Volume XXIIII, No. 3
The City Newsletter September 2019
News for Loretto City Residents
City of Loretto 279 N. Medina Street
Suite 260 P.O. Box 207
Loretto, MN 55357
763-479-4305 (phone) 763-479-2685 (fax)
Website: www.ci.loretto.mn.us
City Hall Office Hours: Monday 8:00-1:30
Wednesday 8:00-1:30 3:00-6:00
Friday 8:00-1:30
Special points of interest:
• Thank you to Fun Fest donors, p.2
• Loretto Fun Fest - Saturday, September 14th, p.3
• Recycling News and Dates to Note, p. 4
• Lions Park Flag Garden, T-shirt contest winners, p.5
• Stormwater Best Practices, p. 6
• Quiet Zone Update, Grant Award, p. 7
• Clothing Drive, Blood Drive p.8
Highlands Park
A new picnic shelter was recently added to the Highlands Park, located at the
intersection of Summit Avenue and Edgewood Lane. This effort was spearheaded
by former Parks Committee and Council Member John “Archie” Neumann. The
current Parks Committee, consisting of Council Members Melissa Markham and
Eric Riley, are working on plans to expand the playground at the Highlands Park,
similar to the expansion that took place at the Ponds Playground in 2018. If you
are interested in participating in the planning or if you have comments, you may
contact Parks Committee members or City Hall: [email protected],
[email protected] or [email protected].
Mayor
Kent Koch
Council Members
Brenda Daniels
Melissa Markham
Eric Riley
Brian Sevigny
City Clerk Treasurer
Mary Schneider
Public Works
Jeff Leuer
Utility Clerk
Connie Scheibe
PA GE 2 T HE CIT Y N E W S LE T TE R
to all those listed below for their donations and support of the
2019 Loretto Fun Fest. We are grateful for your contributions!!!
Thank you to all those who help make the Fun Fest a success!
Your generosity is genuinely appreciated!!
Gold Donors ($100-499.99): Allstar Construction Bagy Jo, Inc. Mary Cavanaugh—Edina Realty Choo Choo Restaurant Detour 19 Bar & Grill Dick’s Auto Detailing DMJ Asphalt Inc. Doboszenski & Sons Inc. Dvorak Co. Tom & Jan Grinnell Ingleside Engineering & Construction KD Canopy Rental LLC-Duane & Karen Schlosser KD & Company Recycling Inc. Herb & Shelly Koch-Koch’s Korner Gordon E. Lang Lano Equipment Loretto Knights of Columbus Loretto Machine Inc.-Marv & Marlys Timm Loretto Office Park Metro West Inspections Park Place Storage ProLawns, Inc. Randy’s Environmental Services Schu’s Cabinets Brian & Tammy Sevigny Saints Peter and Paul Tom Van Beusekom & Susan Rae Vinland National Center
Silver Donors ($50—$99.99):
Lana & Daryl Gilpin-LVG Stables, LLC Rick & Carol Hatcher Mary Joyce Koch Glenna & Bob Kramer Melissa & Pete Markham John “Archie” & Michelle Neumann Nick Oeffling Quality Lawn Care
Bronze Donors (up to $49.99):
Juanita & Shannon Flaherty Cheryl Jalonen Barbara Kutz Patriot Erectors Inc. Paul & Sherri Raskob Gordon Schmidt Ed Schumacher Tony & Julie Van Beusekom Lorelie Yager
Donations of Resources:
21st Century Bank City of Hanover City of Medina Church of Ss. Peter and Paul Fish & Labeau Signs Lano Equipment Loretto Volunteer Fire Department Loretto Knights of Columbus Loretto Lions Club Medina Police & Police Reserves Village Church
Thank You to the Fun Fest Planning Committee:
Ron Guild John Nelson Jeff Horch Melissa Robbins Jason Nelson Cindy Spaulding City Staff
Titanium Donors (donations over $1,000)
Platinum Donors ($500—999.99):
Empire Cycle ⧫ Loretto Fire Department ⧫ Shingobee Builders
Wenck Associates, Inc.
