City Hall Update December 10, 2021
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City Hall Update
December 10, 2021
Snow Emergency Policy
The City of Hastings is under a Winter Snow Warning and significant snowfall totals
are expected. The City's Snow Emergency automatically goes into effect when 2 or
more inches of snow have accumulated. You must move your vehicles off the street.
Do not wait for an email, text, or voice message from the city. Effective with 2021-
2022 winter season, The City will NO LONGER use Nixle to notify residents of when a
snow emergency is in effect. Watch the snowfall and proactively move your vehicle
when 2 inches of snow have accumulated, or earlier. The police department will begin
ticketing when 2 inches of snow have accumulated. The City's Snow Emergency Policy
is as follows: A Snow Emergency AUTOMATICALLY goes into effect when two or more
inches of snow have accumulated. Vehicles must be moved off the street until the road has been cleared from curb to
curb. Cars that are in violation may be ticketed and towed. The cost of a Snow Emergency parking violation is $77.
Winter Weather Reminders
• Watch for snowplows and school buses while driving; maintain a stay distance.
• Keep vehicles off streets until they are plowed from curb to curb.
• Move garbage and recycling containers off streets and up behind curbs.
• Shovel the sidewalks in front of your home.
• If you can, please shovel out the nearest fire hydrant, which will save time in the
event of an emergency.
• See more winter weather reminders at https://www.hastingsmn.gov/winter
Council Passes Property Tax Levy
The City Council approved a 2022 Property Tax Levy of $16,294,085 at its Dec. 6 City Council meeting. The property
tax levy is the primary funding source for services such as police protection, fire protection, and parks and recreation.
In 2022, the City levy will increase 6.4%. The property tax levy will result in 2022 City property taxes of approximately
$1,304 on a median value home ($238,258), which reflects an annual increase of $101. View the 2022 Budget at a
Glance for more information on the property tax levy and 2022 budget.
Holiday Lights Tour Deadline is Extended to Dec. 13
The deadline to add your address to a holiday lights tour map has been extended to December 13. Enter your address
at www.hastingsmn.gov/holidaylights. The City will publish a map on December 15 for those that wish to take a self-
guided lights tour around Hastings. Thanks for participating! #hastingsmnshines
City Hall Update is published bi-weekly by the City of Hastings. Visit www.hastingsmn.gov or call City Hall
at 651-480-2350 for more information. City of Hastings, 101 Fourth Street East, Hastings, MN 55033-1955
Community Support Local Please remember to shop and support local this holiday season and to take advantage of the many outdoor opportunities that exist in Hastings. The Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau is promoting winter activities in Hastings. Personnel City offices will be closed on Tuesday, December 14, from 11:15 am to 1:15 pm for a staff holiday party. Emergency services will still be available. Police Chief Bryan D. Schafer Announces Retirement At a Police Department recognition event Dec. 7, Chief Schafer announced his retirement effective May 29, 2022. Congratulations Chief and thank you for your service to the Hastings community! Read the announcement and all of the departmental accomplishments during the Chief’s 8-plus years of service to the Hastings community. City Administrator Dan Wietecha said, “I am proud of Chief Schafer, and I am proud of the officers and staff for what they have created at HPD. They are well-trained, professional, have a culture of service, and are actively engaged in the Hastings community. This foundation is something we need to build on and continue, and I am confident we have several exceptional candidates on staff now, so we will be posting the position internally. “At all levels, we have hired very deliberately and conscientiously and then invested in the professional development of our officers through formal training, individual mentoring, on the job experience, and rotational assignments,” he continued. “It is appropriate to look to them first to maintain the direction of leadership of the Department.” The promotion process will not be automatic. It will be rigorous and involve panel interviews with public representatives, including the Public Safety Advisory Commission; a cross section of HPD and other City employees; City Administrator; and the City Council. Applications and interviews will occur in the spring.
