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2015-11-20 Friday NewsCity of Mendota Heights Weekly Update Mendota Heights City Hall 1101 Victoria Curve www.mendota-heights.com (651) 452.1850 Visit us on: Facebook.com/ MendotaHeightsMN Twitter.com/ @Mendota_heights DATES TO REMEMBER: November 24 Planning Commission 7:00 p.m. November 26 –27 Thanksgiving Holiday City offices will re-open on Monday, November 30th at 8:00 a.m. December 1 City Council 7:00 p.m. December 8 Parks Commission 6:30 p.m. December 9 Airport Commission 7:00 p.m. December 15 City Council 7:00 p.m. December 22 Planning Commission 7:00 p.m. Attachments: Pipeline, Just the Facts November 20, 2015 Holiday Tree Lighting Event Everyone is invited to the 10th annual tree lighƟng event at the Village of Mendota Heights. This annual event will be held on Saturday, December 5, 2015 between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Visit with Santa, stop by the peƫng zoo, take a hay ride and listen to the strolling Dickens Carolers. The tree lighƟng ceremony is set for 5:00 p.m. Stop by and visit with your neighbors and support Men- dota Heights businesses. City Hall Recycling Collection Site For Holiday Lights The City is partnering for a third year with ProAct, Inc. in an effort to collect holiday lights, electric and phone cords this holiday season. This year’s goal is to collect 500 pounds of holiday lights. Mendota Heights City Hall will be a collecƟon site through Friday, Feb- ruary 5, 2016. Residents can drop off lights, electric and phone cords Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Cord adapters, baƩery packs, plasƟc rope lights or CFL lights will not be accepted. City Seeks to Fill Commission Vacancies The City is accepƟng applicaƟons to fill a vacancy on the Planning Commission starƟng in February 2016. The Planning Commission meets once a month to review requests such as wetland permits, condiƟonal use permits and development plans for residenƟal and com- mercial properƟes. MeeƟngs are held on the fourth Tuesday of every month beginning at 7:00 pm. ApplicaƟons are also being sought to fill an unexpired term on the Parks and RecreaƟon Commission starƟng in February 2016. The Parks and RecreaƟon Commission advises the City Council on maƩers pertaining to parks and recreaƟon programs. MeeƟngs are held on the second Tuesday of every month beginning at 6:30 pm. There is also an opening for a student representaƟve to serve on the Parks and RecreaƟon Commission in an advisory capacity. A student representaƟve must be a Mendota Heights resident aƩending one of the three high schools located in the city, preferable a sophomore or junior. The student representaƟve will serve as a communicaƟon link for ideas, observa- Ɵon, concerns, saƟsfacƟons and quesƟons to the commission. This one year term begins February 2016. If you, or someone you know, is interested in serving, feel free to contact the City Adminis- trator Mark McNeill or Assistant to the City Administrator Tamara SchuƩa by calling 651.452.1850. Interested parƟes should submit a leƩer of interest and a current resume to Mark McNeill no later than Monday, December 28, 2015. Public Works The Parks Crew picked up trash in the parks daily. They hooked up the plows to the trucks and did pre-season maintenance on the trucks. The aerator was set up at Rogers Lake. All mowers were washed, waxed and put away for the season. The snow blower was installed on the John Deere tractor. The Utilities Crew checked all seven lift stations daily. Pump one was cleaned at the Northland lift station. It was plugged with rocks and wipes. Two sanitary sewer inspections were done at Lemay Shores. There was a call Monday evening for a possible sewer back up on Callahan Place. The problem was in the homeowner’s line. Callahan Place was flushed after the homeowner had the tree roots cut. The starters were cleaned and oiled at the storm lift station. Street sweeping was finished up on Monday. The Streets Crew finished putting all the plows, wings and sanders on the trucks. Blind approach signs were installed on Mendota Heights Road. The storm pipe on Bluebill that drains into Rogers Lake was cleaned of leaves. Rip rap was brought to Riverside for the spillway that leads into the pond. Vandalism bolts were installed on the stop sign on Victoria Road. Tree limbs were picked up on Kirchner Avenue that came down with the windy weather. Engineering City Projects (construction year) New Information in Italics Victoria Road Reconstruction & Rolling Green Neighborhood Rehabilitation (2014/2015) – Project restoration continued this week. Sod was laid on a portion of the project. Temporary striping is scheduled and fence installation has begun. Minor items and some landscaping remain, but may need to wait until spring for completion. Assessed property owners can pay their assessment, in full or partially, at City Hall until November 20 th. After that time the assessments will be sent to Dakota County . Annual Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation (2015) – The contractor has completed the initial sewer cleaning phase. Lining has begun. Areas to be The Pipeline N E W S L E T T E R Public Works Engineering Code Enforcement November 20, 2015 lined include Huber Drive from Bent Tree to Cheyenne, Mendota Heights