Mayor Boucher Gives State Of City Address

For Immediate Release – January 30, 2020

Mayor Boucher Delivers State of City Address

Hermantown, Minn. – Wayne Boucher, Hermantown’s Mayor, delivered the State of the City Address Thursday afternoon at the Essentia Wellness Center. The annual event, hosted by the Hermantown Chamber of Commerce, was held at the Essentia Wellness Center for the first time. The $26 million facility is the largest single investment in Hermantown’s history and has surpassed expectations for community involvement in its first three months since opening in October.

Mayor Boucher’s speech focused on “responsibility” regarding what Hermantown’s local government already delivers for residents, families, and businesses. It also looked at what is possible to enter the City’s scope of responsibility as Hermantown continues to age and evolve as a community.

The combination of Hermantown’s 1975 founding coming much more recently than neighboring communities and the growth of the City over the past several years have helped push certain responsibilities to the forefront while holding others back. Boucher said that 2020 would feature key areas receiving greater attention than at any other point in the City’s 44-year history, including the beginning of a multi-year road improvement plan and the pursuit of sales tax funding focusing on community recreation initiatives. The Mayor noted other communities had previously added those types of improvements and experiences into their portfolio of local government, and that the time may be appropriate for Hermantown to embrace those responsibilities.

Hermantown’s City Council passed a resolution seeking approval from the Minnesota Legislature to add a question to the November ballot for a 0.5% sales tax increase at the January 21 meeting.

A third key 2020 project outlined by Mayor Boucher is the addition of a new trunk sewer line, which will help open up an undeveloped portion of the community to greater opportunities.

Thursday’s event marked the 10^th consecutive State of the City Speech delivered by Mayor Boucher.

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For more information contact: Joe Wicklund, Communications & Community Relations Manager, City of Hermantown via e-mail at [email protected] or via phone at 218.729.3614.

City Moves Toward Safer Intersection At Hwy 2

For Immediate Release – January 27, 2020

Hermantown Moves Closer to Safer Intersection on U.S. Highway 2

Hermantown, Minn. – Hermantown’s City Council passed a resolution Tuesday, January 21, which supports St. Louis County in closing the intersection at Old Highway 2 and Morris Thomas Road on the west side of U.S. Highway 2.

In 2021, St. Louis County is proposing to reconfigure the intersection Morris Thomas Road and U.S. Highway 2 to improve safety. The reconfiguration would create a 90-degree intersection between the county road and U.S. Highway 2. This significant change would mean the continuation of Morris Thomas Road across U.S. Highway 2 and onto Old Highway 2 would no longer be feasible.

The decision to close the intersection follows a public hearing on December 16, 2019, as well as individual meetings and discussions with landowners, the Canadian National Railroad, the City of Hermantown, and St. Louis County.

St. Louis County is continuing to work with the Minnesota Department of Transportation to make enhancements to the intersection of U.S. Highway 2 and Midway Road to support the traffic displaced by the intersection closure.

Final plans for the expected intersection closure will be shared upon completion and in advance of the start of the 2021 construction.

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For more information contact: Joe Wicklund, Communications & Community Relations Manager, City of Hermantown via e-mail at [email protected] or via phone at 218.729.3614.

City Council Denies Arbours Project

For Immediate Release – January 21, 2020

Hermantown City Council Denies The Arbours of Maple Grove Project

Hermantown, Minn. – Hermantown’s City Council denied a proposed 137-unit development Tuesday, January 21, in a 3-2 vote decided by Mayor Wayne Boucher.

The development – dubbed The Arbours of Maple Grove – would have been located on 10-plus acres at 5097 Maple Grove Road and included a 103-unit, multi-story senior living building featuring memory care services, along with several four-plexes and 18 single-family homes with projected sales starting at $330,000. It would have been the highest density project in terms of units per acre in the City of Hermantown.

The project – slated to cost more than $20 million to develop – was going to be privately financed, with no public assistance included, and would have generated tax revenue of nearly $400,000 annually for the City of Hermantown, the Hermantown Community Schools, and St. Louis County.

The resolution approving the Final Planned Unit Development (PUD) and Preliminary and Final Plat was originally tabled on December 16, 2019 following a well-attended meeting of more than 80 people, many with questions and concerns regarding the development. It was tabled a second time, on January 6, 2020, primarily due to the holiday season and providing ample time for the applicant, James Patrick Development LLC, to respond. More than 120 people attended Tuesday evening’s Hermantown City Council meeting, a large majority speaking in opposition to the project.

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For more information contact: Joe Wicklund, Communications & Community Relations Manager, City of Hermantown via e-mail at  [email protected] or via phone at 218.729.3614.

Resolution To Pursue Sales Tax Increase For Hermantown Passes

For Immediate Release – January 21, 2020

Resolution to Pursue Sales Tax to Support Community Recreation Passes

Hermantown, Minn. – Hermantown’s City Council took the initial step toward pursuing a sales tax increase through a potential ballot measure in November. The resolution – passed by a 4-1 vote – allows Hermantown to pursue support from the Minnesota Legislature to place the sales tax question on the general election ballot later this year.

The request, should the voters approve the ballot measure, would be for a sales tax increase of 0.5% to support funding an array of community recreation initiatives. These would include additions to the current Hermantown Hockey Arena, including an additional sheet of indoor ice, improved outdoor rinks, and more, as well as the reconfiguring and addition of turf to Fichtner Field and the ability to extend accessible paths and trails to connect key components of Hermantown and extend to meet trail systems beyond the City’s borders.

This resolution is only the first step in a lengthy process, allowing Hermantown to attempt to receive state legislative approval to have the question added to the ballot in November. At that point, Hermantown citizens will be able to vote on the possible sales tax increase.

A draft of an Economic Impact Study, performed by the University of Minnesota-Duluth’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research, showed a positive economic impact for the region’s overall economy regarding the hockey arena portion of the three-pronged project solely. The remaining two projects have not had similar assessments performed regarding their expected economic impact for Hermantown or the greater region.

Should the request be granted by the Minnesota Legislature and then passed by Hermantown voters in the general election in November of 2020, the half-percent increase in sales tax would generate an expected $1.5 million annually. The projected annual debt service for the three projects would be $1.4 million. The total cost to all three portions of the project would be $19 million.

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For more information contact: Joe Wicklund, Communications & Community Relations Manager, City of Hermantown via e-mail at  [email protected] or via phone at 218.729.3614.

Road Improvement Plan Resolution January 9

For Immediate Release – January 9, 2020

City Takes Next Step in Road Improvement Plan

Hermantown, Minn. – Hermantown’s City Council took the next step forward in a comprehensive plan to improve roads over the next several years this past Monday at its first meeting of 2020.

By a unanimous vote, the City Council approved final plans and specifications for the initial phase of the multi-year road plan and ordered the advertisement for bids. The 2020 phase of construction covers Johnson Road, Portland Road, Carlson Road, and Alexander Road in southeast Hermantown. It also covers a stretch of Hermantown Road between Okerstrom Road and Stebner Road.

The City of Hermantown hired TKDA as the project engineer and held a trio of well-attended public information meetings to provide resident input on these roads. TKDA has completed the plans and specifications and are now ready to advertise bids for the project.

“We have had great input from the residents on this project and feel they have a strong understanding of what can be accomplished in improving these roads,” said John Mulder, Hermantown City Administrator. “As we continue moving forward with this phase of the project, we will stay in contact with residents in these neighborhoods, as well as including those impacted by the additional upcoming phases.”

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For more information contact: Joe Wicklund, Communications & Community Relations Manager, City of Hermantown at [email protected] or 218.729.3614.