Friday News 03 02 2012
March 2, 2012
March 2, 2012
Speed Cart
No, it’s not built for speed, it’s built to watch
your speed! The city has purchased and
received our first speed cart. The unit
monitors and displays speeds of passing
motorists to serve as a deterrent to speeding.
The unit we purchased also has the capability
to monitor traffic volumes, creating useful
reports for engineering staff. The cart will be
used for a variety of tasks around town.
Previously, we borrowed a speed cart from
West St. Paul.
If you have questions about traffic in your
neighborhood, you can leave a message at
cityhall@mendota-heights.com for our traffic
safety committee. The committee includes
staff from engineering, police and fire, as well
as a council representative and a citizen
representative. The committee meets as
needed.
Friday News
Mendota Heights Weekly Report on City Activities
Mendota Heights City Hall
1101 Victoria Curve
www.mendota-heights.com
(651) 452-1850
Helicopter Overhead
Don’t be alarmed if you notice a helicopter hov-
ering over the community today—Police Chief
Mike Aschenbrener let us know that the annual
deer count is underway. The recent snow cov-
er will be extremely helpful to the eyes in the
sky to give us an accurate count.
Conducting the annual count is a critical step in
managing the deer population, and will impact
how we structure hunts to keep the herds in
balance.
Benefit Goes Over Big
The Hayley Bester benefit held last Saturday
night at the Mendota VFW was a huge suc-
cess. Hayley was on her honeymoon last Au-
gust when she was infected with a parasite in
her right eye, resulting in a long, painful and
expensive recovery.
It’s difficult to measure how many people were
in attendance, but for several hours on Satur-
day night the population of the Village of Men-
dota at least doubled. Contributions to date
total just over $23,000. The love and support
that was shown to Hayley and her family was
fantastic.
Hayley still has many challenges ahead of her
but this fund raiser will help to make her jour-
ney a little less difficult. Thank you to every-
one in the community for their wonderful sup-
port . Anyone wishing to donate to Hayley’s
benefit can send donations to Gateway Bank ,
745 Market Street, Mendota Heights, MN
55118. Please make checks payable to the
Hayley Bester Benefit.
March 2, 2012
Attachments
The Pipeline, Just the Facts, DCSO
Newsletter
March 2, 2012
Dates to Remember
March 6, 2012
City Council
March 13, 2012
Parks and Recreation Commission
March 14, 2012
Airport Relations Commission
March 19, 2012
Recreation Registration Night
March 20, 2012
City Council
March 28, 2012
State of the City Address
Page Two
State of the City
The Annual State of the City Address has
been scheduled for Wednesday, March 28,
2012. The address will be hosted by the Da-
kota County Regional Chamber of Com-
merce, here at City Hall, starting at 7:30 a.m.
Mayor Krebsbach will share highlights from
2011, and provide a glimpse into the year
ahead. The event is open to all.
Recreation Registration
Now that winter has arrived,
it’s time to turn our focus
to...summer! Registration for
recreation programs will kick
off in less than a month.
On Monday, March 19, staff will hold an in-
person registration night for Golf Camps and
Junior Golf Leagues at the Mendota Heights
Par 3. Over the years, we have refined the
process, and found this to be the most
effective way to let families coordinate
schedules around tee-times and camps. In-
person registration for golf programs will run
from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. All other
program registrations will be offered via our
web-registration starting at 7:30 p.m.
You can check out the Heights Highlights, or
our web page for a listing and descriptions of
all the opportunities for recreation this
summer.
Public Works
The Parks Crew finished staining all repaired picnic tables. They plowed the
cul-de-sacs, pedways and parking lots. John B. helped with the installation
of flags on the fire hydrants. Downed tree limbs due to ice buildup were
picked up city-wide.
The Utilities Crew plowed the cul-de-sacs in the center of the City, and
cleaned the shop floor drain. Ten new hydrant flags were installed on
Mendota Heights Road, and storm drains were unplugged on Lower Colonial
Drive and Rolling Green Curve.
