Loading...
Friday News 05 04 2012 May 4, 2012 Dates to Remember: May 8, 2012: Parks & Rec Commission, 6:30 p.m. May 15, 2012: City Council, 7:00 p.m. May 22, 2012: Planning Commission, 7:00 p.m. June 1-2, 2012: Parks Celebration Attachments: Pipeline, Just the Facts Friday News Mendota Heights Weekly Report on City Activities Mendota Heights City Hall 1101 Victoria Curve www.mendota-heights.com (651) 452-1850 The Pipeline is Full... Make sure to pay extra attention to the Pipe- line this week, it is full of information on ongo- ing and upcoming road improvement projects. This is your best place to get the scoop on everything going on. Big Weekend at Pilot Knob The restoration work at Pilot Knob has been a great success story for the city and all of the partners that have made preser- vation of the site a reality. Please see the attached press release from Great River Greening providing detail on another great volunteer event at the site this weekend. Record Breaking Clean-Up The city partnered with Dakota County this year for our annual Spring Clean-Up, which was held this past Saturday, April 28, 2012. We serviced over 500 cars in a five-hour span. This included handling 30,000 lbs of electron- ics, 10,000 lbs of scrap metal, 52 mattresses and 1,400 gallons of paint. This was only possible due to the great volun- teers that we had, who worked in miserable conditions. A more formal report will be coming soon. Yes, that is a full sofa and loveseat strapped on top of a Ford Taurus. The matching arm-chair? It (almost) fit in the trunk. Public Works The Parks Crew painted the walls at Rogers Lake that contained graffiti. The skate park equipment at Rogers Lake Park was moved so crack filling could be completed. The 60 foot base anchors were reinstalled at Hagstrom King Park softball field. The Utilities Crew did a sanitary sewer inspection at 1004 Overlook Road. Broadleaf weeds were sprayed at Victoria Highlands Park, Valley Park, Wentworth Park, Ivy Park, Marie Park, City Hall and Civic Center Park. A regional safety meeting on lock out/tag out procedures and personal protective equipment was attended in West St. Paul. The Streets Crew made up new signs that will be installed on the backstop at the civic center ball field saying Mertensotto Field at Civic Center. Sod damage repair was completed at Vail Drive, Summit Lane, Second Avenue at Dodd Road and other areas. Street signs at Chippewa Avenue and Annapolis Streets were taken down, brought back to the shop to be cleaned of graffiti and then reinstalled. Storm grates at ponds were also cleaned. Engineering Lemay Lake Road Reconstruction – Final plans are nearly complete. Staff held an additional informational meeting with residents affected by the project last week. The meeting was well attended and a number of property specific issues were addressed. Final plans are anticipated later in May. Marie Avenue Rehabilitation – City Council awarded the construction contract to Hardrives, Inc. at their May 1st meeting. A preconstruction meeting is anticipated for next week. The Marie Avenue 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 has begun construction. The project schedule shows the project completed by early June. An assessment hearing is anticipated in October. Wagon Wheel Trail Bicycle/Pedestrian Connection – City Council, at the request of the Parks and Recreation Commission, discussed completing the bicycle/pedestrian trail along the north side of Wagon Wheel Trail between I-35E and Lexington Avenue. Staff is contacting affected residents, and a resolution approving the addition to the path will be on the May 15th City Council agenda. The Pipeline N E W S L E T T E R Public Works Engineering Code Enforcement May 4, 2012 Overlook & Crown Point Neighborhoods Rehabilitation (2013) – City Council authorized production of a Feasibility Report for this project at their May 1 st meeting. Proposed for rehabilitation (pavement replacement) are Overlook Road, Overlook Lane, Summit Lane north of Marie Avenue, Lilac Road south of Douglas Road, Crown Point Drive, Crown Court, and Crown Circle. Completion of the feasibility report is anticipated in July. A neighborhood meeting is anticipated for late summer/early fall followed by a public hearing before the City Council in October. Hunter/Orchard Reconstruction & Culligan/Glenhill Rehabilitation (2013) – City Council authorized production of a Feasibility Report for this project at their May 1st meeting. Proposed for reconstruction are Hunter Lane, Orchard Place, and Culligan Lane east of Glenhill Road. Also proposed with this project is the rehabilitation (pavement replacement) of Glenhill Road, Culligan Lane west of Glenhill Road, Veronica Lane, and Orchard Circle. Completion of the Feasibility Report is anticipated in July. A neighborhood meeting is anticipated for late summer/early fall followed by a public hearing before the City Council in October. Dakota County Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) – City Council discussed several projects at their May 1st meeting that could potentially be requested as part of the annual review of the Dakota County CIP. Staff will bring a formal request resolution forward to Council at the May 15th Council meeting. 