hi Woodbury I'm Ashley and here's the Scoop two positions on the Woodbury city council will be filled November 5th polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the city's 16th precincts 8 residents have filed for city council they are mid amini Timothy Brewington Michael Burke Dave howel tamy olasimbo Benjamin sherard Donna Stafford and Kim Wilson they seek to fill the council positions currently held by Andrea date and Kim Wilson date is not seeking reelection if you have any questions about your polling site use the Secretary of State's online polling placefinder at pollfinder s.st mn. us or call City Hall Washington County voters who wish to vote absentee in person may do so at the following locations Woodbury City Hall Washington County Government Center Cottage Grove Service Center Oakdale City Hall and Headwater service center early voting for the general election began September 20th and continues through November 4th voters can absentee vote by mail or in person an absentee ballot application can be completed online at mnvotes.org once the absentee ballot application is completed a ballot will be mailed to the eligible voter to complete and return VIA mail new residents are encouraged to join us at welcome to Woodbury from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on October 24th at M Health Fairview Sports Center learn about City of Woodbury Services programs initiatives and events as well as resources from nonprofit organizations in the area plus enjoy food trucks Inflatables and more at this fun free event while the event is aimed at residents who mooved to Woodbury within the last 1 to 2 years please invite your neighbors or others who would like to learn more and connect October 16th is a deadline for applying to serve on a Woodbury advisory commission residents appointed to these groups serve on a volunteer basis the term is for 3 years in most instances in addition there are up to two openings on the parks and Natural Resources Commission and Planning Commission for 10th and 11th grade high school students who are Woodbury residents new appointees begin their terms in January and that's a quick update from the City of Woodbury have a great day [Music]

there's a new way to get around Woodberry let's see how it [Music] works Adam what is Metro micro and how is it different than a Metro Transit bus well Metro micro is a new service we just started operating in 2022 our first project in North Minneapolis it's very similar to Uber oryt and it's an app enabled service that we provide where a customer can book a ride online the same day and be connected to another trans route or destination within a confined area and it is at a fair that is we think is Affordable for the type of service that's provided it's the same Fair every time right now we're scheduling five buses throughout the day and again that area is determined about how far we can get with those five buses and still deliver a service within 20 minutes of a booking so right now we're starting on this pilot in Western Woodburry connecting over to as far west as centry Avenue and woodwind Hospital far south as East High School and along the 494 Corridor between Radio Drive and as far east as Woodbury so when someone books a ride through Metro Mico do they have to be picked up at a certain spot where can they be picked up from it really is right from there location their home or business or wherever they are at that Curbside To the Other destination and it will say right in the app where that location is so it's out your front door and out to the driveway or at the front door of the business or the department where you're going or the transit station so it's pretty clear in where that is and if you can't use the app you can always call the phone number and you'll be able to be connected and book that ride on the phone in Woodbury in particular it's an opportunity to connect Into Gold Line which will be opening on March 22nd this year because right now there aren't any other ways from a fixed route standpoint to make that connection happen we do provide Transit link and Metro Mobility service but this is something that's really a helpful same day option for people to connect into the rest of the system is there anything else like Riders should know about this program as it launches sure uh one of the things that I want to make sure people know that these are accessible vehicles for either Mobility devices or you can bring your bike there are bike racks on the front of the vehicle we're really looking forward to starting the service in Woodbury and the surrounding community and providing that throughout the next year [Music]

thank you to the more than 44,000 Woodbury residents who voted on our local option sales tax referendum on November 5th and thank you for the continued support of our public safety personnel services and the expansion of our Public Safety campus Woodbury residents approved the local option sales tax by a 24,165 26 vote providing important funding for the public safety campus project through your report the project can now be primarily funded through a0 5% sales tax that is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2025 funds from the sales tax will be dedicated solely to the project and will end when the funding reaches $50 million or in 20 years whichever comes first we see the sales tax as a shared investment because residents and visitors alike will share in funding the services they use a University of Minnesota study indicates we can expect non-residents to contribute about 53% of the sales tax revenue collected items such as clothing groceries diapers and medications are exempt from the local sales tax it also does not apply to the sale of motorized vehicles such as cars motorcycles motor homes trucks tractors and vans the remaining Project funding will come from Grants along with a $13 annual increase in property taxes Public Safety which includes EMS fire and police continues to be a top priority for our growing Community we strive to provide excellent response times Community engagement in programs and continue to provide a safe and welcoming Woodburry for everyone the public safety campus will be able to build upon this commitment to our residents and Visitors by providing additional safer spaces for personnel and equipment and enhanced services with a funding source now in place we're excited to finish the design of the public safety campus have a competitive construction bid process and begin Construction in 2026 our goal is to open the new campus in the second quarter of 2028 the project will include the city acquiring the adjacent Washington County service center and reconstructing it for Public Safety purposes as well as upgrading the current public safety building Washington county is constructing a new service center near the Wood Lane Drive guer Drive intersection behind Kohl's and is relocating Services there in 25 look for more detailed information on the city website and in future editions of the Woodbury city update newsletter thank you again for your ongoing support of our First Responders I also want to take this opportunity to recognize retiring council member Andrea date who has served on the city council since 2017 I hope community members will join me in expressing our thanks for her service to our community and best wishes to her and I look forward to working with reelected council member Kim Wilson and newly elected council member Donna Stafford we'll have a lot on our plate next year and I'll tell you more about our 2025 priorities in the January newsletter

