Friday News 04 20 2012
April 20, 2012
Dates to Remember:
April 24, 2012:
Planning Commission, 7:00 p.m.
April 28, 2012:
Spring Clean Up, 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
May 1, 2012:
City Council, 7:00 p.m.
May 1, 2012:
Parks & Rec Commission, 6:30 p.m.
Attachments: Pipeline, Just the
Facts, Spring Clean Up Flyer,
Community Shred Event Flyer
Friday News
Mendota Heights Weekly Report on City Activities
Mendota Heights City Hall
1101 Victoria Curve
www.mendota-heights.com
(651) 452-1850
Heights Highlights
If you haven’t received the new Heights High-
lights, check your mailbox again! Be sure to
read up on all the details for the Spring Clean
Up next Saturday morning, April 28, 2012.
Road Closure
News from MN Department of Transporta-
tion: Hwy 13 in Lilydale will be reduced to
single lane starting on Monday, April 23,
2012.
Motorists may encounter delays on Hwy
13 in Lilydale/Mendota Heights as both di-
rections of Hwy 13 are reduced to a single
lane between Lilydale Road and I-35E.
Crews will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, April
23, 2012 and all lanes will reopen by 12:01
a.m. Monday, April 30, 2012.
The closures are needed as Xcel Energy
conducts gas line work in the area.
For real-time travel information anywhere
in Minnesota visit www.511mn.org.
Earth Day is April 22, 2012
Officer Jenny Fordham reported that the fund-
raiser for the Law Enforcement torch run bene-
fitting Special Olympics was a success.
There was a great crowd on hand at Buffalo
Wild Wings in Eagan on Monday night enjoying
good food for a great cause. Officer Fordham
coordinated the event, modeling it after one
Maple Grove Police Department had done.
Jenny wanted to thank all everyone who
showed up and Buffalo Wild Wings for their
partnership.
Public Works
The Parks Crew cut grass, dragged baseball diamonds and striped the ball
fields. Flat tires were repaired on xmark and chalker. They Met with MHAA
about summer baseball maintenance. A training session on new Kubota
mower was held by the dealer. Downed trees from excessive winds were
cleared up from the parks.
The Streets Crew made up new sign for Knollwood Lane and Knollwood
Court. Black top patching was done on Brookside Lane in advance of a seal
coating project. Large pot holes were also filled on Diane Road, Celia Drive
and began some filling on Douglas road and Victoria. Landscape rocks were
pushed back on Summit Lane to prepare the site for stump grinding. No
parking signs were replaced on Warrior Drive. Storm pipe outlet was
excavated at Par 3 due to the sediment in the pond creating a backup on
Bachelor Avenue.
Rich checked lift stations daily and repainted the panel at the Lilydale lift
station to cover graffiti. Rich also assisted the street crew with the removal
of the rock on Summit Lane as well as the storm sewer maintenance at Par
3. The sprayer was readied for broad leaf weed control for the city parks.
The Large sump Manhole was cleaned out on Swan Drive. A sewer repair at
1901 Warrior Drive was inspected.
Engineering
Lemay Lake Road Reconstruction – Final plans are being completed. Staff
held an informational meeting with residents affected by the project on
Wednesday. The meeting was well attended with no significant issue issues
raised by the neighborhood. Final plans are anticipated in May.
Marie Avenue Rehabilitation – Bid opening will be April 25th at 10:00am. Bid
award will be on the May 1st Council agenda. The striping plan has been
posted on the project page at the City’s web site and notification has been
sent to the Marie Avenue residents with the web link included.
Diane Road Neighborhood/Mendota Heights Road Rehabilitation – McNamara
Contracting is anticipating a May 2nd start date for the project. There is a
The Pipeline N E W S
L E T T E R
Public Works
Engineering
Code Enforcement
April 20, 2012
preconstruction meeting planned for April 27 th. Staff will mail a notice to
the residents once a tentative schedule is submitted by the contractor.