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. Gun Club Lake Watershed Management Organization (GCLWMO) – Staff met with representatives from the Cities of Eagan and Inver Grove Heights, along with a representative from the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR), to discuss future changes to the management structure of the GCLWMO. No decisions were made to propose changes to the GCLWMO structure, but a proposal is anticipated at the GCLWMO June meeting. Additional discussion meetings are anticipated in May and June. 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 o f 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 project schedule includes the following construction period for Mendota Heights segments of the project: - May 15-24: Hwy 13 from Hwy 55 to Saint Peters Church. Periodic single lane traffic with requested detour route to Old Sibley Memorial Highway - June 8-July 26: Hwy 13 from Wachtler to Annapolis. Periodic full road closures expected. Detour will be provided. Schedule signs will be posted prior to closures. 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 is being resurfaced. Construction is underway and is anticipated to continue through the end of next week. 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 due to a redundant route requirement. Concept plans and alternatives are being developed for the land use once it is vacated. 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. Construction is anticipated to begin shortly after MnDOT completes the Highway 110 resurfacing project. For more information contact the Dakota County Transportation Department at 952-891-7100. 5/04/2012 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 Shoplifting Saturday 1200 hours Officers Larrive and Lambert were dispatched to a local drug store on a shoplifting in progress. Store employees advised dispatch that two black females and one black male had been in the store and had stolen at least one can of baby formula. Officers located and arrested the suspects and towed their getaway car for having no insurance. Burglary Saturday 1342 hours Officer Lambert responded to a business office on a forced-entry burglary. He was met by employees who reported missing at least two Dell laptop computers from inside the building. A west side window had been found broken out with glass scattered inside and outside the office suite. No suspects at this time. 3rd Degree DWI Saturday 2227 hours Officer Willson conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that crossed over the center line and almost hit him head on. Officer Willson looked in his rear view mirror as the vehicle passed and witnessed the car slam on its brakes and go through the ditch and into a yard. A traffic stop was initiated and the driver was ordered out of the car. An active cell phone with a text message in progress was on the floor in front of the driver’s seat. He was taken into custody and placed in the squad. A strong smell of an alcoholic beverage was coming from the driver. He was asked to perform field sobriety testing, which he failed. After refusing the roadside breath test, he was arrested and transported to the police department. After the reading of the Implied Consent Advisory, the male provided an evidentiary breath test with a blood alcohol result of 0.11. The suspect’s vehicle was towed, his plates were removed and his license was revoked. Curfew and Park after Hours Sunday 0355 hours Officer Peyton Fleming observed a vehicle in a city park past the posted closing time. The vehicle was occupied by an adult male and juvenile female. The male was cited for being in the park after hours. The 16 year old female was cited for curfew violation and in park after hours; she was transported to the police department and ultimately released to her mother. “Just the Facts” The latest news from the Mendota Heights Police Department 5/04/2012 Theft of Bicycle Sunday 1611 hours Officers Larrive and Lambert were called to a residence on a bicycle theft in progress. The caller witnessed a group of juveniles steal his son’s bike from their attached garage. Officer Lambert responded to the scene and Officer Larrive checked the area for the group of boys. He was able to locate and identify them. The thief was cited and released to his parents with a court date pending. The bike was returned to its rightful owner. 3rd Degree DWI Sunday 2247 hours Sgt. Peterson was dispatched to a suspicious occupied vehicle that was running in front of a residence. He made contact with the female who stated she just pulled over to check her phone. She admitted she was not from the area but had just come from a nearby bowling alley. There were obvious signs of intoxication and the female was asked to perform field sobriety testing. She provided a roadside breath test with a reading of 0.14 and was arrested. The driver was transported to the police department. After reading the Implied Consent Advisory, she agreed to provide a blood sample. Her vehicle was towed and her license plates were removed due to a prior DWI arrest. Charges are pending the blood analysis results. Burglary Tuesday 2057 hours Sgt. Convery and Officer Meyer along with the assistance of West St Paul K9 Officer Elam and officers from Eagan Police Department responded to a burglary alarm at an office building. Upon arrival, an officer found forced entry and a perimeter was set up. A complete search of the building was conducted by the K9, his partner and Sgt. Convery. A flat screen television had been forcefully removed from the wall. There are no suspects at this time. Domestic Wednesday 0047 hours Officer Meyer was