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Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 38F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph..

Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 38F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.

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At the May 12 Marine City Council meeting, the lineup for summer events was revealed. The summer kicks off with the fireman’s Ball Saturday, June 18. A street dance to benefit the Marine Fire Department, the dance runs from 5:30-10:30 p.m. on Judd St. Tickets for suggested donation of $9. 

The Fourth of July kicks off with two races; a 4-mile run and a 2-mile run/walk. Registration begins at 7:30; race at 9:15 a.m. The 4-mile race begins at Hay Lake School and ends at Marine Elementary School. The 2-mile race begins at the edge of William O’Brien State Park and ends at the Marine Elementary School. 

Entrance fee is $20/individual or $55/family (up to 6 people). The race is sponsored by the Marine Restoration Society. Money raised is used to maintain Marine’s public and historic buildings. For more info, see https://marine4thofjulyrace.com/. 

There will not be fireworks July 3. The traditional Fourth of July parade begins at noon on Judd Street, with food, music and children’s games to follow. 

There will be a Marine Mills community picnic, but no date has been set. 

Flags half-mast in recognition of 1 Million COVID Dead

Mayor Kevin Nyenhuis said that at the request of Governor Tim Walz, the flag will be flown at half-mast Monday, May 16, in recognition of more than 1 million Americans who have died from COVID-19. 

The Marine Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Monday, May 23, 7 p.m. regarding Vinco’s application for a conditional use permit for construction of a 4G cell tower at the city compost site. The hearing will be held at the Village Hall and remotely on Zoom. Comments from the hearing will be considered at the Planning Commission’s May 31 meeting. 

The Planning Commission is now working on 5G cellular guidelines and expects to have a first draft in June. The Commission is also working with the city engineer about historic district mapping as a result of the EV charging proposal parking area request. 

The Planning Commission’s new chair, Scott Spisak, asked that city committees provide quarterly updates to the Planning commission so the Commission can identify potential land use issues earlier in the process. 

May is Arbor Month. The Forest Advisory Committee will give away small white pine seedlings at Gazebo Park from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., or until supplies run out. Residents of Marine are eligible to receive 1-3 seedlings. White pine are fast-growing trees, adding 2-3 feet a year, but they must be protected from deer graze.  

Low-cost public-private ash tree treatment  available

Council member Wendy Ward asked the Council to pause in its plan for ash tree removal and to reconsider emerald ash borer (EAB) treatment. The cost of EAB treatment has come down and the city has been offered a bulk rate for treatment of trees, beginning with 20 trees, with additional discounts for more trees.

Ash is one of the most abundant trees in Minnesota, and there are more than 100 ash in Marine’s “urban forest” (along streets and by homes). The Forest adviser Committee recommended that the city, the Mill Stream committee, and Marine residents collaborate in a tree inoculation effort to bring down the cost of inoculation for everyone. The cost to treat a tree begins at $7 per diameter/inch. (For example, $70 for a 10” in diameter tree.) Treatment protects for two years. 

To learn more about this option, residents can speak with Forest Committee members May 21 at Gazebo Park or can contact Council member Wendy Ward. 

The goal of treatment is to stagger the cost and aesthetic impact of tree loss. Depending on the size of the tree, removal costs can be many hundreds of dollars. While the ash tree is being treated, a new tree can be planted to take its place. 

All ash trees will die without ongoing biennial treatment. Foresters in eastern states where EAB caused massive die-offs years ago tried to end treatment, thinking that with no available trees to infest, the pest would have moved along. It had not. After treatment ended, the trees died. 

Public safety as storm season

In the wake of a serious storm, Council member Charlie Anderson told residents that the severe weather siren is a sustained wail for three minutes. When the siren ends that does not mean the danger is past. Tune in to broadcast weather reports for additional information. 

The fire department responded to a brush pile fire that had gotten out of control. No structures were damaged. Fire threat is low right now but low humidity and high winds are poor conditions for burning a brush pile. Anderson reminded residents that the city permits prescribed burns on private property to reduce available fuel for wildfires. A prescribed burn permit can be obtained at city hall. 

The Council voted to approve a new Outdoor Event Ordinance. Ordinance 05112-02 was provided in the council packet prior to and at the council meeting. 

Key points include a requirement that event organizers seek a permit 60 day before the event (variances can be granted). This allows the council time to review. Events can begin at 9 a.m. (with variance for earlier start times). In order to encourage block parties, the Council request 10-days’ notice for a permit, which can be approved by the mayor and not the whole Council. 

Council member Lon Pardun reported that the Council is awaiting a quote on maintenance and repairs after an inspection of the Stonehouse Museum, the Settler’s Cabin and the Village Hall. The roof of the museum is showing signs of age. The roof of the cabin needs repairs and the outside needs wood preservation.

Engineering and road repairs report

A Small Cities Assistance bill passed in the MN Senate. It would award funds to cities under 5,000 in population. Pardun said Marine might receive $10-20,000, deliverable in 2023. That’s not enough funding to pay for roadway patching on Elm Street, Pine Street in front of the school, Broadway and the fifth street alley. The cost of these repairs is estimated at just over $30,000. Staff will begin repairing smaller potholes. 

The Watershed District did not receive grant funding to conduct floodplain mapping and flood risk assessment work. There were $3 million in requests for $1 million in funds. The city engineer’s report said the application “presumably did not score well in the category of underserved communities.” 

The city is wrapping up its work to add residents to the city’s sewer system. In June the city will do water testing around the drainfield and nearby residents will be notified. Staff noted a gopher infestation at the drainfield and missing traps. New traps were installed. 

•  At the April EDA meeting following the council meeting, the Council approved a 5-year lease agreement with the Marine Village School. 

• Volunteers cleaned the tennis court and added pickle ball equipment for resident use.

• The EV charger proposal has been removed from the GreenStep Cities committee and assigned to the city infrastructure committee. 

•The city will buy a replacement mower.

• A city purchased an ultrasonic bird control device to dissuade the swallows from taking up residence at the town hall.

• The Washington County Historical Society is having an open house at the new Washington County Heritage Center May 17 for citizens of towns that provided financial support for its new building. Admission is half price from 4-7 p.m. The new building is located at 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater.

Correction: Last week's issue of the newspaper reported that Marine City Ordinance 05112-02 was not available for public review at the time of the public meeting. The draft of the ordinance was provided in the council packet prior to and at the council meeting. A fee schedule was not included. There was no discussion of increasing fees.

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