White Pine Senior Living PUD Amendment Application – The applicant
submitted the necessary storm water modeling calculations and the PUD
Plan Set Amendment was granted. The next step will be for Mendota Mall
Associates to apply for consent to transfer ownership of Lot 6, and then
apply for Building Permit for the new facility. Both the consent to transfer
and the Building Permit will require Council approval.
Dodd Road/Highway 110 Intersection Pedestrian Improvements – City
Council awarded the design contract to SRF Consulting Group at their April
17th meeting. Design will take p[lace throughout the summer of 2012.
Construction is planned for 2013.
Dakota County Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) – Dakota County is
reviewing their 2013-2017 Capital Improvement Program. The current
2012-2016 CIP is available through the County web page for review. Any
requests for County projects to be included in the new CIP can be made
through City Staff by June 13th so Council can review and formally submit
requests to the County by the June 25th deadline. Staff requested projects
will be discussed at the May 1st Council meeting.
Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization (LMRWMO) –
Staff attended the monthly meeting of the LMRWMO on Thursday.
Revisions to the South Saint Paul Stormwater Management Plan were
approved, and an agreement with MPCA to monitor four lakes in the
LMRWMO (including Rogers Lake) was approved.
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 scheduled for the summer
of 2012. The portion of Highway 13 from 2nd Street in Mendota to I-35E in
Lilydale will be exempted from this project and reconstructed in 2015 under
a separate MnDOT project. The preconstruction meeting is scheduled for
Tuesday (4/24) at the Mendota Heights MnDOT facility.
Highway 110 Resurfacing (MnDOT) - A small portion of Highway 110 from
Lexington Avenue east to the I-35E Bridge, along with spot repairs between
Lexington and Highway 13 will be resurfaced during the summer of 2012.
Construction is scheduled to begin on April 30th. The access ramp
to/from northbound I-35E is included in the project.
Turnback of Old Sibley Memorial Highway (MnDOT) – MnDOT intends to
vacate the Right-of-Way for the Old Sibley Memorial Highway. Concept
plans and alternatives are being developed for the land use once it is
vacated. Staff attended a meeting of the working group at Lebanon Hills
Regional Park on Friday. City Council did approve a letter to be sent to our
State legislative delegation outlining their concerns about the proposal.
MnDOT will be contacting two Mendota Heights businesses impacted by the
proposal prior to the April meeting. Once alternatives are developed, public
meetings are anticipated.
Lexington Avenue Resurfacing (County) - Dakota County will be resurfacing
Lexington Avenue from just north of Highway 110 (Vail Drive) south to
Mendota Heights Road in 2012. 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.
04/20/2012
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
Theft Tuesday 1827 hours
Officer Chad Willson responded to reported $55 gas drive off.
When he arrived the employee had a copy of the video in hand
which clearly showed a 30-year-old white male 5’8”, 150 lbs,
wearing a black sweatshirt, tan pants and white tennis shoes
pumped the gas. The suspect finished pumping the gas, jumped
into the SUV and fled the scene. After viewing the video and
verifying the license plate was correct it became clear that the
suspect had switched plates from a Yukon to the Mountaineer he
used in the video. Forwarded to investigations.
DUI Thursday 0052 hours
While on patrol, Officer Steve Meyer clocked a vehicle at 72 mph in
a 55 mph zone. He turned his fully marked black and white squad
around and pulled in behind the car. As he began following the car,
it steadily increased speeds to nearly 100 miles an hour and Officer
Meyer activated all of the emergency lights and sirens on the squad
and then vehicle quickly pulled over. When asked why he was
being stopped, the driver exclaimed, “Speeding,” but reportedly had
no idea how fast. He did inform Officer Meyer that he thought he
was being followed, but by someone from a party he had just left.
The young man was asked to perform SFST’s, which he failed. The
last SFST was the PBT; he failed that too with a BAC of .108. Did
we mention he was under 21? He was arrested and read the MN
Implied Consent Advisory and he agreed to take a breath test.
Officer Meyer administered the test on the new Data Master
Transportable-Gas (DMT–G) which revealed a blood alcohol
concentration of .10. The young man was issued a citation for
driving under the influence, underage drinking and driving, possess
drug paraphernalia and speeding and transported to the Dakota
County Jail where he was booked and released.
