Fall 2023 Hometown Messenger

Yard waste options for Shakopee residents Free drop-off Sundays at SMSC Organics Recycling Facility

Scott County residents can also take advantage of free yard waste drop-off this fall at the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s Organic Recycling Facility at 1905 Mystic Lake Drive S This service is offered most Sundays in September and October from 8 a m to 2 pm ; visit www.smscorf.com for an up-to-date schedule Residents can recycle leaves, trimmings, food scraps and other organics for free through this drop-off program A valid ID must be presented When in doubt, visit www.ShakopeeMN.gov/garbageandrecycling for answers to common questions To stay up to date on service updates, holiday schedules, billing and more, download the Dick’s Sanitation app in the Google Play store or App Store

This is your friendly reminder to clean up your yard by November if you don’t want to store yard waste bags until spring Yard waste service offered by the city’s garbage hauler, Dick’s Sanita tion (DSI), will end in mid-November, weather permitting City of Shakopee residents have the option of paying an additional fee for DSI’s seasonal yard waste service from mid-April to mid-Novem ber For those who don’t use the seasonal service, on-call yard waste service is also available until November for $368 per compostable bag up to five bags per week DSI also offers Christmas tree removal during the first two full weeks of January Christmas tree removal is not included in the seasonal yard waste base rate Residents must call DSI at 952-469-2239 or email Shakopee@dickssanitation.com one day prior to their regular service day to schedule a tree pickup

Introducing our new accessibility and translation widget Website widget will improve overall user experience

4. KEYBOARD NAVIGATION: Navigating websites using a keyboard is crucial for individuals with motor impairments The widget ensures that all website ele ments can be accessed and interacted with using keyboard-only controls 5. TRANSLATION: The widget is capable of translating the majority of the city website into more than 30 languages HOW TO USE THE WIDGET: Locate the dark blue widget in the upper right-hand corner of the website and click on the icon to open the accessibility menu Once the menu is open, explore the various options available, such as translation, text size, font style, color adjustments, and screen reader functionality Customize these settings according to your preferences and needs We encourage all residents to take advan tage of this valuable tool and provide us with feedback on how we can further improve our

We are excited to announce the launch of our new accessibility and translation widget on the city’s website, designed to make the site more inclusive and user-friendly for all residents KEY FEATURES OF THE WIDGET: 1. SCREEN READER FUNCTIONALITY: For individuals with visual impairments or those who prefer an audio experience, this feature allows the website’s con tent to be read aloud 2. TEXT SIZE AND FONT: With the ability to adjust text size and font style, the widget empowers users to personalize their browsing experience 3. COLOR AND CONTRAST: Visual impair ments can often be exacerbated by poor color contrast The widget addresses this concern by enabling users to modify the color scheme and contrast of the website, promoting better readability and reduc ing eye strain

website’s accessibility Email Communications Manager Amanda McKnight at amcknight@ ShakopeeMN.gov with questions or if you encounter issues with the widget

Click here to choose an accessibility pro le

Click on or tap the widget to open the menu and explore the options

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NEWS & NOTES NEW EMPLOYEES JOIN CITY STAFF Join us in welcoming these new employees to the City of Shakopee:

■ Alex Jordan , City Engineer ■ Jake Schmidt , Maintenance Operator ■ Madison Bisek , Police Records Tech ■ Jacob Milinkovich , Police Officer ■ Yvonne Havemeier , Police Officer ■ Amanda Schwabe , Planner ■ Stephanie Janke , Crime Prevention Specialist

■ Jay Buckentine , Building Inspector ■ Henry Pagel , Graduate Engineer ■ Josiah Ferguson , Graduate Engineer ■ Tony Housley , Mechanic ■ Chad Schmidt , Maintenance Operator

In addition, the City thanks the seasonal employees that joined us for the summer, including 28 seasonal staff in Public Works, 32 seasonal staff in Aquatics and 15 seasonal staff at the Community Center

■ Bill Delaney , Senior Planner ■ Derek Carlsrud , Police Officer ■ Karen Johnson , Police Officer

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