Community News and Views – Carver, Minnesota, USA
The City Council’s next discussion on Village Hall will be at the Monday, May 16th meeting. We continue to invite residents to review information via the Village Hall Resident Guide and encourage everyone to submit comments through the Resident Feedback Form on the page. All submitted comments will be included in the next City Council packet. (Read more…)
Kick-off to the 2017 Improvement Project Planning Process! Streets in Historic Downtown Carver are to be considered for reconstruction next summer.
Discussion related to the structural condition of Village Hall has been rescheduled as an agenda item to the City Council’s meeting on March 21. In the interim, City staff will continue its efforts to gather information on the existing structural condition of Village Hall, research potential next steps, and develop financial scenarios as previously directed by the City Council.
Earlier this month Village Hall was deemed an “UNSAFE STRUCTURE” due to steel beam deflections (commonly described as a sag or dip in the roof support system of the building) that exceeded minimum safety standards as recommended by a structural engineer retained by the City.
If you have any questions or concerns related to Village Hall, please contact Brent Mareck (City Administrator) at 952-448-5353 or by e-mail at [email protected].
Today the City’s Building Official, Mark Pistulka, measured the beam deflection (or sag) in the Village Hall roof system. Measurements indicate an increase of an additional 1/4 inch deflection from the last measurement that was taken on February 10th. Last week Village Hall was deemed an “UNSAFE STRUCTURE” due to steel beam deflections that exceeded minimum safety standards as recommended by a structural engineer retained by the City of Carver. (Read more…)
The City Council will be reviewing options and next steps for Village Hall at their Monday, March 7th meeting. City Council meetings are held on the first and third Monday’s of each month at 7:00 pm at 109 Main St. E.
At their Tuesday meeting, the City Council was presented with additional details on the structural conditions that led to the indefinite closure of Village Hall on February 11th. Last Thursday, the City’s Building Official, Mark Pistulka, deemed Village Hall an “UNSAFE STRUCTURE” due to steel beam deflections (or sag) that make up part of the building’s roof system. Carl Osberg, a structural engineer with WSB, was also on hand to provide the City Council with additional analysis and answer questions related to the existing structural condition of Village Hall. (Read more…)
WSB prepared a proposal for the City of Carver to provide a complete structural building assessment for both City Hall and Village Hall for $14,932.50. The City Council has requested the following be prepared, prior to making a decision to move forward with performing the building assessment.
The City Council will be discussing this issue at their next meeting on Monday, March 7 at 7:00 pm.
GENERAL INFORMATION
This notice is to inform you that Carver County’s CSAH 11 & 6th Street Intersection Improvements has been awarded and will begin construction on or around April 4, 2016. The work will involve constructing various turn lanes at the above intersection as well as some drainage improvements along the west side of CSAH 11. (Read more…) GMH Asphalt Corporation is the Contractor.
CSAH 11 and 6th Street will remain open during construction; however there will traffic control that closes portions of the shoulder areas for lane construction shown on the back page of this notice.
The project requires the Contractor to be completed in 56 calendar days once the work begins. The Contractor will also be coordinating various utility relocates as part of the turn lane improvements.
ACCESS
Access to your home and driveway is a prime consideration during all construction activities. The Contractor does not anticipate there will be any access issues to your home or driveway.
SAFETY
Your children’s safety is of vital concern to all involved in this project. They are welcome to watch the work in progress, but only from a safe distance. Please warn them not to get close to the construction equipment.
CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE
As stated previously, the Contractor is planning to begin the work on April 4, 2016 and will be completed in 56 calendar days.
PROJECT CONTACTS
The project is being coordinated by Carver County. Their construction representatives are as follows:
Scott Smith – 952-466-5217 – Project Manager
Jeff Evens – 952-466-5209 – Project Coordinator
If you have questions of City Staff, you can contact the following individuals:
Brian Skok – 952-448-2290 ext. 2 – Public Services Director
Dan Boyum – 651-775-5098 – City Engineer
It is the intent to complete this project to your satisfaction and as quickly and safely as possible. We realize that it will cause some inconvenience. Your patience and cooperation will be greatly appreciated.
