Cold Weather Rule
I would just like to encourage all area residents to contact their utilities now to learn more about the Cold Weather Rule that protects residential utility customers from having their heat shut off during the winter months.
This rule takes effect on October 15 and continues through April 15, 2018.
To prevent heating disconnection, customers must first contact their utility to establish and maintain a monthly payment plan. All electric and natural gas companies are required to offer Cold Weather Rule protection.
Under the Cold Weather Rule, customers who have a combined household income at or below 50 percent of the state median income ($48,077 for a family of four) are not required to pay more than 10 percent of their household income toward current and past heating bills. Others are also eligible to arrange a Cold Weather Rule payment plan.
Minnesotans who heat their home using delivered fuel, such as fuel oil, propane or wood are not covered by the Cold Weather Rule, but may qualify for Minnesota’s low income energy assistance program. Learn more about how to sign up here.
More information on the Cold Weather Rule is available here or by calling 651-296-0406 or 800-657-3782.
Winter Parking Restrictions
Blaine: From November 1 to April 1, no person shall park or permit to be parked any vehicle on any highway, street, or alley between the hours of 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. without an emergency parking permit issued by the city police department.
Also, It shall be unlawful to park or permit to be parked, or to continue to park or permit to stand, any vehicle upon any street after two inches or more of snowfall, until such time as the snow has been plowed from the street, curb to curb. More information on winter parking restrictions in Blaine can be found here.
Coon Rapids: The winter parking ban is in effect from November 1 to April 1. No parking is allowed on the street from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Parking is also prohibited on public streets when there is a snow accumulation of 3 inches or more, until the street has been plowed from curb-to-curb. More information on winter parking restrictions in Coon Rapids can be found here.
Spring Lake Park: No parking is allowed on streets overnight between 2:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. unless signs are posted indicating that overnight parking is allowed.
No vehicles are allowed to park on any street if 3 inches or more of snow has fallen within the proceeding 48 hours. Only after the plow trucks have cleared the entire width of the street, will vehicles be allowed to park on the street again. More information on winter parking restrictions in Spring Lake Park can be found here.
Minnesota Expected to Reach the Paris Climate Targets
The U.S. Climate Alliance & Former Secretary of State John Kerry recently convened at Climate Week, where they recognized 14 states and Puerto Rico for their successes in reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions. The Alliance was formed in response to the U.S. federal government’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.
I am encouraged to see that Minnesota is one of 14 states which is expected to meet, and possibly exceed, low greenhouse gas emission levels that the U.S. committed to reach under the Paris Agreement by 2025. This is very exciting news for Minnesota, as we are a leading state in working to prevent climate change. This bipartisan coalition of states has proven that when we work together, we can achieve great things to better our community and world.
More information on this coalition of states and the statements by the governors can be found here.
Recycling Appliances, Electronics, and Mattresses
On November 4th, the city of Coon Rapids is holding a recycling event from 9:00am to 4:00pm at the Coon Rapids Recycling Center. This is a perfect opportunity to get rid of the large and unwanted items you have in an environmentally friendly way.
There are small fees for most items. More information can be found here.
If you have any questions or wish to unsubscribe from this Newsletter please feel free to contact my office at 651-296-2556 or by email at sen.jerry.newton@senate.mn.
Thank you,
Jerry Newton
State Senator
District 37