New Hire Dave Hokstad joined the City this week as IT Manager. He comes to us with a wealth
of experience with the City of Fargo that we are excited about engaging here. Dave will
oversee the operation of the City’s IT infrastructure and systems, working closely with each
department on technology needs and long-term planning. He enjoys hiking and traveling with
his family. Dave and his wife have 3 kids. His daughter started college this year and he has 2
sons that are in high school and middle school. Welcome, Dave!
New Hires and Promotions Recognized by City Council
All new employees from the past year,
those who were promoted, or those who
took on new roles and responsibilities
were recognized at the Dec. 6 City
Council Meeting. They have been
introduced and recognized throughout
the year in previous issues of the City Hall
Update. View the Agenda for a list.
Congratulations to all!
Anniversaries
Officer Chad Schlichte (2 years) joined the Hastings Police Department in 2019 after serving as a
Police Officer in St. James and Deputy Sheriff in Martin County. Schlichte was assigned to our
Patrol Division until his appointment to Investigations this past June. Chad brings a great deal of
investigative training and practical experience to our agency, all of which aligns well with our
current needs. Schlichte replaced Investigator Paul Young who served as an Investigator since
2018. Congratulations Chad!
This month marks Facilities Manager Kurt Stoudt’s 17th anniversary with the City of Hastings. This job is 24/7/365, and
much of the work is behind the scenes. Every day, we expect the heat to be on and the buildings clean. But these
things don’t just happen; they happen because of Kurt and his crew. And now he will be retiring at the end of
February 2022. Congratulations, Kurt!
For the past 16 years, Kevin Okeson has done part-time janitorial work for the City, typically at the Public Works and
Parks buildings. He retired from Dakota County after roughly 25 years in their facilities department. Kevin enjoys
gardening and lives in Hampton with his wife. Thank you, Kevin, for your attention and service to Hastings!
Parks & Recreation
Arena:
• The arena hosted the annual Sugar and Spice tournament last weekend. There were 20 girl’s youth hockey
teams, ages 9-12 involved from all over Minnesota.
• We have been busy with both boy’s and girl’s high school hockey games the past few weeks. The girls have
had four home games and the boys have had three so far this year.
• Skate with Santa is on the schedule this Saturday. There is an ice-skating show from 6:00-7:15 and open
skating with Santa from 7:15 -8:30. Both are free and open to everyone.
Park Maintenance:
• The aeration system at Lake Rebecca will be turned on in the next couple of weeks. This is done every
December to help reduce the winter kill of fish. Signs surround the open area stating that the ice they are
about to walk on is THIN and caution should be used.
• Two new solar lights are being installed at the Dog Park so users can see at night.
Forestry:
• Our City Forester started boulevard tree inventory for winter 2021-2022 by updating the existing inventory
done last winter starting in northeast Hastings.
• We continue with the Buckthorn removal project along Bauer Trail.
Sports & Recreation:
• The application deadline for the Warming House Attendant position has been extended through Dec 15th.
This is a great opportunity for students looking for some part time work during the winter months or anyone
looking to work with patrons in our community. The typical warming houses season runs from mid-December
through mid-February.
Programming:
Holiday Light Recycling December 1st – February 1st
Drop off broken or unwanted lights at the Joint Maintenance Facility, 920 10th St. West
Donate mattresses and box springs
December 13-17
• Schedule a free curbside pick-
up, call Certified Recycling at
952-894-1448
• Available for the first 70 units
in good condition, on a first-
come, first-served basis
• Bridging, a nonprofit that
provides furniture and other
items to households seeking
housing stability, is facing a
severe bed shortage due to
COVID-19 and supply chain
interruptions that are
affecting donations from
manufacturers.
Candy Cane Hunt December 15-20
• Candy Canes are hidden in
5 Hastings Parks.
• Use the 5 clues to locate
which parks the candy
canes are hidden.
• Each Candy Cane will have
a letter attached. Write
down this letter or take a
picture.
