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2015-12-31 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: January 1 New Year’s Day City offices will be closed for the holiday. City offices will re-open on Monday, January 4th at 8:00 a.m. January 4 City Council Workshop 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. January 5 City Council 7:00 p.m. January 12 Parks Commission 6:30 p.m. January 13 Airport Commission 7:00 p.m. January 18 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. City offices will be closed for the holiday. City offices will re-open on Tuesday, January 19 at 8:00 a.m. Attachments: Pipeline, Just the Facts December 31, 2015 Mendota Heights Website Redesign This fall, the City Council gave staff direction to move forward with the redesign of the City’s website. Staff will be working with GovOffice to provide an updated and fresh look to the City’s website in 2016. If you have a digital photo that represents Mendota Heights that you would like to contribute for the website, please contact Tamara Schutta by calling 651.255.1356. We are looking for nature, wildlife, city scenes and events. Recycle Your Holiday Lights Mendota Heights City Hall is a collection site through Friday, February 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, battery packs, plastic rope lights or CFL lights will not be accepted. Soaring Eagles –2011 Photo Contest Warming Houses Set To Open Friday, January 1, 2016 Our seasonal rink flooders have been busy flooding the ice rinks the past week and warming houses are scheduled to open Friday, January 1, 2016 from Noon to 8 p.m. Our cheerful seasonal warming house attendants are ready to greet skaters. The warming house hours are from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Park Locations Friendly Hills Park: 2360 Pueblo Lane Ivy Hills Park: 636 Butler Ave (no warming house) Marie Park: 1780 Lilac Lane Wentworth Park: 739 Wentworth Ave For additional information call the ice rink/warming house hotline at 651.255.1174. Public Works The hockey rinks are scheduled to open tomorrow (Friday, January 1st). The Parks Crew plowed snow this week. They did hockey board repairs at Friendly Hills Park. The hockey nets were brought to the hockey rinks. Trash was picked up every day in the parks. Repair work was done on the Toro. The Utilities Crew checked the lift stations daily. He plowed the cul-de-sacs and lift stations. A pump was pulled from the Northland lift station and plastic was removed. The Streets Crew plowed and salted the streets on Saturday. On Monday, they loaded the trucks with salt, greased the sanders and plows, and fueled the trucks in preparation for the snow storm. They had a midnight start on Tuesday when they plowed and salted all streets twice. The bridge decks were cleared of snow. The pedways were also plowed. Engineering City Projects (construction year) New Information in Italics Victoria Road Reconstruction & Rolling Green Neighborhood Rehabilitation (2014/2015) – Project is essentially complete. Minor punch list items will be completed in the spring including, landscape work and fence installation. Annual Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation (2015) – Contractor has completed the work on the project. Lining sanitary sewer mains helps to prevent groundwater & storm water from infiltrating into the sanitary sewer system. By preventing infiltration, increases to sanitary sewer bills can be better controlled. Areas to be 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 December. The Pipeline N E W S L E T T E R Public Works Engineering Code Enforcement December 31, 2015 Mendota Road Neighborhood Improvements (2016) – City staff has begun designing the project. A formal Public Hearing was held on November 17 th during the regular City Council Meeting. Design is being based on comments received from area residents. The project is expected to be bid in March 2016. 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 will be presenting at the January 5th City Council meeting their recommendation for the structure type for the pedestrian crossing. The County Physical Development Committee will hear the same recommendation at their January 12th meeting. The County Board, ultimately will select the structure type for the project to move forward. If approved, the pedestrian crossing 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) – MnDOT has granted a permit to temporarily close Highway 13 between the Ivy Falls Bridge and Sylvandale Road in conjunction with a slope repair project being accomplished by a private property owner. Road is expected to reopen on Monday January 4th. 