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2015-04-03 Friday News April 3 2015 City of Mendota Heights Weekly Update DATES TO REMEMBER: April 7 City Council 7:00 p.m. April 14 Parks Commission 6:30 p.m. April 15 Airport Commission 7:00 p.m. - May 2 Spring Clean-up Day 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. --- Pipeline, Just the Facts 2014 P & R Report City Directory City Hall 651.452.1850 Police Community Meeting Held 651.452.1366 Emergency 911 - - N E W S The Pipeline L E T T E R Public Works April 3, 2015 Engineering Public Works The Parks Crew installed water meters at the parks. Sprinkler repairs were done at city hall. Trees were cut down at Wentworth Park and Valley Park that were damaged by the high winds. The plows were put away for the season. Maintenance was done on the Par 3 equipment. The Utilities Crew checked the lift stations daily. The sanitary sewer trunk line from Mendota Heights Road to Marie Avenue was inspected. A water box was lowered on Havenview Court. A water box was replaced on Centre th Pointe Blvd. A new sanitary sewer line inspection was done on 4 Avenue. The Streets Crew took the plow off truck 308, and the truck was dropped off for a MnDOT inspection. Welding was done on the front plow of 308 to fix the cracks in the frame. Welding was done to build up the boom latches on the John Deere back hoe. Streets signs on Maple Street and Centre Pointe Drive that were damaged from the high winds were fixed. They helped with taking down the trees at Wentworth and Valley Parks. Engineering City Projects (construction year) Highway 13 Trail Connection (2013-2015) The contractor has completed installing retaining walls for the project, and full construction completion is expected by late May. Victoria Road Reconstruction & Rolling Green Neighborhood Rehabilitation (2014/2015) Design of the second phase of the project (Marie to Lexington) is tentatively complete. Plans have been sent to MnDOT State Aid Office for review. Authorization to bid the project is anticipated at the th April 17 City Council meeting with contract award in May and construction beginning in June. The curb line at the northeast corner of Douglas Road and Victoria will be adjusted along with the second phase of construction. Substantial completion is expected by Labor Day. Ivy Falls Creek Stream Bank Stabilization (2015) Due to the early spring, construction is going on hold until the ground dries out. Construction is anticipated to begin in late July, weather permitting. The June 19, 2014 storm caused the gabions along the stream bank to fail. State disaster relief funds may reimburse up to 75% of the construction cost. Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation (2015) Council will be asked to authorize th bids for this project at their April 7 meeting. The City rehabilitates (lines) sections of sanitary sewer each year to prevent Inflow and Infiltration from ground water and storm water into our sanitary sewer. Areas to be lined ntract. Lining sanitary sewer lines helps keep our flow contribution to the Met Council treatment plants as low as possible. Bid award is anticipated for early May with construction during the summer. County Projects Highway 110 Trail Underpass (2017) This project proposes to construct a grade-separated pedestrian crossing of Highway 110 for the future construction of the Mendota-Lebanon Hills Greenway Trail. This crossing could be a tunnel (culvert) under the highway, or a bridge over the highway. Dakota County has received a $1,000,000 grant from the Metropolitan Council for construction of a tunnel, with a corresponding County match of $200,000. A kick-off meeting is scheduled for April 15th. Updates will be provided at future City Council meetings, and public open houses are anticipated as part of the project development. If approved for rehabilitation project for Highway 110 in 2017. River to River Greenway (2014/2015) Staff attended the preconstruction and utility meeting for the beginning of the second phase of construction. The Greenway (formerly known as the North Urban Regional Trail) was realigned last summer, adding a new segment on the east side of Warrior Drive connecting Mendota Road to Marie Avenue. This segment has only landscape restoration remaining as part of the project. This work is anticipated to be completed by the end of May. State Projects 2015 State Project List The list of metro projects for 2015 has been released. Projects that will have an impact on Mendota Heights include: -A sealcoat will be applied to Dodd Road (Highway 149) from The Village south to Lake