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2003-09-26 Friday News The Friday News September 26, 2003 Joint City Council/Planning Commission Workshop The Planning Commission and the City Council recently suggested that there be a joint Council/Planning Commission workshop this year. Some of the topics suggested for discussion include: variance criteria, in- fill development policy and expectations of the City Planner. The City Council set the workshop for th September 30 at 7:00 PM. The topics will include infill development, variances and the role of the City Planner. This meeting is open to the public and residents are encouraged to attend. MnDOT Says No to Replacing Advanced Warning Flashers In August, I sent a letter to MnDOT requesting that the Advanced Warning Flashers on TH 110 be reinstalled after MnDOT recently removed them. I just received a letter from MnDOT denying the request. Their reasons for denial are that the AWF’s are not warranted in these locations and that they add delay to the system. Please see the attached letter. Northern Dakota County Chamber – The Big Fun Event th The Northern Dakota County Chamber will hold “The Big Fun Event” on Friday, October 24 at 7:00 PM at Mendakota Country Club. Take a tour through the 1930’s, 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s. Dine on delicious cuisine. Enjoy live entertainment such as a complimentary casino night, celebrity look-alikes and music from the eras you treasure. Bid on items in the silent auction, have your future read to you by a fortuneteller and much more. This is an event you won’t want to miss. Proceeds from the event benefit the NDC Chamber Charitable Foundation and a portion of your contribution is tax deductible. Tickets are $50 each. Reservations can be made by calling the NDC Chamber office at (651) 452-9872, or tickets can be purchased on line at www.ndcchambers.com. 55th Annual Firefighter’s Dance The Mendota Heights Fire Department will be having their annual Firefighter's Dance on Friday, October 24th. This year's event will be held at Prom Expo in Oakdale. Advance tickets are on sale now for $8.00 or $10.00 at the door. Music by The Dweebs will begin at 8:30 P.M. The Dweebs have a large following. Last year's event was very successful; it is advised that you arrive early. There is no guaranteed seating. This is a Fire Department fund-raiser. The funds that are raised through ticket sales and donations support fire prevention activities, uniforms, and other department needs that are not part of the city budget. Firefighters have already begun going door-to-door selling dance tickets. The Mendota Heights Fire Department provides fire protection to Mendota Heights, Mendota, Lilydale and Sunfish Lake. There are organizations that solicit funds by telephone, but these groups do not assist, nor are associated with, the Mendota Heights Fire Department. It is not possible for firefighters to stop by every residence. Anyone who has questions, needs tickets or would like to make a donation to the Fire Department should call City Hall at 452-1850. City Receives Six RFPs for Prosecution Services In August, the City Council authorized staff to proceed with requests for proposals for Prosecutorial Services. The deadline for the submissions was Friday. The City received six proposals from various firms, including one from our current prosecutor Martin Costello. Chief Aschenbrener and myself will be reviewing the RFP’s and making a recommendation of the top three proposals to the City Council at the th October 7 City Council meeting. Jeans are Ok for United Way Once again, the City is participating in "Jeans Are Okay for United Way" in the month of October. Employees donate a dollar for each day they want to wear jeans to work during the month. So when you see us wearing jeans, know that it’s for a good cause! Thanks for giving to the United Way! State Building Code Division Seeking Advisory Committee Members The State Building Code Division is creating several advisory committees to assist with the 2003 code adoption cycle. The division is looking to fill seats on these committees with industry representatives that can contribute their knowledge and expertise to the code adoption process. The following six advisory committees will review relevant codes and develop any necessary amendments to these rule chapters: 1300 Advisory Committee: Administrative chapter of the State Building Code, 1305 Advisory Committee: International Building Code (IBC), 1306 Advisory Committee: Optional special fire protection systems, 1309 Advisory Committee: International Residential Code (IRC), 1311 Advisory Committee: Existing buildings rehab guidelines, and Structural Advisory Committee: Structural aspects of the building code. The division designated the League of Minnesota Cities one seat on the 1300 Code Administration Advisory Committee, two seats on the 1306 Special Fire Protection Advisory Committee, one seat on the IRC Advisory Committee, and one seat on the 1311 Existing Building Rehab Advisory Committee. The League is looking for qualified individuals and alternates to serve on these committees and to assist the division with reviewing and amending these code chapters. If you are interested in participating on one of these advisory committees, please contact Laura Offerdahl, LMC, as soon as possible at (651) 281-1260 or lofferdahl@lmnc.org. The League will forward appointment forms to interested individuals. Dakota County Transportation Plan Update Public Open Houses In February, the Dakota County Office of Planning and Transportation Dept. held two public open houses to collect comments for its update to the Transportation Plan. A second open house is now planned for October th 15, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Dakota County Western Service Center. Ad for Landscape features in Hidden Creek See the attached ad from Southview Design featuring Hidden Creek. The ad shows the landscaping plans and describes the Hidden Creek project as well. Heights Highlites The next edition of the Heights Highlites will be in your mailbox soon! Final Thought "As long as you live, you'll never find a method as effective in getting through to another person as making that person feel important." -- Will Rogers Respectfully Submitted, Cari Lindberg Administrator Attachments: Pipeline, Just the Facts, Joint workshop agenda, Planning Synopsis, Dakota County Homeland Security Health Alert, Southview Design ad ”Not your typical new development, Hidden Creek,” Southwest Review article “Mendota Heights torches the last remnant of its rural past,” Highland Villager article “Judge to hear Par 3’s suit against Mendota Heights,” Sun Current article “MH Council opens EAW for 30 day comment period,” Sept. 12 letter from MnDOT, and AMM News.