North/east news briefs: Vadnais Heights residents oppose sending water to White Bear Lake

In a poll of Vadnais Heights residents, 73 percent said they know there's talk of augmenting the troubled lake with Mississippi River water via Vadnais Lake. And by a nearly three-to-one majority, 58 to 21 percent, they oppose the idea, according to a summary prepared by the firm of Morris Leatherman.

Top objections listed in the poll include: "Do not know who is paying" (16 percent), "Against a property tax" (14 percent) and high cost (12 percent). Other objections: "Not Vadnais Heights' problem" (10 percent), potential harm to Vadnais Lake (9 percent) and "No guarantee it will solve the problem" (8 percent).

On other issues, pollsters said residents seem "satisfied, enthusiastically so, with their lives in the city." But significant minorities say they want more family sit-down restaurants, more starter homes for young families and more entertainment opportunities.

David Peterson

The race for mayor of Blaine has been narrowed to two candidates for the fall general election.

Mayor Tom Ryan and City Council Member Jason King will go head-to-head for the city's top job in November.

In Tuesday's primary, Ryan won 57.6 percent of the vote while King took 36.5 percent.

Ryan has served as mayor for nearly 20 years and was on the City Council for 10 years before that. King was elected to the City Council in 2013.

Shannon Prather

Washington County's proposed 2017 property tax levy increase is 3.49 percent, with most of that money expected to come from new construction valued at $363 million, county commissioners were told last week.

A preliminary vote on that proposal will come in September, with a final vote scheduled in December.

The increase, proposed by county administration officials, is identical to Washington County's portion of property tax increases in 2015 and 2016. However, the county's tax base has grown 3 percent over the past year.

The recommended budget calls for operating expenses of $165 million, an increase of 5.2 percent from 2016. Non-levy revenue is expected to be $102.5 million, an increase of 8.9 percent from 2016.

The proposed increase in 2017 property taxes would pay for about 19 new county employees, who would be added primarily to maintain quality of service and accommodate increased population growth, commissioners were told.

Kevin Giles

The typically little-used Newport Transit Station is expected to be popping once it comes into use as a park-and-ride for the State Fair later this month — so much so that Metro Transit will add striping for 350 spaces on grassy areas near the existing parking lot.

The additional parking spaces on grass will bring Newport's parking capacity to 500 spaces for the State Fair. The station is on the southwest corner of Interstate 494 and Hwy. 61 at 250 Red Rock Crossing.

The Cottage Grove park-and-ride also will be a State Fair transit site. For more information, go to metrotransit.org.

David Peterson

An awkward but heavily-traveled rail crossing south of Stillwater will close to traffic Wednesday, when Union Pacific Railroad crews go to work to smooth out a severe bump.

The problem emerged when Union Pacific changed the grade of the tracks, county officials said.

The Washington County Public Works division several months ago installed stop signs on Osgood Avenue/County Road 14, just south of 47th Street in Baytown Township, to slow drivers down.

A permanent solution is planned for 2017, when Washington County will reconstruct the surrounding roadway.