dispatched to a possible slumper in an underground garage. Contact was made with the male and it was learned that he and his wife had a verbal argument and he was sleeping in his car. Contact was made with his wife and she confirmed the story. Neither party wished to pursue any criminal charges. The two agreed to stay separated for the night. Reserve Officer Recognition Volunteer Coordinator Becky Pentel and seven reserve officers were presented with Presidential Service Awards Tuesday night at the Mendota Heights City Council Meeting. Their duties include but are not limited to; working at community events, directing traffic, assisting with crime prevention and working as an extra set of eyes and ears on patrol. They do not carry weapons and do not have arrest powers. The reserves made a big impact in 2011 by providing transport services to jail and detox allowing the full-time officers to stay in the city for emergency response. They are a great compliment to the department’s workforce. “This group has the right motives— they’re here for the right reasons, and they do a wonderful job," said Reserve Captain Jerry Murphy. 5/04/2012 The Presidential Service Award recipients received a certificate, a lapel pin and a letter from the office of President Barack Obama. Their names will also be added to a plaque in the department. Congratulations to all and thank you for your dedication to our department and the citizens we serve! Presidential Gold Randy Pentel—1,537 hours Presidential Silver Jim Knox—431 hours Volunteer Coordinator Becky Pentel—332 hours Jeff Parker—287 hours Presidential Bronze Jerry Murphy—219 hours Jesse Mettner—192 hours George Castillo—171 hours Jerrod Spicer—139 hours Have a great weekend! Denise Contact: Amy Jenkins Communications Director Great River Greening p: 651-665-9500 x23 c: 612-532-4521 ajenkins@greatrivergreening.org NEWS RELEASE VOLUNTEERS CONTINUE UNIQUE PRAIRIE RESTORATION EFFORTS AT HISTORIC PILOT KNOB SITE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – SAINT PAUL, MN (April 11, 2012) – A Great River Greening volunteer restoration event will continue a remarkably large inner-city prairie restoration on Saturday, May 5th, from 8:30am - 12:30pm in Mendota Heights, MN at the historic Pilot Knob site. Over 75 volunteers will participate in an invasive species removal and seed spreading event as part of a ten-year prairie restoration plan implemented by Great River Greening. Starting five years ago as an empty, weedy field, Pilot Knob is an unusual prairie restoration because of the high biodiversity in species, the large 25-acre location overlooking the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers, and the sustained effort from the community. Great River Greening and volunteers are committed to retaining the ecological integrity of Pilot Knob because of the historic and cultural value of the site and its scenic location. Pilot Knob is a high, prominent hill on the east bank of the Minnesota River near where it meets the Mississippi River. It is a sacred, spiritual site and burial ground for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux. Pilot Knob was also the historic signature site of the Treaty of 1851, where millions of acres of Dakota land were ceded to the United States. This historic and scenic overlook provides views of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers, Fort Snelling State Park, and downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul. It is an historic navigational marker and was identified as one of Minnesota’s 10 most endangered historic places in 2003 and 2004 by the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota. The City of Mendota Heights contracted with Great River Greening to complete a ten-year natural resource management plan and public access facilities. Prairie restoration will ensure that the park retains its ecological integrity, be consistent with the historic and sacred character of the site, and provide critical habitat for native grassland wildlife. The wildlife that frequents this area includes eagles, migrating raptors and songbirds, long-eared owls, wild turkeys, and whitetail deer. Renowned for bird observation, Pilot Knob attracts numerous uncommon and rare species because of its elevation, prominence, and location where two major river valley wildlife corridors meet. “We chose the path less traveled to restore a higher number of diverse species. The methods we used are different than others used in typical prairie reconstructions, which are often dominated by one or two species only. The outcome that is visible already will be a rich native prairie with a high biodiversity of native plant species,” says Great River Greening Project Manager, Wiley Buck. The greater number of native species will provide critical habitat for wildlife and demonstrate a native landscape to the community that existed before human settlement. The Pilot Knob restoration is a project of the Metro Conservation Corridors Partnership. Funding provided by the City of Mendota Heights and the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources. About Great River Greening Great River Greening is a non-profit environmental organization that leads and supports community-based restoration of forests, prairies and waters. Founded in 1995 in St. Paul, the organization is growing statewide, engaging nearly 26,000 volunteers in projects on both public and private land that conserve