• At the end of your hunt you
should have 5 letters to
unscramble the word.
• The hunt can be walked or
biked on the trails and
takes 1.5 - 2 hours to complete! If driving, the hunt takes around 30 minutes.
• Email your unscrambled word and/or photos to pmarschall@hastingsmn.gov or call 651-480-6182.
• Prizes will then be labeled by individual/family and available for pick up at our Parks and Recreation Office,
920 West 10th Street.
Candy Cane Clues:
• Clue # 1. A 25-acre park with a 35-foot waterfall
• Clue # 2. A Park with an 18-hole disc golf course
• Clue # 3. Take a dog here for off-leash fun
• Clue # 4. This park includes a picnic shelter available for rental, tennis courts, playground equipment and a
veteran’s memorial.
• Clue # 5. An Outdoor rink at this park is turned into a sand volleyball court in the summer months for adult
leagues
Rules:
• Please leave Candy Canes for the next person to find. (candy canes are 2 feet tall with a laminated letter zip
tied)
• If you think a candy cane or letter has gone missing, please contact us and we will replace it as soon as
possible.
• This activity is free and open to all ages. Prizes are free and provided by the Hastings Parks and Rec
Department
• We hope you get outdoors and enjoy the parks and trails during the Candy Cane hunt and all year round!
Prizes:
• E-mail the answer to the unscrambled word to pmarschall@hastingsmn.gov or call 651-480-6182 to win a
prize!
Questions? Contact Hastings Parks and Rec 651-480-6182 or pmarschall@hastinsgm.gov
Police
Sgt. Kyle Linscheid Graduates from Police Staff and Command
On December 3rd, Sgt. Kyle Linscheid completed
Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and
Command (SPSC), a ten-week intensive leadership
program hosted by Eagan Police Department. The
course prepares law enforcement supervisors for
senior leadership positions by uniquely combining
academic principles with practical applications. Kyle is
one of 23 future leaders from the metro area that
attended the course. Linscheid began his career with
the Hastings Police Department in 2008 and has
served as Patrol Officer, School Resource Officer, and
Drug Task Force Investigator/Team Leader, before
being promoted to Sgt. in 2017. Chief Schafer, DC
Wilske, and Cmdr. Schowalter are former graduates of
this program. Congratulations Kyle!
Public Works
Wastewater Treatment Plant Project Open
House
Metropolitan Council Environmental
Services (MCES) will hold a virtual open
house for the Hastings Wastewater
Treatment Plant Facility Plan project to
relocate the treatment plant on
Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. This open
house will be held via Zoom and serve as
an opportunity to learn about the project
and speak directly with project staff. If
you’d like to attend the open house, please
register here: tinyurl.com/WWTPopenhouse
To learn more about the project, visit the project website: HastingsWWTP.com
2022 Neighborhood Infrastructure Improvements
The Engineering Department is actively working on the
design for the 2022 Neighborhood Infrastructure
Improvements. The map outlines the locations we are
planning to improve in the 2022 construction
season. More information on this project, including
Council involvement and neighborhood meetings will
be distributed after the Holidays!
Hydro-Electric Plant Gets Equipment Upgrades
Electrical control upgrade is going on at the Hydro-Electric Plant upgrading
obsolete equipment in the control panels. We need to be in a position to
generate power to maximize production at the plant. Many of these
components are only available on eBay, which causes delays if we wait for
them to go out.
Upcoming Meetings
Meetings Calendar
Tuesday, December 14
7:00 pm Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting
Monday, December 20
5:30 pm City Council Workshop – Dakota County Community Development Agency
Tuesday, December 21
7:00 pm Heritage Preservation Commission
Stay Connected
Website - www.hastingsmn.gov
City Hall Updates - cityhallupdates-subscribe@hastingsmn.gov
Job Postings - www.hastingsmn.gov/employment
Text Notifications - https://www.hastingsmn.gov/i-want-to/register/register-for-text-alerts
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