Hit & Run Crash Sunday 0640 hours
Caller reported he stepped outside and found his recently
deceased father’s car smashed into and push sideways in the
driveway. Officer Denise Urmann responded to the residence
where she viewed car tracks on the boulevard indicating a car had
come off of Delaware swerved around a tree in the neighbor’s front
yard continued along until it struck the deceased man’s car. The
caller did not hear anything overnight to give any indication as to
when the crash occurred. The damage was photographed as were
the tracks in the yard. No suspects, no evidence left on scene.
“Just the Facts”
The latest news from the Mendota Heights Police Department
04/20/2012
DUI Sunday 0200 hours
Officer Shepard was returning from the DCC at 0200 hours when he noticed a vehicle
coming up on him very quickly from the rear. He activated his radar which indicated the
car behind was traveling 105 miles an hour, closing the gap rapidly. When the vehicle
caught up, it pulled up alongside the squad but then braked rapidly and fell in behind the
squad, remaining there while Officer Shepard slowed. The squad slowed, then the
vehicle slowed until both were barely moving. Officer Shepard pulled to the side of the
road, came to a complete stop and the vehicle finally passed him. He then followed the
suspect for short distance before activating his red lights to stop the car. Upon making
contact with the driver, he immediately spotted an open bottle of vodka on the back seat
floor and made little or no sense in his conversation with Officer Shepard, making it
obvious he had been drinking. The driver was asked to complete some SFST's and
upon taking and failing the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, the man driver advised he
would not take any more tests. Officer Shepard asked him to take the PBT; he agreed.
The man puffed his cheeks and an gave a hard, but pretend, blow squinting his eyes
not realizing that the PBT mouth piece is an open straw. Officer Shepard told the man
he would be arrested for DUI even without an adequate sample. His arrest was not
dependent upon the test results the man provided breathe sample it revealed a BAC of
.187. At MHPD the man was read the MN Implied Consent Advisory agreed to take a
breath test after calling an attorney. Sergeant Peterson administered breath test on the
DMT-G, but the man did not provide adequate samples, the unit did not return a BAC.
Officer Shepard re-read the MN Implied Consent Advisory and, after several attempts to
contact an attorney, the man agreed to take the blood test. HealthEast paramedics
arrived on scene and the blood test was administered. The man was transported to the
Dakota County Jail to be booked for DUI; charges pending the outcome of blood test.
AOA Sunday 1550 hours
Officer Bobby Lambert responded to assist WSPPD on a suspect who fled into the
woods near the intersection of Marie & Charlton. Upon arrival, he spoke with a witness
who reported the suspect had gone into an enclosed porch grabbed a brown bike and
pedaled away. A short time later, Officer Sass of the WSPPD located and arrested the
man. Officer Lambert returned and found the witness who helped to locate the bike and
brought Officer Lambert to the residence from where it been stolen. Officer Lambert
spoke with the owner the bike and documented the theft for WSPPD.
Theft Monday 1606 hours
A local business called to report damage to a vehicle and theft of gas. Officer John
Larrive arrived on the scene and learned a service truck had the gas line cut and gas
siphoned out of the tank sometime overnight. The truck was at a repair shop and they
were unable to document exactly what occurred. The employee did show Officer
Larrive where the fence around the property had been damaged and where the vehicle
was parked. Another vehicle was also tampered with and was missing a tank of gas.
An extra patrol request for the area filled out for the overnight shift.
Burglary Tuesday 0926 hours
Officer Bobby Lambert responded to a local business to report a burglary that occurred
the night before. The building manager advised that he was awakened at
approximately 3 o'clock in the morning by the alarm company advising that there is a
problem with the door. MHPD officer VonFeldt arrived, checked buildings, found it
secure and no damage, clearing at approximately 0323 hours. This morning, supervisor
04/20/2012
arrived and went to disarm the alarm and found a strange error code later in the
morning; they noticed that some property was missing from inside of the building. They
viewed the building security video and saw three men carrying out computers. Case is
open under investigation, check the Mendota Heights crime blog.