[0:00] Hey, Woodbury, welcome to The Scoop. [0:02] I'm Ashley, and today I'm at Eagle Valley Golf Course, [0:04] which is where you could be on [0:06] April 3rd to attend the annual state of the city. [0:09] Mayor Burt [0:09] and city department [0:11] heads will kick off the gathering with updates [0:12] about key city projects and initiatives, [0:15] followed by questions from the audience. [0:17] The event is free and all are welcome to attend. [0:20] The Community Expo, sponsored [0:21] by Woodbury Area Chamber of Commerce, [0:23] will be at Woodbury High School on April 5th from 10 a.m. [0:26] to 3 p.m. [0:27] the expo is free and family friendly. [0:30] Be sure to stop by the city's booth. [0:31] Climb aboard city [0:32] vehicles outside [0:33] and also check out the Destination Woodbury booth. [0:37] Property value notices are expected to be mailed [0:39] by Washington County during the last week of March. [0:42] Open book meetings will be held in April for property owners [0:45] looking to appeal their market value or classification. [0:49] Owners who have questions or concerns [0:51] are strongly encouraged to contact the appraiser [0:53] responsible for their area as a first step. [0:56] Celebrate the opening of the Gold Line [0:58] on March 22nd, between 11 a.m. [1:00] and 2 p.m. [1:01] at the new Woodbury [1:02] Park and Ride ramp near Woodland Drive and Guider Drive. [1:06] There will be music, entertainment, games, [1:08] activities, informational booths and food trucks. [1:12] And that's the scoop. [1:13] Have a fantastic week, Woodbury.

ahead of the legislative season each year we reflect on our goals and the needs of the city and determine areas where we might be able to collaborate with state or local governments to bring forth support to Woodbury for these projects when our advocacy is successful as it has been in the past it can mean millions of dollars are saved which reduces the tax burden on Woodbury residents this year we plan to pursue State funding to support some of our local facilities programs and services and are waiting to hear on two Federal funding requests at as well first I want to tell you about our State Legislative priorities for 2025 as part of ongoing efforts to treat past in the community's drinking water construction is underway on a long-term Water Treatment Plant to be completed in 2028 this will replace the temporary Treatment Solutions we currently have in place we are pursuing an exemption from Minnesota sales tax for materials and construction for the Woodberry Water Treatment Plant Associated pipeline projects and water tower associated with the project that are not covered by the settlement agreement the elimination of this tax will reduce the overall project cost for Woodbury residents most related funding for the treatment of plant and water distribution infrastructure comes from a settlement between 3M and the state but this settlement doesn't cover collateral needs like a new water tower and other water related infrastructure needed for systemwide treatment we are requesting a $2 million State bonding allocation for the law Lake Park restoration and development project la lake a 77 acre Park in the southwest part of the Community is uniquely positioned with regional benefits due to its proximity to other cities in the area over time the use of La Lake Park has continued to increase however despite its use the site lacks several critical features such as drinking water restrooms and enhanced Trail access with both paved and natural surface Trails this project aims to develop a vision for the park with priorities to boost the area's ecological health park facility needs Trails large open air shelter mobility and connectivity the requested funding will cover half of the estimated project cost of $4 million we're also committed to developing diverse housing options for people of all ages incomes and family status including affordable options one of the results of this decades long commitment to housing diversity is that the city has maintained an approximate 5050 split between single family detached housing units and detached housing units from 2018 to 2022 would Barry ranked sixth in affordable housing Construction in the Twin Cities according to the Metropolitan Council during this legislative session we will be supporting policies and legislation that increases State financing for affordable housing advocates for state law modifications that ensure the delivery of housing affordability preserves comprehensive planning and supports Community i…