The Streets Crew had an early start with plowing and sanding on
Wednesday after all the rain and snow. All plow trucks were washed and
sander wings were greased.
Engineering
Lemay Lake Road Reconstruction – Staff is currently working on the storm
sewer design, road sections, and anticipated construction area. A second
informational meeting for area residents and property owners is anticipated
in April. Final plans are anticipated in May.
Marie Avenue Rehabilitation – Staff is waiting to receive comments from
MnDOT on the preliminary design. Once comments are received, production
of the final plans can begin. Final plans are anticipated by late March. The
striping plan will be mailed to Marie Avenue residents once completed.
Diane Road Neighborhood/Mendota Heights Road Rehabilitation – Staff is
waiting for MnDOT comments on the preliminary design. Once comments
are received, production of final plans will begin. MnDOT review is only
required for the Mendota Heights Road portion of the project. Final plans
are anticipated by late March.
Speed Cart Delivered – The City of Mendota Heights is now the proud owner
of our first speed cart. This device will notify drivers of their speed when it
is set up on City streets. It will also help staff complete traffic counts and
record traffic data so staff can accurately plan for traffic needs throughout
The Pipeline N E W S
L E T T E R
Public Works
Engineering
Code Enforcement
March 2, 2012
the City. The Police Department will control the cart and is in the process of
creating a prioritized list of places where the cart could be utilized.
Rogers Lake Property Owners Association – Members of the association will
be addressing City Council at the March 6th meeting to introduce the
association and to inform Council of their goals. Their next meeting of the
association is scheduled for March 22nd.
American Public Works Association (APWA) Conference Committee – The
Public Works Director attended the committee meeting on Thursday to help
plan the APWA – Minnesota Chapter Spring Conference. The topic of this
year’s conference is technical communications with non-technical people.
The Conference is scheduled for May 16-18, 2012.
Dodd Road Trail Extension to Eagan – Staff met with members of the
engineering staff from the City of Eagan on Monday. Eagan has a grant
from Met Council to widen Dodd Road south of I-494 to be constructed in
2014. Part of the project is to add lane capacity to the entrance/exit ramp
to/from I-494 on the north side of the Interstate (in Mendota Heights).
Eagan is proposing that a trail extension be added on the west side of Dodd
Road from the I-494 Bridge to Mendota Heights Road. The City of Mendota
Heights would need to participate in the project for this to happen, but
Eagan is offering to include the design and construction of the extension
under their contract. Staff is working with Eagan on gathering cost estimate
information on what Mendota Heights’ participation level would likely be.
More to come…
MnDOT & Dakota County Projects
The following projects are under the direction of MnDOT and Dakota County.
They are presented as information only. For more information on MnDOT
projects contact J.P. Gillach (651-234-7503, james.gillach@state.mn.us).
Highway 13 Resurfacing (MnDOT) – The Resurfacing of Highway 13, along
with drainage improvements and ADA upgrades between I -35W and
Annapolis Street (Burnsville to West St. Paul) is on schedule for the summer
of 2012. Construction should be anticipated between May and October of
2012, but MnDOT is planning on completing the work in segments. MnDOT
plans to contact impacted Mendota Heights’ residents with construction
schedule news and road closure information. Detours around the
construction areas will be provided. The portion of Highway 13 from
Mendota to I-35E will be exempted from this project and reconstructed in
2015 under a separate MnDOT project.
Highway 110 Resurfacing (MnDOT) - A portion of Highway 110 will be
resurfaced during the summer of 2012. The project will include the area
from Lexington Avenue east to the I-35E Bridge, along with spot repairs
between Lexington and Highway 13. MnDOT is working with Dakota County
to minimize conflicts with their Lexington Avenue project (se e below), also
scheduled for the summer of 2012.
Turnback of Old Sibley Memorial Highway (MnDOT) – MnDOT intends to
vacate the Right-of-Way for the Old Sibley Memorial Highway. Concept
plans are being developed for the land use once it is vacated. The next
meeting is scheduled for April 20th at Camp Sacagawea in Apple Valley.