Road from Pilot Knob Road to the lift station, and Rogers Lake Park area. The first 2000 feet of the interceptor line, from Highway 55 to Lexington, will also be lined. Project completion is expected by the end of November. Mendota Road Neighborhood Improvements (2016) – The Public Hearing was held on November 17th. City Council approved the project for 2016 construction. City staff has begun preparation of preliminary plans and specifications. City staff will continue to work with area residents to address potential design issues. Residents were asked to complete a survey to inform the City of specific items to address with the project (including on- street parking, drainage issues, etc.). Project will consist of reconstructing Mendota Road (Hwy 110 Frontage Road) from Delaware Avenue to Oak Street, and rehabilitating Warrior Drive, High Ridge Circle, and Sibley Court. County Projects New Information in Italics Highway 110 Greenway Trail Crossing (2017) – County staff presented City Council with three alignment options. City Council preferred the easternmost alignment and the underpass option with two large bridge decks. County staff will include City Council’s comments, along with comments from other agencies, in an upcoming County Board meeting. County staff has provided a summary of comments received at and since the October 21st open house. While the easternmost alignment seems to be preferred by those who commented, opinion is split between an overpass (bridge) and an underpass (tunnel). The alignment alternatives will be presented to the County Board on December 1st with a preferred alternative selection on December 15th. If approved, the project would be constructed with MnDOT’s rehabilitation project for Highway 110 in 2017. State Projects New Information in Italics Highway 13 Slope Repair (2015) – Although not a MnDOT Driven project, Highway 13 between the Ivy Falls Bridge and Sylvandale Road will be closed through early December (estimated) so slopes can be repaired and reinforced. In June of 2014, bluff slopes in this area failed during a large rain storm. This repair project is intended to restore and stabilize the slope. The posted detour route takes traffic along Dodd Road, Wentworth Avenue and Wachtler Avenue. See the City Web Page for a detour route map. Highway 13 Reconstruction (I-35E to 2nd Street) (2015) – Highway 13 is open! Minor punch-list items remain with the contractor. For more information about the MnDOT project, contact Kirsten Klein, Metro District at: kirsten.klein@state.mn.us, or 651-234-7506, or Kiet Ly, Project Engineer at kiet.t.ly@state.mn.us. The project website is: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/hwy13mendota/. Highway 110 Rehabilitation (2017) – MnDOT will be requesting Local Government Concurrence from Mendota Heights for on this project at a City Council meeting sometime in December. This project will resurface Highway 110 between I-35E and I-494, including drainage improvements. Several access changes are proposed with the project, including changes to accesses across the median as well as closing the right-in/right-out east of Lexington Avenue. MnDOT staff has met with City public safety officials to discuss access changes along the corridor. For more information about this project, contact Molly Cline, MnDOT Project Manager, at 651-234-7723 or molly.cline@state.mn.us. Highway 149 (Dodd Road) Rehabilitation (2018) – This project will replace the pavement surface of Highway 149 from I-494 north to West 7th Street in Saint Paul. The project also includes a complete re-decking of the High Bridge. Also included in the project will be drainage improvements, curb replacement in specified areas, trail rehabilitation from Highway 110 south to Mendakota Park, and new trail construction from Maple Street north to Marie Avenue. Staff will be meeting with representatives from MnDOT and Dakota County in the coming weeks to discuss potential grant opportunities to extend pedestrian facilities north of Marie Avenue. For more information, please contact Tara McBride, Project Manager at 651-234-7506, or tara.mcbride@state.mn.us. The project web page is: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/hwy149highbridge/index.html Highway 13 (Annapolis Street) Rehabilitation (2018) – MnDOT will be resurfacing Annapolis Street as part of this project in conjunction with the Highway 149 project in 2018. City staff has contacted some adjoining property owners about the possibility of sidewalk being installed on the south side of Annapolis. All responses were against the sidewalk proposal and have been forwarded to MnDOT. For more information, contact Molly Cline, MnDOT Project Manager, at 651-234-7723 or molly.cline@state.mn.us. Other Activities New Information in Italics Future Cities Competition – Staff met with the 2015 Future Cities Competition teams from Friendly Hills Middle School (FHMS) on Thursday. Students completed their project plans and schedules and continue to work through the SimCity development. They have started their slide-show submittal for their Sim City projects, and have started their outlines for the 1500 word essay. The competition is open to 6th-8th grade students and involves developing a virtual city using Sim City software, completing a project schedule, a 1500 