Connecting and celebrating Green Isle!
Happy Independence Day, Green Isle!
Hello and welcome to the Green Isle community newsletter!
This is a quarterly digital email including updates from the city of Green Isle. Please let other community members know about this easy way to stay connected! Anyone interested in receiving the newsletter can sign up online HERE or in person at the post office or city hall.
What’s up with the Green Isle School?
The Green Isle Community School has a rich history within our community, evolving from a source of vibrant activity to its current state of uncertainty. Unfortunately, the charter school closed in 2024 due to unforeseen budget discrepancies and enrollment decreases following the pandemic. The community and school board rallied to keep the school open, raising over $50,000 on GoFundMe. Unfortunately, it was not enough.
The city has maintained the school building since the charter closure, including continuing payments on a several-year-old remodel bond left over from the school board and co-signed by the Green Isle Economic Development Authority (EDA.) The bond paid for a new gym addition on the school building, among other remodel projects. The payments were made in an effort to remain in good standing with the bank. The EDA and City Officials have tried to find renters, attempted to sell the building, explored what it would look like to use it municipally – to no avail.
Now, without any realistic options to sell or use the property, the EDA faces foreclosure of the community school. An important complexity is that part of the school parcel falls on our Irish Yard baseball field. Additionally, two industrial parcels neighboring the St. Brendans Cemetery are collateral on the remodel bond. Earlier this year the EDA made an offer to the bank to redraw lot lines and pay market-value price for the land that includes the ball field in exchange for the deed to the school itself as well as the two industrial lots. The offer was declined and the bank refused to meet stating “they were too far apart.”
This has raised questions from city officials and the community as a whole. Will we lose our ballpark? Will the school be torn down? Will this result in higher taxes?
In an interview with the Baseball Association it was made clear their interests are aligned with the city – to ensure the Irish Yard ballpark remains a cherished community asset.
In conversation with City Officials, it appears extremely unlikely that EDA members or Council members would support an action resulting in a tax increase. However, if the city is compelled to continue payments on the outstanding bond, this could unfortunately lead to a significant tax increase for residents.
We could spend our time speculating about what people should or shouldn’t have done, or what would or wouldn’t have gotten Green Isle into this pickle, but it won’t change what we face today. After conversations with several community members, former and current mayors and more – it is clear that the decisions made in the past were made with pure intentions. Having a thriving school in our community was a great thing. It’s a shame it closed, and it’s no one-person’s or one-organization’s fault that it did close.
Looking forward, the EDA and City Officials are focused squarely on finding the best possible solution for our community and have confidence that a resolution will be met with the bank. Once a decision is made, we don’t know what will happen with the school building – that remains to be seen.
Written 7/2/2025 by Sam LaRose
Updates from your Tree Committee
Green Isle celebrated Arbor Day by planting two trees at the site of the Hope Garden next to City Hall – Honeycrisp apple and a Japanese lilac tree.
The Tree Committee would like to extend a big thank you to Turck’s Trees out of Litchfield, MN for donating one tree to the Hope Garden project. Turck’s is a 6th generation family owned Christmas & Landscape tree farm. Please do check them out here!
The Tree Committee recommended a treatment plan & contract from L&T Tree Services to City Council, which was approved during the May 13th meeting. Green Isle is fortunate to have almost 50 ash trees that have been treated for Emerald Ash Borer.
Do you have an ash tree on your property?
If yes, you do have an ash tree, the Green Isle Tree Committee recommends you treat it against EAB (Emerald Ash Borer.) You are eligible for a discount on EAB treatment through L&T Tree Services as a resident of Green Isle.
Contact L&T at (952) 222-7529 for a quote to treat your ash tree against EAB!
For more information on EAB review these documents from Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Hennepin County and our contracted “tree doctors”: L&T Tree Services.
Looking good around here!
| New lights at Irish Yard and on the Fire Hall! |
| Improvements for Lions Park |
The stairs from Hwy 25 received repairs and a paint job. The picnic tables and pavilion are also scheduled for repairs.
| Lions Park Archery – Now Open! Check out Archery at Lions Park! You will find an improved shooting line area including a picnic table. Remember to remove the target covers before shooting and don’t forget to sign the waiver – thank you! Scan QR code to sign Archery waiver now. |
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| Green Isle Lions Club Food Wagon The Lion’s have been making it taste good around here! Thank you for feeding us delicious beef sandwiches, corn dogs and more from your food wagon and your continued community involvement and support! |
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| Hope Garden We are looking forward to a new concrete pathway, planned to be poured this summer! |
| City Meetings & Events Calendar |
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Committee meetings are subject to scheduling changes, confirm meeting dates at greenislemn.gov.
City Council live & past meetings available to view on YouTube!
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Green Isle Irish Baseball
Join us at The Yard this summer!
Concessions available!
2025 Baseball Schedule – Click Here
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Clover Leaf Concert Series
2nd Wednesdays of the month, May thru September (acoustic acts)
4th Sundays of the month, May thru October
All except two special concerts held at Veterans Park from 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Concert Schedule Poster – Click Here
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Community Connect Dinners
Third Monday of each month at 5:00 pm
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
Resources & Reminders
| Free cardboard recycling Bring cardboard recycling to the county dumpsters behind the fire station.Please break-down cardboard, thank you!Do not dispose of appliances at this location, instead call EMR metal recycling – they take most appliances at no cost! |
| License your pet for 2025 Bring a completed application and a copy of your pets current rabies vaccine record to city hall. Applications available at city hall or online at greenislemn.gov under the Community tab. |
| Brush drop open Open dawn to dusk for drop off of grass, leaves, shrubs and branches.No branches over 4 inches in diameter.Located next to the Green Isle water tower. |
Creator & Editor: Sam LaRose
 Copyright (C) 2025. City of Green Isle. All rights reserved.Feedback about this newsletter? Let us know! Email [email protected] subject “newsletter feedback” Our mailing address is: 310 McGrann Street Green Isle, MN 55338 |