Concept plans for the right-of-way will be discussed.
Lexington Avenue Resurfacing (County) - Dakota County will be resurfacing
Lexington Avenue from Highway 110 south to Mendota Heights Road in
2012. This is strictly a pavement replacement project and will not modify
the road section or expand the width of the roadway. Dakota County is
working with MnDOT to minimize conflicts with their Highway 110 project,
also scheduled for the summer of 2012. For more information contact the
Dakota County Transportation Department at 952 -891-7100.
03 02 12
The Mendota
Heights Police
Department
Support Staff
Kim Henning
Sandie Ristine
Susan Donovan
Becky Pentel
Police Officers
Jerry Murphy
Scott Patrick
John Larrive
Bobby Lambert
Tanner Spicer
Todd Rosse
Chad Willson
Jeff VonFeldt
Steven Meyer
Denise Urmann
Michael Shepard
Peyton Fleming
School Resource Officer
Jennifer Fordham
Investigations
Mario Reyes
Tanner Spicer
Sergeants
Neil Garlock
Brian Convery
Eric Petersen
Reserves
Randy Pentel
Jesse Mettner
Jarrod Spicer
Jim Knox
Jeff Parker
George Castillo
Chaplains
John Snider
Lynn Liberman
Frances Colon
Alberto Vargas
Butch Millett
David Wick
Chief
Mike Aschenbrener
Car vs. Raccoon Tuesday 1529 hours
Sergeant Neil Garlock received a call to proceed to Hwy 13
entrance ramp onto I35E for a raccoon that was hit by a car. The
raccoon was not dead. MNDOT arrived and asked the caller to
leave the scene, she refused. Unfortunately in the interim the
raccoon had another run in with a car and MNDOT could now take
the steps necessary to handle the deceased the raccoon. * Never
ever stop on a Hwy or freeway for an injured animal – you will
never be okay if hit by a car.
Fraudulent IRS Activity Tuesday 1732 hours
Caller reported that she and her accountant had received
notification of payment on tax loss claim. The accountant went
online and verified that forms were filed using the victim’s
information and payment was made to an unknown bank account.
The victim started the process by calling the IRS directly and
flagging the activity. Sergeant Convery directed her to other
resources to prevent identity theft problems. Investigations will
work with the IRS to determine where the money went.
Fraud Wednesday 1522 hours
Two victims of credit card fraud came to MHPD to speak with
Officer Scott Patrick about fraudulent charges that appeared on
their credit cards. The two had lunch together a week earlier and
noticed several hundred dollars’ worth of out-of-state purchases on
the next statement. Officer Patrick forwarded the information to
investigations for follow up.
AOA / DUI Saturday 0051 hours
Officer Denise Urmann monitored the State Patrol as they put out a
call of a possible drunk driver being followed by a cellular caller.
The drunk was N/B on I35E approaching the river crossing. Officer
Urmann checked the area spotting the vehicle on the north side of
the bridge unfortunately in Ramsey County. The car was swerving
back and forth on the third swerve it hit the median barrier. The car
was immediately stopped contact was made with the driver who
was okay but intoxicated. A trooper arrived moments later and the
drunk was turned over to them.
Burglary Monday 0758 hours
A resident called to report a GPS unit was stolen out of her car
parked in her garage. Unfortunately the victim left the garage door
“Just the Facts”
The latest news from the Mendota Heights Police Department
03 02 12
open all night long. She reported to Officer Lambert that at 2030 hours she had a message
from her neighbor telling her the door was up, unfortunately she didn’t get the message until
it was too late. Officer Lambert located a set of footprints in the light snow indicating the
thief walked up the driveway into the garage and back. The neighbor didn’t see anything
and there was no S/N to enter into the national database (NCIC).
Mental Health Issue Monday 1019 hours
Officer John Larrive and Sergeant Neil Garlock responded to a call of a domestic in
progress involving a 15 YOA and mom. The 15 YOA was outside trying to kick their way
into the house. The story of the day, as relayed to the officers, was the child had issues
around an iPad before school. They refused to go to school because they were upset. The
child walked away then came back and was refused entry into the home. They were told to
walk to school and decided that wasn’t going to happen. After confirming the story with all
involved the child was transported to school.