21st Century Bank ❖ Eagle Mouldings ❖ Loretto Lions Club
Sponsored Activities
The Teddy Bear Band, Rich & the Resistors—
21st Century Bank
The Good Ole Days of WCCO Radio—
Loretto Machine Inc. - Marv & Marlys Timm
VO LU M E XXII I I , N O. 3 PA GE 3 P AGE 4 T HE CIT Y NEWS LETT ER
Recycling News
Nov. 12th ~ Leaf & Grass Collection
Randy’s will be picking up leaf and grass clippings in
Loretto on Tuesday, November 12th. Please have
compostable bags curbside by 6 am.
• Brush must be tied in 3’ x 3’ bundles.
• Plastic bags of yard waste will not be accepted.
All yard waste must be in Compostable Bags.
Dates to Note City Council Meetings
Loretto City Council meetings are held at 7 pm on the
second Tuesday of each month at the City Council
Chambers, 279 N. Medina St., Suite 260.
Future dates are: Sept. 10th, Oct. 8th, and Nov. 12th
On occasion these dates need to be rescheduled. Check
the City website or bulletin board for notices of changes.
Contact City Hall to request these email notices.
Oct. 12 ~ Fire Department Open House
The Loretto Fire Department is having an open house on
October 12th from 4-8 pm to celebrate National Fire
Prevention Week, which is October 6-12th.
There will be a delicious dinner (free will offering),
games and inflatables, silent auction, face painting,
fire truck rides, demonstrations, free drawings and more!
Come meet our local Firefighters and tour the
Fire Station!
Disposables to Decline
1. Straws: Most straws head straight for the landfill, or end up littering our streets, greenspace and eventually
our beaches and oceans. If you really do prefer drinking through a straw, there are a growing number of fantastic portable and reusable options available. So join the “say
no to the straw” movement and quickly speak up before your server sticks one in your drink.
2. Disposable Coffee Cups and Sleeves: Because of their plastic or waxed lining, disposable coffee cups are not recyclable. If you
have a daily coffeeshop habit, make a new habit of bringing along your own mug. As a bonus, your coffee will stay hot longer in a travel mug and it’s less likely to spill. If you must use a disposa-
ble cup, keep a reusable sleeve or your own fabric one in your purse or wallet. Either way, you will be reducing waste, and setting a good example.
3. Napkins: Do you really need that huge stack of napkins for one sandwich? Probably not — instead, just take what you’ll really use. Unless you practice organics recycling, paper towels
and napkins are not recyclable, even if they are unused. At home, cloth napkins can be just as easy as paper ones; they don’t take up much space in a load of laundry and they’re one less item to add to your grocery list. If you associate cloth napkins with fancy restaurants, change
your mindset and make sure the cloth napkins you buy are inexpensive, unfussy, and easy to care for— no ironing necessary! You can even make your own by cutting up an old tablecloth, curtains, or other scrap fabric that would otherwise be thrown away.
4. Condiment Packets: Fast-food and Chinese restaurants have the tendency to throw a huge handful of condiment packets in with your take-out. Does anyone ever actually use all of them? When you place your order, if you truly need a
condiment, ask for just as many packets as you’ll use. If you’re eating at home and have a bottle of that sauce, specify that you don’t need any packets. It’s more environmentally sound to use condiments from a bottle and also likely that the glass or plastic bottle can be recycled, whereas the little foil or plastic packets cannot.
Encouraging your family, friends, and community members to start turning down some of these disposable items will help send the message to businesses that single-use plastic and paper products are wasteful and undesirable.
Upcoming Recycling Dates
September 10th & 24th
October 8th & 22rd
November 5th & 19th
December 3th & 17th & 31st
Sept. 24 ~ Infrastructure CIP Public Workshop
The Loretto City Council will hold a public workshop
at 6 pm on September 24th to discuss and hear public
comments on the Infrastructure CIP (Capital
Improvement Plan) Report first reviewed at the
August Council meeting. Loretto residents and
business owners are encouraged to attend.
