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TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017
VOL. 35 NO. 13 www.presspubs.com $1.00
CENTERMART : Receives facelift PAGE 10
Council chooses future veterans memorial location
Out and about in winter
BY SHANNON GRANHOLM EDITOR
SHANNON GRANHOLM | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Nick Williams and his son Nathan, 8, of Lino Lakes, spend the majority of their Sunday (Jan. 15) playing hockey at the outdoor ice arena in Birch Park. See more photos on page 11.
City survey: Citizen ‘thumbs up’ prevails BY SHANNON GRANHOLM EDITOR
CIRCLE PINES — The results are in. After a citywide survey, the overall feedback is residents feel positive about the city and all it has to offer. The city of Circle Pines sent out an online survey in hopes to gather feedback on what it is excelling at and what it can improve on. “There is a lot of value in doing this annual survey — residents tell us what works and what needs to get better, and then the
City Council and city staff get to work on trying to figure out ways to improve the community within a limited budget,” said Mayor Dave Bartholomay. “That sometimes means efforts take a little longer, or they need some citizen volunteers. That’s the way you get things done in a small town, and it is working great in Circle Pines.” The survey was emailed to residents along with their utility bills in late November and early December. There were 123 responses to the survey, out of an estimated 2,200 households
in Circle Pines, meaning only 6 percent of residents participated. In 2015, there were 195 responses to the survey. The survey response rate is one area the city hopes to improve upon. City Administrator Patrick Antonen said city staff and the council are brainstorming ideas for next year's survey to encourage residents to respond to the survey. Some ideas include having a computer available for residents to use to take the survey, or having a paper copy
LINO LAKES — After much discussion, the future location of the veterans memorial has been decided. The City Council passed a resolution approving the preferred site of the memorial to be the center island in front of City Hall. It was the preferred location by American Legion Post 566 as well as city leaders. The topic has been an item of discussion for a while, as not all council members agreed on the location of the memorial, as well as the expenditure of city dollars that would go toward funding the memorial. Councilman Michael Manthey and Councilwoman Melissa Maher both voted against the resolution. “I want to make sure it is clear in my decision tonight, it is not that I am voting against a veterans memorial, it's just the location I may have an issue with,” Manthey said. “I believe it's important to show the pride in our community for what the veterans have done for us, but the location could be better served, in my opinion.” Councilman Rob Rafferty said he thought the City Hall location was a good fit. “I think it’s a fair location. The men and women of this country have fought for the freedoms that we have today, and what better suited than what we have here, a government building that allows us to pick some of the rules on how a SEE VETERANS MEMORIAL, PAGE 19
“I was pleased to see the high numbers of satisfaction with Circle Pines services and quality of life. But I don’t want to kid myself — there are always ways to improve, and I see feedback from citizens as the number one way to keep making Circle Pines a special place to live,” Dave Bartholomay Mayor of Circle Pines
SEE CITY SURVEY, PAGE 9
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