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 by constructing a retaining wall and revegetating 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 110 Rehabilitation (2017) – State survey crews were out this week marking the Right-of-Way limits of the project. Utility locations will follow in the coming weeks. MnDOT will be requesting Local Government Concurrence from Mendota Heights for this project at a City Council meeting sometime in January or February. This project will resurface Highway 110 between I-35E and I-494, including drainage improvements. Several access changes and turn lane extensions are proposed with the project, including changes to accesses across the median as well as closing the right -in/right- out to the east of Lexington Avenue. 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 after the first of the year 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 installation 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 –The competition is open to 6th-8th grade students and involves developing a “City of the Future.” Teams are graded on a virtual city using Sim City software, completing a project schedule, a 1500 word essay, scale model, and oral presentation. The State competition is at Dunwoody Institute on January 23rd. 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 competition in January. Saint Paul Regional Water Service (SPRWS) Water Service Agreement – Staff is scheduling several additional approvals that will need to take place in conjunction with the approval of the new Omnibus 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 – anticipated at the November 17th City Council meeting; approved 2) An easement agreement(s) for SPRWS access to the water tower across city property 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. City-Wide Trail Plan Update – Staff met with representatives from Dakota County to talk about grant opportunities to complete the City-wide Trail Improvement and Maintenance Plan (TIMP). Completing this plan will benefit the renewal/revision of the City’s Comprehensive plan that is due to kick off at the end of 2016. To obtain grant money, the TIMP would need to be consistent with County Master Plans for the River to River Greenway and the Mendota-Lebanon Hills Greenway. Staff anticipated requesting City Council for authorization to apply for grant funds at an upcoming January Council meeting. Engineering Basics Seminar (March 2, 2016 – Eagan Community Center) - Staff has been working with other Public Works/Engineering staff from other municipalities in Dakota County to build a curriculum for a seminar covering the essential functions of City Engineering/Public Works staff. The seminar is intended to offer background in infrastructure systems (streets, water supply, sanitary sewer, surface/storm water, environmental, etc.) to city officials that do not necessarily have an engineering background. Participants in the seminar may include, but are not necessarily limited to City Council members, appointed commission members, Director/ management level City staff. Once a day is set, invitations will be sent out through the City Administrators. The seminar is set for March 2nd, 2016 at the Eagan Community Center from 6:00pm – 9:00pm. Invitation will be sent out after the first of the year. 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 Becky Pentel RESERVES Randy Pentel Jim Knox Jeff Parker CHAPLAINS Butch Millett John Snider Alberto Vargas Lynn Liberman Sue Plucker Joel Detlefsen Lenny Andrie JANUARY 01, 2016 VEHICLE SURVIVAL KIT There are many advantages to being trained for medical emergencies. You do not need to be a trained medical professional however, learning the basics to saving a life is very important. Training can be in many areas such as CPR, AED, Adult & Pediatric First Aid, First Responder and many more. Taking the Ɵme to get cerƟﬁed will give you the skills to be able to save someone you love or save someone loved by others. Young children can tend to choke easily so being CPR CerƟﬁed can help make for a quick recovery. An ambulance can take minutes to get to a vicƟm so maintaining an individual unƟl medics arrive can be crucial. Having more people trained than less is always beƩer. There is an abundance of faciliƟes offering training here in the Twin CiƟes. Here are just a few of the many opƟons: AMERICAN RED CROSS INPULSE CPR TWIN CITIES SAFETY YMCA SAVE A LIFE MN AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION Winter in Minnesota has arrived at last, and while we may not be ready for it, your car should be prepped for winter travel? Here are some survival Ɵps from DMV.org: “How to Pack an Emergency Kit: Ensure your car has a full tank of gas, ﬁlled Ɵres and the oil, washer ﬂuid and anƟfreeze are topped off. Pack an emergency kit in a durable, waterproof bag and keep it in an accessible place in your vehi- cle. Include food and water, tools, warm blankets, sleeping bags or clothing, and helpful items like ﬂares or ﬂuorescent clothing, wipes/saniƟzer, duct tape, dry towels/rags, garbage bags. Do not stand on the highway while checking your vehicle or waiƟng for help—if you need to move your vehicle off the roadway, exercise extreme cauƟon. While waiƟng for help you are safer inside your vehicle—keep the doors locked and the windows up unƟl help arrives. During daylight, raise your hood and Ɵe a brightly colored cloth to your antenna or door handle. At night, turn on your ﬂashers. Happy Holiday Travels and all the best in 2016! 