Hello Chanhassen Residents,
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. A few updates as we head into the weekend.
City Center Tree Lighting Ceremony
Please join us this Saturday, December 3, for the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at City Center Park Plaza. The official lighting of City Center Park will take place at 5:00 p.m., and there will be bonfires, refreshments, caroling, live reindeer, a Toys for Tots donation station, and a special visit from Santa Claus. We hope to see you there!
City Plowing
With the recent snow events and looking ahead to our snowy season, our Public Works and Parks Maintenance team works hard plowing our streets and trails. With over 115 miles of streets and 72 miles of trails, there is a lot to get done so our residents can safely go for walks or catch the school bus. We do recognize that at times you may see damaged sod from the plow blade, but please know the city will fix this in the spring. Residents can report snow plowing issues using SeeClickFix or report damage or concerns by calling 952-227-1300. Read more about our snow plowing procedures here.
City Council
At our work session on Monday, the City Council discussed the final 2023 levy that will be adopted at our December 12 meeting. Since setting the preliminary levy in September, the City Council has been discussing a levy increase between 5.2% and 7.2%. The focus of the conversation over the last few meetings has been on the need for additional funding for trail maintenance. The City Council has developed a 6.3% levy scenario. This levy would provide $138,000 to be directed to trail maintenance.
Currently, the city has a nominal budget for trail reconstruction and maintenance that only funds half to three-quarters of a mile of trail maintenance each year. While some trail maintenance projects are completed along with an adjacent road project, many trail sections will require a separate project. Without additional funding, the condition of the trails will deteriorate over the next ten years.
The City Council discussed at length the importance of protecting a treasured community asset and expressed interest in lowering the levy from the preliminary amount of 7.2% while still providing funding for trails. The annual impact of a 6.3% levy increase on a home with a value of $582,000 is $96 per year or $8 per month. The full City Council packet with detailed budget information will be available on December 7 for your review. The final levy will be voted on December 12 at 7:00 p.m.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments at: eryan@chanhassenmn.gov.
Enjoy the magic of the season!
Elise Ryan
Mayor of Chanhassen
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