you’re away.
10. All exterior doors should be metal or solid wood construction.
11. Sign up for Operation I.D. and mark your property.
12. Make sure that garage service doors are locked securely – Secure a 2x4 across the door when not in use.
13. Lock the doors that lead from the garage to the house so that if someone does gain access to the garage they are not able to easily get inside your home.
14. Keep overhead garage doors closed at all times when you are not in the garage or front yard. Check to make sure the doors are shut before turning in for the night.
15. Ask your neighbors to call 9-1-1 if they see anyone suspicious around your home, or if they see a door open at odd hours. It’s also helpful to have a list of neighbor’s names and phone numbers handy so you can call them if you see their doors open.

For more information, call Officer Nichole Korth at 763-531-5140 or download the home security booklet “What To Do Before the Burglar Comes” from the Police section of the city’s website, www.ci.new-hope.mn.us.

 

It’s time to join with your friends and coworkers to form a softball team to play this season. Registration is underway for men’s, women’s and co‐rec slow‐pitch softball leagues sponsored by the New Hope Parks and Recreation Department. New Hope is offering six men’s leagues including Upper Class D leagues on Tuesday or Thursday, Lower Class D leagues on Monday or Wednesday, and Class E leagues on Monday or Wednesday. The department is also offering women’s Class C/D leagues on Thursday evenings and co‐rec Class D leagues on Sunday or Monday. Men’s leagues begin play the week of April 26, while women’s and co‐rec leagues begin a week later. The team entry fee is $490 for co‐rec leagues and $720 for men’s leagues plus $12 for each player who does not live or work full‐time in New Hope. The entry fee for women’s leagues is $535 plus $12 for each player who is not a resident of New Hope, Crystal, Robbinsdale, Golden Valley, Brooklyn Center or Plymouth. Entry fees and a complete team roster are due at the time of registration. For more details, call the New Hope Parks and Recreation office at 763‐531‐5151.