Spring Compost Site Use Extended by Two Weeks for Prior Lake
On every Saturday until June 8, and again in September and October, residents of Prior Lake and Savage can drop off material for free from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The compost site in Prior Lake has moved to the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) Organic Recycling Facility this year, 1.4 miles north of County Rd. 42 on County Rd. 83 at 1905 Canterbury Rd. in Shakopee. Look for the “Organic Recycling Facility” sign on the east side of County Rd. 83. Plant waste is accepted including leaves, grass clippings, sod, brush, branches, and logs less than 10 feet in length. The SMSC facility will accept waste for a disposal fee every Saturday throughout the summer. For more information, call (952) 403-7005.

City to Sponsor Sand Volleyball Tournament on June 22
The City of Prior Lake Recreation Department and the Prior Lake Lions are sponsoring the First Annual Setting Ducks Co-ed Sand Volleyball Tournament Saturday, June 22 at Sand Point Beach. Registration fee includes a free drink ticket from a local business and a tournament t-shirt for each player. There will be concession available to purchase as well as FREE chair massages. Fee is $100 for residents ; $110 for non-residents. To register, or for more information, contact Kelsey Kes at (952) 447-9823.

Parks and Recreation Summer Program Registration Underway
Check out all the summer programs, camps and trips that  the Prior Lake Parks and Recreation Department is offering this summer in their new catalog. Registration begins April 1 at www.priorlakerecreation.com.

Artist Alert: New Lakefront Days Event to Show Off Local Artists
Join a great community project that promotes art in Prior Lake, your talents and supports your community. “Lakefront Shades” is a new event celebrating Lakefront Days’ 30th year. Thirty umbrellas will be available for artists to design and paint a one-of-a-kind work of art. Completed umbrellas will be displayed throughout Prior Lake in June and July by local businesses and at community events. A final art show will take place at the Lakefront Days Wine Tasting Aug. 8. The Prior Lake Arts Council will judge the completed works and award three cash prizes. A silent auction of the umbrellas will be Aug. 8 with proceeds going to Southern Valley Alliance for Battered Women and Art-in-the-Park. Click the Lakefront Shades event flier here. For more information contact Kelly at Prior Lake City Hall at (952) 447-9802. Artists have from March 1 to May 31 to complete their work.

Farmer’s Market Takes Place Downtown on Saturdays Until October
The Prior Lake Farmer’s Market will begin Saturday, May 11 between Hastings and Dakota St. on Main Ave. and will continue each Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon until the middle of October (no market on Aug. 9 due to Lakefront Days). Live music is provided almost every weekend as is breakfast cooked on site. There are many vendors, crafts and projects for kids. For information about becoming a vendor email Karla Haugen.

City Posts its 2012 Consumer Confidence Drinking Water Report
The City of Prior Lake recently issued the results of monitoring done on its drinking water for the period from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2012 to advance consumers’ understanding of drinking water and heighten awareness of the need to protect precious water resources. Click here to view the report or visit the City's Drinking Water Supply webpage. Call (952) 447-4054 with questions about the City's drinking water or for public participation opportunities that may affect the quality of the water.

City Has Four Summer Road Projects in 2013
The City of Prior Lake proposes to realign the Main and Ridgemont Avenues intersection and the connection to Hwy. 13. The project will reconstruct the traffic signal at Hwy. 13; slightly realignboth Main and Ridgemont Avenues; construct a trail, sidewalk, pond and two retaining walls; relocate the entrance to Kop Gardens; plant a native prairie area and oak trees; and remove a shed currently on the Kop Family Community Gardens site. Click here to view the Proposal Description, Environmental Screening Form and Environmental Assessment. These documents are also available at Prior Lake City Hall, 4646 Dakota St. SE in Prior Lake.
Other road projects include Welcome Ave. improvements in southeast Prior Lake near County Rd. 21, and two projects on County Rd. 12 and Sunset Ave. in the southwest. For more information visit the City Street and Utility Projects webpage.

Bloomington Ferry Bridge Improvements Tentatively Set for July or August 2013
The 20-year-old Hwy. 169 Bloomington Ferry Bridge will undergo joint replacement, drainage repair and shoulder improvements between Hwy. 101 in Shakopee and Pioneer Tr. in Bloomington and Eden Prairie over a three-week period tentatively scheduled in July or August. A significant portion of the work will result in congestion as both directions will be reduced to a single lane. Also expect temporary lane or ramp closures and possible detours as work is completed within segments of roadway. All businesses and residences will remain accessible throughout the project. For more information, visit the MnDOT's Hwy. 169 Bloomington Ferry Bridge Improvement webpage or click this local government PowerPoint.

Downtown South Study Underway
The split of the Prior Lake downtown area caused by County Rd. 21 imposes difficulties in maintaining a vibrant, connected downtown. The City of Prior Lake is planning a Downtown South Study to help develop a roadway network that can improve traffic connections to the changes at Hwy. 21 and Hwy. 13, and make it more compatible with future growth and redevelopment. For more information on this project visit the South Downtown Study webpage. Click here for the November 2012 Newsletter Update on this project.

Join the New Prior Lake and Scott County Emergency Notification System Today!
The City of Prior Lake is part of Scott County's upgraded emergency notification system called CodeRED, a high-speed telephone emergency notification service. The CodeRED System allows public safety agencies to deliver pre-recorded information to targeted areas. There are several types of situations that prompt a message from CodeRED including emergency, general or weather notifications. It's up to you what you receive. Click here for more information and to enter the secure, customized Community Notification Enrollment (CNE) page.

Eagle Creek Estates Development Begins at County Rd. 21 and Fish Point Rd.
Preliminary grading and tree removal has begun at Eagle Creek Estates, a residential/commercial development north of the County Rd. 21 and Fish Point Rd. intersection. The development plan includes 60 residential single family lots, more than 14 acres of commercial land along the County Rd. 21 corridor, an expansion of the Brooksville Hills Neighborhood Park, and connections with Fish Point Rd. and Credit River Rd. The project will include various phases of development over the next few years. Click here to view the Final Plat for Eagle Creek Estates. For more information, call (952) 447-9800.

Get Involved to Honor, Serve and Support Military Families
Beyond the Yellow Ribbon – South of the River is a community effort to honor, serve and support all military families, past and present. Scott County residents, businesses, schools and faith communities are invited to join in its efforts. Visit Beyond the Yellow Ribbon – South of the River website or call (952) 440-5011 to find out how you can help. Beyond the Yellow Ribbon meets the first Tuesday of each month at the lower level of the Prior Lake VFW 7 p.m.

Commercial Property Available
The City of Prior Lake is working with local building owners to bring new business into the city. Click on buildings with space for lease, buildings for sale, and land for sale for information. You can also contact the Community & Economic Development Director at (952) 447-9813.