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Lions Park Flag Garden
Thank you to the Loretto Garden Club for
their work to improve the Lions Park Flag
Garden, located at the Loretto Lions
Park. Through their collaborative efforts,
the garden was cleaned out, weeded
and day lilies were planted. They
expressed an interest in this project to
honor our veterans, active military and
the flags that fly at this location.
T-Shirt Contest Winners
A big Thank You to all those who submitted designs
for the Fun Fest 20th Anniversary t-shirt design
contest. With all of the excellent designs submitted,
the committee had a difficult task choosing a winner!
In the end two designs were selected. Congratulations
to Jeff Horch (front) and Jordana Lacina (back).
Both received a $100 prize and a free t-shirt. If there
is enough interest, shirts sales will be re-opened after
September 14th. Contact City Hall or watch for an
email if you are signed up to receive city
notifications.
Jordana Lacina Jeff Horch
Garden club member, Veronica Shaffer planting day lilies.
Flag garden “before” photo
Completed project “after” photo
Miscellaneous News
City Council Notifications
Stay informed on what is happening at City Council
meetings. The city emails council agendas and
minutes at no cost to residents. Information on
voting, elections, civic events, and general
happenings around town is also emailed. If you
would like to be added to the email notification list,
send your request to: [email protected].
Public Notification System
Sign up for notifications of public safety information or
local emergencies. You may choose a voice, text and/
or email message. This is a private listing, information
will not be shared. The sign up form can be found on
the City of Loretto website under Helpful Info/Forms.
P AGE 6 T HE CIT Y NEWS LETT ER
Preventing Stormwater Pollution
We all live in a watershed — the area that drains to a common waterway, such as a stream, lake, river, wetland, or even the ocean — and our individual actions directly affect it. In Loretto, our rain and stormwater runoff flow to Lake Independence and Lake Sarah. Each newsletter will include guidelines you can follow to help make a difference in the quality of our local waters.
What’s The Best Thing To Do With Fall Leaves?
Here are some common leaf disposal options — read on to find out which one works best for your yard:
1. Doing Nothing
If the idea of leaving leaves all over your lawn doesn’t distress you, then do it: leave them on your lawn, right
where they fall. That’s right: Do nothing! The leaves create their own ecosystem, providing shelter and food to
animals like chipmunks, and insects like worms, bees and butterflies. Then the leaves decompose, returning
nutrients to your soil. You also save money and resources by avoiding electricity or gas used to power leaf
blowers or lawn mowers, and you get a few weekends back to do what you want (which we’re certain wasn’t
raking leaves). Sounds like a pretty great way to enjoy fall!
2. Mulching Leaves
If you have a moderate amount of leaves in your yard, mulching is the
quickest, lowest effort, and greenest way to clean up your yard this fall.
All you have to do is mow over the leaves right where they are. The leaf
clippings will provide nutrients that will support the health of your lawn
come spring. If you use a mower bag attachment, you can spread the
chopped up leaves in flowerbeds, where they will act as nutrient-rich
mulch. One downside here is burning the gas for the mower!
3. Creating A Compost Pile Of Leaves
You can also put in a little bit more time and effort and compost the leaves — a solution that can be as green
as mulching, especially if you opt to rake instead of using a leaf blower. First, gather all the leaves into a pile
and cover them with a tarp. The tarp prevents them from blowing away, and helps create an environment ripe
for composting. Turn the leaves with a rake to help add oxygen to the pile 3–4 times throughout fall and
winter. This promotes decomposition. By spring, you should have some good compost to work with.
4. Using Local Yard Waste Services To Compost Leaves
The brush and compost site located at 2052 County Road 24 (shared with Medina) is another eco-friendly option
at your fingertips. Once the leaves are all gathered together, the only environmental cons here are the use of
bags to contain the leaves, and the gas used for transporting the leaves to the collection spot. Make sure to
dump leaves out of bags or containers and take them with you. Bring your id with proof of residence, this site is
only for Loretto and Medina residents. The site is behind the shop building, northwest of Medina City Hall.
5. Burning Or Trashing Leaves
Don’t do it! Burning leaves releases molds into the air that are not great for human health. Trashing leaves
contributes to methane buildup from landfills. Both options represent the loss of a valuable natural resource
that could be feeding lawns.