Solicitation Complaint / Warrant Arrest Monday 1728 hours
The building manager of an apartment complex called to report several kids in the lobby
randomly buzzing apartments. The kids were trying to sell newspapers. Officer Todd
Rosse arrived and found the lobby empty. The door to the building was now standing open.
A quick check of the building and two teenage boys were located in the hallway. The y
showed a clipboard showing they were signing up newspaper subscribers. The two were
advised they walked past a posting of “no solicitation” when they entered. Their boss was
contacted and asked to pick them up at a gas station just down the road. They were
verbally ID’ed and a quick computer check revealed a warrant for one of the teens for
aggravated robbery (with a weapon) out of Ramsey County. He was arrested on the
warrant and transported to the Ramsey County Juvenile Detention Center. As soon as
Officer Rosse returned from jail he received a call that the other teen was now stranded at
the gas station as his boss was afraid to pick him up. The youth was transported St Paul.
Suspicious Activity / DAR / Open Bottle / Marijuana Tuesday 0005 hours
Officer Peyton Fleming spotted an unoccupied van pulled up to the Holiday station running.
No customers were in view in the station. He backed up and watched the van that soon
had a driver even though no one had exited the store. The driver had a hooded sweated
pulled up over his head. The R/O of the van was revoked. A few moments later the van
pulled away. Two fully marked squads pulled in behind the van as it left and activated their
emergency lights. The van drove several blocks before pulling over and stopping. The
driver was not the R/O, under normal circumstances the contact would have ended. The
driver was questioned about what was going on and he was quite evasive. The man was
secured, ID’ed and a computer check revealed he was revoked and in the past two years
had failed to appear for court 9 times. The man was advised at this point he was under
arrest. A quick inventory of the front seat revealed marijuana and still carbonated beer
(several days old according to the driver). The driver was really upset when he learned he
was going to jail and the van would be towed.
Theft Tuesday 1142 hours
A local business upgrade their security system from a fake one to a real one only to find a
regular customer was the reason their inventory has been short for some time. The
customer wasn’t aware of the upgrades from a deterrent to real camera system. They
came into the store and made no effort to conceal the thefts, they actually smiled into the
camera several times. Officer Bobby Lambert viewed the video and he is working with the
owner and investigators to figure a total loss before confronting the thief.
Have a great weekend! Mike
D AKOTA C OUNTY S HERIFF
The Front Row
“A front row seat to the greatest show on Earth...”
Dave Bellows, Sheriff
Tim Leslie, Chief Deputy
Volume 7, Week 39
February 20, through
February 26, 2012
Taking the Plunge…
The DCSO as in past years was
very involved in this year’s Polar
Plunge. The event was held last
Saturday at Crystal Lake in
Burnsville. A total of 940
individuals took the plunge on
behalf of Special Olympics,
raising over $200,000 in the
process. Special thanks go to
Deputy Jen Lenarz, who has
dedicated many volunteer hours
to Special Olympics including this
year’s Polar Plunge event. Other
members of the DCSO that “took
a dive” included Detective
Dawanna Witt, Deputy Tim
Fletcher, Correctional Deputy
Kent Themmes, and their “Merry
Band of Explorers.” As in past years,
Lakeville Police Chief Tom
Vonhof, Chief Deputy Tim Leslie,
and Sheriff Dave Bellows kicked
off (plunged) the event. The DCSO
Dive Team provided a watchful eye
for all the jumpers.