Burglary Tuesday 1207 hours
A neighbor called to report three males were coming out of their neighbor’s house
carrying suitcases. The 911 caller reported one of the males was black two were white
or possibly Asian. All three jumped into a gray sedan and headed eastbound on Marie
Avenue. Officer Bobby Lambert along with Officers Larrive, Fordham and Spicer quickly
responded to the area. A quick check of the home made it immediately clear the home
had been burglarized – the sliding patio glass door was shattered. Information was
relayed to West St. Paul Police Department and other neighboring agencies to begin
watching for the suspect vehicle. After speaking with the caller the homeowner was
located and the scene was processed by Investigator Spicer. After sending out an
information request to neighboring law enforcement agencies, it was learned that these
burglars are probably working all of Dakota County. The case is open pending
identification of the burglars.
DUI Thursday 0229 hours
Officer Peyton Fleming was southbound on Dodd Road and observed a vehicle with its
high beams on. He turned his fully marked squad around and pulled up behind the
vehicle, ran an in-squad license plate check which showed the plates were expired. He
activated his emergency lights and pulled the car over; upon making contact with the
driver it was immediately obvious the young man was intoxicated. Officer Fleming
asked where was coming from and he honestly informed him he was coming from the
bar where he had 3 tall beers (equivalent of six 12oz). He was asked step out of the car
to perform SFST’s all of which he failed. He was transported the MHPD where he was
read the MN Implied Consent Advisory and agreed to provide a test; the DMT-G
revealed a BAC of .13. The man was transported to jail by Reserve Officer Pentel to be
booked and released.
Special Olympics Fundraiser
On Monday, April 16, 2012, Mendota Heights & West St Paul officers joined Special
Olympians for the Buffalo Wild Wings (BWW) fundraiser. BWW generously donated
10% of their food profits, earning about $350! Thanks to Jenny for spearheading and to
all who helped with and supported this effort!
Picture 1: Officers C. Moellner,
M. Shepard & J.Fordham
Picture 2: Members of Team
RAVE (Rosemount, Apple
Valley, Eagan Special Olympics
Team)
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 46
April 9, through
April 15, 2012
Good Work…
This week the Dakota County Attorney’s Office charged
the owner of a breeding kennel with 16 felony counts as
a result of an investigation by members of the Sheriff’s
Investigation Division. The investigation was initiated as
a result of complaints of maltreatment of dogs. The
complaint alleges the defendant, Dayna Kristine Bell,
destroyed several dogs by drowning them in buckets of
water. Other examples included placing a rope around a
dog’s neck with the other end tied to a cinder block and
then throwing both into a pool until the animal drowned.
The 16 felony counts were all for Animal Cruelty.
Investigating the case were Captain Jim Rogers,
Sergeant Rick Schroeder, and Detectives Rob
Hosking,Thomas Jacobson,Dave Sjogren, and
Coreen Kulvich.
Congratulations…
This week Deputy Bryce Schuenke graduated as the DCSO’s new Drug Recognition
Expert (DRE). The class included 25 other law enforcement officers from across
Minnesota. The training takes approximately five weeks. The DRE officers are highly
skilled in detecting
individuals suspected
of driving under the
influence of drugs.
Bryce joins Sergeant
Tim Samuelson as
the DCSO’s trained
DRE’s.
Patrol Notes…
Deputy Bruce
Lohmann responded to a crash involving a car and
motorcycle last Saturday. The accident occurred at the
intersection of Goodwin Avenue and Northfield Boulevard
and resulted in minor injuries. As the weather continues
to get warmer, we see an increase in the number of
motorcycles on the roadway. We ask all motorists to be
more aware of this increased traffic.
Congratulations to Deputy Tom Hooper (pictured at
right) on his selection as Deputy of the Month. During
the past month Tom has made several arrests during his
shift, including locating a pick-up involved in a burglary.
An adult male was arrested by Deputy Hooper for Third
Degree Burglary. Great job, Tom!
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
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 46
April 9, through
April 15, 2012
Click here to subscribe to this newsletter electronically.Page 2
Seek and You Will Find…
Sergeant Pat Enderlein unexpectedly became part of a scavenger hunt involving
a number of teens. As a result, Pat had his photo taken with the group while holding
a stuffed chicken. We are not sure of the
significance of the chicken, but it was still a great
pic.