word essay, scale model, and oral presentation. The State competition will be held at Dunwoody Institute on January 23 rd. This year’s theme is, “Waste Not – Want Not,” and will focus on how the cities of the future handle municipal and solid waste. This is the seventh year Mendota Heights’ Engineering staff has assisted FHMS with the program. FHMS will be sending three teams to the State Competition in January. Saint Paul Regional Water Service (SPRWS) Water Service Agreement – Staff is scheduling several approvals that will need to take place in conjunction with the approval of the new agreement with SPRWS. It is anticipated that all approvals will be complete by June 2016. These include: 1) A Lease Agreement for cell tower use and City storage at the water tower site; 2) An easement agreement(s) for SPRWS access to the water tower and water mains not located within City Right-of-Way; 3) Conveyance of deed, title, and ownership of the system; 4) An amended City Ordinance to reflect the new agreement; 5) An amended Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) with the other municipal partner agencies (West Saint Paul, Maplewood, Falcon Heights, Lauderdale) to gain a second seat on the Board of Commissioners.   1   The latest from the Mendota Heights Police Department CHIEF Mike Aschenbrener SERGEANTS Eric Petersen Tanner Spicer Peyton Fleming Bobby Lambert POLICE OFFICERS John Larrive Todd Rosse Jeff VonFeldt Steven Meyer Denise Urmann Michael Shepard Nick Gorgos Robin Nelson Steve Hilyar Phillip McCarty INVESTIGATIONS Chad Willson SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER Jennifer Fordham SUPPORT STAFF Kim Henning Trista Miller Lisa Brandt Becky Pentel RESERVES Randy Pentel Jim Knox Jeff Parker CHAPLAINS Butch Millett John Snider Alberto Vargas Lynn Liberman Sue Plucker Joel Detlefsen Lenny Andrie NOVEMBER 20, 2015     The final night of the 10 week Mendota Heights / West St Paul Police CiƟzen Academy was a whirlwind! Even on graduaƟon night, the learning conƟnued as they were informed on other police maƩers, including the following roles: Henry Sibley School Resource Officer, Jenny Fordham, Dakota County Drug Task Force (DTF) Agent and Drug Dog Reserve Officers and Police Chaplains, K‐9 Mike and his Officer Mike Elam City and County AƩorneys The students enjoyed hearing about these roles that remain unknown to the general public, yet play criƟcal roles to our ciƟzens and to our public safety partners. Overall, this season proved to be an eye‐opening seƫng for our students as they experienced the training, laws and reality of law enforcement & public safety personnel. If you have thought about joining this program, watch the city website for next year’s informaƟon. It is typically held every Thursday in the fall, September thru November, for ciƟzens of Mendota Heights & West St Paul. It is a great avenue toward fostering community/police relaƟonships. POLICE CITIZEN ACADEMY GRADUTAION NIGHT!   2   FELONY THEFT WEDNESDAY 1518 HOURS Sergeant Eric Petersen responded to a local gas station on report of theft. Upon arrival he learned the suspect was an employee who had been stealing for awhile. Documentation was provided and the suspect admitted to the theft over $2000 in merchandise. Felony Theft charges were filed by the DC Attorney. DWI REFUSAL/ACCIDENT WEDNESDAY 1710 HOURS Sergeants Bobby Lambert and Eric Petersen with Officer Todd Rosse were called on report of a taxi that had driv- en into a holding pond. Witnesses said the vehicle was sinking and someone was inside, but dispatch was soon updated that the occupant was out and trying to swim to shore. Officers arrived, observed the submerged vehicle and stumbling driver attempting to make it to shore. A rescue disc was utilized and the driver was pulled to safety. The driver informed the officers that he had responded to the college to pick up a fare, but entered it, headed thru it, then over the curb, up the embankment and then down into the pond, which is about 30 yards from the park- ing lot destination. During this discussion, the strong smell of alcohol was coming from the driver. Ambulances responded and checked him out but refused any medical care, insisting he was fine, and stating he had headed off course due to the heavy rain. Officers investigated further and the driver submitted to a breath sample, but all at- tempts throughout the incident were insufficient and the driver was uncooperative with the testing and implied consent process. He was charged by formal complaint with Gross Misdemeanor DUI Test Refusal and booked into the Dakota County Jail. SALE OF ALCOHOL/TOBACCO TO A MINOR THURSDAY 1751 HOURS Officer Mike Shepard, the MH Alcohol & Tobacco Compliance Officer, conducted compliance checks on local businesses. Through the compliance checks, four businesses had employees who served underage persons: two tobacco violations and two alcohol violations. Compliance checks are conducted in accordance with state and city ordinance. The server receives criminal violations while the business will receive civil penalties. SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE/DRUGS THURSDAY 1718 HOURS Officers were called to a business for a person held against their will and a possible firearm. The vehicle and de- scription of one involved party was