Drive. -Highway 110 between Highway 13 and the Mendota Bridge will receive surface pavement rehabilitation (overlay). -Highway 13 between 2 nd Street and I-35E will be reconstructed to include new pavement, curb, gutter, and storm sewer. Maps of 2015 MnDOT projects can be found at: ŷƷƷƦƭʹΉΉǞǞǞ͵ŭƚƚŭƌĻ͵ĭƚƒΉƒğƦƭΉķΉĻķźƷͪŷƌўĻƓεğǒƷŷǒƭĻƩўЉεƒźķўǩĻЎΗАķǞWǒЉБ͵ƉWtbВ5ЏĬЉƒv ΛĭƚƓƭƷƩǒĭƷźƚƓΜ ŷƷƷƦƭʹΉΉǞǞǞ͵ŭƚƚŭƌĻ͵ĭƚƒΉƒğƦƭΉķΉĻķźƷͪƒźķўǩwǒŅƉb9bCВА͵ƉtБЋa\[ΏƆta ΛƒğźƓƷĻƓğƓĭĻΜ nd Highway 13 Reconstruction (I-35E to 2 Street) This project is anticipated to be bid in April/May with a start date in June. Substantial completion is expected by the end of September. The project will rebuild the road way with curb, gutter, and storm sewer in most places along the route. Through traffic detours will be in place throughout the project, but access to businesses and residences will be maintained. The City of Mendota Heights -route drainage down the bluff to minimize erosion since part of the drainage comes from our City. For More Information on the MnDOT project, contact Kirsten Klein, Public Affairs Metro District at: kirsten.klein@state.mn.us, or 651- 234- portion of the project. Highway 149 (Dodd Road) Rehabilitation (2017) Staff met with MnDOT representatives on Friday to go over some aspects of the preliminary design for the project. The project will complete a pavement replacement on Dodd th Road from I-494 to West 7 Street in Saint Paul, including a deck replacement on the High Bridge. Also included in the project will be a rehabilitation of the trail from Mendakota Drive to Maple Street and the construction of a new trail from Maple Street to Marie Avenue. Other Activities Local Road Research Board (LRRB) Staff attended a meeting of the LRRB last week to discuss the research project program for 2015. The LRRB is made up of various City, County, State, and University of Minnesota or Transportation Studies (CTS) on what research project would be of benefit to the State and municipalities. This year, the LRRB in considering a variety of different projects including developing a curriculum for educating people not familiar with the engineering or public works fields on the importance of investment in infrastructure. The target audience for this program would be civic and fraternal organizations, as well as elected/appointed government officials. Њ A 03, 2015 PRIL The latest from the Mendota Heights Police Department CHIEF Parenngisoneofthetoughestandmostimportantjobs.Weallhaveastakein makingsurethatparentshaveaccesstotheresourcesandsupporttheyneedto SERGEANTS besuccessful.Asacommunityweallplayaroleinhelpingkeepchildrensafe fromabuse. Here are some things you can do: Gettoknowyourneighbors.Problemsseemlessoverwhelmingwhensupportisnearby. POLICEOFFICERS Helpafamilyunderstress.Oertobabysit,helpwithchoresorerrandsorsuggest resourcesinthecommunitythatcanhelp. Reachouttochildreninyourcommunity.Asmileorawordofencouragementcan makeadierence. Steven Beanacvecommunitymember.Volunteerinschools,aĭŷźƌķƩĻƓ͸ƭhospitalorother placeswherechildrenandparents ŋ ndandneedsupport. Learnhowtorecognizeandreportsignsofchildabuseandneglect. hp://www.pcamn.org/ INVESTIGATIONS SCHOOLRESOURCE Help Me, Grandma! OFFICER 7§ ³ ¦± £¯ ±¤³ £®¤²Ȍ³ «®µ¤ ³§¤¨± ¦± £ª¨£² ³® ³§¤ ¯®¨³ ³§¤¸ ¶®´«£ £® ©´²³ ¡®´³ ¸³§¨¦ ³® help them out of a tight spot? Grandparents are pretty universal that way and we learn it pretty SUPPORTSTAFF young; like when grandma sneaks us a cookie after mom says no. Grandmas are really good at keeping secrets. Well, it turns out the bad guys know it too. Over the last several years there has been an increasing trend of phone scams aimed at swindling the elderly out of their hardearned savings. This happens when the bad guys identify an elderly target, often through a social media outlet, RESERVES and spend some time doing their homework on the person. They learn all they can about their ³ ±¦¤³ ¨¢«´£¨¦ ³§¤ ¬¤²Ǿ ¦¤² £ ¯¤±²® « ¨¥®±¬ ³¨® ¡®´³ ®¤ ®± ¬®±¤ ®¥ ³§¤ ³ ±¦¤³Ȍ² grandchildren. After they have all the information they need, one of the suspects calls the elderly target and poses as his or her grandchild. The very convincing sounding imposter tells the unaware target that they have been arrested in some distant place and they need grandma to CHAPLAINS wire a large amount of bail money to get them out of jail. The suspect then hands the phone to another very ocial sounding person who identi ǁ es themselves as a law enforcement ocial. This phony law enforcement (L.E.) ocial explains how, where and how much money to wire to secure the release of their grandchild. He also warn² ³§¤ ¦± £¯ ±¤³ ®³ ³® ¢ «« ³§¤ ¢§¨«£Ȍ² ¯ ±¤³² ²® ³§¤¸ £®Ȍ³ ± ¨²¤ ´£´¤ « ±¬ȁ /¢¤ ³§¤ money is wired, there is no recourse to regain it, the money is gone for good. It is vitally important to remember; if you receive a call from someone claiming to be a loved one who is asking for money to be wired immediately, be careful. Hangup the phone and call the person who claimed to have just called you at a number you know to be theirs. Con ǁ rm their whereabouts and when you learn you were a target of a scam, be sure to call the police and make Њ a report. Keep in mind, the POLICE WILL NEVER CALL AND ASK FOR MONEY of any kind. Ћ Found Property Friday 07:33 hours Officer John Larrive took in some found property from a woman who stated she found a black canvas bag on the side of the street as she was driving by. It the bag contained an Olympus-Pen PL1 camera, telescoping lens, SD card and a thumb drive. Larrive was unable to locate any information on its owner so placed the property into evidence. Suspicious Person Saturday 23:51 hours While on routine patrol, Officer Denise Urmann observed a female walking on Hwy 13. The weather conditions were cold and extremely windy so she approached the woman to ask her what she was doing in which she stated she was escaping sex trafficking. She also accused Officer Urmann of being a Ðsex trafficker.Ñ The female seemed very agitated and wasn't making much sense. Urmann asked the female to take a seat in her squad while she did a check on her. A KOPS alert for check the welfare/psych issues came back on her out of West St Paul. A WSP Officer then arrived and told her she needed to go to the hospital on a psychiatric hold. Disturbing the Peace/Minor Consumption Sunday 01:33 hours Officer Robin Nelson along with Officer Denise Urmann and Sergeant Peyton Fleming responded to a hotel on a noise complaint. Officers arrived to the hotel room to find several individuals in the room drinking. PBTÓs were given to the underage individuals and three Minor Consumption citations were issued. One citation was issued for Giving a Peace Officer a False Name. Hotel Manager requested the party be evicted for the night. Stolen Vehicle/Located Vehicle Wednesday 06:48 hours Officer Robin Nelson responded to a home on a vehicle theft report. Nelson was met by the vehicle owner who stated that as her husband was leaving for work, he noticed her car was missing and that his car had been burglarized. Inside his car, a spare key to his wifeÓs car was kept and could not be found. On 4/2, Nelson received a phone call from the Minneapolis Police Department who stated their Officers were out with the stolen vehicle. Apparently a short pursuit ensued, the vehicle ended up in a yard and the occupants attempted to flee on foot. The driver was apprehended. Threats/Assault Wednesday 19:37 hours Officer Mike Shepard along with Sergeant Tanner Spicer responded to a senior living facility on a threats call. The complainant reported that her neighbor went at her and threatened to Ðkick her assÑ because she always calls the police on him. A PCA at the building intervened. The woman is terrified of her male neighbor and said he always slams on their mutual wall to scare her. Officers spoke with both parties as well as witnesses and got recorded statements. It was determined that the male does have some psychological issues and due to the frequency of the threats and the fear in the woman of her neighbor, the male was arrested and charged with Disorderly Conduct and 5th Degree Assault. Ћ Ќ Ќ Ѝ ΏΒȝΑΖȡΏΓȝΏΑ2015YTD CallsforService1351,595 On a lighter sideÈ Citations13146 AwomancameintothePD lobbytorequestan Warnings13125 accidentreportfrom February.Shewentonto PoliceReports12239 explainalilemoreabout itandsaidsheǞğƭƓ͸Ʒ ResponseTimeAverage4.395.03 reallysuretheOcers namebutdidknow, Check out the MH Crime Map! Click below to search your neighborhood: ͻƷŷğƷhewassupergood https://www.raidsonline.com ƌƚƚƉźƓ͸anditwaswell 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, MN 55118 worththeğĭĭźķĻƓƷͧͼ Wethenchuckledtogether andthenIexplainedwe haveatendaywindowto getherthedatashe requested.Shethenle. IfyouareaMendotaHeightsresidentandyouare Curiositygotthebestof goingoutoftownoronvacation meandIhadto ŋ ndout whotheOcerwasright away! Drumrollplease OcerBobbyLambert! Icalledthewomansame daytoletherknowher reportwasreadyfor pickupandthatźƷ͸ƭher CarSeatSafetyChecks luckyday;OcerLambert wasindeedworkingandhe mayjusthanddeliverthe reporttoher;) Courtesyof:RecordsSta,TristaMiller Please send us your positive MedicationDisposalBox feedback on our staff to: pdrecords@ mendota-heights.com Your feedback is greatly