Tattoo of the Week...
As has become our custom, we like to present
unusual tattoos encountered by the jail during the
booking process. Here’s this week’s selection!
Happy Birthday...
Program Services Assistant Mary McPhetres will becelebrating her birthday on
April24th. Happy Birthday, Mary!
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
Pictured with Sergeant Enderlein were (left to right): Jenny Swearingen, Kyla
Kirsch, Emily Bonnie, Jesse VanWyk, Gabby Hormann, and Jackie Stickler.
Spring Clean Up 2012
Saturday, April 28 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Mendakota Park, 2171 Dodd Road
For more information:
Jake Sedlacek
Asst. to the City Admin.
651.255.1142
jakes@mendota-heights.com
Don’t forget to bring your old documents to be
shredded and recycled at American Bank from
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, 1060 Dakota Drive
Sponsored by the City of Mendota Heights, Dakota County Board of Commissioners
and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Every year Mendota
Heights residents divert
tons of trash from going to
the landfill. Make sure to
take this opportunity to
clean up your home/yard
and ensure that materials
are disposed of properly.
- Follow the signs on
Mendakota Drive and enter
from the west side of the
park.
- Identification required
- Limited to residents—
passenger vehicles and
small trailers only.
We will accept:
Car tires, furniture $5 each
Mattresses/boxspring $10 each
Home remodeling debris/misc. junk Volume-based fee
Dehumidifiers $5 each
Scrap metals (remove all non-metal) Free
Bicycles Free
*NEW* Household electrical items* Free
*NEW* Household hazardous waste* Free
*see list of accepted items on back of flyer
We will not accept:
Yard waste, items that can be recycled at your curb,
business waste or contractor debris
Spring Clean Up 2012
Saturday, April 28 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Mendakota Park, 2171 Dodd Road
Household hazardous
waste - Free
Aerosol cans (w/product remaining)
Antifreeze
Auto batteries
Batteries (rechargeable)
Driveway sealer
Fluorescent lights, ballasts
Gasoline, fuels
Herbicides
Household cleaners
Lawn and garden products
Lighter fluid
Nail polish remover
Oil and oil filters
Paint (latex and oil)
Paint strippers and thinners
Pesticides
Photographic chemicals
Poisons
Pool chemicals
Propane tanks
Roofing tar
Stain leftovers
Varnish
Weed and insect killers
Wood preservatives
And most products labeled danger-
ous, flammable, combustible, poi-
sonous or corrosive
Electronics - Free
Cable boxes
Computers and parts
Copiers
DVD players
Keyboards and mice
Laptops
Monitors
MP3/iPods, etc.
Networking equipment
PDA/cell phones
Peripherals
Phones
Printer/fax/scanner
Satellite dishes
Servers
Stereos
TVs
Typewriters
VCRs
Video game consoles
Household electrical items -
Free
Answering machines
Blenders (no glass)
Bread makers
Cameras
Carpet sweepers
Cell phones
Clocks
Coffee makers
Electric knives
Electric toothbrushes
Electronic gaming systems
Fans
Food sealing equipment
Fryers
Hair dryers
Heaters
Holiday lights
Irons
Massagers
Metal tools: drills, screwdrivers,
small saws, sanders, etc.
Microwaves
Mixers
Remotes
Shaving equipment
Telephones
Toaster ovens
Vacuum cleaners (no bags)
VHS tapes
Household hazardous waste and electronics and electrical items which will
be collected Please remove all batteries (including rechargeable products)
Not accepted:
Curling irons
Appliances
Pharmaceuticals
Sharps (syringes, needles,
lancets)
COMMUNITYFREE
Drop off up to 10 standard size boxes or grocery
bags of paper documents to be shredded onsite by
Shred Right on
SHRED EVENT
SATURDAYApRIl 28TH
9 am - Noon
1060 Dakota Drive • Mendota Heights • 651.634.6402
just west of 35E off Hwy 110 & Lexington
Member FDIC