Recently a discussion took place concerning the use of our early warning sirens. Following an upgrade of one siren and the addition of another, the City of Morris is completely covered by early warning sirens, but when are they sounded? During the Stevens County Fair, a severe storm came through that included some very heavy winds. The winds caused some minor damage to trees and buildings, but a number of people wondered why they weren’t warned. The answer is simply because the system in place did not warrant the use of the sirens. The decision to activate the sirens is based upon warnings from the National Weather Service, weather forecasts and the observations of weather spotters around the county. The events that recently took place indicated that the weather was going to be bad, but not bad enough to warrant the use of sirens. The National Weather Service gave a warning for part of Stevens County, but not Morris. The weather forecast did not include the severe winds and the spotters did not spot that type of weather heading for Morris. However, law enforcement personnel did notify representatives at the fair about the weather and I understand an announcement was made. We also know that sometimes these heavy winds come from nowhere and only hit in certain spots. This was the case in Morris. If you over-use the sirens, then people won’t respect them—the cry wolf syndrome. They need to be used for those severe weather situations when it is imperative that people seek cover. In the absence of the sirens, I think people need to use their best judgment. You can see the weather is going to be bad just by looking outside. Turn on your radio and listen for weather reports and announcements. Everybody should have a radio. It never hurts to be cautious.
The recent windstorm helps to show us what the City does sometimes. It also shows what we will be missing if major aid cuts forces us to reduce the services provided by the City and that we need to start doing things for ourselves again. Trees are knocked down and branches are lying all around, but they need to be cleaned up and hauled out. The first response is “when will the City come and get them.” Well, the City’s response now is that we are asking Citizens to do the clean up yourself to include the hauling….if you can. If you can’t, then clean up the branches, trees, and place them on the boulevard and the City crews will come and get them….when they can. The City is responsible for the boulevard trees and a number of them were damaged. There were so many that we actually hired local contractors to help. Once that process is done, then the City crews can go around town and pick up what was left. The interesting thing about a storm like this is how Citizens respond. Some throw all their branches into the street, some put them across the street on their neighbor’s boulevard, and as it always happens, some will view this as a chance to get the City to haul out something that wasn’t damaged in the storm. As usual, the City will do the best it can with the limited resources of time and labor, but the community’s investment in equipment will make it much easier for everyone. All we ask is that everyone chip in and cooperate….and be patient.
The City will be doing maintenance to straighten alleys in the next few months. Over the course of a few years, things tend to encroach in the alley right-of- way to make it difficult for the City to do its normal maintenance. Normal maintenance includes plowing snow in the winter and grading the alley in the summer. Alleys serve an import role for the property owners and those people that provide them services. Others that use the alleys include the garbage man, utility workers and in some cases, delivery personnel. The alleys also serve as a drainage system. They are typically tapered so they drain water to the streets on either end. Blocking them will result in water draining on, or failing to drain from, private property. The City has determined that some alleys need straightening. Trees, bushes, junk, debris, and in some cases, structures that have been built, all stick out into the alley right-of-way. When you drive down some alleys, you will see they have slight curves in them. Those curves create big problems in the winter plowing snow. Bushes and trees in the power lines also create problems. The big question is “where is the alley?” A good rule of thumb is to look at the utility poles in the alley. The City maintains an alley right-of-way that is approximately two feet inside the utility pole. In many cases, that area is not all gravel–the alley is not just the gravel portion. Another rule of thumb is to look at the concrete approaches at each end. The curb ends on the approaches typically line up with the edge of the alley right-of-way. We will be sending out notices to those who need to clear out the alley right-of-way areas. Otherwise, City crews will be doing the work.
As I travel about in Morris, I’m reminded that this City belongs to all of us and all of us should pitch in to keep it a nice place to live. Why do people still throw garbage out the windows of their cars? How hard is it to put your garbage in the can at the park or ball fields? Could you pick that weed along the side of the curb or building? Do we really have to tell you to clean up after your pets? Where does that grass go that you mowed into the street? Who leaves junk at the compost pile? I think its time for all of us to take ownership in this City. I get calls all the time from people wondering when the CITY is going to do certain things. The time is coming when the CITY probably won’t be able to do as many things, so WE as the CITY will need to start doing things for ourselves. If everyone pitches in, we can make Morris a much better place to live.