appreciated and helps boost the morale of our staff. Ѝ HAVE A SAFE WEEK! Mission Statement ThemissionofParks&RecreationDepartmentistoprovidefacilities,activities,and parklandstoenrichthelivesof and . Parks Commission Members Dav Parks and Commission TheParks and Commission is a sevenmemberadvisoryboard to thecitycouncil on matters relating to parks and including: Plan and develop programs and activities. Develop schedules of hours and fees for the use of recreational trails and park facilities. Study possible government and private foundation grants available for the acquisition and development of park and trail facilities. Develop plans for improvement and betterment of existing facilities. Develop plans for acquisition of additional facilities. Coordinate recreational trail and park activities with other community organizations and groups. Parks and Recreation Staff ...........Parks Maintenance P.........Parks Maintenance..................... .Parks Maintenance...................... Recreation.............................. TheParksandRecreationDepartmentemploy part-timeseasonalemployees. Parks Department Parksstaffannuallymaintainsmorethanacresof publicland. FacilitiesunderthestewardshipoftheParks Departmentincluded picnic shelters,1fishingpier, softballand baseball fields,, 1 cross country ski trail, 4skating rinks, milesof trails, playgrounds, tennisbasketballcourts, and askatepark. 201 Parks Department Highlights Parks staff continuetoprovidesupport and facilities for manycommunity festivals and events. Park Facilitieshostedthefollowinglargescalespecialevents: Recreation Department Highlights courage the use of parks and trails, and promote an active lifestyle. Programs : in 201 the Recreation Departmentoffered: 3 Adult with over participants withparticipants with 392participants withparticipants 11 Youth Programs with 404 participants New Programs include Coordination Volunteer EffortsPark Partners trails, beautifying community spaces such as the and volunteering to clean upliter and debris. Park keep beautiful and a greatplace to live. . . The The Over youth . T Ready Keeping Minnesota SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IS APRIL 13-17, 2015 This is the time to reach out to your community and help them get ready for the severe weather season. Minnesota media outlets will be highlighting this information, so this is a great time to encourage your local residents and businesses to review their emergency preparedness plans and teach them how to be prepared and ready for a safe and enjoyable summer season. STATEWIDE TORNADO DRILLS ARE SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 161:45 P.M. 6:55 P.M . THURSDAY, ATAND Be aware! Sirens and NOAA weather radios are expected to sound for the two tornado drills across the state, so use this excellent opportunity to conduct community outreach and safety education. During Severe Weather Awareness Week each day’s theme highlights one of the top weather threats in Minnesota and how to be informed and prepared for them. Each day of the week focuses on a different topic. Monday — Alerts and Warnings Tuesday — Severe Weather, Lightning and Hail Wednesday — Floods Thursday — Tornadoes (with statewide tornado drills) Friday — Extreme Heat 50ANNIVERSARY OF TWO SEVERE WEATHER DISASTERS TH In April of 1965, spring snow melt resulted in record breaking seasonal floods across the state and especially along the Mississippi River - putting parts of St. Paul, Winona, Wabasha, and other communities underwater. Just a few weeks later, on May 6, 1965 a series of severe storms spawned the worst tornado outbreak in Twin Cities history when six tornadoes swept across the western and northern parts of the metro area including cities of Minneapolis and Fridley, killing 13 people, and injuring hundreds more. In observing these tragic anniversaries, HSEM calls on Minnesotans to not only remember them and the human costs but also to reflect on how we can minimize the effects of future weather events. Science and technology have advanced now to the point of being able to provide early, accurate, real-time warnings directly to threatened communities and even to send emergency warnings directly to people’s cell phones who are in the path of danger. HELP PROMOTE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESSIN YOUR COMMUNITY Specific information about these topics, including factsheets, checklists, data and other resources, is provided on websites. the HSEM Weather Safety or at the National Weather Service, Chanhassen Contact us for comments, questions or support at ready.minnesota@state.mn.us