given. Upon arrival a large white box truck was found and someone entering the vehicle. The vehicle was approached, occupants were found and ordered out. However, as officer cleared the truck uncooperative occupants were eventually found hiding inside the cab portion and two other related subjects were found in the store. Once officers gained entry to the cargo area, they found a mobile workshop with sleeping compartment within. A K—9 was called to respond to clear the compartment. Meanwhile, evidence of illegal drug use was found inside the store where the females were found; they were subsequently arrested. The K-9 soon ar- rived, cleared the vehicle of additional persons and hit on drug. The truck was seized pending a search warrant and involved parties were interviewed and statements were taken. Case pending investigation. SUICIDE MONDAY 2347 HOUR Officer Nick Gorgos headed to a group home on report of a suicidal patient. Upon arrival, he found the party who indicated she had suicidal thoughts and was willing to go the hospital for evaluation.   3   FRAUD TUESDAY 1553 HOURS Officer Phil McCarty took a walk in report from a party who had been notified by her mobile phone vendor that fraudulent charges were found on her account and her identity was compromised. Steps were taken and the victim was not out any funds. Case inactive. WELFARE CHECK TUESDAY 1726 HOURS A mother called to request a welfare check on her five year child who was with her father per the custody agree- ment. The child had not called by the specified time. Upon arrival, Officer Phil McCarty found the child was found happy and in good health with her father. Mother was notified and officers cleared. THEFT WEDNESDAY 15:18 HOURS A cell phone was reported stolen from a break room at a local business. Information was gathered by Officer Rob- in Nelson for investigation. The phone was later found. Officer Cleared, case unfounded. ACCIDENT WEDNESDAY 1012 HOURS A truck driver, who admitted to following the vehicle in front of him to closely, swerved to avoid a collision when it quickly stopped. The truck struck a utility pole. MSP waived a vehicle inspection but the driver has not yet pro- vided proof of insurance. Traffic Citation pending. COUNTERFEIT WEDNESDAY 1052 HOURS Employee reported a suspect provided them with counterfeit money during a transaction. Upon arrival, Sergeant Tanner Spicer arrived to inspect the counterfeit money. He learned the many had come into the store and pre- paid for his gas with a $50 bill. The employee thought it was fake, confronted him and asked for the change back. The counterfeit money was handed back to the suspect and the suspect was gone. Case inactive pending follow-up information. PROPERTY DAMAGE WEDNESDAY 1750 HOURS Officer Robin Nelson responded to a business on report of a smashed window of a vehicle. No suspect infor- mation or witnesses were found. Case inactive. DOMESTIC, Part I WEDNESDAY 1210 HOURS Sergeant Spicer and Officer John Larrive responded to a residence on report of a domestic. The female, intoxicat- ed suspect had evidently hit the reporting party and threw his property. The victim only wanted to retrieve his property and leave; he did not want to press charges. Officers cleared, no charges. DOMESTIC, Part II WEDNESDAY 2147 HOURS A mother called to report her intoxicated daughter (see above) had assaulted her. The daughter reportedly smacked her mom’s head against the wall, punched her and ripped the phone out of the wall. The daughter’s PBT came back as .309. Due to her condition she was taken to the hospital; formal charges are pending.   4     11/13 ‐ 11/19 2015 YTD Calls for Service 103 6433 Citations 11 504 Warnings 12 642 Police Reports 19 969 Response Time Average 5.72 5.4 Check out the MH Crime Map! Click below to search your neighborhood: https://www.raidsonline.com 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, MN 55118 If you are a Mendota Heights resident and you are going out of town or on vacation, you can notify MHPD of your outing and we will be more than happy to keep a watchful eye on your home while you are away. The House Check Request online form is available on our website; you can complete a form found in our lobby, or simply give us a call and we’ll help you out. MHPD offers monthly Car Seat Safety Checks. To schedule an appointment, call 651.452.1366 or email jennyf@mendota‐heights.com to contact Ofϐicer Jennifer Fordham. MHPD has a Medication Disposal Box in the lobby of the P D w h e r e D a k o t a C o u n t y r e s i d e n t s c a n s a f e l y a n d anonymously dispose of their prescription drugs and over‐the‐counter medication. Please send us your positive feedback on our staff to: pdrecords@ mendota-heights.com Your feedback is greatly appreciated and HAVE A SAFE WEEK! When you are worried or feel unsafe or unseƩled, especially during these Ɵmes of unrest, we would like to remind you of our commitment to you and your families: We will protect and serve our community, our ciƟ‐ zens and the public at large. We will stand be‐ tween you and the threat We are here to assist our fellow public safety part‐ ners in their efforts to protect and serve ciƟ‐ zens also. We care about our com‐ munity and the persons and property within. We want you to feel safe and we are here to ensure that.