It seems like every few months we wind up talking about why people shop out of town. Like clockwork, somebody says “I can’t find it in Morris”. I think people shop out of town because it is something to do, not out of necessity to find things. It is sometimes more of a social activity or an entertainment activity than the need to get something you can’t get here. What I have found is that surprisingly almost everything I need is right here in town. I’ve also found that I don’t need to buy in bulk or try to figure out exactly what I need before I shop. The local stores tend to have individuals knowledgeable about their products. I don’t have to stop for gas, lunch or other things I probably don’t need. I would venture to guess that more money is spent out of town that wouldn’t be spent at all if you found that same product in town. I also appreciate the customer service. If I buy lumber locally, they can deliver. I don’t need to haul it back. If I don’t know the size of the bolt or screw, the hardware people can help me. Obviously, not everything is here, but I think you would be very surprised to find out what is here. Try here first and our community will be stronger.
Recently City Crews were doing routine tree maintenance that included the removal of several ash trees. Actually, the maintenance was prompted by elm tree removal due to Dutch elm disease. Several elm trees had to come down this year. The ash trees were of poor quality and were hazardous. Some concerned citizens heard rumors that the removal was due the Emerald Ash Borer. Not true. While the Emerald Ash Borer has entered Minnesota, it has not been found here. The State Department of Agriculture has set traps to see if they are present and to date none have been found. You may have seen the purple colored kite-like trap hanging in a tree in Pomme de Terre Park. The true sign of the presence of the borer is the damage underneath the bark on dying trees and the D-shaped exit holes in the bark made by the insects. The City is participating in a survey and study being done by the University of Minnesota Forestry Department. Their experts have been out to Morris and know exactly where in Minnesota the insects have been found. Again, they have not been found in Morris.
East 2nd Street Project Update
The East 2nd Street Improvement Project is progressing nicely. The new access road to the back lot of the PE Center was recently completed and is now open. The road will be used for temporary access during construction and event access in the future. In the past, buses parked along 2nd Street during events, but we will prohibit that in the future. A gate will stop people from using the road during non-event periods. As an added feature on 2nd Street, bike lanes will be marked on both sides of the road from College Avenue down through the campus area. A new sidewalk will link the RFC to the bike path at the bottom of the hill.
The East 2nd Street Improvement Project will finally get its start next week. A preconstruction meeting was held last Friday and the construction company will begin moving into the area next week. Work will be done in phases to insure that people have access to their property during construction. The first phase will be the area near the University of Minnesota Morris. A new access road connecting to the Morris Elementary School rear driveway will be built first to allow continued access to the Regional Fitness Center and the Physical Education building. This will be a permanent access road that will be gated and used during sporting and special events. Buses will no longer be allowed to park along 2nd Street as they have in the past. The project will continue up 2nd Street and then down to Atlantic Avenue. Residents will receive a letter from the City with information about the project and a weekly time and place they can come and ask questions. The whole project should be completed by the end of October.
Did we miss summer and go right into fall? Recently we all noticed leaves falling and probably wondered what was happening. I know I did. Fortunately, through a grant effort with the University of Minnesota, Gary Johnson, the Urban Forester, was in town for some training and we asked him what was happening. His answer was Anthracnose, a fungus attacking ash trees. He said the cool wet spring was the perfect environment for the development of the fungus. It won’t hurt the trees, but it did make them drop some leaves. Some people thought it was frost, but he didn’t think so. If you look at the leaves, you will notice dark colored patches of dead material. Frost would have created dark colored tips of the leaves. He went on to tell us that just about every plant is susceptible to the fungus. We were training to identify trees for an upcoming survey in anticipation of the Emerald Ash Borer. It was nice to have an expert in town to give us the added information.
The City of Morris will be conducting a water meter audit this summer. The City’s water billing system relies on the customer to read the meter. The customer places the meter reading on the bill, which serves as the calculation point for the next billing. Every year the City needs to verify that the reading is correct and that the water meter is working right. We send a meter reader out to each location to physically read and inspect the meter. If the reading is out of line, then we will determine if there is a problem with the meter. The customer may have read the meter wrong. Our meters are very accurate and rarely have problems. Usually it is an error on the part of the customer, or in some cases, people simply put the wrong reading down to avoid paying for the water they use. The City has the right to enter a property to look at the meter. Failure to allow a City worker in to look at the meter may result in a higher than normal estimate of a bill or even discontinuation of service until the audit is done. During the meter audit, readers will also check sump pumps. It is illegal to discharge your sump pump into the sewer drain during the spring and summer months.
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