Illicit Discharge is defined as any direct or indirect discharge
of anything other than storm/rain water into the storm drains.
This is against city code and should be reported immediately to: Jeff Leuer at 612-221-4963. See City Code Section 412:30 for
details and exemptions.
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Quiet Zone Update
For many years the City has been investigating Quiet Zone improvements for the Loretto railroad crossing on
County Road 19. In 2018, the State Legislature approved funding through a bonding bill for improvements at
this intersection. These improvements would allow the crossing to be considered a Quiet Zone, which means
trains would no longer blow their whistles when approaching the intersection. Language in the legislative bill
highlights “improvements at Townline Road” within the project de-
scription. Since this language was included in the bill, funding for
improvements at the Loretto crossing will only be authorized if
improvements are also made at Townline Road. Substantial
improvements would need to be considered for the Townline Road
crossing to satisfy the language identified as “safety improvements”
as it relates to a Quiet Zone, making the project as a whole
infeasible.
At the August 13th city council meeting, City engineers recommended
the City revisit the language in the approved Bonding Bill to strike out
text related to improvements at Townline Road. The City Council
directed city staff to work with the engineers and state
representatives in this effort.
CenterPoint Energy Community Partnership
Grant Award
Thank you to CenterPoint Energy for their recent Community
Partnership Grant Award in the amount of $2,500 to the City
of Loretto.
The Community Partnership Grant program offers an
opportunity for CenterPoint Energy to invest in the
cities we serve. For over 145 years we have partnered
with communities supporting our shared commitment
to safety while delivering safe, reliable natural gas.
Since 2003, the program has awarded more than $1.8
million in donations and provided funding to support
967 projects in communities throughout CenterPoint
Energy’s service area.
Through the grant program, we can help cities
leverage local funds to purchase needed safety
equipment or support safety projects that are
important to your community.
This year’s grant will assist Loretto in purchasing traffic
control equipment, helping to keep our community safe.
Past awards were used to purchase automated external
defibrillators (AED’s) in 2016 and a four-gas detector for
the public works department in 2014.
Miscellaneous News
CenterPoint Energy Supervisor of Field Operations, Roger
Schmitz, presents Community Partnership Grant Award to
Loretto Public Works Director, Jeff Leuer.
City of Loretto
279 N. Medina Street, Suite 260 P.O. Box 207 Loretto, MN 55357
Phone: 763-479-4305 Fax: 763-479-2685
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Community Blood Drive
Thursday, October 3rd, 1:30-7 pm at Saints Peter and Paul Church gym. All blood types
are needed, especially Type O. Sponsored by Memorial Blood Centers. Sign up online at
mbcherohub.club and enter sponsor code 1524 or contact Dan Wise at
612-669-0947, 763-479-3998 or [email protected].
We’re on the web!
www.ci.loretto.mn.us
A Note from 21st Century Bank:
Love INC, Clothing Drive
In conjunction with the Loretto Fun Fest,
21st Century Bank will once again collect items to help benefit Love INC. Items collected support the thrift shops located in Delano and Howard Lake for public sale to
benefit people in need.
The following items are needed:
• Gently used clean clothing
• Very old or worn clean clothing, to be recycled*
• Very worn tennis shoes – to be recycled*
Please separate items in bags as listed.
*Many of the clothes and shoes donated can be recycled, BUT please keep them separate from clothing that can be sold. Label the recyclable clothing in a bin/bag with tape
that says “recyclable.”
Drop-off: There will be a trailer in the 21st Century Bank parking lot across from the ball fields, Saturday, September 14th from 9 am to 1
pm.
Pick-up: Stop by or call to make arrangements before
September 14th. Give us your address, and on September 14th we will pick up your items if you live within the city limits.
We will not be accepting furniture or household items.
During this same time, we will also be collecting nonperishable food items for the Hanover Food Shelf.
Feel free to call the Loretto 21st Century Bank office, 763-479-2178 with questions or to schedule a pick-up. Spread the word to your neighbors!