Supporting Health and
Wellness…
Several members of the DCSO
staffed a booth at the recent Dakota
Featuring Sheriff’s
Sworn Operations
and Detention
Services Deputies:
Commanders
John Grant
Dan Scheuermann
Captains
Brad Jeska
Joe Leko
Jim Rogers
Sergeants
Dan Bianconi
Jennifer Cho
Scott Durdall
Pat Enderlein
Jim Gabriel
Booker Hodges IV
Jim Iliff
Bruce Kammen
Chris Melton
Tim Samuelson
Rick Schroeder
Rob Shingledecker
Special Duty
Deputies
Brad Billmeyer
Terry Ecker
Kevin Henriksen
Rob Hosking
Thomas Jacobson
Coreen Kulvich
Blake Pederson
Matt Schepers
Rebecca Sherman
Dave Sjogren
Matt Wayne
Dawanna Witt
Deputy Sheriffs
Scott Bensen
Ryan Brown
Lonna Broze
JoAnne Calhoun
Rhonda Doheny
Sandy Dose
Mike Fendrick
Ryan Fitzgerald
Tim Fletcher
Steve Forrey
Tim Gonder
Dive Team members left to right
were:
Sergeant Jim Iliff, Deputies Jeff
Leopold, Brian Smidt, and Amber
Hentges, and Detectives Matt
Wayne, Thomas Jacobson, Steve
Forrey, and Coreen Kulvich.
Below:
Members of the “Merry Band of
Explorers”
D AKOTA C OUNTY S HERIFF
The Front Row
“A front row seat to the greatest show on Earth...”
Dave Bellows, Sheriff
Tim Leslie, Chief Deputy
Volume 7, Week 39
February 20, through
February 26, 2012
Click here to subscribe to this newsletter electronically.Page 2
County Technical College Health and Wellness Fair. The group distributed literature
and answered many questions, including traffic laws,
proper use of car seats and texting. Thanks go to
Deputies Phouthaivanh Sourignavong, Lonna
Broze,Scott Bensen, and Krystal Johnson for their
work at the fair.
Congratulations and Thank You…
On Tuesday evening, Special Deputy Denny
Millerbernd was honored for his 35 years of dedicated
service as a member of the Special Deputies Unit.
Denny began his career with the DCSO in 1976 and has
volunteered thousands of hours over the years. The
members of the Special Deputies Unit were on hand for
the award ceremony. We thank Denny for all his work
and dedication as a member of the Dakota County
Sheriff’s Special Deputies Unit. You will be missed.
I Have Done Everything Expected Except…
Correctional Lieutenant Jodi Rolloff received an email from a woman complaining
her warrant information for outstanding parking tickets found on the Sheriff’s website
was preventing her from finding gainful employment and, moreover, was a little
embarrassing. Correctional Lieutenant Rolloff kindly responded back to her that once
she paid the outstanding fee on the warrant her troubles (at least in this matter)
would go away.
Happy Birthday to You...
Employees celebrating birthdays in the upcoming week include Correctional Deputy
Frantz Moise (March 4th), Park Ranger Andrew Burt (March 9th), and
Correctional Deputy Mike Holzemer (March 10th).
Amber Hentges
Bryan Hermerding
Art Herrera
Tom Hooper
Sidney Jones
Krystal Johnson
John Kane
Jeff Leopold
Jen Lenarz
Brent Lohmann
Bruce Lohmann
Merle Lohse
Kim Mays
Mark McKnight
Peter Meyer
Lester Mitchell
Erika Morgan
Jon Napper
Ryan Olson
Mitch Penny
Sean Qualy
Matt Regis
Jon Reiners
Josh Sannes
Bryce Schuenke
Matt Schuster
Dan Siebenaler
Brian Smidt
Phouthaivanh
Sourignavong
Gordy Steffel
Steve Theriault
Dmitriy Vecherkov
Mike Vikesland
Todd West
Questions?
Comments?
Please contact the
Dakota County
Sheriff’s Office at
651.438.4700 or any
of the following by
email:
dave.bellows@
co.dakota.mn.us
julie.ecker@
co.dakota.mn.us
(left to right)
Special Deputies Thomas Wilson and Louis Henderson, Sergeant Booker Hodges, Captain
Joe Leko, Sheriff Dave Bellows, Commander Dan Scheuermann, Special Deputies Denny
Millerbernd, Juan Balli, Dave Stanek, and Anthony Pojman, and Sergeant Scott Durdall