Loading...
2004-01-02 Friday NewsThe Friday News � �� January 2, 2004 ( —A Slow Week With New Year's day occurring Thursday this week a member of our City staff, and I think people at all other organizations used the opportunity to take some time off. It was really quiet around City Hall. The phones were not ringing and not many customers were coming in the door so it was a good week to get caught up on things. John Maczko's mother ill John Maczko informed me today that his mother Rita became ill this week and is in St. Joseph's Hospital for some tests. Rita is a very important part of the City's election process and she serves as an election judge captain. Rita is also on Mendota Heights Fire Auxilliary and always helps the Red Cross with their blood drive at St. Peter's Church. We here at City Hall all know her very well and wish her the best. Bernie Bullert Replaced We have worked closely with Bernie Bullert at St. Paul Regional Water Services over the many years, but particularly closely this last year when we were negotiating a polential change to our contract with them. Bernie retired in November and has now been replaced (see attached Pipeline Express). City EnjZineer Applications for the City Engineering position have are been sent to Council for their review. Respectfully Submitted Jim Danielson Administrator Attachinents: Pipeline, Just the Facts, City Council Agenda and Pipeline Express. NEWS o LETTER ThePipelmine Public Works Engineering Code Enforcement December 31, 2003 Year End Data Reporting The Engineering Department is starting to receive the highly anticipated laundry list of year end reports that must be submitted to different governmental agencies. So far we have received the Municipal State Aid (MSA) Certification of Needs and Mileage, and the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) 2003 Surveys of Sewer Use and On -Site Septic Systems. These two reports are due by mid to late January. Marc Mogan attended a workshop at Bonestroo Rosene Anderlik to find out what information is expected to be provided in conjunction with the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) - Phase II report that must be submitted to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) later this spring. Burow Pond Development The City has received the last three payments for the assessments for the seven new lots in Burow Pond. These payments cover the remaining costs incurred associated with construction of the improvements to serve the development. Somerset Neighborhood The Engineering Department completed compiling the preliminary field survey data in the Somerset neighborhood over this past week. Town Center The engineering company hired by Gateway Bank to prepare the site layout plans for the permanent Gateway Bank building contacted the Engineering Department for utility as -built information this week. IlIl 12 Il no 2 Happy New Year! ! TA 14" 4-,tW4 �4V41114 t4Z4,414 Htlp PVtCZ Domestic Assault 12-25-2003 1237 hours Sergeant Donn Anderson and Officer Eric Petersen responded to a call of a domestic assault. The Officers were called after the suspect had left the residence. Upon arrival they were informed that the ex-boyfriend had come over to pick up his son for visitation. The ex- boyfriend decided that he was going to take the Playstation for their son to use during the visit. A tug of war over the Playstation ensued and the female ended up being flipped over the couch. Officers were not able to locate the suspect during the time limit and formal charges are being sought. Open Bottle / Possession of Marijuana 12-26-2003 0216 hours While on patrol, Sergeant John Larrive spotted a van parked between two closed Lilydale - I - businesses. When he went to investigate the van pulled away. After stopping the van, he made contact and immediately observed a highball glass with a mixed drink and ice inside. The driver smelled heavily of alcohol and was checked for DUI. The owner was in the far back of the van. She was not happy about being stopped. When she stepped out, an open bottle of beer rolled out and became stuck in the open door, spilling most of its contents on the floor of the van. The driver and passengers were cited for open bottle and released at the scene. The registered owner of the van was extremely intoxicated (.236 BAC on a PBT). After being cited for allowing open bottle and possession of marijuana, she was released to Dakota County Detox. DUI 12-26-03 0435 hours Officer Lee Flandrich was dispatched to a vehicle stuck in a back yard just off of Huber Drive. (When Officer Flandrich made contact with party in the driver's seat, he stepped out leaving the car in Continued from page 1 reverse, he was turned over to Sergeant Larrive.) Sergeant Larrive tested him and cited him for minor consumption. Officer Flandrich dealt with the person who had driven into the back yard. He also had obviously been drinking. When asked how much? He replied "None." After failing all of the SFST's, he was arrested and brought to the PD and read Implied Consent. He did provide a urine sample which will be sent to the BCA for testing. Formal charging to follow the test results. Accident 12-28-03 0531 hours Officer Lee Flandrich responded to an accident on Lilydale Road at the rail road trestle. Upon arrival, he found a Blazer stuck against the trestle with heavy front end damage and no one around. Officers were