critical land habitat and improve water quality. By mobilizing and educating citizens to restore woods, prairies, and other natural resources in their communities, the organization builds a community of individuals who will be good stewards of these natural areas in the future. For more information, visit www.greatrivergreening.org. ### MENDOTA HEIGHTS PAR 3 SENIOR GOLF LEAGUE Welcome to the 2012 season at the Mendota Heights Par 3 golf course. This is a non-competitive co-ed league, designed for seniors who want to get outside for some fun and exercise this summer. WHO: Co-ed seniors, Age 60 and up WHEN: Friday mornings, May 11-June 29, 2012. Tee times starting at 8:30 a.m. LEAGUE FEE: $9.00 per week ($1.00 off regular senior fee). This includes your greens fee, a pull cart, free unlimited coffee, weekly pro shop prizes, Player of the Year prize and an end of season party. HOW TO REGISTER: Registration can be done in person, or the morning of the first day, at the Mendota Heights Par 3 Golf Course, 1695 Dodd Road, Mendota Heights, MN 55118. If you have any questions, please contact the clubhouse manager at (651) 454-9822. 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 48 April 23, through April 29, 2012 This Time It Wasn’t the Real Thing… On Thursday April 26th, Randolph High School held a mock crash for students as we near the prom season. The purpose of mock crashes is to realistically depict the consequences of impaired or distracted driving. Students from the Randolph H.S. served as the “victims” in the car crash, replete with a moulage of graphic injuries. Public safety plays an important role in all mock crashes, providing an equally realistic response for students and other observers to witness. Along with deputies from the DCSO, the Minnesota State Patrol, members of the Randolph Fire Department, Northfield Ambulance, a helicopter from Mayo, and a vehicle from a local funeral home responded and treated this as any real life situation. Though the mock crash resulted in several deaths and serious injuries, everyone went home safe. Following the mock crash a family told their real life story, having lost their daughter to a drunk driver. It was clear students were impacted from what they saw and heard on Thursday. Prior to the mock crash,Sheriff Dave Bellows presented a “Saved by the Belt” plaque to Jamie McKnight in front of her class. Jamie was involved in a serious car crash, but was saved from serious injury by always wearing her seatbelt. Members of the DCSO involved in the mock crash included Captain Joe Leko, Sergeant Pat Enderlein, Deputies Phouthaivanh Sourignavong, Matt Regis, and Jen Lenarz, and Special Deputy Tom Wilson. Patrol Notes… Deputy Matt Schuster and Sergeant Tim Samuelson assisted Hastings PD on a call of an exposer in the parking lot of a local store. The suspect was found hiding in a bathroom and was turned over to Hastings officers. The suspect was arrested and, yes, he was exposed to jail. Featuring Sheriff’s Administrative, Communications, Support, and Parks, Lakes, and Trails Staff: Administration Steve Anderson Carmen Brown Julie Ecker Sue Kneen Detention Services Support Staff Sandy Burke Desiree Chartrand Kim Erlandsen Melanie Heltne Kathy Karnick Kim Lechner Jamie Maiser Mary McPhetres Minnie Murphy Holly Ruiz Andrea Strenke Molu Thachil Betsy Winter Emergency Preparedness Dave Gisch Operations Support Staff Joanna Anderson Ana Estrada Julie Fischer Pam Hinton Janelle Mayer Linda Mischke Shona Murphy Jesse Monahan Carole Sieben Parks, Lakes, and Trails Salah Ahmed Mark Albrecht Scott Blehm 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 48 April 23, through April 29, 2012 Click here to subscribe to this newsletter electronically.Page 2 Behind the Bars… Last week was designated Victims’ Rights Week. The DCSO recognized it by inviting William “Bill” Lanahan, a retired military veteran whose daughter died as a result of a drunk driver. Bill’s audience was comprised of 56 current inmates who listened to his story of loss and a strong message of stopping the cycle of drinking and driving. Based on the fact that 25 to 30 percent of our inmates are in jail for alcohol or drug-related offenses, the message is a relevant one for the group. Showing Off the DCSO… As has become our custom, the DCSO holds tours for area high schools to give students a better idea of the work we do here at the Sheriff’s Office. The tour includes a demonstration of the crime lab, the Electronic Crimes Unit, and the jail. Detectives from the Investigative Unit play tour guides for the classes. During the past week, groups from Lakeville North and Hastings took time for a photo in front of the Sheriff’s Office. Happy Birthday to You… Two employees are celebrating birthdays in the upcoming week, Correctional Deputy Vallie Bissonette on May7th and Deputy Bryce Schuenke on May12th. We hope you both enjoy your special day! Andrew Burt Jacob Coulson Michael Hingiss Matthew Lohmann Michael Mandel Joshua Schauer David Steinberg Dacia Tomnitz Brett Volkmann Chaplains Jim Bzoskie Vern Hildebrandt Clayton McDougall Eddie Nestingen Cory Voll Don Voll Questions? Comments? Please contact the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office at 651.437.4700 or any of the following by email: dave.bellows@ co.dakota.mn.us julie.ecker@ co.dakota.mn.us “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” --William James Lakeville North High School Hastings High School