Frequently Asked Questions

You can request park facility reservation on our website by clicking on this link:  https://www.ci.forest-lake.mn.us/Facilities

No, the City of Forest Lake does not license all operating businesses. Business that sell tobacco/tobacco products and alcoholic beverages must be licensed annually. Massage therapy locations and adult entertainment establishments also require annual licensing, as do garbage/refuse haulers, pawn operations, and individual massage therapists

Yes, anyone soliciting business in the City of Forest Lake must be registered prior to any solicitation. Please contact the Deputy City Clerk for registration applications.

Burning restrictions are set by the MN DNR. Please review their web site for current burning restrictions.  You can find the information here:  https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/

No, the City of Forest Lake does not license all operating businesses. Annual licensing is required for tobacco/tobacco products, liquor sales (including all on and off sale), massage location and massage individual, pawnbrokers, and refuse haulers.

Yes, anyone soliciting business in the City of Forest Lake must be registered with the City prior to any solicitation. Please contact the Deputy City Clerk at 651-209-9732.

There is no requirement for the residents of the City of Forest Lake to license their dogs with the city.

A local option sales tax is applied to taxable goods and services purchased within the city. It applies to the same items as the state sales tax, meaning essential items such as groceries, medications, clothing, and baby products remain exempt.

In Minnesota, local sales taxes are typically used to fund major capital projects such as public facilities and infrastructure.

The City is proposing a 0.5% local option sales tax to fund the construction of a new Public Works facility. This would equate to $0.50 on every $100 of taxable purchases.

The Public Works facility supports infrastructure used not only by residents but also by commuters, visitors, and businesses traveling through Forest Lake. A sales tax allows the cost of this regional infrastructure to be shared more broadly, rather than relying solely on local property taxpayers. 

Funding the full cost of a new Public Works facility through property taxes would place a significant financial burden on Forest Lake residents. A sales tax distributes the cost across a wider group of users, including those who benefit from the City’s infrastructure but do not live here. 

Forest Lake is located at the intersection of major regional corridors, including Interstate 35, Highway 8, and Highway 97. The City’s Public Works Department maintains infrastructure used daily by commuters, freight carriers, and visitors throughout the region. 

The current facility was built in the 1950s and was designed for a much smaller community and significantly different equipment needs than today. 

The current building is outdated, undersized, and functionally obsolete. It lacks modern safety systems, adequate ventilation, and sufficient space for current operations. Renovation would not address these fundamental limitations. 

• Limited indoor storage results in equipment being stored outdoors
• Increased maintenance costs and reduced equipment lifespan
• Slower response times during snow and emergency events
• Safety and operational limitations for staff

A new Public Works facility will:

• Improve response times during severe weather
• Allow for indoor storage and maintenance of equipment
• Enhance employee safety and working conditions
• Increase operational efficiency and long-term cost savings

A properly designed Public Works facility is expected to serve the community for 50 to 75 years, making it a long-term investment in critical infrastructure. 

The sales tax will remain in place only as long as necessary to fund the authorized project costs. Once the project is paid for, the tax will expire in accordance with state law

The estimated cost of the Public Works facility is approximately $50 million, which the sales tax is designed to fund over the authorized collection period. 

No. Revenue generated from the local option sales tax can only be used for the specific project authorized by voters—in this case, the Public Works facility.

If not approved, the City would need to consider alternative funding sources, most likely resulting in increased reliance on property taxes or delays to addressing critical facility needs.

Yes. A significant portion of local sales tax revenue is generated by non-residents who shop, work, or travel through Forest Lake. This helps reduce the financial burden on local taxpayers.

Yes. Many Minnesota cities have successfully used local option sales taxes to fund infrastructure projects such as public safety buildings, transportation improvements, and public works facilities.

The program safeguards the public drinking water and protects the health of its customers by ensuring that any contaminants that could backflow into the public water supply system are isolated within the customer’s internal distribution system.

Backflow refers to the reverse flow of non-potable water, or other substances, through a cross-connection and into the piping of a public water system or customer’s potable water system. Two types of backflow are backpressure backflow and back-siphonage.