not able to locate the driver. The vehicle was impounded; investigation to continue. Too Much Celebration / Detox 12-29-03 2058 hours Officer Tanner Spicer responded to the Subway on a complaint about a man asking customers for money. Officer Spicer located an extremely intoxicated man between Amoco and McDonalds. After a PBT revealed a BAC of .254, the party was transported to Dakota County Detox. After the man was removed the employees at Amoco reported that he had offered to sell them his watch for $5.00 for gas for the car he drove up in. The car was towed by Southeast. Stolen Vehicle 12-30-03 0120 hours While on patrol, Officer Flandrich pulled onto the freeway and observed a Suburban that was doing its best to stay away from him. Officer Flandrich ran a check on his in -car computer and found the car was stolen. The Suburban slowed and stayed behind the squad. A felony stop was made when other officers arrived IContinued from page 2 I on the scene. Two parties were taken into custody at the top of the exit ramp on 135E and Grand Avenue. In addition to the stolen Suburban, the license plates were stolen and the suspects also had 17 grams of marijuana in possession. Both were transported to the Dakota County Jail. Investigator Convery worked with Scott Hershey of the Dakota County Attorney's Office to get a $28,000 bail on the suspect to ensure that he celebrated the New Year in jail. Fight 12-31-03 0138 hours Officer Jeff VonFeldt and Sergeant Donn Anderson responded to a fight at the Moose Country. Upon arrival, Officer VonFeldt was directed to a female who had started the incident. She became upset when the bouncers began escorting her boyfriend from the bar. She yelled at them to get away from her boyfriend and began kicking the two bouncers and the manager. While Officer VonFeldt was talking with her, Sgt. Anderson was dealing with the aftermath of the fight in the bar. He located one male who was bleeding from the head. He refused any medical attention. Two were cited for disorderly conduct and released. Warrant Arrest / Delievery Service 01-02-03 0214 hours Officer Jeff VonFeldt arrested a female for DUI. She called to arrange for a ride home. She arranged for her boyfriend's roommate to come to MHPD to pick up her up. Before releasing her, Officer Jeff VonFeldt ran a computer check on the party and found that he had an active warrant for Failure to Appear out of Hennepin County. He was arrested and transported to the Dakota County Jail. Safe and Sober We are working hard to enforce the traffic laws that make us safer. The Officers removed 7 under the influence drivers from the roads during the past week. Be safe! -- MikP -- -2- CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA January 6, 2004- 7:30 P.M. 1, Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Pledge of Allegiance 4. Agenda Adoption 5. Approval of the December 16, 2003 City Council Minutes. 6. Consent Calendar a. Acknowledgement of the December 2003 Building Activity Report b. Acknowledgement of the Possible Changes to Rules and Rental Fees for use of City Parks. c. Authorization of Purchase Order for Contract for Buckthorn Control/Management. d. Adoption of Resolution No. 04-01: "A RESOLUTION MAKING THE DETERMINATION THAT THE PROPOSED "WELLNESS CENTER" FOR 2520 PILOT KNOB ROAD IS A PERMITTED USE WITHIN THE "I" ZONE". e. Adoption of Resolution No. 04-02-: "RESOLUTION ACCEPTING WORK AND APPROVING FINAL PAYMENT FOR BUROW POND (IMPROVEMENT NO. 2003, PROJECT NO. 1)". f. Adoption of Ordinance No. 388: "AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING FEES AND ESCROW ACCOUNT REQUIREMENTS" and Resolution No. 04-03: "A RESOLUTION REVISING SCHEDULE OF FEES FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, ENGINEERING AND POLICE SERVICES". g. Adoption of Resolution No. 04-04: "RESOLUTION ACCEPTING PLEDGED SECURITIES FOR 2004". h. Adoption of Resolution No. 04-05: "RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING 2004 CITY DEPOSITORIES OF FUNDS i. Approval of Contractor List. j. Approval of Claims List. 6. Public Comments 7, First of the Year Business a. Appointment of Acting Mayor a. Designation of Official Newspaper 8. Public Hearings a. Required Annual Meting for NPDES Phase 11 Storm Water Permit for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) b. Business Subsidy Hearing/Town Center Lot Sales 9. Unfinished and New Business a. Discussion of Scheduling Goal Setting Workshop with Council b. Adjourn to Closed Session for Discussion of Par 3 Litigation. 10. Council Comments 11. Adiourn Auxiliary aids for persons with disabilities are available upon request at least 120 hours in advance. If a notice of less than 120 hours is received, the City of Mendota Heights will make every attempt to provide the aids, however, this may not be possible on short notice. Please contact City Administration at 452-1850 with requests. This meeting is being taped by NDC4 (651-450-9891) and will replay on Friday at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on the NDC4 Government Channel 18 The Board of Water Commissioners has appointed a civil engineer with Saint Paul Regional Water Services (SPRWS) to serve as general manager for SPRWS. Stephen Schneider, an employee of SPRWS since 1990, assumed the general manager position on Dec. 17, 2003. SPRWS, which employs about 250 people, has an operating budget of about $33 million and supplies