2 3 CHILD’S NAME AGE (0-3): ADDRESS PHONE: SCHOOL TEACHER’S NAME GRADE: PLEASE RETURN COLORING CONTEST PAGE AND ENTRY FORM NO LATER THAN 4:30PM FRI, JAN 22ND Ages 0—3 4 CHILD’S NAME AGE (4-6): ADDRESS PHONE: SCHOOL TEACHER’S NAME GRADE: PLEASE RETURN COLORING CONTEST PAGE AND ENTRY FORM NO LATER THAN 4:30PM FRI, JAN 22ND Ages 4—6 5 CHILD’S NAME AGE (7-10): ADDRESS PHONE: SCHOOL TEACHER’S NAME GRADE: PLEASE RETURN COLORING CONTEST PAGE AND ENTRY FORM NO LATER THAN 4:30PM FRI, JAN 22ND Ages 7—10 6 PROPERTY DAMAGE ACCIDENT FRIDAY 1338 HOURS Officer Todd Rosse responded to a local business parking lot on a one vehicle property damage accident. Upon arrival, he was met by the vehicle driver who stated she had a MN Instructional Permit and was practicing driving in the parking lot when she mistakenly hit the gas pedal instead of the brake and struck a metal bench causing damage to the bench and front end damage to her vehicle. The vehicle was a rental so she was advised to notify the rental car company and notify them of the damage. WARRANT ARREST SUNDAY 1333 HOURS While on routine patrol, Sergeant Tanner Spicer ran a license plate and the registered owner came back as having a warrant for his arrest out of Dakota County. Spicer stopped the vehicle, made contact with the driver and notified him of the warrant. He was advised that he could either post bail and receive a court date or go to jail. He chose bail money. THEFT MONDAY 1133 HOURS Officer John Larrive spoke with a woman who stated that sometime over the past two to three months, someone stole her box of sterling silver jewelry out of her locked storage unit. The box was a set for twelve people and valued over $1,000. There was no damage to the storage unit door and the area in which the units are kept can be accessed by all tenants. Case inactive at this time. STOLEN PLATE MONDAY 1147 HOURS Officer Phil McCarty spoke with a woman who stated that she went on vacation 12/20-12/27 and had parked her vehicle in the underground parking garage. When she returned from vacation, she noticed her rear license plate had been removed. She did mention that the cab driver who brought her to the airport asked her several questions such as, where are you going? How long will you be gone? Etc. She thought that was very strange. Nothing further at this time. THEFT MONDAY 1413 HOURS Officer Larrive received a report from the Department of Human Services that a vulnerable adult was de- frauded out of monies from a caregiver. The event was found to have occurred in St Paul; case referred to Social Services and St Paul Police Department. ACCIDENT MONDAY 1230 HOURS Officer Jenny Fordham responded to an accident that had occurred in a parking lot. Parties exchanged infor- mation but during the process, it was found false insurance information was given. Charges pending. 7 JUV WEAPON/CRISIS MONDAY 1730 HOURS Officer Fordham and Sergeant Fleming responded to a report of a missing juvenile, which turned into a suicidal juvenile with a gun in a park. Officers from nearby agencies responded and in cooperation (and some snazzy technology), ensured a safe outcome for the juvenile and officers. Charges pending. THEFT TUESDAY 1150 HOURS Officer Larrive responded to a local business to take a report of theft. The employee reported that a female had been loitering in a store and while the employee was busy, stole a phone that had been on the counter for display. The employee realized it a few minutes after she left. Minimal evidence and follow-up available; case inactive. DISTURBANCE TUESDAY 2338 HOURS Officer Mike Shepard responded to a group home with Sergeant Fleming and Officer Nelson on report of a resident out of control. Upon arrival, officers found that while there were some behavioral events occurring, they did not meet the threshold for a transport hold or removal from the home. After ensuring things were again calm, officers cleared with no further action. DETOX WEDNESDAY 1358 HOURS Officer McCarty responded to a local motel on report of an intoxicated woman. The party was found to be heavily intoxicated and unable to care for herself. She was also attempting to get into other people’s vehicle’s. Female transported to detox facility. 8 12/25 ‐ 12/31 2015 YTD Calls for Service 113 7252 Citations 10 584 Warnings 20 751 Police Reports 17 1104 Response Time Average 6.98 5.42 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 helps boost the morale of our staff. HAVE A SAFE WEEK! BIG Thank You!... ...to all of the citizens who made donations towards purchasing new AED’s. A total of roughly $11,000 was donated! All of us at MHPD truly appreciate your kind generosity! We are always in need of upgrading our technology in the pursuit of pub- lic safety.