A backflow prevention assembly or device is a means or mechanism to prevent backflow. The most basic means for preventing backflow is an air gap, which either eliminates a cross-connection or provides barrier from backflow. A safer mechanism for preventing backflow is a mechanical backflow preventer, which provides a physical barrier to backflow. The principal types of backflow preventers are the reduced-pressure principle assembly (RP or RPZ), the pressure vacuum breaker assembly (PVB), the double check valve assembly (DC), and the spill-resistant pressure vacuum breaker assembly.

Proper permits must be acquired from the Building Department; to contact their office, 651-4644349.

Mechanical backflow prevention assemblies have internal seals, springs, and moving parts that are subject to fouling, wear or fatigue. Also, mechanical backflow preventers and air gaps can be bypassed. Therefore, all backflow prevention assemblies have to be tested periodically to ensure that they are functioning correctly. Mechanical backflow prevention assemblies have to be tested with properly calibrated gauge equipment.

To ensure the proper operation of a backflow prevention assembly, the assembly must be tested and certified upon installation and at least once a year thereafter by a licensed backflow tester/rebuilder.

A list of licensed testers can be found at www.safewatercommission.com. Under the Property Owner tab, select Backflow Tester Search for annual testing or Backflow Rebuilder Search if your device has failed inspection and needs to be rebuilt.

Fees typically range from $70 each for multiple locations for the same customer up to $200 for a single location.  It is recommended to shop around when you are trying to schedule a tester.  

The licensed tester will input the backflow test data on www.safewatercommission.com. The database will immediately show your device as compliant if the test was properly logged and the fee paid by the tester.  If the customer’s backflow testing report is not inputted into SWC Forest Lake database by the due date, then the SWC will mail a past due notice to the customer. The city has access to and monitors compliance.

Go to www.safewatercommission.com, under the Property Owner tab select Backflow Device Test Status, enter your property address and hit Submit to verify whether your test results have been submitted.

Yes. Section 608.16.5, of the International Plumbing Code and Section P2902.5.3 of the International Residential Code (connections to lawn irrigation systems), states that the potable water supply to lawn irrigation systems shall be protected against backflow by a pressure-type vacuum breaker, a double-check valve assembly or a reduced pressure principle backflow preventer – depending on the degree of the site hazard.

With proper maintenance and annual testing, backflow prevention assemblies have been known to last for many years.

A “potential hazard” is defined as any possibility of pollutants, contaminants, and system or plumbing hazards. For example, fire protection system, irrigation systems, gasoline refineries and stations, restaurants, hospitals, and manufacturers.

Yes. the City of Forest Lake will obtain additional information on backflow installations as part of the permitting process to ensure new assemblies get into the SWC database.

Backpressure backflow occurs when the downstream side of the piping system is greater than the supply pressure in a public system or customer’s potable water system. Backpressure can result from an increase in downstream pressure, a reduction in the potable water supply pressure or a combination of both. Pumps can create increases in downstream pressure, temperature increases in boilers, etc. Reductions in potable water supply pressure occur whenever the amount of water being used exceeds the amount of water being supplied, such as during waterline flushing, firefighting, or breaks in the water mains.

Back-siphonage is backflow caused by negative pressure (i.e. vacuum or partial vacuum) in a public water system or customer’s potable water system. The effect is similar to drinking water through a straw. Back-siphonage can occur when there is a stoppage of water supply due to nearby firefighting, a break in a water main, etc.

A cross-connection is any temporary or permanent connection between a public water system or the customer’s potable water system and any source or system containing non-potable water or other substances.

    Common cross-connections:

•         Private Wells – where the private well connection is connected to a service line receiving water from a public water supply. The untreated water could be pumped into the potable water     supply which serves the home and the public water system.
•         Lawn sprinkler systems – where the stagnant/contaminated water from the sprinkler system could be drawn into the drinkable water supply for your home.

Burning restrictions are set by the MN DNR. Please review their web site for current burning restrictions.  You can find the information here:  https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/