drinking water to the city of Saint Paul and eight of the city's suburbs, includ- ing Arden Hills, Falcon Heights, Lauder- dale, Little Canada, Roseville, Maplewood, Mendota Heights, and West St. Paul. There were many qualified candidates from inside SPRWS and across the country who brought a wide variety of background and experience. Board members feel that Steve brings the right mix of these qualities and that he will be a leader who will serve SPRWS customers well. Pat Harris President Board of Water Commissioners Saint Paul City Council member Pat Harris, who also serves as president of the Water Board, said, "Mr. Schneider brings many positive aspects to the general manager position, including a strong vision for SPRWS' future, a broad spectrum of ex- perience inside the utility, a comprehensive knowledge of the water system, familiarity with employees, and a renewed energy that will take the utility well into the future." Schneider began with the utility as a project manager, completing a variety of public facilities construction projects, including a $6.5 million upgrade of the utility's filtration system and a $1 million water main replacement project in the heart of Saint Paul. In 1996, Schneider became assistant superintendent of the utility's Distribution Division, assisting in the man- agement of 120 employees and an operat- ing budget of $10 million. He became an assistant to the SPRWS general manager in 2002, and in 2003, he was assigned to the Engineering Division to respond to an increased demand on engineering projects. Schneider earned a Bachelor of Geologi- cal Engineering in 1988 and a Bachelor of Civil Engineering in 1992, both from the Institute of Technology at the University of Minnesota. He is currently working on a Master of Business Administration through Metropolitan State University. Regarding his appointment to the new position, Schneider said that he is very ex- cited about "taking on this new challenge. I certainly want to continue on our current path of success, which—above all—means providing high-quality drinking water, ex- cellent customer service, and sound fiscal management. But I also want to put my own stamp on the operation of the utility. One of my primary goals will be to ensure that our water system remains reliable and capable of providing a high quality product to our customers for generations to come." One of my primary goals will be to ensure that our water system remains reliable and capable of providing a high quality product to our customers for generations to come. Steve Schneider The position was vacated by Bernie Bullert, who was a 35 -year utility employee and became general manager in 1992. In July 2003, Bullert announced his intention to Steve Schneider, general manager retire from the utility; his last official day with SPRWS was Nov. 28. Bullert is now working in the private sector as a senior registered en- gineer with TKDA, a Saint Paul engineering consulting firm. Barb Woolsey, the utility's business division manager, served as interim general manager between Bullert's departure and Schneider's appointment. The Board conducted a nationwide search for Bullert's replacement. An examining com- mittee of nine members, appointed by the Board and representing the water industry, private business, labor, education, and gov- ernment, conducted initial interviews and made recommendations of four finalists to be inter- viewed by the Board. "There were many qualified candidates from inside SPRWS and across the coun- try who brought a wide variety of back- ground and experience," Harris said. "Board members feel that Steve brings the right mix of these qualities and that he will be a leader who will serve SPRWS cus- tomers well." Photos: 1) Jeff Martin and Joe Mancini, both water utility workers, top off their holiday meals with some dessert. 2) Customer service reps ( I. to r.) Lisa Lervoog, Diane Linder (ret.), Betty Spurr along with Linda Thurston, service worker, take time out for a "tasty treat. 3) Brad Kelbe, water utility worker; Brad Eilts, civil engineer; and Kathy Ferdig, customer service rep at The Yards enjoy a festive feast. 4) Dave Marruffo, water utility tech and Chris Dehler, cust. serv. rep., tally up correct scores in the name the baby contest at DeGidio's. 5) Jerry Ludden, water services supervisor, carves and then serves some turkey to Jenny Wilkins, engineering aide; Pat Ryan, water meter tech., and Gayle Moser, clerk, with some help from Heidi Lagos, clerk typist. 6) Bill Tschida, engineering tech supervisor, makes a Christmas wish to Santa. 7) Richelle Nicosia, water utility tech, serves up some punch to Greg Krey, water system worker. 8) IS staff Paula Matthews, Blong Lee, Tom Bluth, Christine Meyer, Brian Scheiben and Marge Abbas get into the spirit of the season. We've rebooted our servers, andswap ped your PC, Made sure you can print, andscan viruses, you see. q''ou run '1'Vindozus 2000, and you're joined to AD, Our coders andHelp Desk zvorkas hard as can be. 9+'e'vestrudyledwithbarcodes-fiopeSyu rymmrnecsoon, 11 'orkedzvith the Print,5hop, to print bills in their room, ' H'e're on many committees, and work with the City, I hope you're made happy, by this little dithy 110shirq you ad'a zvonderful holiday season and a happy new year- q'bur fiendly I,Sstaff F 0 0 N (9 N m` E ro U 0 U) N 0 Z d' Q c Q. d i� y F 0 0 N (9 N m` E ro U 0 U) N 0 Z d' Q c Q. d