By order of the Carver Building Official, Mark Pistulka, Carver Village Hall – 316 Broadway, has been deemed an“UNSAFE BUILDING” and shall not be occupied until further notice.
This order is specifically related to the structural integrity of Carver Village Hall “Village Hall” and the City’s commitment to adequately provide for the safety of all occupants within the building. (Read more…) The existing deflection measurement of the Village Hall roof truss system in beyond minimum standards for structural integrity as noted by a structural engineer retained by the City of Carver. As a result, effective immediately, all activities and events scheduled in Village Hall have been cancelled. In addition, the building will be closed indefinitely, as the City of Carver continues to explore options to secure the structural integrity of the facility.
Construction of Village Hall began in 1956, after residents approved a referendum by a vote of 106 to 87 in December of 1955. Village Hall was eventually completed in 1957 with a budget of $22,000 and initially housed a main floor gymnasium, a lower level banquet hall, and City offices. In 1990, a Carver Lions Club project facilitated the relocation of City offices from the Village Hall into an adjoining building addition.
Several community groups such as the Carver Lions Club, Carver Black Sox, Carver Community Youth Baseball and Softball Association, and many others utilize Village Hall for their fundraisers and organizational activities. In addition, the City of Carver utilizes Village Hall for elections, recreation programming, and other activities.
Please note that the building addition where City Hall offices are located will remain open during this time. The Carver City Council will be discussing the current status of Village Hall at their next meeting on Tuesday, February 16, at 7:00 PM.
For questions related to Village Hall scheduling and programming, please contact Vicky Sons-Eiden, City Clerk, at 952-448-5353 or by e-mail at [email protected]. All other questions and concerns may be directed to Brent Mareck, City Administrator, at (952) 448-5353 or by e-mail [email protected].
At their meeting tonight, the City Council will consider taking the first step in the redevelopment process for the recently acquired 920 6th St. W. In short, the City Council will review a process that would start with the Planning Commission developing a “Request For Proposal” document to solicit projects for the approximately four (4) acre property. (Read more…)
At their meeting on Monday, the City Council received a report from staff on work recently completed by the Rental License Task Force. Ultimately, the City Council decided not to move forward with a program or an ordinance at this time. The Task Force did not provide a recommendation related to the draft ordinance that was provided for review to the City Council. (Read more…) To view a summary of the draft ordinance and the work conducted by the Task Force click here.
The City Council thanked the Task Force members for their work and noted that the draft ordinance and corresponding program could be considered again at some point in the future.
For several months a group of residents, tenants, landlords, and other stakeholders have discussed the concept of a license and inspection program for rental dwellings in the City of Carver. Rental dwellings can be as common as an apartment unit, but can also be a townhouse or single-family home that is rented. Although not a formal recommendation, the work of this Task Force has led to the the creation of a draft ordinance that would establish a rental license and inspection program in Carver. (Read more…)
The City Council will hear a report on the Task Force’s work at their meeting tonight at 7 pm. The Council will decide tonight whether or not to move forward with placing the draft ordinance on a future agenda to be considered for adoption or to effectively say “no” to moving forward the idea by not scheduling it for future action.
For more information on the Task Force’s work click here.
At tonight’s 7 pm City Council meeting, the Carver County Highway Department will be presenting a summary of a study recently completed on possible future intersection improvements needed at CSAH 40 and 11. The intersection is located southwest of Overlook Drive, which is just south of Carver’s existing city limits.
The primary purpose of the study was to review possible future intersection upgrades, should a combination of increased traffic and housing development warrant it in the future. Carver County has no immediate plans to make any intersection improvements at CSAH 40 and 11.
The study considers a variety of options including both signalized and round-a-bout configured intersections. To review the full study click the link here.
